The Truth is Out There--Scene 66 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!

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

Margaret Scully had given him no useful information.  He'd 
bound and gagged her in the spare bedroom and right now was 
hacking into her computer files.  Dylan hated this part of 
his job.  The tedium of looking through each file, each e-mail, 
each saved and deleted document.  Luckily, Margaret Scully was 
not much of a computer geek and there were few things of 
interest pertaining to the case he was working. 

The latest e-mail from Dana Scully was dated one week ago:


Hi Mom,

I forgot how hard it can be arranging everything so I can be 
gone for a few days.  My kids are taken care of but, right now 
I'm wading through about two weeks of correspondence that I've 
been neglecting.   I've been invited to be a guest speaker at 
a symposium on rare childhood illnesses in Houston. Their 
original guest speaker has taken ill and they sought me out 
as a replacement.   I would really like to go but it coincides 
with the end of Mulder's book tour and the last thing I want 
is to be out of town for a few days when he's been gone for 5 
weeks.  Maybe I'll see if he can meet me in Houston?  Please 
tell Aunt Edna we will be unable to join everyone for 
Thanksgiving this year but thank her for the invitation.  It 
was so nice to hear that Mattie won his Karate Tournament!  
Tell him I say congratulations next time you speak with him.  
I'll come up for a visit the last weekend of the month so I 
can help you put everything away for the season, if that's 
okay?  I'll call when I get back from Chicago and I will 
tell Mulder that Mrs. Phipps next door wants an autographed 
copy of his book.

Love,  Dana  


Dylan sifted through some more e-mails from Dana, each coming 
about one week apart and most containing little relevant 
information beyond some information about work, setting up a 
time to visit about once every month or so, and talk about 
what was going on with her estranged relatives.  Dylan thought 
he hit pay dirt when he saw a series of e-mails sent between 
Margaret Scully and Fox Mulder back in the spring.  

He looked at the last e-mail from Fox Mulder:


Maggie,

Thank you.  She's doing much better and I think her last 
visit with you really helped.  I appreciate you keeping this 
between us.  We'll see you soon.

Fox




The agent immediately opened the first e-mail in the series 
so he could understand better what Fox Mulder was thanking 
her for, and, what he didn't want Dana Scully to know about:


Maggie,

I know I haven't written to you before and I hope that you 
will be able to keep our correspondence private because Dana 
does not know I've contacted you.  You put up with my place 
in your daughter's life and you are courteous whenever we are 
together and I thank you for that. I know that you would be 
much happier if Dana hadn't ever met me because her life 
would be so much easier than it has been, and frankly, 
sometimes I agree with you.  But we cannot change the past 
and you, probably more than anyone, know how much the past 
haunts Dana.  I'm writing to you because I love your daughter 
and I hate to see her so upset.  I don't know what else to 
do.  

Dana received a letter in the mail two weeks ago from Bill.  
She didn't tell me about it at first, but when I kept asking 
her about her sullen mood she finally relented.  It took her 
another few days to bring it home from work and when she did, 
I got to read the letter that had upset her so much.   I'm 
sure you are already aware that Bill and Tara have been 
separated for over a month.  Dana did not know this and 
was shocked by his first revelation.  Bill then took it upon 
himself air all of his pent up feelings and anger towards 
her, citing William's adoption and me as examples of her 
poor character.  He didn't pull any punches, blaming 
Dana for your bout with Cancer to his inability to rise 
among the military ranks.  He talked a great deal about how 
disappointed her father would be and how he's glad he didn't 
live to see her become the horrible person he doesn't want 
to have for a sister.  His comments were both biting and 
unfair.  In the last line he told her he had disowned her 
as his sister and never wanted to see or hear from her 
again.  

I'm sure you can imagine the pain this letter has caused 
Dana who, although not close with her brother over the last 
few years, still holds him with a high regard.  I don't want 
to make the situation worse by calling Bill or seeing him 
but I was wondering if you could help?  If you agree with 
what he's said, I'll keep that secret between us because 
Dana doesn't need more heartache from anyone in her life.  
But, if you want to help her please do.  

Fox


Agent Izzo was just about to open Margaret Scully's reply 
when his phone rang.

"What?" he snapped.

"I have the message that Dana Scully's mom left on their 
machine." 

"Play it to me" he ordered.

He waited a moment before he heard Margaret Scully's voice 
over the line:


"Hi Fox, hi Dana, it's mom.  I wanted to call and thank you 
for the beautiful scarf.  I really don't need something this 
extravagant, but I do love it. Your note mentioned Christmas 
and I'm a bit confused, weren't you coming up at the end of 
the month to help out?  Christmas is quite a ways off and...
maybe you can give me a call when you get back from Chicago?  
I love you." 


"Thanks" Dylan Izzo said quietly into the receiver and hung 
up his phone.

He turned his attention back towards the computer screen in 
front of him.  On it was Margaret Scully's reply to the 
request:


Fox,

When I got your e-mail I was quite surprised.  I had no idea 
Bill had taken it upon himself to unload on his sister like 
that.  I kept the separation from Dana because it wasn't my 
news to share, and Bill and Tara were in therapy so I was 
hoping for the best.  I don't want you to think that I share 
my son's views about Dana's chosen life or your part in it.  
Although I have not understood many decisions she has made, 
and those decisions have obviously had an effect on our 
relationship, I know she is a good person, a person I am 
proud to have as my daughter.  I'll call her and arrange 
a visit.  I hope you'll join her this time.  

Maggie


The last correspondence before Fox Mulder's thank you e-mail 
was dated over a month later:


Fox,

I have really enjoyed seeing you and Dana so much these past 
few weeks and although I couldn't tell you when you were at 
the house, I spoke with Bill.  I'm in no way excusing his 
behavior because what he said in his letter to Dana was 
horrible but, he has been going through a very rough time 
personally and professionally.  I suggested he seek out 
personal therapy (besides the couples therapy he's in with 
Tara) 
because I think he has a lot of anger that he has misplaced 
on his sister.  He's an angry man, angry because he thinks 
he's losing his family and he thinks Dana sacrificed hers 
willingly.  I hope for his sake things work out with Tara.  
I am very worried about him and will be going to California 
to visit him soon.  

I hope some of the conversations we had this weekend helped 
Dana understand how much I love her, and how that will never 
change.  She still didn't mention the letter and I am allowing 
her some privacy, I hope one day she'll talk with me about it.  

I also wanted to thank you, Fox.  I know it has been hard for 
you too--I know what lengths men will go to protect the woman 
they love, and I thank you for restraining yourself and not 
doing something that would upset Dana more.  I'm really glad 
I've gotten to know you better over the last month and I hope 
to see the two of you more often.  You are good for my 
daughter.

Love,  Maggie   


Agent Izzo heard the doorbell ring again.  He wondered if it 
was that some cop, back again.  Time was running out, the 
police would think something was amiss within a matter of 
hours.  

He looked out the front window and watched the police 
officer walk back to his vehicle.  Dylan knew he needed to 
get out of the house before the cop came back again.  He 
walked toward the room where Margaret Scully was tied up.  
He needed answers soon.

***************************************
The end of scene 66