By: Sara Tanner Category: X, A, MSR Spoilers: A couple thrown in there, for FTF, Detour, maybe some others. Summary: After being contacted by an old friend of Mulder's, the agents set out on an adventure in Cape Town, South Africa. Disclaimer: They're not mine, ok?
Notes: This was a shorter story I completed in 2000, I believe. I was never quite happy with how short it was. I had always thought it would make a more appropriate novel, as the story seemed brief and rushed. As of recent, I decided to take it back out and rehash it out to fulfill my dream for it.
There was quite a bit of research that went into the original story. The myth of Umlindi Wemingizimu is real, and has been researched prior to the beginning of the story. The research agency featured in the story, to avoid any possible political overtone or confusion, is fictional, as are all the original characters.
I'm through most of the story, and will be posting in increments as often as possible ( I won't dangle it out unnecessarily). I simply have yet to finish editing and getting all the ducks in a row.
"Umlindi Wemingizimu: Watcher of the South"
Part II
FBI Headquarters 1:30 pm
"Well, Scully, what do you think?"
Both agents had been silent on their short
ride back to the Hoover building. Both were
not quite sure what to think of John's request.
The immediate reaction was to discount the
possibility, but the more Mulder thought
about it, the more he was intrigued.
"I think John's request is sincere, and that he is in need of help. However, I don't know how logical a leap it is to lend him official help in South Africa. You know Skinner's going to have a coronary as soon as the words leave your mouth, Mulder."
Mulder unlocked the office door, and watched Scully's back as she made her way to her swiveling office chair and plopped down. She sighed and quietly watched while Mulder seated himself in his own chair. He looked over at her expectantly.
"Why don't we look through the file, and see how we can best pitch this to Skinner?"
Mulder nodded. "You know what I've been thinking, though, Scully?"
"Hm?"
"Maybe the best way to go over there isn't by official channels. Likelihood is that local authorities aren't going to want a parade of US government types coming in to make a charade of everything. What if we went and surveyed the case in an unofficial capacity? We discuss it with Skinner, take some time off, and simply make a private consultation to John's agency?"
"I agree. But, I can tell you exactly what Skinner's going to say. We can't go and investigate in an unofficial capacity on behalf of a US agency. It makes no sense, and we have no avenue of protection as long as we're there." Scully paused. "Well, that, and I wasn't too fond of Africa the first time I went there."
"What ever happened to your sense of adventure, Scully?" Mulder smiled, silently acknowledging her reference to his illness the year before.
"I think I might have left it in Antarctica,
or in a humid forest in Florida, Mulder"
she groused, but he knew she wasn't really
serious. If she were adamant about not
going, she would have certainly staked her
case, and simply refused.
"Come on, Scully. You'll love it. And I would love it even more if you decided to survey the mountain in those little shorts you were painting your apartment in last weekend." His smile was idiotic.
"You're an idiot." She smiled, and the words passed her lips with affection. "and you know better than to start anything in the office."
Mulder got out of his office chair, and practically stalked over to her. She knew what he was after, and lifted her finger to intercept him before he could drop a kiss on her.
"We need to talk to Skinner. Then, we can go home and," she paused, "settle this before we call John and meet him tonight."
Mulder's shoulders slumped, and he out rightly pouted.
"Do you think he's actually going to let us do this?" Scully asked, a slight twinge of a smile on her face.
"Hell, no." Mulder laughed as he reached for the phone on her desk, calling to arrange a private meeting with one Assistant Director Skinner.
2:45 pm
"What can I do for you, Agents?" Skinner
pushed his glasses off his face and
scrutinized his agents while they took their
usual seats across from him. Both of them
looked vaguely pinched, stiff, and nervous.
'Jesus', he thought, 'What in the hell have
they done now?'. Skinner fought the urge to
roll his eyes as the agents waged a silent
battle of wills in front of him. Apparently,
they were deciding which lucky soul got the
lovely task of explaining this new something
or other to the AD.
"Today, I was contacted by a previous agent, a friend of mine, named John Collins." Mulder began.
"I think I remember him somewhat. He was just with us a short period of time, right? Left for a privatized career." Skinner asked. "If I remember correctly, he had some real promise here at the Bureau, too."
"Yes, that's correct, sir." Mulder nodded. "Since leaving the Bureau, John has been working with a private environmental research agency out of Cape Town, South Africa. Two months ago, a research team called back to headquarters because of money matters literally disappeared off the face of the Earth. There have been several search and rescue teams sent up the mountain, and so far there has been no luck finding the team. They've found the remains of their campsite, which is a disaster zone, but has yielded no evidence."
Mulder paused, assessing Skinner's reaction to his diatribe. Skinner looked intrigued. "And John has asked for my assistance with the disappearances."
Skinner sighed, obviously having seen Mulder's request coming. "Mulder, I don't have to tell you that there is no possible way the Bureau can expend agents to investigate a case in Africa."
Mulder nodded. "We're both well aware of that, sir."
Scully interrupted. "John's request for help was sincere, and he truly feels like the local law enforcement will have no luck getting anywhere with the investigation. Mulder's really not attempting to declare an official investigation out of this, sir." Scully was demonstrating her effective placement as middle ground between the two men. "Mulder and I both feel that the best course of action would be to approach John's request as unofficial. We thought it best if we approach the case as private consultants, and left the credit to the local law agency."
Skinner pinched his nose, the telltale sign that a headache was quickly settling itself over his skull. "And how do you propose that I keep you safe, agents? On another continent, I have no way of providing you back-up, support, or technology. You run many risks by going to another country. If you're injured, I don't know that the bureau would be able to cover the cost of a hospital in another country. I could go on forever."
"We understand that, Sir." Skinner could see
that Mulder was about to get pushy. "However,
you really can't control what Agent Scully
and I do during our time off."
"Mulder..." Scully reached over and tapped his arm, basically telling him to stop being an asshole.
"Mulder, I may not be able to control you during your vacation time. However, I can ask for your badges and guns when you get back from investigating in an unauthorized jurisdiction. You and I both know that your threats are hollow, Mulder." Skinner could play just as nasty as Mulder could.
"Then just what are you suggesting we do, Sir? Sit back while these missing researchers die, or are discovered dead, becoming one more miserable statistic?"
"Calm down, Mulder, I'm not suggesting that at all." Skinner shook his head, frustrated with Mulder's flare for the dramatic. "I am suggesting that you need to sit on it for a day, however. I'm not allowing you and Agent Scully to go to goddamn Africa without some kind of protection."
"Sir, I'm afraid that every day we wait, these people are running out of time."
"That may be, Mulder, but there are still teams in Africa looking for them every day. This Afternoon, I will get in touch with the Consulate in Cape Town and clear the way for your arrival. I will let them know that two FBI liaisons will be working with the local law enforcement on a private basis. The Consulate will be able to provide you the protection you need, should something go wrong."
Scully nodded while Mulder pouted.
"Mulder, get off of it." Skinner surprised him. "You're getting what you want - just wait one day."
Mulder's Apartment 6:30 pm
"Well, we've got an hour before we meet with John.
What'cha wanna do, pardner?" Scully was cheerful
as they settled onto Mulder's couch, having just
walked in the door, and still dressed in their
work best. Scully quickly pushed her pumps off,
sighing in pleasure, then tucked her legs up
under her, her skirt pulling taut around her
thighs.
Mulder was still brooding over the meeting with Skinner. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little distracted."
Scully sighed. "You know, Mulder, you are being a little unreasonable about this."
Mulder's head popped up, as though she had just handed him the ultimate betrayal.
"Look, I'm not doubting the importance of getting to the mountain and finding this team. But, how quickly did you really think you were going to be able to get to Africa anyway, official channels or no?"
"I suppose I'm just afraid that John will feel that I've let him down if we don't find those people," He finally answered after a long silence. "He's an old friend, and he seems so desperate. I don't want to be a disappointment."
"I don't think John was expecting any more from you
than for you to do your best. You told him you couldn't
promise him anything, and he was fine with that.
What more could you do?" Scully physically reached
up and turned him to look at her. "Look at me.
Don't feel guilty about something you cant control.
There is nothing wrong with needing all the protection
we can get before we get out there, Mulder. I don't
even want to think about what might happen if one
of us is seriously injured on that mountain without
any sort of resources."
Mulder smirked. "I think I love you, G-Woman."
Scully returned his smile. "Ditto, G-Man".
Mulder leaned over to capture her mouth wholly into his. The kiss was searching and satisfying, and calmly passionate.
When they separated, Mulder said, "You know, this still feels so strange."
Scully tilted her head in "that way", to let him know to continue on with his explanation.
"I just mean that it feels so foreign to me to argue with you on my couch like we always have, but to end the argument with this fantastic kiss. I don't know, I guess it just still feels new to have you in that way."
Scully nodded. "I suppose it still feels new to me, too. But I think its the best decision I've ever made." Scully chuckled. "It sounds like one of those cheesy things I never imagined myself saying, but I wouldn't trade this level of intimacy with you for anything."
"Neither would I." Mulder returned solidly as he pushed her pack on the couch, already working on the buttons of her work shirt, her blazer already having been shed when she walked into the door. "And I think its time to get you out of your work clothes, Agent Scully."
Scully simply chuckled and moaned back at him as he reached the last button on her blouse and petted her silk covered breast with the flat of his hand, giving her a light pinch. Her smile grew larger when he removed her bra and the unbuttoned blouse in one fluid movement.
Mulder's large hands moved gently up and down her sides, over her flat belly, to squeeze both of her bare breasts. When his hands left the mounds, he simply looked down at her, his eyes shining.
"What is it, Mulder?" Scully thought there was something wrong.
"Absolutely nothing." He rested his hand between her breasts. "I just love your body."
Scully was stunned by the unexpectedly sweet confession from him, and swiftly reached up to move things along.
7:10 pm
"Jesus, Mulder," Scully sighed. "We need to get going." Her voice was slightly alarmed.
"What?" His voice, on the other hand, was still lethargic. Scully was still perched above him, Her head resting against his chest while they remained joined. They had made quick work of their session, realizing their time was limited by their impending meeting with John.
Mulder looked over at the clock and groaned. "And here I thought you were about to compliment my technique."
Scully leaned over to grab a lingering kiss from him before allowing him to slip out of her while she rose to make her way into his bathroom to clean up and change. She was not shy as she made her way around the living room, picking up her clothing along the way, and affording Mulder some luxurious views of her bared body.
"I wasn't kidding when I said I loved your body"
Mulder commented with a smile. He got up and
walked up behind her as she was retrieving her
panties. He slowly ran his hands up her backside.
"You are so perfect."
Scully snorted (back to her usual self, he noticed),
and turned to him. "If you don't stop touching me,
we're never going to make our meeting on time." One
eyebrow was raised, and he knew she meant business.
"Fine, woman." Mulder feigned hurt. "Whatever."
He watched with a smirk while she simply turned her
back to him and walked into the bathroom, shutting
the door behind her. When she returned, her hair
was pulled up into a loose clip. Mulder loved the
way she looked with her hair falling loosely around
her face and out the top of the clip. He knew she
did it when she didn't have time to take a shower
and needed some way to disguise her apparently
greasy hair. She had straightened the little bit
of makeup she still had on from work, and was
dressed in her black lace panties and bra. She
had worn her tighter black slacks today, and
therefore wore a thong to avoid panty lines. He
would never understood some of the things women
did, but he would never forget how he had been
floored to find that the "straight and narrow"
Agent Scully indulged in painfully sexy underwear.
Mulder didn't see Scully's smirk as she turned
her backside to him, allowing him a view of her
lacy thong. She reached into the top left side
of his dresser (the left side was hers, now,
and pulled out a pair of medium wash jeans and
a snug-fitting white t-shirt. She quickly slipped
the items on and turned back to Mulder, who
was still watching her in his birthday suit.
"Mulder, it might be best if you went to the meeting with clothes on." She smirked.
Mulder let out a short bark of laughter as he went to his own drawers, fetching out his own black t-shirt and black jeans. It seemed that they might be on time for their meeting after all.
Casey's Bar and Grill 7:35 pm
When Mulder and Scully walked into the bar, John flagged them down from a table nearby the bar. He was already comfortably seated and sipping on his signature drink - a coke and Jack. He had dressed similarly to them, in jeans and a green t-shirt that accentuated his tan perfectly.
This time, Mulder did not greet John with a hung, but did shake his hand vigorously before sitting down. He did also notice John giving his partner the once-over. Mulder decided that he could hardly begrudge the man. Scully looked like a completely different person in her jeans and t-shirt. In fact, he was sure that, had she had access to her home closet, she probably would have dressed in slacks and a light sweater, more her usual style. His home drawers, however, were filled with those casual clothes she never left the house in, saved for lazy weekends when they were either sitting around watching TV and eating, or naked.
John was silently disappointed when neither agent ordered a spiked drink. Both settled for iced tea, then turned their attention to John.
"Well, John, it looks as though we've procured a way to make it to the mountain." Mulder was smiling slightly.
John let out a long sigh. "Thank God, Mulder. I can't tell you how scared I was that I hauled my ass all the way over here for nothing." He was nervously laughing, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"There is a small catch, though." Mulder was still smiling, however.
"I expected as much," John took another sip of his drink.
"It's going to probably be about 48 hours before we can get to the mountain. We spoke with Assistant Director Skinner, and got the go ahead to approach the case as private bureau liaisons. However, we have to wait to get Consulate clearance and support. We can't just up and go to Africa without some kind of assistance and back-up in case of an emergency. We've both got a real knack for ending up in hospitals." Mulder's smirk grew larger.
John chuckled. "I understand. I can't express how grateful I am that you can help at all, and I'll take it where I can get it. We've got teams going up the mountain every day, and we're doing all we can. I just can't wait to go up there with you two and getting a real look at the situation."
Mulder nodded.
"Have you had a chance to look at the file?" John asked as he finished off his drink.
"We have. It doesn't seem to offer much information we weren't already aware of. There's just no evidence of anything. I don't think we're going to find anything in the file. If we're going to learn anything, its going to be on that mountain. I do want to do some research tomorrow, however. There are a lot of myths and legends surrounding that mountain that I'd like to read up on before we go. I'm just not sure what could be going on up there, John."
John nodded. "Whatever it takes, Mulder. I don't care
what the explanation is, but I want to find these
people and whoever's responsible. And I want it bad.
Those were my friends and colleagues up there, and
they weren't doing anything wrong or even out of the
ordinary."
"I think it goes without saying, John." Mulder passed a sympathetic smile his way. "Now, this place is great for a little dancing, and I think we should enjoy our company before we're knee-deep in dust and disappearances."
John nodded, his cheery demeanor slowly returning. It was then that Mulder and Scully opted for their favorite hard drinks, and John sighed with relief. After Mulder and Scully knocked back their various vodka and tequila concoctions, they got up for a short dance.
John observed them quietly from the table. He was a little
chapped that he had no one to have a good time with,
but he was getting a kick out of watching his friend and
partner dance. John briefly wondered exactly what kind of
relationship the two agents had. Being an ex-agent, he
knew the kind of hassle one got for dating his partner,
but it just seemed that there was more to the story.
'Why can't I find someone?' John wondered to himself. He thought back to the time he had spent as Mulder's roommate. He would never admit it to Mulder, but he had spent a good deal of time away from the dorm room insisting that Mulder really was the Spooky, quirky, weird son of a bitch people insisted he was. He did it to fit in. But at night, when they were alone with nothing to do, Mulder would tell him ghastly things that no one else would have the balls to tell anyone. He would let John see who he was. John would never come out and say it, but he respected Mulder.
"John, are you ok?" There was a soft feminine voice coming from across the table.
He looked up to see Scully standing at her chair, taking a sip of water. She was glowing with sweat, and looked like a million bucks. 'Why can't I find someone that adorable?'.
"John?" She asked again, growing concerned.
"I'm fine," John suddenly snapped out of it. "I was just thinking that Mulder's a lucky man." He sent her a look, telling her exactly what he meant by his statement.
Her color grew high in her cheeks, and John could see that he had made her uncomfortable; she was trying to think of what to say to him.
"Look, I'm not being a pig or anything. I had just been thinking that I wish I had been better to Mulder back when we were spending time together. He always considered me his friend, but I betrayed him in more ways that you can imagine." John hung his head. "I'm feeling a little guilty, and now I show up here practically demanding his help... I feel like the worst kind of slime."
"Don't feel that way." Scully slid into the chair nearest him. "He wants to help you. He was so excited to see you when you called. He wouldn't particularly say so out loud, but he really was. Maybe you should take this time to really get to know him, and to make it up to him by being his friend now."
John nodded, watching Mulder as he exited the men's room.
"But what do I say to him, Agent Scully?"
"Dana." Scully smiled. "And don't say anything."
End Part II