Senator Matheson of Iowa


Title: Senator Matheson of Iowa
By: ML

Archive: just let me know where
Spoilers: The Pilot
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

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…