Title: What He Knew
Author: Gillian Leigh
Summary: What if Skinner had been abducted instead of Mulder? What would it mean for the X-Files and for Mulder and Scully themselves? Why would he have been abducted in the first place? Post-Requiem.
Disclaimer: They're not mine. If they were, would I be writing this?!
Author's Notes: The chapters will be a long time coming with this one. I have many ideas, but I'm having a hard time getting them down on paper and balancing my hectic end-of-the-year school schedule.
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ArizonaDesert
"I may not personally know A.D. Skinner, but I know that it was him I saw up there," Doggett said, gesturing upward to the cliff that "Skinner" supposedly walked off of. "And I saw him walk himself backward and fall off that cliff and land right there." Mulder shook his head, and Scully walked over to the point of impact and gestured to the ground.
"Agent Doggett, I know what you think you saw, but there is no way that a man could survive a fall like that and get up and walk away. If he somehow managed to survive such a fall, he certainly wouldn't be able to run away, as you claim that Assistant Director Skinner did." Doggett ran his hands over his face.
"I saw him go over that cliff, Agent Scully! I didn't hallucinate him for God's sake!"
"What I'd like to know, Agent Doggett, is how you knew to come here in the first place? What made you choose a school in the middle of the Arizona Desert? A speck on the map?" Doggett crossed his arms.
"I could ask you the same thing, Agent Mulder," he replied, crossly. "As far as I knew, you and Agent Scully were not given the same information that I was." Mulder was getting angry.
"Our information came from our knowledge of previous X-Files and our past experience. Your turn," Scully replied. Mulder had to refrain from cracking a smile. She was full of venom after having to deal with a particularly persistent bout of morning sickness.
"A file on Gibson Praise was slipped under my door when I was working one night," Doggett replied. "I read it over, and decided that Gibson was a relevant link to the so-called 'conspiracy' that you and Agent Mulder have uncovered, and if Skinner was going around getting rid of all of the evidence, Gibson would be evidence."
"That file is property of the X-Files office, and I believe it was locked in a filing cabinet. So I don't know how it was magically slipped under your door," Mulder spat. Doggett opened his mouth to argue, but Mulder jumped in again. "And furthermore, I'm really starting to question just whose side you're really on, Agent Doggett. Because any evidence we might have that could help us find the Assistant Director seems to disappear before Agent Scully and I arrive, especially since you've become involved."
"You listen here, Agent Mulder, I don't know why you think I'm the enemy, but I'm here for the same reason as you two. To find the Assistant Director. It's not high school, Agents; I don't really care if you like me or not. I'm here to do my job, and I intend to do just that."
Both agents watched as he walked away, and Mulder ran a hand through his hair.
"That man is infuriating," he said. "He's more of a pain in the ass than you were when you first came to work with me."
Scully punched him in the arm and said, "You're sleeping in your own damn motel room tonight." He cursed under his breath. With the mood she was in, she would make him sleep there. They walked back to the Jeep and Mulder climbed into the driver's seat. Scully flopped down into the passenger seat, and rolled down the window.
Pulling onto the main road, Mulder took his eyes off the miles of straight highway to glance at his partner.
"Are you feeling any better?" he asked. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"No," she replied, honestly. "I never expected to have morning sickness this terrible."
"When we get back to the motel you should lie down for a while," he added.
"Mulder... stop babying me," she snapped. "It's not like I'm a China doll, for God's sake! I'm not going to shatter into a million pieces." Mulder gritted his teeth, and fought the urge to snap at her.
"Listen, Scully. I'm not trying to 'baby' you, and I'm sorry if it bothers you, but I just don't like the idea of you running all over the country, stress-levels off the charts in search of the missing Assistant Director. You've been going non-stop for seven weeks now, and I'm worried about what effect it could have on your health and the baby. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you..." He trailed off, keeping his eyes on the road.
"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I don't mean to snap at you...I guess it's just the combination of lack of sleep, hormones, the heat, and the fact that I'm swelling in places I would rather not swell... But it still doesn't justify my attitude, and I apologize." He wordlessly accepted her apology, reaching over to take her hand.
The pair both sat on Scully's bed that night, Mulder at the foot, and Scully leaning against the headboard, each pouring over data that would hopefully help them find Skinner. Raising his eyes from the satellite pictures spread out in front of him to see Scully pick up yet another piece of pizza, fold it in half, and shove it into her mouth. He watched with amazement as she devoured it in less than a minute, and wiped her hands on a napkin before turning her full attention back to the documents in her lap. Mulder shook his head, and reached over to get himself another piece of pizza, only to find it empty. He sighed, causing Scully to look up at him.
"What?" she queried.
"There's no more pizza. I would've gotten two pies if I had known you'd be eating five pieces rather than your usual one or two," he replied. Her cheeks flushed.
"Sorry..." She smiled sheepishly.
"It's alright; I'm just not used to you pigging out. You usually eat like a bird," he replied.
"You forget, I'm eating for two now," she replied, resting a hand on her stomach and splaying her fingers. He smiled at her.
"And I'd have to imagine that this baby's got my appetite." She rolled her eyes.
"You hit that one right on the head," she mumbled. Picking up the medical data sheet, she studied it one last time and shook her head. "There's absolutely nothing in Skinner's medical files that would give us any indication as to why he was taken. The only thing that is noteworthy at all is that he was hospitalized for chest pain last year--twice. But there wasn't anything anomalous anywhere else. Nothing like any of the abductees in any of the x-files we've ever investigated," she gestured to the dozens of files spread out on the floor and bed of her motel room.
"This UFO data that they guys pulled for me is pretty much useless as well. There's no detectable pattern that this ship, or ships, is following. We don't even know if this is the one Skinner's on, or if some other one has picked up where it left off," Mulder said, pinching the bridge of his nose. Scully could tell immediately that he wasn't only pissed off, but in pain.
"Mulder? Mulder are you okay?" He raised both hands to his forehead, and clutched it. Scully reached out and grabbed his arm, but he pushed her away, almost knocking her off the bed. "What's wrong?" she asked, regaining her balance and moving toward him again. He grabbed her hand as she reached out to him, not letting her touch him.
"Don't touch me, Scully," he hissed, more harshly than he had intended. She backed off.
"Is this what happened to you when you were near the artifact?" she questioned, feeling the same panic rising in her chest that she had felt in Africa. He shook his head.
"It's just a headache Scully, don't worry yourself. I just need some aspirin," he replied. She didn't look convinced.
"Mulder..."
"Just get me some aspirin, please," he said. She begrudgingly got up off the bed and walked into the bathroom. She was rifling through her bathroom bag when she heard a thump.
"Mulder? Are you alright?" she called. Getting no response, she stuck her head out the door, and gasped. The bottle of aspirin fell to the floor, forgotten, as she rushed to the side of her partner, who now lay unconscious on the floor beside her bed.
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A/N: A bit of a cliffhanger for ya there, kids. I know; I know. Everyone hates them, but they keep you reading, and God knows I'm notorious for them... :oP Well, at any rate, let me know how I did!