TITLE: You Bet Your Life
RATING: G
KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully UST
SPOILERS: Fight the Future
SUMMARY: The events of The End and Fight the Future from a different perspective.
Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own therapeutic purposes. They will be returned relatively unharmed to Chris Carter, or whoever wants to borrow them next, when I'm done.
They say you can never go home again. And while that saying is generally true, it doesn't apply to this situation. She has definitely come home. And from where she's standing, not much has changed.
Her mission, as told to her, is simple. Just get back into the flow of things. Get back to doing the things she used to do. Meet with the people she used to meet with. One person in particular tops the list. All she has to do now is find him. But that, too, shouldn't be too hard.
"As I live and breathe. I never thought I'd see you walking in these halls again."
She turns around and finds herself staring at two old associates. One she doesn't remember ever speaking to, the other she recognizes, although it takes a moment to place a name with the face. Stoley. Livia Stoley. It's been so long, but like she said before, not much has changed. The woman still looks the same. And probably still gossips the same. That quality may come in handy for once. She may not have to do much searching to find who she's really looking for after all if she drops the right hints with this woman.
"Agent Stoley. It's good to see you," she says, offering her hand to the woman to shake. She just nods courteously at the other.
"You too, Agent Fowley," the woman smiles. "So, what brings you back to the states? I heard you were in Europe dealing with terrorists or something."
That's a good question. Diana knows the real reason she's back. But that's hardly public knowledge. So she has to think of another vague enough reason.
"There were some things at home I wanted to get back to."
"Things?" the woman's eyes light up with curiosity? "Things like Fox Mulder?"
Diana's glad the woman cut to the chase. Now she won't have to hint around until his name came up more naturally in the conversation.
"Possibly," she says, giving them a cryptic smile. "It's been awhile. I'm sure he has someone else by now."
She almost laughs out loud at the gleam in Agent Stoley's eyes. This is too easy. She really thought it would be harder to get information on her ex. But she sees the rumor mill is still churning at full speed. These people still love to talk.
"That depends," Agent Stoley says, stealing a look at the other silent agent whose name Diana finally recalls. It's Lombard. Grace Lombard.
"On what?"
"On what context you're referring to. If you want to know if he has a new partner then . . . "
"Oh, I know about her," Diana interrupts. "Agent Dana Scully."
"Then you also know about the rumors about the two of them," Agent Lombard says.
"Yeah. They put the rumors about you and Agent Mulder to shame," Agent Stoley adds.
"Please. That mousy little thing?" Diana scoffs. "I've done my research. I checked her out when I first learned of their partnership five years ago. She's not exactly his type. I'm not worried about her. Besides, the rumors about Fox and me were true. No one can compete with that kind of history."
"Does that mean you plan on trying to get back with him?"
"I won't have to try," Diana says with a laugh. "Fox Mulder was, is, and always will be putty in my hands."
"Care to place a wager on it? Say, a hundred bucks?"
Diana notices the smiles on the other agents' faces, but ignores it. They can't be serious about this partner of his being competition. She's just going to have to prove them wrong. She may as well profit financially as well.
"Why not," Diana shrugs. "I could use the money on a new pair of shoes."
She gives them a confident smile before turning to walk away. This is going to be fun, she thinks to herself. And easy. Too easy. Like taking candy from a baby.
Agent Stoley watches her walk away, her smile growing with the thought of what she'll spend her winnings on.
"What was that all about?" another agent asks, coming up to get the latest gossip.
"Diana Fowley's back," Agent Stoley explains. "And she thinks she'll be able to pick up with Mulder where they left off."
"Doesn't she know about Mrs. Spooky?"
"She doesn't seem concerned. I, on the other hand, felt it was a bet I couldn't pass up."
"I'll get in on that action," the agent grins. "It's easy money."
"Too easy. Like taking candy from a baby," Stoley says, unknowingly echoing Diana's thought.
"Too bad Diana doesn't know that," says Agent Lombard, making them all laugh. They go back to their desks, each wishing to be a fly on the wall when Fowley and Mulder finally come face to face. They can only imagine the sparks that will be flying.
----------
"Using a weapon registered to a US intelligence agency, the shooter fired one kill shot at Anatole Klebanow before being captured without incident a short distance from the scene. No motive has been established nor has the shooter offered up a statement or accomplice."
Diana practically rolls her eyes, wondering why she's the one who has to put up with this imbecile. Well, maybe imbecile is a harsh word, she reconsiders. He's just young. Young and naive. Funny, she doesn't ever remember being that green. It's a wonder he was appointed leader of this task force. But then again, she knows exactly how that happened. He was appointed by the same means she was. He's there for a purpose just like she is. Only she doesn't think he realizes it yet.
"Please continue," she hears from behind her, her head wanting to whip around to see who's interrupted. But she doesn't need to look. She knows who it is. It's him. It's her Fox. A chill tingles her spine at the very thought of his name.
She can't resist a peek . . . only to find him already in a pretty intense stare down with a red haired woman. With a sick feeling to her gut, she realizes who this woman is. The partner. Dana Scully. Not so mousy anymore. Her hair is no longer the drab color it used to be. It's a vibrant red now. Her wardrobe professional, yet stylish and tailored. No, definitely not the wallflower anymore. This woman might be trouble.
The rest of the meeting is a blur. Diana says a few words to convince Spender what it took Mulder and herself two seconds to see. That the boy is possibly psychic. Despite the groans of incredulity from everyone else, including his partner she notices with some excitement, she's assigned to the case with him. And the partner, her mind forces her to remember. But hopefully, she will be able to get him to forget her as well. If she plays her cards right, Dana Scully will soon just be a footnote in the story of Fox Mulder's life.
----------
Things are not going as planned. Diana's a bit dismayed that he seems to be almost ashamed of their previous association. He obviously hadn't told his partner anything about their own partnership based on the questions she asked. Diana decided to just follow his lead. If he didn't mention anything to Scully then she wouldn't either.
When they got to the psychiatric facility and met with the boy, things started to turn around. For one thing, the boy said that Fox was thinking about her. Well, that's not what he said exactly. He said that Fox was thinking of one of the women with him. But she knows that it was her. She even asks the boy as much when Fox and his partner leave the room. He confirms her suspicions. He also confirms her theory on how to get between Fox and Agent Scully. She'll use Agent Scully's own doubt against her. The boy told her about how Agent Scully is the skeptic of the duo. Fox is about to find out what it's like to have someone believe in him again.
"No one who has gone so far as to claim that they can zero in on the mind of one person in a crowd of thousands," she hears Agent Scully say when she steps from the boy's room.
"Maybe that's why they want him dead," Fox suggests.
"Who? Who are you talking about?"
"I'm not the mind reader."
"Say that what you're suggesting were even possible," Agent Scully allows, but it's obvious that she doesn't really believe it. "Who'd want to kill a kid whose abilities would offer you the ultimate advantage? I mean in business, in war, in anything?"
Diana wonders to herself how Fox can stand being partnered with someone so rigid and close minded. It's a wonder they ever solve any cases. He needs someone on his side. She decides to step in and rescue him, stopping Scully's tirade.
"Maybe somebody whose business is in keeping secrets."
She seems surprised, Diana notices. Surprised that someone would actually take his side in an argument. Right away, she can sense the alert in the other woman. Diana almost laughs out loud at the defensive stance Scully takes.
"Well, let's test him. I think the kid will stand up. Let's run a brain scan and a psych evaluation on him. You know what to do, Diana," Fox says before walking away.
That definitely gets Scully's attention, much to Diana's amusement. She thought Scully was defensive before. But now she can see the jealousy rising in the other woman's face as things start to click into place. Diana only has to wait a few seconds before Scully comes to the right conclusion.
"So, you two know each other?"
"It was a long time ago."
With that, Diana turns and walks away. She's won this round. Dana Scully is about to be out of her hair for good.
----------
Diana and Scully watch Gibson with amazement. They are astounded at his psychic abilities, Scully more so than Diana.
"It's amazing," Scully says. "It's hard to believe."
"I've witnessed clairvoyants who were over 90% accurate and seen telepathy being demonstrated but I don't know I've ever witnessed anything quite like this," Diana admits.
"Where'd you see that?"
"Agent Mulder and I spent some time in psychiatric hospitals. There were some patients serving criminal sentences who we felt had been misdiagnosed."
Diana can practically feel the tension coming from Scully. It seems to crop up every time she mentions her past with Fox. And in that very instant, Diana knows what Scully probably won't even admit to herself. She's in love with her partner.
"I have to disappear for a bit," Scully says, leaving a stunned Diana to watch her go. As soon as Scully leaves, the smirk grows on Fowley's face.
"Round two goes to me as well," she says to the empty room. There's nothing as effective as playing on the emotions and insecurities of a woman in love. Diana's just been handed the key in defeating Scully once and for all. Now, all she has to do is get that former partner of hers alone long enough to work her magic on him. He never could resist her, she thinks to herself with another smile.
She turns back to watch the tests on the boy, truly in awe at what's going on. She may not be taking this case to heart, but it does remind of her times she spent before with Fox. The times before she left him and before he hooked up with a new partner. But she's confident she'll have him back in her bed before the week's end. That's what she was assigned to do and she never fails an assignment.
She's so wrapped up with watching Gibson that she almost fails to notice Mulder coming back into the room. But she can tell by his distinctive scent. Nothing objectionable or overly cologned. But a nice subtle, fresh smell, accented by her favorite fragrance. She smiles and lets herself believe he's wearing it just for her.
"Hey, Diana. Is Scully around?" he asks, her heart heavy with disappointment that his partner is the first person he asks about.
"She left. Didn't say where she was going. I guess it's just you and me," Diana grins, turning to face him. "That was a good catch on the videotape. I was impressed."
"Oh, you would have caught it eventually," he says, turning away shyly with a light blush staining his cheeks.
Time to stroke the ego even more, she decides. It's always worked for her in the past.
"No. I've been too many years trying to get inside the head of too many Arab terrorists. I'm out of practice with this stuff. But you seem at the top of your game." She looks at him through her eyelashes, trying to subtly seduce him, not wanting to alert him to her true purposes by overtly coming on to him.
"That's all I do. That's all I've been doing for the last five years. Been my life, such as it is," he smiles.
"Sometimes I hear about you ... about the work you're doing. And I think how it might have been if I'd stayed."
"Ah, we'd all be blown up by some terrorist bomb, no doubt, huh?"
"I sense you could have used an ally, though - someone who thinks like you, with some background."
"Oh, you mean Scully?"
"She's not what I would call an open mind on the subject."
They both laugh and she finds herself relishing the sound. It's been too long since she's heard it. He had stopped laughing long before she left him. Maybe that's one aspect of their relationship they'll be able to recapture quickly - the laughter.
"She's a, uh ... she's a scientist. She just makes me work for everything."
Or maybe not, Diana thinks to herself. She didn't expect this. The defense of his partner who has no faith in him at all. How can he stand up for that woman? How can he even stand to work with her? Diana realizes she has to try a little harder to make him see how Scully's holding him back. She has to make him see that she's the only one he can truly count on.
"Yes, but I'm ... I'm sure there were times when two like minds on a case would have been advantageous."
"I've done okay without you," he asserts, a bit more insistent this time.
Okay, she might have gone too far with that one. She can read between the lines. Insulting the partner is a big no no. She needs to back track a little. Show him she's only looking out for him.
"Hey ... I'm on your side," she insists, taking his hand in her own as she captures his gaze. They continue to just look at each other in a gesture so familiar it brings a smile to her face. She can almost forget why she's really there. She can almost remember what it was like before. But after a few minutes, his phone rings, killing the moment. She knows without him even saying who's on the line. He drops her hand to take the call.
"That was Scully," he says when he hangs up, and she tries not to notice the light in his eyes at the mention of her name. "I have to go."
So much for that trip down memory lane, she thinks to herself, a scowl starting to grow on her face. All she knows is that she's never had quite that much control over the man outside of the bedroom. It seems that when Scully says jump, all he can say is how high. And as far as she can tell, they aren't even sleeping together.
"Okay, I'll see you later," she says, forcing a smile to her face. She knows when to quit for the moment. Round three was almost in the bag, but Scully pulled a last minute punch. She'll have to call it a draw. But for some reason, she has a feeling that things are just going to go down hill from here.
----------
She was right. Things seem to go from bad to worse. One minute, she had Fox right within her reach. But as soon as that partner of his stepped back into the picture, he was off and running. Then there was that fiasco in Skinner's office. Thinking back, Diana realizes she might have been too harsh with him. If she doesn't do something now, she won't ever get him back. She needs something more drastic to get his attention for good.
She looks one more time at the telegram containing her orders before tossing it into the fireplace. Her employer also realized she was running out of options and suggested this last ditch effort. This measure might be a bit extreme, but it's got to work. She needs for it to work. She's betting her life that it will work. She will have Fox Mulder again . . . or she'll die trying.
Later at the hotel while guarding the boy, Diana pretends to sleep. She doesn't know when it will happen, but the boy will tell her. Her assignment to his protection is the perfect cover.
She hears him move towards the window and suddenly her heart starts to race. This has to be it. She slowly sits up and looks around for him, seeing him staring through the curtains.
"What are you doing?" she asks him, even though she already knows.
"There's a man with a gun."
She gets up and runs over to him, moving him out of the way and towards the bed.
"Gibson, get down. Get back. Get back!"
She keeps on looking out the window, trying to mentally prepare herself for what's about to happen. But despite her knowing in advance, Gibson's warning still comes as a bit of a shock.
"He didn't come here to kill me. He's aiming at you!"
That's the signal. She stands up in front of the window, getting into position. All she can do now is hope that things work out the way she's planned. She's taking a gamble with her life, and as the bullet pierces her and she begins to fall, she wonders for a moment if it's all worth it. Then everything goes black.
For the longest time, she knew nothing but darkness. But in her few moments of lucidity, she would always think about the same thing - Fox. Did her plan work? Has he been spending every waking moment by her side, waiting for her to awaken from her coma?
As the days turned into weeks, she recovered more and more and was able to spend more time awake. That time was spent alone and one of her questions was answered. Fox Mulder has not been spending his every waking moment by her side. In fact, he hasn't even spent any of her waking moments there either. But she holds on to hope. Maybe she's asleep every time he comes. But as still more time passes and she has even more awake time, she sees that's not the case either.
In fact, no one has been visiting. And she realizes right then and there what a mistake it was to leave Fox in the first place. With him, she was never lonely. She could always get him to join her in bed. She thought that would always be the case. Apparently not.
Just when she's about to give up hope, she gets a visitors. Two visitors, actually.
"Agent Stoley. Agent Lombard. It's so nice of you to visit," she says, giving them a fake smile. They're not who she wants to see, so she barely makes an effort. But at least while they're here, she'll probably be able to get some information about Fox.
"How are you? Everyone at the bureau is talking about your miraculous recovery. We all thought you were going to die," Agent Stoley says, placing a bouquet of flowers by the bed. It suddenly strikes Diana that they're the first bunch of flowers she's gotten since she's woken up. More proof that no one's come to visit.
"I'm doing much better. The doctors say I should be able to get out of here and back to work soon." She watches the two agents give each other a look and questions them about it. "What? What's happened?"
"About work," Agent Lombard starts. "We hope you don't think you'll be back on the X-Files."
"Why?" Diana asks suspiciously, wondering what these two are trying to get at.
"Well, the office is, um . . . gone."
"Burned down. Agents Mulder and Scully have been reassigned."
"So that's why Fox hasn't been around," Diana mumbles more to herself. But the others hear her anyway.
"No, that's not why."
Diana sees another look pass between them and has a feeling she isn't going to like what they have to tell her.
"Did something happen to him?"
"Not exactly," Agent Stoley starts. "I mean, unless you count him getting shot in the head. But that apparently didn't stop him from going after Agent Scully."
No, she's not liking the sound of this at all. Shot in the head? Going after Agent Scully? Where was she? They tell her before she can voice the question.
"Agent Scully was taken. Nobody knew were. Turns out, Agent Mulder tracked her down to Antarctica. He snuck out of the hospital, after being shot in the head, to go get her. It's amazing," Agent Stoley gushes.
"I think it's romantic," Lombard adds. Both women let out a sigh, before they look at Diana and see the scowl on her face. "Sorry, Fowley. I guess that means you lost the bet, huh?"
Diana sighs, about to agree with them, when she notices something just outside her door that renews her hope. Instantly, her face lights up and she lifts her hands to her hair to try to fluff it somehow.
"Don't count me out, ladies. Look who's outside my room."
They all turn to see Mulder standing at the information desk, a huge bunch of roses in his arm. The nurse points him in the right direction and they all let out a gasp of surprise as he continues on down the hall, away from Diana's room.
"Where's he going?" Diana panics. She moves as quickly as she can to the edge of her bed before pointing to the wheelchair in the corner. "Help me, Agents. We need to catch him before he leaves."
They note the desperation on her face and agree to help her, both agents easily able to get her into the wheelchair. One pushes her, while the other grabs her IV pole, and they head out the door. They manage to spot him at the end of the hall just as he enters another room.
"Where's he going now?" Diana asks, unable to see the looks Agents Lombard and Stoley are giving each other. And unable to see the looks of pity they give her. "Push me down there."
They get her to the door and help her peer through the window just in time to see him bend over and place a kiss on Scully's cheek. He sets the flowers next to her bed before taking a seat on the other side, his gaze never leaving hers. Her cheeks are a bit bruised from the exposure to the cold elements in Antarctica, but they all watch him look at her as if she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen anyway.
"Just like I said before. So romantic," Lombard whispers, unable to keep the smile from her face. "He's crazy about her. Anyone can see that."
"Yeah. Sorry, Agent Fowley," Stoley concurs.
Diana looks into the room one last time and notes the sweet and tender care Mulder is taking of Scully. And she finally can see the same thing in his eyes that she noticed in Scully the first time she met her - love. But not love for Diana. Love for his partner. His partner not just in work, but also in every sense of the word. Diana realizes she's lost this round. But that won't stop her from trying. Dana Scully better watch her back, because while she may have won this battle, Diana is determined to win the war.
The end.