Reflections of the Truth
By: X-File Writer
The X Files- Fan Fiction
Disclaimer: The X File characters and ideas are the sole property of Chris Carter, 1013 production studio, and The Fox Network. I mean no infringement. Please do not sue me!
This takes place before Requiem. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was a peaceful night out. Stars twinkled like diamonds against a brilliant sapphire sky. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of a large oak in a yard.
"Mommy!" From inside a house a frightened little girl's voice broke the silence. The small girl sat up in bed, breathing hard. Her blonde curls fell onto her shoulders, as she looked around her room, wide-eyed.
After a moment footsteps could be heard. The child's mother burst into the room and ran over to the bed.
"Honey, what's wrong?" asked the mother, obviously concerned.
The girl's lip quivered and a lone tear rolled down her cheek. "Mommy, I saw pictures in my mirror, again."
The mother hugged her daughter. "Honey, I am sure there's nobody in your mirror. It's just a reflection. Remember? We talked about this before-
The girl shook her head, clearly terrified.
The mother sighed wearily. "Look, I'll show you."
She walked over to the mirror. If was a full-length mirror and the frame was carved out of cherry-wood. Looking in the mirror, the mother shrieked when she saw figures staring back at her. She stood protectively in front of her daughter, yelling, "You stay away from us!"
All of a sudden the mirror seemed to melt, engulfing the mother and child.
Soon the sound of their screams faded and the night once again became peaceful. The oak leaves seemed to whisper what they saw to the breeze; that carried the silent message to the twinkling stars.
************************************************************************
Scully walked briskly into the basement. Her high-heals clicked a steady pattern against the hard floor, reflecting her determined manner. She was wearing a white blouse, partially covered by a tan trench coat, and black pants. Her ever-present cross necklace bounced up and down on its chain as she walked.
Mulder sat hunched forward over his desk; apparently deeply engrossed in the latest copy of the Lone Gunmen. Scully waved a manila folder in front of his face to get his attention.
"Here's our new case," exclaimed Scully matter-of-factly.
Mulder looked up and waved his hand. "By all means, enlighten me."
Scully knitted her eyebrows together. "I would love to, Mulder, but Skinner just handed this to me in the hallway. I haven't had a chance to go over it, myself."
Mulder smiled at her. "Well, then we will be enlightened together, Scully."
Scully caught herself gazing at Mulder's smile; she quickly averted her eyes to the papers before her. "It appears this is a missing person's case. A Mrs. Angela Robinson and her eight year old daughter, Honey."
Mulder blinked. "Excuse me?"
Scully smiled at him. "Mulder, the little girl's name is Honey. Mr. Robinson reported them missing when he returned from a business trip this morning. Um…there appears to be no sign of a struggle. The only thing out of place is a mirror, one from Honey's room to be exact. It seems that the actual glass of the mirror is gone, but the frame is still there. I don't see why Skinner considers this an X-File."
Mulder took the file from Scully and began flipping through it. "Here we go. Mr. Robinson reported that his daughter often claimed to see pictures in her mirror…"
"So? Many kids think they see things at night; under their bed, in a closet, or even in a mirror. It doesn't seem that important to me, Mulder," said Scully.
"Scully, have you ever noticed the great number of books that include mirrors as some kind of link to another world? I mean, you must have read Through the Looking Glass…it's a classic. What if Honey really did see something? What if a mirror was really was a portal of some sort? A doorway into a whole other universe…"
Scully sarcastically replied, "Oh, Mulder you're scaring me."
Mulder raised his eyebrows. "Or maybe this is just a dead end missing person's case without any significant clues, which is what you appear to think. Whatever the reason is, I think we should go check it out."
Scully sighed. "Yeah, right."
They picked up their coats and walked out of the office.
************************************************************************
A few hours later Mulder and Scully arrived at the Robinson residence. The house was in the middle of the suburbs and it fit in perfectly. From the blue vinyl siding, to the flower lined walkway. The agents could easily picture the house surrounded by a white picket fence and on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens. Mulder reached out and knocked on the front door.
After a moment the door opened. A young man stood in the doorway; he was wearing a police uniform. He asked, "How may I help you?"
Scully pulled out her badge. "I am Special Agent Dana Scully and this is my partner, Fox Mulder. We are with the FBI and are investigating the disappearances of Angela and Honey Robinson."
The young man looked taken aback. He rubbed his forehead with the back of this hand. "Wow. I didn't know they called the Feds in on this."
Mulder stepped up to the doorway. "Excuse me, you are?"
The officer stood up straighter. "I am Officer Jeff Paterson, sir. But I am not here on official business. You see, I am a friend of Daniel's-
Scully cut him off. "Daniel?"
Jeff still looked flustered. He responded, "Err…Mr. Robinson. I am a friend of Mr. Daniel Robinson. He's pretty torn up about this whole thing. He blames himself, poor guy. Well, anyway, I just sent him out to get something to eat."
"May we see Honey Robinson's room?" asked Scully.
"Um…sure." Jeff moved aside so the two agents could enter. He led them up a flight of wooden stairs to the second floor.
They walked into Honey's bedroom. The walls were a pale pink color and covered with pictures of baby animals. There were wooden shelves that held piles of easy-reader books and Barbie dolls. Against one wall was a small twin-size bed, the sheets were still unmade as if the occupant had left in a hurry. Next to the bed stood the full-length mirror.
Scully moved toward the mirror to get a better look. The frame was a dark cherry-wood. It had been carved into the shapes of delicate flowers. The center, where the glass should have been, was indeed missing. It was odd though; somehow it had been removed without causing any harm to the frame itself.
"Scully, look at this." Mulder crouched on the floor. He pointed to a small glass ball on the floor. It was no bigger than the size of a Tic-Tac.
Scully crouched down next to him. "Mulder, that appears to be made out of the same glass that you would use to make a mirror."
Mulder raised his eyebrows. "But what is it?"
"A marble?" offered Officer Paterson.
"That's highly unlikely," explained Scully. "These appear to be recently deposited here. Look, they are all over everything."
That was true. Extremely small glass balls covered almost the entire floor and were even on top of the bed.
Mulder got up from his crouching position. "What if these balls of glass were made from the mirror by it being melted?"
Scully looked skeptically at him. "I agree that the pellets may have been made from the mirror, but they couldn't have been made here! You need all kinds of specialized equipment to get the glass up to that hot of temperature…and then to form it into balls… It simply isn't plausible."
Mulder opened his mouth to reply when a voice from downstairs cut him off. "Jeff, are you still here?"
Jeff Paterson, who had been leaning against the doorframe, said, "That's Daniel…err…Mr. Robinson."
They all went downstairs. Mr. Robinson was starring out the window with a faraway look in his eyes.
"Dan. These are Agents Mulder and Scully from the FBI. They are going to help find Angela and Honey," explained Jeff.
Mr. Robinson turned from the window. He had bags under his eyes and his dress-shirt was partially unbuttoned.
Scully spoke up. "It you don't mind, Mr. Robinson, we'd like to ask you a few questions."
He nodded. "If it will help."
"How did you discover that your wife and daughter were missing?"
"Well, I got home this morning around 8:43 AM. They weren't here, which I would've expected because it's a weekday. But there were two messages on the answering machine. One was from Angela's job and the other one was from Honey's school. Neither of them had showed up.
"I searched the house, again, nobody. I know what you're thinking, that they just ran off. But that can't be the case. All of their clothes are here; the car's in the garage, and all the money is in the bank. Even Angela's purse is still on the table! The only thing is the mirror-
Mulder and Scully gave each other a look and Mr. Robinson continued, "I called all the hospitals, our friends, and our relatives. Nothing. Finally I contacted the police…"
"Why did you tell the police about your daughter seeing things in her mirror?" asked Mulder.
He shrugged. "I don't know. I just noticed the way the glass was missing from Honey's mirror, so I thought of it. I'm not sure if it means anything."
"What do you believe happened to your wife?" questioned Mulder.
Mr. Robinson sat directly across from Mulder, his eyes burrowing deep into the agent's soul. He finally asked, "Do you love a woman, Agent Mulder?"
It took Mulder a millisecond to reply, "Yes."
The man continued to stare, his eyes unblinking. "And I assume this woman is not your mother?"
Mulder paused for a moment. "My mother past away."
Mr. Robinson seemed to take no interest in this information, though his eyes briefly flickered towards Scully. He continued, "Imagine, just for a moment, that you and her are married. You live together and have a perfect life. You are blessed with a wonderful child and it seems like nothing could ever harm you in this serene little world…but then it does.
"All you could've ever hoped for is snatched away from you. The woman you loved with all you heart is gone without a trace. I don't know what happened to Angela. Do whatever you have to do, Agent Mulder, just find her."
With that the man broke off his unnerving gaze. Mr. Robinson held his face with his hands and wept. His pain was deep, and his guilt deeper still. He felt that if he had not left on that trip they would've been fine…
"We will find them."
Mulder got up from the chair and tapped Scully on the shoulder. Her mouth was slightly open as she gaped at the man. She was shocked by his depressing tale.
"Come on Scully, let's go," said Mulder as he walked towards the door.
"Yeah," she replied, following.
They walked outside into a light rain. It was as if some heavenly force was weeping with the man; grieving for the loss of a loved one.
"What did you think of his story, Scully?" asked Mulder as he got in the car.
Scully pushed a lock of auburn hair behind her ear. "It is certainly food for thought, Mulder."
"Hmm…food." Mulder turned a corner. "Why don't we stop for lunch?"
Scully stared at him in disbelief. "Mulder, we haven't even gotten started on this case and you want to stop and eat?"
Mulder flashed his charming smile and exclaimed, "Haven't you ever heard that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach?"
Scully merely rolled her eyes and stared out the rain-smeared window.
************************************************************************
Mulder and Scully pulled up to a roadside diner called the Ivy Pillar. They walked up the gravel walkway. Around the doorway there were two ceramic pillars with ivy crawling up the sides.
"I feel like I should be wearing a toga," commented Mulder as he pulled open the heavy wooden door.
Scully raised her eyebrow, but did not respond.
They sat down on two rod-iron chairs. The chairs were not very comfortable and the two agents shifted many times before siting still. A waitress came up to them and asked in a cheery voice, "What can I get you two to drink?"
Scully glanced down at the menu; it was decorated in the same ivy pattern. "I'll have an iced tea."
Mulder smiled at the waitress. "I'll have the same."
The waitress smiled back at him. "Sure thing, sweetie."
Scully felt a twinge of something inside when Mulder smiled at the girl. She put it out of her mind and focused on her notes of the case. "Mulder we still don't have any leads on this case. Our only clue is the mirror, and I don't see how that's going to help us-
She looked up as the waitress came back with the drinks. The girl made a point of fluttering her eyelashes at Mulder as she asked, "What would you like to eat?"
Mulder looked over the menu; all the items had names referring to Roman times. "I'll take a Gladiator Sized Hamburger."
Scully cut off the waitress' response by quickly saying, "And I'll take a Caesar Salad."
Mulder pretended to not notice Scully's reaction to the waitress' flirting. He took a long sip of the iced tea before he replied, "Don't write the mirror off as nothing. We still can't explain how it ended up as tiny glass balls covering the room."
"Mulder, we still can't be sure that those balls were made from the mirror. But even if they were, what's the point?"
"The point? I'm not sure yet, Scully. But I am still thinking that that mirror may have been some sort of portal… Now the question is, did Mrs. Robinson and Honey mean to go through it?"
Scully's blue eyes widened. "Really? Mulder, you seriously believe that? But there's no proof!"
Mulder's brown eyes met hers. "There will be."
Just then the waitress came back with their orders. To Mulder she said, "Enjoy your meal."
Once she left Scully asked, "What do you mean 'there will be'?"
Mulder smiled and took a bite of the gigantic hamburger. "You'll see."
After a few bites Mulder had finished his hamburger. He pulled out his cell phone and got up from the table.
Scully looked up, her fork halfway to her mouth. "Where are you going?"
"Don't worry. I'm not leaving you, Scully. I just need to make a few calls."
Scully raised her eyebrows and called after him, "A few calls to do what, Mulder? How are you going to get proof?"
Mulder did not respond. After a few minutes he returned to the table. He leaned over and whispered, "It's all set."
Scully was beginning to get annoyed. She snapped, "What's all set, Mulder?"
He stood up straight and exclaimed, "Come on, Scully, let's get going."
************************************************************************
A short while later the two agents pulled up in front of a shop. It was called 'Glass Magic, The place for all your melting and welding needs'.
Scully gave Mulder a what-are-you-up-to-now look. Officer Paterson was leaning against the shop door, holding a bulging bag. He waved and came jogging over to them.
He excitedly held up the bag, like a little kid showing his parents a good grade. "I got them, just like you wanted, Agent Mulder."
"Thanks Paterson." Mulder took the bag and began walking towards the shop.
Scully's eyes narrowed. "Mulder, what is going on here? What's in that bag?"
Mulder kept walking, but replied, "The beginning of the proof."
Scully hurried after him. She knew that it was futile to ask anymore questions, she would find out the answers soon enough.
They walked into Glass Magic; the floorboards creaked under their shoes. It was a dimly lit shop and it looked like it hadn't been painted for the last thirty years. Scully wondered if anything, other than the proof of an insurance hazard, could be found here.
A man walked out of the back room. He had long, stringy hair. It looked as if he hadn't combed it since the last time the building had been painted. He pulled off heavy work gloves and exclaimed, "Whadda ya need done?"
Scully gave Mulder a sidelong glance. She also wanted to know the answer to that question.
Mulder pulled out his badge. "I am Special Agent Mulder with the FBI. I believe I spoke to you earlier?"
The man's eyes widened, momentarily. "Yes, sir. Is that da stuff I be working with?"
Mulder handed over the bag. "Yeah."
The man opened the bag and poured a small amount of its contents into his hand. A number of small glass balls glittered in the dim light.
Scully opened her mouth, shocked. She grabbed Mulder's arm and roughly pulled him aside. "What are you doing, Mulder? Those things are evidence! You just can't have them melted!"
"Come on Scully. You, yourself, said you didn't see the point to the glass balls. As far as the bureau is concerned, they are not evidence at all."
Scully put her hands on her hips. "And what do you hope to accomplish by melting them?"
"I hope to have the mirror, and the portal, recreated."
Scully shook her head. "A portal? Mulder I thought we went over-
The man interrupted her, "Um…'cuse me, but I'm gonna get started."
Scully watched the man disappear into the back. She let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, Mulder. We'll let him recreate the mirror. But I still don't see what good it will do…"
Mulder smiled. "Thanks, Scully. You'll just have to trust me on this one."
Scully folded her arms over her chest. "I always do."
************************************************************************
The two agents sat in their Buick, with the windows rolled down. They had been sitting there, waiting, for the past few hours. A gentle breeze blew through the window, ruffling Scully's auburn hair. She took a deep breath and sighed, hoping that the mirror would be ready soon.
Suddenly the stringy-haired man, 'Mr. Glass Magic', came running out of the building. Sweat ran down his face and he practically fell onto the car, gasping incoherent sentences.
Mulder and Scully sat up, straight, in their seats. Scully exclaimed, "Sir, please calm down! Take a deep breath and-
"Tell us what you saw," demanded Mulder in an excited tone of voice.
Scully shot him a look and Mulder shrugged in an innocent manner.
The man wiped his mouth with a grimy hand. "Gee, man…I ain't never seen nothing like this before! I look in that an' there be something there! I just finished polishing the glass with some rouge, yea know, to get them marks out…an' then I looked 'n'…"
Scully opened her mouth to question the man further when she realized that her partner was no longer sitting next to her. "Mulder!"
Scully knew where he was going. She jumped out of the car and ran into Glass Magic, just in time to see his tall form disappear into the back. "Mulder, wait!"
Mulder's head peered back around the door. "C'mon, Scully! You heard the man, there's something in there and I'm going to find it."
His head once again disappeared into the back. Scully quickly ran after him. "Wait! Shouldn't we contact someone or…"
Mulder turned around to face her. "Scully, we are the FBI."
Scully shook her head. "I know that Mulder, but…"
"Are you actually saying you think this is a portal?" asked Mulder, gesturing towards the glass that sat on a cast-iron table.
Scully looked over at it. From here it just looked like a plain piece of glass. "Mulder, I don't know that, but neither do you!"
Mulder smiled and stood over the glass. "There's only one way to find out."
He looked at the glass. Mulder did not see a figure staring back at him, but he did see something; a cornfield. It looked like it went on for miles, rows upon rows of green plants. In the middle of the field there was a narrow dirt road. This scene was not exactly as exciting as what Mulder had hoped for, but just seeing something was still amazing.
Mulder looked over at his partner, who was now standing next to him. "So what's your scientific explanation for this, Scully?"
Scully looked down at the glass. "Maybe it's painted, Mulder. Or even stained."
But even as she said that, Scully knew this was not the case. The picture she was seeing was as clear as if she were looking out a window.
Mulder was not really listening to her. He was thinking of how to get inside, through the portal. All doors have an opening…
He held his hand precariously over the glass. "Have you ever seen The Matrix, Scully? You know that scene where it looks like the mirror melts?"
Scully blinked, surprised by his sudden question. "Yes. And I suppose you think you're Neo, The Chosen One."
Mulder smiled and replied, "Only if you're Trinity!"
Suddenly he grabbed Scully's hand. Mulder thrust their joint hands into the glass…and then it happened.
*********************************************************************
Scully waited for the mirror to break, for shards of glass to pierce her skin, but it didn't. All of a sudden a cold chill came over her. It seemed like all her senses had gone hay wire; she couldn't see, couldn't hear. She wasn't breathing, but yet she wasn't suffocating. It was unreal, like something from a dream- or a nightmare.
Then, all of a sudden, it was gone. The senses came back to Scully with such force that she fell to the ground. What ground? Where was she? Scully stayed there for a moment, on her hands and knees. Then she opened her eyes. She was on a dirt road, not just any dirt road; it was the one she had seen through the glass. She was sure of it; the cornfields on either side were identical to the ones she had seen.
Scully coughed, once again letting oxygen into her lungs. "Mulder?"
"Here, Scully." She felt strong arms around her waist, helping her to stand.
"Are you okay, Mulder?" asked Scully, turning to face him.
"Are you?" He looked over her with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied while absent-mindedly smoothing her hair.
"Some ride, huh?" remarked Mulder while attempting to brush the dirt off his pants.
Scully glared at him. He made it sound like they'd just been on a merry-go-round, not…well whatever that was. She looked around, again. "Where are we, Mulder?"
He smiled at her, "We ain't in Kansas anymore, Dorothy."
Scully gave him a stern look. "Wizard of Oz, huh? If you sing the line, 'If I only had a brain,' I'll let you get away with that comment."
Mulder lowered his head. "Touché, Scully. I have no idea where we are. But," he took a deep breath, "there seems to be plenty of oxygen in the atmosphere. That must be a good sign! We also won't be going hungry with this abundance of Zea mays."
Scully gave Mulder a quizzical look. "Ah, Zea mays; the scientific name for corn. In some regions it has been cultivated for over 7000 years. The kernels are eaten by humans and livestock, alike. It is sometimes ground up, but I find it best when popped. Did you know, Scully, that the cobs are actually used in the production of synthetic rubber?" Scully raised her eyebrows. "No, I didn't know that Mulder. Thanks for the Social Studies' lesson. Where did you learn those facts?" Mulder shrugged. "I picked up some information on corn while I was studying crop circles. And I'd rather like to know how we got here, than where we are." Scully shook her head and replied, "I don't have a theory for you, Mulder." She looked up into his twinkling eyes. "But I have a feeling you have one for me." Mulder grinned widely as he proclaimed, "Well I was right, Scully. The mirror was a portal. Though I can't tell you what kind or how it works. I have a feeling further investigation into the frame will give us some clues. Perhaps it was enchanted or- She broke off his train of thought. "Mulder, I don't think we'll be able to do that anytime soon. If you haven't noticed, we are on a dirt road literally in the middle of nowhere. And unless you know something I don't, we have no means of getting back." He removed the grin from his face. "You make it sound so hopeless, Scully. No we don't know where we are. And no, we don't know how to get back. But look at it this way, we are one step closer to finding Angela and Honey Robinson." Scully crossed her arms over her chest. "How do you figure that?" "Well, as far as we know, they also went through that same portal. And in my experience portals, or doors, always seem to lead to the same place. There for Angela and Honey would've ended up here, somewhere. All we have to do is find them." Scully sighed. "Even if you're right, it's still like looking for a needle in a haystack." "Or a cornfield." ************************************************************************ Mulder and Scully began walking through the cornfields. Mulder was still thoroughly delighted with the fact that they had been transported somewhere. Scully, still having no decent theory, was left with no choice but to listen to him. "Can you believe this Scully? We were actually transported, through a mirror no less! Think of all the possibilities…who knows what we could find here? We're pioneers into a new dimension! Perhaps here they have even more advanced technology then us. Maybe even a cure for all diseases! I would like to see the look on Skinner's face when he hears about this! I wonder if they've had any contact with aliens…" Scully sighed and kept walking. She reminded him, "Mulder, our first priority is to find Angela and Honey." Mulder nodded. "Of course, Scully, that's what we are doing; walking and looking. Why, do you have a better idea?" Shecupped her hands around her mouth and began yelling, "Angela! Honey!" Mulder began to do the same. "Angela! Honey! We're here to help you! Angela! Honey! If you're out there please respond!" Suddenly they heard a noise. It was very quiet and the two agents had to stop yelling to hear better. "We're over here!" Mulder and Scully looked at each other and then began to move through the field in the direction of the voice. "Stay there. We'll come to you!" They pushed their way through a few rows of corn and then saw them. The two agents ran up to the woman and small child. The woman's hair was all messed up and she was wearing torn pajamas. She held protectively onto her daughter. Mulder pulled out his badge, which had amazingly stayed in his pocket. "Mrs. Robinson? I am Agent Mulder and this is Agent Scully. We are from the FBI and were looking for you." The woman noticeably relaxed. "Thank God. I was beginning to think we'd be stuck in this cornfield forever!" Scully held out her hand to the small girl. "Honey? My name is Dana. How are you feeling?" The girl looked up at her mother before replying, "I'm tired. We've been walking all day!" Mulder crouched down next to her. "You've been a very brave girl. How would you like a ride?" Honey climbed up onto his back and let out a girlish shriek as he stood up. "Wow! You're tall Mr. Agent Mulder." Mulder smiled at her comment; reminded of his sister, Samantha. He began walking. Scully's voice stopped him. "Mulder! What are you dong?" Mulder spoke over his shoulder. "I'm walking to the end of this row of corn. Maybe we'll be able to see something from there. Angela and Scully followed him. Scully asked, "How did you get here, Mrs. Robinson?" Angela replied, "To tell you the truth I'm not sure. I remember waking up last night when I heard Honey yelling. I went into her room and she told me she saw something in her mirror. She had told us that before, so I wasn't surprised. I thought I would show her it was all right by looking in the mirror, myself. But then…there was…well we ended up here. I don't know…we've been walking around here ever since. Where are we?" Scully faltered, "Well…um…" "You mean you don't know?" Angela stared at her in disbelief. "But you said you were from the FBI! That you were looking for us…" Scully nodded. "Well we were looking for you. We were assigned to your case this morning. When we came to investigate we found pieces of a mirror all over your daughter's room. My partner hypothesized that it was used as some sort of a portal, bringing you both here. He thought that if we recreated the mirror we'd also recreate the portal, which I guess we did." Mulder took over. "The portal brought us here. I think we are in some sort of other dimension. Perhaps even in another universe or time! Who knows what we'll find beyond this cornfield! Maybe- Just then they reached the end of the row of corn. And they saw- ************************************************************************ And they saw a great distance of land. The edge of the cornfield connected directly with a small ditch covered in grass. The ditch led to concrete ground. The ground was broken up every so often by cracks. The defects had been fixed by having tar smeared over the top, leaving ugly scars behind. The concrete expanse was tattooed along the middle in yellow stripes. On the side, held up by metal spikes, was green sign. It read: Interstate 097 For a moment the four stood in total silence, thinking over what they were seeing and what they could've saw. Finally Scully found her voice, "This is a highway. Look at that sign! It's written in English! Mulder we aren't in a different dimension, we haven't even left our own country!" Another moment of silence past; they all watched a pair of official looking black cars speed by, followed by a white van. "Does this mean we get to go home, Mommy? I'm hungry," complained Honey. Her blonde curls moved slightly as she turned to look at her mother. Angela removed her daughter from the speechless Mulder's back. "I guess so, Sweetheart. It looks like we're closer to home than we thought." Suddenly Mulder began sputtering words, "But…transported…can't be…can't… must be…. Some where else…" Scully grabbed his arm and led him back into the cornfield, before he started scaring the little girl. "Mulder. Snap out of it! So we weren't transported to some other dimension. We were transported, we all were. That really did happen and I still can't tell you how. You have to snap out of this so we can start being FBI agents again." Mulder looked into her eyes. "So you do believe we were transported?" "I have to, Mulder. We didn't just happen to appear in a cornfield a minute after we were in a glass shop!" "You're right, Scully," said Mulder while pulling out his cell phone. He pushed the ON button and the screen showed no signs that they were out of range. 'Too bad I didn't try this earlier,' he thought. "Who are you calling?" asked Scully. "Officer Paterson," replied Mulder. "I think he'll be willing to give us a lift back to the Robinson's. Especially when he hears who we have with us." ************************************************************************ The sky was a pale pastel color, contrasting the intense orange radiating from the sun. As it set behind the horizon it's final rays reached out like tiny fingers, trying to hold onto what was left of the day. But time was winning, and the fingers began to fade from view. The sun was setting, only to rise again on the other side, and bring light to someone else's dreams. Honey lay curled up in the backseat of the police car. As she slept her small body rose and fell, she knew she was safe. The little girl's tiny fingers were wrapped firmly around her mother's larger hand. Angela's other hand lay on top of her daughter's head. She ran her fingers threw the golden curls, wishing that she could see her child's peaceful dreams. Scully sighed. She was also sitting in the backseat and she silently observed the connection between the mother and daughter. In the pit of her heart she yearned to have that connection with her own child, though she knew that could never happen. She would have to be content chasing around little gray men with Mulder. Scully smiled; there was no one else she'd be happy doing that with. The police car pulled into the Robinson's driveway. Angela leaned over and whispered to her daughter, "Honey, we're home." The girl's eyes fluttered opened, she smiled and stretched. Mr. Robinson saw them pull in and ran outside. "Angela? Honey? Are you okay?" Angela jumped out of the car and embraced her husband. They kissed for a long moment until Honey made a 'grossed out' face and complained, "Hey, what about me?" Mr. Robinson picked her up and whirled her around in a circle. "I'd never forget about you!" He then proceeded to give her a ferocious bear hug. Mulder and Scully stood next to each other, watching the scene that seemed fit for a Holly Wood script. They knew that the case was not over with. They still had to figure out how they were transported. Mr. Robinson explained, "I was surprised to see you all here. Some official looking men just came by here looking for the mirror. I told them that it was taken to Glass Magic, but I thought they should've already know that…aren't they working with you?" Mulder and Scully looked at each other. They had dealt with these mysterious, 'official', men before; covering up evidence and hiding the truth. "Can we use your car?" Mulder asked Officer Paterson. Jeff nodded and tossed the keys to Mulder, who caught them and jumped into the driver's seat. Scully was already in the car and in a moment they were speeding towards Glass Magic. ************************************************************************ The police car speeded into the Glass Magic parking lot, raising a cloud of dust as it screeched to a halt. Using the cloud to their advantage the two agents quietly exited the car, guns in hand. Walking stealthily along Scully motioned for Mulder to enter the building first. He nodded his head in silent acknowledgment before proceeding to kick the door open. Mulder held his gun straight in front of him as he burst into the shop. He yelled, "Who ever is in here, come out with your hands in the air!" Scully appeared in the doorway behind Mulder, prepared to back him up. She spun around so her back was towards him as she surveyed the parking lot. All the dust had settled and there was no sign that anyone else was there. She did notice, however, that three sets of tire prints were left in the gravel. Someone else must have been there and left in a hurry. Inside the shop a figure appeared. His hands were raised above his head and he slowly stepped out of the shadows. "Hey man, I didn't do nothin'!" Mulder walked past the shop attendant and into the back of the shop. It was a mess; like someone had just rushed through looking for something. Coals and tools lay scattered around the floor. He walked over to the cast iron table where the glass mirror had lain. It was gone. Mulder walked back out to where the shop employee was standing. "Where is the mirror?" he demanded. The shop clerk rang his hands nervously. "I dunno what you're talkin' about." Mulder grabbed the man by the collar. "What do you mean you don't know? Remember this?" He waved his badge in the man's face. "Remember me? I'm from the FBI. That mirror is crucial evidence and if you are hiding it I swear you'll be in trouble with me!" The man broke out in a sweat, clearly intimidated by Mulder. "It's not here, man." Scully cut in. "He's telling the truth, Mulder. There are tire tracks outside that weren't there before. They were here, they have it." Mulder roughly let go of the man. He asked, "Who was here? Who took the mirror? Where are they taking it?" The man shook his head and looked at the ground. Mulder followed his gaze and picked up a used cigarette butt. He turned it over in his hands. In small red letters one word was printed…Morley. Mulder tossed it back onto the ground and walked outside. "He was here Scully." Scully replaced her gun in its holster and followed him outside. "Who was here, Mulder?" Mulder turned to face her. "Him. Cancer Man…Spender…whatever you want to call him. He was here." "How do you know that?" Mulder gestured towards Glass Magic. "The cigarette butt, it was a Morley, his brand. But it's not just that…it all fits, him and the mirror. It must have been a prototype of some new technology that he was working on…" "But why would the Robinson's have a prototype of a new technology? If it was still being tested it should've been in a lab, not in someone's home." "You're right Scully and I don't know. I think we should go back to the Robinson's and ask them a few questions about the mirror. Maybe one of them can help give us some insight into its origin." "But Mulder, our case was to find Angela and Honey. We did that. Our job is done. We are supposed to be back in Washington D.C. writing up our report," explained Scully. "Scully, don't you want to know how we were transported? There still isn't a plausible scientific explanation." Scully looked away from him. "Fine, Mulder. But then we are going back." ************************************************************************ Mulder and Scully once again stood in front of the Robinson's front door. Shadows lazily devoured the light and tree branches gently swayed, as if dancing to some inaudible euphony. The house looked tranquil, like the unbelievable events of the day had never occurred. Mulder almost regretted knocking on the door, knowing that their presence would disturb the peacefulness. But nevertheless he knocked, and after a moment a small porch light flickered on. The door cracked open and Mr. Robinson stood there defensively. He looked like he was ready to protect his family against a full-fledged military attack. In her mind Scully hypothesized that he was still harboring guilt about leaving Angela and Honey alone. Mr. Robinson blinked, letting his eyes become accustom to the dim light. After they focused he looked the agents over. He relaxed and asked, "Agents Mulder and Scully, what are you doing here?" Mulder replied, "We wanted to ask you how the mirror came into your possession." "I'm not quite sure, actually. My wife brought it home one day. You'll have to ask her," he said and stepped back from the door so they could enter. They all walked into the Robinson's living room. Angela lay horizontally on the couch; her legs were covered up with a blanket. She was surprised to see the agents. Scully explained, "Angela, we're sorry to disturb you, but we need to know where you got the mirror." "Well, I got it at an auction. I believe it was an auction of a Dr. Stoker's estate. I think he past away and didn't have any heirs. I'm not sure the exact details, it was just a charity event and I was only paying attention to the merchandise." Scully nodded and jotted notes down on her notepad. Mulder asked, "So there wasn't anything suspicious there?" "No," replied Angela. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you. Do you know how we were transported?" Mulder and Scully exchanged glances. "No we don't, though we had some suspicions. It appears our only evidence is gone. Thank you for your time Mrs. Robinson." The two agents walked to the door. They were stopped by Mr. Robinson who took their hands in firm shakes and exclaimed, "I didn't have a chance earlier, but I want to personally thank you for finding my wife and daughter. I don't know what I would've done if I'd lost them. They mean everything to me and I don't know if I could've ever been able to live with myself. Thank you." Mulder nodded. "Your welcome. I'm glad we could help you." Scully and Mulder walked outside. She said, "You know Mulder, even if we didn't figure out how we were transported we still accomplished our goal; we found Angela and Honey. That's the important thing. Now we can go back to Washington." Mulder sat in the drivers' seat. "I agree with you Scully, we should go back. But I don't think we should give up yet." "What do you mean, Mulder? We've exhausted our options. Our only evidence is gone." Mulder flipped the ignition. "What about this Dr. Stoker?" Scully sighed. "What about him? Mulder, you heard her, he's dead." "I know he's dead, Scully, but don't you want to know why he had the mirror?" "Mulder, all I want is a nice, hot shower and a bed. I'm tired and dirty, it's been a long day." Mulder reached over and brushed a piece of Scully's hair behind her ear. "You still look beautiful, Scully. Please?" Scully stared into him eyes for a long minute and then consented, "Okay, Mulder, let's go. If you really want to find out that badly." Mulder smiled and back the car out of the driveway. By the time the two agents returned to Washington D. C. the day had already passed into night. The sky was of the deepest shade of blue, illuminated only by the occasional shining star; like diamonds displayed on the richest velvet, for all to gaze at and admire. The air was cold, yet crisp. It was brisk enough for you to want to snuggle into a warm sweater, yet not chilly enough for you to pass up a good jog around the park. But the darkness outside made little difference to the atmosphere inside the J. Edgar Hover building. In the basement the artificial lights clicked and buzzed, as if it was a huge effort for them to give off their meager light. "Yeah. Bye," Scully said as she slammed down the receiver of the phone. She tossed down her glasses in disgust and rubbed her temple. "What is it?" asked Mulder while walking into the office. "I just spent forty-five minutes on the phone listening to the classics of the eighties! When I finally was put through I was informed that all the records, including that of Dr. Stoker, was destroyed in a fire!" Mulder waited for Scully to finish her tirade before he explained, "I was able to find out a bit of information- Scully cut him off, "But I was told all the- "Scully, this is the Computer Age. There is never just one copy of documents. If you want something there is always a way to get it," replied Mulder. Scully rolled her eyes, getting a mental picture of the Lone Gun Men hunched over their lap tops, typing away. Mulder continued, "Anyway, it turns out Dr. Stoker worked in a government lab. He was assigned to a top secret project dealing with Teleportronics." "Teleportronics?" Mulder nodded. "Yes. Teleportronics is the science of teleportation, or moving objects with out actually touching them. Not necessarily psychically, apparently Dr. Stoker made some amazing scientific discovery and then died. All the evidence was, as you said, destroyed. The only thing that was left was the mirror. That was a mistake. I assume it was also supposed to be 'taken care of'. I'm sure it was not meant to be sold at an auction. But now they have that too." Scully shook her head, open-mouthed. "Teleportronics? Mulder, you can't believe there is such a thing!" Mulder shrugged. "I believe there was such a thing. Though, it is all gone now. Or so hidden away that we will never find it. And Scully we know it existed. We were both transported. That did happen." Scully sighed. "It has been a long day, Mulder. That event is so clouded in my mind that I couldn't even tell you if it really happened! And frankly even if I was adroit it would still sound outrageous!" "Scully we ended up in a cornfield! That didn't just happen," Mulder insisted. "Okay, fine Mulder, it did happen. But Teleportronics? That still sounds far fetched." Mulder averted his eyes. "You said you wanted an explanation. This is the only one I have for you." Scully realized she'd hurt his feelings. "I'm sorry, Mulder. I'm just tired. Thank you for trying, that's why I love you." 'Did I just say
Scully bent down to plant a kiss on his forehead. But Mulder tilted his face upward and their lips met. They shared a long quiet kiss.
Mulder pulled back and smiled. "Who else would listen to my crazy theories and still follow me to the ends of the earth? You keep me grounded and you keep me truthful. Scully, I wouldn't find another one of you in a million and I wouldn't want to. You are my soul mate and that's why I love you."
A tear rolled down Scully's cheek, she was so touched. It glistened in the light for a moment and then Mulder wiped it away.
They embraced; feeling the warmth of each other's love. Scully took Mulder's face in her hands and looked deep into his eyes.
Eyes are the windows to the soul. In the soul you will find personal truths. Mulder and Scully had found the truth in each other.
For even though reflections can be distorted the reflection of the truth, of love, is always clear.
*The End*