It was true in every sense of the word. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. Mulder and Scully walked up the steps to the FBI building. Although they now had to get visitor badges, it was as if they were still on duty and had never left. The halls were still the same, even though the people in them may not have been. The two former agents half expected to see Agent Pendrell round the corner and go into the lab. The hallway was littered with the ghosts of their collective past.
Mulder and Scully made their way into AD Skinner's office. Nothing had changed, except the current Assistant Director. Walter S. Skinner, their boss, sometimes nemesis and ultimate ally had retired to a sunny life on the Florida gulf coast. His son, Walter Skinner, Jr. now held the same post as his father. His meteoric rise to his position was something of a legend in the bureau, and seconded only by the rise of the two agents in his office.
"Agents Mulder and Scully; please have a seat." Skinner's son motioned for them to sit on the finely appointed couch in his office. "It's not every day you have two legends in your office," he replied The two former agents smiled at the thought, finding the whole thing bordering on the absurd. "How's your father?" Mulder asked. "Dad's great. Gets in a lot of marlin fishing, golfs every other day - if not every day - and still runs four miles a day. Life's pretty good." "If you speak to your dad, please give him our regards," Scully remarked.
"Of course," Skinner Jr. replied.
"Thank you for seeing us today, " Mulder began. "We really don't want to take up much of your time, so we'll try to be brief. Our situation and association with the Bureau was.... unique at best. I'm sure you're aware of that." The young AD nodded his head. "And the X-Files was a branch, albeit unofficial in its early stages, that wasn't like any other office."
"Yes, I am aware of that. I have the official records on the X-Files, records that I have reviewed in advance of this meeting, and I know what my father told me about the X-Files and his connection to them when he knew I would assume his post. How can I help you today?"
Mulder paused. "As I, as we both understand it, the X-Files and their investigative functions were shut down, but not officially sealed." "It is our understanding after doing our own investigation," Scully added, "that the files could be re-opened at any time." "And should the need be deemed appropriate, and the files were re-opened," continued Mulder, "that we could request to return to active duty."
The younger Skinner sat back in his seat. "Well, " he mused, "I have to be honest with you. I really wasn't expecting this at all. I don't doubt your abilities, Agents, but not to be indelicate... It has been almost a quarter of a century, has it not? And, as I understand it... The two of you were very intimately and closely involved with that last X-File case." "That's true, " Scully replied. "It involved, as you well may know, Agent Mulder's disappearance and my efforts to locate him after his abduction during an investigation. How ever intimately we may have been involved and regardless of our relationship now, it was an official bureau investigation. An investigation as you can see that had very successful results" "And the
reason why you want to reopen the X-Files....?" Skinner began. "We have reason to believe that a young woman is the unwilling victim of an abduction and an experiment that took place without her knowledge," Mulder replied. "Why not let the authorities handle it?" asked the young director. "We believe the authorities don't have the resources to appropriately investigate and evaluate the case," Mulder replied. "And is there anything else?" Skinner asked. "You should probably know the person in question is our daughter."
The young Assistant Director took a minute before he spoke. "It goes without saying that I am so sorry to hear about this. Please be assured that you have my utmost sympathy regarding this matter. But I'm sure you understand that I cannot re-open the X-Files based on this information. I don't mean to be callous, but... This boils down to a family issue - not a bureau concern." "I began my work in X-Files based on a family issue - my sister's disappearance," Mulder answered. "I hate to say this, but I thought we had a different understanding "And I'm well aware of that," Skinner replied. "But the bureau is a different place now. And it's not that I don't want to help you. I'm aware of your relationship with my father, but he could help you. I can't."
Walter S. Skinner, Jr. rose from his seat. "I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry. But I cannot help you." Skinner, Jr. crossed over to his desk. "Thank you for stopping by. I'll tell my Dad you send your regards..." "It's a shame that's the only thing you'll tell your father..." Mulder began. "Mulder; let's go." Scully took Mulder's arm and with a firm and gentle hand, led her husband out of the office.
The young Assistant Director rested his elbows on his desk, and placed his face in his hands. As he did so, he could hear a door open at the other end of his office. "I hope you realize what I just did, "the young Skinner said, never looking up from his desk. He did not see the thin plume of blue smoke that filled the air. "oh, I am well aware of what you just did, young mister Skinner. You behaved exactly as I'd instructed you to. And, as it is my prerogative, I've changed my mind."
Walter S. Skinner, Jr., the youngest Assistant Director ever in his post, looked over towards the voice. The voice was in shadow; the only thing confirming that anyone was there was the orange glow of a lit cigarette.
"Re-open the X-Files. Make it work. Make it happen. And make up any excuse you need to to justify your decision." The red-hot ember glowed in the shadow. "I don't need to remind you of how you came to these offices, young mister Skinner.... Or how you rose to your current station."
"Make it happen. Now."