From: TRUSTN01RB@aol.com
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 21:19:43 EST
Subject: NEW: The Switcheroo 1/?


TITLE: The Switcheroo
AUTHOR: Rachel
E-MAIL: TRUSTN01RB@aol.com
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Sure, go ahead. I'd like to know where it is, but
it's
not mandatory.
SPOILERS: Detour and I don't think there are any others, but I might be wr
ong.
RATED: PG
CLASSIFICATION: XS
SUMMARY: Much like Dreamland, but with Scully switching bodies. Scully
switches bodies with a convict and that's the main plot of the story.
DISCLAIMER: None of the character's are mine, don't sue me!
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is my first attempt at a FanFic and I am writing for
a
contest, so please send some feedback, even if you hated it. Please tell m
e
what you think. I guess that's all. 

The Switcheroo
	"Special Agent Dana Scully, FBI! Stop right there!", a voice screamed. 
	A woman fled the lights of the streets, taking refuge in a weathered ol
d
warehouse. Dana Scully pulled out her weapon and followed the fugitive
prisoner. Her partner, Fox Mulder, followed about five yards behind her. W
ith
each corner she turned, Scully's gun was her guide. She searched the entir
e
warehouse and turned up no sign of the escaped convict. Just as she was re
ady
to give up, Scully saw a light coming from a crevice in the wall. She foun
d an
opening and moved toward the light. It seemed that just inside the light w
as
the prisoner she had been searching for, so she stepped closer to the woma
n.
She waved her hand through the light and a tingly sensation cascaded
throughout her arm. The light was so comforting and it felt so wonderful t
hat
the agent moved completely into the light. Scully basked in the wonderful
light for what seemed like hours. Suddenly, without warning, darkness
encompassed her body and she began to fall. It was as if she were falling
down
a well. The darkness was everywhere, but Scully continued to look for the
comforting light. 

One Day Later
	"Scully? Scully! Are you feeling better, Scully? Oh, I think she's comi
ng
to!", a male voice was saying, rather excitedly. 
	Looking around, the woman saw that she was in a hospital bed surrounded
 by
people. The odd thing was that they were all strangers. The man that had b
een
speaking only a moment ago was now looking fondly at her. There was a woma
n
too. She was standing very close to the bed and looking down at its occupa
nt
sweetly. There were flowers and stuffed 'Get Well' bears covering the ro
om.
Other people were there as well. Men and women, none of which she had ever
laid eyes on before. Of course everything looked fuzzy at the moment, so s
he
wasn't really sure of anything. There was a voice that kept talking about
someone's well being. He sounded like a big pain in the ass and she wanted
 to
hit him. As things became clearer, she saw that the man regarding her so
fondly was indeed a nice looking man. He looked strong and had wonderful
facial features. His eyes were the most wonderful shade of hazel she had e
ver
seen and his hair was a lovely brown color. The only thing she couldn't fi
gure
out was who the hell Scully was. They kept talking about this curious pers
on
and they all seemed to care for her very much, even the jerk seemed to hav
e
her in mind. 
	"Dana, are you all right? Do you feel well?", the sweet woman asked.
	The woman was looking right at her, but she was sure her name wasn't Da
na. It
was Carol. Wasn't it? She was almost certain that it was, but she answered
 the
woman anyway. She looked so sweet that Carol didn't want to disappoint her
.
	"I feel fine. My head hurts a little, but other than that I'm fine.", C
arol
said doubtfully.
	The hazel-eyed man was now holding her hand gingerly and Carol wondered
 why
he seemed to care about her so much. 
	"Oh, Scully. I was so worried about you. I don't know what happened at
the
warehouse. I'm so glad you're all right.", The man told her as he stroked
her
hand. 
	Carol smiled at him and tried to remember. She did seem to recall a
warehouse, but why were all these people calling her Scully? Wait a second
 . .
.  she had heard that name before. Dana Scully. . . . That was the red hea
ded
fed that had been chasing her. The memories of the day before began to flo
od
her brain. And the man . . .  he was the other fed, but what gave them the
idea that she was this fed? It was uncanny that they would make such a ser
ious
mistake, but no one seemed to notice that she was the fugitive and not the
fed. 
	"Are you sure you're ok, Scully? You seem a little disoriented. Do you
really
feel all right?", The man asked, looking concerned. 
	A little disoriented? She was in a room full of strangers, one of which
 could
arrest her at any moment. Who wouldn't be disoriented? Carol just smiled a
nd
nodded. 

Meanwhile
	Scully awoke in the back of some kind of truck. She was all alone, cold
 and
hungry. Her back was in immense pain and she had no idea where she was. As
 she
felt around, she realized that she was laying in a bed of . . .  hay. She
stood up and looked down at herself. Scully was dressed in a prison unifor
m
and all her things were gone. Her weapon and her bullets were just gone. 
	"Mulder! Mulder, where are you?", She cried out helplessly. 
	"Hey! Shut up back there!", A gruff voice yelled in reply. 
	"Excuse me?", She asked indignantly.
	"I said shut up! Can't you hear?", The voice answered annoyed. 
	"You can't talk to me like that! I am a federal officer and I demand to
 be
treated with respect.", Scully screamed defiantly.
	"Federal officer? Hey, Billy, this one thinks she's a fed! What do you
think
about that? What a joke, huh?", The man laughed haughtily. 
	"I am a federal officer! Special Agent Dana Scully! Where are we going?=
 Why
am I wearing a prison uniform? And why am I sitting in hay?", Scully deman
ded,
her fury growing.
	"This one's a regular nut case. She must be delirious. Will you have th
at
name checked though, just in case?", The man chuckled to his friend.
	Scully chose to keep her mouth shut just as a precaution. 

Back at The Hospital
	Everyone was gone, except for the male fed. He remained by her side, ho
lding
her hand and watching her sleep. His presence made her uncomfortable and i
t
seemed that he would never leave her alone. All of the others came in and
out
periodically. It was like clockwork, only that man was peculiar. He never
even
moved from the chair by her bed. It annoyed her that he had to stay. Why
couldn't it be that sweet woman who felt the need to be constantly by her
side? Carol had learned to avoid using anyone's name, but it was becoming
difficult. She learned the name of the jerk, Bill, because everyone told h
im
to shut his mouth. Everyone except for the loyal man beside her. He seemed
 to
have no interest in the other people in the room. Nothing seemed to divert
 his
attention from her. What a smothering man he was. Carol wondered constantl
y
how she was going to deal with such suffocation. 
	"Scully, do you ever feel that you're all alone?", The man asked
thoughtfully.
	"Oh, yes. All the time.", Carol answered.
	"What do you mean all the time? You've got me, haven't you?", The man s
eemed
almost upset at her comment. 
	At this point Carol was sure that he was romantically involved with who
mever
he thought she was, so she thought she would be wise to treat him as such.=
 
	"Well, of course I have you, darling. I only meant that I feel alone in
 other
ways.", Carol tried to console him. 
	"What did you say? Did you just call me darling? Scully, I am not a chi
ld.
You don't need to treat me like one. I do have a name, you know?", The man
asked, seeming even more perturbed. 
	"Um . . .  yes, of course you do. I didn't mean to offend to you. I'm
sorry.", Carol answered, unsure of herself. 
	She pondered why he would call her by her last name. Everyone else had
called
her Dana, but this man had always addressed her as Scully. Maybe it was so
me
strange lovers' ritual. She only prayed that she could avoid using his nam
e as
long as possible.
	"Well, in the future please do not call me 'darling' or 'sweetie' o
r any
other childish names. You can call me by my name.", He said after a moment
.
	Carol thought for sure she was in trouble until the sweet woman entered
 the
room. 
	"Hello, Mrs. Scully. How are you feeling?", The man said as she came cl
oser.
	"I've been better, Fox. I just wish that Bill would calm down. Dana's
perfectly fine, aren't you Dana?", The sweet woman said.
	Carol smiled and nodded again. She had just learned two more names she
could
use. Fox? How odd! She began to wonder who Mrs. Scully was. Was she Bill's
wife or aunt? Who could she be? And what relation was Fox to her? There wa
s no
way to tell, but to listen.
	"Scully's really fine. We've been talking. I really don't know why the
doctors are keeping her here. She's strong and should go home. Isn't that
right Scully?", Fox said.
	"Oh, yes Fox. I feel much better. Do ask the doctors if I can, will you
?",
Carol replied, giving him a winning smile.
	"I'll go and see about that for you Dana.", Mrs. Scully said awkwardly.=
 
	Carol wondered what she had done wrong. Fox was eyeing her strangely an
d he
looked confused. Carol tried to think of what she had done that would trig
ger
these reactions. Even the sweet Mrs. Scully seemed uneasy. 
	"Well, Scully, after your mother talks to the doctors you will be out o
f here
in no time. If Bill talks to them, you'll be out of here like that, though
.",
Fox said, snapping his fingers and trying to ease the tension. 
	"Yeah, I guess I will.", Carol said, flashing him another big smile. 
	So, Mrs. Scully was her mother! That was a bit of a surprise. She was s
o
sweet, but come to think of it she was rather motherly. Carol was just gla
d
she knew why. Fox still seemed uneasy about something, but she wasn't sure
what it was. 

Back With Scully . . .  or Carol
	The truck Scully was in, had stopped at a woman's prison. They had let
her
out and put her with the other women. Try as she might, Scully could not
convince them that she was an FBI agent. At this point she was enraged and
confused. What was going on here? Why did they consider her a criminal? Th
ere
had to be some sort of misunderstanding, but how could that be possible?
Anyone could tell to look at her that she was not the fugitive woman they
were
looking for. She was well dressed . . .  or at least she had been. Scully
couldn't for the life of her figure out what was going on. She was escorte
d to
her cell by a hefty guard with a rough manner. After she was literally thr
own
into her living quarters, she looked around disgustedly. There was one bed
, if
you could call it that. It was more like a sheet-covered board with a thin
gray blanket on top. There was a sink, which appeared about as sanitary as
 the
hole in the floor that was to serve as a lavatory. Except for her, the cel
l
was empty and Scully was thankful for that. She didn't want to have to dea
l
with the guards, let alone the prisoners. Scully sat on her 'bed' and th
ought
for a long while. 
	The same hefty, rough guard that escorted her to this hell hole came to
escort her to 'dinner'. She sat at a wooden table that was reminiscent o
f the
tables she had eaten at as a child on her innumerous trips to Camp Sunny D
ay.
Of course, the camp tables weren't surrounded by prisoners eating out of m
etal
bowls. Scully was served her meal and she tried to force the lumpy mess do
wn
her throat. It tasted slightly of potatoes and grits. There was also somet
hing
she couldn't identify, but it was not a pleasurable experience. 
	When Scully finished her 'dinner', she peered into the bowl and what
she saw
shocked her more than anything in the last day had. She saw a reflection,
but
it was not her own. The woman in the bowl was a blonde with straggly, grea
sy
hair. She was gaunt and bony; her skin was pale and she looked underfed. T
here
were dark circles under her eyes, making it seem as though she hadn't slep
t
well in months. Scully was terrified that this was her reflection. There h
ad
to be some mistake. She had never looked anything like this in her life. T
he
only similarity was that both their eyes were a piercing blue color. It ma
de
no sense at all to her that she should ever look like this. No wonder they
sent her to a prison, she was a frightful mess.
	Even if she did look the part, Dana Scully was not used to prison life.=
 Never
in her life had she had such a terrible time. Guards were always watching
her,
like she was doing something wrong. The other prisoners were not people an
yone
would want to be friendly with and the solitude was almost unbearable. Foo
d
was disgusting and often had things living in it. The sanitary condition o
f
her living quarters was even worse. This way she was treated was worse tha
n a
dog at the pound. Scully couldn't imagine anything worse, but the most
difficult part was that she didn't know why she was there or why she looke
d
the way she did. Over the next couple of days people referred to her as Ca
rol
and she wasn't sure why. The last thing she could remember was falling and
light. She knew her and Mulder had been chasing an escaped convict, but th
en
there was only light and falling. Scully lived through the first couple of
days with no idea what she was doing; it was like a dream, no a nightmare.=
 

In a More Comfortable Place
	  Carol had become quite adapted to her new way of life. She wasn't sur
e what
had happened, but she was surely glad that it had. She viewed it as a bles
sing
from God, a new start as a better person. Carol had left the hospital and
gone
to her apartment. What a dream that place was! It was wonderful luck that
she
should be quite well off in this life. It seemed she had everything she
needed. There was a boyfriend and an apartment, a paying job. It was all t
oo
good to be true, and for the moment all she had to do was lay around and
answer telephone calls. She hadn't been so relaxed in years. This was the
life, everything she'd ever hoped for had suddenly come true. Fox was a dr
eam;
he brought her candy and flowers nearly every day. Her whole family seemed
loving and everyone she met seemed to care immensely for her. 
	One startling thing did happen, but Carol had tried to shake it off. On
e day,
Fox was coming over for a visit. Carol thought it would be wise of her to
look
nice, so she went into the bathroom and began to wash her face. When she
looked in the mirror to apply her makeup, she didn't see herself. She saw
a
completely different woman. The woman in the mirror had red hair and blue
eyes. She looked gorgeous, well rested, well fed, and very tidy. Carol was
 so
amazed to look in the mirror and see a happy beautiful woman looking back,
that she tried not to think about why this was happening to her. Things we
re
going better for her than ever. 
	Before this, Carol had been a convicted prisoner. She had committed col
d-
blooded murder and she would do it again, but she hardly thought the
punishment was fair. Who would want to spend twenty years in a woman's
correctional facility? Her one year there had been hell enough, why should
 she
suffer anymore? Besides, this new life was great. Who would want to go bac
k?

In the Warehouse
	"Robert, I told you not to leave this stuff laying around. It's dangero
us!",
a man hollered.
	"I'm sorry, it was an accident. I didn't know anything would happen!
Honest!", Robert pleaded.
	The first man shot Robert in the head and left him sitting in the wareh
ouse,
as he stepped outside and pulled out a pack of Morley's.

Woman's Correctional Facility - Austin, Texas
	Scully had been in prison for a few weeks now and still didn't know wha
t to
do about all of this. One day, she was sitting on her board of a bed when
the
guard came to announce a visitor. 
	"There's an FBI Agent here to see you, Selenski.", The woman growled.
	Scully hopped up, hopeful that the woman was speaking to her. Sure enou
gh,
the guard unlocked Scully's cell and escorted her to a waiting agent. Scul
ly
looked up into the eyes of . . .  herself! She was looking at herself, wit
h a
little more makeup and tacky clothing. Soon Scully found herself gaping at
 the
woman before her. 
	"Hello, I'm Agent Dana Scully. Someone called concerning you. She said
that
you had mentioned my name and my partner's. He was going to come, but he's
 not
feeling well, so I came alone. I do hope that's all right.", Carol said
unsteadily. 
	Carol knew that the woman before her was she, but she didn't understand
 how
that could be. It was preposterous. The woman was staring at her with her
mouth open, so she guessed that something was odd to her as well. 
	"What do you mean? I'm Dana Scully. I might not look like it, but I swe
ar I
am. I don't belong here. Ask me anything about myself, I'll tell you
everything. What are you doing impersonating me anyway?", Scully whispered
,
outraged.
	"Whatever do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about!", Carol
tried
to look shocked.
	"Well, then I should be able to ask you some questions about yourself.
What
is your mother's name? How many siblings do you have, and who is the young
est
in the family? What did your father do for a living? Surely if you are Dan
a
Scully, you can answer these questions without any trouble.", Scully said
slyly.
	"I don't have to answer anything! I merely came to see you because I wa
s
asked to. They told me that I would want to talk to you and find out why y
ou
have mentioned my name and my partner's. I have no idea what you are talki
ng
about!", Carol tried to seem mad.
	Carol would do anything to stay in this persona. She loved it and no on
e was
going to take it away from her. Not if she had anything to do with it. 
	"You're right. You don't have to answer anything. However the fact that
 you
don't only proves my point even more. I know the answer to all those quest
ions
and many more. I know everything about Dana Scully's family and her partne
r
Fox Mulder. Ask away if you don't believe me.", Scully announced indignant
ly.
	"I have no questions.", Carol answered politely. 
	"Well, you wouldn't mind if I asked you some merely professional questi
ons
would you? I won't expect you to divulge any FBI secrets, but would you an
swer
some strictly professional questions?", Scully asked, getting an idea. 
	"I suppose that there's no harm in that. Ask away.", Carol said with an
 air
of superiority. 
	"First, I know that every FBI Agent must go through the FBI Academy and
 I
happen to know that every agent or prospective agent must write a sort of
term
paper. What was your topic?", Scully asked, sure of herself.
	"Well, I don't really remember. It was a long time ago.", Carol answere
d
quickly. 
	"All right, fine. Answer this. What division of the FBI are you in and
what
is the full name of your supervisor?", Scully asked, more confident this t
ime.
	"I am assigned to Agent Mulder's division and I do not think it is rele
vant
who my supervisor is.", Carol said, as her hands began to sweat.
	Carol was fidgeting in her seat and Scully was grinning from ear to ear
. 
	"What if I feel like contacting your supervisor, to testify at my upcom
ing
trial?", Scully lied quickly.
	"I think I must be going now. Agent Mulder may be coming to see you aft
er
all. Perhaps tomorrow.", Carol dodged the question, rising from her chair.=
 
	Scully was taken back to her cell before she could ask any more questio
ns.
She thought about what could possibly have caused this. Mulder would know!=
 She
had to talk to Mulder. Would he believe her though? After all the outlandi
sh
things he had proposed in the past, would he really believe her? She was
doubtful, but it was the only choice. The odds were against her in the wor
st
way and her only hope was an unpredictable man that she thought she knew.

Back With Carol

	Carol walked out of the facility feeling slightly ashamed. It was the f
irst
time she realized what was going on. This wasn't a second chance from God,
this was ruining someone else's life. Someone who didn't deserve this. Car
ol
tried to think what it was that could have caused this freakish mix up. Sh
e
was puzzled as she walked to the car, but as soon as she got in she knew
exactly what it was. It was like a switch was flipped in her brain. Memori
es
came flooding back to her. 
	There was her ex-boyfriend and his co-workers. He never would tell her
what
he did. He always said it was classified government work. Alex was good to
her, but the one rule was that she had to keep her nose out of his work. H
e
was a wonderful man, except for his prosthetic arm, but Carol overlooked t
hat
because she loved him so. One day she had crossed the line. She was becomi
ng
more and more curious about Alex's job, so she went to find out what she
could. She spoke with a strange man. She never did catch his name. In fact
,
the only thing she could remember about him was that he smoked Morley's. H
e
must have smoked packs a day. He told her that he could only divulge his
secrets if he worked for her. That's when she really started to get into
trouble. She made a deal with the man. She would do whatever he asked and
he
would divulge his secrets one by one to her. Alex knew nothing of their de
al
and still assumed her to be in the dark about things. She learned fast, do
ing
menial tasks for the smoking man. Then she learned a little more than she
wanted to know. 
	He told her that they were running a covert operation, testing differen
t
things on the unsuspecting American public. He also said that he thought s
he
was ready to help with one of these tests. The smoking man promised that t
he
tests wouldn't hurt anyone, so Carol went along with the plan. She did,
however, tell Alex that she had cut a deal with the old man. Her boyfriend
became enraged at the prospect of Carol being involved in any way with the
smoking man. He tried to contain his rage, but ended up leaving her right
then
and there. Alex never said whether or not he was coming back, but Carol wa
s
angry and didn't care at that point. The memories continued to flow as Car
ol
drove to Fox's apartment. It was as if it had all happened yesterday. Thin
gs
were crystal clear to her. 
	The smoking man pretended not to know of Carol's quarrel with Alex and
did
not ask her about it. He carried out the plans just as they had discussed.
Carol followed along as well. They went to the warehouse to meet the
volunteers for the tests. There were old, crippled men and women. Most
appeared to be the product of nuclear waste reactions. They were a grotesq
ue
looking bunch and it pained Carol to even glance at them. Her job was fair
ly
simple. She wasn't involved in the actual testing. All she had to do was s
tand
there with a gun and shoot if anyone tried to leave while the plans were b
eing
explained. She was told specifically that no one, absolutely no one, could
 get
away. They took twenty people inside and started the tests. Carol watched
carefully and cringed at the sight of these men and women. The tests were
quick and people were taken in pairs, so that helped speed things up. All
of
the people who went into the little room came out the exact same way. Noth
ing
looked fishy about that to Carol, so she stayed.
	Carol's reminiscing ended abruptly when Fox ran out to greet her. He se
emed
better than when she had left and claimed to be ready to meet the prisoner
.
	"Let's get a move on!", He exclaimed.
	"Well, I've just come from the prison. I do think you should go, but ma
ybe
tomorrow when you're feeling better. For now, I just want to relax. With
you.", Carol told him seductively. 
	He looked at her rather strangely and stepped away from the car.
	"Is that a bad thing sweetie?", Carol asked innocently. 
	"What's wrong with you Scully. Lately you've been very... Un-Scully. An
d
another thing, my name is Mulder. What's with all this Fox business? I tol
d
you a long time ago that I even made my parents call me Mulder. Did you
forget? I think something strange happened at that warehouse. What's going
 on
with you?", He said, looking confused.
	"Well, something strange did happen at the warehouse, but I have no ide
a what
it was. And I don't see why it means that we have to stop being together.
What's wrong with you?", Carol asked, biting her lip.
	"Being together? Scully, have you got the wrong idea about us?", Mulder
asked.
	"No, of course not. I'm absolutely fine with us. Aren't you?", Carol as
ked
nervously. 
	"Yeah, but I think you should go now, all right?", Mulder said, calming
 down.
	"Oh, I don't think you should really rush to see that prisoner. Maybe i
n a
couple of days, but not now. She's disturbed and I don't know if it's a go
od
idea for you to see her at all. I already talked with her and I think thin
gs
will be fine now.", Carol coaxed. 
	"Fine.", he answered in a monotone voice.

At The Correctional Facility
	Scully tried to concoct a plan for when Mulder came. If that woman was
telling the truth, Mulder would be here any day now. She was thinking of w
hat
she could do to make Mulder believe her. She supposed that if she told him
things about herself and himself he would believe her, but she wasn't all
that
sure. Her appearance was so startling, even to herself, that she wasn't su
re
anyone would believe her. Scully knew that if anyone would believe her it
would have to be Mulder and she certainly had nothing to lose, so she
continued to scheme. 
	She was still thinking when the guard came to her cell. She wordlessly
ushered Scully out. Scully was perplexed; she had no idea what was going o
n.
She was taken out to the visiting area and looked up to see Mulder.
	"Mulder! I knew you would come! Oh, Mulder! You have to believe me!", S
cully
cried out, hugging him. 
	"I don't believe we've ever met. What are you talking about, believing
you?",
Mulder said, disentangling himself from her grasp. 
	"Ok, what I'm going to tell you is very hard to believe, but I swear it
's the
truth. Mulder, it's me! It's me Scully! I don't know how I got here or wha
t's
going on, but that woman you're with isn't Scully. I'm Scully!", She
announced.
	"Dana Scully was just at my apartment. I saw her. You can't be Scully."=
,
Mulder said doubtfully.
	"I swear I am. That woman looks like me, but she's not. Ask me anything
 at
all about the past six years. That's how long we've worked together. Ask m
e
anything about my family or your family. I know it all. If you ask her, sh
e'll
only dodge your questions, because she doesn't know. Trust me.", Scully
pleaded. 
	"I don't want to ask you anything. This is insane. You don't know anyth
ing
about me or my partner and I think I'm going to leave now.", Mulder said,
rising from his chair. 
	"No, wait! My name is Dana Katherine Scully. Your's is Fox William Muld
er.
Your sister was abducted from your house when you were twelve and she was
eight. We work on the X-Files under Walter Skinner. My mother's name is
Margaret Scully. My sister Melissa, who I called Missy, was shot by Alex
Krycek. How would I know all of this?", Scully screamed at his back.
	"Anyone could figure that stuff out. Maybe you'd been studying us.", Mu
lder
dismissed her claims. 
	"All right, sure. I'll tell you something no one else could possibly kn
ow.
Once, I sang to you when we were lost in the woods. I sang "Joy To The Wor
ld",
a Three Dog Night song. Don't you remember? You were hurt by the 'moth m
en'
and you made some comment about sleeping bags. How to regenerate body heat
 or
something and I said maybe some would fall from the sky and you'd get luck
y.
How would I know that if I wasn't Scully? We were alone out there!", Scull
y
yelled, her voice rising. 
	"Please, Mulder, you have to believe me! You're my only hope! I don't b
elong
here!", She said quietly.
	Mulder turned around slowly, looking her in the eye. Her eyes were full
 of
hope and need and their piercing blue was softened. She was mentally plead
ing
with him. He peered at her carefully. She looked nothing like Scully. She
was
dirty and messy and. . . blonde. 
	"It can't be," Mulder breathed, sitting down, "but how could anyone kno
w
that?"
	"Only you and I would know that Mulder. There's plenty of other things
too. I
know them all, because I'm Scully.", She answered him, determined.  

END PART 1

The Switcheroo 2/2
by Rachel
******************************************************
Part 2
At The Correctional Facility
	Scully tried to concoct a plan for when Mulder came. If that woman was
telling the truth, Mulder would be here any day now. She was thinking of w
hat
she could do to make Mulder believe her. She supposed that if she told him
things about herself and himself he would believe her, but she wasn't all
that
sure. Her appearance was so startling, even to herself, that she wasn't su
re
anyone would believe her. Scully knew that if anyone would believe her it
would have to be Mulder and she certainly had nothing to lose, so she
continued to scheme. 
	She was still thinking when the guard came to her cell. She wordlessly
ushered Scully out. Scully was perplexed; she had no idea what was going o
n.
She was taken out to the visiting area and looked up to see Mulder.
	"Mulder! I knew you would come! Oh, Mulder! You have to believe me!", S
cully
cried out, hugging him. 
	"I don't believe we've ever met. What are you talking about, believing
you?",
Mulder said, disentangling himself from her grasp. 
	"Ok, what I'm going to tell you is very hard to believe, but I swear it
's the
truth. Mulder, it's me! It's me Scully! I don't know how I got here or wha
t's
going on, but that woman you're with isn't Scully. I'm Scully!", She
announced.
	"Dana Scully was just at my apartment. I saw her. You can't be Scully."=
,
Mulder said doubtfully.
	"I swear I am. That woman looks like me, but she's not. Ask me anything
 at
all about the past six years. That's how long we've worked together. Ask m
e
anything about my family or your family. I know it all. If you ask her, sh
e'll
only dodge your questions, because she doesn't know. Trust me.", Scully
pleaded. 
	"I don't want to ask you anything. This is insane. You don't know anyth
ing
about me or my partner and I think I'm going to leave now.", Mulder said,
rising from his chair. 
	"No, wait! My name is Dana Katherine Scully. Your's is Fox William Muld
er.
Your sister was abducted from your house when you were twelve and she was
eight. We work on the X-Files under Walter Skinner. My mother's name is
Margaret Scully. My sister Melissa, who I called Missy, was shot by Alex
Krycek. How would I know all of this?", Scully screamed at his back.
	"Anyone could figure that stuff out. Maybe you'd been studying us.", Mu
lder
dismissed her claims. 
	"All right, sure. I'll tell you something no one else could possibly kn
ow.
Once, I sang to you when we were lost in the woods. I sang "Joy To The Wor
ld",
a Three Dog Night song. Don't you remember? You were hurt by the 'moth m
en'
and you made some comment about sleeping bags. How to regenerate body heat
 or
something and I said maybe some would fall from the sky and you'd get luck
y.
How would I know that if I wasn't Scully? We were alone out there!", Scull
y
yelled, her voice rising. 
	"Please, Mulder, you have to believe me! You're my only hope! I don't b
elong
here!", She said quietly.
	Mulder turned around slowly, looking her in the eye. Her eyes were full
 of
hope and need and their piercing blue was softened. She was mentally plead
ing
with him. He peered at her carefully. She looked nothing like Scully. She
was
dirty and messy and. . . blonde. 
	"It can't be," Mulder breathed, sitting down, "but how could anyone kno
w
that?"
	"Only you and I would know that Mulder. There's plenty of other things
too. I
know them all, because I'm Scully.", She answered him, determined. 
	Mulder sat down hard on the vinyl chair, taking it all in. A million
questions were running through his mind. How could this woman be Scully? W
hat
was going on? Scully had been acting strange, was this why? How else would
anyone know things like that? Mulder was at a loss for words, so he sat du
mbly
with his jaw hanging open.
	"Mulder? I know this is shocking, but the question is, what can we do a
bout
it? I really have no idea how it happened, but something strange is going
on.
You've got to get me out of here.", Scully relaxed, now that she had earne
d
Mulder's trust. 
	"All right, so how do you think this happened?", Mulder asked skeptical
ly. 
	"I have no idea! How am I supposed to know? Why don't you ask her... or
 me...
or whoever she is? It must have something to do with the warehouse, but I
really don't know.", Scully answered, her blood beginning to boil.
	What was wrong with Mulder? He seemed like he didn't believe her? He se
emed
like he thought she should know everything about what happened. This was
crazy. 
	"Well, I guess I'll try to get you out of here for now and we can take
care
of everything else later.", Mulder said, sensing her frustration.
	Maybe it really was her. Stranger things had happened. The best thing t
o do,
from Mulder's point of view, was to just get her out of that place.

One Hour Later
	Mulder had requested her removal from the woman's correctional facility
 and
having FBI clearance, his request was granted. Now the two of them were wi
th
Carol or Scully or whoever she was. Mulder had brought Scully or Carol int
o
Scully's apartment and introduced her calmly as Carol Selenski to Dana Scu
lly.
Both women tensed up, the real Carol more than the real Scully. 
	"We've met.", Carol said curtly.
	It was all going to come out now. The whole dirty story and her part in
 it.
This was a nightmare. Carol even wished that she was back at the facility
at
this point. Things were getting worse and worse. She would have to tell th
em
what she knew, sooner or later. 
	"Yes, we have. However I believe I was treated with great disrespect.",
Scully stated abruptly. 
	Mulder placed his hand on the small of her back and patted her, trying
to
provide some comfort for this tense situation. No one said anything for a
while, but the phone rang loud and clear. 
	"I'll get that.", Carol said with an air of superiority. 
	Scully was most obviously holding herself back as Carol reached for the
receiver. 
	"Hello?", She said pleasantly. 
	"Yes this is Dana Scully.", She said pointedly.
	"No sir, I don't know. I'm sorry.", Carol shifted from foot to foot. 
	"Well, yes, I suppose I should know, but I'm afraid I don't.", Carol bi
t her
lip.
	Mulder glanced at Scully, who was staring at him with rage. Her eyes we
re
flaming and she looked ready to kill as Carol hung up the telephone and
ushered them to sit down. 
	"All right, let's be frank," Carol's voice cracked, "I'm not Dana Scull
y, I'm
Carol Selenski and I think both of you know that. I do know what's going o
n
and I am prepared to tell you, but I need your word that what I say doesn'=
t go
out of this room."
	"Can it be reversed?", Mulder asked, grabbing Scully's unusually pale h
and. 
	"Do both of you agree to my conditions?", Carol insisted.
	Scully took a deep breath and nodded, Mulder followed suit, stroking he
r hand
as he nodded. Carol took a deep breath as well and commenced biting her li
p
again. 
	"This is a long story, but I suppose you'll want to here it all.", Caro
l
began.
	Mulder and Scully nodded again, Mulder keeping his head down. 
	"Do either of you know a man named Alex Krycek?", She asked.
	"Do we? Of course we know him. Mulder was in Russia with him when his a
rm was
cut off," Scully's eyes lit up, "but we aren't the best of friends. In fac
t
we've been enemies for a while now."
	"Well, he was my boyfriend. He was in with some men. One of them smoked
Morley's all the time. To make this a bit shorter, I started working for t
he
smoking man, Alex got mad, and he ran out on me. The men were conducting
tests," Carol cleared her throat, "on civilians. It was my job to shoot an
yone
who tried to leave after they had volunteered and tests had begun."
	"Shoot them?", Mulder asked incredulously.
	"Yes, shoot them. It wasn't a hard job and I was learning the smoking m
an's
secrets, one by one. The people went in pairs in a little room and came ou
t
apparently unharmed. He later told me of his experiments on them. He was
perfecting a way to put someone's mind into someone else's body. He said i
t
was brilliant. People could trade bodies and there would be no side effect
s.
It sounded incredible. He said that one day he would tell me why he was do
ing
all this and what was going to happen in a few years.", Carol continued. 
	"Did he say anything about aliens? Did he?", Mulder interrupted childis
hly. 
	"No, no, he said he would tell me later. Only, later never came. I was
with
him on one of these experiments, in the warehouse. There was a man named
Robert who helped change the people. There was something that they laid in
 the
center of the room, it made people gravitate towards it and then it change
s
them. I never fully understood it, but the smoking man promised to explain
more fully later. He was working on a reversal when one of the volunteers
started going looney tunes. The man said he was going to tell everyone abo
ut
this and he started to run. I shot him in the back and he was down. Everyo
ne
scattered after that and police that were in the area took me. I was convi
cted
of murder and never heard from Alex or the smoking man again. I recently
escaped and when I saw that feds were running after me, " Carol took anoth
er
deep breath, "I ran for the warehouse. I was hoping that the smoking man w
ould
be there and things would be all right. I went in the room to look for him
,
but only the object was there. It was glowing and I moved toward it."
	"Then things got dark and you felt like you were falling.", Scully fini
shed
for her. 
	"Right, but I don't know why that happened. All the others came out min
utes
later, feeling fine.", Carol looked puzzled. 
	"Maybe the object has different effects when it is left for long period
s of
time.", Mulder suggested. 
	"How can we reverse it?", Scully asked. 
	"I don't know exactly. The smoking man said something about a reversal
that
was much the same as the object, but I would have no idea where to get one
.",
Carol confessed. 
	"Maybe we can get a hold of the smoking man. I have a few friends who m
ight
be able to catch him.", Mulder said to Scully more than anyone else. 
	"That call was from a Walter S. Skinner," Carol added awkwardly, "he wa
nted
to know why Agent Mulder had discharged the prisoner."
	"I'll call him and I'll find the smoking man. I'll take care of everyth
ing.
You two sit tight.", Mulder began to rise, dropping Scully's hand. 
	"Wait," Carol stopped him, "I don't want to go back to prison for somet
hing I
was forced to do."
	"We can take care of that later. First, let's switch you two back.", Mu
lder
said, looking at Scully. 
	He called Skinner and asked to see the cigarette smoking man immediatel
y.
Skinner promised he would arrange it, no questions asked. He called back t
en
minutes later with a time. 
	"Nine o'clock. My apartment. Cancer man.", Mulder announced.
	"Cancer man?", Carol looked amused. 
	"My pet name for that son of a bitch.", Mulder answered. 

Nine O'clock - Fox Mulder's Apartment
	Mulder was sitting on the sofa with Scully next to him. His left arm wa
s
around her and her left hand rested on his right. Carol was watching the d
oor
intently from Mulder's desk chair. A knock sounded at nine o one on the do
t.
Carol carefully and slowly moved towards the door and unlocked it. As she
turned the handle, Mulder moved his right hand towards his gun. The door
opened painfully slowly to reveal the face of the cigarette smoking man.
	"Well, well, if it isn't Agent Scully. I didn't expect to find you here
.",
The vile man laughed. 
	His muscles tensed as he looked to the sofa. 
	"Having quite a jamboree, aren't we Fox?", He asked jokingly.
	"What the hell is going on and can you fix it?", Mulder screamed. 
	"Mulder, I never would have expected you to go for the ex-con type. The
n
again, you never cease to surprise me.", He ignored the questions and
screaming. 
	Suddenly Mulder became very aware of his arm around Scully. He tensed a
nd
shifted his position so that his grip wasn't quite as tight.
	"Oh, don't mind me. You did want to see me though. What is this about?"=
, The
man laughed nastily. 
	"You know full well what this is about. Scully and this woman have chan
ged
bodies, changed identities. Fix it.", Mulder demanded childishly. 
	"I would if I could Mulder, but I can't.", He said taking a drag on his
cigarette. 
	"Yes you can!", Carol screamed at him.
	"I could if I wanted, but I don't really feel like it.", He cackled.
	Putting out his cigarette, the Cancer Man prepared to leave. Mulder lea
pt
from the sofa and stopped him. 
	"You take care of this mess. You made a mistake, so now you need to fix
 it.",
He yelled. 
	Cancer Man pulled out a pack of Morley's and tapped the package. One fe
ll out
and he grasped it deftly. Lighting his cigarette, the man lifted a small b
rown
bag that he had set by the door and hurled it at Mulder's chest, not letti
ng
go. Shortly after the man left, lightly closing the door behind him. 
	Mulder opened the bag and found what appeared to be a glow stick. He pi
cked
it up and laid it on the floor, stepping away. Scully rose from the couch
and
Carol moved towards it as well. In an instant the stick began to glow and
Mulder averted his eyes. Carol and Scully were switched back instantaneous
ly
and the stick seemed to disintegrate before Mulder could reach it. 
	"It worked, Mulder! It worked!", Scully exclaimed hugging him.
	Carol jumped up and down like a child with a new toy. Scully clung to M
ulder,
grinning like she'd never grinned before.

One Week Later
FBI Basement - X-Files Division
	Mulder and Scully were sitting in their office thinking. Mulder had a c
opy of
the paper, whose headline read: "Escaped Convict Paroled!" and Scully was
looking over the article with him. 
	"I guess she got off easy.", Mulder commented. 
	"Cancer Man probably had something to do with it.", Scully frowned. 
	"All's well?", Skinner entered. 
	"Yes, we were just reading an interesting article.", Mulder smiled as h
e
picked up his scissors. 
	"A very interesting article.", Scully grinned. 
	Mulder cut out the article, being careful not to leave any ragged edges
. He
stood up and pinned it on the bulletin board, grinning. 
	"I don't know what's going on with you two, but you are undoubtedly hap
py
about something. It sure is contagious," Skinner smiled too, "let me in on
 the
secret."
	Both agents grinned as Mulder placed his arm around Scully and they bot
h
glanced up at the bulletin board.
THE END
******************************************************
Did you Like it? Tell me what you thought. 
TRUSTN01RB@aol.com
~Rachel~