Chapter 2: "Some Things Never Change"

FBI Headquarters
Washington, DC
One Hour Later

Mulder stepped off the elevator and made his way down the fourth-floor hallway of FBI Headquarters with his FBI ID badge hanging on a black lanyard around his neck. His navy-blue sweater, blue jeans, and white sneakers now being complemented by a very stylish custom-made navy-blue leather bomber jacket, he soon arrived at the outer entrance of the office that, for as long as he and Agent Scully could remember, had been occupied by the now late Assistant Director Walter Skinner.

With the wheels of change having unfortunately been forced to turn in the wake of AD Skinner's death eight months earlier, the office was now the workplace of newly promoted FBI Assistant Director Renee Duebner. Mulder casually entered the small office foyer area and nodded a silent salutation to Arlene, a lovely redheaded secretary in her late 40's who was dressed in a dark pantsuit and flat black heels. She had been AD Skinner's longtime secretary for roughly 18 years until his death, and had known Agents Mulder and Scully for just about as long.

"Good morning, Agent Mulder" Arlene said to him in her usual kindly and professional tone, "Please have a seat and I'll tell her you're here."

"Thank you, Arlene" Mulder replied as he took a seat on the black leather sofa that sat opposite Arlene's desk.

Arlene then picked up the receiver of her desk phone and pressed the button for AD Duebner's direct extension. "Ma'am?" she said into the phone a few seconds later, "I have Special Agent Mulder out here to see you. I see. Yes, ma'am. Thank you." She then set the receiver back on its cradle and looked to Mulder. "She's ready for you, sir" she said.

Mulder took his cue and got up from the sofa, nodding to her once again. "Thanks again, Arlene" he warmly replied with a slight smile before opening the office's inner door and going inside, promptly shutting the door behind him.

Inside the large office, Assistant Director Renee Duebner sat in a large leather office chair behind her large desk. Duebner was a very tall and athletically built brunette white woman appearing to be in her mid to late 40's, dressed in a white button-down blouse and a black skirt with black loafers. Her hair was very tastefully tied back in a neat bun, and she wore white bifocal reading glasses.

The Assistant Director noted Mulder's entrance and courteously stood up from her seat, crossing to meet him at the doorway, where she extended a hand to him. "Agent Mulder", she warmly greeted, "Renee Duebner. I'm the new Assistant Director assigned to oversee the X-Files. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Mulder reciprocated Duebner's gesture with a firm handshake of his own. "Likewise, ma'am" he replied as he crossed to the small chair in front of the desk and sat down. Duebner, meanwhile, returned to her respective seat. "You'll have to forgive me", Mulder continued, "When Arlene called me this morning and mentioned your name, I thought it sounded familiar. I realized on the car ride here that you were the agent who used to run the Domestic Terrorism team in Baltimore. You and your team took down those homegrown whackos who tried to blow up the Port of Baltimore last spring, is that right?"

Duebner nodded and smiled proudly for a beat in response. "That's right", she replied.

"That was some nice work", Mulder said.

"I appreciate that", Duebner said, "But to put it humbly, it was very much a team effort. The Director thought I could use a bump up the ladder, so now I'm here. I just got into town yesterday."

"Welcome", Mulder said, "But I think it goes without saying that you have some pretty big shoes to fill."

Duebner sighed. "Yes", she replied, "I started my career with the FBI fifteen years ago working in one of the downstairs bullpens here at Headquarters. Walter Skinner was my immediate superior for five years before I transferred over to the Baltimore office. He was a damn good man, a damn good agent, and an absolutely stellar AD. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Much appreciated, ma'am" Mulder said, "Thank you. But again, I think it goes without saying that the X-Files is a very unique division. Respectfully, I think I need to warn you that it takes a very open mind in order to properly supervise and oversee it."

"Respectfully, Agent Mulder" Duebner politely interjected, "Say no more. I completely understand your reluctance and you should know that you have nothing to worry about with me. Confidentially, I was the one who convinced the Director and the senior Bureau staff to continue funding the X-Files division for at least another year."

"That's very nice to hear, ma'am" Mulder said, "But I have to ask. Why? It's not like the world is that open minded to a whole lot of things these days."

"As much as I agree with that point", Duebner replied, "In my newfound capacity as Assistant Director, how my units and agents are able to function is completely within my discretion and realm of concern. Every open case requires a very thorough and in-depth investigation, even if who or what we investigate is way outside the norm."

Now having enough understanding of the new Assistant Director's refreshingly unprejudiced perspective, Mulder nodded in full agreement. "Understood", he said, "So do you have a new case for me?"

Duebner opened the center missile drawer of her desk and removed an official FBI case file folder which she promptly slid over to Mulder's side of the desk. "There was an exceptionally savage murder in Austin, Texas last night. A young rookie game warden for the state's Fish and Game department was found pretty much ripped apart by what appears to be some kind of animal. His partner was very badly injured as well, but as of five o' clock local time this morning, she's hanging on and recuperating at a local hospital."

Mulder flipped open the case file, at which point he immediately grimaced at the gruesome crime scene photograph depicting the late Warden Boyd Aiken's ferocious death. "My God", he said, "This is awful. It says here that he and his partner were found inside some sort of bat cave?"

Duebner nodded. "Yes", she replied, "Since game wardens are considered to be law enforcement personnel, both the Texas Fish and Game people as well as the Austin Police reached out to the FBI for assistance. The reason why I'm choosing to officially classify it as an X-File should be on the next page underneath that photo."

A now increasingly inquisitive Mulder flipped to the next page of the case file: a copy of the official DNA tests that had been performed by the local FBI lab. "The DNA taken from saliva inside the warden's wounds matches a known sample within the Bureau's system from another X-File", he read out loud.

"Bingo", Duebner said, "The case was from back in Two-Thousand. A series of murders in Cassia County, Idaho. An elderly couple, another elderly woman, and a Cassia County sheriff's detective were very viciously murdered and partially dismembered by what the reports say was a bat-like creature. Agents Scully and Doggett worked the case together back then."

A lightbulb was then lit inside Mulder's head. "Oh yeah", he said, "I remember now. That was back during the time when I was uhm…" His voice awkwardly trailed off for a moment.

"Away", Duebner cut in, "I know. I had the case file pulled this morning and went through it personally. There's something else you should know."

Mulder momentarily closed the case file and set it back on the desk, resuming eye contact with Duebner. "I'm listening", he said.

"The Bureau's San Antonio office sent one of their agents from the Violent Crimes division up here to meet with you", Duebner explained, "He's waiting for you down in your office. With Agent Scully on maternity leave, I took the liberty of authorizing a joint investigation between our X-Files division and San Antonio Violent Crimes. He'll be your new partner on the Texas case."

Mulder sighed with initial hesitancy as he stood from his chair and nodded to Duebner. "That's all well and good, ma'am" he candidly said, "I just hope that this agent, whoever they are, has a mind that's open enough for this kind of work."

Duebner put a hand up in retort. "I won't worry yourself too much, Agent" she replied, "Let's just say that he's not as inexperienced with these kind of cases as you might expect."

Mulder said nothing as he promptly left the Assistant Director's office and took the elevator down to the X-Files office. He rounded the corner of the basement hallway and saw that the office door was already wide open. Stealthily stepping inside, he noted the presence of a tall man dressed in a charcoal gray suit with his back to him. This mysterious guest appeared to be intently staring at Mulder's "I Want to Believe" poster.

"I guess it's true that some things never change" the man said without turning around right away, "especially down here in this office."

The man finally turned around and faced Mulder. It was Special Agent John Doggett, a seasoned FBI veteran and former occupant of the X-Files office. Standing at a statuesque 5'11, his hair had turned a striking salt and pepper color with age, but his distinctively piercing blue eyes were still his most standout feature.

Mulder chuckled and grinned as he extended a hand to his colleague. "As I live and breathe", he said, "John Doggett! I thought you fell off the map."

Doggett returned the gesture with a kindly handshake. "Honestly", he replied, "I kind of felt that way too for a while, but I've managed to adjust pretty well. How's it feel to officially be 'Agent Mulder' again?"

Mulder broke the handshake, crossing over to his desk and sitting down in his chair as he replied. "Well," he said, "It's not like they ever planned to stick me anywhere else."

Doggett sat down in the small chair facing the desk and smirked in response to Mulder's cheeky if not accurate statement. "True", he replied, "Assistant Director Duebner said that Agent Scully's on maternity leave. It would appear that you guys are expecting a bundle of joy again, eh?"

"That's right", Mulder said, "She's due in about four weeks. We're having a girl."

"Congratulations, buddy" Doggett compassionately replied, "To you both."

"Thanks", Mulder said before sitting further back in his chair and crossing his arms, "So tell me, John. Where the hell have you been all this time?"

"After we broke you out of that Marine brig back in Oh-Two", Doggett began to explain, "Any hope of my someday getting into the Director's chair pretty much went to shit. The powers that be essentially exiled me down to Texas. Three years with the Crimes Against Children unit in Dallas, and then five years with Organized Crime in Houston. I transferred to San Antonio's Violent Crimes division in Two-Thousand-Ten and that's where I've been ever since."

Taking in the information, Mulder nodded. "As much as exile must suck", he said, "I'm glad you're here. Your experience with the X-Files will definitely prove valuable with this case."

"That's very kind of you to say, Mulder" Doggett replied as he reached inside his suit jacket and removed an airline ticket envelope. He promptly set it on Mulder's desktop. "Here's your plane ticket", he continued, "Your plane leaves from Dulles Airport in two hours."

Mulder grabbed the envelope off the desk, removed the ticket inside, and studied it. "You're not coming with?" he inquired.

"I've got a seat booked on a flight to San Antonio that leaves in an hour", Doggett said as he removed his memo book from his side pocket and scribbled something on its top page, "My Special-Agent-in-Charge wants to meet with me before your arrival." He then tore the memo page off the pad and slid it over to Mulder. "That's the crime scene location", he continued, "I've arranged for an Austin PD homicide detective to meet you there after you arrive. I'll meet up with you later on."

Mulder grabbed the page and eyeballed it before sticking it in the breast pocket of his jacket. "Okay then", he replied as he again extended a hand to Doggett, "I guess I'll see you in the Lone Star State."

Doggett shook Mulder's hand once again before standing up from the chair and starting to head for the open office door. He then turned to Mulder once more. "Hey Mulder?" he asked.

"Yeah?" Mulder replied.

"I'm sorry", Doggett said, "I guess I forgot to ask earlier. How's Scully doing, by the way?"

"These last few weeks have been pretty rough on her body", Mulder replied, "But I'm glad she won't be alone while I'm gone. Her brother should be arriving at our house soon."