XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXVisitor in the Desert: Chapter 4

Author: Gillian Leigh

Disclaimer: C'mon now, we know who owns Mulder and Scully, and it's certainly not a seventeen year-old who has $22 to her name…

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            Just when everyone had begun to wonder just where they were going to put their cars, Charlie and the other uniformed soldier found ropes in the sand and pulled. A long door which matched perfectly with the floor of the desert slid underneath the top layer of soil, much in the same way a sliding glass door opens. The new opening revealed a long ramp, which they would be able to drive their cars down. As Mulder drove down inside, followed by Langly, they found themselves to be in a parking garage of sorts. They parked their cars in two adjacent spots, and unloaded. Scully carried William, Mulder took his suitcase, her suitcase and Will's baby bag, and everyone else was responsible for his or her own suitcase, as they followed Charlie, each marveling at the place they would now call home.

            The streets were lined with buildings, and tiny shops. Trees were planted here and there, and if one didn't know any better, he or she wouldn't know that this was a science research facility and not a cozy country town. Mulder glanced up at the ceiling, which displayed a bright blue sky and blowing clouds like there had been outside.

            "Charlie?" he began. When Charlie looked at him, he pointed upward, "How does this work?"

            "Fiber optics. The daily sky is recorded through a camera in the roof of the shanty. The entire ceiling in the compound is a giant plasma screen, basically a giant computer monitor. The images recorded through the roof camera are sent to a computer in the research area of the facility which monitors all computer activity in the entire Underground, and the image is transferred onto the ceiling," Charlie responded. Mulder nodded in approval.

            "Cool."

            "Charlie," Maggie spoke up. "Where will we be staying? I think you're wearing Dana out with all of this walking…" Scully rolled her eyes.

            "I'm fine, *Mom*." She shifted Will on her hip and Charlie turned to her.

            "Let me take him, Danes. I'm sure he gets heavy after a while," he said, extending his arms. William willingly went to him, and gurgled as he played with the buttons on his uncle's jacket.

            "We're going to go see Dr. Bailey; she's in charge of everything that goes on here. She'll get you all situated with housing. Once she gives directions, you can drive to the buildings you'll live in," Charlie said. He turned and pushed open a door, and led the entire group into the lobby of what appeared to be one of the many buildings devoted to research.

            The walls were white, and the furniture was all stainless steel and very futuristic looking. A receptionist behind the desk rose to her feet.

            "Charlie?" He smiled at the woman, and said,

            "Lydia, can you get Dr. Bailey for me?" The middle-aged woman nodded, and took off her glasses.

            "Sure, Charlie. I'll get Brenda and be right back." Everyone took to looking around the lobby in silence. John Doggett ran his hand over his face, still having a hard time believing that he was spending an indefinite amount of time in this underground complex. Beside him, Monica Reyes squeezed his hand, and raised it to her lips and kissed it.

            "It'll be okay, John," she whispered, and smiled. Scully took the baby bag from Mulder, and looped an arm around his waist.

            "Are you okay?" she asked. He nodded.

            "I'll adjust," he replied. "How're you doing?"

            "I'm okay, but Rhi's a little restless." Mulder smiled and laid a hand on her belly.

            "I still can't believe that we're going to have *five* kids," he replied.

            "I almost wonder if Rhiannon made that up because she wants younger siblings," Scully said, and smiled.

            "Well, if we have twin boys, we'll know she wasn't just pushing for more siblings, now won't we?" he replied.

            "I suppose so."

            At that moment, Charlie reappeared with a taller young woman, who was about 5'10", with short brown hair. She looked surprised at the size of the group in her lobby.

            "Charlie, you said you had 'a few' people. I wasn't expecting *this* many," she said, and grinned at them all.

            "Dr. Brenda Bailey, I'd like for you to meet my sister Dana; her partner, Fox Mulder; you've already met my nephew, William; this is Assistant Director Skinner, their boss; Agents Doggett and Reyes, their colleagues from the Bureau; Frohike, Byers and Langly, their friends; and Gibson," he paused. "Everyone, this is Dr. Brenda Bailey; she's the Head Honcho around here."

            "Fox Mulder and Dana Scully," Dr. Bailey said, grinning at the two of them. "It's truly an honor to meet the two of you. Bill told us you were doing wonderful things up there, and now we'll get to see them down here." Mulder and Scully looked at one another, rather perplexed.

            "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm a bit confused. Who's Bill?" Mulder asked. Dr. Bailey looked surprised.

            "Why, Bill Scully. He's done nothing but sing your praises since he got down here," she replied. Mulder was rendered speechless by this comment, and Scully stood with her jaw hanging open for a minute. 

            "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I thought you said that Bill Scully was 'singing Mulder's praises'?" Scully said.

            "Yes, I did, Ms. Scully."

            "Are we thinking of the same Bill Scully?" she asked, an amused grin playing on her lips.

            "Yes we are…" Dr. Bailey responded.

            "Brenda!"

            "Well speak of the Devil…" Mulder muttered under his breath as Bill Scully entered through the door behind them and walked right up to Dr. Bailey, not taking a moment to look at any of them.

            "Well, aren't you going to say hi, Bill?" Mulder asked, making it his goal to see if Bill Scully really liked him. He actually hoped to piss the man off. The eldest Scully child whipped around and his jaw dropped open, his face a mirror image of his sister's from only moments before.

            "Mulder? Dana? Mom? God I thought I'd never see you guys again!" he exclaimed, smiling as he hugged his sister, his mother, and finally, Mulder.

            "Well, Bill, what's this I hear about you 'singing my praises'?" Mulder asked. "I was always under the impression that you hated my guts, especially when you called me a 'sorry son of a bitch', among other things." Bill's expression softened.

            "Listen, Mulder, I need to apologize about that," he said, smiling. "I never really hated you…" Mulder's eyebrows shot up again. "But I couldn't be nice to you until I figured out who you were working for; whose side you were on."

            "Wow," Mulder and Scully said at the same time.

            "So all along you've been pretending to hate Fox?" Maggie asked, with her hands on her hips. Bill shrugged.

            "I had to. I was instructed to. Charlie and I have been working on the above ground version of this project since we joined the Navy." Maggie looked at her daughter and then Mulder, and opened her mouth to say something, but then shook her head.

            "Forget it," Maggie muttered. Scully smiled slightly, and extended her arms to her brother, who wrapped her up in a hug, and when he released her, he looked at her perplexedly and said,

            "Dana are you pregnant?!" Mulder smiled. Things could get very interesting around here.

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