Title:  George Jacobs Elementary School
Author:   Susan Proto
Category:   Story, Angst, M/S/SK Friendship,  hint of an X-file
Rating:  PG13 for language and theme
Spoilers:  Duane Barry
Summary:   Mulder is called in on a case for his expertise on alien 
abductions and hostage negotiation, while Scully is called in for her 
expertise in keeping Mulder sane.

Archive:  Yes

Disclaimer:   Mulder, Scully & Skinner belong to 10/13 productions and 
Chris Carter.  I'm just borrowing them.  I won't keep them.  At the end of 
the story you can  have `em back, I swear, (unless you *want* to give `em 
to me.)  All other characters belong to me, and if Mr. Carter wants to 
borrow them, all he needs to do is ask.  <grin>


Part 1/12


George Jacobs Elementary School
Greenwich, CT
September 22, 1997
8:00 a.m.


They filed in one by one or two by two at first.  Then, as the time came 
closer to the sounding of the bell, they began emerging through the door 
in packs of threes and mobs of four and five.


"Hey Mrs. "G," what's for lunch today?" asked the small but sturdy 
youngster.


"I'm not sure, Devan," she replied, "why don't you look at the menu 
calendar that's attached to the clipboard and then fill out the lunch 
count sheet for me?"


"Oh, okay."  She watched as he began his laborious task.  Devan was going 
to be a challenge this year.  He finally started to read sight words last 
year,  and had a long way to go before being on 
grade level in his reading ability.  But, she had determined from the 
second day of class, this child was a plugger. He was the type who would 
keep plugging away until he got it.  She had liked Devan right away.


"Hey everyone, we need to get this lunch count form filled out.  Come and 
sign up if you're buying lunch, please!"  At that, two thirds of the class 
jumped out of their seats to sign up for lunch.
"Common people, it's the third week of school already.  Doncha think we 
could at least _try_ and remember to sign up for lunch as soon as you come 
into class?  Pretty please??" She had a small smile on her face as she 
made her plea. 


 She knew it was hard for these guys to remember the new routines.  After 
all, it's only been eight weeks since they were in their third grade 
class, following  third grade rules.  Now they were in fourth grade, and 
in a whole new world.  But she knew for the next couple of weeks they 
would still be just "overgrown third graders" and would  need reminder 
after reminder to follow the routines and rules of Mrs. "G's" classroom.


Mrs. "G."  You wouldn't think "Gianinni" would be so hard to pronounce.  
Well, it wasn't, not really, but for some reason the kids felt it was cool 
to be able to call their teacher Mrs. "G."   And it wasn't a big deal.  
Heck, she felt it was cool that her kids would think it's cool to call her 
Mrs. "G."  


"Mrs. Gianinni?" (Well, not all of the kids thought it was so cool.) Karen 
looked anxiously at her teacher.  "Mrs. Gianinni, do we have gym today?"


"Check the schedule on the wall, Karen."


"Oh  Mrs. "G," I'm in big trouble," she said with just a hint of a whine.


"Why are you in trouble, Karen?"


"We have gym today and I forgot my sneakers and Mr. Jenkins will kill me," 
she said breathlessly.


"I don't think Mr. Jenkins will kill you Karen.  I think he will make you 
sit out of gym, that's all."


"Can I call my mom to bring me my sneakers?" she pleaded.


"Karen....___"


"Please, please!  I promise, I won't ask again.  I'll remember them from 
now on, I promise."


Taking the phone pass off the bulletin board by her desk, Sara Gianinni 
handed it over to the much relieved child.  


"You're the best, Mrs. `G' !!" and Karen took off for the school office.  
(*Okay, so it's cool to call me Mrs. "G" when you get what you want,* she 
mused to herself.)


Sara surveyed the class, realized most of the eight , nine and ten year 
olds  were actually now in their seats and ready to begin the day.  "Okay 
ki-diddles, we have one very pressing item of business to take care of 
before the end of the day, so don't let me forget, okay?"


The children looked curiously at her so she continued.  "Open House for 
your parents is in two days.  You guys need to complete your most 
beautiful and enticing invitations for your parents so they'll be 
desperate to come to it, and you also need to write your letter for them 
to read and respond to when they do get here."


"My mom can't come, so do I have to do one?" asked Alberto.  


"Yes, Alberto, you do. It's good practice for your penmanship and writing 
skills, and besides, what if Mom can make last minute arrangements to get 
her work schedule changed and ends up coming.  Don't you want her to have 
a letter to read too?"


"Yeah, but she won't come.  She don't like coming to school."


"Well, I'm not so crazy about it on Monday mornings either, Alberto," Sara 
replied with a slight chuckle.  It was just enough to defuse the dark mood 
Alberto was in.  "Anyway, I am looking forward to meeting all of your 
parents and having them meet me."


Sara began to write on the board the instructions for writing the 
invitation and letter while the school's morning news show played on the 
monitor.   The children were watching somewhat attentively when Sara heard 
a child call out.


"Yes?" she responded.


"Mrs. "G," someone's father's at the door," said Sammie.  She was the 
epitome of a tomboy in action and deed, but definitely not in looks.  She 
reminded Sara of the character from  The Little Princess with her 
beautiful, long, wavy brown hair that was brushed back in a half pony 
tail.  It always  amazed Sara how Sammie Thompson managed to play soccer 
as well as she did with all of that hair flying around her face.  


Sara Gianinni looked up to see there was, indeed, a father type looking 
figure at the door.  She saw he was Hispanic, which meant he could be the 
father of any one of eight children in her class.  She had yet to meet all 
of her student's parents since it was so early in the year.  Which Daddy 
was this one, she wondered?


"Hi.  May I help you?  I'm Mrs. Gianinni," she said extending her hand.  
She noted he didn't accept her proffered hand, as he was holding a large 
canvas duffel bag with both hands.  She put her hand down by her side.


"I'm want to see my daughter."  He said it quietly with only a hint of an 
accent.


Sara looked around the classroom for any signs of recognition from her 
students, but saw none.  "What's your daughter's name?" she asked.


"Elena.  Her name is Elena Ruiz."  He started walking into the classroom, 
surveying it up and down, left and right.


"Excuse me, Mr. Ruiz?" she hesitated, suddenly not comfortable with this 
man in her classroom.  "Mr. Ruiz, I don't have an Elena Ruiz in my class. 
 I think you need to go down to the school office.  I'm sure they would be 
happy to help you locate your daughter."


"No.  My daughter will come here.  They will bring her to me here."  He 
spoke the words quietly, but with a force that sent a chill down her 
spine.


"Mr. Ruiz, I don't understand.  Who will bring your daughter here." Sara 
asked, looking around the room willing her students to sit as quietly as 
possible.  She was afraid.  She wasn't sure why, but Sara knew she and the 
children were not safe with this man in their classroom.  "How will 
anybody know you're here waiting for your daughter?" she asked.


"They know where I am.  They always know.  They took her, and now they 
have to bring her back to me.  They will find me here.  They will bring 
her here," he said in an even toned, but stern voice.


Mr. Ruiz unzipped the large red and black duffel bag.  He pulled out two 
of the largest handguns she had ever seen in her life.  Sara then realized 
this was the first time she'd actually seen a gun that wasn't in some 
police officer's holster.  Mr. Ruiz then began to take out boxes and boxes 
of ammunition.  He was obviously prepared to shoot a lot of rounds, but 
Sara prayed it was all for show just to scare anyone and everyone.  She 
knew he was succeeding with at least one person.


"Mrs. `G'!!"


"Karen!" Sara cried out.


"My mom said she'd ____"


BANG! 


"Oh my God!!" 



End of part 1/12

Part 2/12


FBI Building
Washington, DC
9:27 a.m.


"Agent Scully, thank you for coming up so promptly,"  Assistant Director 
Walter Skinner said.  "Please take a seat."


Dana Scully sat down in one of the two chairs that faced the AD's desk.  
She felt a little strange sitting down next to the empty chair.
"Yes, Sir. Kim said it was urgent.  Is it a new case?"  


"Scully, has Agent Mulder returned from his personal leave yet?" he asked.


"Mulder requested this past Friday, today and tomorrow, so no, he hasn't 
returned yet.  Sir, does this have anything to do with Mulder. Is he___?" 
 Scully's voice  started to raise in panic.  Had something happened to her 
partner? Is this what this meeting was all about?



"No, Scully.  As far as I know, he's okay.  I was just wondering if he was 
still in Greenwich visiting his mother."


"Yes Sir.  I spoke to him yesterday morning, and he was staying with her 
since she was feeling a little under the weather.  She had called and 
asked if he might spend a couple of days at her house."   


Fox Mulder didn't always get along with his mother.  Too many family 
secrets that led to too many family crisis's and traumas were the root of 
their precarious relationship.  However this time she reached out to him, 
something of a rarity, actually, so he felt obligated to help her out.


"Sir, I don't understand what Mulder's being in Greenwich has to do with 
my meeting with you now," Scully said.


"I have to renege on his personal days.  I have to pull him back in for a 
case."


"What? With all due respect Sir, you can't do that!  His mother's ill, and 
he went through all of the proper channels to request some leave time.  
For crying out loud, this is the same man who has to be ordered to take 
vacation time every year.  The one time he requests it and is granted it, 
__you're__ going to take it back from him?!!"  By this point, Scully's 
voice was beyond her professional demeanor, she was screaming, loudly.


At any other time, Walter Skinner would have had grounds for suspension if 
an agent spoke to him in the manner that Dana Scully was addressing him.  
But she was right, and he knew it.  Mulder never took a vacation until he 
was forced to do so, and he rarely visited his mother voluntarily.  This 
was an unusual occurrence, and he felt awful about having to pull him back 
in, but he had no choice.  He hoped Scully would agree with him without 
too much of a fight, not that she would ultimately have any choice in the 
matter.


"Scully, there's a situation.  The local Bureau and law enforcement 
agencies have made a special request for Mulder and you.  They remember 
reading about the two of  you and the Duane Barry case."  Scully shuttered 
slightly at the mention of Barry's name.  The beginning of her three month 
memory loss began with that man.


"It's a hostage situation?"  Skinner nodded.  "Sir, unless you're going to 
tell me there are little gray men holding a bunch of people in their space 
ship, there is no way you're going to convince me Mulder is the __only__ 
agent who can handle this case."


"No little gray men there... not yet anyway."


"Sir, what are you talking about?"


"Raphael Ruiz, age 39, Hispanic male, originally from Guatemala.  He had 
an eight year old daughter, Elena, disappear last year from their home, 
while she was living with her father, mother and grandmother in the United 
States.  He claims she was abducted by alien beings, and the grandmother 
was a witness. 


"He is now insisting his daughter will be returned .  He is also insisting 
his daughter will be returned to the specific place where he is now 
holding hostages."  Skinner took a breath and waited for Scully to absorb 
everything he said so far.


"Who is he holding hostage, Sir?" she asked.


"Sara Gianinni, a forty-two year old, white female, elementary school 
teacher...and her twenty-three fourth grade students at the George Jacobs 
Elementary School in Greenwich, Connecticut."


"Oh no."


"Scully, he's already shot one child."


"Oh shit."


"There's a private charter ready to fly you out to Westchester Airport.  
There'll be a rental waiting for you so you can drive to Greenwich to pick 
up Agent Mulder."
  

"When are you going to call Mulder?" she asked.


"Scully, I would rather you tell him in person.  Please."  He looked at 
her intently and then removed his glasses to rub some of the tension away 
from his eyes.  "Look, I know this is going to be a hard one for him to 
handle.  


"Shit," Skinner hissed as he continued, "it's going to be a God damned 
bitch for him to deal with.  But I don't know who else I would want in 
there to save those kids and their teacher, and I don't know who else but 
you to send to keep him together in one piece."


She took the file, as thin as it was, from his hands.  She looked inside 
and saw a few faxes of  descriptions of what was known to have happened so 
far.  These details were very few and very sketchy at best.  When she 
turned to the next several documents, her breath caught in her throat. 
They were fax copies  of  the individual pictures of all twenty-three 
youngsters and their teacher.  


"They look so young," Scully noted.  


"Actually they are," the AD responded.  "Those are the pictures from 
beginning of last year.  They attach a new photo each year for 
identification purpose, but since it's still so early they won't be taking 
this year's school pictures for another couple of weeks."

 
Scully noted that Sara Gianinni was tall and heavyset, with lovely, 
expressive eyes and a beautiful smile.  The children were a multitude of 
colors.  Scully found herself surprised to see so many different ethnic 
groups represented in this one small class.  


When she thought of Greenwich, she thought of only those stereotypical 
rich white men and ladies of society who owned  yachts and million dollar 
homes.  The children's dress was as eclectic in colors and styles as their 
skin tones.  Some had their best party clothes on while others wore the 
style of the day in their colorful oversized tee shirts.  


One of the children caught her eye, a tall girl with beautiful long wavy 
brown hair.  She looked at the list of corresponding names for each 
individual in the picture.


"Ohmigod," she whispered.


"I know."  Skinner looked at Scully with understanding.  "It's uncanny how 
much she looks like her, and the fact that her name is Samantha.   You're 
going to have your work cut out for you.  Scully, take care of him."


Dana nodded her head and, with the file in hand, headed out to the airport 
to take her flight to New York's Westchester Airport.


End of part 2/12


Part 3/12


Home of Elizabeth Mulder
Greenwich, CT  
10:36 a.m.


She stood at the door of the beautiful quaint home and held her hand up to 
knock on it.  She paused, unsure as to whether she really wanted to do 
this.  *Couldn't I just pretend I was unable to get in touch with him?* 
she thought.  Knowing the obvious answer, she rapped gently on the door.  


He opened the door.  He stood before her in faded, soft jeans, and a navy 
blue tee shirt.   He wore Nikes on his feet and looked as though he were 
about to depart.  "Hi." He said upon seeing his partner of the last  four 
 years.


"Hi yourself."  She looked up at his 6 foot plus frame from her slightly 
over 5 foot 2 and ¬ inch height and then pushed herself by him and into 
the hallway.  Elizabeth Mulder had a lovely colonial cape home, complete 
with an exterior that was obviously professionally landscaped and an 
interior that was just as obviously professionally decorated.


"So, partner, what brings you here?  Missed me that much, eh Scully?" he 
said teasingly.


"Mulder, whenever you're away from me I _always_ miss you," she retorted. 
 *If he only knew how much truth there was to that statement,* she thought 
to herself.


Mulder looked at her with his mouth agape.  Normally he would have a witty 
comeback, preferably something that was a double entendre, but the 
seriousness with which he perceived her remark took him aback.  *If only 
she really were serious about missing me,* he thought.  *Every time I'm 
without her, I feel a piece of me is missing  I'm imagining things.  She 
doesn't mean anything by it.*  He sighed and looked at her.


"So, really, why are you here?" he asked, in an effort to get his mind 
back to reality.


"Skinner sent me.  He has to renege on your personal days."


"What!?!  Oh for crying out loud, Scully!  That's bullshit!"


"Mulder, wait___"


"No, I will not wait.  Damn it, these are the same people that have been 
pissing  and moaning every year that I don't take enough time off, and 
then when I finally do, and through legal channels to boot, Skinner's 
gonna take it back from me??!  I don't think so, Scully.  I don't think so 
at all." 


He was fuming, and Scully realized he had every right to be angry.  But 
she also knew that as distraught as he was now, seeing the file in her 
hand was going to tear him up even more.


"Mulder, please listen to me.  I gave Skinner the same argument not an 
hour or so ago.  He really didn't want to do this to you__."


"Yeah, I'll bet," he interrupted.


"He really didn't, Mulder, but he didn't have a choice.  He needed the 
best agent for this particular assignment and that happens to be you."


"Sure, fine, whatever.  Damn it, what time is our flight?" He felt 
defeated.  "Do I have time to make arrangements for my mom.  She really 
isn't feeling very well."


"We're not flying anywhere, and I've already phoned the Visiting Nurse 
Services to come in and stay with your mother," Dana replied.


"Oh.   Well, thanks.  So where are we driving then?" 


"About fifteen minutes across town," Scully replied.


"Scully, what the hell are you talking about?" 


"There's a situation right here in Greenwich, Mulder.  They need us to get 
there as soon as possible."  Scully handed him the thin file and waited 
silently, ready to pick up the pieces



End of part 3/12



Part 4/12


George Jacobs Elementary School
Sara Gianinni's Classroom
Greenwich, CT
10:40 a.m.


"Mr. Ruiz," Sara said calmly, "Karen needs a doctor.  We have to get her 
to a doctor before she gets very sick."  Sara used whatever material 
scraps she had in her arts & crafts box to try to soak up the blood oozing 
from the child's shoulder.  It didn't seem to be life threatening yet, but 
she certainly would benefit from immediate medical attention.  Plus, it 
would be one less child's life Sara would have to worry about.


"She will see a doctor later.  Right now, we need to wait for them."  Mr. 
Ruiz was adamant about all of the children remaining in the classroom with 
him.  


Sara had always wondered if the Public Address system worked in reverse.  
She was well aware of how she could hear the voices of the office staff 
when then made announcements over the "PA" (invariably during an exam or 
during a particularly important Reading lesson,) but she always wondered 
if the office staff could reverse the process and hear what was said in 
the classroom.  At this moment, she prayed with all her might that, 
indeed, they could.  


"Mr. Ruiz, tell me about your daughter."  Sara figured if they could hear 
them, perhaps the man would give them some clues as to how best to deal 
with him.


"My daughter is the most beautiful child.  She has long, shiny black hair. 
Long like you, sweet girl," he said while looking directly at Sammie.  
"She has big, dark, dark mahogany brown eyes, with the longest eyelashes 
I've ever seen."  He paused, silently envisioning his daughter.


"She sounds like she was a beautiful girl, Mr. Ruiz."


"She _is_ a beautiful girl.  You will see her today.  They will return her 
today.  Here. This is where they said they would return her," he said more 
agitated.


"Who, Mr. Ruiz?  Who told you they would return Elena here, today?" Sara 
asked softly.  She didn't want to antagonize the man, but she felt 
compelled to get as much information out of him as possible.  *Please let 
them be listening to us, please,* she prayed.


"The gray ones.  The gray ones took my daughter instead of me.  They had 
always taken me, never my brother, or my sister.  Just me.  I never 
expected them to take my daughter.  How could they take my daughter?  I 
told them they could take me, but to leave my daughter alone.  They didn't 
listen to me.  They took her, but they are going to return her to me.  
They promised and they told me it would be here."


Sara looked at Mr. Ruiz intently.  He didn't alter his story, no matter 
how many times he told it, though the fact that _he_ had always been taken 
in the past was a new revelation.  She wanted to think he was crazy, but 
though he was anxious it was certainly not with regard to the tale he 
told.  That he seemed very sure about.  No, he was nervous about the gun 
in his hand and the hostages he held in his sight.  


Sara figured she had to get this man to think that she believed him.  She 
had to win his trust so that maybe, just maybe, she could convince him 
there was a better way of contacting his daughter.  If the daughter was 
even alive.  *Good Lord,* she thought, *what if the child is dead. What if 
he__.*  Sara wouldn't even allow herself to think of that possibility.  


"Tell me more about Elena, Mr. Ruiz.  What did she like to do?"



End of Part 4/12



Part 5/12


George Jacobs Elementary School
Principal's Office
Greenwich, CT
11:08 a.m.


Marie Brockton wondered just how the hell they were going to deal with 
this ordeal.  In all of her years as principal in various school sites, 
she had never encountered a situation like this.  The hostage negotiating 
team from the town's police department were here, as were some FBI agents 
from Hartford, Connecticut.  They were flown in by helicopter as soon as 
they received word from the local police.  


At this point they were waiting for another pair of federal agents from 
Washington, DC.  Apparently they were experts in the field of hostages and 
dealing with crazy people who felt that aliens were taking over the world 
as this poor loony toon felt.  Ms. Brockton looked up to see a pair of new 
faces.


One belonged to a petite, red headed female wearing a smartly tailored 
suit and sensible, low healed shoes.  The expression she wore was serious, 
but intensely aware of who she was surrounded by.  


The young man was another story entirely.  He was tall and lanky, though 
the expensive charcoal gray suit fit him well.  The tie he wore was 
certainly some kind of fashion statement, though Marie Brockton was not 
exactly sure what the Escher designed tie with interlocking space crafts 
and alien beings could be saying. 


He didn't walk with the same confidence his female counterpart had; while 
her posture was tall (well, as tall as five feet something could be.)and 
square, he walked almost hunched and his shoulders were rounded.  


But the most noticeable difference between the two were their facial 
expressions.  She, though serious, had flushed cheeks and alert eyes, 
whereas he looked impassive and had a chalky white tinge to his skin.  But 
his eyes were what caused Marie Brockton to be concerned, for his eyes 
showed a mixture of sadness and fear.


"I am Marie Brockton, principal of the school," she said offering her 
hand.


"How do you do, Ms. Brockton, I am Special Agent Dana Scully and this is 
Special Agent Fox Mulder," she said while responding to the handshake.   
Next, the Hartford agents introduced themselves, as well the local police 
and hostage teams, to the Washington agents.  It was Dana Scully who 
interjected the next question.


"Would someone bring us up to speed on what the situation is now?  The 
file we have is rather sparse and sketchy at best."
The Hartford agents brought Mulder and Scully up to speed, including the 
fact that the rest of the school had been evacuated as quickly and quietly 
as possible.  


Unfortunately, with the number of parents that needed to be contacted, 
word had somehow gotten out to the general public, and the media were 
already tying up telephone lines.  It was only a matter of time before 
reporters would be camped outside of the school.  


Since the classroom faced the rear playground, and not the street, the 
police were optimistic  they would be able to contain any reporters  and 
gawkers to the front of the building, out of sight and earshot of the 
perpetrator.  The local force had already begun putting up police 
barricades, to which both Mulder and Scully nodded in acknowledgment.   
They had noted with relief such precautions were being taken when they 
entered the building.  


"What about the hostage's family members?" asked Mulder.


"We have them at the Board of Education building which is only about three 
minutes away on one of the main streets in town, Greenwich Avenue."  
Mulder nodded slightly in recognition of the street.  "They were quite 
determined to stay here, but of course we couldn't allow it.  It was not 
an easy order to carry out though," explained Lt. Brian Ellis of the 
Greenwich Police Force.


"No, I'm sure it was not, Lt. Ellis," replied Mulder.


The only new information was that the child who was shot, Karen Jackson, 
was holding her own.  The agents had access to what was going on in the 
room by auditory means only.  The PA system was set to keep the microphone 
on in the classroom, allowing the agents to monitor what was being said.  


"How's the teacher holding up?" Scully asked.


"She seems to be doing an excellent job of keeping  calm and getting Ruiz 
to talk," replied Agent Jerry Andrews.


"Sara Gianinni is a veteran educator.  She's been teaching at our school 
for the last sixteen years," added Ms. Brockton.


"How are the children holding up?" asked Mulder.


The other Hartford agent, Agent Allison Marks, replied, "They've been 
amazingly quiet, Agent Mulder.  With the exception of the little girl who 
was hurt, the children have not spoken out or cried out."  Mulder nodded 
in response.


Marie Brockton watched Fox Mulder's reaction  to Agent Marks' observation. 
He was seemed to give a sigh of relief, almost as though he were holding 
his breath but hadn't realized it.  She was told by the Hartford agents 
that a special team was being called in to help with the negotiations.  
She wondered what roles Agents Scully and Mulder  would play in the 
negotiations.  Marie, for some reason, felt a niggling thought about Agent 
Mulder,... something seemed familiar about him but she wasn't sure.


"Have you tried to contact them at all yet?" asked Scully.


"No, we felt it best to monitor the situation until you got here.  Mrs. 
Gianinni seemed to be doing what we would be trying to do anyway, so 
figured it best to wait for you guys," replied Agent Andrews.


"I need to get in there. I need to see him, so I can talk to him face to 
face," Mulder said abruptly.  Scully's head jerked up immediately, and 
then purposely avoiding Mulder's eyes, she looked at the school's 
principal.


"Is there a phone in the classroom with which we could speak directly to 
the perp, Ms. Brockton?" Scully asked.


"Scully, a phone is good to start with, but someone's got to get inside 
that room to assess the situation," Mulder began.


"You are not going into that classroom."  Scully was adamant.  


"Then would you please tell me why the hell it was _me_ that was needed 
for this particular case?" Mulder responded through clenched teeth.


"Because you're the one who will get them out," Scully replied in a 
balanced tone.


"Then let me do my damned job, Scully," Mulder proclaimed.  Then in a 
smaller voice, meant really only for her ears, "Stop trying to protect me 
and let me do my job.  Please."  He paused before looking over at the 
school's administrator.  


"Ms. Brockton, is there some kind of phone system we could use to contact 
them?" he asked.


"Yes, there is an intercom system.  We can buzz them and there's a phone 
that can be picked up."  Mulder indicated to the principal to buzz them.  


The sound could be heard in stereo, via the confirming tone in the office 
itself and the one heard via the public address system that monitored the 
classroom.  Everyone listened and waited.  It was Mr. Ruiz's move.



End of Part 5/12


Part 6/12


George Jacobs Elementary School
Sara Gianinni's Classroom
Greenwich, CT
11:53 a.m.


"Mr. Ruiz, that's the intercom.  Someone in the office is trying to 
contact me.  I need to go over and answer it," Sara said carefully, but 
with an even determination.


"Go," Mr. Ruiz responded.  


Sara stood up and walked over to the intercom on the wall and picked up 
the white telephone.   In a voice that trembled only slightly she said,  
"Sara speaking."


"Hi Sara, it's Marie.  We've got the best law enforcement team on the east 
coast right inside my office, dear.  I'm going to put one of them on now. 
You're doing great Sara.  We can hear you through the PA, which I'm sure 
you've always wondered about." 


Marie heard Sara chuckle slightly  which to Marie was a great relief.  
Sara will be just fine.  She's a smart, intelligent woman with a great 
deal of common sense.  She'll be fine.  


"I'm going to put one of the agents on the phone, dear.  Hang in there."  
Marie Brockton offered the phone out to the agents.  Mulder was the one 
who took it.


"Hi Sara.  I'm Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI, but everyone just calls me 
Mulder, okay?"  He heard her whisper an okay, so he continued.  "First, is 
there anyone else wounded besides..- (Mulder glanced quickly at the 
folder) besides Karen?"


Sara responded in the negative.  "Good.  Now, tell him I want to talk to 
him, Sara.  Tell him to come to the phone, okay?"  Mulder heard Sara relay 
the message.  There was no discussion, but footsteps could be heard via 
the PA and the intercom system.


"What do you want?" 


"We want to bring in a doctor for the little girl, Karen.  We need to 
clean her wound so she won't go into shock.  If  you want us to help you, 
you've got to let us help the little girl," Mulder told him in a quiet, 
but firm voice.


"Come."  He hung up the phone.


Now it was their move.


Mulder looked around the office.  He informed the occupants that Raphael 
Ruiz had invited him to join him in the classroom.   He looked at one of 
the paramedics that was dispatched  to the school.  


"I need you to put some bandages and antiseptic together for me to bring 
in the classroom," he said.


Scully looked over at him in total disbelief.  "Mulder, what are you 
doing?"


"I'm getting ready to go in to talk with the Mr. Ruiz.  What do you think 
I'm doing?" he asked tersely.


"Mulder, I think you're forgetting that _I'm_ the agent that has MD after 
her name, not you." 


She turned to the paramedic and informed her she would like to familiarize 
herself with his medical kit so she would know what was available when she 
went in to treat the child.


"Scully, you're not going in there."  She didn't look at him.  She figured 
if she looked directly at him, he would realize that she heard the remark, 
and Scully decided she wasn't planning on dignifying the remark with any 
response.  


He reached over to touch her shoulder, and she immediately flinched and 
knocked his hand away.  "Scully, you can't go in there."


"Mulder, this is crazy!  Of course I'm going in there.  A little girl has 
been shot for crying out loud.  How could you think I would not go in 
there with you."


"Scully, may I speak with you in private, please.  Now."  Mulder placed 
his hand in the small of her back and guided her out of the school office. 


Marie Brockton stared at the two agents as they departed the room.  She 
then looked at the two Connecticut agents assigned to the case.  "What in 
heavens name was that all about?" she asked.


"Well, Agent Mulder has a reputation as being a little... um," Agent Ellis 
started.


"Unconventional might be a good way to describe it," completed Agent 
Marks.  "Fox Mulder has never been one to follow the book, but he and his 
partner have extremely high solve rates."


Marie Brockton wanted to believe these were the best people for the job, 
but she had to wonder.  Those two hadn't agreed on anything since they 
walked into her office.  Yet, at the same time, they seemed to anticipate 
every word the other would say.  


And there was still something that bothered her about this Fox Mulder 
person.  Why did she feel like she was missing some information on him. 
Why should she feel that way?



George Jacobs Elementary School
Main Corridor 
12:17 p.m.


"What the hell do you think you're doing, Mulder?"  Scully was trying to 
maintain her control, but if he didn't give her some kind of a reasonable 
answer, she knew she would explode.


"I'm trying to do my job.  The job that I was pulled off of my personal 
leave to do.  The job that I had to leave my ill mother for.  That's what 
I'm doing."  Mulder was tense.  He spoke with his hands balled up into 
fists, alternately releasing them and clenching them down at his sides.  


"Since when does doing  _your_  job preclude me from doing  _my_  job?" 
she asked tautly.


"I won't let you go in there, Scully," he said softly.  "I  _can't_ ."


"For crying out loud, Mulder, why not?!" she said in an exasperated tone.


"It's too dangerous."


"What?  It's too dangerous?  Mulder, we're God damned FBI agents.  Our 
jobs _are_  dangerous!" she shouted at him.  Scully could not believe what 
her ears were hearing.  This was too irrational, even for her often 
lunatic partner.  Then a thought occurred to her.


"Mulder, there's a huge difference between me going in that classroom with 
you with us providing backup for each other and you going in there by 
yourself, which is what you had planned to do in the first place."  She 
looked at him as though she had just scored a point.  He couldn't argue 
with her on this, because he had to know she was right.


His next words were spoken so softly, had she not been aware of  his mouth 
moving, she might have missed hearing the words.  
"I won't take the chance of losing you again.  I _can't_ take that 
chance."


Scully willed herself to look at Mulder without a lens of anger.  She saw 
something on his face that made her gasp inwardly.  *Oh God, he's falling 
apart before my very eyes, and I haven't been paying attention carefully 
enough to pick up the pieces.  I was so worried about his reaction to the 
children because of  Sam, I forgot how he could relate this whole scenario 
to  me... and my disappear--  my abduction.*


"Mulder, listen to me.  Please," she said in a soft, conciliatory voice.  
"This is  _not_  Duane Barry,  Mulder.  Raphael Ruiz is not 
Duane Barry.  He is not going to kidnap me.  Please, Mulder." She cupped 
his chin and turned his face towards her own.  She wanted to make eye 
contact, but he kept averting his gaze.


"Mulder, look at me.  Please, look at me."  Finally, they stared intently 
at one another."


"Just as you want to do the job you've been trained for, I need to be 
allowed to do the job I was trained for.  I'll watch your back Mulder, and 
I know you'll watch mine.  That's what partners do for  each other.  I 
promise you."


He looked into her eyes and he tried to focus on her strength.  He wanted 
so desperately to believe that he could keep her safe; that no harm would 
ever come to her.


"Scully, I don't know what I would do if I lost you.  I don't want to be," 
he whispered, and then gasped, "but I'm so scared."  


"We can only control what we can control.  We do the best we can under any 
given situation.  Think how scared that poor woman is for herself and her 
students.   Think how scared those kids are, and that poor little girl who 
was shot.  Mulder, she's in pain, and she's scared too.  


"But we have the power to control this, because we  _know_  how to deal 
with this type of situation.  We're  _both_ trained to cope in these types 
of crises.  I want you to do your job, Mulder, but you have got to let me 
do mine too.   Neither of has a choice in this.  Do you understand?"  


Scully touched his shoulder with a firm tenderness.  He placed his own 
hand on top of hers and squeezed it gently.  He gazed back at her 
intensely serious blue eyes, and through a silent communication that they 
managed to develop all on their own, let her know everything was now all 
right.  


"I'm not sure who that other guy was, but your partner is here now, 
Scully."


"Welcome back partner.  Let's go do our job."


End of Part 6/12



Part 7/12


George Jacobs Elementary School
Principal's Office
12:36 p.m.


Mulder and Scully walked back into the school's office with a new air 
about them.  Marie Brockton noticed it instantaneously.  Agent Scully 
appeared calmer, more relaxed, but definitely focused on the job at hand. 
 It was Agent Mulder, however, that seemed to have transformed totally 
before her eyes.  He seemed to have grown a few inches as he appeared to 
stand taller.  His eyes, once weary and frightened looking, now shared the 
same intensity of his partner's.


Agents Andrews and Marks both stepped forward and handed each of the 
agents a bullet proof vest.  Scully took hers and began to hook it in 
place.  Mulder merely looked at his.  


"Put it on."  


"I don't think our perp will appreciate the lack of trust," Mulder said 
wryly.


"I don't really care what _he_ appreciates.  Put the damned vest on, 
Mulder."  Scully shot a glance at him.  He put the vest on.


Marie Brockton watched this short, heated exchange with wry amusement.  
Though she was well aware of the seriousness of the situation, any kind of 
release of tension was welcomed, and watching the interplay between Mulder 
and Scully was just that, a welcomed release of tension.  Marie knew those 
two kids behaved like "two old married farts"  without them even realizing 
it.  


Then suddenly, realization hit Brockton.  She finally knew what was 
familiar about Fox Mulder.  "Agent Mulder, before you go upstairs, do you 
mind if  I ask you a quick, personal question?"


Mulder looked at the older woman before him.  She was in her late fifties 
to early sixties.  He assessed that she was  close to retirement age, but 
nowhere near retiring.  She was tall, and though not slender, she had a 
healthy build.  Mulder figured she played tennis and possibly swam.  She 
had the long torso of a swimmer.  She also appeared to be unthreatening, 
so he nodded his head for her to make her inquiry.


"Do you have family residing in town?" she asked.


"My mother lives in Greenwich," he replied.


"Your mother.  Her name wouldn't by any chance be Elizabeth, would it?"  
When he nodded in affirmation, she smiled.  "Agent Mulder, your mother and 
I have been  neighbors for about three years now.  We even go swimming at 
the health club together, but I haven't seen her lately, what with the 
start of school.   This time of year is hectic, and well today...."


"She's been under the weather for the last few days, which is why I was in 
town in the first place.  I live in the DC area, but I've been in 
Greenwich for the last couple of days helping  my mother out."  He let out 
a small sigh, and appeared to shrink again before Marie Brockton's eyes.  


Mulder felt so frustrated.  This school was the last place he wanted to 
be.  His mother had finally reached out to him.  She was actually seeking 
something, , his support, his caring,  from _him,_ and then duty called.  
He would have loved to have told Scully to tell Skinner to go to hell.  He 
would have loved to have told Scully to take the file and shove it up 
Skinner's ass.


But then he had looked at the file.  And he had looked at the pictures.  
And he had looked at that one picture.  When he had seen that one, he had 
actually felt a little light headed.  He had remembered Scully reaching 
out to him to help steady him.  And then he remembered having to go 
explain to his mother why he had to leave.  He had felt so badly, because 
it had felt like he was betraying her again.


He still remembered her face when he told her.  *Wonderful curse, this 
photographic memory of mine,* he thought.  If she had looked hurt or 
upset, he thought he could have dealt with it, but she showed no reaction 
at all.  She had put up that proverbial wall, just as she always had when 
he did something that didn't meet with her approval. 


Elizabeth Mulder so rarely showed him any kind of emotion, *Oh, let's just 
call it what it is.  Dear Mom rarely showed any kind of love or affection 
to me, if ever,* he realized to himself.  So, when she had made the call 
and asked him to help her out, he had practically fainted from shock.  
This was as close to a showing of  need and emotion as he could ever 
remember.  So, when he had to tell her of his need to be elsewhere, it 
felt like he was denying her, and he felt guilty about it.  Very guilty.


Mulder, if he were able to think rationally about his parents,  might have 
realized that in normal families, there would have been an immediate 
understanding that emergencies are an inherent nature of his job with the 
Bureau.  But Mulder did not come from a normal family, and no amount of 
rational thinking would stop him from trying to come to grips with what he 
considered a betrayal of his mother's trust.  


"Agent Mulder?  Agent Mulder, I asked if you would like me to call her to 
find out how she's doing?" Marie Brockton repeated.  She was a little 
concerned about his sudden change in demeanor again.


"Oh.  Sorry.  Yes, thank you.  I'm sure my mother  would appreciate 
hearing from you," Mulder answered.


"Do I need to keep the details of this situation from her?" she asked.  


"It would probably be wise to not say anything specific to her about the 
hostage situation," interjected Lt. Ellis.  "We really don't want the 
media getting a hold of this, and the more people who know about, the less 
likely we'll be able to contain it."


"Lt. Ellis is right.  You don't really need to mention me.  I'm sure she 
would just like to hear from you."  Mulder spoke in even tones, but there 
was definitely a hint of emotion sneaking through too.


Meanwhile, Agent Marks gave Dana Scully the once over.  "You got 
everything you need?" she asked.


"I think so, Allison.  You'll still be monitoring us over the "P.A." 
system, and there's always the phone intercom for two way communication," 
replied Scully.


"What about you Mulder," asked Agent Andrews.  Jerry Andrews was 
concerned.  He'd had the opportunity to work with Mulder once in the past. 
 The thing about Mulder that had impressed him at that time was his 
uncanny ability to stay totally focused.  When everyone else was ready to 
call it a night, give up or just collapse, he was the one who would remain 
on call, thinking about the case, the evidence, the next move.  


Jerry Andrews was not seeing that same agent on this case.  Something was 
bothering him, something or some things were keeping his head from 
becoming totally involved in this case.  And anything less then total 
involvement could prove dangerous.  Not just for the hostages, but for his 
partner.  And, of course, for himself.  


"Mulder, are you okay to go up there?" Andrews pressed.


"I'm fine."


"Mulder, are you sure about that?  I mean we've got a whole bunch of lives 
at stake here, and some really young ones at that."  Jerry Andrews stared 
hard at Mulder, who was returning his gaze with equal intensity.


"Andrews, are you doubting my abilities here?" Mulder asked tersely.


"I'm questioning your focus at the moment, Agent Mulder."  There he said 
it.  Hopefully, it would shake him up enough to at least wake him to the 
need to focus more on the case instead of whatever else he was thinking 
about.


Mulder looked at Jerry Andrews and felt himself shudder slightly.  *Wow,* 
he thought, *and they call me `Spooky'*  He took a deep, cleansing breath, 
and then took a quick glance at Scully to get her take on the exchange.  
She was staring back at him, not Andrews.  *Shit, she agrees with Andrews. 
She's waiting for my reaction to see if  _she_  goes through with this 
whole damned thing with me.*


"You're right Jerry, I've had my mind on a few other things today.  I've 
only known about this case since about 9:30 this morning, and I'm still 
trying to digest all of the facts.  But I am okay.  Really.  I won't do 
anything to endanger the lives of the hostages or my partner.  I promise." 
 Mulder gave Andrews a tentative smile and Andrews seemed to be visibly 
relieved.  "Okay Scully, got everything you need?"


Scully looked back at Mulder and Andrews.  She was glad Jerry Andrews was 
satisfied with his response, because if he weren't, he could have easily 
requested Mulder to take himself off  the case.  That would not have sat 
terribly well with him, so she was grateful it didn't have to come to 
that.  So what was it about that exchange that was bothering her?


And then she realized.  He promised he wouldn't do anything to put the 
hostages or his partner in danger, but he neglected to include himself.  
*He never remembers to include himself,* she thought.


End of part 7/12



Part 8/12


George Jacobs Elementary School
Sara Gianinni's Classroom
12:58 p.m.


"Ms. "G"?  There's some people standing outside by the door," said Devan. 
"Should I let them in?"


"Mr. Ruiz, may Devan go open the door for Mr. Mulder?"


"How many people are there?" Raphael Ruiz asked, as he gripped the gun in 
a defensive stance.


"Two," replied Sammie, who was sitting next to Devan.  "I see a tall man 
and a short woman."


"Anyone else with them?" Ruiz asked.

"No, I don't see anyone else," the young girl replied.  She, as well as 
most of the other children, were managing to stay calm throughout the 
ordeal.  This was largely due to the calming influence of Sara Gianinni.  
Sammie reflected Ms. "G's" ability to stay in control.  


"Let them in," he directed.  When Sammie and Devan both rose to open the 
door, Ruiz quickly ordered, "NO!  Just the girl.  You, sit.  You, go.  
Just open the door and then sit back down with your friend there.  You 
understand?"


Sammie looked directly at Raphael Ruiz, and nodded.  Sara was amazed at 
the confidence this child exhibited in the face of this ordeal.  She 
watched her walk toward the and open it.  She quickly moved back away from 
the door and returned to sit next to Devan, in full view of Ruiz.


When the young girl came to the door to allow them access, Scully heard an 
audible gasp escape from Mulder's mouth.  The child really was a dead 
ringer for his long lost sister, Samantha, and Scully knew Mulder was 
experiencing some anxiety about this entire situation.  


*Boy Skinner, when you told me to hold him together, you didn't know just 
how on target you were, or did you?* she wondered silently.  *Walter 
Skinner, I think you know and care about our agent Mulder here more than 
you'd like to admit.*


Mulder walked in first and Scully followed him.  They both scanned the 
room, searching for the wounded child.  Mulder saw her toward the center 
of the classroom, with Sara Gianinni sitting next to her with her arm 
around her in an attempt to comfort.  He pointed her out to Scully, and 
she started walking toward the pair.


"Who's she?" Ruiz asked.


"She's a doctor, Mr. Ruiz.  She is going to help Karen now," Mulder 
replied quietly, but confidently.  He didn't want to sound threatening, 
but he also wanted to exert some control in the situation.  


"Oh.  I said you could help the child.  I didn't want anyone to get hurt. 
 She surprised me."  Ruiz held the gun, but all the while alternately 
looked at Mulder and then  Scully, who was examining Karen's wound.


"She's lost some blood, but it looks like it missed the bone.  It appears 
to have been a fairly clean shot.  The exit wound doesn't seem too bad, 
but I do need to dress her wound.  She's going to need to go to the 
hospital for antibiotics and fluids."  Scully was in full doctor mode, and 
rattled off a few more points regarding her diagnosis and recommendations. 
 


"No." 


"What do you mean, `No'?" Scully asked incredulously.  She was looking at 
Ruiz with wide open eyes and a slightly gaping mouth.  "Mr. Ruiz, 
thankfully this wound is not life threatening at this point, but that does 
not mean that cannot change if she doesn't receive treatment."


"So, you're a doctor.  Treat her, but I cannot let her leave now.  
Everyone must stay here until they return Elena.  When they return Elena, 
then everyone may go."  Mr. Ruiz issued his directive and then became 
silent.


Scully looked over at Mulder with a questioning glance.  *What now, 
G-Man?* she thought.  


"Mr. Ruiz, why is it important for everyone to remain?  What difference 
would it make to the people who took your daughter  if Karen left to go to 
the hospital?" Mulder asked, in the hopes of getting Ruiz to explain why 
they were all there in the first place.


"People?  You call them people?  They are not people.  They're not us.  
They don't look like us.  You don't know anything.  You don't know 
anything!" he cried out in anguish.


"They were small and gray, weren't they?" Mulder asked.


Ruiz looked up, but remained quiet for a few moments.  He wondered if this 
man was making fun of him or if there was a chance he really did 
understand.  He observed the serious expression on the agents face, and 
thought just maybe he found another believer.


"Yes. They were small and gray," Ruiz concurred.  "They had skinny long 
arms and legs too."


"What about their faces?" Mulder asked.  "How were their heads shaped?  
What did their face look like?"


Ruiz described the head and face of the grays with good accuracy.  He fell 
silent again, until Mulder asked him about the time of Elena's abduction.


"It was the evening.  I was taking a walk with my wife, my Camila, after 
dinner. Elena would usually come with us, but she had a little cold, and 
her grandmother was protective of her.  


"So Elena stayed inside with her grandmother while Camila and I went for 
our walk around the block. There was no moon to light our way.  It was a 
dark night with clouds, so even the stars were hidden.  Suddenly the 
entire street lit up.  It was very strange, since not five minutes earlier 
it was pitch black out.


"We saw this very bright light coming down from the sky.  Camila and I 
couldn't tell from exactly where it was coming, but we knew this was not 
normal. 


"We both started running back to the house.  We were afraid for Elena and 
her grandmother.  When we got there, I had to knock the door down.  It was 
at that moment I saw them."


"Saw them?  Who did you see, Mr. Ruiz?" asked Mulder.


"The grays.  I saw the little gray men.  They surrounded my daughter who 
then suddenly started to float up into the light."  Ruiz looked as though 
he were almost hypnotized by the memory.


"Mr. Ruiz," Scully interjected, "where did your daughter go?"


"With them."


"But  _where_ did she go, Mr. Ruiz?" Scully pressed.


"I don't know, doctor.  I do not know where they took her.  All I do know 
is she was gone."


"Mr. Ruiz, did you report this to the police?" asked Scully.

Mulder was getting a little irritated.  He wanted to find out more about 
Ruiz's observations of that night, but Scully kept interrupting with her 
own questions.  Ruiz interrupted his thoughts with an answer to Scully's 
question.


"Yes, of course we reported it.  But do you think they would believe such 
a story?  I saw it with my own eyes, and I have trouble believing such a 
story."  


Mulder broke in before Scully could follow up with one of her own 
questions.  "Mr. Ruiz, how long did it take for the grays to take Elena?"


"I don't know.  I don't remember.  It did not seem to be a very long time 
though.  In fact, I remember thinking we had gone out for our walk after 
dinner, but when I had next noticed the clock it seemed like it should 
have been later."


Mulder's arms started waving about a little excitedly.  "You were missing 
time, weren't you?" he asked.  "You lost time between the time the light 
first shone and then stopped shining, didn't you??  Do you remember how 
much time?  Can you think back to how much time__.


"NO!  I cannot think about that now.  Stop asking me about time.  It 
doesn't matter.  All that matters is they are going to return Elena here. 
I have to wait for Elena."  Ruiz was very agitated and started pointing 
his gun at random parts of the room.  


"Mr. Ruiz, please.  You are scaring the children again."  Sara Gianinni 
spoke up in a calm voice.  She had been dealing with this man for the last 
five hours or so, and felt angered that all of her hard work in 
maintaining a calm and quiet environment for her kids was being destroyed 
by this hyperactive FBI agent.  She shot him her best "teacher look" and 
let him know under no circumstances was he to continue with this behavior.


Mulder looked back at Sara Gianinni.  (*Phew!  She's good,* he thought.)  
He returned her look and indicated with a nod and slight smile that her 
message to him was duly noted.  Mulder watched the tension leave her body 
a little.  He knew he nearly blew it, and resolved to regroup and refocus 
himself.


"Mr. Ruiz, how do you know Elena is to be returned here, today?" Mulder 
asked in a quiet, calm voice.  



"I just know.  They sent me messages in my head.  Elena's grandmother got 
it too," he answered.


"What about your wife, Mr. Ruiz?  Did she receive a message  too?" asked 
Mulder.


"Camila died three months after Elena was taken," Ruiz responded in a 
monotone.


"I'm sorry Mr. Ruiz.  I'm truly sorry."  Mulder was sincere in his 
sympathy.  He knew how hard it was for him to have lost Scully for those 
three months.  He could only imagine how difficult it must have been, and 
still be, for Raphael Ruiz to deal with the death of his wife and his 
missing daughter.


"Mr. Ruiz," Scully interjected, "may I ask how Camila died?"


"She had cancer.  She was sick for a very long time, but she lost all of 
her will to fight when they took Elena."  Ruiz sat with tears streaming 
down his cheeks as he remembered the slow, painful death of his beloved 
Camila.  


"Mr. Ruiz, please, this child is in a lot of pain," Scully said.  "You 
know what it is like to watch someone you love to be in pain. She's only a 
little girl, Mr. Ruiz.  Please, let her go to the hospital."


Raphael looked over to where Karen was laying down on Sara Gianinni's lap. 
Sara was doing her best to comfort the child, but Karen was pale and 
beginning to shiver.  "She's in shock, Mr. Ruiz.  She needs to be in a 
hospital.  Please, she's just a child, and she's in pain," echoed Sara.   


"Take her.  You, Doctor, you take the child out.  Take her to the 
hospital."  Ruiz didn't want to be responsible for another person's pain, 
especially a child's.  


Scully looked over at Mulder in a slight panic.  If she left with Karen, 
she didn't know if she would be able to get back in.  She had to be here 
for Mulder, she had to be here to watch his back.


Mulder knew exactly what Scully was worried about, because he was worried 
about the same thing.  He didn't like the idea of not having another 
trained person in the room with him.  Though Sara Gianinni was apparently 
an excellent person to have around in a crisis, he would rather have Dana 
Scully in there with him protecting Sara and her twenty some odd charges. 
 


But he also knew young Karen needed to be in a hospital.   He figured he'd 
try one other tactic.


"Mr. Ruiz, I think Karen would feel more comfortable if her teacher went 
with her to the hospital.  She's hurting and scared and I think she should 
have someone that she knows and is comfortable with accompany her to the 
hospital." 


"No.  I  need her here for the other children," was his reply.


"Yes, but__"


"No.  The doctor takes the child or she doesn't go at all."


*So much for other tactics, Mulder,* he berated himself. *Maybe we'll be 
lucky and the grays will actually show up soon...yeah, right, and there's 
this nice bridge in Brooklyn that I'm sure someone will want to sell,* he 
smirked.


"Scully, take the child out of here.  Now." 


"But Mulder__"


"Karen needs a hospital.  Take her out of here, now."  Mulder gave Scully 
one his patented "everything is going to be just fine, so don't you go 
worrying about me" looks.  


Scully nodded in acquiescence, but was not happy about the situation at 
all.  But she also knew she really had no choice at the moment.  She stood 
up, and with the help of Sara Gianinni, she lifted Karen up.  The child 
was small and Scully was able to carry her without too much trouble.  
*Compared to Mulder,* she thought, *this little one's a picnic!*  


Scully looked long and hard at Mulder.  She wanted to tell him to be 
careful and not take any undue risks and to stay calm and wait for her to 
get back into the room before he tried anything radical.  


"I'll see you in a little while.  Play nice in the sandbox, Mulder." 
Scully smiled the smile she usually reserved just for him, asked Sammie to 
open the door for her, and left the classroom.


End of Part 8/12


Part 9/12


George Jacobs Elementary School
Principal's Office
2:45 p.m.


Scully delivered Karen to the waiting paramedics.  She apologized for 
leaving their medic kit in the classroom, but felt it might be a good idea 
to leave it there just in case.  Mr. Ruiz, she reported, appeared to be 
someone with whom they could reason, until he was pushed to far.  He had 
definite ideas on what he wanted to do in this situation, but they were 
able to convince him to let Karen go.


Karen's parents were retrieved immediately from the Board of Education 
Building and brought to the school in order to accompany her in the 
ambulance to Greenwich Hospital.  Scully wished the youngster well, and 
returned to the other agents and officers in the office.  


"What's going on now?" Scully asked.


"I'm not sure.  It sounds like Ruiz has been mumbling, but we're having 
trouble making out what he's saying.  Listen.  Can you understand what 
he's muttering about?



George Jacobs Elementary School
Sara Gianinni's Classroom
3:07 p.m.


"I'm sorry.  I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have... I know I shouldn't have.  But 
the doctor, she said the child was in pain.  She was just a little girl.  
But I shouldn't have let her go....Ay, I shouldn't have let her go!" 


Ruiz was becoming more and more agitated by the minute.  As soon as Sammie 
closed the door behind Scully, he jumped up and starting waving the guns 
around the room.  


Mulder motioned for Sammie to sit down as soon as possible, and looked at 
Sara Gianinni in an effort to let her know that this wasn't unexpected.  
Ruiz was obviously experiencing a form of  "buyer's remorse."  


"Mr. Ruiz,  you did the right thing," Mulder stated quietly.  "Karen is 
going to get the help that she needs.  You did a good thing."


Ruiz continued to pace around the small desk that held all of his 
ammunition.  He was muttering to himself, over and over again, and waving 
his guns around the room.  Suddenly, Devan called out, "Mrs. Gianinni, I 
gotta go.  I gotta go real bad."


Sara was wondering when the dam would burst, so to speak.  These 
sweethearts, who normally would have asked to go to the bathroom every 
hour on the hour, had not asked to leave the room once the entire day.  
She had to get this man to let these children use the facilities, or there 
was going to be one more trauma for these kids to get over.


"Mr. Ruiz, the children need a bathroom break.  Please, if you don't let 
them go to the bathroom, they will have an accident, and that would be 
very embarrassing for them.  You don't want to embarrass the children, do 
you Mr. Ruiz?" Sara requested.


Ruiz didn't answer her.  He remained quiet, until Sara added, " It will 
also stink to high heaven in here if we don't let them use the john."


"They go, but they got to come back.  If they don't come back, then I will 
have to shoot someone.  I don't want to shoot anyone, but I will if they 
don't come back."  Ruiz continued to pace back and forth, distraught and 
with arms waving about.  "They go one at a time."  


"Okay Devan, you go first, but you must come back dear, okay?"


Devan nodded quickly and ran out of the classroom.  There were a couple of 
police officers outside the room, but the child screamed he needed to go 
to the bathroom.  The cops let him go, but when he came out they grabbed 
him.  Devan managed to get away and was right near his classroom door.  He 
was so close that he saw Sammie standing up, probably getting ready to be 
the next child to use the facilities.  


"No, I have to go back into the classroom.  Let me go!  I gotta go back in 
the classroom!"  Devan screamed.


Ruiz was listening to the commotion outside the room.  He wanted to know 
why the boy wasn't back yet.  He wanted to know who was out in the hallway 
with the child, and who was screaming.  


"What the hell is going on out there?" he screamed.


"I don't know," Mulder said loudly.  "I don't know, but they've got to 
stop whatever they're doing and let the kid back in the room."  Mulder 
hoped the cops in the hallway were wired, or at least had walkie talkies. 
*What the hell are those idiots doing out there,* he wondered.  *They're 
gonna get someone killed.*


*If that boy doesn't come back in here now, I'm gonna have to shoot 
someone.  I mean it.  I don't want to, but I'm going to do it!"  Ruiz was 
now striding backing and forth at a rapid pace.  His face was contorted 
and Mulder was trying desperately to keep an eye on him and the door at 
the same time.  Sammie was still standing by the door.  *Oh God, Sam, get 
away from the door,* Mulder willed.  


"NO!"  Sara screamed, and Mulder turned around to see Ruiz pointing the 
gun toward the doorway.  As Sammie stood, frozen in her spot, Mulder 
leaped towards her to knock her out of the way.


BANG!


"Oh God, no!" cried out Sara.  "What did you do?  What did you do?!"




George Jacobs Elementary School
Principal's Office
3:34 p.m.


"What the hell was that?" cried out Scully.  She looked around the room 
and saw the dazed expressions of the occupants.  "I said, what the hell 
was that?!"


"It was a shot fired," replied Agent Marks.


"Do we have confirmation of that from upstairs?" asked Agent Andrews.  
Allison Marks merely nodded.


"Shit."  Scully knew, she just knew that somehow it was Mulder who took a 
hit.  She didn't have a clue as to how she knew it, she just did.  "I've 
got to go up there."


"No way," stated Lt. Ellis.  "There's already been two shots fired today, 
with at least one injury.  Let's try to get an assessment of the situation 
before we go running in like the cavalry, okay Agent Scully?" 


"He's been hit," Scully said dully.


"Who's been hit?" asked Andrews.


"Mulder.  He's been hit," she repeated in the same monotone voice.


"Agent Scully, how could you possibly know that?" asked Agent Marks.


Just then one of the officers from upstairs called down on the walkie 
talkie.   In the garbled tones of electronic voice, the officer informed 
the others what Scully already knew.  "Officer down."


Allison Marks and Jerry Andrews both stared at Dana.  Dana returned their 
gaze and merely said, "Yeah, I guess I really am `Mrs. Spooky.'"  Then in 
a more animated voice, "Now I  _am_ going up there."


"Not until we try to make contact first," said Lt. Ellis.  This was still 
his jurisdiction, and he was damned if he was going to let a bunch of Feds 
make foolish, impulsive errors.  "Marie, could you try ringing the room up 
on the intercom?"

Marie Brockton nodded and went to the phone.  She pushed the button down 
several times, waiting, and hoping someone would pick up on the other end 
soon.


End of Part 9/12



Part 10/12


George Jacobs Elementary School
Sara Gianinni's Classroom
3:59 p.m.


Ruiz began pacing back and forth frantically.  Many of the children were 
crying in hushed tones.  It had been many hours since they heard the 
gunshot that hit their classmate, so this repeat performance unnerved them 
again.  Sara Gianinni was trying desperately to see what the damage was, 
and if her student, Sammie was hurt.


"Sammie, are you okay?" she asked across the room.


"Shut up.  Just shut up!" screamed Ruiz.  He moved toward her in a 
menacing manner, pointing the gun right at her.


"I have to find out if the child is all right, Mr. Ruiz. She may be hurt." 
Sara made a move to get up from the floor, but Ruiz pushed her down.  


"You stay there.  Don't you move."  Ruiz paused, as if debating what he 
should do next.  Finally he asked, "Little girl, you hurt?"


"I got a little cut on my arm, but I'm okay.  But Mrs. Gianinni, I think 
Agent Mulder's hurt."


"I'm okay," reassured Mulder, through gritted teeth.  "I'll be okay.  No 
big deal, sweetheart, okay?"  He looked directly at Sammie, and tried 
desperately to hide the pain he was in so as not to scare the child.


"Mrs. Gianinni, Agent Mulder's leg is bleeding, a lot."  


"Agent Mulder, how can I help you," Sara asked.


"I could use something to wrap my leg up with to try to stop the bleeding 
a little."


"I have some burlap," she said as she began to rise. 


"Sit down!" screamed Ruiz. "You don't get up!"


"Mr. Ruiz, I have to get some kind of bandage for Agent Mulder.  His leg 
is bleeding and he needs to cover it, so I _am_ getting up now."  And upon 
saying it, she did.  Ruiz watched her very carefully as she walked over to 
the supply closet to get the burlap.  


Sara cut the large pieces into thirds and handed them to him to wrap his 
leg.  Sara grimaced slightly when she saw him rip away his pants leg from 
the wound.  


"He got me from behind, so the exit wound is in the front of my leg.  They 
always look a little worse then the entry wound," Mulder tried to sound 
casual, as he began to wrap his thigh with the burlap.  Each time he had 
to move his leg, he felt shooting pain up and down his thigh.  When he 
finished wrapping his leg he was perspiring heavily.   He looked at  
Samantha.


"Sammie, let me see your arm," Mulder said.  Sara wanted to take a look 
too, but Ruiz became visibly anxious and agitated again and ordered her to 
go back to her seat.  Mulder nodded towards Sara, and Sara understood his 
intent.  *Go sit down, Sara.  The last thing any of us need right now is 
for Mr. Ruiz to get angrier and shoot someone else.*


"Oh God, Sam, you've been shot," Mulder cried out in hushed tones.  Though 
it was only a superficial wound, Mulder felt horrible.  He felt he had let 
this child and her teacher down.


"It's okay, Agent Mulder.  Really.  I get "worst" cuts playing soccer."  
Sammie gave Mulder a reassuring smile.  Mulder was about to ask her about 
the soccer games when his attention was drawn away the intercom phone. 


"That's the phone Mr. Ruiz.  Do you want me to answer it, or do you want 
to talk?" asked Sara.


Ruiz was moving about the room in an agitated, angry state.  He was 
throwing books and supplies on the floor as well as pulling plugs out of 
their wall sockets with his left hand and swinging the gun around in his 
right.  He was becoming more and more out of control.  


Sara repeated her question, but when she received no answer she looked to 
Mulder.  As a way of answering, he attempted to get to his feet, but was 
promptly hammered in the face with the butt of the gun and knocked back 
down.  Mulder gingerly touched the area of attack and discovered a fairly 
deep gash in his forehead and winced in pain.  


"Ruiz.  Ruiz, I've got a question for you," Mulder managed to ask.  When 
Ruiz made eye contact Mulder continued.  "Do you have any other kids?"


Ruiz stopped in mid motion.  He answered, quietly, "No, Elena was my only 
child.  My only child."


To which Mulder  sighed, "Thank God."


Ruiz was, at first taken aback by Mulder's remark, but then anger 
returned.  He moved over to Mulder quickly, and kicked him in the side 
hard, all the while screaming at him,  "How could you say that?  How could 
you be so cruel to say that?"


"Because sometimes it's harder on the ones left behind," Mulder whispered 
as he held his sore right side.  


"You were left behind, weren't you?" Sammie asked tenderly.


Mulder looked at this young incarnation of his long lost sister with awe. 
How could she have sensed that?  Mulder's eyes welled up and as Sammie 
reached over to touch his cheek in comfort, the tears began to fall.  
Mulder was in pain, that was certain.  The only question that remained was 
from what-- his injuries or his past?  


The intercom phone had long stopped buzzing, but there was now a soft 
knocking at the door.  Mulder couldn't see who was there from his angle, 
but Sammie got up on her knees and saw it was Scully.


"Agent Mulder, it's the doctor."


"Scully?  Scully's at the door?"


"It's the lady with the red hair."


Mulder attempted to sit up as straight as he could, but each time he moved 
his leg it felt like daggers were piercing his thigh.  He was also 
experiencing one of the nastier headaches he'd ever had in this lifetime. 
 Mulder had to come to the conclusion that he wasn't going to be terribly 
helpful in this rescue mission from this point on.


George Jacobs Elementary School
Principal's Office
4:47 p.m.


When it became clear that no was going to answer the intercom, Scully had 
made it clear that she was going to go upstairs and she was going to 
rescue her injured partner and the hostages.  She even had a plan.  


She asked Marie Brockton what kind of fire alarm system the building had. 
Marie informed the agent and her colleagues that if there was a fire, the 
smoke detectors around the building would immediately begin beeping their 
warning signal.  In addition, the regular hall and classroom lights would 
go out and the emergency flood lights would go on.  


That's what Scully was hoping for.  She wanted to create a diversion that 
would make Ruiz believe the aliens were arriving with his daughter.  If 
the room darkened and then the hallway floodlights came on, that might 
make Ruiz believe the "grays" had arrived with Elena.  That would 
hopefully give Scully, Andrews, and Marks enough time to grab Ruiz before 
anyone else got hurt.  


Marks suggest that they have some other officers nearby with high powered 
flashlights to shine in Ruiz's eyes as backup.  Scully agreed and asked 
the head custodian to round up a few portable floodlights.


Meanwhile, Marie Brockton decided now was a good time to phone Elizabeth 
Mulder.  She informed, in passing to Scully, that she was going to make 
the call.


"Why?" asked Scully.


"I beg your pardon?" Marie countered.


"Why are you calling Mrs. Mulder?" she asked.


"Well, I thought it made sense to call the mother of an FBI agent who 
became injured.  We don't even know how seriously injured he is, so I 
thought Elizabeth deserved to know she could meet him at Greenwich 
Hospital."


Scully slowly shook her head and quietly said,  "It won't matter.  She 
won't go."


At this point Agents Marks and Andrews were aware of the conversation 
between the two women.


"Agent Scully, that's absurd.  Her son is injured.  She'll probably have 
to sign consent forms___" Marie argued.


"I'm his next of kin," Scully interjected.  "I sign the consent forms for 
surgery and procedures.  Me, not her."  


" But why?  I mean I can understand while you're in Washington, it's 
probably more convenient.  Your job is dangerous,  but you're in Greenwich 
now, and his mother lives ten minutes away," Marie Brockton reasoned.


"She won't come.  She never does," Scully said with a melancholy 
confidence.   And with that she turned to the other law enforcement 
officers to hash out the final pieces to their plan.  Marks and Andrews 
both felt awkward having heard the information that just passed by them.  
They looked at each other with somewhat dispirited expressions, but then 
got back to work. 


Marie dialed Elizabeth Mulder's number.  She heard it ring and on the 
fourth ring a voice answered, "Mulder Residence."  Marie identified 
herself to the party on the line and then asked to speak with Elizabeth.  


"Hello Marie.  It's been a while since I've spoken to you."


"I know dear, and I do apologize for neglecting you, but with the start of 
school, life's been very hectic."


"I can imagine," replied Elizabeth.


"Elizabeth, I'm afraid I have a specific reason for calling.  We're in the 
middle of a rather terrifying hostage situation here at school, and the 
police had to be brought in, including the  FBI."  Marie paused to take 
breath, when Elizabeth interrupted.


"So that's why he left so abruptly.  I haven't been feeling well at all, 
Marie, and the one time I ask my son to stay with me to help me out, he 
leaves," she said mildly agitated.


"Well, Elizabeth, it was, well it still _is_  an emergency situation.  
Your son apparently has a very good reputation in mediating these types of 
situations."


"It still doesn't negate the fact that my son chose to put me second."  
This time there was a definite streak of anger in Mrs. Mulder's voice.


"I'm afraid I have some disturbing news," Marie began, still somewhat 
taken aback at Elizabeth's selfish reaction.  "Fox has been shot.  We're 
not sure to what extent his injuries are, but I'm confident he'll be 
admitted to Greenwich Hospital.  Shall I call you when they're ready to 
transport him over so you can meet him there?" 


"Marie, didn't you hear me?  I haven't been feeling well at.  I can't 
leave my sick bed.  I'll call the hospital later to find out his 
condition.  Fox is always getting hurt, dear.  This is nothing new to me," 
Elizabeth concluded.


"Well, I guess that's that then.  Good day, Elizabeth."  Marie didn't 
bother to wait to hear Elizabeth say good bye.  She was so angry she 
slammed the phone down and muttered what was supposed to be under her 
breath but in actuality was quite audible to all in the room, "What a 
bitch!"


Scully picked her head up and looked directly at Marie.  She observed 
Marie's mouth was slightly gaped and her cheeks were flushed.  Scully 
said, "Believe me Mrs. Brockton, this is one time I would have given the 
world for me not to have the opportunity to say `I told you so.'"  


Marie's eyes welled up with tears as she heard Dana's sad tone.  "I'm so 
angry.  How could she treat him like this.  That's why he said she would 
be glad to hear from me, and not to bother to  mention him.  It had 
nothing to do with the hostage situation.  It had to do with  _him_.  That 
poor boy."  Marie took a deep breath.  "It's good he has you, Agent 
Scully."


Scully responded with a warm smile and, "Thank you, Mrs. Brockton.  It's 
good we have each other.  He's a  _good_  person."


Marie nodded and then turned away to dab at her eyes.  Scully returned to 
the group and finalized their plans.


End of Part 10/12


Part 11/12


George Jacobs Elementary School
Sara Gianinni's Classroom
4: 23 p.m.


Scully assessed that everyone in the hallway was ready.  She got Mulder's 
attention, but saw that he was unable to rise from the floor.  She noted 
his leg was covered with a makeshift bandage and he was also bleeding from 
his forehead.  He appeared somewhat disoriented, but since he'd apparently 
lost a good deal of blood, this was not unexpected.  


Once Scully finished making her medical observations, she took a moment to 
look at him as her friend.   Her heart was breaking, because she knew how 
much pain he was probably feeling.  She was determined that this situation 
was going to come to a conclusion.  As soon as possible.


Scully gave the signal.  The fire alarm went off, sending a loud ringing 
throughout the building.  At the same time, the lights were turned off and 
the emergency flood lights came on.  The door was opened with a master 
key, and the portable flood lights were turned toward the perpetrator.  


The lights flooded the room.  Children's cries were heard throughout the 
room. Sara tried to calm their fears, but the noise of the fire alarm and 
the visual effect of the extremely bright flood lights were too much for 
them.  On the other hand, Raphael Ruiz became very quiet looking about 
expectantly.


"FREEZE!  FEDERAL AGENT!"  Scully took the appropriate stance, while she 
pointed her weapon directly at Ruiz.  Ruiz did not appear to even notice 
her.  He did, however, direct his gaze at the small bundle on the floor in 
the middle of the classroom.


"Elena!" Ruiz cried out.  "My Elena!"  


As he started to run toward the center of the classroom, a shot rang out. 
 Agent Marks fired her weapon and hit the perpetrator in the fleshy part 
of the arm.  It did not stop him from going to the small figure who laid 
in the middle of the floor.  Ruiz knelt by the young girl.  Her nude body 
was wrapped in a light cottony blanket.  Though she was unconscious, she 
was alive.  


It was Elena Ruiz.


The paramedics placed Elena Ruiz on a gurney, while the law enforcement 
officers cuffed Raphael Ruiz.  Scully went immediately to Mulder and 
demanded a gurney for him as well.  She did a quick check of Sammie's arm 
and determined it was just a superficial wound, but she would need to go 
to the hospital to be checked out as a precaution.  


Mulder was looking at another hospital stay and medical leave, with the 
recuperation period probably requiring some physical therapy for his leg. 
Scully looked at her partner and just shook her head.


"What?" he croaked.


"What?" she echoed.  "You've got to be kidding, Mulder," she laughed.  "It 
seems it's your goal in life to be admitted to a hospital in every city we 
visit.  That's quite an accomplishment!"


"Yeah, it's a gift." And with that, Mulder finally and blissfully lost 
consciousness.  


Greenwich Hospital
Room 412
The following day:  1:23 p.m.


Mulder slowly opened his eyes and saw his partner sitting along side of 
his hospital bed.  He felt her hand resting on his arm and reached over 
with his other hand to give her a gentle squeeze.  She looked up from the 
magazine she was reading and smiled.


"Hey sleepy head.  I was afraid you were going to sleep through this 
entire hospital stay!"  Scully was giving him a quick once over with her 
medical eye, noting  his color looked good and his eyes were not dilated. 
The head sustained a gash that required stitches, but it looked like 
Mulder escaped a serious concussion.


The leg was another story.  Ligaments and tendons were ripped apart, 
though thankfully the bone remained intact.  However, physical therapy was 
definitely in Mulder's future.  Scully was about to ask how he felt when 
she heard a knock on the door.


"Come in," she called out.  Sammie Atwood walked in with her parents and 
Sara Gianinni


"Hello Agent Mulder.  Can you stand some visitors for a few minutes?" Sara 
asked.  "We won't stay long, but Sammie was desperate to introduce you to 
her mom and dad."


"Anytime for my gal, Sammie," answered Mulder.  He was delighted to see 
the child didn't suffer any serious injuries.  "How's the arm?" he asked.


"Piece of cake," she responded.  "The doctor said I had to sit out of 
recess for a few days until the stitches come out, but then I'll be as 
good as new."


"I'm glad to hear that.  Are these your parents, Sam?"


Sammie nodded and then said, "And this is Agent Mulder, Mom and Dad.  He's 
the one who saved me."


Scully quickly looked over at Mulder to see him shudder ever so slightly 
at Sammie's words, the very same words that his own sister, Samantha, 
cried out to him so many years ago.  


"Thank you Agent Mulder for protecting our daughter.  She and her brother 
mean the world to us.  We don't know what we would have done if she had 
been hurt...," said Mr. Atwood.  He reached over and shook Mulder's hand. 
Mulder didn't say anything.  He couldn't, so he didn't try.


Sara Gianinni echoed Mr. Atwood's sentiments, and then turned to Scully as 
well.  "I want to thank you both.  It could have turned out so much worse, 
couldn't it have?"  It was a rhetorical question, but the agents both 
nodded slightly in agreement anyway.  


"We just came from Karen's room.  She's doing beautifully, and should 
probably be out of here by tomorrow," Sara continued.  


"That's great news Mrs. Gianinni," Scully responded.

"Well, Sammie we need to go now.  Agent Mulder needs his rest."  Sara and 
the Atwoods murmured their good byes and turned to leave.  Sammie stood 
still for a moment and then turned and leaned over to Mulder.  She 
stretched her arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his cheek.  Mulder 
returned the embrace and the kiss.  

"Thank you," they said simultaneously, and both broke into giggles.  Sara 
touched Sammie's shoulder and led her out the door.  It was not a moment 
too soon.  


Mulder's expression was rapidly transforming from happiness to sadness.  
Scully reached over and embraced Mulder.  He finally unleashed the tears 
that had been welling up inside of him ever since he had first seen 
Sammie's picture back at his mother's home.  He soon fell into a fitful, 
but much needed sleep.

End of Part 11/12

Part 12/12


  Greenwich Hospital
  Room 412
  4:48 p.m.

  "Sleep okay, Mulder?" Scully asked.


  "Okay, I guess, but Scully, I'm still fuzzy on exactly what happened back 
  at the school yesterday.  Was that Ruiz's daughter?" Mulder asked.


  Scully wondered when Mulder would pose that question. "Yes, apparently it 
  was," she said casually.  Scully was shooting for an Oscar nomination, 
  because as nonchalantly as she relayed this information, that's how shook 
  up she felt about the entire incident.  


  She didn't have the slightest idea where the child came from.  There was 
  so much commotion, noise, and bright lights that it was impossible to 
  establish the point from which the child had entered.  Not one of the 
  officers present could account for the child's sudden appearance.  Scully 
  knew there had to be a reasonable explanation, she just didn't have a clue 
  as to what it was.


  Mulder looked at Scully and knew she was  perplexed by the appearance of 
  Elena Ruiz.  They all were, including himself.  There was not one piece of 
  tangible evidence that this child was dropped from space.  There was also 
  not one piece of tangible evidence that she wasn't.  Mulder was smiling, 
  because he knew Scully was stumped. 


  Slowly, Mulder's smile began to fade.  After a few moments, he said, "I 
  have to make a phone call."  He picked up the phone, dialed, and listened 
  to the ringing at the other end.  Scully watched as Mulder's entire 
  demeanor changed before her eyes.  


  "Mulder, you don't need to do this, you know."


  "I may not need to, but I have to Scully.  She's my mother," he 
  practically whispered in response.


  It was almost as though he became twelve years old again.  He seemed to  
  lose all faith in himself and in his ability to deal with things whenever 
  he had to speak with her.  He waited for someone to pick up and upon 
  hearing the response at the other end, he asked to speak with Mrs. Mulder. 
   


  "Hi Mom, how are you feeling?...Oh, still, huh?   I'm sorry about 
  that....Well, that's good at least, I'm glad you like her...Yeah, I met 
  her at the school yesterday.  It's a small world I guess, but how did you 
  know??...Oh, she did....No, I guess she didn't realize how ill you were 
  feeling..... Yes, I'm still in the hospital....No, I won't be released for 
  another couple of days at least........I guess a couple of weeks, I'm not 
  sure.... Well, the doctor said I'll need some rehab for the leg.........  
  ...oh,.... well, okay.....yeah Mom, I will.  Take care of yourself.  I'll 
  call you.....right, bye."


  Mulder hung up the phone and closed his eyes.  He took a couple of deep 
  breaths, opened his eyes, and looked at Scully.


  "What did she have to say?" she asked quietly.


  "Nothing much.  She just let me know the visiting nurse that was sent over 
  was very efficient and reliable and she was working out quite nicely. 


  "Then she told me she spoke with Marie Brockton and that she was quite 
  annoyed with her for not realizing how ill she'd been feeling.


  "Next she asked me about my recovery and how long would it take to get 
  back on my feet.  And then," Mulder paused here for a moment to collect 
  himself, "and then she told me to have a good trip back to DC," he 
  concluded.  


  "Mulder, no.  You're not serious, are you?  Oh my God, you are serious.  
  That's it?  Have a good trip?  Mulder, you mean to say she's really not 
  going to drive the fifteen minutes to come and see you?  Please, tell me 
  that's not what she meant."  Scully tried so hard to stay calm, but her 
  anger was so overwhelming, she didn't think she could manage it. 


  "Yes, Scully.  That's exactly what she meant."  Then in a more resigned 
  tone, "Mom doesn't `do' hospitals too well.  She'd always gotten these 
  anxiety attacks when I went to the emergency room as a kid.  She'd get 
  them all the time."


  "Mulder, just how many times did you have to go to the ER that you would 
  remember your mother having so many anxiety attacks?" Scully asked.


  "Let's just say a few too many times, okay?"  Mulder leaned back in tired 
  resignation and closed  his eyes again, but this time Scully noticed some 
  tears escaping the tightly shut lids.  


  Scully didn't know what she wanted to do first, go and hug Mulder or hang 
  Elizabeth Mulder.  She decided to hug Mulder.  Mommie Dearest just wasn't 
  worth the time or energy. 


  Just then the phone rang.  Mulder picked it up and seemed to immediately 
  sit up a  little straighter.  Scully had a pretty good idea as to who was 
  on the other end of the line.


  "Good afternoon, Sir," Mulder responded.  


  Scully smiled. She knew it had to be their boss.   She had kept in close 
  contact with the AD, at his request,  throughout the entire hostage siege. 
   When she had first told Skinner about Mulder's injury she had heard the 
  concern in his voice.  


  It always amazed Scully that as hard as their boss drove them in terms of 
  following and maintaining FBI protocol, he was always the first one to put 
  himself on the line to defend them.   He really was just a big teddy bear, 
  she realized to herself.  *Papa Bear,* Scully smiled wryly.


  When Mulder finally hung up from speaking with Skinner he was smiling.  "I 
  guess Skinner's really okay, isn't he?" he asked.  Scully nodded.  *Yup,* 
  she thought, *definitely Papa Bear.*


  "He's really okay, Mulder.  I think under that tight-assed  exterior, is a 
  person who really cares about his people.  You know, he was really uneasy 
  about putting you on this case."


  "He was?  Why?" 


  "He saw the picture of Sammie too.  The last thing out of his mouth to me 
  was a demand for me to watch over you.  He watches out for us, he watches 
  out for you, Mulder." 


  "He does, doesn't he."  It was a rhetorical question, one that he really 
  did know the answer to already. 


  "And I know I can always count on you to watch my back, right Scully?"  
  This was rhetorical too, and they both knew the answer to it as well.  


  "There are people in my life who care about me, right Scully?" he asked in 
  a tentative voice.  Sadly, this was the one question that _should_ have 
  been unquestioningly rhetorical, yet it was one that Scully knew Fox 
  Mulder  needed to hear an answer for.  


  "Yes, Mulder.  You have Skinner, you have the Lone Gunmen, you have my 
  mom, and you will always have me.  Always Mulder."  Scully grasped his 
  hand at that point and squeezed it gently to emphasize her point.  Mulder 
  finally exhaled, neither having realized he was even holding his breath.  


  And with confidence restored, Scully and Mulder both knew the time was 
  just about right for the next phase of his hospital phase to begin...


  "So Scully," he said with a slight chuckle, "when the hell do I get out of 
  here?  You know I can't stand hospitals.  Can't you do something about 
  getting me out of here?  Scully, I want to go home... Please????...."


  Part 12/12


  The end.

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