The Better Part of Valor
3/9
SAC Douglas' office
7:58 p.m.
Agent Steve Douglas glanced up at the knock on his door. He closed the folder sitting on
his desk and leaned back in his chair, rubbing tired dark eyes. Running an olive-skinned
hand through jet-black hair, he cleared his throat and called, "Come in!"
The door opened, and Douglas' exhaustion was replaced with contempt. "Well, well,
well, if it isn't Spooky Mulder. So, you've finally graced us with your presence. Maybe
if you had joined us earlier instead of chasing little green, excuse me, gray men, then we
could have saved some of these kids."
Mulder was standing just inside the doorway, seemingly unable to move. His mouth was
parted slightly in shock, his hazel eyes revealing surprise and anger. Beside him and to
his left stood a petite redheaded woman, who was glaring at Douglas.
Someone cleared his throat, and Mulder stepped aside. Douglas' mouth dropped open,
his face flaming in embarrassment when he saw who was with them.
"A.D. Skinner!" Douglas jumped to his feet and stiffened. "I-I didn't see you back
there!"
"Apparently not," Skinner replied. "If this little display is an example of what's to come,
then I suggest you straighten up. It is not Agent Mulder's fault that he wasn't here
earlier."
"Yes, sir." Douglas looked at Mulder. "I apologize, Sp- Agent Mulder."
The apology was anything but sincere, and everyone knew it. Mulder clamped his mouth
shut and nodded. Scully lightly touched his arm, concern evident on her face. Mulder
gave her a lopsided grin that didn't quite meet his eyes.
Douglas fought to keep the hatred out of his eyes as he choked out his apology. He
gestured for Skinner, then Scully, to sit in the two available chairs. Mulder remained
standing.
"We don't have much time," Douglas began. "Another kid has gone missing this
afternoon." He handed Skinner the file he'd been reading, which contained a background
on the child and a recent photograph. "Four-year-old Suzie Parker was taken during play
time, just like the other kids. No one saw anything. Even the cops assigned to watch the
premises didn't know the girl was gone. Hopefully, your Agent Mulder can write a
profile before it's too late."
He glanced back at Mulder, who returned the gaze evenly.
"Were any preliminary examinations performed on the victims?" Scully spoke up.
"And you are?" Douglas prodded.
"Agent Scully is a forensic pathologist and Agent Mulder's partner," Skinner informed
him.
Douglas eyed the woman's cool exterior. *The biggest jerks get the best breaks* he
thought. Aloud he replied, "No. Why? It's pretty obvious how these kids died."
Scully set her jaw and took a deep breath. "I mean, sir, that an exam could show any clue
as to the identity of the killer."
"Oh." Douglas shrugged. "There's only one body left, and we're releasing it to the
family tomorrow."
"When do your agents meet next?" Skinner asked.
"Tomorrow morning at nine," Douglas answered. "We'll meet down the hall from here
and we'll bring you up to speed. Is there anything you'll need for the investigation?"
"We'll need to see the crime scene." Mulder spoke u for the first time since arriving.
Douglas nodded, giving Mulder the barest glance. Skinner stood, bringing the SAC to
his feet. Scully stood, slower, as Douglas moved from behind his desk and shook
Skinner's hand.
"Glad to have you with us, sir," he told the A.D. He turned to Scully and shook her hand
gently with a smile. "You too, Miss Scully."
Scully broke the lingering grip and stared coldly at him. She spun on her heel and
stormed from the room. Skinner followed, but paused just outside.
Aware of Skinner's eyes watching his movements, he held out his hand to Mulder.
Mulder hesitated, then accepted the hand. Douglas leaned forward, and in a voice only
Mulder could hear, he hissed, "The A.D. won't always be there to protect you. You
better be good as everyone says, because if another kid dies, not even he can save you."
Douglas dropped Mulder's hand and went back to his desk. Mulder stared at him, then
left.
Skinner was standing at the end of the hall, and the two walked in silence to their rental
car where Scully stood waiting for them. She watched as Mulder avoided her gaze and
climbed into the back seat.
"You okay Mulder?" Scully asked.
"Sure. Fine." Mulder glanced at her, then turned away.
Scully gently squeezed his shoulder, then took her seat up front. Skinner got behind the
wheel and guided the car from the parking lot.
"I think we'll all feel better once we've had some dinner," Skinner announced. "I don't
know about you, but I'm starved. Any requests?"
"Anything hot," Scully said. "Mulder?"
No response.
"Mulder?" Scully turned around to find Mulder slumped over, his head resting against
the window. His eyes were closed and his mouth was parted, emitting gentle snores.
Scully smiled and turned back around.
"Is it always like this?" Skinner asked quietly.
Scully looked down at her hands. "More or less," she whispered.
"I had no idea."
They rode without a word for several miles until Skinner slowed and pulled into the
parking lot of a pizza parlor. Mulder awoke at the sudden halt and blinked his eyes
several times. He glanced around in confusion.
"This doesn't look like the hotel," he mumbled.
"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock," Scully laughed. "Hungry?"
"No." Mulder closed his eyes. "I just want to get back to the hotel and start working."
"Start working?" Scully echoed. Skinner slipped quietly from the car and went inside the
restaurant. "Mulder, you haven't stopped working since you got this case. You need to
sleep. You need to eat."
Mulder scowled but didn't protest. One look at the determination in Scully's face told
him that he wasn't going to win the argument. Instead he took Suzie Parker's file from
the floor between the two front seats and opened it. He barely noticed when, half an hour
later, Skinner returned with two steaming boxes of pizza. Handing the food to Scully,
Skinner shifted the car into gear and drove the rest of the way to the hotel.
As Scully walked through the lobby, she tossed a glance at the small crowd of three girls
at the front desk, Tina among them. They were whispering and giggling amongst
themselves, and Scully followed their gazes to the object of attention.
Mulder was walking to the elevator, his head ducked in the file he carried. He was
completely unaware of the girls' dreamy stares. Skinner glanced at Scully and, coming to
the same realization, exchanged an amused smile. An idea too good to resist popped into
Scully's head.
"Hey, Mulder!" she called.
Mulder stopped and turned to Scully, giving the girls at the front desk the chance to get a
better look at him. Scully had to work at keeping from laughing when she heard the girls
gasp and chatter.
"What, Scully?" Mulder asked.
Skinner rescued her from a response. "Get the other files and meet in my room. We'll
eat there."
Mulder nodded and started to walk back to the elevator. Skinner leaned close to Scully.
"That wasn't nice, teasing them like that."
Scully allowed herself a small smile. "Call it payback for not giving us our rooms."
They gathered in Skinner's room to eat and review the case. Skinner claimed the couch,
Scully a chair, and Mulder the floor.
"I didn't realize how hungry I was," Scully commented, reaching for her second slice.
Skinner nodded and glanced down at Mulder, who was staring at a picture of Suzie
Parker. "Mulder, you haven't eaten anything. Are you all right?"
Mulder looked at his boss, alarmed. "Yeah, I'm fine." He deliberately didn't look at
Scully. "I'm just not hungry right now. I'll eat later."
"You'll do no such thing," Skinner said. "When was the last time you ate anything?"
"And kept it down?" Scully added.
"If I eat now, it'll just end up in the toilet later anyway." Mulder stood, clutching the file
in his hands. "If you'll excuse me, I have to review this information and compare it to
the rest of what we have so that we can save this little girl. I'll see you in the morning."
"Mulder-."
Mulder ignored Scully as he hurried from the room. Scully sighed and rubbed her aching
temple.
*This is going to be a looooooooong week* she thought tiredly.
end 3/9
3/9
SAC Douglas' office
7:58 p.m.
Agent Steve Douglas glanced up at the knock on his door. He closed the folder sitting on
his desk and leaned back in his chair, rubbing tired dark eyes. Running an olive-skinned
hand through jet-black hair, he cleared his throat and called, "Come in!"
The door opened, and Douglas' exhaustion was replaced with contempt. "Well, well,
well, if it isn't Spooky Mulder. So, you've finally graced us with your presence. Maybe
if you had joined us earlier instead of chasing little green, excuse me, gray men, then we
could have saved some of these kids."
Mulder was standing just inside the doorway, seemingly unable to move. His mouth was
parted slightly in shock, his hazel eyes revealing surprise and anger. Beside him and to
his left stood a petite redheaded woman, who was glaring at Douglas.
Someone cleared his throat, and Mulder stepped aside. Douglas' mouth dropped open,
his face flaming in embarrassment when he saw who was with them.
"A.D. Skinner!" Douglas jumped to his feet and stiffened. "I-I didn't see you back
there!"
"Apparently not," Skinner replied. "If this little display is an example of what's to come,
then I suggest you straighten up. It is not Agent Mulder's fault that he wasn't here
earlier."
"Yes, sir." Douglas looked at Mulder. "I apologize, Sp- Agent Mulder."
The apology was anything but sincere, and everyone knew it. Mulder clamped his mouth
shut and nodded. Scully lightly touched his arm, concern evident on her face. Mulder
gave her a lopsided grin that didn't quite meet his eyes.
Douglas fought to keep the hatred out of his eyes as he choked out his apology. He
gestured for Skinner, then Scully, to sit in the two available chairs. Mulder remained
standing.
"We don't have much time," Douglas began. "Another kid has gone missing this
afternoon." He handed Skinner the file he'd been reading, which contained a background
on the child and a recent photograph. "Four-year-old Suzie Parker was taken during play
time, just like the other kids. No one saw anything. Even the cops assigned to watch the
premises didn't know the girl was gone. Hopefully, your Agent Mulder can write a
profile before it's too late."
He glanced back at Mulder, who returned the gaze evenly.
"Were any preliminary examinations performed on the victims?" Scully spoke up.
"And you are?" Douglas prodded.
"Agent Scully is a forensic pathologist and Agent Mulder's partner," Skinner informed
him.
Douglas eyed the woman's cool exterior. *The biggest jerks get the best breaks* he
thought. Aloud he replied, "No. Why? It's pretty obvious how these kids died."
Scully set her jaw and took a deep breath. "I mean, sir, that an exam could show any clue
as to the identity of the killer."
"Oh." Douglas shrugged. "There's only one body left, and we're releasing it to the
family tomorrow."
"When do your agents meet next?" Skinner asked.
"Tomorrow morning at nine," Douglas answered. "We'll meet down the hall from here
and we'll bring you up to speed. Is there anything you'll need for the investigation?"
"We'll need to see the crime scene." Mulder spoke u for the first time since arriving.
Douglas nodded, giving Mulder the barest glance. Skinner stood, bringing the SAC to
his feet. Scully stood, slower, as Douglas moved from behind his desk and shook
Skinner's hand.
"Glad to have you with us, sir," he told the A.D. He turned to Scully and shook her hand
gently with a smile. "You too, Miss Scully."
Scully broke the lingering grip and stared coldly at him. She spun on her heel and
stormed from the room. Skinner followed, but paused just outside.
Aware of Skinner's eyes watching his movements, he held out his hand to Mulder.
Mulder hesitated, then accepted the hand. Douglas leaned forward, and in a voice only
Mulder could hear, he hissed, "The A.D. won't always be there to protect you. You
better be good as everyone says, because if another kid dies, not even he can save you."
Douglas dropped Mulder's hand and went back to his desk. Mulder stared at him, then
left.
Skinner was standing at the end of the hall, and the two walked in silence to their rental
car where Scully stood waiting for them. She watched as Mulder avoided her gaze and
climbed into the back seat.
"You okay Mulder?" Scully asked.
"Sure. Fine." Mulder glanced at her, then turned away.
Scully gently squeezed his shoulder, then took her seat up front. Skinner got behind the
wheel and guided the car from the parking lot.
"I think we'll all feel better once we've had some dinner," Skinner announced. "I don't
know about you, but I'm starved. Any requests?"
"Anything hot," Scully said. "Mulder?"
No response.
"Mulder?" Scully turned around to find Mulder slumped over, his head resting against
the window. His eyes were closed and his mouth was parted, emitting gentle snores.
Scully smiled and turned back around.
"Is it always like this?" Skinner asked quietly.
Scully looked down at her hands. "More or less," she whispered.
"I had no idea."
They rode without a word for several miles until Skinner slowed and pulled into the
parking lot of a pizza parlor. Mulder awoke at the sudden halt and blinked his eyes
several times. He glanced around in confusion.
"This doesn't look like the hotel," he mumbled.
"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock," Scully laughed. "Hungry?"
"No." Mulder closed his eyes. "I just want to get back to the hotel and start working."
"Start working?" Scully echoed. Skinner slipped quietly from the car and went inside the
restaurant. "Mulder, you haven't stopped working since you got this case. You need to
sleep. You need to eat."
Mulder scowled but didn't protest. One look at the determination in Scully's face told
him that he wasn't going to win the argument. Instead he took Suzie Parker's file from
the floor between the two front seats and opened it. He barely noticed when, half an hour
later, Skinner returned with two steaming boxes of pizza. Handing the food to Scully,
Skinner shifted the car into gear and drove the rest of the way to the hotel.
As Scully walked through the lobby, she tossed a glance at the small crowd of three girls
at the front desk, Tina among them. They were whispering and giggling amongst
themselves, and Scully followed their gazes to the object of attention.
Mulder was walking to the elevator, his head ducked in the file he carried. He was
completely unaware of the girls' dreamy stares. Skinner glanced at Scully and, coming to
the same realization, exchanged an amused smile. An idea too good to resist popped into
Scully's head.
"Hey, Mulder!" she called.
Mulder stopped and turned to Scully, giving the girls at the front desk the chance to get a
better look at him. Scully had to work at keeping from laughing when she heard the girls
gasp and chatter.
"What, Scully?" Mulder asked.
Skinner rescued her from a response. "Get the other files and meet in my room. We'll
eat there."
Mulder nodded and started to walk back to the elevator. Skinner leaned close to Scully.
"That wasn't nice, teasing them like that."
Scully allowed herself a small smile. "Call it payback for not giving us our rooms."
They gathered in Skinner's room to eat and review the case. Skinner claimed the couch,
Scully a chair, and Mulder the floor.
"I didn't realize how hungry I was," Scully commented, reaching for her second slice.
Skinner nodded and glanced down at Mulder, who was staring at a picture of Suzie
Parker. "Mulder, you haven't eaten anything. Are you all right?"
Mulder looked at his boss, alarmed. "Yeah, I'm fine." He deliberately didn't look at
Scully. "I'm just not hungry right now. I'll eat later."
"You'll do no such thing," Skinner said. "When was the last time you ate anything?"
"And kept it down?" Scully added.
"If I eat now, it'll just end up in the toilet later anyway." Mulder stood, clutching the file
in his hands. "If you'll excuse me, I have to review this information and compare it to
the rest of what we have so that we can save this little girl. I'll see you in the morning."
"Mulder-."
Mulder ignored Scully as he hurried from the room. Scully sighed and rubbed her aching
temple.
*This is going to be a looooooooong week* she thought tiredly.
end 3/9