The Night Shift Series - Part 8 Death of a Titan and Insane Discoveries by Mulderslady DISCLAIMER: They don't belong to me, wish they did. RATING: P.G.-13 later stories maybe mild R CLASSIFICATION: S, Alternative Universe, X-file KEYWORDS: UST/MSR, Mulder and Scully angst, AU SPOILERS: From All seasons URL: http:/ /www.geocities.com/Area51/Capsule/5160/Nightshift.html FEEDBACK: Please!!! at damacia@home.com ARCHIVE: Oh yeah, anywhere!! SUMMARY: Off-Kilter veteran Paramedic Fox Mulder meets the new Medical Examiner for Georgetown Medical Center, Dr. Dana Scully. A deep friendship instantly develops as they have numerous X-file like adventures on the night shift. Eighth part of the Night Shift series. Friday June 1995 2 am "Scully! You got to see this!" Mulder said bursting into her office and turning on her computer. "What is it Mulder?" "The Holy Grail, the original defense department files on the existence of extraterrestrials." Mulder popped the disk in and pulled up the file. His smile faded as he scrolled down the document. "What kind of sick joke!" Mulder yelled, getting up disgusted, pacing in circles. Scully was shocked by the Un-Mulder like behavior. He had been increasingly erratic recently, prone to violent mood swings. She was worried he was on Speed or something. She looked at the file closer, her eyes widening. "Mulder, I think you have something here." "No I don't! Look at that, it's nothing but gibberish!" "No I recognize it, it's Navajo. My dad said it was the only code the Japanese couldn't break back during WW2. All classified documents were coded with it." "What do you mean?" "I mean this maybe authentic, if you want I can get it translated. It will take a little time to find a code talker but . . ." "Find one, I'll be back." Mulder said as he ran down the hall in response to a call for assistance in the ER. Skinner stopped Mulder coming up the hall. He needed to talk with him about his recent behavior, it was more unpredictable than usual, he was hoping he wasn't on drugs. "Mulder, can I talk with you a minute?" Mulder whirled around quickly. "About what?!" he said sharply. "Your behavior of late has been strange, are you . . ." Mulder began to walk away and Skinner grabbed his arm, only to be greeted by a right hook to the jaw, followed by several more quick jabs to the face. Skinner stunned for a moment pinned Mulder's arms and put him in a headlock. "Are we finished Mulder?" Skinner said, shaking him till he calmed, then releasing him. 4 hrs later Mulder was asleep on his couch when Scully entered the room. She inched forward trying to remain quiet, but a squeaky floorboard gave her away. Mulder's eyes snapped open and he reached for his gun on the coffee table beside him. Scully said, quickly, "Mulder it's me, it's okay. You didn't answer the door." Mulder exhaled heavily, just Scully calm down. "I have some one decoding your files, but the disk is gone." "What?" "I made a couple of hard copies and hid them away, but someone ransacked my office took my computer apart and everything. Mulder whatever it is someone is going to great lengths for you not to know about it. And the things in it about merchandise, payload, and medical numbers I don't understand." "Well we'll find out when it's finished decoding, won't we?" Mulder said viciously "Mulder I just want to know I'm doing the right thing. You need to answer one question before I continue." "What?" "Why did you attack Skinner?" "I've been thinking about that Scully, and I really don't know." Mulder said softly "If he files a grievance, it could mean your job." Mulder smiled a little. "I just need some sleep. I haven't been sleeping that's all. Some sleep and some water." "Okay I'll check on you later." Scully said getting him some tap water and handing it to him. They locked eyes for a moment then Scully left. Saturday 7 p.m. Mulder apt The phone rang, waking Mulder from a much fought for sleep. "Mulder." "Fox William, it's your father. I need to talk with you now." "What about?" "Please, can you come up here son?" "Sure I'll be there." Vineyard Mr. Mulder's place A chill ran through Mulder as he rang the doorbell. It's the middle of summer why am I so cold? He thought as his father opened the door. He looked relieved when he saw Mulder. Mulder stuck out his hand, but his father grabbed him, hugging him fiercely. "Dad?" Mulder asked confused. Mr. Mulder led him into the living room. "Sit, sit. Fox William you're a smart boy. Your ideas are your own. You never caved in, like all your friends. You were always your own person." Mulder smiled, when was the last time his father had said anything nice to him? Why was he so warm and nauseous all of a sudden? "Fox William, back at the state dept, we did things . . . we thought we were doing the right thing. But now . . . You will hear the words and they'll come to make sense to you." "What words dad?" "The merchandise." Merchandise? Scully said something about merchandise in those reports. Was dad involved in a cover up somehow?" "Excuse me, I've been taking some medication." He patted Mulder's shoulder, and smoothed his hair out of his eyes, making him look up at him. He smiled down at his son and went to the bathroom. All Mulder could think about was merchandise, how warm he was, and why his father was being so nice to him, when he heard the shot. He ran to the bathroom and found his father sprawled on the floor. A gunshot wound to the head. He heard a car pull off fast. He focused his attention back to his father. "Dad? Dad! Stay with me Dad! Dad!" "Forgive me. I always wanted the best for you son. Forgive me." Mr. Mulder said with his last breath. Mulder futilely started CPR. He's dead, my father was killed. Why? He thought as he grabbed the old man and held him to his chest. He held him and cried for all the lost years he never spent with him and all the years he'll never get to spend with him. Earlier D.C. Scully walked into Mulder's apartment to find it empty. Where is he? He's not working, they called ME looking for him. His answering machine was blinking and she went over to the desk to check it. She flicked on the light to see the buttons on the answering machine, when something crashed though the window, grazing her brow, knocking her to the ground. Scully heard a car speed off and slowly rose from the ground and shut off the light. She touched her brow, her hand shrinking back when she felt pain and something sticky on her fingers. Blood! That was close, she thought, too close as she quickly exited Mulder's apartment. Vineyard Mulder carried his father back to the living room and laid him on the couch. He looked at him for a minute, brushing away tears. Scully, I need Scully he thought as he picked up his dad's phone and dialed her house. "Scully" She sounds nervous, Mulder thought "He's dead Scully." He said his voice choked with tears. "Mulder? Who's dead?" "My father, They killed him Scully. They killed my father." "Mulder were you arguing?" "I didn't kill him Scully." "Mulder, you need to get out of there." "I can't leave the crime scene Scully. I can't leave my father here alone." "Mulder, if you don't leave, they'll think you did it. Are you carrying your gun?" "Yes." His legs went weak, why am I so tired? "Mulder, you need to leave, your behavior has been erratic, they know your history with your father, you need to come home right now." "Ok meet me at my place." "No Mulder, it's not safe. I think someone shot through your window tonight. They almost killed me, come to my place ok?" "Ok." Mulder hung up the phone went over to his father's body and hugged him one last time and left. Scully place Scully ran to the door relieved when she saw Mulder. "Mulder Oh!" He reached to give her a hug and his knees gave way. "Mulder your sick, come on you need to lie down." She touched his forehead, he was sweaty and hot to the touch, his cheeks were flushed and his eyes dim. He tried to sit in the chair by her door, but Scully pulled him into her bedroom. She eased him onto the bed and he laid across it. He reached to take off his boots, but she shooed his hands away. "I'll do that, concentrate on sleeping ok Mulder?" Mulder nodded and he sat up a little slipping out of his coat. Scully looked at his blood soaked shirt and closed her eyes, remembering the serious distant man she had met not long ago. From the amount of blood on Mulder, it looks like he died quickly. It also looks like Mulder tried desperately to save him. More nightmare fuel, she thought as she unbuttoned his shirt. He still had his work clothes on, does he not have any other clothes?? That's all he ever wears. She fingered his name stitched on the shirt, FW Mulder. I wonder how he got the name Fox. What a coincidence, my father, my brother, his father, and him all have the same name of William. Fox William Mulder, it's a nice name, it fits him. She slipped the shirt off and cut off his undershirt, no saving them anyway, there were soaked in blood. His upper torso was bared to her and she marveled at its golden hue. Nice and muscular, lean, he's got a swimmer's body, she thought. She moved to unbuttoned his pants. When he didn't shift she looked up at him, he was snoring softly. Good, he needs the sleep. She pulled off his boots, Timberlands, size 12 B, she committed the size to memory as she pulled off his pants. She went and got a cold rag, placing it on his head and turned her ceiling fan on, covering him up with only a sheet. As she walked away, she heard him murmur in his sleep. "We have to find them Scully. We have to find who killed my father." "We will Mulder, we will." She said as she closed her bedroom door. Next afternoon 3 p.m. Mulder woke up and for a moment didn't know where he was. This isn't my living room, I'm on a bed, whose bed and where are my clothes? He looked around and caught sight of a picture of a large man in a naval uniform. Scully's I'm at Scully's, where is she? He got up and looked around the apartment. No ones here, I'll call her. As he went to get his cellphone out of his pants pocket, he noticed his gun holster was empty. My gun, she took my gun. He angrily speed dialed her number. "Scully" "You took my gun." "Hey Mulder, how are you feeling?" "You TOOK MY GUN!" Mulder repeated sharply " I had to, I needed your gun to run through ballistics to keep you in the clear. I wanted to run it with the bullet taken out of the wall of your apartment and the one out of your father." "I told you I didn't do it. You don't trust me, do you?" "I trust you Mulder, but I'm the only one who does. That's why I'm running these tests, plus we can narrow down the possible suspects." "I'm coming down there." "You can't, you had a fever of 102 last night. You need to be in bed. I found something that might explain your erratic behavior and your fever last night." Mulder went to the door and tried to open it. It was locked. "You locked me in?!" "I had to, I can't have you roaming the streets right now. I'll be back in 30 minutes, please settle down I'll explain later." "LOOK! You have my gun, you obviously don't trust me so don't ask me for mine!" with that Mulder hung up the phone and fell heavily on the bed. 30 minutes Scully opened the door and found Mulder on the couch unconscious. She sat at the table and opened the toxicology reports she ordered on Mulder's tap water. LSD, Amphetamines, PCP. WOW! She thought as she read the rest of the report. It's a good thing I saw that unmarked van suspiciously hanging around his apartment. A dialysis pump was found in one of the water tanks. This is some how all connected to that disk, Scully thought as she opened the ballistics report. The same gun was used to kill Mr. Mulder and shoot thorough Mulder's window. It wasn't Mulder's, but one like it. They were trying to set Mulder up, but why? What are they afraid he'll find? He's just and EMT, what harm could he do to them? And who are THEY? Jeez, you're beginning to sound like Mulder. She quickly called Skinner and requested some time off. It was granted quickly, she had loads of Vacation time, he was pleased she was finally taking it. She then called Mulder's job and requested some sick leave. It was granted, he had loads of sick and vacation time. 2 weeks for the both of them. That should be enough time to investigate the info she found in the translated files, and that should be enough time for more dating rumors to spread through the hospital about them. She went over to Mulder and petted his hair. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled "Hey Mulder, how do you feel?" "Really weird." "Someone was drugging your water, that's the effects of the drugs wearing off." "What kind of drugs?" "LSD, Speed, PCP. The bullet shot through your window and the one that killed your dad are the same." "The same. Now all we have to do is find the guy." "What we need to do, is find out what's in a mine in Beckley WVA." "WVA? What do you mean?" "The translated files point to a bunch of medical files in this mine. I want to know how many and why?" "Merchandise. The people in the files are merchandise, aren't they?" Scully shrugged and petted his hair again, she loved the way it felt. He leaned into her hand a little "When you're better, I called in and got us two weeks off." "Oh great more rumor fuel. Wonder what they would say if they saw me right now, half naked on your couch." Scully smiled. Finally, my Mulder's coming back, she thought as a wave of exhaustion ran through her. She hadn't slept in about 30 hours. She went and took a shower, switched into some pajamas and collapsed on her bed. She sighed softly, it felt good to be in bed, she thought, plus it smelled just like Mulder. Salty and sweet like Chocolate covered peanuts, with a spicy, very Male scent. She sighed again as she drifted off to sleep. Next morning 8 a.m. Scully woke up acutely aware she was not alone in her bed. She turned quickly to see a sleeping Mulder curled around her. He opened his eyes and smiled "I had a nightmare, I didn't want to be alone." Scully smiled, stretched and ran her fingers through his hair as she got up to get dressed and packed. The drive would do her good and they could kind of turn it into a road trip. She had taken the liberty of packing for Mulder yesterday. She really enjoyed rifling through his clothes and shoes. He likes boots, and Reeboks. He likes Armani suits, but had a really bad tie fetish. She dropped by TJMAXX and picked up a few nice ties and a couple of bags of sunflower seeds. Those things ARE addicting. She had to have some in her pocket at all times now and when she ran out, watch out. Mulder rolled out of bed as Scully finished packing. He went and took a shower, trying to think of something other than his father and merchandise. His thoughts drifted to Scully laying next to him in his arms all night. That had felt so natural, so right. He needed to forget it, he needed to so he wouldn't crave it, desire it. Something was happening, it's revolving around me, and if I get too close to her she could be in danger, Mulder thought. But I need her, she was his drug, something without which he couldn't live. He was so in love with Dana Scully it hurt. He hated being away from her and he desperately wanted to kiss her. He looked down to see himself beginning to harden. Oops, he thought as he quickly switched to cold water. Bad sign, he thought, calm down, she hasn't shown you any sign she loves you more than a friend and you're in her shower, getting off on the idea of kissing her. "Mulder, you okay?" "Fine Scully, fine. Do you have a towel I could use?" "On the toilet seat, I put some clothes in there too. We have to get going if were going to get there before night." Mulder got out and dried himself off and dressed quickly. A sunflower seed Bagel and garlic cream cheese and a cup of Einstein's coffee awaited him at the kitchen table. He smiled and sat down. "They opened an Einstein Bagels Bros. across the street, Dangerous." Scully said as she finished her bagel. "I put the stuff in the car. I think I packed everything you needed." "We'll see, if not I should be able to buy it or borrow yours." Scully blushed imaging him borrowing her underwear. Mulder laughed. "Reading my thoughts again Mulder?" Scully teased "Yeah, but that was a funny one I have to admit." Davy Crockett Motel "Only one room left?" Scully said incredulously "Yep, you and your boyfriend will have to stay in the same room. I understand you being old fashioned and all, but I'm sorry." Mulder smiled and accepted the key. As they walked to the room, Mulder whispered to Scully. "I didn't know you were old fashioned Scully." She gave him THE LOOK as she opened the door. After settling in, she pulled out a map of the mine. "Wow, your really prepared. What else do you do, breakdown engines in your spare time, leap tall buildings in a single bound?" "Yeah, but I don't wear red underwear and tights to do it." "So that's why it's called a power suit." Scully smiled "Come on Mulder get serious, this is your quest Sherlock." "I know I was reading the files. They mention Samantha and you. Is that why you've done all this, come all this way?" Scully turned and looked at him with serious, but vulnerable eyes. "I need to know why I'm in their files and what they did to me." Mulder came over to the table and they planned their attack. Next day 9 a.m. They pulled up to the mine and got out walking though the maze of stairs till they came up to 5 sealed doors. Scully looked at the pages of files she brought with her and went to the third door and punched in a code, then she opened the door hesitantly "Mulder, if we see something in here that casts doubt on the type of man your father was . . ." "I know Scully, but I have to know, and so do you." Mulder said pushing the door open and flicking on his flashlight. "What are these?" "File Cabinets" Scully said finding an light switch and flicking it on. "Lots of File Cabinets" Mulder said, pulling open one at random. Date order, everything in date order. 1963. Mulder ran to 1965 and rifled through the files till he found the one he was looking for, Samantha Ann Mulder. "Scully, she's here!" Mulder said pulling it out and reading it "Vaccination records and tissue samples. What gives? There's something under her label." Mulder said pulling her label off a bit to reveal his name. "Fox William Mulder. Oh my god, it was originally your file Mulder." Scully gasped. Mulder looked at Scully for a second and ran to find her file. "Do you think I'm in here?" Mulder answered her question by pulling out her file. "When, When was this taken? This is a fresh tissue sample! How did they get it?" Mulder looked at her, realization dawning in his eyes. "Abductees! These are files of Abductees!" "Aliens are keeping files on us Mulder?" Scully's tone dripping with sarcasm "No the men who are working with them are." The alien thing was hard to believe, but the men who were working with someone wasn't, Scully thought. But why and who? Loud footsteps and helicopter sounded nearby. "We have to get out of here now." Mulder said grabbing her hand and running towards a light. They popped out right by their car and got in, speeding away. "Who are they Mulder?" Scully said, pressing the gas more. "It looks like CIA cars. What are they doing here and armed to the teeth?" Mulder sat back in his chair. "We've gotten too close to something Scully, way too close." "Maybe we should take the long way back home, huh Mulder?" "That sounds like a great idea." An old British man walked up to the cigarette smoking man "Those two seem to be a problem." "No, no problem. They saw nothing, just some medical files. They can't appreciate the grandeur of the project. They don't even know the project exists." "Then how did they get here?" "I don't know, but I'll definitely find out."