Mulder arrives at the lone gunman office. Frohike opens the door, unlocking all eight locks.
"The latest in home security." – notes Mulder as Frohike opens the door.
"Hey, you get through this, you got to come through me." says Frohike with a smile.
"I got a call from Scully. Said it was urgent." Mulder answers matter-of-factly. He walks past Frohike and finds the gunmen and Scully in the room. She comes forward to speak to him.
"I'll ask you to hear me out before you launch any objection." He nods. "Mulder, I asked them to pull up everything they could on Diana Fowley." She tries in a quiet voice.
Mulder sighs in disbelief. "I don't have time for this."
"Mulder, she's playing you for a fool." – she tries again, trying to get his attention.
"I know her, Scully. You don't." his voice is tired.
"You knew her. You don't anymore. I think we can prove that to you." She walks to the screen and the gunmen follow her.
"She took a position in the FBI's foreign counter-terrorism unit in 1991. Seven years in Europe." Byers informs Mulder.
"Yet there isn't a single piece of information available on her activities in the FBI files." Scully continues.
Mulder gives a sarcastic, melodramatic gasp. "I hope you've got something more than that to indict her with."
Scully ignores Mulder sarcasm and continues, trying to make him understand. "Travel records pulled from airline manifests that had been purged from her FBI records. Extensive movement throughout Western Europe. Almost weekly trips to and from Tunisia."
"For the purpose of what?" Mulder seems interested for a second.
"That's what we couldn't figure until we took a flyer and we found this." Langly jumps in.
"Mutual UFO network logs." Frohike adds.
Mulder is getting irritated again, " MUFON." He says knowingly.
"Special Agent Diana Fowley of the FBI was visiting every European chapter collecting data on female abductees." Scully continues..
"So she's collecting data. Big deal." – replies Mulder dismissively.
"Or hiding it." – says Scully, raising her voice.
Mulder's had enough. This conversation is leading nowhere. "Scully, you're reaching."
The gunmen watch the scene unfolding in front of them.
"Mulder, when I was abducted a chip was put in my neck. Then I happened upon a MUFON group filled with women who'd had the same experience." Scully is getting upset by his lack of interest.
"So you're suggesting that Diana is monitoring these abductees? Monitoring these tests?"
Scully licks her lips, trying to calm herself. She tries again. "You tell me that Cassandra Spender is the critical test subject - the one who could prove everything. And yet, who is watching over her? Mulder, I can prove what you're saying or I can disprove it but not when Diana Fowley is keeping us from even seeing her." Mulder is silent, listening to her but not really giving it a thought. He is waiting for her to finish. Scully is desperate. "Mulder, ask yourself why there is no information whatsoever on Special Agent Diana Fowley. Why she would suddenly happen into your life when you are closer than ever to the truth. I mean, you... you ask me to trust no one and yet you trust her on simple faith."
"Because you've given me no reason here to do otherwise." – He says matter-of-factly.
There is a long pause. The gunmen look at Mulder and then to Scully.
"Well, then I can't help you anymore." She says helplessly with a heavy sigh. She moves past the gunmen and Mulder to leave.
"Scully, you're making this personal." Mulder calls after her. She stops and turns.
"Because it is personal, Mulder. Because without the FBI personal interest is all that I have. And if you take that away then there is no reason for me to continue."
She has nothing else to say. She walks out of the office. The gunmen look at Mulder with disbelief. Mulder looks at them and heads out the door.
Scully has reached her car in the dark parking lot not far from the gunman office. She is getting her keys ready and reaches for the door.
"Scully!" Mulder calls after her and continues toward her.
She turns around and angrily walks back to meet him half way, pointing a finger at him.
"You crossed the line back there, Mulder." She is exasperated. "I expected a little more respect from you especially in front of your friends."
"You going behind my back and asking them to dig up some dirt isn't really a storybook example of respect" he shoots back. He came after her to talk not to argue. He stops in front of her.
"I *was* watching your back. I am your partner, remember?"
"You have asked the guys to do unnecessary and unimportant research based on a faulty personal judgment."
"I though you knew me better than that, Mulder." she is hurt. "If you just take a look at the files…" – she tries again, pointing at the door.
"I don't care, Scully!" – he cuts her off angrily.
She sighs. This is unbelievable. What is happening here? What is happening to them?
"Why are you protecting her? What are you not telling me?" – she's desperate to get an answer from him.
"There is nothing to tell, Scully. You are wrong. Diana is not a spy."
"Take a look at the files for god's sake, Mulder!" She sounds hysterical even to her own ears. Mulder doesn't move.
"Why is she so important to you that when I say I can prove that she's untrustworthy you don't even give me a chance to explain?"
"I gave you a chance and what you said was not enough to convince me".
Scully shakes her head and sighs. She looks at her partner for a moment then turns to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"Home". She says quietly and walks back to the car. Mulder follows her.
"What do you want me to say?"
She whirls around suddenly, causing Mulder to stop not to bump into her.
"The truth, Mulder!" He doesn't answer. "If she's not here to monitor the abductees, why is she here then?" she tries again but Mulder remains silent. "Why don't you trust me?" she asks quietly, hurt evident in her voice.
"I do trust you".
"Then why don't you tell me what's going on here?"
"Just drop it. She's here to solve this case just like we do."
After a long pause Scully quietly says "I can't go on like this anymore, Mulder." She looks down shaking her head.
"Scully…"
She looks up at him, beaten. "If you keep me in the dark, Mulder, I can't help you. If you disregard every warning, I can't protect you from the danger you're going to face." Her voice is quiet, pleading.
"Diana is no danger to me!" he raises his voice. Scully falls silent. His outburst is more than what she can bear. She nods an invisible nod, and closes her eyes briefly acknowledging the lost battle. She turns around, opens the door to her car and gets in.
"Scully…" Mulder starts but there's no response. Scully closes the door, starts the car and drives away. Mulder stands alone in the dark parking lot, watching as the lights of her car disappear into the night.
There is a knock on the door and she knows who that is. She is dressed in her white night gown ready for bed although she knows she won't get any sleep tonight. The knocking gets harder and louder. She walks to the door, looks through the peephole and calls out to him in a low and tired voice.
"Mulder, please go home."
"Open the door, Scully, we need to talk".
"Mulder…" She sighs.
"Open the goddamn door!" he shouts impatiently. Her adrenalin rushes up in her bloodstream. She was tired a moment ago now she is angry. She opens the door for him ready to shout his head off but as soon as the door cracks open he rushes inside the apartment nearly knocking her over on his way. He turns around and points at her, opening his mouth to say something. Scully is looking at him, waiting for his speech. Scully folds her arms across her chest. He then drops his hand and looks at her apologetically.
"I didn't come here to fight".
Scully remains silent. She is tired of this fight as well but she is hurt by his attitude, by his words and his lack of trust in her.
"We had a child". He says finally, barely a whisper. Scully lowers her arms in a shock.
"What?"
He is not looking at her. His gaze is fixated on her floor. "Diana and I. After the Academy we got married and she got pregnant".
Scully feels her eyes dwelling up with unshed tears burning them. She can't say a word.
"She was with me when I discovered the X-files." He takes a deep breath before continuing. "She lost the baby when following a lead I though was important".
"Mulder…" Scully instinctively moves to him to give comfort. He looks up at her, sorrow in his eyes. Scully stops.
"We couldn't recuperate from the loss and we divorced. She left the States and I buried myself in the X-files".
"Why didn't you tell me?" she says almost crying herself.
"Because it is our business." He says it and immediately regrets his choice of words when he catches the look on Scully's face.
"Mulder, how can you say that to me?" a single tear drop falls on her cheek. "How can you say this after all we've been through? After you just agreed to father my child, last week?" She hears her voice break and prays for strength.
"It's different, Scully".
"No, it isn't!" she shouts. Mulder doesn't say a word. "Mulder, I am sorry about what happened to your child but it is no reason for you to believe her blindly. Your judgment is clouded by your feelings for her". She feels a lump in her throat when she says the last part.
"It's past tense, Scully." He reassures her. He wants to embrace her, kiss her, tell her he loves her but he doesn't move. He agreed to father her child but they have not discussed anything else. If they succeed they will figure out how to deal with it.
"I am asking you to look at the files and consider the possibility that she might have changed. I am asking you to trust in me".
Mulder sighs and closes his eyes for a moment. He nods then moves to the door. Scully turns around in confusion.
"What are you doing?"
"Trusting you" he says and leaves. Scully is standing mouth open trying to figure out his next move.