House of Cards by Jennifer T. Brooks E-mail: Jenntou@excite.com Synopsis: This story picks up where the movie left off, but it is not a flick fic. Mulder and Scully are still assigned to the X-Files under Kersh and have been given a new office. Scully tries to cope with her changing relationship with Mulder with the help of her friends. As the house of cards that she has made her life out of starts to fall down around her she must come to terms with her changing relationships with everyone around her. A disturbing family secret is brought to light with leaves her devastated. Spoilers: "Fight the Future" and all of seasons 1-5. Assume that the 6th season has not taken place (the shows don't fit into my time line) Rating: NC-17 for sexual situations and language. Keywords: Scully angst, Mulder angst, Skinner angst, Scully torture, Skinner torture, Mulder/other, Scully/other, Scully and Mulder UST/MSR. Hell this has a little bit of everything in it.. Disclaimer: All characters in this story except for Blake and Claire belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen productions and Fox. No harm is intended and no profit is being made. Dr Susan Lowenstein is borrowed from Pat Conroy's brilliant novel "The Prince of Tides". My Dr. Susan Lowenstein is still played by Barbra Steisand and her office is now in Washington DC. Marriage vows are courtesy of the marriage ceremony performed by District Court Magistrate Deborah L. Clanton in Kentwood, Michigan. They are used without permission. Ike's E Street Bar and the Lasertaruim are figment's of my imagination. If these places actually exist, it is purely coincidental. I have been a lurker for years and now have the courage to write, please be kind but honest in feedback. I'm taking liberties with locations, and character histories so don't write me telling me that I've gotten facts wrong.. Special thanks to Rad for her early cements and to Zoe J. my wonderful beta reader/editor extraordinaire. Her input made what you are reading possible, without her it would have been much different and not as good. Thanks Zoe. ******************************************* "It's a troublesome world. All the people who are in it are troubled with troubles almost every minute. You ought to be thankful a whole heaping lot, for the places and people you're lucky you're not." Dr Seuss "Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky you are" ****************************************** Chapter 1 ******************************************* FBI Headquarters June 22, 1998 8:00 a.m. Dana Scully walked quietly into the office expecting to see her partner of five years, Fox Mulder. she thought to herself. How had she managed to stay sane? She thought back to their first case in Oregon and how naive she had been about the job, the FBI and life overall. Sometimes she wished that she could go back to the days when she was a carefree skeptic, when life was simpler. When had the world become so complicated? When had everything changed or started to change for her? When had life become so difficult? To make matters worse there was the issue of Diana Fowley. What was she to Mulder? Although Scully had no right to know what the nature of the relationship was, she felt a slight tinge of betrayal that Mulder had never mentioned her to him. He seemed entirely too nonchalant about the whole matter. "I can't let this bother me," Dana thought to herself as she sorted through the morning mail. A half hour later Mulder came into the office accompanied by Diana Fowley. "Good morning, Scully," Fox Mulder said to his partner, greeting her with a smile. "Nice job they've done with our new office." "Good morning Mulder, good morning Agent Fowley," Scully replied in return. "You can call me Diana, Dana. It's only appropriate if we are going to work closely together." Diana made her way over to Fox Mulder's desk and sat down in the chair in front of it. Dana was glad that office requisition gave her a desk this time. Sitting behind her own desk gave her some personal distance from Mulder and didn't make her feel quite so exposed. She felt a tinge of guilt at wanting to distance herself from Mulder but after everything they had been through in last month she needed to gain control over her feelings for him. She felt like she grown close to him over the past month, too close for her, and she needed to stop things and regain some of that distance between them. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't even register that Agent Fowley was speaking to her. "Earth to Scully," Mulder said while gently waving his hands in front of her face. "What," Scully stammered surprised by Mulder's motions. "Diana was stating that she's going to be working closely with us now." "In what capacity?" Scully asked as she looked at Diana. "I've been assigned as your supervisor for the time being." "I wasn't aware that we needed supervision," Scully responded coldly. Mulder saw the expression on her face and knew what she must be thinking and feeling. He knew that she'd never express those feelings. It was one of the reasons he was attracted to her, but also found her refusal to show her feelings annoying at times. "Scully, the X-files division is being opened under violent crimes. Skinner seemed to think that the unit would have a better chance at long time survival if it was embedded in an existing division. Since Diana is already a VC supervisor and worked on the X-Files in the past, Skinner found her to be the natural choice to head the unit." "Great, Welcome to the X-Files Agent Fowley," Scully responded coolly. ******************************************* FBI Headquarters June 22, 1998 8:20 a.m. Mulder and Scully spent the next hour working in complete silence. Mulder didn't like their new office. It was fine as far as offices went but he found it to be a little sterile looking. Mulder and Scully had each been given their own desk in a small office that was half the size of his former office. He was glad that they did have a window, which he saw as the only perk of the job. The office was located in the violent crimes section of the building, most agents were assigned to individual cubicles in a large room, with senior agents sharing offices. He was thankful that if he had to share an office this small, that it was with Scully. He was also grateful that she had a desk, although he did take pleasure in being able to look at her shapely legs whenever he wanted with their former arrangement. "Scully, what do you really think of Diana being our supervisor?" Mulder asked. "It's fine," Scully replied as Mulder rolled his eyes. "Is anything not 'fine' with you?" Mulder asked and then regretted as soon as the words left his mouth. "Not everything is *fine* with me. However, regarding the matter of our new supervisor, I have no opinion." "Everyone has an opinion on everything Scully. People have toilet paper preferences for God's sake. This is me you're talking to, you don't have to keep the claws in check. If you hate Diana and want her dead, I would understand it. I'm not going to tell anyone what you say to me in confidence. You should know that. I just want to honestly know what you feel." Mulder looked at her tenderly hoping that she would open up to him. She had been acting very distant ever since they returned from Antarctica. He thought the whole experience had brought them closer together and now she was acting as if the past five years had never occurred. "Mulder, I'm indifferent about the whole matter. Who the supervisor is does not matter to me, what I find hard to take is the insinuation that we need supervision," Scully replied. "You sound so clinical about it. I hate Kersh and you know that if I knew that there was no way that my actions could be traced back, I would have the gunmen doctor a picture of him in women's lingerie and post it all over the building." Mulder was particularly proud of this remark because it garnered a raised eyebrow and a partial smile. "Mulder, I don't hate Diana and I really don't like her either. I guess I'm just neutral on the subject." "Finally an honest answer from the elusive Agent Scully. Do you want to get some lunch?". "Mulder it is only 8:30 am, don't you think it is a little early for lunch?" "It's never too early to eat. We'll make it a brunch. You chose the restaurant." "Mulder I'm not hungry, besides I have things to do on my lunch hour." "Like what?" "Personal things, Mulder." "Scully, you aren't sick again?" Mulder asked looking worried. "No Mulder, I'm fine." "If you are going to the gynecologist, I suppose I could sacrifice some time and go with you to hold your hand." "I'm sure you would, but that's not where I'm going. You honestly aren't going to take your lunch hour at 9:00 am are you? We've only been working for an hour." "I need food to fuel my creativity." "So that's what you call your neurotic obsessive behavior? Creativity?" "You wound me Scully." "Mulder, do your work and stop trying to delay the inevitable." "Yes mom," Mulder replied. They soon settled into a comfortable silence and continued to work. ******************************************* FBI Headquarters June 22, 1998 12:30 pm At 12:30 pm Diana Fowley walked into their office and asked to speak with Scully privately. Dana followed Diana into her office and noticed that her personnel folder was sitting on Diana's desk. "Please have a seat Dana. Since I'm now your supervisor I'm required to go over your personnel file with you and your job description. It also gives me a chance to get to know you a little better. I'm sorry that didn't come out right," Diana Fowley said blushing. "What I meant was that these required reviews give me a chance to get to know all the agents under my charge a little better." "I understood what you meant Agent Fowley," Dana Scully replied. "Hmmmmmmm......" Diana kept muttering while looking through her file. "Everything looks good so far. You have an exemplary record Dana. I didn't know that you went to Stanford and the University of Maryland. And to graduate Magna Cum Laude, none the less. Quite impressive. You also graduated Magna Cum Laude from medical school. You were offered a residency in pediatric surgery at Johns Hopkins which you turned down to join the FBI. We were lucky to get a talent such as yourself, Dana. These files appear to tell a lot about a person on the surface but they wind up creating more questions than answers about the person contained within. Dana, why the FBI and not a lucrative career in surgery?" "Agent Fow..." Dana started. "Please call me Diana." "Okay Diana, I could have had a lucrative career in surgery but I didn't feel that it was the correct career choice for me at the time. I would not have been professionally satisfied with was I was doing." "Are you professionally satisfied with your career with the FBI? Are you happy here Dana?" Diana asked the younger woman. "Working for the FBI has challenged me." "That's not what I asked Dana. Does it make you happy?" "No," was Dana's simple answer. Diana looked at the agent across from her with concern. Here was a bright agent who had everything going in the world for her but happiness. "What would it take professionally to make you happy?" Diana asked. "I'm not miserable by any means Diana..," Scully hesitated. She hadn't ever expressed her dissatisfaction with her job before. Opening up to people was not something that she did well or wanted to do. It made her uncomfortable thinking that this woman sitting across from her, her new supervisor, could see through her so clearly. She would have to build up that wall a little better to keep Diana Fowley out. "Dana, I want all agents in my change to be happy with their jobs and careers in the FBI. An unhappy agent does not make a good one." "Diana I didn't mean to give you the impression that I'm unhappy with the FBI or the direction my career has taken. I also didn't know that career counseling was in your job description. I have a lot of work to do getting the X-files reorganized. Are you finished?" Dana looked coldly at her supervisor sitting across from her. "Dana, I didn't mean to be intrusive or offer you career counseling. I was just trying to understand you a little better. I apologize if you have been offended." "Apology accepted. Agent Fowley I know that you were not purposely being intrusive, I just feel that some things are no ones business. I'm paid to do a job by the citizens of this country. My job satisfaction has no bearing on this at all. As long as I'm doing my job, as long as I continue to receive superior annual reviews I should be allowed to remain an agent. Never once in my 8 years with the bureau has anyone questioned my happiness or job satisfaction. I find it a little odd that now someone wants to know wether or not I like my job a little circumspect. If you want to question me or offer me advice keep it to my professional life, not my personal. May I be excused? I have work to do," Dana responded to Diana Fowley as she stood up from her chair. "Yes, you may leave now. I do look forward working with you. I have heard a lot about you. If you ever need anything or just want to talk please don't hesitate to come to me. It is what I'm here for. Please send Agent Mulder in." As Agent Scully left her office Diana Fowley wondered what the hell she had gotten herself into by agreeing to head the X-Files supervision. Working with Fox Mulder was one thing but his partner Dana Scully was going to be a whole other ball game. Who made Dana Scully so distrusting and paranoid? Surely working with Fox hadn't done that. ******************************************* FBI Headquarters June 22, 1998 1:00 p.m. Dana walked down the short corridor to her office. Mulder was sitting at his desk looking through case files. He looked up when he noticed Dana Scully standing before him. "Agent Fowley would like to meet with you now, Mulder." "How did your meeting go with the boss?" Mulder asked. "It went fine." Fine, there was that word again. The one word in the English language he despised. He knew that she was an intelligent woman and he thought many a time that she could come up with a better acronym to describe how she felt. He was thinking that for Christmas he would get her the book '1000 Synonyms For Fine'. "Would you care to elaborate on that a little more?" "I don't trust her Mulder. The questions she asked were less than appropriate. She was essentially on a fishing expedition and I wasn't going to let her hook me," Scully said as she sat down behind her desk. "What kinds of things did she ask you?" "You'll see for yourself now Mulder. It's your turn. She wants you in her office right now." "I'm scared. Can't you see the fear in my eyes and the tremble of my hands? I'll be back in a few. Do you still want to go to lunch when I'm through?" "I'm not really hungry, Mulder." "Suit yourself. I for one am starving." ******************************************* FBI Headquarters June 22, 1998 1:15 pm "Good afternoon Fox. Did Dana explain what the purpose of this meeting was?" Diana Fowley said to Fox Mulder as he sat down in the chair across from her desk. "No. She just said that you wanted to meet with me," He said calmly remembering what Dana truly said about the purpose of the meeting. "Yes, I'm meeting with all the agents under my charge going over job responsibilities and their personnel files hoping to understand the people that work under me better. Since I already know you well that's not necessary." "Then why the meeting?" Mulder asked while reclining in his chair. "It's imperative that I treat all agents the same. If I meet with one, I meet with all." "That's fair," Mulder responded. "So what do you suppose we talk about. This is supposed to take an hour isn't it?" "Fox, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" "You can ask anything that you want. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to answer it," He said while reclining further and putting his feet up on her desk. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable, Fox." "Go ahead and ask your question, Diana," Fox Mulder replied. "Okay. Have you told Dana about our relationship?" "No, why would I?" Mulder responded flabbergasted. "Well, you've been partners with her for the 5 years and from rumors that I've heard it seems that you both are a little more than just friends. I have heard everything from you two having sex in the mens restroom to you taking her over your desk down in the basement office." "Why Diana, you sound jealous." "No, no, no," Diana stammered, "Okay, maybe I am." "Diana there is no Scully and I. We lead separate lives outside of the bureau. I don't see her socially. We've never had and never will have a relationship. Why am I even telling you this?" "Because you always did have a soft spot for your ex-wife." "True. God, this is so weird talking to you about another woman." "If she were just another woman I don't think you would have a problem talking to me about her." "Okay, she's not just another woman. She's my partner and best friend. I honestly love working with her. She challenges me. She's one of the smartest people that I have ever known. But this is weird talking to you now about her because you are also our direct supervisor. How the hell did you manage to pull that one off? They don't usually let spouses or former spouses for that matter supervise or work with one another." "Well since the marriage was annulled, officially there was no relationship." "I hadn't thought about that. Did you want to come and supervise me or did they place you here?" He asked. "Contrary to what you may believe Fox, I wanted to come here. I didn't seek out the position, but when it was offered to me I didn't turn it down. I missed you these few years that I was away. I always wondered what was going on in your life and if there was a special lady." "Oh God, Diana, please tell me that you aren't going to ask about my sex life?" "Foxy, you know that I'm curious and since you did bring it up - is there a special someone in your life?" Diana Fowley asked. He rolled his eyes at her question. The way that she asked it reminded him of his mother. "I'm dating my job, I don't have time for personal relationships, Diana." "Could the reason you are so involved with your job involve one Dana Scully?" "Scully?" "Yes Dana Scully. Why do you call her by her last name? Dana is such a beautiful name." "Out of habit I guess. At first I called her Scully to distance myself from her because I didn't like her and thought she was a spy. By the time I realized that she wasn't a spy I was so used to calling her Scully, that it was too late to change and start calling her Dana." "Nice avoidance of trying to answer my question Fox. Is she the reason why you don't date anymore?" "You really get to the point, don't you Diana? Yes. She's the reason I don't date anymore. Now are you happy?" "Finally some honesty here. Inquiring minds want to know more. What exactly are your feelings for her Foxy?" "I don't know why I put up with you sometimes. You are the only person in the world that could get away with calling me Fox or Foxy for that matter. You're so lucky that you are my ex-wife." "I would prefer to be know as your best and oldest friend in the world." "Why don't you want to be associated as being my ex-wife Diana," Mulder responded acting hurt. "Gee, could it be that the wife title connotes an understanding that I have performed my marital duties, if you get my drift." "Don't act like the thought of sleeping with me disgusts you Diana," Fox teased back. "As cute as your little ass is Fox, you simply weren't my type. Now back to my original question. What are your feelings for Dana?" "Why, if I'm not interested are you going to go for her?" Mulder asked half jokingly. "Maybe." "What?" Fox asked incredulously. "You heard what I said," Diana responded coyly. "You aren't serious Diana, are you?" "I'm totally serious, Fox. There's something about Dana that find extremely attractive." "Diana, Dana isn't a lesbian." "How do you know? Did this come up in conversation before between the two of you." "Well no. But I just know that she couldn't be." "Mulder, you can't just look at someone and know that they're gay." "I knew that you were Diana." "You did not. I had to tell you." "I had a feeling like you might be, but I thought it would've been rude to ask you." "You are such a liar, Fox. You were totally floored when I told you that I was gay." "Well you didn't chose the best time to tell me Diana. Waiting until a man is drunk, barely standing, naked, and ready to perform isn't an opportune time to inform him of his partners sexual preference. Any man in my situation would have felt the same thing. You had several, no make that months, to tell me before things went that far." "Fox...." Before Diana finished her sentence they were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," Diana replied. Dana Scully walked into the room "I'm sorry for interrupting your meeting, but I've been called down to do a priority autopsy and just wanted to let you know before I left." "Are you going to come back after you're done?" Fox Mulder asked. "I don't know at this time. It all depends on how long it takes me." "Well I'll see you tomorrow then Scully." "Bye Mulder." Diana Fowley observed their interaction from behind her desk. When Dana closed the door behind her Diana whistled. "If you don't want her please let me know soon Fox, because I wouldn't mind getting to know her better." "Oh god, why do these things have to happen to me? My ex-wife has a crush on my partner." "How can you not be affected by her Fox. She's brilliant, opinionated, passionate about her work and not afraid to tell me where to shove my questioning." "Not to mention that body," Mulder interjected. "Exactly how well do you know that body Mulder? Have you seen her naked?" "God, you always get right to the point don't you Diana?" "You know me Fox, if I want to know something I'll ask it. Besides as close as we were before, you know that you can't keep a secret from me. All those women you dated while we were married, you always described them to me in detail after the dates and didn't seem apprehensive about it. Why now?" "You know why. Those women didn't mean anything to me. I told you about them because you asked about them. With Scully it's different. I feel like if I get into a discussion about her bra size with you, it somewhat cheapens her." "Cheapens her? I don't understand Fox," Diana replied. "Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words. I guess it somehow reduces my feelings for her to mere sexual lusting, which mind you is accurate, but what I feel for her is so far beyond that." "Sounds like love to me Fox." "I don't know if I would call it love. Listen, can we keep this between ourselves? I don't want Dana to know how I feel. It might make her uncomfortable because she doesn't share these same feelings with me." "Okay, that's fair. When did your feelings for her begin to change?" "I really can't pinpoint it. We've always been just really good friends. We would hang out together on weekends, debate political ideologies, watch movies and run together. Over time she started occupying more and more of my free time. I didn't mind because she was my best friend. I could totally be myself around her, something I have only had with one other woman, which happens to be you. One day I just woke up and noticed that I saw her in a different light. She was still my best friend Scully, but she was also something more to me. It is really hard to explain this. I don't know when or how it happened or what she or I did to make it happen, but I do care more for her than just a friendly type of care." "That was brutally honest Fox. You know that I'm here if you ever need to talk about Dana Scully or any other woman for that matter. Our hour is just about up. Get back to work Agent Mulder," Diana told Fox as she tried to sound like an authoritarian. Mulder rose from his seat he embraced Diana tightly and whispered in her ear, "I'm glad you are here Diana. I really missed you." -end-