Yikaisdahi by Maureen B. Ocks (Maureen_B_Ocks@yahoo.com) Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully and all other familiar X Files characters belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and FOX. No copyright infringement intended. Author's notes at the end. Archive -- Sure, as long as my name stays with it. Spoilers: Biogenesis. I've picked up the ball from there. x-x-x-x-x Prologue x-x-x-x-x You're the one most likely to succeed Just be sure to keep your head 'Cause girl you know that's all you need. - S Vargas x-x-x-x-x After years of thinking it was the two of them against the world -- maybe the universe -- Scully was surprised at how many offered help. Chuck Burks was simple. Whatever she found on the Ivory Coast, Chuck would be honest and would be discreet. She brought him and several trusted associates to the site. Trusted was probably the wrong word. Scully sent an encrypted e-mail to the Gunmen with everyone's name, address, current position, post graduate degrees and social security number. All six, including Chuck, passed the Gunmen test. That was good enough for her. Another encrypted e-mail to the Gunmen provided a list of things she wanted "the boys" to gather. After Vegas, Scully knew Byers would get her the moon if she asked. When Scully got back to D.C., her first stop was Hoffman, Miller, Quinn and Donahue to meet with Mulder's personal attorney, Jacob Copeland. Copeland was happy to help Scully regain control of Fox Mulder's life. As Copeland and an associate put together the necessary legal documents, Susan Morgan, Hoffman Miller's head of trusts and estates, asked to meet with Scully. For eight months about ten years ago, Susan Morgan was Susan Morgan-Mulder. Their marriage, she explained to Scully, was a failure but the friendship wasn't. Anything Mulder needed, *anything* she would love to help. Scully, who knew there was a former Mrs. Fox Mulder somewhere but not much else, was impressed by Susan Morgan. She fit the Mulder girlfriend mold -- tall, dark hair, smart and professional -- but she lacked that hard quality of Phoebe Green and the condescending, duplicitous tone of Diana Fowley. Susan Morgan wound up being a big help. When Copeland's favorite friendly judge was on the back nine at Belle Haven, Morgan knew a friendly federal judge. She also offered the use of her summer home. Three hours after landing at Reagan National Airport, Dana Scully had the legal weapons she needed, a safe house and a paralegal waiting at Georgetown Memorial. Senator Matheson may have been Mulder's mentor, but Scully trusted Senator Bradford after her Congressional Hearings. Bradford had the things she could use right now -- money, power and influence. Scully called his son, a political consultant and an Oxford pal of Mulder's. Twenty minutes later, she was in Bradford's office arranging for Mulder's transportation and relocation. The Senator's office also provided a good place for the Gunmen to drop off her wish list. A quick trip to Hegal Place confirmed several suspicions. Mulder struggled before being removed -- the TV, VCR and CD remotes were all over the floor, the coffee table stood on its end. Kneeing it back into position, she stood on the coffee table and saw what she knew would be in the smoke alarm: a small camera. Waving to whatever son of a bitch thought this was important, she jumped off the table and grabbed the masking tape Mulder still kept by the window. She covered the lens -- guaranteeing herself some privacy. Scully packed for Mulder -- a few days worth of clothes, his shaving kit, laptop and wallet. She saw his cell phone on his desk. She hit the "redial" and found her number. Maybe he realized Diana wasn't the only one who would believe him after all. She filed that piece of information with the ship on the African shore -- something to deal with later. Her next move was home. After her abduction, Charlie gave her a phone number. "Warren Davis -- 301-KL5-1834". Charlie explained that Davis was a former SEAL -- a SEAL who owed him, big time. Charlie never said why but Davis was one call away if she ever needed help. Until this, Scully kept it tucked in her phone book unwilling to even consider it. Now, she needed all the back up she could get. She exchanged her Africa trip clothes with some new, clean gear for the next few days. She also packed her gun and the rest of the case materials she was concerned about taking to Africa. Unwilling to do her planning for an audience, Scully went next door. She explained to her elderly, semi-deaf neighbor that her phone was not working -- the older woman didn't need to learn about bugged smoke detectors and wiretaps. When she told Davis who she was, all he wanted to know was what she needed and when she needed it. After she explained her plan, he asked her to sit tight. Less than an hour later, Warren Davis, all six foot three inches of him, stood outside her apartment building with two even larger men -- Franklin Reid and Hale Perkins -- ready for action. Operation Dana Storm, as Davis called it, was about to begin. When they arrived at Georgetown Memorial, the paralegal from Hoffman Miller presented Dr. Harriman with a court order demanding Fox Mulder's release to Dr. Dana Scully along with all his medical records. As Dr. Harriman tried to mask his outrage at the court order with concern for Mulder's sanity, Reid and Perkins escorted a pair of Capitol Police EMTs, courtesy of Senator Bradford, to Mulder's room. Davis stood silently no more than two steps behind Scully at all times. Diana Fowley showed up as the EMTs were rolling Mulder out of his room. She didn't try to mask her outrage. Scully cut her short by telling the paralegal "This is Diana Fowley." Fowley was served with a court order requiring she remain 500 yards away from Fox Mulder and Dana Scully at all times. As Fowley swore she'd get the order vacated, Walter Skinner arrived. He was less outraged, more concerned. It was a genuine concern but Scully wasn't interested. She told the paralegal "This is Walter Skinner." Skinner got the same order Fowley did. "This is unnecessary." Skinner told her. "The camera in Mulder's office is unnecessary. The camera in Mulder's apartment and the likely cameras in my office and my home -- all unnecessary." Scully was cut short by Mulder's reappearing doctor reluctantly giving her his medical file. "I don't like this." Dr. Harriman told her. "Neither do I. I leave him to her tender mercies," Scully pointed to Fowley, "for twenty four hours and he's suddenly institutionalized. I don't like it at all." "I don't appreciate the implication." Fowley complained. "I don't care. I know whatever he is suffering from, you are behind it. Why else would you be here? Gibson Praise, Cassandra Spender and now Fox Mulder, what do you consider that? A success record? A hat trick? A triple play? Only the plague was more efficient than you." Scully replied. Diana took a step forward. Davis did as well. "Agent Scully." Skinner was desperate to diffuse the situation. Turning her attention to Skinner, Scully asked him, "This doesn't seem familiar to you at all? Mulder gets hold of something, gets too close and suddenly he's crazy." Skinner knew where she was going but was interrupted by an angry Diana Fowley. "I will get this vacated." Fowley turned on her heel and walked down the hall, nearly crumpling the court order in her hand. "Yea, you do that" Scully mumbled to no one in particular as she reviewed Mulder's paperwork. "We'll play this your way..." Skinner told Scully. Scully was having none of it, "The piece of paper in your hand doesn't give you a whole lot of choice." "You are still a member of the FBI and will have to answer for your actions." "You might want to remember that yourself." Scully watched the EMTs finally secure Mulder in the ambulance. "Dr. Scully, the Senator told us you were to ride with Agent Mulder." The EMT offered a hand to help her into the ambulance. Davis actually got in first, she was sandwiched between him and an EMT. Franklin Reid followed in Scully's Explorer, Hale Perkins pulled up the rear in Davis's Bronco. Dana Scully held Fox Mulder's hand for the ten minute ride to Bradford's Georgetown townhouse. The Capitol Police Ambulance pulled up next to the Georgetown Volunteer Ambulance Corps vehicle with a pair of uniformed EMTs and Senator Bradford waiting for them. The EMTs transferred Mulder from one vehicle to the other. The GVAC would take the two of them where they needed to go, no questions asked. Before Scully could object, the Senator told them about a donation his granddaughter made to the GVAC just that day -- $10,000 for helping after her car accident. Whatever she wanted, they'd do. Senator Bradford also handed her a New York Knicks gym bag and a set of X-rays. "A Mr. Byers sent this to you care of my office." Scully thanked the Senator who promised discretion in this matter. Davis would follow the ambulance with her car, Reid and Perkins would be behind him so he could get home. Scully whispered in Mulder's ear that they were almost safe. In the ambulance, she briefed the volunteer EMTs on Mulder's condition. When they arrived at Susan Morgan's Rehoboth Beach house, all she would need was help getting Mulder into bed. The ride went quickly. Scully read Mulder's medical charts, noting the bruises on his wrists and ankles. She wanted to apologize to him. She was sorry she left him, sorry she couldn't protect him from Diana, sorry, so sorry, that he felt Diana was the only one who would believe him. Then she wanted to kill him because he felt Diana was the only one who would believe him. The perfunctory dance started again. Susan Morgan's beach house was a large pre-war home right on the water. The EMTs easily moved the near lifeless Mulder into the king-sized bed in the master bedroom. Perkins and Reid took a recliner from the living room and moved it to the bedroom. "Only way you'll get any rest tonight." Davis told her, dropping off the luggage and the Gunmen's package. "Thank you for the back-up. Anytime I can help..." Davis cut her off, "This is nothing. It was an honor to help. And entertaining. I enjoyed seeing that Scully backbone extends to the family's civilians." He smiled and pointed to Mulder, "I hope he knows that." Scully sighed, "Most of the time." Ten minutes after they arrived, Scully was alone with Mulder for the first time in days. Alone and on their own. She cracked open a door that lead to a balcony off the bedroom. The sound of the Atlantic gave her some solace as she returned to the recliner. What she knew was on the other side of the Atlantic, however, made it an uneasy peace. # # # End of Prologue.