TITLE: ⌠Foxhunt: PART 1 by Kathy Evans
CATEGORY: CT(A?) This is not really angst or tragedy, but it wouldn't fit into R or H!
Rating: PG (language, mild violence)
SUMMARY: This is an X-files/Starman crossover, based on the Starman TV show from 1986, which was in turn based on the 1984 movie. Shippers beware; Agent Scully is not "in" this story. (Well, maybe just a tiny bit (one or two paragraphs) but she is not an integral part of the story.) Agent Mulder is temporarily paired with his counterpart in the Federal Security Agency, George Fox. (Two foxes are better than one!) They are both hot on the trail of the wayward Paul Forrester (Starman) and his 14-year-old son, Scott Hayden. Paul's situation touches Mulder in a way that forces him to rethink his preconceived notions about aliens.
SPOILER WARNING: This may not be of much use to X-philes, but this story has references to (and takes place after) the Starman episodes ⌠Starscape Pt.1 & Pt. 2.
DISCLAIMER: The X-files and all characters belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting. Likewise, Starman and all characters belong to Columbia Pictures and Columbia Pictures Television, and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made from their use.
Part 1 of 3 "Foxhunt" By Kathy Evans
Director Skinner called Agent Mulder into his office. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Yes, Agent Mulder, I am sending you on a special assignment."
"Why didn't you call Agent Scully as well? Aren't we working together on this?"
"No, Mulder. You will not be needing Agent Scully's support or expertise on this case. She is needed here. This, as I said, is a very special case, and you will be reassigned a temporary partner."
"What?!" barked Mulder. "You know I hate it when you do this. Is it somebody else who's going to stab me in my back the minute it's turned? You know I don't trust anyone else but Scully to back me up."
Skinner scowled at him. "Well, I hate to disappoint you, Mulder, but I think you may find that you have more in common with this partner than you realize. In fact, in one area,
you have more in common with him than you do with Scully."
Mulder tried to retort, but he just shook his head with his jaw open. This he had to hear.
"You are being assigned to an agent in the Federal Security Agency, an office of the Pentagon. His name is George Fox. He reports to a General Wade."
"And what is this thing that only he and I have in common?" asked Mulder.
"You are both the solitary men in your respective agencies who are the Agents In Charge of finding 'little green men'."
Skinner handed him the file, and noticed Mulder had quite an astonished look on his face. "But I should warn you, Mulder; If you think I've got a corncob up my ass, you should see this guy. Just watch your step around him; he is a patriot above all, but the man is constantly on edge. He's like a ticking bomb. Just thought I'd warn you."
"Great. Lovely."
The sun was high overhead on the lonely stretch of almost-deserted highway.
"Deserted" was a pretty good term; there were cacti and Tumbleweeds as far as the eye could see. There was no immediate signs of life, save for the pair of humans walking down the dusty highway, occasionally looking back for signs of a welcome approaching car. The man was in his late 30's, dark-haired, trim and well-filled out,
wearing jeans and a plaid workshirt, holding his leather jacket over his head to protect him from the sun. The boy, about 1/2 his height, was 14, a tad tall and gangly, as most 14 year old boys were; also dark haired. He had been told before that he resembled his mother. His mother, he thought. Why are we out here in this desert? We should be looking for her! "Nice job, Dad, letting the car break down," he said, half-sarcastically.
"Scott, how was I to know the car would need oil so soon? We only just bought it 3 months ago." Scott gave his father a strange look, then shook his head with a smirk.
"Well, I guess I could have told you about that. Can't expect you to know everything, can I?"
Paul Forrester grinned and tousled Scott's hair. "Well, the important thing now is to get back to civilization so I can find a job. We're starting to run out of money."
Paul thought back to when he first found his son. It was 14 years after he had left Jenny Hayden - spent 3 days with her, then left her pregnant with his half-alien child. He left behind a gift for his son - a small metallic sphere that when used properly had incredible power. That sphere Scott now carried in his pocket wherever he went. Paul was pleased with the progress Scott was making in learning how to use it. Of course he made mistakes sometimes, but it was all part of the learning process. Scott had used the sphere in his sleep to "call" for help after his adoptive parents died in a car crash - Paul had thought it was Jenny calling, but upon arrival on Earth discovered that it was Scott. He then cloned the body of a dead photographer, Paul Forrester, and sought out his son. Scott was angry and full of questions when Paul explained that he was his father; it took a very long time for Scott to begin to trust Paul, and eventually came to love him as his father. Now the two were inseparable. They roamed across the country from town to town, searching for Jenny Hayden, always keeping one step ahead of George Fox, never staying long in one place. On the way they would meet many wonderful, kindhearted people,
and also some of the not-so-kind variety. Wherever Paul went he touched the hearts and souls of those he met - everyone could see that he had a good heart, and he was always honest. Fox seemed to be the only one who could not see this. He was blinded, consumed by his obsession to find both Paul and the boy, and to subject them to all kinds of tests, all in the name of National Security, and in the name of science.
Paul came out of his reverie to the sound of an approaching motor. "Dad! Look!
A car! Let's wave him down!" Paul waved toward the car, while Scott stuck out his thumb. The car slowed down; seeing a man with a young boy, he probably didn't feel threatened.
"Where you headed?" asked the man.
"If you could take us to the nearest city, we would greatly appreciate it," Paul answered.
"Hop in!" said the man. Paul and Scott jumped in, glad to be out of the heat.
Fox Mulder didn't have far to go to get to the Pentagon. He found George Fox's office at the Federal Security Agency, and knocked on the door. "Come in!" an impatient voice commanded. Mulder winced; he felt like he was entering Skinner's office for an ass-chewing! Mulder stepped inside.
"I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder, I'm with the FBI. I've been temporarily assigned to be your partner on this case.
"Yes, I know. I take it you've read the profile on this man?"
"I have. It seems this case is right up my alley, so to speak. So you are convinced that this man is indeed an alien?"said Mulder. The man suddenly seemed to be seething.
"Agent Mulder, there is more than enough evidence to prove that this man is 'indeed an alien'. My job is to bring him and his half-alien son in for questioning. They are government property."
"Questioning-? Are you sure that's all there is to this?"
George Fox slammed his fist on the desk. "Agent Mulder, your job is not to question my motives on this! I accepted your assignment to me because you came highly recommended. DO NOT disappoint me."
Mulder slowly nodded his head. What the hell has Skinner gotten me into? He thought. Agent Fox turned to his highly incompetent regular partner. "Wiley! Get me some coffee!"
The car pulled up at the outskirts of a large desert city. "Where are we?" Paul asked the driver.
"You're in the wicked city, Las Vegas."
Wonderful, he thought. A huge grin spread across Scott's face as they stepped out of the car and thanked the man for the ride. "COOL!"
"Scott, what did I tell you last time we came here?" Scott suddenly got that guilty, puppy-dog look on his face.
"You are underage for most of the stuff that goes on here. No gambling,
no 'babes'. You will study."
Scott knew when his dad meant business. "Aw,rats."
"The first thing we need to do is find a motel, wash our clothes, get a bite to eat, then I need to look for a job."
As they walked into town, they found a somewhat run-down motel, but it had reasonable rates, and they were living on a shoestring budget. After settling in and scarfing down some pizza they had ordered, Paul picked up his camera and prepared to head out the door. "
Scott, stay here and work on your Physics homework. I will be back in a few hours. And remember, don't open the door for anyone but me."
"Gotcha. Good luck, Dad."
"Thanks."
Walking through downtown Las Vegas, Paul spied a row of newspaper vending machines, and found one with free employment papers. He pulled one out and scanned through it. "P...P...Photography...ah, here it is." Not much call for photographers, he thought to himself. Then he came upon an ad that read "WANTED: EXPERIENCED PHOTOJOURNALIST FOR MAJOR NEWSPAPER. SALARY D.O.E.
BRING RESUME TO 1013 CARTER ST, STE. A-3". Sounds good to me, he thought.
(Knock Knock) "Who is it?"
"Scott, it's me."
Scott went to the door and opened it to find his father. "Well?" he asked.
"I got the job!"
"Congratulations, Dad! What'll you be doing?"
"I'll be taking pictures for the Las Vegas Gazette. They're sending me out to shoot a visiting Senator."
Scott was taken aback. Paul saw the look on Scott's face. "With the camera," he said.
"I know," laughed Scott. "I was just playin' with ya."
"Sure you were," he smiled. "Well, I'd better get going. They want me there at 4pm sharp."
"Ok, Dad. Have fun. I'll just hang around and do my boring old homework." Or watch a little TV, he added to himself.
Mr. Jenson, in charge of Personnel, was looking over Paul Forrester's resume.
Hmmm...very impressive. This man could get any job he wants. Why would he choose this particular newspaper, out here in the middle of the desert? He noted also that his current residence was at the Golden Moon Motel. Is this man a drifter? Maybe I should run a background check on him, just to be sure.
he called the Police and asked them to check and see if the man had a record.
After a few minutes, the sergeant called back to tell him that Paul Forrester had no criminal record, but that he was wanted by the FSA for questioning. "A red flag came up asking us to contact Special Agent George Fox if Forrester is located," he said. Jenson, not wanting to interfere with Government business,
said, "Yes. Contact him."
"So, you've been chasing after this alien, the boy, and the boy's mother for the last 14 years? And I thought I was tenacious," remarked Mulder.
Fox glared at him. "We got all the information we could out of Jenny Hayden when we interrogated her immediately after the alien departed," said Fox. "Now she is constantly on the lam as well. It's been difficult to track her down. We did manage to get a blood sample from the boy a few years later, before she started running; the results were inconclusive."
Mulder leaned forward. "His blood wasn't green and toxic by any chance, was it?" Fox gave him a strange look. "I hope you're not patronizing me, Mulder," he said, suddenly intense.
"Not at all," replied Mulder. "I was assigned to you because we have something in common. I also chase aliens, Agent Fox, but mine appear to be of a different species than yours. Their blood is toxic to humans. Is this so with yours?" Fox relaxed a bit.
"No," he said. "By all outward appearances, they seem perfectly human, even blood and tissue. The incongruities are on the genetic level."
"Are they dangerous?" asked Mulder.
"Agent Mulder, I always treat them as if they are dangerous. They never seem to carry any conventional weapons, but they both have their spheres, which is all the defense they need. Use extreme caution around them, Agent Mulder. Their technology is incredibly advanced, and you never know how they'll use it against you." Mulder nodded. Immediately, Wiley came bursting into the room. "Sir! We've got a lead on them! It's a fax from the Las Vegas Police Department; Forrester just applied for a job at a local newspaper there." Fox jumped to his feet, suddenly energized.
"Moment of truth, Mulder. Let's go." He grabbed his service pistol and badge, off to request backup and airfare for the next flight to Las Vegas, with Mulder following close behind.
End of part 1, continued in part 2
"Foxhunt" Part 2 of 3 by Kathy Evans
It was late at night and Paul and Scott had crashed on the sofa. They didn't bother changing; they had gotten used to "sudden" evacuations, so it wasn't even worth it. Suddenly, there was a pounding at the door. "FORRESTER!! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!! THIS IS GEORGE FOX! GIVE YOURSELVES UP, THERE IS NOWHERE TO GO!!"
Paul and Scott suddenly jumped to life and grabbed their napsacks. "Scott, we have to go out the back window. Hurry!" They ran to the back, opened the window to see the ground 15 feet below them. "You can do it, Scott. Jump! Hurry! I'll be right behind you!"
Scott looked worriedly at his dad, then carefully sat on the sill, lifted his legs over the edge, took a breath, and leaped to the ground. "Oof!" he said, rolling to the side. "Ok, dad, come on!
Your turn!"
Behind Paul, George Fox and another agent he had never seen before burst through the motel door. "FREEZE! FBI!" shouted the other man, his weapon drawn and trained on Paul.
Paul turned and called out the window, "Run, Scott!"
"Dad, nooo!"
"RUN!"
Mulder was about to go downstairs and pursue Scott on foot. "Stick with me," said Fox. "the others outside will catch the boy." It was hard to tell whether that last part was spoken toward Mulder or Paul.
"Turn around and put your hands behind your head."
Paul obliged, slowly. Mulder approached Paul, handcuffed him, and read him his rights. They then led him outside to the waiting patrol car. It seemed an eternity waiting in the car, but finally three men approached,
guiding the handcuffed Scott by the arm. Paul hung his head and his forehead creased; he hated seeing his son imprisoned like this. They had confiscated their spheres, but found no other weapons on them. Then they pushed Scott into the back seat with his father, and sped off to the Police station.
Paul and Scott found themselves sitting at a table in an interrogation room somewhere in the police station. There was an armed guard waiting outside the only door. Soon, the guard stepped aside, and in walked Paul's harrier, George Fox, and the new man he had seen at the motel. Paul couldn't quite place it, but there was something different about this new man. Something in his eyes.
He didn't have the crazed, predatory look of George Fox. He seemed to be a man of intelligence, one who might even be reasoned with. Hope stirred in Paul's heart, but it was quickly quashed.
"So you really thought you were going to get away from me this time, did you?" gloated George. "Well, I've got news for you. You will NEVER escape me, do you understand? I will ALWAYS catch up with you in the end."
Mulder was a little disturbed by this one-sided conversation. He had helped catch these two because it was his job, because they were fugitives wanted for questioning. Agent Fox seemed to believe they were an alien and an alien/hybrid. I'd like to get a chance to speak to these two alone; maybe I can form a quick profile, he thought to himself.
"Agent Mulder, I am going to inform the General that the suspects have been captured and detained, and request the necessary backup. I want you to stay here and guard them; make sure they do not leave this room. There is a guard outside the door, but don't take any chances. Don't leave them alone even for a second."
"Right, sir," said Mulder, a little irritated. Fox then went out the door.
At first, Mulder just sat and studied them, studied their faces, saying nothing. The man's face was gentle yet worried; there's something, I don't know, something "spooky" about his eyes... Where did that thought come from? thought Mulder. Is this man telepathic? How does he know my nickname? Or is it just coincidence?
The boy was another story. He looked rather frightened; his eyes darted around the room, as nervous as any 14 year old boy would be on his first trip to the police station. "You can't keep us here, you know. We haven't done anything," stammered Scott.
"You're wanted for questioning," replied Mulder.
"Yes, that's what they keep telling us," said Scott, sarcastically.
"You're not like Fox," stated Paul, matter-of-factly.
Mulder tilted his head, curious. "Tell me more."
"You're searching for many things. You only want to know the truth;
you want to tell everyone what the truth is. Is that why you're working with Fox? He too wants to know the truth, but his job is to keep it from everyone."
Sounds like someone I know, thought Mulder. Still, he was amazed at the accuracy of this man's words. "Look," said Mulder. "I have extensive experience profiling criminals. I've gotten to where I can get a pretty good idea as to a person's character with minimal actual contact, and believe me,
I've met some pretty dangerous criminals. What I can tell you is that you do not appear to me to be as dangerous as Fox would lead me to believe."
"We're not dangerous at all," countered Paul. 'If there was only a way we could prove it to you." Mulder reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the two spheres he had confiscated.
"What are these, then? You can start by explaining that to me."
"Those are our spheres," he said. "They're like a multi-purpose tool. It can be used for communication, telekinesis, telepathy, pyrogeny, healing...even defense. The list is infinite, limited only by our minds." Mulder cocked an eyebrow at the last "use".
"Don't worry, we would never use the spheres to kill or injure anyone; with so many other uses, that is never necessary. Nor would we ever want to." Mulder seemed to relax a little.
"Please, let us go," said Paul. "My son and I only want to be left to live our lives in peace, and search for the boy's mother, Jenny Hayden. She has been lost to Scott for the last 12 years, and to me for 14. We mean you or your people no harm. If Fox has his way, we will become prisoners of your government; they will do experiments on us until the day we die, and we will never see freedom. Please don't let them do this to us. I want more for my son than this."
Mulder was touched by Paul's plea - he could certainly understand his point of view. Paul reached forward and gently placed a hand on Mulder's arm. Suddenly Mulder looked up, looked right into Paul's eyes. It was as if he could feel this man's soul!
"You have lost someone, too, long ago," said Paul. Mulder sat bolt upright. "Your sister. You still search for her." Mulder was wide-eyed.
"How do you know this?" he demanded. "Do you have my sister?! Do you know who does?!" Paul released Mulder's arm and sat back. "Neither I nor my people have your sister. The ones who do are not of our species."
Oh my god, thought Mulder. Am I finally getting somewhere in my search?
"We do not approve of their habit of abducting members of other intelligent species for research. We feel they are not quite as socially advanced as we are."
If you're so advanced," said Mulder, "why don't you stop them??"
"We are not the "policemen" of the universe, Agent Mulder. Our goal is merely to study through passive observation."
"Do you have any idea how long I've been searching for my sister?? If you know who they are or where she is, please tell me! I need to know the truth!!" Paul could see the pain on this man▓s face, and he felt truly sorry for him. "I've tried all the channels I know of through my government to find out where she is, to no avail," Mulder confessed. Paul leaned forward. ⌠
"Your government will never tell you where she is as long as they hold the cards. That is why you need to try it from a different perspective."
Mulder looked up. "How do you mean?"
"If you cannot get the information you need from your human sources, you must contact the aliens themselves."
Mulder got an incredulous look on his face. "And just how do you expect me to do that?" he demanded.
"You need a liaison," said Paul, smiling. Slowly, understanding crept across Mulder's face. "You...?"
"Yes. I am willing to speak on your behalf to negotiate a meeting with your sister through these other aliens, ON CONDITION THAT you see to it that Scott and I are freed...and never pursued again."
A flurry of emotions ran through Mulder's head; he now had a chance, even a small one, of seeing his sister alive again...BUT...it would also mean releasing a prisoner that George Fox had by all rights caught, and finding a way to cover it up, or risk being fired from the FBI. It was a pretty big risk...but was his sister worth it?
Of course she's worth it, he thought. I would gladly spend the rest of my life flipping burgers if I could just see her, If I could know she was all right.
"You've got yourself a deal, Forrester," said Mulder as he shook Paul's hand.
"Fox will be back soon," said Mulder. "What would you like me to do?"
"Let us have our spheres back. We can use them to get out of here."
"I hope I know what the hell I'm doing, thought Mulder, as he handed them the two spheres.
"First, we'll need to distract that guard. Scott, use your sphere to block all soundwaves coming from this room." Scott went to work. "Now, step back." Mulder stepped back to the corner of the room and watched. Paul held the sphere in the palm of his hand and stared at it for a few seconds. Scott, not quite as experienced as his father with the sphere, stepped back also and watched his father go to work. The sphere started to glow an eerie blue, then very brightly. A blue laser shot up from the ball into the ceiling, and started cutting a thin circular line about 3 feet in diameter, all the way through the roof. As the circle was completed, a round section of ceiling fell down onto the table in the middle of the room.
"OK, let's go," Paul said to Scott. Scott jumped up onto the table and shimmied out the hole onto the roof, with a boost from his dad. "Are you coming with us?" Paul asked Mulder.
"No, I've got to stay behind and distract Fox; provide a plausible explanation for this. Good Luck!"
"Thanks," replied Paul. "Don't worry; I'm a man of my word, as they say. I will communicate with my people tonight."
"Wait a minute, how will I find you?" asked a worried Mulder.
"You won't have to - I'll find you." He then hoisted himself through the hole in the roof and was gone.
Just a few minutes later, Fox burst into the room to find Agent Mulder crouched on the floor in the corner, debris everywhere, and a big circular piece of the ceiling lying on the table.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE??!" He screamed. "WHERE ARE THEY?? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING THEM!!"
"THEY WERE HERE!! THEY WERE HERE!! THE ALIENS WERE HERE!!" feigned Mulder, from his huddled position on the floor.
"What happened?!" Fox demanded.
"There was a ship!" said Mulder. "It hovered over the building, cut a hole in the roof and just sucked them both up!"
"I never saw or heard any ship!" yelled Fox.
"I couldn't actually see it either," said Mulder, "but it was definitely there. I saw the beam that did this, and I saw them getting sucked up. I think the ship must have had a cloaking device of some sort."
"I think you're full of shit," replied Fox.
"Why would I lie to you about this? I am on your side, you know. I'm just telling you what I witnessed."
Fox turned to the men who were with them. "I want a complete search of this area, just to be sure," he said. Damn, he thought. They got away again! They BETTER as hell have gotten on a ship and flown far away from this planet, or so help me god...
Agent Fox turned to the armed guard that was outside the door. "Officer, did you witness anything unusual from this room?"
"No, sir, I didn't hear or see anything."
"What are you talking about?" he choked. "The goddamn ceiling fell down in here and you didn't hear anything??"
"Sorry, sir. I did not. I know it sounds strange, but..."
"Aaaarrgh! I'm surrounded by idiots!" he yelled.
Paul and Scott were well into the desert by the time night fell the following day. It was growing cold.
"Gather some tinder or whatever you can find, then you can use your sphere to start a fire," said Paul. "By the way, you did a good job on that guard back there."
Scott smiled. "Thanks!"
"Scott, I must keep my promise to Agent Mulder. I will be communicating with my people tonight, so I will be very still and you will not be able to speak to me."
Scott nodded. "I understand. Our freedom depends on your being able to do this."
"Yes. So you can see why I must not be disturbed tonight. Help yourself to some food, and get a good night's rest. I will see you in the morning."
"Good night, Dad."
Paul found a comfortable place to sit down, pulled out his sphere, holding it out in his palm, and began. For the next 8 hours, the only light in the desert that could be seen was a small, bright blue glow.
Fox Mulder lay in his bed at the hotel that night, pondering the events of the day. He hoped to hell he wasn't in too much trouble; he hoped Fox had bought his story about the spaceship reclaiming its "charges". However, he didn't realistically think that Fox had bought his story. He was going to have to write a report about this, too. How ironic, he thought. Fox Mulder, the guy who always strives for the truth, forced into lying. However, he found himself trusting this man; he couldn't explain why, but he'd always been a good judge of character. It was one of the reasons he was so highly regarded for police profiling. He couldn't stomach the thought of being party to scientific experimentation on an innocent man and his son, against their will. Right now he felt very lonely, and a little depressed. He needed a friendly ear. He picked up his cell phone and punched memory, 1, send. He heard the ring at the other end, then a click, then a woman's voice.
"Scully..." A beautiful woman's voice.
"Scully, it's Mulder."
Mulder! How are you? How is your case going?"
"Oh, it's going..." going, gone, thought Mulder.
"Well, you caught me at a bad time, Mulder. I'm right in the middle of an autopsy. I'm getting blood on the phone." Yum, thought Mulder.
"That's OK. I just wanted to hear your lovely voice," he said dejectedly.
"Mulder...are you alright?" she asked, concerned.
⌠Yeah, I'll tell you all about it when I return."
"Okay. Come back in one piece, please."
"I will. Scully?"
"Yes?"
"Miss you."
There was a pause. "I miss you too, Mulder. Take care."
"Bye."
"Bye." click. Mulder hung up the phone, and turned over to go to sleep.
"Agent Mulder." Mulder grunted in his sleep at the sound of his name. "Agent Mulder, wake up. It's Paul Forrester." Suddenly Mulder remembered he would be contacted, and sat bolt upright in bed. At the foot of the bed he saw Forrester, completely surrounded by an eerie blue light that moved like an electrical field over his body, but soft, without shocking.
"I have located your sister," he said. Mulder's eyes lit up. "My people have honored my request to ask the others for a meeting with your sister. The other aliens will not listen to a human demand, but they will listen to us."
"What happens now?" Mulder asked.
"These others have agreed to release her to you, but not here. They will only do this out in the desert where there are no witnesses. My son and I are out there now. You must get dressed and get in your car; I will lead you there." Mulder fumbled nervously with his clothes, and finally got his act together. He jumped into the car and took off for the desert, following only the glowing blue light.
After 5 hours of driving through miles and miles of nothing, Mulder,
exhausted, finally reached a place where Forrester told him to stop.
"Glad to see you made it!" said Paul.
"Hello, Scott," said Mulder, as the boy rose to his feet.
"So you're finally gonna see your sister, huh?"
"Yes, after 16 years," said Mulder, his eyes turning liquid at the thought.
"You are so lucky," said Scott. "I've been waiting to see my mother for 12 years. We're still searching, though."
"Don't ever give up," said Mulder. "And always remember that...that she still loves you very much," he choked.
"Now, we wait," said Paul.
They didn't have to wait long. Soon a pinpoint of light could be seen in the desert night sky, not a star; it grew ever closer and brighter. Then it disappeared. Mulder looked shocked for a minute, and turned to Paul.
"Don't worry," he said. "They must shield themselves from your military."
"Oh."
A minute or two passed by. "They are very close now," Paul said.
Soon Mulder could hear the thrumming of an engine, some kind of machinery that was unfamiliar to him, but could see nothing. Suddenly, a wide beam of white light shot out from somewhere 50 feet above them, hitting the ground below.
They all stood and watched. Soon, a form began to materialize within the beam,
on the ground. The form was vaguely humanoid, then the features began to coalesce into something more recognizable. It was human, then female, and then.
The figure stepped out of the beam, which immediately shut off. The young woman was in her early 30's, with long, curly, reddish locks, a head shorter than Mulder. She was dressed in what appeared to be very earthly clothes;
wherever she had been the last 16 years, she had obviously been in contact with humans. She walked forward to the tall, dark and handsome man standing before the other two.
"Fox?"
"Samantha? Is that really you?" He felt as if he were dreaming. I want to believe, he thought. I want so badly to believe that it's really her.
"Of course it's me, Fox," she said, a little hurt.
"Forgive me, but each time I thought I had met you before, it turned out they were only clones, half-alien hybrids. It broke my heart. I just have to know that you're not one of them." She nodded, finally understanding his pain.
"Fox, give me your lapel badge." What? he thought, but pulled off the badge anyway and handed it to her. She opened the safety pin and promptly stuck herself in the thumb with it.
"Samantha, what are you doing?" She then extended her thumb out for him to examine; red blood dripped from it.
"
You see, Fox? I am not an alien, or a hybrid or anything. This is the real me." Paul stepped forward and put a hand each on Samantha and Fox, to do a kind of cross-check.
"Yes," he said, "She is the real thing, as they say."
"Your friend here is quite a negotiator," said Sam. "He's done something no one in our government has been able or willing to do; bring me back to you." She slowly approached him and wrapped her arms around him. "I missed you so much, Fox." Mulder could no longer keep it in. It's her. Oh god, it's really her. His lower lip started to quiver, then the tears flowed freely as he tightly embraced his long-lost sister; his sobs turning into great heaves racking his body. He felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, one he had been carrying for far too long.
End of part 2, continued in part 3
"Foxhunt" Part 3 of 3 by Kathy Evans
Fox and Samantha sat on the desert floor and talked long into the night, well until the morning. They talked of what it was like with the aliens; where she had been the last 15 years; what Fox had done since she saw him last; they talked of family and good times past. Paul and his son were asleep a few meters away; Paul had told the both of them the night before that the spaceship had left shortly after Sam's arrival. They were all alone again.
Alone, and yet, not alone. Fox and Sam had finally found each other again.
"Mother is going to be so happy to see you again," said Mulder. Then his face fell. "You heard about Dad, didn't you?"
"Yes," she said. "I'm so sorry, Fox."
"He was your father too, you know."
Samantha knew the truth, but she wasn't going to get into that with Fox. Not now. "I know, but my memories of him are so vague, it's almost as if I didn't know him." She wanted to change the subject. "So how about you, Fox? Any lady loves?" This made him smirk.
"Hmmm...lady loves...interesting you should bring that up."
"Why's that?"
Well, I know this woman; she's beautiful, strong, and smart. She makes me laugh. She is the only person in the whole world I could ever trust.
She is my rock when I'm falling apart. Even though I can't say it to her face, at least not now, I love her. I would just die if I were ever to lose her."
"So why aren't you married to this woman?" Sam asked.
"Because I can't; I work with her, she's my partner. Her name is Dana Scully."
"Wow, sounds like you two have a great working relationship."
"Yes, we do."
Morning came, and the two pairs prepared to split up and go their separate ways. Mulder stopped Paul Forrester and put a hand on his shoulder. "I want to thank you so much for everything you did for me last night. Seeing my sister again was all I could ever ask for. As you have kept your end of the bargain, I will also keep mine. I'll go back to Agent Fox and write up a report on how you escaped; he won't be able to disprove it. He'll have only my testimony,
and your trail will be cold. he'll have no reason to keep looking for you.
That should keep him off your backs."
"Thank you," said Paul, shaking Mulder's hand. "I never realized that there were nice, gentle species out there. I figured "ET" was pure fantasy. All my previous experiences with aliens have been negative. But you, Paul, you came through for me there. You're a good...a good man. I wish you two the best of luck finding Jenny Hayden," said Mulder.
"Thanks again," said Scott. "Maybe we'll see you around sometime. Goodbye, Miss Mulder!"
Samantha smiled at him. "Goodbye, Scott! Good luck!" They turned to watch father and son stroll off down the road, headed for whatever adventure lay ahead.
Mulder and Samantha arrived at Mulder's hotel early that morning to quite a commotion. One of the other agents spoke solemnly. "Where have you been all night? You missed the goings on here."
"What happened?"
"It's George Fox. I think all these years of stress chasing after fugitive aliens, not to mention losing his quarry yesterday, has finally taken a toll on him. He had a heart attack last night. He's dead."
"He's dead? Are you sure?"
"Yes. Last night he was complaining of pain in his arm and chest; by the time the Paramedics got him to the hospital, he'd gone into fibrillation. They couldn't get him back."
Mulder kept up the charade he'd promised. "I guess after learning that the aliens he'd worked so hard to catch over the years finally went home, he had nothing left to do."
"They went home?"
"Yes...home." He pointed to the sky. He kinda felt like E.T. himself.
Mulder returned to the Pentagon the following day. He knocked on General Wade's office. "Come in," called the General. "Here is the report on the Forrester case, sir. I take it you heard about Agent Fox?"
"Yes, yes I did."
"It was a pity, but at least he didn't have any family members to grieve him; no upset wife or children. I saw this coming a long time ago, though. The man's health was always poor and the years of stress finally did him in." The General took a few minutes to read the report. "Well, given the outcome of this situation, and given the untimely demise of the only man who ever cared about this investigation...this case is officially closed." He put a big red stamp that said "Case Closed" on the cover of the file, then had a flunky take it off to its appropriate filing cabinet. The General then shook Mulder's hand. "Your services here are no longer needed, Agent Mulder. You may return to Walter Skinner at the FBI, where I'm sure you'll be of much better use. Good day."
"Good day, sir. Thank you."
After his follow-up meeting with Skinner, Mulder went downstairs to his basement office. He noticed the office door was ajar, and he could hear familiar-sounding noises coming from within. He stepped closer to the door and peeked in. There was Scully, sitting at HIS desk, eating HIS sunflower seeds...and watching HIS movies!
He stepped into the room. Immediately Scully spun around and slapped off the TV, surprised and embarrassed, her heart leaping into her throat, feeling like a little kid who got her hand caught in the cookie jar. Mulder just smiled at her. "Having fun without me, Scully?" he teased.
She chuckled. "Glad to see you too, Mulder."
"There is someone I would like you to meet; I was hoping the three of us could get together for dinner tonight."
"Is it a woman?"
"Yes."
"I don't know, Mulder. I don't like the idea of having to sit across from one of your romantic interests all night." He smiled at the thought she might be jealous, even if it were unwarranted.
"She's not a romantic interest. I think you'd really like to meet this one."
"Okay, Mulder. When and where?"
"I'll call you later with a time."
"Sounds good."
Scully waited at a table at a local Italian restaurant, checking her watch every 3 minutes. He should have been here by now, she thought. She didn't have to wait much longer, though - across the room she could see Mulder enter with an attractive young woman on his arm. This ought to be lovely, she thought. As they approached, Scully thought she recognized the woman from somewhere. No, it can't be! Mulder and Sam approached the table and stood in front of Scully, who, with an astonished look on her face, rose to meet them.
"Scully, I'd like you to meet...(he paused for dramatic effect)...my long lost sister, Samantha Mulder." Scully tossed him an incredulous look that seemed to say, Are you sure? Mulder, of course, read her mind. "Yes, Scully, she's the real McCoy. It's been confirmed."
"I apologize," said Scully to Samantha. "It's just that when Fox thought he'd found you before, it turned out that..."
"That they were clones?" Samantha finished her sentence for her.
"Well, yes," said Scully.
"It's OK, I understand your confusion. That was all a part of their experimentation on me. I'm just so glad to be reunited with my brother, you have no idea."
Scully smiled at her. "Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea. Fox has talked about you often with me."
Sam smiled at Fox. "Good things, I hope!"
"Always." Mulder continued his introductions. "Oh, and Samantha, this, of course, is my partner, Dana Scully." ⌠It's a pleasure to meet you finally," said Sam, shaking her hand. "Fox thinks very highly of you. It seems you two have a unique bond."
"I would say that we do," she replied, wondering to herself exactly what Mulder had been telling her about them. Oh well, she thought. What's to tell? "Shall we eat?"
"Yes, let's; I'm starved," said Sam.
"I feel like the luckiest guy on Earth," said Mulder. "Here I am sitting down to a great dinner with my two favorite ladies in the whole world. I am truly blessed." Mulder lifted his glass in a toast.
"To Samantha's return," he said. The other two clinked their glasses with his.
"To Samantha's return," echoed Scully.
"Thank you," said Sam.
This is the end of part 3 and the end of the story. Please feel free to E-mail me with comments or questions at Thanks for reading:)