"No."
Assistant Director looked up from his mounds of paperwork to look into the flaming eyes of a royally pissed Cassidy Adamson.
"Excuse me?"
Cassidy looked behind her and slammed the office door in the secretary's face, apologizing for letting the girl through. She made her way to where Skinner was standing and crossed her arms, fingers brushing her elbows.
"I said no. I don't want to get involved."
"It's too late to consider apprehension," Skinner went back to writing.
"To hell with apprehension," the girl hissed, "this is common sense. Agent Scully is pregnant. You didn't let me in on that."
"She swore to me to secrecy." Skinner put his pen down and brushed the papers away. "Look, it's not a smart decision to talk about this now."
"Then WHEN? Who have you got spying on us, Skinner? Who's breathing down your neck, who's twisted your arm? Damnit, I KNOW you've sent Doggett on a suicide mission and now you're benevolent enough to let me tag around Captain America but I will not let you drag Scully down with us!"
Skinner looked at the angered girl almost in awe. She had shown such compassion for Agent Scully, even when the woman had been skeptically about the intern for the division, saying there was another reason for Skinner's choosing of the girl. Through the time they worked together, they became close, as Scully played a maternal role to Cassidy's free-spirited daughter guise. Skinner knew Scully had longed for a child of her own but when Mulder had informed him about the aftermath of her abduction, Skinner sympathized. He could clearly see, however, Cassidy was unaware of this information. Unaware that the child could be something other than human.
He sighed ruefully and opened a desk drawer, revealing the tape he had offered her before. Standing up he opened his cabinet up to reveal a VCR and monitor. Placing the tape into the machine, he took a step back. He put his hands back into his pockets and turned to face Cassidy, who took a seat.
"You've got courage, Cass. But it's going to take a hell of a lot more than that to win this war."
"What war?"
If only she knew, he mused.
"I recommend you watch the tape." Skinner looked around as if checking for something and then stepped out of the room.
Cassidy brushed a stand of hair away from her face as she watched the monitor flicker from blue to gray. Crossing her arms and legs, she pursed her lips together, ready to scowl throughout the whole presentation..whatever it was.
The monitor flickered back as it showed the bureau's parking lot. Big fucking deal, Cassidy thought, they must think I'm the world's biggest loser.
Cars moved in and out progressively as the tape reeled. A cadillac here, a buick there, still no sign of anything that would catch her interest whatsoever.
And then, something did.
A black ferrari.
It wasn't the car that triggered something in her memory. It was someone.
It was Derek's car.
Derek Smith always vouched for the fast and the showy. Not necessarily quality, but the ostentatious. With oozing personality and enough good looks to land him a three picture deal, the blonde had dated the girl when he was a senior in high school. Then again, now that she thought about it for a moment, he always looked older that he was. He always looked too good to be true.
There was another side of Derek. The cold, calculating, manipulative bastard that he was, but those qualities only seeped in a few times as far as Cassidy could remember. Wanting more than she was ready to give him, almost showing a passive-aggressive streak every now and then. Nothing too deadly. Until she had found out it was all one plan. A plan that had been seeded by the Cigarette Smoking Man and carried out by a new generation of cronies, including Derek Smith. He had held the smoking gun as she had lay dying on the warehouse floor, with Alex Krycek contemplating his acquaintances, with Alex Krycek contemplating both of their future.
But that had been a long time ago.
And both of the bastards were dead.
Hardly.
It was a rude awakening to see those smoldering chocolate eyes, alive and ready for response, peering carefully around the perimeter. A shiver ran down her spine as she swore to herself that he had just smirked to the camera as he got out of his car.
In a suit, he was impeccably dressed; he had always a good sense of style, albeit a dangerous one. The smirk seemed deceiving as his face became very tense, very purposeful. And those eyes, those disarmingly seductive eyes that seemed to have traces of grey and blue in them, strangely enough. The colour of them had always reminded her of rocks hacked out of a high cliff one moment, and of the soft, calm waters of a lake the next. Unpredictable and unassuming.
The tall figure leaned against his car and whipped out a pair of sunglasses, even though there was no daylight. Typical, she tried to laugh, but she found her throat had all but closed up. She was having a difficult enough time breathing before the second figure approached.
"No...Please God, No.." she managed shakily. Her fingers trembled as she pushed herself out of the chair and began to inch closer.
There, speaking with Derek, was Alex Krycek.
She felt the ground move from her feet as she crumpled to the floor. Her face paled and her eyes misted as she shook her head slightly in disbelief.
There were too many words to describe what Alex Krycek was, but now, as Cassidy's empty eyes watched her own hand reach out and pause the tape, only one phrase sprang to mind.
The devil.
She clasped a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming when Skinner came back into the room. He closed the door and ran over to the hysterical girl.
"I can't...I can't fight both of them..not now..," she sobbed, any thought of dignity or pride flying out of the office window. Cassidy Adamson hated to weep in front of people, but this was the straw that broke her back.
Skinner bent down to see her eye to eye, taken aback at her reaction, but knowing it would've had to come to this, sooner better than later.
"You're not going to have to," he placed a hand on her shoulder but she pulled back, almost in fear.
"How did you know about this tape? Who else knows?! Who else knows that they're alive?!" No longer did Cassidy care if anyone else could hear her as well. There seemed to be a tremendous ripping in her chest, a feeling of being cut in half. She wanted to scream more but her voice had collapsed and her lips just twitched, moving but not speaking. Skinner pulled his hand away again as the girl's body convulsed under his touch.
"You.," she hissed, "How could you?"
"There's so much you don't unde-"
"How could I when I'm wanted for dead!? How long have you known?! How long has he been alive?! When..I can't..I can't ever trust you..Why did you want me to see this? As a little motivational pick-me up so I'd come crawling back?!"
"Cass.."came the soft interjection.
"No, shut up. Just shut up. How dare you? I can't. I refuse too. Tell them they've won. Tell them it's over. It's over!" On shaky legs, Cassidy made an effort to stand and walk.
"It'll never be over," Skinner mumbled, "until this very bureau finds you dead."
The shiver returned down her spine and her muscles contracted. She knew it. Both of them did, but that give him no right to say it. She turned around, tears almost whirling down from her eyes, the beginning trickles of an eternal waterfall.
"What do you expect me to do? What do they want?"
Skinner held his breath and put his hands in his pockets as he regained his towering posture.
"We assume they're collaborating with others, we're just not quite sure yet. Individually, however, they seem to view Scully's baby as a threat. Alex Krycek.doesn't want Scully's baby to come to term."
Cassidy closed her eyes.
"They believe that Agent Scully is carrying a super soldier; an alien hybrid. It would be the first of its kind on the re-population of the planet."
"They don't know that.."
"Yes, but we don't know it isn't."
Cassidy looked beyond the glass of the office. So many young girls out there would be enjoying their freedom. Driving to the shopping mall to meet their friends, watching their boyfriend's sports game, even sleeping in for God's sake. Not her, though. It was never her. And when it was her, it was for all of the wrong reasons.
"How can I help you..her?"
"They fear you."
Cassidy's head snapped back and looked at Skinner.
"Say that again."
Skinner turned around and walked towards the same window she had glanced out. This hadn't been the way he'd pictured the climax of his career.
"They fear you."
Cassidy took in every word. It was a sense of power, but with power came consequence and danger. She had the upper hand, but she had come to her sense a while ago that no longer could she fight wars; there were too many things too live for. Like family.
Like friends. Like obligation.
The shiver returned to her spine. One lying, cheating bastard was enough. Two were life-threatening. No kidding.
Her body had gradually returned from its numbness.
"I'll see you Monday."
The assistant director tried to sigh with comfort too quickly, tried to hide the smile in his voice when he spoke.
"I won't see you later on?"
"No. I have a wedding rehearsal to organize." Cassidy paused and looked back out the window, the end of her mouth nearly twitching.
"I can't hide forever."
Assistant Director looked up from his mounds of paperwork to look into the flaming eyes of a royally pissed Cassidy Adamson.
"Excuse me?"
Cassidy looked behind her and slammed the office door in the secretary's face, apologizing for letting the girl through. She made her way to where Skinner was standing and crossed her arms, fingers brushing her elbows.
"I said no. I don't want to get involved."
"It's too late to consider apprehension," Skinner went back to writing.
"To hell with apprehension," the girl hissed, "this is common sense. Agent Scully is pregnant. You didn't let me in on that."
"She swore to me to secrecy." Skinner put his pen down and brushed the papers away. "Look, it's not a smart decision to talk about this now."
"Then WHEN? Who have you got spying on us, Skinner? Who's breathing down your neck, who's twisted your arm? Damnit, I KNOW you've sent Doggett on a suicide mission and now you're benevolent enough to let me tag around Captain America but I will not let you drag Scully down with us!"
Skinner looked at the angered girl almost in awe. She had shown such compassion for Agent Scully, even when the woman had been skeptically about the intern for the division, saying there was another reason for Skinner's choosing of the girl. Through the time they worked together, they became close, as Scully played a maternal role to Cassidy's free-spirited daughter guise. Skinner knew Scully had longed for a child of her own but when Mulder had informed him about the aftermath of her abduction, Skinner sympathized. He could clearly see, however, Cassidy was unaware of this information. Unaware that the child could be something other than human.
He sighed ruefully and opened a desk drawer, revealing the tape he had offered her before. Standing up he opened his cabinet up to reveal a VCR and monitor. Placing the tape into the machine, he took a step back. He put his hands back into his pockets and turned to face Cassidy, who took a seat.
"You've got courage, Cass. But it's going to take a hell of a lot more than that to win this war."
"What war?"
If only she knew, he mused.
"I recommend you watch the tape." Skinner looked around as if checking for something and then stepped out of the room.
Cassidy brushed a stand of hair away from her face as she watched the monitor flicker from blue to gray. Crossing her arms and legs, she pursed her lips together, ready to scowl throughout the whole presentation..whatever it was.
The monitor flickered back as it showed the bureau's parking lot. Big fucking deal, Cassidy thought, they must think I'm the world's biggest loser.
Cars moved in and out progressively as the tape reeled. A cadillac here, a buick there, still no sign of anything that would catch her interest whatsoever.
And then, something did.
A black ferrari.
It wasn't the car that triggered something in her memory. It was someone.
It was Derek's car.
Derek Smith always vouched for the fast and the showy. Not necessarily quality, but the ostentatious. With oozing personality and enough good looks to land him a three picture deal, the blonde had dated the girl when he was a senior in high school. Then again, now that she thought about it for a moment, he always looked older that he was. He always looked too good to be true.
There was another side of Derek. The cold, calculating, manipulative bastard that he was, but those qualities only seeped in a few times as far as Cassidy could remember. Wanting more than she was ready to give him, almost showing a passive-aggressive streak every now and then. Nothing too deadly. Until she had found out it was all one plan. A plan that had been seeded by the Cigarette Smoking Man and carried out by a new generation of cronies, including Derek Smith. He had held the smoking gun as she had lay dying on the warehouse floor, with Alex Krycek contemplating his acquaintances, with Alex Krycek contemplating both of their future.
But that had been a long time ago.
And both of the bastards were dead.
Hardly.
It was a rude awakening to see those smoldering chocolate eyes, alive and ready for response, peering carefully around the perimeter. A shiver ran down her spine as she swore to herself that he had just smirked to the camera as he got out of his car.
In a suit, he was impeccably dressed; he had always a good sense of style, albeit a dangerous one. The smirk seemed deceiving as his face became very tense, very purposeful. And those eyes, those disarmingly seductive eyes that seemed to have traces of grey and blue in them, strangely enough. The colour of them had always reminded her of rocks hacked out of a high cliff one moment, and of the soft, calm waters of a lake the next. Unpredictable and unassuming.
The tall figure leaned against his car and whipped out a pair of sunglasses, even though there was no daylight. Typical, she tried to laugh, but she found her throat had all but closed up. She was having a difficult enough time breathing before the second figure approached.
"No...Please God, No.." she managed shakily. Her fingers trembled as she pushed herself out of the chair and began to inch closer.
There, speaking with Derek, was Alex Krycek.
She felt the ground move from her feet as she crumpled to the floor. Her face paled and her eyes misted as she shook her head slightly in disbelief.
There were too many words to describe what Alex Krycek was, but now, as Cassidy's empty eyes watched her own hand reach out and pause the tape, only one phrase sprang to mind.
The devil.
She clasped a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming when Skinner came back into the room. He closed the door and ran over to the hysterical girl.
"I can't...I can't fight both of them..not now..," she sobbed, any thought of dignity or pride flying out of the office window. Cassidy Adamson hated to weep in front of people, but this was the straw that broke her back.
Skinner bent down to see her eye to eye, taken aback at her reaction, but knowing it would've had to come to this, sooner better than later.
"You're not going to have to," he placed a hand on her shoulder but she pulled back, almost in fear.
"How did you know about this tape? Who else knows?! Who else knows that they're alive?!" No longer did Cassidy care if anyone else could hear her as well. There seemed to be a tremendous ripping in her chest, a feeling of being cut in half. She wanted to scream more but her voice had collapsed and her lips just twitched, moving but not speaking. Skinner pulled his hand away again as the girl's body convulsed under his touch.
"You.," she hissed, "How could you?"
"There's so much you don't unde-"
"How could I when I'm wanted for dead!? How long have you known?! How long has he been alive?! When..I can't..I can't ever trust you..Why did you want me to see this? As a little motivational pick-me up so I'd come crawling back?!"
"Cass.."came the soft interjection.
"No, shut up. Just shut up. How dare you? I can't. I refuse too. Tell them they've won. Tell them it's over. It's over!" On shaky legs, Cassidy made an effort to stand and walk.
"It'll never be over," Skinner mumbled, "until this very bureau finds you dead."
The shiver returned down her spine and her muscles contracted. She knew it. Both of them did, but that give him no right to say it. She turned around, tears almost whirling down from her eyes, the beginning trickles of an eternal waterfall.
"What do you expect me to do? What do they want?"
Skinner held his breath and put his hands in his pockets as he regained his towering posture.
"We assume they're collaborating with others, we're just not quite sure yet. Individually, however, they seem to view Scully's baby as a threat. Alex Krycek.doesn't want Scully's baby to come to term."
Cassidy closed her eyes.
"They believe that Agent Scully is carrying a super soldier; an alien hybrid. It would be the first of its kind on the re-population of the planet."
"They don't know that.."
"Yes, but we don't know it isn't."
Cassidy looked beyond the glass of the office. So many young girls out there would be enjoying their freedom. Driving to the shopping mall to meet their friends, watching their boyfriend's sports game, even sleeping in for God's sake. Not her, though. It was never her. And when it was her, it was for all of the wrong reasons.
"How can I help you..her?"
"They fear you."
Cassidy's head snapped back and looked at Skinner.
"Say that again."
Skinner turned around and walked towards the same window she had glanced out. This hadn't been the way he'd pictured the climax of his career.
"They fear you."
Cassidy took in every word. It was a sense of power, but with power came consequence and danger. She had the upper hand, but she had come to her sense a while ago that no longer could she fight wars; there were too many things too live for. Like family.
Like friends. Like obligation.
The shiver returned to her spine. One lying, cheating bastard was enough. Two were life-threatening. No kidding.
Her body had gradually returned from its numbness.
"I'll see you Monday."
The assistant director tried to sigh with comfort too quickly, tried to hide the smile in his voice when he spoke.
"I won't see you later on?"
"No. I have a wedding rehearsal to organize." Cassidy paused and looked back out the window, the end of her mouth nearly twitching.
"I can't hide forever."