ACT THREE

INT. SKINNER'S OFFICE - 3:45PM

Skinner is still seated at his desk. A buzz on his intercom grabs his attention.

SKINNER'S ASSISTANT (FILTER)
Sir, Agents Mulder and Scully
are here to see you.

SKINNER
(presses intercom button)
Send them in.

Mulder and Scully enter his office.

SKINNER
(standing)
Agents?

MUDLER
(demanding)
Why weren't we allowed
access to the bodies?

SKINNER
(confused)
Excuse me?

SCULLY
Agent Mulder and I were
denied access to examine
the recovered bodies from
Flight 194.

SKINNER
I was told you'd be allowed.

MULDER
Apparently no, Sir. We
were allowed to examine
the debris, that was all.

SCULLY
We believe that higher
powers of the government
are involved, they know
what happened, and are
trying to block our
investigation.

There is a beat of "oh crappit".

SKINNER
There's nothing I can do
about that now. It'd be
best to leave it up to
the proper authorities.

Mulder and Scully start heading toward the door to leave... Mulder isn't happy with Skinner's decision. As Mulder opens the door...

SKINNER
(sincere, very professional)
Agent Scully, I need to
speak with you alone.

Mulder gives them a look, and respects their privacy. He closes the door behind him so Scully and Skinner can be alone.

SCULLY
(concerned)
What is it Walter?

She places her hand on his shoulder, however he gently removes it.

TIME CUT:

INT. SCULLY & MARITA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 8PM

Marita is sitting on the living room couch, reading a book, wearing her glasses. There is a roll of thunder outside, a storm is coming.

The door to the apartment opens and Scully enters. She is very upset and looks drained. She quietly closes the door and enters the living room. Marita looks up from her book, notices the look on Scully's face.

MARITA
(setting her book down) What's wrong?

SCULLY
(hiding her feelings)
Nothing.

Marita doesn't buy it.

MARITA
Dana, I know you better
than this. (beat) Tell
me what's wrong.

Scully sits down next to Marita, she wipes a tear from her eyes.

MARITA
Did something happen?

Scully nods her head 'yes'.

SCULLY
(calm)
The engagement is off.
Walter said we can't
be together anymore.

Marita is stunned, but not surprised. She doesn't know what to say. She puts her arm around Scully's shoulder. They sit there in silence.

TIME CUT:

INT. MARITA & SCULLY'S APARTMENT - 11PM

The power is out from the continuing storm. Marita and Scully are sitting on the couch, the room is lit by candlelight.

SCULLY
...it felt right with Walter
(beat) What he said to me, it's
not him. I know him, he wouldn't
have done this unless something
was wrong. And even then, I'd hope
he'd be able to talk with me about it.

Marita listens and thinks for a moment before speaking.

MARITA
Dana, sometimes you have to
let go of things you love.
The only way to know if it
was really meant to be, is if
it comes back to you... give
him time.

Scully stands up, along with Marita. They hug each other.

MARITA
Now I think you need some
sleep. I'll call Mulder
tomorrow and tell him you'll
be in late.

SCULLY
Thanks.

Scully walks into her bedroom, leaving Marita standing there with a sympathetic smile on her face. The worry about what she needs to do shows through.

TIME CUT TO:

INT. SCULLY & MARITA'S APARTMENT - MARITA'S ROOM - 1:30AM

Considering how late it is, Marita's bed hasn't been touched. A single lamp is on. Marita is on the phone with Krycek. She is nervous and is pacing her room.

MARITA
(on phone)
I don't know, Alex. I don't
think I can do this.

KRYCEK
We have to, it's the right
thing to do. You know they
never intended to keep her
this way.

MARITA
But it will break who
she is now.

KRYCEK
She's already broken (beat)
We have to tell her now.

TIME CUT TO:

30 MINUTES LATER.

INT. SCULLY'S ROOM -2AM

A gentle light from the living room creeps in as Marita opens the door.

Scully is asleep , peaceful, unknowing to what is about to enter her life again.

Marita walks over to her bedside and sits down next to her friend. She waits a moment, to remember Scully how she is, before waking her.

Gently, Marita shakes Scully awake.

MARITA
(whispering)
Dana...

Scully wakes up, she thinks something is wrong because of the tone in Marita's voice. Scully immediately sits up, worried.

SCULLY
What is it, Marita?

MARITA
There's something we need
to talk about. (beat) Alex
is here.

Marita motions for Scully to follow her into the living room. Scully puts on her robe and slippers.

Scully enters the living room. Krycek is standing, his back to Marita and Scully, he turns around. He's holding a folder. Krycek notices the worry in Marita's eyes, he speaks to Scully first. He'd rather have Scully hate him, than see their friendship shatter. They all sit down, Scully in a chair and Marita and Krycek on the couch across from her.

KRYCEK
(very serious, looks
at Scully in the eyes)
What I'm about to tell you
is going to change your life
(beat)the past, the present
the future.

SCULLY
(looks to Marita)
What's going on?

Marita can't look at Scully, she feels the distance already.

KRYCEK
(diverting her attention)
You're not who you
think you are.

Scully gives Krycek a serious look, a concerned look.

KRYCEK
The memories you have, the
family you think you know (beat)
where you think you're going...
is not what it seems. The life
you remember has been a lie.

Krycek looks to Marita for help, knowing how important this is.

MARITA
This is your life. What
you have now, you chose.

SCULLY
(trying to understand)
What do you mean 'chose'?

MARITA
(showing a picture of a man)
This was your husband, John.
(shows picture of little girl)
This is your daughter, Jill.

Scully looks hurt, confused, doesn't understand why they are telling her this when it's not possible for her to have children.

KRYCEK
Eight years ago, John was
killed in an airplane crash
travelling to Europe. You're
daughter survived, and was
hospitalized in Germany. The
men we work for, denied you
permission to see her-

Scully looks up from the photos, tears in her eyes. She looks Krycek straight in the eyes.

SCULLY
(empty)
-why are you doing this to me?

There is a long, silent, tense pause. Marita and Krycek really don't know how to tell her the answer to her question.

SCULLY
How can you say this to me?
I've never seen these people
before in my life. (beat) For
all I know you could have created
these photos.

MARITA
You asked to have your
memories erased. You wanted
out of the project. Instead
of giving you what you asked
for, they tried to use you for
their own good. To have you
shut down Agent Mulder's work,
to stop him from uncovering what
they worked so hard to hide.

SCULLY
What do you gain by
telling me this?

KRYCEK
Because, like you, we
believe in Agent Mulder's
work. (beat) Without you
we cannot proceed in our
resistance against colonization.

SCULLY
(pissed)
So what you're saying is
that I've been living a lie.
Betrayed supposedly by men I
work with. Lost a family that I have
no recollection of and that I'm what
you need to proceed in some resistance.
(beat) You want me to believe what you're
telling me, when I have every reason to
suspect a hidden agenda? (beat) I won't
listen to this. I don't believe it!

Krycek and Marita share a nervous look, this isn't going as planned.

MARITA
(softly)
You aren't suppose to.

With that, Scully stands up, goes into her room, throws some random cloths into a bag, comes back into the living room, takes the folder they've shown her, grabs her jacket and keys and heads toward the door.

Krycek slams Scully against the wall, his arm pressed against her neck. Scully's bag drops to the floor.

KRYCEK
(whispering, forceful, threatening)
Scully, you have got to listen
to us. the fate of the world rests
in your hands.

SCULLY
(pissed, to Krycek & Marita)
Get away from me.

Scully glares at Krycek and then at Marita, she feels betrayed. Forcefully she pushes Krycek off her, grabs her bag and leaves the apartment, slamming the door behind her. The damage is done, there's nothing else Krycek and Marita can do right now. They've failed.

FADE OUT:

TO BE CONTINUED...