All Eyes Lead to the Truth | X-Cops (7x12)
Tara Scully sighed, savoring the rare evening quiet. The baby monitor hummed softly—Matthew had finally settled after a long day of teething and tantrums. Her shoulders ached, but a warm bath awaited.
“Tara, come in here! You’re not gonna believe this!”
She rolled her shoulders, exhaling before pushing off the doorframe.
“Shhhh! It’s your turn if you wake him up,” she whispered, making her way towards the living room.
The TV flickered as COPS played, Bill’s favorite. “You’ve gotta be shitting me,” he muttered, rubbing his neck.
Tara squinted at the screen. It took a second to register, but when it did, Bill’s reaction made complete sense. In the middle of a chaotic police standoff stood her sister-in-law and, to Bill’s chagrin, her sister-in-law’s comely partner.
“Check the I.D. in my back pocket! We’re investigating a case!” Mulder declared with a confidence that bordered on cocky.
Bill groaned, “ COPS ?! Is nothing sacred?”
Tara raised an eyebrow. “How did you not hear about this?”
“Maybe because my sister didn’t bother to mention she was going to humiliate herself on national TV!” Bill gestured toward the screen, his voice rising with each word.
Onscreen, Mulder stood in front of a claw-marked door, gesturing wildly as he explained werewolf lore to an increasingly skeptical sergeant. Dana stood nearby, arms crossed, her expression the picture of restrained exasperation.
“I think she looks great,” Tara countered, hiding a smirk. “Besides, Mulder’s the one talking about werewolves.”
Bill grabbed the phone from the coffee table, his jaw tight. “I’m calling Mom.”
Tara watched him with a bemused expression as he put the phone on speaker, pacing in front of the TV like a man on a mission. The way his brow furrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line mirrored the expression his sister was wearing on the screen.
Margaret Scully’s warm voice filled the room from the cordless phone.
“Mom, it’s me,” Bill said, pacing more fervently now.
“Hi, honey! How are you?”
“Did you know Dana was going to be on COPS ?"
" COPS . The show. She and Mulder are on it, talking about werewolves and God knows what else. It’s a total embarrassment.” Bill threw his hands in the air, gesturing emphatically at the screen. “You need to turn on Channel 5.”
"Oh, my goodness! Really?"
Bill blinked. "You're... excited about this?"
"Well, of course!" Margaret beamed. "How often do I get to see my daughter on television?"
Bill stared at the receiver in disbelief. "Mom, this isn’t some news feature or awards ceremony or something. It’s COPS . It’s humiliating. They’re running around with a camera crew, talking about werewolves. You know Father McCue is watching this right now!"
"Well, I think it’s wonderful," Margaret said firmly.
Tara bit her lip to keep from laughing. Bill groaned, rubbing his temples as Margaret continued,"Bill, let me know when it’s airing again so I can tape it on the VCR.”
“Sure. Fine. Whatever.” Bill muttered, flopping onto the couch in defeat before adding a softer, “Love you.”
As the call disconnected, Tara grinned at Bill, her amusement barely contained. “That went about how I expected.”
Bill rubbed his temples. “This whole family’s insane.”
Tara, unable to resist, picked up the phone and dialed Dana.
The line clicked, and Dana answered, cautious and a little tired, her voice now feeling like surround sound between the phone’s receiver and the television speakers. “Tara? What’s up?”
“For God’s sake!” Bill yelled at the TV as Mulder proudly brandished the sketch of the claw monster once again.
“How come you didn’t tell us you were going to be on COPS ? We are so excited for you!”
Silence followed, and for a second she had to pull the receiver away from her ear to make sure she hadn’t hung up accidentally. When she put it back to her ear, she heard whispers she hadn’t registered before.
“You said Skinner pulled the footage,” Dana whispered harshly.
“I said he was trying to pull the footage,” the unmistakable voice of Mulder clarified.
“Sorry,” Dana said tightly, no longer muffled. “What are you seeing, exactly?”
“Just the important parts,” Tara teased. “Like Mulder explaining werewolf lore while you looked like you were two seconds from strangling him, but you did a really good job at keeping the camera crew away from you.”
Dana sighed audibly. “Fantastic.”
Tara softened, her tone turning genuine. “You were great, Dana. Really. You come across so professional and badass.”
Another pause. Dana hesitated, then lowered her voice, though it was clear Mulder was still nearby. “What about-” she started before stopping herself, but Tara heard what was left unsaid. What about Mulder?
Tara could hear the concern beneath the question, even if Dana’s tone was clipped. Her chest tightened with sympathy for the woman. Just like Agent Scully on screen, Dana didn’t want anyone thinking poorly of Mulder.
“He was Mulder,” Tara said gently. “Charming, confident, a little goofy… but he came across like he believed in what he was doing. Besides, this case is genuinely scary. It’s hard to refute what he’s saying when no one can come up with any other explanation.”
Dana didn’t respond immediately, but Tara could imagine her closing her eyes in relief, her shoulders relaxing.
“Thanks,” Dana said finally, her voice quieter.
“Ask her if I look handsome on the silver screen,” Mulder’s voice teased from nearby.
“Anytime,” Tara replied. “But seriously, next time you’re on national TV, maybe give us a heads-up?”
Dana groaned, but Tara could hear the faintest hint of a laugh behind it.
As the call ended, Tara smiled to herself, watching Mulder and Dana bicker on screen. The woman she’d known for years was so private, but seeing her so passionate on screen was really something else.
But, of course, Bill had a different perspective.
“Why do they have to keep gazing at each other like that?! Have they ever heard of personal space?!”
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