DISCLAIMER: Same. Same..
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***
In the car, outside the Pentagon, Mulder paused.
"Let's keep together."
"Agreed."
"If we should get separated, we'll meet in the lobby no later than 4:00 P.M."
"Okay."
"Don't call anyone one your cell phone. Nor answer it should it read as my number."
"But--"
"It could be a trick if we are separated."
Federico lifted her head. She got the idea.
Opening the car doors, they stepped out and entered the Pentagon. Mulder indicated to go down a hallway. He swiped a card through a door. Federico followed him down a corridor, amazed. They turned into a hallway, where Mulder swiped his card yet again, allowing them to enter a cabinet way.
"How'd you do that?" She asked when she was sure they were alone.
"I, uh. I stole a Pentagon worker's identity a few years ago, I never returned his card."
"You did WHAT!?"
"You take that book case, I'll take this one." He changed the subject a little too hurriedly.
Federico eyed Mulder doubtfully. There had to be hundred if not thousands of book cases.
She pulled apart files and tore through crate after crate. She pulled out several runny samples of what were labeled "cells." She studied capsules that contained metal chips, and pocketed everything of interest. Two hours later, she'd barely made a dent of the first two crates on the very top shelf of her first bookcase.
Mulder came across several things of interest, and sitting down on his ladder, he studied files, capsules and several samples of "tissue."
"Got somethin' for ya'." He tossed a capsule over the top of his bookcase, and Federico made a leap for it like she's never seen herself do.
"Pure ballet." Mulder teased as he watched over the rim.
Federico rubbed her shoulder. "What is it?"
"It appears to be a sample of E.B.E. tissue, wrapped in a carefully diagramed container."
"E.B.E.?" She asked, seating herself on the top of her ladder again.
"Yeah," He disappeared over the edge once he was satisfied. "Extraterrestrial Biological Entity."
Federico rolled her eyes.
"Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"I've been around Scully long enough to know that you're rolling your eyes right about now."
"Oh, boy."
She turned her attention back to the crate before her, but not before stealing a glance at the sample Mulder had just tossed her. It seemed to be more liquid than solid, and she resented it. Apparently, she was to run tests on this. She sighed, and put it in her trench coat, the apparent trademark of the F.B.I.
Mulder was getting pretty quick and running his hands over the files, quickly identifying which files were needed and which weren't. Too good, maybe, he wondered. He laughed in spite of himself, getting a curious silence from Federico who was constantly talking to herself. "Not important," he called, and she resumed her mumbling. Another laughed escaped him. Federico paused presently, but soon resumed.
"Eh, Mulder!" She called victoriously jumping from her dangerously high perch.
"Mulder?" She called rounding the bend to his side of the book case. "Where are you?" She looked around and laughed. "Come on. Tell me Scotty beamed you up." She smiled, slapping her papers against her side. The lovely article about E.B.E. (She was always happy to use new vocabulary words)cellular tissue and technology nearly dropped from her side as she ran over to Mulder's ladder, where, beneath it, lay his papers.
"Mulder." She let out in a hushed whisper. She backed against the book case, nearly tipping over a crate. She yelped in spite of herself, and ran wildly trying to find him.
"Mulder! Mulder! Mulder! Mulder!" She sounded like a broken record. She almost reached for her stiletto, but thought better. She ran right into a door, and wanted to scream, though nothing would come out. Instead, she turned her back to it, and slinked down the front. She'd ran headlong into E.B.E. ville, all stretched out neatly in an operating facility adjacent to their filing room, with there large, staring eyes, and terrifyingly out of proportion heads. She panted, but managed to get to her feet, took one last look and ran past to the front door. "Mulder," she breathed.
She ran to her car, and sat at the wheel waiting for the car to get going. Staring her in the face, was a bug. Who knows who was watching on the other end. She smashed it promptly. "Oh, my gosh...." She moaned. She started the car and drove off.
Jopiebay Inn December 22, 2002. 10:40 P.M.
POUND. POUND. POUND. POUND.
"You wanna get it."
"No."
POUND! POUND!
"You sure? Who ever is out there-"Pound Pound-" Doesn't seem to wanna get up."
"I'm SURE,Frohike! And shush, Byers is asleep, and when he's woken up he has a tendency to snore."
"Do not."
"Thought you were unconscious, Byers."
"Best not to assume, Langly."
POUND! POUND! POUND-POUND! POUND-POUND-POUND-POUND-POUND-POUND!
"That's it I'm getting it."
"Frohike! It's probably a serial killer. No one else bangs on doors at this time of night. Frohike!"
"I'll check through the looking-glass and make sure he didn't bring his weapon first." The door swung open. "Oh, yeah, real serial killer guys."
Langly pushed his glasses on.
"Federico?" Byers was a little surprised. "What are you doing?"
"Frohike." She acknowledged brushing past him. She tore open draws, searched wildly lamps and doors.
"IS he here!?" She screamed.
"Is who here?" Byers demanded.
"Mulder! Is her here!"
"Mulder? No, why would he?"
Federico slumped into a chair in front of a computer.
"My heavens, he isn't here." She moaned. She looked up into three very concerned faces. "Mulder and I went to the Pentagon today," she rambled frantically. She was shaking, and could barely catch her breathe. "We were going through filing cabinets, not the ones he and Scully already searched. And we agreed to stay in the same room. Should we get separated, we were to meet in the lobby no later than 4 P.M. I found some information, ands went to give it to him. He wasn't there. But papers were on the floor. I know they were his. I searched, all I found were E.B.E's in an operational facility. I ran to the car, and there was a bug. I crushed it. Oh, I waited inside, too. For hours. Then I searched the building. I can't find him."
There was a deathly silence.
"Oh my gosh. Oh my-----When I ran past where his post was the second time, his papers weren't there anymore. That means whoever took Mulder was in there while I was searching for him. Oh my.....Oh my.....They could have followed me here. They could know where you are." She all but broke down, her head in her hands.
"I should leave."
"Where are you going?"
"My place."
"That's not safe, Federico."
"They could have followed me here. They could know where you are. I can't put you guys in danger, too. Heavens, I can't afford to lose you three as well!"
"We're not going anywhere." Langly half-kidded.
"That's what Mulder said."
She put her head in her lap. Byers patted her shoulder.
"Sit down on the couch-thing.----
"---- You can't actually call that thing a couch.----"Frohike stated sharply.
"---- I'll get you some coffee."
"No. I should get going."
"You're not going anywhere, Federico." Frohike glared. "Especially not your apartment, which heaven knows, will be under constant surveillance."
Federico didn't budge. She sniffed, trying to hold back a sob. She was an agent. They had no emotions. They never sobbed. They never ever betrayed there hard shell.
Frohike passed her the tissues just in time.
"I have a hunch," She said, still trying to catch her breath, and hold back sniffs, "In one of those files, it tells us where they've been taken. Only, somewhere......"
"Here." Byers handed her a mug of a weak coffee.
"Thanks."
Federico woke up with a bad crick in her neck. She must have fallen asleep on the couch-thing. She tossed off the blanket that had gotten on her during the night, and attempted to make a pot of coffee. If you could call it that.
When the Gunmen awoke, there were bagels, coffee, and a thank-you note placed on the table waiting for them. Federico apparently had left for the F.B.I. headquarters.
F.B.I. Headquarters 9:30 A.M.
"Is A.D. Skinner in?" Federico panted as she looked at Holly.
"Eh, yes. But, you-----"
Federico waited for nothing else, but barged into Skinner's office.
"Agent Federico?"
"Sir!" she called out.
"Agent, what is this?" His shifty-glance was thrown around the room, and consistently bounced off the walls.
"Sir," she took a quick look around to make sure they were absolutely alone, ('Trust No One'), "I need your help."
"Agent, if this is-"
"Sir, hear me out. Mulder, Scully, they've gone missing!"
"Agent, I don't want to hear this."
"Sir, Please. I don't know what to do."
"FEDERICO!"
Federico eyed him indignantly.
"Every time you open your mouth, you endanger the lives of Mulder and Scully. I'm being....." His voice trailed off, and he dropped his tone, "I'm being monitored, (Federico paused and thought, "Fancy word for blackmail?"), by the Smoking Man. By keeping quiet, your not only saving your CENSORED!, but Mulder and Scully's CENSORED!, too. I need you to go now. Don't contact me till this is over. And, agent, watch out."
Federico nodded, then left wordlessly.
On her way to her office, she began to read some papers. Going down the stairs, she heard someone behind her. She rolled her eyes, and prepared to reach for her gun. PUKOO! She was thrown down the stairs mercilessly. Her papers stolen from her, the guy ran off, and she got up minutes later, rubbing her already sore arm from when she dived to catch what Mulder had tossed her. She got up and walked to her office. Moan, moan.
"Federico!"
She whirled around. Did she not ever get a break?
"Garaguso!" She smiled at her partner.
"Hi ya'."
"Hey, weren't you supposed to be on vacation?"
He smiled at her. "Yeah, but I got a call. You needed help on a case?"
Federico remained silent.
"Yeah....." She lied.
"Can I see the Files?"
She paused.
"In your hands?"
She sighed, then smiled. "Here. Let me know what you think of them." She smiled.
"I'll be in the coffee room."
"I'll let you know if anything turns up." She smiled and marched off. She pulled out her handy-dandy compact case mirror. She never wore make-up (much to her mother's disapproval), but in these cases of spying, this feminine kit was most reliable. She studied her partner in the mirror, as she entered her office.
Man! He had morphed. Trust no one, echoed in her head. She closed her compact case, and prayed that Garaguso was safe, wherever the heck he really was.
She sat down pretending not to know anything. The apparent bounty hunter entered her office. She pretended to have to tear herself away from her computer screen.
"Can I help you?"
"Garaguso?"
"Coffee room. Two corridors down to the left." She smiled pleasantly.
He expects me to lead him. It's a trap.
She smiled at him, just staring, until he nodded and made for the door.
SWISH!!!!! She threw the stiletto, and winced as it pierced precisely. The hunter fell to the floor. If she hadn't been trained to have a clean mouth, curses would have rolled off her tongue a-plenty.
Trust-no-one, trust-no-one, sounded clearly to the rhythm of her running shoes.
She ran into the ladies room, and pounded her fist against the wall. Who could she turn to? Not Skinner. Heck with Kerch. Gunmen were currently unavailable. Mulder, Scully.
"WHY ME!!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?" She screamed, looking up to high heavens. She paced back and forth. Garaguso.....Garaguso. Something jingled in her pocket. She pulled out several samples that Mulder had given her at the Pentagon. HHmm, it was kinda green..........
On an impulse she ran towards her office. Yep, it was still there. The bounty hunter hadn't budged. She rummaged through her draws and found a capsule and pliers. She quickly pushed some of the green stuff into it, then looked around wildly. She figured it was somewhat suspicious to leave the body lying in the doorway. She reached to pull out the stiletto, but halted. Unwise, she recalled. Instead, she kind of shoved the Bounty hunter into her room.
She ran in a circle, then raced to Skinner's office.
"Agent Federico! You can't go in----"
Federico shot Kimberly a glare that could kill. She pushed her way into the door.
"Sir?"
"Agent Federico, what are----"
"Sir. I'm in a fowl mood. And I don't care if the Smoking Man was sitting right in front of you at the moment, I need you to listen and hear me out. In my office there is a----Have we met before?" She looked at Smoking Man who had just stepped out of the shadows. "Well, that's not the point. Assistant Director, there is a....roach--"
"--A roach."
"--Yes. In my office. It's threatening to lay eggs in my paperwork. I was never good with bugs, I was hoping maybe......" She glanced at Smoking Man Again, "Well. I see you have company. Thanks anyway. I'll see what I can do about it....." She ran out.
"There is a man in that room, "She said to Kimberly confidentially, "That I want you to kill. Thanks." She ran out.
DARN! DARN! DARN! DARN! "HASHBROWNS!" She said the last part out loud in the hallway, her scream echoing in the hallway.
She ran into the crime lab.
"Ay, Danny?"
"Agent Federico!"
"Hi ya'. Ehm....I need to borrow the lab a few minutes. I need to run some tests."
"Sure. What do you want me to test?"
"Well.....I kinda need to be the only one in the lab."
"That's tricky."
"No one will know. At most, ,I'll be two hours. Take your coffee break early." She smiled hopefully.
"Right. But if anything-"
"It'll be fine." She practically pushed him out the door and locked it behind him.
She'd always wondered when that Ph.D. kick in.
In the car, outside the Pentagon, Mulder paused.
"Let's keep together."
"Agreed."
"If we should get separated, we'll meet in the lobby no later than 4:00 P.M."
"Okay."
"Don't call anyone one your cell phone. Nor answer it should it read as my number."
"But--"
"It could be a trick if we are separated."
Federico lifted her head. She got the idea.
Opening the car doors, they stepped out and entered the Pentagon. Mulder indicated to go down a hallway. He swiped a card through a door. Federico followed him down a corridor, amazed. They turned into a hallway, where Mulder swiped his card yet again, allowing them to enter a cabinet way.
"How'd you do that?" She asked when she was sure they were alone.
"I, uh. I stole a Pentagon worker's identity a few years ago, I never returned his card."
"You did WHAT!?"
"You take that book case, I'll take this one." He changed the subject a little too hurriedly.
Federico eyed Mulder doubtfully. There had to be hundred if not thousands of book cases.
She pulled apart files and tore through crate after crate. She pulled out several runny samples of what were labeled "cells." She studied capsules that contained metal chips, and pocketed everything of interest. Two hours later, she'd barely made a dent of the first two crates on the very top shelf of her first bookcase.
Mulder came across several things of interest, and sitting down on his ladder, he studied files, capsules and several samples of "tissue."
"Got somethin' for ya'." He tossed a capsule over the top of his bookcase, and Federico made a leap for it like she's never seen herself do.
"Pure ballet." Mulder teased as he watched over the rim.
Federico rubbed her shoulder. "What is it?"
"It appears to be a sample of E.B.E. tissue, wrapped in a carefully diagramed container."
"E.B.E.?" She asked, seating herself on the top of her ladder again.
"Yeah," He disappeared over the edge once he was satisfied. "Extraterrestrial Biological Entity."
Federico rolled her eyes.
"Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"I've been around Scully long enough to know that you're rolling your eyes right about now."
"Oh, boy."
She turned her attention back to the crate before her, but not before stealing a glance at the sample Mulder had just tossed her. It seemed to be more liquid than solid, and she resented it. Apparently, she was to run tests on this. She sighed, and put it in her trench coat, the apparent trademark of the F.B.I.
Mulder was getting pretty quick and running his hands over the files, quickly identifying which files were needed and which weren't. Too good, maybe, he wondered. He laughed in spite of himself, getting a curious silence from Federico who was constantly talking to herself. "Not important," he called, and she resumed her mumbling. Another laughed escaped him. Federico paused presently, but soon resumed.
"Eh, Mulder!" She called victoriously jumping from her dangerously high perch.
"Mulder?" She called rounding the bend to his side of the book case. "Where are you?" She looked around and laughed. "Come on. Tell me Scotty beamed you up." She smiled, slapping her papers against her side. The lovely article about E.B.E. (She was always happy to use new vocabulary words)cellular tissue and technology nearly dropped from her side as she ran over to Mulder's ladder, where, beneath it, lay his papers.
"Mulder." She let out in a hushed whisper. She backed against the book case, nearly tipping over a crate. She yelped in spite of herself, and ran wildly trying to find him.
"Mulder! Mulder! Mulder! Mulder!" She sounded like a broken record. She almost reached for her stiletto, but thought better. She ran right into a door, and wanted to scream, though nothing would come out. Instead, she turned her back to it, and slinked down the front. She'd ran headlong into E.B.E. ville, all stretched out neatly in an operating facility adjacent to their filing room, with there large, staring eyes, and terrifyingly out of proportion heads. She panted, but managed to get to her feet, took one last look and ran past to the front door. "Mulder," she breathed.
She ran to her car, and sat at the wheel waiting for the car to get going. Staring her in the face, was a bug. Who knows who was watching on the other end. She smashed it promptly. "Oh, my gosh...." She moaned. She started the car and drove off.
Jopiebay Inn December 22, 2002. 10:40 P.M.
POUND. POUND. POUND. POUND.
"You wanna get it."
"No."
POUND! POUND!
"You sure? Who ever is out there-"Pound Pound-" Doesn't seem to wanna get up."
"I'm SURE,Frohike! And shush, Byers is asleep, and when he's woken up he has a tendency to snore."
"Do not."
"Thought you were unconscious, Byers."
"Best not to assume, Langly."
POUND! POUND! POUND-POUND! POUND-POUND-POUND-POUND-POUND-POUND!
"That's it I'm getting it."
"Frohike! It's probably a serial killer. No one else bangs on doors at this time of night. Frohike!"
"I'll check through the looking-glass and make sure he didn't bring his weapon first." The door swung open. "Oh, yeah, real serial killer guys."
Langly pushed his glasses on.
"Federico?" Byers was a little surprised. "What are you doing?"
"Frohike." She acknowledged brushing past him. She tore open draws, searched wildly lamps and doors.
"IS he here!?" She screamed.
"Is who here?" Byers demanded.
"Mulder! Is her here!"
"Mulder? No, why would he?"
Federico slumped into a chair in front of a computer.
"My heavens, he isn't here." She moaned. She looked up into three very concerned faces. "Mulder and I went to the Pentagon today," she rambled frantically. She was shaking, and could barely catch her breathe. "We were going through filing cabinets, not the ones he and Scully already searched. And we agreed to stay in the same room. Should we get separated, we were to meet in the lobby no later than 4 P.M. I found some information, ands went to give it to him. He wasn't there. But papers were on the floor. I know they were his. I searched, all I found were E.B.E's in an operational facility. I ran to the car, and there was a bug. I crushed it. Oh, I waited inside, too. For hours. Then I searched the building. I can't find him."
There was a deathly silence.
"Oh my gosh. Oh my-----When I ran past where his post was the second time, his papers weren't there anymore. That means whoever took Mulder was in there while I was searching for him. Oh my.....Oh my.....They could have followed me here. They could know where you are." She all but broke down, her head in her hands.
"I should leave."
"Where are you going?"
"My place."
"That's not safe, Federico."
"They could have followed me here. They could know where you are. I can't put you guys in danger, too. Heavens, I can't afford to lose you three as well!"
"We're not going anywhere." Langly half-kidded.
"That's what Mulder said."
She put her head in her lap. Byers patted her shoulder.
"Sit down on the couch-thing.----
"---- You can't actually call that thing a couch.----"Frohike stated sharply.
"---- I'll get you some coffee."
"No. I should get going."
"You're not going anywhere, Federico." Frohike glared. "Especially not your apartment, which heaven knows, will be under constant surveillance."
Federico didn't budge. She sniffed, trying to hold back a sob. She was an agent. They had no emotions. They never sobbed. They never ever betrayed there hard shell.
Frohike passed her the tissues just in time.
"I have a hunch," She said, still trying to catch her breath, and hold back sniffs, "In one of those files, it tells us where they've been taken. Only, somewhere......"
"Here." Byers handed her a mug of a weak coffee.
"Thanks."
Federico woke up with a bad crick in her neck. She must have fallen asleep on the couch-thing. She tossed off the blanket that had gotten on her during the night, and attempted to make a pot of coffee. If you could call it that.
When the Gunmen awoke, there were bagels, coffee, and a thank-you note placed on the table waiting for them. Federico apparently had left for the F.B.I. headquarters.
F.B.I. Headquarters 9:30 A.M.
"Is A.D. Skinner in?" Federico panted as she looked at Holly.
"Eh, yes. But, you-----"
Federico waited for nothing else, but barged into Skinner's office.
"Agent Federico?"
"Sir!" she called out.
"Agent, what is this?" His shifty-glance was thrown around the room, and consistently bounced off the walls.
"Sir," she took a quick look around to make sure they were absolutely alone, ('Trust No One'), "I need your help."
"Agent, if this is-"
"Sir, hear me out. Mulder, Scully, they've gone missing!"
"Agent, I don't want to hear this."
"Sir, Please. I don't know what to do."
"FEDERICO!"
Federico eyed him indignantly.
"Every time you open your mouth, you endanger the lives of Mulder and Scully. I'm being....." His voice trailed off, and he dropped his tone, "I'm being monitored, (Federico paused and thought, "Fancy word for blackmail?"), by the Smoking Man. By keeping quiet, your not only saving your CENSORED!, but Mulder and Scully's CENSORED!, too. I need you to go now. Don't contact me till this is over. And, agent, watch out."
Federico nodded, then left wordlessly.
On her way to her office, she began to read some papers. Going down the stairs, she heard someone behind her. She rolled her eyes, and prepared to reach for her gun. PUKOO! She was thrown down the stairs mercilessly. Her papers stolen from her, the guy ran off, and she got up minutes later, rubbing her already sore arm from when she dived to catch what Mulder had tossed her. She got up and walked to her office. Moan, moan.
"Federico!"
She whirled around. Did she not ever get a break?
"Garaguso!" She smiled at her partner.
"Hi ya'."
"Hey, weren't you supposed to be on vacation?"
He smiled at her. "Yeah, but I got a call. You needed help on a case?"
Federico remained silent.
"Yeah....." She lied.
"Can I see the Files?"
She paused.
"In your hands?"
She sighed, then smiled. "Here. Let me know what you think of them." She smiled.
"I'll be in the coffee room."
"I'll let you know if anything turns up." She smiled and marched off. She pulled out her handy-dandy compact case mirror. She never wore make-up (much to her mother's disapproval), but in these cases of spying, this feminine kit was most reliable. She studied her partner in the mirror, as she entered her office.
Man! He had morphed. Trust no one, echoed in her head. She closed her compact case, and prayed that Garaguso was safe, wherever the heck he really was.
She sat down pretending not to know anything. The apparent bounty hunter entered her office. She pretended to have to tear herself away from her computer screen.
"Can I help you?"
"Garaguso?"
"Coffee room. Two corridors down to the left." She smiled pleasantly.
He expects me to lead him. It's a trap.
She smiled at him, just staring, until he nodded and made for the door.
SWISH!!!!! She threw the stiletto, and winced as it pierced precisely. The hunter fell to the floor. If she hadn't been trained to have a clean mouth, curses would have rolled off her tongue a-plenty.
Trust-no-one, trust-no-one, sounded clearly to the rhythm of her running shoes.
She ran into the ladies room, and pounded her fist against the wall. Who could she turn to? Not Skinner. Heck with Kerch. Gunmen were currently unavailable. Mulder, Scully.
"WHY ME!!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?" She screamed, looking up to high heavens. She paced back and forth. Garaguso.....Garaguso. Something jingled in her pocket. She pulled out several samples that Mulder had given her at the Pentagon. HHmm, it was kinda green..........
On an impulse she ran towards her office. Yep, it was still there. The bounty hunter hadn't budged. She rummaged through her draws and found a capsule and pliers. She quickly pushed some of the green stuff into it, then looked around wildly. She figured it was somewhat suspicious to leave the body lying in the doorway. She reached to pull out the stiletto, but halted. Unwise, she recalled. Instead, she kind of shoved the Bounty hunter into her room.
She ran in a circle, then raced to Skinner's office.
"Agent Federico! You can't go in----"
Federico shot Kimberly a glare that could kill. She pushed her way into the door.
"Sir?"
"Agent Federico, what are----"
"Sir. I'm in a fowl mood. And I don't care if the Smoking Man was sitting right in front of you at the moment, I need you to listen and hear me out. In my office there is a----Have we met before?" She looked at Smoking Man who had just stepped out of the shadows. "Well, that's not the point. Assistant Director, there is a....roach--"
"--A roach."
"--Yes. In my office. It's threatening to lay eggs in my paperwork. I was never good with bugs, I was hoping maybe......" She glanced at Smoking Man Again, "Well. I see you have company. Thanks anyway. I'll see what I can do about it....." She ran out.
"There is a man in that room, "She said to Kimberly confidentially, "That I want you to kill. Thanks." She ran out.
DARN! DARN! DARN! DARN! "HASHBROWNS!" She said the last part out loud in the hallway, her scream echoing in the hallway.
She ran into the crime lab.
"Ay, Danny?"
"Agent Federico!"
"Hi ya'. Ehm....I need to borrow the lab a few minutes. I need to run some tests."
"Sure. What do you want me to test?"
"Well.....I kinda need to be the only one in the lab."
"That's tricky."
"No one will know. At most, ,I'll be two hours. Take your coffee break early." She smiled hopefully.
"Right. But if anything-"
"It'll be fine." She practically pushed him out the door and locked it behind him.
She'd always wondered when that Ph.D. kick in.