Chapter Three

Same Time

I finish relating what had happened to me in the break room. He pinches the bridge of his nose, a gesture he has seen me use countless times. For once today, I understand what he's feeling. If these two officers can't keep their mouths shut, they are endangering the lives of thirty-seven children.

"I'm sure they understand our need for absolute secrecy. Harm would never knowingly endanger a case, he's too good a lawyer for that." I say, giving in to a strange desire to protect my childhood friend. Mulder sits forward before slamming himself back into his chair. He is laughing maniacally.

I wait, my expression must be deadly, Mulder's laughter sputters to a stop.

"Scully, as in any relation to Bill Scully?" He mimics Harm. "Dana?!" He snorts a laugh. I arch my eyebrow, a little trick that I love to use when Mulder pisses me off.

"Are you finished?" I ask.

"No… Dana." I think he lives to aggravate me. He's good at it. Mulder knows exactly how to push my buttons.

"Quit it, Mulder. At least try to act your age. Stop acting like a jealous twelve-year-old." The words leave my mouth before I have time to think. Twelve was a very tender age for him. With the disappearance of his sister, his young world had collapsed. Even now, his face falls and his mirth evaporates. Five minutes of peace, that was all I had asked, and he couldn't quit while he was ahead.

And now he's pissed. We pass the rest of the time in silence.

We don't wait long. Harm and his partner, Mc-something, come back in. At least they don't look as mad as they did when I accidentally walked in on them in the kitchen. Looking at the man sitting across from me, I would have never guessed that goofy little boy down the street would ever grow up to look this good. He looks like his father, a lot… but I guess I was just too little to realize how handsome Harm Sr. was.

I catch Mulder give the colonel a once-over for the second time today. His eye rests on her thigh, and it pisses me off. Why can't he keep a professional distance? I reach over and backhand him across the chest to get his attention, for the second time today. He's just so… hormonal. I suppose I really should invest in a leash, but I might have trouble explaining it on my expense account. I can imagine it now, Skinner chewing me out for buying personal items on my company card. He of all people should know that when Mulder gets the scent of something, there's almost no stopping him.

I wrap up the meeting as best I can while Mulder pouts like a five-year-old. As we're leaving, Mulder steps close to MacKenzie, Harm's partner, and says something very low and very quiet. With an indrawn hiss, she turns her gaze to meet his, eye to eye for the first time. For a long moment, they just stand and stare. Suddenly, Mulder wheels back to me and startles the hell out of me.

"Let's go," is all he says. I shoot Harm one last, confused glance before following Mulder's sudden lead. We walk in silence most of the way to the car. Finally, I broach the subject.

"What did you tell her, Mulder?"

"That some things are best left unsaid," He looks slyly at me out of the corner of his eye. As we come up to the car, I notice for the first time that someone has tampered with it.

An empty pack of Morley's sits on the dashboard, winking at me from inside our locked car. I glance quickly around, but there is no sign of the Cigarette Smoking Man. Nor is there any evidence of the car being mistreated in an effort to gain access. He's good. C.G.B. Spender is messing with our minds.

Mulder unlocks the door, and I flick my hand inside to grab the paper package. Still glancing around for any sign of trouble, I unfold the package. I nearly drop it as I hand it to Mulder. Three words in ink stand out against the grey white of the paper.

"Find Clark Palmer."