Title: Blessed Union of Souls I: Not the Doctor 04/11
Author: Somogyi
Email: somogyi02@yahoo.com
Category: SRA
Rating: R for language
Spoilers: Through Season Five
Keywords: M/S UST
Summary: A man from Scully's past returns, asking for her and Mulder's help to
stop the development of a deadly biological weapon. But will the case bring
Mulder and Scully closer together, or tear them apart?
Disclaimer: The X-Files, Dana Scully, Fox Mulder, and all other characters
associated with the series are the property of Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen
Productions, and the Fox Network. Characters are used without permission and no
profit is being made.
*****
"Not the Doctor"
by Somogyi
somogyi02@yahoo.com
Chapter 4
"I don't believe it," Mulder muttered, even as he shook his head in disbelief.
"The bastard is going to get off."
Sitting beside him in the courtroom as they awaited the judge's ruling on
whether Andraven would be brought to trial, Scully closed her eyes and slowly
bowed her own head. Mulder was right; in a few short minutes, the son of a bitch
was going to walk out of the room a free man. How had their case managed to
deteriorate so quickly? she silently wondered.
Tim Liles had seemingly hanged himself in his hotel bathroom. Lord knew, there
was sufficient cause: for starters, guilt over his involvement in the research
and purported testing of the genetically engineered anthrax strain he helped to
create. And no doubt he believed that Elizabeth Blair's blood was on his hands.
The crime scene had revealed no evidence of a struggle. More importantly, there
had been an agent sitting in the next room at the time who swore that no one had
entered or exited the hotel room in the several hours preceding the estimated
time of death.
Scully performed the autopsy on Liles herself. She found no signs of foul play.
Even the toxicology report proved nothing conclusive. The only oddity was that
Liles had had an elevated level of cortisol--a hormone released in response to
stress--though the amount was still not abnormally high.
Regardless of the method of his demise, the consequences were the same: without
Tim's testimony, they had no way of directly linking Andraven to Blair's death,
or his lab's supposed development of anthrax as a biological weapon. The PCR
from Quantico revealed that there was a close relation among the strains that
Liles snuck out, that which Scully found, and that which killed Blair. Coupled
with Liles' testimony, the evidence would have been damning. Without his
statement, however, it was reduced to being circumstantial at best.
Andraven managed to twist the situation around and lay blame on Liles himself.
His lawyer painted a picture of a bitter, desperate man who blamed his employer
for his own lack of experimental results. Liles' grant money was running out,
and because his research was not proceeding as planned, Andraven was going to
pull the plug on his project. According to him, Liles did not deal well with
failure. A number of men and women who had worked with Liles were brought in to
corroborate the portrait of an arrogant scientist who wanted to take a fast,
easy road to the top, and did not care who he stepped on or used along the way.
According to Andraven, Liles sought retribution; he somehow managed to get a
hold of some virulent strains of anthrax, planted them in the laboratory, and
then contacted Scully--knowing of her work with the Bureau--in an attempt to
implicate Andraven and have his company shut down. Whether Blair's death was
accidental, the result of Liles' wrath after she refused to go along with his
plan, or maybe even his way of eliminating anyone with knowledge of his crimes,
was indeterminate, but nonetheless Liles' handiwork, Andraven claimed.
Ultimately, the knowledge that this evidence would come to light and ruin his
reputation must have proved too much, and Liles chose instead to end his own
life.
Opening her eyes, Scully realized that the judge was stating his decision. ". .
. insufficient evidence directly linking Mr. Andraven to these crimes. Case
dismissed." With a sharp bang of the gavel, it was over. The case they had built
upon hours and hours of investigative work had fallen apart like a house of
cards.
Scully watched as Andraven got to his feet, grinning like like the cat who
swallowed the canary, and shook his lawyer's hand. The man was a heartless
murderer, and he had managed to weasel his way out of any culpability. Tim Liles
was dead, as was Elizabeth Blair, and God knew how many more people would be
murdered at his hands.
Too shocked to react, she simply sat there, watching people file out of the
courtroom. When Andraven walked by, he smiled knowingly in their direction
before exiting.
"I'm going to go wipe that grin right off of that sonuvabitch's face," Mulder
muttered, getting to his feet.
"Mulder!" Scully called, trying to stop him. But he did not hear her, or simply
chose to ignore her, and quickly followed Andraven out of the courtroom. Fearing
the worst, Scully hurried after her partner, but got caught in a crowd of
people. By the time she had managed to push her way into the hallway, she saw
that Mulder was confronting the CEO.
"You're not going to get away with this," Mulder told him plainly.
"Ah, but I have done nothing wrong," Andraven replied smugly.
"You had Elizabeth Blair infected with a lethal strain of anthrax, and you had
Tim Liles killed because he was willing to testify against you."
"Dr. Blair's death was the result of an unfortunate accident, and it was
determined that Dr. Liles took his own life. I am sorry to lose two such
talented scientists, who made tremendous contributions to their field."
"Yeah, you're sorry your prize researcher was no longer willing to jump through
hoops. When Liles refused to play a part in the senseless killings of innocent
people just so you could increase your bank account, you decided that he had
outlived his usefulness. How many others have you murdered to further your
pursuit of personal profit? How many more will you kill in cold-blood?" Mulder
was in his face now, and when Andraven tried to take a step backwards, Mulder
moved closer.
His raised voice had also attracted suitable attention, and many eyes were
turned in their direction. Some members of the media were preparing to get a
closer look.
"Mulder, c'mon, let's go," Scully said, approaching him. "There's nothing else
to be done here."
He simply ignored her, and kept pressing the businessman. "So, how much did you
pay the judge to get you off, Petey?"
Andraven flinched at the familiar form of address. That small crack in his
otherwise impeccable facade encouraged Mulder to press him further.
"Or did you simply threaten to use him and his family as your next test
subjects?"
"Bribery of a court official is a crime, punishable by imprisonment, Agent
Mulder--as is libel. So I'd be careful what kind of accusations I made if I were
you."
"What's bribery compared to experimenting on human beings? How many more
innocent people are you going to kill, you inhuman bastard?" Mulder snarled,
even as he grabbed Andraven by the labels and shoved him against the wall. "What
makes you think you're above the law?"
"I suggest you get your hands off of me before I charge you with harassment,"
Andraven replied coolly, yet loudly, obviously raising his tone for the benefit
of the reporters that were beginning to gather.
"Mulder," Scully said sharply, placing a firm hand on his arm. He looked at her
then, and she held his gaze, her own a mixture of insistence and pleading.
Reluctantly, he released his hold on Andraven.
The older man calmly straightened his tie and coat. "If you'll excuse me, I
think you've wasted enough of my time today," Andraven said as he turned to
leave.
Mulder was about to step after him, when Scully's grip on his arm tightened.
Though he did not move, Mulder still called after him. "You can't hide from the
truth, Andraven."
The CEO continued his steady pace, never turning back.
*****
Though Mulder had gotten a hold of himself and yielded to discretion during his
confrontation with Andraven, he did not want to let it rest. He threw himself
into his work, trying to find some lead that would enable them to implicate
Andraven. He went too far, however, persistently harassing Andraven at his
office with a barrage of questions and unsubstantiated accusations. Though
Scully did what she could to assist Mulder--all the while trying to rein him in
a bit--she knew that she could not stop him. It became a matter of simply
waiting for the ball to drop. As it turned out, it did not take long before they
got the call.
Skinner summoned them into his office and told them in no uncertain terms to
back off. Mulder tried to protest, insisting that they were very close to
finding a vital piece of evidence that would make the charges stick, but the
A.D. firmly stood his ground--going so far as to threaten Mulder with a
suspension should he so much as go near Andraven or his laboratory.
Reluctantly, Mulder agreed to drop the case. Scully immediately felt that he
acquiesced much too easily. Her instincts proved to be be right: The moment they
left Skinner's office and entered the elevator, Mulder had began to voice his
resentment--loudly.
"Damn it!" he had shouted, hitting the button for the basement with his fist.
"We lost him! That son of a bitch is gonna get away with it! He had at least two
people killed, and God knows how many more innocent people are going to die by
his hands!" Mulder paced the small elevator car furiously. "It's bad enough that
he got off scott free at the indictment, but now it seems that Andraven's
governmental connections go farther than the judicial branch."
Mulder may be on the paranoid side, but Scully was also convinced that Andraven
pulled some strings and caused the higher powers to put pressure further down
the chain of command--at least as far as the Assistant Director, as the meeting
they had just left no doubt illustrated. Skinner sure as hell hated to be placed
between a rock and a hard place, and so he had come down on them--hard. They had
come up against a brick wall--as they had so many times before. They had no
choice now but to move on. And so Scully had decided to do what she could to
convince her partner to let this go.
"You know, this is probably all for the best. Andraven knew we were on to him,
so he had to be operating with extreme caution. There's no way we'd be able to
find anything substantial to use against him anyway."
"We had him, Scully. We should have been able to put him away for life. And he
just slipped through our fingers."
"Mulder, you should be thankful you still have a job. After that scene you
pulled at the indictment--"
"He was laughing at us. And I'm sick and tired of being played like a fool." The
elevator doors opened, and Mulder quickly exited, striding down the hallway at
full tilt.
Scully had to practically sprint to keep up with him. "I don't want to play
their games any more than you do, Mulder, but the fact remains that you were out
of line. You let your emotions get the better of you at the hearing."
"Well, at least one of us cares enough to pursue the case," he muttered,
stopping in front of the office and pulling out his keys.
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Scully snapped, crossing her arms and
walking up to him to look him in the eyes. "I've been working just as hard as
you on this investigation, Mulder. Just because I didn't try to assault Andraven
doesn't mean I don't care."
"Could have fooled me," he retorted, opening the door and walking into the
office. "Hell, Scully, *you* were the one who brought me in on this in the first
place. It was *your* friend who was murdered. Don't you give a damn?"
"Of course I do! I'm just not willing to sacrifice over six years of hard work
to satisfy a personal vendetta!" she replied, following him inside and slamming
the door behind her. "I want Andraven to rot in jail as much as you do, Mulder.
I want justice for all the lives he's sacrificed."
"Then why are you caving in?"
"Who says I'm giving up?" she shot back, trying not to show how much his harsh
words hurt her. "Just because we're no longer pursuing the case via official
channels doesn't mean we have to let it drop entirely," she continued, her voice
softening as she approached him. "Let's just bide our time for a while, step
back and make Andraven think the pressure's off. He's bound to slip up again
eventually." She paused a moment, and lightly touched his arm, cocking her head
to gaze at his face. "Be patient, Mulder. We'll get another chance."
With a weary sigh, Mulder nodded his head. She could see his expression calming
as her words reassured him that she was still with him on this one. "All right,
Scully. I'll let it go. For now."
Though they had since begun a new investigation, Mulder had remained in a major
funk. He had been moody all week, brooding much more than was usual for him.
Despite the long hours they had been putting in, they had made little progress
on their next case. Scully could not help but wonder if this was partially due
to the fact that his heart was just not in it. It was as though his enthusiasm
vanished when they were pulled from the Andraven case.
No matter how much she tried to cheer him up--even going so far as to supply her
own banter to try to lighten the mood--he had still been gloomy. This Mulder was
the complete opposite of the one of a week earlier, who was practically bubbling
with excitement as each piece of evidence fell into place to build their case.
More than that, his melancholy had put a distance between them. Whereas last
week each day they seemed to draw closer, now they seemed only to drift further
apart. Scully desperately missed that special connection they had made. So much
so, in fact, that she spent a great deal of the time she should have been
working on the new case instead thinking about her partner.
Earlier that afternoon, Mulder was doing something on the computer while Scully
was pouring over her autopsy reports. At least, that what she was trying to do.
Instead, she had spent most of her time gazing in her partner's direction,
musing over their relationship.
*Does he even realize the effect he has on me?* she wondered with a sigh as she
cupped her chin in her hand. They connected so well in the context of work, but
he seemed to have no clue about her feelings for him. That was not entirely his
fault, she supposed. Of the two of them, it was he who was both more emotional
and more physical. And she had always felt the need to put some distance between
them. Scully was the one who tried the most to maintain the degree of
professionalism she felt was needed in order for them to function efficiently in
a work environment. Her career was important to her, and Mulder's work was his
life--he once put it in so many words. And though his quest had become her own,
a part of her feared that if they were ever to become involved the work would
not get the attention it deserved. One day, Mulder would regret allowing
something else to take precedence over the X-Files, and she would never be able
to forgive herself.
Scully also had the need to stand on her own two feet. Getting where she was
today--surviving medical school, becoming a special agent--was not easy.
Especially infiltrating the boy's club that was the Federal Bureau of
Investigations. Many of these men had the idea that because she was a woman, she
was too emotional or too fragile to handle the job. She had to push herself
twice as hard as any man in order to prove that she was just as capable. In the
process, she had learned to rely on herself, and no other. For this reason, she
wanted--she *needed*--to appear strong to those around her. She prided herself
on her intellectual accomplishments. She did not like to show fear when on a
case, and she hated to cry in public, because it indicated weakness. She did not
want others to think that she was not strong enough to handle any situation her
work put her in. She wanted them to see her as a competent scientist, a skilled
investigator.
Scully blew out the breath she did not realize she had been holding. Perhaps
that was part of the problem. Perhaps one of the reasons Mulder and she had
remained partners, friends, and nothing more was that she had only allowed him
to see one side of her. Mulder knew Agent Scully, his skeptical partner. He had
worked with the enigmatic Dr. Scully, pathologist. But did he really know Dana
Scully, the woman? Had she allowed him to see that aspect of her personality?
More importantly, if she did show it to him, how would he react? Would he like
her? Would he want to get to know her better?
With a sigh, she made her decision. *Perhaps it's time I tried to find out. . .
.* And so, with fond memories of an evening spent waiting out a storm in front
of a fireplace, she decided to take a chance--in hopes of cheering him up, and,
if she were lucky, rekindling some of the closeness they had been feeling a mere
week earlier.
Summoning up her courage, and at the same time preparing herself for a possible
disappointment, she suggested they finally check out Tufano's. They both needed
a night to unwind, forget about work for a while and just enjoy some delicious
food, relaxing atmosphere, and good company. Remarkably, Mulder took little
convincing, and actually seemed to appreciate the idea. She guessed he felt he
needed the break, too.
Feeling almost giddy with excitement, she called to make reservations; they had
just had a cancellation, in fact, and were able to fit them in that night. Since
she needed to go home to change--and Mulder wanted to put in a little extra time
going through some reports--they decided to meet at the restaurant. Much to her
surprise--not to mention great pleasure--as she was getting ready to leave, the
Mulder of a week earlier made an unexpected reappearance.
"Okay, Mulder, I'll see you in a little while," Scully said, opening the office
door. His eyes were focused on the computer screen as he hunted and pecked at
the keyboard, apparently oblivious to all around him. Shaking her head, she
sighed. "Don't work too hard. And don't forget, we're meeting at--"
"Seven o'clock, at Tufano's, which is two blocks off of Northern Boulevard.
Don't worry, Scully, I'll be there," he said, looking up at her, his face lit
with a bright smile. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Yeah, you'd do anything for all-you-can-eat garlic bread and homemade canoles,
huh, Mulder?"
"You know what they say about the way to a man's heart, Scully. . . ."
"Yeah, and what a schleroid heart it must be."
"See you at seven," he said with a grin, returning his attention to the
computer.
"See you then," she replied, leaving the office and closing the door behind her.
She could not help but smile as she made her way to the parking garage.
*****
Glancing at her watch for the tenth time in as many minutes, Scully sighed.
*Relax, Dana. He's just a little late,* she told herself as she reached for her
drink and took a sip. *He said he was running late. He probably hit traffic on
the way over. He'll be here. Just give him a few more minutes.*
She looked around the restaurant, taking in the cozy atmosphere. Tufano's was
even better than she expected. There were only about fifteen tables, each
decorated with fresh flowers and softly burning candles. The majority of these
were occupied, primarily with couples. The soft buzz of pleasant conversations
filled the air, accompanied by the gentle melody of a violinist, making his way
around the room to serenade each of the tables in turn.
Her eyes slowly scanned the room, coming to rest at the next table. A young man
and woman sat staring into one another's eyes, sipping champagne. Their hands
were clasped on the table. The man said something, and the woman's smile turned
to gentle laughter. He slowly reached across the table, and they kissed. Scully
quickly averted her eyes, focusing instead on the small flame of the candle in
the center of her table, watching it burn steadily, the lavender wax pooling
below the wick. She could not help but envy these people.
"Can I get you anything, ma'am?" the waiter asked, stopping at her table.
"Uhm . . . How about another martini?" she replied, glancing at her watch. "My
friend should be here any minute; I'd like to wait to order until he gets here."
"Very well. I'll be right back with your drink."
"Thank you."
As he left, Scully was suddenly conscious of being the only person in the
restaurant sitting alone. She absently smoothed her skirt, fighting the urge to
make a break for the door.
*What were you thinking, Dana?*
It seemed simple enough at the time: she had wanted to try to get them back on
track, to return them to that wonderful state of happiness Mulder and she had
been in while working on the Andraven case--and perhaps take it a step further.
One moment they were on cloud nine, feeling tremendously happy with the case,
the work, each other. That night of the thunder storm, she had felt the closest
to Mulder she ever had. But the next morning, things got turned on their head
when they learned of Tim Liles' death--apparent suicide, though they were
convinced it was murder, most likely ordered by Andraven himself. If only there
had been some way to prove it, some means of demonstrating the CEO's
involvement--
"Hi, Scully. I'm sorry I'm so late."
The sound of his voice snapped her out of her recollections. She looked up to
see Mulder approaching the table, and her breath caught in her throat.
Apparently, he did not spend all this time on the reports, and also decided to
stop home to change. He was wearing a dark suit with one of those preacher-
collar shirts--a deep emerald that brought out the green of his eyes. She got up
to greet him and he took her hands in his own, pulling her close to place a soft
kiss on her cheek. "You look beautiful," he said as they sat down.
"Thank you," she replied, smiling demurely as a soft flush crept across her
cheeks. "You're looking good yourself."
"Must be the soft lighting," he quipped. "Did you order yet?"
"No, not yet. I wanted to wait for you."
"Thanks. I would have been here sooner, but traffic was terrible on the
highway."
"That's no problem. I'm just glad you're here now."
"Me, too." He placed his hand on hers, softly caressing it with his thumb. The
sensation was electric, sending tiny shocks up her arm. "I'm glad you invited me
here, Scully," he said, his voice low and earthy. She gazed across the table,
and saw his eyes focused on her face. "I've wanted to do this for a long time,
but, frankly, I've never gotten the nerve to ask you before. Guess you finally
beat me to it."
She was surprised at the way in which his words encouraged her. It seemed that
work was not the only time that they were able to play off of one another's
ideas and actions. "It doesn't matter who initiated it, Mulder, so long as we're
here now, together."
"I couldn't have said it better myself." He leaned toward her then, and her
heart skipped a beat. She found herself moving closer to him without the
slightest hesitation. Feeling the warmth of his breath even as the spicy scent
of his aftershave filled her senses, she closed her eyes, preparing for the
eagerly-anticipated touch of his lips on hers.
"Here's your drink, ma'am."
At the sound of the waiter's voice, Scully's eyes snapped open. As he placed the
glass before her, she looked across the table and saw that she was alone.
Blinking, she tried to clear her head. Then, as realization dawned, her cheeks
grew warm with embarrassment. She was not usually one for indulging in
fantasies--at least, not in public places.
"Th-thank you," she stuttered, averting her gaze from the waiter.
"Would you like to order an appetizer while you wait, ma'am?" he asked.
"Uhm . . . I suppose I could . . ." she replied softly, reaching for the menu
and holding it up to shield her crimson face. "Uh, could you give me a few
minutes, please?"
"Of course. Take your time." He took his leave.
With a sigh, she silently shook her head. *Lord, Dana, you really are eager
tonight, aren't you?* She glanced once more at her watch, and saw that it was
well past seven-thirty. She felt the first inkling of anger adding to her
embarrassment. *All right, Mulder, so where the hell are you?*
End Chapter 4
*****
Author: Somogyi
Email: somogyi02@yahoo.com
Category: SRA
Rating: R for language
Spoilers: Through Season Five
Keywords: M/S UST
Summary: A man from Scully's past returns, asking for her and Mulder's help to
stop the development of a deadly biological weapon. But will the case bring
Mulder and Scully closer together, or tear them apart?
Disclaimer: The X-Files, Dana Scully, Fox Mulder, and all other characters
associated with the series are the property of Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen
Productions, and the Fox Network. Characters are used without permission and no
profit is being made.
*****
"Not the Doctor"
by Somogyi
somogyi02@yahoo.com
Chapter 4
"I don't believe it," Mulder muttered, even as he shook his head in disbelief.
"The bastard is going to get off."
Sitting beside him in the courtroom as they awaited the judge's ruling on
whether Andraven would be brought to trial, Scully closed her eyes and slowly
bowed her own head. Mulder was right; in a few short minutes, the son of a bitch
was going to walk out of the room a free man. How had their case managed to
deteriorate so quickly? she silently wondered.
Tim Liles had seemingly hanged himself in his hotel bathroom. Lord knew, there
was sufficient cause: for starters, guilt over his involvement in the research
and purported testing of the genetically engineered anthrax strain he helped to
create. And no doubt he believed that Elizabeth Blair's blood was on his hands.
The crime scene had revealed no evidence of a struggle. More importantly, there
had been an agent sitting in the next room at the time who swore that no one had
entered or exited the hotel room in the several hours preceding the estimated
time of death.
Scully performed the autopsy on Liles herself. She found no signs of foul play.
Even the toxicology report proved nothing conclusive. The only oddity was that
Liles had had an elevated level of cortisol--a hormone released in response to
stress--though the amount was still not abnormally high.
Regardless of the method of his demise, the consequences were the same: without
Tim's testimony, they had no way of directly linking Andraven to Blair's death,
or his lab's supposed development of anthrax as a biological weapon. The PCR
from Quantico revealed that there was a close relation among the strains that
Liles snuck out, that which Scully found, and that which killed Blair. Coupled
with Liles' testimony, the evidence would have been damning. Without his
statement, however, it was reduced to being circumstantial at best.
Andraven managed to twist the situation around and lay blame on Liles himself.
His lawyer painted a picture of a bitter, desperate man who blamed his employer
for his own lack of experimental results. Liles' grant money was running out,
and because his research was not proceeding as planned, Andraven was going to
pull the plug on his project. According to him, Liles did not deal well with
failure. A number of men and women who had worked with Liles were brought in to
corroborate the portrait of an arrogant scientist who wanted to take a fast,
easy road to the top, and did not care who he stepped on or used along the way.
According to Andraven, Liles sought retribution; he somehow managed to get a
hold of some virulent strains of anthrax, planted them in the laboratory, and
then contacted Scully--knowing of her work with the Bureau--in an attempt to
implicate Andraven and have his company shut down. Whether Blair's death was
accidental, the result of Liles' wrath after she refused to go along with his
plan, or maybe even his way of eliminating anyone with knowledge of his crimes,
was indeterminate, but nonetheless Liles' handiwork, Andraven claimed.
Ultimately, the knowledge that this evidence would come to light and ruin his
reputation must have proved too much, and Liles chose instead to end his own
life.
Opening her eyes, Scully realized that the judge was stating his decision. ". .
. insufficient evidence directly linking Mr. Andraven to these crimes. Case
dismissed." With a sharp bang of the gavel, it was over. The case they had built
upon hours and hours of investigative work had fallen apart like a house of
cards.
Scully watched as Andraven got to his feet, grinning like like the cat who
swallowed the canary, and shook his lawyer's hand. The man was a heartless
murderer, and he had managed to weasel his way out of any culpability. Tim Liles
was dead, as was Elizabeth Blair, and God knew how many more people would be
murdered at his hands.
Too shocked to react, she simply sat there, watching people file out of the
courtroom. When Andraven walked by, he smiled knowingly in their direction
before exiting.
"I'm going to go wipe that grin right off of that sonuvabitch's face," Mulder
muttered, getting to his feet.
"Mulder!" Scully called, trying to stop him. But he did not hear her, or simply
chose to ignore her, and quickly followed Andraven out of the courtroom. Fearing
the worst, Scully hurried after her partner, but got caught in a crowd of
people. By the time she had managed to push her way into the hallway, she saw
that Mulder was confronting the CEO.
"You're not going to get away with this," Mulder told him plainly.
"Ah, but I have done nothing wrong," Andraven replied smugly.
"You had Elizabeth Blair infected with a lethal strain of anthrax, and you had
Tim Liles killed because he was willing to testify against you."
"Dr. Blair's death was the result of an unfortunate accident, and it was
determined that Dr. Liles took his own life. I am sorry to lose two such
talented scientists, who made tremendous contributions to their field."
"Yeah, you're sorry your prize researcher was no longer willing to jump through
hoops. When Liles refused to play a part in the senseless killings of innocent
people just so you could increase your bank account, you decided that he had
outlived his usefulness. How many others have you murdered to further your
pursuit of personal profit? How many more will you kill in cold-blood?" Mulder
was in his face now, and when Andraven tried to take a step backwards, Mulder
moved closer.
His raised voice had also attracted suitable attention, and many eyes were
turned in their direction. Some members of the media were preparing to get a
closer look.
"Mulder, c'mon, let's go," Scully said, approaching him. "There's nothing else
to be done here."
He simply ignored her, and kept pressing the businessman. "So, how much did you
pay the judge to get you off, Petey?"
Andraven flinched at the familiar form of address. That small crack in his
otherwise impeccable facade encouraged Mulder to press him further.
"Or did you simply threaten to use him and his family as your next test
subjects?"
"Bribery of a court official is a crime, punishable by imprisonment, Agent
Mulder--as is libel. So I'd be careful what kind of accusations I made if I were
you."
"What's bribery compared to experimenting on human beings? How many more
innocent people are you going to kill, you inhuman bastard?" Mulder snarled,
even as he grabbed Andraven by the labels and shoved him against the wall. "What
makes you think you're above the law?"
"I suggest you get your hands off of me before I charge you with harassment,"
Andraven replied coolly, yet loudly, obviously raising his tone for the benefit
of the reporters that were beginning to gather.
"Mulder," Scully said sharply, placing a firm hand on his arm. He looked at her
then, and she held his gaze, her own a mixture of insistence and pleading.
Reluctantly, he released his hold on Andraven.
The older man calmly straightened his tie and coat. "If you'll excuse me, I
think you've wasted enough of my time today," Andraven said as he turned to
leave.
Mulder was about to step after him, when Scully's grip on his arm tightened.
Though he did not move, Mulder still called after him. "You can't hide from the
truth, Andraven."
The CEO continued his steady pace, never turning back.
*****
Though Mulder had gotten a hold of himself and yielded to discretion during his
confrontation with Andraven, he did not want to let it rest. He threw himself
into his work, trying to find some lead that would enable them to implicate
Andraven. He went too far, however, persistently harassing Andraven at his
office with a barrage of questions and unsubstantiated accusations. Though
Scully did what she could to assist Mulder--all the while trying to rein him in
a bit--she knew that she could not stop him. It became a matter of simply
waiting for the ball to drop. As it turned out, it did not take long before they
got the call.
Skinner summoned them into his office and told them in no uncertain terms to
back off. Mulder tried to protest, insisting that they were very close to
finding a vital piece of evidence that would make the charges stick, but the
A.D. firmly stood his ground--going so far as to threaten Mulder with a
suspension should he so much as go near Andraven or his laboratory.
Reluctantly, Mulder agreed to drop the case. Scully immediately felt that he
acquiesced much too easily. Her instincts proved to be be right: The moment they
left Skinner's office and entered the elevator, Mulder had began to voice his
resentment--loudly.
"Damn it!" he had shouted, hitting the button for the basement with his fist.
"We lost him! That son of a bitch is gonna get away with it! He had at least two
people killed, and God knows how many more innocent people are going to die by
his hands!" Mulder paced the small elevator car furiously. "It's bad enough that
he got off scott free at the indictment, but now it seems that Andraven's
governmental connections go farther than the judicial branch."
Mulder may be on the paranoid side, but Scully was also convinced that Andraven
pulled some strings and caused the higher powers to put pressure further down
the chain of command--at least as far as the Assistant Director, as the meeting
they had just left no doubt illustrated. Skinner sure as hell hated to be placed
between a rock and a hard place, and so he had come down on them--hard. They had
come up against a brick wall--as they had so many times before. They had no
choice now but to move on. And so Scully had decided to do what she could to
convince her partner to let this go.
"You know, this is probably all for the best. Andraven knew we were on to him,
so he had to be operating with extreme caution. There's no way we'd be able to
find anything substantial to use against him anyway."
"We had him, Scully. We should have been able to put him away for life. And he
just slipped through our fingers."
"Mulder, you should be thankful you still have a job. After that scene you
pulled at the indictment--"
"He was laughing at us. And I'm sick and tired of being played like a fool." The
elevator doors opened, and Mulder quickly exited, striding down the hallway at
full tilt.
Scully had to practically sprint to keep up with him. "I don't want to play
their games any more than you do, Mulder, but the fact remains that you were out
of line. You let your emotions get the better of you at the hearing."
"Well, at least one of us cares enough to pursue the case," he muttered,
stopping in front of the office and pulling out his keys.
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Scully snapped, crossing her arms and
walking up to him to look him in the eyes. "I've been working just as hard as
you on this investigation, Mulder. Just because I didn't try to assault Andraven
doesn't mean I don't care."
"Could have fooled me," he retorted, opening the door and walking into the
office. "Hell, Scully, *you* were the one who brought me in on this in the first
place. It was *your* friend who was murdered. Don't you give a damn?"
"Of course I do! I'm just not willing to sacrifice over six years of hard work
to satisfy a personal vendetta!" she replied, following him inside and slamming
the door behind her. "I want Andraven to rot in jail as much as you do, Mulder.
I want justice for all the lives he's sacrificed."
"Then why are you caving in?"
"Who says I'm giving up?" she shot back, trying not to show how much his harsh
words hurt her. "Just because we're no longer pursuing the case via official
channels doesn't mean we have to let it drop entirely," she continued, her voice
softening as she approached him. "Let's just bide our time for a while, step
back and make Andraven think the pressure's off. He's bound to slip up again
eventually." She paused a moment, and lightly touched his arm, cocking her head
to gaze at his face. "Be patient, Mulder. We'll get another chance."
With a weary sigh, Mulder nodded his head. She could see his expression calming
as her words reassured him that she was still with him on this one. "All right,
Scully. I'll let it go. For now."
Though they had since begun a new investigation, Mulder had remained in a major
funk. He had been moody all week, brooding much more than was usual for him.
Despite the long hours they had been putting in, they had made little progress
on their next case. Scully could not help but wonder if this was partially due
to the fact that his heart was just not in it. It was as though his enthusiasm
vanished when they were pulled from the Andraven case.
No matter how much she tried to cheer him up--even going so far as to supply her
own banter to try to lighten the mood--he had still been gloomy. This Mulder was
the complete opposite of the one of a week earlier, who was practically bubbling
with excitement as each piece of evidence fell into place to build their case.
More than that, his melancholy had put a distance between them. Whereas last
week each day they seemed to draw closer, now they seemed only to drift further
apart. Scully desperately missed that special connection they had made. So much
so, in fact, that she spent a great deal of the time she should have been
working on the new case instead thinking about her partner.
Earlier that afternoon, Mulder was doing something on the computer while Scully
was pouring over her autopsy reports. At least, that what she was trying to do.
Instead, she had spent most of her time gazing in her partner's direction,
musing over their relationship.
*Does he even realize the effect he has on me?* she wondered with a sigh as she
cupped her chin in her hand. They connected so well in the context of work, but
he seemed to have no clue about her feelings for him. That was not entirely his
fault, she supposed. Of the two of them, it was he who was both more emotional
and more physical. And she had always felt the need to put some distance between
them. Scully was the one who tried the most to maintain the degree of
professionalism she felt was needed in order for them to function efficiently in
a work environment. Her career was important to her, and Mulder's work was his
life--he once put it in so many words. And though his quest had become her own,
a part of her feared that if they were ever to become involved the work would
not get the attention it deserved. One day, Mulder would regret allowing
something else to take precedence over the X-Files, and she would never be able
to forgive herself.
Scully also had the need to stand on her own two feet. Getting where she was
today--surviving medical school, becoming a special agent--was not easy.
Especially infiltrating the boy's club that was the Federal Bureau of
Investigations. Many of these men had the idea that because she was a woman, she
was too emotional or too fragile to handle the job. She had to push herself
twice as hard as any man in order to prove that she was just as capable. In the
process, she had learned to rely on herself, and no other. For this reason, she
wanted--she *needed*--to appear strong to those around her. She prided herself
on her intellectual accomplishments. She did not like to show fear when on a
case, and she hated to cry in public, because it indicated weakness. She did not
want others to think that she was not strong enough to handle any situation her
work put her in. She wanted them to see her as a competent scientist, a skilled
investigator.
Scully blew out the breath she did not realize she had been holding. Perhaps
that was part of the problem. Perhaps one of the reasons Mulder and she had
remained partners, friends, and nothing more was that she had only allowed him
to see one side of her. Mulder knew Agent Scully, his skeptical partner. He had
worked with the enigmatic Dr. Scully, pathologist. But did he really know Dana
Scully, the woman? Had she allowed him to see that aspect of her personality?
More importantly, if she did show it to him, how would he react? Would he like
her? Would he want to get to know her better?
With a sigh, she made her decision. *Perhaps it's time I tried to find out. . .
.* And so, with fond memories of an evening spent waiting out a storm in front
of a fireplace, she decided to take a chance--in hopes of cheering him up, and,
if she were lucky, rekindling some of the closeness they had been feeling a mere
week earlier.
Summoning up her courage, and at the same time preparing herself for a possible
disappointment, she suggested they finally check out Tufano's. They both needed
a night to unwind, forget about work for a while and just enjoy some delicious
food, relaxing atmosphere, and good company. Remarkably, Mulder took little
convincing, and actually seemed to appreciate the idea. She guessed he felt he
needed the break, too.
Feeling almost giddy with excitement, she called to make reservations; they had
just had a cancellation, in fact, and were able to fit them in that night. Since
she needed to go home to change--and Mulder wanted to put in a little extra time
going through some reports--they decided to meet at the restaurant. Much to her
surprise--not to mention great pleasure--as she was getting ready to leave, the
Mulder of a week earlier made an unexpected reappearance.
"Okay, Mulder, I'll see you in a little while," Scully said, opening the office
door. His eyes were focused on the computer screen as he hunted and pecked at
the keyboard, apparently oblivious to all around him. Shaking her head, she
sighed. "Don't work too hard. And don't forget, we're meeting at--"
"Seven o'clock, at Tufano's, which is two blocks off of Northern Boulevard.
Don't worry, Scully, I'll be there," he said, looking up at her, his face lit
with a bright smile. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Yeah, you'd do anything for all-you-can-eat garlic bread and homemade canoles,
huh, Mulder?"
"You know what they say about the way to a man's heart, Scully. . . ."
"Yeah, and what a schleroid heart it must be."
"See you at seven," he said with a grin, returning his attention to the
computer.
"See you then," she replied, leaving the office and closing the door behind her.
She could not help but smile as she made her way to the parking garage.
*****
Glancing at her watch for the tenth time in as many minutes, Scully sighed.
*Relax, Dana. He's just a little late,* she told herself as she reached for her
drink and took a sip. *He said he was running late. He probably hit traffic on
the way over. He'll be here. Just give him a few more minutes.*
She looked around the restaurant, taking in the cozy atmosphere. Tufano's was
even better than she expected. There were only about fifteen tables, each
decorated with fresh flowers and softly burning candles. The majority of these
were occupied, primarily with couples. The soft buzz of pleasant conversations
filled the air, accompanied by the gentle melody of a violinist, making his way
around the room to serenade each of the tables in turn.
Her eyes slowly scanned the room, coming to rest at the next table. A young man
and woman sat staring into one another's eyes, sipping champagne. Their hands
were clasped on the table. The man said something, and the woman's smile turned
to gentle laughter. He slowly reached across the table, and they kissed. Scully
quickly averted her eyes, focusing instead on the small flame of the candle in
the center of her table, watching it burn steadily, the lavender wax pooling
below the wick. She could not help but envy these people.
"Can I get you anything, ma'am?" the waiter asked, stopping at her table.
"Uhm . . . How about another martini?" she replied, glancing at her watch. "My
friend should be here any minute; I'd like to wait to order until he gets here."
"Very well. I'll be right back with your drink."
"Thank you."
As he left, Scully was suddenly conscious of being the only person in the
restaurant sitting alone. She absently smoothed her skirt, fighting the urge to
make a break for the door.
*What were you thinking, Dana?*
It seemed simple enough at the time: she had wanted to try to get them back on
track, to return them to that wonderful state of happiness Mulder and she had
been in while working on the Andraven case--and perhaps take it a step further.
One moment they were on cloud nine, feeling tremendously happy with the case,
the work, each other. That night of the thunder storm, she had felt the closest
to Mulder she ever had. But the next morning, things got turned on their head
when they learned of Tim Liles' death--apparent suicide, though they were
convinced it was murder, most likely ordered by Andraven himself. If only there
had been some way to prove it, some means of demonstrating the CEO's
involvement--
"Hi, Scully. I'm sorry I'm so late."
The sound of his voice snapped her out of her recollections. She looked up to
see Mulder approaching the table, and her breath caught in her throat.
Apparently, he did not spend all this time on the reports, and also decided to
stop home to change. He was wearing a dark suit with one of those preacher-
collar shirts--a deep emerald that brought out the green of his eyes. She got up
to greet him and he took her hands in his own, pulling her close to place a soft
kiss on her cheek. "You look beautiful," he said as they sat down.
"Thank you," she replied, smiling demurely as a soft flush crept across her
cheeks. "You're looking good yourself."
"Must be the soft lighting," he quipped. "Did you order yet?"
"No, not yet. I wanted to wait for you."
"Thanks. I would have been here sooner, but traffic was terrible on the
highway."
"That's no problem. I'm just glad you're here now."
"Me, too." He placed his hand on hers, softly caressing it with his thumb. The
sensation was electric, sending tiny shocks up her arm. "I'm glad you invited me
here, Scully," he said, his voice low and earthy. She gazed across the table,
and saw his eyes focused on her face. "I've wanted to do this for a long time,
but, frankly, I've never gotten the nerve to ask you before. Guess you finally
beat me to it."
She was surprised at the way in which his words encouraged her. It seemed that
work was not the only time that they were able to play off of one another's
ideas and actions. "It doesn't matter who initiated it, Mulder, so long as we're
here now, together."
"I couldn't have said it better myself." He leaned toward her then, and her
heart skipped a beat. She found herself moving closer to him without the
slightest hesitation. Feeling the warmth of his breath even as the spicy scent
of his aftershave filled her senses, she closed her eyes, preparing for the
eagerly-anticipated touch of his lips on hers.
"Here's your drink, ma'am."
At the sound of the waiter's voice, Scully's eyes snapped open. As he placed the
glass before her, she looked across the table and saw that she was alone.
Blinking, she tried to clear her head. Then, as realization dawned, her cheeks
grew warm with embarrassment. She was not usually one for indulging in
fantasies--at least, not in public places.
"Th-thank you," she stuttered, averting her gaze from the waiter.
"Would you like to order an appetizer while you wait, ma'am?" he asked.
"Uhm . . . I suppose I could . . ." she replied softly, reaching for the menu
and holding it up to shield her crimson face. "Uh, could you give me a few
minutes, please?"
"Of course. Take your time." He took his leave.
With a sigh, she silently shook her head. *Lord, Dana, you really are eager
tonight, aren't you?* She glanced once more at her watch, and saw that it was
well past seven-thirty. She felt the first inkling of anger adding to her
embarrassment. *All right, Mulder, so where the hell are you?*
End Chapter 4
*****