"Please tell me we're heading for the border," Scully said hopefully
as Mulder got on the road leading north.
"We're heading for the border," Mulder answered, then swerved to take the next exit,"We're just taking the scenic route."
"You heard what Skinner said as clearly as I did, go to Canada and..."
"In a hurry to reach the land of the maple leaf, eh?" Mulder attempted a Candian accent. Scully just sighed in defeat and leaned back in the seat, listening to his continued attempts at mastering the northern tongue.
"Aboot the hoose," he mumbled to himself,"A moose aboot the hoose."
"The gun Mulder," Scully turned,"I still I have it."
* * * *
The SUV pulled up along the dark neighborhood street, its lights off. "Wouldn't want to wake the suburbanites," Mulder commented, scanning the addresses.
"There, that one's Skinner's," Scully pointed at a modest, light gray house on the corner.
"And how would you know that?" Mulder turned, giving her a look of mock suspicion.
"Hadn't you heard Mulder? You were gone for quite awhile, I did get a bit lonely, and Walter...," Scully began nonchalantly
"Oh so it's Walter now is it?"
"Shut up Mulder," she laughed and stepped out of the car,"Why are we here anyways? He's not going to be happy."
"I have to make sure the X-Files aren't shut down," Mulder answered seriously.
"Then shouldn't we be on Doggett's doorstep?"
"As tempting as that sounds..." Mulder knocked on the front door,"No."
A bedraggled Skinner answered the door, still in the clothes they'd last seen him in. "What the hell are you two doing here?" he asked angrily,"You should be frolicking with the damn mounties by now."
"I don't frolick," Mulder answered and pushed open the door,"Want to let us in out of plain sight?"
Skinner shut the door behind them, and Scully noticed the hunched way he stood.
"What happened sir?"
"I met with some of Mulder's friendly military acquaintances," Skinner explained, wincing,"You know, 'I am a guilty man...'"
"...and deserve the harshest punishment for my crimes," Mulder finished.
"Yeah," Skinner nodded,"Those ones."
"Are you alright?" Scully asked, concerned.
"Yeah I'm fine," he waved her off,"Now why the hell are you two still on our side of the border?"
"Abandon our country now? Just because they're trying to kill us?" Mulder mocked,"Never."
"I'm touched by your patriotism," Skinner eased himself down onto the couch.
"Sir, I need to know," Mulder began,"Are the X-Files going to continue?"
"I don't know, someone's raided the office, they took the files..."
"Well they've done that before," Mulder commented,"Everyone's done that."
"Even when they torched them, we kept going," Scully added.
"But there's no one left to fight them," Skinner admitted.
"John and Monica?"
"Soon to join the ranks of disgruntled former government employees."
"What about you?"
"My hearing's Tuesday."
"Then that only leaves one person..."
"We're heading for the border," Mulder answered, then swerved to take the next exit,"We're just taking the scenic route."
"You heard what Skinner said as clearly as I did, go to Canada and..."
"In a hurry to reach the land of the maple leaf, eh?" Mulder attempted a Candian accent. Scully just sighed in defeat and leaned back in the seat, listening to his continued attempts at mastering the northern tongue.
"Aboot the hoose," he mumbled to himself,"A moose aboot the hoose."
"The gun Mulder," Scully turned,"I still I have it."
* * * *
The SUV pulled up along the dark neighborhood street, its lights off. "Wouldn't want to wake the suburbanites," Mulder commented, scanning the addresses.
"There, that one's Skinner's," Scully pointed at a modest, light gray house on the corner.
"And how would you know that?" Mulder turned, giving her a look of mock suspicion.
"Hadn't you heard Mulder? You were gone for quite awhile, I did get a bit lonely, and Walter...," Scully began nonchalantly
"Oh so it's Walter now is it?"
"Shut up Mulder," she laughed and stepped out of the car,"Why are we here anyways? He's not going to be happy."
"I have to make sure the X-Files aren't shut down," Mulder answered seriously.
"Then shouldn't we be on Doggett's doorstep?"
"As tempting as that sounds..." Mulder knocked on the front door,"No."
A bedraggled Skinner answered the door, still in the clothes they'd last seen him in. "What the hell are you two doing here?" he asked angrily,"You should be frolicking with the damn mounties by now."
"I don't frolick," Mulder answered and pushed open the door,"Want to let us in out of plain sight?"
Skinner shut the door behind them, and Scully noticed the hunched way he stood.
"What happened sir?"
"I met with some of Mulder's friendly military acquaintances," Skinner explained, wincing,"You know, 'I am a guilty man...'"
"...and deserve the harshest punishment for my crimes," Mulder finished.
"Yeah," Skinner nodded,"Those ones."
"Are you alright?" Scully asked, concerned.
"Yeah I'm fine," he waved her off,"Now why the hell are you two still on our side of the border?"
"Abandon our country now? Just because they're trying to kill us?" Mulder mocked,"Never."
"I'm touched by your patriotism," Skinner eased himself down onto the couch.
"Sir, I need to know," Mulder began,"Are the X-Files going to continue?"
"I don't know, someone's raided the office, they took the files..."
"Well they've done that before," Mulder commented,"Everyone's done that."
"Even when they torched them, we kept going," Scully added.
"But there's no one left to fight them," Skinner admitted.
"John and Monica?"
"Soon to join the ranks of disgruntled former government employees."
"What about you?"
"My hearing's Tuesday."
"Then that only leaves one person..."