From Up Here
by Susan

E-mail: touchstone98@tx.rr.com
Classification: movie vignette, Other POV
Episode: I Want to Believe, brief references to 
seasons eight and nine
Rating: PG
Archive: No archive without permission.
Disclaimer: Two of these characters aren't mine. 
One of them is. It's that simple.

Author's notes: Last night, I watched I Want to 
Believe all the way through for the first time 
in over a year, and I was fascinated by it. There 
were details I didn't see before and body language 
I missed the first time around. Consequently, it 
was like I was watching a brand new episode, and 
I was inspired to write about something (or should 
I say, someone) I hadn't considered before.:) 

Summary: Even though we're not that far from the 
Hoover, I have a feeling it's going to be a long 
flight.


~~~~

I got an interesting call this afternoon.

It was a request from Agent Whitney that I pick 
up another agent later today, not at a hospital 
or one of our regional offices like I usually
do, but at his house.

Now I've picked up and transported a lot of agents 
to a lot of places during the fifteen years that 
I've worked at the FBI, but I never expected to 
be picking up this particular agent, or should I 
say "ex-agent," and I sure as hell never expected 
to be bringing him back to the FBI.

Special Agent Fox Mulder. 

Jesus, it's been years since I heard that name.

From what I can remember, he used to be in charge 
of that special unit called "The X-Files," which 
investigated all sorts of unexplained cases. I 
also remember that he ruffled a lot of feathers 
with some of his so-called theories and even went 
missing for several months before turning up dead.

Yeah, he was dead all right, even buried, and then 
one night they apparently dug up his body, and it 
was the damnedest thing...he really wasn't dead 
after all. 

I can't even begin to explain how he was able to 
come back from that, but he did. Now here I am 
on my way to his house all these years later so 
I can transport him back to DC to help Agent 
Whitney with this Monica Bannan case that's got 
everyone all on edge.

I'm not real clear on what happened to him once he 
came back from the dead and rejoined the FBI, then 
left again, but I do know that a lot of people were 
happy to see him go. I also know that it's been 
years since he worked at the Hoover, which is why 
I find this whole thing so fascinating. 

Why the hell would they ask him to come back after 
all these years anyway? 

Or maybe the real question is...why does he want 
to? 

In any case, I have to admit I'm more than a 
little curious about the whole thing and more 
than a little anxious to see where he lives now.

~~~~

It's just starting to get dark by the time I find 
the woods and consequently, find his house. It's 
pretty isolated from everything and not much to 
look at from up here, but it's got a big enough 
yard for me to land in, and that's all I really 
care about right now.

That is, until I see who walks out the door with 
him.

Special Agent Dana Scully, or should I say the 
*former* Agent Scully, his partner on the X-Files.

For years, I'd heard the rumors about them being 
more than partners, but I figured that once he 
got booted out of the FBI, she'd kick his ass to 
the curb too.

Boy, was I wrong.

Not only are they apparently still friends with 
each other, but I'm guessing they probably *both* 
live here.

Watching them now as they walk towards me, I 
can't help but wonder how they feel about going 
back to DC after being away from it for so long. 
Neither one of them looks too thrilled about 
coming with me, and I can't say I blame them.

After he opens the door for her, she sits down 
in the front seat, and I help her with her seat
belt while he gets in the back. I want to say 
something to them before we take off, but I'm 
not really sure what, so I keep quiet.

Even though we're not that far from the Hoover, 
I have a feeling it's going to be a long flight.

~~~~

We're about halfway into the flight, and neither 
one of them has said anything to me or each other
yet. Of course, it's kind of loud in here, but 
still, I thought that one of them would've said 
something by now. 

Being in the front with Agent Scully, I can see 
her more easily than him, and judging by her 
body language, I can tell she really doesn't 
want to be here. 

As for Agent Mulder, the few times I've had to 
turn around and look back, he seemed pretty lost 
in his thoughts. That's not surprising though, 
given the circumstances.

As for me, I'll just be glad when we get there.

~~~~

So we're about five minutes away from the roof 
at the Hoover now, and I can feel my adrenaline 
kick in the way it always does when I'm preparing 
to land.

I can also sense a change in my two passengers.

He's fidgeting in the back seat now, and she's 
looking down at all the buildings with her fists 
clenched.

"We'll be landing over there," I say, finally 
breaking the silence as I point towards the east.

He leans forward, grabs the back of my seat. 
"How much longer?" 

"About five more minutes," I reply, turning my 
attention back to the controls.

Still leaning forward, he moves his hand over 
to the back of her seat, pulls himself close 
enough so that he's only a few inches away 
from her ear. "It'll be okay, Scully," he says, 
letting go of the cushion and sitting back in 
his seat again, but not before lightly squeezing 
her shoulder.

Needing to focus on what I'm doing, but curious 
about her reaction to what he just did and said, 
I quickly glance over at her.

Her eyes are closed now, and she's biting her 
lip.

~~~~

A few minutes later, and we're on the ground. 

Quickly unbuckling their seat belts after I tell 
them it's safe to get out, they open their doors, 
and leave before I can say anything else.

Of course, I don't know what I would've said to 
them anyway, but at least I could've wished them 
good luck or something.

Watching them now as they walk towards the agent 
that's waiting for them, I'd be interested to
see what kind of reception they get once they 
go into the building.

I doubt it will be a warm one.

In any case, I guess my job is done here, and 
although it wasn't as exciting as I thought it 
was going to be, it was definitely interesting. 

Looking over at them one last time before they
go inside, I jot down a few notes about the
flight, then take off again.

And as I head back to the airport, I can't help 
wondering if me getting them here so quickly 
will actually help save Agent Bannan.

I sure as hell hope so.



~end~

Thanks for reading.

possibilities
http://possibilities.bravehost.com/

Originally posted August 2009.