The Better Part of Valor
2/9
A.D. Skinner's office
April 23rd
10:16 a.m.
Assistant Director Walter Skinner sat behind his desk, carefully observing his two agents
as they sat waiting for him to begin the impromptu meeting. Skinner was in no hurry; he
didn't want to have to do what he was about to do.
He examined Scully. Scully sat in her customary seat on his left, dressed in a sedate blue
pants suit that matched her eyes and set off her short flame-red hair. Around her neck
was the gold cross that she seemed to be wearing more often. Despite her business-like
features, she appeared haggard.
Skinner's eyes fell on Mulder. Mulder sat slumped in the chair to Skinner's right, and
was not at all as fresh as his partner. He wore a charcoal-colored suit with a Marvin the
Martian tie, something he had probably received as a gag gift. His face was pale and
drawn, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
Skinner hated himself for what he was about to do.
"Agents," he said. "You've been specifically requested by VCS to work on the
Pittsburgh case." He pushed a file folder towards them, which neither agent accepted.
"Our flight leaves today at two, and we are to report for a meeting with SAC Douglas at
eight."
" 'We', sir?" Scully spoke up.
Skinner nodded. "I will be accompanying you to Pennsylvania while you profile the
killer. I suggest that you two go home and pack. I'll meet you at the gate with our tickets
at one-thirty. Dismissed."
Mulder and Scully exchanged surprised glances and stood. They began to exit, but
Skinner called Scully back. Scully waved Mulder outside, shut the door, and approached
her boss. Skinner circled around and sat on the edge of his desk.
"Agent Scully," he began. "Is there something going on that I should know about?"
Scully tensed. "What do you mean, sir?"
"I mean, why do you look exhausted and why does Mulder look as if he's on the verge of
collapse?" Skinner lamented.
Scully sighed and looked away.
"I know how you feel about this case," Skinner pressed. "I did what I could to keep
Mulder off of it, but too many children have died. The Bureau looks bad in the media
and everyone's shouting about why we haven't solved the case yet. I had no choice."
Scully smiled faintly at the A.D. "No one did," she said. "Mulder got a hold of the case
two days ago. He's been working on building a profile ever since."
Skinner frowned. "Who gave it to him?"
"I don't know," Scully replied. "And I'm not about to believe that Mulder is going to tell
us."
Skinner nodded. "We'll have to keep our eyes on Mulder," he told her. "This case is too
much for even him to handle. Go home and pack. I'll see the two of you later."
Scully straightened and strode briskly from the office.
Best Western
3:17 p.m.
Scully was not in a good mood.
She had arrived at the gate right on time, but alone. Skinner joined her five minutes later,
but Mulder didn't show up until twenty minutes later. He had mumbled quick apologies,
claiming that the weather had held him up.
The storm, which hadn't improved since it began, was also the reason that their flight had
been delayed for half an hour. The time had been spent catching Skinner up on
everything Mulder and Scully had put together over the weekend.
During the flight, Scully had tried to convince Mulder to get some sleep. She knew that
he hadn't slept a wink for over forty-eight hours, but Mulder protested that he was 'fine'
and had pored over the case file again.
Skinner had claimed control of their rental car, and Scully had ridden beside him.
Mulder stretched out in the backseat, his eyes never leaving the folder. He didn't utter a
sound the entire ride to their motel.
Now Scully was standing at the receptionists' desk in the lobby of a Best Western,
glowering at the clerk who had just told her that there were no rooms reserved for them.
Skinner was standing next to her, trying to remain professional but failing. Mulder was
sitting on a couch, staring at a photograph of one of the victims and completely oblivious
to his surroundings.
"What do you mean, 'there aren't any rooms'?" Scully demanded. "There should be
three, reserved! I suggest you go check your computer again."
The soft spoken 'again' jolted the clerk into action. Nervously brushing a strand of
brown hair from her green eyes, she typed in a command.
"I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I don't see any rooms under 'Skinner'. M-Maybe
another name?"
"No," Skinner said gruffly. "It wouldn't be under another name."
"Can't you at least find us three rooms?" Scully asked.
"N-None, sorry," the clerk said nervously. "All of our rooms are either occupied or
reserved."
"Dammit!" Scully shouted.
Mulder suddenly materialized beside her. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked.
Scully jumped, startled, then glared at him. "I'm glad you decided to join the land of the
living," she snapped.
The biting remark came out harsher than she meant, but before she could say anything
more Mulder turned to Skinner. "Sir?"
"The computer says that there are no rooms reserved for us," Skinner told him, forcing
his voice to remain calm.
"Oh, is that all?" Mulder gingerly stepped between the two seething agents and flashed
the clerk his most dazzling smile. "I have a computer at home like that. Always screw
up. I never can trust that thing."
To Scully's and Skinner's amazement, the clerk blushed. Mulder held out his hand. "My
name's Mulder. What's yours?"
"T-Tina." The girl grasped the outstretched hand, which Mulder gently shook. He gave
her another smile, which Tina returned.
"You'll have to excuse my friends," he said, finally releasing Tina's hand. "We had a
really bad flight, and we're just tired and hungry."
"I understand." Tina's eyes never left Mulder's.
"It would save us a great deal of time if you let me use your computer to find our
reservations," Mulder continued.
Tina's expression grew panicked. "Uh, I don't know," she said. "Company policy-."
Mulder tilted his head to the side and gave her his infamous 'sad puppy dog eyes'. "I
won't tell if you won't." His lower lip pouted slightly.
Scully watched the scene in amazement. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Glancing at Skinner's stunned face, she knew that he was equally stunned, with
admiration hinting at his features.
Tina instantly nodded, and Mulder moved behind the computer. Within five minutes he
stepped back and pointed. "See? Rooms 314, 315, and 317. All it takes is telling the
computer who's boss."
Relief was etched across Tina's face as she quickly distributed the keys. "Thank you so
much," she gushed. "You are a life saver."
"Cherry flavored, right?" With a wink and another smile, Mulder left to collect the
luggage and carried it all to the elevator. Skinner and Scully followed, too astonished to
speak until they were in the privacy of the elevator.
"Geez, Mulder," Scully spoke first. "There might be use for you yet."
"What the hell did you do?" Skinner chimed in.
Mulder shrugged. "If I tell you, do you both promise not to go back down and shoot
her?"
"Mulder . . ." Scully's voice held a warning.
Mulder sighed. "She misspelled 'Skinner'."
In the lobby, Tina was startled by the sudden yelling emanating from the elevator doors.
Shrugging it off, she returned to dreaming about the handsome, mysterious man who had
just saved her from his friends' fury.
end 2/9
2/9
A.D. Skinner's office
April 23rd
10:16 a.m.
Assistant Director Walter Skinner sat behind his desk, carefully observing his two agents
as they sat waiting for him to begin the impromptu meeting. Skinner was in no hurry; he
didn't want to have to do what he was about to do.
He examined Scully. Scully sat in her customary seat on his left, dressed in a sedate blue
pants suit that matched her eyes and set off her short flame-red hair. Around her neck
was the gold cross that she seemed to be wearing more often. Despite her business-like
features, she appeared haggard.
Skinner's eyes fell on Mulder. Mulder sat slumped in the chair to Skinner's right, and
was not at all as fresh as his partner. He wore a charcoal-colored suit with a Marvin the
Martian tie, something he had probably received as a gag gift. His face was pale and
drawn, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
Skinner hated himself for what he was about to do.
"Agents," he said. "You've been specifically requested by VCS to work on the
Pittsburgh case." He pushed a file folder towards them, which neither agent accepted.
"Our flight leaves today at two, and we are to report for a meeting with SAC Douglas at
eight."
" 'We', sir?" Scully spoke up.
Skinner nodded. "I will be accompanying you to Pennsylvania while you profile the
killer. I suggest that you two go home and pack. I'll meet you at the gate with our tickets
at one-thirty. Dismissed."
Mulder and Scully exchanged surprised glances and stood. They began to exit, but
Skinner called Scully back. Scully waved Mulder outside, shut the door, and approached
her boss. Skinner circled around and sat on the edge of his desk.
"Agent Scully," he began. "Is there something going on that I should know about?"
Scully tensed. "What do you mean, sir?"
"I mean, why do you look exhausted and why does Mulder look as if he's on the verge of
collapse?" Skinner lamented.
Scully sighed and looked away.
"I know how you feel about this case," Skinner pressed. "I did what I could to keep
Mulder off of it, but too many children have died. The Bureau looks bad in the media
and everyone's shouting about why we haven't solved the case yet. I had no choice."
Scully smiled faintly at the A.D. "No one did," she said. "Mulder got a hold of the case
two days ago. He's been working on building a profile ever since."
Skinner frowned. "Who gave it to him?"
"I don't know," Scully replied. "And I'm not about to believe that Mulder is going to tell
us."
Skinner nodded. "We'll have to keep our eyes on Mulder," he told her. "This case is too
much for even him to handle. Go home and pack. I'll see the two of you later."
Scully straightened and strode briskly from the office.
Best Western
3:17 p.m.
Scully was not in a good mood.
She had arrived at the gate right on time, but alone. Skinner joined her five minutes later,
but Mulder didn't show up until twenty minutes later. He had mumbled quick apologies,
claiming that the weather had held him up.
The storm, which hadn't improved since it began, was also the reason that their flight had
been delayed for half an hour. The time had been spent catching Skinner up on
everything Mulder and Scully had put together over the weekend.
During the flight, Scully had tried to convince Mulder to get some sleep. She knew that
he hadn't slept a wink for over forty-eight hours, but Mulder protested that he was 'fine'
and had pored over the case file again.
Skinner had claimed control of their rental car, and Scully had ridden beside him.
Mulder stretched out in the backseat, his eyes never leaving the folder. He didn't utter a
sound the entire ride to their motel.
Now Scully was standing at the receptionists' desk in the lobby of a Best Western,
glowering at the clerk who had just told her that there were no rooms reserved for them.
Skinner was standing next to her, trying to remain professional but failing. Mulder was
sitting on a couch, staring at a photograph of one of the victims and completely oblivious
to his surroundings.
"What do you mean, 'there aren't any rooms'?" Scully demanded. "There should be
three, reserved! I suggest you go check your computer again."
The soft spoken 'again' jolted the clerk into action. Nervously brushing a strand of
brown hair from her green eyes, she typed in a command.
"I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I don't see any rooms under 'Skinner'. M-Maybe
another name?"
"No," Skinner said gruffly. "It wouldn't be under another name."
"Can't you at least find us three rooms?" Scully asked.
"N-None, sorry," the clerk said nervously. "All of our rooms are either occupied or
reserved."
"Dammit!" Scully shouted.
Mulder suddenly materialized beside her. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked.
Scully jumped, startled, then glared at him. "I'm glad you decided to join the land of the
living," she snapped.
The biting remark came out harsher than she meant, but before she could say anything
more Mulder turned to Skinner. "Sir?"
"The computer says that there are no rooms reserved for us," Skinner told him, forcing
his voice to remain calm.
"Oh, is that all?" Mulder gingerly stepped between the two seething agents and flashed
the clerk his most dazzling smile. "I have a computer at home like that. Always screw
up. I never can trust that thing."
To Scully's and Skinner's amazement, the clerk blushed. Mulder held out his hand. "My
name's Mulder. What's yours?"
"T-Tina." The girl grasped the outstretched hand, which Mulder gently shook. He gave
her another smile, which Tina returned.
"You'll have to excuse my friends," he said, finally releasing Tina's hand. "We had a
really bad flight, and we're just tired and hungry."
"I understand." Tina's eyes never left Mulder's.
"It would save us a great deal of time if you let me use your computer to find our
reservations," Mulder continued.
Tina's expression grew panicked. "Uh, I don't know," she said. "Company policy-."
Mulder tilted his head to the side and gave her his infamous 'sad puppy dog eyes'. "I
won't tell if you won't." His lower lip pouted slightly.
Scully watched the scene in amazement. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Glancing at Skinner's stunned face, she knew that he was equally stunned, with
admiration hinting at his features.
Tina instantly nodded, and Mulder moved behind the computer. Within five minutes he
stepped back and pointed. "See? Rooms 314, 315, and 317. All it takes is telling the
computer who's boss."
Relief was etched across Tina's face as she quickly distributed the keys. "Thank you so
much," she gushed. "You are a life saver."
"Cherry flavored, right?" With a wink and another smile, Mulder left to collect the
luggage and carried it all to the elevator. Skinner and Scully followed, too astonished to
speak until they were in the privacy of the elevator.
"Geez, Mulder," Scully spoke first. "There might be use for you yet."
"What the hell did you do?" Skinner chimed in.
Mulder shrugged. "If I tell you, do you both promise not to go back down and shoot
her?"
"Mulder . . ." Scully's voice held a warning.
Mulder sighed. "She misspelled 'Skinner'."
In the lobby, Tina was startled by the sudden yelling emanating from the elevator doors.
Shrugging it off, she returned to dreaming about the handsome, mysterious man who had
just saved her from his friends' fury.
end 2/9