The Truth is Out There--Scene 13 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. I do not own the characters and I don't make any money from this. Enjoy! ********************************** "Yeah, I'm sorry he can't meet with us too" Mulder said into the phone as Scully drove through downtown Chicago. "I'll come to your lab to pick you up, Room 457 McGowan Hall. Great. See you then" he hung up the phone. "I told her I'd be there in 20 minutes" he turned to look at Scully. "Good, you two go for coffee and I'll run the tests" she said nervously. "Maybe Dr. Berenbaum can help with them?" "It's not anything I can't do myself, it'll just take a few hours to get the results." "What do you want me to do in the meantime?" Mulder asked as he patted her thigh. "Maybe choose some new clothes for me to wear tonight and think of how we are going to get back to Patrick with no one any the wiser." "Will do" he said as he turned to face her more fully "And Scully, if that young man is not our son, it doesn't make the leap of faith you took for him foolish or misguided. It makes you human. And, we will help him. That, I will promise you." "Thanks Mulder, but I have no doubt he's William. I just think it'll be good to have the proof in our hands" she said as she determinedly faced forward. Mulder's stomach knotted with her words. They had set up Patrick in a nice hotel in Melrose Park, got him food, a game system and rented a bunch of kid's movies through the hotel. He was on strict instructions to not leave and they would return at some point that night. Mulder knew the young man was not fond of him, he didn't have to be Karnack to figure that one out, but, he knew the boy liked Scully and he trusted Patrick would do what she asked of him. Scully maneuvered the car into the DePaul University parking garage and found a space. "Do you think anyone is looking for us yet?" She asked as they walked toward the elevators. "I think," Mulder started as he grabbed her hand "that if he's William, or like Gibson, someone is going to connect him to us pretty soon and if they are in Chicago, they are looking for us. If they are not in Chicago, then they'll be here shortly." "I was thinking the same thing" she said as they rode up in the elevator. "We can at least be anonymous until your reading, they would never think to look for us here." "Scully, I think, if we're lucky, we are about one step ahead of them at this point but, once we go to my reading tonight we're on equal footing." "Yeah, but who are they?" she lowered her voice as they walked down a long white hall "the Consortium? The rebels? A new group?" "Someone who wants Patrick contained, possibly studied." He leaned in close and answered her quietly "He would have been shipped off to a Juvie Psych ward if they thought he killed his parents. There, he could be studied and no one would be the wiser. They could hide behind the old adage 'he was a danger to himself and others' and dope him up whenever any family came to visit so he couldn't spill the beans about what was really going on." "I see you've thought about this" she said meeting his eye. "When it comes to you Scully, I don't stop thinking" he smiled down at her and opened the door to room 457. "Excuse me" Scully said as she approached a lab technician making notes "we're looking for Dr. Berenbaum." "She has her own private facility three doors down in molecular biology" he pointed across the large laboratory. "Thanks" Mulder offered as they walked across the room that was filled with young graduate students in lab coats filling out massive amounts of paperwork as they observed bugs. Mulder leaned forward to knock on the door when it was opened by a young woman in a lab coat. She smiled shyly at them and walked past. He held the door for Scully and they walked inside a state-of-the-art lab with Dr. Berenbaum hunched over a microscope. "Dr. Berenbaum?" Mulder asked as they approached. "Fox" she said as she hopped off her stool and walked toward him with her hand outstretched. They shook hands and smiled at each other. "Dr. Berenbaum..." "Call me Bambi" she offered as she smiled at them. "Bambi, you must remember my partner Dana Scully" he said gesturing toward Scully. "Oh, yes. You look different" she smiled. "Thank you" Scully smiled back, unsure if it was a compliment. "You have quite the set-up Bambi. You must be doing some very important research for DePaul" Mulder said truthfully. "I'm trying to help them with a study they are doing on the molecular cloning of Blattella Germanica." "Cloning or cockroaches? Aren't people trying to eradicate them in New York?" Mulder laughed. "Unfortunately, yes" Bambi scowled. "Sorry, bad joke" Mulder apologized "how's the research coming?" "Very well, but I sense that's not why you want to take me out for coffee. Are you joining us as Agent Scully?" she asked gesturing for them to take a seat. "I, will have the distinct pleasure of taking you out for a coffee," Mulder postured "but we also have a favor to ask." "Name it" she said happily. "Scully needs to run some DNA testing and we were wondering if she could use your lab for a bit?" "What kind of DNA testing? Doesn't the FBI have facil..." "I'm not with the FBI anymore, Bambi" Scully interrupted "I'm a doctor working in Virginia." "May I ask whose DNA is being tested?" "Uh, it's confident..." Mulder started. "Our son is in danger" Scully interrupted "and we need to help him." She smiled at them sadly. "I'm sorry to hear that. Of course you can use my equipment." "Thank you" Scully said as she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding "we will have to ask that you don't share our meeting and use of your facilities with anyone." "Ahhh, all the cloak and dagger stuff again. That's why I like your book so much" she said giving Mulder a swat on the shoulder "I won't breathe a word of it, not even to my husband." "Thanks a lot" Mulder smiled at her warmly "if you can show Scully the equipment, we can go for some coffee and cheesecake." "We are actually really lucky. The university has several pieces of DNA testing equipment that they've made available to me." She started to walk toward a small machine "but if time is of the essence, which I sense it is...you want The Spartan. It'll give you results in 30 minutes." "I can run a PCR for genetic fingerprints on it?" "You can" she smiled. Scully felt instantly relived and got to work on her samples. One hour later Mulder returned with Dr. Berenbaum to the lab. He wanted to give Scully some time to absorb the information without an audience and pull herself together before Bambi saw her. He knew the results would show that Patrick was not their son, and he hoped that Scully had not decided to flee. He had decided while out with Bambi that they would follow their plan and return covertly to Patrick tonight and make decisions from there. The young man, he was fairly sure, did not know he was being used against them. He was the other victim in this whole shitty situation. He thought he had found his biological parents and would be disappointed with the information from the lab. When they walked into Dr. Berenbaum's lab they found Scully leaning over a desk. She looked over at Mulder and smiled. ******************************* The end of part 13