A/N: Special thanks to Dana Katherine (a beta-reader) for helping me find a topic for Jasmine/Scully's report!
Chapter 9
Unknown to them, Mulder hid in the men's room near the conference hall, to get a better sound of Jasmine's report.
"Some other notable items found at the crime scene were strange tracks, neither human nor animal," he heard her say in his partner's voice. "It led to and from the butchered cows. It appeared as though the cows were transported from their pastures for the mutilation, and then returned later. Several theories had been thoroughly investigated, including "devil worshippers" and predators. These were ruled out due to the cost and the expertise needed to carry out such a sophisticated and secretive operation."
The other line went dead. She's done, he thought, starting to feel nervous for her. I hope she wouldn't act silly in front of Skinner.
"Agent Scully, do you think there could be a much more valid reason behind this case?" Skinner asked.
"I don't think so," she replied apprehensively.
"And why did you say that?" a female director asked.
Crap, I'm not thinking again, Jasmine thought. What would I say?
"Tell them the cattle slayer has not been found yet, so there's no conclusion why the killings happened," she heard Mulder whisper into the tiny mic.
"Err… The slayer wasn't caught yet, so we can't conclude any reasons why all of these happened," Jasmine/Scully answered.
"Phew," Mulder sighed in relief. She answered that one nicely.
"There's nothing to discuss," a senior director said. "Agent Scully, we want you and Agent Mulder to cooperate with the FBI office in Albuquerque, if they'll ask for your help again. Do I make it clear?"
"Yes sir," she replied.
"Meeting adjourned." The directors stood up and went out of the room. Jasmine trailed behind them. Thank God it's over! She thought happily. She can't believe she pulled off her role as Scully. She walked through the empty hallway, smiling to herself.
"You did well, Agent Scully," she heard Mulder behind her.
"Don't call me that!" Jasmine exclaimed, pretending to look offended. "I'm Jasmine."
"I know that, madam." Mulder walked beside her on their way to the basement office. "I didn't know you're such a smart girl, Jasmine."
"Thanks for the compliment," she replied ironically.
"Why, don't you believe me?"
"I don't think I'm smart enough to do what your partner does," she answered. "Agent Scully is so made, and probably a hundred times smarter than me. I'm just an average student at school, if you'd like to know that."
"Don't say that. You have it in you, and you don't want to see it." Mulder felt something tug within him. He knew he only said that to make her feel better.
"I know you're lying," she said. "But thanks anyway."
He looked at her. "Thanks for being nice to me, Agent Mulder," she said. A smile crept across her lips. As he looked at her smile, he noticed it had a different quality to it. Her eyes glowed at him, which made him turn into mush from within. It was the first time he saw Scully with a smile like that. She was always serious and appeared intellectually dominant, only smiling at him occasionally when she liked something he said, like a joke or a witty comment. For him, it was difficult to make her smile.
Don't fall for it! He removed his transfixed gaze from her. She isn't Dana. He almost forgot about her name. It might take longer before he could call her by her first name, which something he rarely did. In his mind, he referred to her as Jasmine.
When they arrived at the basement office, Mulder opened the door to find 2 teenagers sitting by the table. He stared astonishingly at them. They looked Chinese.
"Mulder, it's me," the girl in the pink shirt said. She stood up, looking at him as though she never saw him for years.
"Scully," he uttered, shocked at what he saw. He wanted to give her a hug but resisted the urge to do so. "Is that really you?"
Before she could reply, Jasmine/Scully ran up to her and embraced her tightly. "It's me! Oh my body! I missed you!" she shrieked, jumping up and down. Scully/Jasmine's eyes widened at Mulder.
"Can't believe your own self is hugging you, huh?" he kidded her.
"Jasmine cut it off!" Scully told her, wriggling. "You're strangling me!" Jasmine/Scully broke away from the hug and sat beside Errol. "And how's my little brother?" she asked, pinching him on the cheek.
"Hey stop it!" Errol cried out in pain, trying to remove her hand from his face. "That hurts!"
"All right bro!" she said, pulling her hand away. Errol rubbed his cheek and stared at the lady beside him. "Agent Scully, she's you?" he asked, looking at Scully/Jasmine.
"Yes," she replied. "She's the real physical me." She gestured towards her.
"You look pretty up-close." He looked at the red-headed agent admiringly.
"Of course Agent Scully is pretty!" Jasmine exclaimed. "Am I right Agent Mulder?"
"Yeah, but not when you're inside her body," Errol scoffed.
"What did you say?" she asked, preparing to strike at him.
Mulder tried to keep himself from laughing over Jasmine's funny antics. "So, you've finally met each other," he said. "The four of us, we have to talk about these girls, Jasmine and Dana."
"Isn't Agent Scully considered a woman?" Jasmine butted in.
"Shut up!" Errol told her, wanting to know what Agent Mulder had to say.
"You're Jasmine's brother, right?" Mulder asked, turning to Errol.
"Yes sir. I'm Errol Choi."
"I'm Agent Fox Mulder." He shook hands with him. "You know about the body switch?"
"Yes. In fact, I saw how your partner really looked like. Whenever Jasmine faces the mirror, I can see her as Ms. Dana," he explained.
"Do dad and auntie know?" Jasmine/Ly asked.
"No they don't," Scully/Jas answered for her. "How's my report?" she asked.
"It went well. She did great," Mudler replied smilingly.
"Thank goodness," she said. It was the first time Scully could breathe easily.
"That's nothing," Jasmine smiled at her.
"Now, let's get to what we have to talk about," Mulder started. "Our problem is, how we could get Scully and Ms. Choi to return to their own bodies. Based on my research, no one can astral-travel to enter another person's body, and force that person out of his body. It's just impossible."
"Now you have to believe, Mulder," Scully/Jasmine said who sat beside him. "It happened to me and Jasmine. You really have to find a way on how we could go back."
"Jasmine, can you astral-project at random?" Errol asked his sister.
"Not here. I can only do it before going to sleep. Last night, I tried, but I can't."
"Maybe hypnotherapy will work?" Errol suggested. "You know, hypnotize them to make them return to their bodies."
"It might. But we also have to find someone who's in the know about astral-projection," Mulder stated.
"I'm willing to help you out sir," Errol volunteered.
"That'll be our mission, Mr. Choi," he agreed. He looked at the mixed-up Scully and Jasmine. "For now, both of you will try to live each other's lives. I know it's not easy, but you have to. I promise it won't take long."
"I can do Jasmine's duties as a delivery girl," Scully announced. "Except that I can't ride a motorcycle."
"Can you ride a bike? I'll lend you mine," Errol told her.
"Yes, it'll do."
"Jasmine?" Mulder refered to her as Scully. "Will you do your part in working with me?"
"Of course! Just don't make me do an autopsy," she said, smiling sheepishly.
"If you need help, I'll pass by from time to time," Scully offered.
The four of them exchanged cell phone numbers. Before Scully and Errol left, she reminded Mulder, "Hey, take care of Jasmine. Don't give her a hard time."
"I will." They both knew they couldn't blame her for what had happened. As he watched her leave with Errol, Mulder couldn't believe that Scully regressed as an 18-year old girl. She'll get to relieve her teenage years again, he mused. She might enjoy it, but I can't wait for her to be back with me.
And about Jasmine? Good luck, girl. Being an FBI Agent isn't as easy as it seems. Yet he promised that he won't make it difficult for her. He'll be needing loads of luck in the days to come.
(TBC)
RR! Thanks! Next, Chapter 10!
