Title: Remember When?: We Will Win
Author: Jen Zoromski
All other information is in the first chapter.
Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your awesome feedback. I love it. Thanks for Skinner's assistant name, but I'm going to leave it at Amy in this fic -- I don't want to cause confusion with the last chapter. So from here on out Skinner's assistant is Amy Fitzgerald…lol…well anyways you guys are awesome and I love getting feedback. Thanks. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
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August 25, 2002
Southeastern, Minnesota
Their vehicle speeds off into the valley, following the Mississippi River with Doggett at the wheel. Every once in awhile someone would sneak a peek to see if the car was still following them. And every time they looked it was.
"I know this is a bad time to say this but --" Mulder starts looking over to Doggett. The two women with William are huddled into the back of the vehicle.
Doggett looks over at him with a questioning glare, "If you have to take a piss this is going to have to wait."
"No -- actually I think I recognize that vehicle," Mulder tells them.
"Mulder, how could you possible recognize that vehicle?" Scully asks skeptically.
"We need to pull over."
"We can't pull over -- what if it's the super soldiers or the aliens or whoever the hell is after us," Doggett tells him forcefully.
"Its Skinner's vehicle."
Doggett continues driving, glancing back in the rear view mirror.
"Did you not hear me, John?" Mulder inquires.
"I heard you, Mulder."
A rest area off to the side of the road comes into view. It's right along Lake Pepin -- which is actually just a wider part of the Mississippi. A large building that is home to a lousy office and a set of dingy bathrooms greets the pair.
Skinner's so called car pulls up beside them. Everyone is on pins and needles. No one gets out.
Everything is silent.
"Stay here," Mulder instructs as he proceeds to open the door.
Doggett turns off the engine.
"No, John, leave the engine running. I could be wrong."
"Mulder?" Scully asks concerned.
"I'll be fine, Scully."
"Mulder --"
He leaves the car, once again ditching everyone who is in it. Although this 'ditch' is different than the ones that proceeded it years before. He's doing this to protect them. He's doing this because if it is indeed someone besides Skinner then it was his fault that they found them -- he wouldn't have been careful enough.
Mulder walks over to the dark, tinted glass of the driver's side. The window rolls down slightly.
"It's good to see that you're taking all of the precautions, Agent Mulder," Skinner voice comes from behind the window, "I could have easily shot you as you walked in front of my car."
"I knew it was you, sir."
"Exactly," Skinner replies with a smirk on his face.
"Have you been followed?"
"I've taking every precaution."
"Then why are you here?"
"I need a favor."
Before he can reply a woman says, "Walter, what if we were followed?"
Mulder stares at Skinner, questioning. Skinner turns to the red headed woman next to him. It's his former assistant Amy Fitzgerald who is now seven months pregnant and ready to pop.
"We weren't."
"Skinner, what's going on?"
Skinner rolls down the window further so Mulder can see into the vehicle.
"This is my favor."
Mulder stares at the woman, recognizing her immediately and then a huge grin appears on Mulder's face.
"I can see, sir, that you have been busy."
"Shut up, Mulder, before you get your ass kicked."
"Of course, sir."
"In order for the vaccination to continue I need to be assured that Amy is safe. I need that from you."
"But sir, why would she be in danger?"
"Mulder, you're the paranoid one. I think you would have figured this all out by now. We are all in danger. Anyone who has connection with us -- specifically you and Scully are in danger."
Mulder nods, "You know that doesn't surprise me. But will it always be that way?"
"There's no way to tell, but right now it doesn't look hopeful."
Mulder's face falls immediately, "Has the process for the vaccine failed?"
"No, actually it is right on schedule. All we need now is the DNA in six weeks and we'll be able to start the vaccinations around the first of the year."
"Mulder?" Scully whispers, coming up behind them.
Mulder turns around, still a little jumpy from all of the secrecy.
"Scully, I told you to stay in the Explorer."
"No, Mulder you told Doggett to stay in the Explorer with the engine running --"
"That is so you, Scully, the technicalities."
Scully rolls her eyes at Mulder, while they share one of their secret smiles -- ones that showed their happiness, annoyance, whatever emotion they felt at the moment. A way that they have learned to talk without words in the past nine years.
"Sir, what are you doing here?" Scully asks finally acknowledging her former boss.
"I'm here about a favor."
"Would you quit it, Walter, you make it sound like I'm some object," Amy retorts.
Skinner turns to Amy, "To the syndicate and everyone who's out to kill us you are."
"Thanks for the assurance," Amy replies sarcastically and glares at him.
Scully sees past Walter Skinner and looks at Amy just as shocked as Mulder was.
"Agent Scully, nice to see you again. I wish it was under different circumstances," Amy replies politely.
"I didn't even know that you two were involved," Scully says, still slightly confused at what is going on.
"Agent Scully, you two weren't the only ones in the Bureau who had a secret," Amy replies, smirking.
Scully indicates towards the very pregnant woman's stomach, "Apparently not."
"Mulder, Scully are you two still alive?" Monica asks rounding the corner of the car.
"What is this? Is Doggett the only one who listens to instructions."
"Actually we figured that you were still alive because we didn't hear any gun shots," Monica jokes.
"You know any other time that would be funny, but not in this circumstance," Mulder tells her.
"Assistant Director, what are you doing here?" Monica asks.
"As I was telling Mulder and Scully --"
" -- Walter wants you all to keep me safe because the mutants or whatever is trying to thwart your efforts to make a vaccine are coming after me because I'm connected to Walter," Amy explains.
"When are you due?" Monica asks.
"Two months, but the way it looks I'll probably deliver earlier. And if I'm on the run with you guys that could be interesting."
"What the hell is going on?" John inquires gruffly rounding the corner with a sleeping William in his arms.
"So the Explorer is still running and no one is in there?" Mulder asks annoyed.
"Yeah. I'll go shut it off now that I know everyone is still accounted for."
Doggett hands William over to Scully and heads back to the Explorer.
"So much for having a quick get away," Mulder replies sarcastically.
"Look, Agents, I have hardly any time. I'm sure that my home and office are both under surveillance and they're going to notice if I'm missing for more than a day. Amy and I need this from you."
"Sir, we would be happy to help," Scully tells him.
"Good."
Skinner gets out of the car and heads over to the other door, helping Amy out of the passenger side. She grabs a bag out of the back of the car and grins at them reluctantly.
"Should I be worried?" Amy whispers to Walter.
"Not as worried as I am," Skinner replies kissing her firmly on the lips and then leading her towards the rest of the group.
"We've got everything under control, sir," Mulder tells his former boss.
Skinner smiles, "I know, Mulder." He heads back for his car, taking Amy into his arms, kissing her good-bye.
"I want you to be there when the baby's born," Amy whispers into his ear.
"I'll try," Skinner responds.
He gets into the car and starts it up. The five adults watch as Walter Skinner leaves them -- alone in the parking lot of a rest stop. Amy tearfully watches the car disappear from view.
Scully puts her arm around Amy.
"He's helping to make it possible for your child -- for our children -- to live in a world where they are not afraid of the coming future."
"I know."
Amy wipes away a tear trickling down the side of her cheek, "It's just these damn hormones."
"Now that is something that I know plenty about," Scully tells her laughing.
Doggett and Reyes head back for the Explorer. Scully hands William over to Mulder as they, too head back for the vehicle. Another long night of driving ahead of them. Maybe they'll be able to stay at a real place today.
Mulder stares up at the sky, looking at the stars. Amy walks ahead of Scully.
"Mulder?"
"You know Scully it all looks so beautiful --"
"Yeah it does."
"And yet something out there is trying to take this planet away from us."
"But they won't Mulder."
Mulder looks down at Scully, his eyes full of doubt.
"What if we fail, Scully?" Mulder whispers.
"We can't fail, Mulder."
Mulder weakly smiles at her, "I guess this is the real thing -- everything we ever sought after will be accumulated into this. One wrong move and we will not exist."
Scully grabs Mulder's hand, reassuringly, "We'll fight the future, Mulder. And we will win."
TBC
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More to come! Please R&R! Thanks!
~Jen
