Part Seven

Title: Nothing Important 7: Underneath
Author: Vickie Moseley
Summary: I'm rewriting Season 9. You probably
won't recognize much of it. The rest of the story is
at my website, this is the 7th installment.
Category: mytharc, MSR, MA, babyfic
Rating: for everyone
Disclaimer: you wrote it one way, Chris and Frank
-- I'm writing it another and never the twain shall
meet. But no infringement intended.
Archive: YES
As always, thank you, Lisa!!
Comments to me at
vickiemoseley1978@yahoo.com

 

Bill and Tara Scully's Residence
San Diego CA

"Daddy, ain't he little?" Matty exclaimed happily as
Bill stood in shocked silence at the foot of the steps.
Tara was looking at him expectantly, holding out
the tiny bundle for him to take from her. The baby's
arm broke free from his blanket restraints and
waved in greeting. Bill swallowed hard. No one
moved.

"Here, Tara, I'll take him. Come to Grandma, little
love," she cooed as she stepped around Bill and
took the baby in her arms.

"Daddy, did you bring me sumpin' from the
Pentagon?" Matty chattered, jumping up and down
on the step.

"No, sorry, buddy, I didn't have time," Bill said, but
his focus was on his mother and the baby in her
arms. He turned and looked his wife square in the
eyes, hoping the hurt and betrayal was clearly
visible to her.

Tara reared back and dropped her gaze. "Matty, get
washed up for dinner," she directed at the child.

"OK, but we're having ice cream for dessert, right?"

"Mint chocolate chip," Tara agreed readily. "Bill,
you were going to change your clothes?" she added
timidly.

"We are going to discuss this," he growled as he
passed her.

"Not in front of Matthew," she hissed back, and he
realized the matter was settled at least until 9
o'clock when Matty went to bed.

Dinner was delicious, but Bill could hardly taste a
bite. Matty kept the conversation going at the
dinner table and didn't seem to notice that the adults
were adding little. He was perfectly content in
being the focus of attention and prattled on about
the new Duplo set that Maggie had purchased for
him when they went shopping for the baby.

Maggie helped Tara clear the table, but it was Bill's
turn to do KP, so he scraped the dishes and loaded
the dishwasher. When he was finished, Matty
pulled him by the hand into the living room to show
off his latest Duplo creations. Bill was soon caught
up in the wonder that was his little boy and was able
to relax a little.

"Matthew, it's bed time," Tara announced firmly.

"I want Daddy to tuck me in and read me my story,"
Matty declared. Bill smiled at his child and ruffled
his hair.

"Sure thing, buddy. You go up and take your tubbie
with Mom. I'll be right up."

Shortly, Bill was sitting on the edge of Matty's
youth bed, finishing the second story -- Matty's
absolute favorite and the one guaranteed to put the
little boy to sleep.

"Dinosaur, o Dinosaur, dreaming dreams unknown.
Your smile makes me wish I had a binkit of my
own," Bill said softly and closed the book, looking
down on his sleeping son. "Goodnight, Matty," he
whispered. He leaned down and placed a tender
kiss on the little boy's forehead.

Turning down the bedside lamp to just a dull
illumination, he tiptoed out of the room, half closing
the door behind him. A million thoughts swirled
through his head ranging from national security to
military courts of justice, but one thought overrode
all others -- children, all children, were a blessing.

Bill came down the stairs to find Tara pacing the
floor with little William.

"How's he, uh, how's he doing?" he asked warily.
The baby would sniffle and then let out a lusty wail
for a few moments, only to quiet long enough to
build up steam for the next outburst.

"Colic," Tara said with a weary smile. "Been there,
done that," she added with a shrug.

"That was when I was at sea," Bill reminded her.
"Here, let me give it a try." He awkwardly took the
baby out of her arms and settled him so that he was
parallel to Bill's body, the baby's head on Bill's
shoulder. "There, there, little guy. Can't be all that
bad, can it?" he cooed.

"Walking helps -- a little," Tara coached.

"Has this happened every night?" Bill asked over
the squalling child, taking up Tara's route around
the living room.

"Every night, like clockwork. Thank God Mom
came out when I called her -- it's always right about
the time Matty needs to go to bed."

"Where is Mom?" Bill asked, noticing that his
mother was no longer present.

"Drug store. She thought a hot water bottle might
help, at least it did with Charlie. Apparently this is
a Scully family trait. If I'd known that earlier, sailor
boy, you wouldn't have a son," she teased.

He saw the twinkle in her eye and held back his
own laugh. "Oh, and your family has no flaws,
right?"

"Except for Tom. And I'm pretty sure the stork got
mixed up and dropped him in the wrong house,"
Tara said lightly.

The front door opened and Maggie breezed in, a
plastic pharmacy bag in her hand. "Let me get
some water in this and we'll see if it works." She
hurried to the kitchen and was back in just a few
moments. "Bill, do you remember how do to this?"
she asked with a knowing look.

"Me? I was just . . . wait a minute. I think I
remember. Let me get to the sofa." He sat down on
the sofa and Maggie placed a clean kitchen towel
and the hot water bottle on his lap, covering the hot
water bottle with another towel folded in half for
double layering. Bill turned William face down so
that the baby was lying with his stomach on the
towel covered hot water bottle.

At first, William didn't like the fact that the walking
and moving had stopped. He screamed all the
louder. But Bill stroked his back, cooing to him
softly. It took a few moments for the warm feeling
to sink in, but soon the fretful baby was dozing
peacefully.

"Touchdown!" Bill mouthed with a grin. "Man, this
brings back memories."

"The next one, Mister, I intend to be at sea and
YOU can stay home with the colic," Tara said, arms
crossed from her perch on the armchair across from
the sofa. Maggie laughed at that.

Maggie chuckled. "It was the only time any of you
got to hold Charlie," she remembered. "And the
only way I could get dinner on the table."

When they were all certain he wouldn't be waking
up for a while, Bill carried the baby up to the guest
room where Matty's old bassinette was set up next
to the day bed. Bill lay the sleeping infant in the
bed on his side, covered him with a blanket and
hurried from the room without making a sound.

He dreaded the coming discussion, but knew he had
to get some answers.

Maggie and Tara were at the kitchen table, coffee
cups in front of them. When he entered the room,
Tara got up and made him a cup, sitting it down at
his usual seat at the table. Then she sat down and
started talking.

"Mulder called me three days ago," she said quietly,
keeping her gaze on the small potted plant in the
center of the table. "He asked me to go to the
airport. There was a ticket at the counter in my
name to Phoenix. I got on the flight, not really
knowing what to expect. When I got to Arizona, he
found me outside the gate. He had William in a car
seat." She took a breath and looked up at her
husband.

"Bill, I know what you think of him, but you should
have seen him that day. He was panic-stricken,
devastated. He was so frightened for Dana and so
worried about William. He said she'd left them --
just took off and he had to find her."

Bill squirmed a little in his seat and chewed on his
lip. Still, he said nothing.

"So he handed me the baby. I swear, Billy, I've
never seen a man so torn up about a decision. He
didn't want to leave him, but he had to go find
Dana. He told me . . . " Tara stopped for a
moment, wiping tears from her cheeks. "He said
she was in terrible danger. That the people she
worked with, the FBI, were after her and he had to
find her before they did."

Bill's eyes narrowed, remembering Agent Doggett.
Mulder was at least right about that -- the FBI was
after Dana. But he'd met the man, talked to him.
Dana wasn't in danger from John Doggett. Bill was
certain this was just more of Mulder's delusional
ramblings.

"He said he had to leave William somewhere safe,
with people who love him. And then . . . and then
he told me to tell you something, Billy. He told me
to tell you that you were right about him all those
years ago and that's he's very sorry. Then he kissed
William and walked away. It was the saddest thing
I've ever seen."

Bill was silent for a moment, digesting what Tara
had said. Finally he looked over at her. "Academy
award winning performance, I'm sure."

"Billy! He wasn't acting! He was seriously upset
and very worried about Dana. What in the world
would cause her to do that -- to leave her child and
her . . . her lover like that?"

At the word 'lover', Bill's head shot up and he glared
at Tara. She tilted her chin defiantly.

"They are in love, you know. They were in love
when Dana was here the Christmas Matty was born.
They were just too stubborn to admit it," she said,
crossing her arms.

"The fact remains, Fox didn't know where Dana was
and we haven't heard from him since he left the
baby with Tara. We can only assume that he's still
looking for her. Now, if this is going to cause a
problem, William Dennis, I will take the baby back
to Baltimore with me in the morning," Maggie said
evenly.

Tara shot Maggie a look, but from the set of the
woman's jaw, there would be no discussion if her
son answered the wrong way.

Bill ruffled his feathers a moment, and then backed
down in the heat of his mother's glare. "No, Mom.
We're already set up for a baby. He can stay here."

"But what about day care?" Tara asked. "You have
to have a birth certificate and a social security
number just to get a baby sitter these days --
especially here in San Diego."

"You don't have to worry about day care," Maggie
assured her daughter-in-law. "If you don't mind
having me underfoot, I'd be happy to stay until
William goes back to his parents."

"We don't know how long that will be," Bill offered
quietly.

"Then we're just take each day as it comes," Maggie
said, ending the discussion. "And now, I'm going
upstairs to take a nap. I'll take the 2 o'clock feeding,
Tara. Unless you'd like that honor, Bill?"

Tara had to stifle a laugh at the expression on her
husband's face and the twinkle in Maggie's eyes.

"No, no, Mom. I'll, uh, I'll handle the one that's
potty trained and can feed himself," Bill offered.
"That will free you two up to take care of the baby."

Wasatch Mountains
Underground Compound
same day and time

Mulder sat by Scully's bed and gently held her
hand. "Scully? Dana? Can you hear me?"

There was no response from the still figure. She
looked more beautiful than he could ever remember.
One of the nurses, and he'd been surprised how
many nurses and doctors and medical personnel the
Spenders had assembled, had combed her hair and
put her in a prettier than usual hospital style gown.

Tears flood his eyes and flowed down his cheeks.
"Scully, why did you leave us?" he croaked. He
immediately softened his tone. "I'm not mad. How
could I be angry after all the ditches I pulled on you
-- after Oregon even? But I just have to know. Was
it the chip? Were you called there? They say you
walked up to the front gate. I can't imagine you
doing that of your own accord. You must have
been called."

He released her hand long enough to wipe at the
tears clouding his eyes. "Scully, I had . . . I had to
leave William. He's with Tara, he's safe. But God,
oh how I miss him. It's like I can't breathe in
enough air when you two aren't beside me. Like I'm
underwater all the time. I hate it, I hated leaving
him. It hurt. I never thought I could hurt that
much. I thought I hurt when I left you two at the
apartment when I left to go to North Carolina, but
baby, that was just a scratch compared to this. It's
like I've had a limb severed, and I want you to wake
up so we can go get him and bring him -- "

He looked around the small infirmary, with mostly
steel and drywall construction, but no windows, no
sunlight. "Well, I don't know if I want him to
consider this home," he chuckled softly.

"Home is wherever we are together, right? So I
guess home could be here, in this place. It's
wherever we are safe and we can love each other.
That's home. That's been home to me for a very
long time. I came home when I was in your arms
again. In the hospital, when I first woke up and it
smelled like a hospital, I hurt all over and I was so
tired. But then I felt your arms around me, your
head on my chest and I knew I was home."

He was sobbing in earnest now, tilting his head
back and staring off in the distance. "Scully, please.
Please don't leave me ever again. I couldn't take it.
I can't take it. Please, promise me that next time we
can talk about it. We can agree on a plan and each
do our parts. Because I suck at doing this alone."

Exhaustion and worry were taking their toll and
slowly he curled down, resting his head on the bed
next to where their hands were joined. "Please
come home to me," he sighed and was soon in a
fretful sleep.

Jeff Spender stood in the hallway, peering in
through the small window to the room and its
occupants. Mulder was sleeping, Scully hadn't
regained consciousness. He wondered how long it
would take.

"We did another scan -- she has a concussion, but
no bleeding," Dr. Kim said confidently.

"She's probably just exhausted. God knows he is,"
Spender said with a sigh.

"Well, I hope for all our sakes that she decides to
wake up soon. We could use the extra hands."

Spender leaned forward, resting his head on the
cool glass. "She'll give us more than extra hands.
Since Mom died, that's what this place has needed -
- a heart. Scully could be that heart."

"Looks to me like her heart is already taken," Kim
said with a rueful expression.

Shaking his head, Spender straightened and turned.
"Oh, believe me, if we get that little family together,
there will be no stopping us."

"What is being done on that score?" Kim asked
quietly.

"Preparations. But for now, we just have to wait till
she wakes up." Spender glanced back in the room.
"For his sake, I hope it's soon."

Bill and Tara Scully's Residence
2:30 am

Bill heard the cries in his sleep. He almost reached
over and woke Tara before he realized the baby's
voice was getting farther and farther away, and he
heard the steps creak as his mother carried the
infant downstairs.

Oh, yeah, it wasn't his kid, he mused. A good part
of him wanted to go back to sleep -- to do
something he'd never been able to when Matty was
tiny. He'd been away for the second three months
of his son's life, but he remembered quite clearly
those first three months when he wondered if the
kid would ever stop eating. Or pooping. Or crying.
Whenever Tara talked about 'having another one',
those were the memories that popped into his head.

Meanwhile, in the present, he heard the crying stop,
but then he heard the rhythmic thump of the rocking
chair in the living room. He punched his pillow and
tried resolutely to go back to sleep. When he heard
the first notes of the song he'd almost forgotten, he
gave up. Silently he slipped out of bed, pulled on
his slippers and tiptoed into the hallway.

"Tur-a lur-a lurah, Tur-a lur-a lie; tur-a lur-a lur-a,
hush now, don't you cry. Tur-a lur-a lur-ah, tur-a
lur-a lie, tur-a lur-a lur-ah, that's an Irish lyllaby . . .
"

He stopped in the doorway and watched for a
moment. Her hair was showing silver threads in the
dark auburn and the face was more lined -- laugh
lines, he hoped, but he knew some were from worry
and sorrow, too. But all in all, it was the same
youthful voice, so full of love and hope that he
remembered from his earliest days.

"You still got the touch, Mom," he whispered as he
came into the room. Maggie smiled at him and
gave him a wink, not breaking the rhythm of her
rocking nor the humming at the back of her throat.
Little William was sucking down the contents of a
bottle, tiny hand clutching at his grandmother's
thumb.

After a few moments, the bottle was empty and the
baby's mouth was slack against the plastic nipple.
Gently, Maggie brought him up to her shoulder,
against a white cloth and burped him. He let out
quite a loud burp for someone so small.

"That's a Scully for ya," Bill said with a smile.

"Actually, I think it's a Mulder, too," Maggie
whispered back. "I've heard Fox toss out some loud
ones on occasion."

Bill's face darkened at the mention of his sister's
partner. Maggie noticed it immediately.

"What is it, Bill, that upsets you so about Fox?"
Maggie asked, not ceasing the rocking motion as
the baby lay lifeless against the crook of her neck,
tiny mouth sucking on an invisible nipple.

"Mom, let's not get into this -- "

"No, Bill, I think we have to 'get into this' or it's
going to continue to fester. I should have made you
get this off your chest a long time ago. What did
Fox Mulder ever do to you?"

Bill's eyes went wide and he shook his head in
disbelief. "Mom, what hasn't he done?" he gasped
out. "He's had Dana running across the country for
a decade -- she's been shot, she's contracted cancer.
Mom, Missy would still be alive if not for that
crackpot!" he howled. When the baby flinched in
Maggie's arms, Bill dropped his voice.

"He's a danger to himself and everyone around him.
I'm surprised he had the common sense to drop the
baby off with us! I would have figured he'd drag
the poor kid around after him -- till he got him
killed like everyone else that's been associated with
him," he huffed through gritted teeth.

Maggie just regarded him without expression,
rocking and listening.

"Mom, Dana is a bright woman. She could be the
head of a department. She could be the head of
forensics at the FBI, if that's what she absolutely
has to be in her life. But instead, where is she? On
the run -- people who try to help her get nothing but
her scorn and hatred. Me, her own brother and she
stands there and tells me -- " He stopped, just a few
moment too late. "She's god knows where," he tried
to cover.

But Maggie had heard and her eyes narrowed.
"Bill. Is there something you want to tell me?"

He chewed on his lip. Suddenly he was standing in
their kitchen in Miramar base housing, his
grandmother's Dresden china gravy boat shattered
at his feet. He blinked his eyes and the flashback
faded.

"No, Mom, I don't think so," he said quietly.

"Do you know where Dana is?" Maggie asked
sternly, keeping her voice low in deference to the
infant sleeping on her shoulder.

"Mom, please, you don't want -- "

"William Dennis Scully, you will answer me and it
better be the truth," she seethed. This time William
could feel the tension in the woman holding him
and let out a tiny mewl. Maggie stroked his back
and he fell back to sleep.

Bill sat down on the armchair near the rocker.
"Mom, Dana hasn't been acting rationally since,
well, since Mulder came back from wherever the
hell he ran off to before the baby."

"Bill, there is so much that you don't know,"
Maggie said evenly. "So much that I don't know,
either. But I do know that Dana has been dealing
with some enormous obstacles in her life and she's
done an incredible job of it. And I do know that I
trust her -- I trust her judgment, I trust her decisions
and I trust that when the time comes, she'll explain
all of this to me."

"Mom, there's a metal illness called Stockholm
syndrome. It's when you've been held hostage for a
long time -- "

"Bill, I was very much alive when Patty Hearst
made headlines with Stockholm syndrome. I
imagine I could tell you a thing or two about it.
What does that have to do with Dana?"

"She's been held 'captive' -- for lack of a better term,
by that madman of a partner. He's brainwashed her,
Mom. She thinks -- she thinks she at war with
everyone, with the military, with the people she's
worked with -- everyone."

Maggie sat back and glared hard at her son. "And
how would you know this, Bill, if you haven't seen
her since Christmas two years ago?"

He felt the blush rise in his cheeks. "Mom, we
talked on the phone -- "

"Bill, don't you dare lie to me," Maggie said in a
voice so low that the man sitting just feet from her
reared back in fear.

"Mom -- you have to understand . . ."

"What. Do. You. Know?" Maggie bit out angrily
and this time William was not to be deterred. The
baby flinched, curled in on himself and let loose
with a howl.

Maggie stood, bouncing the baby and patting his
tiny bottom, trying to console the little boy. She
shot a fierce glare over at her son. "Bill, if you
know something -- if you've seen your sister
recently -- " She stopped, closing her eyes. "You're
an adult. I can't force you to do something you
don't want to. But Bill, I want you to think long and
hard about your course. Your father and I tried to
teach you there are right ways and wrong ways to
go about things. Sometimes the damage done by
going about something the wrong way can never be
repaired. You would be wise to remember that."

Dulles International Airport
9:51 am Eastern Time

Doggett practically had to drag himself out of the
seat on the airplane. He was exhausted. Running
across the country, reading through the test results,
dealing with Bill Scully and then Dana Scully's
escape -- it was enough to make anyone tired. As
he plodded down the concourse toward the baggage
claim, he heard his name being called.

"John? John, over here!" Monica Reyes waved to
him from near the exit doors.

"Monica? When I called to tell you when I'd be in,
I didn't expect you to come out to get me," he said
affably.

"Well, you mentioned the shuttle and I was in the
neighborhood -- " She grinned and shrugged. "So
how was your trip? How's your aunt? Did you get
her settled in her retirement home?"

"I think so. She was a little resistant at first. But
she'll come around, I know it," Doggett said with a
smile. "So, did I miss anything while I was away?"

"Not much. Oh, there was some news up in New
York. A thirteen-year-old murder conviction was
overturned. It's been on CNN all day long. When I
saw it -- you were on the NYPD back then, weren't
you?"

"I was. I worked a couple of homicides in my time.
Who is the guy?"

Monica shrugged again. "Fassl. Robert Fassl. We
can stop and get a Times on the way out, if you
want the details."

"Son of a bitch!" Doggett swore loudly. "I don't
need to read the Times, Monica. I need to get to the
office. I have calls to make!"

Wasatch Mountain Compound
1:21 pm Mountain Time

It wasn't the smell of food that woke Mulder from
the first full rest he'd had in three days. It was the
fingers stroking through his hair at a gentle pace.
He lifted his head and looked into eyes of the
clearest blue.

"Hey, there," he whispered hoarsely, before he
swallowed against his dry throat. "How long have
you been awake?"

"Not long," Scully whispered back. "You looked so
peaceful asleep there."

He sat up and stretched his arms over his head,
letting his spine fall back into painful alignment.

"Where are we?" Scully asked, looking around the
room. "This isn't a hospital, is it?"

"Not exactly. More of an infirmary. Do you
remember coming here? You . . . you escaped the
compound where you were -- " He stopped and bit
his lip. He was having a hard time keeping his
emotions in check, but he realized now was not the
time to deal with them. "Are you hungry?"

"Starved. And I'm sure Will -- " Her voice
skittered to a halt and she looked at Mulder.
"Where is the baby?" she demanded.

"Scully, not right now -- I promise, when you're a
little stronger -- "

"Mulder! Where is our baby?" she insisted and sat
up, sliding her feet over the side of the bed as if to
get up.

"Scully, you can't get out of bed!" Mulder objected,
pushing her back against the mattress.

"Hey, hey, what's going on here? Wrestling isn't
until Monday nights," said Dr. Kim, who was just
coming in the door. "Ms. Scully, you are not
supposed to be getting out of bed. Mr. Mulder, if
you'd mind unhanding my patient, I would like to
examine her and maybe let me see if I can talk a
little sense into her."

"Where is my baby?" Scully shouted at Mulder.

"Tara has him," Mulder answered tenderly. "I
called Tara when I realized you weren't coming
back. He's in San Diego."

Her agitation only increased and Mulder was totally
confused. "God no! We have to get him! Mulder,
that's the last place you should have taken him! Oh,
god no!" She broke down into sobs. "Get him
back! Get him back right now!"

Mulder didn't know what to think. She was acting
completely irrational. "Scully, he's safe. Tara is a
wonderful mother. I couldn't very well drag him
with me -- I didn't even know where I was going to
look for you!"

"Agent Mulder, I'll have to ask you to step outside,
please," Dr. Kim ordered with a stern look. "Just
for a few minutes."

"Scully, please?" he begged around Kim's shoulder
where she was pushing him out the door.

"Get him. Get my baby, Mulder. I want you to get
my baby now!" Scully continued frantically as Kim
hurried back to work on confining her back patient
to the bed. A nurse had come running at all the
shouting and handed the doctor a syringe.

"This will just make you a little sleepy, Dana," Kim
crooned. "When you wake up again, we can discuss
this calmly."

"Get him back. Bill . . . don't let Bill have him . . .
Mulder don't let Bill . . . " She continued mumbling
even as her eye lids lowered and her body relaxed
with the force of the drug in her system. Mulder
stood in the hallway shaking and panting, literally
quaking with worry.

"She's all right now," Kim assured him as she tried
to lead him down the hall.

"What was she saying? She was saying 'Bill'. Why
wouldn't she want her brother to take care of our
son?" Mulder asked no one in particular.

"She's been through a traumatic experience, Agent
Mulder. We'll just have to take it slowly. I'll make
sure that she's on a mild tranquillizer when she
wakes up in a few hours. Maybe she can tell us
what has her so worried."

"If it's not too late by then," Mulder said fearfully.

San Diego Naval Base
4:45 pm

"Commander Scully, sir. There's a call for you on
line 2," the yeoman interrupted Bill as he was
getting his last refill of coffee for the day.

"Who is it? Not the Admiral," Bill shot back,
hurrying to his office.

"No, sir. I believe he said his name was Doggett.
With the FBI, sir."

"Hold my other calls," Bill said, starting to close the
door. "Except -- "

" . . . the Admiral. Aye, Aye, sir."

"Agent Doggett, have you located my sister?" Bill
snapped as soon as he picked up the receiver.

"Wish that I had, Commander. No, I was just
wondering if you'd spoken with your mother
lately?"

Bill froze. For the first time he wondered exactly
what was this guy's game. His conversation with
his mother from the night before came echoing back
through his mind. "My mother? Was there
something you needed from my mother?"

"Well, I got to thinking -- Mulder wouldn't be able
to handle that baby by himself. And since his
family is pretty much died out, he'd probably call
your mom to take care of him. He might even stick
his head up long enough to drop the kid off. I just
wanted to warn her, let her know that we're here to
help if she hears from him." There was a brief
moment of silence on the line. "You wouldn't know
where she went, would you, Commander?"

"Ah, well, now that you mention it, Mom said
something about visiting her sister in Maine. They
have a place out on a lake up there. Mom's from
Maine originally, you know."

"No, I didn't know that. Well, that must be where
she is. If you hear from her, please relay my
message, if you don't mind." Bill could hear the
disbelief oiling off the Agent's words.

"Sure. Absolutely."

"Good. Oh, and if you hear from your sister -- "

"I'll be sure to keep you apprised, Agent Doggett.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to clear
up on my desk."

"Of course, Commander. Always a pleasure talking
to one of the warriors on the front lines," Doggett
sneered. "Take care now."

"I'll do that," Bill replied evenly. He hung up the
receiver and stared at the phone as if it would come
alive and bite him. Finally, he walked over to his
coat rack and removed his cover. Leaving the
office, he barely gave a second thought to what he
was about to do.

"I'm going home a little early, Manners. If the
Admiral calls, forward it to my cell."

"Aye, Aye, sir," the young man said with a crisp
salute.

Bill nodded and headed out the door. Now, his
mind was running a mile a minute and he wondered
how crazy his mother would think he was when he
told her what he was planning.

Continued in December

Tura Lura Lura used without permission. It was my
mother's lullaby to all her grandchildren, and me.

Dinosaur's Binkit, also used without permission. I
was surprised that I had to look up the last page, I
used to have it memorized.