Chapter 2: Mulder’s Legacy
Sometime in the future.
The Basement
FBI Headquarters
Washington DC
Scully closed the file and stood up. She crossed to the filing cabinet and pulled out a drawer. It creaked and groaned as the rusty hinges gave with difficulty. Scully’s mouth quirked into a half smile. Nothing in the office was new, Mulder had acquired equipment from anywhere that would let it go. She slipped the file into it’s correct place and closed the drawer with a sense of finality. She’d just finished the paperwork on the last X File case she would ever investigate. Probably the last X File *anyone* would ever investigate. Mulder was dead and no one would listen to her. Skinner had tried to protest but it was no good. The X files were closed. Permanently.
Regret and guilt had been her friends ever since her sister was killed, but the sensations she experienced now where such as she had never known. She’d always thought that she could understand how Mulder felt every day of his life, now she realised that she’d been wrong. At this moment she *knew* how Mulder had felt because she felt it too. Sleep did not play a big part in her life anymore. Funny, she’d hadn’t known how much she needed him until he was gone.
“Since I’m never going to see you again, I guess it’s finally okay to tell you that I love you.”
The words echoed in her head, distorted by memory and the cel-phone he’d been speaking through.
Scully pulled herself back to the task at hand. She was being reassigned to Quantico, so she was closing up the office. Scully picked up a cardboard box, which already contained her own belongings, and placed it on Mulder’s desk. She’d been delaying this but she couldn’t stay in this office forever and it had to be done. She sank down into Mulder’s chair and realised for the first time that it smelt like him. His scent was all around her and every breath was saturated by it. Tears pricked at her eyes but she blinked them back violently. There was undoubtedly a camera hidden somewhere in the office and she did not want to give Them the satisfaction of seeing her crying.
Reaching forward, Scully picked up the name plaque. Her fingers itched to trace over the carved letters of his name, but she fought the urge. <Don’t let them see you hurting> She placed the plaque into the box.
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Elsewhere in the Hoover Building
Two men sat watching Scully on a small monitor. The elder man touched a lighter to the tip of his cigarette and inhaled deeply. The younger man shifted uncomfortably as he watched Scully removing items from the desk drawers and placing them into the cardboard box. From her actions it was obvious that she knew she was being watched.
“Do I have to be here?” The younger man demanded softly.
“I thought you’d be interested.” The elder man replied through a haze of smoke. The younger man stood up and turned away from the screen.
“Is there a reason why I should be?” He feigned disinterest. The other man wasn’t fooled, but didn’t challenge the statement.
The younger man turned back to the screen in time to see Scully stand up and cross to the wall.
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The Basement
Scully gave in to the urge which had taken her to the wall. Her hands deftly removed the push-pins that held the poster in place. She intended to give the rest of Mulder’s belongings to his mother, but this..*this* she would keep for herself. She rolled the poster into a neat cylinder and wrapped an elastic band around it, then she placed it into the box. That was it, no more excuses to stay here.
Hanging her head, and covertly blinking back tears, Scully moved back to her desk and picked up her coat. Drawing out the actions for as long as she could, she put her coat on and surveyed the office. At least she didn’t have to stay down here alone, with only his ghost for company. His ghost and the men watching on the ‘security’ monitor, she added with a slight quirking of her lips. Of course, Dana Scully wasn’t thinking about his ghost as a physical presence, but as a psychological apparition. Like her father’s apparition had been . . .
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Elsewhere in the Hoover Building
The younger man tried not to stare at the screen with too much interest. It was only this feigned indifference which had gotten him through the past few weeks. He watched as Scully picked up her bag and the cardboard box, surveyed the room one last time and left.
“No more to see.” He told the older man, who shrugged and took a puff off his cigarette. The younger man ignored him and went to the door. “I take it that I’m not a prisoner.” He said sardonically.
“Absolutely not.” The elder man replied, not looking at him. The younger man put his hand on the door handle. “Of course,” The elder man began, calling the younger man’s attention back to him. “You do remember the consequences if she sees you.” The ice cool expressions on their faces each rivalled the other for their level of detachment.
The younger man’s face remained impassive as he opened the door.
“I remember.” He answered as if it was nothing really important. In truth, there was *nothing* more important to him. He left the room.
The man with the cigarette smiled to himself and stubbed the Morley out in the ashtray.
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Scully walked out of the elevator and pretended to be unaware of the blatant stares she received. She tucked the box more securely under her arm and walked steadily across the open plan office space. Let them think what they wanted to. It didn’t matter to her what they thought. Scully dodged her way around tables and around people. Some offered condolences for losing her partner <right, I misplaced him under the wreckage of a building>, some gave congratulations for her promotion <yeah, back to Quantico to teach rookies>, but most said nothing. <fuck you all>
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Scully stepped up to the desk.
“Agent Scully.” The woman behind the desk acknowledged and Scully nodded with a blank expression. “The assistant director is expecting you.” She indicated towards the door. Scully knocked lightly and entered the room at his call. Skinner stood up as she walked in.
“You wanted to see me sir.” Scully said flatly.
“Please sit down Agent Scully.” He said, indicating towards the chair in front of his desk. Scully sat down and placed the box on the floor beside her.
“You’ve been clearing out your belongings.” He said softly, sitting down and gesturing towards the box.
“Yes sir and Agent Mulder’s. I’m taking them to his mother.” Scully spoke flatly. Skinner nodded at her statement and looked at her with concern.
“I just wanted to repeat how sorry we are to lose you. You’ll be missed.” He spoke sincerely but Scully’s lips twitched into a smile and she let out a breaking laugh.
“With respect sir, I doubt that.” He smiled at her blunt statement.
“Of course, I can’t speak for the rest of the building and this institution, but this office will miss you.” Skinner caught her eye and Scully saw that he meant that he’d miss her. She smiled, he shouldn’t be implying any such thing in his undoubtedly bugged office.
“Thank you sir.” Skinner looked uncomfortable.
“..And Agent Mulder..”
“Yes.” She cut him off firmly, then spoke softly. “And Agent Mulder.”
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Scully left Skinner’s office in a better mood. Life had to go on and, in time, it wouldn’t hurt so much. She *had* to believe that.
The office was crowded and Scully had to weave her way back through, once more being polite when addressed with comments and ignoring people’s stares. She raised her eyes and focused her sights on the area near the elevator, striding towards it with determination. Then she froze. A man was stepping into the elevator and, from the back, it looked like Mulder. Scully fought down the urge to call his name. <Mulder Is Dead> She repeated to herself. It really did look like Mulder. She was galvanised into movement and hurried across the office. People kept getting in her way and she pushed them in her haste to reach the elevator. Her immediate surroundings melted away and it became imperative for her to find out for sure. It looked like Mulder. People protested as she shoved at them brutally but Scully didn’t care what they thought. She *had* to check. The elevator doors closed as she reached them. Even the sight of the heavy metal doors inches from her face did not wake her up. She rushed instinctively to the stairs, with the intention of beating the elevator to the bottom.
She almost flew down the stairs. One of her heels broke and she fell down a couple of steps, but she just kicked off her shoes and carried on. She grabbed the central rail and used it to keep her on track as she swung around the corner and down the next flight. Her nylon-clad feet slipped on the floor as she ran, but she clung to the rail and made it to the first floor without breaking any bones. She crashed out into the lobby of the building. Ignoring the stares which were suddenly directed at her, she ran across the tiles in time to see the elevator doors open and a man step out. From the side, he looked like Mulder.
“Mulder!” She called out loudly as she flew towards him. People moved out of her way in horror.
One man watched her with pained eyes from across the lobby.
On the other side of the building, a lighter flared briefly and the man glanced up at the security monitor with cold eyes. He leaned closer with a sudden interest.
The man turned around it shock as the petite figure hurtled towards him. Scully’s vision cleared as she saw him head on. Her heart crashed into the floor. It wasn’t him. She stopped mid-movement and clasped her hand to her mouth. In that instant she became aware of where she was and what she must look like. People all around her were regarding her with disbelief and open curiosity. Someone touched her shoulder and offered concerned words. She shook them off.
“I’m fine.” She said absently. They tried again. “Get your hands off me!” She said angrily. “I said, I’m fine.” She glared at the person and their expression of false concern irritated her even more. She wasn’t a basket case. Not yet.
Scully noted, belatedly, that she had lost her shoes and her box. She walked towards the stairwell with as much pride as she could muster.
“Poor thing.” She heard someone mutter.
“It’s all become too much for her.” Someone else said.
“Well,” A male voice began. “That was spooky!” This last statement was followed by a peel of laughter from a large group. Scully’s hands curled into fists, but she forced herself to continue and ignore them.
Across the lobby, a man stood in the shadow of a column. No one paid any attention to him and no one noticed the tears glistening in his eyes.
On the other side of the building, the man with the cigarette smiled a thin smile.
“Agent Scully could become an embarrassment.” His companion told him. “She wont have a chance to.” He told him and inhaled from the cigarette. “Agent Scully is about to be involved in a nasty accident.”
“But isn’t that. . .” The other man protested, but the cigarette smoking man cut him off.
“She’s upset over Agent Mulder’s death. She’s not thinking straight.” He drew deeply from the cigarette. “She may be suicidal.” He stated flatly.