by Avalon (avalon99@telusplanet.net)
http://members.dencity.com/avalon_online
Skinner, Scully, R, 2/12
NOTES: This was an experiment -- A Skinner and Scully story written
in screenplay format (mostly because if I had tried to write it in prose
format, it would have taken several hundred pages, and half a century...)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Alistair Maclean's "The Golden Rendezvous". OK - I shamelessly stole his ideas, but I made lots of changes. Honest. This is an homage... :). And thanks to Linda Campbell for racking up a huge phone bill helping me plot this monster, for refusing to let me pack it in when the going got tough...and for finding answers to REALLY esoteric questions.
DISCLAIMER: Scully, Skinner, and Mulder belong to Chris Carter.
I don't own them, I'm only borrowing them for a
while (But do I have to return Skinner? Can I keep him, huh Chris?
Please...?)
ODYSSEY II
TUESDAY AFTERNOON
GOVERNOR HARBOUR, ELEUTHERA ISLAND
The Odyssey steams into Governor Harbour, where most of the passengers disembark to spend the day ashore while the ship takes on cargo.
Scully stands at the rail. As she watches the other passengers departing, she notices a large man emerging from a taxi, dressed in a white shirt and tie and carrying a jacket and a small suitcase, looking hot and tired. She looks harder, blinking a little in the bright tropical sunshine and recognizes Skinner. Instinctively, she moves back from the rail. Her movement attracts his attention, and he meets her gaze, pausing midway up the ramp. Scully realizes she cannot avoid meeting him and remains still. The lines of her body betray her tension, though, and she surreptitiously checks the gun tucked in its holster against the small of her back as he walks toward her.
SKINNER:
Agent Scully.
SCULLY:
(Trying to sound calm) Sir? What are you doing
here?
SKINNER:
Looking for you and Agent Mulder. (Looks
around.) Is there some place we can talk in
private?
SCULLY:
(Hesitates) This way. (Silently she leads him
to her cabin and indicates that he enter first.)
After you...
SKINNER:
Ladies first.
Scully hesitates again, unwilling to enter the room before him and they both stand in the doorway in the deserted corridor at an impasse. Skinner's eyes narrow in suspicion.
SKINNER:
What's wrong?
SCULLY:
(Swallows) Nothing. Why?
SKINNER:
Because the last time you looked like this, you
pulled a gun on me. What's bothering you?
SCULLY:
(Looks around nervously) Nothing.
SKINNER:
You're lying.
Abruptly he reaches toward her. Scully goes for her gun but he is prepared and much too quick for her. Dropping his suitcase, he grabs her gun arm and, using his superior strength, wrests the weapon away from her. The Assistant Director kicks his suitcase in the open door while pulling Scully in with one hand, her gun in the other. He closes the door behind them with one foot and releases her, but does not return her gun. Scully quickly backs several paces into the room, eyeing him warily and noting that he is keeping his body between her and the exit.
SKINNER:
I thought you trusted me.
SCULLY:
(Breathing hard) So did I.
SKINNER:
So what's changed?
SCULLY:
Maybe I've had a few facts brought to my attention.
SKINNER:
What facts? (She does not answer.) You may as
well tell me. We're not going anywhere until you
do.
SCULLY:
(Appearing to come to a decision) Fine. Explain
this.
She reaches inside her purse and withdraws the incriminating memo. At her movement he tenses but does not move. Wordlessly she hands it to him. He reads it, his face darkening.
SKINNER:
Where did you get this?
SCULLY:
It came from the office of the Assistant Director
of the FBI
SKINNER:
I never sent it
SCULLY:
No?
SKINNER:
No. I give you my word.
SCULLY:
And what's that worth?
SKINNER:
(Shoots her a look.) I have no idea where this
came from. Or what it means. I presume "M"
refers to Mulder. Who or what is "C"?
SCULLY:
Don't you know?
SKINNER:
Look. Let's just pretend for the moment that
we're on the same side. Why don't you have a
seat and tell me what's been going on.
She sits warily, perching on the edge of her chair. Skinner notes her apprehensiveness and purposely puts her gun on the table beside him, along with the printout. Her gaze flickers toward it then returns to his face. Neither of them moves.
SKINNER:
I was ordered to pull you off the case you're
working on.
SCULLY:
By whom?
SKINNER:
I think the question should be 'why'. Maybe you
can enlighten me, Agent Scully?
SCULLY:
I don't know what you mean.
SKINNER:
I think you do. Let's start with what you and
Mulder are doing down here, and why everybody
seems so interested in your vacation...
Washington has called out the wolves and if you
aren't careful, you and Mulder are going to be
thrown to them.
SCULLY:
If this is so big, why involve yourself
personally?
SKINNER:
When three men corner me in a supposedly secure
area, threaten me, and ask for information I
don't have, I tend to take it personally.
SCULLY:
(Her eyes dart to his face). They threatened
you?
SKINNER:
Yes. So start talking.
Scully hesitates.
SKINNER:
You don't have a choice. I can't protect you if I
don't know what's going on. You're just going to
have to trust me.
SCULLY:
(Steadily) Trust is earned. Not given.
Skinner stares wordlessly at her. The moment stretches interminably. Finally Scully looks away.
SCULLY:
Fine. You get the benefit of the doubt. Happy?
SKINNER:
Ecstatic. Now who is "C"?
SCULLY:
(Reluctantly) I think it refers to Senator
Edward Caine.
SKINNER:
(Frowning) Senator Caine? The man who died of a
heart attack three days ago? What does he have
to do with this?
She tells him what brought her to Nassau and explains that she has not been able to trace Mulder. Her concern for her partner is evident in her voice.
SCULLY:
I was planning to go ashore to keep searching.
SKINNER:
Don't bother. I've checked. He's not on
Eleuthera. He booked a flight here, but never
boarded the plane.
SCULLY:
He can't just have vanished.
SKINNER:
Don't worry. We'll find him.
SCULLY:
We?
SKINNER:
I'm not leaving until this is sorted out, Agent
Scully.
She doesn't look thrilled about this prospect. He casually leans over and picks up her gun. She stiffens. Ignoring her reaction he crosses the floor to her and holds it out, butt first. Surprise flickers across her face, but she takes the weapon and, after regarding it for a moment, holsters it. Only then does she meet his gaze.
SCULLY:
All right. What now?
SKINNER: (Sits back down) Now you tell me everything
you've found out so far about this ship and
Odyssey Cruises.
Scully takes a deep breath, leans back, and gathers her thoughts.
SCULLY:
There's not much to tell. So far, the only
mystery seems to be what happened to Mr. Dalton's
binoculars, and personally, I think Mrs. Dalton
hid them after she caught him watching the
aerobics class.
SKINNER:
But...?
SCULLY:
But. There is something odd going on here. I'm
just not sure what.
She gazes at a distant point, and speaks slowly, trying to vocalize what has been bothering her on a subconscious level. Skinner waits patiently.
SCULLY:
The crew. They're...there's something about
them. I just can't place it.
SKINNER:
(Prompting her) Something they do? Or say?
SCULLY:
No...There's just something familiar about them
all...A look...(Suddenly her gaze sharpens)...
that I've seen before.
SKINNER:
Where?
SCULLY:
(Hesitates) Growing up on a military base.
SKINNER:
What do you mean?
SCULLY:
I mean there's something about the crew - the way
they walk, slight movements as if they're
constantly about to salute...
SKINNER:
You're saying this is a military crew?
SCULLY:
Or was. There's a certain look soldiers have.
Even ex-soldiers. You have it. So does the
crew.
SKINNER:
All of them?
SCULLY:
I think so. At least all the ones I've met so
far. I just didn't recognize it until this
moment. You reminded me.
SKINNER:
(Musing) This isn't a military vessel.
SCULLY: No.
SKINNER:
Anything else?
SCULLY:
Nothing I can put my finger on. Maybe I'll think
of more later.
SKINNER:
(Slowly.) Assuming that Mulder was right about
this ship being the cover for some covert
operation, it might make sense to crew it with
military or former military personnel.
SCULLY:
But then why use a cruise liner at all? Why not
a military vessel? That way there would be no
passengers, no potential witnesses.
SKINNER:
Maybe because a cruise ship would be the last
thing anyone would suspect - the perfect cover.
Or because a military ship operating this close
to Cuba would attract too much attention.
SCULLY:
(Staring at him) You're beginning to sound like
Mulder.
SKINNER:
(Smiles slightly) Heaven help me. (Sighs). I'm
only theorizing. Trying to figure out why I'm
suddenly missing one agent.
SCULLY:
Something's definitely going on. I think I might
have been followed.
SKINNER:
What makes you say that?
SCULLY:
There was a man in Nassau at the harbour. I
think he was watching me.
SKINNER:
I'm sure there were lots of men in Nassau
watching you.
SCULLY:
(Shoots him a glance) Not that kind of watching.
This felt...sinister.
SKINNER:
(Sighs again) All right. Let's say you're
right. That means that these people, whoever
they are, know you're involved.
SCULLY:
(Nods toward the computer printout on the table)
If you really didn't send that...(He follows her
gaze and picks up the memo.)
SKINNER:
I didn't.
SCULLY:
Then perhaps it was used to isolate us. Isolate
me. If I thought I couldn't turn to you...
SKINNER:
You'd be alone, without the resources of the
FBI...
SCULLY:
And vulnerable.
SKINNER:
Where did you you get it?
SCULLY:
(Hesitates) From...friends of Mulder's.
SKINNER:
Do you trust them?
SCULLY:
As much as I trust anyone.
SKINNER:
Then I wonder where they got it?
SCULLY:
They said they intercepted it from your office.
SKINNER:
Anyone could have made it look like it came from
my office...
Scully looks at her boss, wanting very much to believe him, but unable to commit herself. He meets her gaze, guessing what she is thinking.
SKINNER:
(With conviction) I promise you, I did not send
this.
SCULLY:
(Hesitates for a long time then slowly meets his
eyes) All right. I believe you.
SKINNER:
Why?
SCULLY:
Because you've helped us before. You've put your
life on the line for us more than once...(She
looks away) and I need to trust someone.
SKINNER:
(Pauses) Thank you.
He climbs to his feet and offers her his hand. An eternity seems to pass before she accepts it. He pulls her to her feet and they share a searching look before breaking the contact. The undercurrents of tension and uncertainty between them seem to fill the room.
SKINNER:
(Lightly) So. Why don't you show me around? I
hear there's an aerobics class that's worth
watching.
For the first time, Scully gives him a slight smile, and together they exit her cabin.
END OF PART TWO