From: Sandra Vets <san@NET4ALL.BE>
Date: Sat, 1 Jun 1996 18:09:33 +-200
Subject: Shortstory : Suspicious Mind (1/1)

    Disclaimer : Not mine, never will be. Belongs to CC and his gang.
    This is a shortstory I wrote for the guys and galls of the Oem (Old
Episodes
Maniacs). Hope you will enjoy it.

Suspicion
An X-File Shortstory
by Y.H. Spooky San based on suggestions by Tooms and Lindsey

Saturday, May 25th, 1996

    The blow to his head came faster than he could react. He felt
something hit his head, before he saw Scully turn around, before he heard
her scream :'Mulder !', and before any of the other agents could respond.
He fell down, rolled on his belly, and stayed down, while blood ran over
his eye, and blinded him. While his eyes were opened, he saw his partner
kneel down. She dropped the gun, and her hands touched his head. His
blood was on her hands, and she said :'Mulder, you're hurt.' He tried to
get up, pushing himself up with his hands, but she pushed him down
again, saying :'Don't move, Mulder.' Then she turned around and yelled
:'Get an ambulance !'
    He looked at her but her face faded, and her voice sounded strange,
coming from a distance. He closed his eyes, and let life slip away. Her
voice said :'Don't leave me, Mulder. Mulder, do you hear me ? Don't
leave me.'
    He felt he was picked up, strapped to a stretcher, and carried.
Scully's voice kept on talking to him. 'Don't leave me, Mulder,' she kept
on saying. 'Hang on.' He felt oxygen in his nose and mouth, and as he
looked up he saw he was in an ambulance. The stretcher moved again. A
white ceiling - faces around him. Doors went open. He heard voices
again.
    'We're losing him,' someone said. 'Prepare the O.R.' The hand was
still holding his, but then lost, and as he opened his eyes, he saw Scully's
face as she was left behind. He heard voices around him, and his mind
was confused. He kept on seeing the one who had shot him - the one they
were chasing. But his face faded already, and he didn't remember his
name. Then someone said :'Mr. Mulder, we'll put you asleep now. When
you wake up, it will all be over. I promise.'
    'Fox, don't leave me. Don't leave me, Fox. Fox ?'
    He opened his eyes. The world was white. He saw shadows. And
everything around them was white. The walls, the ceiling, the clothes.
Everything. Even Scully's face was covered with white cloth.
    'Am I dead ?' he heard himself ask.
    He heard a laugh of relief, and hands pulled him up, while he was
still trying to find his sanity. He blinked his eyes several times. Then the
whiteness seemed to fade away, and he stared at Scully ... in
weddingdress. He held in his breath while staring at her. She was fabulous
! A long white dress, simple and sober, just as the clothes she normally
wore. A vail covered her eyes and hair. Her mouth smiled, her eyes
looked friendly and worried at him. Her hand touched his hair, as she said
:'Fox, are you sure you're alright ?'
    'I don't know,' he responded, still staring at her, and the bouquet of
roses in her hand. 'Where am I ?'
    Now her eyes turned into a glance of worry, as she said :'Fox,
you're in church. Don't you remember falling ?'
    He nodded his head. 'Not exactly ... Scully, why are you dressed
like this ?'
    She turned around, looking at some stranger, standing behind her.
'I'm getting married, Fox.'
    'Married ? You've got to be kidding.' He bent over, looking at his
clothes. He was dressed in suit - his shoes were shining - a rose in his
pocket. He turned around and saw several people. Then he looked back at
Scully. 'Married ?' he repeated. 'Who's going to be your husband ? And
why do you keep calling me Fox ?!'
    'I have always called you Fox, at least the last few months, after you
left the Bureau.'
    'I left the Bureau ?' he repeated.
    'Yes.'
    'And who are you getting married to ?'
    She smiled as she stept aside, and grabbed the hand of her
husband-to-be. Mulder looked up, and said :'My god. You've got to be
kidding !'
    Scully smiled, as she said :'James, I'm afraid Fox has hit his head a
bit too hard this time. He doesn't even remember that you proposed.'
    Filled with anguish Mulder saw the Cancerman lit another cigarette,
as his grey voice said :'I'm afraid you're right, my dear. He's not suited
to be my best man anymore.'
    Mulder held in his breath for a second for he whispered :'Your ...
Your best man ?'
    'Yes, Fox. It was you who brought Dana and me together, so ...'
The Cigarette Smoking Man smiled as he lit another cigarette, and said
:'Dana, let's get him to the hospital. Falling over churchbenches is not
exactly good for the head, is it ?'
    'You're right, James. Perhaps we should escort Fox to the hospital
?'
    'Naturally, honey. Fox, come with me, please.'
    'No.' Mulder waved away his hand, and said :'What the hell is
going on here ? What are you pulling ? Is this some kind of test ? Scully,
wake up, will ya ? This is a dream !'
    'But Fox,' she said. 'I don't know what you're talking about. Poor
man, you really hurt yourself bad this time, didn't you ? But then again,
you have never been yourself since you got shot in the head in May 96.'
    'May 96 ? What day is it now ?'
    'It's May again, Fox. May 1997.'
    'I remember that shot,' Mulder whispered. 'You said :'Stay with
me, Mulder.' That was true, wasn't it ?'
    'Yes, and then you slipped into a coma for three months, and James
was there to comfort me.' Scully turned around. 'Is there a doctor around
? I think Fox needs one right now. He doesn't remember a thing about it,
does he ?'
    Mulder heard laughter, and grabbed Scully's arm as he pulled her
with him towards the alter. 'Scully, what the hell are you pulling of here ?
Why are you marrying that jerk ?'
    She pulled herself loose. 'I had no choice. You refused my love,
didn't you ? Three months I waited for you, but you didn't move an inch.
And then, when you woke up, it was like you didn't care a damn. So I
turned to the one man who cared for me. James. And he loves me. So I'm
marrying him.'
    'No, Scully, wait. Think about it. I don't know what has been
happening the last year - if this really is 1997. But you have to think about
this. Please !'
    'No, it's too late, Mulder. You may not remember what happened,
but I did. I remember how you left me - personally and on the job. You
failed, Mulder. And now you've lost me.'
    He saw her turn around, walk up to the Cancerman, take his hand
and kiss him. Then she looked at the preacher, and said :'Let's continue
with the wedding, father. We have waited long enough.'
    Mulder wanted to move, grab her by the arm and pull her away for
good, but he didn't move an inch. He saw her getting married with the
worst enemy ever - someone who had tried to kill them several times. It
was just like a soapopera : Enemies getting married. He saw her in her
white dress, and he couldn't figure out what was happening. Had he really
lost a year of his life, or was this a colaberate joke ? Did someone mess
with his mind, to make him think this was reality, while it was nothing but
a dream ?
    Jesus, he needed some air. Behind the alter he saw a small door. He
walked up to it, went inside the small dressingroom, and sat down. There
was a newspaper lying on the table. He picked it up and looked at the
date. Saturday May 25th, 1997. May 25th ... He opened the pages.
Clinton still president, his wife still standing up for women's rights. Queen
Elisabeth dead ? Her son Charles as King ? The first divorced king on the
thrown, it read. Mulder went through the pages. The usual wars, gossip,
jetset-news. Liz Taylor getting married for the ninth time.
    But what bothered him about this newspaper ? What was it ? He
couldn't get a handle on it. He put it down. As he looked up he saw the
preacher standing in front of him. 'Are you alright, sir ?' the man asked.
Mulder looked up. He knew that man. He had seen him before.
Somewhere.
    'Yes, I am.' Mulder stood up. 'I'm sorry.' He passed the preacher,
and saw the newly-weds smile at each other. Scully ... What the hell was
going on here ? Somehow, somewhere, he had always hoped ... When
sitting at her bedside, when working with her - that sometimes things
would turn out right for them. But now she was here, and the Cancerman
was her husband.
    Cancerman ... His eyes smiled as he saw Mulder's disappointed
glance. Then he touched his pocket, and grabbed another Morley.
    While walking towards the parkinglot, Mulder touched his pocket,
and found a keychain, with the keys to a Ford Taurus. He saw just one car
with the right description, walked up to it, and opened the cardoor. As he
stepped in, he smelt the leather. The car was brand new. He started,
looked at the meters, and noticed that this car had just been driven for a
few days. He stopped again, opened the locker, and got out the papers.
April 1997. A new car. He opened the ashtray. It was empty. He touched
around him and underneath the seat, but found nothing that would give
him more to go on.
    He opened his wallet. His ID was the same, but his FBI-credentials
were gone. He wasn't an FBI-agent anymore, Scully had said. Did the
blow to his head, a year ago, have something to do with it ? He had to
know.
    He drove straight home. His apartment was still his. He walked up
the small stairs, opened the door, and saw a new face - someone he didn't
know. She nodded her head, said :'Good evening, agent Mulder,' and
walked on. Confused he kept on walking, until he reached his apartment.
The same key, the same decoration.
    He came in, looked around and saw that things had changed. Max'
Nicap-cap was gone. The wallpaper had been changed. The colors were
different. His desk was moved, the lamp was gone. The fish were gone.
The same couch, the same tv. And yet different.
    He walked up to the window, and searched for his role of tape, to
warn X. Put he couldn't find it.
    He grabbed the phone, and dialed Scully's number. It was
disconnect. Where did she live now ? Did she stay with Cancerman ? Had
she moved to his apartment ? He didn't even know the number.
    He dialed the Bureau's number. A woman answered.
    'Can I speak with A.D. Skinner, please ?'
    'Who's calling ?'
    'Agent - Mulder - Fox Mulder.'
    There was a short, silent moment, and then the voice said :'I'm
sorry, agent Mulder. You are restricted of speaking with Director
Skinner.'
    'Director Skinner ?'
    'If you bother him ever again, you will be arrested, sir. Please hang
up the phone.'
    Mulder heard a short 'click'. Dazed he stared at the phone, stood
up, and walked up to the tv. 'CNN-News - Saturday May 25th, 1997'.
    He turned the tv off. No, this just couldn't be happening. One year
he didn't remember anything about ! How could things have changed so
much in 1 year ? Scully marrying some jerk.
    He sat down on the couch, closed his eyes, tried to remember the
last thing, a year ago.

Saturday, May 25th, 1996

    'The murderer we are looking for has killed 7 people - young people
age 14 - 28. He slids their throats.' Mulder listened to Malice's voice, and
thought : 'And we are involved in this. Why ?'
    He knew exaxtly why. When Malice asked them to participate in the
search, Mulder knew he couldn't refuse the opportunity to work with one
of the oldest and best fieldagents around. He was proud that Malice asked
for them, eventhough he didn't know why.
    'His violent behaviour has caused the citizens of Washington a lot of
fright, but we are going to end it. We've got a lead to his whereabouts,
and this time he will not slip the maze. Agents Mulder and Scully, you
lead the first party. I will take the backup for my account.'
    'We ?' Scully asked surprised. 'I'm sorry, sir, but this is not our ...'
    'Are there any more questions ?'
    'No, sir,' Scully said. 'Thank you.'
    'Scully !'
    'Mulder, where are you ?'
    'Right behind you. Be careful. Moreau's got two guns. Don't let him
fool you.'
    'Alright. And the others ?'
    Mulder turned around. 'They're coming. But we can't wait. He's got
the girl.'
    Scully pulled out her gun, and walked carefully up the stairs. He saw
her bulletproof vest, and thought : 'He'll aim for the head. He always
does.' But he didn't say anything, and he didn't stop her.
    Then the footsteps up the corridor. A scream. The girl. Mulder ran
up, followed Scully within a foot. They forced open the door.
    'FBI !' Scully screamed.
    They saw a shade in the room - someone running for the window.
The window slid open. Mulder ran forward, pointed his gun, and saw him
crawl out. Footsteps on the escapeladder. The girl on the floor. Her throat
was slid. She was dead. Scully ran back to catch him downstairs. Mulder
crawled out of the window. A shot went right past him. He went down,
saw the man on the stairs, and started to follow him again. Scully's voice
:'FBI ! Drop it !'
    The murderer ignored her. She fired twice. He kept on running.
    Where the hell is Malice ? Mulder kept on thinking. He's the one
who dragged us in this, he should be here ! But the FBI-agent who asked
for their help on this gruesome case, was nowhere to be found. He left
them alone, and they had to find the murderer.
    Running, running. They heard footsteps behind them. Agents were
coming.
    And then the shot. Mulder saw the guy running, and heard the shot.
It hit him. And Scully turned around and called out his name.
    Mulder looked up. The shot. There was something about it.
Something not normal. He felt it as he went down, but he couldn't place
his finger on it. The shot ... What was wrong with the shot ?
    The newspaper in the church. It had been placed on the table so
carefully, as if he was meant to read it. The preacher. He had seen him
before. The Cigarette Smoking Man. Scully had called him James. The
way she touched him. It just wasn't normal. They were playing mind
games with him. But why ? Who ?
    Mulder stood up, walked towards the window, and someone standing
in the shades. They were watching him. They were probably everywhere,
even outside this apartment. If he opened the door now, he would
probably see the same woman again he had encountered in the hallway.
    He stood up, and looked around the room. What if they were
watching him here as well, with camera's, listening to his every word.
They had done it before, but why now ? Why this time ? And what did
they do to Scully ?
    He stood up, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. He needed to
speak with Skinner. Except Scully that was the only one he could trust.
    He left the apartment, and saw someone quickly entering another
apartment. He smiled. He was right. What the hell was going on here ?
    He left the building, and saw the Ford Taurus. No, he wasn't taking
that car. He walked up to the street, felt someone behind him as he waved
towards a cab, got in and said :'The FBI-headquarters, please.'
    'Certainly, sir,' the cabdriver said, and looked at him in the mirror.
Mulder lent back, sighed, and then caught the cabdriver's eyes. He saw
those eyes before ! Somewhere, right after the blow. Someone bending
over him.
    Mulder's hand reached for the door. The cab started to drive faster.
The driver smiled. Mulder opened the door, and jumped. He rolled over
the concrete, saw a car approach him rapidly, and kept on rolling until his
body was stopped by the boardwalk. Mulder crawled up, saw the
cabdriver and someone else approach him, and started to run, while
reaching for his gun. He didn't have a gun anymore. Everything was taken
away. Mulder kept on running through small alleys, through, backyards,
passed houses, until he lost them. Tired he stopped, saw a girl pass,
grabbed her arm, and said :'What day is it ?'
    First her eyes were filled with surprise. Then she said :'It's
Monday.'
    'What date ?'
    'May 27th.'
    'What year ?'
    ''96.'
    Mulder let go, and started to laugh. May 27 ! Two days after the
pursuit. He wasn't crazy ! Now he figured out what was wrong with the
newspaper. Saturday May 25th, 1997. It should have been a Sunday ! May
25th was a Sunday in '97. They made a mistake. And the preacher. It was
one of the agents with Malice. He started walking again. Scully. What was
going on with her ? He had to find her. Did they give her something ? Did
they drug her - brainwash her ? Why ? For what cause ? What was real,
and what wasn't ?
    He touched his forehead. Two days after the blow. He should feel
the scare - see a wound. There was nothing. Nothing at all. Did it happen,
or was it just in his imagination ? He felt confused.
    He walked back to the street, decided not to take a cab, and started
walking towards the Federal Bureau. Skinner was the only one who could
tell him what was going on. If he wasn't involved in it as well. But what
else was there to do ? Who else could he trust ? It took him about thirty
minutes before he saw the Federal Bureau. There were people outside. He
knew they would be waiting for him. No, he couldn't go in. He needed
someone else to talk to.
    Frohike, Byers, Langley. There weren't many people who knew he
was involved with them. Mulder turned around and started walking again.
Somewhere in the next street he took a cab. The driver hardly looked at
him, and brought him where he wanted to go. About a mile before the
Lone Gunmen-'hidingplace', he got out, paid the cabdriver, and walked
rapidly towards the building.
    As he got in, he heard a door go open. Frohike stared him in the
eyes, then backed away and said :'No, that's impossible. I'm dreaming.'
    'Frohike, it's me,' Mulder said. 'Relax. I need your help.'
    Frohike turned around, opened the door, and looked at the others.
Mulder saw the look in Byer's eyes change. And Langley said :'Mulder ?
Mulder, is that you ?'
    'Yeah.' Mulder closed the door, did one step forward, and then said
:'I need your help, guys. I don't know what the hell is going on, but
someone's messing with my head. I -'
    Langley said :'You're dead, Mulder. At least that's what they said.
They found your body burnt in an abandonned warehouse. They identified
you. Your funeral is today.'
    'What ? How ? Who said I'm dead ?'
    'Everyone. The Bureau, your partner, your mother. Everyone
believes you are dead, even us.'
    Mulder said :'I need to sit down.' He took place on a chair, buried
his head between his hands, and looked up again. 'I don't know what the
hell is going on. The last thing I remember is an Operating Room. We
were chasing Moreau, and he shot me.'
    'Moreau ?' Langley asked.
    'The serial killer we were chasing. He murdered 7 people. Malice
asked us to join the search. We were following him in an alley, I heard a
shot, and something hit me. I ...' Mulder looked up. 'The shot came from
behind me. I heard footsteps, turned around, and it hit me. It wasn't
Moreau who shot me - it was Malice !'
    'Malice ?' Frohike sat down. 'John Malice, the Bureau's pride ?'
    'Yes.'
    Langley said :'Mulder, there's something you don't know yet.
Something about Scully.'
    'What ?'
    'They found her body as well, in the same building. Malice said that
Moreau - presuming that's his real name - got you into the warehouse and
blew up everything. Moreau is dead too.'
    'Scully ? Dead ?'
    'Yes. They identified her body.'
    'No.' Mulder stood up. 'I saw Scully when I woke up. They said
she was marrying the Cancerman. I saw her marrying him, guys !'
    Frohike's face didn't move an inch. They weren't even surprised.
    'She's in danger, I know she is. I don't know what they did to her,
but it wasn't her in that church. Guys, help me out here. Why would
Malice shoot me ? Did I get shot ?'
    Langley said down on the edge of the desk. 'Mulder, do you know
anything about Malice's activities ?'
    'What do you mean, Langley ?'
    'Rumors go around that Malice is involved in experiments with the
human mind. He's supposed to bought himself a seat somewhere in the
higher levels of command of the Bureau. He's afraid people know.'
    'People ? You mean me ?'
    'He knows about the X-Files - about the things that you investigate.
He thinks that sooner or later you are going to find a connection between
him and X-Files. That's probably why he wanted to get rid of you. Or he
has made a deal with someone up there.'
    'But I'm not dead. Why didn't he kill me ? Why play tricks on me
?'
    'You mean speeding up time ? Making you loose a year ?'
    'Yeah ...' Mulder looked up to Byers. 'How did you know ?'
    Byers opened his mouth. Mulder stood up. 'How did you know,
Byers ?'
    'You told me.'
    'No, I didn't. I just told you about Scully's wedding. I never told
you about trick they pulled.'
    Mulder turned around and saw Byers approach him. They were
around him. He heard someone at the door. He yelled :'You set me up !'
    Langly smiled. 'Now, stay calm, agent Mulder. No one is trying to
harm you. We just want to talk to you.'
    'Why ? What have I done to you ? Who are you ?'
    'We're the same as before, but you have changed, agent Mulder.'
    'No !' Mulder heard himself yell. 'Yoo have changed - all of you.
Don't mess with me. Where's Scully ?'
    'You saw her.'
    'No, that wasn't Scully.'
    'Oh, yes it was,' Frohike said. 'She has come to terms with us. And
so will you. How did you know ?'
    'The newspaper - the mistake you made.' Mulder looked around for
a way out. The door went open. He saw the Cigarette Smoking Man, and
Scully stood next to him.
    'Scully ?' Mulder said, doing one step in her direction. 'What is
going on ? Did he hurt you ?'
    She stepped forward, so her hand could touch his head. She smiled,
as she turned around and said: 'May I kill him ?'
    The Cigarette Smoking Man nodded his head. 'Go right ahead,
dear.'
    She pulled out a gun, pointed it at him.
    'Why, Scully ?' Mulder heard himself ask. 'What have they done to
you ?'
    'They made me see the light.' Scully smiled. 'And you had the
chance to join me, but you didn't, Fox. You just wouldn't listen, would
you ? You had to investigate - find out every single detail. You could have
lived on, having a quiet, calm life, just like me. I'm happy now, and you
are not going to ruin it for me.'
    'What did they do to us ? What's this all about ?'
    'My husband, James -' she turned around and smiled at him, 'is
tired of fighting you. He wants some peace. So he decided to give you a
special treatment, so you would forget the whole thing, and leave the
X-Files alone, and let him go on with his work. You blew it, Fox. We did
everything to change you, but you just wouldn't listen, would you ? And
now you're going to pay. We knew every step you would take before you
took it.'
    Mulder saw the window. It was the only way out, but he wouldn't
go without Scully. She could be helped. Skinner would help them if he
knew what was going on. But Byers, Frohike, Langley ? How did they get
involved ? Was everyone he knew involved ? Should Skinner react the
same way ?
    Mulder grabbed Scully's pulse. The gun fell out of her hand as she
screamed. He pulled her with him, as his body fell through the window, to
land on concrete one floor below. She fell on top of him, rolled away. He
looked up, saw her closed eyes, touched her face, and said :'Scully.
Scully, can you hear me ?'
    She opened her eyes. She saw him. She smiled. 'Mulder,' she said.
'What's happening.'
    He felt some kind of relief as he answered :'Scully, it's okay.
You're going to be fine. But we have to go now, before the others come.'
    He reached up. She grabbed his arm, and her face was near his.
Then he felt her mouth press on his. Her lips touched his. New feelings
went through him. He smiled.
    Until an enormous sence of pain went through him. She let go. His
hand went down, touching his side. Blood. He looked up, saw her eyes.
And her mouth said :'I'm the one that killed you, Mulder.'
    She pushed him away from her body, and he rolled on his back. The
world turned white. He saw shades. People bending over him. They
smiled. He saw The Cancerman, Skinner, Byers, Langley, Frohike,
Scully. Scully. They all laughed, and the world turned white. Just white.
    'Mulder. Don't leave me, Mulder. Mulder, listen to me. Don't leave
me.'
    He heard several voices, but one was louder and more familiar than
all the others. More persistant. He opened his eyes. The world was white.
Oh no, he thought, not again. Don't do this to me again.
    He reached up, trying to struggle out of the bonds which kept him
tight him believe Scully would actually marry me. Not a bad idea. Not bad
at all. You have passed the test, Malice. You and the one who came up
with this stuff.'
    'So, it's ready to be released on others ?'
    'Yes, go right ahead.'
    The Cigarette Smoking Man left Malice in his small office, and
walked back to Skinner's. They had work to do.

The End ?