From: mrkeller829@gmail.com   
      
   =====o============================o=====   
   "Chermera" by Mary Ruth Keller Part 30  of 45   
   E-mail: mrkeller@eclipse.net, mrkeller829@gmail.com   
   PG-13   X-File: Myth-arc   Disclaimed in Part I   
   Already sent to Gossamer   
   =====o============================o=====   
      
   Northern Division       / Atlantis   
   San Diego Police        / Athinios City   
   San Diego, CA           / Santorini, Greece   
   Saturday, June 20, 1998 / Saturday, 2:52 pm   
   4:52 am                 / 2:52 pm   
      
   Mulder watched Scully rubbing the bridge of her nose tiredly. "How are you   
   holding up?"   
      
   She lifted her head to prop her chin on her right hand. "The food helped." She   
   turned toward him. "We can't make any progress on Marshal Tapping, at least   
   not tonight, but we can follow up on James Andrews, you know. I don't think   
   Director Skinner has    
   had the chance to do so."   
      
   He checked his Swiss Army watch. "Yeah, it's the middle of the afternoon on   
   Santorini. Mom will be out food shopping at the Saturday market, so we can   
   speak with Max without interruption."   
      
   "Unless he goes with her." She smiled gently. "I'm glad they found each other,   
   Mulder."   
      
   He hit his fourth speed dial button. "Yeah." The phone on his ear, he grinned.   
   "Max?"   
      
   "Mulder?" Slightly out of breath, the white-haired man settled behind the   
   desk. "Hello! How are you doing? Have you met up with Samantha yet?"   
      
   "Did I catch you at a bad time?" The tall agent rose to begin pacing as he   
   spoke.   
      
   "Not at all." Max waved a hand. "I was outside working on the gardens and had   
   to trundle to the phone. Really, how are you? How is Dana?"   
      
   The dark-haired man glanced at his seated partner. "Scully's fine." He sent   
   her a wave. "We're here working a case on the West Coast and wanted to see if   
   you'd heard from Eric, yet."   
      
   Max chuckled. His no-nonsense stepson was coming right to the point, as usual.   
   "I haven't, but I did some checking. Andrews never made it to the show. The   
   organizers had no idea where to reach him, so that was a dead-end." The door   
   opened and closed, so    
   he waved Caroline to him when she stepped into the study. "Sorry to have such   
   bad news, but your Mother just stepped in. I'll turn the phone over, alright?   
   Good to hear your voice, Mulder." He handed the cordless unit to Caroline as   
   he mouthed, 'They're    
   on a case in California.'   
      
   She set her basket of eggplants, cucumbers, and tomatoes on the sofa beside   
   her. "Fox? You're on the West Coast? Have you seen Sam? How is she?"   
      
   Mulder sagged into the closest chair. "Hey, Mom. How are you?"   
      
   She smiled at the air. "Missing my boy, Fox. You ran us ragged, but at least   
   you were here. How's Dana?" She waited.   
      
   Mulder sent a desperate glance to his partner. "She's here, too. We've been to   
   Sandra's house. She's really kept up the gardening. And her lab. She has   
   graduate students, Mom." He bit his lip.   
      
   Caroline leaned forward. "Fox, you forget, I know that tone. What's wrong?"   
      
   Mulder rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "Mom, there's nothing-"   
      
   "Fox." The word sounded a tocsin.   
      
   He took a long gasp. "Mom. Don't."   
      
   "Fox!" She was on her feet. "Tell me."   
      
   "Mom. I can't. She's okay. That's the best news, right?" He glanced   
   desperately at the glass doors. "Mom, I gotta go." He terminated the call.   
      
   Scully stepped over to rest her hand on his shoulder. "Mulder, at least she   
   knows - " Her phone was ringing now. "Special Agent Dana Scully, Federal   
   Bureau of Investigations, speaking."   
      
   "Dana, this is Caroline. Tell me what happened, please." She reached for her   
   husband's hand, since had taken a seat beside her.   
      
   Placing the phone on speaker, Scully shifted her chair close to the   
   dark-haired agent's left side. Even if his shuddering breaths were preventing   
   him from continuing the call, he could at least listen in. "Caroline, we were   
   on our way out here, but the    
   old man cornered her first."   
      
   "That monster! Isn't it enough he threatened Margaret? What lies did he tell   
   her? Can I speak with her? We need to set her straight on who her friends and   
   enemies are, Dana."   
      
   The auburn-haired pathologist glanced over at her partner. "We're trying,   
   Caroline, but she has her own will, as strong as Mulder's about some things."   
   She bumped her partner's left shoulder with her right. "He didn't tell her   
   lies. He just    
   misrepresented some of Mulder's actions, and that's caused her to doubt him.   
   We're going to try to work through this. She needs to know the truth to be   
   safe." She paused. "Caroline, I need to ask you a couple of questions about   
   Bill Mulder, if I can. Is    
   that okay, or should I call back later?"   
      
   The white-haired woman shuddered, then relaxed in the long arms now wrapping   
   around her shoulders. "No, please, ask."   
      
   Scully quickly recounted the events on Martha's Vineyard, finishing with, "Did   
   he ever tell you about his tattoo? Did he ever let you see it? It was on his   
   right wrist."   
      
   Caroline sighed. "He never had any tattoos while we were married. If he had   
   one when you were performing the autopsy, that must have been acquired after   
   we separated."   
      
   Scully closed her eyes. "Okay, thank you, Caroline. I'm so glad to hear your   
   voice, even if it's not the most pleasant of subjects. I wish I could still be   
   there."   
      
   The older woman's lips spread into a genuine, broad, smile. "It's a joy to   
   hear you, Dana, and to offer you congratulations on your promotion and   
   commendation. Margaret was barely in her door when she arrived in Annapolis   
   before she called us. I'm so    
   happy the Bureau recognizes you talents. It's about time they did."   
      
   The diminutive agent caught her partner's nod out of the corner of her eye.   
   "Thank you, Caroline. Would you like to speak with Mulder?" She felt him   
   stiffen against her shoulder.   
      
   "No, I know my son, Dana. He's tried so hard, all these years, taking care of   
   me while looking for her, but this has him overwhelmed. You know that too, I'm   
   sure. One final question. Should Max and I come back to the States? Will that   
   be a help at all?"   
      
   Scully let out a long breath. "Caroline, it might come to that, but we'll keep   
   working the problem on this end, okay? You need to stay safe."   
      
   The older woman frowned. There was something she knew the red-haired agent was   
   holding back, but after getting to know her son's partner, understood   
   instinctively it must have been for a valid reason. "Alright, Dana. I'll trust   
   your good judgment. Just    
   give my boy my love, and my girl, when you see her. You've been such a good   
   friend to our broken little family. Please come visit whenever you have the   
   chance. We miss you both."   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)