A Hint of Resurrection (7/7)
by Ellie

Email:  windblownellie@yahoo.com
Rating:  R (for some adult implications, language, and crimes against animals)
X-Files/Fringe Crossover
Timeline/Spoilers: Post-IWTB/Fringe S1 (but spoilers through S3)
Summary:  Olivia Dunham examines files from the old X-files Division, and 
requests a reluctant consult from former agent Fox Mulder.



***
Chapter 7
***

Olivia looked up from the computer monitor as the door to the Bishop lab swung 
open, and the Van De Kamps walked in, followed by Mulder and Scully.  They'd 
been in the classroom down the hall nearly half an hour, and she'd nearly 
gotten the MRI scheduled in the meantime.  Broyles had strong-armed the 
hospital with the might of the federal government, and they'd agreed to fit 
them in at the end of the day.  It just remained to be seen how late that 
would be.  The clock's hands were sweeping up on six already.

"I'm just waiting to hear back from the radiology department on what time the 
MRI will be freed up for the evening.  Walter's off gathering up a few safe 
tests for you to do while you're being scanned."

"Could I speak with you, Agent Dunham?"  Mike paused, halfway across the room, 
with Billy hovering behind him, looking as if he wanted to slink back out of 
the room.

"Of course," she nodded.  His tone was not auspicious, nor were his hesitant 
movements as he crossed the room.

"Dr. Scully should probably stay too.  I think she can help explain."

Olivia watched as Mulder silently took Billy's hand and slipped back out the 
door, with just a quick whisper in Scully's ear.  While Mike crept across the 
room, Scully moved with confidence, coming to stand in front of Olivia with 
shoulders squared, as if preparing for battle.  At that moment, she realized 
what conversation was coming, not that it surprised her.

"You've decided you don't want Billy to participate any further," she said, 
looking at Mike, not Scully.

"The MRI is fine.  But after talking with Mr. Mulder and Dr. Scully, they 
don't think that whatever is going on is something that will show up on any of 
your tests.   And if he's not done anything wrong, I don't know that it 
matters.  Does it?"

She wanted to tell him no, tell him that it didn't matter at all.  Even she 
wasn't sure that it did.  But it did, this ability to understand and to heal, 
to empathize with a rat and a man.  "What Billy has is unique, and 
understanding it can't be undervalued.  But he's under no legal obligation to 
do anything for us.  Dr. Bishop's tests don't always fall within the bounds of 
traditional science, so he may be able to find something that normal testing 
wouldn't, once we know what we're working with."

"Agent Dunham, I know you've read Mulder's file.  You'll recall that he was 
institutionalized briefly, proclaiming the ability to hear the thoughts of 
others.  At that time, it was claimed that unused portions of his brain had 
been activated.  I think William may have inherited some of this ability, only 
in possessing it since birth, he's been able to adapt to it.  I'm not denying 
that there's something unique and invaluable there, but I also don't think 
that it's something replicable, even if we do learn how it works."

Olivia nodded slowly, gathering her thoughts.  What Scully said was true, and 
she knew it, had known it since the beginning, though the information about 
Mulder's temporary abilities only fell into place once she'd realized who he 
was in relation to Billy.  "I understand, Dr. Scully.  But the abilities he 
possesses have the potential to help people, to diagnose illnesses, maybe even 
to cure them.  Isn't that worth investigating?"

"He's shown the ability to read people, but not to affect them.  He told us as 
much.  If he can diagnose, then let him grow up and decide to go into medicine 
for himself."

Mike was looking between the two women like a spectator at a particularly 
volatile tennis match.  He spoke slowly.  "I want Billy to grow up and help 
people, but it should be because he wants to, not out of some sense of 
obligation.  He's always said he wants to be a vet.  Maybe he will, or maybe 
he'll change his mind in the next ten years.  But you can't expect a boy to 
save the world."

"No, we can't," she agreed.  While it was a lovely idea, she'd seen enough of 
the world to know that reality rarely worked out as well as theory.  
Especially in the areas that the Fringe team had investigated.  Despite 
Broyles' suggestion, had it been wise to involve the boy in the first place?  
"If you're willing to let us do the MRI and get a few more results from that, 
our team would appreciate it.  The EEG told us a lot."  She was not looking 
forward to returning to the office and explaining this situation, but having 
something to show for it might help.

"That's fine.  I'm sorry you've brought us all this way, but the more I think 
about it, the more it worries me.  And after talking with Mulder and 
Scully...."

"I understand, Mr. Van De Kamp."  She managed a weak smile, because she did, 
really.

"Thanks, Agent Dunham."

"Come on, Mike.  Let's go meet Billy and Mulder for dinner," said Scully.  The 
two of them left quietly, but their opening of the lab door let in the echo of 
Walter's voice down the hall, arguing with Peter about something.  He would be 
disappointed, Olivia knew.

Before the men entered the lab, her phone chirped, with the hospital's number 
on the caller ID.  As they made their way across the lab, she finalized the 
MRI time, while eyeing the bags carried by Peter, who so often ended up 
playing assistant.  "We've got the MRI after 7:30."

"Most excellent.  I've managed to assemble a few tasks for the boy to complete 
which should be safe with the magnets.  Now, if we can procure a few more of 
the rats--"

"Walter, there's something else you should know."

He stopped in his tracks, one hand on the cage housing the sleep study rat, 
now dozing soundly.  "Yes?"

"The MRI is the only other test we're going to be able to run on Billy.  His 
father is worried about him."  She wondered how much sway that would have with 
Walter.

For a moment he was still, then nodded shakily.  "I believe that if we do this 
properly, we can get all the information we need for me to try and replicate 
the patterns of mental activity in other animals.  Peter, do you think you 
could get a rhesus monkey?"

Peter looked at him for a moment, looked at Olivia, and shrugged.  "Sure 
Walter.  I'll just call up the monkey hotline."

"Excellent!  Maybe they can get one here by tomorrow.  We should have plenty 
of results by then...."  He disappeared into his office, a stack of printouts 
from the earlier EEG in hand.

Olivia shook her head, smiling at the look of consternation on Peter's face.  
He did eventually smile, wagging his head, "If only things were as easy as he 
thinks they are."

Her smile faded.  "Do you think he'll get enough information from the MRI to 
tell us anything?"

Tilting his head just a bit to the side, she could feel him assessing.  "Does 
it matter?"

She let out a long, slow sigh.  "No, it doesn't."

"Then don't worry about it.  Let the kid go home and have a normal childhood.  
If he wants to embrace his unusual talents as an adult, he can come work for 
you."

Nodding slowly in agreement, she let a smile slip across her face.  "Work for 
me?  Are you giving me a promotion in my old age?"

He returned her smile.  "You'll deserve one.  Come on, let's go get a 
sandwich.  Walter?  You want something?"  His voice echoed in the lab, 
bouncing off the metal and masonry.

"Cheese steak!" 

For a moment, it looked like he might offer her an arm in assistance rising 
from the stool where she sat, but the moment passed, and she stood, checking 
her coat pocket for ID and cash.  As they crossed to the door, she wondered, 
"They're from Wyoming.  I wonder if the little boy would enjoy the aquarium.  
The whale watching tours are still going on for the season, I think.  Ella 
loved it last time she visited."

The grin on his face was the most genuine she'd ever seen, and when he really 
smiled, she thought, he was quite handsome.  "He'd love it.  But get them four 
tickets."

"Four?  Oh.  Good idea," she said, as they slipped out of the lab, door 
closing heavily behind them.

**
Epilogue
**

Concord, MA
October 2015


Mulder slid his finger down the tablet screen, looking over the last of the 
edits on "The Mystery of the Mayan Vase."  Initially, he hadn't realized the 
steady income to be made from young adult serial mystery novels.  But for the 
last seven years, he'd easily written one every quarter, and pulled in nearly 
as much as profit as Scully did from her current position at the Children's 
Hospital.  One finger traced along the bottom of the screen, signing off and 
emailing the manuscript back to his editrix.

He'd just closed his eyes and reclined in the adirondack chair, appreciating 
the autumn sun, when he heard the crunch of wheels on the drive, followed by 
the slam of a car door.  His eyes opened, but he stayed in the chair, watching 
the geese scatter out across the pond as swift footsteps crossed the resonant 
boards of the porch.  When something heavy crashed onto the ground a few feet 
away, he turned to see Bill, not quite smiling.

"Hey.  You guys are back early."

"Yeah," was the dull response, as limbs somehow lankier than he remembered 
them being when last seen in August contorted themselves to collapse into a 
chair next to him.  "No traffic.  She wouldn't let me drive though."

"You know the rules.  Just because you can drive around the ranch at home 
doesn't mean you can drive here.  Up the lane only, at least until you get a 
permit.  How are classes?  Lots of work this weekend, or do you have time to 
do some reading for me?"

"A lot harder than last year.  They gave us extra homework because of the 
holiday weekend, but I might be able to make time for you.  Depends on what 
young Harry is up to, and whether it's more interesting than 'A Farewell to 
Arms.'"

"This time the great Herodotus Williams is investigating the sighting of a 
mysterious creature at Lake Columba while on vacation with his parents and 
obnoxious sister."

"That sounds way better than World War I."  He reached for the tablet on the 
arm of Mulder's chair.

"School work first, boy detectives second," said Scully, sneaking up behind 
the pair.

"Aw, Mom!"

She smiled and rested a hand on Mulder's shoulder.  "Until dinner, then.  You 
should get most of it done, unless he's written a lot more than he let me read 
yesterday.  Have you decided what you're doing for Thanksgiving, yet?  We can 
make flight reservations for you this weekend, if you know."

Already navigating through the introduction to the story, it took a minute for 
Bill to respond, and he refused to look at either of them as he did.  "Oh, 
yeah.  Aunt Pam's doing turkey day at her place this year, and Dad's going 
down there.  I thought since I see more of you guys now that I could, too."  
He looked hopefully between the two of them.

"Of course you can," said Mulder, feeling Scully's fingers dig into his 
shoulder just a little.  "We can pop by Andover any time we want.  Not that we 
would," he amended at Bill's worried look.  "Go be with them for the 
holidays."

"Thanks, Mulder."  He waved the tablet in the direction of the pond.  "I'm 
going to go read this on the dock, okay?"

"Sure.  You go read, and Scully, you sit down right here and relax while I 
finish up dinner."

"Please don't let it be more of that tuna surprise from last week."

"I promise, you'll like this.  It involves vegetables other than peas."  She 
raised a brow at him as she sunk down into the chair.  "Really.  Not from a 
can, either."

"Who are you, and do I need to call someone to see if they've finally got that 
cloning thing straightened out?  Because I might keep you over the real 
thing."

He laughed, and it echoed out over the water, Bill turning around to look at 
them curiously.  "I'm sure you can call someone down at Fringe.  They've 
called us often enough."

"On the drive over, Bill said he might like to go work for AD Dunham one day."

"She'd have him in a heartbeat."

"He'd be good at it, too.  It's not the way it was when we were there.  
They've got a lot more funding, since the appropriators down on the Potomac 
realized that they really are doing work to avoid the end of the universe as 
we know it.  Astrid's running an excellent lab operation."

"You know he wouldn't want to be in a lab."

"I can wish though, can't I?"

"Yes you can, and you can give him time.  He's got years for us to change his 
mind."

She smiled, and caught his hand, kissing the palm.  His fingers brushed her 
cheek and tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear, then pulled free.  
With a glance at the young man down on the dock, feet skimming just above the 
water's edge, he turned back to the house, where the scent of dinner called.


****
"Every parting gives a foretaste of death, every reunion, a hint of the 
resurrection." 
-Arthur Schopenhauer
****