TITLE: Choice II: Whose Choice? AUTHOR: Ladyhawk EMAIL ADDRESS: funger1@hofstra.edu DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anywhere, just tell me SPOILER WARNING: SR 819 RATING: PG-13 for language CONTENT WARNING: none CLASSIFICATION: V, A SUMMARY: Mulder's view on the end of SR 819; sequel to "Choice" Author's notes: Thank you Betsey. No, I hadn't thought that far, but it fit in very nicely. Feedback welcome at funger1@hofstra.edu Whose Choice? by Ladyhawk (funger1@hofstra.edu) Anger flares up in me as I reach for the knob on the door to Skinner's apartment. Is he inviting death by leaving his door unlocked? Is he still trying to keep it from engulfing Scully and me? I know he's hiding something. He knew who that man was. It showed in the way he glanced at the pictures, the way he dismissed the matter once he knew the danger had passed. He's protecting us, but from what? What does that slimy rat bastard want, and why did he resort to almost killing Skinner to tell us? As I enter Skinner's apartment, I see him slouched back in his armchair. He must have been sleeping, but the way his head is cocked tells me that he is now watching me. As I move into the light, compassion tempers my anger. I crouch by his chair and lay my hand on his. "I will not let you die for us." ------------------------------------------- Skinner sits up quickly to reply to me, anger reddening his face rapidly. "It isn't about the X-files." "Bullshit! We both know Krycek's behind this. What other reason would he have for getting us involved?" I now stand up and lean over his armchair to get my point across. I back away from Skinner and start pacing. My mind whirls with theories. The government that Krycek works for may have stole the nanotechnology to assassinate someone. They may use them to control masses of people. The Consortium may have developed it to control the aliens. . . My mind is so preoccupied that I don't see Skinner get up from his chair and move toward me. I jump as his hand touches my shoulder. "He singled me out. It's my problem. I will deal with him." What does this man think his death will accomplish? I lash out at him. "You are our only ally in the entire Bureau! You've risked your career and life for us. Do you really expect us to sit back and watch that two-faced rat sink his claws into you?" I watch Skinner sigh and lean heavily on the wall behind him. He looks like a man back from the edge of death, not the man in almost perfect health that Scully and I reported to this morning. "Sir, let us help you. You're risking your life for us when we don't even know what Krycek is trying to accomplish. We can do more as a team. Don't make me go behind your back to get the answers." Skinner takes off his glasses and pinches his nose. He looks defeated, but as he raises his eyes to mine a spark shines in them. He reaches for toward the floor for his briefcase and extracts the folder we handed him this morning, now filled with more than pictures. He opens it and looks to me again. "Ok Mulder. Do it." I pull out my cell phone and hit the speed-dial. "Scully, it's me."