Where It Leads
Disclaimer: Ray, Fraser, and Turnbull belong to Alliance and the Pauls.  Mulder, Scully and the X-Files belong to Fox.
Notes: written for the flashfiction Doorway challenge.

“She never believes me.  Why does she never believe me?”

Ren gave the man his understanding face and patted him on the back.

“I’m sure it has nothing to do with you personally, Agent Mulder.  It’s just as a scientist she needs evidence.  She reminds me a lot of my superior… if he was a woman and had red hair.”

Mulder nodded and they stared at the crack in the rock face some more.  They were right on the border not to far from Niagara Falls.  A couple of rock climbers and two Canadian tourists had disappeared in the past week.  Ren had been sent to assist the FBI only to find that the FBI consisted of one thin man in a dark suit and his redheaded partner.  The partner had left after waiting for only half an hour, leaving Ren alone with Agent Mulder to wait until four o’clock.  That was when Mulder said it would happen.  How he knew the exact time escaped Ren.

“Damn it, Turnbull, it’s a doorway to another dimension!  Why can’t they see that?”

“Calm down, Agent Mulder.  I worry about your health.”

“I’m fine.  I’m just glad that Canada is taking this seriously by sending you here.”

Ren frowned and decided not to mention to the Agent about the RCMP’s views on him or his psyche file.

“Do you believe in aliens?” the other man asked moving around in his lawn chair.

Ren thought about it for a moment before answering, “Well, I don’t disbelieve in them.”

“My sister was abducted by aliens,” Mulder whispered.

Unsure of what to say, Ren replied, “That’s very sad.”

“You don’t believe me.  No one ever believes me.”

The poor man sounded so dejected that Ren did the only thing he could think of.  He reached out and pulled the other man into a hug.  It was awkward because of their positions and the lawn chairs got in the way, but it was the sentiment that counted.  After a moment, Ren let Mulder go.  The other man looked embarrassed.

“Um, thanks, I think.”

“You’re quite welcome,” Ren said happily.

“Canadians are weird.”

“I’ve been told that, yes.”

Their moment was interrupted as the strange doorway in the rock face glowed brightly.  The light was blinding after sitting in the shadow of the cliff and both men covered their eyes.  Mulder reached for his gun and pointed it at the large shadowy figure that stepped through the door.

“FBI!  Don’t move!” Mulder yelled.

Ren was trying to decide if he should try and tackle the menacing figure to the ground when it spoke.

“Ray, what are you doing with Renfield’s Windex?  And why are you two sitting here blocking the front door?”

Ren looked over at Ray hoping he’d be the one to explain.  Ray pointed the Windex bottle for emphasis.

“Damnit Fraser!  Make like a scary alien or something!”

“What?” the other Mountie asked in confusion.

Ray dropped the bottle with a big sigh.  He looked over at Ren and rolled his eyes.  Ren smiled.

“We were playing X-Files.”

Fraser blinked at them.

“What?” he asked again.

Diefenbaker stepped around the frozen figure and quickly headed for Ray.  The Detective explained while he carefully petted the wolf, trying to keep the wolf hair off his suit.

“Well you said I had to dress nice for this stupid exhibit…”

“It’s for charity, Ray,” Fraser interrupted.

“I know, I know!  Anyway, so here I was in my dark suit, but then I had to wait until four…”

“I am sorry, but I couldn’t very well leave Mrs. Norman and her Pekinese in the lurch.  I only wish I could have caught you before you left home.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.  So, I’m stuck at the Consulate waiting on you and I got bored.  Ren mentioned that I looked a little like Mulder in my suit so we ended up playing X-Files.”

“Ah.  I see.  So you were Agent Mulder.  Does that mean you were Agent Scully, Turnbull?”

Ray answered before Ren could.

“Nah, he was himself.  I tried to get him to be Scully, but he said that he didn’t have the legs for it.”

“Ah,” Constable Fraser said in the tone that normally meant Ren was being weirder than usual.  “Ray, we’d better get going or we’ll be late.  I suppose you can close up, Turnbull?”

“Yes, sir.”

Ren watched the pair walk down the street to where Ray’s car was parked.  It was nice having Ray play along.  He didn’t feel so strange when he wasn’t alone.  As the Detective opened the driver side door, he glanced back at the Consulate and gave Ren a wink.  Ren smiled and waved goodbye. Once they were gone, he quickly locked the door behind him.  Ren headed towards the bus stop to wait.  After a moment he glanced up at the sky with a small frown.

“Abducted by aliens?” he whispered.  “Oh dear, now I’m never going to get to sleep tonight.”  



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