Disclaimer: Skinner and the other characters in this story are not mine, they belong to Chris Carter and FOX. Enjoy, and please read and review! And by review I mean tell my WHY you liked or hated it. Just saying you liked or hated it won't make me a better writer, though I do enjoy praise :)
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This was the longest meeting of his life.
Agent Kreski rambled on and on about the unpredictable predictions of various homicide statistics as Assistant Director Skinner shifted in his seat for the umpteenth time. He glanced once more at his watch and cast an envious glance at the empty seat next to him.
Agent Mulder's empty seat.
He wished he had the brass that Mulder did to just skip out on this meeting, then sighed as he reminded himself that he *was* the brass. He was the reason they were here, enduring Kreski's imbecilic report. Another glance at his watch. Another glance up.
And met the neutral gaze of a fellow sufferer, Agent Dana Scully. He imagined he looked just as bored as she did. Her hands straightened and re-straightened the file of papers that made up her report. Blessedly short and precise, she'd wasted no time sharing her findings and figures. If only she'd been less concise, he'd be listening to her smooth voice instead of Kreski's incessant drone. Hell, he'd even listen to her partner ramble on about annual expense figures than endure another minute of this.
When the break had failed to yield the whereabouts of Mulder, he'd been more disappointed than concerned. He knew better than anyone else that Mulder was a law unto himself, coming and going almost as he pleased instead of by the schedule the government dictated. He glanced over at Scully, who had glazed over momentarily in the face of Kreski's report, sparing a moment to marvel at how she put up with all of this without cracking, without one glance at her watch or shift in her seat. God, she was amazing. He wondered just how she did it every day, how she let the tension, the frustrations out
when she left the J. Edgar Hoover building. Did she run, leaving her day behind her? Did she meditate, pushing her tension out of her mind? Or, like him, did she fight her tension once a week at a gym?
The sound of rustling paper nudged him out of his thoughts; he glanced at Scully again, this time the glaze was gone --
--he was running, running towards a crowd of police cars. Flashing lights. Guns drawn. Flashing his badge. What can you tell me?--
Blink. Her blue eyes the same blue as the cop's--
--One gunshot....blinds are down...think we got a body down in there. Cop's voice, questioning. Two of my agents might be in there.--
Blink. Scully's gaze was questioning--
--became the pale, haggard gaze of a young woman. Skinner! Do I know you? Don't let them do this. Don't let this happen--
Blink.
--SWAT team ready. Go go go--
What the hell?
--SWAT charging in, a flash of red hair, small hand over red blood. Blue eyes wide, high shout of denial--
No..
--ducking instinctively, diving for safety even as he squeezed his eyes shut against the tears. No, not them not them please god not her--
"..particularly..hard to predict." Back to the meeting. Kreski was done. All eyes were on him. Say something, anything.
"The..unpredictable future." He lowered his gaze to his papers. "Thank you." What the hell had just happened? What did he just see? His heart knew, even as it ached, but he couldn't understand it. Couldn't make anything of it...
Then the door opened and Kimberly looked at Scully, and without knowing how he knew it he knew it was Mulder, and that things were going to blow sky high.
If only in his mind.
***********
This was the longest meeting of his life.
Agent Kreski rambled on and on about the unpredictable predictions of various homicide statistics as Assistant Director Skinner shifted in his seat for the umpteenth time. He glanced once more at his watch and cast an envious glance at the empty seat next to him.
Agent Mulder's empty seat.
He wished he had the brass that Mulder did to just skip out on this meeting, then sighed as he reminded himself that he *was* the brass. He was the reason they were here, enduring Kreski's imbecilic report. Another glance at his watch. Another glance up.
And met the neutral gaze of a fellow sufferer, Agent Dana Scully. He imagined he looked just as bored as she did. Her hands straightened and re-straightened the file of papers that made up her report. Blessedly short and precise, she'd wasted no time sharing her findings and figures. If only she'd been less concise, he'd be listening to her smooth voice instead of Kreski's incessant drone. Hell, he'd even listen to her partner ramble on about annual expense figures than endure another minute of this.
When the break had failed to yield the whereabouts of Mulder, he'd been more disappointed than concerned. He knew better than anyone else that Mulder was a law unto himself, coming and going almost as he pleased instead of by the schedule the government dictated. He glanced over at Scully, who had glazed over momentarily in the face of Kreski's report, sparing a moment to marvel at how she put up with all of this without cracking, without one glance at her watch or shift in her seat. God, she was amazing. He wondered just how she did it every day, how she let the tension, the frustrations out
when she left the J. Edgar Hoover building. Did she run, leaving her day behind her? Did she meditate, pushing her tension out of her mind? Or, like him, did she fight her tension once a week at a gym?
The sound of rustling paper nudged him out of his thoughts; he glanced at Scully again, this time the glaze was gone --
--he was running, running towards a crowd of police cars. Flashing lights. Guns drawn. Flashing his badge. What can you tell me?--
Blink. Her blue eyes the same blue as the cop's--
--One gunshot....blinds are down...think we got a body down in there. Cop's voice, questioning. Two of my agents might be in there.--
Blink. Scully's gaze was questioning--
--became the pale, haggard gaze of a young woman. Skinner! Do I know you? Don't let them do this. Don't let this happen--
Blink.
--SWAT team ready. Go go go--
What the hell?
--SWAT charging in, a flash of red hair, small hand over red blood. Blue eyes wide, high shout of denial--
No..
--ducking instinctively, diving for safety even as he squeezed his eyes shut against the tears. No, not them not them please god not her--
"..particularly..hard to predict." Back to the meeting. Kreski was done. All eyes were on him. Say something, anything.
"The..unpredictable future." He lowered his gaze to his papers. "Thank you." What the hell had just happened? What did he just see? His heart knew, even as it ached, but he couldn't understand it. Couldn't make anything of it...
Then the door opened and Kimberly looked at Scully, and without knowing how he knew it he knew it was Mulder, and that things were going to blow sky high.
If only in his mind.