The X-Files - 5.

Japanese title: no change

Spanish title: Villancico de Navidad
translation: Carol of Christmas

US Airdate: December 7, 1997

writers: Frank Spotnitz, Vince Gilligan and John Shiban

director: Peter Markle

STARRING:

David Duchovny as Special Agent Fox Mulder

Gillian Anderson as Special Agent Dana Scully

Guest Cast:

Karri Turner as Tara Scully

Sheila Larken as Mrs. Scully

Pat Skipper as Bill Scully Jr.

Melinda McGraw as Melissa Scully

Zoe Anderson as 16 year old Dana Scully

John Pyper-Ferguson as Det. Kresge

Rob Freeman as Marshall Sim

Lauren Diewold as Emily Sim

Patricia Dahlquist as Susan Chambliss

A MYSTERIOUS PHONE CALL AND AN APPARENT SUICIDE LEAD SCULLY TO A YOUNG

GIRL WHO SHE SUSPECTS IS HER SISTER MELISSA'S DAUGHTER.

Scully and her mother travel to Bill Jr.'s house--located at a U.S. naval station in San Diego--several days before the Christmas holiday. There they are greeted by Bill Jr. and his pregnant wife, Tara, who is expected their first child. Not long after her arrival, Scully answers the telephone. On the other end of the line is a woman who sounds exactly like Scully's deceased sister, Melissa. The voice tells Scully, "she needs your help." Unnerved, Scully has the FBI trace the call which, it turns out, was made from the Sim residence. Scully discovers the home is the scene of a criminal investigation. Detective Kresge allows her access to the bathroom, where a dead blonde woman, Mrs. Robert Sim, reclines in a tub full of bloody water, the apparent victim of a suicide. Later, Scully observes the victim's husband, Marshall, and three-year-old Emily Sim. Scully stares at the girl, intrigued by her face. Detective Kresge tells Scully that phone records do indeed indicate that an incoming call was made from the Sim residence to Bill Jr.'s house. But at the same time, there is no record of an outgoing call. Records also indicate the phone had been off the hook for three hours.

Scully tells her mother she's very happy for Bill and Tara... then admits that, as a result of her abduction, she cannot conceive a child of her own. Later that night, Scully experiences a dream in which a young Bill Jr. kills her pet rabbit. During the same dream, she encounters little Emily Sim. Scully is awoken by another call from the mysterious woman. The voice tells Scully to "go to her." The call is again traced to the Sim residence, where Marshall assures Scully that no one used the telephone. From Scully's viewpoint at the front door, she observes two dark-suited men sitting at the kitchen table. The next day, Scully requests--and is given access to--all evidence in the Roberta Sim case. She also phones the FBI and requests the case file on her sister, Melissa. Noting several discrepancies in the file, Scully performs an autopsy on Roberta's body. She discovers a complete absence of medicine tablets inside her stomach. She does, however, notice a puncture wound on the heal of her foot. A search of the Sim house turns up a hypodermic needle in the trash. Marshall claims Emily suffers from anemia and requires daily injections.

Scully tells her mother that a PCR test, which has a sixty-percent accuracy rate, suggests that Emily and Melissa's DNA match (a more comprehensive test will be available in several days). This, and the undeniable physical resemblance between the pair, leads Scully to conclude that Emily is Melissa's daughter. She reminds her mother about a period in 1994 when Melissa's whereabout were unknown... and speculates that she could have given Emily up for adoption. Later, Scully experiences another dream, during which Mrs. Scully gives her the crucifix she wears around her neck. When Scully awakens, Detective Kresge informs her about large bank deposits made by Marshall over the previous eighteen months. The money came from a pharmaceutical company called Prangen Industries. Scully and Kresge interview Dr. Ernest Calderon, who works for the company. He explains that Emily was participating in a clinical trial. When Roberta tried to pull her daughter from the program, the company agreed to send her money as a gesture of good will. Calderon also reveals he prescribed Marshall sumatriptan injections after he complained of migraines. Later, Marshall is arrested for his wife's murder. As a result, Emily is placed in the care of Social Services. Before Emily is driven away, Scully places her gold cross around the girl's neck.

Marshall Sim confesses to the murder. But Scully finds it odd that witnesses had provided him an alibi. She and Kresge drive to the jail, where they find his body hanging from a makeshift noose. Later, Scully tells her brother that the death was made to look like a suicide. Susan Chambliss, a social worker, tells Scully that her application to adopt Emily was rejected. Scully states that the time has come for her to place her personal life ahead of her career. Cambliss promises a review of Scully's final application. On Christmas morning, Scully receives a delivery from an FBI courier. The final DNA test results reveal that Scully is Emily's mother.

To Be Continued...

Notes

Zoe Anderson is Gillian Anderson's younger sister, a first for the show.

Returning actors in this one: John Pyper-Ferguson was in F. Emasculata as Paul, the escaped convict with a girlfriend and child. Rob Freeman was in Gethsemane as Det. Rempulski, the Alexandria cop who pulled back the sheet on "Mulder's" dead body.

This page in not complete, but will be soon, thanks for your patience.

Quotes

Woman's Voice On Phone (sounds like Melissa): "Dana... she needs your help. She needs you, Dana. Go to her."

____________________________________________________________

Bill and Scully arrive at the Sims' house, she flashes her badge and enters, a photographer is taking pictures of the phone off the hook, Scully walks past him and goes upstairs to the bathroom where more cops have gathered

Det. Kresge: "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who are you?"

Scully: "Scully, FBI. Can you tell me what's going on here?"

Det. Kresge: "Well, no offence, Scully, FBI, but what's it to you?"

Scully: "I received a phone call from this address. It was a woman's voice. She said that somebody here needed help."

Det. Kresge: "When was this?"

Scully: "About 20 minutes ago."

Det. Kresge: "I've been here 30 minutes. Guarantee you no one's called out to you or anyone else.

Phone's off the hook." (Scully tries to see into the bathroom)

Scully: "Please, can you tell me what happened here?"

Det. Kresge brings her into the bathroom, where a photographer is taking pictures of the crime scene. Kresge lets Scully pass to the body of a woman in the bathtub, her wrists slashed and blood pooling on the floor and in the tub

Det. Kresge: "This is Mrs. Roberta Sim. Age 40. Suicide. She's been dead at least three hours. If you got a call from her, she must have dialed 1-800-the great beyond."

____________________________________________________________

Bill: "Dana, what's going on? They're joking that you got a call from a dead woman."

Scully: "I thought it was a dead woman, just not the one in there."

Bill: "What are you talking about?"

Scully: "I know it's not possible, Bill, but it sounded just like her."

Bill: "Who?"

Scully: "Our sister... Melissa."

____________________________________________________________

Tara Scully: "You know what? I can't believe I'm going to say this. As big and fat as I am right now, I can't wait to have more. This is our baby, our son. It kind of gives everything new meaning. I can't help but think that life before now was somehow... less. Just a prelude." (Scully looks devastated)

____________________________________________________________

Scully: "Several months ago, I learned that as a result of my abduction, of what they did to me, that I can not conceive a child." (Margaret Scully hugs her daughter)

Mrs. Scully: "I'm so sorry."

Scully: "It's okay. I just never realized how much I wanted it until I couldn't have it."

____________________________________________________________

The first of Dana's dreams, her Christmas ghosts, if you like

Young Bill: "Dana, where is it? Where is that rabbit?"

Young Dana: "I'm not telling."

Young Bill: "I'm going to find that rabbit and cook it. I'm going to turn it into stew."

Young Dana: "No you're not!"

Young Bill: "Rabbit stew, here I go."

Young Dana: "You're not going to find him!"

Bill leaves the room and Dana goes down to the basement, where she finds a metal lunchbox that she's obviously hidden. She opens it and finds the rabbit dead, maggots crawling all over it. Her eyes widen in fright and she slams the lid down, backing away. She sees Emily sitting on the stairs as the phone rings, awakening her

____________________________________________________________

(Scully is waiting for Det. Kresge as he comes in)

Det. Kresge: "Scully, FBI. What can I do for you at this ungodly hour?"

Scully: "I'd like everything you have on the Roberta Sim case."

Det. Kresge: "The Roberta Sim case? (she nods) There is no Roberta Sim case. It was a simple suicide. We sort of went through this before, you and I, didn't we?"

Scully: "Whatever you call it, I'd appreciate seeing everything that you have. (pause) In the spirit of the season?"

____________________________________________________________

Scully: "Mom ... sit down. The woman who committed suicide has an adopted daughter, a three year old named Emily. I got a sample of Emily's blood and I had the lab run a test on her DNA. It's called a PCR test. This... (she hands her one of the screens) is Emily's. (she hands her the other one) And this, is Melissa's which we ran during her murder investigation. They match."

Mrs. Scully: "What does it mean, they match?"

Scully: "It means, that this little girl Emily... is Melissa's daughter."

____________________________________________________________

Mrs. Scully: "Dana, listen to me. I know what you're going through."

Scully: "Mom, this has nothing to do with what I'm going through."

Mrs. Scully: "It has happened to me. When your father died, it was a long time before he left me. I saw him in my dreams. The phone would ring, and just for a moment I was sure it was his voice. You're doing the same thing with Melissa. You're seeing her in this child, but that doesn't make this child my granddaughter. We're still connected to them Dana. Even after they're gone."

____________________________________________________________

Bill asks Scully to help him in the kitchen, a ruse to get a moment alone

Scully: "What's up?"

Bill: "I need you to tell me what's going on."

Scully: "What do you mean?"

Bill: "You're not here, you're a million miles away. I thought you came to see the family."

Scully: "I did."

Bill: "I thought this other thing was resolved. I thought you caught the guy that murdered that woman."

Scully: "We did."

Bill: "Then it's about that little girl, isn't it? Mom told me. You really think Melissa had a baby?"

Scully: "Yes, I do."

Bill: "She called you from beyond the grave to tell you that? Sounds like something your partner would say."

Scully: "It does not matter where that phone call came from. What matters is that there is a little girl who needs my help."

Bill: "This isn't about any little girl, Dana. This is about you. It's about some... void, some emptiness inside you that you're trying to fill."

Scully: "Bill, I don't expect you to understand but I am not going to stand here and justify my motive."

____________________________________________________________

Bill hands Scully a picture of Melissa

Bill: "Look at the date on the back. (Scully turns it over, it reads Oct. 7 - 94) Does Melissa look pregnant to you in that picture? It's about four weeks before the girl was born."

Scully: "Bill, that doesn't prove anything. Melissa didn't have to be pregnant to have a baby.

There's... there's in vitro fertilization, there's surrogate motherhood."

Bill: "Dana, listen to yourself. You're creating this whole scenario to fulfill a dream."

Scully: "What dream?"

Bill: "To have a child. Look... I understand. I know the need. God knows Tara and I tried for years. But making this girl into Melissa's daughter is not the way. You're going to end up hurting

yourself."

____________________________________________________________

Scully's talking to Susan Chambliss, the social worker, about adopting Emily

Scully: "I don't understand. I mean, I think I have a right to know why you're rejecting my application."

Susan Chambliss: "It's not mine to accept or reject, Dana. We only make recommendations to the judge. But at this point I'd advise against you becoming an adoptive parent. You're a single woman who's never been married or had a long-term relationship. You're in a high stress, time intensive, and dangerous occupation. One I sense you are deeply committed to and one which would overnight become a secondary priority to the care and well-being of this child. I'm not sure this is a sacrifice you're prepared to make."

Scully: "Well, it's one I've given a great deal of thought to. I mean, to be honest, I've started to question my priorities since I was first diagnosed with cancer. (she starts to cry) I feel like I was given a second chance. Ever since I was a child, I've never allowed to let myself get too close to people. I've avoided emotional attachment. Perhaps I've been so afraid of death and dying that any connection just seemed like a bad thing... something that wouldn't last. But I don't feel that anymore."

Susan Chambliss: "I know you are a trained physician and are aware of Emily's medical condition. I want to stress to you, Dana. Emily is a special-needs child. According to her doctors, her condition is incurable. She requires constant care, both medical and emotional. The good news is, you have first hand experience of grave illness. The bad news is, you'd have to relive it through the eyes of a child."

Scully: "I realize that. And I feel like I'm ready."

Susan Chambliss: "We'll review your final application and make our recommendations. I wish you luck. Merry Christmas."

Scully: "Merry Christmas."

____________________________________________________________

Scully's dreaming about the past, possibly a real scene from her life, maybe just a dream. She's sitting on the couch as Melissa walks in the room

Scully: "I couldn't sleep." (Melissa sits on the end of the couch with Dana)

Melissa: "Why not? You worried about Quantico, or who gets the most presents this year?"

Scully: "I guess I'm afraid of making a big mistake. I could tell Dad sure thinks I am."

Melissa: "Yeah, well, it's not his life, Dana."

Scully: "I know that. You know, when I first started med school, it felt so right. It seemed like that was where I was supposed to be. And then by the time I graduated, I just knew it was wrong. But now the FBI feels right. And... what if that's wrong too?"

Melissa: "There is no right or wrong. Life is just a path. You follow your heart and it will take you where you're supposed to go."

Scully: "God! You sound like a greeting card. I don't believe in fate. I think we have to choose our own path."

Melissa: "Well, just don't mistake the path for what is really important in life."

Scully: "Which is what?"

Melissa: "The people you're going to meet along the way. You don't know who you're going to meet when you join the FBI. You don't know how your life is going to change or how you're going to change the life of others."

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Christmas morning at Bill's house, a courier arrives with a package for Scully

Courier: "I need you to sign for this. (Scully does) Merry Christmas."

Scully: "Merry Christmas." (she opens the package, goes to the living room as the others there all look at her)

Mrs. Scully: "What is it?"

Scully: "It's the DNA test on Emily Sim's blood."

Bill: "What does it say?"

Scully: "It says, definitely, that Melissa is not Emily's mother, but that they found striking genetic similarities between Emily and Melissa, so many that they ran a test against another sample that they already had."

Mrs. Scully: "What sample?"

Bill: "What are you trying to say?"