Left Behind
Chapter 18
Doggett, his back to Skinner, was too engrossed in whatever was on his computer screen to have heard Skinner enter the room. Skinner opened his mouth to announce his presence to Doggett when he noticed what Doggett was looking at. He was absolutely floored. "Is that an x-file?"
Doggett quickly turned, startled by Skinner. He quickly recovered and replied. "Yeah."
"How.....?" As far as Skinner knew all the files had gone missing after the powers that be closed the X-Files office for good, at least it seemed so this time. There had been no time for any of them to make copies.
"Jimmy and Yves just found these disks. Best we can figure, after the X-Files office burned down that time several years ago, and after Mulder recovered the files, he must have given the Gunmen copies, just in case someone decided that history should repeat itself. Scully must have continued in his absence because it looks like the files go right up to just before Monica and I took over. Perfect timin' wouldn't you say."
Skinner thought it was a smart move but at the same time mentally upbraided Mulder and Scully for not telling him about this. Skinner looked back at the computer screen to see what specific files Doggett had been accessing. The result surprised him even more than the fact that they still had access to the files. "You're looking at alien abduction cases? You're looking into Mulder and Scully's abduction? You don't believe in that sort of thing." The truth was that he believed aliens had abducted Reyes, but he would never have expected Doggett to believe in it. Doggett was firm disbeliever in that. He had said so himself, under oath, at Mulder's trial.
John tensed. He got up from the desk he was sitting at and began to pace. He was being eating alive by guilt and fear. John continued his pacing for a few moments and then said angrily, "I don't know what else to do! We've searched the woods, questioned Weasley, turned Weasley's life upside down, and interviewed the campers in the woods. It all points to Monica being abducted. Weasley says it's aliens but Mulder thought the government was in on Scully's abduction. Maybe Weasley is in on it with whoever kidnapped Monica. Maybe Weasley is part of this government conspiracy along with the super soldiers. We haven't exactly made friends bein' on the X-Files."
Skinner looked at Doggett with compassion in his eyes and in his voice. "John you can lie to me, but don't lie to yourself about what happened to her."
John exploded. "I'm not lying to anyone! I'm just trying to find my partner!" His outburst reverberated in the air. He instantly regretted it. John sank down exhausted back into his chair. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept. Between telling the Watkin's that their son was dead to his fears for Monica's well being, John had lost it. He didn't need to take it out on Skinner though. "I'm sorry," he said quietly and sadly. "It's just...when my son went missing, I thought I had done everything in my power to find him, to save him. I failed. But once I was assigned to the X-Files, I began to question if I had done everything in my power, if I had explored every possibility, the sort of possibilities that Monica and Mulder believe in. I just don't...I just don't want to make the same mistake twice. Not if I can save Monica."
Skinner grabbed and extra chair and pulled it up beside John taking his own seat. He didn't need an apology from John. He wanted to find Monica alive and well just as much as Doggett did. "I just got the report back that we had been waiting on."
John looked at Skinner. He could read the answers in his face. "He was related to her wasn't he." It wasn't a question.
Skinner nodded. "They can't say how they are related, only that there were very distinct similarities that would only exist between family members."
"Damnit," yelled John as he stood up, knocking his chair down as he did. "I should have listened to Monica. I should have known that she was in danger. I should have never brought her in on this case. Now I...I don't know what to do." He was no good alone with all this paranormal mumbo-jumbo. He needed Monica.
Skinner stood up. He too felt as helpless as John. At least Mulder and Scully had been returned alive. If Colin's torture and death was any indication of Monica's fate, Skinner's fears were well founded. Skinner's heart sank as low as John's was with that very thought.
Chapter 18
Doggett, his back to Skinner, was too engrossed in whatever was on his computer screen to have heard Skinner enter the room. Skinner opened his mouth to announce his presence to Doggett when he noticed what Doggett was looking at. He was absolutely floored. "Is that an x-file?"
Doggett quickly turned, startled by Skinner. He quickly recovered and replied. "Yeah."
"How.....?" As far as Skinner knew all the files had gone missing after the powers that be closed the X-Files office for good, at least it seemed so this time. There had been no time for any of them to make copies.
"Jimmy and Yves just found these disks. Best we can figure, after the X-Files office burned down that time several years ago, and after Mulder recovered the files, he must have given the Gunmen copies, just in case someone decided that history should repeat itself. Scully must have continued in his absence because it looks like the files go right up to just before Monica and I took over. Perfect timin' wouldn't you say."
Skinner thought it was a smart move but at the same time mentally upbraided Mulder and Scully for not telling him about this. Skinner looked back at the computer screen to see what specific files Doggett had been accessing. The result surprised him even more than the fact that they still had access to the files. "You're looking at alien abduction cases? You're looking into Mulder and Scully's abduction? You don't believe in that sort of thing." The truth was that he believed aliens had abducted Reyes, but he would never have expected Doggett to believe in it. Doggett was firm disbeliever in that. He had said so himself, under oath, at Mulder's trial.
John tensed. He got up from the desk he was sitting at and began to pace. He was being eating alive by guilt and fear. John continued his pacing for a few moments and then said angrily, "I don't know what else to do! We've searched the woods, questioned Weasley, turned Weasley's life upside down, and interviewed the campers in the woods. It all points to Monica being abducted. Weasley says it's aliens but Mulder thought the government was in on Scully's abduction. Maybe Weasley is in on it with whoever kidnapped Monica. Maybe Weasley is part of this government conspiracy along with the super soldiers. We haven't exactly made friends bein' on the X-Files."
Skinner looked at Doggett with compassion in his eyes and in his voice. "John you can lie to me, but don't lie to yourself about what happened to her."
John exploded. "I'm not lying to anyone! I'm just trying to find my partner!" His outburst reverberated in the air. He instantly regretted it. John sank down exhausted back into his chair. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept. Between telling the Watkin's that their son was dead to his fears for Monica's well being, John had lost it. He didn't need to take it out on Skinner though. "I'm sorry," he said quietly and sadly. "It's just...when my son went missing, I thought I had done everything in my power to find him, to save him. I failed. But once I was assigned to the X-Files, I began to question if I had done everything in my power, if I had explored every possibility, the sort of possibilities that Monica and Mulder believe in. I just don't...I just don't want to make the same mistake twice. Not if I can save Monica."
Skinner grabbed and extra chair and pulled it up beside John taking his own seat. He didn't need an apology from John. He wanted to find Monica alive and well just as much as Doggett did. "I just got the report back that we had been waiting on."
John looked at Skinner. He could read the answers in his face. "He was related to her wasn't he." It wasn't a question.
Skinner nodded. "They can't say how they are related, only that there were very distinct similarities that would only exist between family members."
"Damnit," yelled John as he stood up, knocking his chair down as he did. "I should have listened to Monica. I should have known that she was in danger. I should have never brought her in on this case. Now I...I don't know what to do." He was no good alone with all this paranormal mumbo-jumbo. He needed Monica.
Skinner stood up. He too felt as helpless as John. At least Mulder and Scully had been returned alive. If Colin's torture and death was any indication of Monica's fate, Skinner's fears were well founded. Skinner's heart sank as low as John's was with that very thought.
