Disclaimer:  Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, the X-Files, and associated
characters are property of David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Chris Carter,
Ten-Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting Corporation.  They are used
without permission and no copyright infringement is meant.

Any elements not recognized as being taken from the show copyright
Christina Shuy. 

Comments and other things sent to cshuy@netcom.com are much appreciated. 


Rating:  G, Series
Summary:  Mulder calls an old friend about events...
Spoilers:  Memento Mori, Patient X, The End, the movie (X Files:  Fight
the Future) (I'm not asking for much, am I? *grin*)


Conversations Between Old Friends:  Fight the Future
by Christina Shuy
cshuy@netcom.com

     "Victoria Jensen..."

     "Hey, VC, it's me."

     "Hallo, Mulder, managed not to freeze your arse off in Antarctica
while saving Dana's life?" 

     "Uh.... how did you know-"

     "Mulder, you know as well as I do that it is foolish to ask me that
particular question, don't you?  After all, you always get the same
answer." 

     "Riiiiiiight.  Victoria, I almost kissed her.  *Twice*."

     "Whom?"

     "I thought you said you knew stuff?"

     "Mulder, I'm not about to take something as important as this for
granted.  So, tell me, whom did you almost kiss?" 

     "Dana.  She was... she almost... and then... well... She was going to
resign, I had to stop her, so I did the only thing possible.... I ran
after her." 

     "And then what?"

     "What do you mean 'and then what'?  I told her that I needed her...
that I couldn't do this without her..." 

     "You also told her that she made you a whole person."

     "Um..... yeah....."

     "What was her reaction to that news?"

     "She kissed me on the forehead... told me that I'd never needed her
and was about to turn and go, but I still had to stop her." 

     "You told her that you didn't think you could do this alone... that
she kept you grounded... and that you really didn't want to do this
without her." 

     "Oh... yeah... which is when I almost kissed her."

     "'Almost', Mulder?  *Almost*?  From what I could see, you and she
WERE kissing... and would have continued to do so had that bee not gotten
in the way." 

     "Ummmm..... yeah... I guess..."

     "And you almost kissed her again after you found her in Antarctica."

     "She'd stopped breathing, I used mouth-to-mouth... and then she...
well, she woke up, coughed, then told me 'I had you big time.'"

     "And you were tempted to kiss her again, weren't you."

     "I would have... but that alien thing..."

     "Mulder, take that sunflower seed out of your mouth and talk to me
clearly.  After all, it is you who woke me out of a sound sleep *while I
was on holiday* no less..." 

     "How was I supposed to know you were off from work?  And I do *not*
have a sunflower seed in my mouth...  I was chewing on my lip.  Still,
though... I didn't know you were on vacation." 

     "This is true... you're not a mind reader."

     "No, VC, I leave that for people like you."

     "Fox..."

     "Yes, Victoria?"

     "Fox William Mulder, stop with the innocent expression.  You know as
well as I do that innocence does not work on you... or when you try it on
me either." 

     "Yeah, Scully says the same thing."

     "And you try anyway?"

     "Couldn't hurt."

     "And just what were you doing asking an OB-GYN for a pelvic exam? You
aren't equipped that way, and you well know it." 

     "Well, I had to say *something*!"

     "And that's another thing, Mulder, when are either you or Dana going
to change the locks on your office door.  After what has happened, first
with Agent Spender, and then with the chainsmoker, you need to learn to
lock the doors, and change the locks." 

     "And now who's sounding paranoid?"

     "Mulder, your office would not have been burned if you had *locked*
the door.  Who is to say that the office isn't bugged because you can't
seem to keep the door securely shut?  The Assitant Director can let
himself in, as can that chain smoker... and if they can, who else can?" 

     "I'm not sure it matters, Victoria, we've yet to get a new office...
or maybe we'll just rebuild the old one... though this time I'm going to
make sure I get Scully a desk." 

     "It's about time, Mulder.  After all, she's been your partner for
five years already.  You might want to get a name plate for the door as
well." 

     "Good idea.  I think I'll get her one of those shiny brass things...
I just hope she'll like that." 

     "Mulder, considering how she feels about you, I'm certain she'll love
it.  And I'm certain that as the two of you have had the same conversation
twice now, though with each of you on each side..." 

     "Which conversation would that be?"

     "The one about one of you leaving the other one to continue... First
Dana told you that she was holding you back... then, later, you said that
she would be better off without you..." 

    "Yeah, what about it?  I still think it's true.  She'll be safer and
better off without me... I wish she had gone to be a doctor... I would
have quit too." 

     "And done what, Mulder?  Psychotherapy?  You'd be bored within a
week!" 

     "At least I'd be out of manipulation range."

     "Mulder, if these people are as strong as you say, you won't *ever*
be out of manipulation range." 

     "Uhh... well...maybe."

     "Mulder, don't tell me that hadn't occured to you yet?"

     "I don't know... it has and it hasn't.  But I'm not sure it matters,
you know?" 

     "Mulder, you saw the ship.  What was your reaction to that?"

     "Well... had I not been kind of on the verge of passing out...and
worried about Scully, I would have been more excited.  As it was, I think
I believe again." 

     "So you're going to replace that poster, then?"

     "Probably.  Oh, hey, Victoria, hang on a second , okay?"

     "All right."

     "I gotta go, Victoria... Scully's here.  We've got some unfinished
business, you know?" 

     "Mulder, tell her I said hello, and I wish you both the best."

     "Thanks, VC."

     *click*

-End-


"The Truth is Out There.  Trust No One."- from "The X-Files"
Pursuing a BS (Electrical Engineering)-Spring Quarter
1998(Phys203,Engr210) Looking for work and a place to live... somewhere in
the SanFran Bay Area. "Now you're ready to fly up and begin to know the
meaning of kindness and of love."-"Jonathan Livingston Seagull","The
Bridge Across Forever" "I was merely extending a professional courtesy."
"Oh, was *that* what you were extending?"-FBI Special Agents Mulder and
Scully(The X-Files:"Fire")