Chapter Five
THREE MONTHS LATER
June 20th
J. Edgar Hoover Building
Washington, D.C.
3:45PM
Dana's heels echoed as she ambled down the deserted hallway to the ladies' room. She had been here for five hours consulting on a case. She'd had to pee for the past two hours, but felt it unprofessional to leave the meeting. So she'd waited patiently until the SAC had declared a thirty-minute break.
She rushed into a stall, fumbling with the belt of her navy slacks. She sighed with pleasure as she relieved herself. She flushed the toilet and she was buckling her slacks when a group of chattering women entered.
"He's so sexy," swooned a silky voice. She sounded like Agent Smith from the meeting Dana had just been in.
"He's so weird," one of her comrades retorted. "He creeps me out. Did you see him the other day? He came flying through the hallway and jumped Agent Spender, screaming about some guy who smokes. It didn't make any sense."
"I wish he would jump me," Smith admitted.
The door opened, a couple more women entered. "What are we talking about, ladies?"
"Fox Mulder," Smith answered.
Dana gasped, giving herself away. Knowing that hiding in the stall would only look suspicious; she slowly stepped out, smiling sheepishly. "Snagged my zipper," she lied, ambling over to the sinks.
The women ignored her.
The other newcomer, a brunette, exclaimed: "He's a lunatic! Spooky would rather check out Big Foot reports than get laid!"
"Speaking from experience," Smith teased.
Brunette snorted. "He charmed me into going out with him about four years ago. We ate then returned to my apartment. We're making out on the couch when his cell phone went off. He told me it was very important and he had to go. I found out the following week that he had taken the first flight to New Jersey to hunt down Big Foot."
Dana gradually strolled over to the hand drier.
"I think you're talking about the 'Jersey Devil' case," one of them supplied. "Anyway, he's a handsome freak."
"I agree to that."
A couple more murmured their agreements before they finally started to file out. Dana dried her hands off under the electric heater. Then she fled from the bathroom and right into Mulder's side. She gazed up in shock upon seeing him right outside the bathroom where the women had been talking about him. She was in such bewilderment that she hadn't noticed that his strong arms had wrapped around her when she had collided into him.
A female agent who had been walking to the bathroom had stopped and was now smiling coyly at the sight. "Hello, Fox."
Mulder released his hold on Dana and blankly stared at the agent. "It's Agent Mulder, Agent Miller."
Miller pouted her full, ruby lips. "Come on, Fox. We're closer than that." She smiled wickedly at him.
"Leave him alone," an agent from accounting called out. "He's only interested in little green women. Tell us, Mulder, how do you screw them? Do their tentacles get in the way?"
"Are you finished with your third-grade taunting, Agent Williams?" He paused a moment. "Good, because now I can correct your mistake. They're little grey women, not green. That's just a common misconception." Then he casually strolled down the hallway, the other agents parting like the Red Sea as he went by.
Dana only wasted a second before racing after him. She caught up to his long strides at the elevator. She silently entered after him. They found themselves alone in the lift.
Mulder rolled his head to look down at her. "The quickest way to ruin your reputation is by hanging out with me."
The elevator's doors had parted and he strolled off. Not knowing why, Dana followed him.
"The only one down here is the FBI's most unwanted," he added as he strolled down the hallway.
He came to a sudden stop, Dana smacking into his back. He put his finger to his lips to silence her. He slowly unclipped his gun from his shoulder holster then quietly swung his weapon out in front of him.
Dana, unclear as to what was happening, remained perfectly still. She waited in awed fascination as he crept as silent and graceful as a fox to a door cracked open. In one fluid motion, he kicked the door wide open, burst inside, and swept the barrel of his gun and his eyes over the room. She heard him snap: "What the hell are you doing here?"
Dana cautiously followed him inside and was relieved to see that he was returning his gun to his holster. However, she took note of the furious glint in his hazel eyes as he glared bitterly at a tall brunette standing near a film projector.
"Fox, is that anyway to treat your wife?"
Wife, Dana's mind screamed.
"EX-wife, Diana, and don't you think for one moment I won't toss your ass out of here."
Diana looked unimpressed and instead turned her attention to Dana. "Hello, I'm Diana Fowley – Fox's wife."
"EX, damn it, EX-WIFE," Mulder spat.
She ignored him. "So, how long as he kept you along?"
"Like you should be talking, Diana!" Mulder was instantly at her side. "At least I waited to have my flings after the divorce."
"Don't get all childish on me, now, Fox," she replied gently in that tone that had always grated on Mulder's nerves. He felt as though she thought she was degrading herself by explaining 'simple things' to him.
"Childish? Don't get childish on you? You're the one always playing the games, Diana – not me! I have every right to be pissed and…"
"Throw tantrums? Honestly, Fox…"
"Mulder, damn it, my name is Mulder!"
Dana watched the exchange with discomfort. She didn't belong there while the two hashed it out. She couldn't possibly escape, however, without drawing attention to herself.
Diana picked up on Dana's dilemma and glanced her way. Then looked remorsefully back at Mulder. "I didn't come here to argue. You're right. I did shut you out those last few months. You have no idea how much I regret that."
He snorted. "Right, that's why you took that assignment in Europe without even consulting me." He shoved a finger in her face. "Face it, Diana, I'm over you. You ruined whatever little chance we had left."
"I'm not here to try and win you back," she snapped. "Why would I want to return to being Mrs. Spooky?"
"Don't pull that shit on me. You were just as invested in these files."
Diana shook her head. "Look, I didn't come here to fight. I came here for your help. I'm working a case that begun in Europe, but has been tracked over here to D.C."
"Get somebody else, Diana. I'm not interested."
"It may have to do with Samantha."
Mulder's eyes snapped over to hers. "You know just what to say to get me entrapped in your web. Forget it. I'm not buying your bullshit this time."
"Fox…"
"Just get out!"
"Will you listen to reason," she pleaded.
"You vanish in the middle of the night and I don't hear from you in months. And then all I get is a cryptic message telling me you're in Europe and that I shouldn't bother trying to contact you. And now – five years later – I'm close to something huge you miraculously show up waving Samantha under my nose just so I'll stop my current investigation."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Bullshit! Now get the hell out of here!" He grasped her arm and dragged her out the door, slamming it in her face. He was breathing heavily, his palms pressed against the door as he hung his head.
Dana gently approached him, hesitating before softly placing her hand on his forearm. "Your marriage must've been quite a ride," she whispered.
"Believe me: it was." He pushed himself away from the door.
"Who is Samantha?"
The question slammed him in the chest and he gasped harshly, his eyes widening in horror. He quickly regained his composure and mumbled: "My sister."
She attempted to control the professionalism out of her voice when she inquired: "What happened to her?"
There was a long pause then, he sighed, staggering over and flopping down in his chair. "I don't really know. She was abducted from our home when she was eight. I was twelve. I've been looking for her ever since."
"I'm sorry." It sounded miniscule even to herself, but she didn't know what else to say.
"It's not your fault. Unless you were some evil genius mastermind capable of constructing an elaborate abduction at the tender age of seven." He grinned boyishly. "Yet, I highly doubt that – and that's saying a lot. I'm usually willing to see the paranormal in the most ordain looking cases."
"What exactly do you do?"
He smirked, swept his hand out to indicate the cluttered office. He halted and gestured at a poster that stated 'I Want to Believe'. "I chase lights in the sky."
"The FBI just lets you do this?" She settled herself on top of his desk. "Crossing her legs, she studied the artifacts strewn around the room.
"I was their golden boy: the prodigal son in Violent Crimes as an ace-profiler. During that time, I stumbled upon a handful of old files in the copier's storage room. I read them and became so obsessed that I tore all the storage rooms apart looking for more. I was slaving away for VC, putting in over eighty hour weeks. I approached my superior and requested to use whatever spare time I had on investigating the unsolved cases I found labeled 'X'. He was reluctant, but worried that if he didn't comply I would transfer out of his division."
Mulder stared affectionately at the filing cabinets. "Eventually, I gave up profiling and immersed myself fully in these files. Diana soon followed. Yet, the files became my driving force. I felt that if I could just unlock the secrets inside then I would be able to restore the damage. Instead, it ended up destroying my marriage."
Dana leaned forward with genuine interest. "Restore what damage?"
"I knew the answers to my sister's abduction lay somewhere in these files. If I could just find her then everything would be as it should be. My parents never forgave me for losing her."
Her eyes pricked with abnormal tears. Strange, she thought. I'm crying over a stranger. "Your parents blamed you?"
"I was supposed to be watching her. I felt guilty for so many years, but then I learned that my father had known all along. He had actually picked me, but something went wrong and they took her instead. That's why he was angry. It wasn't because he blamed me. It was because I was the one who was supposed to be taken."
Either this man is very delusional or…or there's so much more going on than we know. Dana licked her lips. "This is so unbelievable. Yet," she peered up at him tenderly. "I believe you. I don't know why, but I do. I want to know more about these files…more about you."
He stared at her as though she had grown two heads. "You…you really want to know more?"
"I'm not saying I believe in little gray men, but my interest is peaked. Do you think I could examine some of your files?"
Mulder was flabbergasted. No one was ever genuinely interested in learning more or pursuing cases with him. Then he jumped to life and his excitement threatened to overwhelm him. "Sure. I could use a medical doctor to help me decipher some gibberish. Of course, this will have to be unofficial."
"That's fine. Why don't you bring some of your cases over to my place tonight? Say…oh…six o'clock?"
"I'll bring pizza."
"Pepperoni and mushrooms."
"Deal."
End Chapter Five
Ok, folks, just two more chapters! Hang in there!
Danielle: I could never stop liking X-files. Anyway, thanks for the offer. I may have to take you up on that someday.
DD: I promise to finish it quickly! Please, spare my life! (I wish I saw David.) Oh, hey, I'll hop over and read The Cast as soon as I'm done with this.
Brennan: I'm trying to get it written quickly. Hold on, buddy, it'll be over soon!
Samantha: Mulder can be such a jerk, but I love him anyway. Lol.
CB: Chp4: I've got three separate fantasies starring Duchovny, Jackman (X-men), and Will Snow (The Lost World); and all three involves a bed. Lol. What more in life could you want? Well, I suppose you've got to have chocolate. Chp3: I don't want people thinking I don't appreciate the reviews. So, I guess that's why I respond to each and every individual. And the person who pissed me off the most was Bill when he called Mulder a "sorry son-of-a-bitch" in the hospital during Redux.
Keys: looks around frantically What? Who told you that? Tiffany and I aren't plotting to kill you. It's a lie, I tell you! A lie! shifts my eyes suspiciously across the board members Who told Keys our devious plan?
Day: Mulder must have his innuendos! Lol.
Crazie: Clever? I don't know if anything I've done has ever been considered clever before. Lol. Thanks so much!