Date: 17 Aug 1998 03:18:16 GMT From: SpookyAgt Subject: NEW: Between Two Truths: Friday (1/3) Title: Between Two Truths: Friday Part: 1/3 Author: Jessica Wilson Email Address: SpookyAgt@aol.com Category: R, A Rating: PG Summary: A surprise visitor offers some advice and puts our agents at odds. Spoilers: Everything up to and after the movie Archive: Anywhere is fine, just keep my name and email address on it. Disclaimer: Nope, I'm not getting any money off this...I work for feedback. That will be payment enough. Mulder, Scully, and other various characters mentioned on the show are not mine (unless the aliens abducted me and put CC in my body). Author's Notes: This series is not complete; any suggestions and so forth are welcome. I plan on making this a week long (Friday-Friday). And now, on with the show... Between Two Truths Scully still couldn't believe it. She finally had a real office after being trapped in the dark basement for over five years. It was almost too much when Skinner called to inform her the X-Files had been reopened but when he offered her and Mulder a joint office on the third floor, she couldn't stop the huge smile that spread across her face. Sure, it wasn't only her office, but at least now she had her own desk and a nameplate on the door. It had been over two weeks since the move and she still smiled softly when she saw "Special Agent Dana Scully, M.D." as she came into work. Not to her surprise, unlike her, Mulder wasn't happy at all with the adjustment. She knew he was thinking about all he had lost instead of what he gained. He had become used to the privacy the two of them shared down there and the floor separating them from Skinner. Avoiding other agents' scrutiny and badmouthing seemed relatively simple in the basement; up here however, it was unavoidable. She could see Mulder's determination to hate the new office weaken since they originally made the move. She hoped as time went by he would come to feel as comfortable here as he was in the basement. The doorknob turned slowly. She saw his bitter expression as he stepped in from the hallway; he was ready to spit bullets. She immediately amended herself; she knew it would take Mulder a long time to trust this office and get use to having to deal with other agents on a day to day basis. She knew that the agents must have done something when she saw the anger in Mulder's eyes. As much as he tried to convince her, she knew his skin wasn't as tough as he thought it was. She wished the others would realize that as well. "Look Scully," Mulder said, holding the door so she could see the front. "It seems as if the Welcoming Committee has finally come out to properly greet us. To think I thought that we weren't going to get anything." She glanced at the door and frowned. Instead of her name posted proudly, there was a sign written in big letters, covering her and Mulder's names. The paper read "Spooky Mulder and Ice Queen Scully. UFOs beware!" She rolled her eyes as he closed the door. For being some of the best agents the FBI had to offer, some of them were so juvenile. She wondered how they survived Quantico. If they ever had a class with her when she was teaching, she would have sent them back to grade school. To her, that's where stuff like that belonged. "You knew it was coming," came her simple reply. She refused to allow some ignorant, arrogant group of agents ruin her day. He hung up his coat forcibly. "Maybe I could talk to our friends, the little green men, and see if they could arrange an abduction or two. I think Spender would be my first choice," he whispered in her ear. "You know, Mulder," she started to explain in the same voice she used to debunk his wild theories. "This is the reason they do this to you, to get under your skin. You reacting in this manner is just emphasizing why they decided to play this prank in the first place." He stood up, displeased with her justification. "I didn't think it was funny and neither did you. I hate it how these jerks think they can just come out and harass us whenever they want to because we are on the same floor as them." Now that he had released some of his frustration, he started to calm down, she noticed. He looked at her thoughtfully for a second. "I don't think you are an Ice Queen." She looked at him for a moment, surprised as his words. Mulder hardly took the other agents' jokes seriously. She saw the sad look in his eyes and realized he was apologizing for what they did in his own way. It was as though he finally understood he wasn't the only member of the "Spooky Patrol." She sighed, recognizing that the move was a lot harder on Mulder than she thought. She offered a small smile. "You aren't Spooky either...most of the time." He raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything. With that, she let the subject drop. She knew despite his bad mood this morning, overall, he was a happier person. He was now filled with faith in what he believed: the Truth was out there. After Antarctica he had his hope restored, as he felt after his experience in Alaska. She knew whatever hardships she had to endure with the mysterious virus were worth it, her Mulder was back. She snapped out of her thoughts when Mulder spoke. "So Scully, when are we going to start leaving Washington to try to find those aliens that everyone around here seems to know about? It is so boring around here," he whined as he pulled his chair towards Scully. She crossed her arms. A whining Mulder was not something that she wanted to deal with. "You know, I am just getting use to the fact I have my own desk. I have over five years to catch up on." He rolled his eyes playfully. "Trust me, desks are so overrated." "Mulder..." she warned. She knew this wasn't going too well. She could tell by his persistence he was starting to get antsy, which usually lead him to trouble. "If I knew you were going to ground me for not getting you a desk when we were in the basement, I would have given you mine a long time ago. Then you would see how desks are boring." She looked at him then over at his new desk. She thought back to his desk in the old office: covered in files, photos and just about everything else he collected throughout his career at the FBI. "Mulder, most of the time I didn't even think that classified as a desk. Not even an X-File could explain that disaster." He feigned a blow to his chest. "Ouch Scully, you wound me with your words. Well, look at my desk now." It was perfectly clear of any items except for a phone, his computer and a picture of Samantha when she was six on his desk. It wasn't much different from Scully's except she had two pictures: one of her family and the picture of her and Mulder she managed to salvage from the fire. It's so empty, Scully thought with a tinge of sadness. She glanced about his desk and smiled. He had managed to find another "I Want to Believe" poster, which he proudly hung up during their first day in their new office. Gone were the numerous articles of alleged UFO sightings, but she had a feeling it wouldn't stay like that for long. She shifted her gaze back to her partner. "Even if, Mulder, I wasn't enjoying my desk as much as I am, you seem to forget, we have a less than a dozen X-Files and none of them are open yet," she said. The day after the fire, they went through everything in the basement. Mulder had managed to find two or three files that could be used if the X-Files were ever reopened. Scully had two in her apartment that she was looking over. Except for those few, all of their work for the past five years was just ashes. "Well," he said with an impish smile," I got an interesting email from the boys this morning. It seems a small town in Nebraska is having trouble going to sleep at night. It seems several of the locals, including the mayor, think aliens have possessed their cows to start mooing at the moon every night at two in the morning." She disregarded the information instantly. The boys, Mulder's Lone Gunmen, had been sending them "tips" since they heard the X-Files had been reopened. She couldn't believe Mulder was taking seriously. "What are they? Werewolf cows?" She shook her head. A couple of minutes passed before she asked, "How did your meeting with Skinner go?" He made a face. "He just wanted to remind me that A.D. Cassidy wants me to be on my best behavior since the X-Files have been reopened. That doesn't just go for me, but you too. Just because they are reopened again doesn't mean we necessarily have free reign over the FBI. Blah blah, like I'm going to listen to a person who sends me out of the room because I was two minutes late. I'm sure she would have made an excellent teacher." She raised her eyebrow slightly, surprised at his outburst. True, Cassidy wasn't the kindest woman in the world and she did seem to have it out for Mulder. In the long run, however, she did OK the X-Files to come back. "I would be nice, Mulder, you just got your files back." His serious tone returned, this time with a faint smile hiding on his lips. "Thanks to you, I told you I owe you everything." She smiled at him softly. Neither of them had brought up the conversation in the hallway straight in the open; they didn't need to. The words he exchanged to her changed their partnership for the better. Scully finally knew for certain this was where she belonged, with the X-Files, and more importantly, with Mulder. There was no way she would or could stop the way she felt. "Well," she said with a hopeful look in her eye, "you can start making it up to me by coming over to Mom's house for dinner tonight." He had a slight fearful look in his eye. "Is your wonderful brother, Bill, going to be over too?" She smiled sympathetically. She knew from past experiences her brother had never been partial to any of her male friends. It was practically impossible for them to remain her friend if he thought they did anything to hurt the family. He never told her what Bill said the first time they met when she was in the hospital, going through the battle with her cancer. She remembered how Mulder seemed intimidated to get near her for a couple of days after the meeting. Even when she brought up his name, he looked around like a kid watching for the school bully. "Mulder, he lives in San Diego," she said reasonably. He crossed his arms defensively. "Yeah, well I didn't want to find myself in a surprise Scully family reunion." "There isn't any need to worry, if Bill decides to fly 3,000 miles just to stop by for Mom's cooking, I'll protect him from you," she offered. He looked at his watch, appearing to accept her offer. "What time should I be there?" "I'm going to leave over there when I leave out of here. Dinner won't start until six-thirty." She couldn't wait to go over there. Since the X-Files were reopened, she hadn't had time to go over to Margaret's house. Usually she devoted at least a couple of nights a week visiting with her mom since her cancer went into remission. He nodded and went back in his desk. About half an hour later, he stood up. "I'm going to head out of here." She looked at her watch and frowned. Mulder never left work early, unless he was inspired by one of his crazy ideas or he was bored out of his mind. Looking at the wads of paper setting by the wastebasket, she assumed it was the latter. "But, Mulder, it's just now three-thirty. It doesn't take three hours to get to Mom's house. She saw him nod, slumping back in chair. "You're right Scully." That was too easy, Scully thought, when have I ever been right? She was starting to become confused. Instead of trying to figure out what was going on in Mulder's mind, she turned back to her computer. Before she could even pull up the document she was working on, she felt as if something hit the back of her head. When she turned around to face Mulder, he was reading the newspaper. She shook her head and turned back to the computer. Flick. She spun around faster this time and spotted what had disturbed her from work. She had to hand it to him for his swiftness. If he hadn't been the only person in the room she would have never guessed it was Mulder flicking rubber bands at her head. "Scully, is there something wrong?" he asked, concerned. She shook her head, figuring if she ignored his childish behavior long enough it would go away. "No, Mulder, I'm just going to finish up over here." "O.K." Flick. "Agent Mulder," she said without turning around, "it is against protocol to flick office supplies as your partner's head." Flick. She swerved around and picked the rubbed bands off the ground. She tapped him firmly on his shoulder. "Do these look familiar to you?" He shook his head and went back to reading about the latest development in the Clinton case. She placed them on his desk with a loud thump. Before she could get back to her desk, she heard him saying, "This is the reason why I do this, to get under your skin. You reacting in this manner is just emphasizing why I decided to play this joke in the first place." She easily picked up on the mocking tone in his voice. She knew he wasn't going to get any more work done today. "Go home, Mulder." He moved over to her desk. "Ditch with me, Scully. I know deep down inside that perfect Special Agent mind you are just as bored as me." He paused for a minute before adding, "Please?" She looked at him with mild amusement. Within the years she had worked with him she could count the number of times he had left the office early because there were no cases to keep him busy. "I don't know, Mulder. I can't picture Skinner being too happy with us leaving early." "It's a Friday, he won't mind. How many assistant directors stay the entire eight hours on Friday? Besides, we could pick up something for dessert." She sighed as he smiled. She got up and grabbed her coat, leaving the office with Mulder. * * * * * * At six, Mulder walked to the front door with Scully, German chocolate cake in hand. After going to the bakery, they decided just to take Scully's car to her mother's and drop off Mulder when they were ready to go home. Before he had a chance to ring the doorbell, Margaret opened the door with a smile. She hugged Scully. "Hi Honey, I was starting to wonder where you had gone off to." Scully smiled briefly. "I'm sorry, Mom. Mulder wanted to save the planet so we decided to carpool." Margaret turned to him. "Fox, I am so glad you could come over. The house has been so empty recently," she said sadly. He let out a long breath he was sure he had been holding since he accepted Scully's invitation. Things between him and Scully were the best they had been since the beginning of their partnership. However, the relationship between the Scully family, especially Margaret, had become strained. He had convinced himself Margaret blamed him for everything that happened to Scully for the past five years. When he saw the delight on Margaret's face as she greeted him, he couldn't help to question himself. He knew if he was given the chance, he would try to talk to Margaret and get his feelings off his chest. Maybe a night with the Scully women is what I need, he thought as he stepped inside. He saw her look at him expectantly, waiting for him to greet her. Finally, he managed to say, "Hi, Mrs. Scully." Inwardly, he sighed; he had been trying to think of the right thing to say all afternoon. Somehow, he thought "hi" wasn't it. Seeing he wasn't going to say anymore, Scully sniffed the air. "Spaghetti?" Margaret closed the door. "Close, it's lasagna. Is that OK by you, Fox?" He looked almost surprised. He couldn't believe she cared if he liked what she was serving. When he visited his mother, she never asked him if he liked what she was making for dinner. It was expected he would eat it with a smile on his face. "Of course, Mrs. Scully, lasagna sounds wonderful. Anything you make is great. It sure beats out eating Chinese take-out for the fifth time this week," he said. Mulder instantly recognized Margaret's new stance: the disapproving mother look. "Fox, didn't your mother ever teach you how important it is to eat properly?" Before he could reply, she smiled. "I'm only kidding. Please, make yourself at home. Dana and I will be in the kitchen making the salad." Scully and her mom left Mulder in the living room, taking the cake from his hands. He took a seat on the couch, rocking back and forth on the cushion. He hadn't been this uncomfortable around Margaret since he first met her in Scully's apartment after she was kidnapped by Duane Barry. He knew this was different though. That time she was taken by the hands of a madman, this time it was he who was responsible for Margaret almost losing her other little girl. He could understand why her father was against her joining the FBI; she was put into dangerous situations on a regular basis. One thing he could never comprehend was that while her father always opposed her decision to be in the Bureau, Margaret never fought her choice. Margaret already learned the pain of losing a daughter to the quest he was on and yet she always supported Scully in her determination to stay with Mulder. He knew if Scully ever left the X-Files, and him, she could live a normal life. Her life would never be risked again, not in the name of little green men, anyway. She could become a doctor and marry an intelligent man who would never put her in the line of danger. He couldn't stop the small frown that crossed his face when he thought of Mr. Right taking Scully away from him. He sighed. He sat on the couch, bringing up point after point why he was the one to blame for Scully's less than perfect life. He put his head in his hands, trying to block out the condemning thoughts bombarding his mind. ********************* Margaret Scully came in the living room, smiling to herself. She was glad that her daughter and Fox were able to visit her. She was worried when Dana told her the X-Files were being shut down that they would part and go their own ways. She knew there was more between the two than just the X-Files but didn't think they had realized it yet. She knew she was wrong after Dana came back from Antarctica. She told Margaret everything Fox said to her in the hallway outside his apartment. Margaret decided that was the right moment to mention how she thought it was about time for Dana to settle down with a man. She didn't think Dana's cheeks had been that red since her dad decided to show her first steady boyfriend pictures of her taking a bath when she was a baby. She learned from dealing with Fox over the years, he was a man full of unresolved demons, but he also was a good, pure man. He deserved a woman that would take all of him and not push away the dark side of him, like Dana. She knew it was only a matter of time before they acted on their newly revealed feelings. She wouldn't push them to make the first move; she would let them set their own pace. After Dana left that night, Margaret thought about Fox. She hadn't seen much of him since Dana's cancer went into remission. She knew that was mostly her fault. She was so busy with her new grandchild and Dana's recovery, not much else seemed to matter. Her smile faded when she saw Fox holding his head. "Fox?" she asked. He didn't look up right away. She saw him slowly pull his head up, recognizing her presence. She could tell by the slight redness in his eyes, he had just stopped crying. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Scully. What did you say?" A fleeting frown crossed her face. When she asked about him to Dana in the kitchen, she didn't say anything was wrong with him. She saw him wipe his eyes quickly, trying to make seem as if everything was wonderful. "Fox," she started, taking a seat next to him, "what's wrong?" He pulled slightly away from her. "Nothing, Mrs. Scully," he said evenly. He pinched his nose. "Just a long day." She rolled her eyes. Of all the excuses her children had concocted to get them out of trouble, none of them were ever this shallow. She crossed her arms, showing her disbelief. "Now I know there is something wrong. Dana said that you both were able to leave work early because there was nothing at the office to do today." She paused for a moment, almost afraid for the words to come out of her mouth. "There isn't anything wrong with Dana, is there?" She saw his shoulder go down in relief. "No, Mrs. Scully, she is perfectly healthy." She allowed herself to breathe again. She knew that while her daughter might try to protect her from bad news, Fox wouldn't. "Then what's wrong?" He sighed softly, his eyes getting big as he looked at her. "Mrs. Scully, I honestly don't know if I should even be here tonight. I know that you and the rest of the family, with the exception of Scully, blame me for everything." Margaret didn't know what he was talking about. "What is `everything'?" He shifted his position to look at Margaret's face better. "Anything that has happened to her, her abduction, the cancer, the quarantines, everything. I don't want you to think I blame you for that, I don't. Now the X-Files have been given back to us, I know that there are going to be more of these risks I'll take. Knowing Scully, she'll come with me. I don't know if I can live with the fact that her family will think I'm the one who caused her suffering." Margaret's heart dropped. Part of her wished that she didn't insist for Fox to speak what was on his mind. She never thought the reason Mulder was sitting on her couch crying was because of something he believed she did. She began to feel guilty for never reaching out to Fox during those months after Scully's recovery. She never confronted Fox about her daughter's tragic conditions, but she knew in her heart she did give some of the blame to him. She assumed that in her own way she did tell him, by not giving him the reassuring words she knew he needed. She never believed for a second it was Fox who lead her daughter into life-threatening situations. Though it was too dangerous for Dana to tell her the exact details of what she and Mulder went through, she knew it was Dana's devotion to the X-Files that lead her into peril, not Fox. She patted his hand softly. "Fox, if there is one thing about Dana all of us, including you, know is that she is stubborn. She does things her own way. No one is going to stop her from doing that, not even you or me. Her dedication to the X-Files and you is something nobody can break. Whatever chances she will take, we all know they are ultimately hers. We have always known that." She could see the confusion on his face. "But, Bill--" "--Is still suffering from the loss of Melissa, not to mention her father. Even when he was younger, his family always came first in his life. He is much like his father in that way. For him, it is easier to pass the blame to someone than deal with the issues himself. He loves Dana, I do too. The idea of losing her when it was preventable made it that much harder to go through. In times of crisis, Bill's temper is notorious for taking over. "But, Dana wound up making it through that trial in her life. That's because of you and your inability to give up on her, like when she was given back to us. Don't think any of us has forgotten about that. Bill doesn't understand you like Dana does. I know no matter what happens to Dana your heart is in the right place; it always is." He smiled softly. She saw the distance between them become shorter, as if he was letting his guard down. "Thank you, Mrs. Scully. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that." She patted his shoulder, standing up. "Come on, Fox. Dana is probably wondering what happened to us." He got up and walked next to her. She closed her eyes, grateful that she was able to finally make Fox feel at home. ****************** Between Two Truths: Friday 2/3 SpookyAgt@aol.com Disclaimer: See part one. After they finished eating, Mulder offered to wash the dishes as thanks to Margaret for a "wonderful dinner." Scully had heard the two talking in the living room, but didn't eavesdrop on their conversation. She knew that if they wanted to talk to her about it, they would. She couldn't help to question if Mulder was doing this simply to avoid her mother. She doubted it because dinner was very pleasant. Scully put the plates in the side of the sink with the soapy warm water. "Mulder, I didn't think you even knew how to wash dishes. I thought throwing away paper plates was the extent of your cleaning abilities." He pretended to look shocked. "You have no idea how much that hurt me, Scully. I am a man of many talents. You should know that by now," he said as he accidentally splashed water on the counter. Scully rolled her eyes as she turned towards the living room to find her mom. "Well, I will leave you, your amazing talents and the dishes alone. I wouldn't want the magic of washing dishes to be revealed. I'll see you tomorrow morning which will be about the same time you finish," she said, ducking as a dish towel sailed over her head. She found her mom on the couch in the family room, staring at the blank television. She sat next to her. "Mom, is there anything on your mind?" she asked, her voice full of concern. Margaret looked in her daughter's eyes, knowing she couldn't hide anything from her. "As you know, before dinner Fox and I had a chance to talk. To make a long story short, he was positive I blamed him for everything terrible that has happened to you since the beginning of your partnership, especially your cancer. It's true that since I found out about your cancer, I seriously cut down the time I spent with Fox. "Still, I thought by now he knew I consider him an extended part of the Scully family. When you were returned after you were...taken, I allowed him to participate in matters that only included the family. Since you were brought back to the hospital, I assumed he understood how close I regard him to be." Scully's temper flared. Like Bill, she hated to see any part of her family, especially her mom, hurt by anyone else. Making her mother feel bad because he held himself for all she had gone through was going to far. Her mom must have seen her getting mad because she said, "Oh Dana, he didn't say anything but the truth." "But Mom..." "Honey, it's OK. In a way we did blame Fox. That's just because it was the easiest way for us to deal with it. I don't think Bill nor I have taken the time to properly thank Fox for saving your life from the cancer and Antarctica. Sometimes I forget how nice it is to hear thank you for a job well done." Scully knew she couldn't go in the kitchen and yell at Mulder now that she knew her mother didn't think him to be out of line. She didn't know what to say right away. Saying "thank you" to another was something she and Mulder never did. She knew her mom was waiting for her to say what she thought about the whole situation, but she couldn't discern what she was feeling at the moment. Finally, she spoke slowly, "Mom, Mulder always blames himself for everything that goes wrong. To this day he thinks it was his fault that Samantha was taken even though it is almost clear that he could have done nothing to stop it. Sometimes he thinks other people hold him responsible when they don't. That is what makes him so paranoid." "But it's not paranoia when people really do." Margaret looked at her hands for a moment before speaking again. "I have already spoken to him, assuring him that everything is fine. I think things between us will be better now that his feelings were brought out in the open. I just hope he believes what I said." Scully touched her mom's arm. "Of course he does. Did you see how relaxed he was during dinner? You actually got him to laugh when you told him how Melissa and I thought the Spaghetti Monster haunted the house at night. You know Mulder never laughs." Mulder walked in the room, water covering the entire front of his shirt. He smiled sheepishly at Scully who just shook her head in disbelief. She didn't think it was possible for anyone to get so messy just washing dishes. "I wanted to let you know I am finished washing the dishes. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Margaret shook her head. "No Fox, we are fine. If I haven't told you already, thank you so much for the cake. I still can't believe Dana didn't tell you that it was my favorite kind." Scully smiled briefly. She had a feeling Mulder would be flooded with Margaret's thanks for everything he did for a long time. ********************** The three of them talked for a while before they finally decided they should heading back home. Mulder looked out the windshield as Scully stopped in front of his apartment building. He felt better than he had since he moved to the new office; he finally had no more demons to confront in the Scully family. He knew Margaret's words were sincere and from her heart. He glanced over at Scully and smiled softly. He couldn't help but to feel a sense of relief she had stayed with him throughout the years. He knew she could leave him at anytime and make an improvement in her life, but now she wouldn't. Ever since their ordeal in Dallas, he realized he had something special, something no one else on the planet had: Scully's company through his quest. He couldn't believe Scully thought for a moment he didn't need her. She was the one who held him together. He was certain he shared with Scully the heartache he went through when she was taken by Duane Barry and had her cancer. Because of her, his quest broadened not just to include Samantha, but to reveal these unnamed men who destroyed lives, like Melissa's. He could only hope his words in the hallway could convince her that she was so important to his life. "All right, that will be twelve dollars and fifty cents," she said jokingly. He grinned at her playfulness. Since the X-Files had been reopened, the two had been joking with each other like they did before her abduction. "Just put it on my tab." Before he could think twice about it, he kissed her quickly on the cheek. "Thank you very much for inviting me, Scully. I really did have a lot of fun tonight. Spending time with your mom is always a pleasure." "I'm glad you decided to come over. Mom likes having people over at the house. I guess that's what happens when you have four children who invite all of their friends over at the same time. By the way, Mom told me to tell you she wants you and me to come over more often. She didn't like hearing that you eat out so much," she said, yawning. He looked at her with concern. "You tired, Scully? I don't want you falling asleep on the road. I already know how you drive when you are wide awake." He quickly turned away from the icy glare she shot him. "Seriously, I can make a cup of coffee for you and send you on your way." She shook her head. "No, I'm fine, Mulder. I just need to get home, change out of my work clothes and get some well-deserved sleep. I'll see you Monday morning." He stepped out of the car, holding the door open. "All right, have a good weekend. Don't let the Spaghetti Monster get you. On Monday, remind me and we'll open an X-File on it." He smiled. "No picking up strange men and taking them home either." She smiled sweetly. "That's why I'm dropping you off right now, Mulder." He put his hand over his heart, then closed the car door. He watched her drive away before walking in his apartment building. As he got in the elevator, he thanked his lucky stars he got everything settled with the Scullys. When he got to his floor, he pulled out his keys. That was when he noticed someone had already decided to let themselves in. He put his keys back in the pocket and pulled his gun out of the holster. He kicked the door, yelling, "FBI! Don't move!" The gun dropped to the floor when he saw who the intruder was. When he was finally able to speak, all he was able to say was, "Oh my..." He closed his eyes for ten seconds, almost expecting what he saw to be gone when he reopened them. He slowly opened them, afraid to look. It is true, he thought, Samantha is really in my apartment. ************* Scully was listening to the radio loudly. She was more tired than she realized. Going through the official process of reopening the X-Files was boring, but took a lot of energy. Her cellular phone rang softly. She turned down the music before answering it. She knew who it would be, but still she said, "Scully." All she heard was, "Get over here. Right now." Without thinking another thought, Scully flipped a U-turn at the next light and headed straight to Mulder's apartment. ************ It had been five minutes since Scully received the short, but urgent phone call from Mulder. She punched the button to the elevator impatiently. Just as she was about to start running up the emergency stairs, the doors leisurely slid open. She walked inside and eagerly pushed the button to his floor. She couldn't think of what Mulder could have possibly done to need her help already. When she finally reached the door to his apartment, Scully opened the door cautiously with her gun drawn. Knowing Mulder's past contacts, she couldn't be too careful with her life. She tried to remain clam, but hearing Mulder's anxious plea made her adrenaline run that much faster. She was surprised when she saw him just standing next to the door. Normally this was about the time when he got the crap beat out of him. He didn't turn to acknowledge her; instead his eyes remained fixated on whatever was in the living room. "Mulder?" she whispered, not wanting the other person to hear her. When she received no response, she looked past him, following the path his eyes made to the couch. She put her gun back in her holster when she saw the person there. After a couple of moments had passed, she said, "Is this who I think it is?" When silence was her answer, she looked on the ground. She saw his gun on the floor, next to his feet. She couldn't help the frown that passed over her face; Mulder never left his gun sitting out for others to grab and possibly use on himself. Then again, she thought, Mulder has never seen his sister in his apartment either. She picked the gun off the ground and waved it in front of his face, but he made no motion to take it from her. Getting slightly frustrated as his lack of recognition that she was there, she slid his gun back into his belt holster. She turned back to look at the woman who decided to make a surprise visit. She had never seen the adult Samantha before except on the night Mulder tried to save Scully from a hostage situation. She had never gotten a good glimpse of her though. She assumed that was because of the concussion she had. Anyone could easily tell the relationship between the two. Though Samantha didn't have Mulder's nose, they both shared the same eyes. It seemed surreal the little girl Mulder spent his life searching for was all grown up, sitting right in front of their faces. Samantha stood up slowly as if she didn't want to scare either of them. Scully watched every movement she made carefully. She knew there was a good chance this was a clone, like the other Samantha, but somehow she knew at this moment that wasn't important to Mulder. Samantha broke the silence, interrupting her thoughts. "Fox, I'm so glad that I finally found you. I was worried I had come to the wrong apartment." She took a couple of steps closer to them. "I need to talk to you about something extremely important." Scully's eyebrows went down in confusion. She looked at the woman who looked like his sister and wondered what was so important to come out of hiding for nearly 25 years. She couldn't help her skepticism kicking in, within the past five years it had become somewhat of second nature to her. She pushed it away though, this was Mulder's fantasy coming true and she wasn't going to ruin that. She turned to face Mulder again, waiting to see what he would say. He just started at Samantha, dumbfounded. Unable to stand the silence, Scully looked at Samantha. "Not to discredit you or anything, but how do we know you aren't some kind of clone or facsimile of Samantha Mulder?" Samantha approached them closer. Scully couldn't help but to feel as though she was trying to invade on her personal space. "I am not any kind of clone or replication of Samantha Mulder. I am the real one. I know I can't prove that without some kind of blood test, but I hope my brother can see past that and trust me." Mulder only trusts me, Scully thought to herself. "What are you doing here?" she asked. She felt like Mulder's spokesperson but knew once he snapped out of his fascination he would be wanting to hear the answers he missed. Samantha didn't seem taken aback by the onslaught of questions. "Like I said, I need to talk to him. My brother," she said calmly. She looked Scully up and down. "I suppose it is all right if you stay here." If Scully didn't know any better, she would have thought Samantha recognized her when she looked at her. Samantha was still looking at her when she turned to face Mulder. She couldn't believe that after all the time had passed since she walked into his apartment he hadn't had any reaction to Samantha's presence or her words. After a silent minute had passed, Mulder began speaking so softly both women had to strain to hear him. "Samantha, why are you in my apartment? When I saw you a year ago you didn't want to have anything to do with me. What has changed since then?" Scully easily picked up on the hurt in the voice and had the impulse to assure him everything would be fine. She was surprised at his words. She expected Mulder to jump through hoops without questions now that Samantha had finally decided to make the first steps towards him. She understood his behavior though; he didn't want to risk the chance of his heart being broken by Samantha again. She knew how hard it was for him to actually say the words to his sister Samantha, for her part, didn't seem to react at all to what he had to say. "Like I told her, there are some rather important issues that I need to discuss with you." "What issues?" he asked. She looked at Scully again before turning to her brother. "Issues that concern the future of you and your partner," she said simply. Scully's mind reeled; she knew this Samantha Mulder was convinced Cancer Man was her true father. Who knew what information she was accessible to? Maybe she knew her cancer hadn't completely healed despite the constant testing or when the release of the black cancer would take place or where Gibson, the psychic child, was being held. The possibilities were endless. Mulder's face scrunched up in confusion. Scully knew that he wasn't expecting the first time he saw Samantha was when she gave him vital information about them. "What does this have to do with Scully?" Samantha didn't say anything. She turned back to the living room and walked towards the fish tank, giving them their space. "When is the last time you fed your fish, Fox? They look pretty hungry." Mulder ignored her question, just like she did with his. For the first time since Scully arrived at his apartment, Mulder shot her a glance. "I didn't know I was expecting company tonight. If I did, I would have insisted for you to have some coffee," she heard him say quietly. He waited for a couple of minutes, watching her look at his fish before asking again, "What does this have to do with Scully?" Samantha moved closer to them, finally moving between them so Scully could no longer look at Mulder. "Is there somewhere we can talk? I don't want to take a chance that anyone is listening." That caught Scully's attention. Through her years in medical school, she had never heard of paranoia being a hereditary quality. "Who would be listening to us?" she asked coolly. Samantha spun around to face Scully. "Miss Scully, I came to talk to my brother, not you. While I did say you could listen to what I have to say, I didn't say anything about the constant questioning--" "Samantha, she stays. Scully can ask all the questions she needs to. She knows what answers I am looking for and she is helping me get them. Scully knows what I need to know better than myself at times," he said quietly. She knew what he wasn't saying, Samantha should be the one who knows Mulder inside out. She saw Samantha nod. "Of course, you are right Fox. Miss Scully, please excuse my rudeness. This is rather significant and I really don't have the time to explain myself. If the two of you would join me, I will take you to a place where I feel is safe to discuss the issues at hand." For unexplained reasons, Scully instantly felt on edge. She didn't know from the short time she spent with Mulder's sister if she should trust this Samantha Mulder. So far, Samantha hadn't done anything except show her poor sense of manners. She knew she was trying to guard Mulder from any hurt she might have brought. This was the same woman who easily cast her long-lost brother out of her life. She felt protective of him, as if it was her responsibility to make sure he didn't go through any more heartache than he already had. She would follow Mulder in whatever decision he made, if only to rescue him if something were to go wrong. "No, Samantha. If you feel my apartment isn't safe to talk in then we will go to somewhere of my choosing." Scully was again surprised by his skepticism towards his sister's arrival, normally that was her job. After a minute, Samantha agreed and they left his apartment. Between Two Truths: Friday 3/3 SpookyAgt@aol.com Disclaimer: See part one. Scully parked in the lot next to Casey's Bar and Grill. Mulder had mentioned to her before this was where he met Dr. Kurtzweil and discovered the Well Manicured Man. She sat in the front by herself because Mulder wanted to "catch up on lost time" with Samantha. She heard Samantha talk about her perfect life: her beloved husband, her angelic children and her beautiful Californian home. It seemed unfair to Scully while Samantha was living out every girl's dream, Mulder spent his years growing old alone in his far from perfect life. By the way she was talking, Scully didn't think Samantha had a second thought about waiting so long to finally come to Mulder. During the ride she tried to shoot Mulder a couple of sympathetic glances, but he was staring out his window, too wrapped up to pay attention to her. She knew he was an emotional wreck. After a look at him, she saw the face of a happy man, a confused man and a hurt man all rolled into one. Only Mulder could pull off having so many feelings at a certain time. She knew she was the only person alive who could tell what he was going through, to anyone else Mulder was simply being his stoic self. After Samantha left tonight, she knew he would crumble and she would be there to pick up all the pieces as she had so many times before. As much as Scully hated to admit it, she felt suspicious of Samantha's motives behind her sudden desire to find Mulder. She thought back to Mulder's words this afternoon; she didn't think either of them were expecting to find themselves in a surprise Mulder family reunion. She wanted to speak to Mulder in private to get his feelings but knew that was impossible with Samantha watching their every move. She turned off the car and waited for them to leave before getting out herself. She allowed them to have their space, walking about three steps behind them. She didn't want any of them to think she was imposing her presence on them. She was surprised when Mulder held the door open for her; she thought he was so involved in Samantha's reappearance he had forgotten her company. Once they were inside, Mulder hastily found a table where they could talk. She could tell by the way he was moving, the hurt voice she had heard in his apartment was gone; instead, it was replaced with the childlike enthusiasm, wanting Samantha to explain herself. He took a seat next to Scully so he was able to be face to face to Samantha. Scully saw Mulder glance over his shoulder to make sure no one else was listening to their conversation. She almost laughed at his constant paranoia, but stopped short when she considered how many times it had saved them throughout their time on the X-Files. Finally, Mulder broke the silence. "What did you need to tell us?" Mulder's voice had lost its vulnerability and was replaced with the voice Scully associated with when he had a brand new X-File that he could hardly tell her about. Samantha crossed her arms and quickly looked at Scully. Scully couldn't help but to think she was watching her every movement. Samantha drew in a long breath before saying, "It's about the X-Files." Mulder and Scully looked at each other. "I don't think you should work on them anymore, Fox. I know they were just opened but your life could be in jeopardy." For a second Scully couldn't mask the horror on her face. Give up the X-Files after all they had learned? Quit now and let Them win? She turned to Mulder and waited for him to laugh, to yell, to turn around and walk out on Samantha, to do something other than what he was doing: to actually consider the idea. "Why should I do that?" he asked in an even tone. His voice portrayed none of the raw emotions running through Scully's mind. She watched Samantha shrug, as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. "There is no purpose for you to continue investigating them any longer. We all know the reason you began working on them was so you could find me." Scully swore she saw a smug smile flutter across her lips. "I'm here now, so what is the point of you pursuing the X-Files?" Images flooded Scully's mind as if to answer Samantha's question. Billy Miles. Deep Throat. Max Fenig. X. Krycek. Missy's death. Duane Barry. MUFON. Alaska. Black Cancer. Her cancer. There were so many other significant cases they had dealt with, but there were so many thoughts Scully had trouble thinking straight. She could barely concentrate on Mulder's next words. "Samantha, over they years the X-Files and my devotion to them have become more than just searching for you. Don't get me wrong, you have never been forgotten, but they have become so much more. Within the past five years, Scully and I have found information about things most people don't have the clue exist. People have tried to kill us and people have been killed for this quest we are on." Mulder's words helped Scully calm down considerably. Relief flooded her mind when she realized Mulder wasn't going to blindly follow Samantha's wishes. She always had a fear when Samantha came back in his life, he would leave her side and never turn back. Scully's temper flared when she saw the "understanding" look on his sister's face. Nothing could ever happen so that Samantha could comprehend what the X-Files meant to her and Mulder. "Fox, let me assure you that whatever mission you two are on, it's not worth it. If you leave the X-Files now you could live a peaceful life without having to avoid people trying to murder you." She reached across the table and grabbed her brother's hand. "At least consider it." Unable to control herself, Scully spoke out. "Why would you want him to quit the X-Files? I don't think you understand the magnitude of what you are asking." Samantha let go of Mulder's hand so she could face Scully. "Miss Scully, despite what you may think of me, I have the best intentions for my brother. I just worry about his well-being." Scully wanted to demand how the hell she thought she could worry about him; she didn't even know how he was. She knew she cared more for Mulder's life than her own. She doubted if Samantha could say the same thing. "But Samantha," he cut in before Scully could say anything else, "why do you think our lives are in danger? Where did you hear that from?" Scully was thankful that Mulder stopped her from saying anything else before things got out of control. She couldn't understand why she was reacting the way she was towards Samantha. Instead of taking his sister's words seriously, she was uneasy, thinking there was another motive. She was so shocked at Samantha's suggestion, she hadn't allowed her logic to figure out a "proper" reaction. Samantha paused for a moment before she replied, "My father told me. He knows how much I love you and how I don't want to see you hurt. He hates to see me when I am upset. It was his suggestion I talk to you in the first place." That did it for Scully, she shut her mind from Samantha completely. There would be no way she would listen to any recommendations from that black-lunged tormentor of her and Mulder's life. She couldn't believe Mulder was still entertaining this idea. She got up from the table. "I have heard enough of this, Mulder. I'll be in the car when you are ready to go home." ************* Mulder half-expected Scully to slam her chair into the table or something to display her very apparent anger. To his surprise, she managed to maintain her control and calmly exit the restaurant without causing a scene. He knew she was angry. No, furious, he corrected himself. He could count the number of times he had seen Scully this mad on one hand. Most of him was feeling the same way she was. He felt deceived Samantha would only come to see him to deliver a message from Cancer Man. He didn't know why he was still sitting there after Samantha revealed he was behind this sudden reunion. Or maybe he did and he didn't want to admit it. As hard as he was trying to fight it, part of him couldn't help but to get the feeling this could be the last time he would have a chance to see Samantha: clone or not. If he agreed with her request, he might be able to have her in his life again. That scared him; it was as if he was the twelve years old boy letting his sister slip through his fingers again. He didn't think he could live through that pain again. He had a premonition Cancer Man knew that as well. "I didn't think she would like the idea too much," Samantha said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I knew that when I saw her." Mulder's eyebrows rose. He had known Scully for over five years and he still didn't know everything about her. It seemed as though Samantha was trying to discredit his partner's skepticism. He looked Samantha in the eyes. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not too wild about the idea either. The X-Files are Scully's and my life. I can't just let them go because you think I should listen to that son of a--" "That man is my father," she cut him off angrily. He couldn't believe she thought that was true. He had convinced himself the only reason she said that last year was because she was prompted by Cancer Man to say so. Gritting his teeth, he said, "No Samantha, he is not. Your--Our father died three years ago. I don't care whoever you think you are. To me you will always be Samantha Ann Mulder. In my heart you will always be her." He was losing control of his emotions. Tears were trying to fall down his face, but he wouldn't allow it. This wasn't the Samantha he thought he would find after twenty-five years of constant searching. She couldn't be on Their side. Part of his mind refused to believe it. When she touched his arm he abruptly pulled it away. "Fox, I am telling you this because I am trying to help you. I understand you are overwhelmed and need time to think about everything that has been said. I will contact you later." He took that as his signal to leave. He got up and left her at the table. He figured they were followed and Cancer Man had a car waiting in the back for Samantha. He quickly walked to the car where Scully waited. He tried to pull himself together before she could see him. He had never hidden his feelings from her, but this was too different, too new. He felt like he was betraying Scully's newly restored trust and closeness by not leaving when she did. He knew that he shouldn't, but a piece of his mind couldn't help but not to completely cast out Samantha's idea. Bottom line, he would have his long-lost sister and Scully could have a normal life again. Yes, he thought as he saw Scully giving him a reassuring glance, but at what price am I willing to pay? ********** She was jealous. Yes, Dana Katherine Scully was green with envy. It had taken her over five years to build a solid trust and knowledge that Mulder wouldn't run off without her again. Yet within one night this woman, his sister, managed to strip it all away. Even after all this time she never topped Mulder's priorities. That hurt. Over the years Mulder became her focus, where most of her energy went to. She always loved her family, but was always willing to jump on the next plane to chase down Mulder and leave them behind. When she woke up from her coma she had told Mulder she had the strengths of his beliefs. She went against all the rules of respect and duty her father taught her and refused to testify to Congress where Mulder went. Mulder opened the passenger door silently. She could tell he was fighting with himself, trying to figure out what to do. "Mulder," she said, trying to make it sound like she was doing nothing more than commenting on a case they were working on, "You cannot be serious about taking Samantha up on her suggestion. Besides, when you think about it, this idea isn't even hers, it's Cancer Man's." The lack of a his reply started to make Scully sick. She thought he would talk things out with her, not cut her off completely. She never would have believed their partnership or the X-Files would end on Mulder's accord. She closed her eyes and thought of the stories her dad used to tell about his days on the sea. She remembered one about a sailor committing treason; this was exactly what Mulder was doing to the X-Files. She began to shake slightly, but like always she managed to control herself. She started the car and pulled out on the street. She refused to humor herself and make up lame excuses why he wouldn't say anything in response. She had too much going on in her own mind to really care. She remembered his words in the hallway outside his apartment before Antarctica and how she thought he meant them sincerely. To think all this time I was nothing more than a stand in until Samantha decided to come back in his life, Scully thought bitterly. When she calmed down enough to think about Mulder without wanting to yell at him, she looked at him. He had stopped crying; he didn't look that bad, certainly not like a person that had just broken his best friend's heart. He sat with his eyes closed and his hands folded, looking like he was praying. So far he hadn't come to Scully seeking comfort and she didn't offer any. Part of her wanted to throw him out of the car to see if he would come running after her or his precious Samantha. She felt like screaming at him, but knew Mulder was deaf to her pain. Instead, she turned on the radio. Very loud. Mulder opened his eyes slightly and glanced at Scully who paid no attention to him. After a couple of seconds, he turned away and closed his eyes again. That was when a single tear fell down Scully's cheek. ************* Samantha pulled out her cellular phone as she walked in the cool night air. After the person answered she said, "This could be more difficult than we originally thought." "Keep trying. Eventually, he will crack," came the voice. ********* Say something. Say something. Say something. He had been repeating the same two words in his head since Scully had spoken about his sister's conversation. He closed his eyes as the words hammered into his skull. Despite the desperate plea to himself, his mouth refused to acknowledge it. His jaw was clinched shut so tightly it had begun to ache. He turned to face the window, not wanting to see Scully's pain when he first opened his eyes. His head seemed to pound in the silence of the car. To put it mildly, Fox Mulder was a miserable man. Wasn't it just several hours ago I was worried that Mrs. Scully would falsely blame me for hurting Scully? Look at me, not even 24 hours and I have, he taunted himself. He lurched forward when Scully suddenly stopped in front of his apartment building. He could tell by the time it took to get back home, she must have sped. He figured for her, it was a way to get her anger out. A couple of seconds passed before he turned his head. He now faced the windshield, but his eyes were still closed. Finally, he forced his eyes open, to face the person he had hurt. He squinted, not prepared for the bright streetlight she stopped under. When his eyes became used to it, he looked at her. He couldn't have prepared himself for the sight in front of his eyes. In the light, a dried tear streak presented itself on her cheek. She had been crying, he realized. She never cried. He felt his stomach coil when he figured out it was he, not Samantha or Cancer Man or any other nameless evil they had face, who had made her feel this way. Without taking her eyes off the road, she said, "Get out of the car." Her voice was cold, hard, showing no sign she had ever been crying. He deserved that, but it didn't help dull the pain he felt when he heard her. He looked at her cheek and instantly regretted holding his tongue for so long. He knew it was probably too late, but he needed to talk to her. To convince her everything would be all right between them. "Scu--" She whipped around to face him. "Did you hear me, Mulder? I said to get out of my car." He turned away from her. How could he make up his seemingly forever silence to her? He didn't think this was the time for one of his trademark Mulder remarks. He had to persuade her to know that he couldn't just walk away from her or the X-Files just to be with Samantha. They meant too much to him. She meant too much to him. "I need--" "To leave my sight before I do something both of us will regret," Scully finished for him. He was taken aback by her interruption. He had obviously misjudged her anger and hurt. She had never been this mad at him before; she had always been at least willing to hear him while he unsuccessfully tried to justify himself. He knew there was no way he would be able to speak to her tonight and the near future didn't look too bright either unless he tried to comply with her wishes. Space, he thought, give her space. He opened the door and silently got out. For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of disappointment in Scully's eyes, but he couldn't be for certain. When he looked back again there was just rage. He closed the door and tried to lean in the window, but before he had a chance, Scully sped down the street.. "See you on Monday," he whispered to the taillights. He walked to his apartment quietly, cursing himself. He should have let Scully go home and rest, at least she wouldn't have to deal with this now. He opened his door and plopped out on the couch. When he saw Samantha, he should have gotten enough nerve to ask her why she was there instead of calling Scully. "Once again, you have outdone yourself," he said to his empty living room. He didn't know what to do with Scully. He couldn't decide if he should go after her or let her come to him. He suddenly felt very panicked. What if Scully would never talk to him again? Not helping himself, he picked up the phone and dialed a very familiar number. After hearing the beep he took a deep breath and spoke. "Scully, I know you want to delete this message. Please don't. Just please try to hear me out then you can decide if you want to call me back or not. What happened in the car isn't want it seems to be, honestly. Now, more than any time I need you to guide me to make the right decision. You know that I want to throw my arms around Samantha and never let her go, but not at the risk of losing everything my life has become. That includes you and the X-Files. I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you; I didn't know what to say. Scully, you have to help me. There is a voice inside of me telling me to run--like the time in Alaska, but I promised to myself no more going off without telling you. Please?" He hung up the phone and waited for Scully to make the next move. *********** Scully walked in her apartment, locking the door behind her. She walked into her bedroom, not noticing the red blinking light on her answering machine. Quickly she changed into her pajamas, concentrating on that simple task instead of Mulder. She knew she wouldn't call him tonight; there were too many emotions she would unfairly take out on him. Part of her anger was directed at Samantha. She had thought, like Mulder, when Samantha came back into his life, she would magically fit into it like a missing puzzle piece. It just took Scully one night to realize that was never going to happen. It seemed almost fitting after years of searching, this was what Mulder found: a sister who didn't want to be near him. She thought of Cancer Man. With one planned meeting with his "daughter," he had managed to put her and Mulder against one another. Knowing him, that was probably the whole reason why he sent Samantha to Mulder's apartment in the first place. She thought back to Mulder; she really wasn't mad as so much hurt by him. She knew she would forgive him, allow him to explain his behavior. This time it hurt more because she thought things had changed between them since Dallas. She sighed as pulled the covers back. She had a feeling this was going to be a very long night. ************* That's it for now, I am currently working on Saturday. Comments are encouraged at SpookyAgt@aol.com, you know the drill.