Disclaimer: The X Files does not belong to me
Teamwork
The tables were not labeled so the two of them looked around hopelessly to find a spot where they could sit without being mocked or bothered. They spotted some agents that Scully taught at Quantico who she knew would at least be respectful. The students were nice if a bit weary of Mulder. They had heard stories, of course, of 'Spooky Mulder' from many places but the stories that Dr. Agent Dana Scully had told during some of her classes could come strait out of the movies. Other agents came to join the table. No one of particular interest joined and they all shared mostly small talk.
A few minutes before the presentations actually started Mulder spotted a table with different kinds of breakfast pastries and some coffee and ran off to get some for himself and Scully.
While he was gone an agent who Scully had never met who was sitting across from her a few seats down leaned toward her.
"Is he seeing anyone?" The young woman asked. Scully instantly turned defensive but then realized that he really was seeing someone. She wouldn't be lying to the leggy brunette by saying so she just would omit her own name.
"Yeah he is." Scully said feigning disappointment for the young woman with a shrug.
The woman shrugged back and nodded thanks as Mulder made his way back.
Scully turned to look at him as he got into his was trying to sit down. He was holding two coffees in one hand, a small stack of doughnuts in the other, and some kind of coffee cake was hanging half way out of his mouth.
"Really Mulder?" She said taking one coffee and the doughnuts from him allowing him to sit. "And you wonder why people talk about you at these things." Her voice was laced with affection.
"I don't feel like I got enough." He looked over his inventory on the table. A piece of coffee cake (Half slobbered on), coffee for himself and Scully, and four doughnuts of different kinds.
"How hungry can you possibly be? I thought you grabbed something on the way out?"
"I did but I am anticipating this being exceptionally boring and food goes great with that. So does booze but I feel like this might be the wrong crowd."
"Right crowd wrong time." She laughed. "If I remember correctly this same group will be out on the town all night and hung over tomorrow."
"Yeah? When you last went as a young naïve med school student did you go out and party?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
"I went out for an hour or two with a couple of the friends I had made but I've never been a big partyer."
"See now that's weird cause I could have sworn I saw you on girls gone wild one time…."
She elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ok wow you seem a little defensive Scully."
"I went on pub crawls and parties in college and at first they were fun because of the thrill of it but about half way through college it just got old. I mean you put effort in to look nice so that you can go to a bar with your friends to have fun and while your there random guys keep buying you drinks. And at first that is nice cause, you know, drinks cost a lot of money but then you realize that in exchange for drinking the drink he sent over the guy expects you to do something for him. So then you either have to get up and dance with him (which usually includes a lot of uninvited touching) or you have to sit there and listen to him talk for an hour. And by the end of the night all of your friends are either off with some random guy or, like you, are heading home feeling all fuzzy with messed up hair and make up. So that was basically my whole partying experience. Sometimes thought I will go on the occasional ladies night to spend time with friends. Usually at those there are enough women to be buffers."
Mulder laughed.
"What?" She asked with one eyebrow slowly rising.
"It's just funny because it is so you. All of what you just said. I get it. You are logical and you don't put up with other people's shit. You want to go to a bar and have fun with friends and some jackasses ruin it. Most women go to those places so that those jack asses can take them home."
He looked at her with affection.
The presentation began with Kersh taking the stage to thank everyone for coming and taking time out of their busy schedules to be there.
Mulder leaned in and whispered to Scully, "Yeah because it's not like we have to be here."
"Shhhh. We just have to make it a few hours you will live." Scully hissed back.
She could imagine Mulder deflating beside her.
Kersh went on to talk about different successes that the FIB has had over the past couple years. He mentioned the intervention of a bank bombing that would have killed many people that the 'FBI' was able to prevent. Conveniently neither Mulder nor Scully were brought up. Scully was slightly irritated by this mostly on behalf of Mulder but she knew that Mulder did not expect nor care for recognition.
After what felt like forever Kersh's introduction ended and he introduced Agents Kinsley and Stonecypher.
"Oh god." Mulder mumbled.
Scully laughed under her breath and said to him, "I wonder if they will have us make a furniture tower?"
As usual the partners were energetic and acted as if there was no place they would rather be spending their weekend.
Agent Stonecypher started out, "So who is excited for some teambuilding?!"
A shocking number of people yelled back to show their excitement. Mulder just put his face in his hands as Scully laughed.
"I know I am!" Agent Kinsley responded. He then continued to explain how the coming activities would be arranged. Each pair would team up with another pair and would have to preform different activities. He also gave a heartfelt story of how exercises such as these were why he and his partner worked so well together. He explained that each table had a set of instructions on each activity. He requested that all the agents grab up one sheet per pair and read with him as he explained. Mulder made no move toward the stack of papers so Scully took one for them. Agent Stonecypher took over to explain the first game.
"At each table there should be eight people meaning four pairs. I want you each to stay with your partner and pick a pair to team up with." She directed.
Mulder was still disengaged so Scully looked at her two former students next to her and they nodded to her in understanding.
"Ok so hopefully by now you are all teamed up! After I explain we will give you a few minutes to get to know each other before the games begin! Our first activity will be a short one but a classic. We want to do practice trust falling." Scully heard Mulder groan behind her. "I know to some this may sound silly but it will help your subconscious to build a lasting trust toward your partner. If you do not know how this exercise is done it will explain on the sheet. I will give you all a couple minutes to get to know your team and then we will start."
Scully bumped Mulder to get him to look up and pay attention. She gestured to the two women who sat on her other side.
"Mulder these are Agents Crista Sosa and Joan Tan I taught them during my short time at the academy." Mulder shook hands with both women.
Agent Sosa was a tall strong looking woman with dark skin and hair. She looked like she belonged in the Olympics rather than in a suit in a conference room. Her tough exterior did little to hide her friendly kind spirit her pretty eyes and smile gave it away.
Her partner was a beautiful woman of Asian decent. She seemed about as tall as Scully but was also even smaller. She put her hand out with a sense of confidence giving a small smile and a nod.
"And as you two know this is my partner Agent Fox Mulder."
"We heard a lot about you when Agent Scully was our instructor." Agent Sosa said, "She told us some amazing stories about working at the X Files. It sounds like such exciting work!"
Mulder relaxed a bit at the woman's positive attitude toward his work.
"Well nothing would get done with our work if Agent Scully wasn't there to keep me on track." He said smiling.
Both women smiled and the four talked for a couple more minutes until Agent Stonecypher went back on stage to announce it was time for the activity.
The four agents found a free corner and stood awkwardly for a moment not knowing how to start. They looked around and noticed that most groups did not know where to start either.
Agent Tan took the lead; "Alright so everyone has does this before right?" The other Agents nodded, "Well let's just get to it then. Just channel your inner 13 year old. Cris come on let me catch you." She said holding out her arms to her partner who was almost as tall as Mulder.
"You sure you can hold me?" Agent Sosa said teasingly.
"Well I can kick your ass any day so I am pretty sure I can catch you."
"If you say so."
Agent Sosa stepped out in front of her partner, "Am I supposed to close my eyes?"
"I think so." Scully responded, "But this is a work conference maybe we should ask for help." The group laughed at some of Dana's rare humor and Sosa closed her eyes.
Tan held out her arms and positioned herself perfectly as her partner fell. She caught her perfectly under the arms.
"I forgot how freaky that can be." Sosa said.
"Come on Scully let's do this!" Mulder said energetically placing her in front of him.
"Wow what's got you so excited?" She said with a infamous raised brow.
"Who wouldn't be excited for the trust fall?"
Scully closed her eyes and found it hard all of a sudden to just completely let go. She knew Mulder would catch her but a part of her was worried about hitting the ground. She chastised herself thinking of how stupid this whole thing was. The small fear was just a natural evolutionary instinct that came from not wanting to be injured. She finally let herself fall back freely and right when she thought she would hit the ground Mulder's arms found her.
"Good teamwork." He said close to her ear tickling her neck.
Scully stood up and straitened herself.
"Alright Joan go for it." Scully said.
Agent Tan stepped in front of her partner closed her eyes and fell back freely. Scully marveled at how easily she let go of herself.
"I totally thought you were going to let me fall on my ass." She said to her partner with a laugh.
Mulder turned to Scully and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Now I know I am physically intimidating but you can do this Scully. Do not be afraid." He said with mock seriousness.
"Sure. Fine. Whatever." She said dryly, "Turn around."
"You could buy me a drink first! Geez!" Mulder said as the other Agents laughed, enjoying his hijinks.
He stood in front of Scully and dramatically put his arms out and fell back. At first Scully was slightly nervous he would crush her but she caught him right under the arms.
There were a few more minutes allotted for the activity so the four walked back to their seats. They had not been there a minute, however, when a somewhat frazzled A.D. Skinner approached Mulder and Scully.
"Agents I need to see you two in the lobby." He said looking at the and then continuing on through the doors.
Scully and Mulder looked at each other and shrugged.
As soon as they cleared the door Skinner grabbed their arms and tugged them down the hall toward the bathrooms. Standing around the two doors was a small number of other Agents who all looked up as the trio passed.
Skinner stopped them in front of the door for the women's room and turned to face them.
"We are going to need your help with something. I think we might have an X File on our hands."
He then opened the door to reveal their new case.