From: xfstories@yahoo.com   
      
   Murder In The Capital Part One   
      
   By Katie Phillips   
      
   July 2004   
      
      
   Disclaimer Info:  I know, I know they belong to someone else.   
      
   Rating:  R (to be on the safe side)   
      
   Keywords:  Casefile; MSR   
      
   Feedback: xfstories@yahoo.com.  Can't wait to hear what you thought.   
      
   Archive:  Sure, why not?  Just let me know where.   
      
   Spoilers:  Set after Fight The Future.  No specific spoilers but   
   assumes a basic knowledge of the series and its characters.   
      
   Summary:  Scully and Mulder have gone their separate ways but are   
   brought back together to help solve a case that threatens the lives   
   of a Congressman and personal friends of the President.   
      
   Author's notes:  Many, many thanks to sallie for her guidance, coming   
   up with a title and her great beta work. Sallie has also volunteered   
   to write the sequel to this story, so keep your eyes open for it.   
      
      
      
   ++++   
   Walter Skinner took a deep breath and closed the folder in front of   
   him.  He slowly removed his glasses and rubbed his temples, thinking   
   to himself how much he hated this particular type of case. Two   
   prominent businessmen had been killed within the past month.  That   
   fact alone was enough to stir up a small amount of interest.  The   
   fact that they were both close associates of the President had not   
   gone unnoticed, nor had the fact that both had allegedly been killed   
   by their administrative assistants.  Unfortunately for the FBI, both   
   of the prime suspects had died under mysterious circumstances exactly   
   three days after the death of their former employers.   
      
   If that hadn't been bad enough, just the night before a top   
   Congressional aid had been killed, his assistant taken into   
   custody.   The murdered aid had been instrumental in the President's   
   reelection campaign. Capital Hill was in an uproar.  They wanted   
   answers and they expected them from AD Skinner. Now.   
      
   Skinner looked at his watch and groaned to himself.  He was not   
   looking forward to the meeting that would be taking place in his   
   office in less than twenty minutes.  He picked up his phone.  "Could   
   you ask Agent Mulder to come up to my office now, please?"  Skinner   
   put down the phone and leaned back in his chair rubbing his temples   
   again.   
      
   Several minutes later, a sharp rap on the door drew Skinner from his   
   reverie.  Calling "Come in" a bit louder than was probably   
   necessary,   
   Skinner frowned as he waited for Mulder to enter and take his usual   
   seat in front of the AD's desk.   
      
   "Thanks for getting up here so quickly,  Agent Mulder."  Skinner slid   
   the file folder towards the agent.  "I assume you have heard of this   
   case?"   
      
   Mulder grabbed the file and quickly glanced through it.  "Only what I   
   read about it in the papers.  Three men shot to death at pretty much   
   point blank range, by people they not only knew, but trusted.  The   
   first two suspects died before they could provide authorities with   
   much information."   
      
   Skinner nodded.  "Due to the unusual circumstances of this case, I am   
   making you SAC."   
      
   "Thank you, Sir."  Skinner nodded at him, wondering if Mulder would   
   still be thanking him when he finished what he had to say.  "I'm also   
   calling in a forensic specialist."   
      
   Mulder's head snapped up at this, and his eyes narrowed.  "Scully?"   
      
   "She's the best the Bureau has Mulder.  You and I both know that."   
      
   Mulder didn't say a word, and Skinner leaned back in his chair giving   
   him a moment or two to let the idea sink in. Hell, he needed time for   
   it to sink in himself.  He never thought he would see Dana Scully in   
   Washington again. Three years ago, when he signed Agent Scully's   
   transfer papers, he promised he'd not call her back to DC unless   
   absolutely necessary.   
      
   Scully and her then-partner Fox Mulder, had been together nearly six   
   years at that point.  They approached their work from totally   
   different viewpoints, but their results were impressive.  Their solve   
   rate was way above the Bureau's norm, and even though they had a bad   
   habit of turning in their reports late and running over budget,   
   Skinner had given them a relatively free reign.   
      
   However, someone or something had come between them.  They had been   
   caught "running off" to investigate a conspiracy in Texas without   
   proper authorization, and as a disciplinary action, Scully had been   
   reassigned to Salt Lake City.  Skinner had offered to fight her   
   transfer, but Scully had refused. She hadn't said much except that   
   she thought that Mulder no longer trusted her, and without that trust   
   she couldn't stay.  She had made a clean break, and as far as Skinner   
   knew, she and her long-time partner hadn't spoken since the day   
   Scully told Mulder about the transfer.   
      
   "When?" Mulder looked nervous.   
      
   "She landed at Dulles about an hour ago.  I expect her any minute   
   now."   
      
   ++++   
      
   Dana Scully forced a smile as the elevator doors opened and a former   
   colleague joined her.  "Welcome back, Agent Scully."   
      
   "Thanks."  Scully hoped her voice didn't reveal the case of nerves   
   she was working so hard to hide.   
      
   "This case has everyone stumped.  I heard Skinner is even bringing   
   your old partner on board to try to break it."  The agent turned his   
   attention to the control panel and pushed the button for Skinner's   
   floor, not noticing as Scully forced another smile.  Skinner hadn't   
   mentioned that Mulder would be on the task force, but she wasn't   
   surprised.  Mulder had always been the Bureau's best profiler.   
      
   By the time they reached the desired floor, they had been joined by   
   several other agents, making conversation more difficult,a situation   
   for which Scully was profoundly grateful.  Many of the agents from   
   the elevator headed towards Skinner's office, and Scully found   
   herself drifting toward  the rear of the group, hoping to blend in as   
   much as possible, so as to delay the instant of her recognition by   
   Mulder.   
      
   Kimberly greeted them all outside Skinner's office, and briskly   
   ushered them in.  Once inside, Skinner made quick work of the   
   introductions, noticing at once the unspoken communication between   
   Mulder and Scully, as they both went out of their way to greet each   
   other casually.  He felt for them.  This was their first meeting in   
   close to three years, and every eye in the room was on them, waiting   
   to see their reaction.  Skinner had hoped to give the former partners   
   the opportunity to greet each other in private, but there hadn't   
   been   
   enough time.   
      
   Skinner took his place at the end of the conference table, indicating   
   that it was time to call the meeting to order.  "Thank you all for   
   coming here on such short notice.  Special thanks to you, Agent   
   Scully.  I know you dropped everything to fly cross-country to be   
   here this morning."  Skinner then nodded to Kimberly who passed out   
   folders to everyone.   
      
   "Here's a summary of what we have so far.  Three murders in the   
   past   
   four and a half weeks.  All victims assumed to have been killed by   
   their assistants.  Two of the suspects have since met untimely   
   deaths.  The third is in custody under heavy guard." Skinner paused   
   so the assembled agents could go through their folders.  "Any   
   thoughts?"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)