So far, Scully dumped Mulder and went to Doggett, taking William
with her. Mulder came to ask why she left him and Scully gave
him many reasons. She also renamed William as "Walter Jonathan,"
to Mulder's dismay. Mulder left, but vowed to keep trying to
get through to Scully.
***
Three days later, Mulder was back on Doggett's doorstep, armed with
a new sense of determination. He wouldn't fail this time. He had
hardly begun to bang on the door when it flew open and Doggett
faced him.
"I need to see Scully," Mulder announced.
"Lemme guess. You're not goin' away till ya talk to her."
"Gee, you catch on quick," Mulder snapped.
"She'll be comin' downstairs any minute," Doggett said in an
infuriatingly civil tone. "We were just about to go out. You can
wait in the livin' room and maybe she'll give you a few minutes."
Mulder followed him inside and again chose the couch while Doggett
seated himself on the armchair. Despite Doggett's placid expression,
Mulder felt like he was being sized up like a boxer in the ring.
Rather than give Doggett the advantage, he jabbed first. "You don't
fit in on the X-Files, you know. You're the ultimate square peg in
a round hole."
Doggett nodded agreeably. "Good point, Mulduh. That's why I plan
to leave the division right away. After all, I don't have any
personal investment in that paranormal mumbo jumbo, so why should I
stay there. I'll be movin' on to somethin' more suited to my
talents."
"Like what? Long haul truck driving? Ditch digging?" Mulder snidely
suggested.
Doggett looked back at him evenly and stated, "Another area of
the FBI. Or I could enter the private sector, y'know. I do have a
master's in public administration."
Possibly the only thing more frustrating than trying to reason
with Scully, Mulder reflected, was trying to talk to Doggett. The
man either didn't realize or didn't care that he was being insulted.
But that just mean that he'd have to redouble his efforts while
they waited for Scully to arrive.
***
On her way down the stairs with Walt, Scully heard voices coming
from the living room and paused to listen. To her dismay, one of
the voices was Mulder's. Did he never give up? From the sound of
things, he was trying to provoke Doggett, who was refusing to rise
to the bait. Scully quietly turned and retreated upstairs to settle
Walt back into his crib. She then proceeded downstairs. Her entry
into the room caused Mulder to stop with his mouth while in the
middle of another rude comment to Doggett.
"John, could you leave us alone?" she requested. "This won't take
long." Doggett obeyed her without an argument. Mulder, meanwhile,
stared at her with an intensely pathetic expression he had probably
practiced in a mirror for maximum effect.
Scully hardened her heart. Mulder put on a good hurt act, but she
wasn't about to fall for it. Any day now he would stumble upon some
new quest and disappear into the mist, chasing more shadows. She had
to look out for herself and Walt. Mulder would be fine, she
reassured herself. Keeping that likelihood in mind, she stated, "I
don't know a more direct way to say this, so here it is: John,
quite simply, is the better man for me. It's no contest between
you and him. I'm telling you once and for all to leave me alone."
Naturally, that was too much to ask of Mulder, who whined, "Scully,
please, look at this whole thing from my perspective."
That broken refrain again? Scully stifled a sigh and corrected,
"No, Mulder, you have to consider *my* point of view for once. If
I stayed with you, what would happen to Walt? He'd be the only
child in kindergarten whose parents call each other by their last
names. What would you expect me to tell him when he asks Mommy why
Daddy won't let her use his first name?"
"You're using my name as an excuse to dump me," Mulder accused.
"I have plenty of other reasons, most of which I've already given
you."
"And they still don't make sense," Mulder complained. "I feel like
I've crossed into the twilight zone and I can't find my way out.
You aren't behaving like yourself, Scully. You're not this shallow."
Although in the past she had admired Mulder's unwavering intensity,
she was discovering it wasn't nearly as attractive a quality when it
was directed at her, against her express wishes. Mulder had crossed
the line from pathetic to annoying. Scully took a deep breath and
stated, "I want you out. I've had more than enough of you and your
attitude. If you don't leave on your own, I'll have you arrested."
Mulder shot to his feet and shouted, "Eight years of history, and
you're willing to throw it all away for *this*?"
Oh, what an opening he'd just given her. Scully yelled back,
"Exactly! Eight years without a desk. Eight years without a
nameplate on the door. Eight years without the fundamental basis of
mutual respect!" She rose and stalked toward the door, with Mulder
retreating before her.
But as she expected, he couldn't leave without making one more
comment. "I'll take you to court if I have to."
Scully laughed. "Go right ahead, Mulder. Your case is hopeless.
You see, John and I were married yesterday in a beautiful
beachfront ceremony. I'll mail you a wedding photo as proof, if you
want."
Mulder turned pale and halted in his tracks. Scully took advantage
of his frozen state to duck around him and open the front door. By
the time she turned, Mulder had more or less collected himself.
"Like I said before, this isn't over," he reiterated as he slowly
moved outside.
Scully merely eyed him coldly and waited for him to slink away
in disgrace. Mulder was a man whose porn collection had bypassed
"Debbie Does Dallas" a generation ago; she no longer felt any
sympathy for him.
***
Coming up:
Mulder takes legal action.
with her. Mulder came to ask why she left him and Scully gave
him many reasons. She also renamed William as "Walter Jonathan,"
to Mulder's dismay. Mulder left, but vowed to keep trying to
get through to Scully.
***
Three days later, Mulder was back on Doggett's doorstep, armed with
a new sense of determination. He wouldn't fail this time. He had
hardly begun to bang on the door when it flew open and Doggett
faced him.
"I need to see Scully," Mulder announced.
"Lemme guess. You're not goin' away till ya talk to her."
"Gee, you catch on quick," Mulder snapped.
"She'll be comin' downstairs any minute," Doggett said in an
infuriatingly civil tone. "We were just about to go out. You can
wait in the livin' room and maybe she'll give you a few minutes."
Mulder followed him inside and again chose the couch while Doggett
seated himself on the armchair. Despite Doggett's placid expression,
Mulder felt like he was being sized up like a boxer in the ring.
Rather than give Doggett the advantage, he jabbed first. "You don't
fit in on the X-Files, you know. You're the ultimate square peg in
a round hole."
Doggett nodded agreeably. "Good point, Mulduh. That's why I plan
to leave the division right away. After all, I don't have any
personal investment in that paranormal mumbo jumbo, so why should I
stay there. I'll be movin' on to somethin' more suited to my
talents."
"Like what? Long haul truck driving? Ditch digging?" Mulder snidely
suggested.
Doggett looked back at him evenly and stated, "Another area of
the FBI. Or I could enter the private sector, y'know. I do have a
master's in public administration."
Possibly the only thing more frustrating than trying to reason
with Scully, Mulder reflected, was trying to talk to Doggett. The
man either didn't realize or didn't care that he was being insulted.
But that just mean that he'd have to redouble his efforts while
they waited for Scully to arrive.
***
On her way down the stairs with Walt, Scully heard voices coming
from the living room and paused to listen. To her dismay, one of
the voices was Mulder's. Did he never give up? From the sound of
things, he was trying to provoke Doggett, who was refusing to rise
to the bait. Scully quietly turned and retreated upstairs to settle
Walt back into his crib. She then proceeded downstairs. Her entry
into the room caused Mulder to stop with his mouth while in the
middle of another rude comment to Doggett.
"John, could you leave us alone?" she requested. "This won't take
long." Doggett obeyed her without an argument. Mulder, meanwhile,
stared at her with an intensely pathetic expression he had probably
practiced in a mirror for maximum effect.
Scully hardened her heart. Mulder put on a good hurt act, but she
wasn't about to fall for it. Any day now he would stumble upon some
new quest and disappear into the mist, chasing more shadows. She had
to look out for herself and Walt. Mulder would be fine, she
reassured herself. Keeping that likelihood in mind, she stated, "I
don't know a more direct way to say this, so here it is: John,
quite simply, is the better man for me. It's no contest between
you and him. I'm telling you once and for all to leave me alone."
Naturally, that was too much to ask of Mulder, who whined, "Scully,
please, look at this whole thing from my perspective."
That broken refrain again? Scully stifled a sigh and corrected,
"No, Mulder, you have to consider *my* point of view for once. If
I stayed with you, what would happen to Walt? He'd be the only
child in kindergarten whose parents call each other by their last
names. What would you expect me to tell him when he asks Mommy why
Daddy won't let her use his first name?"
"You're using my name as an excuse to dump me," Mulder accused.
"I have plenty of other reasons, most of which I've already given
you."
"And they still don't make sense," Mulder complained. "I feel like
I've crossed into the twilight zone and I can't find my way out.
You aren't behaving like yourself, Scully. You're not this shallow."
Although in the past she had admired Mulder's unwavering intensity,
she was discovering it wasn't nearly as attractive a quality when it
was directed at her, against her express wishes. Mulder had crossed
the line from pathetic to annoying. Scully took a deep breath and
stated, "I want you out. I've had more than enough of you and your
attitude. If you don't leave on your own, I'll have you arrested."
Mulder shot to his feet and shouted, "Eight years of history, and
you're willing to throw it all away for *this*?"
Oh, what an opening he'd just given her. Scully yelled back,
"Exactly! Eight years without a desk. Eight years without a
nameplate on the door. Eight years without the fundamental basis of
mutual respect!" She rose and stalked toward the door, with Mulder
retreating before her.
But as she expected, he couldn't leave without making one more
comment. "I'll take you to court if I have to."
Scully laughed. "Go right ahead, Mulder. Your case is hopeless.
You see, John and I were married yesterday in a beautiful
beachfront ceremony. I'll mail you a wedding photo as proof, if you
want."
Mulder turned pale and halted in his tracks. Scully took advantage
of his frozen state to duck around him and open the front door. By
the time she turned, Mulder had more or less collected himself.
"Like I said before, this isn't over," he reiterated as he slowly
moved outside.
Scully merely eyed him coldly and waited for him to slink away
in disgrace. Mulder was a man whose porn collection had bypassed
"Debbie Does Dallas" a generation ago; she no longer felt any
sympathy for him.
***
Coming up:
Mulder takes legal action.
