Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Never will. Ain't making money from 'em. Characters property of Carter, 1013 & Fox. Summary: Mulder finally gets some recognition. Rating: G. RECOGNITION by KMS! kmspider@aol.com Fox Mulder stood at the window that separated the large auditorium from the hallway, watching the room fill with agents. The volume was loud as agents filed into seats, laughing and calling to one another. The podium on the stage in front remained empty. The Director's Call had not yet started. On schedule for today was an awards ceremony. Ten-year pins, twenty-year pins, and recognition for distinction in the line of duty. Not suprisingly, Mulder would not be receiving any awards today, but many of the men he had recently worked with in the VCS were. Morbid curiosity had drawn him to the window to view the ceremony. Mulder made no move to enter the room, simply watched from his post at the glass. Somewhere deep inside him he wished he was with them, to be one of them, accepted for what he was, recognized for his ability. His heart twisted with the pain and he forced himself to look away from the group. He shouldn't do this to himself. Breathing deeply, he pushed the pain away, locking it away deep inside himself. Acceptance and recognition was not something he would be receiving today. Not today, probably never. Unseen, his partner joined him at his station, unnoticed until she placed a hand on his forearm. "Are you going in, Mulder?" Mulder glanced down at the short red-haired woman. "Not me, Scully. I'm not sure I would be welcomed." "But aren't they receiving commendations for the Holly Alexander kidnapping case?" Mulder smiled indulgently. "Yes. And that's why I'm not going in." "But I thought you worked on that case. Jeff Stratton told me they never would have apprehended the suspect or found the girl without your help." "That explains the 'letter of reprimand' now resting in my personnel file." "What are you talking about, Mulder. I thought the whole team were receiving commendations for the case." A wry grin spread across his face, but Scully could see the pain hovering deep in his eyes. "I guess I was just too annoying. The Agent in Charge made sure the only piece of paper I got wasn't a commendation." "What happened?" "Skinner asked me to go and assist. I arrived and twenty-four hours later the suspect was in custody, but no one could find the girl. I had an idea where she was being kept, so we headed out to an abandoned warehouse. We must have searched that sucker from head to toe. Nothing. I kept insisting, loudly, that the girl was there." "That must have endeared you to the ASAC. So, did you find her." "No. That was the problem. Everyone kept telling me I was wrong. But I just knew she was there." "How?" Mulder shrugged his shoulders expressively, his mouth drawing into a tight line. "I don't know how. I just knew." "Well, gee. How could they fault logic like that." She teased him. Scully hoped to relieve some of the tension she could see in his shoulders. Mulder's returning grin was rueful. "I know. Don't say it. I just knew. She was there. We just weren't looking in the right place." "The rest of the team was ordered to quit. They spent the better part of the day grilling the suspect, but without the girl, they would have had to let him go. The ASAC had me forcibly removed from the scene and placed on a plane back to Washington." "But they found the girl." Mulder smiled widely at her, and his eyebrows wiggled at her. "When I returned to Washington I had the blueprints to the warehouse sent to me. Jeff was still on site so I convinced him to go back and check out areas I had discovered in the blueprints. Jeff went back to check out the spots I described to him and by that time the girl had managed to remove her gag. He told me later she was yelling her head off when he found her." "But I thought everyone on the team was going to receive a letter of commendation." "Everyone except me. I got a letter of reprimand for being so disruptive. But no one would listen to me, Scully. I knew she was there and they were ready to give up." "Well, someone listened. And thank god. Otherwise, they would never have found the girl." "I couldn't let it go, Scully." As Scully reached out to give him a reassuring pat, they were interrupted. "Excuse me. Can you help me?" They heard a funny drawling voice say. Scully and Mulder turned to the voice. A wide grin split Mulder's face. "Jeff, you old dog. How the hell are you?" Jeff Stratton pulled Mulder into a bear hug. The man was huge, dwarfing Mulder with his size. "Better than you, no doubt. Are you going to introduce me?" he asked as he pulled away. "Jeff Stratton, my partner, Dana Scully." Jeff held out one large paw which swallowed up Scully's small hand. "I believe we've talked on the phone?" Scully nodded her agreement. "Nice to finally meet you in person, Agent Stratton." "So tell me, Agent Scully. How do you keep him in line? Oh, wait," he said, interrupting himself, "Now I remember. They said you had to shoot him once, already," he finished with a chuckle. Scully's face broke into a smile as Mulder laughed a silent 'ha ha.' "That was just my warning shot, Agent Stratton." Stratton roared as Mulder shook his head in disgust. "I never should have introduced you two, I can see that now." "Mulder, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Jeff said, turning to the young girl at his side, "Fox Mulder. Holly Alexander." Mulder looked down at the young girl next to the bulky agent. Shyly she held out her hand and shook his. Then she looked back up at him and asked, "Can I talk to you a minute, Mr. Mulder?" Mulder shot a puzzled glance at Jeff before nodding. As Scully and Jeff moved away, Mulder asked, "What is it, Miss Alexander?" "I just wanted to say... well, I've already met the rest of the agents and... ," Holly paused, unsure of how to continue. "What is it?" Mulder asked gently. "It's just that... um, I already thank the others, but none of them had your voice." Mulder looked at her with a puzzled expression. "I don't understand. What do you mean 'had my voice'?" Holly bit her lip, then let the words out in a rush. "When I was in the warehouse, I could hear all of you calling out for me, but between the gag and the drugs, I couldn't call out. I could hear you just fine, but no one could hear me." Mulder nodded his understanding. "But... your the voice. The voice that wouldn't give up on me. The one thing I could cling to was the sound of your voice. I knew that voice would find me somehow. I knew you wouldn't give up on me. Then I heard everyone leave, I almost gave up hope, until I thought about that voice. I knew it would come back for me. It was the only thing that got me through those last few hours until Agent Stratton found me." Mulder found himself both embarrassed and pleased. "Just doing my job, Miss Alexander." Holly reached out and grasped his hand. "I don't believe that. And I had to thank you. I didn't even know who the voice belonged to until I talked to Agent Stratton. Then when I heard you here, today, I knew I had found my guardian angel. Thank you, Agent Mulder. You'll never know how much it meant to me to know that someone would not give up on me." Mulder was at a loss for words. Looking down at the young face, he could feel his eyes water with the force of her gratitude. Solemnly he responded, "Your welcome, Miss Alexander." Holly grinned. "Holly, please." Mulder smiled back. "Holly." Jeff chose that moment to return to Holly's side. "Time to go in, Holly." Holly looked at him with a smile before turning back to Mulder. "Are you coming in, Agent Mulder?" Sneaking a quick glance at Scully, Mulder answered, "We were just leaving." Holly placed a restraining hand on him. "Please stay." Mulder hesitated a moment then nodded in agreement. They walked the others to the doorway, then stopped there to watch the proceedings. He watched as Jeff escorted Holly to the podium and the Director started his speech. Mulder was reluctant to stay and only did so because it seemed important to the girl. It was after the letters of recognition were given out to his fellow agents that Holly was given a chance at the microphone. "I'd like to thank all of you for everything you did. I've already had the chance to thank many individuals but there is someone in particular that I would like to say 'thank you' to. Someone who didn't give up on me and gave me the strength to hold on." Holly's eyes pierced through Mulder. He felt like a deer caught in headlights, riveted in place by her gaze. "Thank you, Agent Mulder." Holly held his eyes a moment longer before returning to her seat at the podium. All was dead silence for a moment. And then Jeff Stratton stood up, and turning to the doorway, slowly began to clap his hands together. The sound of one person clapping, became two, then three, growing until the auditorium was filled with the sound of applause. Scully watched her partner as the roar of the crowd blanketed them. She was sure she had never seen quite that grin on his face before. And if she wasn't mistaken, wasn't that a tear in the corner of his eye. Not that he'd ever admit it. Then again, maybe he didn't have to admit it, she already knew the truth. And it was about time everyone else knew it, too. THE END