Chapter Three
Margaret Scully Residence, Washington, D.C.
April 24th, 2001, 8:39 p.m.
Scully did not have to show her credentials to this crime scene. The few police officers that were guarding the 'do not cross' line lifted it for her and did not even bat an eye towards Mulder. She trudged up the steps with him, and Doggett opened the door for them. "Agent Scully...Mulder," was his acknowledgment. He led them into the kitchen where Reyes and some other man Scully did not recognize were seated at the table.
Margaret Scully lifted a whistling kettle off of the stove and poured the water into a teacup beside the range. She picked it up and set the cup down in front of Reyes.
"Even in times of distress, you're still serving others," Scully mused. "Hi, Mom."
Without another hesitating moment, Maggie rushed to her daughter and hugged her fiercely. "I'm so sorry, Dana. Please, you must forgive me," she whispered.
"Mom, it'll be all right. We'll find William." Scully returned her mother's embrace and then slowly released her. As Maggie turned to hug Mulder, he also accepted her warmth.
"Dana, this is SAC Tony Capricci, from the Organized Crime Division. He, uh...he's been helping us with a case up 'till now, and he insisted upon coming here with us to help," Reyes told her.
Capricci stepped forward, reached for Scully's hand, and kissed the back of her palm. "This is an honor, Agent Scully. I wish we could have met under better circumstances instead of tragedy, and I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to bring these bastards to justice as well as get your son back to you without a scratch," he introduced himself. "Mr. Mulder, at last." He extended a hand towards the ex-FBI agent and shook it firmly once.
"At last?" Mulder queried Capricci with a furrowed eyebrow.
"You're my idol--I finally got to meet 'Spooky' Fox Mulder after all these years of wishing and hoping."
Scully's eyebrow raised as she partially turned towards Mulder, who just shrugged.
"I'm surprised that this case wasn't assigned to VCS," she remarked and glanced momentarily at Doggett.
"That was my doing," Capricci announced. "I thought you'd want to know the agents who'd be handling the case. As I understand it, the X-Files Division doesn't have too many friends in the FBI."
"We have none," Scully returned bitterly.
"Think of me as an ally, then. If at any time you deem it necessary, I could hand this investigation over to the VCS...I'm sensing a lack of trust here."
"Just caution," Mulder replied. "We've had 'friends' in the FBI that have openly betrayed the X-Files Division before."
"What happened, Mom?" Scully asked Maggie, who also had taken a seat at the kitchen table. "Why the bandage?" She pointed to the taped gauze on her mother's head.
"I'm afraid that I don't know very much, Dana. All I can remember is taking a pie out of the oven and closing the door. I just heard William start to cry, and then I started to turn around. But then, nothing. I...I must have been struck from behind."
"What's been done here?" Mulder questioned Doggett.
"The local police forensics came through and found nothin'. So, SAC Capricci here pulled a few strings and had some guys from Quantico come. They found a few fibers but other than that, nothin'," he answered.
"Is that herbal tea helping you out any, Monica?" Maggie asked Reyes, who had just removed the bag and sipped a bit of it.
"I think so, yes. Oh, these cravings are killing me, too," Reyes responded and held the cup just below her nasal cavity. "Whoever said that quitting smoking would be easy should be shot. It's causing so much pain to my sinuses that I'm getting migraines."
"If you don't mind, Agent Scully, I think Tony and I will be heading to the police and Quantico to see if they found anything in a few minutes. Monica, what'd your doctor say?" Doggett inquired.
"I didn't get a chance to make that appointment yet, I'm afraid, John."
"Does this sound normal to you, Agent Scully?"
"Medically speaking, no. But I don't think that it's any cause for immediate alarm. How long have you had these migraines?"
"Almost two days," Reyes told her and consumed some more tea. The insistent ringing of a cell phone interrupted the conversation as everyone except Margaret Scully reached for theirs. Only Capricci came up with a winner. "This is Tony. Uh-huh. What've you got for me?" He paused for a few moments as he listened. "You know what they are? Good. I'm bringing a friend, is that okay? I didn't think it'd be a problem, thanks, Danny."
All eyes turned to the Italian agent.
"They've matched up the fibers. Let's go, Doggett," Capricci ordered.
"Yes, sir."
"Please, for God's sake, dispense with the 'sir' already." Both of them spun around and headed for the front door.
"We'll keep you informed of everything, Agent Scully," Doggett stated and waived a brief goodbye to all left behind.
"Monica, if these migraines persist any longer, I think you should check into a hospital. They can ultimately cause frequent blackouts. Have you had any?" Scully asked Reyes.
"I had one last night, as a matter of fact. Don't worry, Dana, I'll go home and get some rest in a little while. I just had to reassure myself that your mom was okay." She finished the tea and took the cup over to the sink to rinse it. "How about you two? Will you be all right?"
"Yes, we're fine, thank you."
"Scully, may I speak with you in private?" Mulder questioned her. He did not wait for an answer; he led her purposefully into the living room by the hand. "Do you have the same suspicions as I?" he continued in a lower volume.
"Possibly. But nothing's led us down that road yet."
"We were getting too close for comfort."
"Mulder, I know what you're gonna say...-"
"Do you?" he interrupted her. "I don't think so."
She withdrew her hand from his forcefully. "Well, then, finish it," she barked.
"Please don't build up your walls, Scully. Remember, he's my son, too."
Scully crossed her arms and turned away from him.
"All I'm going to say is that I think you did the right thing by walking away. I didn't walk away years ago when I should have, and look what they did to you. To us," he remarked dejectedly. "I think you should stay away from this case."
"What?"
"Don't pursue them any longer. Our son matters more."
Scully blinked hard; she could not believe her ears. Here was the same man that had told her he would look for the truth no matter the cost. He even lived up to that statement more times than she cared to recollect.
"No," she whispered.
"No? Scully, what's the matter with you?" Mulder's voice grew louder.
"Don't you see that by doing that I give them the advantage? Whatever happened to the pursuit of truth no matter what, Mulder? Have you lost that vision?" Her voice's timbre now matched his level.
"I've just realized that over the years, the price can become too heavy. They've got our son, damnit! I don't want to lose him, and I don't want to lose you!" he shouted.
"You won't lose me, Mulder. This group must answer to The People for what they've done, and we must pursue justice. If you won't do it with me, then I don't know who you are anymore. The Fox Mulder I knew once before has changed into someone completely different. I'm not sure if I like it."
"I'm still the same person, Scully. It sounds like you're going to have to make a choice between justice and getting William back."
"And what're you going to do about it?"
"I'll do whatever it takes, but remember, there's only so far I can go now as a civilian. William is my flesh and blood. I'll die for him if need be. You know, you don't have to stand by idly. You can go back to work and help that new guy out along with Doggett and Reyes."
"Do you know how hard it is for me to go into that office? I feel like I'm a useless appendage--we rarely get to work on any paranormal cases. Kersh has just been keeping us in that office for appearance's sake. But in reality, the X-Files Division closed when you were fired, Mulder."
"I don't believe that."
"Well, you haven't been stomped on by Deputy Director Kersh recently, then. I'm tired of his attitude, and frankly, I don't know how much longer I can go on at the FBI under a supervisor like that."
"You're not thinking of quitting, are you?" he accused her belligerently.
"For Christ's sake, stop jumping to conclusions, Mulder!" She crossed the room and plopped down on a sofa. "I'll probably go back to teaching at Quantico. The X-Files aren't for me if I can't pursue justice any longer."
"Then...can you do something for me?" he queried and joined her.
"What? What is it?"
"Please don't quit the X-Files until Will is found." He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.
"Agent Scully, Mulder?" Reyes entered the room. Once she noticed their semi-intimate embrace, she looked away. "I'm sorry, I heard shouting. Is everything all right?"
"No, not really," Mulder replied. "Scully wants to quit the X-Files."
After that remark, she shot him an icy glare but said nothing.
"And why does that come as such a shock to you?" Reyes questioned him and walked round the couch to face them. "You quit the FBI without a fight."
"Nobody was there to help me."
"That's not true; Skinner was there. Doggett was there. Although you didn't know it at the time, SAC Capricci was there, too. I'm sure he would've been a huge help to you. But you never bothered to ask--I thought that was rather cowardly of you."
"You really think Kersh would let me back into the FBI, much less the X-Files' office? He'd roll over in his grave before letting that happen," Mulder retorted.
"It's been very difficult in the last couple of months since you left. John has had it up to here," she pointed to her neck, "with Deputy Director Kersh. He has his theories about Kersh's loyalties; up until today, we were thinking that he's been taking bribes from someone in that group."
"He's been on the Consortium's leash for at least three years. That's nothing new," Scully mumbled.
"Why today?" Mulder inquired. "What happened?"
"He okayed Agent Scully's request to stay in the field, and he also helped us press forward with the case against the Centre," Reyes told him.
"How far along have you gotten with that, by the way?"
"A good deal, actually. Capricci had a friend find her way into a few Swiss bank accounts without being detected and located some EFTs that have yet to take place between the Centre and North Korea. She also searched the Internet for the company but could only find it listed on the NYSE. You'd think for a military contractor like that, they'd want to advertise their business to the world, since they damn well do business with everyone."
"Why didn't you go to the Gunmen?" Mulder asked her.
"Capricci is overseeing this case; it was his decision to move in that direction. The Gunmen were pretty wary enough of Doggett and me the last time we visited them. Those guys have major issues, by the way," she shook her head and was suddenly hit with a sharp malady. Reyes seized her temples and groaned.
"That's it, you're going to the hospital. Mulder, can you please stay here and watch over my mom until I get back?" Scully requested and arose.
"Of course. How long will you be?"
"I don't know--she might have to be admitted." She paused and eyed Reyes carefully. "Monica, can you see me? Can you follow my finger with your eyes?" Scully lifted her index digit and trailed it back and forth. Reyes opened her eyes to a squint and immediately shut them with a whimper. "God, it hurts," she hissed painfully.
"That's not the answer I was hoping for," Scully sighed. Her eyes pleaded with Mulder, and he nodded with understanding. He journeyed into Margaret Scully's foyer, brought Reyes' coat, and helped her get into it.
"Do you need me to carry her to the car?" he inquired. "Can you walk, Agent Reyes?"
Reyes was non-responsive; Scully had gone into the kitchen to speak with her mother, and so Mulder took it upon himself to sling one of her arms around his neck. He placed his other arm around her hip and propelled the both of them outside. Mulder took her down the steps one at a time; she appeared to be very dizzy and disoriented.
A few moments later, Scully re-appeared and unlocked the car. He opened the passenger door and gingerly slid her inside. "What do you think is wrong with her?"
"I'm not sure--her somatic symptoms seem to be pointing to something more than a migraine headache. She couldn't walk very well, however, she is still conscious. I'm gonna take her to Georgetown; they've got a very reasonable staff for head traumas." She closed Reyes' door and traveled to the driver's side of the car with Mulder at her heels. "You're going to look after Mom, right?"
"Yes. She might not want me around for too long, though."
"I doubt that very much; she loves you like a son."
"Some good son I turned out to be. I dumped William on her to go to you, and this wouldn't have happened if I-"
"Don't say that. Don't even dare to start down that guilt trip...at least...not without a companion," she sighed. She reached up and lightly traced his cheek. He caught her hand on the way back down and touched his lips to the inside of her palm tenderly.
"I'll stay until she falls asleep."
"Thank you."