Blues and Bells

By: afg
siggy.63@btinternet.com


Website: www.ofnoconsequence.com
Rated: PG13
Category: Angst.
Feedback: Good or bad to siggy.63@btinternet.com
Disclaimer: Not mine and no money is being made
Note: This is part of the 'Redemption Day' universe. That story
and its sequel, 'Pushing Dust' can be found at my website. Due
to computer problems, for the moment, this story will have its
home at my Live Journal -
http://siggy63.livejournal.com/tag/x+files+fic

The time for dividing and no-one will speak
Of the sadness of hiding, and the softness of sleep
O will there be nothing of peace 'till the end,
Or never, O never, O never again?
- Richard Thompson


Station Mall
Sault Ste. Marie
Michigan

Walter Skinner stuffed his hands deep in his coat pockets. He
scanned the teeming throng of mostly teenagers and felt very
old. Shopping malls were really not his thing. Smokey bars
were his hang out of choice, not the entrance to Victoria's
Secret. He'd often suspected Dana Scully had an evil streak;
this little stunt confirmed it.

"I think the fuchsia slip would look good on you, sir."

Skinner turned to see Scully standing behind him. She looked
nothing like the well turned out FBI agent he'd once known.
Her hair was no longer red, but a dirty blonde; she looked
much too thin in her worn jeans and t-shirt. Her eyes though,
had not changed; they still had the power to take his breath
away.

"I prefer pastels, myself." Skinner found himself smiling. An
expression that felt entirely foreign to his features. He could
almost hear his muscles creak, as they moved to unaccustomed
positions; so long had it been since they needed a reason.

"It's good to see you, Walter."

He thought for a moment she was going to hug him, she made
as if to start forward but held herself back.

"How have you been?" He watched as she dipped her head and
looked at her sneakers.

"You want to go and get a coffee?"

Skinner let her dodge the question. "Sure."

They made their way to the Starbucks across the way and
ordered. They found a seat and Skinner didn't fail to notice that
Scully made sure she sat so she could see all the exits. They
sipped their drinks in silence Skinner sat and watched Scully as
a look of almost orgasmic delight swept across her face.

"Good?"

She smiled sheepishly at him. "We're on a budget. I haven't had
one of these for a while."

"I can tell." He let her enjoy her coffee for a couple of minutes,
before getting down to business. "Why is Mulder out of the
loop with this?"

She sighed and put her cup down. "He thinks I'm babysitting
for a friend, while she's at work."

Skinner nodded and waited for her to continue. She looked so
small and tired.

"It's back" She said it quickly, as though it wouldn't have the
weight if she let it go in a rush of air.

Skinner didn't have to ask what 'it' was. "How long?"

"Three months. The headaches are getting worse, and it's
getting hard to hide the nose bleeds from Mulder."

Skinner almost slammed his cup on the table. Hot liquid
splashed onto his hand, and he reached for a napkin to dry it
off. "Scully, Mulder needs to know. Why didn't you come to
me sooner? If your chip has failed we need to find another."
 
"The chip hasn't failed." She looked at him with her cold eyes,
waiting for him to understand.

"Christ, you took the chip out...for god's sake, why?"

She smiled at him. "You of all people should understand why."
She reached across the table and took his hand. "Remember
how you felt while Krycek held you for ransom with those
nanites?"

Skinner remembered all too well. "Yes, but, Scully, without
that chip you'll..." He trailed off, not wanting to say the word

"I'm prepared for that."

"What about Mulder, is he prepared?" It was a low blow but he
was desperate.

She shrugged, understanding his tactics. "You know very well
what Mulder will do when he finds out, to what lengths he will
go. Which is why you can't help him."

"Scully I'm not going to sit back and let you die, if there is
anything I can do to stop it." He gripped her hand, thinking he
was probably hurting her.

"No, you can't help me and you mustn't help Mulder. I won't
have another chip. I'm not going to live on their terms."

"So, you're going to die on yours. That doesn't seem like much
of a trade to me."

She sat up in her seat, her back ramrod straight. "I've had
precious few choices for the last few years. They took that
option away from me. This is my choice, mine, not theirs.
They've lost their power to influence my life, and now I'm
choosing how I want to leave it. Let me have this, Walter,
please."

His grip on her hand gentled. It was the 'please' that broke him.
"How can I refuse Mulder when he contacts me?"

"I don't know...tell him they're watching you too closely.
You'll think of something." She let go of his hand to touch his
face, her palm warm against his cheek. "Thank you."

He shrugged her off angrily. "Christ, Scully don't thank me.
Not for this."

She nodded. "All right, how about I just thank you for being a
good friend? You are, you know, a good friend."

He could feel his eyes welling with tears. He hadn't cried for
years, and now, here he was, in a fucking Starbucks with the
one person who still had the power to make him weep. "Scully,
I..."

"I know. I've known for a long time."

He sighed in relief, so glad that she'd saved him from a
fumbling declaration and thankful that she knew. "Mulder's a
lucky man."

She bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm not so sure, but when it
comes to him, I feel like the lucky one."

He gave it one last try. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Quite sure." She held his gaze and he knew there was no
swaying her.

"In that case, can I at least buy you another coffee?"

Her smile was warm and sad. "I have to go. I don't want
Mulder to get suspicious."

"Okay."

She stood up and he joined her.

She looked up at his. Without her make up and heels she
seemed so much less intimidating. "I don't think we'll be seeing
one another again."

"No, probably not."

She walked to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist, her
grip was fierce, He wrapped his own arms around her thin body
and held her tight. The hug lasted for only a few moments, but
it was long enough to express all they had to say to each other.

They parted and she looked up at him to give him a smile.
Then she walked away moving around the tables and out of the
door. He sat down again feeling tired and so very old.

He sat a while longer thinking of nothing; his mind a numb,
cold thing. He needed to get up and get back to his life, such as
it was. Most of all he needed a drink. He got up and made his
way back out into the river of youth in the mall. He looked at
the faces around him and longed for their ignorance.

Walter Skinner shuddered as a cold draught from outside,
slipped down the collar of his coat and heralded the coming
winter.

 It was time to go home.

The end.