Subject: Quitting Time II - The Search (1/1) by QofMush From: QofMush@aol.com (QofMush) Date: 22 Sep 1997 16:44:03 GMT Quitting Time II - The Search(1/1) by QofMush (the lud @aol.com) Summary: When his partner ditches him, what is a Special Agent to do? Category: SA Rated: PG13 for a few bad words Disclaimer: All characters you recognize from the Xfile Universe portrayed within are the property of the FOX network and the gang at 1013...no infringement is intended. The other guest stars belong to themselves. Time line: Takes place after Tempus Fugit/Max but before anything else. This is a sequel to Quitting Time. You'll be lost - so go read it! Or, drop me a note and I'll be happy to send it to you. Archive: Wherever, as long as my name stays attached. Dedication: Thanks to my little online friends, especially the gang at the AOL fanfic folder who were so supportive of the first one. It's nice to share an obsession instead of keeping it all to yourself. To Linda and the ONEOFUS Coven again for your editorial help, moral support and great ideas. I'll steal from you any day! You guys are truly da best. But, I don't like like you... Feedback: Wouldn't miss it for the world. (the lud@aol.com) XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX He was running late that morning. Not that it mattered much to Special Agent Fox Mulder what time he rolled into the FBI Headquarters. There wasn't a heck of a lot going on these days and he really wanted to stop at the newsstand to pick up the latest Tabloid newspapers. he mused. Mulder quickly parked in the lot of the headquarter building noting with some surprise that he didn't see Scully's car anywhere. Not that they had assigned parking spots, but with their goofy hours it made more sense to park near each other so Mulder could pretend to play the gentleman and see Scully to her car at night. Mulder smiled at the mental image of the clueless would-be mugger trying to snatch the handbag of Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully as he walked down the basement stairs. At 5'2", she gave the impression that she was fragile and feminine, but she was the better shot and he knew her prowess in self-defense could flatten a man twice her size. He knew he thought twice about making her angry. He liked other Scully emotions much better. Truth was, the real reason he had purchased the tabloids was that he knew they would bring a reluctant smile to Scully's face. She would raise her eyebrows at him, make some belittling comment about his choice of reading material, and then he would catch her later surreptitiously glancing through the gossip section. There wasn't much he could do these days to make Scully laugh. Anything he tried was met with a weak smile or tired chuckle. They had been working hard - that plane crash and the deaths of Max and Pendrell had really hit her hard. Not that she ever said anything. He had tried to get her to open up a little about Pendrell but was met with a sigh and the patented, "I'm fine, Mulder" response. So, if it required a little Mulder the Wacko act on a Monday morning, so be it. He'd play his part and talk about the woman who claimed to have had Elvis' love child and how they should investigate it and she would give him the Scullystare until she could hold it no longer and just maybe he'd get a laugh. He couldn't wait. Opening the door to their office (it had ceased to be his office years ago, despite the recent strange desk incident), Mulder's suspicions about the lack of a Dana Scully at FBI Headquarters were confirmed. They hadn't spoken at all this weekend, but that wasn't unusual. Since her diagnosis, Mulder had found himself trying to perfect a balancing act - the combination of mother hen and concerned partner. He'd been letting Scully do the controlling - if she wanted to talk, she would and did call. Just not this weekend. After checking his voice mail, his email, and his home answering machine (just in case) and finding them all empty, Mulder started to feel those worry twinges whenever he didn't know where she was. He desperately hoped nothing had happened to her. God, he even talked to himself in her voice. Time for a little fact finding. If he didn't know where she was, he knew someone else who might. He wandered the halls, nodding at the few agents who bothered to say hello. He knew that most of them weren't afraid of him anymore, maybe intimidated, and he really didn't care. Scully and he were so rarely in the office that he didn't have time for water cooler gossip or "what did you do this weekend" chitchat. Making his way down to the Autopsy bay, he found the person he was looking for. "Morning, HamrickChick, how are you?" He quietly asked as he stopped behind a petite woman scrubbing up in the sink. "Spooky, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you down here this fine morning? I haven't seen Dana and I know that there's no way you'd be down here without her to hold your hand," the woman quickly responded. Dr. Barbara Hamrick was one of the few people in the FBI that Fox Mulder actually liked. Truth was, the main reason he liked her was because she was good for Scully. Scully and Hamrick had gone through the Academy together, two female doctors in a man's world and Mulder learned early in the partnership that Hamrick was an Xfile ally - if only due to her loyalty to Scully. Mulder used to be a little threatened by Hamrick, because she seemed an invader in his and Scully's private world, but he knew that Dana chose her friends carefully and she had chosen Barbara. That didn't prevent Mulder from treating Barbara like he treated everyone else, however. He referred to her as "that HamrickChick" because he knew it bugged Scully, and the name stuck. She in turn, was the only one who was gutsy enough or silly enough to call him Spooky to his face. And live. Barbara finished scrubbing up from her last autopsy and looked at Mulder. "Hello, Spooky? Are you listening to me? What are you doing here? Bored with chasing little grey men and want to do some real investigative work for a change?" "Funny, funny. But, looks aren't everything. I was actually wondering if you had seen Scully. Did she mention if she was doing anything special this weekend that would make her late today?" The petite brunette gave Mulder a measured glance. She was about the same height as Scully - in fact, change the hair color and she could almost be Scully's twin. , Mulder thought for the umpteenth time. "Mmm, Mulder. I don't think I am at liberty to discuss Dana's private life with her partner. I'm not one to gossip, you know." "Com'on, HamrickChick - give. She have a date or something? Maybe it went well and she's still enjoying it," Mulder joked while he felt his insides take up residence in his shoes at the mental image he had just concocted. Barbara noticed too. She rolled her eyes as if to say something, but instead said "As far as I know, Dana was having a quiet weekend at home. She tires easily these days, you know. Not too much partying is possible for her." The phone on Hamrick's desk rang and Mulder made motions to Barbara that he was leaving. She waved at him to wait. "Hold on Kimberly, he's right here. Oh, okay. I'll send him right up. Bye." "Spooky, what have you done now? Skinner wants to see you immediately. Best not keep the big guy waiting. If I see Dana, I'll tell her you're pining for her." "Thanks, HamrickChick," Mulder smirked. "Try to keep your hands off the cute dead ones."And with that he headed up to Skinner's office. He forgot to ask Barbara if Skinner wanted to see Scully too. Well, he'd know soon enough. Mulder said hello to Kimberly and walked into the open office. Kimberly quickly rose and closed the door behind him. "Agent Mulder, sit down," Skinner said without really looking at the tall man. "Mulder, I have to tell you something that you aren't going to want to hear. What I would like you to do is to hear me out and then take some time to think about our next course of action. " Mulder casually looked around and sniffed for cigarette smoke. This wasn't going to be good. "This morning Agent Scully requested temporary reassignment. She--" "WHAT?" With that, the lanky man burst out of his chair and began to pace. Skinner thought. "Agent Mulder, I asked you to let me finish. She has requested temporary reassignment due to her declining health. Scully is concerned that her treatments might make her a liability out in the field instead of a qualified partner." "Bullshit. This is a way to keep us apart. You're trying to separate us again. But, it won't work. Scully's fine. She told me that she feels better and that the treatments seem to be keeping the tumor in check. I refuse to accept this. And, don't try to tell me that this was Scully's idea, because I won't believe you." This was all spewed out while Mulder made quick work of Skinner's office. His hands went to his face, through his hair and finally settled on his hips. Back and forth he paced - Skinner was getting dizzy. The bundle of energy and anger that was Fox Mulder was close to spinning out of control. "Agent Mulder, sit down. SIT DOWN NOW!" Walter hissed through clenched teeth as Mulder took his seat. The same seat that his partner had vacated a few hours previously. "Now I don't know how much Agent Scully has told you about her treatments, but they make her weak. The night of Agent Pendrell's shooting she had a nosebleed. At that time, I urged her to consider taking herself out of the field for her own good. She has done that. We discussed it this morning. I think the best spot for her for right now is at the lab. She wants to stay in DC and would like to be peripherally involved in the Xfiles." "No. Scully wouldn't have requested this without talking to me first. We could have discussed it, determined what to do. She would have told me if she wasn't feeling well - I would have known.." Mulder trailed off as his mind headed in twenty different directions. "Agent Mulder, please pay attention. I've pulled some resumes for you to look at. You need a new partner and soon. We cannot allow this to be a setback to the work." "Sir, all due respect, I have a partner." "Have you been listening to me? She doesn't want to be your partner anymore. She needs the rest. What are you going to do when you are off chasing a mutant and pulling an all-night stakeout and she collapses? Do you want to be responsible for making her worse?" "Sir, maybe you are right. I need to think about this. Why don't you give me those resumes and I'll look them over? I hope you don't have any Krycheks in here." "Here you go, Mulder. And, before you ask, Agent Scully has asked for a week's vacation. I don't know where she went and my advice to you is to leave her alone. Let her have this time to relax and think. And, maybe you could do the same." "Good idea, Sir. I'll line up her replacement and put all her stuff in boxes and bury her alive while I'm at it." Mulder sneered and stormed out of the office. Skinner thought. Scully's Apartment - Later that Afternoon Mulder did something he never thought he would do, and something he was fairly convinced Scully would ever forgive him for. He broke into Dana Katherine Scully's apartment and rummaged through her things. As he sat on her couch, he reflected on the events of the day. After storming out of Skinner's office, Mulder didn't even know where he was going. He practically ran down the stairs to the basement, resumes of eager XFile agents crumpled in his hands. Once he made it to the basement, he paid great attention to each and every resume. He individually crumpled and tossed each one into the corner wastebasket while amusing himself by alternately redialing Scully's home phone, cell phone and her Mother's phone. The answering machine picked up on the second ring at home, which meant she already had messages. He was excited that the cellphone kept ringing. At least that meant she hadn't turned it off. It only took him five tries before he realized that as soon as he connected to her cellphone her office line rang. He finally reached her mother. A nice woman, but one who seemed to have had just about enough of Fox Mulder and his involvement with her family. At least that's the impression he got. "Fox, Dana is on vacation. Yes, I know where she is but I am not going to tell you. If she had wanted you to know where she was going, she would have told you. Wouldn't she? Why don't you respect her wishes and let her have some peace and quiet for a change?" So, he left the office. He wasn't getting any work done anyway. Work? He wasn't sure if he'd ever get any work done again. He used the excuse that he had to make sure she wasn't somehow collapsed on her bedroom floor to break into her apartment. Now, technically he knew that he could have used the key she had given him if he could only remember where he had put it. He'd never had occasion to use it before. he thought as he sat on her couch after checking her messages and pencil tracing the pad by the phone for clues and coming up empty-handed. He glanced at the book of poetry sitting on her coffee table. "They say the sea is cold, but the sea contains the hottest blood of all." The sound of a key in the lock made him jump. Instead of redheaded Dana Scully, in walked another petite woman holding what looked like mail with one hand and the leashes of what were two of the biggest golden retrievers Mulder had ever seen in another. "OhMiGod you scared me!" she gasped. "Mulder, what the hell are you doing here?" "Excuse me, how do you know my name and why do you have a key to Scully's apartment?" "I'm sorry. I'm Dana's next door neighbor Linda Myers. I've lived here for a few years now and Dana and I have become fairly friendly. When I go out of town, she walks the dogs - when she leaves, I take in her mail and water the plants. Since I never go anywhere and she's always on the road, I think she has the better end of the deal." "That still doesn't explain how you know who I am," Mulder said while eyeing the dogs nervously. They seemed nice enough, but he was never very good with dogs. He preferred cats. "Well, after the first few times I noticed a handsome man appearing at Dana's door at all hours of the night, I asked her if you were her significant other. Dana laughed and told me you were her partner and that your hours were odd. Mmmhmmm. And now I find you sitting here in her apartment when I know she left for her trip two hours ago. What's going on?" "Excuse me, Mulder. I asked what you were doing here..." Linda said, starting to look at him a little suspiciously. "Uh, I was looking for some files that Scully had taken home. Maybe she took them with her on her vacation. Where was she going again?" "You know, I don't know. She mentioned something about the beach and her sunblock and the Airport Shuttle picked her up. Sorry I couldn't be of more help." "That's okay, thanks Linda. It was nice meeting you. Don't overwater the ferns. They hate that." Mulder said as he sprinted out the door and back to the car. Mulder arrived back at FBI Headquarters and called in the biggest of all favors to Danny. He needed passenger manifests of every plane that left in the time frame Linda described going to New England or the West Coast of the United States. He knew better than to look for her name. Scully didn't want to be easily found. The fact that she had left him no word as to where she was going or why she had resigned this morning meant that she wasn't ready to talk to him. Mulder felt the anger building again, and he quickly tamped it down. There would be time for that. He wouldn't want to risk wasting the good old-fashioned rant that he was going to treat Ms. Dana Katherine Scully to by venting at himself. Hours later, Mulder was about ready to pull out his service revolver and use it on himself. His desk was covered with manifests of every plane that had taken off and landed in the past few hours. He'd been to New York, Boston, and Portland, Maine and everyplace in between. Nothing. Then again, he had no clue as to whom he was looking for, he was just hoping for a little bit of luck.