From: pbfloyd@ix.netcom.com(Thomas Ethridge ) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Encounters: The Calm Before the Storm Date: 8 Jan 1996 00:52:23 GMT *** No, I didn't die. I just got snowed in ;-) Well, this is the next installment in the Encounters series. Jessica Reily has turned into a trouble maker ( at least she's not with Mulder right?) and this is more of an "in between" story than an actual plot. The plot will resurface in the next story, which I am putting final touches on at the moment. Mykonos is a real place, it's a great restaurant on, oh shoot, E street? Wait The Hard Rock Cafe is on Tenth and E. Well, I know how to get there. It's left after the FBI building. Well anyway, their lemon chicken is perfect! For all of you who are wondering when the heck this is all occurring, here ya go. In my little universe, this is January, 1996. You'll know why later. Note: This has no connection to the series timeline. This story is rated PG., contains no more than a bad word we've all heard. Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, and Walter Skinner all belong to Chris Carter, 10/13 productions, and Fox Broadcasting Company. Jessica Reily and her tempestuous family belong to me. You can use her ( although I have no idea why anyone would *want* to) with my permission. What do you think? E-mail me! Talk to me! Share snow stories! (hee hee, I'm burried here in DC ) pbfloyd@ix.netcom.com The Calm Before the Storm by Jennifer Ethridge Jessica Reily frowned at the phone. // Ok, ring, from Fox.// The phone rang. Delighted, she jumped up to answer it. "Hello?" "Hello, is a miss Reily there?" She sighed. How could anyone find her at a hotel? "This is she." "Hi, I'm Mike Dyer from FOX auto. We were wondering if you..." "Sorry, not interested." She slammed the phone down and flung her hands in the air. "That's it, I give up." << That's okay, give it time. You just have to concentrate more on the person you want to call. Picture them in your mind. >> She closed her eyes, and pictured Fox Mulder, right down to the couch she knew he was sitting on. // Ok, now ring.// It did. "Hello?" "Jessica?" It was Mulder. She danced around a bit, then spoke. "Fox? Why did you call?" "I ah, well, I'm not totally sure." She jumped around a bit. "Well, how are you?" "Fine, you?" "Fine, well, I'm really busy right now, talk to you later." She hung up the phone and let out a sigh. << Good job. I believe you understand now >> "Took me long enough." << That it did. >> Jessica turned around and glanced at the clock. "Ohmygosh! I'm supposed to meet Dana over at Mykonos! Quick, I need something to wear!" << Visualize something in your closet...>> "Oh no, I'm doing this the manual way. If I try anything else, either I'll be here for a few years or I'll end up there with my underwear on my head!" * Dana Scully sat in the restaurant, toying with her waterglass. Where the hell was Reily? She should have been here thirty minutes ago. Turning to glance towards the front door she saw a tall chestnut haired woman walk in the door, signaling a waiter. Scully smiled, noticing the three waiters walking over to Jessica. An older man got there first and greeted Jessica by name. "... ah yes, she's over here. I think you may be in trouble Jessie..." She walked up to where Dana was sitting and smiled. "I think I'm in trouble." As Jessica sat down Scully smiled. "Depends on what kind of an excuse you can come up with." "How about, I was held hostage?" "By whom?" "The phone?" "Sure." They ordered drinks and started to talk about everyday things. Scully filled Reily in on all she had missed while away. "They have you down as dead Jessica, you do know that, right?" She nodded, then smiled wickedly. "Boy won't they be suprised." Scully tried to digest what she was saying. "What are you getting at Reily?" "Oh nothing, just that someone's gonna know I'm most certainly *not* dead." "Do you think that's such a good idea?" "No, but I never really do what's safe, do I?" She took a sip of the wine she ordered. White Zinfandel. Her favorite. She frowned. "I'm just not sure who I should go to." "Skinner." The matter-of-fact way Scully said his name suprised Reily. "He'll at least listen to you." "I didn't think that I could trust..." "I know, but he really *Can* be trusted. I honestly believe that." Jessica felt her anger rise, and tried to suppress it. All she said was, "I'll talk to him." The conversation turned to the mundane, Jessica told Scully about what she did while in Scotland. Every time she tried to turn the conversation to Mulder, Scully deftly changed the subject. Around dessert, Jessica gave up. Somehow, Scully managed not to bring up Mulder's name once in conversation. To her dismay though, Jessica noticed how many times Skinner's name *did* surface. * Disgruntled, Jessica drove down the few blocks to the FBI building. // Is he there?// << Working late, he's not in a great mood either. Go easy on him >> She pulled up in the garage. // Now why would I be mean?// << Dumb question >> She through the front and had a small disagreement with the guard on duty. Her ID was outdated, and he was worried , but let her through anyway. Jessica waked down the hall to the Assistant Director's office, sending out a probe, to sense if anyone was there. Nope even his secretary had gone home. Taking a deep breath she opened his door. Her first feeling wasn't of anger, but suprisingly of sympathy. Walter Skinner was sitting at his desk, sleeves rolled up, looking over a ton of paperwork. She walked in and closed the door behind her. He never noticed. "Late night?" She spoke up. Skinner jumped up, then stared at her as if he was seeing a ghost. "What the hell... *You*?..." She laughed, startling him. "Why sir, I'd say you're suprised to see mew alive." Skinner pushed his glasses back up and shook his head. "Ok, you're not dead, now, are you going to tell me why the hell you've been hiding out in Ireland.. no Scotland?" Now it was Jessica who was caught off guard. "How..." He smiled. "The accent." He gestured to a chair, which she sat in. "I guess you've come to tell me you're *not* dead." He sat down as well. Jessica closed her eyes for a moment, then took her chance. "Agent Scully told me it would be best for me to come to you." She watched his expression carefully. He didn't flinch. Well, her *name* had no effect on him. "I'm glad she did. I'm probably the *only* person who's going to listen to your story." She sat for a moment, then stood up abruptly, suprising Skinner. *I'm going to have to do this later.* "I'm really sorry that I intruded. I should get going." He stood up as well. "I want you to know something else Agent Reily." "Hmmmm?" She watched as he walked towards her. He leaned over her and whispered in her ear. "I know why you left, and I'm on your side." He stood back and waked over to his desk. << He's telling the truth >> Skinner swung around. "What was that?" It was the same voice he had heard before. "What was what?" "You didn't hear anything?" Jessica shook her head. "No, maybe it's time for you to call it a night." He gazed at her for a long moment, then spoke softly. "Maybe it is." * Back in her car Jessica shook her head. "Thetis, must you project to the whole world?" << It's not my fault >> "Skinner heard you. Only *I* was supposed to hear you!" << I tell you, it's not my fault >> "Then whose is it?" << Yours >> "Mine? How in the heavens is *that* possible, *I* wasn't talking." She heard the chuckle fill her car. << You'll understand later>> "Uh huh." Jessica wondered why in all the world, she was picked for this torment. << You just have to complain, don't you. >> "Hey you'd feel the same if the universe seemed to be out to get you." Stopped at a red light she turned to see a man in a car next to her staring at her like she was crazy. She smiled and waved, then drove on. * Mulder sat on his couch, staring at his ceiling. Everyone was acting so damn weird lately.. First he called Jessica, and he couldn't remember ever picking up the phone and dialing her number. Then she had hung upon him for no reason. When he had tried to call back, no one answered. Mulder figured she was in no danger, but still was a bit worried. Scully hadn't answered her phone either. So maybe they went out together. He smiled, at least she wouldn't be with Skinner. // Actually, I just had an interesting meeting with the Assistant Director. // Mulder glanced around, making sure Reily wasn't in his apartment. // No such luck luv, I'm on I95, northbound. I figured I'd tell my family I'm not six feet under. // Mulder's eyes widened. "You didn't tell them?" // Fox William Mulder, just whom do you think those goons would interrogate first?// "I withdraw my question your honor." He sighed. "I certainly don't envy you." // Thanks for your support Mulder // He couldn't stop laughing. //It's not funny. // He tried to breathe. "Just think at how Chris will feel... his true love.. gone all this time... a whole year without a word..." Silence answered him. "Jessica?" He stopped laughing. "Hey, I was just kidding." << She's not talking to you >> He smiled. "something is back to normal at least." << Somedays I would swear you two were related. >> Mulder laughed. "Don't say that to her." // I already heard it, and I'm not speaking to either one of you!// Mulder and Thetis both laughed. Jessica nearly ran off the road. * Scully opened her front door and sighed. Glad to be home, she threw her purse and keys down by the door once she shut it, and kicked off her shoes on the way to her living room. She grabbed the remote and switched on the news. The weatherman was talking about the coming weekend, and the chance for snow. Scully only shook her head. They *never* got snow in DC. Then talks turned to the government shutdown. She sighed. Luckily for her ( or not) she was essential, so she and Mulder had been at work the whole time. Mulder. Something was up with him. Maybe it had to do with Jessica being back. A pang of jealousy went through her. She yearned to ask him, but she knew then she'd have to tell him what Skinner made her promise to keep a secret. She knew that would jeopardize them all. Scully also knew that if she saw him and he began to ask questions... who knew what would slip. Scully sat down on her couch and pulled her feet up under herself. Knowing it was that hard to keep something from Mulder scared her a bit. That really spoke volumes about her feelings for him. Volumes in a series she wasn't sure she wanted to read. * Mulder had calmed down, and was watching the evening news. The weatherman was calling for snow, but never said how much. "Probably a few inches." << Feet >> "Thetis? Are you feeling well?" << Mulder, I can't feel *bad* >> "Oh, you must have been discussing your feet then. Do they hurt?" He smiled. "Do you even *have* feet?" << Very funny. No, I was saying feet, as in snow >> "I think you've contracted Jessica's madness." << Fine, and you want to believe...>> Mulder suddenly felt very dizzy. When he opened his eyes again, he heard the weatherman talking about the chance for snow that weekend, but never mentioned actual accumulations. "Probably just a few inches." He leaned back and turned the television off. * Somewhere in the sky there was laughter * Jessica drove up to her townhouse in Georgetown. Her family had allowed her cousin to live in the house for a few months, until last week, when she went back to Boston. Jessica could only speculate as to how much damage Chloe had done. Opening her front door she smiled. The place looked relatively clean. Sure, there were a few stains on the carpet, but over all, the place looked fairly clean. Chloe must have skipped the party circuit this time. *Or* Jessica thought with a sigh, *she's just grown up a bit.* She walked back out to the car and grabbed her trunk, then dragged it inside. It was nice to be home. Like a child she ran into her room, and jumped on *her* bed. The hotels were terrible. Then she ran over to her closet, ready to greet her wardrobe. Throwing open the doors she gasped. It seemed as if Chloe had found a new passion. << Time for a shopping spree? >> Jessica sighed. // First thing tomorrow. // * Skinner turned the eleven o'clock news off and walked into his bedroom. That voice still haunted him. Now something else was added to his problems. Jessica Reily was back. Trouble would be brewing, and he had to tell her. But there was something else that wouldn't leave his mind. And that troubled him even more. He closed his eyes, almost sure at the dreams his lonely mind would encounter. END ** All done, bye bye** Coming soon: Yet another encounter's story Magic Kingdom.. Day 3 Mulder and Scully's travels.