TITLE: Ultimatum
AUTHORS: Andi Dawkins and Devanie Maxwell
CATEGORY: XRA
RATING: PG-13
KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully Romance; Supporting Character Death.
SPOILERS: Biogenesis; SR 819
SUMMARY: Skinner appears dirty, Fowley and CSM are connected, Krycek has his 
own motivations -- With Mulder hospitalized Scully learns that it all does 
come down to a matter of trust.

DISCLAIMER:
We're not Chris Carter
Or 1013
Vince is much smarter
FOX lawyers are mean

No money is made
This won't reach bestseller
Don't sue us to get paid
We'd rob your bank teller 

FEEDBACK:  If you send us feedback, we will pee the floor. It makes us that 
happy. Best of all, it isn't your floor. There is absolutely no risk to you, 
and the worst that will happen is that we send you money. So, yes please.  
Send to both UberScully@aol.com and UberSpooky@aol.com!

ARCHIVE: If you would like to have it, we would love to bestow it upon you. 
Just let us know where it goes.

AUTHORS' NOTES: The concept behind Biogenesis intrigued us to the extent that 
we abandoned our typical style in favor of exploring the the motivations 
behind the suddenly all too cryptic supporting players. Not to fear, Mulder 
and Scully still play a large role. We can't forget our priorities, here.  
This is our first story dealing with a X file, and since we are not 
prognosticators we hope you'll forgive any plot implausibilities you may 
encounter. Like most, we have no idea what season seven will bring. We have, 
however, enclosed a major suggestion in part four. Special thanks to... We 
have no one to thank. Just each other. Of course, one big virtual kiss goes 
out to each and every person who reads this story. Thanks, and we hope you 
enjoy!

**********************************************************


60 W, 40 N
21 May 1999
6:47 PM EST

Rain sheeted against the windows of the 737, effectively obstructing any view 
of the outside world from the aircraft. This didn't matter to Dana Scully for 
the simple fact that there wasn't much outside world to view. For the past 
twelve hours she had been floating several miles above the Atlantic Ocean; 
her only vista was the endless sight of the sea in all directions. She 
actually preferred it this way. She didn't care for flying under the best of 
circumstances, add water and she began to loathe it. The plane shook slightly 
>from wind pressure and she sat further back in her seat. Closing her eyes, 
she kneaded the arm rest softly beneath her fingers and tried to divert her 
thoughts to another matter. She didn't find it difficult. Since she had left 
Africa her thoughts had been pummeling her mind from every direction. There 
was the artifact-- and Mulder. Then there was the...*thing* off the coast-- 
and Mulder. Skinner and Fowley -- Well, she wasn't going to use Mulder in the 
same thought pattern with Diana. It just seemed profoundly wrong somehow. Her 
mind advanced to how she would deal with her new found information. She 
hadn't had much time to process anything that had happened in the last 
several days. The views and beliefs she had held so concretely now lay in 
shattered pieces, a mere imitation of the way she formerly viewed her work. 
It was disconcerting to say the least, and she brought her fingers to her 
temples to alleve the tension building in her head. Sighing softly, she 
returned her focus to Mulder. He was her first priority, and her next task 
would have to be to help restore him to an active member of society. Scully 
didn't doubt herself when it came to her own skill as a doctor or 
investigator, but she wasn't about to delude herself into thinking she could 
solve this on her own. She smiled at the irony. She needed Mulder to save 
Mulder. And to identify the rather large spaceship off the coast. He was 
better at that stuff than she was.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the pilot announcing their upcoming descent 
into Dulles. The weather was lovely in Washington, he stated, they had left 
the storms behind them. After expressing his gratitude at their flying with 
him this evening, the seatbelt light blinked and Scully gripped the chair a 
little tighter. She wasn't so much concerned about the landing, but about 
what would come after. The next few days would be a very bumpy ride indeed.

*****************
Georgetown Memorial Hospital
21 May 1999
11:09 PM EST

Scully pushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, and by force of 
habit examined her reflection in the rearview mirror.  After her excruciating 
flight across the Atlantic, she was too exhausted and preoccupied to actually 
fret about her appearance.  Her all-consuming thought was that of her weary 
partner, probably pacing his cell like a caged animal.  She gripped the 
steering wheel of the parked vehicle and mentally gathered strength.  She 
knew seeing Mulder in his current condition would be harder on her than 
anything else in the complex situation they were involved in.

Scully made her way through the empty parking garage, allowing her mind to 
stray.  The resounding clacks of her heels on the concrete echoed, only 
enhancing her awareness of how dark and quiet the night had become.  A wave 
of grief, brought on by the stress of the day, washed over her.  She felt 
more helpless and frustrated at that moment than she could ever remember 
being.  So many lies.  So much to figure out in such little time.  Alone.  
She couldn't do it alone.  Scully always realized how much she depended on 
Mulder for emotional and physical support when he was unable to provide it.  
God, she needed sleep; she wasn't thinking coherently.  But she refused to go 
home.  The night would be restless without first visiting Mulder. 

The fact that Mulder's case was out of the ordinary, to say the least, 
allowed visiting hours to be obsolete.  Scully steadily approached the 
monitors that displayed Mulder's nervous form.  He had wrapped himself into a 
tight ball, slowly rocking back and forth.  Scully knew she couldn't see his 
face clearly, but she filled in what she was certain was there.  She imagined 
his blood shot eyes, set jaw and pained expression . . . his well-past five 
o'clock shadow, and tousled hair.  It saddened Scully that she had witnessed 
the sight enough to form a precise picture.  She longed sit beside him and 
provide the comfort he needed.  As Scully gingerly touched the screen, 
Mulder's lowered head shot up, and he became fully alert.  Scully's eyes 
widened and she jerked her hand away.  Mulder then stood, confused rather 
than paranoid.  "Scully?"

Scully stepped back, and released a watery breath.  What the hell was going 
on? "Scully, where are you??  Scully?!  Scully!!!"

She watched the screen with a mixture of fascination and a little bit of 
fear. Mulder was continuing to call her name, each time more fervored than 
the last. Regaining her composure she stepped closer to the monitors again. 
The results were immediate. His frantic calls stopped, and she could see him 
visibly relax. He moved closer to the camera lens, gazing into it as though 
he was trying to connect with her via their usual means of optical 
communication. Deeply touched and a little unnerved she extended her fingers 
back towards the screen. She fingertips played lightly against the cool 
surface, feeling oddly comforted by the gesture. Looking into his eyes, she 
was aware of how peaceful he looked compared to only a few days ago when she 
had previously visited. It was quite a transformation. Scully watched as he 
slowly lifted his right hand up and brought it to the lens, resting three of 
his fingers against it. Rationality flew out the window as she realized 
instinctively that he was matching her own motion. Tears glistened in her 
eyes as understanding dawned. Mulder wasn't insane. He wasn't trapped in his 
own mind; he was trapped in the minds of others.  Her own brain churned as 
she tried to find a psychological precedent. Their files were full of them; 
telepathy was a common trait in abduction cases if the stories were to be 
believed. It was not, however, something that Scully had ever taken very 
seriously. She had yet to see a case involving it substansiated. Sometimes 
the best approach to the irrational was through the rational, and despite 
Mulder's claims her science had been the victor in a large portion of their 
investigations. She was mentally reviewing the DSM-IV when a noise from 
behind startled her.

"Scully."

"Sir." Scully responded coldly, returning her gaze to the bank of screens in 
front of her.

"How is he doing?" Skinner motioned with a slight turn of his head toward 
Mulder's form.

Scully picked up a barely perceptible change in body language from her 
partner. Whereas Mulder had settled down into a normal stance, he was growing 
increasingly agitated. She realized that maybe he was a better judge of 
character than she had thought.

"Can we speak in the hall?" She asked, keeping her voice level and without 
emotion. She bit her lip as she heard Mulder call her from behind, but 
continued through the door.

Skinner followed closely, and soon regretted it as Scully spun around on him, 
very nearly causing him to collide with her far smaller frame.

"I need to know what the hell is going on here. Where is the doctor in 
charge? Or is he a liar too?"

Skinner exhaled. "I can only assure you that he's not. He has taken nothing 
but extreme precautions with Mulder's treatment. The staff is doing the best 
they can, but he is violent and unresponsive to both chemical and cognitive 
therapy. He..."

"I need to see him." Scully stated, already looking around for someone to 
make it happen.

"First I need to speak to you. Privately." Skinner shifted his eyes toward 
the bank of elevators at the end of the hall.

Scully was quickly running out of patience. "I think we've said about all 
there is to say, Sir. I need to see Mulder. It is more than obvious that no 
one else is making any attempt to get to the bottom of his condition. Nor 
should that surprise me."

"What exactly do you mean by that, Scully?" Skinner asked, his voiced rising 
slightly.

"If you have to ask you are both a liar and oblivious."  Scully allowed her 
statement to register, then breaking eye-contact she hastily retreated to 
find an attendant.  Skinner, having none of it, grabbed her elbow and spun 
her around.  Her eyes widened in surprise; she had been expecting to have the 
last word and be done with the confrontation.

"No, Agent Scully.  I am terribly sorry that your trust in me has ended at 
the first opportunity that has presented itself, however my situation is more 
complex than simply being on your side or working against you.  If the choice 
was mine alone, I'd hope that you would know my position."

Scully's body had taken on a defensive stance.  Her hands were placed on her 
hips, and her eyes were narrowed with barely concealed anger.  A bitter 
undertone was present in each word she uttered. "What do you mean by that?  
Who could force you to work against us? You always have a choice, Sir.  Don't 
delude yourself into thinking otherwise." Skinner opened his mouth to argue, 
but Scully didn't allow him the opportunity to speak.  "Now, I realize you 
have helped us in the past on many different occasions, but I can't be sure 
of your motivations for that . . . I don't know.  Maybe your priorities are 
just contrary to our goals."  

"That's not true," Skinner immediately stated.  It was obvious he wanted to 
say more, but his mouth only soundlessly formed words as he stared at the 
wall behind Scully.

She had waited, but when his jaw firmly set it was clear he had given up.  
"Look.  Unless you come clean with me or -- or offer me some explanations, 
I'm afraid you are wasting my time.  Excuse me."  Scully pushed past the 
burly man, thankful he allowed the argument to end.  She just wanted to be 
with Mulder.  Everything else could wait.

*****Continued in part 2*****