Setting the Record Straight

Sara B. 05/06

Scully sat on the back porch steps with her cell phone in her hand.  She’d just hung up with Mulder and she realized just how much she missed him.  The screened door slammed shut and she heard herself admonish the offender just as her mom had done all those years ago.  “No slamming!”

Bill Scully chuckled, “yes, Mom.  You know you sounded just like her.”  He sat next to her on the step and noticed her phone.  “He can’t leave you alone for one lousy weekend.”  It was more accusation than question.

“I called him, Bill.”  Scully turned and leaned back against the railing and looked at her brother.  “Bill, why do you dislike Mulder?  I mean what has he ever done to you, Tara or Matty?”

“It isn’t what he’s done to us; it’s what he puts you through.  It’s Missy’s murder; it’s that damned useless chip in your neck.”  Bill’s voice was resolute, sure his position was true and correct.

Scully closed her eyes and thought about what her brother had said.  She questioned herself on how to respond, knowing she needed to say things just so to ensure he’d hear her out.  “Bill, I understand your concerns and issues; but they are not right.”  She put up her hand to stop his impending protestations.  “Hear me out, please?”  Bill just stared past her.

She needed to get his attention before she could tackle his objections.  “Bill, do you respect me?”

“How can you ask me that?  Of course I respect you.”  He was indignant that she would even think such a thing, let alone give voice to it.

“Good.  Respect me enough to listen to my side of things and lay your biases aside for a while.”  He gave her a small embarrassed smile.  “If there wasn’t a Fox Mulder there wouldn’t be a Dana Scully.  My decision to be a field agent had nothing to do with him; it was my choice.  Just as it is my choice to stay a field agent.  I love my job and if Mulder was not around I would still be doing what I do.  Please understand, this is my choice,” Scully said emphatically. 

“But, Dana, can’t you see what it does to the family?”  He pleaded.

“Bill, do you think it’s any different when you are deployed?  Or when Charles is sent to any number of unfriendly nations by the State Department?  What about when Dad was sent to Vietnam?”  She placed her hand on his arm.  “Bill, we all have risky jobs.  Our jobs challenge our lives yet not one of us will give up willingly.”

She watched him to gage his reaction; he was thinking about what she’d just told him.  “What about what happened to Missy?”  He tried another tactic.

“If you can’t just blame the people who murdered her, blame me.”  Scully’s voice was low and he’d had a hard time hearing her.

“Dana!”

“No, Bill, if anyone is to blame it’s me.  I was warned that someone was out to kill me.  I never should have left my apartment or at least I should have followed through on my plan to intercept her.  If you’re going to blame anyone blame me.  I might have been able to save her.”  Scully’s head fell forward.  Her hair hid her face but Bill was sure she was on the brink of tears.

Bill was thoughtful for a moment.  “If you had stayed you might have been the one killed, or maybe they would have killed both of you.  Dana, I’m thrilled that you weren’t.”  Bill looked skyward.  “God, that sounds terrible.”

“I understand; Missy would too.  Thanks for not blaming me.”  She moved closer to her bother and nudged him with her shoulder.

“Bill, I know you’ve heard stories about Mulder and I will admit a lot of the rumors and innuendoes have a lot of facts in them.  But it’s the stories you don’t hear that really tell the truth.  Mulder is ridiculed by nearly every up and comer who wants to make a name for himself.  But, when they hit the brick wall, when they have run out of options, every single one of those bastards come to him for help.  The same guys who taunt him with Spooky Mulder jokes seek him out to solve the bad ones.  The really amazing thing is that he never turns them down.  Mulder sees beyond the pettiness and realizes that it is the victims that suffer if he doesn’t help out.  To me that selflessness is greatness.  I’m not sure I could set my feelings aside like that.  Could you?”  It was Bill’s turn to hang his head. 

“Underneath the bravado, indifference and jokes lies a man who truly cares what happens to people.  Those are affectations he’s adopted to cope with his pain.  The Mulder I know is kind, generous and a really nice man.  That isn’t to say that he can’t be overbearing, obnoxious, selfish and a general pain in the ass but I’m used to that, you see I have this brother. . .”

“Hey!”  Bill admonished jokingly.  “I guess I haven’t really given him a chance, have I?”

Dana placed her cell phone on the step and stood up.  “Speed dial number one.” 

~

Mulder was channel surfing when his phone rang.  He looked at the caller ID and smiled.  “If you miss me this much why not just come home and see me in the flesh, Scully?”

“Wrong Scully.”

Mulder choked, “Bill?”

End