A/N: Much like another fic of mine, Signs, to which I recently added a second part, this one also started as a oneshot in Mulder's POV, until Scully demanded to be heard, as well. It seemed more than appropriate to post it today, on the actual day this meeting has taken place (plus a lifetime or two), so happy reading! Feedback is much appreciated x

Part II – Scully

She walked swiftly down the busy sidewalk, wishing to put as much distance as possible between herself and the Hoover building. Only when it was no longer visible she flopped herself on the first vacant bench she'd spotted, ran her fingers through her perfectly straightened hair and released a shaky breath she was still holding. She closed her eyes, suddenly exhausted. Her interview with her superiors was undoubtedly unnerving. Signing endless paperwork and being issued with her own weapon was overwhelming and took longer than she'd ever imagined. Nonetheless, the highlight of the day – for better or for worse – and the thing she most needed a moment to regroup from, was meeting her new partner.

She had been pondering over her summons to the headquarters for a little over a week. She had no clue what the executives might want with her, why she had been plucked so suddenly out of Quantico, and mid-course, of all things. One didn't need to be a veteran to know that in an institution so well-managed, this was really unheard of. Needles to say, the odd circumstances just piqued her curiosity further. She knew she was to be reassigned, but never in her wildest dreams had she considered a reassignment such as the one offered – no, not offered, exactly – thrown at her.

She looked down Pennsylvania Avenue, where the Capitol building was visible just so. Her face slackened into a sort of a smile. It could have been worse, she reassured herself. She could have ended up in some godforsaken field office in the middle of nowhere, never to be heard of again. Instead she was to transfer here, the beating heart of everything, only a twenty minute drive from her apartment. As much as she enjoyed teaching at the Academy, the daily drive to and from Quantico was beginning to take its toll. Working downtown would certainly be an improvement of her circumstances in that respect.

In any other respect, though, she wasn't quite sure yet. Being partnered with Fox Mulder had completely thrown her off guard in an already intimidating situation, and she was still wondering what that had been all about. They could pair him with any other agent, more experienced than her, and yet they picked her – handpicked, really. There were no other candidates outside Section Chief Blevins' office, no other options; just her. That only baffled her further. Did they think so little of her, up there at the higher ranks? Had she not distinguished herself enough during her two years with the bureau? Had she done something to displease someone unbeknownst to her and this was her punishment? Had she so little to show for that they had already decided to bury her in that basement, so early on in her career?

If she was completely honest with herself, it was obvious that her lack of experience was exactly why she had been chosen. She figured they had assumed it would be easier for her to infiltrate into Agent Mulder's office rather than for some savvier agent who might expose them too easily. They had probably expected her to undertake her new task, no questions asked. Hell, they probably hadn't expected her to reveal the true nature of their scheme right off the bat. Well, not only she had, but Agent Mulder had also guessed her intentions as soon as she walked through the door, perhaps even before.

Her reaction was mild, really. She was way too green to make an outrageous scene, too scared for her own ass to reply as she should have. What she really should have done was tell them to stick it, that she was a respected MD, beyond childish nonsense such as spying on her peers and putting an end to their life's work. She should have told them that they got the wrong person, that what they had asked her to do was just not in her nature. But then again, so was refusing an assignment appointed to her by her superiors. Nonetheless, was the alternative any better? Undertaking a task that stood against every principle she had been raised upon, not being able to take pride in it because of its sinister nature? How could she tell her parents about it when she was so ashamed of its implications on her own character?

As for the task itself, she figured it wouldn't be difficult to question the validity of Agent Mulder's work. Already his ideas were so completely out there, and she only spent about thirty minutes in his company. Regardless of her apprehension and almost despite herself, she was curious to see where their investigation in Oregon would lead them. Whatever doubts she might be having, whatever her new assignment might say about her moral standards, at least she could count on it to be anything but dreary and routine.

xxx

She arrived home a bit before four, which was a blessed change. While teaching in Quantico she usually left in darkness and by the time she returned, similar darkness had wrapped over everything. For the passed few months she'd only seen daylight through windows: hallways, her tiny office, the Learning Center cafeteria. It was strange to get out of her car when there was still light out; wrong almost, like ditching class. There was a message from her mother waiting on her machine. She listened to it while finding her secret stash of chocolate bars, and ripped the wrapper off one. A day like the one she'd just had definitely called for one.

Hi, Dana, it's mom. I just wanted to know how your interview went. Melissa just called to say she'll come over after her shift at the library. Ahab is cooking steaks, we'll love for you to join us. Call me, honey.

She deliberated before deleting her mother's message. She planned on having a quiet evening in, going over the details of the investigation. She planned on arriving well-prepared the next morning, determined to make a good impression. Plus, it was bound to be a tiring day, flying to Oregon and then driving to who knew where. Nonetheless, the thought of spending some time with her family was alluring. She hadn't seen Melissa in a while, and her dad was cooking his specialty steaks with herb butter, which she could never refuse (even though that as a doctor, she should really know better). Besides, she could use some friendly faces, someone to remind her how special she was and assure her that surely the FBI believed in her enough to entrust such a task in her capable hands.

She changed into jeans and her college sweatshirt and stuffed her feet into her old sneakers with a sigh of relief. Two years with the bureau and wearing heels to work was still a thing to get used to. She hadn't even owned a pair before she was recruited. Just as she meant to pull her hair into a ponytail, the phone rang. Thinking it would be her mother again, maybe even Missy, she took another bite of her chocolate bar and picked up, still chewing.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hey, Scully, it's me."

The voice, lighthearted and bubbly, was pleasant and yet unfamiliar. Who would refer to her by her last name, yet would do so as if they'd known each other for ages? "Uhh... I'm sorry, who is this?" she asked, somewhat embarrassed that she didn't share the sentiment.

The man on the other end chuckled, unoffended. "Already forgotten your new partner? Should I take offense?"

She just about choked on her chocolate. "Agent Mulder?"

"Just Mulder is fine, partner, everyone else calls me that. Well, among other things, that is."

But she was barely aware of his light attempt to make fun at his reputation. "How did you get my number?"

"I don't know if I've properly introduced myself earlier, I'm a special agent with the FBI."

For a moment, his cheerfully sarcastic reply stunned her into silence. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to respond. She'd never met anyone like this man, who seemed to not give a damn about... well, about anything, apparently. Everyone else she had encountered so far in her relatively brief stint at the bureau was so bland and by-the-book in comparison. He sounded as though he was having the time of his life. Just like he did in his office earlier.

"I'm sorry to call you at home," he continued without answering her question (not that she really expected him to). "I just wanted to clear out a few details about tomorrow."

"Clear out?" she echoed, still perplexed.

"Our flight to Oregon. Do you want to meet at the airport? Because I was thinking I could pick you up. Makes more sense to leave behind one car at the airport. Or we can share a cab."

"I assume you also know my address?" she asked sardonically.

"Why don't you be ready by seven and find out?"

He hung up before she could come up with a witty backfire. Damn him.

xxx

She decided to walk to her parents'. It wasn't a short walk, about an hour or so in a normal pace, but she could use the time to wind down. The air was crisp now that the sun had set, but she didn't mind it. She was a winter girl through and through, and the chill had never bothered her much. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and tried to mentally list all the things she would need for tomorrow. While used to living out of a suitcase, given her father's job, this was her first field assignment, and she was feeling a little out of her element. There was also her pressing need to be on top of things when it came to her new partner. He seemed ready for battle that morning, armed with her résumé and senior thesis, with his slides and presentation which obviously meant to send her away screaming. She wasn't sure if it was her greenness or expertise that irked him (most likely both), but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of mocking her just because he thought he knew better. She was tougher than she looked; she wasn't going to go without a fight.

Streetlights lit up by the time she arrived at her parents' front lawn. It was perfectly manicured as ever. Her mother's flower beds – her pride and joy after her four children – looked as flawless as ever. She mentally reminded herself to compliment her. She felt her lips curl in a smile as she knocked on the door. After a long day of uncertainty, she was finally beginning to feel more grounded, and somewhat more confident. Her family always had that affect on her, whether they knew it or not. So long as she was here, it was easier to believe everything would be well.

Melissa all but tore the front door open. Her eyes glimmered as if she guessed it would be her standing there. "Dana! You made it!"

"Mom had me at 'Ahab is cooking steaks'," she said, rolling her eyes as her older sister unceremoniously pulled her inside, calling out for their mother and babbling something about missing her birthday a couple of weeks back.

Standing at the foyer, she took in the familiar surroundings. She had only been there the previous weekend, and yet whenever she visited her parents', she was in awe of the home they had made themselves there, halfway between Melissa's place and hers. Their house was warm and lived in. This was just the place she had envisioned for her own family, whenever she was to have one; knickknacks collected throughout years of travelling, walls adorned with dozens of family photos in mismatching frames, and books, endless books. She breathed in the impossible blend of cleanliness and food preparation that seemed to exist in perfect harmony nowhere else but there.

Soon her mother stepped out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel before wrapping her in a clumsy hug. Of all her siblings, she was the only one not towering over the older woman. It was somewhat of a joke among the Scully clan. "Dana! It's so nice you could join us."

"Hi, Mom," she laughed softly. It felt like a party. It always had when Ahab was cooking. "I can't stay long; I've got an early flight to catch."

"Oooh, sounds important."

"Right, your new assignment," gasped Melissa and grabbed her hand. "How did it go?"

"It was... interesting." That was one way to put it.

"I'll go help your dad so we can hear all about it over dinner; excuse me, girls."

"Well? Tell me everything," ordered Melissa once their mother disappeared back in the kitchen. She followed her sister into the living room as they each curled on the worn out sofa in their regular spots. "Have you been promoted?"

She sniggered. "I'd hardly call it a promotion. I've been transferred downtown, but the division I'm now assigned to is not… that highly regarded." Nor was the role she was required to undertake in it, for that matter.

"But it's downtown, isn't it? Shorter commute!" She couldn't help but smile. It had always been glass half full with Melissa. "What do you mean by not highly regarded? They didn't stick you in the archives or anything as grim as that, did they?"

"Uhh, no. The focus of my new division is, umm, the unexplained."

"The unexplained?" echoed Melissa, but the glint in her eyes indicated that she understood perfectly, and waited for the punch line.

"Unexplained phenomenon, the paranormal, flying saucers. There, I said it," she mock groaned, ducking against Melissa's throaty chortle. She was glad her sister found her misery so damn amusing. At least it meant she was off the hook explaining what she was expected to do there. For the time being, she preferred to keep the dubious nature of her task to herself.

"My sister the scientist…" Melissa's voice trailed with a fresh roar of laughter. There were tears visible in the corners of her eyes. "This is perfect. A medical doctor chasing UFOs? This is better than promotion, Dana." She rolled her eyes. Sometimes it was easy to forget which one of them was the older sister. "You can't tell Dad that, you'll give him a heart attack," she stage whispered.

Aliens or spying on a colleague? She honestly couldn't decide which would be lesser regarded in her father's eyes. "That's okay, I wasn't going to."

"Aww, I'm just messing with you, Dana, you'll do great. This is just what you need to come out of your shell."

"Chasing monsters in the dark is about the last thing I need, Missy."

"You said you wanted to distinguish yourself, didn't you? Sounds like a golden opportunity to me." She sighed in exasperation. Melissa could find advantages in just about anything. Maybe she should tell her the truth, just to see what she would make of it. "So, have you got a new partner?"

After an hour of telling herself she was silly to doubt herself (although she was now filled with qualms all over again), that was the only part she was still not entirely sure about. And to be honest, now that it had time to sink in somewhat, despite her assertion in her abilities, it kind of annoyed her that of all the things she could be offered, she got stuck with the unattractive job of babysitting the bad boy of the bureau. "I do, but I'm not entirely sure what to make of him yet."

"I knew it would be a guy," Melissa let out a sound that could only be described as a squeal. "What is he like?"

"He's known as Spooky Mulder at the Academy, so I'll let you figure it out," she replied, suddenly welling in self pity. This was not what she had in mind as a first field assignment. She wanted to make a contribution at the FBI, not to be a medical doctor chasing UFOs, as her sister had so eloquently put it, alongside some paranoid lunatic with a passion to the paranormal.

"The more important thing is what you have figured out," her sister pressed her. She had that look.

"Missy..." She could never properly glare at her sister, but she gave it her best shot. She wasn't in the mood for ghosts from the past, let alone one of Melissa's anti-Daniel Waterston lectures. Definitely not with their parents so close by.

"He can't be as bad as people make him up to be, that's all I'm saying."

"No, I don't think he is," she found herself admitting, her voice softening despite herself. She thought of his young face, younger than she imagined they would be; his bright – yet somewhat haunted – eyes. "He's... kind of brilliant, actually." She could sense it from their brief albeit heated discussion that morning. "I'm not sure what he made of me, to be honest." His arrogant antagonism was still somewhat baffling. She wasn't sure if it was an act, another tactic meant to frighten her, or his true nature. Intuition told her, though, that the latter wasn't the case. And if that were true, one thing that could be said about her was that unfortunately for him, she wasn't easily frightened. She might be inexperienced, but she was on a mission, and she didn't intend to fail.

"I need to get this right, Missy. I need to prove Dad wrong."

"And you will, if you stop fooling yourself that you can do it overnight." Melissa smiled and reached for her hand. "I sense this fire in you, Dana. You let out this... this glow. You can't go wrong on this path. This is where you're meant to be. I know it."

"I wish I was as certain of it as you are."

"Maybe if you let yourself believe a little," her sister chided, winking.

She dismissed Melissa with a shake of her head, thinking her sister would probably get along spectacularly with her new partner. She was about to point it out as well, but was distracted by voices from the foyer.

"Where's my Starbuck?" a voice boomed, and a moment later her father's imposing figure filled the entrance. She stood up and hurried into his waiting arms.

"Hi, Daddy."

"Sorry, I couldn't abandon the steaks. How are you, sweetheart?"

Whenever he called her that, she was feeling five years old. Gone was the tough, no nonsense Agent Scully. Whenever her father held her in his arms she turned into a completely different person. She chuckled inwardly. Agent Scully could stand her own in Mulder's cramped office. Dana wouldn't have lasted five minutes with the man and his crazy theories.

"I'm fine."

"Good," he said, touching her chin. Their eyes met. He smiled his approval at whatever he'd found there. "Dinner is served, ladies."

Dinner commenced, and for a while they were on safe topics. Her mother was telling them about a gardening competition she had considered applying for, and Melissa was talking about a Reiki workshop in the Appalachia she'd returned from the week before. She eyed Ahab the entire time. He seemed chipper, as he'd always been with his children around. Surely it would be easy to tell him about her day. If he could sit through Melissa's ridiculous story of her Reiki workshop, he would have to listen to what she had to say.

As if sensing her resolve, her mother cleared her throat and smiled at her encouragingly. "Well, Dana, tell us how today went."

"Fine, I think. I got a new assignment. I'm leaving for Oregon tomorrow morning on a case." The words still sounded foreign coming from her lips. Like one of those detective shows her father had secretly watched and thought none of them knew.

"Her first field assignment, Dad, isn't it exciting?" asked Melissa, while sending a well aimed kick at her shins. She was trying to help, in her own way.

"What exactly does a new assignment entail, Starbuck?"

"Well, for one thing, it means I'm done teaching at Quantico for the time being. I'm being transferred to the headquarters downtown." Sitting across from her, Melissa subtly nodded her approval when their eyes met. Delivering a slightly more glamorous tale on a need-to-know basis would better serve her purpose. "I'm requested to put my medical expertise to use while backing up – " she paused there, thinking of the true nature of her assignment with unease – "the head investigator in the division I'm now assigned to."

"In other words, playing Watson to someone's Sherlock."

"Essentially," she smiled carefully. Her father's tone was vague, but she didn't let it deter her. She was determined to win him over and thus complete the first step in the delicate task of proving him wrong; without unnecessary heart attacks, of course. "I'm actually looking forward to it. His reputation at the bureau precedes him. He finished at the top of his class in Oxford. I expect to learn a lot."

"Were they unhappy with you at Quantico?"

"William..."

"I'm just wondering why they would transfer her out of there mid-semester for field work apparently any other agent could do."

"Well, there's my medical background," she said, somewhat uncertainly, mostly because it was a question she herself had been initially pondering. "I'd like to think of it as advancement, not punishment." For a moment she wasn't sure which of the two of them she was trying to convince.

"Give Dana some credit, Dad. I'm sure she's a brilliant teacher. The terror of the pathology department. If that's even a thing."

She returned her sister's crooked smile without correcting her. "My assessments were pretty good actually; we just got them a few weeks back." She felt her cheeks grow warm. She didn't like to brag, but Melissa's words were the perfect introduction, and she really did kick some serious ass in those assessments. And it might help support her case. Her gaze found her father's. "I came third on our firearms assessment. I think you deserve the credit for that one."

"My baby sister, the best shot in class. Serves Bill and Charlie right."

"Third best shot, Missy," she corrected. "And only because Ahab taught me so well," she said, smiling sheepishly at him.

"You mean to say I dug my own grave on that one," he told her. Her mother laid a restraining hand on his arm. He shook his head, dismissing her wordless reproach. "My only concern, Starbuck… So long as you were teaching in Quantico, I knew you were safe. If they're sending you out in the field now... Lord knows what might happen to you out there. I'm just not sure you are fully aware of the consequences of your reassignment."

"Dana is perfectly capable, Dad," Melissa snapped. It was her turn to kick her sister's shins. They were having such a lovely evening; she was actually beginning to feel good about herself again. She didn't want to start an argument. She didn't want to add a family dispute to her list of concerns, let alone tonight. "And she's scared enough as it is," her sister continued, her tone softening considerably. Their eyes met. It was as if Melissa could read every trace of doubt in her. Knowing her, she probably could. She would call it energies, or something.

"I do trust you, sweetheart," he told her while throwing a look at Melissa, wishing to assure her, as well. "It's everyone else out there I don't trust. This new partner of yours, for instance."

Once more, Agent Mulder's image materialized. She remembered the stories she'd heard at the Academy over the passed two years, by her peers and her cadets. He couldn't be as crazy as they all claimed he was, could he? Melissa was probably right. But then again, their earlier conversation over the phone came to mind; she assumed that he might be, but from there to actually harming her in any way? If anything, she was the bad guy here; her superiors had expected her to inflict much more damage on his career, to terminate it altogether if possible. Once again she was filled with searing shame for what she was about to do. There was her father, genuinely fearing for her safety, as she was about to go against everything he had taught her.

"I can protect myself just fine, Ahab. From whoever it is we come across in our investigations, or from this new partner of mine. Believe me," she added, staring at him pleadingly.

"I want to believe." She let out a sharp gasp as the familiar words echoed back at her. But before she had a chance to ponder over their significance, he reached for her hand. It looked tiny inside his own; she laced their fingers together and met his eyes. "You're one stubborn, strongheaded girl. I wonder who you got that from," his lips curled in half a smile. "I hope it comes in handy in your investigations as well. Your partner won't know what hit him," he laughed, pleased with his joke.

If only he knew how painfully accurate his prediction was.

"Good luck, honey," her mother smiled. She was visibly calmer now that her father seemed to accept her new reality.

"To Dana's first case," announced Melissa, elevating her glass. Despite her protest, both her parents echoed her sister's toast. Her father was smiling more broadly now, that rare smile that lit up his eyes. Her heart swelled with love for him, even though she was still feeling like a traitor. Because more than she wanted to prove him wrong, she wanted to make him proud. However, so long as she was not complete with her assignment, she could not do so. She had no choice. She had to obey her superiors. She was hardly in a position to defy them, not if she wanted to stay with the bureau for long. But she could at least try and maintain her integrity through all of this. She could be true to herself and hope it would all work out for the best. She wanted to believe that it would.

Perhaps Melissa was right, and that really was where she was meant to be. Whatever was revealed to her the following day, she hoped with all her heart that it would allow her to make her parents proud. It didn't matter what Agent Mulder had made of her or what his plans were. She wasn't a quitter. She wouldn't give up. Whatever tricks he had up his sleeve, he'd better be ready for her. Because just as her father said, she was stubborn and strongheaded. No matter where this new venture would take her and whatever its consequences, she was there to stay.