From: Stephie Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1999 16:48:59 -0500 Subject: xfc: Xfcancerfic 3rd place winner Source: xfc The Jedi Shipper JediShipper@yahoo.com Title: Realizations by the Jedi Shipper Rated: G Spoilers: Momento Mori, abduction arc (kinda) Category: MS UST, Cancer-fic, Angst Summary: News of Scullys cancer is leaked to her co-workers. Archive: I'd be honored. Keep my name attached and tell me where it is! Author's Notes: This is a fanfic challenge I received from someone on a different list. Part of this is from Kimberly's (Skinner's sec) POV. Disclaimer: Nope these characters arent mine (Yeah, CC would really call himself the Jedi Shipper). No money is being made from this! No infringement is intended. Look, I'm only human. I'd always heard things about Mulder and Scully. I mean, who hadn't? Anyone who's been around more then a week knows about them. They are a prime target for rumors. I mean, think about it. A basement office, paranormal cases. They were solitary and usually didn't consort with other agents. I don't think this was their choice, the other agents didn't want them around. Not to mention, they're a lot closer then most of the other male/female partnerships. Anyone can see it when they walk by on their way to the basement. So when I got switched to A.D. Skinner's office, I was secretly pleased. I had access to field reports, expense accounts and other juicy little items that I regaled the lunchroom and the bathroom with. Anyway, today, for a refreshing change of pace, they had asked to see the AD instead of the other way around. I honestly don't know what's better... listening to Skinner chew them out for their latest caper or listening to whatever they possibly had to say to him. Whatever they had to say must be serious. They were both looking down at the floor. Scully held a file folder in her hand. Mulder kept throwing small, sometimes sorrowful, sometimes anxious looks at his partner. She didn't look up. "Agents Mulder and Scully to see you sir," I said into the intercom. "Send them in," They went in. I sat at my desk to finish some work. I soon discovered that the intercom had been left on and I could hear everything they were saying. "Sir," Agent Scully began, "This is hard for me to say so I'm just going to come right out and say it," There was a shuffle that was, I assume, Agent Scully handing the AD some paperwork. "What you're looking at is a tumor between the superior conchea and the sinoidal sinus. Cancer," Oh my Lord. "Agent Scully these are your files," the AD said, sounding as disbelieving as I felt. "Yes sir," There was a silence. "This news comes as the worst kind of surprise, Agent Scully. I'm sorry, very sorry," In shock, I missed the next line. When I finally faded back in Mulder was talking about an avenue of investigation. "... reported abductees, experienced similar symptoms after having implants removed from the base of their necks. A woman in Allentown, Pennsylvania, named Betsy Hagopian was undergoing treatment nasopharyngeal tumor. We just haven't been able to contact her yet," Abductees? I'd heard that Mulder may have believed that Scullys disappearance two years ago was an abduction but I'd long held that to be among the false rumors. Neck implants? I was startled out of my reverie by the door beginning to open. Quickly I hit the intercom button and returned to my paperwork. They walked by and I thought they were going to walk straight out of the office but Scully stopped outside the door. "That was surprisingly difficult," I barely heard her admit to him. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. We still have to make a few arrangements," She looked at him for a moment and then smiled. "Thank you," "For what?" "For not letting me do this alone," I watched them share a look before turning towards the elevator. Oh my God. I don't know what to think about what I've heard. It's like I'm watching a show only these two are real people. As this strikes me I feel numb. But why? These people are not my friends. For all the times I've seen them in this office I've never really said more than "The Assistant Director will see you now," I guess that they seemed so ridiculous to me. Chasing after these aliens, these monsters while the rest of us did real police work. But their cases had always come in solved, a criminal they chased captured. Lives saved by their ridiculous chases. I think we overlooked that. It was undeniable now. Under the same circumstances Agent Scully was in I would have been a balled up, crying mess. Cancer. I'd seen cancer close up. My mother died of it. I know it's a horrible disease that eats up your body from the inside. The only way we know to kill it is to poison the body and corrupt it from the outside. If you're lucky enough to survive that it is a long, painful road to recovery. If you survive. Yet Agent Scully was showing a bravery I'd only seen in books. She was so strong. * * * "Mulder I'll meet you outside all right?" Scully said to her partner as they walked through the offices of FBI headquarters. He nodded and continued outside. Scully doubled back and went into the ladies room. She was about to open the stall when the door opened and three female secretaries entered, giggling and talking. "Come on Kimberly. We saw Mulder and Scully go in. What was all that about? And what's wrong with you? You seem almost sad," AD Kersh's secretary asked. Scully paused and listened. What was all this about? "I- I just can't believe it," "What is it Kimberly?" "Agent Scully. She has cancer," Kimberly said, sounding a little out of it, as if still in shock. Scully managed to control the gasp that rose to her lips. She closed her eyes. She'd asked Skinner to keep this private. She neither wanted nor needed the attention. How could Kimberly possibly know? "What?!" The other two exclaimed. "I didn't catch all of it. Something about a brain tumor, I think," "Oh my God," Scully was thinking of something along those lines. "Is she taking a leave of absence," "That's the funny thing, she isn't. She's investigating it through a group of women she met last year. Supposed abductees, one of which was suffering from the same thing," "Leave it to Mrs. Spooky to find a way to make cancer into a joke," AD Kersh's secretary said at last. "That's a terrible thing to say!" Kimberly said. "Oh come on Kimberly. You're the one who tells us the most," There was a silence. The bathroom door opened and closed again. Scully leaned her head against the stall door, keeping her eyes closed. She took a deep breath before she opened her eyes again. Finally she opened the stall door. To say she was surprised to see Kimberly still standing there would have been the understatement of the century. Kimberly was equally surprised and horrified. "A-Agent Scully," Calmly as she could, Scully walked over to the sink to wash her hands. "Kimberly," "You obviously heard all that," Kimberly said finally. "Hard not to," Scully replied coolly. "I'm not sure what to say. I'm sorry," Scully looked at her a little harshly. "Are you? This wasn't any of your business. None of it ever has been," "I know. I'm sorry," "You already said that. I don't think so. If you were, you'd have stopped all this gossip, all these rumors years ago," She turned as if to go. "Agent Scully," Scully turned to face Kimberly. "I didn't mean to tell them. Honestly. I, I think I was still in shock. I mean, it hit me hard," Kimberly said awkwardly. Scully furrowed her eyebrows. "Why?" "I don't know. I think it's that, I've always thought you and your partner were so ridiculous. I mean, the X-Files..." Scully just nodded. That she understood. She knew that she'd heard rumors about Mulder before she was assigned to the X-Files. She remembered what she'd thought of them. "Well," Kimberly continued, "My mother died from cancer 5 years ago. I just wanted to tell you I think you're the bravest woman I've ever met. I truly am sorry I told the others. I just want to say I've been wrong," Scully stood, hands still on the door. She felt there was nothing more to say. She gave Kimberly one last look before she exited the restroom to meet her partner. As she walked down the hall she felt the eyes of the other Agents on her, boring into the back of her head. She imagined she could hear whispered whisps of conversation as she passed. As bad as that felt, as much as she hadn't wanted this attention, she felt a little more light of heart. She felt like she had one more ally.