29.
1.30pm Washington DC
Mulder had found himself addicted to Scully's journal. He felt as if he were inside of her head whenever he read through the pages. In some ways he felt like he was invading her privacy but since each entry had been addressed to him he felt she intended for him to see them one day. It was lunchtime at the courthouse. He'd taken the stand in the morning and everything looked to be going well until his paternity to Samantha had been questioned. Due to his name not being upon her birth certificate there were doubts raised. Not in his mind but in both sets of Lawyers. He was going to have to take Samantha and himself for a DNA test later that day. Great! Just what they both needed right now was to be prodded and poked around by doctors. He didn't like needles at the best of times and facing that prospect brought him out in a chill.
He was waiting for Mrs Scully to bring Samantha to him, from the school; he wasn't allowed to leave whilst the court was still in session. It was ridiculous.
He'd been waiting forty-five minutes already. He couldn't help but think it may be disruptive for Samantha to be dragged from school and forced to have this blood test. Not only that but the judge wanted to meet with Samantha. He could see why. A man turns up who you've been led to believe is your Father and the next day your Mother does a disappearing act. Talk about psychological damage! It was definitely a scenario of having one parent in exchange for the other. The judge had understood why Scully was not there… the conditions of her release from the charges brought against her. She wasn't supposed to have any contact with Mulder at all. He e-mailed her but not once in the six years had she responded. Now he knew why.
As Mulder turned the page to start a new day Samantha entered the room followed by her 'Nanna' she sulkily walked over to Mulder for a hug.
"Why am I here? You said I had to stay in school. We had art. I wanted to draw you a picture."
"I know Sweetheart, I know. The judge wants to speak to you. She is very nice. We need to have a special test to make sure I am your Daddy. She wants to talk to you about it. Is that ok?"
"But you ARE my Daddy. Mommy told me. Don't you believe Mommy?" she asked accusingly.
"Of course I do. The judge wants to make sure, that's all. I'm going to be with you, ok?"
"Ok Daddy." Samantha took Mulder's hand and they followed his lawyer through to the judge's chambers.
Judge Amanda Reynolds was firm but fair. She had always resided over cases making sure no small detail was left unexplained. Samantha's paternity was one such case. Just taking a Mother's word for it was the downfall of many men. It was all too easy to proclaim one man the Father when there may be another possibility. It was averaged that there were thousands of men who were bringing up children what were not their own through deception.
Looking at her reflection she saw that her forties had been kind to her and now that she was turning towards fifty it didn't show. The stress levels must have remained low. It was that or her 'cuddly' figure had kept the wrinkles at bay. She had once been compared to Queen Latifah, quite a compliment when one looked nothing like her except for skin colour and body size! She smiled at the memory. Her smile faded as a knock sounded at the door. Turning around she answered.
"Come in"
Australia
2.55pm.
Scully had been watching Mulder's trial all morning. Her TV had been placed in the Lab considering she spent most of her time there. The trial looked to be going well. She wished she could be there but fate had intervened in the form of #1. It wasn't just that. Had she complied with her conditions for release she would have had to stay away from Mulder. Perhaps it was a good thing her being in Australia. She wanted to be home with them both but mainly for Samantha. They had rarely been apart in her life and this had been the longest month and a half for Scully. Scully paced the room and opened the window to let in some fresh air.
It was then she smelt the familiar scent of coffee. Scully placed her hand across her mouth. It had been twelve days now. Anything spicy, coffee, even the smell of fresh tomatoes made her stomach lurch into next week. She had so many stomach upsets and indigestion lately. She was exhausted. Part of her blamed the long hours she spent making the new clones but another part of her mind jumped with concern… a stomach ulcer.
It was potentially serious if not treated but luckily she knew what things to avoid. It didn't help that she had developed a cold. She couldn't help her coughing fits and it interrupted her work. Ideally she needed painkillers to reduce her temperature. She couldn't take them for fear of rupturing the ulcer. She didn't fancy spending time in hospital, especially in Australia. Scully knew if it didn't clear up soon she would have to visit a doctor. Taking antacids were not exactly beneficial in the long term.
Scully was engrossed in the Television transmission of Mulder's trial. She couldn't believe it. DNA tests! There had been nobody but him. The judge was questioning her integrity. Shaking her head Scully threw a bunched up piece of paper at the TV.
"Bitch!" she called as her curve ball hit the judge smack on the nose. 'Goal!' she thought.
Collecting her vials of new clone batches she headed across the room to the fridge. Placing them in the fridge Scully winced with a stab of pain in her stomach. Scully had another coughing fit before turning her attention back to the TV. 'DNA blood tests… Alien DNA… Alien Blood… Alien clones need Alien blood… That's it!' Scully thought before another coughing fit caught her off guard. Scully collapsed to the floor coughing hard before she vomited blood and passed out in the middle of the Lab. It was twenty minutes before anyone entered the lab. Twenty minutes before 3791 found Scully passed out on the floor a pool of blood surrounding her head.
