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House of Cards - Chapter 11
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Georgetown University Hospital
April 19, 1999
5:00 pm

Dana Scully had slept most of the afternoon away. Walter Skinner, Fox Mulder, Maggie Scully and Blake Maxwell had been in the room to check on her several times but she was dead to the world. Walter and Maggie tired to ignore each other while wandering the hallways while Fox was trying to size Blake up in the visitors lounge.

Fox was arguing with Blake about which color looked best on Scully when he noticed that Bill Scully, Jr. was standing in front of him.

"Were is she Mulder?" Bill asked rudely.

"Room 321, but she's sleeping," Fox Mulder said as he stood up to greet Dana's brother.

"What the hell have you gotten my sister into now?" Bill asked.

"Nothing. She was out jogging and got shot."

"Probably for someone after you. What the hell are you doing here?" He asked Blake.

"Same reason you are here Billy." Blake said to the larger man. Mulder was astonished to see that Bill hated Blake more than he hated him. Blake might just be alright in his book.

"It's Bill, you little weasel. Why the hell are you here. I thought I made it clear that I wanted you out of my sisters life. You've caused enough problems for my family. I'm going to see her now and when I get back I expect for both of you to be gone. Have I made myself clear?" He asked harshly.

"Billy, this is a public place, and as a public place I have as much of a right to be here as you do, if not more. So play your concerned brother act in front of a crowd that cares," Blake seethed back to Bill. Bill left the waiting room quickly.

"What the hell did you do to piss him off Blake?" Mulder asked.

"Oh just the usual. I showed his little sister that there was more to life than the Catholic church and the ten commandments. Didn't make me very popular in the Scully household."

"So you were the one that made Scully a skeptic."

"I might have something to do it. When I met her she was young and naive, but very strong in her convictions at the same time. I didn't make her disbelieve in what she had been taught, I just made her question the reason why she believed. Up until that point she had pretty much believed because it was what the church taught, she never questioned the church and the validity of worship."

"So Bill hates you because of this?"

"No, Bill hates me because Dana moved out of her parents house and in with me."

"Oh, I bet that went over well. How old was she?"

"She must been around 16 or 17 years. It was after she finished her freshman year at Stanford. She was only going to live with me for the summer but then decided to transfer to Maryland and ended up staying with me until she went to Medical school and claimed that I was putting a damper on her studying." Mulder was fascinated with this tale of Scully's past.

"What was she like then?" He asked genuinely interested in the facet of Scully's life that she had never discussed.

"Much the same as she is now, without the hardness. She's the most caring, loving, and generous person that I have ever met. I owe her my life. She has saved me from myself a thousand times over."

"I used to feel the same way about her, but she changed. I know that you know what I'm talking about. You probably don't want to or can't talk about it due to some sense of loyalty to her, but what happened to make her change?" Mulder asked.

"Some stories aren't mine to tell," Blake replied letting Mulder know that this line of questioning was over.

"That's fair. So when am I going to meet Claire? Is she like anything like Scully?" Mulder asked changing the subject, knowing that he wasn't going to get anything else out of Blake Maxwell.

"Claire should be here sometime tonight and she's nothing like Dana. You'll just have to wait and see."

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Georgetown University Hospital
April 19, 1999
5:30 pm

"Dana, I got here as soon as I could," Bill said upon entering his sisters hospital room and seeing that she was awake.

"Thanks for coming Bill, " She replied as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Did you see mom? She's somewhere in the hospital," Dana said not knowing what else to say to her brother. Their relationship had always been strained and she tended to stick with the safe subjects with him; Tara, Matthew, and Mom.

"No, but I ran into Mulder and Blake Maxwell in the visitors lounge. What the hell are they doing here? I told you I didn't want you having anything to do with Blake. He's agnostic, he can't be trusted. Fox Mulder is a whole other matter," Bill said raising his voice.

"Bill, they are here because they care. Just because Blake is an agnostic doesn't mean that he's going to hell and he isn't tainting my mind. I'm quite capable of forming my own opinions. I don't need a man or a church to tell me what I should believe," Dana argued back.

"You know the church is right Dana," Bill said emphatically.

"You may think the church is right Bill, and that's your prerogative."

"But you don't believe the church. You don't believe in God anymore?"

"I do believe in the concept of God, Bill, and I probably always will. But, do I believe in all the teachings of the church? The answer would have to be no."

"Don't let mom hear you say that Dana."

"Mom will just have to deal with it. I'm thirty four years old. If I can't believe what I want at this age something is seriously wrong."

"So you think I'm foolish and stupid for believing what the church and mom and dad taught us?"

"No, I didn't say that Bill. Look, if you believe it and it works for you that's fine. Who am I to say what you believe is wrong or right. I don't want to get into a religious debate with you right now Bill, " Dana said as she tried to change the subject.

"So how is the prognosis?"

"Fine. I will be here for another week and then I can go home."

"You are going to stay at Mom's?" Bill asked but it sounded more like an order.

"No, I'm going home to my house."

"Are you sure that's a wise decision?" Bill asked.

"Bill, I'm a doctor. I know how to take care of myself."

"You don't seem to be doing a very good job of taking care of yourself Dana. Listen, I don't mean to be a nag. I'm just concerned about you."

"I appreciate your concern Bill, I really do. I'm fine. In a couple of days I will be back to normal." Dana tried to reassure him.

"If you say so. Listen I'm going to go and get something to eat. Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm fine." She said as she watched him leave her room.

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Georgetown University Hospital
April 19, 1999
7:00 pm

Fox Mulder stopped in Dana's room for one last time before he left for the night. He wanted to check in on her to see if she needed anything.

"Scully, what the hell are you doing?" Mulder asked as he entered her room and discovered her trying to get out of her bed.

"I'm going to take a shower," She said as she tried to get into a sitting position. The bandages on her chest were making movement difficult.

"Are you sure that's a wise decision?"

"Mulder, I have been in this bed for more than a week. Look at my hair, does it look like wanting to wash it is a bad decision? Dr Sinwain said I could shower if I wanted to," She said as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Okay, but at least let me help you into the bathroom," He said as he helped her into a standing position. Her legs started wobbling and she had trouble keeping her balance.

"Scully this would be a lot easier if you let me carry you," Mulder said to her.

"No way, Mulder. I can walk on my own," Scully said shaking her head.

"It's your choice. It will just take a lot longer." When they made it to the bathroom Mulder looked at her questioningly. "What do you want me to do now."

"I can shower without assistance, if that's what you are asking Mulder."

"Damn, well is there anything else that I can do?"

"Do I have any of my own clothes here?" She asked as she looked around the room for anything familiar.

"No, although Blake said something about him having to get you the perfect hospital wardrobe before he left. That man is strange but I really like him Scully. You shouldn't have kept him hidden from me for the last 6 years."

"Well I'm glad that you like him but I didn't keep him hidden. You never asked to meet him," Scully said as they reached the shower stall. "While I'm showering do you think you can procure a clean hospital gown for me?"

"Sure, but do you think it is wise for me to leave you alone in here."

"Mulder, there's a bench in the shower that I can sit on if I get tired." Mulder nodded at her statement and left the room to find her a clean gown.

Dana stepped into the shower took off her clothes. She was too tired from the walk into the bathroom to care where she threw her gown. She would kill for a pair of underwear about now.

She turned on the shower and started to wash her hair. As the steam filled the shower stall her mind wandered to the events of the last day. She was tired of lying in bed and tired of all the visitors questioning her about mundane things like why Mulder and Blake were there. She wanted to he laying in her own bed, in her own house, not in some hospital room. She started feeling dizzy from the heat and steam and grasped the shower rails for support.

<I'm not going to lose it in the shower. I can do this,> She thought to herself.

Dana quickly sat down on the bench as she felt the stall spinning around her. She put her head between her legs to try to stop the movement of the room but felt herself beginning to dry heave. She wasn't aware that Mulder had returned to the bathroom with a clean gown and had heard her.

"Scully are you alright?" He asked as he heard the sounds of her retching..

"I'm fine, Mulder," She cried out weakly

"You don't sound fine to me. I have your gown here. Do you need me to help you get out of the shower."

"No Mulder, I'll be fine once the room stops spinning. I'm just a little dizzy."

"I'm coming in Scully."

"No Mulder."

"Then you had better put this gown on now and come out. I don't think it is advisable for you to be in there alone if you are dizzy," Mulder said as he draped the gown over the shower door.

Scully tried to stand up to get the gown but felt herself losing consciousness.

"Mulder, help me," She cried out as she lost consciousness and fell to the shower floor. Mulder jerked open the door to see her hit her head on the corner of the shower bench on her way down.

Mulder quickly turned off the hot water and got a towel to place over Dana. He didn't know if he was supposed to move her or not.

<What the hell am I supposed to do?> <Do I put her clothes on and put her back into bed?> <Should I get a nurse in here to help?>

Mulder was too busy checking her head and arms for further trauma that he didn't notice that Blake, Walter and Bill had entered the bathroom.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Bill asked upon seeing his sister laying unconscious on the bottom of the shower stall.

"I didn't do anything Bill. She was taking a shower and she passed out," Mulder explained.

"You let her take a shower?" Walter asked.

"You know Scully, she can't be stopped," Mulder said.

"Listen guys, lets get Dana into some clothes and back into bed. She isn't going to be happy if she wakes up naked on the bathroom floor with us staring at her," Blake said trying to calm everyone down.

"I'll get her dressed," Mulder said.

"The hell you will. She's my sister, I'll do it," Bill said.

"No, she wouldn't want that. I'll do it," Blake said.

All three men then looked over at Walter to see if he would object and say that he should be the one to do it. Walter shook his head and started to walk out of the bathroom when Dana started to stir on the shower floor.

All four men looked down at her as she opened her blue eyes up at them.

"What happened?" She asked.

"You passed out in the shower Dana. We were just voting on who got to dress you and put you back into bed," Blake told her.

"I'm fine. I can dress myself."

"The hell you can Dana. One of us is going to help you so either you make the choice or we will," Bill told his sister. Dana looked around the room at her options. Walter was her ex-lover and she was still pissed over how he had treated her over the years that she didn't want to be naked anywhere near him. He knew her body and how to arouse it too well. She didn't trust herself enough not to become aroused in front of him. Bill was her brother and although she was sure that he had seen her nude dozens of times he was still her brother. Blake was her best friend and she was totally comfortable being nude in front of him. Mulder was another story. She was attracted to him and wanted him badly. But, she knew that she didn't have a chance with him. He was getting married in a couple of weeks to Natasha. Any chance that she might of had with him as long gone. She figured she may as well accept the inevitable. She wanted to be desired and loved like Natasha was. Bill and Blake could and would never love her more than a sister, but Walter Skinner could love and desire her. She decided that she wanted Walter Skinner to be the one.

"Okay, I chose Skinner then," She said as they all looked at her wondering why he was the choice. Walter Skinner was horrified at the thought of having to see her naked again.

"Well okay then" Bill said as he led Blake and Mulder out of the bathroom.

"Walt could you help me up off the floor?" Dana asked as she tried to sit up herself.

"Sure Dana." He grabbed her arms and pulled her to a standing position. It was then that he noticed that her towel had come off and she was standing in front of him buck naked. He quickly averted his eyes until he saw the scar.

"Oh Dana," He said as tears welled up in his eyes. He reached out and traced the scar that ran under her right breast.

"Walt," She moaned. She was becoming aroused by his touch and was embarrassed when she felt her nipples harden. He lightly ran the tip of his thumb over her nipple then quickly jerked his hand away.

"No, this is wrong," He said remembering that this wasn't just his ex-lover, this was his daughter that he was touching..

"What is wrong Walt. You touching me and desiring me?" She asked as she looked up at him with desire in her half hooded eyes..

"Yes. We can't be doing this," He said avoiding her gaze.

"I don't see anything wrong with two consenting adults wanting each other Walt," Dana said as she stoked the length of him through his trousers. Walter Skinner moaned and leaned into her. She quickly lowered his zipper and freed his penis. She kneeled down on the floor and took the length of it into her mouth. Walter was instantly hard and losing control.

She slid her mouth up and down the length of him. He gabbed her head and pushed himself deeper into her mouth. She held onto his thighs as he rocked in and out of her mouth at an increasing speed. He felt his climax building and all rational thoughts about what he was doing flew out of his mind as he exploded into her mouth. She held onto him as he trembled.

"Walt, please fuck me," Dana said to him as she wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand..

"Oh god, Danie," Walter said as he grabbed her by the shoulders and lowered his mouth to her breasts. Danie was a term of endearment that he used to call her.

Dana threw her head back and moaned as she felt moisture pooling between her legs.

"Touch me, Wally," She cried out using the name she used to call him.

He lowered her to the ground and knelt between her legs. He spread her lips with his thumbs and gently lowered his mouth over her core. He started to gently lick her clitoris in circles when he heard a knock on the door. He quickly sat up and threw a towel around Dana.

"What is taking you guys so long? Is everything alright?" Blake asked through the door. It was at that instant Walter Skinner realized what he was about to and what his daughter had just done to him.

"This did not and cannot happen Dana. I'm sorry," Walter whispered to her as he helped her off the floor of the bathroom. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Blake, can you come in here for a minute," Walter Skinner called out through the bathroom door. Blake quickly entered the bathroom and shut the door behind him. One look at Dana and he knew what had been going on in the bathroom.

"Just like old times. I leave you two alone for a minute and you go at it like dogs in heat," Blake joked, "Walter, you had better wash the evidence off your face or you are going to have to answer some questions from her partner and brother. I'll take care of Dana," Blake said as he steered Dana back into the shower. Walter quickly washed his face and straightened his clothes and left the bathroom.

Blake took off his shirt and leaned into the shower stall to help Dana wash her hair. He had noticed that when she had passed out that not all of the shampoo had been washed out of her hair. He assumed that was why Walter and Dana were taking such a long time in the bathroom. When he didn't hear the shower turn on he knew that they were up to other things and decided to interrupt before Dana got really loud and everyone knew what they were doing.

"Dana," Blake started.

"Don't Blake. I know what you are going to say."

"What the hell do you think you were doing. You've just undone 5 years of therapy."

"I know Blake. I'm sorry," She said as she started to cry, "I just wanted someone to love me."

"I love you Dana."

"I know but you don't desire and want me. I want to be wanted Blake. I want to make love to someone every night and know that they will be there in the morning. I want to feel as the whole world does revolve around me. I want tulips and daisies and roses. I want candlelight dinners and walks in the park. I want all of it Blake. I want companionship, desire, lust and mind blowing sex."

"You can have that Dana, you just need to open yourself up to the possibility that there's someone out there for you."

"And that person is getting married in three weeks."

"You have two choices. You can either tell him how you feel now and hope that he feels the same way and at least you would know, or you can continue on this path of not admitting your feelings and watch Mulder marry someone else."

"I have to learn to let him go Blake. He doesn't feel the same way about me and telling him my feelings is only going to strain our relationship. We've finally gotten back to where we once were and I can't risk ruining it again. I can't."

"Okay, so you don't tell him. Are you ready to accept him as only a friend?"

"I already have Blake," Dana said as Blake turned off the shower and helped her off the bench. He decided that she didn't need a lecture as he helped her into the clothing that he brought for her. She was surprised to see that he had brought some of her clothes from her house. He helped her dress in the Adidas track pants and sweatshirt and walked her back to her bed.

He saw that Walter was no longer in the room but Maggie Scully now was. She didn't look happy that she wasn't the one to help her daughter in the shower.

"You should have waited until I got here, Blake. I would have helped my daughter in the shower. It is improper for an unmarried woman her age to be nude in the shower with a man that's not her husband."

"Please mom. I'm 34 years old, I think I'm old enough to decide who I want to take a shower with. There was nothing sexual about it,." Dana said to her mother trying to reassure her.

"I find that highly doubtful. Anytime that a man and a woman are together and one of them doesn't have their clothes on, a sexual situation is going to arise."

"Your right mom, you figured it out. I was having wild passionate sex with a gay man in the shower. And before that AD Skinner and I were going at it," Scully said as she noticed that her mothers face paled.

"Dana that's nothing to joke about. It would be highly unprofessional for you to be in the bathroom with your supervisor."

"You say that like I had a choice in the matter. I fainted in the bathroom. When I woke up they were all standing around me. I had no control over who saw what?"

"He isn't a family member. Bill or I should have been the one to help you."

"It wasn't a big deal. It over and done with, no sense in dwelling on it," Blake said trying to change the subject.

"Stay out of this Maxwell. You've fucked with my sisters head one time too many and I'm not going to stand by this time. You and your lesbian friend Claire are probably turning her into one of you. You guys are probably into threesomes," Bill yelled at Blake.

"Leave him alone. It is a little too late to play the concerned brother Bill. You have not been a part of my life for the last 18 years, it is a little too late to start playing the concerned brother routine. Blake is more of a brother to me than you ever will be." Dana could not believe that her family was having this argument again. Every time Bill, her mother and Blake were in the same room the conversation somehow turned to accusations that her friends were turning her into a heathen lesbian. She was getting sick and tired of the constant bickering in her life. She was beginning to wonder if her dense mother and brother would ever understand the reason that she kept them out of her life was they were not accepting of anyone that wasn't exactly like them. She swore many times over growing up that she had been born into the wrong family. Maggie and Bill Scully could not have been here parents or she could have grown up narrow minded like them and their three other children.

"The hell if I'm going to stand by and bury another sister. He'll probably give you AIDS or something like that."

"Bill, your ignorance continues to astonish me. You can go back to San Diego and play your concerned brother routine with Tara or someone else who will buy it."

"When the hell did you become a psychotic egotistical bitch Dana?" Bill asked as Mulder continued to make himself as small as possible hoping that he wouldn't be dragged into this conversation.

"Bill Scully, we don't use that kind of language," Maggie said as she scolded her older son.

"I'm sorry mother, I apologize for using that language."

"Apology accepted. Now Dana, when you get out of the hospital I want you to come home and stay with me,"Maggie said changing the subject.

"The hell I will Mom. I'm planning on recuperating in my own house. You don't have to play the concerned mother. I know that the only reason why you want me to stay at your house is out of your catholic guilt and what the other ladies in the parish would say if they found out that the great Maggie Scully's daughter was not recuperating at her house. Don't worry mom, I won't tell them." She had finally had it with her mother. It had taken 34 years for Dana to stand up to her mother. She wasn't going to take any more shit from her mother or brothers. Dana Scully had had enough.

"Dana, I'm your mother, you had better treat me with respect. I don't appreciate your attitude or tone of voice."

"Deal with it," Dana said as she sat back in her bed.

"Scully, Blake and I are going to get something to eat in the cafeteria. We'll be back in a little while," Mulder said as he and Blake left the room. The conversation had heated up too much for their tastes. Bill, Maggie and Dana never even noticed that they had left the room.

"How dare you treat mom like that Dana. She has always wanted nothing but the best for you and you treat her like this."

"I'm sorry, am I being a disappointment to you?" Dana asked sarcastically.

"Grow up, Dana," Bill yelled at her, "No wonder you can't get a man. Who the hell in their right mind would want you. It is probably a good thing that you aren't able to breed because heaven knows the world doesn't need more people like you," Bill Scully said with contempt in his voice. He didn't understand why his sister made the choices that she did.

"I'm sorry that I was never able to be perfect like you. Heaven knows I tried hard enough. You would think being valedictorian would have been enough for my parents," Dana said to no one in particular.

"You were enough Dana. I just wished that you had gotten married. You are such a pretty girl, you could have had your choice in men. But now that you are older you don't have as many options."

"Mom, have you ever thought to consider the fact that maybe I didn't want to get married. I'm happy with my life and career and I don't need a man to make me happy."

"Every girl wants to get married Dana." Maggie said truly believing with she had said to her daughter.

"Maybe in the era that you grew up in mom." Dana was growing tired of her family. She just wanted them to go away. Couldn't they see that they were never going to agree of her lifestyle choices. She wished that Melissa were alive so that there would be someone else that they could express their disappointment in.

"I'm glad that your father isn't here to see what you've become Dana. He would have been so disappointed. We tried to give you everything."

"You gave me nothing. All I wanted my whole life was to please you but nothing I ever did was good enough. You've always treated me differently." Dana Scully was annoyed, but now she was fuming mad. How dare they bring her father into this and say that she was a disappointment.

"That's not true Dana."

"It is true mom. I studied as hard as I could thinking that if I got all A's you and dad would be proud of me. All you were concerned about was my appearance and who I was dating. Melissa failed 8th grade and you lavished attention on her because she was a cheerleader and had lots of boyfriends. When Bill made captain of the football team it was all you could talk about for weeks. Did it matter that Bill had a C average? No, you rewarded him. You ended his curfew and raised his allowance. Precious Bill the football player needed to concentrate all his time on football so that he could go to a good college. Did Bill have to work a part time job? I don't seem to recall that he ever did. Then there was Charlie. He was the baby so we shouldn't expect much out of him, right? He never had to do chores or work. I don't recall him doing much of anything besides hanging out behind the school smoking. Why was it that I never got the love and attention mom?" Dana asked.

"We gave you plenty of attention Dana. You know it wasn't easy rasing four kids."

"You never gave me the attention I so desperately craved. I must have been five or six when I realized that you and Daddy were never going to love me for who I was. I thought that if I excelled in academics that you would care. When that didn't do it I decided that if Bill got attention by being the big football star I would do it by being the track and cross country star. I was the state cross country champion for four years in a row and you never noticed or attended one meet."

"Dana, I'm sure that we must have gone to one of them. You know with four kids we pretty much had our hands full."

"I would have remembered. I know that you were much too busy attending every single one of Bill's football games to take time out for a little track meet. Why was I the only one that had to have a job in high school?"

"Your father and I felt that having a job would be good for your social skills."

"I didn't have a problem with my social skills. But none of this really matters anyone to me. I have come to terms with the way that I was treated growing up and no longer blame you. I don't think I will ever understand why I was never good enough for you and dad. It doesn't matter anymore. I no longer need nor want your acceptance or recognition. You had the last 34 years to be my mother, please don't insult my intelligence and act like you want to start being my mother now." Maggie Scully was stunned by Dana's version of her childhood. She thought that she had done a wonderful job raising Dana. She was bright and articulate and had a good job. Wasn't that a sign of parental success?

"Mom, it is clear that Blake has been messing with Dana's head. She's acting jealous and spiteful once again. Lets come back when she's acing like her old self again," Bill Scully said as he led his mother out of the hospital room.

Dana Scully laid back in her bed and looked out the window as the tears began to flow.

End of Chapter 11

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House of Cards - Chapter 12
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Georgetown University Hospital Cafeteria
April 19, 1999
8:30 pm

"What the hell was that?" Mulder asked as he and Blake entered the cafeteria.

"Mulder, how well do you know Dana?" Blake asked.

"Pretty well, why?"

"What has she told you about her childhood?"

"She really hasn't talked much about it. I always assumed that she grew up with the cookie baking girl scout mother. Are you saying this isn't the case?"

"No, what is your impression of Maggie Scully?"

"She always seemed like the perfect mother to me. She has always been wonderful. If I could chose who I wanted my mother to be I would have chose Maggie Scully in a heartbeat."

"I think most people would."

"Except for Scully?" Mulder asked.

"I don't really know how much I can tell you without betraying her confidence. I guess I can tell you this much. There's a reason why Dana is the way she is."

"I credit her parents for instilling in her the desire to excel in academics. She's one of the smartest and strongest people I know. If she didn't have wonderful parents that cared about her that much she might have been a different person," Mulder said making the assumption that most people mistakenly made.

"Look Mulder. I really think you should talk with her about what it was like to grow up Maggie Scully's daughter. Maggie and Bill Scully might have appeared to have been wonderful parents but that's far from the truth."

"Are you implying that they abused her and her siblings? What did they spank her one times to many?" Mulder said joking.

"The abuse wasn't physical Mulder."

"That leaves sexual, which I highly doubt was the case, and mental. Are you implying that the Scully's mentally abused Dana and her siblings?"

"I'm not implying anything. I'm just stating the facts. However, to my knowledge and from what Dana has told me she was the only one affected."

"Why would they single out a child?" Mulder asked thinking back to what he knew about emotional abuse.

"It is something Dana and I have never been able to figure out," Blake said while checking his watch. "Why don't we head back. I am sure that Bill and Maggie will be gone by now," Blake said to Mulder as he stood up.

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Georgetown University Hospital
April 19, 1999
9:00 pm.

Blake quietly knocked on Dana's door and entered her room. He noticed that she was quietly staring out the window. He quietly approached her bed as Mulder stood near the door.

"Are you alright?" Blake asked her.

"No," She said as she started to cry again. Blake sat down in bed beside her and put his arms around her while she cried.

"I'm sorry that Mulder and I left. I just didn't want to be in the room for another Scully family blowout."

"Oh god, Mulder saw it all. I never wanted him to see that side of me. He'll hate me. He loves my mother. He wasn't supposed to be there. He wasn't supposed to know. Where is he?" Scully asked unaware that Mulder was in the hospital room.

"I'm right here Scully," Mulder said as he stepped out from the shadows where she could see him.

"How much did you see earlier?" She asked him.

"Enough to know that family relations in the Scully family are strained."

"That's a nice way to put it. I can explain."

"Scully, it isn't your job to explain the things you said to your mom and Bill and they said to you."

"I do have to explain. You and my mother are friends. I don't want that to be ruined."

"You and I are friends first and foremost Scully. My loyalty is to you, not your mother. I always thought you had a good relationship with your mother Scully. Was that just an act that you both put on?" Mulder asked confused.

"I don't know anymore, Mulder," Dana Scully said as she started to cry. The events of the day were getting to her and she was having a hard time not letting her feelings show.

"Why does Bill hate Blake so much?" Mulder asked trying to change the subject away from her to something she could talk about without getting so upset..

"He thinks that I moved out of my parents house to be with Blake, but that wasn't the case."

"Why did you move out?' Mulder asked.

"Why does any child ever leave home Mulder? It's complicated. It was the right thing for me to do at the time."

"Why was it the right thing to do? Did your parents mentally abuse you Scully?" Mulder asked. Scully looked up Blake.

"You told him. How dare you tell him. You had no right to Blake," Scully angrily said to Blake.

"Dana, give it up. He knew after seeing that lovely family argument that your family wasn't quite the picture of perfection that you so lovingly paint. He figured out that something was wrong. I just filled in the blanks."

"How did they emotionally abuse you?" Mulder asked wanting to get back on topic. He didn't want Scully's anger at Blake be an excuse for not talking about the real issue..

"I don't want to talk about it Mulder. I'm tired and want to go to sleep."

"No Dana, I'm tired of you trying to hide your emotions from me. You can be honest with Blake. Why aren't you honest with me?"

"Blake and I go way back Mulder. Blake has been there for me through everything I have gone through. He understands me in a way that you never will or can understand," She said not meaning to sound spiteful.

"I have been with you through a lot these past six years too. I thought that I knew you well but I'm beginning to see that there has been a lot going on that I never knew about," Mulder said dismayed.

"You do know me."

"No, I know the parts of you that you want me to know."

"Mulder, I live with the thought that Blake knows what kind of person I'm and what I'm capable of doing. It is hard enough having him know that about me. I don't want to burden anyone else."

"Scully, that's what friends are for. I'm not just a part time friend that you show your good side to. I know that you aren't perfect and I don't expect you to be. Being a friend isn't a burdensome task. If I didn't want to be your friend, I wouldn't. I am not asking you to tell me your deep dark secrets. I just want to know what it was like growing up a Scully."

"Okay, fine. You want to know what it was like growing up Margaret and Bill Scully's daughter? It was hell. I realized when I was 5 or 6 that my parents treated me differently from Melissa, Bill and Charlie. At the time I didn't know if it was intentional or not. I just figured that my parents had a lot of kids to spread their love and time with. Bill was always getting into trouble growing up and my dad spent a lot of time disciplining him. Charlie was a baby and constantly wined for attention. Melissa was the drama queen always demanding my parents attention for a fashion show or play that she was putting on. There seemed to be no room for me in the family. I thought that if I was a really good student they would notice that I was doing something good and praise me for it. All during middle school I had a 4.0 GPA, but that never seemed enough. My dad would say things to me like, 4.0 is good Dana but you can do better than that. Bill is on the football team, now that's a great accomplishment'. So I kept on studying because it was expected of me and I joined the cross country and track teams. My freshman year I was state cross country champion. When I brought that trophy back home I thought my parents would finally say great job Dana, we're proud of you', but that never came. I got the that's nice but we don't have any room for the trophy on the mantel because of all Melissa's beauty pageant and Bill's football trophies'. After a while I became maniacal about trying to please them. I joined the chess club, debate team, swim team, national honor society and Latin club. They could have cared less. I may as well have been smoking pot behind the school with Charlie. I woke up one day and discerned that they were never going to care about me or what I did so why bother trying to please them. It was at that point that I started working my ass off for me so that I could get out of the house into a good college. My father once told me that he didn't have enough money to send both his daughters to college, so if I wanted to go I was on my own. They never gave me a dime to help me. Melissa, Bill and Charlie all went to private colleges courtesy of my parents. So there you have it Mulder. Any questions?" Dana said as she sat back against her bed and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry Dana. I always assumed that you had a wonderful childhood. I had no idea," Mulder said trying to make sense out of her revelation.

"It's okay Mulder. It is in the past, no sense in dwelling on it."

"It is obvious that you still carry around a lot of pain."

"Pain that I have learned to live with. Mulder, I have accepted my mother for who she is. Sure, she could have done a better job but that could be said for most parents. My mother is my mother and she isn't going to change."

"What is Bill's problem?" Mulder asked.

"Bill seems to think that since our father is dead he's the figurehead of the family and should have the say so in all our lives. Charlie just ignores him but I try to tolerate him for my mothers sake."

"Why bother?"

"Sometimes it is much easier to just listen to what he says so he will leave you alone than argue with him."

"That doesn't sound like you to just give up Scully."

"I'm not giving up, I'm just trying to maintain peace in the house."

"Why the hell would you care if they ignore you?"

"Why does a dog go back to the master that beat him? Because they are still my family and always will be Mulder," Dana Scully explained.

"Blake, how do you fit into all of this?" Mulder asked confused..

"I occupy the role of the hated friend who turned Dana against her family."

"Hey, that's my role," Fox Mulder joked.

"But it was originally mine. Basically, I showed Dana what it was like to feel respected, admired, noticed and loved. That was all it took for her to wonder why she wasn't getting that at home."

"It must have been horrible for you Scully."

"It wasn't that bad Mulder. I survived and I'm a better person because of my upbringing. My parents could have been much worse. I could have been physically abused or neglected. They fed, clothed and cared for me. I knew that I was loved."

"Stop trying to rationalize their behavior. Any type of abuse is destructive to a child."

"I know that. I'm just saying that my childhood wasn't as awful as you are probably imagining. I wasn't locked in the closet or kept down in the basement."

"You may as well have been."

"That's what I have been trying to tell her for the last 18 years," Blake interjected.

"Okay, fine. My parents were horrible people and my childhood was awful. There, is that admission that you want?"

"Only if you really mean it Dana. For some reason for the time that I have known you, you've refused to recognize your parents behavior for what it was, abuse. You've told me story after story, when pressured, about how you were treated differently than your siblings. I have seen firsthand how your brother Bill and parents treat you. Yet, for someone so intelligent you refuse to recognize that your family is dysfunctional and your childhood was not a good one."

"But it was good. I was taken care of."

"Being taken care of doesn't make for a good childhood. Even I know that Scully. I had a shitty childhood. My parents blamed me for Sam's disappearance and I paid for it through my adolescence. A good childhood is knowing that you are loved unconditionally for being yourself. Can you honestly say that you had that."

"Yes."

"Be honest for once in your life Scully. Can you honestly say you grew up knowing that your parents loved you unconditionally. Could you have done anything you wanted, made mistakes and had your parents not think any less of you? I don't think so. I think you know deep down that if you didn't succeed and excel at everything you did there would have been repercussions. Why can't you admit that your parents love was lacking and conditional at best?" Mulder asked.

"Because it hurts to much to think that my parents didn't love me. I'm sure that they did, in their own ways," Scully whispered.

Mulder sat down on the bed beside her and held her in his arms comforting her. Blake got up off the bed and looked out the window.

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

After her discharge from the hospital Dana Scully spent a week at home recuperating before returning to her job. Her mother had come by to visit her several times, bringing soup and other foods. Bill had seen her once before returned to his family in San Diego. Fox Mulder came by her apartment daily to visit and give her the latest gossip. His wedding was approaching and he enthusiastically shared all his wedding and honeymoon plans with her.

Diana, Natasha and Wendy were waiting for her to recover before planning the bachelorette party. Blake and Claire made several visits to assure that she was eating and taking care of herself.

Dana continued to see Karen Kosoff and Dr. Susan Lowenstein on a regular basis. She was eating once again and regaining her appetite. She had stayed true to her word to Susan and had not exercised. Susan wanted to make sure that Dana's physical health was better and that she was eating on a normal schedule before she was allowed to exercise. Dana missed running but she knew that she had to do what Susan wanted her to do in order to get better. Karen Kosoff had been alerted to her weight problem and Dana had to pass regular weight checks with her to be kept on active duty. It pissed her off that Karen had been told and that she was now accountable to her. But, she knew that if she wanted to keep her job she would have to follow the rules.

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

Home of Maggie Scully
May 10, 1999

Walter Skinner knocked on her door hoping that Maggie Scully was home. He had not seen or spoken to her since she admitted her deepest darkest secret to him. She wasn't the only one that could keep secrets. He wondered what she would say or do if she found out his little secret?

"Walter," Maggie Scully said as she opened the door.

"Maggie. May I come in?" He asked

"Sure, I'm sorry. You'll have to excuse my bad manners. Please come in," She said as she opened her front door and welcomed him into her house. She took his jacket and led him to the living room where he sat down on the plaid oversized sofa.

"So, what brings you by these parts?" She asked as if he were only a friend stopping by that she had not seen in years.

"I think you know why I'm here. I want to talk about Dana," He said as he looked around the room.

"What about Dana," Maggie asked.

"Maggie, you say that like I have no reason to want to know about her. You can't drop a bomb on me like that and not expect me to do anything about it."

"I don't know what you want or expect from me Walter."

"I don't know either, Maggie. I'm still in shock from finding out I have a daughter that's 34 years old."

"I'm sorry Walter, I never wanted you to find out."

"I had a right to know Maggie. She was my daughter, not Bill's. I would have liked the chance to have known her. I have missed 34 years of her life that I should have been a part of. You had that time with her while I was cheated out of it. Do you even know what that's like Maggie? Of course not, you had four perfect children to raise and love while I had none. My whole life all I wanted was to be a father and you stole that chance from me."

"I wanted to tell you Walter. I really did. When I found out I was pregnant I was elated to realize that the baby was yours and not Bills. I wanted your child more than anything. I knew that if I couldn't have and love you than at least I would have a part of you through your child. When Bill found out that I was pregnant he immediately knew that the baby wasn't his."

"How could be have known Maggie. He came home a week after you and I were last together?"

"Bill and I had been having marital difficulties for some time. We had not slept in the same bed together since before Melissa was born and when I found out that I was pregnant, there was no way he could have been the father and he knew it."

"Why didn't you tell me that you were pregnant? I would have gladly taken you and the kids into my home."

"Bill said that his wife wasn't going to disgrace him by having another man's baby. If I wanted to leave him and have my bastard child, that was fine by him. He said that Bill jr and Melissa were staying with him. I could leave but I couldn't take them. He said that if I divorced him and sued for custody I would lose because I was the whore of a wife that was pregnant with another man's baby."

"Oh Maggie, did he know that I was Dana's father?"

"I don't think so Walter. I cut off all contact with you because I didn't want him to know that it was you. The whole time I was pregnant all I heard was If I ever find out who did this to me I'm going to kill him.' He was serious Walter, I loved you too much to let him hurt you."

"I had no idea Maggie. If I had known I would have taken you and the kids away where he would have never found us," Walter said softly.

"Our love and betrayal ruined my life, I could not let it ruin yours also."

"Why did you change her name from Mary?"

"I had named her Mary but Bill decided out of the blue that he wanted to name her Dana Katherine after an old girlfriend of his."

"Ouch."

"I know. He said he wanted to remind me every time I said her name of my sins."

"Was Bill always this much of an asshole Maggie?"

"No, he was a wonderful charming man when I met and married him. He was a great father to Bill jr and Melissa. Sometime after I had Melissa he began to change. I think that a lot of it had to do with the stress of having two kids and a demanding career. We started having problems about the time that he met you and Sharon. My problems with Bill didn't end until I gave him another son."

"Was he a good father to her, Maggie?" Walter asked not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"I think he was as good of a father as he knew how to be to her. Dana was a difficult child and raising her wasn't easy. She was always wanting our attention, always trying to prove that she was smarter or better than her siblings. You know, the usual childhood antics."

"Do you have any pictures of her?" Walter asked.

"I'm sure that I have a couple in the family photo album," Maggie proceeded to get a box of photo albums down from the shelf. She handed several to him.

"Does Dana have a baby album?"

"No, Bill didn't want her to have one. He said it would only serve to remind him that she wasn't his child."

"She shouldn't have had to grown up with that man, Maggie."

"He was a good father to her Walter."

Maggie proceeded to guide Walter Skinner through the family photo albums. Walter noticed that the only pictures of Dana in the album was when she was part of a group. There were no studio pictures or candid shots of her alone as there were of the other kids. He was saddened to see that Dana didn't have as good of a childhood as she could have. After an hour of viewing the complete Scully family pictorial history Walter was ready to bring up a very touchy subject.

"Maggie, do you think that we should tell Dana?"

"Heavens no, Walter," Maggie gasped as she paled.

"Doesn't she have the right to know?"

"What purpose would it serve. It would only make her upset and more cynical than she already is. She would be heartbroken to find out that the man she loved so dearly wasn't her father."

"What about my rights Maggie. I'm her father. Don't I have the right to have a relationship with her."

"I suppose you do Walter. I'm not sure how to even go about it or how she would react. Some things like this are better kept secret. I can't tell her Walter. I can't. This would destroy everything," Maggie said as she pleaded with him.

The decision had been made. Dana Scully wouldn't find out that Walter Skinner was her biological father. Walter Skinner wasn't entirely sure that he could have a fatherly relationship with the woman who was once his lover.

They never noticed that out on the street, a man in an inconspicuous van was taping their whole conversation.

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

FBI Headquarters
Washington DC
May 14, 1999
10 am

Dana Scully opened a plain brown envelope located in her in box. She thought it was strange that the envelope bore no return address or postage. She carefully pulled out a thin sheet of paper upon which was written.

You aren't who you think you are.

<What the hell does that mean?> Scully thought as she got up from her chair and took the note to Mulder's office down the hall. She quickly knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a response.

"Mulder, I got this in the mail. Can you look at it for me?" She said as she entered the room. She then noticed that Mulder was not alone. Natasha was sitting on his lap. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you. I'll just come back later," She said as she started to leave.

"Wait Scully. It's alright. Natasha is going to be my wife in a couple of weeks. You may as well get used to seeing her in my office. What did you want me to take a look at?" He said as he put on his glasses.

"I'll see you later honey," Natasha said as she got up off his lap and made her way to the door. "Scully, are you going to come over for dinner tonight?" Natasha asked her as she opened the door.

"Sure."

"Great," Natasha said with a smile as she closed the door. Scully found it hard to hate Natasha. She was the nicest, kindest person Scully had ever known. She had spent many evenings getting to know her. It wasn't her fault that she had fallen in love and was going to marry the one man that Scully loved.

"Isn't she great Scully?" Mulder asked.

"She truly is Mulder. You are one lucky man."

"So is this what you wanted me to look at?" He said as he grabbed the paper out of her hand.

"Uh, yes. I received it in the mail today. No address or postage. What do you suppose it means?" She asked as she sat down in the chair across from his desk. Since she had been reassigned from the X-Files Mulder had not been given a partner. Mulder read the note.

You aren't who you think you are '

"I have no idea Scully. Looks like someone is trying to tell you something. Have you received anything else like this?"

"Not that I know of."

"I don't think it means anything right now. Someone could be playing a joke and trying to mess with your head. Be on the look out for anything suspicious."

"Great Mulder, you've just reassured me," Scully said sarcastically as she grabbed the note from his hand and exited the office.

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

FBI Headquarters
Washington DC
May 20, 1999
11:30 am

Scully came back from her department meeting to find a white business envelope on her desk. She carefully picked it up and noticed the only writing on it was the name Mary.

<Mary? Who the hell is Mary,> she thought as she picked up the envelope and opened it. She figured that someone must have delivered it to the wrong office. She was hoping that the content of the letter would provide clues as to who the owner of the envelope was.

Written on the piece of legal sized paper was:

           Mary, Who are you?'

Scully picked up her phone and dialed Mulder's extension.

"Mulder," He said as he answered his phone.

"Mulder, it's me. Can you come to my office," She said.

"Sure, I'll be there in a minute."

Three minutes later he entered her office out of breath.

"What's up Scully?" He asked.

"I just got this Mulder," She said as she showed him the envelope and letter.

"This is addressed to a Mary. Who is Mary?"

"I don't know, but it came the same way the letter came yesterday. This is annoying me Mulder. If someone has something to tell me why don't they just come out and say it rather than send me these messages?"

"You know that nothing in life ever comes that easy, Scully. I do think this is from the same person but maybe the intended target is someone named Mary. Yesterday's message was You aren't who you think you are' combined with today's Who are you?'makes me think that the sender is questioning Mary's true identity. Maybe it is some type of secret admirer thing. I wouldn't worry about it. It seems pretty harmless. Do you want to grab some lunch with Natasha and I?"

"I have some work to catch up on. The work load didn't stop when I was out sick and I still have a lot to do. Perhaps another day?" She asked. She supposed that she could have gone out to lunch with them but she was growing tired of constantly being in their presence. She was sure that they were sick of her. For the last couple of weeks she ate lunch and dinner with them 4 out of 5 days. She often wondered if she were truly that entertaining as a lunch and dinner companion or they just felt sorry for her being alone all the time. She decided that they needed a break from each other.

"Sure, Scully. If you get anymore weird mail let me know," He said as he approached the door.

"Don't worry, I will," Scully replied as she turned back towards her work.

End of Chapter 12

******************************************
House of Cards - Chapter 13
******************************************

Dana Scully's Apartment
Georgetown
June 2, 1999
3 am

Dana Scully awoke to a knocking sound on her door. She looked at the time on the clock and wondered who the hell could be at her front door at this time of the morning.

Mulder.

He was the only one who had the nerve to show up unannounced at all times of the day and night and the only one who would think it was completely normal to be up at this time of the night.

She fastened the tie on her robe and she opened her front door.

It was Mulder.

"Mulder, what do you want. It's 3 am."

"I couldn't sleep."

"And this is something you just realized. You always have problems sleeping but you usually don't make them mine. What is up this time?" She asked as she let him in her apartment.

He sat down on her couch and stared at her for a moment before speaking. "Have you ever wondered if you are making the right decisions in life?"

"Sure, Mulder. I think everyone wonders that at some time in their life. Why?" She said as she sat down beside him on the couch.

"So what do you do about it?"

"Do about what? Do about if you've made what you perceive to be the wrong decision? Or do about the fact that you don't know if you are making the right choice. You need to give me more to work with." She was tired and really didn't want to be having this discussion at 3 am with Mulder of all people.

"All of it, Scully. How do you know that you were meant to be a doctor and not a bus driver."

"Mulder, we can never know many things and I think that's the way God or whatever higher power there's meant for things to be. It is why I don't believe in predestination. I believe in free will and the choice of man to chose his own lot in life."

"How do you know that there isn't free will?"

"You can't ever know that Mulder. What is really wrong? Why are you asking me these things. Are you unsure about what you think you were meant to be in life?"

"Yes and no, I don't know. I'm sorry to have bothered you Scully," He said as he got up from the couch and made his way to the door.

Scully looked at him confused, "That's it. You wake me up at 3 am to find out my view on predestination? You've some nerve Mulder. Next time, don't stop by, call me," She said irritated that he didn't want to tell her the real reason why he stopped by.

He shrugged his shoulders and walked out the door. She quickly shut and locked the door and made her way to bed.

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

Ike's E Street Bar
June 10, 1999
11:30 pm

Dana Scully, Diana Fowley, Wendy Simon and Natasha Brown sat at a square oak table in the corner of the bar with a few of Natasha's college friends. They were celebrating what was to be Natasha's last night as a single woman. Dana didn't feel like celebrating but as a bridesmaid her attendance was required. She was bored with Natasha telling everyone once again with how she and Fox Mulder had met. She was certain if she had to hear a description of her dress, or of the cake or the vows she was going to vomit. She prayed that she had the strength to go through with the ceremony tomorrow. What she really needed was a large glass of long island iced tea to get her through the evening.

She glanced at her watch and noticed that in exactly thirty seven hours Mulder and Natasha would say their vows and she could kiss any chance of a future with him goodbye.

<I can't stop a wedding 37 hours before it is supposed to take place,> Dana thought to herself as she nursed her Becks and tried to act interested in a story that one of Natasha's roommates was telling about the time she vacationed in Maui. Natasha and Mulder were going to Hawaii for a two week honeymoon. Being the ever supportive friend Scully had helped pick out the tour package for Mulder. Mulder wanted to surprise his bride with the gift but had wimped out and ended up telling her the honeymoon plans a month ago.

<They can't get married>
<But I can't stop them>
<Can I????>
<No, that would be rude>
<But it would be so fun!>

She was saved from her evil thoughts of breaking up the wedding by the shrill ringing of her cell phone.

"Scully," She yelled into the mouth piece.

"It's me, Mulder. Where are you," Mulder said into his end of the phone.

"Speak up, I can barely hear you," She said as she got up from the table and made her way to the patio of the bar.

"Sorry, I was asking where you were."

"I can't tell you that. We're in the midst of the bachelorette party. Aren't you supposed to be attending your own bachelors party."

"Yes, but it is boring as hell. Skinner and the gunmen are fighting over whether there was one or two shooters on the grassy knoll."

"So change the subject."

"They have been arguing for over two hours about it. I have tried to change the topic. I even tried to start a conversation about professional wrestling but they wouldn't even bite." Frohicke and Langley's favorite sport was professional wrestling and they had been known to argue for hours whether the sport was legitimate and who the best wrestler was.

"Oh. Must have a great discussion, or are they trying to pick Skinners brain for what they feel is the truth that Skinner as a government agent is trying to cover up?"

"I think it's a little of both."

"Mulder, where are you?" Scully asked.

"I can't tell you, you'll laugh."

"Come on Mulder, you know you can tell me anything."

"Promise me that you aren't going to laugh."

"I promise you I will not laugh."

"The boys decided to take me to that new laser tag place over in Arlington."

"You are playing laser tag?" Scully said as she started laughing.

"You promised me that you wouldn't laugh."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She said as she wiped the tears out of her eyes and tried to regain her composure. "I take it that this was probably Byers or Frohickes idea and not AD Skinners?" She asked.

"You are assuming correctly. Walter and I chase bad guys enough at work that we don't need to simulate the hunt in our private time, the gunmen are another thing. Save me Scully."

"Are there any cute men there."

"Besides me?" He asked.

"Besides you, besides you are taken Mulder. Are there any single good looking unattached men there?"

"It's not final until I take my vows."

"What are you planning on doing? Cheating on her before you get married?" She asked not sure where this conversation was going.

"I've thought about it before."

"Mulder, if you are having doubts about marrying her you had better deal with them now and not after the marriage."

"I'm not having doubts Scully. I know that Natasha loves me and that we will have a good marriage."

"Then why this talk about a last fling?" She asked him.

"Oh you know me, I get a little alcohol in my system and turn sentimental," He said not wanting to tell her the real reason.

"Mulder, have fun with the boys. I need to get back and corrupt your fiancee."

"Be kind to her Scully, she's all I have," He said as he hung up the phone.

Scully walked back to the table of women as she formulated a plan in her head.

"What took you so long?" Diana asked her as she returned to the table.

"Ladies, I have a plan. Are any of you game for a little fun this evening?" She asked as she sat down. She then proceeded to tell them of her plan to crash the Bachelors party. They all agreed that it would be a lot more fun than sitting in Ike's and getting drunk.

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

Dana Scully's Apartment Building
June 11, 1999
12:30 am

Wendy pulled her Saab into the parking lot as Dana and Diana stumbled out of the back seat. What should have been a 20 minute trip took over an hour due to the numerous stops they had her make. Diana and Dana insisted that if they were going to play laser tag then they needed to change into black clothes. Wendy dropped them off in front of Dana's apartment building telling them that she would be back in 20 minutes. Wendy knew that this was going to be a long evening as the designated driver. She wished that she was driving the car with Natasha and her college friends. She had agreed to meet Natasha and company at the local liquor store and then drive them back to Dana's place.

"Diana, what size do you wear?" Dana asked the taller woman as she exited the car.

"It depends on the look I want to go for."

"Oh, a woman after my own heart," Dana said as she grabbed the bottle of Stolichnaya from her cabinet and proceeded the drink straight from the bottle.

Diana grabbed the bottle from Dana and took a couple of drinks. "How can you drink that straight?" She asked as the liquid burned her throat.

"Years of practice," Dana replied as she took the bottle back from Diana and continued to drink.

"Dana, you had better slow down or you are going to be wasted and useless in about an hour," Diana said as she noticed that Dana had started to take off her clothes in the living room. Diana was having a hard time hiding her desire for the smaller red head.

"That was the plan, but I didn't know you cared. Lets get changed before party pooper Wendy spoils our fun," Dana said as she grabbed Diana's hand and pulled her into the bedroom. She stood in front of her closet in only her bra and underwear. She pulled down a pair of skin tight black jeans and a black tank top and put them on.

"How do I look?" She asked as Diana stared at her.

"You look great Dana," Diana replied as she tried hard not to stare. She decided that focusing on a picture of the Scully family was a better option and one not likely to get her into trouble.

"Here, these should fit you," She said as she handed Diana another pair of black jeans and I similar black tank top. "They were my sisters. She was about your height and build. I couldn't throw them out even though I don't wear them."

Diana quickly changed out of her clothing and put on the outfit. She looked at her and Dana's reflection in the mirror. They were dressed exactly alike.

"Should I keep the bra on or lose it?" Dana asked.

Diana stared at her. She could not believe that Dana I'm always in control' Scully would actually go out in public without a bra on. Dana saw the look out uncertainty in Diana's eyes.

"Come on, Diana, loosen up. You only live once." She drank another mouthful of vodka and pulled the tank top over her head. She quickly removed the black lace bra and stood before Diana. Diana was trying to look away but finding it hard not to stare at Dana's breasts. "Do you think my breasts are too small?" She asked.

"What," Diana stammered trying hard not to stare at her breasts.

"My breasts, do you think they are too small?" She asked once again.

"No, why." She was having a hard time controlling her breathing.

"I was just wondering. A man will never be honest with you about your body. I only trust a woman's opinion in that department. Blake and Claire tell me they are fine all the time, but I have known them so long sometimes I think they tell me what I want to hear. Sometimes it is good to get a second opinion. You really don't think they are too small?" She said as she lifted them trying to make them appear larger.

Diana wanted to do nothing more than to take them into her hands and rub her thumbs over Dana's pert pink nipples. Instead, she looked the younger agent in the eyes, put her hands on her shoulders and told her, "They are the perfect size, Dana."

"Thank you Diana, that means a lot to me. I guess sometimes I am overly sensitive about my body."

"Dana, you have a beautiful body." <That I would love to run my hands all over,> Diana said and thought to herself.

"Shut up," Dana said pushing Diana's arms off her shoulders.

"You do Dana. Hasn't any man told you that before?" She asked.

"Only when they wanted to get me into bed."

"Don't tell me you fell for that line."

"Of course I did. What woman doesn't want to feel beautiful and desired? The only problem was in the light of day they never felt the same way about me." Dana was surprised that she was being so open with Diana, a woman that she really didn't know. She figured that it must be the alcohol.

"Dana, they were the ones with vision problems. You are a very beautiful, intelligent and desirable woman. Any man or woman who can't see that's a fool."

"Diana, can I ask you something?" Dana asked as the liquor gave her courage to say ask things that she normally wouldn't.

"Sure, ask away," Diana said not sure where this conversation was going but curious nonetheless.

"Are you a lesbian?" Dana boldly asked.

"Am I a lesbian? Why do you ask?"Diana asked surprised and totally unprepared for the question.

"Blake said that he thought you were and that you were attracted to me."

"Blake is a very perceptive man," Diana said calmly, "Does it bother you."

"No, I'm used to Blake using me so that he can ogle men."

"Does it make you uncomfortable that as a woman I find you very attractive?" Diana didn't know where she was getting the courage to talk about something she found so immensely private.

"Maybe. Sort of. I don't know," Dana said she tried to assure herself of what she felt. "I probably shouldn't be standing here in front of you without my shirt on," Dana said as she moved to put her tank top back on.

"I didn't mind the view."

"What is it like desiring another woman?"Dana asked as she put her tank top back on.

"It is probably the same as you desiring a man. The feelings are the same. I lust, want, desire and need and crave the same things that you do. Just because I'm a woman and I'm attracted to other women doesn't change the feelings."

"Blake says the same thing. I guess I didn't really think much about his sexuality because we would go out together and look at men. It didn't bother me. I couldn't go out with you though."

"Why not? Because I would look at women rather than men?"

"Well yes. It would be too weird, Diana. People would think that I was gay if you were staring at other women even if I wasn't."

"People wouldn't think that you were gay if we went out to dinner together. I'm sure that you and Claire or your other female friends have gone out together a lot of times for dinner and no one ever assumed or thought that you were gay."

"What does it feel like to kiss another woman?" Dana asked suddenly.

"It suppose that it probably feels the same as kissing a man, only better. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious," Dana said as she looked at the floor trying to avoid Diana's gaze. She noticed that they still needed to put on their shoes and socks. A knock on the front door told them that they were late and Wendy wasn't going to be happy.

Diana opened the front door and let Wendy in. She saw what Diana was wearing.

"You are going to wear that?" She asked as she put her hands on her rather large hips.

"What is wrong with it?"

"Don't you think it is a little inappropriate. I thought you were going to dress in black to camouflage yourselves. I didn't think that you were going to dress like that to pick up men," Wendy said looking uncomfortable.

"Who says we're going to pick up men. Maybe I'll pick up a woman tonight," Dana said as she swaggered out of the bedroom carrying the vodka bottle. Wendy immediately noticed by the sway of her breasts that she wasn't wearing a bra. Diana looked at her in shock as did Wendy.

"You can't be serious Dana," Wendy said.

"Why not. Maybe I want to feel another women's lips against mine, feel her tongue in my mouth."

"Stop it. You are making me sick," Wendy pleaded with her.

"Grow up and get over it Wendy," Dana said as she grabbed her purse and opened the front door. "Ready ladies?"

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

Lasertaruim
Arlington, Virginia
June 11, 1999
1:00 am

Wendy Simon was glad to see when she pulled into the parking lot of the Lasetarium, that Natasha had just arrived. She couldn't wait to tell Natasha what her freaks of bridesmaids had been up to. She had barely tolerated Diana and Scully being in the wedding but Natasha had insisted due to the deep friendship Fox had with both of the women, they had to be bridesmaids.

Wendy was tired of her friend having no backbone. Whatever Fox wanted, Fox got. Even when it was at the expense of Natasha's happiness. Dana Scully had even planned their honeymoon, Natasha had told her one night in tears. Wendy was certain that Fox and Dana were sleeping together, she just couldn't prove it. She had tried several times to make Natasha see the light, but Natasha was too lonely and trusting. Wendy and Natasha were happy when Dana went through what they called her psycho bitch period, because Mulder wouldn't have anything to do with her. She was surprised that Natasha had convinced Fox to transfer Dana to another unit. They had both expected that to piss her off enough to stay out of Fox's life forever, but it hadn't seemed to deter her. Natasha then thought that if Dana and Diana were bridesmaids they would see how happy the couple was and leave them alone. They had both strangely embraced their roles and acted nothing less than wonderful and helpful to Natasha. Wendy was now beginning to think that the reason that they were no happy and supportive of Fox and Natasha was that they didn't want him at all, they were a lesbian couple.

As soon as Dana and Diana staggered into the Lasertarium complex Wendy ran over to the car Natasha was riding in.

"I need to talk to you now, alone," She said motioning for the group of college friends to go without her.

"What's up Wendy."

"I have figured it out Tasha. They are lesbians," Wendy said excitedly.

"Who are lesbians?" Natasha asked confused.

"Dana and Diana. You should have seen them together. Left no doubt in my mind, although they don't seem the type. Oh and you aren't going to be happy when you see what they are wearing. They look more like hookers than anything. Dana isn't even wearing a bra."

"That bitch had better not ruin this evening for me or Fox. If they want to play lesbian friends with each other that's fine, but they had better stay away from him. You know how he gets when he drinks. I knew this was going to be a bad idea. We should have never come Wendy," She said as her friend led her into the complex. Natasha had always managed to keep up the facade that she liked the two women when in fact she was growing to detest them. Sure, they had both always been nice to her and Dana frequently ate lunch with her and Mulder, but there was something about the woman that she just didn't trust. She had heard all the rumors in VCS about Dana and Fox having sex in every imaginable place in the Hoover Building. Fox had always assured her that he and Dana were nothing more, and never would be, anything more than good friends. Still, she had doubts.

Mulder, the lone gunmen and Walter Skinner were waiting in the bar/food area of the complex resting when Frohicke was the first one to notice that Dana had arrived. His jaw dropped and he couldn't stop staring.

"If it isn't the lovely Agent Scully," He said to the group as they turned around to see her.

"That's not Scully. It is just someone that's short with red hair," Mulder said.

"No it is her. Look she's with Diana."

Mulder looked once again and saw a woman that looked like Diana across the room. He knew that it was too much of a coincidence for two women who looked like them to be at the Lasertarium together on this night.

"Hot damn, it is her,"Mulder said as he nursed his beer.

"I didn't take wither one of them to be the type to frequent a place like this," Langley said.

"They don't. I called them."

"You called them?" Walter Skinner asked not happy that his daughter was in the same complex dressed to get laid.

"Well I missed Natasha," Mulder told the group.

"That's so disgusting man," Langly said.

"Who cares, it got the lovely agents Fowley and Scully here for me to drool over," Frohicke said as Diana and Dana approached their table.

"Good evening gentleman," Dana said to the group. Mulder noticed immediately that she wasn't wearing a bra. He could see the outline of her nipples through the fabric of the shirt and he immediately felt a tightening in his groin. The fact that she was not wearing a bra wasn't lost on Skinner or the gunmen either.

"So are you all up for a game of laser tag?" Diana asked as the rest of their party caught up with them.

"I'd rather play strip poker with Agent Scully," Frohicke said as he ogled her breasts.

"Sorry, I don't play that in public places," She replied. All the men looked at her in shock. They couldn't believe that she would have the nerve to say that.

"How about we play men against women?" Natasha cheerfully asked. She wanted to be the center of attention, not Dana Scully.

"Like that's going to be fair," Scully heard Diana mutter under her breath, "They have five well trained marksmen and we get the prom queen and her entourage."

Scully started laughing and the group looked at her for an explanation, "We're game to that. But what are the stakes?" Scully asked.

"Let me discuss it with the men," Mulder said as the men huddled around him.

Diana gathered the prom queen and her entourage to discuss what the ladies wanted if they won.

"Why even bet. They are going to win," Natasha's friend Gwen said.

"With that attitude you are going to lose," Diana said. "Natasha it is your night. You chose what you want. And it cannot involve a sexual favor from Fox. It has to involve something all of us can enjoy." If Scully didn't know Natasha better she would have thought that the look she gave Diana was one of hatred.

"How about we make them go skinny dipping in the Potomac," Sheila asked.

"Do we really want to see them naked?" Scully asked disgusted. The thought of seeing Melvin Frohicke naked was almost enough to make her hurl right then. She really wouldn't mind seeing a healthy Mulder naked, though. <Though shall not covet another woman's almost husband,>Dana repeated to herself over and over.

"No, I guess not," Sheila, Gwen and Beth muttered at the same time.

"I know. They have to give us backrubs. That's what I want," Natasha said enthusiastically as Diana and Dana rolled their eyes.

"Lame, but I'm game," Scully muttered. What kind of a prize was a backrub? If it were up to her she would have been much more imaginative, but she wasn't the one getting married. The choice wasn't hers to make.

While they waited for the finish deciding what they wanted, Dana took the opportunity to watch them. She immediately noticed that Walter Skinner seemed to be objecting very loudly to most of the groups ideas. After 10 minutes of heated debate they were ready.

"Okay, ladies if the men win the ladies agree to go skinny dipping in the reflection pool on the mall," Mulder said.

"No way Fox," Natasha replied, "I'm not going skinny dipping in front of a group of strangers."

"They aren't strangers, they are all part of the wedding party. But if you don't want to that's okay. The men agree that your group has to select three people that have to if you lose," Mulder said after discussing it with the men.

Natasha gathered the women around. "Which three of you are going to do it if we lose? I'm not."

"I say Dana, Diana and Gwen do it," Wendy volunteered.

"Absolutely not. No way in hell am I getting naked in front of them," Dana said as she pointed specifically to the lone gun men.

"But Dana, please do it. For me," Natasha pleaded giving Dana her sweetest smile.

"No, pick someone else." Dana was going to stand her ground on this issue. It was one thing being naked in front of her good friends Blake and Claire, but this was different. She was just not comfortable naked around men unless she was in an intimate setting. She doubted that she could ever get drunk enough to get into an intimate setting with any of the lone gun men.

"Diana will you do it then?" Natasha asked her.

"Yeah, Diana will you do it," Fox Mulder said imitating his fiancee while winking at his ex-wife.

"As much as I know that I'm going to regret this, I'll do it." Diana could not believe that she was going to get naked in front of this group of freaks for Fox.

"That's one down. You still need two more women, ladies," Frohicke said as he ogled the group.

Dana looked at the group and knew that there was no way she was going to get out of it. All the men had excellent marksmanship skills, whereas only three of the women did. They were going to lose and she was going to end up naked in the reflection pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. She would probably either catch pneumonia or get arrested for indecent exposure.

"Okay, I do it Natasha, but only if Wendy does it to and these are the rules, so pay attention boys. If in the event the women lose there will be no picture taking, videotaping, audio taping, or taping of any kind. Am I understood," Dana said while looking at the lone gun men. They nodded their heads in agreement.

"No," Wendy said.

"What are you scared that they are going to see you without your clothes on?" Diana asked teasing her.

"No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"Please do it for me Wendy," Natasha pleaded.

"Well okay," Wendy replied. They went to tell the men of the agreement and what they wanted if they won. Dana and Diana stayed behind to plan their strategy.

"I say we lose on purpose Dana just so Wendy has to strip," Diana whispered in Dana's ear.

"That would kill her for a group of men to ogle her while she's naked. I for one could care less who sees me naked. I don't have anything that they haven't seen before."

"Dana, I'm beginning to like you more and more. I never pegged you as an exhibitionist."

"There's a lot about me that you don't know." Dana said. Diana swore it sounded like Dana Scully was coming on to her. "It sounds like a plan to me though, even though I hate to lose. I say we take out all of them and let the girls get taken. Natasha is a good shot so she could be a wild card."

"How about we cover each other's asses and leave Natasha to cover theirs. We take out everyone except for Mulder," Diana whispered back to Dana Scully. She was beginning to like this dark and sinister side of Dana Scully.

End of chapter 13

********************************************
House of Cards - Chapter 14
********************************************

Lasertaruim
Arlington, Virginia
June 11, 1999
2:30 am

Dana Scully had easily taken out Melvin Frohicke and she did it in a way that he would forever remember. She slowly snuck up behind him and placed the gun to the temple of his head.

"I always like my men to take me from behind," She said as she whispered breathlessly in his hear. She ran her tongue slowly down his ear lobe as she pressed her small body into his rear. She thought she heard a small groan from him as she tagged him. Frohicke joined Natasha's college roommates that Skinner and Mulder had tagged within three minutes of the game starting. Frohicke could not remember ever being so turned on in his life. He had the hard on to end all hard ons.

An hour later Scully had tagged Byers and Langly, Skinner had tagged Natasha, and Mulder had tagged Wendy. Diana and Dana planned their attack. Diana agreed to go after Skinner. She was not counting on the fact that when she tagged Skinner Mulder was waiting in the wings for her. She and Walter walked slowly to the bar knowing the fates of their respective teams rested on Mulder and Scully's shoulders.

Mulder covertly made his way through the maze looking for Scully. He knew that she was a much better shot than he was so he had to be careful. He couldn't believe the outfit she was wearing. He could not take his eyes off of her breasts, tiny waist or her ass. That outfit had done incredible things for her body. She looked like she had put on a little weight, which had filled out her endless curves. He was instantly aroused thinking about her.

<Stop it Mulder. She's off limits. You are getting married to the woman you love in a day. Stop thinking about your ex-partner.> He had been giving himself this speech daily for the last two months. Ever since they rebuilt their friendship Mulder found himself thinking about Dana Scully more and more each day. He suddenly spotted Scully crouched low near a wall. What he didn't know what that Scully had planned for him to catch her the whole time. He slowly made his way up behind her and tagged her. It was much more fun to tag her than to steal her teams flag and win that way. He lowered his gun to her head and said, "Got you little woman. It's time for your team to give us a little nuddie show."

"You are such a pig Mulder," Scully replied smirking.

Mulder and Scully made their way back to the bar and discovered that most of the group had consumed vast quantities of alcohol while they were playing. The men, except for Walter Skinner, were elated that they won. Wendy was fuming and even accused Dana of throwing the game.

"I didn't see your fat ass out there trying to help us win," Scully said to her rudely. The wedding would be in a couple of days and it didn't matter if she was polite or not.

Natasha and Mulder looked at Scully in shock. "How dare you say that to me. I know that you and your lover wanted to get naked in the pond and that's why you lost," Wendy accusatorially whined. Diana heard the argument and came over to support Scully. She stood behind Scully and placed her arms around her stomach drawing her closer and she said seductively to Wendy. "How did you guess that we wanted you to join us."

Wendy turned bright red as Diana let Dana go. Both women started laughing as Langly made some comment that he wouldn't mind seeing their threesome. Natasha took Wendy aside and must have told Wendy that she had to keep up her end of the bargain, because when she returned she was her fake cheerful self once again.

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

Lincoln Memorial
Washington, DC
June 11, 1999
3:30 am

Fox Mulder drove Diana, Dana and Frohicke in his car while Wendy drove Langley, Byers and Natasha. Natasha's college roommates elected to go home due to the fact that they both had to go to work that morning. Walter Skinner refused to go saying it wouldn't be appropriate for an Assistant Director with the FBI to be caught with a group of drunk and naked people in a public park. The real reason he didn't go was that he didn't want to see his daughter naked. He was still aroused by the site of her with her clothes on. He knew that he wouldn't be able to control himself if he saw her nude. He was trying to feel fatherly toward her, but he had not yet been successful.

The car that Wendy drove made it to the destination before the rest of the group. Wendy quickly ran down to the reflection pool, took off her clothes and jumped in before the rest of her group could catch up with her. Byers and Langley were upset that they missed the free strip show but were anxiously awaiting Diana and Dana's arrival.

Five minutes later the rest of the group arrived and made it down to the reflection pool. Dana was drunker than she had been in years and wasn't thinking clearly. She wished that Blake was here to make sure that she didn't do something really stupid.

Diana couldn't believe that she was going to strip in front of this group of strangers either, but being naked in the same place and time as Dana Scully had been a long running fantasy of hers for over a year. She too had consumed a lot more alcohol than she normally did.

"Take it off ladies," Frohicke yelled to them.

"These are the rules," Dana started, "Mulder is in charge of my clothes. If I get out and my clothes aren't here I'm going to be really pissed off if I get arrested for indecent exposure. Okay." She finished as she kicked off her shoes and started unbuttoning her pants and lowered them over her hips. Once her pants and socks were off she quickly raised the tank top over her head and looked around.

"Diana, stop staring and start stripping," Dana ordered her new friend. All the men just stared at Dana Scully's form. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine her to look like this nude. Mulder had seen her naked several times but she was unconscious and a very healthy Dana Scully was much different. He noted with surprise that she was a true redhead as she took off her underwear. He could see all of her very clearly in the moonlight as she lowered herself into the water. Diana took off her clothes and joined Dana in the water.

They ran around the fountains, splashing each other and having a fun time. Mulder quickly took off his clothes, against Natasha's protests, and jumped in the water. Langley took off all this clothes except for his underwear and joined the growing group. Byers was uncomfortably aroused by the group and decided to keep watch for police.

Frohicke had disappeared and gotten his camera from the car. He hid behind a tree quite a distance away and took pictures of the group with his state of the art surveillance camera. He thought about giving Mulder a couple of pictures of Scully naked as a wedding present. He was surprised with his skill, as he managed to get a close up of Scully's rear end and tattoo. Mulder never would tell him what it looked like, only that she had foolishly gotten a tattoo.

Mulder figured that he had not had this much fun in a long time as he dunked Scully under water. She came up gasping for air and pulled him under with her. Diana jumped on top of them. He saw Langley trying to hit on Wendy as Wendy tried to hide her nakedness under the water.

Wendy. Mulder never really cared for Wendy. There was something about her that he just didn't trust. Natasha listened to everything Wendy had to say. It was always, Wendy said this...' or Wendy said that....'. Mulder just wanted Wendy to go away and leave them alone. Wendy didn't hide her jealousy of his relationship with her best friend very well. He half expected Natasha to ask if Wendy could move in with them once they got married. He would tolerate Wendy for now, but once he was married she was out of their lives for good.

"There's a policeman coming this way. Get out of the water," Byers said as he ran down the grassy hill to warn the group. Natasha immediately jumped out of the water and started pulling her clothes on. Wendy was frozen in place and couldn't move. Langly hopped out of the water and pulled his pants on quickly. Frohicke madly took pictures of the group from behind the tree careful that the police officer could not see him as he approached. Diana and Fox ran out of the water holding each others hands when they realized that Dana had not come out with them.

Fox looked on in horror when he realized that Dana Scully was floating face down in the pool. Scully had passed out from all the alcohol she had consumed. They both ran back into the pool to get her. The rest of the group realized that something was wrong with Dana as Fox carried her out and placed her on the ground. Wendy used this diversion to get out of the pool. She didn't realize that Frohicke the pervert was taking pictures of her every move.

"Wake up, God dammit," Fox Mulder yelled as he tried to bring some life back into Scully. Scully started choking on the water in her mouth and turned her head to the side to spit it out before she passed out again.

"Two minutes and you three are arrested. Get your clothes on now," Jon Byers yelled at the group, "I'm out of here. I will meet you at your car. If you aren't there in 5 minutes I will assume that you have been arrested and will use the spare key to drive myself home," He told Mulder before he started jogging in the opposite direction on the cop that was fast approaching them.

"Let's go now Natasha," Wendy yelled as she grabbed her friends arm and pulled her away.

"Fox, I'll call you later," Natasha told her fiancee as she left with her friend. Langley went with them. He didn't need to be caught by the cops. His arrest would have been a parole violation.

"Diana, put your clothes on quickly and then we'll take care of Scully," Mulder told his ex-wife as she quickly put her clothes on. Mulder then put his clothes on while Diana watched Dana closely.

"I can't believe we left her in there. I was right next to her. I should have noticed when she went under," Diana said with tremendous guilt.

"I should have seen the signs. This is exactly like what happened the last time she had too much to drink. This was a stupid idea coming out here," Mulder said as he pulled the tank top over Scully's naked form. Diana was working on putting on her underwear. They both looked up to see that the cop was roughly 500 feet from them.

"Diana, grab her stuff. We don't have time to put the rest of it on. I'll carry her while we make a run for it," He said hurriedly as he hoisted Scully over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and took off running. Diana grabbed Scully's jeans, socks and shoes and ran behind him. She heard the cop yell at them to stop but they kept on running as fast as they could. When they reached his car, Mulder placed Scully in the back seat where Frohicke and Diana joined her. Fox Mulder jumped into the passenger seat as Byers drove away quickly hoping that the police officer didn't have time to jot down the plate number.

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

Dana Scully's Apartment
June 11, 1999
4:30 am

Byers stopped in front of Scully's apartment building.

"Someone needs to stay with her tonight," Mulder said while looking at all the occupants of the car.

"I'll gladly take her to bed," Frohicke volunteered.

"No, I'll stay with her, you little pervert," Diana countered.

"Maybe, I should stay with her," Mulder said as his guilt began to set in once again.

"No way man, Natasha would have a fit if she found out you stayed with Scully. You know how she gets when she finds out you spent time with Scully. You don't want to have to deal with this crap right before your wedding, do you," Byers said offering his advice. It was no secret to the gunmen that the lovely Natasha wasn't quite as lovely as Mulder liked to believe. When they found out that their friend was dating her they did a complete check on her. It seems that Natasha had a very bad temper and a hatred for Dana Scully. They had overhead several conversations between fat ass Wendy (as they liked to call her) and Natasha. They wanted to tell Mulder about Natasha but they felt that it was not their place. Besides, he would kill them if he found out that they were following his fiancee.

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

Sheraton Hotel
Washington, DC
June 11, 1999
5:30 pm

Dana entered the hotel nervously with Diana Fowley at her side. She had woken up that afternoon with the worst hangover of her entire life. She wasn't sure what had happened the evening before and was too embarrassed to ask Diana about it. She knew that it had to be bad if Diana had spent the night at her apartment. She could recall the evening up until they left the Lasertarium. After that point she could only recall bits and pieces of her being nude in some fountain. She had no idea how she got there or how she got home and into her bed.

She wished that she wasn't a bridesmaid.

She wished that her attendance at this damn rehearsal dinner wasn't mandatory.

Unknown to her, Diana Fowley was walking besides her thinking the same thoughts. Diana genuinely loved Fox Mulder and wanted the best for him, but she could not help but feel that he was making a huge mistake marrying Natasha. She had this hunch that he was somehow settling by marrying her. She knew that he always a wife and children, but was he rushing into this marriage because he thought that it might be his last chance at happiness? She wished that Dana and Fox could get over their apprehension over telling each other what they truly felt and admit that they were attracted to and in love with each other.

"Well are you ready?" Dana asked Diana breaking the silence.

"No. But do we have a choice?"

"We could always say we got lost," Dana suggested.

"Wouldn't work. Fox escorted me to my cousins reception at this hotel three years ago. He knows that I know where it is."

"Damn, well we may as well go on in and get this over with," Dana said and she placed her hand on the door knob to the room where there reception was being held.

"If I didn't know better I would say that you don't want to be here, Dana," Diana teased the younger agent.

"What gave it away? My slowed gait?"

"No, I think it has more to do with the fake smile you plaster on your face whenever you talk about the happy couple."

"It's not that apparent, is it?" Dana asked worriedly.

"No, I have seen you smile enough to know when your smile is genuine."

"I'm an awful person, Diana. I want to be happy for them, but I can't. All I have heard about for the last 6 months is about weddings. I hate weddings, I'm all for elopement."

"I feel the same thing. At first the thought of a wedding was charming but after playing dutiful bridesmaid to a woman I barely know, I'm sick of it. I will be glad when the wedding is over and done with so that I don't have to hear about it again."

"We would be so lucky. No, I'm afraid that we're in store with a full year of their constant talk of marital bliss. Hopefully, if they are going to have kids they will at least put it off for a couple years before I have to hear all about baby talk for the rest of my natural life"

"Oh God, Dana, I hadn't even thought about that."

"That transfer to Salt Lake City is looking pretty good right now."

"I wonder if they have any supervisory positions available there?" Diana asked.

"Sounds like a plan to me, we can move out there together and share an apartment to cut down expenses."

"Why should we have to move? They are the ones that found happiness, they should move," Diana said. The thought of having Dana Scully as a roommate was appealing to her.

"Maybe we could get Wendy to move with them."

"We could never get so lucky. Maybe we should pool our money and get her liposuction," Diana said as she started giggling.

"You are so cruel, Diana. Why should we do that? She would be better looking but would still have an attitude,"Dana replied. The door was suddenly opened as someone exited the room.

"I was wondering where the two musketeers were," Fox Mulder said upon spying the women.

"We were just out here chatting," Diana explained.

"And this could not be done inside and at a table?" Fox asked questioningly.

"Some things are better said outside of prying ears. Besides, we wouldn't want to bore the guests," Diana told him. Dana nodded her head in agreement.

"I'm sure that anything you ladies said wouldn't bore the people sitting at your table, which happen to be the lone gunmen," Mulder said as he smiled.

"No, Mulder. Absolutely not," Dana blurted out.

"Sorry, I didn't make the seating chart, Wendy did," Mulder said having picked up on Scully's and Diana's hatred of her.

"I'll kill her. I'm going to kill her," Dana muttered under her breath.

"Scully, I don't think it is wise to be making death threats in front of federal agents. Anyway, ladies, are you ready to enter?" Mulder said as he held the door open for them. He followed them into the room as they took there seats at the table with the lone gunmen.

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

Sheraton Hotel
Washington, DC
June 11, 1999
9:00 pm

Dana Scully was bored out of her mind. She had barely touched her rubbery chicken cordon bleu. The lettuce on the salad was slightly wilted, the wine tasted stale to her, and to top it all of Frohicke snagged her stockings and caused a run when he tried to play footsies under the table with her. She still had a slight headache and wanted to do nothing more than to go home and soak in the tub.

"Looks like Karoake is up next," Diana whispered in her ear.

"You lie, no one does Karoake at a rehearsal dinner."

"They do now, it says so in the program." Diana pointed it out to her on the program.

"Speaking of programs, why do they have a program? There are only 30 people here?" Dana asked.

"Wendy was in charge of the rehearsal dinner, ask her," Diana suggested.

"I hate her. I swear to god I hate her."

"I love it when you get all mad Agent Scully," Frohicke said as he leered at her.

"Shut up Frohicke. I'm not in the mood for your teasing tonight. Look, I'm sorry I just yelled at you. I'm just a little tired and my head hurts," Scully tried to explain as she apologized to him. She knew that he meant no harm with his comments.

"Apology accepted," Frohicke replied in return.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for Karoake. Anyone who wants to sing needs to come up here and sign up along with your choice of song. Fox and Natasha are going to be the judges and there will be prizes given for best performance, worst performance and best reinterpretation of a song. Hurry on up, we will be starting in 20 minutes," Wendy told the group.

Diana and Dana looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"I thought that this was a rehearsal dinner, not a birthday party. Karoake with prizes?" Diana said to Dana as the gunmen hung onto her every word.

"Gentleman, care to Karoake?"Byers asked his friends.

"Sure, shall we sing to Mulder what we call his anthem?" Langley suggested.

"What would that be? Remember this is a wedding rehearsal dinner, not a topless bar, keep it clean," Diana said.

"I wonder if Mulder will stop going to those fine establishments with us once he gets married," Frohicke said softly.

"Naw, the man will never change. Last time he got married he didn't stop," Langley offered up. Diana gave him an evil look telling him that he had better shut his mouth and say no more. It was too late, Dana caught the slip.

"Mulder was married before?" She asked.

"No." All three gunmen said in unison.

"That's not what Langly just said."

"I didn't say that," Langley told her.

"Yes, you did. You said, and I repeat, last time he got married he didn't stop'."

No one said anything to her in return. The gunmen looked at each other for help in which one of them was going to get themselves out of this jam that they were in. Diana tried her best to looked as shocked as Dana was about the accusation, but unbeknownst to her Dana had caught the look she gave Langley when he first opened this can of worms.

"Mulder was married before?" Dana asked Diana. "Please don't lie to me, Diana," Dana pleaded with her friend.

Diana weighed her options before speaking. She thought about lying to her but knew she would lose her as a friend if the truth ever did come out. On the other hand she knew that Fox was going to be livid when he found out that she was the one to tell Dana the truth, not him. For some reason, that he was keeping to himself, he was adamant about Dana Scully not knowing that he had been married. She decided that she was going to come clean with Scully for once.

"Yes, Mulder was married, but it was a long time ago," Diana said softly to her new friend.

"Why wouldn't he tell me. I asked him early on in our partnership if he had ever been married and he said no. Why would he lie to me?" She asked not knowing that Fox Mulder had just approached her table.

"Why would who lie to you?" He asked Dana. She looked up in horror to see Fox Mulder standing beside her.

"Why did you lie to me about being married?" She asked him directly, the hurt evident in her eyes. The gunmen and Diana used Fox's presence to leave the table.

"Can we got outside and talk, Scully?" He asked her as he helped her up from her chair. He didn't want to ever have to have this talk with her, lest on the eve of his pending nuptials. He escorted her in silence to a secluded alcove near the pool where he knew that they would be able to have some privacy. He guided her onto the couch and sat down beside her before he began to speak.

"Scully, I'm sorry that I lied to you. I should have told you the truth about being married."

"But why? Why did you lie to me?"

"I don't know."

"How can you not. Do you regularly go around telling lies for the sake of it?" She said as she started to raise her voice.

"No, it isn't like that," He tried to explain.

"Then tell me how it is. Tell me why you could never tell me in six years we were partners that you had been married?"

"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't trust you."

"That's your answer. You didn't trust me?"

"At the time when you asked the question, no, I didn't trust you."

"Why didn't you tell me the truth once you did trust me."

"I couldn't Scully."

"Why couldn't you."

"Because you would think that I was being deceitful."

"You were, you are."

"You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me. So far you have not given me one good reason why you never told me that you were married."

Mulder and Scully sat in silence for several minutes before Mulder spoke up.

"Because then I would have to tell you how I feel about you," He said as he got up from the couch and left her sitting there. Dana was dumfounded. She thought about going after him and making him explain what he meant by that last comment, but decided to let it go. He was getting married tomorrow, nothing was going to change that.

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

National Cathedral
Washington DC
June 12, 1999
12:30 pm

"As you know, you are about to enter into a union which is most sacred and most serious because it will bind you together for life in a relationship so close and intimate, that it will profoundly influence your whole future. That future, with its hopes and disappointments, its successes and its failures, its pleasures and its pains, its joys and its sorrows, is hidden from your eyes. You know that these elements are mingled in every life, and are expected in your own. And so, not knowing what is before you, you take each other for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health until death." The minister looked at both Fox and Natasha before continuing on.

"Truly then, these words are most serious. It is a beautiful tribute to your undoubted faith in each other, that, recognizing their full import, you are nevertheless so willing and ready to pronounce them. Because these words involve such solemn obligations, it is most fitting that you rest the security of your wedded life upon the great principle of self sacrifice. So, you begin your married life by the voluntary and complete surrender of your individual lives in the interest of that deeper and wider life which you are to have in common. Henceforth you belong entirely to each other. You will be one in mind, one in heart and one in affections. Whatever sacrifices you may hereafter be required to make to preserve this common life, always make them generously. Sacrifice is usually difficult and irksome. Only love can make it easy; and perfect love can make it joy."

"Do you Fox William Mulder take Natasha Camille Brown as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Fox said as he looked over at Natasha and smiled.

"Do you Natasha Camille Brown take Fox William Mulder as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Fox repeat after me: I Fox William Mulder take you Natasha Camille Brown as my lawful wife, to have an to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

Fox repeated the vows after the minister while staring into Natasha's tear filled eyes.

"Natasha repeat after me: I Natasha Camille Brown take you Fox William Mulder as my lawful husband, to have an to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

Natasha repeated the vows after the minister. Wendy and Walter then stepped forward as the best man and matron of honor to hand them the rings.

"Fox, place the ring on her finger and repeat after me: Take and wear this ring as a sign of our marriage vows and of fidelity."

Fox repeated the vows as sis Natasha when she slide the slim gold band on Fox Mulder's hand.

"Now by the authority vested in me by the church I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Fox lifted the veil off of Natasha's face and leaned in to kiss her as the congregation cheered. He never noticed that Dana Scully's face remained expressionless during the whole ceremony.

End of chapter 14

******************************************
House of Cards - Chapter 15
******************************************

Sheraton Hotel
Washington, DC
June 12, 1999
4:30 pm

Dana Scully sat at the head table during the reception dinner hoping that this day would soon come to an end. Watching Fox Mulder declare his love for and marry another woman was the hardest thing she had ever done in her life. Up until that point in time she had thought that breaking up with Walter and having an abortion was the worst thing she had gone through, but now she realized what true emotional pain she was capable of feeling. She felt as though part of her soul died upon the alter that afternoon and the rest of her body was grieving for it.

She was glad that Blake had come as her escort. Having him there made the day bearable. She couldn't believe that Mulder had actually married another woman. Didn't he know that wasn't how the story was supposed to end. He was supposed to realize that it was her that he loved, and not Natasha. He wasn't supposed to actually go through with the ceremony. Didn't he know that?

She was glad once the dinner was over and the dance floor was open. She found much needed comfort in Blake's arms.

"Darling, what is wrong?" Blake asked her as he spun her around the dance floor.

"Everything Blake. I feel like I'm part of a bad dream and that I am going to wake up and everything is going to be back to normal."

"I thought you were happy that they were getting married."

"I lied."

"If you didn't want them to get married why did you act like a supportive friend all these months."

"I don't know."

"How can you not know."

"I just don't. I thought that I was doing the right thing at the time."

"And now you realize that it wasn't. Well I'm sorry to say that it is a little to late for regrets, Natasha is now Mrs. Fox Mulder and there's nothing that can be done about it."

"He wasn't supposed to marry her, Blake."

"Why wasn't he."

"Because they weren't meant for each other."

"And you were meant for him?"

"Yes. No. I don't know."

"Dana, you need to decide what you feel for once and for all. This isn't healthy and it is damn confusing for me. Do you think he loves Natasha?"

"Yes."

"Do you think she loves him?"

"Yes."

"Do you love him?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, do you want to be with him?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, that's fair. Do you want him to be happy?"

"Yes."

"Do you think he's happy with Natasha?"

"Yes."

"Then what is the problem. Fox Mulder and Natasha have seemed to have figured out what they want and they are happy. You are the one that needs to figure out your feelings. You've admitted to me that you know that they love each other and are happy. Why can't you accept that and be happy for them?"

"Because it was supposed to be me," Dana said softly as Blake gathered her even closer in his arms as they moved around the dance floor.

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

FBI Headquarters
Washington, DC
June 21, 1999
8:00 am

Dana Scully opened her morning mail to find another mysterious letter addressed to Mary. Inside the plain white envelope was written:

Ask Mr. Skinner. He knows the truth. He has been lying to you.

She started to pick up the phone to call Mulder but remembered that he was on his honeymoon with Natasha. She decided to go see Walter Skinner about the note even though the thought of seeing him again was discomforting.

Once is his office she discovered that he wasn't busy and had time to see her.

"What can I do for you, Agent Scully?" Walter Skinner asked as he escorted her into his office and shut the door behind her.

"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but there was no one else I could turn to right now," she said as she sat down in the chair across from his desk.

"Are you in some sort of trouble?" He asked concerned.

"No, it's not that. I keep getting these notes. I got the first one about a month ago. It said "you aren't who you think you are." A couple of days later I got one addressed to Mary and it said, "Mary, Who are you?". Today I got another one that said, "Ask Mr. Skinner. He knows the truth. He has been lying to you." I'm confused as to what these notes mean and if I'm the intended target."

Walter's face paled when she had said one of the notes was addressed to Mary. Someone knew about her parentage and intended for her to find out. There was no way that he and Maggie could keep this from her. She was going to have to find out soon, before she found out in an anonymous letter.

"I have no idea what the note means, Agent Scully. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. Right now they seem harmless, but it is good to be aware of a potential situation. Please keep me informed if you receive anymore," He said as he dismissed her from the office. As soon as she was out the door he picked up the phone and dialed Maggie Scully's number.

"We need to talk now," He said into the speaker.

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

FBI Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
June 22, 1999
2:30 pm

Dana Scully sat across from Walter Skinner and Maggie Scully. Maggie had called the meeting between the three of them so that Maggie could break the news to her about being Walter's daughter. Walter had not wanted to tell her, but was being forced to before whoever was sending her the notes told her first. He figured that her anger would be abated somewhat with the news coming from a family member and not a stranger. He was mystified as to who knew and how they found out. The whole mess reeked of the Cigarette Smoking Man.

Maggie had wanted to tell her daughter the news by herself, but Walter didn't trust her enough to go through with it. He thought that she might lie and say that she told Dan, and then CSM or one of his cronies would get to her and tell her the truth. He had dreaded this moment for the past 2 months. He had thought up every scenario in his mind that would make the whole situation okay, but had failed to come up with one. Who was he kidding? They weren't going to be a happy family. She wasn't going to rush into his arms and start calling him daddy. He was going to be fortunate if she even acknowledged his presence after today.

So, Walter insisted that he be there. He wanted his interests represented, after all she did have one-half of his DNA. In a sick way he wanted Dana to be a part of his life again. He knew her, he knew that she would go into her denial mode and act like nothing had happened. But something had happened. He was her father and like it or not she was going to have to accept that.

"Dana honey," Maggie Scully began, "I called you here today because there are a few things I wanted to speak to you about." Maggie looked nervously at Dana for any signs of resistance as to what she was about to say.

"That's fine, but why here in the office. What couldn't wait that could had to tell me here and not at home? Is it Bill or Charlie," Dana asked hurriedly while looking at her mother for an answer. He mind conjured up all kinds of images of the horror that must have befallen Bill, Tara, Matthew or Charlie. Why else would her mother be here? She had never dropped by her office before.

"They are fine Dana," Maggie said trying to reassure her daughter. She hadn't thought that meeting at the FBI building would alarm Dana like this.

"Well then why are you here? Why is AD Skinner here? Is this about my job? Am is be reassigned again?"

"No, Dana. This doesn't involve work, at least not directly. Your mother and I want to discuss something of a more personal nature with you."

Dana looked at him astounded, "I'm sorry, you may be my superior, but that doesn't give you any right to discuss my personal life with me or my mother."

"Dana, I have asked Walter to be here. He has every right to be here."

"What are you talking about." Dana asked. "You both are talking in riddles. Why am I here?"

"I'm sorry Dana. There's no easy way to do this," Maggie said.

"To do what?" She interrupted.

"Dana, " Walter began.

"No Walter I should be the one to tell her?"

"Tell me what," Dana yelled.

"Walter is your father," Maggie said as her voice shook. She didn't dare look at her daughter, afraid to meet her eyes. She instead looked to Walter for support, but he was too busy staring at Dana and her reaction.

Dana thought she didn't hear her mother correctly. Did her mother just say that Walter Skinner was her father. Surely not. She must have been mistaken.

"My what?" She asked incredulously

"Your father, Dana," Walter said quietly.

"You're NOT my father. My father was Bill Scully. Why would you tell me this?"

"Because I could no longer keep the truth from you," Maggie answered quietly. "I was tired of living a lie, pretending that you were someone else's daughter when you weren't."

"Very funny, that's a cute joke, Mom. You almost had me believing it. Seriously, why am I here?" She asked.

"This is no joke Dana, Walter Skinner is your biological father."

"You are LYING. William Scully is my father. He cannot be my father," Dana said as tears started to form in her eyes, "He isn't my father. He isn't. He can't be."

"Dana, it is true. I'm sorry to hurt you honey, but he's your father. I never meant for you to know. When you were dying in the hospital I felt that Walter had a right to know he had a daughter."

"So you never knew, sir?" She said while looking at Walter for the first time.

"I had no idea Dana, believe me if I had known I would have always been a part of your life."

"Oh God. Oh God. Oh God," Scully muttered while placing her head in her hands and leaning towards the floor rocking back and forth. Neither Walter nor Maggie knew what to say to her. Maggie got up out of her chair and went over to Dana. She placed a hand on her shoulder. Dana recoiled sharply and said harshly "DO NOT TOUCH ME. You have no right to after what you have done. How could you do this to me? I thought you loved me."

"I love you more than anything Dana. I did this to protect you. Your father and I decided that it was best for you to never know."

"My father," Dana laughed, "Who gave you the right to decide what was best for me or Skinner. What the hell am I supposed to call you now?" She asked Walter Skinner.

"You can call me what ever you feel comfortable with. I'm not expecting you to call me dad. I don't expect for you to see me as a father to you."

"You're damn right. This cannot be happening. This is a bad dream and I'm going to wake up and things will be back to normal. Oh God, why me?" She looked up at her mother and screamed at her, "How could you do this to me. How could you?"

Maggie couldn't stand to see the pain in her daughters eyes, "I'm sorry," She whispered.

"You're sorry? That's it, you're sorry?" Dana Scully asked her mother incredulously.

"What do you want me to say Dana? "

"Something better than that. How could you do this to me?"

"Dana, I don't know what you want from me. I apologized! I can't undue the past as much as I would like to be able to."

"I don't know what I want. This is a lot to spring on a person. You had an obligation to tell me the truth a long time ago."

Walter Skinner sat in his chair silently watching the brewing argument between mother and daughter. He knew the temper that both of the women were capable of exhibiting. There would be no concessions over this issue. There would be no happy ending.

"Enough, this isn't solving anything."

At that moment Dana chose to look over at Walter Skinner. She felt nothing but hatred toward him. She hated him for being her father. She hated him for sleeping with a married woman, a woman that happened to be her mother. She was disgusted and repulsed with him and herself, but most of all she wanted to die.

Instead she did the only thing she knew how, she got angrier.

"Mr. Skinner, why did you sleep with my mother knowing that she was a married woman?" She wanted to make his name sound as impersonal as possible. She wanted to hurt him.

"Dana, that's rude to ask someone that," Maggie said shocked at her daughters question.

"You are one to talk. Don't you think you are about 34 years too late to decide what is proper etiquette?" Dana said turning on her mother once again.

"You were not raised this way Dana. Stop acting like an errant 12 year old."

"How dare you tell me how to act. You were the one that was married. You made a commitment to God and your husband to remain faithful, and did you? You preached to me, forced your religion down my throat my whole life, all the while you didn't even believe it yourself. I can't believe you, I thought I knew you, but I guess I was wrong. Don't you lecture me on how to act. How many times did you cheat on Dad mom? 1 time, 3 times, 10 times?"

"Dana, you will not disrespect me like this," Maggie yelled out while crying.

Dana looked at her coldly, "You disrespected yourself the first time you laid down in bed with another man that wasn't your husband. Are any of my siblings Dad's?"

Maggie Scully reached out and slapped Dana hard across the face, tears streaming from her eyes she said sobbing, "You may not agree with the choices I have made, Dana Katherine, and that's fine. I realize that you are upset that I never told you. I thought that it would have been too upsetting for a child to know. I didn't want to ruin Walter's career or his marriage. I did the only thing that could have been done back in the 1960's, I had you and passed you off as Bill's. If there was any other way out of the mess I would have taken the option."

"You would have aborted me given the chance, wouldn't you."

"Yes, No," Maggie answered quietly. "It would have made things a lot easier on all of us. But I did want you Dana, I did. You complicated my life too much. It would have been easier on me and my marriage if you didn't exist. Bill knew that you were not his and never let me forget it."

"Would you both shut up, " Walter interrupted. "How is this helping anything? I loved Dana the moment I saw her when she was a baby. Had I known what you really thought about your baby daughter I would have gladly taken her and raised her. To think that you had something I so desperately wanted disgusts me. Dana is here now She isn't a child. Telling her that you wanted to abort her isn't going to solve anything Maggie."

"Goddamn you Walter. Stay out of this, Walter, this doesn't concern you."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here. I'm not a child anymore. You two may have controlled my lot in life when I was younger, but no more. You both disgust me. What you have done is unforgivable. You know what? You both can stay the hell out of my life. I don't need a mother and father and never have. To me neither one of you exists." Dana got up and walked out of the room leaving Walter and Maggie staring after her.

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

FBI Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
June 22, 1999
3:00 pm

Dana ran down the hall not sure of where to go. She first ran to Fox Mulder's office and then realized once there that he was still on his honeymoon.

<Damn him for getting married when I need him.>

<No, I don't need him.>

She slowly made her way to her own office and sat down at her computer. She was upset and wanted to talk to someone.

<No, this is something that I can't discuss with anyone.>

<No one would understand.>

<No one could understand.>

<I'll deal with this like I have dealt with everything thing else in my life.>

<Get real Dana, you don't deal with things, you just deny them and hope that they will go away and not rear their ugly heads again.>

<So what. I can make this go away too.>

<No you can't.>

<Leave me alone.>

She stood up from her chair suddenly. She had to get out of the office. She couldn't stay in the Hoover Building. Someone might come looking for her. That s