As Mulder and Scully talked privately, Al leaned forward over Sam's
shoulder and whispered, so as not to be heard by the FBI agents, "Look
at that body."
Sam looked up at Al. "Whose body?"
Al smacked Sam, and was surprised when his hand made contact with Sam's
shoulder. He made a quick look at Robert, who was smiling at him, and he
figured Robert had made him tangible. He turned back to Sam and said, "'Who's
body?' You've been leaping around for twenty-five years and you have to
ask me 'Whose body?'!" Al shook his head. "Scully! Look at those legs,
those breasts,"--he cocked his head sideways--"that tight little butt."
"Al!" Sam shouted. Mulder and Scully looked at him, and Sam felt he
wanted to shrink to the size of a thimble. "Sorry," he said to them, and
they continued their conversation. Sam looked back to Al and said, "How
can you still think of women that way?"
"I'm a ladies' man," Al replied. "You remember the previous timeline;
I had five wives under my belt. Of course, I still do it because Beth thinks
I'm cute when I drool over a woman." His gaze went back to Scully, and
Sam tried to get his attention off.
"That's no way to act; especially since you're married."
Al looked hesitantly back at Sam and said, "Well, then, you should
go after her."
"Me?! I'm probably old enough to be her father."
"You should; you're sixty-seven."
"And you are older than I am."
Al looked over at Robert, who said nothing. He then looked back at Sam
with pity in his eyes and said, "Sam, you're a nozzle."
Before Sam could reply, Mulder and Scully came back to the table. Mulder's
shoulders were slumped, but Scully stood as straight as an arrow. It was
Scully who spoke the first words. "We can't allow you to get involved in
FBI business. Your identities haven't been confirmed, nor do I believe
you would be more helpful than wet pantyhose. You are still under suspicion
for the corroboration with Barry Hayes, so I have to make sure a jail cell
is appointed to you. As for your friends,"--she looked at Al and Robert--"they will have to remain here for further questioning."
"Wait," Al said. "What if we prove we can be helpful to your
case?"
Scully folded her arms. "How?"
"By getting you some information on this Barry person or this case case
that you don't already have?"
"Any information you give us would be closely examined, and I think
you would give us this information just so you can get on our good side;
I would find it unbelievable."
Robert snorted. "Yes. It would be as unbelievable as corn fields in
Texas."
She stared surprisingly at Robert. "You know about that?"
Robert feigned being taken aback. "I am of a higher power."
Scully replied, "You'll excuse me if I'm a little skeptical."
"Me, too," Sam said. "You haven't exactly proven yourself to me that
you are who and what you say you are."
Robert placed his hands on his hips. "Oh come on people. I blurt out
information only known to yourselves and appear out of thin air in front
of you. What more do you need?"
Scully leaned forward and placed her hands on the table. Al snuck a
quick peek at the exposed portion of Scully's breasts. "How about you take
us to God himself?"
Robert folded his arms across his chest. "I don't have direct contact
with God; the man hardly ever talks."
Then Al blurted out, "Oh stop it." Everyone looked at him, and he continued,
but not with anyone in the room. Instead, he turned his head upward and
to the right, as if staring at the ceiling, and said, "Tina, do we have
anything yet?" No one heard a response, but Al continued to talk after
a second's pause. "I'll be right there." He looked back to the crowd. "We
got some information, Sam. I'm heading back to the Project."
Scully protested, "You're not going anywhere," but Al didn't listen.
Tapping his control mouse, he opened the door to the imaging chamber and
exited through it. Mulder and Scully stared at the site for a moment, then
Mulder sat down and said, "I want to know what is going on... starting
with that guy that just left."
* * *
