From: <72620.3447@compuserve.com> Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW STORY:FUSION Part 4/6 By Eowyn Evenstar Date: 1 Dec 1995 05:45:45 GMT Disclaimers and all the details at the beginning of the first part. E-mail me at 72620.3447@compuserve.com By Eowyn Evenstar Part 4 Dana Scully was wishing now she had called Fox and let him know that she was catching an earlier flight. Well she had tried but she missed him too damn much. For a day she had toured with some of the other pathologists but by days end she was miserable. All she wanted to see was Fox Mulder. So she had changed her reservations and shown up eight hours early. She had wanted to surprise him but the surprise had been hers. She couldn't find him. She'd tried his apartment, her apartment, his cell phone -- not turned on, and was now at the office. No sign, but some _real_ interesting gossip. She knew that the S & M rumors were pure fabrication but what worried her was that they appeared to be his fabrication. She'd traced the story back to it's source and it had been him. He wouldn't have started anything like that unless he had something major to hide. The question was what? The case he was working on involved missing children, always his Achilles heel. She was headed to check with Skinner to see if he knew where Mulder was when she heard his voice and quickened her pace. "Marge, are you sure you haven't seen or heard from him?" "Like I've told you and a dozen others at least twice a day for the last week I haven't heard a word from him since Tuesday, and that was an E-mail. I don't know where he is or why he's gone but when he gets back he's going to hear it from me. Now if you'll excuse me." Mulder thought to himself. Then he smiled. "There you are, Mulder, I've been looking all over for you." Dana Scully couldn't keep the smile out of her voice. She could tell from the way he stiffened and slowly turned that he was using every ounce of his self control. It was putting quite a strain on her own not to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him till he couldn't breath. Mulder turned and smiled from ear to ear. He could control his body but not his face. "I thought you weren't going to be home till late tonight, Scully?" "You know how it is, Mulder, touring London with a bunch of pathologists is similar to a senior trip in high school. Only there aren't any chaperons to make them behave. So what have you been up to all week?" Before he could answer they smelled him first and then heard his voice. "Agent Mulder, Agent Scully if I might have a word. I don't think Assistant Director Skinner will mind if we use his office. He seems to have ceded his responsibilities this last week." At Cancerman's words Scully felt Mulder stiffen. From the way he dug his nails into his palms as they follow the smell of smoke into Skinner's office Dana knew that Fox was now using every ounce of control he had not to attack Cancerman. "I wanted to inform both of you that there will be a meeting here first thing Monday morning to discuss the future of the X-files." "I assume Director Skinner will be joining us in this meeting?" Mulder replied. "If he chooses to remember the responsibilities he seems to have forgotten this week, perhaps. In any case the Bureau does not stop simply because he chose to take a vacation. That will be all. I will expect you here nine o'clock Monday morning. Perhaps the file on the case you have been working on this week will be a good place to start." Mulder turned on his heel and left with Scully following close behind. "Mulder, do you know what's going on? Where's Skinner and what was that all about? He sounded positively vile." Mulder looked around the busy corridor. "Not here, and not now." He replied under his breath and then continued in a normal voice, "Skinner has been missing in action since Monday. Nobody, including Marge, knows where he is." "That's not like him." "You're telling me. Even-tempered Marge is ready to brain him. Come on let's get out of here. The case I've been working on all week just turned into a wild goose chase and I've had it." They returned to their office and collected their things. Scully was a little disappointed that he didn't take her into his arms and kiss her and perhaps do a few other things. Actually more than a little disappointed. She'd missed him like hell and all she could think was that he hadn't seem to miss her at all. Mulder for his part was trying to control himself. He wanted to take her in his arms and never let her go. He was so glad that she was back he could hardly contain himself. The problem was there was so much to do and if he touched her he wouldn't be able to stop for what he knew would just have to be hours. He looked up to see if she was ready to go and caught the look of confusion and hurt on her face. He couldn't not respond to that. He caught her in his arms and kissed her long and deeply. Then he whispered in her ear, "We may be bugged so we can't talk now." He stepped away from her, one hand still framing her face, bent slightly and looked deeply into her eyes. "Ready to head out, Scully? Let's get some dinner and you can tell me all about the conference. I sure hope you had a more productive week than I did." Mulder drove straight to her apartment without explaining anything. All he seemed interested in talking about was London and the weather. As they pulled up in front of her place Dana said, "Coming in, Fox?" in what she hoped was her sexiest voice. He shook his head and replied, "Don't temp me, love, we have a lot of work to do. Go in and get your black bag, enough clothes for the weekend and a suit for Monday. I'll wait right here." She was back in fifteen minutes but she didn't look happy. "Okay, Mulder, give, I want an explanation and I want it now." "Not yet. When we get to where we're going and I'm sure we aren't bugged or followed then we can talk." "And just where are we going?" "Soon, Scully, soon." They drove in silence. Mulder pulled into the driveway and then garage of a house in the Virginia suburbs of D. C. He got out grabbed Scully's suitcases and guided her into the back door. Before she could say anything he put her luggage down and he held up a finger to his lips. He then turned and picked up some kind of electronic device and ran it over both of them and her luggage. When he didn't find anything he relaxed and took a deep breath. "I take it it's okay to talk now. You are _really_ getting paranoid, Mulder. This is Frohike's house isn't it. If they've gotten you into trouble again I don't want to hear it. I hope to god for once you're not my patient, Fox, I really do. But if it's Frohike, you are going to owe me big time. Okay, who is my patient and what sort of trouble are you into this time?" Skinner had heard them pull up and was listening in the hall. The AD stepped forward. "I'm your patient Agent Scully and I'm afraid I'm the one who's in trouble, this time." Agent Dana Scully turned to see her boss leaning against the door frame. Her knees felt suddenly weak. "You want me to hold you up, Scully?" Mulder leaned over and whispered in her ear. She turned her head and looked up into his smiling face her mouth hanging open. Mulder put a hand under her chin and closed her mouth, then he guided her into the living room. "Come on in and sit down it's a long story." They proceeded to fill her in on the details. "So that's what Cancerman was up to in Skinner's office." Scully said at the end of their explanation. Mulder rolled his eyes, grimaced and shrugged. "I was kinda hoping not to bring that up..." "What the hell was he doing in my office." Dana was surprised by Skinner's volatility. "Calm down, Walt, you're only going to shoot your blood pressure through the roof when Dana takes it." Scully thought. Her partner continued, "He want's to meet with Scully and I Monday at nine to discuss the relevance of the X-files. He seems to think that you've abdicated your responsibilities." "The SOB thinks I'm dead." "Yeah, well he's wrong and you can spend the weekend contemplating the pleasure you're going to have on Monday telling him who and what he can screw. In the meantime I want Scully to check you over. All your injuries." Scully wondered what the dirty look Skinner gave Mulder meant. Somehow she figured she was about to find out and she didn't think she was going to like it. "Well as far as I can tell, Sir, you are very lucky. I'll take the blood sample to the lab tomorrow and see if I can determine what drugs they gave you. Your wrist doesn't appear to be broken; however it wouldn't hurt to put it in a splint for a few days. Also, you don't appear to have any excessive swelling or tenderness in the abdominal area, so I think we're safe in assuming that there isn't any internal bleeding. It should have shown up by now if you did. I hope you were watching for symptoms." "The mother hen checked three times a day." Scully smiled at her boss' reply. "He does tend to be overprotective, doesn't he?" His only reply to that was to roll his eyes. "It's just because he cares. It's part of his nature." "So I'm finding out. He shouldn't take so much responsibility on himself." "I know. I try telling him that but I've learned just to accept it. I guess it's one of the reasons why..." Scully broke off in mid sentence. "Why you love him?" Her gaze briefly met her boss' eyes, she nodded and quickly turned away. "It's been pretty obvious to me these last few days that he loves you. He's missed you like hell. Mulder's fine as long as his mind's on something but if he doesn't have anything to concentrate on he drifts off. He'll stare into space and the next comment he makes is always about you. He's been staring off into space a lot." Skinner smiled. "Don't worry, Scully, I'm not about to break up one of my best teams and definitely one of the only ones I can trust absolutely." "Well I guess we're about done unless there are some other injuries?" At her boss' failure to reply she looked up. Skinner's face was tinted red and he wouldn't meet her eyes when he said, "Why don't we just tell him that we did even though we didn't." As it dawned on her where the other injuries had to be it was her turn to blush and she found she was torn. She really _really_ didn't want to examine her boss there. "You think we can convince Fox?" Their eyes met and they both thought simultaneously, Dana moved diligently but quickly through the rest of her exam. "You need to watch those burns carefully, definitely keep applying the ointment for another four or five days and you might want to have your regular doctor check you out when all this is over. That's a delicate area that you shouldn't neglect, an infection could be a real problem." Scully and Skinner emerged from the back bedroom looking decidedly uncomfortable. Mulder took one look and thought to himself, < I guess she gave him the full exam. What I wouldn't have given to be a fly on that wall. Well I guess I'd better plan on spending the next week watching my mouth. One crack to either of them and I'm dead.> "So how does he check out, Scully?" "Pretty good considering. I'd like to do some x-rays as soon as possible just to be sure. So did you do anything about food while we were busy?" "You mean like cook?" Mulder grinned at her. "I know better than that, Mulder. I mean like order take out." Scully replied grinning back. "Ah, Scully, you know me so well. I'm on my way to pick it up now. Hope steaks are okay with you guys. I'll take the movies back and rent some more while I'm at it." "I'm hungry, Mulder." Fox got a little boy grin on his face, "I promise no more than ten minutes in the video store." At Dana's skeptical look he grinned even bigger, gave her a kiss on the cheek and whispered, "Don't worry I'll only get one. I'm planning on being very tired tonight. I think I'll need to turn in real early." Dana blushed and looked over his shoulder at Skinner who had tactfully decided to watch the news on TV. She didn't, however, argue. Dinner had gone smoothly. Mulder had kept the conversation limited to small talk. Scully noticed that every time it drifted towards his recent adventure with Skinner he would shift it away. At first she had been irritated with him thinking that he was trying to exclude her. But the third time the conversation drifted in the wrong direction she noticed Mulder watching Skinner and that the AD was getting agitated. Apparently it wasn't her he didn't want to discuss things with but their boss. It suddenly occurred to her that Skinner was not comfortable with the position he was in and that it was becoming increasingly difficult for him not to go after Cancerman. He'd always been a man to take charge and the enforced period of healing had become a strain. Mulder was trying to keep Skinner from doing anything rash. And from Skinner's occasional looks he was aware of it. He didn't seem to resent it however, in fact by the third time Mulder had changed the subject the AD's expression was one of amused disgust. Scully couldn't tell whether it was directed at Mulder, himself or both. After the dishes were done. Skinner and Mulder had done them together while she sat and watched. Skinner had excused himself to soak his muscles. The AD was not fond of baths and was not at all happy that she agreed with Mulder that hot soaks would help for a few more days at least. Dana and Fox had sat down in front of the TV to argue about the game show with the questions. During the first commercial break Dana had hit the mute button and turned to him and said, "Okay give, Mulder, there is something about your questioning of Cancerman that you didn't tell me." "Scully..." "Don't you Scully me. I saw your face. What is it." "You know me too damn well. It isn't you I'm keeping something from it's Skinner." Walter Skinner who had been going to his room to get the book he had forgotten, he'd had enough of Frohike's reading materials, stopped dead in his tracks to listen. At her questioning look he continued, "There was one other reason that Cancerman wanted Skinner questioned. He thinks that our boss is part of another secret organization that has been working against his group to stop the purity control experiments on humans and he was trying to find out everything he knows about them." "So why not tell Skinner?" "Because I think Cancerman's right." "Mulder? Don't be..." "Ridiculous. I'm not, Dana. It fits. I don't know why, call it a hunch, but I think Skinner is part of this organization. I don't know if it's the same one as Deep Throat or Mr. X but it fits. Think about it. He must have pulled some major league strings to get the X-files reopened. From what I can tell there was definitely pressure from outside but no one seems to know or at least be willing to admit to who. And he always seems to have inside information. He's also the first boss I've had in years who actually believed my reports. They don't come as a surprise to him. And I'm not just talking about the six foot worm. He never once doubted the authenticity of the Mary Jane files. Didn't you wonder a bit when he actually seemed to believe our theory about the government experimenting on the populace. He hasn't seen half of what we have and yet he still believes. Why?" "Okay. Say I buy that why would Cancerman go after him now? It doesn't make sense. If these two shadow groups are fighting why leave them alone all this time and then start? If they start grabbing each other's members... well think about it, the mess that would make." "I don't think Cancerman's group knows about the other group. At least not for sure. I think they suspect but aren't sure who or how many members it has or even how organized the group is. And the reason he's started this now is the Mary Jane tape. I think information is still leaking out and that he is in trouble with his group. Cancerman's up against the wall. I don't think his plans for Skinner were approved by the people he works for and I think his suspicions about the AD are his alone. He's trying to reestablish his power and credibility and Skinner he viewed as vulnerable and an obstacle." "Vulnerable?" "I think Skinner's group is upset with him. I don't know if they've shut him out or withdrawn their support but I do think that he got into hot water for helping us. Deep Throat got into trouble and he ended up being killed by one of the shadow groups." "So you think Skinner's people are trying to kill him or have put out some word that he's now no longer protected. God, Mulder, that's scary." "I don't think it's quite that bad. I think they just removed some bodyguards so that if anyone is suspicious of Skinner they won't see anything to confirm their misgivings." "So what do we do about Skinner?" "I'm going to do everything I can to help him." "Even though he's lying to us." "I've never asked him if he's part of a secret coalition, have you?" "You know what I mean. He hasn't told us everything. Maybe not even enough to keep us alive a couple of times." "He's helped us whenever he could justify it and the last couple of times even when he couldn't. Do you know how mad the higher-ups were when he reinstated us. Me in particular. As Rob is so fond of stating they nearly had a cow when he refused to request disciplinary action against me for hitting him. Even with the fact that I was being drugged, if he had pressed it I could have been demoted at the very least. Instead he stood up for me, for us." "I didn't know that. I figured he'd just cut some kind of deal." "He did. But all that meant is that Cancerman supported our reinstatement. He still had to live with most of the agency thinking he was nuts or blackmailed. "So he's not telling us everything. I've yet to meet a soul in this whole mess that does. It's the nature of the work not to reveal too much. How long before we trusted each other absolutely and even then I go haring off to the Arctic without you for your own good. Don't give me that look. You hated every minute of it but you never once thought my motive was anything but protecting you. Did you?" "So you think Skinner is protecting us?" "Us, himself, his group. Besides we have a different agendas. I want everything made public. I don't think he does. His goal, if I'm reading it right is to stop the experiments. I definitely think that he doesn't think the public should be informed. The last thing he's going to want to do is to tell me and risk someday seeing it spread across the headlines. "What it all comes down to, Dana, is that basically he's a good man, trying to stop this madness that's been going on for decades. We may not agree totally on all the goals or the means but the important ones we do. He put himself on the line for us because he believed that he should. It aroused Cancerman's suspicions, angered the higher ups at the Bureau, and if my guess is right his people temporarily withdrew their support because of it. I don't intend to let him down, whether or not he sees fit to tell me everything he knows." "I'll always support you. I don't want to leave him alone either. We need to be able to count on each other." "Have I told you recently how much I love you?" "Not recently enough. And while he's still in the tub why don't you show me, too." Dana said as she put her arms around Fox's neck and began to kiss him passionately. Walter Skinner retreated silently back down the hall. In deference to Dana, Mulder had rented "Forest Gump." She'd made it through about a third when jet lag caught up and she fell asleep on the couch. Mulder carried her into the bedroom and went back and joined Skinner for the rest of the movie. They'd laughed some and debated whether the special effects were believable. He noticed that his boss had gotten very quiet and that his mind seemed to be elsewhere. As the movie ended Mulder hit the rewind button and then turned to his boss. "Walt." Skinner looked up surprised. Despite all they had been through Mulder had only used his given name two or three times in the last few days. He dreaded what might be coming because he hadn't yet decided what he would tell Mulder and Scully. He didn't want to make a rash decision. Before he could say anything Mulder continued. "You gave me your word that you wouldn't do anything about Cancerman until after Scully checked you out. I'd like to know what you're planning now. I don't want to get up in the morning and find you gone." "Don't worry, Fox, I've decided to wait another day at least. You and Scully can babysit me tomorrow, too. She has a friend with a clinic and wants me to get some x-rays in the morning then she's headed out to Quantico to run some blood tests. After that we'll see. I give you my word that I won't disappear on you, okay. Besides I have the beginnings of an idea how to control that bastard that I want to run by you. Give me a little more time to think about it and then we'll talk tomorrow." Mulder sighed with relief. He had been afraid that Skinner planned on ditching him and going after Cancerman. He was glad that he had decided to wait. As Mulder turned to gather up a few items and head downstairs Skinner stopped him. "Where are you going?" "Downstairs to the spare bedroom to sleep. Why?" His boss gave him an amused look and said, "Don't bother on my account." Fox blushed slightly but didn't argue. He turned on his heel and headed into the bedroom to join Dana. He really wanted a good nights sleep. =========================================================================== From: <72620.3447@compuserve.com> Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW STORY:FUSION Part 5/6 Date: 1 Dec 1995 14:05:43 GMT Disclaimers and all the details at the beginning of the first part. E-mail me at 72620.3447@compuserve.com FUSION By Eowyn Evenstar Part 5 Walter Skinner walked down the hall early Saturday morning. He was normally an early riser and now that his injuries were healing he was falling back into his usual habits. They wanted to get an early start so he figured that he'd start breakfast and then get Mulder and Scully up. As he came out of the bathroom he heard some sounds from the other bedroom that changed his mind. He smiled to himself and headed into the living room to catch the news and finish up Friday's paper. Saturday morning and afternoon passed fairly uneventfully. Skinner and Scully went to the clinic to get some x-rays done while Mulder went into the Bureau to get the AD's paperwork that had piled up over the week. It would give him a head start on Monday. "I'll download all the low security memos and files to floppies that have come in this week and we can work on them here." "Hang on a minute, Mulder and I'll give you the rest of my security codes so that you can get everything that came in." "Fine. I assume you plan on replacing them when you get back in." Mulder was reminding him that once he saw them he wouldn't forget them. "Damn right I do. Mr. Smith has them." Skinner paused briefly before concluding. "I'll give you my new ones as soon as I get them. Just don't leave them written down. I don't want anyone to know you have them." Mulder had been surprised that his boss had decided to give those to him because he knew for a fact that not only would the bureau run him over hot coals if they found out but that even Brian Paterson hadn't had them and he had worked with Walt for years. The x-rays all came back fine and Skinner and Mulder had spent the afternoon and early evening doing a week's worth of work. The AD wished not for the first time that he could promote Mulder to his aide. They worked very well together now that Fox didn't try to hide his paperwork and managerial skills. Scully had spent the afternoon after she had gotten back from Quantico catching up on her work which Mulder had also brought from the office and once she was done had informed them that as long as they didn't mind pasta she would cook dinner. It was after dinner, the gentlemen were doing cleanup again since she had cooked, that Skinner finally decided to let them in on what he had been brooding about all day. They had both noticed that he seemed unusually quiet and distracted for most of the day but hadn't wanted to press. As he put the last dish into the cabinet he leaned back against the counter top, turned to Mulder and said. "You win, Mulder. Thanks." At Fox's raised eyebrow he continued. "I'm not going to go after Cancerman. I've cooled off." Mulder breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad. Don't get me wrong I want the bastard but I didn't want to see you become a murderer. Besides I thought I'd return the favor." Skinner smiled but before he could say anything else Scully interrupted. "Would someone like to translate for me?" Mulder sat down across from her, took her hand in his and started to explain. "When you were in your coma I went wild. I wanted vengeance at any price. Skinner gave me Cancerman's address." "But... but... that's crazy. Why?" Scully looked questioningly at her boss. "He knew or hoped that I couldn't kill in cold blood." Mulder answered for him. "I thought that I could... until I had that SOB staring down the barrel of my gun." Mulder stood up abruptly and walked to the window. "As much as I wanted to... needed to... I couldn't pull the trigger. Maybe if I had we wouldn't be facing all this now." Skinner walked up behind him and placed his hand on Mulder's shoulder. "Fox, it's not something to be ashamed of that you can't kill in cold blood. Through all of this, through all you've been through, all that's been done to you and your family you still have a kind and gentle heart." The AD was at a loss for words. "You're becoming a player, Mulder, but on your own terms not theirs. I know it puts you at a disadvantage with all these soulless men but it counts that you've never sold yourself out, never compromised your beliefs. And someday when your children ask you about all of this you'll never have to hang your head in shame. If we're going to make a difference, make a real change the only way is with men who won't take the attitude that the means don't matter as long as the cause is just. The means do matter. Don't ever forget that, my friend, they do." Dana came up to stand on Mulder's other side, placed her arms around his waist and her head on his shoulder. "He's right, Fox, if we become like them then whatever the outcome they've won." They all stood quietly looking out the window for several minutes before Mulder finally spoke. "So what do we do about Cancerman? There is absolutely no proof and we know for damn sure that what he said under sodium pentothal isn't going to be admissible." "As much as I'd like to I can't kill him in cold blood now. But then that's the main reason you kept me cooling my heels here. Isn't it, Mulder?" Mulder smiled at him. "I figured that if I gave you enough time you'd find yourself again and realize that you don't want to become like them either. You said you had an idea?" Skinner nodded. "Yeah, I do but I need to get back to my house and make a few calls tomorrow to see if it's feasible. I won't call from here because the people I'm calling may try and trace the call and I don't want them to tie us together. "I'd like to tell the whole damn Bureau what you did so that you could get the respect and credit that you deserve but it would only make you a more likely target. I'm afraid that if they knew how smart and dangerous you are becoming Smith's cartel would probably decide that your death would be less risky than the publicity that it would cause. It almost came to that over the Mary Jane files, I don't want to give them another excuse. "If they start to come after you the only way to protect you would be to tie you to a desk. You'd do the work brilliantly but I know how much you'd hate that." Mulder nodded at him. "Damn right. Okay, tomorrow we drop you off at your place. What can we do to help?" "You can come in while I'm making the arrangements and once I've made my calls we'll finalize our plans." Skinner took a deep breath. "After that I've got some things I need to show you and tell you about. In the mean time I'm sick to death of work and TV how about a game of poker?" Mulder grinned. "Sounds good to me any one for strip po..." Before he could finish he caught the looks on his boss' and partner's faces. He thought to himself. "Where are we going?" Mulder asked Skinner as he pulled into a hillside garage. "My place, I told you." The AD smiled at his agent's confusion. "You think we'll be less noticed walking from here? I'd have thought that we'd be more conspicuous." "Not the walk I've got planned." Their boss directed them to the back of the garage and a door that Mulder and Scully had assumed was a storage closet. "One of the main reasons I bought this house was that it used to be part of the underground railroad." At their dawning looks of comprehension Skinner smiled and handed them both flashlights. "I've got my own private entrance only a quarter of a mile walk underground. It comes in quite handy when I want to have guests that I don't want anyone to know about. I haven't told too many people about it so I'd appreciate if you keep it secret." The AD caught the looks that his two agents exchanged. Mulder's was definitely an 'I told you so.' "Watch your head. The tunnel isn't tall and it gets very narrow in places. I hope neither of you is claustrophobic. I'm afraid your going to have to do a lot of bending, Mulder. Sorry." "Just what I need to go with my bad back." Fox replied. At Skinner's questioning look Mulder replied. "Strained it doing some heavy lifting." He looked at Skinner as he proceeded him through the door and into the tunnel. "Ever think of going on a diet?" He then turned to Scully, "Have I told you how much I appreciate your form recently, partner?" Dana Scully who felt like Fox could use a little kidding as well whispered loudly, "I seem to remember hearing something about it last night." Mulder was glad the dark hid his blush as Skinner barked out a laugh at her reply. The walk through the tunnel took about ten minutes due to the necessity of Skinner and Mulder having to squeeze through several tight spaces. Scully didn't have such problems but she decided to wait on them anyway. The other end of the tunnel was blocked by a very modern security door with a code pad. They waited on the AD to come up and open it. Both Mulder and Scully looked away as he began to key in the code. "Scully, Mulder over here. There is no sense in knowing about the door if you don't know the code." He gave them the five digit code. "I won't change it unless I think that one of you might have been captured and drugged to give it out. So if you ever need a place to run, come here." The door swung silently open and they entered a wine cellar. The door itself was hidden behind a wine rack. "Over here is the thermostat. If you punch one first you control the temperature. Punch nine and it becomes a key pad, then just enter the code I gave you and the door will swing open automatically." "How'd you manage to keep this installation secret?" Mulder asked. "I did it myself. I paid a security firm to do the basics for the house then I added some extras, built this door and keyed it into the system. If anyone tries to break in based on the security firms records they're in for quite a surprise." There was a touch of pride in the AD's voice. Mulder who could rarely resist a chance to kid his boss said, "Do you do plumbing, too. The facets on my tub and kitchen sink have been worn out since I moved in and the landlord's too cheap to replace them." Dana elbowed him in the ribs. "Ouch." Skinner laughed. "Yes I do plumbing, Mulder, and if you want I'll show you how to fix them." "Ah, gee boss... I don't know if that's such a good idea. I'm one of the most mechanically inept people I know." At Skinner's skeptical look Scully jumped in. "Take him at his word, Sir. He tried to help me hang a picture once. You wouldn't believe the holes I had to patch up in my wall." "Well the directions said to find a stud. I knew they weren't talking about me so how else are you supposed to find one if you don't put holes in the wall to look?" Skinner was trying to catch his breath laughing. "God, Mulder, is there anything else I should know about you?" "Lots, sir. The question is what should we know about you?" Mulder gave him a quizzical look. Skinner met the look and answered. "Lots, as well, Fox. And I plan on telling you some of it when I get off the phone. In the meantime make yourselves at home. I think there's a Redskins game on in a few minutes." "Hey, Scully, come on, you have got to see this projection TV. Latest model. Skinner is a technophile. Got to have the newest gadget. Now you're going to see why we always have our meetings on Monday nights. I can't wait for basketball season. We'll have to move our meetings to Tuesdays or Thursdays." Mulder led her down the hall to the media room. Walt just smiled. He turned and went into his study to arrange some surprises for Mr. Smith. Skinner had been in his den for half an hour when Mulder headed to the kitchen and get some drinks for him and Scully. As he passed the AD's door he heard his boss' raised voice' "I don't give a f**k whether you want to know how I got out or not. I'm out and alive, no thanks to you or your people. Yeah... yeah... I've heard it all before. No I don't have any secret organization. What I have is a guardian angel and a lot of luck. Now I want some insurance. I've placed the contract out on Smith, all I want is your assurance that you won't interfere. Fine. No I don't know what the hell Mulder's doing, he's hard enough to keep track of when I'm in the office. I've been busy this week trying to stay alive. Well if you'd bothered to start worrying about me before Friday morning you might know something. Great I'm just thrilled that you've found my car. How about trying for that cuff link I lost last year. No don't bother to come over. I have no desire to deal with you now. Have someone drop the car off in my parking space around noon tomorrow. Not before. I have a surprise cooked up for Smith. Fine." Skinner slammed the phone down, "Stupid son of a... Mulder, is that you I hear in the kitchen?" "Sorry, sir. I didn't plan to eavesdrop, Scully and I were getting thirsty." "It's okay, Fox. And please for the rest of the day call me Walt." At Mulder's puzzled look he continued. "I've just spent the last forty-five minutes listening to a bunch of hypocrites who couldn't care less whether I lived or died, only that I didn't give away any of their secrets, call me Walt and pretend that they gave a damn." Skinner got up and came into the kitchen and got himself a beer. He took a long drink before continuing. "This life I chose... I did it to make a difference, and I have, but sometimes it's pretty sad that one of the few people that really give a damn about whether I live or die is still more comfortable calling me sir and wonders most of the time if he can trust me." The AD took another long swig and turned to look out the window. Fox Mulder wasn't sure what to say. Skinner always seemed so strong and self sufficient, satisfied with his work and able to handle most things life tossed his way. Suddenly his boss had let him glimpse the loneliness that sometimes troubled him. Fox thanked god that he had Dana, because he knew that without her that could be him, would have been him. He took a drink of his own beer and joined his boss by the window. "It would matter to a lot of people if you died. You do make a difference. As for the other, Walt, you've been such a hard ass for so long it'll take awhile to get used to the other side." Fox briefly squeezed his boss' shoulder before turning to leave, "Shall we go join Scully? She's going to think I got lost." They went back to the media room and watched the last of the football game together. When it was over Skinner turned off the TV and flipped a switch on the stereo. "That will interfere with anyone who might try to listen to our conversation. I need both of your words that you will never repeat what I'm about to tell you." At their nods he began. "About a year after I finished at Quantico I got assigned a case that would qualify as an X- file. It was six years after I returned from Nam. My partner and I discovered that some scientists in the government had been experimenting on soldiers to make them stronger, faster, better fighters. I don't know what they were injecting them with but although it appeared to work it also drove them crazy. They became uncontrollable. There were several rapes and murders that we traced back to one platoon who had just come back stateside. It was through an accident that we got a look at their medical records and found what they had been subjected to. We built a solid case and turned it over to our superiors." Mulder and Scully exchanged sad looks. "I can tell by the looks on your faces that you know what happened next." Mulder interrupted, "Let me guess, the surviving members of the platoon either disappeared or were killed and the records mysteriously disappeared. No wonder you believed us when we told you similar stories." "Right on the money, Mulder. There were only five members that made it back from Nam. Two supposedly volunteered to return to Nam, they never made it back, one disappeared from a hospital never to be heard from again and the other two died in a car crash. My partner and I were told to drop it and they split us up. He eventually left the Bureau to go into private law practice representing servicemen. Me, I tried to push it a little. Damn it, I'd been a soldier myself so I identified with those men, but I got placed on temporary assignment to the North Dakota field office with the caveat that if I continued to push the assignment could become permanent. "A couple of months later when I returned to Washington I was approached by certain people. They wanted to know how I felt about what I saw, and asked if I wanted to stop that kind of experimentation from happening again. Since that time I've worked with others both inside and outside of the government to try and stop the use of human beings as guinea pigs. "We've made a lot of head way and stopped many projects, but we still haven't gotten at the power base. It stretches across several countries and even ideologies. We hammer at it bit by bit and day by day. Of late though the Cartel has begun to suspect that the resistance they've encountered over the years is more organized than they assumed. That's why recently you haven't been getting as much support and information as before. You've become a lightening rod that both sides are watching closely. Neither one wants to tip it's hand and I got in big trouble, as you already know, for helping you out. But I was damned if after all you'd done I was going to let you to be slaughtered just to protect their dirty little secrets. So I took on Smith, not as part of the Coalition, but simply as Assistant Director of the FBI. I guess after that he thought I was fair game. You guessed right, Mulder, normally I'd have had some protection but it has been pulled in case the Cartel got suspicious about my helping you. I'm beginning to think that Cancerman didn't let anyone else know about the deal that I made with him." At his agents surprised look he explained, "I forgot my book Friday night and when I went to get it I overheard you talking. I spent the rest of the night and most of Saturday trying to decide whether or not to clue you in. It wasn't an easy decision, Fox, we have different goals and agendas and you tend to react first and then think. That's a dangerous approach that I can't afford." "So why tell me? Us?" Fox asked nodding his head in Dana's direction. "Because some of the things that have been going on in the Coalition have me concerned. Agents are breaking rules, our rules, that were set up to differentuiate us from the Cartel, rules I helped to establish. You saw a man murdered in cold blood, didn't you? By someone who probably works for us." Fox nodded yes and Skinner could still see the shock in his eyes even after all this time. "I decided to tell you because I can still see the horror in your eyes. I need someone who hasn't lost perspective, who still values human life above all else. Who doesn't think that the end justifies the means, and who can't kill in cold blood. I need someone to keep me from crossing that line. "If my people had pulled me out after what I went through Tuesday I would have gone after Cancerman myself or had him killed. It's as simple as that. After all I've seen, after all I'd been through I could have done it. I was ready to throw away everything I'd fought for all these years. All the principles that I held to. You stopped me. You made me think. "You know what really made me decide to tell you? I knew what you were up to the whole time and I only felt amusement and gratitude. You believed in me when I didn't. I figured I'd see if you were right and I could cool down enough not to kill the bastard. And I did. "I have no idea why I like and trust you as much as I do, because you have sure been a pain in my butt since the first day you walked into my office after you found the X-files. But somewhere down deep instinctivly I do. You can't manufacture that and you can't fake it. Both your and Scully's work demonstrates an extraordinary devotion to the truth and concern for your fellowman. If I have people that I'm going to count on then I want them to be people who still know the difference between right and wrong. You two do. So I'm bring you in whether my bosses like it or not. Although I'm not planning to tell them. It would only put you two at greater risk and you wouldn't gain anything from it. I will, however, give you the name and number of someone to contact if anything ever happens to me. "As for Smith." Skinners voice held contempt, "He may suspect that I have connections but he can't know for sure. My bosses feel I'm too important to sacrifice. It's taken me over two decades to reach this position without the Cartel suspecting. Most of our people are either killed or leave the government to become mavericks they don't have the staying power to get this far. While political appointees aren't too hard to come by high ranking civil service people are. I've got one high tolerance for BS to make it as far as I have and now I stand a chance to really make a difference. "I'm telling you all this so that you'll realize that at some point I might not be able to back you up when you need it. I'll do all I can unofficially but I have my limits. This is a dangerous game and if the other side ever suspects what I'm up to they will have me killed just like they killed your last contact." Skinner stopped and looked hard into his agents faces to see how they were taking everything he had been telling them. They had been very quiet. He noticed Scully briefly squeeze Fox's hand. "What are you going to do about Cancerman? He still suspects and he tried to have you killed." Mulder asked. "I worked in organized crime for several years and I have some rather shady connections. I've taken a hit out on him through a lawyer friend of mine who owes me a favor." At his agents shocked looked he smiled. "Don't worry the contract isn't for him to be killed now but for him to be killed if anything happens to me. I plan to inform him of the fact tomorrow and that if he wants to keep on breathing he'd better be sure that I do as well. I used my crime connections so that he won't have any proof that I'm working to stop the Cartel and he doesn't dare bring his suspicions before his bosses because then he would have to admit to what he just tried to do. I don't think that his associates would let him live long if they found out that he'd been operating on his own like that. I'd like to get rid of him altogether but he's a known factor that I think we now stand a chance of controlling. There is no telling what we would get if he was removed from the picture. "I've arranged for him to have a real interesting week. Part of the contract was to place dud bombs and messages wherever he goes so that he'll be convinced that I'm telling the truth. I plan to show up at my office a little after nine tomorrow and crash the meeting he has planned for you. I'm sorry you two can't be in on all of it but it's better for your safety if neither he, nor anyone else for that matter, knows who saved my butt. The more secret we can keep this alliance the better chance we have of being able to help each other. If Smith had been aware of our meetings you would have been sent out of town on a case and never have missed me. I am assuming that you want to work together?" Dana Scully and Fox Mulder found themselves speechless. Mulder was contemplating the nine o'clock meeting with satisfaction. He definitely appreciated his boss setting it up so that they could at least get a load of Cancerman's face when he found that the AD was alive. He was looking forward to that meeting. At his boss' questioning look he nodded yes. "I'll," he looked over at Scully, "We'll work with you. I'd rather trust you than my current contact. Are you going to tell him?" "No way. He has no idea that I work for the Cartel. I didn't make it this far by letting too many people in on the fact that I work with them. You're the seventh and eighth people to know. The rest, except for one special one, are very high up in the government and business. "Scully, Mulder, do you have anything you want to say or ask?" Skinner was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable, what he had told his agents so far had been a cake walk compared to what he had to tell them, no him, Fox was the one who was going to be affected by this, now. "No, sir. I'm afraid I need time to assimilate everything you've told us. I may have questions later. Is that alright?" "That's just fine, Agent Scully. How about you, Mulder?" "Thank you for trusting us, Si... Walt. Right now I need time to think, too." Skinner still seemed upset and took several deep breaths and wouldn't meet his agents eyes. Especially Mulder's. "Sir, what is it. What aren't you telling us." Dana asked. "It's not you, Scully, it's what I'm not telling Fox." As Fox looked up into his eyes Skinner looked deep into his. He then sat down on the coffee table in front of Fox and grasped his forearm briefly before letting it go. =========================================================================== From: <72620.3447@compuserve.com> Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW STORY:FUSION Part 6/6 By Eowyn Evenstar Date: 1 Dec 1995 05:49:58 GMT Disclaimers and all the details at the beginning of the first part. E-mail me at 72620.3447@compuserve.com FUSION By Eowyn Evenstar Part 6 "Fox, I've agonized for weeks about whether or not ever to tell you what I'm now about to. After what you've done for me..." Skinner stopped, looked away and drew in several deep breaths before continuing, "I don't know whether this will help or hurt but here goes." The AD then asked a very strange question. "What do you think someone could do to stop you probing into the X-files and particularly alien abductions? Short of killing you that is." "Nothing." "There isn't anything that would take the wind out of your sails?" "I don't know. Maybe if I found my sister and what had happened to her but..." "You know the Cartel isn't known for their compassion but no one has ever accused them of being dumb. Have they? You think they could figure that out, don't you?" "Yeah. So?" "So why haven't they returned your sister?" Mulder's face turned white, "Are you trying to tell me she's dead?" He could barely get the words out. Scully took his hand for comfort. "No. What I'm trying to tell you is that since you really started to interfere with their work and become a thorn in their side they have been moving heaven and earth to find her." "But they are the ones that took her. I know that. They did it to keep my father quiet." Skinner nodded. "And what I'm trying to tell you is that, from what we've been able to determine, when they took her they put her in somebody's custody what... almost twenty-three years ago but whoever had her lost her within the first two years. So for the last twenty years no one, on either side, has known where she is. Twenty years ago it didn't really matter much to them that she was lost but for the last three or four years the Cartel has been desperately looking. Hell our side has been exerting considerable effort as well. The trail is just too cold. "I know that this isn't much comfort but because neither side knows where she is she can't be used as a pawn by anybody to try and control you." Mulder sat back trying to take it all in but before he could say anything Walter grasped his hand again. "Fox, what I'm about to tell you now is the rest of the story about what happened when your sister was abducted. One of our agents managed to copy the file." "All of that and there's more?" "Easy, Fox, you need to hear it all." Skinner continued, "Your father had a deal with the Cartel. He wouldn't resist or stop them from taking her on the condition that they promised to provide regular updates on how she was doing." "Damn him, how could he... how could he know she was alright and not tell us?" "He didn't. He never got any updates. It seems he and your mother left the two of you alone as planned. I don't know if your mother was aware of the deal, that part is unclear. Unfortunately both parties made a mistake that they continue to make to this day." Mulder looked up questioningly. "They underestimated you, actually both of you. When they came to get your sister they expected two frightened children that would put up little resistance. Instead your sister kicked, screamed and fought. It gave you enough time to break your father's gun out of it's hiding place and use it to defend her. Four men came to take her. You shot and killed two outright and the other one you wounded so badly that they executed him later. A paraplegic with a severed spine is not only a burden but a security risk as well. The forth one got to you before you could get him and they erased your memory. It was one hell of a mess to clean up. "No matter how much your father argued that he couldn't have known that you two would fight back like that and that it was their incompetence that caused the trouble the Cartel wasn't in the mood to listen. No one in your family ever got a report about your sister again. It's probably the reason why you sensed that your father blamed you. The individual that managed to make copies of the Cartel's report regarding the incident confirmed the deaths of the three individuals involved and the other details. It made quite a stink as you can well imagine so the facts are not in dispute. Then they forgot all about you until you surfaced again as an agent in the Bureau who was interested in the X-files." "What about Sam? You said they lost her. How?" "Our records on that are a bit more sketchy. Actually they are sketchy because the Cartel's are incomplete as well. We pick her up about a month after her removal from your house. Her memory's been wiped and she is living with a couple in California. He was a minor paper pusher for the Cartel. We're not sure whether the intent was to leave her with them permanently or not. Anyway one weekend a year or so later they went camping and never returned. They were killed in a car crash." "Then she's dead? Killed in the car crash." "No. Of that we're sure. You see she was with them when they got to the camp site but when the crash occurred she wasn't in the car. The lady who ran the store had a soft spot for kids and really raised a stink with the police and the forest service about trying to find her. She even had a Polaroid that she had taken and was going to give to her when she came in the next day. Here I have a copy of it." Fox looked at the picture and felt the tears come to his eyes. It was Sam. Only a couple of years older than when he had last seen her. But she was alive and looked happy. "I don't think the Johnsons were going to be a permanent placement. There is evidence that they had had other children briefly over the years. Sam was kept the longest. There seemed to be some concern on the part of the Cartel that the memory eraser hadn't worked." At Mulder's questioning look Skinner said, "Look at the stuffed animal in her hands. From what the store owner said she wouldn't part with it. The Johnson's made a joke about it but if anyone tried to take it from her she had a fit." Mulder looked closely at the picture it wasn't any animal that she had had at home. Everything had been left when they took her. She had been so totally alone. He fought to hold back the tears as he tried to focus on the picture. Dana saw it before he did. "Oh my god." He drew in a sharp breath as he saw and he heard Skinner say. "She called it Mr. Fox and she wouldn't let anyone or anything come between her and it. She told the lady at the store that it was her only friend. The only one who would keep her safe." Fox Mulder saw a small stuffed fox clutched in the arms of his little sister. It was several minutes before he could stop the silent tears from falling. When he finally got control of himself he pushed up from his position in Dana's arms. He didn't remember Dana pulling him gently into her arms and cradling his head against her. He only remembered her love and comfort giving him strength to go on and face the rest of the story. "So what are you saying... that she was thrown from the car." "No the police interviewed several witnesses. They all said the same thing. The little girl had disappeared the day before and her father seemed to know where. They had heard the Johnsons arguing the morning of the crash about little Sara, that's what she was called. Her mother seemed distressed but her father kept telling her that it would be alright, that his friend would take good care of her and they would straighten things out when they got back to LA. In fact they were cutting the trip short in order to do just that. On their way out of the park an elk ran into the path of the car. They hit the breaks and skidded over a cliff. An overpopulation of elks had been causing accidents all year. This was the second fatality. After this one the national park service quietly paid hunters to cull the heard. It looks like it really was an accident. Problem is, as a result no one knows who Samantha was handed off to. The Cartel didn't give a damn, at this point she was just one less headache for them. Now twenty years later when they desperately want to know, there is no trail and no clues. The main witness, the store manager, is dead and no one else remembers about a twenty year old disappearance case. Especially since it was never official. There was no one to file a missing person report. You're sister has vanished into thin air." Skinner concluded. It was all too much for Mulder to take in. Scully wasn't doing a whole lot better. "Fox, I've told you all this because you need to know. You have a right to know. I probably would have told you in a few months anyway. Despite what the Coalition thinks I believe you should be let in on what's going on. I and a few others have been arguing this for several months but most have been resistant because you're ruled by your conscience rather than following orders. It makes you a pain in the ass but I'm learning to trust your judgement. So whether my bosses want you in or not I'm letting you in. I'll give you all the data I can and you won't have to sell your soul to their agenda. Should keep you from punching anyone else out." Skinner stood up and walked to the door. "I've got a few things to take care of in my office. Think you'll be ready to go in half an hour or so?" Mulder nodded. The AD left Fox and Dana alone to sort things out. Kathy, was Skinner's late wife who had died several years before of cancer. He'd been alone ever since except for occasional visits from his adopted step daughter, Stevie. He suddenly missed her very much. After all this was over he decided that he'd take a few days off and go visit her. He hadn't minded being alone much, in fact he'd hardly noticed until Fox's and Scully's relationship had reminded him what it was like to have someone. He sighed as he went into his office to finish up his work. He was definitely going to visit his adopted daughter when this was over. Maybe even get her to take a vacation with him. It had been several years since they had spent any real time together. Since she had become an agent for the Coalition, in fact. Fox sat quietly on the couch holding Dana tight in his arms for several minutes. He was in shock. He knew the signs. As a psychologist he had been trained to recognize them. That didn't however make them any easier to deal with. He tried to sort out what he was feeling. He had to organize his thoughts. First and foremost he felt loved. Dana's arms always did that for him. "We're going to have to get married someday, Scully. Maybe soon?" Dana smiled into his chest. "Anytime you say, Mulder. I'm sorta tired of waiting to make love anyway." He smiled at that. "I know. The last couple of days you've really tried to break me. Last night in particular, my little lustful one." He put his hand under her chin to get her to look at him. "Love, I know you want to be modern and for your upbringing not to matter but we both know that it does. I don't want to hurt your beliefs by making love before we're married. So let's get married soon. Okay?" She looked into his eyes and nodded yes. Then she buried her face in his chest again. "Fox?" She asked a few minutes later. "How are you doing?" "I don't know, Dana, I'm still pretty much in shock over what Walter told us. What do you think? You're the objective one this time." "It rings true to me. Once I realized that the powers that be knew about your sister I wondered why they didn't just return her. I knew that although it wouldn't stop you it would probably mean that you would be less driven. I thought they had when we ran into the clone. It made sense to me that that would be the easiest way to get you to slow down and back off. If they didn't have her to return it would explain a lot of things." "You know her memory is almost as good as mine. I guess they couldn't erase me totally from her thoughts. I'm glad to know that down deep inside her somewhere she knew she was loved. Mr. Fox kept her safe and loved." He smiled at the thought. "How do you feel about the other?' "You mean about killing those men?" "So you believe what the report said?" "Yeah, I do. It corresponds to my memory exactly. I remember the white light, her screams, and firing the shots. I guess I thought it was aliens because the gun didn't stop them. Apparently it did after all. I wish I could have gotten the last one, but you know something, Dana? If I had been able to stop them, knowing the Cartel as we do now, they would have probably had our whole family killed as a result. I'm glad they didn't because for the first time in a very long while I'm really happy to be alive." He squeezed her tighter and was quiet for a few more minutes before he continued. "You know I always felt so guilty that I hadn't done anything to stop them, that I'd been paralyzed with fear and had just let them take her. I'm so glad to know that I fought back. I'm still going to fight back, too. This isn't over it's just the beginning." Dana could tell by the sound of his voice that he had found a peace within himself that he had been looking for for a long time. She was glad. Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully were in Assistant Director Walter Skinner's outer office promptly at nine on Monday morning. Cancerman came out of the inner office and escorted them in. Around the table sat half a dozen individuals from various Bureau departments. Mulder realized that Cancerman had just laid his cards on the table. He'd bet anything that all the people in this room at the very least were in Cancerman's power and probably worked for the Cartel. He took time to memorize each of their faces. He watched some of them squirm under the long slow looks he gave them. Some of these were pretty powerful people who'd remained in hiding afraid to challenge Skinner. There wasn't a welcoming or kindly face in the lot. He thanked god that he was the one with the ace up his sleeve. A quick glance at the clock told him he had five minutes before it came into play. He sat down and said, "You asked us to report here." He wasn't about to call this bastard sir. "Yes we have some definite concerns about the value of the X-files. Take this case last week as an example. At the end of five days of investigation it all turned out to be a fraud. The children who were supposedly missing turned out never to have existed." "They existed alright they just died at birth. It was not a case that I developed but one which was assigned to me." Another man around the table spoke up. "All the more reason that the X-files are a waste of resources. They attract every nut cast and crack pot in the country." Scully thought it was time for her to look like she was fighting, besides the bastards were really irritating her. "We have one of the highest solve rates in the VCS. Not to mention the fact that the solve rate for these type of cases has quadrupled since we started investigating them." "Nevertheless four times nothing is still nothing." It was at this point Mulder sensed that his boss had entered the adjoining office. There had been no sound or sign but he knew that he was there. The office was the one that Cancerman had always used to spy on the AD's meetings. Now it was Skinner's turn. For fifteen long minutes Mulder and Scully had to sit and listen to those around the table denigrate their work. Cancerman then took up the ball. "Agent Mulder I believe there are going to be some changes in the near future. Your waste of bureau resources is going to stop." Before Cancerman could continue Mulder interrupted.