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Ch. 6
11:51 am

Scully sat at her desk, on hold for the third time that morning. She'd
been trying to contact the agents on the Harrison case, but they'd
been putting her off with vague answers and questionable leads. 

After meeting with Skinner, she and Mulder had discussed how they
would proceed. Mulder agreed that they would keep their distance,
keeping tabs by phone. Mulder, meanwhile had locked himself in an
empty conference room to work on a profile, which was fine by her. She
would have never admitted it to him, but sometimes he really scared
her when he did those things.

It always seemed to be a quid pro quo. He could get into their minds,
but it also seemed to give them open access to his. It was at these
moments, when his entire being was focused on the intentions of evil,
that he'd had his greatest moments of weakness.
Roche.
Modell.
Barry.
Names that haunted her. Lived in his nightmares too, she knew.

The analytic part of her mind had once believed his obsession with
aliens to be some sort of stress reaction to working in the torture
chamber of the VCS. An enemy he didn't have to profile, couldn't begin
to explain.

Then she came to know his mind.

 She smiled at the thought.

And finally, she came to know his heart.

Knew its infinite capacity for kindness, its every ridge and scar from
being broken time and again. Knew its desires, its steady
determination, and its groundshaking fears.

She was afraid, too. Afraid that he would go so deep into the abyss of
evil that he would be unable to pull himself out. That not only would
he not answer her, but he wouldn't even hear her calling his name.

Slamming the phone down, Scully grabbed her keys and started for the
door when the phone clanged to life.

She hesitated, then snatched up the receiver. "Scully."

There was a deep breath on the other end, then nothing.

"Hello?"

"Agent Scully?"

"Yes?" She strained to hear the woman's shaky voice, knowing who it
had to be.

"This is Amanda Harrison. I was, just, ummm..." Scully listened to her
quick, shallow breathing.

"I, just, umm, wanted to apologize for yesterday." 

"You don't need to do that, Sa--Mrs. Harrison."

Another deep intake of breath. "I'd really like to talk to you, if
that's okay."

Scully felt a twinge of relief. "Of course, we'll be there in about.."

"No," she answered too quickly. "I...just you. Please?"

Scully hoped the receiver wouldn't pick up the sound of her heart
shattering. She nodded, then reminded herself the phone was not a
visual medium. 

"Sure." She replaced the receiver, almost to the door before she
realized she hadn't left him a note.

Her hand hesitated over the Yellow Post-it before she decided he
couldn't divine the truth from her handwriting.

"Be back this afternoon.--Me"