Title: Track sounds (1/1) Author: FDW Date: Mon, 08 Sep 1997 14:37:42 -0700~ I don't remember if I classified this one but it's MSR (my first). If you read and liked my story "the road lesser taken" you'll probably like this one. In any case: constructive criticism and praise to f.f.d.wit@stud.tue.nl Oh yea ... no fourth season spoilers. It will start next thursday! TRACK SOUNDS (1/1) Classification: S a bit MSR or UST; depends on how you see it. Rating: G Summary: Broken down cars and free tapes, and two agents that work together very close ... Authors note: If you read "The road lesser travelled", a shipper story by myself, and you liked that one you'll like this one too... Well and vice versa! I got the idea to write this story when I decided that there were so many stories with the 'feel' of emotions I'd think Mulder or Scully could have. DISCLAIMER: No copyright infringement intended. Characters be long to Chris Carter, 1013 and/or Fox broadcasting corporation. Songs belong to the authors, summary at the end of the story. (I write this while the story isn't finished yet!) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ TRACK SOUNDS (1/1) by Florens de Wit "The battery is flat ..." "What?!!! We just picked the car up this morning! ... And it's get ting dark ..." "Looks like we better stay with the car tonight ... walking back doesn't make sense ..." Scully, angry and worried at the same time, scanned the already darkening landscape for any clue of life. She concluded from the abscence of lights of any kind that the nearest intelligent life form would probably be the town where they picked up the car. She really hated the situation. They had driven in circles all day, getting lost, it seemed, at every junction they could find. "What about the cell-phones?" "Don't work ... tried already ... a zillion times." Their gazes caught. Scully smiled lightly. "Who's gonna get the inflatable pillow that comes with the car?" "You can have it ... gives me a soar neck." Getting in they removed all useless stuff for leg-room, and tilted the seats to the maximum. They had two blankets and their coats so they weren't going to be cold. The car was dark, until Mulder flipped on his flashlight and shone it into his bag, and on the dashboard, fixing on the tape-player. "'Mind if I put on one of the tapes I got at the airport?" "Well at least that will compensate the embarassment a little ..." "What do you mean Scully?" "Let's face it Mulder ... you practicly emptied the stand with free promotion sample tapes!" "They are free!" "They are meant to be passed out to as many people as possible! If you keep this up, the public will start wondering if the salary of FBI agents is too low for them to afford any 'real' music!" The tape's rather long, 'run in' piece finished. An acoustic guitar strummed and silenced the two for a moment. A voice came on: "I have given I have given and got none. Still I'm driven by something I can't explain. It's not a cross It is a choice, I can not help but hear his voice, I only wish that I could listen without shame. Let it rain ...." "What is this?" Scully said. "Digging between the stack of tapes in his bag, Mulder managed to find the empty one and read out: "Amanda Marshall, Let it rain" "Mmm .... Might get her album ... Got any more songs by her?" Mulder dug into his bag again, grabbing tape after tape, checking for the name. After checking almost every tape he paused. "Yep ... at the end of this one ..." "We'll leave it for tomorow then ..." Scully suddenly realised how appropriate the lyrics were to Mulder's quest to find Samatha ... the "his voice" should be replaced by "her voice" however ... She knew that he blamed himself for her disappearance, even though he knew now that his father had a hand in it. He still felt like he had to get her back, like he had failed that night when his parents had left him in charge. "It isn't easy to be kind ... With all these demons in my mind ... I only hope one day, I'll be free." "I do my best not to complain ... My face is dirty from the strain ... I only hope one day I'll come clean ..." < I bet Scully feels like that a lot ... I hope we get away from all the bad stuff some day ... I hate putting her through all the stress and worries ... just for my own demons and quests.> "Come take my hand ... we can walk to the light And without fear ... we can see through the darkest night" Unaware of it they both smiled in recognition. They trusted eachother so much that if they would do the impossible to protect the other. The next song was a bit more frivolous ... well ... "I'm only happy when it rains. I'm only happy when it's complicated And though I know you can't appreciate it I'm only happy when it rains. You know I love it when the news is bad And why it feels so good to feel so sad I'm only happy when it rains." "That sure sounds like you Mulder." Scully's voice was a little husky because she had been dozing off a bit. "It sounds like this is the 'rain' tape too!" "Yea ... now you say it ... and it seems to be working too!" The rain had started to batter the top of the car, the continuous drum resonating in the car's interiour. Scully quite enjoyed the song. Not too sweet, a bit bitter lyrics actu ally. She knew that most secretaries and femal agents liked the more mainstream stuff, but viewing her different work, the things she had been exposed to so far, she should have a different liking ... shouldn't she? ... They were both dozing off now. A sound like crickets came on, seconds later followed by a loud base hum. Electrical Guitars and drums blasted from the loudspeakers. "Wow! Turn that down would you Mulder?" A almost outworldly voice, hardly recognisable as human. "I believe in our faith, we don't need to fake, It's all we want to be, watch us freak! I say, we're growing every day, stronger in every way, I'll take you to a place where we shall find our Roots, bloody roots ..." "Well, I hope I never have to go to that place!" They both laughed about it ... It wasn't really their kind of style. Mulder stopped the tape. He questionably looked up to Scully. "I say we call it the day right?" Scully smiled, her eyes already unfocussed, her whole composure, relaxed and lazy. "Yea ... we have to find help in the morning ..." "'Night ..." "'Night Mulder" ================================= Scully heard some king of tapping on the window next to her. Waking up she opened her eyes finding a man standing next to the car. She sat up fast, trying to gain her composure. To her left, Mulder was still in a slumber. She opened the car's door. "Good morning!" "Good morning Sir ..." "I noticed your car here ... can I help?" "Actually ... yes ... Is there any way we can contact the rental company in town?" Mulder stumbled out of the car. Earning an appologetic smile from Scully to the man. "Sure .... I'll call them. ... Wait! I've got a better idea ... I can get my truck and get you started!" "That'd be great Sir." "Will be back in five ..." The man walked down the dirt track. "You know Mulder ... a lot can happen when you're just waking up!" "I noticed ... You were always the guardian angel of the two of us .." "Yea ... I guess I learnt to plan ahead ... right?" Half an hour later they were on the road, getting into town. Scully had already called the office when her cell-phone worked again. She had insisted on reporting this so if the retal company refused to refund the money for this car, the FBI could demand it back. "I'm certainly going to declare this as expenses Mulder! Aren't you?" "Yea ... but do you have to call the office for this?" "Well at least we might spare the bureau a couple of bucks right?" Mulder nodded, with a smirk. "I guess you are right Scully ..." "But ofcourse I am Mulder." Scully smiled briliantly saying that. She was in a good mood now, even though the first day had been wasted. Pulling into the parking lot of the car rental company. Mulder noticed that the section where the tauruses were parked was empty, exept for one. "Looks like we don't have much choice here Scully ..." Scully grunted softly. "We could get a Buick ... Though I'm not sure they are any better." Judging the looks of that particular set of cars it looked even worse. After returning the keys and giving a formal complaint, they got the keys to the remaining Taurus. The clerk refused to refund and give them any other type of car, so they settled for this one. "Just check if the tank if full and if the batery is OK would you?" Scully said it with a demanding gaze at the clerk. "That has already been done ... but I'll have someone do it again." He could not withstand the looks he got from both of them. After twenty minutes the car had been checked out and they could finally leave for their destination. "I still don't know why we should be called up here for a murder ..." "It was a murder on a federal employee with a motive relating his work ... That's a federal crime ..." "I know that Scully ... But why us?" "Skinner said that the field office here was bussy doing other things and since we weren't doing anything, not even paperwork, he sent us to back them up." "Yea ... I was wondering why we didn't have any x-files lately ... you think they are keeping anything from us?" "Nah ... just not UFO or abduction season ... it's too good weather for that now Mulder." She smiled, as Mulder gave her a short glace, another smirk on his face. The road was getting worse, though still quite OK. Repairs had been made to the tarmac, by pouring additions into the holes, making the surface irregular, and the ride bumpy. Suddenly a loud bang. The car violently pulled to the right, Mulder struggling to keep it under controll. Getting stuck in the sand the wheels stopped abruptly, causing the engine to die in a stutter. "What the hell was that?!" "Expect the worse Scully." Getting out they walked around the car. Scully saw it first. "We got a flat tire Mulder. Front tire on the right." "But they just put new ones on!" He crouched down to have a look. Cursing he pulled a nail from the soft side. "One nail on the entire road and we run right into it! I can't believe it!" "Let's get the tire changed ..." Mulder opened the hood ... no tire. Opening the trunk didn't give any promising sight either. "I'm going to kill that dumb sonofabitch! That arrogant bastard blatantly refused to take the blame but this is too much of incompetence in one day!" "And the nearest towing service is not pulling us out from here any way." "What do you mean?" "I checked when we were waiting ... Several areas are not covered by the towing service in town, nor by the towing service of the rental company. I guess they don't want their truck to get dirty, or didn't expect anyone to use their car in this place." "But they could send someone with a new tire couldn't they?" "It's worth a try ... Your call or mine." "I'll take that one ..." Flipping open his cell phone Mulder sat down on the trunk. "Yes hello? This is agent Mulder. We have a flat tire and discovered that we were sent away without a spare one, I think you owe us a new one, now could you send someone over to bring it? ... No, no. I didn't say *towing* Sir! I say *bringing a tire* over. I think you owe us an appology Sir, since your service has been quite inappropriate to the standards. Oh you think a spare tire and a fully functioning car is too much asked ? .... Well then! ... I guess we have to right?" Mulder terminated the call. "He said it's going to take a lot of time, that his men are all out." Giving a deep sigh, Scully dropped back against the car, leaning at the door. "Looks like this case is going to be the ultimate proof of Murphy's law: What can go wrong, will." They laughed, a bit wryly, but at least they saw the humor of it. "Well at least there is no rain for some time ... We could look around for some time." "Should we do that Scully? I mean ... If the tire arives ..." "After that conversation we had this morning I don't think that arives for some hours. Jesus, what a waste of time!" "You might say that Miss Scully!" "Is that a trail marker over there?" Mulder followed the pointing finger of his partner. A bright red wooden pole, defiantly displayed itself in some shrub. "Looks like it ... Why?" "We could see where it leads us ..." "Since we don't have anything to do ... Sure!" ================================= "Wow! Look at that view!" "Incredible hey? ... We should recomend this area for our next case Scully!" "Yea ... and we would be fed a case that's even more out of our way than this one. Strange huh? We think this case is out of our way, while it is the most mundane FBI case you could immagine ... It does say a lot about what we have to deal with ..." "Getting philosophical on me?" "No ... Just remembering that we are in the most unwanted job in the FBI!" "You mind?" "Not one bit ... At least we don't get stuck in every day drag!" Following a chain of hill-tops they continued on the trail. The tire would probably be there when they got back, but that was of lesser concern. When the trail descended into a small valley Scully paused. "I don't believe this!" "What?" Mulder, standing behind her looked ahead, slightly downhill ... and started laughing. Up ahead was a group of cars, parked together at a small area marked with crime scene tape. Bot local police cars and marked FBI cars were there. This was most certainly the crime scene where they were to meet some agents who would bring them up to date. "Well let's go meet the guys Mulder." Closing in on the assembly of cars they noticed five men in unfolded chairs having lunch. "Good afternoon gentlemen!" Scully said it rather loud, getting a startled reaction from the men who almost jumped out of their chairs. "Agent Scully ... and this is my partner agent Mulder." The SAC of the agents quickly regained composure and shook their hands. He pointed out an agent that would bring them up to date and explained that they would leave after that, letting them do their jobs. "Oh ... If you go back into town, could you check on our car. It had a flat tire, and no spare. The rental company is supposed to send a new one." "Sure ... though I doubt it will be there now ... We have changed our policy and bought cars since we were spending more time solving car problems than cases. This company is useless." "Tell me about it!" ================================= The case *was* pretty mundane. The only unusual thing was that they called in a enthomologist for some backup on how long the body had been there. Pretty long, over two weeks. Suspect had been found already, the case just needed a more solid evidence foundation. "I can't figure out why they need us for this ..." "Like I told you ... manpower." "It figures .... If every agent takes along a folding chair to have lunch in surroundings like this, the time they need to get back from lunch must be incredible." Local police had gone after an hour, exept for the securing of the crime scene. Tape would stay up until tomorow, after that every piece of evidence would have been collected. "Damn! ... We forgot to get a ride back into town ... I don't care about the car!" "But I do ... What do you thing that rental guy is going to ask for a entire car?" "Yea you are right ... Would be his own fault though." They told the guard to have a nice evening, and started to folow the trail back. Ariving at their car there was no sign of any tire. It started raining really hard when they were merely one hundred feet away from the car, so they ran for it. Catching their breaths they slumped down in the seats. "Should I call the company?" "You might give it a try Mulder ... " "But you don't think that any good will come from it do you?" Taking his cell-phone once again he dialed the number. "Agent Mulder again. Where is that tire? He got stuck? Has a car by your company has he? Look Sir we are stuck on a back-road and nowhere to go ... I don't think you have any right to tell me to stop complaining ... you just didn't deliver the service you should, let alone you promised, so let's leave it at that and I see you in the morning." "Looks like another night in the car ..." "Well we still got plenty of free tapes!" "Oh yea ... that singers second song!" "Let's save that for last shall we?" "I hope there is more good stuff on those tapes Mulder!" "Lets see then ..." Putting a random tape in the player he started it rolling. "I bit my tongue and stood in line with not much to believe in I bought into what I was sold and ended up with nothing This is not my idea of a good time this is not my idea of a good time this is not my idea of a good time this is not my idea. " "Well if you would have asked me before I would have agreed with the singer ... But I don't really mind now." "At least we are dry and warm .... we can even turn on the heat." "Better not ... If we forget about it the car might run out of fuel." They listened to the lyrics again. "You thought I was a little girl You though I was a little mouse You thought you'd take me by surprise Now I'm here burning down your house" "Well I hope that doesn't fit you Scully!" "They almost burnt *you* down though! You know in the boxcar!" "Yea ... I was lucky to get out of that one alive ..." Mulder looked down at the tape case. "Hey ... the next song is by the same band ... wheird name: gar bage." An almost whispering voice started saying a rithmical sentence. "I can't use what I can't abuse ... And I can't stop when it comes to you ..." Distorted guitars kicked in. "You burned me out but I'm back at your door ... Like Joan of Arc comming back for more ... I nearly died I nearly died I nearly died I came to cut you up I came to knock you down I came around to tear your little world apart I came to shut you up I came to drag you down I came around to tear you little world apart and break you soul apart" "Sounds like Kreychek ..." "Or Cancerman ..." "Or any other vilain that chased us out of silo's, mines and boxcars ..." That stole a chuckle from both of them. "There must be something special about us to be so wanted ..." "Or we are just nuts ofcourse ..." "Nah ... the rest of the world is nuts Scully ... we are right!" It continued to rain as darkness fell. The tape, shorter than the others, stopped. "Remember the time we got stuck out in the Olympic forest?" "How can I not remember that Scully?" "I was scared of the dark for weeks after that ... I bought a night- light and plugged it in next to my bed ..." "I slept with a light on for three weeks ... But I can't say I'm scared now ..." "Must be something in the air tonight that makes it less scarry ..." "Nah ... I just know that there are no green bugs out here ..." "You know ... the only time I was really angry at you?" "In Commity you mean?" "Yea .... the detective White thing ... What really happened?" "I think that both of us ... White and me ... were drunk. I had drunk quite a lot in my room when she came in. That's why I hadn't have the brains to resist, to put her in her place. I mean ... she wasn't even attractive ..." Scully nodded slowly. "It must have felt like the time when that guy 'seduced' me with his ferromones or something ..." "I guess so ..." Another random tape went into the player. "Indian summer, Abilene You were new in town I was nineteen And the sparks flew." "Hey! That's that singer again!" Checking the tape case Mulder nodded. "This one is entirely her ... You can have it if you want to..." "Thanks ..." They looked into eachother's eyes a little longer than strictly neces sary. "It may be a long shot we may be lonely down the line But love knows no reason And I won't let them make up my mind My money's riding on this dark horse baby My heart is saying it's the lucky one And it's true color's gona shine trough some day If we let this, let this dark horse run." Scully took a glance at Mulder, like her, totaly concentrated on listening. Without a word they listened to the song. After a few seconds a guitar and organ merged their sounds into one and a soft drum kept the pace. A familiar voice picked up after an intro. "I look at this mountain So many heartaches wide And I can't help but wonder Where's the other side I've got to be honest I've got my doubts These tears are asking me What's this got to do with love? Baby I tell you something To help us trough this long dark night When this trouble passes over You and I will walk away Knowing that our love survived Another test of faith You and I can walk on water The river rises, we rise above It may not look that way right now But trust me baby this is love. Love isn't easy I'm torn I confess When a heart is uncertain It's bound to second guess This love won't forsake us So dry your tears I promise you When this trouble passes over You and I will walk away Knowing that our love survived Another test of faith You and I can walk on water The river rises, we rise above It may not look that way right now But trust me baby this is love. I'm here for you baby There's nothing I want more Our day's comming and we'll reach that peacefull shore When this trouble passes over You and I will walk away Knowing that our love survived Another test of faith You and I can walk on water The river rises, we rise above It may not look that way right now But trust me baby this is love. One more mountain Hey ... so what Trust me baby this is love ... Oh yes it is baby ..." As by command they looked at eachother. Deep into eachothers eyes they saw confirmation of what they already knew, and had known for so long. They loved eachoter with a love no man could break, no conspiracy could damage, and they did not need marriage vows or tokens to show that. No valentine cards or wedding rings. They didn't even need to tell eachother that they loved the other ... they just knew. The end. Songs featured: Amanda Marshall: Let it rain, Trust me (this is love) Garbage: Only happy when it rains, Not my idea, Vow Sepultura: Roots bloody roots Hope you like it, comments at : f.f.d.wit@stud.tue.nl