AUTHOR: trancer michkidd@earthlink.net



RATING: R for language, violence, and sexual situations between two women.



PAIRING: Scully/Abbie Carmichael



SUMMARY: Someone from Scully's past asks for the agents assistance putting

Scully onto a case that may or may not be an X-File. Not only reopening old

wounds, but old feelings that further complicate the agent's life.



SPOILERS: Takes place immediately after season 7 ep "Millenium". ARCHIVING:

I have no website of my own. While this story is currently unfinished, and

unbeta'ed, if you'd like to archive it please let me know.

DISCLAIMERS: Characters of Scully and Mulder are the property of 1013

Productions. Characters of Law & Order are the property of Dick Wolf

Productions.



***



Residual Effect 1



Chapter One



"We got us an X-File!" Mulder whooped breaking the silence of the room.

Dana would have screamed ‘Hallelujah’ if not for the fact that her mouth

was full of coffee and doing otherwise would have betrayed her cool

demeanor. Let alone, spilled a mouthful of hot coffee on her brand new silk

blouse.



The weeks since New Year’s had been boring to the point of painful, the two

having fulfilled their share of paperwork and meetings to the nth degree.

But, all was not bliss, an X-File for Mulder could mean anything. It was

never that long desired trip to Hawaii and more than likely meant Scully

would spend another long weekend mucking around in God-knows-where US of A.



"What is it?" Dana asked, the file landing with a spin on her desk. She

took the file as Mulder moved behind his desk, grabbing a few things from

his drawer. Dana flipped open the manila file. She should have been pleased

that he gave her this much info to peruse. He usually dragged her along,

telling her what the case was long after she had the opportunity to refuse.



"Mulder?" she moaned, almost wishing that he had skipped briefing her this

time around.



"C’mon Scully," he looked at her using his patented puppy dog eyes, "You’re

always talking about how we never do anything fun."



"Fun? Somehow my definition of fun doesn’t include the words medium,

Kentucky and pig farm." She resigned, closing the file folder and standing

from her desk. Mulder’s face broadened into a smile as his partner gathered

her things.



"I’ll go, on one condition." Dana called out to him. "Next time, I pick the

X-File."



He handed her coat to her, both exiting the office heading towards the

elevators. The halls were empty being the hallowed chambers of "the FBI’s

most unwanted". Dana had become accustomed to the loneliness. Perhaps, too

accustomed, a small part of her being resenting the isolation that had

caused the two of them to become so independent of the FBI, and too reliant

upon each other for everything else.



"We just have to make one tiny stop to Skinner before we leave." Mulder

added as the doors to the elevator closed.



"What’s the kicker?" Dana asked.



"What kicker?" Mulder ignorantly replied.



"You know, so we can get the pleasantries out of the way. You state your

theory, in which, I being of an incredulous sort, proceed to counter."



"Scully," he turned his head towards her, grinning, "Are you flirting with

me?"



"You wish." She slapped him on the arm with the back of her hand. Dana

returned his gaze, both their eyes locking. After all these years, Dana had

partially acquired the ability to read her partner’s thoughts. Her mind

reeled as she realized that both of them were thinking about a certain New

Year’s kiss. And one of them was inferring more into the lip lock than the

other.



Dana returned her gaze to the door, breaking the tension that had suddenly

arisen between them. A pregnant pause hanging in the air that neither

seemed quite sure how to fill.



Mulder began to say something else when Scully’s cell rang. Puzzled, Dana

fished the phone out of her pocket. Very few individuals knew her personal

cell number. The main caller standing right next to her.



"Agent Scully?" A voice asked, weaving its way through the static on the

line.



A pause.



The doors to the elevator shushed open. Dana stepped out first, Mulder a

step behind. The hissing on her phone clearing as she entered the hallway.



"Hello?" Dana asked into the receiver.



"Dana?" A tickling sensation crawled up the back of Dana’s neck. Something

familiar in that voice, something that reminded her of whiskey and smoke.

Mulder turned to look at her, Dana hadn’t realized that she’d stopped

walking. Something flashed in Dana’s mind.



"Abbie?"



"Dana," the voice on the other end paused, "I need your help."



***



June 12, 1994



FBI Headquarters



Scully craned the back of her neck working the kinks out as she headed back

to her office. It had been a month since the X-Files had been shut down and

she’d spent the majority of her time working a menial position in the

medical department.



Grateful that she hadn’t been fired, Scully graciously accepted the

demotion. Took her licks, as her father would say, and went back to work.

Maybe, in a few years, her time spent on the X-Files wouldn’t be the

gashing scar that appeared on her record.



She accepted the looks, the snickers behind her back, the childish names

that people called her. Maybe it was her background, all those years living

in the shadow of a military commander. Maybe it was her desire to do

something with her life. Or maybe, she was just too scared to admit to

everyone that they were right.



Yet now, it seemed as if she’d been given that so desired second chance.

Someone from the Special Prosecutors Office desired the FBI’s assistance on

a case. For some godly reason, that assignment had fallen onto Scully’s

shoulders. It took every ounce of strength Scully had not to smile when

Blevins handed her the assignment. She practically skipped to the elevator.



Ready and set to regain her career.



Scully turned a corner heading into the break room, grabbing the needed cup

of coffee before she began heading back to her office. The room was empty,

except for the scant accruements that the FBI threw like bones to the

underlings of the FBI. She grabbed a cup of mud-like coffee two rock hard

croissants and headed out the door, almost running into two agents as they

entered the break room, almost knocking the redhead over. Both parties gave

their less than heartfelt apologies as they walked around each other.

Although Dana recognized both men, their names escaped her as she headed

down the hallway.



"Damn." Scully patted her hips, realizing she’d left her ID badge back in

the break room. She skidded on her heels, pulling a u-turn in the hallway.



Dana approached the doorway, pausing as she heard the voices talking a

little too loud in the room.



"What happened to your assignment?"



"Assignment," she heard the second man huff, "Please, I couldn’t dump that

tight-assed bitch fast enough."



"Not interested in inter-departmental assistance?"



"That kinda assistance I can do with out. I pleaded with Blevins to dump

her into someone else’s lap. Thank god he listened to me."



"I thought you liked her?"



"Don’t get me wrong. That’s one piece I’d love to bend over and loosen up

any day but someone locked those knees shut and threw away the key. I

actually feel sorry for the poor bastard who has to deal with that."



Dana feigned ignorance as the two men exited the break room, barely paying

attention to the redhead standing next to the doorway. She grabbed her keys

and, shoulders sagging, headed into the elevator.



**



Dana Scully’s office was nothing more than a counter in one of the many

teaching labs spread out throughout Quantico. She had been told that

eventually, she’d be moved to a room where she’d have her own desk. Scully

wasn’t holding her breath. She didn’t have a desk at the X-Files, so why

should she expect one now?



The room was half lit. The rest of the light spilling in from the large

windows that made up the opposite wall. At least she could see outside,

Scully had mused on first seeing the room.



The room sat empty except for a lone figure sitting at one of the several

lab islands that filled the room. She sat legs crossed on a stool. Black

slacks, modest jacket lain across the table, short sleeved silk blouse, all

business. Her black locks pulled behind her ears casually flipping through

what Scully perceived to be her assignment.



"Hello," Dana called to the woman as she approached the desk. "I’m Special

Agent Scully."



The woman never looked up from her folder.



"So you’re the reject they sent to finally deal with me."



"And you must be the tight-assed bitch that no one wants to talk to."



The woman let out a laugh, deep, hearty, finally looking up from her

folder.

Her eyes seemed to sparkle. Black from afar, but a deep, rich brown Scully

supposed on further inspection. The woman hopped down from the stool,

extending a hand to Scully.



"Abbie Carmichael Special Prosecutor’s Office, a.k.a., the tight-assed

bitch. Which ever rings your bell." Her r’s were slightly slurred, the

‘your ’ coming out an extended ‘yer’. A Southerner, although it would take

a few more minutes for Dana to narrow down the location.



"Special Agent Dana Scully," Dana accepted the hand, taking it into her

own, "lesser known half of the FBI’s most unwanted."



Abbie flashed Dana the widest smile that she’d seen in a very long time.

She returned it with her own, both wiping away any preconceived notions

they had of the other. Leaving Dana with the idea that maybe this wouldn’t

be so bad after all.



***



"Can we meet?" Abbie asked in Dana’s ear.



"Where are you?"



Mulder looked at Dana quizzically, wondering what was going on. She held up

a hand to him, not ready to explain.



"I’m at the reflecting pool. It’s rather melodramatic I know, but I didn’t

wanna chance going into the building."



Something serious.



"Dana, please, I need you."



"Scully, what is it?" Mulder asked in the background. Scully waved him away

with a hand gesture.



"I’ll be right there." Scully answered tucking the device back into her

pocket. She turned towards her partner.



"Mulder, I have to go."



"What is it?"



Dana placed a hand on his arm, giving a reassuring squeeze.



"It’s nothing I can’t take care of Mulder."



"But what about the X-File?" He asked sounding almost like a wounded puppy.



Scully returned her partner’s question with a knowing smile to her partner.



"You go ahead, I’ll meet you there when I can."



Before he could answer, Dana was already inside the elevator. Mulder stood

in the hallway staring at her like a child sent to school for the first

time.



"It’s okay." She reassured him as the doors closed. "Now go."



"Scully?" He called out to the doors. It was too late. Scully was gone.



End Chapter One