Scully roamed about the house aimlessly looking for what she was unsure, but she had woken up to an empty bed and a quiet house. Mulder had left a note saying he had been called to the Men's Manor and that he would be back home soon. Now she paced the living room biting her nails awaiting his arrival and any news he may carry with him.
"Are you sure Jake?" Stan asked the man at his side, fear and worry was written in the shorter man, but Stan stood strong and didn't weaver.
"Very. A few nights ago I received a message of a hacker, I traced it to the Moore household. They know everything now." Jake Brennan said, his voice sounding panicky.
"What do we do, Sir? Turn them both over? Kick them both out and ask them to not speak of our secrets or let them draw their own conclusions?" Michael La Rue asked calmly from the other side of the room.
"Neither." Stan said, gaining the glances of all the men in the room. "We talk to Richard and tell him everything. If he's comfortable with it all, we turn his wife over."
"And if he's not?" A man spoke up. He had been quiet most of the time, his name was Thomas Rogers, husband to Crystal Rogers.
"Than on their way home Mr. and Mrs. Moore will be involved in a deadly car accident." Stan said as if it were the most obvious thing in the entire world. The men all in the manor looked to him and smiled, going along with the idea before getting back to their work.
Just then the doors to the lounge opened and Brian Truscott walked in with Mulder in hot pursuit. All the men faked a smile and everybody took a seat and gathered around. As Mulder searched the faces for information that looked back at him, he knew he would come to hate what he was about to learn.
The knowledge was vast, the power was infinite, but the use was stupid and ignorant. The demonstration was the best, because it proved to be in full function and in all actuality possible, but what they had come to ask was impossible.
To actually turn a human into an android and control their every move was every persons dream, to admit it every so often it was even his dream. But the moment they mentioned the idea of him turning his 'wife' into a robot the very idea sickened him to no end. Sure he had thought about it. Having an off switch to shut her up every so often when she went off on her logical explanations, but isn't that what he loved about her, isn't that what saved his ass so may damn times?
He had also thought of them getting married and that sandwich she had never made, he could definitely have the sandwich now, but it wouldn't be the same. Because it wouldn't be made with love, time or because she felt like it. No. It would have been made because he was being controlling and pushed a damn button.
"And if I refuse?" He asked slowly, unsure if the question should even be asked. He watched out of the corner of his eye as a man tensed and started off in a slight coughing fit.
"It's your choice." Stan said, but the way he said it Mulder knew there was more behind the statement, and the fact that the man behind him looked as if he was turning blue.
"I'll do it." He said straight out and shook hands with Stan, the mans grip was strong and powerful, he only hoped he wouldn't come to regret his choice.
"Wise choice my friend. All this will go away and soon your marital problems will go with it." Stan said releasing his hand and smiling. "Bring her by the manor tonight at eleven thirty. We'll start then." Mulder nodded and left.
"Well?" Scully asked the second the door opened and Mulder stepped into her view. He noticed a sign of worry in her face and eyes and then a sudden thought entered his head.
What if they never went back? What if they stayed here and never left. The FBI would be happy to be rid of them, the X-Files would be closed down and they could live the normal lives she desperately deserved. As he approached her he began to contemplate this new idea even more. When she placed her hands on his face, she pulled him out of his thoughts and back to reality, he had suddenly made up both of their minds.
"Mulder? What happened?" She asked softly, wondering if they had messed with his mentality
"Nothing." He said softly taking her hands in his and gently pulled them off of his face brought them to his lips.
"You sure?" She asked, ignoring the fact he placed a soft kiss on her hands.
"Positive." He said dropping her hands at her side before turning to the kitchen. "We just have to go to the Men's Manor tonight for some couples therapy thing at eleven thirty." He said opening the fridge to look around for something to eat.
"They want me there?" She asked oddly.
"Yep." He said pulling out the bread and lunch meat, but was shocked when she kindly moved him out of the way and offered to make it for him, saying she owed it to him. He only hoped his choice was for her and the better of her future.
As eleven rolled around Mulder could feel his heart beginning to race and his stomach drop. They had decided to leave early. Figuring and early arrival was best and now as they drove they short, but reasonable distance to the manor Mulder began to have second thoughts, was this really for the best, should he at least consider talking about the options with her, after all this was her life he was about to change forever.
"Mulder? Are you alright?" She asked softly taking her hand in his as he pulled into the driveway.
"I'm fine." He said calmly opening his door and getting out of the car. No sooner had his door opened was he greeted by Jacob Brennan.
"Please, follow me." He said smiling softly at Scully and moving to the side gently. Scully looked over to Mulder and gave him an odd look.
Once they had entered the manor Scully found herself in a well furbished place, obviously a woman was kept around to keep her feminine touch around, most likely Caroline. She stood in the middle of the main hall, she knew this because it was in a circular shape and surrounded by numerous closed doors and two flights of stairs above her, not to mention the staircase to her side.
As she took in her surroundings she only now found that she had become surrounded. All the men, the husbands, had taken the outer circle and encased her in the middle. They all wore the same red jacket with the same Stepford emblem and looked to her as if she were a caged animal and she searched helplessly among the faces for her familiar friend and confidant. Two faces she failed to see was that of her beloved Mulder and the leader of these mindless fools.
"Do you know why you are here?" A voice asked loudly. Scully jumped in her place and followed the gaze of the men, she looked upward to the second floor, where Stan Cruise and Fox Mulder stood side by side. They wore the same red and matching jackets as the rest, her heart felt as if it had been stabbed and ripped out before being stomped on. He had betrayed her for these people and her ways, he was here to turn her over.
"No." She half lied. She had an idea she would not be leaving here normal, but instead like the rest of the Barbie's that roamed the grounds.
"Because you are having a hard time in your marriage and we are here you help set things right." Stan said descending the steps, Mulder behind him the whole way.
"What if I don't want the Stepford life?" She spat out as he approached her and Mulder stood back where the rest of the group was.
"That is not for you to decide, the decision has already been made." Stan said brushing a hand across her cheek and tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. "You see, the husband decides how the wife is done, Susan."
"I'm no following." She said honestly. Stan pulled a remote from his pocket and pushed a button, a picture that rested against the wall on the far corner lifted and revealed a television set. A cheap fifties version cartoon came on and explained everything.
Scully watched with horrid eyes, amazed that all along such technology was available, Mulder watched disgusted that she now knew what she was to become. A female android; incapable of any real thought and whose only real goal in life is to serve the husband. Complete with remote, which is controlled by the husband, the Stepford wife will do whatever and whenever the husband says. Scully looked over to Stan, than Mulder before looking around the room, repulsed, these men were truly archaic and needed to wake up and get used to the equality when it came to the sexes, something she thought Mulder had done.
When there eyes met he could see the disappointment in her face and his heart fell. They would enter computer chips into her brain, only four. He knew she would be highly uncomfortable with that idea, all things considered in the past, but that would only be a start compared to the new body transplant she would be receiving in the machine downstairs. Sure it was metal and full of gadgets and gizmos, but it was also cancer free, that he was sure, was a great plus.
"Boys, please escort Mr. and Mrs. Moore to the basement where they can be left alone." Stan said before turning to head back up the stairs.
Thomas Rogers lead them to the stairs of the basement before dispersing with the rest of the group to their homes for the night. They were alone in the manor as Stan was the last to leave, and as Scully looked sickeningly over to the grey machine she turned to Mulder, tears, fear and hate in her eyes.
"How could you Mulder? I trusted you with my life and you go off and betray me, after everything. How could you? I--" He cut her off with her finger to her lips a simple kiss to the forehead and I'm sorry and pushed her towards the machine.
"I'm doing this for you. I promise to cure you of your cancer, I promised you a normal life. This is for you." He whispered in her ear. Scully swallowed hard, wondering what had been done to the man she had come to love as she tried to fight him off.
Mulder had never imagined Scully with long hair, nor had he ever pictured her as a blonde, and though he favored blondes in some respect, he longed to see the his old short haired red-headed Scully. She looked a lot different now, her hair was long and blonde and he had never seen her in a pink summer dress with matching heels and even though she was pretty they way she looked, she wasn't beautiful, because she wasn't the Scully he feel in love with.
"Scully?" He asked softly looking at her oddly.
"Mulder?" She asked back looking to him with the same look on her face. He smiled as his response.
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