Thursday
30th Dec 11.35AM
Scully stood at the arrivals entrance and checked the screens for David's flight. Seeing it had just landed, she hurried along the concourse to gate 14 and waited for him to emerge. Stifling a yawn, she pressed her hand to her mouth to cover it but her weariness was too much. She hadn't slept much over the Christmas break and not at all last night.
After Mulder had stormed out she contemplated following him but let him be. Preferring him to come back of his own accord rather than being dragged by her. She was desperately worried about him though. She had busied herself with household chores, carrying on as normal as if he'd never came back to DC, all the while her mind playing tricks on her as she imagined his key in the door or his footsteps in the hall.
The clock was creeping past three am when he finally came home. With the lack of stealth of a man who'd been drinking since lunch, he crept clumsily through the living room and collapsed onto the couch. She heard him shuffling about the room as he tried to get his bedclothes sorted, then the silence as he fell into a deep drunken sleep.
At 4am, she crept out to check on him and found him fully dressed, complete with overcoat, wrapped uncomfortably in a sheet, half on the couch and half on the floor.
The stale stench of whiskey stained the air mixed along with cigarettes and the sleazy atmosphere from whatever bar he had ended up in. She contemplated moving him onto the couch, rousing him enough to get his coat and shoes off but decided against it. She wasn't about to pander to his drunken binges. She checked his breathing once more and managed to flip him onto his side so he wouldn't choke before leaving him to it and returning to bed.
At 10am when she emerged fully dressed from her room she saw he hadn't moved an inch. She ate a quick breakfast, resentfully sneaking around in her own house and hurried out to the airport.
Through the bristling holiday travelers at Dulles she spotted David's tall figure ambling behind an elderly couple. He looked up and smiled warmly at her and for a moment she pushed her bad mood away, to smile at him.
"Merry Christmas Dana," he said as he dropped his bags to the floor and hugged her.
"Merry Christmas."
"Although I can tell by the red rimmed eyes and slumped shoulders it hasn't exactly been merry." He held her away from him for a moment, his grip tightening on her shoulders. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Urging him not to push she wriggled away from his hands and gestured for him to follow. "How was Boston?"
"Damn cold." He slung his bag over his shoulder and she caught sight of his holstered weapon. He saw her eyes lock onto it and smiled. "In retrospect staying in Boston till I had to return to work wasn't such a great idea. I would love nothing more than to go home to bed now! Janet has another night with her parents and she's flying in tomorrow."
"Doesn't feel all that long ago since we came off duty. So much for a restful Christmas." She paid for her parking ticket and they hurried through the biting wind to the car. Once it was unlocked David practically threw his bags into the boot and jumped in beside her, rubbing his hands together and blowing hot air into them.
"How is he?" he asked as she started the engine and he reached for the heating vents, willing them to warm up faster.
"He's…he's…changed." She admitted finally. The thought that had been lurking in her mind ever since Christmas Eve, ever since she met him in Seattle even, finally found credence in her voice.
"For the worse?"
"Just… changed."
The traffic was manic through the streets of DC. It seemed like everyone had decided to end their Christmas vacation on the same day. Eventually they managed to get to the Hoover building and walked through the heated halls to their shared office.
The bullpen was already full with the other agents who'd ventured in today and as David went to get some coffee, Scully sat into her chair, dropping her head into her hands, jumping up when the phone rang loudly in the silent room.
"Agent Scully," she said curtly.
"Agent Scully, AD Jackson would like to see you in his office as soon as possible."
"Okay. We'll be right there." She stood up as David walked in and passed her a coffee. "Jackson wants to see us."
Sipping her coffee quickly, she left it on the desk and started towards the door, David right behind her.
"It's only the first day back. We can't be in trouble already!"
They crossed through the bullpen and walked into the waiting area beside Jackson's Secretary, who waved them right in. Scully pushed the door open with a little knock.
"Sir?" she said and looked around the room to see AD Jackson standing at the large conference table rather than his own desk.
"Agent Scully, come in," he shook her hand and urged her into the chair beside him. "Agent McLane."
"Sir. Merry Christmas." David shook hands with him before sitting down in the proffered seat.
"Are either of you familiar with the 3rd street Hostel?"
"That's a homeless shelter for street kids," Scully offered immediately. Her church had often held fundraising drives for it.
"This morning the proprietor discovered a body in one of the rooms." Jackson shuffled through the pages on his desk and pulled out an A4-sized photo of a male teenager. "Jonathan Blake aged 16. His wrists were cut and his body posed in macabre fashion."
"Suicide?" David asked looking down at the photo of the surly teen.
"Cops thought that this morning. Until the coroner found ligature marks on his neck and mouth. He had lost a lot of blood from his wrist wounds but it looks like he actually died from asphyxiation."
"Someone murdered him?" David asked sliding the crime scene photo closer. "What makes this a federal case?"
"Nothing. Yet." Jackson said quietly. "The Hostel is privately run and funded by local charity drives. The kids are mainly transients and street kids no one has claimed, or is looking for."
"Sir?" David wasn't sure why they were called to this meeting. One thing he knew though was that it was about to turn into a long day.
"I got a call from Detective Ellis. He was first on the scene." Jackson's voice was low and tired. It seemed to be taking more effort than usual to talk about the case. "He's afraid that a cult might be operating in the neighborhood."
"One victim isn't exactly a cult," David countered.
"No, but three could be."
"Three?" Scully sat up and shared an uneasy glance with David.
"The MO is the same in every instance. The victim is held down, choked and wrists slit." He passed the respective files out to both of them and gave them a moment to leaf through them.
"There's too much blood spill for this wound to be post mortem," Scully said pointing at the crime scene picture.
"No, but if the wounds were inflicted before he was choked, and held down until he died?"
"Would that take more then one person?" David asked the room.
"If this is some sort of cult then it makes it a federal case." Jackson looked between them both for a while. "I told Detective Ellis you would go and speak with him after lunch."
"Yes sir."
The agents stood up and Jackson gathered the case files together. He handed it to David and looked over at Scully.
"Agent Scully, can I speak with you a moment?"
David looked over to her and with a little nod he turned and left the room.
"What is it sir?
"I spoke with AD Skinner this morning."
"Oh?" She feigned surprise but she'd been sure this would happen sooner or later.
"He told me about Agent Mulder."
"He's not a federal agent anymore sir."
"No, but he is back?"
"Yes sir."
"I understand the situation," he began.
NO YOU DON'T! Scully wanted to scream but she managed to hold it all back.
"So if you require some additional time off please feel free to ask. You have more than enough time saved up to take a couple of weeks extended vacation."
"No thank you sir. I'd rather keep working."
"Of course," he said, disguising his discomfort with a small cough. "Well as long as you know the option is there for you."
With a curt nod Scully turned and left the room, hurrying back to the office. David looked up when she came in but opted not to say a word. Instead he spread the case file out in front of him and logged onto his PC. The day dragged by in a tense, monotonous silence that filled the whole room.
Scully called the coroner for a fax copy of the autopsy and spent the morning immersed in the report, while David called Detective Ellis and arranged a meeting for that afternoon.
As the time to leave arrived, David stood and pulled on his overcoat. So immersed in the autopsy report, Scully didn't notice his approach until he rested a hand on her shoulder, making her jump.
"You ready to go?"
"Where?" she looked up to the clock.
"To meet Detective Ellis?"
"Of course, yes, I'm ready." She stood and grabbed her coat off the stand leading the way out to the garage. David wanted to suggest that he go alone but the deep frown that was ensconced on her face made him back away.