Title:  New Millennium:  New Faces
Author:  Vickie Moseley
Summary:  Part of the New Millennium series.  Skinner is given a
particularly hard assignment.
Category:  G
Rating:  SkA, slight MA, MSM
Disclaimer:  Is this even in your wildest imaginings, Chris?
Didn't think so.  But whatever copyright might be infringed is not
intentional.
Archive:  yes
Author's Notes:  Gosh, I've forgotten how many of these we have
now, but it's got to be a slew.  This is just one more mile in the
road we're headed down.  Thanks for joining us in the journey.  If
we keep this going, we might make the NEXT millennium!  There is
more coming, we promise!
Find the rest of the series at Ten's site
http://ten.bitter-moon.com/ten/xf/
This might be a new site for you, so make sure to go there and
bookmark it.
Feedback:  vickiemoseley1978@yahoo.com

New Millennium:  New Faces
by Vickie Moseley

FBI Headquarters
Office of Deputy Director Janna Cassidy
10:14 am

"There is no room for debate on this matter, Walter," Deputy
Director Janna Cassidy said, her head held high to impose her
position on the much taller man sitting before her.

"But Jan, er, Deputy Director," Walter Skinner fumbled over his
own horrible faux pas, "these two agents have been to hell and
back.  You can't do something like this to them without their
knowledge."

"Assistant Director Skinner, thank you for making my point.  Yes,
I agree these two partners have been through more than any other
pair of partners we have in the Bureau.  Which is precisely why
the Director and myself have decided that this move must be made.
And as for their approval, the last time I saw an 'org' chart,
your name was on the line _above_ Agents Mulder and Scully-Mulder
and you have more than the power to do what I'm directing, you
have the _responsibility_; to me as your superior, and to them as
your subordinates.  Maybe it isn't just partners who can become
too attached, AD Skinner.  Maybe superiors can have their judgment
clouded, as well.  Do I need to be making a recommendation in that
instance, also?"

Skinner turned bright red at the DD's accusation.  Yes, he was
close to Mulder and Scully.  He'd watched them both go through
Hell too many times not to allow them into his heart.  But he also
knew he wasn't clouded.  He could still direct them.  He could
still require them to do what was necessary.

"Deputy Director, your suspicions are misplaced," he said evenly.
"I'll review the files you've given me, the possibilities, and
I'll speak with the Mulders within the next two days.  All will be
in readiness by the first of the month when we can activate the
change."

Janna Cassidy smiled brightly, even allowing some of her affection
for the man before her to shine through her eyes.  "I knew you'd
come around, Walter.  And this really is for the best.  It will
take a lot of the weight from both their shoulders.  It's what you
want, after all, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Jan, it is.  The hard part will be making them see that it
might not be what they want, but it's what they need right now."

Cassidy chuckled.  "That is why they pay us the 'big bucks', Walt.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some balls to bust and I need a
few minutes to put on my game face."

It was Skinner's turn to chuckle.  "Jan, you always have your game
face on.  We still playing poker at Ben's on Friday?"

"Payday's on Thursday, isn't it?  And this time, don't forget the
salsa," she chided.

 Skinner made his way back down to his office.  Kim was waiting
expectantly at her desk and he waved at her to follow him and
close the door behind her.

"Well?" she asked, taking a seat in one of the two chairs in front
of his desk.

"It's bad," he said shortly.

"How bad?  Bad as in one of them at Quantico and one of them in
East Des Moines?  Or bad as in 'they won't like it' bad?"

"No one wants them split up.  The Director _and_ the Attorney
General both made that crystal clear."

Kim sighed in relief.

"There's going to be another placement on the X Files team," he
said quietly.

"Oh is that all . . . wait a minute, team?" Kim asked suddenly.
"What 'team'?"

"Well, Agent Michels is not getting a transfer, she's staying put.
And there will be an additional agent assigned to the X Files
Division, effective the first of the month."

"But just while Agent Mulder is on part-time status, right?" Kim
asked expectantly.  Skinner shook his head slowly.  Kim looked
confused.  "So that means . . ."

"Mulder will now be responsible for an agent and Agent Scully will
be responsible for an agent.  I assume, since they've already
worked together I should have Scully in charge of Agent Michels."

"That means you have to find someone to work under Agent Mulder,"
Kim supplied.

"They called this a 'suicide mission' back in 'Nam," Skinner said
with a heavy sigh.

"Well, what other option do you have?  I mean, it is only
reasonable.  They can't expect to go running off across the
country for weeks at a time when the baby comes.  It's about time
both Mulder and Scully realized their responsibilities and figured
out that they have to settle down!" Kim said, arms crossed.

Skinner looked at her with awe and admiration.

"I'm just damned glad it's not me that has to tell Mulder," she
said with a bright smile.  "Good luck with that, Walter!"  And
without further comment, she left the room.

"Coward," the Assistant Director muttered.  He adjusted his
glasses, settled himself more comfortably in his desk chair, and
slowly upended the expandable shuck Deputy Director Cassidy had
given him.  Fourteen dossiers slid across the glass top of his
desk.  Fourteen agents, each equally qualified, according to the
'powers that be', to work in one of the most confusing and
dangerous divisions the FBI had known since its inception under J.
Edgar himself.  Skinner picked up the first folder and started to
read.

Office of Assistant Director Walter Skinner
9:45 pm

He closed the last dossier and stretched his neck, groaning when
he felt the vertebra pop.  His stomach was grumbling twice as loud
as it had when he missed lunch.  He thought briefly about leaving
and making the decision in the morning.  As seductive as that
thought might be, he knew it was only putting off the inevitable
and Walter Sergei Skinner was not a procrastinator.  A decision
had to be made and it had to be made before he left the office, or
before he lost his nerve, whichever came first.

Diving his hand into the pile of tan folders he pulled out one
from the middle.  Callum Wolfe, 32, hometown San Francisco,
California.  Had been recruited out of the Marines, which
impressed Skinner, until he saw that he was a computer expert.
"Great, a tech-head," he moaned aloud.  On the other hand,
computers were something the X files seemed to rely on, at least
what he'd seen.  He gave the folder and Wolfe another glance over.

His mother was Australian, youngest daughter of a commercial
shipping magnate. His father was American, a former Marine who was
stationed at Okinawa where his mother was working in her father's
shipping business.  The two moved to the States after they were
married.  Wolfe had been born in San Francisco, but spent many of
his summers 'down under'.  Did his undergrad at MIT and got a
commission with the USMC right out of college.  Served with
distinction and was recruited for the FBI.  He'd been working in
the FBI's computer database lab for the four years he'd been with
the Bureau.

"Green, not a tested field agent," Skinner said, making a note on
a yellow legal pad.  Then, he saw it.  A notation at the back of
the file that was probably meant to be buried.  When Wolfe was 12
years old, visiting his grandparents near Sydney, his uncle had
taken him on a camping trip to the Outback.  The third night of
the trip, Wolfe and his uncle witnessed an object in the sky, just
over the eastern horizon.  It was bright blue, with orange, red,
and yellow lights.  While the boy and his uncle watched, it drew
closer, then hovered overhead, totally without sound.  There was a
bright light that engulfed them both.  Wolfe reported that the
light felt 'cool and hot at the same time' but the light
disappeared, leaving them both night blind for several seconds.
When his uncle could see his watch, they discovered over 9 minutes
had passed.

"Oh, shit," Skinner breathed.  "This kid's a natural."

Office of Assistant Director Walter Skinner
9:15 am

"You're looking better, Mulder," Skinner said congenially as the
younger man stepped into the office.  He did look better.  Much
better.  His color was back, his gait was almost normal.  He was
only a pound or two shy of filling out his expensive suit.  Even
so, Skinner was well aware that by lunchtime, the agent before him
would be dragging.  His stamina was not up to par.  This knowledge
only fueled Skinner's determination.

"You wanted to see me, sir," Mulder said formally as he lowered
himself into the seat.  There was something about being called to
the boss's office, alone, that always put Mulder on the defensive.
Usually it meant he'd screwed the pooch along the line and Skinner
didn't want to have Scully sustain any collateral damage from the
ass chewing her partner was receiving.  But Mulder knew he'd been
on his best behavior, if for no other reason than he just didn't
have the fortitude to do anything else.  So his innate curiosity
was fighting a pitched battle with his inherent paranoia and it
was giving him one hell of a headache.

"Relax, Mulder," Skinner said affably, sensing immediately the
younger man's apprehension.  "You're not on the carpet this time."

"Well then, let's pull out that bottle of Jack you don't have
stashed in your bottom drawer and drink to my coming back to
work," Mulder quipped with a smirk.

"We're not that informal," Skinner said gruffly, but met Mulder's
smirk with a twinkle in his own eyes.  "I called you up here on a
departmental management matter."

Mulder's brow immediately furrowed.  "Management matter?  Am I
being replaced, sir?  Surely, they aren't going to try and split
us up again, are they, sir?" he asked, hoping that squeak he heard
was coming from the chair on which he sat and not his voicebox.

Skinner shook his head and chuckled.  "Not at all, Agent Mulder.
Quite the contrary, actually."  Skinner picked up the lone file
folder on his desktop and handed it over to Mulder.  "This is the
personnel file on Agent Callum Wolfe.  He'll be joining you in the
basement."

Mulder accepted the folder, half listening, but then the words
caught up with him.  "Joining us, sir?  As in . . . what?"

"As in working for the X Files, Mulder.  He'll start on next
Monday."

"So Agent Michels got her transfer," Mulder said half aloud.

"No, Agent Michels is staying as well," Skinner corrected.  "She
and Agent Wolfe will be working with you and Agent Scully.  All
four of you will be working on the X files now."

Mulder's look, at least in Skinner's honest opinion, was gold
plated priceless.  "There will be _four_ of us in the basement,
sir?"  This time, his voice did squeak.

"I think we'll be moving you to temporary quarters on the second
floor, for a few weeks.  The back wall of your office, the one
that adjoins the storage room, will be removed and a suite of
offices will be built in the combined space.  You and Scully will
have your own offices, the other two junior agents will share
space, but have their own cubicles.  There will still be enough
room for your slide projector, Mulder," Skinner assured him.

"Scully just wanted a desk," Mulder continued to mutter as he
looked down at the folder on his lap.  He looked up again, at his
boss.  "I take it we have no say in this matter?"

"Oh, you have plenty of say, Agent.  But so do I.  Want to take
bets on who'll win?"  Skinner had his 'yes, I can kick your ass
from here to next Tuesday' face on.  Mulder sighed and looked at
the folder again.

"Look at it in the spirit in which it comes to you, Mulder,"
Skinner encouraged.

"And what spirit would that be, sir?" Mulder spit back.

"A promotion.  A chance to get out of the field for a while.  A
chance to train new agents into your methods and procedures used
to investigate these unique cases.  A chance to settle down and
meet your new responsibilities, as a husband and soon to be
father.  This is a good thing, if you look at it the right way."

Mulder fingered the file folder absently before looking up at
Skinner again.  "Did you see it in the right light, sir, when they
told you that you were going to be a desk jockey?"

"I didn't have a child on the way, Mulder.  You, my friend, do,"
Skinner reminded him.  He took off his glasses and regarded Mulder
for a moment.  "This isn't permanent desk duty, Mulder.  But I
can't have you out in the field while Scully's on maternity leave
with no backup.  And even once she's back, the two of you will
undoubtedly want to keep closer to home.  This allows you
flexibility, while still keeping the X files open.  That is what
you want, isn't it?

"Of course, sir," Mulder agreed instantly and stood, slapping the
folder against his leg.  "Is that all, sir?"

"I'll expect progress reports.  If the new agent isn't pulling his
weight, and I mean immediately, I want to know about it.  I'll
ship him back to Frisco so fast he won't know what hit him."

Mulder nodded once again and walked slowly toward the door.  He
stopped just short of taking hold of the knob, and turned to
regard Skinner once more.  "A good thing?" he asked, still unsure.

"Could be one of the best," Skinner said enthusiastically, even
going so far as to try on one of his goofy smiles that seemed to
come so easily when they were all out in Hollywood.

Mulder nodded again, looking totally unconvinced, and opened the
door to leave the office.  When the door clicked shut behind him,
Skinner let out a huge sigh of relief.  Then he thought about what
he'd just done.  Four agents, two who hadn't been forced to work
closely with anyone but each other for going on 9 years and two
green horns who hadn't been field tested.  The weight he'd
mistakenly thought would be lifted when he broke the news to
Mulder suddenly fell back on his shoulders.

"God help us all."

The End