It takes a bit of doing, and much back and forth talking, before
they finally get around to making things halfway clear.....
Of course, they do this inside the TARDIS....
Of course, Mulder wasn't expecting the larger interior of the TARDIS,
and was very much amazed by it.......
"But after finding yourself in another universe where I'm fictional,"
he says calmly, sipping his tea, "And then seeing the sun change color........"
He shakes his head and mutters something that the others can't follow.
Just as well....
"But if this is your world, then....what am I doing here?" Betty
asks Betty 1, lost.
"You're a victim of the unlamented Author Scott....who has since been
neutralized," the Doctor sighed, patting the distressed Betty's hand. "As
are many others, after a fashion.....this and one other Earth, in point
of fact! He did, after all, set the Master I encountered and another one
on a course that could have very well destroyed those worlds....and much
more....."
The others nod at that, though the FBI agents still seem to be having
a hard time getting there....mind around all of it.
Finally, they manage.
"Oh well," Mulder finally says, "I guess I shouldn't be sorry to hear
that ‘your' Master got mauled by a.....griffon first.....then killed out
and out by one rather irate Diane Walker."
"I never did like that character," Dana Scully murmured, "He always
struck me as being a two dimensional villian.....I always thought the Rani
had more flair."
"The who?" The Doctor asks, causing Scully to chuckle for some reason.
"Usually it's others who do that," she says after a bit.
"The Rani is an evil renegade Time Lady....that you might have met if
things hadn't changed so drastically," Betty 1 explained to him.
"This business of ‘What could have been.' is exceedingly strange," the
Time Lord finally says.
The others nod in agreement.
"But there is one thing, Doctor," Mulder finally asks, "You say that
we are all from different universes and such. Is there a way to return?"
The sad look that the Doctor gives is answer enough.
"So the answer is no," Scully (Special Agent no longer) sighs.
"So....not only are we broke....even though we have money in our pocket
and credit cards," Mulder says, disgusted, "Not only are we confused for
the TV show....but there's no way at changing thing? What about my sister?"
The Doctor, who'd learned of the background story from Stacy along the
way of introductions of them all, takes on a thoughtful look.
"Well, I did not say that," the Doctor temporized, "See, I and my ‘brothers'
have connections within that large organization of people called the Military.
They happened to be set on helping things calm down a touch here on this
Earth and another one that's something like five hundred light years from
Terra Prime......."
Scully and Mulder just nod at that one.
"While I am not certain that you two would be interested in enlisting
in the Military," the Doctor continues, "Being that, while they are nice
enough chaps, I sometimes get the feeling that they can be....shall we
say what can only be termed....er.....Hardcore."
"I kind of gathered that," Scully nods.
Mulder also agreed, silently.
"But a few words could be whispered what could be a newly emerging intelligence
organization back on Terra Prime," the Doctor continued, "A chap who calls
himself Probe....interesting one that one.....who's mentioned in passing
on organizing the Intelligence branch of the newly formed United Nations
there."
"Don't tell me he's going to call it UNIT?" Scully smiled, only to stare
when the Doctor, a bit embarrassed, nods.
"Sound.....intriguing," Mulder though aloud, "And it has the added benefits
of being gainfully employed in a similar field..."
"And we could be taken a bit more seriously than we are being taken
here on this planet," Scully agreed, remembering the incident where the
sheriff deputy had thrown her FBI badge on the ground, annoyed and unbelieving
of her.
The experience had left an extremely bitter taste in her mouth. That
was the reason why she (and Mulder) were seriously considering on taking
up this offer....if it ever developed.
"It's an idea, anyway," the Doctor continued, "The general impression
I got from Probe was that he was looking for a few good men...and women.
Now, as for your sister....."
Mulder suddenly distant gaze isn't so distant as his eyes snap on the
Doctor.
"Now, I may be wrong....but perhaps if I can speak with One rather special
Being," the Doctor continues, softly. "I doubt that anything will come
of it....but if I can....I'll see if I can arrange something about getting
your sister free of this Smoking Man....and back to you."
Mulder, looking utterly floored, finally manages to whisper his thanks.
"But now I must be on my way," the Doctor sighs, looking over at Betty
1 and Ragan, "When the Military envoys arrive they'll be able to settle
issues in a more suitable manner, my dears. That I at least hope, but right
now you did say you wanted to get back home....to experience it as it changes
radically when those futuristic fellows did arrive."
"I did at that," Betty 1 agreed, "And that little arrangement we made
with Evis 7 to.....create a paper trail.....social security number and
such for my ‘sister'....and perhaps now for the others here as well..."
"Well enough then," the Doctor nods. "I shall return soon, though, if
just to pay respect.... and even visit your sister. That and a little jaunt
around the galaxy...."
The last was said with a twinkle in the Doctor's eye. Betty 1 and her
‘sisters' Betty and Ragan looked absolutely thrilled with that idea. They
all knew that their genetic sibling would be absolutely thrilled, indeed!
All too soon the Time Lord departed, but not before signing a few autographs
(much to his chagrin when asked for it).
"Oh, but Mom is going to flip when she finds out that she now has two
more daughters," Betty 1 mutters s she and the others begin to break.
After Betty 1 get's over the shock of seeing Betty's truck ("Didn't
I roll that?" she asks herself, befuddled), they get to where they need
to be. Curfew was coming soon at sundown, you know.....
Later, after bidding farewell to Mulder and Scully (and getting back
to their places before curfew), they meet Betty 1's genetic sibling and
her husband (who'd gone back to Becky 1's trailer after a while).
The encounter was strange, but after the strangeness Betty 1's genetic
sister had already been exposed to, it wasn't as shocking as it could have
been.
Days later, the local news is screaming about a message from space....an
offer to help...... The Military had arrived.
There was a lot of hoopla about it all, but another, quieter story unfolded
as Doctor What returned after having become a Champion for the Rules and
Agents....and aiding in the rescue of Fred 8 (from the Terra Prime story
thread) along with three things: a job offer for the displaced FBI agents,
a ride offer to the Bettys, and......
"Sis?!" Mulder whispers, shocked.
Part of the price that Doctor What asked for in return for becoming
a Champion was for the Rules to get Mulder's sister.
An Agent handled the job, and restored the cyrogentically stored (best
way to keep viable genetic samples for cloning and such)....to the age
she'd been when she'd been abducted while Mulder was still....very much
a child.
-
In other
words....Mulder's sister was now sixteen....again.
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