The Truth is Out There--Scene 104 from XF3 by Lolabeegood E-mail: lolabeegood@gmail.com Distribution: Archive freely with my name attached. Rating: R Categories: S, R Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance, Post-IWTB Spoilers: IWTB Summary: The truth is something Mulder & Scully may have to pay a steep price for. Author's Notes: Ever since I watched IWTB I have thought of the ideal way to start and storyline a third movie. So, after much thought and deliberation I have a series of scenes that I have written for the third XF movie. The scenes will not necessarily run right after each other but they are in sequence. They are more like scenes I would like to see in the XF3 that develop character, tie loose ends, and add plot interest. Although this is the last and final chapter of a WIP that I started over 10 months ago (!) there will be an epilogue set forward in the future so everyone can catch up with Mulder and Scully. I want to thank the hundreds of people who have been following the story over this 10 month journey with me. Your encouragement and support was invaluable! I appreciated every e-mail and comment on the Haven Boards and sometimes your ideas or notes sparked changes in the story or the characters--always for the better! I know there are some other language Boards out there who have contacted me for permission to translate this story, and I thank you for all your hard work getting these chapters out so quickly to those who don't speak English. I also apologize for making the story so long--I think it was more work then some of you bargained for! I didn't ever think that my little idea would become a huge 104 chapter story that was being translated into several languages...but I am very happy it has been so well received. Thank you everyone, for sticking with me. I do not own the characters and I don't make any money from this. Enjoy! ********************************** The plane circled above the bright blue waters and the reefs below. Mulder and Scully saw the small landing strip in the island to the right and buckled their belts. "When did you know he was here?" Mulder asked. "At the hospital," she smiled "when I was upset about Gillian, he tried to comfort me, and then he told me where they were." "So our son has been in an island paradise this whole time...nice work, Skinner." Scully smiled at Mulder and grabbed his hand. "And we're almost there, he's waiting down below." "You know Scully, either we figure out a way to turn off his ability to listen to your mind, or our son is going to need some serious therapy one day." "Mulder!" she chastised him. "You think my mind is that troublesome?" "No but I think some of your thoughts must be very unwholesome" he grinned at her "especially when I am doing certain things to you." "Well," she conceded "we are going to have to figure something out." 'Definitely' said Patrick's voice inside her head. "That's not polite" Scully said to him. "What?" Mulder asked looking toward her. "Nothing" she smiled and turned to look out the window. The plane landed without incident and Scully looked out the window to see Patrick jumping up and down on the tarmac next to a casually dressed Walter Skinner and an older gentleman. Mulder grabbed their carry-on and they quickly exited the plane. "Mom!" Patrick yelled as he ran into Scully's awaiting arms. "Patrick" she said as she kissed the side of his face and held him up off the ground "I've missed you." She dropped him slowly to the ground and he looked up at his father, suddenly shy. "What? I get nothing?" Mulder asked with his arms outstretched. "Hey, dad" Patrick said bashfully as he embraced his father and slyly gave him a kiss on the cheek, hoping no one would notice. "I'm so happy to see you, son" Mulder said as he released him. "Same here" Patrick smiled up at him. "You've been having fun with Skinner?" Mulder asked as he looped his arm around his son's shoulder and walked toward the man. "Yeah, Walter's taken me snorkeling and deep sea fishing and I caught a 26 pound grouper!" "That's almost as big as you are" Scully noted. "Yeah, Umprey's taken us out to see the sharks too!" They approached Skinner and the older gentleman. "This is Umprey" announced Patrick "Nice to meet you Umprey" Scully said shaking his hand. "Lovely to meet you Dr. Scully" the old man said as he shook her hand. "So you've been helping to entertain him?" Mulder smiled at the man "Thank you so much." "The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Mulder." He said as he shook his hand. "He's a great young boy and so smart!" "Umprey is an old family friend" Skinner said, trying to explain the situation. "Friend? We are not friends." Umprey joked "I have known Walter since he was in diapers. He's family!" Everyone laughed as Skinner turned six shades of red. "My mother was Bahamian." Skinner offered in explanation. "After she died, my father and I came here all the time for fishing trips. I could sidestep the passport situation, and I knew Umprey would put us up." "You're family!" Umprey laughed "And now Patrick is family. The more family the better, it keeps an old man's heart ticking." "We've got lunch waiting for you." Skinner said as he took the small bag from Mulder. "I take it you're not staying long?" "No, we need to get back, there's someone else we need to be with, as well." "That's great news about the girl" Skinner offered quietly. "Yeah, it's killing Scully to be away from her, but we needed to get to Patrick as well. And we know you'll want to get back..." "Tomorrow," Skinner nodded "we'll be off tomorrow." They loaded into the open air jeep and bumped their way down a narrow road to a small community called Port Royale. Umprey's house was a large pink stucco house with a wrap-around porch and cantilevered shutters opened to let the ocean breeze in. His house sat on the beach with a nearby dock. At the dock was an impressive set of fishing boats. "Wow!" Mulder said as they got out of the car. "This is beautiful!" "We get nice views here." Umprey noted, humbly. "I bet you do, you can see for miles." Mulder said in awe of the house. "The best fishing in the world is right here on the Biminis" Skinner interjected "And Umprey and his two sons own the largest sport fishing business on the island." "That's wonderful, you must be so proud." Scully said to him. "My wife is proud" Umprey smiled "I am just very busy." They all laughed at his joke as Umprey's wife Martina appeared on the porch. She was an older woman with a dark tan and a slightly hunched back. She wore a brightly colored dress and her white hair was held back with a yellow scarf. "Martina!" Patrick yelled when he saw her. "Hello!" Martina called to her guests "Come and sit, everything is almost out." "Can I help?" Scully asked as she went up the stairs. "No, sit and relax. Patrick," she said turning to the young man "go and get some juice out of the fridge." "Yes, ma'am" he said as he ran into the house. "You have such a good boy" the older woman said kindly. "We're lucky" Mulder said as he touched Scully's shoulder. The group enjoyed a beautiful fish lunch that Patrick, Walter, and Umprey had caught earlier that day. Mulder and Scully were told stories about Skinner when he was a young man, and some of the trouble he got into on the island. Skinner, jovially allowed the stories to be shared, and corrected some tall tales Umprey and Martina were trying to pass off as truth. After lunch Patrick and Scully went into the house to change into their swim suits while Mulder sat with Skinner and talked. "They don't believe its part of the alien conspiracy" Mulder said. "They can't or they won't?" Skinner asked. "I'm not sure. Justice Suharta is just not open to that sort of thing, but if you..." "Mulder, I'm not sure the FBI wants me involved in any of this, after taking off with Patrick..." "We explained it all to them, you job is safe, and I think they are very interested in you leading the investigation because of your previous experience with the X-Files." "What about you? What's your role in the investigation? Are you going to...?" "I'm going to testify." Mulder said as he sat back in his chair, "I'm going to aid them in any way they need me but I'm not going back." "So they've already proposed..." "And we've turned them down. My life and Scully's life is with Patrick and, hopefully with Gillian in some capacity." "Are they open to you seeing her?" "They understand the circumstances under which she was taken from us, they feel sorry for us and know that we never actually gave her up but,...that doesn't mean they still aren't her parents too." "You'll figure it out" Skinner said rising from his seat. "There's a hammock with my name on it, and it's time to call Dinah." "Thank you," Mulder said rising to shake his hand, "you came through for us in the biggest way possible, and we'll be forever indebted to you." "You're family Mulder," Skinner smiled at him. "There is no debt. Just take good care of them." Mulder watched as Skinner ambled off into the sand toward a hammock under a thatched roof. "Ready?" Scully asked as she and Patrick appeared on the porch. "This is why it's easier being a guy" Mulder said as he stripped off his polo shirt and pointed to his long swimming shorts "One outfit, two purposes." "Is he always this way?" Patrick asked his mother. "Pretty much" Scully laughed. "Are we going to see Gillian tomorrow?" Patrick asked. "As soon as we get back," Scully said as she patted his hair. "I can't wait to meet her." Patrick said expectantly. "I've never had a sister." Mulder and Scully exchanged looks mixed with sadness and hope. They didn't want Patrick to see Gillian in the hospital, but they knew he was already aware of how bad her condition was, there was no protecting him now. "Why don't you show us around, Patrick?" Mulder asked. "First, you've got to check out the boats" Patrick said gleefully as he raced ahead in the sand. "They have glass windows on the bottoms." Mulder took Scully's hand and walked with her through the sand, following their son wherever he went, and relishing in his every laugh. ************************************** The end.