Flight into Egypt 7:  Going Home

Author:  Vickie Moseley

                                   Chapter 8 Complications

Quantico Morgue

June 7, 2005

3:35 pm

She finished making the last stitch and pulled off her glasses, followed by her gloves and hat.  Mulder had been particularly silent, especially after she so blatantly shut him up with a comment about his funeral.  Now she wanted some answers. 

"Mulder, every organ in the thoracic and abdominal cavities were cooked, just as you said, but the brain was completely untouched.  There is no way that a heat source that close and using that high of temperature to cook organs internally could have missed an organ less than two feet away!  This makes no sense!" 

"Guess we really should have listened to those CIA reports on the microwaves bombarding the US embassy in Moscow, huh?" he joked, but his eyes were steely and serious.  "I don't know what to tell you, Scully.  That's what the first two M.E.s found.  And you'll notice that the skin and bones aren't deep fried, as you might expect." 

"A heat source that targets specific organs, goes through the skin, leaving the skin and surrounding tissue untouched?  Mulder, no laser -- not even a surgical laser scalpel -- is that sophisticated.  I have absolutely no idea how this could happen.  Mulder, this goes even beyond extreme possibility." 

"Gee, I was hoping you'd have something more mundane to give me," he teased with a wink.  "So you would categorize this as an X file?" 

"Yeah I definitely would.  Too bad they closed the division," she said with a sigh, tossing her gloves in the biohazard container.  

Mulder stared at the tops of his shiny wingtips.  "Wright is going to want answers." 

"So would I," Scully said, letting a smile play at the edges of her lips.  "What are you really thinking?" 

He looked up at her and a frown flashed across his face.  "Well, for the last 3 and a half hours I've been thinking that I'm a real horse's ass.  I'm sorry I brought up -- " 

"Mulder, it hurts to think about your funeral, but that was just one more log on the fire.  It's over, you came back to me, I'd rather forget that time ever happened.  Don't dwell on the past.  I'm trying not to."  She turned toward the locker room but his hand on her shoulder stopped her.  He turned her so that she was facing him. 

"Is that what you think this is -- me dwelling on the past?" he asked, his voice intense, his face calm but she could see the underlying hurt and recrimination. 

"Mulder, what are we doing here, right here, right now, standing in this lab?  We came out here a week ago to see my mother, to attend Walter and Kim's wedding, and to tie up loose legal ends.  We did not come out here to open an X file!" 

"You think we should just walk away?" he asked, his hand dropping from her shoulder. 

"I didn't say that.  I want to help Agent Wright as much as you do.  Well, that's not entirely true.  I probably want to help him less than you because you see yourself in him.  I understand that.  I'm just saying we should help a little, but not get consumed in this thing." 

"I'm not getting consumed by anything," Mulder protested, stepping back defensively. 

"You're standing there in one of your old suits, in wingtips you haven't worn in 4 years and telling me you aren't being sucked in on this case." 

"You're upset because of my choice of clothing?  You told me not to dress like a death groupie!" he reminded her, chuckling without humor. 

She hung her head and sighed.  "I'm not explaining myself well.  I'm sorry."  She looked up him and took his hand.  "I just thought we'd moved past this part of our lives.  I'm happy in Montana.  I thought you were, too." 

He tugged on her hand and drew his arms around her.  "Don't ever think for one moment that I'm not happy with our life as it is now, you, the kids, the Old Man in the mountain.  I have to admit I even miss those goofy kids at the college."  He tilted her head up so that he could kiss her lightly on the lips.  "I just want to help Wright.  Call it passing the torch.  It was so much of our lives for so long.  I just hate to see it -- "  He stopped and searched for the right word. 

" -- lost?" she supplied when she sensed his inability to find the right image.  

"Yeah.  Lost.  I just hate to see it all for nothing." 

She sighed again, but this time she was smiling.  She cupped his cheek in one hand and rubbed her thumb across his bottom lip, where it was still pressed forward in a classic Mulder pout.  "Look, I'll let you help Wright, extend your 'professional courtesy', but if you start ditching me or anyone else for that matter, I'm calling you on the carpet.  And if you think Walter Skinner was a major hardcase to work under -- " 

"Yes.  Sir.  Ma'am."  He replied, punctuating each word with a kiss.  He hugged her tightly against his chest, letting his breath out in a long, relieved sigh.  "Have I told you lately that you would make one sexy drill sergeant?" 

"I don't remember hearing that last night, no," she teased, her voice muffled by his tie. 

"Have I told you lately that I love you more than anything in the world?" he asked more seriously, leaning down to kiss her deeply before letting her answer. 

"Yes.  Yes, I'm pretty sure I remember hearing that just this morning," she said with a grin.  "C'mon, before you get any crazy ideas about using a morgue gurney for activities other than deemed suitable." 

An image flashed in his mind -- he and Scully on two gurneys side by side, wearing only toe tags and a sheet draped over them -- and quite definitely alive.  "Oh, Scully, don't do that to me.  These pants aren't that loose anymore," he warned, watching her sashay out the double doors to the locker room. 

They found Wright in his office, a small cubicle in the Quantico BSU section.  He was happy to see Scully had finished with the autopsy. 

"Don't go getting your hopes up, Agent Wright.  I didn't find anything that wasn't in the previous ME reports," Scully said as she sat across from his desk. 

"Just cooked organs?" Jeremy said with a wince. 

Scully nodded.  "But I can tell you, I would be shocked if anyone could explain how the organs came to be in such a state.  Not even lasers can accomplish what we're seeing here." 

Wright chewed on his pencil, a habit that appeared to be more than casual from the pocked appearance of the writing instruments in his pencil holder.  "This may sound weird, but my Dad died of something like this.  But they said it was extreme radiation." 

Mulder looked over at Scully and shrugged his shoulders.  "There was no indication of radiation," Scully explained. 

Wright shook his head.  "Damn it.  Well, I don't know if this helps at all," he said, tossing some fax sheets over to Mulder.  "I just got that from the State Department." 

Mulder read over the pages and his eyes brightened.  "There was a death on a cruise ship in the Indian Ocean that matches the three deaths we've seen so far." 

"When?" Scully asked, standing so she could look at the papers in his hands. 

"December of last year.  Scully, the tsunami was December 26th of last year, right?" 

"Yes, the day after Christmas.  Horrible loss of life," she said.  "Oh my God, Mulder, this death occurred right about that time!  Wait, it occurred -- " 

"Quite possibly while the earth was moving underneath the ship," Mulder said, handing the fax back to Wright. 

"So this is connected to the tsunami?" Wright asked hesitantly. 

Mulder exchanged a look with Scully and then shook his head.  "It's probably just a coincidence.  But if we could get the manifest of the passengers on that ship, it might help us narrow down some suspects.  Or maybe find someone who can explain what we're seeing." 

"I'm on it," Wright said, picking up the phone. 

As he was talking to someone at the cruise line, Scully's cell phone rang.  She walked a short distance away from Wright's desk, not wanting to interfere with his conversation.  Her call didn't take long and she was once again at Mulder's side.  She tugged on his sleeve, he was watching Wright. 

"That was Mom.  Apparently it's been raining all day and it looks like it's supposed to get pretty windy.  They have tropical storm warnings out at the beach.  Mom thought it best to come back to town.  They expect to be back at her house in about 2 hours." 

Mulder nodded, his eyes still on Wright. 

"We need to get going if we're going to pick them up.  It's a long drive from here to Baltimore and then back to the condo." 

Mulder absently pulled on his lip.  "Wright, you wouldn't happen to live anywhere near a Metro stop, would you?" 

"Mulder, may I speak with you in the hall, please," Scully said firmly, crossing her arms. 

Sheepishly he followed her out into the hall.  She didn't take long to mount her attack.  "You are not staying here," she said, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. 

"Scully, there might be more.  If Wright found this guy through the State Department -- " 

"Wright can use the telephone just as easily as anyone, Mulder.  It's his job to sit here and wait for possible leads.  You, on the other hand, have no such responsibility.  However, you have a son and two daughters who have not seen you in three days.  I think you owe them your undivided attention for a while." 

He dropped his head in resignation.  "Let me just make sure Wright has -- " 

"Agent Wright can call Assistant Director Skinner if he needs to locate you," she said, not giving an inch and standing as tall as she could when faced with a foot difference in height. 

"Can I wave goodbye through the door?" Mulder asked, slightly annoyed.  

Scully walked over and opened the door, waving in Wright's direction.  She then closed the door and took her partner's hand.  "There, all better.  Let's go get our babies.  I've missed them." 

"You are a hard case," Mulder snickered behind her back. 

"I heard that," she told him as she turned and held the elevator door open for him.  "And don't you forget it."

Maggie Scully's house

Baltimore MD

6:00 pm

Maggie was waiting for them at the door when they drove into the driveway. 

"My, don't you both look nice," she said, holding the screen open for them.  "Did you go someplace special for lunch?" 

Mulder caught Scully's eye and swallowed a nervous laugh.  "Just out and about," he said quickly.  "Where are the kids?" 

At that moment a squeal was heard at about the same time as a ball of lightning jumped into Mulder's arms.  "Daddy, Mommy, you're here!  Can we go home now?" 

Maggie plastered on a forced smile while William hugged first his father and then reached over for his mother, who caught him as he took a flying leap into her arms.  

"Sure, buddy, but we have to get your things together and we have to say goodbye to everybody," Mulder said peeling his son out of his partner's arms before she tumbled over.  

"It's just me at the moment," Maggie said, tucking her hair behind her ear in a gesture Mulder had always thought was Dana's alone.  "Their bags are still packed unless you left something upstairs."  She headed for the back of the house.  "The girls are in the family room." 

Scully licked her lips and Mulder shrugged back at her.  "Mom," she called, giving Mulder a helpless look.  She went after her mother, catching her as she lifted Missy out of the playpen. 

"Mom, is something wrong?" Scully asked, taking her daughter, who happily patted her face.  

"No, nothing's wrong.  It was just rainy and the kids were cooped up.  They missed you both terribly so we decided to bring them home," she said simply and picked up Sammi.  "I think this little one is getting another tooth.  She was pretty cranky." 

Mulder had come in and lifted Sammi out of Maggie's arms.  "Hey, here my sweet girl.  Boy, Daddy sure missed you," he said, hugging her close. 

Maggie sat on the couch, glaring at her daughter.  "They were fine, until it was time to go to bed.  When you didn't call -- " 

Scully's face fell and her mouth dropped open.  "Oh no," she sighed.  "I got to the condo late -- " 

"That was my fault.  I -- uh -- I should have thought," Mulder interjected. 

"Look, it wasn't a big problem.  Ben got William interested in a baseball game on TV and he fell asleep in the living room.  Charlie carried him up to bed.  And the girls were just cranky from all the tension earlier and being away from home.  But I had expected to hear that you'd arrived safely, Dana, if nothing else." 

"Mom, I am so sorry," Dana said, close to tears.  "I didn't think -- " 

"Having children means you have to think -- all the time," Maggie said evenly, standing and walking into the kitchen. 

Missy started to fuss and Scully shook her head.  "She needs to be changed before we go anywhere," she told Mulder, sparing a glance toward her mother in the other room. 

"You go ahead and change her.  Let me try to patch things up," Mulder offered, giving her a faint smile. 

"Mulder, you shouldn't have to -- " 

"Let me?" he asked.  When Missy squirmed in her arms and let out another howl, she nodded. 

In the kitchen Maggie was setting out a few sandwiches on a tray.  "You should have something to eat before you start back to the city," she said, never looking up from her work. 

"Maggie, can we sit down a minute, talk?" Mulder asked, touching her arm.  He looked around, noticing the distinct lack of other family members.   "Where is everybody, by the way?" 

"Bill and Charlie took the boys to the movies, that new one with Lindsey Lohan, Herbie something.  Karen and Tara took Julia with them and went shopping.  We all just figured . . ."  She let her thought hang in the air. 

"Please, let's sit down," Mulder asked, motioning toward the dinette. 

Reluctantly she sat down at the table, back straight, hands folded in front of her.  Mulder drew in a deep breath, hoping it would fortify him for the conversation ahead.  

"Maggie, first of all, I want to apologize for . . . well, for ruining -- " 

She caught his hand and squeezed it before he could finish his sentence.  "Fox William Mulder, you have very little to apologize for, so please don't apologize for something you had no part in." 

"If I hadn't come to the beach -- " he started, but again she interrupted him. 

"Look, regardless of what my oldest son might think and say, you are the head of a family now.  Your place is with them.  And regardless of what others might think, I consider you my son, just as Karen and Tara are now my daughters.  I would not have tolerated it if I had thought you were purposely excluded and I wouldn't tolerate it if you felt you needed to stay away.  That was my fault, for raising such a stubborn and insolent young man with such a vaulted opinion of his place in this family." 

She let go of Mulder's hand and settled back in her chair.  "I know this is hard for you.  I can see it in your eyes.  You have your life a certain way and you want to keep it that way.  I was wrong to expect you all to come here and -- "  She looked away, tears threatening on her lashes.  "I just wanted -- " 

"You wanted us all to get along," Mulder said, reaching over and taking her into a hug.  He released her and smiled at her, wiping away a tear that had trickled down her chin.  "That's exactly what any mother would want." 

She grabbed his hands and held them to her heart.  "Fox, I want you to know something else.  I don't blame you, I don't dislike you, I don't even disapprove of your relationship to Dana.  But to be perfectly honest with you, I just don't understand it.  What is it about marriage that has her so frightened?" 

That caught him by surprise.  He tried to object, but Maggie placed a finger against his lips.  "I know it's not you.  I know you've wanted to marry my daughter for a very long time.  I know you wanted to marry her after you were returned to us, before William was born.  I suspect you wanted to marry her long before that, even.  It's Dana and I just don't understand it.  I always thought Bill and I gave our children a good example of a loving marriage, but with Dana, I guess we failed -- " 

"Maggie, you didn't fail," Mulder exclaimed. 

"Then why is she so afraid of the commitment? When you were both with the FBI it was understandable.  You were partners and even I could see that getting involved would have caused you problems.  I ached to see you hold yourselves so far apart when you loved each other so much.  But when you came back to us and you quit the Bureau, I was certain it would all be better --" 

"I think, I know that Dana has been afraid of what others would do to us for so long," Mulder tried to explain.  "She was so worried that they could use what we have against us.  And maybe that has become deeply rooted in her mind.  I know she loves me.  I know it sounds trite, but I don't need a piece of paper and a ceremony to tell me that she will be beside me forever.  But if it causes so much trouble in her family -- " 

Maggie patted his hand.  "Billy is stubborn.  He was three weeks late and had his own way of doing things right from the start.  And Bill, my Bill, put a lot of unreasonable pressure on him at an early age.  He would tell Billy 'you're the man of the house while I'm away'.  At the time my Bill thought it was just encouragement, but our son took those words to heart, at a time when he wasn't mature enough to understand exactly what was being asked of him."  She shook her head and played with the floral arrangement on the table.  "I wish my Bill were here now, to let Dana know that it's all right to be afraid but you can't let it rule all your actions and to let Billy know that we all have to follow our own hearts," she said with a deep sigh. 

Mulder heard a throat clear and looked up to smile at his partner and their two baby girls.  "Hey, all my pretty ladies in one room.  How lucky can a guy get?" he asked, holding out his arms to take Missy, leaving Scully to hold Sammi. 

"Shouldn't we get on the road soon?" Scully asked tentatively as she sat down.  William trailed behind her, struggling with the twins' diaper bag. 

"Gramma, I need help," he pleaded and Maggie was up out of her chair to help him get the bag the rest of the way into the room.  "I'm hungry," he declared when he finally caught his breath. 

Maggie smiled.  "Just in time.  I have those sandwiches we made while we were waiting for your Mom and Dad," she told him.  Maggie reached over and took Dana's hand.  "Stay, at least for dinner," she asked. 

"Sure Mom," Scully answered. 

The meal was quiet, but not uncomfortable.  Scully was happy to let the whole matter drop, Mulder and Maggie exchanged knowing glances and didn't bring the subject up again.  After a dinner of sandwiches and salad, Mulder helped load the dishwasher as Scully made sure they hadn't left anything behind in the bedroom upstairs. 

Maggie walked them to the door, holding each grandchild close to her.  "Gramma will see you tomorrow, right?" 

"We're taking them down to the Bureau tomorrow, Mom," Dana countered.  "But we're all going to the baseball game on Friday, right?" she asked, looking at Mulder.  

"Orioles and Cincinnati Reds, should be a good game, Baltimore has a great team this year," Mulder said with a gleeful nod. 

"Tara wanted me to tell you that she's not that interested in going to the game so she's staying home with Julia.  If you want to leave the girls here, she'll watch them." 

"Three girls under two years of age -- that's hazardous duty," Scully replied.  "We'll think about it.  But Mulder's convinced the girls love baseball." 

"They watch us play in the backyard all the time, don't they, Will?" Mulder defended.  Scully rolled her eyes and Maggie chuckled.  

"Have a safe trip," she said, waving.  As he was walking to the car, Maggie called out to Mulder.  "Fox, just a minute." 

He trotted over and she hugged him close.  "I'll work on Bill.  You see what you can do with Dana," she said as she broke the embrace. 

"I'm not a miracle worker.  Please don't expect instant results," he whispered. 

"Neither am I but we have to keep trying," she assured him. 

                                               to be continued in Chapter 9

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