From: sugarellie2000@yahoo.com   
      
   NAME: cogito ergo sum   
   AUTHOR: Lisa   
   CONTACT: xlisajacobs@hotmail.com   
   RATING: PG-13   
   DISCLAIMER: not mine, never were, never will be   
   SPOILERS: takes place somewhere in season 7   
   SYNOPSIS: a new case poses many new challenges for   
   Mulder and Scully   
      
   Comments of any kind are very welcome!   
      
      
   Prologue   
      
   His knees were starting to hurt from sitting behind   
   the bushes, but the wait was worth it, he hoped. His   
   heart was beating a hundred-and-twelve beats a minute,   
   eight more beats than the last time he checked. A   
   feeling, somewhat reminiscent of having to talk in   
   front of his class, back in fourth grade, occupied his   
   stomach. His watch had deliberately slowed down to an   
   almost unbearable slowness. He looked through the   
   leaves again. No one. A lighting post ten feet away,   
   was the only light near. Two others were broken. The   
   darkness felt like a warm blanket before, but now the   
   warmth became almost too much to bear. It smothered   
   him.   
   He checked his watch again and his heart skipped a   
   beat. The time had come. Barely able to think or   
   breathe he looked at the dimly lit street again.   
   Empty. He lifted his hand up to hold his watch against   
   his ear, the constant ticking both soothing and   
   worrying. The time had come. The blanket fell down   
   upon the floor. A shiver went through his body. Once   
   more he checked the street. The others left 20 minutes   
   ago. Just like she had thought they would.   
   One more deep breath and he got up, his legs tinkling   
   with relief. He walked around the dark house to find   
   the back door open, just like she had thought it would   
   be. The house felt strangely warm after the night air.   
   Warmer than it should be, than it deserved. One at a   
   time he climbed the stairs, with false security about   
   where he was going. The voice got louder. Two more   
   steps and he stood there, a mere foot away from the   
   door. A spoken goodbye was his key. The door swung   
   open and a surprised look welcomed him in. He did his   
   deed with repulsion and anxiety, but a sense of   
   excitement as well. It’s too easy, a fleeting thought   
   proclaimed. But he shook it off. He only did what has   
   to be done. A short scribble is all it takes. He wants   
   them to know.   
      
   Chapter 1   
   	   
   Mulder enters looking positively delighted. He sits   
   down and looks at me with a smug smile. I have to   
   guess. I know he won't tell me, before I guess. Well,   
   sure, fine, whatever.   
   “What?”   
   The smile takes over his face even more. He likes me   
   playing his game.   
    “What what?”   
   But two can play this game.   
   “Well, why do you have that look on your face? C'mon,   
   spill it.”   
   “What look, Scully? If anyone is giving anyone a look   
   it’s you.”   
   I roll my eyes and get back to work.   
   Unfortunately he still has that smug smile on his   
   face. And I’m still curious.   
   We work in silence for a few more minutes, neither one   
   of us wanting to surrender. In the end it’s me who   
   folds.   
   “Ok Mulder, fine, you win.”   
   “Win? I didn't know we were in a competition.”   
   I give him a disbelieving glaze. Sometimes these games   
   really annoy me.   
   “Your smile.”   
   “What about my smile? Oh I know, I know.”   
   He’s waving his hand in the air enthusiastically, like   
   a little schoolboy who knows the answer to a question   
   the teacher asked and is just dying to tell.   
   “You've finally realized I'm irresistible and now you   
   want to make wild hot love on my desk...Scully, you   
   really have a wild streak.”   
   I go back to files demonstratively. I asked, now it’s   
   in his corner again. But when he hasn’t spoken for   
   another ten minutes and still has that same content   
   smile on his face, I fold, again.   
   “Fine, have it your way, I will guess. Let's see,   
   you're really happy about something. That could mean   
   three things. One, they have a discount at the triple   
   X video store. Two, the aliens have finally landed,   
   confessed to taking Elvis and brought him back. Three,   
   you've gotten hold of some case. Probably one I am not   
   going to enjoy and that will piss off quite a few   
   people along the way. 'Cause that seems to be your   
   favorite sport.”   
   “As much as the former two appeal to me…” He trails of   
   and actually starts to leave indicating I have to   
   follow. It isn’t until he’s out of the door, before he   
   notices I’m not.   
   “What's wrong Scully?”   
   “I did my part, I guessed. You really don't think you   
   can drag me out of here right now and not tell me at   
   least what excited you so much in this case.”   
   I see the doubt that appears in his face for a second.   
   He probably thought it to be more fun if it was a   
   surprise, but I’m not going to let him win the entire   
   show.   
   “Ok, I'll tell you on the way up to Skinner’s.”   
   “Fine”, I sigh.   
   We head towards the elevator.   
   “So, what's so good about this case?”   
   “Well the case itself is quite gruesome and not   
   particularly interesting to us, but it's the guy who   
   humbly asked for our assistance, that's really funny.   
   I heard his senior agent basically told him he wasn't   
   the most adequate person to investigate this   
   prestigious case and that he needed to request our   
   cooperation.”   
   “Do I know him?”   
   “Quite well, I think.”   
   “Well, who is it?”   
   “Curious aren't we Scully?”   
   “Mulder, it might be fair right now to tell you that   
   if you don't share it soon, I will have to kill you,   
   and since I have my service weapon on me and there's   
   no jury in the world that's going to convict me for   
   killing my obnoxious partner, I suggest you tell me   
   now.”   
   “Ok, ok...Tom Colton.”   
   “They passed Colton and gave the case to us?” I look   
   at him incredulously. Despite myself I feel a smile   
   creeping over my face   
   Mulder is grinning a bit more outright and he still   
   does when we enter Skinner’s office.   
   	   
   ~   
   	   
   The flight is very early and I’m twenty minutes late.   
   I know how much that annoys her. I packed too much as   
   usual and I’m already regretting it when I half run,   
   half walk towards an aggravated looking Scully.   
   	“Sorry,” I blurt out.   
   	She smiles resignedly and walks to the boarding area.   
   As we stand in the long queue, a smartly clad young   
   man makes his way towards us from the front of the   
   queue.   
   	“Excuse me. Are you special agents Mulder and   
   Scully?” He asks tentatively when he arrives.   
   	I nod.   
   	“Why do you want know?” I ask curiously.   
   	He extends his hand to me.   
   	“I’m special agent Fitzgerald. I assume you’ve heard   
   of me?”   
   	When he sees that both Scully and I are looking   
   confused he continues.   
   	“We are assigned to work with you,” he says, like   
   that should explain it all.   
   	“I haven’t heard that.” I look at Scully but she   
   denies as well. “And who’s we?”   
   	“Special agent Stradford. She is standing over there,   
   in front of the queue. It’s just been arranged last   
   night, but we assumed A.D. Skinner informed you.”   
   	“There must be a misunderstanding. Can I see your   
   credentials?” I say rather bluntly.   
   	The guys badge looks real, but I decide to call   
   Skinner anyway. My mood has darkened significantly at   
   the thought of having to work with two rookies. I get   
   my cell phone out and walk off. It takes the while for   
   Skinner’s secretary to pick up the phone. In the mean   
   while I hear Scully asking polite questions, though I   
   think I can hear some disappointment in her voice as   
   well.   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)