'Ah,' Mulder pouted a little. 'Scully's giving up.'
'What?'
'Whatever.' He imitated her. 'That's the give-up.'
'It is not.' She said. 'It's indifference.'
'If telling yourself that makes you feel better-'
��Whatever� means that I'm done with you now. That it's not worth my time.'
He stood up. 'You're just angry that I won.'
'You did not.' She leaned out the window to look up at him.
'Think I did.'
'You thought wrong.'
He held up a hand at her. 'Whatever.'
She burst into laughter. He smiled and put his hands in his pockets, watching her laugh. She looked back up at him, smiling.
'I think my work here is done.' Mulder said.
'You came out here to cheer me up?'
'Did it work?'
She smiled again. 'Yes, I think it did.'
'Then that's why I came out here.' He said.
She paused. 'Is that the Mulder answer?'
He looked down at the ground and kicked a rock. 'Kinda.'
'The innocent boy act comes into play.' She mocked him. 'Is there something wrong Mulder?'
He shrugged. 'I just didn't like the way we left things earlier, you know?' He looked up at her. 'I didn't like the way you left.'
'Did you think I was angry with you?'
�No.� He shook his head, looking at the ground again. 'I just felt like, I don't know...Unresolved.'
'Unresolved.'
'I could have said more.' He glanced at her quickly before looking away. 'I didn't want you thinking I didn't, care.'
There was a beat of silence before she spoke up. 'Mulder, I know you care. You've been very supportive about my cancer.'
'It's not just that, Scully.' He said softly.
'Then what is it, Mulder?' She suddenly couldn't look at him anymore. She felt on the verge of tears and didn't know why.
Mulder didn't answer, and when she looked back at him, he was still, staring down at his shoes.
'Mulder?' She asked. 'What is it?'
He shook his head, but still didn't answer.
She sighed and got out of the car. She closed the door and leaned against it, crossing her arms. 'We can stand here all night, if you'd like. I know you came out here for a reason.'
'To cheer you up.' He said, not averting his gaze from the ground.
Scully studied him. 'I thought that was the Mulder answer. Why can't you talk to me?'
A moment of silence stretched out. Scully was just about to get back in the car when Mulder did something that caught her quite off guard. He suddenly clucked like a chicken.
'Mulder?' She took a closer look at him, only to hear him cluck again. She stepped up to him and gazed into his face. 'Mulder, why are you clucking?'
'I'm searching my soul.' He suddenly looked up at her. 'Let's get some dinner, Scully.'
'Dinner, Mulder-'
'Oh come on, come on.' He took her hands and pushed her towards the car. 'I'm buying.'
She regarded him skeptically. 'You're buying?'
'Yes,' He said, opening her car door for her. 'I'll even let you drive.'
'And we're not going to that horrible place that brings their coffee in those big Styrofoam cups?'
'No, let's go to that Thai place over by Fourth.'
'Thai Racha, Mulder.' She smiled over at him. 'That's my favorite.'
'Agent Scully.'
Scully jerked awake in the car to find them in front of her apartment building. She suddenly remembered where she was. Skinner was driving her home from the hospital.
'We�re here.' He said, getting out to open her door.
Scully didn't want to leave the wonderful memory she was sifting through. She wanted to relive the entire evening she was just remembering. She closed her eyes for a few moments more until Skinner opened her door and held his hand towards her.
'Thank you, Sir.'
He walked her up to the door. 'Will you be alright?'
'I'll be fine.' Scully nodded. 'I'm just going to sift through my mail and make something to eat.'
'Why don't you let me take care of dinner, Agent Scully.'
Scully smiled, she really didn't want to be left alone. 'Are you sure?'
'To be quite honest with you, I'm not in the mood to go do piles of paperwork. I'll go pick something up, what do you feel like?'
Scully smiled to herself before looking up at him. 'I'd really love some Thai food.'
***
'Are you sure there's no meat in this?' Scully asked, digging through her Phad Thai.
'I asked for vegetarian Phad Thai, three stars.' Skinner said. 'Since when do you not eat meat, Agent?'
'Since I'm pregnant, Sir.' She dug her chopsticks into the noodles. 'There's a lot of hormones and antibiotics in meat.'
'There's organic meat that's hormone-free.' Skinner said. 'My wife wouldn't eat anything else.'
'I doubt Thai Racha uses it.' Scully replied, stuffing noodles into her mouth. She rolled her eyes. 'I looooove Phad Thai.'
'So, you had all the tests run? Everything's fine so far?'
She nodded, chewing. 'Everything seems normal. What's wrong?'
Skinner's whole head was bright red; he had stopped chewing and was staring over at her. Suddenly, he reached for his tea, nearly knocking over her water. 'Holy shit!' He exclaimed, draining his glass.
Scully began to giggle and rushed to her refrigerator to get him a beer. 'It's the only thing that works.' She laughed, opening it for him.
He took some huge swallows. 'My mouth is on fire, my God!'
She sat back down. 'How hot did you get it?'
Skinner took another drink. 'Five stars.'
Scully set her chopsticks down. 'A little brave tonight?'
He smiled at her. 'A little macho tonight, couldn't have you eat something more manly then mine.'
'The first time Mulder had Thai food, he did the same thing. He nearly choked to death on his food. All the waiters were gathered around the table...� She began to laugh. 'Everyone was handing him all their drinks, he couldn't get them down fast enough.'
Skinner was laughing too. 'I think I remember that night.'
She pointed her chopsticks at him, her eyes wide. 'You were there that night, I completely forgot.'
'Yes, you told me about it later that night, when we ran into each other at-'
'That Japanese bar.' She finished with him, both of them laughing.
***
'So, are you okay now, Mulder?' Scully smiled up into his face.
'I am never taking you out again.' Mulder replied. 'Every time we go out to dinner, you try to kill me.'
She slapped his arm playfully. 'I do not!'
'What about that time we were working that case in Seattle? You had to go to that Cajun place.'
'The Ragin' Cajun.' She said innocently. 'What about it?'
'The Jambalaya's great, Mulder!' He mocked her. 'Not spicy at all!'
'It wasn't!'
He turned towards her. 'I had blister's in my mouth!'
She started to laugh. 'No you didn't, big baby.'
They were taking a walk after dinner. Mulder felt he needed the cool air after his spicy meal.
'Hey Scully. You wanna get a beer?'
She shrugged. 'Sure, sounds good.' Scully was glad the evening, which had started out so horribly, was turning out so nice. They hadn't done this sort of thing in a long time.
He took her hand. 'I know a great little dive just up the street and I'm not really ready to go home just yet.'
'A dive?' Scully smiled. 'You must be moving up in the world.'
Mulder dropped her hand and held his up at her. 'Whatever.'
The dive turned out to be a Japanese Karaoke bar. They took a table in the back of the smoky, dark room and leaned in close to hear each other over the horrible screeching of the singers.
'I don't know, Mulder.' Scully said. 'I've never had sake before.
'You, Scully?' He was pouring their drinks from a small carafe. 'Miss Educated? Miss Cultured? Miss Traveled The World Three Times Over?'
'Okay, Mulder.'
'Miss I'll Eat Anything Passed My Way?'
'You're picking again.'
He handed her a glass and clicked his against hers. 'Cheers.'
'Cheers.' She watched him take it as a shot, then did the same.
'Yeah!' Mulder said loudly, slamming his glass down.
'Oh yeah.' She said a little less enthusiastic, grimacing.
'How is it?' He asked her.
'Strong.' Scully replied.
'Then let's have another!' He refilled their glasses.
A few carafes and couple of beers later, they were giggling at everything.
'I never knew you were in Japan, Mulder!'
'Only for a month.' He said. 'I followed someone there.'
'Someone you thought was involved in your sister's kidnapping?'
Mulder burst into laughter. 'No silly. Always thinking work.' He reached out and touched the end of her nose. 'I followed a girl.'
'A girl?'
'Well don't seem so surprised, Scully.' He took another swallow of beer. 'She was a student at Oxford. Japanese.' He leaned in and whispered. 'Her father didn't like me so she cut it off.'
'Oh.' She said, unsure what to say to his uncharacteristic revealing of his past. She suddenly decided that she wanted more behind the mysterious man and smiled at him. 'So what else don't I know about you, Mulder?'
'I think it's your turn, Scully.' He said, leaning in and smiling. 'Truth or dare.'
'What?' She grinned back at him. 'Truth or dare?'
'Come on!' He smiled.
�No.� She looked away, laughing. 'I am not going to play truth or dare with you.'
'Oh come on!' He sank back in his chair. 'What's wrong? Chicken?'
Scully shook her head, smiling.
'I'll start clucking again.' He warned.
'Truth.'
'Are you a virgin?'
'Mulder!' She looked at him wide-eyed.
'What? It's not National Security.' He appeared to think for a moment, then laughed. 'Well, I don't know, maybe it is...'
'No, I'm not.' She glared at him. 'Happy now?'
They sat in silence, listening to someone wrap up 'The Way We Were.'
'Your turn, Mulder. Truth or dare.'
'Dare.'
Scully seemed surprised. 'Dare?'
'Of course.' He took another swallow. 'I ain�t no fool.'
'We'll just see about that.' An evil grin spread across her face. 'I dare you to go sing.'
'Sing?' He looked at the stage. 'Up there?'
'Where else?' She asked. 'Let's see you do it.'
He was silent for a moment, contemplating, and had another swallow of beer.
She leaned across the table. 'I double dog dare you.'
He stared back at her for a moment, then put his beer down. 'Oh no you didn't.' He said, standing up.
Scully stared, open-mouthed, as Mulder took the stage. Was he really going to do this? Her quiet, low-key partner, singing?
Mulder stood on the stage and entered his selection into the machine.
Right Said Fred soon started playing with 'I'm Too Sexy'.
Scully couldn't laugh, couldn't talk, she merely sat there, staring at her partner.
He was dancing around the stage like a fool, singing.
'�I'm too sexy for your party, too sexy for your party, no way I'm disco dancing...'
At this, Mulder did a pathetic, drunken imitation of John Travolta in �Saturday Night Fever�.
Scully began laughing so hard, she had to clutch her stomach and bend over. She was laughing so hard no sound came out. Was this really Mulder? He was so funny; he was so cute, so sexy. He was so...Drunk.
She burst into laughter all over again as Mulder began walking the 'Catwalk', modeling his lovely suit.
'Agent Scully?'
She looked up in the middle of her laughter to see Skinner. He was staring between her and all the empty beverages on their table.
'Yes, Sir.' She said, tears running freely down her face from laughing at her idiotic partner.
'Agent Scully, what on earth are you doing?' Skinner caught sight of Mulder, prancing around the stage, and he held up a hand. 'Nevermind, I don't want to know.'
'Come here often, Sir?' Scully flashed Skinner a smile.
'No, I saw your car and just wanted to check in. Thought maybe you might be on a case.' He looked back up at Mulder and shook his head, nearly cracking a smile. 'Hard night?'
'Hard liquor.' Scully patted the chair next to her. 'Have a seat. Want some sake?'
'Thank you, no.� Skinner signaled the waitress and pointed at Scully's beer, ordering another round. 'If I started in on the sake, Mulder and I'd both be up there, singing 'Ebony and Ivory'.'
Scully laughed again, nearly spitting out beer in the process.
'Why, Assistant Director!' Mulder exclaimed, making his way to the table. 'What an unexpected pleasure!'
'Nice gig you got there, Agent Mulder, thank you Miss.� Skinner tipped the waitress as she put the beers on the table. 'Planning on taking that one on the road?'
Mulder plopped down in his chair. 'And leave this luxurious life?'
'I'll drink to that!' Scully said, holding up her beer.
'I've noticed you'll drink to anything, Scully.' Mulder said.
She turned her face to one side and held up a hand. 'Whatever.'
Skinner snorted some laughter. 'You are off duty, right agents?'
'God, Sir, I really hope so.' Scully said. 'My boss can be a real-'
'Alright, Agent Scully.' Skinner interrupted, raising his beer as well. 'I've heard that rumor too.'
Mulder followed suit and the three knocked the bottles together.
***
'God, what a hangover I had.' Scully said. 'I swore I'd never go anywhere with Mulder again.'
'I'm surprised we all managed to make it in the next day. We didn't get home until three in the morning.' Skinner smiled, his eyes lost in the memory. 'Then we had that meeting the next day. I cannot imagine what the three of us looked like.'
'I nearly fell asleep.' Scully said.
'Mulder did!' Skinner burst into laughter. 'I kept kicking him under the table.'
She nodded, joining in. 'So did I!'
They both laughed harder; Skinner took off his glasses and polished them. 'I still have no idea what that meeting was about. I don't think the three of us together said more than ten words.'
They were quiet for a moment, and then Scully burst into laughter again. 'It was about our expenses.'
'Oh God.' Skinner said. 'Then I'm glad I don't remember.'
It took a couple of moments to quiet down. They both fell into silence, thinking about Mulder.
'Damn, Dana.' Skinner said, not looking at her. 'I'm sorry.'
'Sorry for what, Sir?'
'For losing him.' He said softly. 'It just happened so fast. He was there, then he was gone. I went to protect him, but I still lost him. I don't know how.'
'Don't.' Scully reached across the table and put her hand on his. 'We will find him. I know we will.'
'I just can't believe the timing.' Skinner shook his head.
Scully smiled wryly. 'I agree with you on that point.' She released his hand and sank back into the chair. 'I just don't know where to start.'
'I'll make some calls tomorrow.' He nodded. 'Poke around.'
'I guess I can pay a visit to the Lone Gunman.'
'The three stooges?' Skinner smiled before there was a soft knock at the door.
Skinner motioned for her to stay where she was, and went to the door, pulling out his gun. 'Who is it?'
'Alex Krycek.'
Scully stood up. 'What the hell is he doing here?'
Skinner opened the door, but didn't put the gun away.
Krycek gave Skinner a nod and looked over at Scully. 'I need to talk to you.'
This was the person they thought killed Mulder's father. This was who they believed was responsible for Melissa's death. This was who they believed had been plotting against them from the beginning. Could she really invite this man into her home?
All things were coming down to this moment? Everything she�d done until now had led her here? What was she supposed to do? There were two answers, one right and one wrong. But which was which?
She studied Krycek. His eyes were red and raw, his expression desperate. He had never looked as human as he did now.
'Have a seat.' She gestured at the empty chair across from her.
Krycek hesitated in the doorway, staring back at her; an odd look covered his face.
Scully returned his gaze, wondering about the confused expression Krycek was wearing. She suddenly had the feeling that something was happening, something important. Something was changing. Something had just spun something off in another direction.
Something.
She didn�t know what had just happened. She couldn�t put her finger on it. She felt odd, detached from herself. She suddenly knew that something had changed. Something had happened.
Something important.
Skinner cleared his throat. �If you�re waiting for an invitation, Krycek. I think you just got it.�
Krycek blinked, breaking the staring contest between them. He stepped into the room and Skinner closed the door behind him.
Scully sat down at the table and eyed him as he crossed the room. 'What can I do for you?'
'This is all wrong.' Krycek shook his head and pulled out the chair. 'This is all terribly wrong.'
'Which part?' Skinner asked, moving to stand behind Scully. With Scully's pale face under the bright light of the lamp, and Skinner standing in the shadows behind her, he looked like an avenging angel.
'All of it.' Krycek said. 'Mulder being taken, you being pregnant, Cassandra Spender...'
'How did you know?' Scully looked stricken. 'I've hardly known for-'
'How do you think you got pregnant in the first place?'
Scully was silent; she sat staring horrified across the table at him. Krycek watched dawning realization spread across her face. She slowly began to shake her head.
Skinner put a hand on her shoulder. 'What are you talking about, Krycek?'
'Haven't you figured it out, yet?' Krycek looked from one of them to the other. 'Mulder's been talking for years, neither of you ever bothered to listen?'
'Mulder has said a lot of things.' Skinner said. 'When you put everything together, it makes no sense.'
'It makes perfect sense.' Krycek said softly, a small smile of disbelief on his face. 'Don't you see? This has all been orchestrated perfectly, from the beginning. The grand scheme, the master plan and we all have our parts to play. We're all pawns in their universal game of chess.'
'Are you suggesting that I was assigned to the X-Files as a part of this master plan?' Scully swallowed a rising lump in her throat. 'That I was set-up? That my course of life has been carefully laid out for me?'
'That's exactly what I'm suggesting.' Krycek said softly. 'Your life, mine,' he looked up at Skinner, 'even yours.'
The Assistant Director scowled. 'What?'
'I don't believe you.' Scully whispered.
'Why would I lie?'
'I don't know, Krycek. Why would you lie?' Scully raised her voice. 'Why have you been lying all these years? Why have you been playing both sides?' She was almost shouting now. 'What is it you do back there in the shadows that you find so important to kill for?'
Skinner put his hands on both her shoulders. 'Easy.'
'How can you say that, Sir?' Scully turned around to look up at him. 'This man has plotted against us for years.'
'And arguing about all that now isn't going to change anything.' Skinner said. 'We need our own plan.'
'And you would trust him, now, Sir?' Scully said quietly. 'Because you really trust him? Or because he has the Nano Palm Pilot?'
Skinner stared down at her and Krycek glared up at Skinner.
'Mulder told me he could read everyone's thoughts while he was ill.' Scully whispered. 'I thought he was experiencing hallucinations, but by the look on your faces, I guess he was right.'
There was silence all the way around the room. It stretched out for several minutes. Finally, Krycek cleared his throat.
'I will give you the controller back, it means nothing anymore.' He was avoiding their eyes. 'We can have the Nanotechnology removed, but we'd have to stage something. I don't want them knowing I've been in contact with you.'
'This change of heart is suspicious.' Skinner said. 'The last time you came to us for help, Agent Mulder disappeared.
'I have been just as misled as everyone else has, if not more. I have sacrificed others and myself for a cause that never existed.' He looked up at the two of them, across the table. 'I see no reason for you trust me now. But events are taking place. The men in charge are deluded. Everything is spiraling out of control. Something must be done.'
'This is all very noble of you, Alex Krycek.' Scully said. 'You're throwing regrets around and expect us to roll over for you. But you've given me nothing. No reason to trust you. No reason to believe you. How do I know that I'm not the pawn in your master plan.'
Krycek sighed. 'You've never recognized me. There were times when I thought you had.'
A feeling of dread settled over Scully. 'What are you talking about?'
