Title: Discovery of Truth Author: Erin M. Blair Classification: SRA-Story/Romance/Angst Content: Mulder/Scully Romance. Ringfic. Rating: PG Spoilers: Duane Barry, Ascension, One Breath, Memento Mori, Never Again, and Travelers. Possible spoiler for Season Five Finale. Disclaimer: The characters of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are not mine. They belong to Chris Carter, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, and the Fox Network. The character of Julianne Anderman is a take of Gillian Anderson, and isn't mine. Well, sort of. =) And Dr. Elaine Livingstone is mine. Archive: Archive anywhere, especially to any MSR archives and Gossamer. Please forward this to ATXC. However, I would like to know where the story is going so I can visit it. =) Please retain my e-mail address and my disclaimer. Author's Notes: This is a sequel to "Discovery of Hope" and this is clearly a MSR. I would like to receive any feedback that you may have. Summary: Scully is pregnant, but decides to leave the X-Files when she finds something about Mulder. Discovery of Truth Written by: Erin M. Blair FBI Headquarters X-Files Division Monday morning 9:00 am. Dana Scully was looking through the files in the basement where the X-File Division as she was trying to find an X-File. "Where is that file?" She asked herself. Her blue-green eyes gazed around the basement. "It should be here." She didn't want any X-File to put her announcement in, but her own X-File. Not the Ed Jerse case when his talking tattoo almost killed her. She shuddered for a minute, and then put that file away. "I think that I would rather forget that case. No, I think that my abduction file would be better." Her partner/lover, Fox Mulder, would have a fit if he found it in that folder. She'd rather forget that time when she got that tattoo. "Oh, great. Mulder has it stashed in his desk." She recalled as she walked over to his desk. She looked through his desk, trying to find the file on her abduction. Although, it still brought her horrible nightmares whenever she thought about it. She remembered Duane Barry breaking the glass of her window in her apartment, and kidnapping her. Bringing her to them. After that, everything was still a little hazy. But enough of that. She wasn't going to think of the unhappiness of that time as she was expecting a child---Fox Mulder's child---that she never thought that she would have which she still needs to tell him. She thought that the little note in her own X-File would be perfect and very romantic. "Where is that file?" Instead of finding the file, she found a wedding ring. "What is this?" She looked at the ring, wondering what her partner had never told her. Dana Scully's apartment Annapolis, Maryland Monday afternoon 1:00 p.m. Dana had thought that a warm shower would do wonders to calm herself after finding the ring, but she had thought wrong. She carefully put on a white blouse and tan pants. She decided to see Mulder to ask him about the ring that she had found. After drying her red hair, she heard a knock at the door. She went to answer it, and saw that it was a red haired, blue-green eyed female wearing a blue suit. "Do I know you?" "You may have seen me on the Squirrel Network's "The U Files" and I play a FBI Agent named Dr. Danielle Lesky," the woman answered. "My character is modeled after you. I was wondering if I can ask you some questions." Dana stood there, and looked at the red haired actress. There was nothing wrong in answering a few questions. Dana nodded. "Sure, but what's your name? Please forgive me, but I hardly watch "The U Files" as Fox and I are kind of busy with cases." "My name is Julianne Anderman," answered the petite, short, red haired woman. She looked a few years younger than Dana herself. Julianne then dropped her own bombshell. "And I know Fox Mulder. He was my husband." Dana was both speechless and hurt. Above all the emotions swimming in her head, she was angry. Calm down, Dana thought to herself. There's got to be a reasonable explanation. The logic was starting to, but barely, sinking in. Why would Fox marry an actress? "Oh, really? How did you meet him?" "In 1989. He was in the Violent Crimes' Behavioral Science Unit, and I was teaching criminal psychology at Quantico," Julianne replied. "We met, fell in love, and got married." She paused, looking at Dana's shocked expression. "I take it that you never knew..." Don't let her see how my heart is breaking, Dana thought, miserably. "No, I never knew." After Julianne left, Dana knew what she had to do. She went to her IBM clone, and she decided to start typing up her request for transfer using Microsoft Word. This is what the e-mail had said: SUBJECT: Request for Transfer DATE: Thu., 30 April 1998 FROM: "Special Agent Dana Scully" TO: "Assistant Director Walter Skinner" CC: "Special Agent Fox William Mulder" TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I would like to request a transfer to Quantico to help in the forensic department. Thank you. Dana Scully ------------------------ D_Scully@fbi.gov "The Spirit is the Truth." Dana wiped the tears from her eyes with a tissue. This was going to be the hardest thing that she had to do. She reread the letter, and sadly smiled. "He better accept it." The tears started to roll down across her cheek, and she quickly brushed them off. "He didn't trust me enough to tell me that he was married before. How can I trust him? How can I love him?" She knew she loved him as that's the reason for her transfer. It wasn't usual for her to back off as she's normally a fighter. She honestly didn't know what Julianne Anderman had up her sleeve, but she wasn't willing to stick around to find out. Fox Mulder's Apartment Alexandria, VA Monday afternoon 1:20 pm Fox Mulder was looking through some cases on his coach as he didn't went into work that day because he was afraid that he was catching a cold thus he didn't want to infect Scully with the sickness. "I think that I better catch up on my e-mail." He logged on to his e-mail account, and was stunned to see "Request for Transfer" from Dana. His Dana Scully. His heart felt like it was going to burst. "Why?" He racked his brain to figure out what he had done to Dana that she wanted to leave him. "Why would Dana want a transfer?" He had thought everything was perfect between them ever since they had took that special step when Dana had found out that she can have children. That special step was a declaration of love for her. Luckily, she returned his feelings. But now, she wants a transfer! Why? Why would Scully leave him? "I have got to see her... I have got to find out what's the matter with her? Something must have happened..." Another e-mail arrived in his mail box, and it was the Assistant Director, Walter Skinner, requesting his presence for a meeting tomorrow at eight o'clock in the morning to discuss Agent Scully's transfer request. FBI Headquarters Office of Assistant Director Skinner Tuesday Morning 8:00 am. "Agent Mulder, I think that we need to talk about Agent Scully's request for transfer," Skinner sighed. He was looking at the printed e-mail from Special Agent Dana Scully. "Do you think that there is a reason for her wanting a transfer?" "I thought of nothing else," Mulder replied. "Maybe Scully is tired of the X-Files?" "How's your partnership with Agent Scully?" Skinner asked. "I thought that it was great." Skinner didn't know what to do. Normally, he would grant an agent's transfer. He realized that Mulder had no idea why his own partner would want to leave him and the X-Files. "I think that you should find out the reasons. I will turn down her request for transfer, but I will give her a three month leave of absence. She may need a break from you." He paused. "Let's just hope that's all it is." Mulder sighed. "I hope so. I hope that's all it is." Deep within him, something about that transfer told him that something was wrong. He vowed that he is going to find out. Two Months Later Dana Scully's apartment Annapolis, Maryland Monday afternoon 1:00 pm. Dana was starting to show her pregnancy a little bit, but no one except for her mother knew about it. She was still heartbroken over what she had found out about the wedding ring that she hadn't told Mulder that he's going to be a father. "You should tell Fox, Dana," Margaret Scully sighed. She sat down on her daughter's sofa and looked at her daughter's blue-green eyes. "He has to know that he is going to be a father. And besides, you love him as much as he loves you." "Maybe he does, but how come he had never told me about Julianne?" "How come you didn't ask him for an explanation?" Margaret asked. "This isn't like you, and you know it." She paused. "He has the right to know his own child." Dana knew that her mother was right. He had to know. Fox Mulder's Apartment Alexandria, VA Tuesday Afternoon Mulder heard the phone rang, and he grabbed the phone. He answered in his usual style. "Mulder." "Dana was in an accident," Margaret Scully exclaimed into the phone. "She's at Northeast Georgetown Medical Center." "I'm on my way," Mulder replied. He didn't want to think that she was at the same hospital where she was returned after her abduction. He hoped that she will be all right... Northeast Georgetown Medical Center Outside of Dana Scully's room Tuesday afternoon Dr. Elaine Livingstone was coming out of Dana's room. She looked up and she saw Special Agent Fox Mulder walking very quickly at her. "How is she, Elaine?" "She has some cuts and bruises from the accident, but otherwise, she is fine. We are determing whether or not she has a concussion," Dr. Elaine Livingstone sighed. "She'll be here only for a couple of days for observation." She wondered when he is going to ask about the baby that Dana was carrying. "Aren't you going to ask about the baby?" Fox Mulder was shocked, to say the least. He had no idea that she was pregnant with his child. He was very happy with the news, but he wondered why she didn't tell him. "Dana didn't tell me anything. What baby?" "Yours. Hers. Dana is carrying your child, Mulder. She didn't tell you?" Dr. Elaine Livingstone asked. From the shocked expression, she guessed right. Dana didn't tell him that he is going to be a father. "I wonder why." "I don't know. She even left The X-Files temporarily," Mulder sighed. He paused. "How's the baby." "The baby's fine. Very resilient like her parents." "I would like to see her," Mulder replied. Dana Scully's hospital room Tuesday afternoon Mulder walked in, and he saw the scapes, the cuts, and bruises from her car accident. He was relieved that it wasn't life threatening like last time. "How are you?" "Mulder, I'm fine," Dana sighed. That was her famous non-answer, a Scully white lie. She was in pain, emotionally and physically since her minor car accident. "It's just a few scapes and bruises." "How come you didn't tell me about the baby, Dana?" Mulder asked, gently. He sat down on a chair right across from Dana, and he reached for her hand. He squeezed it gently. It was the same thing that he had done for Dana when she was in a coma right after her abduction. "I was hurt... I guess. When I was looking for the X-File on my abduction in our office to tell you the news about the baby---" "You were going to tell me?" "Yes," Dana sighed. "I was going to write the news on my stationary and put it in the file so you can look at it... Only I had never found the file--" "It's at my apartment. I didn't want you to look at it," Mulder sighed. She was going to tell him about the baby, but what changed her mind. "Then you were?" Dana nodded. "Yes, I was. When I found the wedding ring in your desk drawer, I was shocked. I was going to see you to ask for an explanation..." "Why didn't you?" Mulder asked, gently. "I saw her... Julianne Anderman," Dana sighed. "Your wife." "Ex-wife, Dana. I'm not married to Julianne," Mulder replied. He looked into her blue-green eyes and saw the despair and yes, the lack of trust. "I met Julianne in 1989. We fell in love and got married. It didn't last very long though. Only three weeks. I kept the ring and wore it even though I wasn't married. During the weeks, I never changed my profile from being single to married. There was so much paperwork that I didn't feel the need." He paused. "I took the ring off a six months before you were assigned to the X-Files. I love you, Dana." "I should have went to see you. I have should have asked for an explanation. I was so upset... I thought that you didn't trust me to let me know about her. So, I decided to transfer," Dana replied, remembering her hurt. "You know how much I love you, but I thought she wanted you back. I didn't want to stay to see you with someone else." "Dana, the last time that I heard about Julianne's love life was when I found out that she's linked with her co-star," Mulder said, with a small grin. "I don't think that she wants anything to do with me." Dana softly smiled at Mulder's remark. "I feel so foolish." "You hadn't known, Scully. I probably would have done the same thing. Actually, I know that I would," Mulder replied. "Will you forgive me?" Dana asked. She saw Mulder nod. "I never stopped loving you, Fox." "I love you, Dana. We have more important things to do," Mulder smiled. He gently touched his hand on her stomach, and he reached his hand for a ring that he had for awhile. "Will you marry me?" "I will," Dana replied, smiling. Her blue-green eyes lit up with happiness. For the first time in two months, she was happy. "You know that I will..." Mulder smiled, as he placed the engagement ring on Dana's ring finger. "You don't how happy that I am." He paused. "Maybe you do." "I think that I know," Dana replied. "You know, when I discovered that wedding ring, I thought that my world was gone. I felt that I lost you when I didn't. Now, I discovered a truth. The truth that I had never lost you. We still have each other and soon, our child." "I know," Mulder replied. "We still have each other."