In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, thousands sat, eyes glued to the big screen above the table or at the table, watching a young boy take on the world's chest master. A 12 year old little boy, playing with those who had studied chest for years upon years. Young Gibson Praise was representing the United States while the mid thirty year old across from him was representing the Russian Federation. Move after move, click of the clock after click. Yet, up in the rafters, high above everyone else, a man walked the catwalk, carrying a black soft briefcase. When he came to his desired spot, he stopped and set down the foam case. Black leather gloves encased his hands, not leaving a trace anywhere. He unzipped the case and pulled the parts of a gun out. Putting it together, screwing the silencer portion on the end, he lined up on his mark. Down below, the two continued the black and white pieced game. Gibson made a move and clicked the time clock. He perked up. Something was not right. He looked wildly around the packed stadium, taking in people through his bottle shaped glasses. He turned and looked behind him, at the American flag up in the rafters. His opponent thought he had Gibson. He must be scared of the great Russian! Gibson turned back to the board, waiting for the Russian to make his move. The Russian moved his piece over one spot and clicked the time clock. Young Gibson stood up, moving his own piece, announcing his victory.
"Check mate!" Gibson declared. That was when the shot rang out in the stadium. It echoed eerily. The Russian, who had been leaning in to shake Gibson's hand fell to the ground. Blood poured from the Russian. Gibson's parents rushed to the stage as Gibson turned around and looked up in the rafters, directly from where the shot had come from. In the rafters the man realized he had to get out. He had shot the wrong one! Ah, he would pay dearly for this mistake. He left the gun and jumped over the foam case to flee the scene.
"Are you sure you're ready to go back Dana? I don't really care that Skinner asked you to as a favor." Mulder stared at Scully, back in her traditional skirt, heels, and button up. It was only the last couple of days she had really come around. Scully smiled, shaking her head.
"Yes. No. I don't know." She slipped her diamond through the hole in her ear. "Skinner said this case involves a kid plus something I would find medically interesting. I can't keep hiding forever either." Together they drove in today, dropping off William at daycare and making sure Emily got on the bus alright. Scully ran upstairs to her desk as Mulder made his way down to his office. Doggett had called him earlier in the week. His ex-wife had requested his presence at something, probably to do with Luke and would be gone. Which was too bad seeing that Doggett and Mulder had turned into a couple of frat boys with each other. Not necessarily breaking rules, but enjoying the time they had with each other. Scully had said she'd be a moment. She was going to check and see what had made its way to her desk in her absence. Mulder noticed the door to the office popped open. Pushing it all the way he saw Skinner, playing with files on his desk.
"Well now. You know you're going places when the Assistant Director cleans your office for you." Mulder smirked at him.
"I was just looking around." Skinner said.
"Anything in particular?" Mulder asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"I, uh. I came down to ask you something." Skinner confessed. "I guess I just ended up nosing around. About you. About your long term plans." Skinner was worried about what the job was doing to Mulder and Scully and their relationship. Scully had been through a lot recently and was worried that she needed away, even though he was pulling her right back in.
"You've got my long term plans in your hands sir." Mulder said, taking the few files Skinner had accumulated.
"What do you hope to find?" Skinner asked. There had to be something within the files that kept driving Mulder.
"I'm not sure. But maybe I'll know it when I find it. Is that really what you came down here to ask me about?" Mulder was getting the feeling that he was being felt out for something. He already knew Scully was. Perhaps they'd be back together in the field.
"No." Skinner admitted his defeat. "There's a homicide case involving a Russian chess player. Normally doesn't come your way at all. But the shooter was former National Security Agency. Got a lot of people very upset. This kid named Jeffery Spender has been given the case. I didn't give it to him, but I think it needs your looking into." So Scully was supposed to be working with someone else. "He made sure to exclude you Mulder." Mulder smirked, heading out the door.
Mulder walked by Scully's cubical upstairs. No Scully. So this was about the case she had been asked to return from her leave for. It wasn't to watch Mulder during Doggett's brief absence. Shocking. He poked around through some of Scully's things. He felt sadden for her. No one had set anything down in the way of a sorry about your loss. He knew everyone had been talking about it when Doggett would stop by, but no one would extend a hand to her. We're they all really this petty? Just because she had worked with him? And defended him? He shook his head before taking off.
In one of the large conference rooms, agents sat, watching the assassination of the Russian chess player in front of a small boy.
"Using a weapon, registered to the National Security Agency, the shooter fired one kill shot." A curly haired newbie said up front. Scully watched the footage and had to the fight the rage she felt as a mother bubbling up in her. "The shooter was recovered a short distance away. No motive has been offered up by the shooter. Nor an accomplice." The door opened in the back. Mulder stepped in, eyeing the new kid who was given such a job. Skinner silently opened the door behind Mulder, entering into the room as well. Silence. Nothing but hard silence was directed at Mulder.
"Please. Continue." He said politely. Sighing harshly, Special Agent Jeffery Spender continued.
"The trajectory of the bullet suggests the shooter acted alone. However, we can't rule out the possibility of an accomplice." Mulder listened to his words, watching the shooting over and over again behind Spender.
"I'm sorry. Could you rewind? I'll tell you where to stop." Mulder said. "Please." He knew he was walking on thin ice, but there was something about the positioning he wasn't happy with. Spender stared hard at him.
"Just let me get through this. If you have any questions I'll answer them later." Spender looked back at the room and was about to begin to finish addressing them when Mulder interrupted.
"I don't have any questions. No. I just think you're wrong." Mulder couldn't help it. This little shit head in front of him was, well, just that. Being a shit head. Spender's head snapped in Mulder's direction, anger written across his face. Scully spoke up. Mulder had come to hover around Scully's spot, so now was her time. She turned and looked up at him.
"Mulder. What are you doing?"
"I don't think the Russian was the intended target. I think it was the boy." Mulder stated blankly. It was the fact that the small mousey brown hair had moved. That fatal movement caused the Russian to lean into the bullet's projected path.
"His opponent, Agent Mulder, was a twelve year old boy." Spender spat at Mulder.
"And a very good chess player." Mulder nodded, agreeing with the fact that yes, this was a young boy. "I'll show you his best move if you just take it back." Realizing Spender was never going to win this battle with Mulder he clenched his jaw and took the video back.
"Ok. Now right there." Mulder pointed to the place to stop when it came about. "Look what the kid does right before the kill shot." Spender hit the play button. "You see what he does?" Mulder asked, as the boy sat down. "He just pushes back. Do you see that?"
"He's just completed a check mate. He's pushing back because the game is over." Spender was struggling to maintain his composure.
"You described a deep trajectory angle. If the kid doesn't push back right at that exact moment, he would have caught the bullet in the back of the neck." Spender sighed.
"Can we move on here?" Spender just needed to get this show on the run and this dumbass out of his conference room.
"Actually," came a female voice. "I think Agent Mulder might be right." Everyone in the room turned to the back right corner of the conference room to stare. The voice came from an older woman, skinny, with dark eyes and hair. It was hard to see anyone agree with Mulder. Even Scully had a hard time believe all of Mulder's theories. "It looks like the boy sensed the shooter pre cognitively. If you rewind you'll see it." Mulder's jaw dropped. His eyes almost completely out of his head.
"There's no way. It's impossible." Spender stood at the front of the room shaking his head. This was slowly spiraling out.
"Let's just rewind it so we can all see for ourselves." Skinner said. It looked like if he didn't step in to play referee, this game of whose is bigger would never end. Spender, not able to disobey an order from a higher up obliged. He took it back to just before the check mate. Looking straight into the tape were the boy's eyes.
It was late at night. Darkness had overtaken the area. Underneath a freeway, a few cars had gathered. In front of the cars were a few men. All in nice dress suits. This meeting was private. From across the deserted area came Cancer Man, towards the cars and the men. Towards his fate. Upon approaching the group, he pulled out one of the cigarettes from his pack and lit it up, embers shining in the darkness.
"Don't look so surprised that I'm here. You underestimated the person you sent to do the job." He inhaled deeply, exhaling the smoke into the night. "I suppose you have a job for me?" He rolled the tobacco between his thumb and forefinger.
"There's been a grave mistake."
"I know." He grinned his yellow toothed grin. "I saw. I heard. I read."
"The boy is a problem for us. Can we count on you?"
"Yes." He turned with his glowing cigarette and walked back out into the night.
Scully was slightly upset. Mulder had decided he wanted to meet this young boy tonight, instead of spending it with his own family. And someone, she had gotten caught up in it. The woman who had spoken out for Mulder in the room was in the backseat of Mulder's car. Scully squirmed uncomfortably, trying to remain aloof. She had learned her name to be Diana Fowley, but that was all.
"How long have you worked for the FBI, Agent Fowley?" Scully looked back in the middle of the back seat at the woman. She couldn't tell herself why she didn't like the woman, but she didn't like her. She wanted to open the door and kick her out at the light.
"Since '99." She said smugly. "I took an assignment in Europe after the wall came down when the director brought up foreign terror concerns."
"And they brought you in on this because of the terrorism angle?" Scully asked. Mulder just sat there driving, not saying a word.
"No. Um, I requested a reassignment." Fowley stared at the driver's seat. "There were things at home I decided I wanted to get back to." Scully rolled her eyes and looked ahead. She missed Diana's glance at Mulder in the rearview mirror.
"1999. That's about when you started work on the x-files Mulder."
"More or less. Yeah." Mulder replied. Scully was slowly becoming irked. This was the most silent she had ever witnessed Mulder. Mulder pulled into a parking spot and cut the engine. He was looking for the fastest exit route.
Inside, a young boy with mousy brown hair, big bottle shaped glasses with thick lenses and odd proportions lay sprawled on the floor watching the Simpsons. They had arrived at a psychiatric hospital in Maryland. The boy was being watched here. The three walked into the room.
"Gibson." Mulder addressed the young boy as he sat up and crossed his legs. Mulder got down to Gibson's level. "I'm Fox. This is Dana and Diana." He said, pointing to the two women behind him still standing. "How are you doing?"
"I don't mind it here." Gibson replied. Scully had just been thinking that he must hate it and wanted to take him home. "They get all the good TV shows here. Where I live in the Philippians, all we get is Baywatch." Gibson cringed and crinkled his nose at the mention of Baywatch.
"What's wrong with Baywatch?" Mulder asked, smiling. Gibson stared at him.
"You've got a dirty mind." Scully bit back a laugh as Mulder looked back at her for help.
"Your parents will pick you up on Friday to take you back home." Scully informed the youngster, still trying to suppress a laugh.
"I don't want to play any chess." Gibson said, shaking his head at Mulder.
"How do you know I want to?" Mulder asked. Gibson looked under his arm.
"Cuz you've got that chess computer in your hand."
"Don't you want to see how fast you can beat it?" Mulder asked, setting the board on the ground in front of him.
"No." Gibson scoffed, cocking an eyebrow Mulder from behind the rims of his glasses. Mulder picked up the remote to the TV.
"Maybe because you can't?" Mulder flipped the TV off, attempting to egg Gibson on. The two stared at each other and Scully stared down on the scene. She was ready to kick Mulder. He was only a little kid. She hoped this was not a side she would see with him with Emily and William as they got older.
"I'm right aren't I? You know what I'm talking about." Gibson just stare at Mulder. "You knew the moment I came in. That's how you win isn't it? You know what your opponent is going to do. You get inside his head. Read his thoughts." Gibson still stare at Mulder, not denying anything. "That's how you knew that man was going to shoot you."
"I know what's on your mind." Gibson bragged. "You're thinking about one of the girls you brought."
"Huh?" Mulder was caught off guard by the redirection in the conversation, especially by a kid.
"Well one of them is thinking about you." Gibson smiled. Scully rolled her eyes. Of course it was her. Or was it? She was getting a very strange vibe from the two of them.
"Which one?" Diana asked. Naturally she would be curious. No one was aware of Mulder and Scully except for three people within the FBI: John Doggett, Walter Skinner, and Monica Reyes. Diana looked hopefully at Gibson to tell her, while Gibson looked at Mulder, who held Gibson with a pleading look.
"He'd rather I not say." Gibson said. Mulder stood up and turned to the two ladies he was with.
"This kid is going to need round the clock protection." Mulder said before leaving the room. Scully stare where Mulder had just been before chasing after him.
"Mulder, what was that all about?" Scully asked. She had caught him just outside the room. What was it Mulder was hiding this time? And why was she so damn nauseous?
"That kid's no chess master. Under controlled conditions I could probably beat him." Scully stared hard at Mulder. He seemed to already be in his own little world. She did not like this. She hated when she felt shut out. She tried to reason him out of his world and back into theirs.
"Mulder," she started. "He's recognized internationally as a prodigy. He's beaten grand masters." Mulder look at Scully, but at the same time, almost looked through her.
"In the most unfair way."
"Mulder." Scully crinkled her face in distress. "He was goofing with you. Playing along. I mean, listen to you. What you're positing is that this kid can read minds."
"And we've seen a number of these cases before Scully." Mulder countered back.
"No." Scully was livid and exhausted and had caught something from which kid she couldn't say. "We've seen lucky guessers. No one has been able to stand up to any rigorous testing." Scully clutched at her side. Diana made her way out, listening to the two of them. "And no one who can claim that they can zero in on the mind." Scully was almost pleading with Mulder. "Especially one in a crowd of thousands."
"Well," Mulder bit back at Scully. "Maybe that's why they want him dead."
"Who?" Scully asked, more calmly than before. "Who are you talking about?" She knew putting Mulder on the defense would not help her case.
"I don't know. I'm not the mind reader."
"Ok," Scully took a new approach. "Say he has those abilities. Why would you want to kill a kid who could give the ultimate advantage?" Scully heard Diana's six inch stilettos move in on the two of them. She continued to try to win Mulder over. "In business. In war. In anything."
"Maybe in somebody whose business it is in keeping secrets." Diana butted herself into the conversation, positioning herself between Mulder and Scully. Diana stare cockily at Scully. Scully stared at Diana. She just wanted to go home and curl up into a ball and move from it to hold William and read Emily her bedtime story. Diana was messing with her master plan.
"Let's test him then." Mulder said. If Scully wanted proof, he'd find the proof he needed. He had to know why someone would want to kill this kid. "Let's see if the kid can stand up to them. Let's run a brain scan and a psych evaluation. You know what to do Dana." Scully knew she had lost everything. She knew by the way he'd said Dana that he was going to be at the office all night.
Mulder dropped the two of them off at the Hoover Building. Scully made a beeline for the door. She was not sticking around to listen to Mulder. She was so upset. She was in the lobby when she realized she had driven in with him today. She saw Mulder coming. Not wanting to have to speak to him, she went back outside and hailed a taxi. At home, both her children were fast asleep. She sighed, sorry she had missed the evening. She trudged up the stairs, checking on both before going to the bedroom to change into a pair flannel pajama pants and t shirt, grabbing her laptop and heading back down. She typed in the psychiatric hospital information and began to make phone calls. After about an hour, all calls had been made, scans had been arranged, a psych evaluation in place, Scully went to lay down in bed. She stared at the ceiling. What the hell was Mulder not telling her?
That evening, after dropping off Diana and Scully, Mulder had tried to go back for Scully to take her home, but she avoided him. There was nothing he could do. He sighed and made his way to the Federal Detention Facility in Maryland. He wanted to speak to someone. He had just managed to get through security and down into the hallway he wanted and was half way to the door, when the door popped open and that little shit Spender came out.
"What are you doing here?" Spender asked Mulder, attempting to stand taller than Mulder. Mulder being the taller of the two, didn't make it an easy task for Spender.
"I want to talk to the shooter." Mulder said evenly.
"Well, I've just spent the last six hours talking to him." Spender said. "He's not been, what I would call, forthcoming."
"Ok." Mulder shrugged. "Lemme see what I can do." Mulder turned and made an attempt to get into the holding cell, but Spender put a hand on Mulder's shoulder.
"I'd prefer for you to stay outta there." Spender said gruffly. Mulder turned and looked at the kid in front of him. "In fact, I'd prefer you stay out of this thing all together." Was this kid really being this much of an ass?
"You know, when I first met you," Mulder began. He'd had enough. "I figured you were just ambitious, then this morning my opinion changed and I thought you were arrogant. Now I'm beginning to wonder what you're protecting."
"Just trying to run this thing right." Spender said harshly. "Not like some paranormal free-for-all."
"You're insulting me when you should be taking notes." Mulder said. He was the FBI's top profiler. Yes, he'd gotten bored and one day had stumbled across the X-files and was allowed to go on his whim. He had instincts about certain things that one should make note of. Normally he ended up being right. And on occasion, he was still asked to profile and head up homicides. "You see, somehow you got the big assignment. But just because you're wearing the suit doesn't mean it fits. You're lucky you're not diffusing an international situation. Sending a whole bunch of agents barking down on people on a bunch of bad leads." Spender clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth, folding and unfolding his fist. "Now, the kid is the key to this and the shooter knows why. Excuse me." Mulder elbowed his way past Spender and into the room. Mulder walked in and stare at the elderly man.
"What does it take to kill a kid?" Mulder asked, hoping to play on the fact that he had tried to kill a kid. "Money or just evil stupidity?" The man looked at Mulder.
"I didn't kill a kid." He said evenly, looking as if he were bored.
"No. Thanks to the kid." Mulder replied.
"Wanna talk about lessons?" He remained in the same position. "Your squeaky friend here hasn't given me any food or water for what," he stared at Spender behind Mulder. "Sixteen hours."
"Well I won't tolerate that." Mulder said to the prisoner. Then looked over to Spender. "You've got to get this guy some food." Spender clenched again before turning and leaving to get food and water. Silence engulfed the room. Mulder allowed the shooter to fill it.
"I've got nothing to say."
"Yeah. I've read your bio." Mulder said. "You've been trained. Special forces."
"Like I said." He pulled his hand down from his face.
"Yeah yeah yeah. You've got nothing to say. But I'm a pretty good guesser." Mulder said, plopping down in front of him. "The kid reads minds. How's that? Why don't I tell them you told me that and then let's how safe and snug you feel." Silence again.
"What can you do for me?" He asked. Mulder had found home.
"I don't know." Mulder exhaled. "I might be able to get you immunity or get you into the witness protection program." Mulder turned to look at the shooter. "Think about it." As Mulder left the confines of the cell, through the window he could see the sun was starting to creep up. He hadn't meant to stay that long. He cringed. He wanted to go home and start the day with Scully, Emily, and William, but it would take him far too long to get home. By the time he'd get there, he'd already be turning around and heading back for the psychiatric hospital for Gibson's testing. 'Shit. Do I really owe Scully.' Mulder thought. She was a great mom and far better parent then he was. He was always putting work first. He saw Spender walking down the hallway with a guard, carrying a tray of food.
"Did you get anything?" Spender snapped. Mulder grabbed the bag of chips and soda off the tray. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten.
"I got his attention." Mulder smirked, which remained plastered to his face the entire walk out of the building.
Scully had had a rough morning. After an uneventful and sleepless night she managed to doze for a bit, waking up feeling as if the world was spinning. She looked for Mulder but knew he wouldn't be next to her. Wishful thinking dies hard. She pulled herself out of bed and got her rug rats ready. She stood at the bus stop with Emily, the car parked on the street, William on her hip. Her baby girl was getting ready to turn seven. She loved watching her trot up the school bust stairs, turn quickly at the top and wave to her, bouncing red hair and smiles, then find her friends. She dropped William off at daycare, who was having a bad day as well, and really didn't want Scully to go. It broke her heart leaving him there on those days. She drove to Maryland and then to see Gibson Praise. This was one very sweet little boy. It was almost like he had been deprived of love or human touch. He immediately stuck his small hand into Scully's. Scully studied him as she walked him to the MRI. He was probably a premature baby, if she had to guess. His thick glasses when neither parents had them, hinted as much. She also believed him to be suffering from dwarfism. His torso was short while his legs and arms much too long for his body, creating a little waddle in his walk. She felt horrible leaving him in the MRI. It was obviously something scary to him, but it had to be done. Afterwards, his hand slipped right back into Scully's as they walked back to the room Gibson had been staying in. He had been oddly quiet.
"How are you doing?" She asked, giving his hand a little extra squeeze.
"I didn't like those tests." Gibson stated, looking up at Scully. "I didn't like being in the machine." Scully nodded, making a face, looking at the ground. She hated that she'd done that to him, scared him.
"They can be a little scary can't they?" Scully's thoughts had already begun to drift.
"You're wondering aren't you?" Gibson asked Scully. He didn't know why, but he liked this woman very much. Well maybe he did know why.
"About what?" Scully asked, still hand in hand with Gibson, looking down at him. "About you?"
"About that other girl." Gibson stated. As they neared where Gibson would go in for another test, Diana Fowley stepped out into the hallway. "She's wondering about you too." Gibson had ceased looking up at Scully and was staring straight ahead at Diana Fowley. Was Scully really being that transparent?
"Now, we're going to show a group of cards." The fat man with the suit and glasses told Gibson. The adults had arranged themselves in a semicircle around Gibson. Gibson sat there in a wooden chair looking very small. "Now, as we look at them, we want you to tell us what we're thinking. Now take as much time as you need." Gibson stared, waiting for the test to start. The fat man with the glasses held up a card, picture away from Gibson. The image contained a chair, one that would be used in an office.
"Chair." Gibson said after only a couple of seconds. The next little old lady held up an image of piano, away from Gibson.
"Piano." Gibson informed the little old lady what she was seeing. The next image.
"Piece of pie. Light bulb. Smiley face. Statue. Cat." Scully stood, watching in on Gibson.
"It's amazing." Scully said out loud, more to herself, however, than to anyone in the room. "It's hard to believe." Diana took that as an opportunity to speak.
"I've witness clarbouncy where there was 90% accuracy. I've witness telepathy." A smile spread across Diana's face. "But I don't know I've ever witnessed anything quiet as extraordinary as this."
"Where did you see that?" Scully asked, letting her curiosity get the better of her.
"Agent Mulder and I spent some time in psychiatric hospitals. There were some patients that were serving criminal sentences that we thought had been misdiagnosed." Scully took in what Diana said, coming back as she heard Gibson's voice.
"Coffee and a cruller. A non-fat latte. An English muffin. Grand slam number two with double hash browns and a side of Canadian bacon." Everyone in the room laughed and smiled and clapped. The man turned and looked back at the window.
"He just told us what we all ate for breakfast." Diana giggled at the man's declaration.
"I have to disappear for a bit." Scully said, rushing out of the room. Her first trip. Bathroom. What the hey had those kids of her brought home? Then off to her next destination.
Meanwhile, back at the Federal Detention Facility, the eye slot of the cell of the shooter opened up. A man with a harsh voice said that he had been handed a note. The shooter stood up and walked over to the eye slot.
"Now I'm handing it to you." The eyes said. He slid a cardboard piece of paper in at the shooter who took hold of it. On a pack of Morley's was a note written inside. 'You're a dead man.'
Scully's second stop was William's daycare. Picking up the little tyke and wrangling him into his car seat was a job and a half that day. He wanted to stand. Her third stop was at home. She called her mother.
"How would you like to see your grandkids?" Scully asked. Maggie laughed and agreed to be over there as soon as she could. She needed the distraction just as much as Scully needed work as her distraction. Emily was soon home and Scully had dinner going for her kids and when Maggie arrived, she went out the door. Her final destination was the Lone Gunmen's. It was very late when she finally made it over there. She had managed to help Emily with a little bit of homework, and Maggie would help bake Emily's birthday class cupcakes. She had mostly fed William, although he'd probably hunger later. Especially with the smell of cupcakes. She buzzed and buzzed.
"Anyone going to let me in?" She asked at the security camera. It was moments after Scully asked for her admittance that she heard the numerous locks on the front door being undone to allow for her to step in. Scully had to bite back a laugh when Frohike answered the door. He was in a pair of flannel pajamas and had thrown his sweater vest on over.
"Sorry. Caught us getting ready for bed. C'mon in." Frohike ushered Scully into their lair. "To what do we owe the pleasure of this late hour?"
"I need your help." Scully said. No beating around the bush. She was exhausted, sick, and playing single parent again it felt like.
"With what?" Langley asked, pulling his toothbrush out of his mouth for a moment before popping it back in.
"You've all heard of Gibson Praise. The chess wonder kid." Scully said as Beyers stepped out, wrapping his robe around his own pajama set. "These are a series of scans and neurological outputs." Scully was sliding in the scans on the projector. "Of his brain and brain processes. There seems to be some dispute," the Gunmen closed in around Scully. "About the suspicion if he's a fraud." Langley's toothbrush dropped out of his mouth and Beyers looked upset.
"Faking chess?"
"Apparently he wins by reading his opponents thoughts." Scully explained, making herself at home.
"I love it." Frohike declared. Scully was now four inches smaller than when she had walked in.
"And you want us to what?" Langley asked, leaning over the lighted box.
"Analyze the data." Scully swallowed. She couldn't believe she was about to state the next words. "With a mind on the parapsychological."
"Oh. Walk on the wild side." Frohike chimed in. Scully placed a hand on the small of her back. She couldn't take not knowing anymore. It was obviously causing her stress, lack of sleep, and sore muscles.
"But first," she reached out with the hand not on her back and flipped the lighted box off. "I want you to tell me who Diana Fowley is."
"Diana Fowley?" Beyers asked shocked. "Jeez. We haven't heard that name in a while."
"So you know her?" Scully asked.
"Well." Beyers seemed torn about how to answer the question. "Yeah." Langley looked from Beyers to Frohike and Frohike stepped up.
"She was kind of Mulder's chick-a-dee when he just got out of the academy." Frohike looked away from Scully as Scully worked to swallow the information. He hated breaking Scully's heart. Or making her hurt in any way. If it hadn't been for Mulder, he would have snatched her up.
"She claims to have worked closely with him for a while." Scully mumbled.
"She was there with him," Langley piped up, although not proudly. "When he found the X-Files. She has some kind of background in para science."
"She got a leg up appointment a while back. In Berlin." Beyers said.
"I always wondered why they split up." Langley said stupidly. Beyers and Frohike smacked his arms.
"Well," Scully said, reaching across to hit the on button again. "Why don't you boys see what you can find?" The Gunmen felt guilty. They had mentioned a part of life of Mulder's that Scully was locked out of. Those feelings would have to be pushed aside. Scully had come to them with a request. Awkward moment or not, they had work to do.
Back at the hospital, Gibson was glued to the television. Cartoons! He may have certain abilities but he was still at twelve year old boy. He had felt her annoying presence. It was being to irk him. He turned away from the TV to look out of the room's window to the hall way to see Diana Fowley, still watching him. Mulder came into the back room.
"How's he doing?" He asked Diana.
"You put a TV in front of him and he turns right back into a normal kid." Diana smiled at Mulder. Mulder looked in on Gibson as Diana continued. "He's the real deal Fox. We tested him with random numbers, cards, everything. He has the ability to focus not just on a single thought but a multitude of thoughts at once." Mulder stared at the back of Gibson's head.
"There's still something else that we're missing here." He said, more to himself than to the room.
"That was a good catch on the video." Diana said, trying to draw him back to her. "I was impressed." Mulder turned and smiled at Diana.
"Naw. You would have caught it eventually." He blushed. It was rare that he received such high praise. However, it still meant more when it came from Scully. And where was she? She was probably at home with their kids. He knew in the end he'd be in trouble for missing so much, especially if he missed Emily's birthday, but he hoped that he could appeal to the mother in her. He wished he could just curl up next to her and ignore the world.
"No," Diana interrupted his thoughts of Scully in bed. "I've spent too many years trying to get inside the heads of too many terrorists. You seem at the top of your game."
"It's all I do." It was true. All he did do was look for the things others would miss. It had become second nature for him to look at things differently that one would go about it. It was still nice to have someone pay him the compliment. "It's all I've been doing since you left. It's become my life." He left out how it really had become his life. How it had given him so much. Yet at the same time, it was taking so much away from him.
"Sometimes I hear about you," Diana said softly. "About the work you've been doing. I wonder what it would have been like had I stayed." She was attempting to lure him in.
"But we all would have been blown up by some terrorist bomb." Mulder joked. Diana stepped closer.
"I sensed you could have used an alley thought." She was inches away from Mulder. "Someone who thinks like you. With some background." She was touching his chest.
"You mean Scully?" Mulder asked.
"Well she's not what I'd call open minded on the subject."
"She's a scientist. She makes me work for everything." Mulder laughed. Scully did believe in certain things, she would keep those to herself, as Mulder knew. Instead Scully wanted facts, things that could be proven. Based on the higher ups, Scully had made a point to show him the things he needed to show them in order to keep things moving correctly.
"But," Diana said, toying with his tie. "I'm sure there were times when two like minds would have been advantageous." Mulder took Diana's hand, moving it away from him.
"I've done ok without you." Mulder stated bluntly. Diana reached out and took his hand. Little did the two of them know that Scully was coming down the hall, files in hand. She had been up all night with the Gunmen, shifting from being ill to analyzing data, to checking in on her children, asking her mother to send them off. She felt instantly ill once again when she saw Mulder's hand inside of Diana's. Feeling hurt and betrayed she turned the way she had come, making her way back out to her car. She was shaking. She had felt that Mulder was done playing house before her sister that his attitude towards her had changed, however, with Melissa, he had been so attentive to her. Was it just because someone close to her had died? She remembered what had happened when her father had died. Was it all out of a sense of duty? She refused to play weak, even if her knees felt as if they were going to buckle out from under her. She sat in the driver's seat of her car breathing in and out deeply, willing herself to calm down and not be sick. Unfortunately, only one was to be accomplished before she pulled out her own cell phone and pulled up Mulder's number, calling it.
"Mulder," came the familiar voice through the ear piece.
"Mulder, it's me." Scully said taking deep breaths. She realized the line between work and personal had become to blurry. If she wanted to keep her job, she would have to leave.
"Where are you?" Mulder asked, assuming he was going to be handed over to Emily or William. Some mornings, when they were having a hard time and he had to work early or was in another state, they would do this.
"I'm on my way to work." Scully stated blankly. "I was hoping I could show you something. Something about Gibson."
"Well, I'm here at the facility with Diana." If this was about the case, mind as well get to work. "Why don't you come by and show me?"
"Uh, no." Scully responded. "I'd prefer to show you at work if that's ok." She didn't want to be in the same room with Diana if possible. Mulder's old flame popping back up, the change in attitude, even if he was drugged, she needed to feel in control.
"Ok," Mulder said confused. "What is it you have to show me?"
"I think you'll be surprised. Very surprised." Scully said.
"I'm on my way." Mulder clicked off, looking at Diana and nodding to her before leaving. Scully didn't sound herself. In the parking garage, as Scully started her car up, and went to reverse out of the spot, she had to hit the brakes. Behind her, she saw Spender pulling into a spot. What was Spender doing here? Not her current concern, she decided to continue on.
In the parking garage, Spender was getting out of the car when he was approached by Cancer Man.
"Agent Spender. I need to speak with you." He puffed by one of the cement pillars.
"Who are you?" Spender asked, he could see the constant puffing, but the face was slightly covered by the darkness. He stepped forward a bit.
"Someone who has taken an interest in you. In this case. This case I gave you." Spender looked confused and made his way over to the man. He was intrigued. He thought he had been given this case because of his performance and abilities.
"Ok. What are you?" Spender asked, finally close enough to see an old man. "CIA? NSA?"
"You're a bright boy." He puffed at Spender. Spender would not take the bait.
"You said you had information." Smokey looked at Spender, taken aback.
"Control the board. Know who to sacrifice and when." He stated, between puffs.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Spender said.
"Don't become part of someone else's crusade." He blew a billow of smoke in Spender's face. "Pursue your own self-interest. Always." From behind the two of them the parking garage stairwell door squeaked. The heels of dress shoes echoed on the concrete. Mulder was making his way towards his own vehicle, to meet Scully in his basement office, as promised. Mulder saw Spender, standing by one of the cement pillars, half of a man in a suit and trench coat could be seen, yet not his face. But Mulder knew who it was by the cigarette in the man's hand. Spender was facing him, talking. Was Spender passing off information?
"Agent Spender!" Mulder called, rushing towards him. The man with the cigarette turned and left, making his way back into the shadows from which he had come, leaving Spender rooted where he was. "Agent Spender! Who were you talking to?" Mulder demanded.
"I don't know." Spender said, honestly confused.
"You don't know who you were talking to? You're lying." Mulder stated. He had better know who the hell he was talking to. No one was to be trusted about this. Someone had tried to kill a kid. A flipping kid. Everyone not an agent could be passing information about this kid. Hell, it was one of the good guys who had tried to kill this kid.
"What is your deal?" Spender asked, genuinely pissed off at Mulder. He had done nothing but try to take over this investigation. He had tried to keep Mulder's feather brained ways out of this investigation but that had failed him.
"I was told he was dead." Mulder was spooked as well. How did one come back from the dead? He had gone to that crime scene when it had come through. There was so much blood no one could have survived. It was all the same person's blood as well, no mixing.
"Well," Spender was annoyed. "Obviously he's not." By Spender's reaction, Mulder gathered he didn't know who he was.
"He said he had information." Spender told Mulder before Mulder nodded and turned to go to his car.
When Mulder walked into his office, Scully wasn't around. He sat down in his chair waiting. She poked her head in and nodded. She looked exhausted. She was still in the same outfit from yesterday. She was pale and looked shaky. Mulder jumped up and went to her. Scully shook him off, taking the seat in the desk across from Mulder. Mulder wasn't sure what he had done, but he knew he was in trouble. Scully looked like hell and wasn't accepting help. That translated to her being upset.
"Did you even go home?" Mulder asked, under his breath. Scully shook her head.
"I was at the Gunmen's all night. Working on this." She threw the file on the desk, shoving it towards Mulder. The light bulb went off for Mulder. The Gunmen had told her about Diana. He reached out and grabbed her hand, bringing up to his lips.
"I love you Dana." Rarely did he verbalize anything in the office. Even more rare was a display of any kind in the building. "She's nothing. Once I met you, I realized, you're my one in five billion, you're my rock. You've kept me going. You're all I want. You, Emily, and William." Scully nodded at Mulder. "Now, will you stop being jealous?" Leave it to Mulder to kill the mood. Scully pulled her hand from Mulder's and began to explain her finds. Mulder's jaw dropped and they called Skinner, arranging for a meeting in the afternoon.
It was well past one when the three made their way into Skinner's office. Both Mulder and Scully had stolen away from the office. Scully felt better and looked better in her grey pencil skirt and wine button down with her traditional heels. She felt that her shirt looked a little tight on her when she put it on but she had been working out a little less after work lately, spending more time with Emily and William, since it was nearing the end of the school year. Skinner stood staring at the three of them before taking his own seat.
"Send them in." Skinner buzzed and everyone involved in the case walked into Skinner's office taking seats behind Scully and Mulder. Once everyone had settled Skinner looked at Scully, nodding.
"It's ok. Tell them everything you told me. The exact same thing." Mulder said looking at Scully, taking her hand and giving it a quick squeeze. Scully exhaled shakily and began.
"I've conducted some tests. On Gibson Praise." Scully bit her lip but continued. "They've come up with some rather unsuspected conclusions." Scully knew she was putting her reputation out there. She was the sensible one when the building talked about Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. "Ones that I have difficulty reconciling with, with what I know."
"And these are?" Skinner asked.
"Neurological tests. Mapping of brain functions. Using a very high resolution EEG."
"And what did you find?" Skinner asked, keeping the calm in the room. Scully had obviously done extensive testing.
"The tests reveal something peculiar in an area of the brain that we are still far from understanding. It's an area of the temporal lobe that neurophysicists are calling the God Module." Skinner stared at Scully, attempting to grasp the medical jargon.
"I hope I'm not about to hear that this kid is the next Christ child." He said dryly.
"All of Gibson's neurological scans are showing extreme activity in this part of the brain. Which is not just abnormal but from what I know, absolutely unheard of." Scully had provided the medical now it was Mulder to provide the paranormal.
"There are correlations in individuals making great leaps forward such as Newton, Einstein, Galileo that have displayed different modes of thinking." Mulder put it out there. Perhaps Gibson was one of such individuals.
"Ok, if he is such an oddity, can someone please tell me why anyone would go through such great lengths to kill him?" Skinner asked, speaking over the whispers.
"This kid," Mulder began. "May not be the key to all human potential, but all spiritual paranormal phenomena." Mulder had the 'yeah, I said it' look plastered on his face. As no one was drawing the right conclusion, Mulder spoke it. "The key to everything in the X-Files." The room was in an uproar.
"Lemme get this right." Spender shouted above the others, calming the rest of the room down. "We're supposed to believe this kid was going to be killed because of the X-Files."
"No. It's bigger than that." Mulder responded to Spender as if he was a fly buzzing around him.
"Then explain it to me." Spender demanded. "To us."
"I can't." Mulder said. "But," Mulder said over the room. "The shooter can. The assassin you have locked up. In exchange for immunity."
"You want us to give protection to a murderer?" Spender shouted. "For secrets about the pyramids. This is crazy. Nuts!" It was Scully who now spoke up.
"You've mischaracterized what I've said Agent Spender." Scully had remained silent until this point. "This would be quantifiable proof. Of everything that Agent Mulder and I have investigated the past five years."
"How do you quantify the spiritual?" Fowley asked, wanting to take a jab at Scully. "It just can't be done. Now you ask for immunity for a killer on that basis, they'll go off. You're allowed to investigate the X-Files as an indulgence. Draw the wrong kind of attention and they'll shut you down." Diana now spat in Mulder's direction. The blowing off of her had drawn a line in the sand. "Putting an end to all of your work. Something I happen to have an interest in myself." Mulder nodded, realizing that for Diana, this wasn't about the X-Files, it was about getting even now.
"Let's everyone step out into the hall." Skinner announced, feeling the pressure and tension building. Everyone stood. "Now Agent Mulder you stay put." Scully stopped and looked back. He nodded at her and she continued out. She needed to find something to settle her. Once everyone had left and the door shut, Skinner stood up and came around and sat in the chair Scully had occupied.
"She's right you know. You're long term plans that we talked about."
"If what Agent Scully has found is true, and I believe it is, everything that I would have spent, all the time, it'll be answered." Mulder fought back.
"You'd risk the X-Files?" Skinner asked.
"How soon can you call the attorney general?"
Mulder and Spender walked into the cell.
"The Attorney General has heard my case." Mulder told the shooter.
"Heard it?" The shooter jumped up, nervous as a cat. "You told me you could get it."
"She needs something more." Mulder told him. "Something to convince her that you're not just playing games with us. Something that I can corroborate. I need answers from you." The shooter looked at Mulder, his breath still rapid.
"The kid is the missing link." He stated.
"To what?" Mulder asked. Silence. Yet there was a silent understanding between the two. "He's genetic proof isn't he?" The shooter nodded, confirmation to Mulder.
"Genetic proof of what?" Spender asked, not enjoying being a spectator in what was his investigation. "Genetic proof of what?" Spender asked again.
"The kids not super human he's just more human." Mulder stated, turning and exiting the cell, going to get the immunity the shooter needed. Spender ran out after Mulder.
"What?" He asked.
"Most of us have genes that just sit there and lie dormant. Science doesn't know what they're for or why they're there or where they came from."
"And you think this has something to do with that?" Spender asked.
"There has been a long held theory about prehistoric alien astronauts."
"You're not going to go out there and say the kid is part alien?" Spender scoffed. "You think that's what you heard? You lead him Agent Mulder." Spender called to the back of Mulder. "And now you're letting yourself be lead."
In Centerville Virginia, Gibson had finally been moved from the psychiatric facility to a motel with protection. It was Scully's watch. She'd been sitting with Gibson, who once again was glued to the TV watching cartoons. She shook her head. Emily didn't even watch this much TV. Although, there wasn't anything for him to do really. She had decided and gotten permission to take Gibson home with her and Mulder for the weekend. Scully sat in the high backed chair in the corner of the room, studying Gibson as he sat content on the edge of the bed. Something had been bothering Scully though, since analyzing his scans.
"Gibson?" Scully asked the small boy.
"This is a great show. I wish we got this where I lived." Gibson was trying to distract.
"I'd like to ask you something." Scully said, standing up and moving over to the TV, turning it off. Gibson let it happen. He liked the red head. She was nice. She pulled the cheesy hard motel chair in front of Gibson, sitting so that she was eye level with him.
"How do you do it?" Scully blurted out. Gibson shrugged.
"I just hear what you're thinking. Like on a radio." Gibson began. "And sometimes, there are lots of radios. I just want to shut them off and watch some TV."
"Is that why you like chess sweetie? Cuz it's just one thought that you hear."
"Yeah." Gibson nodded. "It's not just that. It's not why I like it all the time."
"Why else do you like it sweetie?" Scully asked, studying little Gibson. She just wanted to reach out and hug him. Why she had no idea, but she wanted to.
"Because there's no talking." Gibson said stubbornly. "Just thinking. It's not like real life, where people say one thing but are thinking something else."
"Is that what you think?" Scully smiled at Gibson. "Is that what people do sweetie?"
"They're worried about what people are thinking when the people they're worried about are worried about the same thing." Gibson said wisely. "It makes me laugh." Scully stared hard at Gibson. He was twelve years old. He shouldn't have had to learn that lesson at such a young age. When you're little you're supposed to believe what people say, supposed to make friends, supposed to get into fights because you found out people were talking behind your back. It broke Scully's heart.
"Why?" Scully asked.
"They make up all this stuff for people to believe. But it's all made up." Scully did smile at that one. "Some people try to be good people." Gibson continued. "But some people just don't care. Like you." Scully raised her eyebrows.
"You think I don't care sweetie?" She asked, slightly hurt.
"No," Gibson responded, rapidly shaking his head. "You don't care what people think. Except for her. The other one." The door knocked before Scully had the chance to ask Gibson anymore. The door cracked open revealing Diana Fowley.
"I'm here to relieve you." She stated flatly at Scully. Gibson still stare at Scully.
"Well, sweetie, we'll talk about this later, ok?" Scully gave Gibson a small hug. She was putting on her light jacket when Gibson spoke out.
"They want to kill me you know." He spouted out. How did he know? Well naturally he knew but he shouldn't be worrying about things like that. He should be worrying about some silly little boy prank.
"Nobody is going to do anything to you Gibson." Scully stated. There was no space for argument or doubt in her words. "I promise."
"I know you do." Gibson went and clicked the power back on the TV, reverting back into his child self.
That evening, in the detention facility, Mulder's witness received another note. This one would end his life. As a result, Scully and Mulder once again saw each other in passing. Scully was happy. She had done some counting and realized why she might be ill. She had stopped by the pharmacy on the way home and after tucking her little ones into bed, locked herself in the bathroom. She was late. She was only just becoming more consistent in the last few months, so being slightly late hadn't phased her. She sit on the edge of the bathtub holding the stick in her hand. When the timer on her cell phone beeped at her, she exhaled and turned the stick over for its results. Positive. For now her news would have to wait. Emily's birthday party was in two days and she had to get through this case with Mulder. This must be accounting for her emotional up and downs with Mulder and her extreme feelings on Fowley. At least she was going to blame hormones on her extreme feelings towards Fowley. "Mooooommmmmmmmmy." She heard from the floor below and she got up, wrapping and tossing the test out, washing her hands. She headed down to see what her birthday girl wanted.
Meanwhile, in the motel, Fowley was doing a poor job of watching over Gibson. She had drifted off to the sound of boring cartoons. They were the adult cartoons, but she was never one for them in the first place. Her eyes blinked and she realized there was no sound or light coming from the TV. Her eyes shot open, looking for Gibson.
"Gibson." She called out looking wildly around her. She found Gibson to her left, looking out the window. He had pulled the soft drape back, leaving a crack for him. "What are you doing?" She asked, annoyed that now he decided to stop watching TV and go star gazing.
"There's a man with a gun." Gibson said casually, still looking out the window.
"Gibson get down. Get away from that window." Fowley said, pulling Gibson back. Diana took Gibson's spot at the window.
"He didn't come here to kill me." He stated, causing Diana to turn and look at him. "He's aiming at you." As Gibson told Diana that, she stood and glass spattered all over as she crinkled up and fell backwards onto the carpeted floor.
Mulder had gotten the phone call while at the detention facility and instantly called Scully. She had called her mother, who, once again, came to the rescue. Her mother was coming over later that day to spend the night to help Scully get ready for the party the next day. Mulder honked on the street, seeing Maggie's car and Scully came out the front and hopped into the car. They drove to Centerville Virginia, worried about Gibson. At the scene, Mulder parked his car and the two hopped out. They walked to a sheet covered body as the scene techs made work of it. Skinner called out from behind the two, who were trying to take in what they were seeing.
"Agent Mulder, Agent Scully." Skinner walked over to them. "They killed a U.S. Marshall then shot Agent Fowley." Behind Skinner, Diana lay on a gurney, oxygen mask covering her face. Mulder and Scully rushed over. "They worked on her here for an hour. They couldn't get a chopper in so they'll be in constant radio communication. Weak vitals and a hole in one of her lungs. They don't think it's good."
"What about Gibson?" Scully asked as the three stare at Diana being loaded into the ambulance. "Is he here?" Skinner shook his head at Scully's questions.
In the same deserted graveled place, a black car with driver pulled up to meet two people standing in it. An older man got out of the front seat and came over to the two of them. Cancer man and Gibson Praise.
"Hello young man." Said the elderly man who had gotten out of the car, with his British accent.
"Hello." Gibson mocked.
"There's nothing to be afraid of." He ignored Gibson's jab.
"You're a liar. Just like him." Gibson stonewalled the old man, watching his face drop.
"You've never had the stomach for our business." Cancer informed British.
"Just not your practices." He spat at Cancer, ignoring the boy.
"I'm a necessity. The compliment to your cowardice." He blew smoke in Britain's face.
"You're work is done." Britain informed Cancer through the smoke.
"My work is just beginning." Cancer threw the cigarette down on the gravel and turned, walking away from the Brit with the young boy. He led Gibson to the town car and opened the back door, placing him in the car, closing the door as Gibson put his seat belt on. He climbed into the front seat. And the car drove off.
That evening, Maggie, Scully, Mulder, William and Emily went to celebrate Emily's birthday at her favorite restaurant. While there, Mulder received a disturbing phone call. His office had been set on fire. Dropping everyone back at the house, the two rushed down to see the damage. Everything was burned. Charred black and grey. All of their hard work. Spender even came down to talk to them. He told them of the Cancer Man finding him just before the fire alarms went off, of him telling Spender that he was his father. Mulder and Scully returned home, Mulder upset. His life's work. Although Scully would argue that his life's work would be William, she was not about to tell him anything other. Mulder went down stairs and shut himself out for the rest of the night.