Title - I Know What You Did . . .
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG
Classification - TRA
Keywords - Mulder/Scully Romance, Angst, Charlie Fic
Spoilers - The Sixth Extinction: Amor Fati
Summary - Mulder and Scully help her brother Charlie and end up with more trouble than they bargained for.
Disclaimer - The characters don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own therapeutic purposes. They will be returned relatively unharmed to Chris Carter, or whoever wants to borrow them next, when I'm done.
Chapter 4
It's Wednesday, Charlie thinks to himself with a sigh. He looks at the clock as he rolls over in bed. Still early. He can still hear his wife and children bustling around the house preparing for their day. She works, even though he tells her she doesn't have to. His mysterious employer compensates him well. Of course, it's probably for the best that she works. She feels she contributes to the household income and therefore doesn't question how they're able to afford the nice house they live in or the private school their sons attend. His salary from the college is far from paltry, but it's nowhere near enough to cover those expenses.
His wife unexpectedly pokes her head in the door, startling him from his ruminations.
"Charlie, Hon, there's someone downstairs to see you," she says with a cheery smile before turning to go finish getting the boys their breakfast.
He panics, wondering the cause behind this visit. When there's an assignment, they usually wait until his wife is gone for the day. They've never shown up with her here. This must be a warning for him, he thinks as he throws on some clothes. Punishment for his threats the other day. He really was just bluffing. He has no intention of telling his wife anything about his arrangement with those people. At least not now. But now that they're here, he may not have a choice. Taking a deep breath for courage, he opens the bedroom door and walks quickly down the stairs.
The sight in his living room shocks him, forcing all the air to escape from his lungs.
"Dana?" he gasps before forcing himself to get control of his breathing again. "What are you doing here?"
Scully looks up and smiles at her approaching brother.
"Is that anyway to welcome your big sister?" she asks with a smile, standing up to give him a hug.
"I'm just surprised, that's all." He forces his own smile to keep her from getting too suspicious. "You here alone?"
"No, Mulder came out with me. But he's helping Phoebe get the boys settled out in the car. I'm afraid a surprise visit from Aunt Dana got them a bit riled up."
"Yes, well it's certainly unexpected," he says, runny a shaking hand through his reddish blond locks.
"You okay, Charlie?" she asks when he notices his nervousness.
"Of course," he says quickly. "How about you? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she says, turning around when Mulder walks back into the house. She's a bit disappointed. She wanted to have a little bit of time to spend with her brother before they started questioning him about the rubbing from the artifact.
"Hi Charlie," Mulder says as he waves to the man. "It's good to see you again. Did your sister explain to you why we're here?"
"No. I was just getting to that," Scully says. "This is about when you came to visit two months ago."
"You brought something for us to look at. A rubbing from an artifact of some kind," Mulder adds. "We were curious where you got it."
"It was just some guy down at the school," Charlie lies. "An associate professor I work with. He kind of wanted to remain anonymous."
"We need a name, Charlie," Scully says.
"Is this guy in some kind of trouble?" Charlie asks. He curiously watches the glances between his sister and her partner. It makes him even more nervous than he already is. The fact that they're questioning that night scares him.
"We just have questions about the artifact," Mulder explains.
"That's the thing. He doesn't know anything about it," Charlie says, fumbling for an excuse. "He was, um, in the library and checked out this obscure text and found it tucked in between the pages."
"An obscure text?" Scully asks incredulously. "This obscure text got a name?"
"You know, I can ask him today," Charlie says, looking down at his watch. "Would you look at that? I'm going to be late for my first class." He rises and politely escorts him to the door. "You going to be in town long? I'm sure Phoebe and the boys would love for you two to join us for dinner."
"Sorry, we can't," Scully frowns. "We have to get back to DC by this afternoon."
"Too bad," Charlie sighs, trying not to show too much relief on his face. "Maybe next time."
"Yeah. Next time." Scully reaches up to give her brother a big hug. "See you later, Charlie. Take care."
"Good seeing you again," Mulder says, offering the man his hand to shake. "Call us when you get the name of that book."
"Of course. Have a good trip," Charlie says quickly. It's taking everything in him not to push them out the door and slam it in their faces. But, they finally leave and relief comes to him with each step they make towards the car. He closes the door when they pull out of the driveway, happy to be rid of them. He doesn't see the other car parked halfway down the street watching his every move.
* * * * *
"So, straight to the airport?" Mulder asks his partner as she looks silently out the window.
"He lied to me, Mulder," Scully practically whispers. "Charlie lied."
"I figured as much," he nods. "I bet he knows more about that rubbing than he's saying."
"That would be a safe bet to make seeing as how he fabricated that entire story," she huffs.
"How do you know he made it up?"
"Actually, he didn't make it up. My dad did. It's a thinly veiled take on a story he used to tell us when we were kids. A bored professor is doing research one day and comes across a mysterious paper pressed between the pages of an even more mysterious book. It was Charlie's favorite story. There's no way I'd forget that."
"So maybe that's why he told it to you," Mulder offers. "Maybe that's his way of letting you know he needs help."
"What do you mean, Mulder? Why wouldn't he just ask for help?"
"Maybe he can't. Think about it, Scully. Why would he speak in a code that only you would understand?"
"Because someone else might be listening," she says, suddenly understanding the point Mulder's trying to make.
"Exactly. So we need to get to your brother and let him know that there is another way he'd be able to communicate with us," Mulder says cryptically. He smiles at the confused look on her face and decides to explain it to her. "Let's just say that it may be time for me to practice my new mind reading trick."
"I think it could work," she smiles. "Good idea, Mulder. Now, let's get back to my brother's house. I have to pee."
"Thank you for sharing," he says with a cringe, pulling into the turning lane to make a u-turn at the intersection. "It's some sort of pregnancy thing, right? Your uterus is growing and putting pressure on your bladder causing you to make those frequent bathroom trips."
"How do you know that?" she asks, amazed at the depths of his knowledge. But also a little amused at how his comment sounded like it came straight from a textbook.
"I've been reading up," he blushes. "I knew absolutely nothing about pregnancy. I wanted to be prepared on how to handle everything from morning sickness to the delivery room."
"That's really sweet, Mulder. Thank you." She tries hard to hold back the tears, but they refuse to listen to her. For a woman used to controlling everything, it's frustrating to stand by helplessly while her emotions take over.
"You're crying," he points out.
"I'm okay," she promises. "It's just hormones. I think my mood swings have been the hardest thing to get used to."
"Mood swings? I don't think I've gotten to that chapter yet," he frowns. But she laughs. And to him, it's the most beautiful sound. He takes his eyes off the road for a second to just look at her being happy for once. Despite all of her sickness, this pregnancy seems to be agreeing with her.
"Mulder, pull over right now," she says, snapping him from his daydream.
"What?" he asks as he complies. "Why? What's going on? Charlie's house is a half a block away."
"Right. But there's a car parked right in front of it," Scully says, pointing to the vehicle. "There's a man sitting inside of it with what looks like a camera. I think he's surveilling Charlie. You were right, Mulder. Looks like my baby brother has gotten himself into a mess. What should we do now?"
"Nothing, right now. We'll come back tonight for that dinner he invited us to. That way, our presence won't be too suspicious to whoever is watching him."
"Who do you think is watching him, Mulder?" she asks warily. "And why? Do you think it has anything to do with us or that rubbing? Do you think they're responsible for . . . " She looks down at her stomach, placing a hand there.
"I can't answer that," he whispers. He places his hand on top of hers. "Let's just hope that Charlie will be able to."
"Yeah," she sighs. "So until tonight, there's nothing we can do. How about we-"
"I know, I know," he interrupts. "How about we go feed Junior. I heard you in here." He taps his forehead. "Is food all you think about now?"
"Just about," she smiles. "Now feed me before it gets ugly in here."
"Yes Ma'am," he teases, giving her a little salute before starting the car again. She just doesn't know, he thinks to himself. He'd do anything for her. All she has to do is ask. Right now it's just food. But hopefully one day she'll want more. And when she does, he'll be right there.
To be continued . . .
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG
Classification - TRA
Keywords - Mulder/Scully Romance, Angst, Charlie Fic
Spoilers - The Sixth Extinction: Amor Fati
Summary - Mulder and Scully help her brother Charlie and end up with more trouble than they bargained for.
Disclaimer - The characters don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own therapeutic purposes. They will be returned relatively unharmed to Chris Carter, or whoever wants to borrow them next, when I'm done.
Chapter 4
It's Wednesday, Charlie thinks to himself with a sigh. He looks at the clock as he rolls over in bed. Still early. He can still hear his wife and children bustling around the house preparing for their day. She works, even though he tells her she doesn't have to. His mysterious employer compensates him well. Of course, it's probably for the best that she works. She feels she contributes to the household income and therefore doesn't question how they're able to afford the nice house they live in or the private school their sons attend. His salary from the college is far from paltry, but it's nowhere near enough to cover those expenses.
His wife unexpectedly pokes her head in the door, startling him from his ruminations.
"Charlie, Hon, there's someone downstairs to see you," she says with a cheery smile before turning to go finish getting the boys their breakfast.
He panics, wondering the cause behind this visit. When there's an assignment, they usually wait until his wife is gone for the day. They've never shown up with her here. This must be a warning for him, he thinks as he throws on some clothes. Punishment for his threats the other day. He really was just bluffing. He has no intention of telling his wife anything about his arrangement with those people. At least not now. But now that they're here, he may not have a choice. Taking a deep breath for courage, he opens the bedroom door and walks quickly down the stairs.
The sight in his living room shocks him, forcing all the air to escape from his lungs.
"Dana?" he gasps before forcing himself to get control of his breathing again. "What are you doing here?"
Scully looks up and smiles at her approaching brother.
"Is that anyway to welcome your big sister?" she asks with a smile, standing up to give him a hug.
"I'm just surprised, that's all." He forces his own smile to keep her from getting too suspicious. "You here alone?"
"No, Mulder came out with me. But he's helping Phoebe get the boys settled out in the car. I'm afraid a surprise visit from Aunt Dana got them a bit riled up."
"Yes, well it's certainly unexpected," he says, runny a shaking hand through his reddish blond locks.
"You okay, Charlie?" she asks when he notices his nervousness.
"Of course," he says quickly. "How about you? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she says, turning around when Mulder walks back into the house. She's a bit disappointed. She wanted to have a little bit of time to spend with her brother before they started questioning him about the rubbing from the artifact.
"Hi Charlie," Mulder says as he waves to the man. "It's good to see you again. Did your sister explain to you why we're here?"
"No. I was just getting to that," Scully says. "This is about when you came to visit two months ago."
"You brought something for us to look at. A rubbing from an artifact of some kind," Mulder adds. "We were curious where you got it."
"It was just some guy down at the school," Charlie lies. "An associate professor I work with. He kind of wanted to remain anonymous."
"We need a name, Charlie," Scully says.
"Is this guy in some kind of trouble?" Charlie asks. He curiously watches the glances between his sister and her partner. It makes him even more nervous than he already is. The fact that they're questioning that night scares him.
"We just have questions about the artifact," Mulder explains.
"That's the thing. He doesn't know anything about it," Charlie says, fumbling for an excuse. "He was, um, in the library and checked out this obscure text and found it tucked in between the pages."
"An obscure text?" Scully asks incredulously. "This obscure text got a name?"
"You know, I can ask him today," Charlie says, looking down at his watch. "Would you look at that? I'm going to be late for my first class." He rises and politely escorts him to the door. "You going to be in town long? I'm sure Phoebe and the boys would love for you two to join us for dinner."
"Sorry, we can't," Scully frowns. "We have to get back to DC by this afternoon."
"Too bad," Charlie sighs, trying not to show too much relief on his face. "Maybe next time."
"Yeah. Next time." Scully reaches up to give her brother a big hug. "See you later, Charlie. Take care."
"Good seeing you again," Mulder says, offering the man his hand to shake. "Call us when you get the name of that book."
"Of course. Have a good trip," Charlie says quickly. It's taking everything in him not to push them out the door and slam it in their faces. But, they finally leave and relief comes to him with each step they make towards the car. He closes the door when they pull out of the driveway, happy to be rid of them. He doesn't see the other car parked halfway down the street watching his every move.
* * * * *
"So, straight to the airport?" Mulder asks his partner as she looks silently out the window.
"He lied to me, Mulder," Scully practically whispers. "Charlie lied."
"I figured as much," he nods. "I bet he knows more about that rubbing than he's saying."
"That would be a safe bet to make seeing as how he fabricated that entire story," she huffs.
"How do you know he made it up?"
"Actually, he didn't make it up. My dad did. It's a thinly veiled take on a story he used to tell us when we were kids. A bored professor is doing research one day and comes across a mysterious paper pressed between the pages of an even more mysterious book. It was Charlie's favorite story. There's no way I'd forget that."
"So maybe that's why he told it to you," Mulder offers. "Maybe that's his way of letting you know he needs help."
"What do you mean, Mulder? Why wouldn't he just ask for help?"
"Maybe he can't. Think about it, Scully. Why would he speak in a code that only you would understand?"
"Because someone else might be listening," she says, suddenly understanding the point Mulder's trying to make.
"Exactly. So we need to get to your brother and let him know that there is another way he'd be able to communicate with us," Mulder says cryptically. He smiles at the confused look on her face and decides to explain it to her. "Let's just say that it may be time for me to practice my new mind reading trick."
"I think it could work," she smiles. "Good idea, Mulder. Now, let's get back to my brother's house. I have to pee."
"Thank you for sharing," he says with a cringe, pulling into the turning lane to make a u-turn at the intersection. "It's some sort of pregnancy thing, right? Your uterus is growing and putting pressure on your bladder causing you to make those frequent bathroom trips."
"How do you know that?" she asks, amazed at the depths of his knowledge. But also a little amused at how his comment sounded like it came straight from a textbook.
"I've been reading up," he blushes. "I knew absolutely nothing about pregnancy. I wanted to be prepared on how to handle everything from morning sickness to the delivery room."
"That's really sweet, Mulder. Thank you." She tries hard to hold back the tears, but they refuse to listen to her. For a woman used to controlling everything, it's frustrating to stand by helplessly while her emotions take over.
"You're crying," he points out.
"I'm okay," she promises. "It's just hormones. I think my mood swings have been the hardest thing to get used to."
"Mood swings? I don't think I've gotten to that chapter yet," he frowns. But she laughs. And to him, it's the most beautiful sound. He takes his eyes off the road for a second to just look at her being happy for once. Despite all of her sickness, this pregnancy seems to be agreeing with her.
"Mulder, pull over right now," she says, snapping him from his daydream.
"What?" he asks as he complies. "Why? What's going on? Charlie's house is a half a block away."
"Right. But there's a car parked right in front of it," Scully says, pointing to the vehicle. "There's a man sitting inside of it with what looks like a camera. I think he's surveilling Charlie. You were right, Mulder. Looks like my baby brother has gotten himself into a mess. What should we do now?"
"Nothing, right now. We'll come back tonight for that dinner he invited us to. That way, our presence won't be too suspicious to whoever is watching him."
"Who do you think is watching him, Mulder?" she asks warily. "And why? Do you think it has anything to do with us or that rubbing? Do you think they're responsible for . . . " She looks down at her stomach, placing a hand there.
"I can't answer that," he whispers. He places his hand on top of hers. "Let's just hope that Charlie will be able to."
"Yeah," she sighs. "So until tonight, there's nothing we can do. How about we-"
"I know, I know," he interrupts. "How about we go feed Junior. I heard you in here." He taps his forehead. "Is food all you think about now?"
"Just about," she smiles. "Now feed me before it gets ugly in here."
"Yes Ma'am," he teases, giving her a little salute before starting the car again. She just doesn't know, he thinks to himself. He'd do anything for her. All she has to do is ask. Right now it's just food. But hopefully one day she'll want more. And when she does, he'll be right there.
To be continued . . .