TITLE: In My Stead
AUTHOR: Anna Barber 
E-MAIL ADDRESS: MYNINA@AOL.com
DISTRIBUTION: Sure just let me know where it is. 
SPOILER WARNING: Biogenesis
RATING: G 
CLASSIFICATION: Post episode 
KEYWORDS: 
SUMMARY: Margaret Scully watches over Mulder while Scully searches for 
answers.

AUTHORS NOTE:   After watching Biogenesis a 2nd time I decided there is no 
way Scully would leave Mulder to the mercy of TFW.  So I figured Scully must 
have left someone to watch over Mulder and who else does she trust?   As 
always thanks to Debra. 

DISCLAIMER:  All together now!  Mulder, Scully and the X Files belong to the 
good people of 1013 and Chris Carter et al.  I'm not making any money with 
this, just having some fun.  Don't sue me, I'm just a poor working girl with 
a mortgage and a car payment. 

In My Stead

    Dana Scully leaned back shading her eyes as she looked up at the 
ever-present sun high in the sky.  With a sigh she picked up the letter she 
had been writing and discarded a few moments ago.

    Mulder, she had written, I hope by now you understand why I had to leave 
just when it seemed that you needed me the most.  I need to find the answers 
and even though I am far away, you are ever in my thoughts. 
    Trust Dr. Klein Mulder, she is my friend.  My Mom will be there with as 
long as you need her. She will take good care of you in my stead.

    "I have to go now and with any luck I will be home soon.  Love Always, 
Scully"   Margaret Scully glanced over at the young man seated beside her.  
Heavily sedated his eyes were dull, his mouth hanging slightly open.  
Reaching over she brushed the hair from his eyes, relieved to see he didn't 
shy away as he had when she first arrived.  Progress, she thought.  "Would 
you like to see Dana's letter Fox?" She held out the paper.

    Mulder reached out a tentative hand and touched the slip of white paper 
in Margaret's hand.  At her slight nod, he took the letter and looked at the 
familiar handwriting, touching the paper to his face.  "Scully," he 
whispered, his voice roughened with hours of calling that same name.

    For a brief moment Margaret could see the essence of Mulder in his eyes, 
a glimpse of lucidity.  At the sound of the door opening  it was gone and 
Mulder quickly hid the letter behind his back.  What had they done to him, 
wondered Margaret, in the six hours that had elapsed before she had been 
allowed entry into the hospital?  Her eyes flickered over the two figures who 
stood in the doorway.  She recognized AD Skinner and knew instinctively his 
companion was Diana Fowley.  It was Skinner who spoke first.

    "Mrs. Scully what are you doing here?" 

    She tilted her head back and looked at the man her daughter no longer 
trusted.  "Dana asked me to stay with Fox."

    "She had no right to do that."

    Margaret turned to attention the woman who had spoken.  "I beg your 
pardon, but she has every right.  Dana holds Fox's Power of Attorney.  It 
clearly states that in case he is unable to make decisions on his own then 
Dana will make those decisions for him."

    "You still have no business here."
    
    "Wrong again.  Since Dana is unable to be here, she turned over that 
Power of Attorney to me.  It expressly gives me the right to make any 
decisions for Fox."

    Skinner watched in ill concealed amusement as Diana spit and sputtered.   
"Mrs. Scully, I understand you think you are doing the right thing here, but-"

    "With all due respect Mr. Skinner, I am doing what my daughter asked me 
to do.  Stay and watch over Fox and until he is able to leave this hospital I 
am here to stay."

    "Dr. Richardson agreed to this?"  Diana had finally found her voice. 

    "Dr. Richardson is no longer Fox's doctor, Dr. Elizabeth Klein is now his 
attending physician." 

    "Who authorized that?"

    "My daughter did."

    "She had no right-"

    "She has every right," Margaret rose and strode over to the other woman.  
"If you had bothered to check before you did whatever it was you did to Fox, 
you'd have found that in addition to the POA that gives her the power to make 
any and all decisions regarding medical treatment, Dana is listed as Fox's 
next of kin. He trusts her to take control of every aspect of his life if 
need be.  There is no one else he trusts as completely."

    Skinner stepped between the two women, quickly changing the subject.  
"Has his mother been notified?  I tried to reach her but-"

    "Mrs. Mulder is aware of her son's condition and I have been in contact 
with her.  Unfortunately her own medical condition precludes her from being 
here."

     "Where is she?"

     "Mr. Skinner, that is none of your business.  Mrs. Mulder is fragile, 
emotionally and physically and I'll not have her bothered."

    "You'll not have her bothered? I suppose your precious daughter gave you 
the right to make that decision too."

    "No.  Mrs. Mulder agreed that it is in her, and Fox's, best interests 
that she stay in seclusion."

    "We can make it our business Mrs. Scully, or have you forgotten that we 
are the FBI?  We can insist you give us Mrs. Mulders location and have Fox 
moved as a security risk." 

    "Do try Agent Fowley.  You won't get anywhere.  First of all I don't know 
Mrs. Mulder's exact location, Dana was certain you'd pull a stunt like this. 
Even if I did, despite your apparent taste for torture, I still wouldn't tell 
you.  Believe me I've dealt with tougher and smarter adversaries.  You look 
surprised, don't you ever do any research?  Wrote me off as just another 
housewife.  Shame on you. You should have taken a closer look at what I did 
before I got married."   

    Skinner hid a smile, "Mrs. Scully, Agent Fowley has a point, we do have a 
certain amount of leeway here."

    "Fox is going no where unless I give the okay.  Dr. Klein is a Navy 
doctor, I am a widow of a Navy captain.  I have two sons currently serving in 
the Navy.  Before you get a chance to file the first scrap of a paper I will 
have you so buried in military red tape she'll loose that pretty tan she 
acquired wherever it was she came from."

    Diana looked at Skinner for support but found none.  His attention was 
riveted on Mulder who had sat quietly during this exchange.  Why had he 
snapped like that?  He forced his attention back to the two women, but not 
before the fleeting thought that Scully was right crossed his mind.  "Mrs. 
Scully, please reconsider, I want what is best for Mulder, and for your 
daughter."

    Margaret Scully looked at the AD, briefly considering that perhaps she 
could trust him.  "Mr. Skinner, maybe you do, but she doesn't and if you need 
further proof of that I suggest you contact Dr. Klein.  Now as far as I am 
concerned, this conversation is over.  Neither of you is welcome here.  
Please leave before I have you thrown out." 

    Without a word of protest Skinner took Diana's arm and lead her toward 
the door.  As he opened the door he turned back to Margaret, "If you 
reconsider Mrs. Scully, you know how to reach me."

    "I won't," she answered, "oh and in case I forgot to mention it, I met my 
husband at NIS, he came in for his orders, I gave them to him."  With that 
she turned her back on them and sat down beside Mulder.  Taking his hand in 
hers, she patted it and said, "Don't worry Fox, I'm here to take care of you 
now. " 

End

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