Oxford Reunion

By Starbuck_Jayne and Chessity

Starbuck_Jayne@mulderandscully.co.uk

Rating: PG13 (Violence but not much) 

Spoilers: None

Keywords:  MSR, KidFic

Disclaimer:  None of the characters in this 
story belong to us we are just borrowing 
them for a while.  They belong to Chris 
Carter, 1013 and Fox.
 
Archive:  Anywhere at all just please keep 
names and e-mail attached, but no flames 
please!

Summary:  A university reunion takes an 
unexpected twist

Author's Notes: Ok, this was written last 
year so is post season 8, rather than post 
season 9, and is set in the future where 
Mulder, Scully and William are a family.

Oxford Reunion

Starbuck_Jayne and Chessity
  
The elevator drew to a shuddering halt on 
the floor of the J. Edgar Hoover building.  
Fox Mulder tapped his foot impatiently as he 
waited for the doors to open, but as they 
did he was not impressed to discover that 
inside were three other agents, including 
one James Hartinger - not exactly one of 
Mulder's best friends. He sucked in his 
breath through a forced smile as he was 
greeted with:
"Hey! Spooky Mulder! Long time no see, how's 
it going down in the basement? Ohhhhhh 
that's right! You don't work there anymore!"
Mulder chose to ignore the agent's comments 
and instead selected the button on the 
elevator's control that would take him down 
to the building's lowest level. To his great 
relief his three co-workers disembarked on 
the first floor and he continued the trip 
alone.
The agent knocked lightly on the door of his 
old office, but entered before receiving an 
invitation. He found Agent Doggett and 
Scully to be behind their separate desks, 
and seemingly engrossed in their work as 
there was no conversation.  The office, 
although no longer his, was strangely 
comforting.  He and Scully had experienced 
many of life's ups and downs in that very 
room, and the memories were still there.  
His former partner looked up from the 
computer screen and he saw the panic in her 
face when she saw him standing there.  
Doggett suddenly looked uncomfortable and 
checked his watch, mumbling something about 
a coffee break.  Mulder smiled as the agent 
left the room, and looked at Scully, "Isn't 
that a nice effect to have on people?" he 
laughed.  Scully seemed to lighten up a 
little as she realised that Mulder obviously 
wasn't here with bad news.  

"What's up, Mulder, is it William?"  She 
rose from her chair and the panic face 
returned for a moment.

"Relax, Scully, everything is fine," he 
moved towards her and placed a gentle kiss 
upon her lips.  She smiled.

"Don't you have work to do?"  She knew he 
was bored back in violent crimes, but he was 
lucky to even have a job with the FBI at 
all; he really shouldn't abuse his duties in 
this way.

"Define work," Mulder grinned.  "No, 
seriously, Scully, can't a guy come down to 
visit his wife without getting the third 
degree?"  

"Mulder, we have been here ten minutes."  
The problem with the FBI was that marital 
partnerships were not exactly encouraged, 
and so after Kersh had left the bureau, 
following a nervous breakdown, and Skinner 
had given Mulder his job back, he had still 
been advised to take a job outside of the X-
Files division.  

"This arrived this morning," Mulder tossed a 
slim envelope onto Scully's desk, which she 
regarded suspiciously.

"What is it?"  She asked, "this better not 
be an X-File that you want to pursue 
Mulder."

He laughed at her, thinking how well she 
knew him.  But this time, however, she was 
wrong.  He watched as she turned the 
envelope over in her hand, and came across 
the British postal stamp.

"Oxford University, Mulder?"  

"Yeah, a reunion actually.  I was thinking 
we could leave William with your Mom and 
take a few days off," he asked tentatively, 
fairly sure she would be unwilling to leave 
their son alone for anything longer than a 
few hours.  He was, of course, right.  

"Mulder, we hardly get to see Will enough as 
it is, what with both of us working.  If you 
think we're gonna ditch him in our vacation 
time as well..." 

Mulder cut her off, "Ok, ok, we can take him 
with us!  Just make sure it isn't me who has 
to keep a three year old child entertained 
during a nine hour flight to Europe."

XXXXXXX

The plane to London was more than crowded.  
The previous flight had been delayed, and 
many of the passengers had decided that 
catching the next flight out was less hassle 
than waiting the five hours remaining for 
their own.  As a result, the airline had 
insisted that Mulder hold William on his 
knee, rather than giving the toddler his own 
seat.  William was delighted for the first 
few minutes, because he had a better view 
out of the window, as well as of the TV 
screen at the front of the plane.  When he 
realised, however, that outside there were 
only clouds and the movie on TV was not too 
interesting for a three year old, he began 
to look for alternative entertainment.  With 
childish fingers he tried to grasp the glass 
of orange juice resting on his mother's 
table.  

"You thirsty, sweetie?"  Scully helped her 
son to hold the glass as he squirmed in 
Mulder's lap. 

"Scully, would you just let him hold the 
juice?"  Mulder grumbled from beneath his 
son.  His wife reluctantly obliged, and let 
go of the glass.  In one swift movement, 
William had grabbed hold of it, swivelled 
round on his dad's knee and eagerly began 
pouring the glass' contents over the 
horrified woman in the white trouser suit to 
his left.  A satisfied grin spread across 
William's face whilst Mulder hid his own 
smirks behind his son's back.  Scully, on 
the other hand, was forced completely from 
the light sleep she was trying to accomplish 
by the woman's shrieks, as the juice began 
to soak into her trousers in a very 
conspicuous place.  

"Jesus, Mulder!"

"Do you think this is funny?"  The woman was 
screaming at Mulder, who looked as if he was 
about to say, yes, he did think it was 
funny.

"Can you not even look after him for a few 
minutes without him getting into trouble?"

"What kind of irresponsible parent are you?"  
The woman and Scully appeared to have sided 
in the battle against Mulder.  

He looked from the woman to his left back to 
Scully who was certainly not enjoying having 
her skills as a mother questioned.  She 
lifted William onto her own lap and shot her 
husband a glance that assured him that the 
next few hours were not going to be 
pleasant; not after the mortification she 
had endured and seemingly now blamed him 
for.

XXXXXXX 

The plane touched down in London just as the 
sun was setting.  William began to fuss as 
Scully awoke him and tried to get him to 
stand up and walk.  He would not move from 
her lap, and Mulder picked him up and made 
as if to carry him.  Scully stopped him.

"How do you expect him to become independent 
if you're always giving him his own way?  
You're going to spoil him!"

"Oh yeah, *me* spoil him!"  Mulder snapped 
back.  "I notice you made no attempt to 
scold him after the little fiasco on the 
plane!"

"That's because it was your fault!"

"Like hell it was my fault!"

"Mulder, people are staring," Scully hissed 
before turning to her son.  "Come on, 
William, sweetie, let's go find a cab shall 
we?"

Once at the hotel in Oxford, Mulder listened 
in shock as his wife calmly requested two 
rooms instead of one.

"Scully, what are you doing?"  His question 
was answered simply by one of her looks, at 
which he snatched a very confused William 
away from her and led him towards the 
elevator, dragging his suitcase behind him.  
He remained disturbed by Scully's sudden 
outburst on the plane, and the fact that her 
annoyance with him had lasted for so long.  
He was smart enough to know, however, that 
the look she had given him was a warning not 
to bring up the subject until they were 
alone.  He sighed as he set the suitcase 
down outside the room he intended to share 
now with William only.  This was supposed to 
be a chance for them to spend time together 
as a family, and already things had started 
to go wrong.  All over some stupid stunt 
William had pulled, innocently enough?  It 
was so unlike Scully to lose her head over 
something this trivial.  No, this definitely 
went deeper than a glass of spilt juice, and 
Mulder had every intention of finding out 
what it was.

XXXXXXX

The reunion was due to start in half an 
hour, and Mulder tried desperately to find 
his bow tie without having to ask Scully 
where it was.  As if the fact he had to be 
out of the hotel in thirty minutes and still 
wasn't dressed wasn't enough, throughout his 
frantic search, he was also fielding 
questions from William that consisted only 
of his new favourite word: "why".

"William, can you see Daddy's tie?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to wear it."

"Why?"

"Because I have to look nice in front of all 
the people at the big party."

"Why?"

"It's called making an impression, son, I'll 
explain it when you're older."

"Why?"

"Would you please stop that?"

"Why?"

Mulder stood up straight and sucked in his 
breath, all in an attempt to control his 
temper.  He gave his son a look that was 
universally understood to mean, "Stop it now 
or else".

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Can we go and see Mommy now?"

"No."

"Why?"

XXXXXXX

Mulder knocked hesitantly on the door of his 
wife's room, hoping she had calmed down 
enough for a rational conversation.  He 
prayed that when she opened the door he 
would find her ready to leave, and not 
having decided instead that she didn't want 
to go.  He was half right.  She stood in the 
doorway dressed in a black silk evening 
gown.  It reached her ankles and so revealed 
her beautiful strappy sandals.  The outfit 
was stunning, but on her face she wore a 
dark expression that Mulder was unable to 
place.  He thought that maybe she was also 
confused by her anger, but was going to keep 
up the charade of being annoyed with him 
anyway.  He groaned and pushed past her.  

"You ready?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Where's William?"

"Babysitter."

"Good.  She's probably a more competent 
parent."  He just chose to let that one 
slide.  

"Scully, what's wrong with us?"

"There's nothing wrong with us, Mulder."

"Ok, so what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

"Oh!  I get it!  This is all my fault!  Of 
course!  How could I have been so stupid as 
to not realise that?"

"Can we just go and get this over with?"

"Oh so you don't want to go?"

"Did I say that?"

"You implied it, yes."

"Mulder, I am not one of your criminals to 
be profiled."

"And so what's with all the separate room 
crap anyway?"

"I just need to think about this."

"About what?  Scully why can't we sort 
things out together anymore?  This is 
insane!"

"Oh!  So you're calling my feelings insane?"

"What feelings?  Why have we suddenly 
regressed back to this "I'm fine" routine?  
Scully, we are supposed to be married."

"Let's just go, Mulder," she swished past 
him, a black whirlwind of anger and 
confusion.  

"Dammit Scully, I love you!"

Scully paused to check her watch, "Mulder, 
we're late."
XXXXXXX

"Spooky?  Spooky Mulder?"  A large man 
dressed in a white tux said with a raucous 
laugh, causing Mulder to cringe through a 
fake smile.  The man grabbed hold of 
Mulder's arm and gestured to a nearby group 
of people, in doing so splashing red wine 
all over Mulder's shirt.  "Hey!  Everyone!  
Look who's here!"  He turned back to the two 
FBI agents "hey Spooky, this the missus?"

"This is my wife, yes."  Mulder introduced 
Scully, who seemed sadistically amused by 
the mess her husband had already managed to 
make of his shirt.  

"Scully, this is Rob Burke...my old room 
mate."

"Scully?"  Rob looked at Mulder as if he was 
crazy.  "Is that, like, a pet name or what?"

"No, it's just..." Mulder stopped mid-
sentence as he realised Rob had lost 
interest and staggered off in another 
direction.  He turned round to face Scully 
and realised that she too had disappeared.  
Just about to leave in search of alcohol, 
Mulder instead became aware of an 
unpleasantly familiar presence.  "This 
evening just gets better and better," he 
mumbled as he turned around to face Phoebe 
Green.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"  She 
smiled thinly.

"A very stressed out guy looking for his 
wife", was what Mulder wanted to say, but 
instead he greeted the detective with a cool 
"Phoebe".

"Well, I didn't expect to see *you* here.  
But since you're alone, how about a drink?"

Mulder desperately didn't want to spend 
another second with his ex-lover, 

"Well, actually I was just..." But somehow a 
dark side of him saw this as the perfect 
opportunity to get back at his estranged 
wife.  "You know what, ok."  He agreed, 
putting on a wide, artificial grin.  "We 
haven't seen each other in ages.  Any major 
changes in your life I should know about?"  
With these words he grabbed Phoebe's arm and 
dragged her to the bar on the other side of 
the ballroom.

Thirty minutes and four rounds later, Mulder 
was feeling kind of the worse for wear.

"Hey, Mulder, isn't that your partner?"  
Phoebe was decidedly more composed than her 
drinking companion.  She pointed to a far 
corner of the room where Scully was 
listening intently to a tall man with a 
crisp business suit and rugged good looks.  
Mulder looked up from his folded arms and 
his face dropped.

"Yes, yes it is," he slurred only slightly 
before heaving himself off his stool and 
onto unsteady legs.

"Woah!"  Phoebe caught his arm as he 
stumbled over her purse.  "But I thought you 
were here alone!"  She blurted out, 
tightening the grip on Mulder's arm.  

"Well, no I'm not," Mulder told her without 
looking at her, shaking her hand off he made 
his way through dancing and chatting people 
without taking his eyes off his, obviously 
very preoccupied, wife.  Mulder frowned when 
he suddenly caught sight of that pseudo 
gentleman taking her hand without Scully 
complaining at all.  Mulder was so engrossed 
in watching the scenario, especially 
Scully's gleaming face, that he didn't 
notice the lights being dimmed and a 
spotlight being switched on.  The dance 
floor suddenly cleared of people, and Mulder 
realised he was alone in the middle of the 
beam of light with everyone's eyes on him.

"Aww crap."  

"And last, but definitely not least, Fox 
Mulder!  Seeing as you are so eager to take 
the stage, why don't you come on up and tell 
us a bit about yourself?"  The evening's 
host was asking.  
"Erm, you know what?  I'd just rather find 
my wife first."

"She isn't going anywhere, Spooky, come on 
up." 

It wasn't as if he had a choice or anything, 
two burly young men escorted the bemused FBI 
agent onto the stage.

"Am I under arrest or something here?"  He 
wanted to know.

"Now, here we have five of our most 
promising graduates at the time.  What have 
you been up to since you left Oxford?"

A small mousy woman stepped forwards and 
announced she had since been promoted to 
production manager at "British Biscuits".  
Mulder managed to sit through peoples' 
confessions of being tax inspectors, 
married, and tree surgeons before deciding 
he couldn't take anymore and lunging towards 
the steps at the side of the stage.  His 
attempted escape was brought to a swift end 
as he felt to strong arms on his shoulders.  

"So Spooky, still after those little green 
men?"

Mulder looked longingly towards the open 
door, and decided to get the speech over as 
quickly as possible. In a slightly dazed, 
but nevertheless hurried, tone he proceeded 
to enlighten the audience, telling them of 
his career in the FBI and marriage to his 
ex-partner; deliberately avoiding entering a 
discussion on the X-Files.          

"Way to go, Spooky!  Finally settled down!"

"Yeah, about that, can I just say..."

"Hey, everybody, let's have a big hand for 
Spooky!"

Mulder's intoxicated attempt to ask for his 
wife's forgiveness was lost in a clamour of 
applause.  However, Scully seemed to have 
understood and began making her way towards 
the stage.  At the same time Mulder caught a 
sudden movement out of the corner of his 
eye.  It was a matter of seconds before the 
realisation struck him, and he sobered up 
almost instantly. His hand moved 
automatically to the gun he kept in a 
holster around his ankle, and he pointed the 
weapon with excellent aim towards Phoebe 
Green.  

"I've waited for you for twenty years, Fox 
Mulder! I'm not gonna let you just walk away 
again! When I came to America all those 
years ago and I found you with her," At this 
point Phoebe swung her arm around Scully's 
neck and gestured towards her with a gun 
that hung loosely between her fingers.  "How 
do you think that made me feel?  You just 
don't get it, do you!?  You were the only 
man that ever loved me."

Mulder was tempted to say that the only 
woman he had ever loved was Dana Scully, but 
decided that it would not be wise to 
antagonise the, seemingly insane, woman who 
was more or less holding his wife hostage.           

"Put the gun down, Phoebe!"

"What is it? Is it the red hair? Do you want 
me to dye my hair? If I kill her you'll have 
to love me!" She raised the gun to Scully's 
head, but before she had chance to pull the 
trigger, the bullet from Mulder's own gun 
tore through her shoulder, causing her to 
drop the weapon. As she fell to the floor 
she dragged Scully with her and they hit the 
ground together.  
Mulder leapt from the stage and through the 
stunned crowds, to where Scully was lying on 
the floor, crying, and covered in Phoebe's 
blood.  Mulder was shocked by his wife's 
tears, not understanding why she would be so 
upset by all of this.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Mulder, I need to go to the hospital."

"Why? You'll be okay! She didn't shoot you, 
did she?" He wiped some of the blood away 
from her cheek. 

"No, I'm worried about the baby."

The End