R1-Jo-p2
FBI Hoover Building
October 17, 1999
10:00 a.m."Sir, when Agent Mulder and I went back, the Cimmerian and Mueler's Carnival and Masque was gone. We ran a check on all the train schedules and discovered that there hadn't been a train into Chase, Georgia in over a week. It was as if the carnival had vanished into thin air," Scully said, she shifted uncomfortably under Skinner's stare.
A knock sounded on the door and Kimberly stepped in. "Sir, Agent Weston dropped off the fingerprint analysis, they are still running the DNA analysis on Agents Mulder and Scully." Kimberly smiled weakly at the two unbelievably young agents sitting in front of the A.D.'s desk and tried not to stare as she handed her boss the folder.
Mulder stared down at his youthful hands in his lap. He was more than embarrassed by his appearance. He looked exactly like he did while attending Oxford, even then he'd looked younger than his then age of twenty-two. It had been a constant struggle to get any respect back then, and the number of men and women who would hit on him daily was more of an annoyance than flattering. He was not looking forward to repeating those years again. Mulder cringed at remembering earlier, when he and Scully attempted to enter the Hoover Building and the guard's utter disbelief of their identity and their insistence that they were Agents Mulder and Scully. The guard called Skinner who came down immediately. Mulder's mouth curled in a slight grin, the stunned expression on Skinner's face was one he'd never forget. He gazed up through long brown eyelashes at Skinner who was studying Agent Amy Weston's analysis of their fingerprints. Skinner had ushered them to the lab to have a series of tests done to confirm their identity.
Skinner looked up from the report and met Mulder's eyes. "Except for some minor scars that are missing from both your fingerprints. Agent Weston has concluded that you are who you say you are and as soon as we have the DNA test results back we will be a hundred percent positive." Skinner couldn't help lingering over Mulder's beautiful, youthful face. He looked too sweet and innocent for what he had seen and experienced in his life.
"So, what now, sir?" Scully asked.
Skinner gazed lingered some more on Mulder then looked over at her. "Agents, you both look like you're too young to be FBI agents ... "
Mulder interrupted. "Sir, I don't look that much younger then I did when I joined the FBI ... "
Skinner looked at him and chuckled, his brown eyes sparkled with humor. "You looked like a kid back then too, Mulder. I remembered the first time I saw you and wondered if it was career day again so soon."
"Oh, pleease, I did not look like I was in high school!"
"Okay, maybe a freshman in college, but not much older than that," Skinner amended. "However, Agent Scully doesn't look older than sixteen. Do you see my dilemma?"
"No," Mulder and Scully responded simultaneously.
"I cannot allow the two of you to go out into the field alone. How do you think the public will respond to you? Or worse, the local law enforcement?"
Scully started to protest ... but Mulder spoke up in Skinner's defense. "Yeah, I went through it once before, sir. Although at the time I was shielded by working for the BSU and hardly ever went out in the field, the few times I did were extremely difficult to get any respect from my colleagues. Damn, I hated it, but I was able to survive it then, and I will this time, too." Mulder looked squarely into Skinner's eyes. "And I'll slug the first cop who calls me kid!"
Skinner's lip curled in a half grin. "You do, Agent Mulder, and I'll ream your ass."
"Promises, promises," Mulder smirked.
Skinner no longer had any doubt that the man before him was indeed, his Agent Mulder. Only Mulder would lip off in such a fashion.
"Sir, what are you intending to do with us?" Scully asked nervously.
"I plan to assign another agent to assist you on the X-Files. Someone who can help you interface with the public and the authorities."
"Sir, I only look younger, I haven't lost any of the knowledge I've attained in my thirty-five years. Agent Mulder and I really don't need a babysitter," Scully huffed.
"Agent Scully, it is either a new partner in the X-Files or I'll have to reassign you both to different departments. Is that what you both want? To be reassigned?"
"No, sir," they replied.
"Good, discussion is over. Agents, I want you both to make appointments with your personal physicians and have a full medical examination done. I want the results, before I will release you back to active field status. Is that understood?" Skinner asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Take the rest of the day and tomorrow off."
"Sir, what about the Cimmerian and Mueler's Carnival and Masque? We need to be trying to track it down?" Mulder argued.
"I intend to assign other agents to track down this traveling show. It couldn't have just vanished. If what happened to you two could happen to others, it is vital that we locate it," Skinner said.
In the office next to Skinner's a slow grin spread across an old man's face who sat listening in on their conversation. "Indeed, Mr. Skinner, I would say that it is vital to track down that carnival, too," he mused, and reached into his pocket for a cigarette. "Oh, to be a young man again." He leaned back in his chair and continued listening to the conversation in the A.D.'s office as Skinner dismissed both agents.
"Scully, I'll meet you back in the basement. I need a private word with Skinner."
"What is it, Mulder?" Skinner asked after Scully left.
"I would like some input into who gets assigned to the X-Files," Mulder said.
"You don't trust my judgment, Mulder?"
"It's not that, sir, I want to be sure that Scully and I are able to trust whoever is assigned to us."
"Do you have someone in mind?"
"Agent Dave Collins, he is working for the New York City's Field Office. He has an open mind to the paranormal and he's very intuitive, Agent Collins would be a great asset to the X-Files," Mulder said quickly.
Skinner couldn't help smiling, "So, you couldn't recommend this candidate in front of Agent Scully?"
Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "Scully'd want someone analytical, and I just couldn't handle two them ganging up on me."
"Mulder, this isn't high scho ... " Skinner stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose over his slip of the tongue. "Okay, I'll have Kimberly call Agent Collins and set up an appointment for me to interview him. I'm not promising anything, but if I deem him a suitable candidate, I'll have him transferred into your department. Now go home, Mulder."
"Thank you, sir," Mulder said, rushing out of the office and toward the staircase leading to the basement. As he rushed down the steps and opened the door at the bottom a voice called out from up above and an agent came sprinting down the stairs.
"Stop right there, son, only authorized personnel are allowed down here! Did you get separated from the tour ... " the agent stopped as he got a good look at the person he was addressing and he double check the badge clipped to Mulder's suit coat. "Mulder, is that really you?"
"Yeah, Sullivan, it's me."
"What happened? You look ..."
"Younger. It's a long story and I really don't have time to tell it right now."
"Yeah, well that is one story I'm dying to hear. I'll buy you a beer some night after work and you can tell me all about it," Sullivan replied.
"If I don't get carded," Mulder muttered, nodding goodbye to Sullivan he started down the hallway for his office. He stopped suddenly. He and Scully had been working so hard the past two days that he had forgotten about Alex. What would his lover say about his change? Mulder shook his head sadly. Just when he was finally happy something would have to come along and ruin it. He opened the door to his office and stepped inside.
"Mulder, so what are we going to do now?" Scully asked anxiously. She had been pacing back and forth, waiting for her partner.
"Are you up for a trip to visit the Gunmen?"
"Oh, Mulder, I don't know if I can face them looking like this," Scully whined.
Mulder stared at her in shock, he couldn't recall ever hearing Scully whine. He blinked and shook his head, trying to get his mind working. "Scully, if I have to face them then you do to, after all if you hadn't ditched me we wouldn't be in this situation."
"Don't remind me. I already told you a hundred times how sorry I was," Scully pouted and grabbed hers and Mulder's overcoats off the coat tree and tossed Mulder's over to him. "Let's get this next humiliation over with, but since we're heading up to Baltimore, you have to stop at my mother's house with me and help explain my new looks to her."
"Okay, Scully, whatever."
***
Mulder's apartment
October 17, 1999
2:00 p.m.Krycek carried a full bag of groceries into Mulder's apartment. He had heard from one of his sources that his lover was back in town. He didn't understand why Mulder hadn't called him personally. No matter, he knew how focused Fox could get while working on a case; all other things took a backseat, like calling his lover. Krycek planned to fix Mulder a welcome home dinner, it had been almost a week since they'd seen each other, and he was looking forward to a nice romantic evening alone with him.
He put the chocolate raspberry torte he had purchased into the refrigerator. Fox wasn't big on chocolate but it was one of Alex's weaknesses, he had other plans for what Fox would have for dessert. He tossed the bag of salad into the refrigerator next to the torte, then sorted through the rest of the ingredients. Alex figured he had plenty of time before Fox got home from work, so he took his time preparing as much as he could ahead of time then went to use Fox's computer to surf the web.
***
The Long Gunmen's Office
October 17, 1999
3:30 p.m."Dammit all to HELL! We have to find that carnival! Maybe there's a way we can reverse what that bastard did to you, Dana!" Frohike ranted.
Mulder leaned over and whispered to Byers. "What's his problem?"
Byers whispered back, "She's too young for him now. Melvin always thought he had a slim chance with her, but he would never consider dating anyone that young."
"Oh." Mulder nodded, then clapped and rubbed his hands together. "So, Guys, do you think you can help us track down any information on this carnival? Or its owners Robert Mueler and Edward Cimmerian?"
"We'll try, Mulder, but you know there are a lot of people who would give anything to be fifteen or twenty years younger. So, you might just want to forget about finding this carnival and learn to enjoy being young again," Langly said.
Everyone looked over at Frohike when he sobbed loudly.
Scully shook her head. "No, that isn't an option, Langly. We want to go back to the way we were."
"God, I feel a Barbra Streisand song coming on," Mulder quipped, and rubbed his arm after Scully slugged him.
"Shut up, Mulder, this isn't funny."
"Yes it is. Do you want to stop for milk shakes and fries, before we visit your mother?"
"What about your mother, Mulder? Shouldn't you give her a call and explain what happened to you?" Scully challenged.
"Nope, with any luck we'll track down the carnival before I see my mom again. It's not my problem that you happen to visit your mom three or four times a month."
"Mulder, you really should visit your mom more, when was the last time you saw her?"
"I went up there in July. Why?"
"Three months, Mulder!"
"I do call her ever other week or at least I try to." He shrugged and turned to the Gunmen who were watching them. "Thanks, Guys, keep us posted."
"Yeah, sure, Mulder. Be careful when you leave ... " Frohike started to say then changed his mind. "Never mind, I'll walk you down to your car, this neighborhood is pretty dangerous," he said, heading for the door.
"Frohike, we're trained FBI agents," Scully growled.
"You don't look it, Dana," Frohike replied, shaking his head sadly he preceded them down the stairs.
"I'm going to kill him," Scully muttered under her breath and followed Frohike out.
Mulder smirked at Byers. "If it weren't for the fact that I'm in the same boat as she is this would be very funny," he said, and hurried after his partner and their bodyguard.
***
Mulder's apartment
October 17, 1999
5:00 p.m.Krycek stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. He then shaved for the second time that day and pulled the tube of lubricant from the medicine cabinet and prepared himself. He didn't want to lose time later; he planned to give Mulder his dessert at the dining room table. Krycek would have a slice of the chocolate torte afterwards. He dressed sans underwear and socks then went to get the rest of the meal started. Mulder usually arrived home around six o'clock.
*
*
*
Krycek looked at the clock it was after eight o'clock. Where was Fox? He paced up and down, worrying. Mulder wasn't answering his cell phone and he wasn't answering the phone in his office. He should have been home two hours ago! The meal he had prepared was warming in the oven and wouldn't keep much longer. He jumped at the sound of the key in the lock. It was about fucking time!
He rushed into the foyer and froze as his eyes met a youthful pair of hazel framed by lush lashes.
Cerulean Blue's turn