Disclaimer: NO infringement on anyone's copyrights is intended.
loc's appreciated and answered: mgreten@xtalwind.net
Spoilers: Paper Hearts, Pilot
S PG
Archive: I'll send to Gossamer. All others please inform me of its
where abouts
Summary: In the wake of the Paper Hearts X-File, Scully
demands to clarify her position in the X-Files Department.

IN OTHER CONTEXT: Another Fine Mess
Episode Dialogues by Vince Gilligan and Cris Carter
ISMS ARRANGED by Mary Greten.
ORIGINAL MATERIAL by Mary Greten.

Having splattered John Lee Roche's brains over a dirty a window of a rotting
school bus in New England, FBI Agent Mulder sat staring at the cloth
heart cut out from the dress of Roche's final but yet unfound victim. Agent
Dana Scully, having experienced Mulder's mental tautness the past few days,
knocked softly on the office door before she intruded on his volatile
ruminations.

They stared briefly at each other silently sponging each
others' presence until Scully remembered to lay the stack of papers in
her hands on Mulder's desk.

"I got back some lab results. The dye analysis determined that the
fabric of the last heart was manufactured between 1969 and 1974... but
beyond that, there's nothing more they can tell us. Mulder, it's not
your sister, Samantha... and whoever that little girl really is, we'll
find her."

"How?", Mulder insisted.

"I don't know..." Her voice metamorphosed huskily. "But I do know
you."

He glanced up at her, then drew his eyes down again.

"Why don't you go on home and get some sleep?". Scully re-iterated
her constantly ignored prescription for him. The lack of Sleep was the
deprivation which had consummated in what could be the total
dissolution of the X-files. Mulder's sardonic laughter momentarily infected
Scully with it's gusto. Smiling, he pressed his head against her chest.
She stroked his hair twice then left to iron out other more "press"ing
matters.

Out of Mulder's hearing, Scully tactfully shunted a phone call from a
reporter in Norristown, Pennsylvania. The reporter inquired about
the tenacious agents who never stopped searching to find the young
girls missing at the hands of John Lee Roche. Frank Sparks, the father
of Addy Sparks missing since 1975, told the reporter of the agents'
kindnesses and genuine sorrow when Agents Scully and Mulder informed him
of finding his daughters remains. Mr. Sparks wanted people to know.

"That is not necessary; we were doing our jobs. We wish we could
have done better for Addy but we did all we could when we could."

The reporter refused to be dissuaded. After verifying already known
facts, Scully transferred the reporter to Media Relations.

When Scully returned to the X-files office, She found Mulder still
hunched over his desk. She didn't like his pallor, pulse or blood
pressure. She called for a silent medi-van to take Mulder to an
emergency room to administer immediate electrolyte replacement for
dehydration and malnourishment. Her swift diagnosis saved Mulder
from an overnight hospital stay, but the prescribed sedatives would put
him down for at least twelve hours. Scully arranged for Mulder's
transportation home and a male registered night nurse to stay with him.

"This is my cell phone number", Dr. Scully instructed, "inform me at
his first stirring or anything untoward. It is most important that you
do not answer the phone or door unless you hear me say your name on
the answering machine. OK?". It wasn't difficult; no male nurse and
damn few females could deny Doctor Dana Scully when she pretty pleased.

Special Agent Dana Scully, on the other hand, had more tribulations to
avert. A "shitstorm" was coalescing over Mulder's unilateral and
miscalculated actions in this case resulting in the near death of another
little girl. Scully needed Mulder to be absolutely lucid for tomorrow's
Office of Professional Review's investigation into the handling of the
Roche case. If he should be incapable of appearing, then to save the
X-Files, Scully would have to somehow put herself in storm's way. She
certainly could not explain Mulder's leaps of logic nor could she offer
more scientific rationalizations than were already rejected by their own
Assistant Director, Walter Skinner.

Speaking of whom, she was still stinging over Skinner's "Mulder's your
baby. Do something with him" crap he's been throwing at her lately.
Who the hell let Peter Pan out of the peanut butter jar and when did
she become a Wendy? From their first meeting, Scully's trust of skinner
tended to skirt the hem of vigilant distrust.

In the solitude that can only be afforded driving home alone on a
jammed highway at five miles an hour, Scully contemplated this
newest official unpleasantness Mulder had gotten them into and
Skinner's latest proctological insect infestation.

Her cell phone beeped.

She fished the deep recesses of her coat whose pockets reminded her
of a nun's floor length habit which could hide the altar monstrance should
Blessed Sacrament ever need to make a quick getaway. From her
seated position with one hand guiding the steering wheel, she reached far
enough down for her fingers to prod the phone upwards and press the
on button at the same time.

"Scully", she announced before the phone hit her ear.

A brusque voice ordered, "Agent Scully, I expect to see you in my
office the first thing in the morning."

No more. No more. No more. Not from Mulder, not from Skinner, not
from the Director, not from the Attorney General. Scully was out of
estrogen, packing a gun and ready to give a new connotation to
"double barrel action".

"No, Sir. The first place you will be tomorrow morning is at the
Division of Personnel Redress to show cause why I should not proceed
with a sexual harassment complaint concerning your attitude toward me
on this case. I believe my complaint will take precedent over the OPR
since no one will want our testimony tainted by concern over what
could easily become a nasty lawsuit."

"Agent Scully, wait... I only wanted to...", Skinner stammered.

"Sir," Scully interrupted, "I have informed you of my intent. You are
aware of the ensuing regulations regarding any further contact with me
until our hearing tomorrow and I surely need not remind you who might
be delighted to arbitrate this matter as well. Scully pushed the off
button on her phone and was already mentally composing the post she
would be e-mailing to Personnel from her laptop at the next red light.


Skinner was livid. He slammed the handset onto it's cradle. Sure, he
leaned hard on Scully; he had done it before. She seemed always to
care not a twit for herself. All right, maybe never with the threat of a
reprimand for not telling him of Mulder's abuse of a federal prisoner.
But no partner would have. But, he blustered and blundered and she
called his bluff. Now, he had two maverick agents to account for
tomorrow. Skinner pulled his jacket off the back of his chair. He had
to postpone the scheduled Roche case OPR investigation. With luck, he
might be able to catch the officiating A.D.s before they left.

A personal request from him would be more difficult to refuse.

So he thought.

It was worse than that; the word was "they" wanted the X-Files shut
down again. He tried to catch Mulder at his home, his usual haunts,
even at his mother's, to warn Scully off but he failed. Scully was
playing right into "their" hands.

The only good fact the X-files had going for it was that the newest
victim's parents and the nursery school pleaded with the media to
withhold the story. There was no need for it. With Roche dead the
public threat had been eliminated and the FBI was working with the
victims and relations providing physical and psychological assistance.
The media agreed.

For his failure to follow protocol by not taking Scully along with him
once he got a judge's permission to release Roche from prison,
Agent Mulder's salary would be garnisheed to re-imburse the FBI for
expenses incurred. But Skinner knew that wouldn't be enough. Even
his own offer to resign did not relieve the unrelentuing pressure to rid
the Bureau of the two basement bats whose closure rate soared above
average precisely because they see with more than their eyes, hear
with more than their ears and feel with more than their touch than
normal investigators... So, it seemed, it would always be.


The sun always rose too quickly to suit A.D. Jana Cassidy. As OPR
trouble shooter for the Director, her daily schedules permitted her little
patience for procrastinations and tardiness. Unwarranted delayers
usually met with the loss of equal time to present their case. Thus, she
was not amused when presented with Agent Scully's complaint however
deserved of consideration it might be. It seemed too ... timely.

Scully arrived at the basement office to find A.D. Cassidy seated at
Mulder's desk.

"I thought Agent Mulder is the early bird in this nest." Cassidy greeted.

Scully placed her laptop on Mulder's desk and sat in her customary
chair in front of it.

"Usually. But not today, it seems."

Surprised on two fronts, Cassidy attacked the obvious first.

"Where is your desk, Agent Scully? I find it odd you don't have one."

"My other duties as a forensic pathologist and general scientific field
and laboratory work preclude the need of a desk here."

"Of course. I understand. I'm rarely at my own desk, myself. Agent
Mulder is coming today. Is he not?

"I have not heard to the contrary.", evaded Scully.

"What I don't comprehend is why he isn't here now. Isn't he your
only witness to your allegations against A.D. Skinner.?"

"I place the same trust in A.D. Skinner to tell the truth as he does me."

Cassidy, taken off guard again, tilted her head as she handed Scully a
prefiled form for her to sign. "Please verify that this is an accurate
statement from your e-mail yesterday evening. A.D. Skinner has
already received his copy and should be here shortly."

True to Cassidy's word, Skinner arrived as Scully put the last flourish on
her signature. Uncharacteristically informal, as was this hearing, he
was jacketless, sleeves rolled and not at all pleased to be out of his
environment. But the venue was Cassidy's choice. He surmised she
wanted to see for herself the most infamous office in the building and
factor her impressions into her already formed finding. He took the
remaining chair, but did not agnize Scully's presence.

Cassidy, elbows on Mulder's desk, steepled her hands.

"Agent Scully, I applaud your judgment to keep this to the minimal level
of formality and between the three of us. If we can settle this matter
successfully, the only notation on the complaint will be 'withdrawn by
arbitrator' with no comments recorded in either of your files."

She glanced at Skinner.

"My gut tells me that there is an underlying misunderstanding
here of Agent Scully's responsibilities in the X-File department..."

Rolling her eyes around the room, Cassidy continued.

"..Such as it is. The records show that you, Walter, were not assigned
the X-Files until after Agent Scully was transferred to it?"

"Yes.", Skinner answered sustinctly.

"What is your belief that her position is?"

"Partner."

"Is this true, Agent Scully"

"Not officially."

"Please elucidate, Agent Scully", Cassidy coaxed.

"To what detail?" Scully asked.

"All elements pertaining to job description."

"Agent Blevins wanted me to assist Mulder on the X-Files, to write
field reports on my activities, along with my observations on the validity
of the work. When I candidly asked if he wanted me to debunk the X-
Files project, Agent Blevins said that he trusted I would make the
proper scientific analysis."

"And when you contacted, Agent Mulder. What was his reaction?"

"He wanted to know who I ticked off to get stuck with this 'detail'.
I said I was looking forward to working with him. He was under the
impression I was sent to spy on him"

"Assist, report, detail, spy. No specific mention of being a
partner?"

"None."

"And since then?"

"It was gradually assumed under the term "assist", I suppose. But
nowhere formally attested to other than by Agent Mulder and myself
that I am aware."

"Do you work for other departments?"

"Yes."

"Would you have any compunction not assisting Agent Mulder should
your expertise in other specialties be required elsewhere or you think
not necessary in a particular X-files case."

"Neither has happened yet."

"You haven't answered my question" Cassidy demanded.

"Required, meaning I am the only person with the exact expertise
expected, no compunction at all. The other, I can't conceive of
happening at all."

"Do you think your job description in any way implies you are to be
held responsible for Agent Mulder's unilateral actions?"

"I was assigned only to assist and report. I was never given any position
superior to Agent Mulder."

"So, when A.D. Skinner demanded that you 'see to it' that Agent Mulder
'tread lightly' what did you think he meant?"

"That I was to remind Agent Mulder of the limits of his authority if he
was exceeding them and to inform A.D. Skinner if he did."

"And, did you inform A.D. Skinner?"

"Yes, when I discovered that Mulder had checked out Roche."

"How did A.D. Skinner react to this news?"

"He demanded to know where I was when this happened. I had
left Agent Mulder for the day. I suggested that he get some sleep."

"Was A.D. Skinner satisfied with your reply?"

"No, He said I had let him down."

Cassidy finally acknowledged that Skinner had not left the room.

"Do you deny any of Agent Scully's statement. Walter?"

"No."

"Do you wish to add to it.?"

"No."

Cassidy sighed at Skinner's curtness.

"Agent Scully, How is this a Sexual Harassment case?"

Scully inhaled deeply.

"By insinuation. Agent Mulder acted sometime during the night. What
does it imply if my AD thinks I am with Agent Mulder at any time of the
night and how does he think if I had any control over Agent Mulder at
that time of night I would be using it? A.D. Skinner made a gross
assumption upon my relationship with Agent Mulder and expected me
to act upon it. If I let him down, it was just short of violating Agent
Mulder's civil rights and my medical and personal ethics. At the very least
he was applying the Peter Pan Syndrome to an appropriately reluctant Wendy."

Cassidy was finishing her notes when her cell phone chirped. She listened
for a long time, spoke little and occasionally glared at Agent Scully.
When she terminated the conversation, Cassidy accosted Scully.

"Again, Agent Scully, I must congratulate you. There will be no action
against Agent Mulder or the X-files for his actions in the Roche case.
The interview that you gave the Pennsylvania reporter yesterday was
picked up by the wire services and the electronic media. It appears you
and Agent Mulder have become champions of law enforcement and the FBI
is getting good press for a change.

Scully protested. "I assure you, I only confirmed what was known and passed
the reporter over to Media Relations."

"Nevertheless, you did stonewall me with this convenient complaint"

Skinner literally stood up in defence of his subordinate.

"Jana. Everything Agent Scully alleged was true. I did expect more of
her than I would have anyone else and improperly so. She has my
word it will not happen again."

"I accept and withdraw my complaint" replied Scully.

"Very well, at least something was accomplished here. Consider this
matter settled". Cassidy conceded while closing her brief case.

"When I see you next, Agent Scully, it had better be only in passing.
Good day".

Agent Scully sagged against Mulder's desk as she watched the OPR
chairperson leave.

But Skinner did not move.

"You used me, Scully."

"Sir, I..." Scully began.

Skinner interupted, "I can still cite you for not telling me about
Mulder hitting Roche."

"You should have." She retorted.

"But if I do it now, it can be construed as retaliation for your complaint."

"True." Scully agreed.

"So..."

As he usually did when wrestling with words, Skinner moved his lower
jaw laterally against the top.

"So?" Scully urged.

"So, I don't need another fine mess." Skinner waived. "Report, on my
desk, day's end tomorrow, Agent Scully."

"Yes, sir. Understood, sir".

Scully waited until Skinner shut the office door behind him.

She dialed Mulder's home phone.

"Gary, I will be relieving you in an hour".

```


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disclaimer: NO infringement on anyone's copyrights is intended.

loc's appreciated; mgreten@xtalwind.net
do not foward to atxc or archive.
spoilers maybe

SUMMARY: A grandmother tells a "story" to her grandchildren

VIGNETTE G

IN OTHER CONTEXT: In the Before Time

ISMS ARRANGED by Mary Greten.
ORIGINAL MATERIAL by Mary Greten.

The grandchilden liked to visit their grandmother. Granted she was
frail and not always well enough for them to stay for very long, but
that did not deter her from telling her grandchildren fairy tales and
Mother Goose rhymes and stories of her girlhood.

One day, when the grandchildren begged her to tell them a story,
the grandmother remained silent as if she were looking at an
internal clock. Were they ready? Should she relate to them, now,
the events that took place...

.....In the Before Time, there was a young woman, who because
of her boldheartness, beauty and mental acuity, was sought after
by two stalwart young soldiers who happened to be best friends.

Not wishing to become the source of discord between her two
young suitors, the young lady requested a promise from both of
them that her betrothed and she would consider the other friend as
"brother" to them and part of their family. Both men agreed and so
she chose one of them to be her husband.

In timely fashion, the young woman brought forth her first born.
Their friend and "brother" became godfather to him. The men,
comrade-at-arms, were assigned or volunteered for assignments
together. Soon however, the young woman's husband
distinquished himself to his superiors and was given solitary
assignments that took far and long from home.

Always, when not on assignment himself, the young woman's
friend and "brother" visited his adopted family. One day, the young
woman's husband was called on another mission. He confided to
his friend that this mission was dangerous to the extreme and
extracted a solemn oath that his friend would care
for his family should the not unexpected occur.

The young mother's husband's best man, stood well in her
husband's stead playing with his godchild, and pacing the hospital
floor when the woman, with great difficulty, delivered his friend's
daughter, his "niece".

Then came a day, the young mother, by now quite aquainted with
her friend's visage, did not need him to say the words. She knew
her husband would not be returning home from this mission.

A year passed, her husband declared dead, the young mother
allowed herself to be wooed by her husband's best man and
"uncle" to her children. She did love him. He, in the largess of his
heart not only loved her, but adopted her children and loved them
as his own. The discovery of his wife's barrenness was devasting;
but the two youngsters now bearing his name and love took
thepain away with their increasing devotion to him as their father.

....His daughter was four years old when he returned to a home
not his and found himself "uncle" to his own children.....

After the grandmother did not continue for some time, the children
noticed the stillness of her eyes, and tiptoed away. When they
were told that their grandmother had "went to a better world" they
wondered if Grandma had gone to the place...

In The Before Time.