From: "David Hearne" Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 12:33:37 -0400 Subject: xfc: The Thaw (1 of 1) Source: xfc TITLE: THE THAW (1 of 1) AUTHOR: DAVID HEARNE CLASSIFICATION: Post-ep for "Ice" RATING: PG PERMISSION TO ARCHIVE: Yes. Send feedback to ottercrk@sover.net Website is located at http://members.dencity.com/hearne XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX For the first time, Dana Scully didn't want to go to work. She usually enjoyed her job, even though the past few months had been strange and bewildering. However, something had happened -- something which had occurred in dark, cramped spaces as cold winds had blown outside. She had violated a special rule taught by the people who had trained her for her job. She had crossed a line over which she could not step back. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she actually considered calling in sick. She squashed the idea. The man waiting for her at work had to be faced, no matter the consequences. She finished dressing, completed the rest of her morning routine, and drove to work. He was waiting for her in the office, leaning back in his chair and slowly twirling a pen in his hand. When he heard her footsteps, he turned to the door. She stopped at the doorway. For a few moments, she remained there and looked at the man looking at her. The two of them had barely said a word to each other during their return trip last night. This morning's silence promised to last as long. However, Fox Mulder said, "Morning." Scully nodded. She entered the office. She placed her briefcase next to a chair. She sat in the chair. After folding her hands in her lap, she said, "So...what do you have for us today?" "That depends. Do you want to be here or not?" "That depends. Do you want me here?" "I don't want to push you one way or another." "What do you want?" The pen did one more rotation in Mulder's hand before he tossed it onto the desk and stared at Scully. "You pointed a gun at me, Scully." "Your gun was out first...Mulder." "I wasn't pointing it at you." "Not specifically at me. But you were pointing it at everybody. 'As far as I'm concerned, you're all infected.' Those were your exact words." "So what happened was my fault?" "It was nobody's fault. We were all trapped in a difficult situation. How we each reacted to it...none of us could be..." "Scully, I can rationalize it as much as you can. And you're right. I can't really 'blame' anybody." Mulder paused, then said, "But you still pointed a gun at me. That's an image I can't shake from my head. And I bet you won't forget me pointing a gun at you, either." Scully had no reply. "I knew this was going to happen," Mulder said. "Excuse me?" "Not...us pointing guns at each other. I knew something was going to snap. Between us. And damned if it didn't completely snap in two." "Mulder, you can't judge our partnership solely on what happens in an extreme situation..." "That's what the X-Files are about. Extremity of one kind or another." Mulder leaned forward in his chair. He pointed his hands at her as if he was offering an invisible object. "I can handle our philosophical differences. If we were just...I don't know...university professors or journalists or theologians or whatever...if this was just about whether or not aliens exist, I could take a head-butting every now and then. But we're FBI agents. We risk encountering violent people and violent situations. If we ever run into trouble again, will our differences create a risk? And after what happened...can we ever trust each other again?" Scully was quiet for many seconds. Then she said, "We can. We did. Have you forgotten what happened in the storage room?" Mulder's hands curled up against each other. "No. I haven't. But that was one time. What about the next?" Scully sighed, stood up and walked over to the desk. She sat on a corner of the desk and said, "Okay. I'll admit it. I'm scared. This world you live in, Mulder...I'm not sure what the rules are." "Neither do I. That's why I'm scared, too." "However, there is more than one way to approach this world. It doesn't have to be through this partnership. If I thought we were too dangerous together, I might leave this office and never look back." "You 'might?'" "I guess...that's what scares me most of all. I do want to trust you." Mulder studied the woman just a foot away from him. "Maybe that's enough," he said. "Maybe." There was a moment of silence, then Scully added, "Besides, you have a very attractive back." Mulder's eyes widened. Scully smiled. Then Mulder smiled. "So now what?" he said. "We plunge on ahead, damn the torpedoes, and all that?" "Yes. All that." "Okay. However, there is one thing we should take care of first." Mulder opened a drawer and pulled out a book from a crooked assortment of objects. He laid the large, worn paperback on the desk. "Place your hand on that book, Scully." "'Gravity's Rainbow?'" "I don't have a Bible around. Besides, this means as much to me." Scully looked dubious. "Come on," Mulder encouraged. She placed her right hand on the book. Then Mulder stood up and placed his own hand on the book, lightly pressing against the edge of her hand. He raised his left hand. "Repeat after me. I, Dana Scully..." Scully just stared at Mulder. "I, Dana Scully..." Finally she raised her left hand and said, "I, Dana Scully..." "...solemnly swear..." "...solemnly swear..." "...never to point a gun at my partner again." Scully paused, then echoed Mulder's words. "Or a bazooka." Scully rolled her eyes. "Or a bazooka." "Or a slingshot." "Mulder..." "Or a slingshot." "Or a slingshot." "Or a peashooter." "Or a peashooter." "Or any kind of projectile weapon." "Or any kind of projectile weapon. Wrap it up, Mulder." "I swear this, so help me, Thomas Pynchon." "I swear this, so help me, Thomas Pynchon." "And I, Fox Mulder..." "And I, Fox Mulder..." Mulder gave Scully a look. She smiled. Mulder continued. "And I, Fox Mulder, make the same oath, so help me, Thomas Pynchon." The two agents lowered their left hands. Their right hands stayed on the book. "Feeling better now?" Scully asked. "Much. You?" "Strangely enough...I do. So let's get to work." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX