VI
"What? Today? For how long?"
Scully looked up from the slides she was sorting at the tone of Mulder's voice. He sounded both angry and panicked.
"Well, sir, not exactly... I did have some plans for the weekend... no, nothing I can't... okay, I'll be there... yes, sir, I'll tell her." With no further ado he all but slammed the handset down.
He thumped his head into his hands, wincing although he'd been without the Ace bandage for several days now. "Scully, you are not going to believe this."
"Where do we have to go and how soon do we leave?"
"Not we, just me. Skinner's lent me to the VCU in New Orleans but he wants you to stay here and work on something else this afternoon, you're to head up to his office in half an hour to get your assignment. My plane leaves at six. I don't fucking believe this!"
She knew his frustration. Tonight was to have been the big night, and somehow she wasn't surprised that this had happened. Perhaps she should have jumped his bones when he was prone on her kitchen floor! "For how long?" she asked, leaning an elbow on the table and resting her chin in one palm.
"Hopefully no more than two or three days; they seem pretty close to catching the UNSUB but can't seem to figure out the last few clues, hence my presence. You, uh, you could fly out tomorrow and meet me in New Orleans if you want."
"Don't you think you'll be a little worn out for that?" Scully asked softly. "We both know how you get when you're profiling."
"You're right," he admitted, heaving a deep sigh as he gazed over at her. "Jesus... so close."
She nodded. "We should have expected that something like this would happen."
"No shit. Well, I'll cancel the reservation and we'll try again for next week."
"Next week it is."