From: Buc252@aol.com
Date: 1 Jan 2003 18:59:07 -0800
Subject: xfc: NEW: One Year and Counting
Source: atxc

One Year and Counting . . .
By Mary Kleinsmith

Category: Written for After-the-Fact's First-year anniversary challenge
Keywords:  A bit of angst on both of their parts.
Rating:  PG
Summary:  One year after being assigned to the X-Files, it's time for 
Scully's annual evaluation.
Disclaimer:  They don't belong to me, and I fully realize this.  If I make a 
dime on this, you can have it!
Archive:  Anywhere, just keep my name attached.
Feedback:  Any would be much appreciated.
Author's Notes:  Happy New Year to all the members of After_the_Fact.  As we 
celebrate our first anniversary, I'm amazed and impressed by the work that's 
been posted here.  Thank you to all the fellow authors for sharing their 
talent.

One Year and Counting . . .
By Mary Kleinsmith

"It's been a year, damn it.  And we've had no more progress in
stopping him that we did when this started."  The man's smoking seemed
to increase as his anger grew.  It was enough to scare even an FBI
Section Chief.

"But, Sir," Blevins stuttered.  "You haven't had any problems with him
interfering with your work, have you?  Maybe it'll be enough."

"It won't be.  You forget, I know Mulder better than you ever dreamed.  
He may have been on his best behavior, but it's only temporary.  And
what the hell's wrong with Scully?"

"She's been writing her reports regularly, as ordered, Sir.  As
ordered.  We can't ask for more than that."

"We DID ask for more than that, you idiot.  Her instructions were very
specific: debunk the X-Files project.  She hasn't submitted a single
report that reveals Mulder as the crackpot we want people to think he
is.  Hell, in some cases, it almost sounds like she believes him!"

"Being confronted by something face to face is enough to turn anybody
into a believer," Blevins commented.  "I really think she'll work out
if we give her a little more time.  Maybe we can just talk . . ."

"You're not in a position to think, d'you hear me?  You just do what
you're told."

Blevins' expression told how unhappy he was with playing someone's
lackey.  It wasn't what he'd signed on for, but he kept himself from
telling the man with the cigarette just that.

"Just so I know," he asked instead, "do you plan to sit in on her
evaluation?
 It's at 3:30."

"I'll be indisposed, but call me as soon as it's done," was all that
was said as he strode from the office.

**

"So, anyway, there are several very concerned parents who don't
believe their teenagers are simple runaways.  For starters, we need to
get out to Salt Lake and see what's going on at that beach.  Our
flight leaves at nine tomorrow morning.  Pack your long underwear,
Scully.  They say it's been the coldest winter in years."

Mulder looked at his partner, waiting for her typical "tsk" or that
look of disapproval he'd almost gotten used to when he made one of his
jokes, but nothing was said.  Studying her closer, she seemed to be in
another world.

"Scully . . ."  No response.  "Scully, you in there?"  He waved a hand
in front of her face, but she didn't seem to come aware until he
actually touched her shoulder.  It was a feeling she hadn't yet gotten
used to, and given that it was only occasional, it brought her back
into the room abruptly.

"What, Mulder?"

"Scully, where were you?  You didn't hear any of the details of our
new case."

"I'm sorry . . . sorry . . . it's just. . ."  She seemed hesitant to
talk.

"What?"

"This was in my mailbox this morning."  She handed him a slip of
paper, which he read while she continued.  "It's not like I didn't
know it was coming.  I just always presumed that . . ."

"Presumed what?" Mulder asked in a softer voice.

"I always presume that, since you're the department head, you'd be
doing my annual evaluations."

"To be honest, I'm kind of surprised I'm not, although I probably
shouldn't be.  After all, we both know what their intent was in
placing you here."

"True.  But we also know that I haven't done exactly as they asked.
I've come to respect some of the cases we work on.  They're not all
'men from outer space' stories.  There are things out there that
science has never discovered.  I've valued being on the cutting edge
of that.  To be able to see things that nobody has ever seen . . .
it's just remarkable."

"So?  I've been glad to have you aboard too, to be honest.  I know
I've never admitted that before," he grinned.

"So what if they reassign me?  One-year anniversary is their
opportunity to do so, and it's not like I'll have any say in the
matter."

Mulder could hear the serious tone in her voice and knew that this was
not an instance where his humor would be appropriate.  Instead, he
came to sit beside her, laying his hand on her arm.  "If it's your
preference to stay, I won't let them reassign you."

It was her turn to chuckle sadly.  "How can you stop them?"  She shook
her head when he began to interrupt.  "You know as well as I do that
nobody in the higher echelon holds you in any great esteem.  You don't
play the game .  . . and they can't stand that."

"I don't want you transferred, but if it comes right down to it,"
Mulder said, "what's the worst that could happen?  You work at
Quantico, and I come to you for all my lab work and autopsies - it
wouldn't be that different."

"Yes it would, Mulder."  She looked at him sadly, their eyes meeting.  
"I wouldn't be there to back you up.  Look what happened in Idaho?  
You need somebody to watch your back.  Somebody who . . ."  She
swallowed, her eyes moist, but stopped talking.

"Somebody who what?" he asked, worried about her upset.

"Somebody who cares about you," she said in a near whisper.

The room fell silent, and Mulder didn't honestly know what to say.  
She cared about him?  Nobody ever cared about him.  Oh, there had been
a few who had professed to, but in the end, it was only Mulder,
standing alone against the forces of depression he worked every minute
to keep at bay.  And now, Dana Scully was telling him that she cared
about his safety. . .

He wanted to doubt her, knew he should, for his own sake, but
something about her words rang sincere. He thought back to how she'd
risked her reputation and career to get him out of Ellens air base
after his memory had been wiped, and how she'd gently checked him over
to be sure that he wasn't going to drop dead afterwards.  He'd
certainly felt like he might.  Had any other partner or coworker - or
even friend - gone that far out of their way to take care of him?

Despite his better judgment, he wanted to believe her, his heart
overriding his head.  So what if that was how he'd gotten into trouble
before; this time just . . . felt . . . different.

"If you tell me you want to stay, I won't let them transfer you.  
I'll fight it all the way to the Director and use my contacts in
congress to keep things as they are.  I promise.  But you need to tell
me in no uncertain terms that this is what you want."

"It's what I want, Mulder.  You may be a crackpot, but you're my
crackpot,"  she smiled, her tone lighter.

"Good.  Now you'd better get going, before you're late."

"Thanks, Mulder," she said, her eyes meeting his.  She rose, and he
came to walk her from the office.  He nearly touched her shoulder
before he withdrew the hand, hesitant.  She might not appreciate a
gesture that could be misconstrued as intimate.  But wanting to do
something, he moved it to the small of her back, considering himself
blessed when she allowed it without comment.

"Oh, one more thing," she said as she left the office.  He wasn't sure
if he saw a twinkle in her eyes.

"What's your pleasure, Agent Scully?"

"Think your congressional contacts could see about getting me a
raise?"  She laughed as she turned the corner toward the elevator.

**

"Agent Scully, this meeting is to give you your annual employee
evaluation."

Blevins held a few sheets of paper in front of him, and a manila file
folder was open on the desk.

"Yes, Sir," she said simply, not wanting to be accused of being
disrespectful.

"I've evaluated the comments and reports written by your immediate
superior, Agent Fox Mulder, and other SAIC's you've dealt with over
the past year, and I've found your work this year to be satisfactory.  
It has come to our attention that your department needs the use of
cellular phones; please see that you get one from supply at your
earliest convenience and register the number with personnel.  That
will be all, Agent."

Scully felt her eyes about to pop out of their sockets, but kept a
restraint on her tongue, which was dying to ask for more information.  
It seemed that her evaluation, while positive, was going to be
incredibly uninformative.

"Ummm . . . thank you, Sir."  She rose to leave, hearing Blevins pick
up the telephone receiver as she closed the door behind her.

If she'd stayed outside the door, she might have heard Blevins dial
the phone and speak just above a whisper.

"Yes, she just left.  No, I honestly don't think we'll regret this.  
If it gets bad, we always have more . . . permanent ways of dealing
with Agent Scully.  I agree.  Goodbye."

The End