Title: Vietnam Journal Addendum, That Day By Mummiehelen E-Mail: Gstrav@yahoo.com Category: Skinner/Original Romance Keywords: Original Character death Disclaimer: In Part One Rating:NC-17 Summary: Walter's and Danielle's POV as they went through that tragic day! Danielle, 07:00 Viva Towers She pulled out of the garage thinking it was just too early in the day to have to deal with the GAO and generals who pinched pennies and her bottom at every opportunity. This meeting was for her to try to appropriate money for her department and for them to try to cut corners. She pulled into the parking lot, then stopped at the cafeteria for a large coffee, cut across the courtyard to her office and pulled the relevant folders for today's meeting from her briefcase. She smiled remembering how she was working on them last night in bed. Walter was reading files next to her when all of a sudden she felt his hand on her inner thigh.She tried to ignore it. She really had to finish her paperwork before she went to sleep but, now that hand was right between her legs. That's what she got, she supposed for wearing just a T shirt and no panties to bed. She didn't realize he'd gotten up to use the bathroom just before she'd bent her legs to make an easel for her folder which left her completely exposed to him when he came back to bed. Now he was rubbing her with his palm while he slipped his middle finger up inside her. It was no use. She was moist and ready for him. "I don't suppose it would do any good to ask you to stop, would it?" "You may want me to but, your body doesn't." "Walter, my meeting is early tomorrow. I have to finish this to make my presentation." "It's still early, Baby." he purred, working her sex fervently. She set the folder aside and slipped her arms around her husband. Hmmmm, she sighed. Trying to concentrate was going to be difficult. Her body was already responding to the memory. She gave her notes...hastily finished this morning, a final scrutiny, squared her shoulders and took them and her coffee into the meeting. Walter, J.Edgar Hoover Building 8:00AM He finished reading the story he'd forget before noon, and headed to work. He arrived at 8:30 and started his day as he always did, with a mug of coffee and the AM delivery of mail. His first incoming phone call began with an unusual question from an even more unusual source. It was Frohike,asking if he was watching TV. "No. of course not, I'm working." he replied. "Turn it on." He did. It was 8:50 and the north building of the World Trade Center had just been hit by a commercial airliner. The scene was chaotic as people rushed through the surrounding streets chased by billowing smoke. Replays showed the action from the moment it was first captured on film. By now, work came to a standstill as most everyone in the JEH building was watching too. Mulder and Scully had been scheduled for a meeting at nine and they showed up on time. They came in to see their boss already tuned in to the news. He invited them to just sit and watch with him. Although everyone was affected by the tragedy Mulder noticed a profound sadness in his bosses' eyes. He was about to say something when Skinner spoke. "It's so terrible. They weren't soldiers, they were unarmed civilians who never had a chance. People who were just going to work like any other day." "Yeah." Mulder agreed. "The ultimate act of cowardice." There were nods of agreement all round but they remained silent in order to hear the reports. At 9:00 Skinner excused himself and stepped out into the hall to call his wife. She didn't answer her office phone so he tried her cell. "Are you watching?" he said, in lieu of the usual greeting. "Yes. It's so horrible." "I tried your office. Where are you?" he asked. "The meeting ran over. Everyone else left but, I stayed in the conference room cause it has a television." "I should get back. I just wanted to check on you, to hear your voice." he was about to tell he loved her when someone passed him." I'll see you tonight." he whispered instead. "Okay, bye Hon." she said and rang off. Danielle, The Pentagon 09:30 She decided to get some work done. She made a quick stop in the ladies room then returned to her office. She was just settling in with the day's agenda when she felt the building rock. She knew immediately it was no internal malfunction, they'd been hit! She ran out into the hall and saw smoke coming from the section to her right. People started coming out, coughing as they emerged from the smoke.This was a section that had just been renovated and reinforced or the damage would have been much worse. The physician in her took over, she returned to her office for her medical bag. For the next half hour she helped her co-workers get out of the smoky atmosphere to the center courtyard,where she could do a quick evaluation on them.Then they could be moved to the south parking lot where medical personal had arrived and were already setting up as a staging area to treat the injured. Walter, J. Edgar Hoover Building 9:05 AM He got back to his office just in time to see the South Tower get hit by flight 175. This time viewers could actually see the plane zeroing in on the structure and it ripping through its glass facade. They showed police and firemen on the ground as well as reporters trying to interview people who were injured and/or in shock. Walter shook his head wondering just how much worse things could get. Little did he realize that this was only the beginning of the horror he would experience before the day was done. The next announcement was that the Pentagon had also been struck by aircraft. At 9:38 flight 77, a high jacked Boeing 757 crashed into the helicopter pad adjacent to the west side of the building. Eyewitnesses report seeing a 60 foot fireball at the point of impact.Mulder glanced over at his boss assuming he knew people who worked there and saw a look of abject terror frozen on Skinner's face. This was more than a national tragedy for him...this was personal. He opened his mouth to ask him about it and heard him speak softer than he ever had. "Oh God no." "Sir?" Mulder questioned. Skinner grabbed the phone and hit a speed dial number. He listened impatiently for it to be answered, then tried another. Again, no response. He dialed a full 11 digit number next. This time there was an answer. "What do you know?" he barked into the phone without the preamble of a greeting. Skinner listened and Mulder wondered what caused that look on his boss's face. The senior man swiveled his chair then, so his back was to them and he couldn't hear what he was saying. It was one of those times when his natural curiosity got the best of him and made him frustrated that he knew so little about the man who had been their advocate more times than he could remember. Maybe if he did, he'd know better how to help. He had a deep respect for him, especially after hearing what he'd been through in the Vietnam war, and at such a tender age. When *he* was eighteen, he was enjoying the freedom of being on his own as a sophomore at Oxford University with little more to worry about than plans for the weekend. Skinner turned back to his desk, ended the call and was about to make another when he turned to the TV to see the south Tower collapse. Something inside him snapped and he couldn't sit still any longer. He grabbed his suit jacket and walked out to Kim's office. "If I get any important calls, have them reach me on my cell, otherwise I'm unavailable." As soon as he pulled his car out from the protection of the underground garage, he saw the smoke billowing across the Potomac toward him. A fresh sense of dread filled him. He knew beyond a doubt that if Danielle wasn't hurt in the initial blast, she'd be helping those who had been. He remembered how she and her unit had stayed after the fall of Saigon just to make sure everyone was taken care of. She certainly would not abandon friends and co- workers in this crisis. The news reported secondary explosions occurring inside even as people were being evacuated. He gunned it, he had to get there and find her. From the reports he knew the damaged section was right next to the one she worked in. He followed the ambulances into the south parking lot. An EMT tried to stop him from going in. He flashed his FBI identification. 'I'm sorry Sir, I can't let you go in. It's not safe. There's been steady explosions ever since the crash." "You don't understand, my wife's in there!" "Do you have a picture? Maybe she's been brought out." Skinner pulled a snapshot from his wallet. "I haven't seen her." he said studying the photo. This didn't surprise him at all. "They're bringing people to the courtyard. I'll call and clear it for you. Take corridor 2 straight in." "Thank you." he said, already breaking into run. The EMT radioed the officer in charge inside and gave him Skinner's description and reason for being there. Skinner checked with him and showed the picture. "Oh yeah, she's been bringing people out since before I got here. She'd give'em an a field exam and make an initial evaluation, asking them about allergies or other special considerations, the EMT's outside should know about. She's an excellent diagnostician and it's my guess she's saved a lot of people from getting the wrong treatment." "I have to get in there." he said, starting to move toward the interior door to northwest section. The officer took hold of him. "You can't. You'll just get lost and we'll have to try and find you. Your wife knows her way around, even in the smoke. Besides, she should be coming out any minute now." Suddenly there was a deafening crash as the damaged portion of the building collapsed. Everyone in the courtyard stopped what they were doing and stood in shock. For Walter, it was a moment of utter clarity. He knew beyond a doubt Danielle was in that section helping someone....and he was just as certain she was dead. Danielle, The Pentagon 10:09 She was pretty certain they had gotten out everyone they could. She was glad cause then she could take a break as soon as she got this man out to the courtyard. He was wheezing and she wanted to check him for a respiratory condition since he was neither old nor heavy.She stood him up and wrapped his arm around her shoulder so she could help him walk. They were almost out of his office when she heard the crack overhead. She didn't need to be told it was the roof caving in. She tried to move faster but the man was pulling back, saying he needed to get something from his desk. "There's no time!" she shouted as he wrestled with her. She heard another rending sound and saw tons of building materials coming down on them. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts. They were going away this weekend but they hadn't decided where yet. She needed to pick up dry-cleaning. There was a movie on HBO tomorrow night that they were going to watch. Walter promised to make popco...... Then it all went black as the weight crushed her, killing her instantly from massive brain trauma. Walter, Crystal City 9:00PM Walter sat on the couch in the dark. His body was numb but his brain kept replaying today. Two things stuck out in his mind. Danielle had kissed him on the cheek this morning and he barely acknowledged it because he wanted to read the paper.(Now he couldn't even remember what he'd read) and he didn't tell her he loved her when he spoke to her this morning, right after the first tower was struck. That's why he called, to be reassured she was alright. He should have told her. It shouldn't have mattered that he was in a hallway where someone might hear him. He should have FUCKING TOLD HER! On the coffee table was a list from the Pentagon. It read: Capt. Danielle F. Skinner, 52 Crystal City, Virginia Medical Doctor, U.S. Army Confirmed dead in building The End