From: "Angela Ward" Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2005 20:38:10 -0600 Subject: New Fanfic: "The Numbers File" by Angela W. Source: direct Title: "The Numbers File" Author: Angela W. Category: MSR/Crossover Rating: Strong R Timespan/Spoilers: This is part of my "married" series, which diverged from the "real" XF universe about midway through season seven. Assume everything up through "Closure" has happened, but that Mulder was never abducted and the conception of their child(ren) was different from the way it was depicted in late season seven and beyond. Summary: Mulder and Scully meet another FBI agent and his math genius brother Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. All characters from "The X-Files" are the property of Chris Carter and 1013 Productions. All characters from "NUMB3RS" are the property of Tony and Ridley Scott. Feedback: If it's nice or contains constructive criticism, feedback is valued. I'd especially like to hear from any other X-Philes who are now watching "NUMB3RS". FBI Special Agent Don Epps growled as he entered his father's house. The tall, darkhaired man was in a bad mood and probably should have gone straight home to his own apartment, rather than joining his father and brother for dinner, but he was hungry and his father's cooking held more appeal than a trip to the drive-thru of a fast food joint. "What's biting your butt?" his brother, Charlie, asked. Although Charlie was nearing 30, he still lived at home. The younger man was a mathematical genius, a professor at CalTech whose analytical skills had been of help to Don more than once, but he tended to be a little clueless about the realities of daily living. Alan, their widowed father, seemed to think that Charlie wouldn't eat, sleep or shower with any kind of regularity unless he was reminded. "They're bringing in the big guns from back east to take over my case," Don said. "The head of the serial killers task force, along with one of his top agents, will be here tomorrow morning." "The case with the three teenage male victims?" Charlie asked. Don nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't come up with a working theory for that one," Charlie said. "If I had more data to input I could probably. . ." "The only way you get more data is if he kills again," Don snapped. "Is that what you want?" "No, of course not," Charlie replied. "Ah, hell, I don't mean to take this out on you. After all, catching bad guys isn't your job; it's mine." "You going to eat or just snarl?" their father asked. "I'm eating," Don replied. "Got a beer?" **** FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder kissed his wife, Dana Scully, goodbye in the kitchen of their suburban Maryland home before heading to the airport. He also received sticky kisses from their children, four-year-old Melissa and one-year-old William. "You be back soon, Daddy?" Melissa asked. "As soon as I can, sweetheart. I'll miss you and Mommy and William, but I have to go catch some bad guys." "You miss Grandma, too?" "Yes, I'll miss Grandma, too. You and William be good for Grandma when she's watching you on the days Mommy's at work." Mulder reflected with a small smile that he was probably one of the few men who could say he'd miss his mother-in-law and honestly mean it. He and Maggie Scully got along great. "Today Mommy's not going to work. Tomorrow Mommy will go to work and I'll go to school in the morning and Grandma and William will pick me up at lunchtime," Melissa informed him. She was very proud of going to "school" -- actually the mother's morning out program at their church -- two days a week. She'd only been going for a couple of months. "You miss Kinner?" Melissa asked. This was her name for Walter Skinner, her father's best friend, as well as his boss at the FBI, and the closest thing she and William had to a grandfather. Mulder chuckled. "I suppose I'll miss Skinner a little bit, but not as much as you and William and Mommy and Grandma. Now I have to go. Bye-bye." "Bye-bye, Daddy." "Bye-bye, darling." "Bye-bye, Da-da." **** "Agent Epps? I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder, with the serial killers task force. This is a member of my team, Agent Andrew Chan. You've been heading up the investigation?" "Yeah, I have. This is my partner, Agent Terri Lake," Don said, indicating a thirtyish blonde woman, "and Agent David Sinclair, who's been assisting us." He nodded at a young, bald black man with the eager look of an FBI rookie. "You've done good work," Mulder said. "I've read your case files. The killer is either very smart or he's been very lucky; you haven't had a lot to work with." "Maybe you'll be able to spot something we've missed," Don said. "Anything jump out at you?" Terri asked. "Not really," Mulder said slowly. "Other than the fact that the victims are male, which is relatively unusual. The majority of serial killers are men and the majority of serial killers' victims are women." "So do male victims mean we're looking for a female killer?" Terri asked. "Possibly," Mulder replied. "There's also the fact that while the victims have all been male teenagers, they've been of different ethnic groups -- one white, one Hispanic and one Asian-American -- which is unusual," David said. "Serial killers generally tend to stick to their own race." "Even calling them all 'teenagers' makes them seem like they have more similarity than they do," Don said. "It's strictly true, but we're talking an eighth-grader, a college sophomore and a 16-year-old, in that order. Exactly what a kid who looked like he was about eleven and a guy who could easily have passed for 21 have in common. . .I don't know." "To ask the really obvious question," Chan said, "are we sure these three murders are all related? Maybe they're just the result of some sort of bizarre coincidence or of a copycat." "We're sure," Don said. "The killer leaves a calling card. Literally. The death sign from a pack of Tarot cards impaled on the victims' chests. We've never released that little detail to the media, so there's no way it could be a copy cat. And partial prints from the cards left on the first and third victims match." "What's this?" Mulder asked, walking over to a dry erase board with a series of equations written on it. "A mathematical formula that we had hoped might help pinpoint our killer's location," Don replied. "A Caltech mathematician worked it out for us. He's assisted us before and he's usually been on target." "But not this time?" Chan asked. "He said we didn't give him enough information," Terri said. "Three murders didn't provide enough variables to give him a statistically sound hypothesis." "Interesting way to track criminals," Mulder mused. "I know it's a bit unorthodox," Don began. "Hey, unorthodox doesn't bother me," Mulder assured him. "I like agents who can think outside the box. You know the math geek guy pretty well?" "Uh, yeah, you could say that," Don replied with a grin. "He's my brother." **** Three days later, Mulder felt as if he'd spent the intervening time hitting his head against a brick wall. There'd been a fourth murder, just hours before, and both he and Don were gut-wrenched at not having been able to prevent it. Both men decided it was time to call in the cavalry in the form of their relatives. "Scully, it's me," Mulder said, speaking into his cell phone. "I've got a body on ice. I want you to do the autopsy; I don't trust anybody else and this is too important to screw up." "Mulder, I can't leave the kids with my mother for God-only-knows-how-long and fly out to California!" "Bring 'em with you, then. We'll tag team if we have to. I NEED you out here, Scully!" "Maybe Mom could come out with us," Scully said slowly. "We'd still have to relieve her occasionally -- she's simply beyond the age where she can watch a toddler and a preschooler round the clock for days at a time -- but it might work." "I'll get us a second room," he said. "You and the kids can share with me and your Mom can have her own. Or maybe Melissa can share with your mother and William can sleep with us; whatever. She can take the kids to Disneyland or someplace where we're working during the day and she can luxuriate in the spa or watch TV while we take care of them during the evenings." "If Mom's game for it, we'll be on an early-morning flight tomorrow. Given that we'll gain time, that should put me in an autopsy room before noon." "Ask your mother. Beg your mother. Offer to bribe your mother. Call me when you've got a flight. And Scully?" "Yeah?" "I love you." "I love you, too, Mulder." "Is your wife the Dr. Scully who teaches at the FBI Academy?" David asked. "Yeah. You a former student?" "Just last year. She was a great instructor." **** Don called Charlie's cell phone, only to learn that "the cellular customer you are trying to reach is currently unavailable." So he called the CalTech math office and got Amita, his brother's research assistant, who was a graduate student from India. "It's Don, Amita. I need to talk to Charlie. Can you find him for me?" "He's working on a theorem. He said not to disturb him unless it's a matter of life and death," she replied. "Amita?" "Yeah?" "It is." Amita sighed. She didn't particularly like it when Charlie got roped into one of his brother's investigations. However, she knew he liked using his mathematical talents for practical -- and often lifesaving -- purposes. "I'll find him. You want us at your office?" Don didn't remember inviting Amita along, but decided not to quibble. "Yeah. ASAP." ***** Two days later, a group of FBI agents and mathematicians sat around a conference table trying to figure out what there next move would be. Chan, David and several of the other Los Angeles agents were out tracking down a lead based on the information Scully had provided from her autopsy and a formula Charlie had worked out after incorporating data from the latest murder. Charlie had warned them that the formula had only a 72 percent probablity of being accurate but, for the moment, it was all they had to work with. The Epps brothers, Terri, Amita, Mulder and Scully were discussing where they should go from there. "Where *we* should go is back to campus, Charlie," Amita said. "You cancelled your classes yesterday and you haven't done any work on your theorem recently. You've done what you can to help out." "Maybe I could do more," he said. "Mulder, I'm going to have to take the kids back home soon," Scully said. "Mom can't keep them entertained in a hotel room all day long much longer without going stir crazy. And she's said she's just not comfortable driving in L.A. traffic with small children." "I realize they need a place to run around and stretch their legs, Dana," Mulder said. "But I'd like you to stay out here. Maybe you and your Mom can take them to the park tomorrow." "Hey, Don, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Charlie said. "Since I tend not to think in quadratic equations, probably not," his brother replied. "I'm thinking that Agent Mulder and Agent Scully could take their kids over to Dad's place for awhile. He's got plenty of room and he loves kids." "I've met the kids," Terri said, "they're really cute and well-behaved." "Charlie, you are either stupider or braver than I've ever thought you were," Don replied. "Why?" "Because if we expose Dad to adorable, well-behaved small children, he's going to start making his 'Give me grandchildren or give me death' speech on a regular basis again." "You're older, you take a turn at bat first," Charlie suggested. "You've got the same equipment I do," Don replied. He added, in a voice only his brother could hear, "But yours is most likely in better condition, considering it's probably never been used." "Shut up, Don," Charlie growled, sotto voce. "Seriously, our father would probably love company," Don said. "He's kind of been at loose ends since he retired last year. Let me just call and clear it with him." "I could spend a few hours over there with him and my mother, then join the rest of you after lunch when the kids are napping," Scully suggested. ***** The next morning, Don met up with the Mulder/Scully family at their hotel and had them follow him to the house where his father and Charlie lived. Alan welcomed them enthusiastically and urged the children to go anywhere they wanted except Charlie's study, which he'd taken the precaution of locking. Several hours of roaming the rambling house and large yard, plus watching in fascination as Alan fed his pet bird and the fish in his koi pond, and Melissa and William were rubbing their eyes. "I guess we should probably go grab them something for lunch then head back to the hotel and put them down for naps," Maggie Scully said. "No hurry, unless I'm beginning to bore you," Alan said. "Sometimes I worry about becoming one of those boring old guys, now that I'm retired. However, I can make sandwiches and they can take naps in the guest room, if you want." "I really have to join Fox and Don soon," Scully demurred. "Your mother and the children are welcome to stay here 'til you return." "Your call, Mom," Scully said. "You want to head back to the hotel or stay here?" "I think I'd rather stay, if Mr. Epps is sure we're not being a bother." "No bother. But my name is Alan. And may I call you Maggie?" "Of course," she agreed with a smile. **** They ate lunch, Scully helped her mother settle the children in the twin beds in the guest room for their naps, then she left to join the other agents. "Coffee and conversation?" Alan suggested to Maggie. "A game of Scrabble? A soap opera you usually watch at this time? You want that I should shut up and let you read or take a nap while the kids are sleeping?" "Coffee and conversation for starters," Maggie replied. "Then maybe a game of Scrabble in a bit." "You've got lovely grandchildren," Alan said. "You just have those two or you have others?" "I've got six -- three boys and three girls, all under the age of eight -- and my youngest son just called me last week to tell me he and his wife are expecting again." "You're a lucky woman. I've got wonderful sons -- they're good boys, they make me proud -- but I've just about given up on becoming a grandfather. Neither one of them seems to have the slightest interest in getting married. Don, he likes the ladies and they like him, but he's always too busy with work to get involved in a serious relationship. Charlie. . .I used to wonder, when he was a teenager, if perhaps he was homosexual, but it's not that. He just doesn't handle human interaction -- romantic or otherwise -- particularly well. There's a cute little graduate student he brings by sometimes, a blind man could see that she's already halfway in love with him, despite him never giving her the slightest encouragement, but he's just oblivious to her body; his only interest is in her mind." "It can take a while," said Maggie with smile. "I married at 19 and had all four of my children before my tenth anniversary. They were all in their 30s before they began having children of their own. So, for a while there, I was worried grandchildren weren't going to be in the picture for me, either. But now that they've got started, it seems like they have no intention of stopping!" Alan chuckled. ****** An unexpected break in the case -- what Charlie referred to as "sheer, unpredictable random good luck" -- allowed the agents and their mathematically-inclined assistants to wrap things up early that evening. "We caught the crazy killer woman because the local police stopped her for running a red light and found a blood soaked wooden stake and a dozen packs of Tarot cards in the trunk of her car," Charlie pointed out. "That's not elegant. It's not even logical! Why would somebody who'd committed major felonies, and had plans to commit more, be belligerent to an officer who'd stopped her for a routine traffic violation? For that matter, why would she even run a red light in the first place?" "Charlie, I know this may come as a news flash to you, but human beings don't always behave in rational, predicatable ways," Don said. Charlie's cell phone rang at that point. After a few minutes, of Charlie going "uh-huh" and "I'll tell him" and "Okay, I'll ask them," he said, "That was Dad. He's glad the case is wrapped up. He said to tell you, Don, to come over dinner tonight. He's barbecuing steaks and Scully's mother is making potato salad and stuff. He said that Agents Mulder and Scully are invited, as are Terri and Amita. Also anybody else who wants to come, like David and Agent Chan." "Actually, if nobody minds, Chan and I were going to have dinner, then maybe hit a couple of clubs," David said. "Go for it," Don and Mulder said simultaneously. **** The other six drove to the Epps family home. They spent a long, relaxing evening eating, socializing and playing with the children. "How long have you two been together?" Alan asked Mulder and Scully as they sat on the couch. Mulder, Scully, Alan and Don were taking a brief breather, while the other adults supervised the children in backyard as dusk was falling. "We've been married for almost six years, but we were partners for six years before that," Mulder replied. "Excuse me, I'm an old guy, I don't always understand all the new-fangled terms," Alan said. "Partners means you were living together or what?" "No, I mean partners at work, at the FBI," Mulder said. "Oh, so you were FBI partners, then you got married and had those beautiful children, huh? They mean those children that *your* partner, Terri, is out there playing with, Don." "Knock it off, Dad," Don muttered, but he was more amused than angry. Alan was always envisioning romances for his sons where none existed, as in Don's relationship with Terri or Charlie's with Amita's. The evening wore on, with the children finally coming inside and going upstairs to play. Eventually, Mulder said, "I guess we ought to round up the kids and go back to the hotel, don't you think, Dana and Maggie?" "Fox, the kids fell asleep an hour ago," Maggie said. "They're up in the guest room where they took their naps." "I"ll grab Melissa and Dana can grab William," he said. "Why not just let them stay here? You can pick them up in the morning," Alan said. "It's no trouble." "That's very kind of you to offer, and we really appreciate all you've done for our children today, but I'm afraid they'd be scared if they woke up and neither their parents nor their grandmother was around," Scully said. "I could stay, too," Maggie suggested. "I think I've had one glass of wine too many, I'm about to fall asleep on my feet. If you wouldn't mind packing for me, Dana, you could just bring our suitcases over here first thing in the morning. That is, if Alan doesn't mind having adult company overnight, too." "Stay, stay," Alan urged. "We've got plenty of room, it's a big house." "Mom, you can't just spend the night here!" Scully sputtered. She didn't *really* think her mother an Alan would engage in some sort of sexual hijinks, but it still didn't seem appropriate. "Dana, if you're worried about the, um, propriety of the situation, I guess I should make it clear that I live here, too," said Charlie. "It's not like your Mom and my Dad would be alone, except for the kids. But, if we're breaking up the party, could somebody drive Amita back to the campus?" "Actually, if Mrs. Scully is going to stay here, why don't I spend the night, too?" Amita suggested. "Then I could just go to campus with you in the morning, Charlie." "Amita, the few times before when you've been here late and I invited you to sleep over, you gave me the whole spiel about how it would conflict with your cultural mores and dishonor your parents," Charlie pointed out. "Despite the fact that my Dad would be here, chaperoning or whatever you want to call it, and your parents are in India." "It's different," Amita said. "I can't spend the night in a house with two men, neither of whom I'm related to; that's taboo. But if another woman is there -- a married woman or a mature widow like Mrs. Scully -- then it's okay." "Hey, everybody can stay if they want," Alan said. "The more the merrier." "Dad, I'm not staying," Don said. "How about you, Terri? You staying for the slumber party or you want me to run you home?" "Home, please," she said with a tired smile. "Dana, Mulder, it was really nice meeting you and working with you. Your children are absolutely adorable. Mrs. Scully, it was nice meeting you, too. Goodnight, Alan. Goodnight, Charlie and Amita." "Everything she said, ditto," Don added. Then he placed a hand lightly between Terri's shoulder blades and shepherded her out the door. "Mom, are you really sure about spending the night here?" Scully asked her mother quietly. "Why not, dear? The young lady obviously wants to and she can't unless I do. Besides, I'm forming the impression that your husband would rather not have his mother-in-law and small children in the same hotel suite as the two of you tonight. He keeps looking at you with this. . .predatory gleam in his eyes." Scully blushed and nodded, then made her goodbyes. She noticed that Mulder *did* seem rather intent on hustling her out the door and that, as soon as they were out of sight of the others, his hand moved from a polite touch on the small of her back to a firmer grip on her bottom. "I'll just sleep in the same room with the children," Maggie said. "They're both so small, I can put both of them in one bed and I'll sleep in the other. That way, if they wake up in the middle of the night or very early in the morning, they won't be frightened. And I was serious about being almost asleep on my feet, so I'll head up now. Good night, all." The other three murmured "good nights" then Alan turned and said, "I guess we'll put Amita in Don's old room, huh, Charlie?" "Uh, sure, Dad, that would be fine," Charlie replied. Don's room was directly across from his. A few minutes later, just as Charlie had finished unbuttoning his shirt and was slipping it off his shoulders, there was a knock at his door. Before he could answer, Amita poked her head in. "Would you mind if I borrowed one of your shirts to sleep in?" she asked. "No, of course not," he said. "They're in the top drawer of my dresser. Help yourself." "Actually, if it's okay, I'll just take that one," Amita said, reaching for the white cotton shirt he was still holding in one hand. Charlie nodded and handed it to her. Amita tried not to let her eyes wander to Charlie's chest. Indian men had naturally hairless chests and most of the male college students she'd seen shirtless in America, on her trips to the beach, used waxing or depilatories to achieve the same effect. In contrast, Charlie's chest was covered with an abundance of dark, curly hair, narrowing to a thin line that bisected his taunt abdomen. For a man who was a self-described 'math geek' he certainly has a nice body, she thought. Then she muttered "Thanks, good night" and scurried out of the room before she had time to let her mind wander any further into forbidden territory. Charlie finished undressing, climbed into bed and turned off his lamp. He began working out one of the mental math problems that were his version of counting sheep but, for once, math failed to hold his interest. His thoughts kept drifting to Amita, sleeping in his shirt just across the hall. ******* "Don, can I ask you a personal question?" Terri asked, as they pulled onto the freeway. "Sure, Terri. We're partners. No secrets. What do you want to know?" "You said something the other day, when Charlie first suggested bringing the Mulder children to your father's house, about not wanting to give him any ideas about grandchildren. Are you really that opposed to the idea of getting married and having children?" "I'm not opposed to the *idea* of getting married and having children," he replied. "In fact, in theory, I'd like to get married and start a family. It's just. . ." "What?" "Oh, hell, you know; the life we lead working for the bureau. Every time in the past decade -- ever since I graduated from Quantico -- that I've begun a romantic relationship, it's floundered in less than a year due to the demands of my job. And the thing of it is, I really love my job. I'm good at it, it pays reasonably well and it's. . .well, it's cool! What guy wouldn't want to be either an FBI agent, a fighter pilot or a professional athlete if he could?" Terri giggled a bit at that. "You sound like a teenager. Seriously, though, what did you think about Mulder and Scully? I mean, Amita's always talking about all the cultural taboos she has to avoid and they broke, like, the ulitmate FBI taboo: they were male and female partners who became sexually involved with each other." "Well, it's obviously worked for them and, while I suppose their superiors were probably pissed when it first became known that they were involved, it's not like they had to turn in their badges. They've been married for almost six years and have two kids and still work for the bureau." "I asked Dana how she manages to balance working for the FBI with raising two small children," Terri said. "She told me she took a full six months of maternity leave after both births and has otherwise worked only three days a week since Melissa was born four years ago. She also said her mother has been a *tremendous* amount of help." "Yeah, her Mom seems to be a really nice lady. Reminds me of my Mom." They soon arrived at Terri's apartment and Don hopped out to open her door and walk her upstairs. "Don, I'm an FBI agent and I'm armed," Terri said with a smile. "It really isn't necessary to walk me to the door." "My mother raised me to be a gentleman," he replied. ****** "So," Scully asked Mulder in the privacy of their rented car, "do Don and Terri remind you a little bit of anybody?" "Let's, see a brooding, dark-haired male FBI agent and his petite female partner? Both of them doing their best to hide a sexual interest in each other, and probably succeeding *except* when they're in the presence of a professional profiler or an observant parent? Who could they possibly remind me of?" he said with a chuckle. "They're basically the 'us' of seven or eight years ago; minus the aliens and conspiracies and stuff, I mean." "Think they'll ever move their relationship to the next level?" "Probably. Even when it takes a while, most people do seem to eventually end up with their true love." Mulder and Scully soon arrived at their hotel and she expected him to hurry her up to their room. Instead, he detoured through the pool area and poked his nose into the pavillion where the hot tub was located. "Hey, Scully, there's nobody here and it's a pretty secluded location. And you know the old joke about Californians and hot tubs." "Mul-der," she said, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on, Dana. Where's your sense of adventure?" "I used it up during the years when were chasing monsters, mutants and aliens on virtually a weekly basis." "We haven't made love in a hot tub since our honeymoon. It would be fun to relive old times," he said, giving her what she'd long since characterized as his "puppy dog" look. "You really want to?" she asked with a sigh. "Not if you really don't. It won't be fun for me unless it's fun for you. But. . .yeah, I get a kick out of pushing the boundaries once in a while. And, whether you like to admit it or not, Dana Katherine Scully Mulder, so do you. You wouldn't have stuck with me for twelve *weeks*, much less twelve years, if you didn't enjoy an occasional walk on the wild side. You just like me to persuade you, so you can soothe your Catholic conscience by telling yourself you're only being a good wife and fulfilling your husband's kinky sexual desires." "Your desires aren't kinky, Mulder," she protested. "They're just. . .innovative. And, you're right. The fact that you push me to step out of my comfort zone and explore extreme possiblities -- both professionally and sexually -- has always been one of the reasons I'm so attracted to you." "Is that a yes, Scully?" "Mmm-hmm," she said, stretching up on tiptoes to kiss him. They entered the pavillion and quickly stripped, then lowered themselves into the hot, bubbling water. Before she could become too accustomed to the warmth, Scully moved so that she was seated on her husband's lap, straddling him and looking into his eyes. Her breasts bobbed lazily on the water, her nipples reacting from the change of temperature between the water and air by hardening into tight peaks. Mulder framed Scully's face with his hands and kissed her, slowly and thoroughly. They kissed frequently, of course, but the kisses they shared in front of their children or Maggie were quick and closed-mouth. Tonight they had time to time for long, deep, tongue-tangling kisses that left them both breathless. Positioned as they were, Scully was in no doubt of her husband's desire. She scooted forward, lifted herself up slightly, and settled down on his engorged cock. "God, Scully, you feel so good! Do you know, I always had fantasies of us wrapping up our cases this way? Even during the first months we were working together." "This way? In a hot tub, you mean?" "No," he said, flexing his hips to thrust into her, "in you." Scully braced her hands on Mulder's broad shoulders and moved up and down on him. He put a hand on each breast and began to squeeze and tease them. He'd learned, over the years, that except when she was pregnant or nursing, she enjoyed having her breasts handled firmly. A combination of pinching both her nipples and nipping at her ear lobe while she was embedded on him soon brought Scully to a rich, shuddering climax. As soon as the last of her internal tremors had died away, Mulder readjusted their position slightly and continued to thrust into her; his own orgasm came just minutes later. "I love you," Scully whispered her voice sounding sleepy. "I love you, too," Mulder whispered. "Come on, let's get out of here and get to bed." **** Early the next morning, Mulder and Scully drove over to the Epps house. Maggie thanked them for bringing her suitcase, smiled, and said, "I'll be happy to join you on another case anytime you want, dear. This one has been very enjoyable." Author's e-mail addy: tapw63@hotmail.com