THE THIRD WHEEL
by DavidB226Morris and Allan Yoskowitz
Summary: After the events at El Rico Air Force Base, Mulder and Scully are reassigned to the X-Files. The catch is that another agent has been reassigned to them.
Type of Story: Alternate Universe/ Crossover (sort of)
Rating: TV-14 Strong Language
Disclaimer: The characters of Mulder,Scully, et al belong to Chris Carter and 1013 Productions (though I'm beginning to wonder if he deserves them after this season) Similarly the character of Daniel Torrance belongs to Stephen King (though I think he would be hard pressed to recognize this version of him)
FEEDBACK: DavidB226Morris@aol.com
Whenever Fox Mulder sat in the exterior of AD Skinner's office, he always felt that he had been called in to see the vice principal. Like he'd been caught by at some activity calling for a disciplinary infraction, and now was his time to suffer the consequences. He shifted his weight on his seat, wondering for a moment what this time's punishment would be.
It wasn't as if he wasn't used to disciplinary actions. As he would be the first to admit (no, as Scully would be the first to admit) he had the tendency to, in the pursuit of his work, "push the envelope". Politely put, he tended to violate the rule book's codings on a regular basis.
He looked over at his partner, probably to make a remark about his prior thought. A look at Scully's face changed his mind. Something about the analogy he'd made had him feeling it would cut a little too close to home, and right now that was the last thing he wanted. God knew that things had been awkward between the two of them for the last several months, and right now she could very easily live without any of his usual witticisms. Besides, she probably did feel like she was being called to the principal's office. In her case though, she probably felt like the parent of a perennially disobedient grade schooler who was always being chastised for her child's failings. Only in this case the disciplinary actions would be put upon the mother as well as the child.
The irony was that he had no reason to feel as suspicious as he did. From all indications, they were going to be put back on the X-Files. The literal firestorm of events that had concluded in the horrors at El Rico Air Force had convinced a good many people at the bureau that he and Scully were necessary to the success of the unit. He therefore had every reason to be looking forward to this meeting with anticipation.
Why was it than that he felt a sensation of impending doom, as if there was about to be one more ironic twist in his corkscrew existence at the bureau? If he told these feelings to any of his friends (most of whom, he thought wryly, were sitting in this room with him this minute) they would most likely tell him that he was being unduly paranoid. Perhaps he was, but as he had told Scully once early in their partnership: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."
The door of the office opened. "Agents." As always the voice of the man in the office seemed to contain a mild note of disapproval.
Without even looking at each other, the two federal agents stood up and walked into the office, wondering what consequences waited behind the door.
Skinner never seemed particularly comfortable when he had to give them any sort of news, pleasant or (as was usually the case) unpleasant. This time, he seemed more reluctant than usual to talk, though he tried to maintain a cheerful tone.
"First of all, let me be the first to congratulate you. As of tomorrow, the two of you may officially return to the X-Files."
This was the best news that Fox Mulder had heard in over six months and the only thing that he could think of at that moment was: "What string are they putting on it now?'
"However, it is the decision of those higher up at the bureau that your return be conditional.
Here it comes, thought Mulder.
"Agent Scully was assigned to the X-Files six years ago to provide a scientific rationale for your work. However, it is the belief of the board that in the time that has passed that your influence on her has caused her to lose some of the objectivity that she was supposed to have brought."
Perhaps under other circumstances, Mulder would have found the AD's choice of words amusing. What he was saying boiled down to that he had somehow convinced Scully to cross over to the Dark Side of the Force when in fact, she had remained almost stubbornly realistic. However, he didn't like where this conversation was headed.
"What are you saying sir :that because I am not willing to outright dismiss Agent Mulder's work, my judgement has become impaired?" Scully sounded calm, but both men could tell by her attitude that she was furious. Skinner attempted to calm her down.
"I'm saying nothing of the kind. It is, however, the belief of the Bureau directors that in order for work in the X-files to be successfully completed, someone must provide a view that is completely impartial."
"Are you saying that I am to be removed from working with Agent Mulder?" Scully was still somewhat confused.
"Your skills in science are still considered necessary to this unit. "
It suddenly dawned on both agents what the AD was talking about. Mulder spoke first.
"Who?"
"Agent Mulder?"
"Who else is being assigned to the X-Files?" There was a note of barely controlled hostility in his voice.
Skinner sighed. "In an effort to assure that an impartial voice be present in your area, it is the decision of the bureau that a new agent is to be reassigned to your unit."
Both Mulder and Scully took this in for about ten seconds. Mulder was about to launch into a rant as to a third agent was not only unnecessary but also indicative of the distrust of the powers that be in his ability to run this unit. (Though Scully didn't know it, he had gone off on a similar diatribe when he had first learned that he was about to be assigned a partner.) However, Scully (as she so often did) saved him from making a series of statements which probably would have the effect of making him sound foolish. "Sir, with all due respect to you , this strikes me as insulting to Agent Mulder and myself." Again she spoke in the calm voice that had barely restrained fury beneath it.
"Agent Scully, this is not a reflection on your work...."
"Bullshit." Scully put her hand on his as if to distract him, but for once he would not let her touch divert him from speaking even if it did get him into further trouble. "What else are we supposed to think of it as?"
"Agents, I am no more in love with this idea than you are. To assign a third member will create a series of budgetary problems, not to mention difficulties in travel arrangement. However, the mandate from the board is simple: either the two of you work with another agent or you will continue to be separated from the X-Files."
Realizing that their hands were being forced on the issue, Mulder and Scully shared a look which seemed to silently indicate that while they weren't wild about being assigned another person, they would tolerate it in order to get back to their work
"We have tried to introduce this new agent with the interest of one who would interfere the least with your work.To that end, an agent has been chosen with no prior involvement with either you or the X-Files."
"Where is he?"
"He works out of the Boston field office. He'll be joining you tomorrow.Kim will supply you with a copy of his jacket"
As the two agents rather unhappily got up to leave, Skinner added: "If its any consolation, the agent involved gives every indication that he will be an asset to the two for your work."
"How so?" Mulder asked, not really caring; only wishing to get out of there.
"In the five years you've have worked on the X-Files, he is the only agent who has voluntarily requested to be assigned to your unit."
As much as he didn't''t want to be, Agent Mulder was curious. "Who is he?"
"Agent Daniel Torrance."
As she rode the elevator down to the basement office which she now realized that she would always consider hers no matter how many months she had been kept away from it, Special Agent Dana Scully thought back to the very first time she had gone to the office of the man who had not entirely unwillingly, become the most important figure in her life.
Then she had been a woman with longer hair and a frequent smile, a woman who had been convinced that science could provide an explanation for everything, a woman who believed in the basic honesty and integrity of her government---in short a woman who was more Dana than Scully.
All that had been before she had become involved with Mulder and his quest for the truth, before her orderly view of the world had been inverted and subverted. Blood had been shed--- some of it their own--- with often nothing to show for it. Sometimes she wondered: if she had known what awaited her when she had first walked into Mulder's office, would she have still worked with him?
The question was not one she particularly like to dwell on yet she knew that it was a presence in both of their thinking. Mulder, in particular, thought about it frequently, not because he cared so much what happened to himself, but because he regretted having dragged Scully down with him. She had tried to encourage him, tried to tell him that he was not alone on this journey, and it had seemed to appease him. Yet recently, she had begun to wonder whether it was worth all the suffering and anguish. Furthermore, in the past couple of weeks, when Mulder had made it plain that he still trusted Fowley despite all the evidence of her betrayal, she had been hurt that Mulder still trusted that woman over her.
That's right. Keep pretending that this is only about trust. Damn. The voice which she always seemed to hear when she was thinking about her relationship with her partner was back. You're not jealous of that woman because she has some hold over Mulder, no, because you and Mulder don't have that sort of relationship. Never mind what almost happened in his hallway all those months ago, or what he tried to tell you in the mall after that chewing out we got from the board, or what he said in that hospital after you found him in the Caribbean....
With an effort, she shut the voice in her head up.
As the elevator came to a stop in the basement, Scully wondered why she was dwelling so much upon the past. Then she realized that before she had been sidetracked, she had been trying to put herself back in the footsteps of being a rookie agent so that she might be able to understand what this new man would be thinking when he finally walked in the door.
She didn't know much about the man outside the information in his file and the fact that Mulder was automatically opposed to his presence. Scully was less sure. It was true that of the handful of agents who had worked with them on the X-Files, most had been cold, unpleasant and often downright hostile to them. However, most of them had been experienced agents who had only turned to the help of "Spooky and The Ice Queen" when it was absolutely necessary. Agent Torrance,however, had been at the bureau for only two and a half years, not nearly long enough to form lasting alliances in the ever shifting bureau. Furthermore, even though he had doubtless known that the reputation of the X-Files as a hangout for the lunatic fringe of cases, he had nonetheless requested to be assigned to the unit. That had to count for something.
She walked down to the hall and found the first sign of the impending changes that were coming with this new arrival. For as long as she could remember the door on Mulder's office only had his name on the door. Now it read:
X-Files Unit
Fox Mulder
Dana Scully
Daniel Torrance
Her name was on the door. Scully decided she already liked this new agent if he had brought this about. She opened the door to find another pleasant surprise.
Mulder was at his desk, a file in one hand and a pile of shells from the sunflower seeds he always munched on. This was an old and comforting sight to her eyes. Her partner looked more like himself.
And there in the corner---was it? Could it be? Yes, after years of subtle and not -so-subtle remarks to people in charge, including Mulder, another desk was in the room. For a second, a chilly thought---what if its Torrance's -- ran through her head. The look of apprehension on her face must have been visible because Mulder looked up at her and smiled.
"It's yours. Happy Birthday."
Aware of the look of relief that she was sure was plastered over her face, she tried the pass it off as a joke,
"My birthday isn't for another week."
"Well, I figured I owed you a present."
"Where's Torrance's?"
"Let him work for it. He lasts five years, I'll get him one."
As she moved to the unfamiliar area that was (believe it boys and girls) her new desk, she couldn't restrain herself. "Well, I'm starting to like this new guy already."
"Don't get overexcited, G-woman. You haven't even met our new babysitter yet." More sarcasm, but Scully could detect the bitterness in his voice.
"Have you?"
Mulder shook his head."Apparently, Agent Torrance does not count punctuality among his virtues. He's half an hour late already."
"What have you learned about him?"
"Hey you know as much about him as I do." Scully just looked at him."All right, so I did a little background on him. It's what we've been doing the past few months."
"Smart?"
"Well, he graduated from high school at seventeen at the top of his class, Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth on scholarship, he's got a master in clinical psychology, has done internships at John Hopkins and the Special Crimes unit in Baltimore, was a rising star at Quantico, and after only three years here he's considered one of the rising stars at the Bureau.."
"So why did he ask to be transferred to this unit?"
"A good question, and one which nobody seems to be able to answer. Apparently his decision to come here has come as a shock to almost everybody that I talked with." Mulder paused reflectively, a bitter smile on his face.
"Mulder?"
"One of the people that I talked with was Tom Colton."
Scully nodded understandingly, remembering the difficulties that they had both had with the arrogant son of a bitch.
"When I mentioned that Agent Torrance was joining the X-Files, he said, and I quote: 'Don't ruin him like you did Scully.'
Scully winced. "Leave it to Colton to end the discussion on a high intellectual plain." When Mulder remained silent, she became worried. Bashing Tom Colton was usually one of his greatest joys. "Don't tell me that you're taking that jerk seriously."
Mulder looked at her sadly. "Let's be honest, Scully. I have the habit of bringing down those people who come with me. And looks like the powers that be are giving he an opportunity to make history repeat itself."
Scully sighed. Here we go again. "Mulder, I don't know how many times I have to go over this. You didn't twist my arm to be here. I want to be on this journey. And apparently I'm not the only one."
Mulder took this in, then managed a small smile. "How long do you think it will take for us to turn Torrance into a laughing-stock?"
Scully smiled back. "Probably about the same time he turns in his first report on a killer who can squeeze himself through an air-conditioning duct so that he can dine on the livers of his victims."
As if that was his cue, there was a firm knock on the door.
Mulder and Scully looked at each other for a moment. Then Scully, with a small smile, shrugged her shoulders and took the initiative.
"Come on in. Nobody here but the FBI's most unwanted."
Special Agent Daniel Torrance stood in front of the door of the X- Files (his new office, as the door clearly said) and tried for the umpteenth time that day to get the butterflies in his stomach to calm down. He was not terribly surprised that this attempt was just as unsuccessful as the others.
Get a hold of yourself, Danny Boy. So you are standing on the threshold of the FBI's office for dealing with vampires, aliens, witches, and other assorted things that go bump in the night. That doesn't mean that your new co-workers will automatically be able to tell why you transferred into their unit, and it certainly doesn't mean that they have what you have.
All this was probably true. And yet Danny could not escape from the feeling that he was about to reach another turning point in his life, one that would shape his future in some incredible way. He had faced a great may of these points in his life before--- the first had come when he was only five- -- and he had always been able to deal with them before, not always calmly but at least with a certain amount of the maturity that he had possessed since an early age. So why did he feel so unsettled
Because for the first time in a long time on this journey that I'm on, I'm going to have companions. And that's a scary concept. I've always travelled alone. Sure, Mom was as supportive as she could be, but she never really liked what I had. And Dick was there at the start, but he wasn't there all the time. I've never traveled with people--- normal people-- who might be able to understand what I carry with me.
There was a silence that seemed to go on for longer than the ten seconds it actually lasted. Which is how long Mulder managed to restrain himself before bursting into genuine laughter. He couldn't have helped it. The image of the words that Danny Torrance had used just seemed to fit their previous boss so well. Scully didn't quite laugh, but she did bestow Torrance with a smile that she rarely showed to anyone. In that moment, the three agents sort of became friends.
"You use the Internet?" Mulder said when he finally got over his fit of laughter.
"From time to time."
"I would have thought someone of your pronounced viewpoints would stick to using smoke signals or carrier pigeons."
Torrance looked blank for a moment before his face cleared. "You're talking about my thesis at Quantico."
"You really tore into it, saying that the internet is responsible for the breakdown of intelligent communication and for an increase in 'social deviancy'. Pretty strong stuff.", said Mulder."I have a couple of friends who would be ticked to be described in such terms."
"I'm not saying that the Internet is terrible. I'm just saying that there are more effective ways of expressing ideas. " Torrance began to take on the tone of a man who was about to begin a debate. "I mean, here we are with the most remarkable device since the telephone to express ones deepest thoughts and what do we use it for? To tell people where to fond the Warp Star in Mario 64, to berate Dick Wolf for replacing Chris Noth, and site after site devoted to hackneyed fiction on TV shows which are barely literate to begin with. If this is where technology has taken America, no wonder the Japanese are beating us in the world market." Torrance stopped, remembering where he was and who he was with. "Of course, that's just my opinion; I could be wrong."
"Aren't you a little young for such deep thoughts?", asked Scully in a tone of voice which was only half serious.
Torrance gave an amused smile which showed the slightest signs of frustration. "Not down here five minutes and I'm already being questioned on my youth and inexperience."
"I'm sorry, I---"
"Don't apologize, Agent Scully, I actually have a response prepared for this." Torrance than fixed his young old stare on Mulder. "I'm twenty-eight years old, Agent Mulder, which if I not mistaken is the same age that you were when you first opened the X-Files." He then turned to Scully. "And, unless I'm very wrong, that is how old you were, when you were first assigned to work with Agent Mulder. " He then smiled in a manner that was equal parts irritation and amusement. "You're not dealing with the paperboy. Please don't treat me as such."
Another pause. "Touche." Mulder said finally, and the minor tension which had settled in the room dissipated.
"Have you any more questions that you want to ask me?"
"Actually I do have one more."
Scully, who thought she knew what was coming, gave a small smile.
"So tell me, Agent Torrance, do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?" Scully looked at Mulder with some amusement as he asked the new agent the same question that he had asked her when they had first met five years ago.
To his credit, the young agent hesitated before answering, appearing to give the question the seriousness he thought that it merited. Finally, he gave an answer.
"Agent Mulder,do you go all the way on the first date?"
Of the hundreds of possible responses that Daniel Torrance could have given, this was probably the most unexpected that he could have made.Mulder was so stunned by his answer that for once he was left without any sort of witty comeback. Scully, on the other hand, did something that was even more unusual for her, something that even Torrance's story about Kersh had not done.
She laughed. Just once and it was only a small chuckle, but nevertheless the fact remained that Torrance had elicited a greater reaction with one of his remarks than Mulder had managed in over five years of working together. For a second, Mulder felt bizarrely jealous, but he managed to shrug it off.
"The reason I asked you that question, Agent Mulder, was that you are requesting me to give you a certain level of intimacy that we haven't yet managed to reach."
"So you're not taking me seriously?"
"On the contrary, I consider a very important question. One which if I answer it incorrectly I will lower myself in the eyes of both of you."
"How so?" asked Scully, curious to learn how their new associates mind worked.
"Well, if I answer yes, you will no doubt give me a scientific point- by- point analysis as to why aliens do not exist. On the other hand, if I answer no, Agent Mulder will read me the riot act telling me that not only do aliens exist, but that I can find them working at the nearest 7-11. Am I right in understanding how your operation works?"
"Actually most grays prefer working at Wal-Mart. Makes them seem more ordinary." It was a weak joke and Mulder brusquely went on. "You didn't answer my question."
"I tend to believe in things that I have seen with my own eyes, Agent Mulder. If during the course of our new association, you find yourself able to show me the body of an alien, be it alive or dead, then by all means I will be willing to take their existence seriously. But you can't expect me to believe in the existence or non-existence of any such creature based solely on your own say-so."
"Well,that was an intelligent,well thought out response."
"Thank you."
"But you still haven't given me an answer."
"I know, and you're not going to get one. At least not yet." Torrance gave a small smile. "I don't go all the way on the first date either."
"Come on. " said Scully. "At least give us a hint of whose side you're on."
Mulder and Torrance both looked at the female agent with curiosity.
"For five years, I have been trying to help Mulder see that horses with stripes are just zebras...."
"And I've been trying to get Scully see that they're unicorns." finished Mulder.
"And you were hoping that I would shift the balance of power one way or the other." said Torrance thoughtfully.
"Right."
"Well, I didn't know that my new job would put such responsibility on me." Torrance stroked his chin. "Well, I think for now, you can both consider me... neutral."
"Well neutral can be taken in a lot of different ways." said Mulder.
Torrance thought this over for a second. "I guess I'm neutral like the U.S. in World War I. I'm staying out of the fighting for now, but I can be persuaded to join in on either side."
Mulder and Scully looked at each other. "I guess that I can live with that." Mulder said finally.
"So can I. " said Scully.
Torrance looked at his watch. "Look, I just wanted to meet the two of you before we began to officially work together. I have to move some of my stuff in here and then I have to check in with AD Skinner, so I'd better go."
"O.K.. We'll see you... soon." He shook hands with Scully and Mulder, then left.
"Well, that wasn't too painful." said Scully cautiously. She had rather liked Agent Torrance--- he had taken the modest grilling that the two of them had given him in stride.
"No, he seems like a decent enough guy." Mulder said slowly.
"But...." Scully had seen this look on Mulder's face before. He was about to make some kind of deep insight on into Daniel Torrance's character based on the one conversation with him.
"He's hiding something from us."
"Mulder, he just met us. He's not going to tell us his life story."
"I'm not saying that he's an axe murderer or anything. It's more like..." He paused. "That story he told us about Kersh and the internet....you know him; if that had really happened, Kersh would have transferred him to Alaska."
"Do you think he's lying?"
"You heard what Skinner told us. He asked to be transferred into this unit. Why would he voluntarily ask to join us?"
"Mulder, not every agent has an vendetta against you."
"That's not it, Scully. If he has an agenda, I don't think the bosses know about it. He has some kind of personal reason for wanting to work on the X Files. "
Scully didn't like it when her partner made such leaps of logic, but she had seen him be on the money with them countless times before. Could he be right this time? What was Daniel Torrance hiding?
As Danny left the office, he had two separate very clear thoughts about his new co-workers. The first was that for all of the reputation both agents had for being fairly odd, he rather liked both of them. They had struck him as amusing and companionable ,and he thought that he could get along with both of them.
The second thought was of what he had seen--- or, to be completely accurate, shined. When he had first entered the office, he had sensed that the office was kind of a Bad Place. He had looked at the ground--- and had seen a small pool of blood. Then he had looked up at the wall where nothing was hung---only he had seen a poster slowly curling up into flames. He had even been able to make out the words on the poster: I WANT TO BELIEVE. As he had now mastered the ability of doing so, he managed to make the images disappear with a blink of his eyes, but the impression remained. This office was surrounded in a shroud of darkness. It wasn't as bad as some of the places he'd been in--- he thought that he could work there without a great deal of trouble---- but he knew he would always be a little uncomfortable being there.
As for the other agents, he could not tell right away if they shone or not. Mulder had something coming off him, but he had sensed that aura around other policemen and FBI agents. That didn't make them all shiners. He had been equally puzzled by Scully--- he had sensed something fainter, some thing that he associated with all female shiners. But as women---especially mothers--- all seemed to shine a little, he couldn't tell if it was real or imagined.
Had he made a huge mistake coming here? The X-Files was considered by most of his fellow agents as a vast wasteland where nothing was ever resolved and there was no future for anyone who worked there. Was he committing the equivalent of hari-kiri with his career? It was possible.
However, he clung to one hope that he had gotten from his peek inside the heads of both agents. They were both resolved to find answers to whatever problems faced them. And he knew that if he were to tell them about his abilities, they would not laugh him out of the office.
Would it come to telling them? Danny didn't know. He had fought the urge to answer Mulder's question about aliens with a vaguely masked one about telepathy and himself, just to gauge the reaction. In the end, his fear had gotten the better of him and he had not. He supposed that the time wasn't right yet. But it would be.
In an office that was open to extreme possibilities, the right time would come around.
by DavidB226Morris and Allan Yoskowitz
Summary: After the events at El Rico Air Force Base, Mulder and Scully are reassigned to the X-Files. The catch is that another agent has been reassigned to them.
Type of Story: Alternate Universe/ Crossover (sort of)
Rating: TV-14 Strong Language
Disclaimer: The characters of Mulder,Scully, et al belong to Chris Carter and 1013 Productions (though I'm beginning to wonder if he deserves them after this season) Similarly the character of Daniel Torrance belongs to Stephen King (though I think he would be hard pressed to recognize this version of him)
FEEDBACK: DavidB226Morris@aol.com
Whenever Fox Mulder sat in the exterior of AD Skinner's office, he always felt that he had been called in to see the vice principal. Like he'd been caught by at some activity calling for a disciplinary infraction, and now was his time to suffer the consequences. He shifted his weight on his seat, wondering for a moment what this time's punishment would be.
It wasn't as if he wasn't used to disciplinary actions. As he would be the first to admit (no, as Scully would be the first to admit) he had the tendency to, in the pursuit of his work, "push the envelope". Politely put, he tended to violate the rule book's codings on a regular basis.
He looked over at his partner, probably to make a remark about his prior thought. A look at Scully's face changed his mind. Something about the analogy he'd made had him feeling it would cut a little too close to home, and right now that was the last thing he wanted. God knew that things had been awkward between the two of them for the last several months, and right now she could very easily live without any of his usual witticisms. Besides, she probably did feel like she was being called to the principal's office. In her case though, she probably felt like the parent of a perennially disobedient grade schooler who was always being chastised for her child's failings. Only in this case the disciplinary actions would be put upon the mother as well as the child.
The irony was that he had no reason to feel as suspicious as he did. From all indications, they were going to be put back on the X-Files. The literal firestorm of events that had concluded in the horrors at El Rico Air Force had convinced a good many people at the bureau that he and Scully were necessary to the success of the unit. He therefore had every reason to be looking forward to this meeting with anticipation.
Why was it than that he felt a sensation of impending doom, as if there was about to be one more ironic twist in his corkscrew existence at the bureau? If he told these feelings to any of his friends (most of whom, he thought wryly, were sitting in this room with him this minute) they would most likely tell him that he was being unduly paranoid. Perhaps he was, but as he had told Scully once early in their partnership: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."
The door of the office opened. "Agents." As always the voice of the man in the office seemed to contain a mild note of disapproval.
Without even looking at each other, the two federal agents stood up and walked into the office, wondering what consequences waited behind the door.
Skinner never seemed particularly comfortable when he had to give them any sort of news, pleasant or (as was usually the case) unpleasant. This time, he seemed more reluctant than usual to talk, though he tried to maintain a cheerful tone.
"First of all, let me be the first to congratulate you. As of tomorrow, the two of you may officially return to the X-Files."
This was the best news that Fox Mulder had heard in over six months and the only thing that he could think of at that moment was: "What string are they putting on it now?'
"However, it is the decision of those higher up at the bureau that your return be conditional.
Here it comes, thought Mulder.
"Agent Scully was assigned to the X-Files six years ago to provide a scientific rationale for your work. However, it is the belief of the board that in the time that has passed that your influence on her has caused her to lose some of the objectivity that she was supposed to have brought."
Perhaps under other circumstances, Mulder would have found the AD's choice of words amusing. What he was saying boiled down to that he had somehow convinced Scully to cross over to the Dark Side of the Force when in fact, she had remained almost stubbornly realistic. However, he didn't like where this conversation was headed.
"What are you saying sir :that because I am not willing to outright dismiss Agent Mulder's work, my judgement has become impaired?" Scully sounded calm, but both men could tell by her attitude that she was furious. Skinner attempted to calm her down.
"I'm saying nothing of the kind. It is, however, the belief of the Bureau directors that in order for work in the X-files to be successfully completed, someone must provide a view that is completely impartial."
"Are you saying that I am to be removed from working with Agent Mulder?" Scully was still somewhat confused.
"Your skills in science are still considered necessary to this unit. "
It suddenly dawned on both agents what the AD was talking about. Mulder spoke first.
"Who?"
"Agent Mulder?"
"Who else is being assigned to the X-Files?" There was a note of barely controlled hostility in his voice.
Skinner sighed. "In an effort to assure that an impartial voice be present in your area, it is the decision of the bureau that a new agent is to be reassigned to your unit."
Both Mulder and Scully took this in for about ten seconds. Mulder was about to launch into a rant as to a third agent was not only unnecessary but also indicative of the distrust of the powers that be in his ability to run this unit. (Though Scully didn't know it, he had gone off on a similar diatribe when he had first learned that he was about to be assigned a partner.) However, Scully (as she so often did) saved him from making a series of statements which probably would have the effect of making him sound foolish. "Sir, with all due respect to you , this strikes me as insulting to Agent Mulder and myself." Again she spoke in the calm voice that had barely restrained fury beneath it.
"Agent Scully, this is not a reflection on your work...."
"Bullshit." Scully put her hand on his as if to distract him, but for once he would not let her touch divert him from speaking even if it did get him into further trouble. "What else are we supposed to think of it as?"
"Agents, I am no more in love with this idea than you are. To assign a third member will create a series of budgetary problems, not to mention difficulties in travel arrangement. However, the mandate from the board is simple: either the two of you work with another agent or you will continue to be separated from the X-Files."
Realizing that their hands were being forced on the issue, Mulder and Scully shared a look which seemed to silently indicate that while they weren't wild about being assigned another person, they would tolerate it in order to get back to their work
"We have tried to introduce this new agent with the interest of one who would interfere the least with your work.To that end, an agent has been chosen with no prior involvement with either you or the X-Files."
"Where is he?"
"He works out of the Boston field office. He'll be joining you tomorrow.Kim will supply you with a copy of his jacket"
As the two agents rather unhappily got up to leave, Skinner added: "If its any consolation, the agent involved gives every indication that he will be an asset to the two for your work."
"How so?" Mulder asked, not really caring; only wishing to get out of there.
"In the five years you've have worked on the X-Files, he is the only agent who has voluntarily requested to be assigned to your unit."
As much as he didn't''t want to be, Agent Mulder was curious. "Who is he?"
"Agent Daniel Torrance."
As she rode the elevator down to the basement office which she now realized that she would always consider hers no matter how many months she had been kept away from it, Special Agent Dana Scully thought back to the very first time she had gone to the office of the man who had not entirely unwillingly, become the most important figure in her life.
Then she had been a woman with longer hair and a frequent smile, a woman who had been convinced that science could provide an explanation for everything, a woman who believed in the basic honesty and integrity of her government---in short a woman who was more Dana than Scully.
All that had been before she had become involved with Mulder and his quest for the truth, before her orderly view of the world had been inverted and subverted. Blood had been shed--- some of it their own--- with often nothing to show for it. Sometimes she wondered: if she had known what awaited her when she had first walked into Mulder's office, would she have still worked with him?
The question was not one she particularly like to dwell on yet she knew that it was a presence in both of their thinking. Mulder, in particular, thought about it frequently, not because he cared so much what happened to himself, but because he regretted having dragged Scully down with him. She had tried to encourage him, tried to tell him that he was not alone on this journey, and it had seemed to appease him. Yet recently, she had begun to wonder whether it was worth all the suffering and anguish. Furthermore, in the past couple of weeks, when Mulder had made it plain that he still trusted Fowley despite all the evidence of her betrayal, she had been hurt that Mulder still trusted that woman over her.
That's right. Keep pretending that this is only about trust. Damn. The voice which she always seemed to hear when she was thinking about her relationship with her partner was back. You're not jealous of that woman because she has some hold over Mulder, no, because you and Mulder don't have that sort of relationship. Never mind what almost happened in his hallway all those months ago, or what he tried to tell you in the mall after that chewing out we got from the board, or what he said in that hospital after you found him in the Caribbean....
With an effort, she shut the voice in her head up.
As the elevator came to a stop in the basement, Scully wondered why she was dwelling so much upon the past. Then she realized that before she had been sidetracked, she had been trying to put herself back in the footsteps of being a rookie agent so that she might be able to understand what this new man would be thinking when he finally walked in the door.
She didn't know much about the man outside the information in his file and the fact that Mulder was automatically opposed to his presence. Scully was less sure. It was true that of the handful of agents who had worked with them on the X-Files, most had been cold, unpleasant and often downright hostile to them. However, most of them had been experienced agents who had only turned to the help of "Spooky and The Ice Queen" when it was absolutely necessary. Agent Torrance,however, had been at the bureau for only two and a half years, not nearly long enough to form lasting alliances in the ever shifting bureau. Furthermore, even though he had doubtless known that the reputation of the X-Files as a hangout for the lunatic fringe of cases, he had nonetheless requested to be assigned to the unit. That had to count for something.
She walked down to the hall and found the first sign of the impending changes that were coming with this new arrival. For as long as she could remember the door on Mulder's office only had his name on the door. Now it read:
X-Files Unit
Fox Mulder
Dana Scully
Daniel Torrance
Her name was on the door. Scully decided she already liked this new agent if he had brought this about. She opened the door to find another pleasant surprise.
Mulder was at his desk, a file in one hand and a pile of shells from the sunflower seeds he always munched on. This was an old and comforting sight to her eyes. Her partner looked more like himself.
And there in the corner---was it? Could it be? Yes, after years of subtle and not -so-subtle remarks to people in charge, including Mulder, another desk was in the room. For a second, a chilly thought---what if its Torrance's -- ran through her head. The look of apprehension on her face must have been visible because Mulder looked up at her and smiled.
"It's yours. Happy Birthday."
Aware of the look of relief that she was sure was plastered over her face, she tried the pass it off as a joke,
"My birthday isn't for another week."
"Well, I figured I owed you a present."
"Where's Torrance's?"
"Let him work for it. He lasts five years, I'll get him one."
As she moved to the unfamiliar area that was (believe it boys and girls) her new desk, she couldn't restrain herself. "Well, I'm starting to like this new guy already."
"Don't get overexcited, G-woman. You haven't even met our new babysitter yet." More sarcasm, but Scully could detect the bitterness in his voice.
"Have you?"
Mulder shook his head."Apparently, Agent Torrance does not count punctuality among his virtues. He's half an hour late already."
"What have you learned about him?"
"Hey you know as much about him as I do." Scully just looked at him."All right, so I did a little background on him. It's what we've been doing the past few months."
"Smart?"
"Well, he graduated from high school at seventeen at the top of his class, Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth on scholarship, he's got a master in clinical psychology, has done internships at John Hopkins and the Special Crimes unit in Baltimore, was a rising star at Quantico, and after only three years here he's considered one of the rising stars at the Bureau.."
"So why did he ask to be transferred to this unit?"
"A good question, and one which nobody seems to be able to answer. Apparently his decision to come here has come as a shock to almost everybody that I talked with." Mulder paused reflectively, a bitter smile on his face.
"Mulder?"
"One of the people that I talked with was Tom Colton."
Scully nodded understandingly, remembering the difficulties that they had both had with the arrogant son of a bitch.
"When I mentioned that Agent Torrance was joining the X-Files, he said, and I quote: 'Don't ruin him like you did Scully.'
Scully winced. "Leave it to Colton to end the discussion on a high intellectual plain." When Mulder remained silent, she became worried. Bashing Tom Colton was usually one of his greatest joys. "Don't tell me that you're taking that jerk seriously."
Mulder looked at her sadly. "Let's be honest, Scully. I have the habit of bringing down those people who come with me. And looks like the powers that be are giving he an opportunity to make history repeat itself."
Scully sighed. Here we go again. "Mulder, I don't know how many times I have to go over this. You didn't twist my arm to be here. I want to be on this journey. And apparently I'm not the only one."
Mulder took this in, then managed a small smile. "How long do you think it will take for us to turn Torrance into a laughing-stock?"
Scully smiled back. "Probably about the same time he turns in his first report on a killer who can squeeze himself through an air-conditioning duct so that he can dine on the livers of his victims."
As if that was his cue, there was a firm knock on the door.
Mulder and Scully looked at each other for a moment. Then Scully, with a small smile, shrugged her shoulders and took the initiative.
"Come on in. Nobody here but the FBI's most unwanted."
Special Agent Daniel Torrance stood in front of the door of the X- Files (his new office, as the door clearly said) and tried for the umpteenth time that day to get the butterflies in his stomach to calm down. He was not terribly surprised that this attempt was just as unsuccessful as the others.
Get a hold of yourself, Danny Boy. So you are standing on the threshold of the FBI's office for dealing with vampires, aliens, witches, and other assorted things that go bump in the night. That doesn't mean that your new co-workers will automatically be able to tell why you transferred into their unit, and it certainly doesn't mean that they have what you have.
All this was probably true. And yet Danny could not escape from the feeling that he was about to reach another turning point in his life, one that would shape his future in some incredible way. He had faced a great may of these points in his life before--- the first had come when he was only five- -- and he had always been able to deal with them before, not always calmly but at least with a certain amount of the maturity that he had possessed since an early age. So why did he feel so unsettled
Because for the first time in a long time on this journey that I'm on, I'm going to have companions. And that's a scary concept. I've always travelled alone. Sure, Mom was as supportive as she could be, but she never really liked what I had. And Dick was there at the start, but he wasn't there all the time. I've never traveled with people--- normal people-- who might be able to understand what I carry with me.
There was a silence that seemed to go on for longer than the ten seconds it actually lasted. Which is how long Mulder managed to restrain himself before bursting into genuine laughter. He couldn't have helped it. The image of the words that Danny Torrance had used just seemed to fit their previous boss so well. Scully didn't quite laugh, but she did bestow Torrance with a smile that she rarely showed to anyone. In that moment, the three agents sort of became friends.
"You use the Internet?" Mulder said when he finally got over his fit of laughter.
"From time to time."
"I would have thought someone of your pronounced viewpoints would stick to using smoke signals or carrier pigeons."
Torrance looked blank for a moment before his face cleared. "You're talking about my thesis at Quantico."
"You really tore into it, saying that the internet is responsible for the breakdown of intelligent communication and for an increase in 'social deviancy'. Pretty strong stuff.", said Mulder."I have a couple of friends who would be ticked to be described in such terms."
"I'm not saying that the Internet is terrible. I'm just saying that there are more effective ways of expressing ideas. " Torrance began to take on the tone of a man who was about to begin a debate. "I mean, here we are with the most remarkable device since the telephone to express ones deepest thoughts and what do we use it for? To tell people where to fond the Warp Star in Mario 64, to berate Dick Wolf for replacing Chris Noth, and site after site devoted to hackneyed fiction on TV shows which are barely literate to begin with. If this is where technology has taken America, no wonder the Japanese are beating us in the world market." Torrance stopped, remembering where he was and who he was with. "Of course, that's just my opinion; I could be wrong."
"Aren't you a little young for such deep thoughts?", asked Scully in a tone of voice which was only half serious.
Torrance gave an amused smile which showed the slightest signs of frustration. "Not down here five minutes and I'm already being questioned on my youth and inexperience."
"I'm sorry, I---"
"Don't apologize, Agent Scully, I actually have a response prepared for this." Torrance than fixed his young old stare on Mulder. "I'm twenty-eight years old, Agent Mulder, which if I not mistaken is the same age that you were when you first opened the X-Files." He then turned to Scully. "And, unless I'm very wrong, that is how old you were, when you were first assigned to work with Agent Mulder. " He then smiled in a manner that was equal parts irritation and amusement. "You're not dealing with the paperboy. Please don't treat me as such."
Another pause. "Touche." Mulder said finally, and the minor tension which had settled in the room dissipated.
"Have you any more questions that you want to ask me?"
"Actually I do have one more."
Scully, who thought she knew what was coming, gave a small smile.
"So tell me, Agent Torrance, do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?" Scully looked at Mulder with some amusement as he asked the new agent the same question that he had asked her when they had first met five years ago.
To his credit, the young agent hesitated before answering, appearing to give the question the seriousness he thought that it merited. Finally, he gave an answer.
"Agent Mulder,do you go all the way on the first date?"
Of the hundreds of possible responses that Daniel Torrance could have given, this was probably the most unexpected that he could have made.Mulder was so stunned by his answer that for once he was left without any sort of witty comeback. Scully, on the other hand, did something that was even more unusual for her, something that even Torrance's story about Kersh had not done.
She laughed. Just once and it was only a small chuckle, but nevertheless the fact remained that Torrance had elicited a greater reaction with one of his remarks than Mulder had managed in over five years of working together. For a second, Mulder felt bizarrely jealous, but he managed to shrug it off.
"The reason I asked you that question, Agent Mulder, was that you are requesting me to give you a certain level of intimacy that we haven't yet managed to reach."
"So you're not taking me seriously?"
"On the contrary, I consider a very important question. One which if I answer it incorrectly I will lower myself in the eyes of both of you."
"How so?" asked Scully, curious to learn how their new associates mind worked.
"Well, if I answer yes, you will no doubt give me a scientific point- by- point analysis as to why aliens do not exist. On the other hand, if I answer no, Agent Mulder will read me the riot act telling me that not only do aliens exist, but that I can find them working at the nearest 7-11. Am I right in understanding how your operation works?"
"Actually most grays prefer working at Wal-Mart. Makes them seem more ordinary." It was a weak joke and Mulder brusquely went on. "You didn't answer my question."
"I tend to believe in things that I have seen with my own eyes, Agent Mulder. If during the course of our new association, you find yourself able to show me the body of an alien, be it alive or dead, then by all means I will be willing to take their existence seriously. But you can't expect me to believe in the existence or non-existence of any such creature based solely on your own say-so."
"Well,that was an intelligent,well thought out response."
"Thank you."
"But you still haven't given me an answer."
"I know, and you're not going to get one. At least not yet." Torrance gave a small smile. "I don't go all the way on the first date either."
"Come on. " said Scully. "At least give us a hint of whose side you're on."
Mulder and Torrance both looked at the female agent with curiosity.
"For five years, I have been trying to help Mulder see that horses with stripes are just zebras...."
"And I've been trying to get Scully see that they're unicorns." finished Mulder.
"And you were hoping that I would shift the balance of power one way or the other." said Torrance thoughtfully.
"Right."
"Well, I didn't know that my new job would put such responsibility on me." Torrance stroked his chin. "Well, I think for now, you can both consider me... neutral."
"Well neutral can be taken in a lot of different ways." said Mulder.
Torrance thought this over for a second. "I guess I'm neutral like the U.S. in World War I. I'm staying out of the fighting for now, but I can be persuaded to join in on either side."
Mulder and Scully looked at each other. "I guess that I can live with that." Mulder said finally.
"So can I. " said Scully.
Torrance looked at his watch. "Look, I just wanted to meet the two of you before we began to officially work together. I have to move some of my stuff in here and then I have to check in with AD Skinner, so I'd better go."
"O.K.. We'll see you... soon." He shook hands with Scully and Mulder, then left.
"Well, that wasn't too painful." said Scully cautiously. She had rather liked Agent Torrance--- he had taken the modest grilling that the two of them had given him in stride.
"No, he seems like a decent enough guy." Mulder said slowly.
"But...." Scully had seen this look on Mulder's face before. He was about to make some kind of deep insight on into Daniel Torrance's character based on the one conversation with him.
"He's hiding something from us."
"Mulder, he just met us. He's not going to tell us his life story."
"I'm not saying that he's an axe murderer or anything. It's more like..." He paused. "That story he told us about Kersh and the internet....you know him; if that had really happened, Kersh would have transferred him to Alaska."
"Do you think he's lying?"
"You heard what Skinner told us. He asked to be transferred into this unit. Why would he voluntarily ask to join us?"
"Mulder, not every agent has an vendetta against you."
"That's not it, Scully. If he has an agenda, I don't think the bosses know about it. He has some kind of personal reason for wanting to work on the X Files. "
Scully didn't like it when her partner made such leaps of logic, but she had seen him be on the money with them countless times before. Could he be right this time? What was Daniel Torrance hiding?
As Danny left the office, he had two separate very clear thoughts about his new co-workers. The first was that for all of the reputation both agents had for being fairly odd, he rather liked both of them. They had struck him as amusing and companionable ,and he thought that he could get along with both of them.
The second thought was of what he had seen--- or, to be completely accurate, shined. When he had first entered the office, he had sensed that the office was kind of a Bad Place. He had looked at the ground--- and had seen a small pool of blood. Then he had looked up at the wall where nothing was hung---only he had seen a poster slowly curling up into flames. He had even been able to make out the words on the poster: I WANT TO BELIEVE. As he had now mastered the ability of doing so, he managed to make the images disappear with a blink of his eyes, but the impression remained. This office was surrounded in a shroud of darkness. It wasn't as bad as some of the places he'd been in--- he thought that he could work there without a great deal of trouble---- but he knew he would always be a little uncomfortable being there.
As for the other agents, he could not tell right away if they shone or not. Mulder had something coming off him, but he had sensed that aura around other policemen and FBI agents. That didn't make them all shiners. He had been equally puzzled by Scully--- he had sensed something fainter, some thing that he associated with all female shiners. But as women---especially mothers--- all seemed to shine a little, he couldn't tell if it was real or imagined.
Had he made a huge mistake coming here? The X-Files was considered by most of his fellow agents as a vast wasteland where nothing was ever resolved and there was no future for anyone who worked there. Was he committing the equivalent of hari-kiri with his career? It was possible.
However, he clung to one hope that he had gotten from his peek inside the heads of both agents. They were both resolved to find answers to whatever problems faced them. And he knew that if he were to tell them about his abilities, they would not laugh him out of the office.
Would it come to telling them? Danny didn't know. He had fought the urge to answer Mulder's question about aliens with a vaguely masked one about telepathy and himself, just to gauge the reaction. In the end, his fear had gotten the better of him and he had not. He supposed that the time wasn't right yet. But it would be.
In an office that was open to extreme possibilities, the right time would come around.