"How It Happened: The Pilot" by Sam_I_Am Disclaimer: They aren't mine. I said they weren't mine 15 years ago, and I'm sticking to my story! Summary: How it Happened. Really, that's all! 3rd Person point of view from 3 little-considered characters during the Pilot. On a side note: If life doesn't continue to suck, I would like this to be a series. Also, in this universe, Ethan Minette exists. Also, feedback is always appreciated: smauriceart@yahoo.com. "How It Happened: The Pilot" Part I: Section Chief Blevins The oppressive feeling of potential failure was really just too much too handle. He wasn't sure if his blood was boiling, or running cold, or maybe just alternating between the two. It felt like a hot flash of the mental kind - repressive, smothering, and uncomfortable to the point of tears. Section Chief Blevins couldn't recall a time when he'd felt so cornered. Politics were frustrating, and the FBI had it's political legos built just as high as the next swindling and conniving senator or congressman. The difference was that the FBI was held responsible for justice, and emotions ran high. The Section Chief sat at his desk, having just unleashed a potential monster. Not half an hour had passed since he'd sent Special Agent Dana Scully to the basement to meet her new parter. His wrestling with himself had only partially to do with the fact that he'd just likely sent a bright young agent on her way to career suicide. He was more disturbed by the shadow presence that had invaded his office some weeks ago. Initially, he had only been sent a vague memo that a high- ranking individual was due to ask him a few questions about the Section Chief's position. In confusion, he had assumed it had to do with more of the Bureau's cloak-and-dagger posturing. He hadn't been wrong about the cloak-and-dagger part. The man had quiently walked into his office, unannounced, while Blevins' assistant was away from her desk. His audacity was immediately apparent in the blaise way the mysterious man had lit his cigarrette in the confines of the other man's office. "I would appreciate it if you didn't smoke in here, please," Blevins was firm, not sure who this joker was - or who he thought he was, at least. The blank stare that came back at him was infuriating, and somewhat frightening. Whatever happened to the respect due a man in Bleven's position? It was thelook a fat shark gave a carp: it said "I'm a hell of a lot bigger and meaner than you are, but you're not worth the energy it would take to eat you." The shadow man took a second drag of his cigarrette, and then spoke in a soft, but not shy voice, "Section Chief Blevins; It's a pleasure to finally meet your aquaintance." Blevins was growing agitated, and felt his grasp on control loosening. "I don't know who you are, or what's going on here, but I'm a Section Chief of the FBI; I think I'd like to drop the cloak and dagger bullshit. What's your name?" "That's not important, for now," The man remained achingly calm. "What's important today, is that we discuss a personnel problem of yours; a problem of some delicacy, I believe." "Problem? You could just spare me the guessing and get to the point." Blevins reddened face didn't go unnoticed by the shadow man. "Yes." He blew out a puff of smoke. "The point. I believe you're quite familiar with Fox Mulder's situation. I hear that he frequents your office regularly." "Mulder? Mulder is really what this is all about? I guess I fail to see where your matter of delicacy comes from. Mulder is in a department which, I believe, he is very happy in. He couldn't possibly have lodged a complaint about a partner since he's been enough of an ass to run off two partners so far, one of them I suspect because he couldn't keep it in his pants. He hasn't had a parter in almost six months, and we've pretty much decided it should stay that way. So, tell me, why is it that the director feels the need to sway me on a personnel decision regarding Fox Mulder? And why all the mysterious shit to push me into making a decision about an agent who would be better off left alone?" The smoking man cleared his throat before he began, "First, the director has nothing to do with this. This order comes from me. Let's just say that you won't much like the consequences if you fail to cooperate. Of course, it's very much your choice. "Now, yes, Mulder is content to be in his office alone. He doesn't wish to have a partner interfering with his mobility or his thought process. It has, however, come to the attention of certain...parties, that Agent Mulder might be held to a higher standard of behavior, given the right partner to reign him in. I believe it would be very much in your favor to stop the trespassing on to military bases, the nosing around private institutions, and the political mess he's created. He's a liability to the Bureau, and a danger to other parties and their agendas, despite what friends he has in congress." Blevins mulled his thoughts over for a moment before responding. "You said, with the right partner..." "Yes," the smoking man responded, "We already have someone hand picked for you." "We?" "That's not your concern, Section Chief." "Can I at least see his file?" Blevins knew he was going to lose the fight. It wouldn't serve him well to forgo information that could potentially help him further along the line. A personnel file was dropped onto Blevins' oak desk, a rather thin file, seemingly untouched and unread. Before he even opened the file, he knew the poor bastard was green. He wouldn't even know what he was walking into. Opening the file, his dubiousness increased. The intended partner wasn't some poor guy. She was a little girl. She was his daughter's age. His eyes read her name over a few times, trying to recall any personal encounter he might have had with the young agent. Dana Scully. He could see by her credentials that she was extremely intelligent, despite the meek look of her file photo. She wasn't even 30, and she was already teaching forensics at Quantico. He may not have liked the position he was being put in, but, without a doubt, he could see why 'they' had picked her for Mulder. Her steep knowledge of the scientific and logical was sure to put a whole knew slant on The X-files. She would force him to draw neater and tidier conclusions. But was her personality strong enough to hold him? She seemed like she'd be young, sweet, and maleable. Maybe they were hoping to kill him by the lure of a possible affair? Blevings nodded to the Smoking Man, "You're sure this is the right agent?" "Without a doubt. I believe it won't be long before we see Mr. Mulder's attitude adjusted. Now, as far as Agent Scully's responsibilities are concerned; She will be responsible for filing full accountings of each case that Agent Mulder initiates. My associates are hoping that these reports might offer us some insight into Agent Mulder's investigative approach, how it might be imporoved, and most importantly - how to gain control of him." Blevins looked down into his lap. "Why are you doing this?" "Again, Mr. Blevins. That's not your concern. Please let me know when you've scheduled a meeting with Agent Scully. I'd like to be here for it." A business card with only a telephone number was dropped on Blevins' desk, before the Smoking Man disappeared. ________________________________________ Ethan Minette Ethan sat at his desk, eyes cast downward; his vision was blurring as the night wore on. It was proof that he truly needed to call it quits and head home. In total honesty, though, Ethan wasn't sure he wanted to go home. It was late, after 9:00. Despite this, the newsroom was bustling. 'The news never sleeps...', Ethan thought to himself, chuckling inwardly. His mind wasn't anywhere near the news report and tech sheet in front of him, though. His mind was with Dana, 3000 or more miles away, in Oregon. His mind was actually on the news bomb she managed to drop on him earlier in the day. How long had she been seeking reassignment? How was he going to handle having a significant other who was married to her career? How willing was Dana to leave him? How willing would Dana be to have an affair? Not all the questions were fair - but they ran through his mind of their own volition. They were unbound, nasty thoughts, that ended with a mental image of 'Spooky Mulder' screwing Dana on some nondescript desk. 'What the hell is wrong with you, Ethan?'. He knew he was being paranoid and also knew that he should be attempting some sort of sympathy for Dana. She hadn't wanted to cancel plans and run out to Oregon any more than he had wanted her to - had she? Fact was, that there were many reasons he enjoyed having Dana as a significant other - putting aside the fact that he just liked *her*. He liked the fact that Dana blew everyone away when they took a second look at her. The first look, they were tied down by the fact that she's a very pretty girl, but that she looks young and innocent. In that second look, she'll pull out some line about a guy's liver in this one autopsy, and then the shock is just insurmountable. He liked that she was not the sweet young thing she appeared to be. He liked the fact that she liked guns. He liked taking her out to dinner and showing her off. Ethan wasn't so sure he was going to love those things about her quite as much considering the change in her role at the bureau. He wasn't sure it was going to be as cute after Dana was exposed to disgusting things and became a gun-weilding toughie of the not adorable type. Ethan wasn't sure he could be happy coming home to 'Spooky Mulder' stories. The guy was scary. The guy was dangerous. Ethan didn't think that dangerous was Dana's thing where men were concerned, but it didn't stop him considering that maybe he didn't know that much about Dana. Bottom line? He was scared that this was going to be one more relationship existing well-past the expiration date. He was afraid of what Dana thoght. Hell, he was afraid of what his Mom was going to think. What the hell was he going to do? ___________________________________________ Unkown Person of Unknown Intent and Unknown Employment Shit! What the hell had he been thinking? His mother always told him he was too much of a trouble maker. A few months ago, he'd thought, 'Great gig! Great Money! And occasionally, I get to blow some shit up!'. After being approached by a distinctly shadowy and forboeding figure about a job that could change his life, he'd been excited. Fact was, crime was a passion, for him - he just couldn't escape it. As a young man, petty robberies and general menacing had been a way to secure peace in an otherwise crap life. As an adult, more serious ways of menacing had become a way to distinguish himself and gain power. Still, he'd never had the kind of power he'd hoped for. Maybe this newest job would be his opportunity. But murder? And, at that, the blazing hit-man movie type? He hadn't been prepared for that. The struggle that had come from within him was somewhat surprising. He had done everything - but he'd never thought himself the murdering type. Still, orders were orders, weren't they? The orders were to torch the two hotel rooms after taking care of the occupants. Arriving at the hotel, he quietly and inconspicuously walked through the rainfall to the one hotel room of the two that light eminated from. He felt a surge of luck as he noticed that the blinds were not drawn. There were also no sidewalk lamps nearby to blow his cover in the darkness. Making sure his hood was pulled tightly around his head, he peaked inside. First, he saw two people talking. The power had been out for a bit, and he could see relatively little in the dim light offered by the single candle the male mark held. Then, before he knew it, there was a half-naked woman in the room. The light was barely enough to see that her hair was dark red. She was facing toward him, and he could see that her face was pretty enough. Her body was something else, though - he upgraded her to very pretty. Catching himself before he was unable to carry out his orders, he watched his male mark. He bent low to look at the top of her ass, it looked like. What the hell was he doing? Before he knew it, the male mark was laughing, there was a hug, and clothes went back on. Again, What the hell? The couple was now headed for the bed, and out of his sight. 'That's more like it. Maybe I should let them have one good fuck before I take care of them?'. With a chuckle, he went about unloading his equipment and explosives into a nearby bush. It wasn't long before the couple came running out of the room, the man into the car and the woman into her room. She ran out a moment later, dressed in jeans, an oversized jacket, and her wild hair now pulled back into a ponytail. 'Shit', he thought, ' I thought they were in for the night'. With a sigh of relief, he realized he was off the hook for the murders. With resolve, he thought he could torch the place and maybe his new employers wouldn't kill him. Maybe this was the wrong business for him, afterall. Maybe he should have gotten into the drug business? ___________________________________________________________ The End As I said, hopefully there will be more to come! Thanks for sticking with me this far - and of course, feedback is always welcome!