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Title: Senator Matheson of Iowa
By: ML
Email: msns...@yahoo.com
Archive: just let me know where
Spoilers: The Pilot
Rating: Everyone
Disclaimer:  I still don't own them, darn it, just
the action figures.  But I'm grateful to Chris
Carter, 1013, and Fox, not to mention all the
actors, for bringing these characters to life and
giving me so much enjoyment.
Synopsis:  Inspired by a deleted scene from the
Pilot, where Ethan Minette tells his girlfriend,
Dana Scully, he knows who "Spooky" Mulder is.

Acknowledgments: to the Posse, always, and to Circe
Invidiosa, who gives my stories a lovely home:  
http://ml.invidiosa.com/index.html

x-x-x

Washington, D.C.  Office of Senator Richard
Matheson

"Your ticket will be waiting at the gate, and the
car will be here in half an hour.  Is there
anything else, Senator?"  His newest assistant, a
real go-getter, stood poised and ready to rush out
and do whatever his bidding might be.

"No, I think you should close up and go home,
Carol.  Enjoy your long weekend."

"Thank you, Sir.  You, too."

Senator Richard Matheson began putting folders into
his briefcase for the flight home.  The start of a
long weekend meant time at home, but no lessening
of the work.

"Sir?"  Carol put her head around the door.  "A Fox
Mulder here to see you?  He doesn't have an
appointment."

"It's all right," the Senator said.  "He's the son
of an old friend."

His assistant went back to the outer office and
returned with the unexpected visitor.

"Do you need me to reschedule your flight?"  Carol
asked pointedly as she stood in the door.

"No, it's fine, Carol.  Go on home."

"Fox!" The Senator said jovially as the door
closed.  "How good to see you.  How's your father?"

"Sir, I'm not here on a social call," the younger
man said. Matheson put his finger to his lips and
went to the office door, opening it quietly.  All
clear.

"How about a drink?"  Matheson asked.  He went to a
cabinet containing a small bar and poured them both
a stiff Scotch.  "Sit down, Fox.  Here."

He handed his guest a drink and gestured for him to
sit down.  

"I must say, I'm surprised to see you here during
'business hours', Fox," said the Senator.  "I
thought we had an agreement."

"More than a year has passed, Sir.  I thought --"

"People in politics have long memories.  But no
matter.  It's late in the day, just before a long
weekend, it's not likely that many people are
about."  He sat back in his chair.  "How is your
father?"

Fox looked stony.  "I haven't seen him in a while."

"Well, next time you do, give him my best,"
Matheson said.  "What brings you here?"

"They're giving me a new partner," he said.

"It's about time.  You've been left alone too
long."

"I don't need any help," Fox said flatly.  "It's
better that I work alone."

"Most agents have partners, don't they?"  Matheson
said mildly.  "And you're a field agent.  You need
backup when you go into the field, don't you?  
Unless you're going back to the Violent Crimes
Unit?"

"No Sir, I'm still pursuing...other areas," the
young agent said.  "And I don't need anyone along
who will impede me."

"What happened to your last partner?  She didn't
impede you, did she?"

"She took a promotion and transfer.  It was too
good an opportunity to pass up," Fox recited
without conviction.  

It had been part of a double blow to his young
protege the year before, the Senator reflected.  
The UFO research funding had died in committee --
thanks to some careful internal lobbying and a
whisper campaign against his esteemed colleague in
the House -- though not before it had created a
scandal on the Hill.

He'd met with the headstrong young man for the
first time then, although he'd known of him for a
while.  While at the State Department, Bill Mulder
had been to the Hill any number of times,
testifying in closed sessions of the Appropriations
Committee that Matheson happened to be on.  As was
often the case, most influence seemed to take place
outside the meetings, and the two men had
cultivated the friendship for their separate
reasons.  

Once Bill Mulder had retired, Matheson had kept
track of Bill's son.  His reason was not solely as
a favor to an old friend, but to keep track of the
young man's interests.  Being who he was, a lot of
people were keeping track of him, and in some
circles it was thought that he would be a valuable
asset, depending how future events unfolded.

That is, if he didn't implode first.    

"And you've been without a partner since then?"  
Matheson asked.

"I've been doing some work for Violent Crimes.  
That was the agreement, wasn't it?  That I help
them when asked?"

There was a slight air of petulance about the young
agent, as though he felt he was being punished for
something not his fault.

Fox Mulder obviously didn't realize how close the
whole thing had come to being a career-ender for
him.  The nickname he'd earned when he was the
golden boy of Violent Crimes began to take on a
much less flattering connotation.  It had taken
Matheson a considerable amount of influence to keep
Fox from being drummed out of the FBI entirely, and
to allow him to continue the indulgence of the X-
Files.  Matheson had agreed, with the others, that
they'd have to find a better way to control him  

His partner was transferred -- though they made it
look like it was her idea.  Diana Fowley was
ambitious enough that it had worked, with Fox none
the wiser.   As planned, they'd been more than work
partners, but after showing how little a
sympathetic partner was able to control him, the
discussion turned to alternatives.  It was agreed
that it would be better to try someone who was less
amenable to his theories, and someone who didn't
have a stake in the game herself.  

"That's what I was told, as long as your solve rate
doesn't suffer.  How many cases have you solved
from the X Files so far?"

Fox shifted uncomfortably.  "The investigations are
ongoing.  They were filed as unsolved for a
reason."

"Exactly.  So you probably need help with them.  It
can't be easy going it alone."

There were so many things Fox didn't know --
couldn't know -- about why he was suffered to
investigate these files.  He also couldn't know
that his new partner had been hand-picked for him,
same as his old one, though for different reasons.  

It had been agreed that he needed someone who
wouldn't just give in to him.  Someone who wasn't
his type.  Seduction as a technique was all very
well -- if the seducer didn't fall for her victim.

Not that there was any guarantee that Dana Scully
wouldn't fall for him, or he for her.  She was
beautiful and smart, a deadly combination.  She
just wasn't Fox Mulder's type, and he definitely
had one.  Tall, buxom, and agreeable usually filled
the bill.  Dana Scully was none of those things.

She was, however, a rule-follower, someone who
believed in the chain of command and the system.  
Those attributes, along with her background in the
hard sciences, made her a perfect foil for Fox and
his as-yet unproven theories.  It didn't hurt that
she was in a committed relationship, either.  
Blevins promised that they would keep closer tabs
on the situation, too, and not rely solely on her
reports for information.

"What have you heard about her?"  He asked,
although he'd seen her file.  He'd asked Blevins to
keep him out of the day-to-day details as much as
possible.  He needed plausible deniability, but
Blevins was a follower, not a leader.

"She's a doctor, recruited right out of medical
school.  She's been teaching at Quantico since
then.  She has very little field experience;
they're grooming her for head of Forensic Science
at the Academy.  They say she's likely to run the
show one day, or at least be Deputy Director."  Fox
drained his glass.  "She's a real bluuuuuuue
flamer," he drawled with a sardonic expression.

"Really.  Then what are you afraid of?  That she'll
outshine you?  That she'll prove you wrong?"

"Maybe I'm afraid that she'll let her ambition get
in the way of the work.  That she'll shut me down
because she's told to.  That she'll do what's
politically expedient, not what's right."

"Do you have any evidence to support these fears?"

"I know what I know," he said stubbornly.

"It boils down to this, Fox.  I don't think it's
appropriate for me to intervene in what is really a
personnel matter."

"But you said you believed in my cause.  That you
wanted to help me," Fox interrupted.

"Yes, I did, and I do.  But as I told you last
year, there's a proper time for such things.  I am
in favor of an eventual bill, but the timing has to
be right.  The people will never be in favor of
funding something like that without a credible
threat or some kind of evidence."

"So I keep shouting at the heavens with my badge
and gun in the meantime?"

Matheson shook his head and smiled in disbelief.  
"You really don't know the meaning of 'low
profile', do you?"

"Of course I do.  My office is in the basement, how
much lower can I get?"

"Very funny.  You know exactly what I mean."  He
walked to his desk and closed his briefcase with a
snap.  "Fox, if it should get out that I'm exerting
influence for your benefit in this, it's going to
decrease my ability to influence in areas where it
really matters.  Not to mention that it won't do
your reputation any good."

"I think I've already taken care of that on my own,
Sir," Mulder muttered.

"Be that as it may.  You gained a name for
yourself, a good name, as a profiler and a rising
star.  Some indulgence has been given you as a
result.  But if you start refusing to work with
people and draw too much attention to yourself, any
help I can give you is over."

"It shouldn't matter what people think if you're
trying to uncover the truth.  I thought that you
were as interested in that as I am.  And you
approached me first."

"Don't make me regret it, Fox."  Matheson poured
himself another drink, and offered the bottle to
Mulder, who shook his head no.  "I'm a politician,
first and foremost.  My influence ends if I'm voted
out of office.  After last year's UFO fiasco, I
need to be careful.  You may not care who you piss
off, but I have to."

Silence from Fox.  His expression was uncannily
like Matheson's teenage son had been when he was
grounded.  Matheson waited.

"So I'm stuck with her."  Mulder finally said
glumly.  "A babysitter, and a rookie at that.  
She's hardly been out of Quantico."

"Maybe it's better that way," Matheson said.  "She
won't know much about you, you'll have a clean
slate with her."  He stood up.  "I'm sorry; I do
have a plane to catch.  Is there anything else I
can do for you?"

"I guess not," Fox Mulder said sullenly.  He stood
up, squared his shoulders, and held out his hand.  
"Thank you for seeing me, Sir," he said
courteously.

"I'm sorry I can't be of more help to you on this,
Fox, but please keep in touch," Matheson said, as
he would to any constituent who petitioned his
help.

He watched as Mulder let himself out of the outer
door, and locked it quietly behind him.  He looked
at his watch and picked up the phone to dial.

When the call connected, he said, "Hello, old
friend.  Now, don't sound so suspicious.  Yes, I do
have a favor to ask, but I think it's one that you
won't mind granting."

He listened for a moment.  "Yes, that's right, Fox
Mulder.  You know him already...."

x-x-x

End.

Notes:  And so it begins!  As I go back to the
beginning and re-watch episodes, I wonder if
there's anything to be written that hasn't already
been written.

That remains to be seen.  There are things that I'm
interested in exploring, in looking at from
different angles, knowing what I know now.  If
you're interested, stay tuned...

feedback: msns...@yahoo.com