Flight into Egypt 7:  Going Home

Author:  Vickie Moseley

                                       Chapter 10 Exigency

Crystal City Place

June 8, 2005

5:05 am

Scully felt the bed shift and was vaguely cognizant of the cool air-conditioned breeze against her bare shoulder.  "Where are you going?" she asked sleepily as she saw Mulder tiptoeing around the bedroom. 

"Going for a run, I'll be back in half an hour." 

"No more pancakes, Mulder.  Bring back bagels," she said around a yawn and snuggled back into the blankets. 

"Your wish is my command," he grinned as he leaned over and kissed her ear.  "Love you." 

"Love you, too," she mumbled, or something that sounded like it.  She was asleep again before he left the room. 

A quick peek in on the occupants of the other two rooms showed that both twins were still fast asleep and William was out for the count.  Mulder made quick work of tying his shoes, stuffing his driver's license and his keys in his pocket and headed out the door. 

After Maggie left for Baltimore, Scully had told him about her mother's concerns.  Mulder could have seen that one coming, but he didn't.  Life was so much easier when 'family' was two thousand miles away, not seeing every little thing you did wrong.  He hadn't really had his family looking over his shoulder since he left for England.  It was hard coming to terms with this bunch of people he'd been peripherally aware of now being drawn closer as an extension of his and Scully's little nuclear family unit.  They might not be married, but it sure felt like he was having 'in-law troubles'. 

Maggie was just worried that they were getting sucked into the FBI again.  Mulder could understand that concern, hell, he shared it.  But the fact remained that he really did feel it was necessary to help Agent Wright in any way they could.  The kid was green but he had good instincts.  More than that, he was interested in the X Files.  The threat of colonization might be permanently on hold, but that wasn't the only case in those file drawers.  They had plenty of just plain weird cases to show for their trouble.  Plenty of weird, dangerous cases.  Remembering a few as he jogged up one of Georgetown's quaint side streets, he shuddered.  It was a wonder he and Scully were still alive.  No wonder Maggie didn't want them getting involved in that again.  He felt his resolve building with each passing mile he ran, but at the same time, the thought of leaving Wright's case behind made his gut wrench.  He couldn't do that, he couldn't leave without knowing.  

'You're chasing your tail,' he thought as he crossed a street at the light.  He spied the little bakery in the middle of the block and was relieved to see there was no line.  He jogged inside and told the young lady behind the counter what he needed.  As he waited for his order, his mind was still on the case.  

If he could just help Wright figure out who was killing these people, they could all relax and enjoy their vacation.  How hard could it be when the killer left his name on a log-in sheet?  But he'd called Wright at the office and found that Chris Davey had fallen off the face of the earth right about the same time as Kelly Ryan's death.  Had the man changed his name, gone into hiding after his friend turned murderer?  

Or was there another explanation?  He and Scully had seen a shadow, all that was left of a body exposed to dark matter, on the wall of the particle accelerator.  But whose shadow was it?  They had assumed it was Chester Banton.  What if that was what they were supposed to believe? 

He was deep in thought as he rounded the corner to go back to the condo.  He had to get back to the office, read the report he'd submitted to Skinner about Chester Banton all those years ago.  Maybe there was something there that could help him find the answers. 

The elevator was stuffy and by the time he made it to the 17th floor, he was itchy and in definite need of a shower.  He slipped the key into the lock and stepped into the foyer.  Silence.  Everyone must still be asleep.  He dropped the bag of bagels and cream cheese on the kitchen counter, stepped over to the phone in the living room and quickly dialed a number. 

"Jeremy, it's Mulder.  Oh, sorry, no I didn't realize it was only 6.  What time do you normally go to the office?  Wow, really?  Oh.  Well, could you move that up a bit and meet me down there in about half an hour?  I think I have a lead." 

He gently returned the phone to the charger and was turning around when he bumped into his partner, literally.  Scully was standing there in her short satin robe and a very dour expression. 

"Going somewhere?" she asked, arms crossed and eyes blazing. 

"Um, to the shower.  Bagels are in the kitchen, I got you a whole wheat one."  He neatly sidestepped her and started up the stairs.  

"I heard you on the phone, Mulder.  You're going to the Bureau." She followed him up the stairs, through the master bedroom and into the attached bathroom.  "What lead do you think you have?" 

Mulder was pulling off his shorts and tugged the tee shirt over his head.  "Scully, remember that investigation we did as a favor to Kelly Ryan?" 

"The one that got her killed, yeah, I remember," she said, her demeanor not softening a bit. 

He started the water in the shower and turned toward her, continuing despite her stern expression.  "OK, after we found Det. Ryan's . . . remains, we went to the lab.  If you remember, the particle accelerator was on and we watched a body disintegrate while being bombarded with subatomic particles -- " 

"Dark matter, yes.  Chester Banton was in the accelerator," she said, taking a seat on the counter while he stepped into the spray and closed the shower glass door. 

"No, Scully, we have no proof that was Chester Banton.  Remember, Chester had a partner -- " 

"Chris Davey.  The man who signed into the log in sheet at Benson Industries and then killed Mrs. Endicott." 

"No, that's what he wants us to think.  Scully, Chris Davey is dead, he's been dead for ten years.  Chester Banton killed Mrs. Endicott." 

Scully pulled open the door to the shower, getting wet from the water shooting off her partner's body.  "Mulder, wherever did you get that harebrained idea?" 

He stopped scrubbing his underarms to stare at her.  "Scully, that body was placed in that accelerator expressly for us to find.  But there had already been an attempt to take Chester Banton, an attempt that I assumed was from the consortium.  He was lightning in a bottle to them, Scully.  He could kill with this shadow!  You know they wanted to find out what he could do to an enemy force -- an alien invasion." 

"I'm not following," she said, dropping her robe to the floor and joining him in the shower. 

"OK," he said patiently, handing her the shampoo when she motioned for it.  "Someone took Chester Banton from the hospital before he could be transferred to county lock up.  But Banton escaped and headed back to Polarity Magnetics -- his lab.  When we showed up, Det. Ryan was dead, a body was in the accelerator and Banton was missing.  We assumed it was Banton in the accelerator.  But what if it had been Davey in the accelerator and the consortium nabbed Banton, this time for keeps." 

"The consortium doesn't exist anymore, Mulder.  It was systematically eliminated by Will's friend," she reminded him, pushing his shoulder so he would turn and she could wash his back. 

"Then what happened to all the people they've been collecting over the years, Scully?" Mulder asked quietly. 

She gasped softly and bit her lip.  The thought had never occurred to her.  What had happened to all those people?  The Eves, Brad Wilczek, Cecil L'ively, a lot of people, some innocents, some very dangerous.  

"I think I better call Wright," Mulder said, breaking into her thoughts.  "Maybe I don't need to go to the Bureau.  I think I need to see what's left of Polarity Magnetics."  He opened the shower door and stepped out, leaving her still standing there.  She watched his naked back through the steamed glass. 

"I guess the thrill really is gone," she muttered with a roll of her eyes. 

"I heard that," he shouted back.  "And I have every intention of proving you wrong, later tonight!" 

She wrapped herself in her terry cloth robe from the back of the bathroom door and headed after him.  He was already in his boxers and a tee shirt; dressing at light speed.  "Mulder, wait a minute," she pleaded as he stepped into the walk-in closet, pulling out a suit and dress shirt.  "Just wait, please?" 

He didn't turn to face her, only sighed.  He stood looking down at the clothes in his hands and shook his head.  "What, Scully?  What do you want?"  He still refused to turn and look at her 

She reached over and took his hand, pulling him to the bed.  She took the hangers from his fingers and hung the clothes on the valet, then sat down beside him.  "I really don't want you to go to after this man by yourself." 

"I said I'd call Wright," he said casually. 

"Mulder, Jeremy is a nice guy, and he'll make a great agent, but not yet.  And you haven't been in the field for four years.  You haven't touched your weapon since last summer and you'd be going there unarmed today.  I don't like it." 

"What if I stay on the side lines, just go along with Wright and let him handle it?" he offered. 

She closed her eyes and shook her head.  "Like that would ever happen," she muttered.  

"You don't understand," he said, defeat heavy in his voice. 

When she looked at him again, his expression caused her to pause.  "Why do you feel you have to do this, Mulder?  Tell me, so I can understand." 

He chewed his lip, searching for words to explain what he was feeling.  "It's not that I want to come back to the old life, Scully.  Please, don't ever think that.  But it's like some part of that life is still pulling at me.  Something feels unfinished and I just want to get it over with so we can move on -- so I can move on.  I left here with you three years ago.  I never expected that we'd find happiness. I never expected that we'd find William," he said, shaking his head.  "Scully, I got my heart's desire.  But it's all been out of place since I went to Oregon.  When I got back, Kersh was determined to shove me out.  Doggett was your partner and even though I know you weren't doing it intentionally, you wanted me as far away from the X files as you could get me."  She tried to interrupt but he put a finger to her lips. 

"I understand your motives, really I do.  You wanted to protect me.  Hell, Scully, how many times in our life together have you accused me of being overprotective?  Pot, meet kettle," he said with a sad smile. "But the truth of the matter is, I was shoved out before I was ready." 

"So what about now?" she asked, almost dreading the answer. 

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed each knuckle.  "Now, I just want to get this case over with because it's the last.  I'm ready to leave.  I just want to go out right." 

She fought the tears in her eyes and swallowed to loosen her tight throat.  "Mulder, when you had to leave us, after Will was born, I was left behind.  I worked with Doggett and Reyes on some of their cases but to be honest, I really had no joy in that.  I felt like I was just going through the motions.  Without you, it was meaningless to me."  One tear escaped her lashes and she wiped at it quickly.  "All I wanted was to be with you again." 

He shook his head, sure she didn't comprehend what he was saying but this time she stopped him with a hand on his cheek.  "I left the Bureau and the X files.  I wasn't forced out.  I was happy to go.  I had my 'last dance'.  I understand your wanting to have one, too." 

"I'll be careful," he promised.  "I'll do this and be back with you, no looking back, no regrets." 

"Just come back to me," she said, leaning over and kissing him soundly.  She would have gone further, but the sound in the next room stopped them short.  "You get dressed, I'll put on the coffee and toast those bagels you bought." 

She rose from the bed and started for the door, but he caught her hand and she stopped to look at him.  "I love you, you know that," he said, his voice full of emotion. 

She smiled at him, love and amusement in her eyes.  "Yeah, I know that.  You better know it, too." 

He was able to match her grin.  "Never doubted it." 

Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC 

The city streets were pretty deserted at the hour of 6:30 am, so Mulder had little trouble finding a decent parking space.  He bounded up the door to the Hoover Building and knocked on the glass.  Luckily, the guard was someone who remembered him well and smiled brightly as he opened the door. 

"Agent Mulder!  I do declare!  Oh, wait, it's 'Mister' Mulder, I hear tell.  So, how is Agent, er, Miss Scully?  I heard through the grapevine you two have a brood now." 

"James, you still moonlighting for the CIA?" Mulder teased as he signed the visitor's register and accepted a pass.    

James laughed and shook his head.  "Oh, Agent Wright called, said he'd be a little late.  Told me to have you go on down to your old office, he'll catch up with you shortly.  I guess you know the way?" 

"I can probably remember it," Mulder replied with a wink.  "And I'll tell Scully you asked about her.  For the record, we have William and twin girls, Melissa and Samantha.  Hardly a 'brood'," he tossed over his shoulder. 

"Man, you're just gettin' started!" James retorted as Mulder disappeared into the elevator car that would take him to the basement. 

He flipped on the light and was once again amazed at how little had changed.  He recognized most of the banker boxes lining the hallway, many of them yellowed with age.  Files of little note, interdepartmental memorandum, extra copies of the employee newsletters, all awaiting records retentions schedules that had passed them by decades ago.  "One match," Mulder mused aloud as he made his way to the door in the middle of the hall. 

Obviously the Bureau saw no need to lock an unoccupied office, Mulder put his hand on the knob and found the door opened with ease.  Again hitting the light switch, he walked over to the desk along the opposite wall, where he used to sit.  As he sat down in the chair, he noted that it wasn't his old desk.  His desk's bottom drawer never closed properly and had a mismatched drawer pull on file drawer.  This desk was near the same age, probably first issued around the time of Elliot Ness. 

He leaned back and put his feet firmly on the desk surface.  Memories danced in his mind.  'Do you believe in the existence of extra-terrestrials?'  'Given the distances needed to travel the far reaches of space . . . '  Mulder chuckled as he remembered his partner, just a slip of a woman, a girl, really, all prim and professional and so damned beautiful --

"Make yourself at home," came a voice from the doorway. 

Mulder startled and almost ended up on his ass for his trouble.  Finally getting his feet to the floor and grabbing the desktop in a death grip, he regarded his intruder.  "Hey, Walter.  What are you doing here so early?" 

"I still work here," Skinner said dryly, stepping forward and slouching comfortably in the chair at the other desk.  "Gathering wool?" he asked, a look of concern in his eyes. 

Mulder smiled.  "Old times," he replied.  "Does this thing work or is it a really cheap paperweight?" he subtly changed the subject and nodded toward the computer at his right elbow. 

"It works.  What do you need?" 

"Access to our old files.  Reports I sent to you.  Are any of them on the system?" 

"Should be," Skinner answered, frowning.  "How far back?" 

Mulder winced.  "About 10 years." 

Skinner shook his head.  "I have a folder on my personal drive."  He waved Mulder out of the chair, booted up the machine and accessed his files.  "Here.  Now promise me you won't go hunting around the system using my password.  I have 8 months until retirement and Kim is hoping that she won't have to support the both of us on her salary." 

Mulder chuckled.  "I just want one file, Walter.  As a matter of fact, I can find it, print it out and we can shut the sucker off."  He glanced at the heading and frowned.  "Laffoday?  What kind of file folder name is that?" 

"One I created when I got your first reports.  I thought it very appropriate," Skinner replied, crossing his arms.  His whole demeanor screamed at Mulder to challenge his comment. 

Mulder stared at his friend for a moment and then turned back to the computer.  "Ah, you filed them by case number.  This should be easy."  In seconds he had the right file on the screen and gleefully hit the print button.  "One thing you have to give bureaucracies -- they know how to keep arcane shit!" 

"I'm so happy you approve," Skinner responded dourly.  "Mulder, about what I said the other day down here.  I don't want this to cause you and Scully any trouble -- " 

"Scully and I are fine, Walter," Mulder said with a faint smile.  "I just need to get a few things out of my system.  But believe me, if you're looking for someone to move in down here -- I'm not your man.  Scully and I have a very nice life out in Montana and I'm finally realizing how much I miss it." 

"As long as you know what you're doing, Mulder," Skinner said, clearly not too sure he did. 

Skinner left Mulder to his own devices, with one last warning glare as he exited the room.  Mulder poured over the report, a grin on his face, letting the memories overwhelm him.  The year was 1995.  He remembered clearly the time of year, the color of the coat Scully wore, the way they chattered all they way out to Richmond.  The baseball season had just started and Scully refused to let him listen to the pre-game show, insisting on tuning in a static-heavy edition of 'Performance Today' on National Public Radio.  He had been so damned glad to have her in the car, even six months after her return, that he let her have her radio station until they lost it just south of the exit for US 17, but she found another classical channel and they'd listened to that the rest of the 2 hour trip. 

He remembered his excitement when they began the investigation.  One man missing, only a black scorch mark on the floor.  According to the report, and to his memory of the day, Scully had been the one to suggest the scorch mark could have been burned human remains.   It was one of those moments that would always remind him just how much he loved his partner.  Skeptic to a fault, yet with a mind as open as the wide Montana sky. 

Flipping through the pages, he finally found what he was looking for.  At that moment, Wright arrived looking somewhat like he'd just stepped out of the shower and thrown his clothes on.  "Sorry, I got held up in traffic, believe it or not," he said breathlessly, setting his Starbucks cup on the desk and looking over Mulder's shoulder.  "Is that the latest autopsy?" 

"No, it's a report from an old file, but one that I think we need to revisit, or in your case, visit for the first time."  Mulder stood up and stretched.  "Have a look." 

Wright settled in the offered chair and after a few minutes, looked up at Mulder.  "So the guy at Benson Industries who signed in and then killed Mrs. Endicott was involved in one of your old investigations.  But when I ran his name, I came up with nothing for the last 10 years." 

"I know," Mulder agreed. 

"You think he was hiding all that time?" Wright asked. 

"No.  What came out of those prints on the stapler?" 

"I'm supposed to get those first thing this morning," Wright replied, looking at his watch.  "Which is in about an hour." 

"Wrong," Mulder said with a grin and handed Wright the phone.  "Call the lab.  I'm betting they have the results, they're just waiting for you to come get them." 

Wright looked dubious, but placed the call.  After a few 'uh-huhs', he hung up and regarded Mulder.  "How did you know -- " 

"I always kept weird hours, Wright, but I quickly discovered the geeks up in the lab kept even weirder hours.  They like to work when the building's deserted.  That's when no one can catch on to their voodoo practices."  He shooed Wright toward the door, the young man still giving him questioning looks.  "Hurry up.  Time's a wasting." 

Wright was back in under ten minutes.  "They had it, but they weren't happy," he said, tossing the folder down on the desk. 

"What do you mean?" Mulder asked, picking up the folder. 

"They told me the prints are from a dead guy.  Dead a long time," Wright said, dropping into the chair in front of the desk with a tired sigh.  He ran his hand over his face and shook his head.  "A dead end." 

"Chester Banton," Mulder read from the pages in the folder.  He looked up and smiled at Wright.  "Agent, have you ever known a dead guy who could melt a stapler with his hand?" 

Wright shot Mulder a look.  "Maybe the prints weren't clear enough.  That has to be a mistake." 

Mulder shook his head in the negative.  "No.  No mistake.  This is what I thought we'd find.  C'mon, we don't have much time." 

"Where are we going?" Wright asked as he stood to follow Mulder to the door. 

"Richmond, a little industrial park that was once home to a particle accelerator.  If I'm correct in my assumptions, that's where we'll find Chester Ray Banton." 

                           to be continued in Chapter 11

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