The Truth is Out There--Scene 31 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!

***********************************

Franz Lutman snapped his phone shut and walked briskly toward 
Mallory Suharta.  She was sitting across the room in the 
Chicago field office going through phone records.  

"Come with me" he said quietly as he walked past her.

Mallory put down the phone logs and followed him out the door 
and into a private office.  She watched as Franz shut the door 
behind her and paced back and forth in front of the messy desk.

"Are you going to let me in on something?" she asked a little 
annoyed.

"We have a source in Wyoming who says her nephew saw Patrick 
yesterday in Chicago."

"What?" she asked alarmed.

"Apparently this kid went to school with him."

"I don't get it" she said truthfully "what are Patrick and 
this other kid doing in Chicago?"

"Well, the other kid an Elric Marsden, moved here with his 
mom a few years ago.  And Patrick...well, he must have 
figured out his biological parents were here."

"Want me to drive?" she said reaching for the door handle.

"Go ahead" he said as he dropped the car keys into her hand and 
walked out the door.

They needed to interview this Elric kid and find out everything 
about his conversation with Patrick.  Mallory quickly grabbed 
her coat and they were off to the parking garage and climbing 
into their fleet sedan.  They drove in silence for a few minutes, 
each caught up in their own thoughts about this turn in the 
case. Mallory was the first to break the quiet.

"He's smarter than your profile indicates" she said softly.

"I under-estimated his abilities" he sighed.

"What abilities?" she asked quickly.

"Uh...his intelligence.  His ability, as an eight year old, 
to get across the country and locate his biological parents 
after killing his adoptive parents" Franz quickly corrected 
himself.

"Oh." 

"He's a smart kid, I'll give him that."

"Are you altering your profile?"

"I need to, in light of the new developments.  I need to adjust 
the way I think about this kid.  He's not much of a kid, as 
children go."

"I don't know" she said, quickly glancing at him "he doesn't 
seem to be doing much more than the kids did in 'Escape from 
Witch Mountain' or 'The Journey of Natty Gann'" she smiled .

Franz laughed at her comparison.  She was telling him to not 
be so hard on himself.

"Thank you" he smiled at her.

"That's what I'm here for" she smirked "to boost your ego."

"More like, make me feel like I don't know shit" he smirked 
back at her.

"That too." 

They drove the rest of the way in silence.  Franz watched 
Mallory as the street lights danced off her features and her 
luminescent skin glowed in the reflection of the window.  She 
let him watch without calling him out.

Elric Marsden lived in a modest duplex in a working class 
neighborhood with his mother.  They had the upstairs apartment 
and all the lights were on as they awaited the arrival of the 
FBI agents.  Franz rang the bell and his mother answered the 
door before it stopped chiming.  

"Mrs. Marsden?" Franz asked.

"I got by Cooper, now.  Gema Cooper" she smiled at them "you 
are the agents?"

Franz and Mallory pulled out their ID badges.  "I am Agent 
Lutman and this is my partner Agent Suharta"

"Please come in" she smiled at them and gestured toward 
the small living room.  "I'll just get Elric" 

"No problem" Mallory said as she took a seat on the sofa.

Franz walked around the room looking at photos and pictures 
on the walls.  He noted that the divorce was probably not 
amicable as there were no pictures of Elric's father anywhere.  
That, and the fact she moved halfway across the country to 
live in a small apartment, led him the believe that daddy 
wasn't really in the picture much.  He heard a door open and 
close, music flowed into the hallway while it was open and was 
muffled when the door shut.  Franz looked at the worn 
furniture, the cigarette butts in the ashtray, and the 
bills piled up on the dining room table.  Life in Chicago 
was not easy for Gema and Elric.  He heard the sharp snap 
of an angry mother's words and the music being abruptly 
turned off.  

Then, Elric appeared.  He walked begrudgingly down the 
hallway toward the living room, the whole time being 
trailed by his mother.

"This is my son, Elric" his mother said as she patted him 
on the back.

"Hi Elric" Mallory said standing and putting out her hand 
"I'm Mallory Suharta and this is Franz Lutman."

Elric shook Mallory's hand and nodded toward Franz, who was 
across the room.

"Have a seat  Elric" Franz indicated "we want to ask you 
about Patrick."

Elric sat nervously on the edge of the sofa and looked 
inquisitively at the carpet.

"When did you see him?" Mallory started.

"I saw him on the way to school this morning.  He was 
riding the Number 7."

"How was he dressed?" she inquired.

"He looked like every other kid on their way to school.  
He had a backpack, jeans, and a jacket, nothing special."

"So nothing unusual about his appearance or demeanor?"

"No, he just looked like Patrick, only a few years older."

"How do you know him?" Franz asked quietly.

"I was his bus buddy when he was in Junior Kindergarten back 
in Big Piney."

"And you were...how old?"

"I was in grade 7, uh...I was 12."

"Do you remember where he got off?"

"Uh, I think it was near that big library downtown.  But, 
I'm not 100% sure." 

"That's okay" Mallory smiled "anything can help."

"How did he explain his presence on a bus in Chicago?" Franz 
asked.

"He said his mom was here taking care of his aunt and he came 
with her.  It seemed like a good reason to be here."

"Anything else you can remember?" 

"No, that's it.  But...can I ask you something?"

"Sure" Franz said, knowing what the question would already be.

"Do you really think he did that to his parents because...the 
Patrick I knew...well, he wouldn't harm a fly."

"We're interested to hear his side of the story" Franz smiled 
at Elric "but, to answer your question...people change."

"I guess so."

"Elric if you have any further contact with Patrick I want 
you to call me right away" Franz said as he handed the young 
man his card.

"You don't think he'll try and find Elric, do you?" his mom 
asked panicked. 

"No ma'am" Mallory smiled "we honestly think his bumping into 
Elric was a pure accident.  I'm sure you are both safe."

"Okay" she smiled nervously "I'll take your word on that."

"We'll get Chicago PD to run a patrol car by here every hour 
or so, if that would make you feel better" Franz offered, 
knowing Patrick would not try and contact Elric.

"That would make me feel better" she smiled warmly.

Gema Cooper showed her FBI guests to the door while Elric 
skulked back to his room and cranked up the tunes again.

When Franz and Mallory were back in the car she turned to 
look at him more fully.

"You don't think he's coming to see Elric, do you?"

"No" he smiled at her "but it'll make his mom feel better to 
have a cop car drive by every once in a while."

"You old softy" she said as she started the engine.

"Hey, what can I say?  I like to help the single moms."

**************************************

The End Scene 31