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Of Chickens and Men by Storm
Disclaimer: They’re not mine, they belong to Chris Carter, Fox, 1013 Productions…yada yada yada.
Of Chickens and Men
By Storm
Rated PG-13
MSR
“No, Mulder, I will NOT go with you.” Scully stood up from her computer and put her jacket on.
“Scully, it’s an X File, and I need you on this!”
Scully looked at her partner incredulously. “It’s mutilated chickens, Mulder.”
“Well, they aren’t exactly mutilated. Anyway, it’s more than that, I told you.”
Scully bit back the harsh words that threatened to come spilling out. Quietly, she said, “Yes, I know. Charred on the inside, arranged in an intricate pattern in a field.” She pursed her lips and stared at the floor.
Mulder nodded, leaning back in his chair. “I need you to do the autopsies, Scully.”
“Mulder, I am NOT necropsying chickens, and I am NOT going to Oklahoma with you. Period.”
Her phone rang. “Scully,” she said. “Be right there.”
She hung up, meeting Mulder’s eyes. “Skinner wants to see me,” she picked up her briefcase.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mulder.”
“On the plane to Oklahoma.”
Scully turned at the door, glaring at him. “Sorry, Scully. I have the final say here, and I need you on this.”
Scully couldn’t resist slamming the door on her way out.
AD Skinner sat down after Scully had taken a seat across from his desk.
“Agent Scully. I need you on a case in Texas. It involves several murders and you’ll do the autopsies. Agent Braun Jennings of our Texas division will be partnered with you.”
Scully raised an eyebrow. “Sir, what about Agent Mulder?”
“Agent Mulder has a case he wishes to pursue in Oklahoma. Agent Jennings has been involved with this Texas case from the beginning, but they don’t have the manpower right now to assign him a partner. With your experience in forensic medicine, you are the perfect choice. Here is your ticket; your flight leaves in the morning. Agent Jennings will meet you at the airport and update you on the case.”
Scully took the ticket off the desk and left his office. She exited the building and drove by her dry cleaners to pick up her suits. When she arrived home, the phone was ringing.
“Hello?” She flipped through her mail with the receiver tucked on her shoulder.
“Guess you got out of it after all,” Mulder said. She could hear the sunflower seed cracking between his teeth on the other end.
Scully sighed. “Looks that way, Mulder.”
“Well, have a nice trip.”
“You, too.” She hung up and went to get her suitcase out of the closet. She felt a pang of guilt, but it wasn’t her fault that Skinner had put her on this case, and she couldn’t help but feel relieved that she didn’t have to accompany Mulder to Oklahoma.
She could well imagine standing in the hot sun out in the middle of some field staring at dead chickens while Mulder expounded on the meaning of the symbol they formed.
It was going to be a welcome change to work on a normal case with a normal partner.
The next morning she slept a little late and had to rush to get ready. She barely made her flight and when she did finally get settled on the plane, take-off got her all uncomfortable again. She hated flying. She had to do it all the time, but it never got any easier for her. For a moment she missed Mulder’s comforting presence by her side.
The flight wasn’t very long, and Scully had barely gotten through the two magazines she’d brought before they were landing.
Entering the crowded airport, she craned her neck, trying to see if there was someone looking for her.
“Little lady, you wouldn’t by any chance be Agent Dana Scully?” Came a deep Texan drawl from behind her. She turned around, prepared to look up as usual, and was surprised at just how far up she had to look this time.
“Agent Jennings?” she asked, her neck bending back even with her three-inch heels.
“The very same,” he reached over and took her suitcase out of her hand. “This all you brought?”
“Yes, I didn’t want to fool with baggage claim. I’ve lost too many suitcases that way.”
Agent Jennings chuckled and Scully looked him over. He was easily over 6’5, with thick blond hair and a dark tan. He had a mustache and vaguely reminded Scully of the Malboro Man. Particularly with the jeans, denim shirt, and cowboy boots. She hoped he didn’t smoke.
“You got all your makeup and female necessities in this little bag?” he asked.
“I assure you, I have all I need.” Scully bristled a little.
“Well, all right, then. This way to my car,” he held his arm out to direct her and she walked in front of him. Glancing over her shoulder, she was disconcerted to find him watching her ass. She glared at him and he met her eyes and smiled, big white teeth flashing.
“You gotta cute little booty there, ma’am,” he said, and winked.
Scully frowned. Had he really said that? She dropped back a step to walk along side him, and to effectively stop the gawking.
“Tell me about this case, Agent Jennings.”
“Oh, there’ll be plenty of time for that, Dana-sweetie. And call me Braun.” He held the glass door open and she walked through it into the hot Texas sun.
His car was parked nearby and Scully bit back a comment as he held the door open for her. She was going to have to nip this in the bud. He wasn’t treating her like an equal, and she wasn’t going to tolerate it. She’d met men like him before, over and over again.
“Agent Jennings,” she glanced at him.
“Braun,” he reminded her.
She wet her lips. “Braun. This isn’t a date…I’m going to be your partner for the duration of this case. I have been partnered with a man for seven years and have never expected him to open doors for me or anything of the sort.”
Braun chuckled deep in his throat. “I wouldn’t think of treating a woman any other way, sugar! Now, I’m taking you to the apartment the Bureau has rented for you while you’re here. It’s close to headquarters, and also not far from the county morgue. I think you’ll be happy with it.”
“ I’m sure I will,” Scully muttered. She would just have to show this male chauvinist what she was made of.
She stared out at the streets and thought about when she’d been here in Dallas with Mulder a few years ago. The bombing of the building and the subsequent trials they went through clearing their names.
“So you’re a forensic pathologist?” Braun asked, raising a pair of bushy blond brows.
<Uh oh, here is comes…> Scully thought.
“Yes, I am,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Cool,” he boomed, taking Scully off guard.
“That is really neat. Can’t believe a cute little thing like you gets her hands dirty that way, though.”
Scully rolled her eyes. “Listen, I am a professional, and just because I am a woman doesn’t mean I don’t do my job well. I’ll have you know…”
“Now don’t get your panties all in a wad, sugar. I didn’t mean anything by it. Here we are!” He pulled into an apartment complex and parked his bronco. Jumping out of his seat, he made his way quickly around the car, but Scully jerked her door open and stepped out before he could get there. She gave him a cold glare as he picked up her suitcase and winked at her.
“Right this way!”
Scully stood there until he finally gave up trying to get her to walk in front of him. Grinning, he shrugged and stepped ahead of her, leading the way. Annoyed, her eyes traveled over the back of him. A wide expanse of shoulders under the blond head, large muscular back, tight waist, even tighter… Scully stopped her perusal there and snapped her eyes back up. She quickened her steps to catch up with him.
An elevator took them to the third floor and Braun set her bag down and fumbled in his pocket for the key. Unlocking the door, he pushed it open for her. Scully walked inside, flipping on the light. It was small, but clean and fairly well furnished. It would do for the few weeks she’d be living there. She turned to Agent Jennings.
“Well, this looks fine to me. What now? Do we go to FBI headquarters? The morgue?”
“Well, there’s no rush, sweetie…you probably want to freshen up.”
Scully looked down at herself. What did he mean? Didn’t she look clean?
“The flight wasn’t that long, Braun. I’m fine. Let’s go.”
“Anything you want, sugar.” He turned and walked out the door, leaving Scully gritting her teeth. He was going to have to stop this annoying way of speaking to her! She followed him out the door.
When they entered the brick five story building that served as the Dallas FBI headquarters, Scully felt right at home in the bustle going on there. Although not half as big as the J. Edgar Hoover building, there was a lot going on and if felt like home.
Jennings ushered her to a room where several other agents were working on various things and then went off to get the files on their case.
A pretty dark headed woman approached, sticking out her hand in greeting.
“Hi, I’m Donna. Are you the agent they sent from DC?”
Scully nodded and shook the woman’s hand. “Dana Scully.”
Donna grinned. “How do you like working with Braun so far?”
Scully smiled politely. “Well, we haven’t really done any work yet.”
The woman perched on the edge of the big industrial table that Scully was seated at. She was a little taller than Scully, and pretty in a girlish way.
“Braun’s a top agent, you’ll see.” At that moment, Agent Jennings appeared with the files, handing them to Scully, who immediately opened them.
“Hey Donna, what’s shaking?” He asked.
“Not much. Almost finished with the paperwork I had to catch up on. Dryer’s gone out to get us some lunch.” The two continued talking, their voices droning on as Scully began reading the contents of the files.
She was caught up in the specifics of the case for quite some time, and when she finally looked up it was to find Braun staring at her rather intensely with Donna looking on.
“What? Did I miss something?” Scully asked.
Braun snapped out of his reverie. “No, Darlin’. If you’re done, we can go get a bite and talk it over.” He stood up.
Scully closed the file. “All right.” She gathered her things.
“Let me check with my superior. Be right back.” Braun sauntered off, Donna’s eyes glued to his backside. She sighed.
“You’re a lucky girl, Dana.” She said.
“How so?”
“Well, it’s obvious that Braun is quite taken with you. Every woman here would like a chance at him.”
Scully frowned. “You must be mistaken. He just seems a little over friendly with women.”
“Yeah, he’s that. But I can tell by the way he looks at you, and let me warn you.” Her green eyes looked solemnly as Scully. “Braun does not give up. Most women are more than happy to have him, but the last one he took a fancy to that wasn’t interested had to transfer out to get away from him.”
“But that’s ridiculous!”
Donna nodded her head knowingly.
“Well, I’ve had plenty of experience holding men off on the job, so don’t worry about it. Besides, I’m not going to be here very long. I think you’re wrong anyway. He’s just being nice.” Scully walked around the table and stood in front of Donna.
“Okay, whatever you say, Dana. I’ll see you around, I’m sure.” She walked away.
Scully looked after her a moment and then shrugged it off. Braun approached from the offices and smiled at her winningly. “Ready to eat, Red?”
Scully grimaced. “Please call me Dana.”
“Okay, Dana-doll. Let’s go…there’s a great delicatessen around the corner from here.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out. It felt strange to Scully having someone’s hand there other than Mulder’s, and she sped up a little in order to shake it off. Braun didn’t seem to notice and they made their way out of the building and down the sidewalk to the deli.
During the hours they spent going over the case, Braun was a smooth, intelligent partner. He kept up the southern drawl and the pet names, but Scully managed to overlook it as the case unfolded in front of her.
Braun had painstakingly gathered information on the five men who had been found in a nearby field. The manner of death was not apparent, and it was her job to figure that out.
“I’d like to go to the morgue as soon as possible,” she said.
“It’ll have to be tomorrow, Sugar. Bodies haven’t been released for autopsy yet. Hold up with the next of kin. You should go on home and get some rest.” He was paying the check as they spoke.
“Here, let me pay for mine…” Scully took her wallet out of her purse.
“Nonsense! I’ll get it.” He had paid by this time and Scully had no choice but to put her wallet back.
“The next one’s on me, then,” she insisted, and he laughed heartily.
“Okay, sweet cakes, you can pay for dinner tonight.”
“Dinner?” she asked weakly.
“Yeah, well, you haven’t been grocery shopping…and I figure you’ll get hungry sooner or later! Besides, we need to get to know each other before we work together.”
Scully didn’t really see why not. She didn’t have any food in the apartment, after all, and she didn’t want to be rude.
“All right. About six?”
“That’ll be fine, hon. I’ll pick you up.” They walked back to the FBI building and got into his bronco. He drove her to the apartment, touching her cheek briefly as she got out of his car. “See you at six, Dana,” he said, and Scully tried to smile. She walked quickly up the sidewalk, feeling his eyes on her the whole while.
When she entered her cool living room, she breathed a sigh of relief. This man was definitely something. Exactly what, she wasn’t sure yet.
She began to undress in preparation for a shower. As she removed her shoes, her cell phone rang.
“Scully,” she said.
“Hey, Scully, how’s Dallas?” Scully couldn’t help but smile at the familiar voice.
“Better than the last time we were here, that’s for sure,” she said, unzipping her skirt and sliding out of it.
“What kind of case you got?” Scully could hear the seeds cracking again. Did Mulder realize he invariably picked up his sunflower seeds when he called her to chat?
“Five dead men. Haven’t looked at the bodies yet. How are the chickens?”
She could hear Mulder’s chair squeaking. He was at the office. “My flight’s in a couple of hours. Just checking on you to make sure you got there.”
“I’m here, Dad.” Scully said sarcastically, turning on the shower.
Mulder heard it. “You done for the day?”
“Yep. Nothing left to do until the morgue tomorrow. Just going to grab a bite later.”
“Well, you get those autopsies done and get home. I need you here.”
Scully raised an eyebrow. “Get finished with the chicken case first, Mulder.”
“Deal,” he said softly and Scully smiled.
***
Agent Jennings was right on time and Scully was ready, wearing jeans and a blue cotton T-shirt. It wasn’t particularly reveling, but Braun looked her over like she was a tasty morsel he couldn’t wait to get into his mouth.
She tolerated his hungry glances until halfway through dinner when she laid down her fork and said, “Braun, let’s get something straight. For the duration of this case, I am your partner. I do not want you thinking of me as a woman at all—do you understand me?”
Braun smiled at her over the dimly lit table. “That, Dana darlin’, is impossible. You are amazingly beautiful.”
Scully was taken aback. “Agent Jennings, we have to work together, and I must insist that you stop coming on to me!”
“My delectable Agent Scully, if I were coming on to you, we’d be in bed right now instead of sitting here eating dinner!”
Scully held back a gasp of indignation. The overconfident, conceited, self-absorbed…oaf! She stood up from the table, throwing her napkin down and taking a $50.00 bill out of her purse.
“Don’t bother getting up. I’m taking a cab. I’ll call you after my autopsy tomorrow.” She threw the money at him and stalked out of the restaurant.
Braun Jennings chuckled happily. That girl was certainly a spitfire. Just the type he liked. Reflectively, he picked up his fork and finished eating his salad.
When Scully got back to the apartment, she noisily got ready for bed, slamming cabinet doors and grumbling the whole time. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten saddled with a male chauvinist pig for a partner! She was really beginning to miss Mulder. Extreme as the man was, he never treated her like a potential conquest. She vowed to give old Braun the cold shoulder tomorrow. If he couldn’t shape up, then she wasn’t going to waste her time trying to be nice to him.
She brushed her teeth, washed her face and got her pajamas on. Sliding between the cool sheets, she sighed in relief as her body relaxed. Minutes ticked by and Scully was almost asleep when she heard the knocking at her door.
Groaning, she got out of bed and pressed her ear to the door.
“Who is it,” she said loudly.
“It’s me, sugar, let me in!”
Scully clenched her teeth. “I thought I told you I’d see you tomorrow. Go away.”
“Come on Dana-doll…don’t make me stand out here in the hall!”
Scully let out a huff and unlocked the door. Her phone rang at that moment and she went and picked it up.
“Hello.”
“You sound exasperated, Scully. What’s wrong?”
Scully ran a hand through her hair, watching Braun enter the room and look her over in her white silk pajamas.
“That aptly describes what I’m feeling about now. Listen, I’ve got company suddenly. Can I call you back?”
“Sure, Scully. Tomorrow will be okay. I’m just sitting here looking through my notes and wanted to run a few things by you. It can wait.”
“Thanks, Mulder,” she said softly. “Hey…don’t work too hard. Get some sleep.”
“You know I can’t sleep in hotels, Scully. Besides, I miss you.”
Scully smiled. “Bye, Mulder.”
She hung up and turned to Braun, who was staring at her chest.
Scully cleared her throat loudly. His eyes met hers.
“Is it cold in here, or are you as excited to see me as I am to see you?” He took a step toward her.
Scully frowned. “Now you listen here, you big…” she stopped before she really said something she might regret later when she had to spend hours working with this man.
Bringing her temper under control, she began again. “You are bordering on sexual harassment, Agent Jennings. I cannot work with you if you keep this up.”
Braun looked genuinely surprised. “Why, Dana honey! I am not trying to harass you! I am just very attracted to you.” He came forward another step. “That fiery red hair and those beautiful blue eyes just melt my southern boy heart.”
Scully moved away from him. “You had just better stop it! I am not going to tolerate being treated in this manner! I will report you to your superior if you keep it up.” She glared at him angrily.
Braun smiled, his teeth white and straight enough to qualify for a toothpaste ad. “You are one beautiful little filly when you’re mad, Dana sweetie.”
“DON’T call me a little filly!” Scully was incensed now, and clenched her fists at her sides. “And don’t call me sweetie, sugar, honey, or anything else like that!” <So help me, I am going to knock the shit out of this guy> she thought.
“Aw, you don’t mean that, dumplin’” He stepped toward her again, putting out his hand and touching her shoulder. Scully reared back and slammed her fist into his jaw, no mean feet since he was so much taller than she was. She ended up so off balance herself that she fell to the floor in a heap. Braun stood there holding his jaw and grinning.
“You’re definitely a wildcat, sugar!” He reached down and hefted her to her feet, and Scully felt like a rag doll in his hands.
“Get out!” she yelled, losing it altogether.
“Okay, Dana. I’ll go…but I’ll see you tomorrow!” He smiled the entire time, totally nonplused by what had transpired. He leaned down, pulling her toward him, and kissed her greedily on the lips. He reminded Scully of a big friendly dog. “Bye, sugar!”
He left and Scully stood in the middle of the living room staring after him. What was it going to take to get through to the man?
Suddenly exhausted, she went back in the bedroom, shutting off all the lights. Wearily, she climbed into bed. Staring at the dark ceiling, she tried in vain to find sleep, but it eluded her. After 30 minutes of tossing and turning, she picked the phone up off the bedside table and hit redial.
After a moment, Mulder’s familiar voice came on the line.
“ ‘lo…”
“Mulder, hey, it’s me.”
“Hey, Scully…I told you not to bother with me tonight. Your company leave?”
Scully sighed. “Yes, thank God.”
Mulder sounded curious, and she could hear his papers shuffling in the background. After a second the crack of a seed came to her ears and she smiled in spite of herself. She knew he’d set everything aside and was giving her is full attention. She could see him lying on a motel bed, the room dark and the TV flickering. She could vaguely hear the exaggerated screams of a B movie in the background, behind the soft huffs of his breathing in her ear.
“Well? Who was it?”
“My partner,” she grumbled, her voice relaying exactly what she thought of him.
“That bad?” Mulder asked, cracking another seed.
“Oh, believe me, Mulder, he’s worse. I’ve never met anything like him.”
“Do tell, Scully. I’m all ears.”
Scully sighed. “Well, he’s hard to describe. A big, hulking fellow… nice enough, but really pushy.”
“Pushy? Like with his theories?”
“No, I’m used to that, Mulder,” Scully said sarcastically.
“I mean he’s, well, pushy with me. He’s flirtatious and offensive.”
“That’s not exactly professional of him,” Mulder commented, knowing his partner had plenty of experience handling men who didn’t think she was good enough. “Is he upset working with a woman?”
“Oh no. No, not at all. That’s what’s so weird about him. He IS professional about the job, but it is other times when he gets to me. He just seems to be interested in me, and he’s impossible to fend off.”
Mulder was quiet for a long moment. “Are you sure you want to fend him off?”
“What do you mean by that, Mulder?” Scully sounded irritated.
“Well, I mean that off hours you are free to date him if you want to.”
Scully snorted. “Well, I don’t want to. Anyway, Mulder, I’ll handle it. Now, what about your case?”
Mulder cleared his throat. “Well, I found fourteen chickens in the field, and they all don’t have a mark on them. I managed to get the coroner to take a look at them tomorrow.”
“Well! Congratulations, Mulder! That’s some feat.”
“Tell me about it. If it weren’t for my charm and wit, I probably wouldn’t have pulled it off. Thought I might have to deep freeze ‘em and bring them home to you to look at.”
Scully laughed. “Well, I’m glad you don’t have to. I’ll have my hands full tomorrow with these murder victims. Anything else of note?”
“Well…the way they were arranged did look like some sort of symbol, but I’m still trying to dig that up. I’m telling you, Scully…it didn’t even look like their necks were wrung.”
“Amazing,” Her voice was beginning to sound sleepy. Mulder continued to talk about the chickens and their poor limp bodies lying dejected in the field and Scully felt herself drifting away; comforted by the normalcy of his voice and the familiarity of his easy monotone. She dreamed of chickens flapping about a field, landing on the corpses of young, faceless men and pecking their eyeballs out while alien ships landed in the distance. All the grays wore Stetsons, and their leader was Colonel Sanders.
Scully awoke to the monotonous, shrill beeping of the phone. She realized with guilt that she had fallen asleep during her conversation with Mulder. She placed the phone on its cradle, vowing to call him the next day and apologize. Rolling over, she went back to sleep until the alarm clock awakened her at 5 am.
Scully yawned and got out of bed, making her way to the bathroom and the shower. 45 minutes later, she was in a taxi on her way to the morgue.
The first of the victims was taken out of cold storage and arranged on the metal table for autopsy. Scully was pleased at the efficiency she found at the facility. She had just opened up the chest cavity when she heard the booming voice that she was becoming familiar with enter the room.
“Dana! You certainly are up and about early this mornin’. Thought I was going to give you a lift?”
Scully shot him a withering look. “I took a cab.” Taking her scalpel in hand, she began loosening muscular tissue as she spoke into her tape recorder. Next she cracked open the ribs. She found herself hoping that Agent Jennings was squeamish, but he just stood, arms folded over his chest, watching the process with an interested eye. Scully couldn’t help but admire that. She soon found herself absorbed in her work, detailing what she was finding.
“This is odd,” she suddenly said.
“What?” Jennings leaned forward, his cologne pungent in Scully’s nostrils.
“The liver…and kidneys…they’re blackened and shriveled up. Almost like they’ve been…charred.” Scully stood staring down at the organs a moment as she laid them carefully in sterile trays.
“Holy shit. How could that have happened?” Jennings looked down at her.
Scully shook her head. “I’m afraid to think about it right now. Let me see what else I find.” She slowly worked her way through the autopsy. Nothing else was amiss.
“Only the vital organs appear this way,” she said, stripping her hands of the latex gloves and moving toward the sink to wash them.
“That’s just damn…paranormal,” Jennings said, scratching his chin. Scully looked at him quickly.
“Not necessarily. There could be a very scientific explanation. Some sort of degenerative disease that ate away at his organs like that. I’m going to take a break and then do the next body.” She removed her goggles and her scrubs and went out into the corridor, Braun fast on her heels.
“Do you think the other men will be like that?” he asked, quickly falling into step beside her as she made her way to the snack room.
“Of course not. It was just something about that particular man. Like I said, probably a disease…maybe even a type of cancer. I’m sure the other victims will shed some light on these murders.”
She dropped a couple of coins in the coke machine and bent to retrieve the diet Sprite that fell into the tray. Pulling the tab back, she looked up to find Braun’s eyes on her. The look was back.
“Agent Jennings…”
He reached out and stroked her cheek. “What an amazing woman you are. I really enjoyed watching you in there.” He was standing way too close and Scully was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. She stepped back.
“Thank you. Braun, listen to me a minute.” She looked earnestly into his intense sky blue eyes. “I am not interested in you.”
He didn’t even blink. “Did you know you have the bluest eyes I think I’ve ever seen, Dana-doll?” he asked her huskily.
Scully’s mouth dropped open a little. “Braun…”
“And those lips…they were made for kissing.” He leaned in and did just that.
Scully pushed him away. Obviously he just couldn’t imagine that a woman wasn’t interested in him. She figured that maybe he wasn’t used to being turned down. He was very handsome, after all. Maybe she’d try a different tactic.
“Listen, Braun,” she smiled as sweetly as she could. “You are a sweet guy. But I have to be straight with you…I’m involved with someone.”
She had his attention then. He pulled away from her a little bit. Scully smiled wider in triumph and took a sip from her can.
“Who is he?” His voice was hard. Scully paused. <Shit> “Um…”
Braun smiled. “You don’t have anyone Dana, you’re just playing with me.” He winked at her and reached to encircle her waist with his big hands.
“No! Really, I am quite involved…seven years involved, as a matter of fact. His name is Fox Mulder…he’s my partner in DC. We’re very close…passionately in love! Why, when we’re together, we can’t keep our hands off one another!”
Braun was slowly retreating, and Scully kept up a steady stream of talk.
“In fact, we plan to get married in a few months. Yes, that’s right. We are absolutely inseparable. In fact,” she walked over to the phone, “I need to check in with his voice mail now.” Scully dialed the number quickly, casting a smile over at Braun, whose brow was furrowed. She couldn’t tell if he believed her or not, but she had to make him believe her. She couldn’t take weeks of him breathing down her neck like this! How was she ever going to do her job?
When Mulder’s voice stopped droning on, the beep sounded and Scully said softly, “Fox, honey, Dana here. I told you I’d call. I-“ she looked at Braun again. “I miss you, …darling. I’ll call you tonight. When I’m in bed…missing you the most.” She hung up, swallowing hard. Then she turned around and smiled brightly.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Braun asked. He sounded angry.
“I don’t like to discuss my private life.” Scully began studying the choice of crackers in the machine with great concentration. “Anyway, I didn’t exactly lead you on.”
Suddenly he was behind her and she stiffened. Running a large hand over her silken hair, he said, “I haven’t felt this way about a woman in a long time, Dana-love. You can tell this Fox if he doesn’t treat you right, he’s got a fight on his hands.” Scully cringed as he lightly kissed the top of her head. Then she heard him leave the room. Her fists slowly unclenched. <I don’t need this aggravation> she fumed, depositing the money for the crackers and then ripping the package open so fast that they flew across the room.
“Dammit to hell!” she yelled in the empty room. She threw the dirty crackers away and went to do the other autopsy.
The lab assistants had cleaned up and moved the next body ready to be autopsied onto another table. The floors had been hosed off and drained. Scully pulled on a new pair of gloves and looked at the man lying nude on the steel surface. Much too young to die.
Turning on the tape recorder, she began her observations.
An hour and a half later, she exited the room, a perplexed look on her face. Leaning against the wall, she admitted to herself that she didn’t want to believe it, but she had to.
A ringing in the pocket of her jacket that hung on a peg on the wall caught her attention, and she removed her cell phone. Clicking it on, she answered in her usual way.
“Scully.”
“Scully, are you all right?” Mulder’s voice sounded frantic on the other end.
“Yeah, Mulder, I’m fine! What’s the matter?”
She could hear him struggling to get his breathing under control. Looking up, Braun appeared in the doorway with two cups of coffee. Handing her one, he took a seat on the counter, his long legs dangling.
Scully bit her lip.
“Scully, I just got the creepiest message from you on my email! I thought you must be dying or something…”
“Er, Fox, I have to go sweetie.”
“Scully?”
“Listen…I know you want to talk, but it’ll have to be later. I’m working right now. I promise I’ll call you this evening and tell you all about my day. Okay, baby?”
“Scully, are you being held at gun point?” Mulder’s voice was controlled and ready to get help to her immediately.
“No, of course not. I would never consider going to bed without hearing your sexy voice. Now, I’ll call you, dear.” She hung up.
Braun set his cup down. “What did the second victim look like?”
Scully sighed. “The same. His innards were charred to a crisp, but there were no outward signs.”
“Dana, this seems very strange. You work with the paranormal, right? Ever heard of something such as this?”
<Only too recently> Scully thought. “Not…in humans. Listen, I still have three more autopsies. Let’s see how they turn out before we make any conclusions.”
By the end of the day, Scully knew that this case was somehow linked to Mulder’s. The men were found in a field, they had no outward signs of murder, but their innards were charred to a crisp. Just like the chickens. The only difference was that they had not been arranged in a symbol. Or had they?
She’d been sitting at home pondering this for awhile, eating take-out Chinese, when she decided that there wasn’t anything else to do but to call Jennings and ask him for the files. She picked up the phone and his business card and dialed.
“Jennings,” came his deep, booming voice on the other end of the line.
“Hi, it’s Scully. Listen, I’d really like to go over those files. Could you possibly drop them off sometime tonight?”
“Sure Dana-cakes! Anything for you. Be there in awhile.”
Scully rolled her eyes and hung up the phone. At least she had done a pretty good job of convincing him that she was involved with another man. Mulder! Scully sat up and snatched the phone back up, dialing her partner at his motel in Oklahoma.
“Hello.”
“Mulder, it’s me. Listen…”
“Scully! What’s going on? I’ve got a flight booked there in two hours. Are you all right?”
“Mulder. That’s not it at all. I’m sorry, really. It’s just that…well, Agent Jennings just won’t take no for an answer, and I found myself telling a great big lie. I said I was involved with someone. He wouldn’t leave it alone at that, so I had to tell him whom…and you came to mind. I spend more time with you than anyone else I know.”
“I’m flattered,” Mulder said, and that’s exactly what he sounded.
Scully rubbed her eyes with her fingers. “I never meant it to go this far. Listen Mulder, I did call to let you know about that, but mostly I need to talk to you about the case.”
“Which one? Yours or mine?”
“One and the same, Mulder. Has the coroner looked at the chickens yet?”
“Yep. Just like the one in the file. Cooked on the inside. Why, Scully? What’s going on…what do you mean by ‘one and the same’?”
Scully hated to admit this. “The men, Mulder. They are all like that…their vital organs are charred to a crisp.”
“You’re kidding…” Scully could practically hear the wheels turning in Mulder’s head. “Scully, I just got word today that there were cows found dead in a field near the Oklahoma/Texas border with no apparent cause of death. Do you think you could meet me there tomorrow?”
“Mulder…that could be anything!”
“Nine cows, Scully?”
“Are you asking me to necropsy the cows, Mulder?”
“Just one will do. Come on, Scully. You’ve got to admit it’s a weird coincidence.”
“Are you saying that’s what it may be, Mulder? A coincidence?”
Laughter tinged Mulder’s voice. “No, but I know that’s what you’re thinking, Scully.” He proceeded to let her know where and when to meet him the next day, provided they could get flights. She was writing it all down when there was a knock at the door.
“Hold on a minute, Mulder, it’s Braun.”
Scully opened the door and let the big man in.
“Thanks for the files, I appreciate it.”
“What’s up, Dana-doll? You come up with something?” He settled his large frame on the sofa. Holding up a finger, she lifted the phone back to her ear.
“Mulder?”
“Braun?” Mulder’s voice was decidedly sarcastic.
“Yes, Fox.” Scully glanced at Agent Jennings. She had almost forgotten that she and Mulder were supposed to be lovers. “Listen, Sweetheart, I have to go. But I’ll call about that flight and let you know.”
“Okay, Dana-doll.” Mulder said to her in a sugary voice. “Hey Scully, since we’re ‘involved’, do we get to share a room on this trip?”
“Not on your life, Babykins.” Scully hung up and looked at Braun, smiling. “Turns out I’m going to have to fly to Oklahoma tomorrow for the day. My partner’s come up with something that may involve this case.”
“I’ll get us a flight, I know someone at the airlines,” Braun reached for the phone. Scully’s eyes opened wide.
“Oh, there’s no need for you to go!”
Jennings looked at her in amazement. “I’m in charge of this case, Dana.”
Scully knew he was right. She didn’t have any right to try to make him stay behind. “Of course, I don’t know what I was thinking,” she mumbled, opening the files while he talked on the phone.
The photos that showed the five men were at the back of the folder, and she flipped over to them. The victims weren’t lying side by side, but Scully couldn’t really tell if there was a pattern to the way they were placed. Braun hung up the phone and she looked up at him.
“We can leave in an hour.”
“An hour? You’re kidding!”
“No, that’s really the only flight I can get before Tuesday. Can you be ready?”
She nodded. “Listen, was there anything special about the way these victims were found? I mean, were they in certain positions, or in a pattern or anything?”
“A pattern? Well, I guess you could say that. Toe to toe, and then the extra guy was kind of over them…lying up above their heads and his body was kind of curved before rigor mortis set in.”
Scully nodded. “Okay, thanks. You’d better go get your stuff.”
Braun stood up, stretching. He cracked his knuckles loudly. “Yeah…you going to fill me in on this case your boyfriend has?”
Scully almost winced when he said that. “Of course, but on the plane. Which way is your apartment?”
“It’s closer to the airport than this is. Get your stuff and we’ll stop by on the way.”
Scully called Mulder from her bedroom as she threw an overnight bag together. He promised to get the first flight out that he could.
Hurriedly, Scully grabbed her things and she and Braun left. She waited in the car as he ran in to get what he needed, and before she knew it, they were seated on the small plane and preparing for takeoff.
Scully didn’t like to fly, but was loath to show it to Agent Jennings. He was staring at her in that disconcerting way he had as it was. She could feel his eyes fall and rest on her bosom. She shot him a venomous look.
Braun leaned back in his seat. “I can’t believe that fella of yours lets you out of his sight, Dana. Lord knows, I never would.” He traced the knuckles on her hand with his fingers. She jerked her hand away.
“We are not connected at the hip, Braun! I am a FBI agent. Of course he lets me out of his site!”
He studied her for a moment. “I don’t think he’s really your boyfriend,” he said suddenly, his eyes narrowing. Scully jerked her head up from the magazine she’d started looking at.
“What do you mean? Are you calling me a liar?” Scully felt indignant, even though she was lying.
Braun flashed his white teeth at her. “No, I’m calling you hard to get. You’re afraid of the explosive sex we’d no doubt have together.”
Scully emitted an incredulous laugh. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
He leaned toward her, his breath soft on her face. Scully couldn’t lean any farther back or her head would be out the window. His blue eyes pierced hers. “I’m not kidding. Believe me, I could make you scream.”
Scully’s heart was racing wildly. “Get out of my face. I don’t appreciate you talking to me this way. And I’m certain that M—Fox wouldn’t, either.” Is this the only kind of thing this guy could understand? That her big man would protect her?
Braun leaned back again and grinned. “No offense meant, Dana. I am only stating a fact. We’ll see. I can tell when two people are in love. There are certain sparks…besides, you said you can’t keep your hands off each other.”
<Oh crap, I did say that> Scully thought. She began to feel uncomfortable. Was she going to be able to pull this off? How many more weeks would she be stuck working with this man? She had to convince him that she and Mulder really were romantically involved. She swallowed.
“You know, we’re on a case, and Mulder and I don’t fool around while we’re working.” She realized suddenly that she was reading her magazine upside down. Glancing at Braun, she flipped it over. She had no doubt that he’d noticed.
Braun raised a bushy blond eyebrow. “You don’t, huh. No, I guess that two people—madly in love that can’t stop touching and plan to get married— wouldn’t.”
Scully scowled. “I don’t want to be reported,” she grumbled.
“Hey, I wouldn’t dream of it! Sleep together! No big deal. It won’t bother me a bit. Particularly since I have the feeling nothing will be going on. There are too many holes in your story, Dana-love.” He took her hand and brought it to his mouth, licking it almost imperceptibly with the tip of his tongue. She pulled it back, her eyes flashing fire.
“That’s wonderful, Braun, because, frankly, I can’t wait to get into bed with him! And I hope you have to sit in your room listening to us all night!” She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable at her own words. “Now, let me update you on what he’s been working on.” She put the magazine down and tried to get her mind on the business at hand. Braun just nodded and smiled.
It was very late by the time they got to the little town of Helcott and settled into their respective motel rooms. Against her better judgment, Scully had gotten a double room. She had slipped a note for Mulder to the desk clerk.
She showered and changed into a pair of pajamas, listening to her voice mail, hoping that Mulder couldn’t get a flight until tomorrow.
“Scully, it’s Mulder. If all goes well, I should be arriving around midnight. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Scully hung up the phone, sighing. “Little do you know, Mulder, that you’re going to be spending the night with me!” She looked at the clock. Almost 1 a.m. As if on cue, she heard a suitcase being set down outside the door and the lock disengaging. The heavy door swung open, and her partner walked in. Scully couldn’t help but smile when she saw him.
Waving the note in the air, he said, “Scully, I got your little note. I thought you said you didn’t want to share a room with me. So this means you changed your mind?” He winked at her.
“Shhh!” Scully jumped up and shut the door. “He’ll hear you!” she whispered.
“Who will hear me?” Mulder whispered back.
“Look, I’m sorry, but we’re sharing a room. Agent Jennings came with me, and I have to prove to him we’re lovers.”
“Is he going to watch?” Mulder’s eyes lit up. Scully frowned and he said, “Frankly, Scully, I am surprised. This guy certainly has you jumping through hoops.” He sprawled out on the bed.
Scully placed her hands on her hips. “He does not! Mulder, he is absolutely impossible. Who knows how long I’m going to have to work with him? I want him to think I’m totally unavailable. Nothing else works! Unfortunately, He doesn’t believe me when I say we’re involved.”
“Why not?” Mulder settled back, his hands behind his head.
“I don’t know,” Scully sighed. “Maybe I’m a bad liar. I told him we can’t keep our hands off each other, we’re madly in love, we plan to get married…anything I could think of that would deter him. He says I have too many holes in my story.”
Mulder grinned. “Well, I hate to tell you this, Scully, but there is absolutely no way you are going to convince this guy that we’re that way.”
She sat down beside him. “Why not?”
Rising up on one elbow, Mulder looked up at her seriously. “Don’t you remember Arcadia? That perfect little neighborhood where we had to pretend to be married?”
“I remember,” Scully said. “What about it?”
“Scully, you’d barely let me touch you! Now, it’s one thing to be married and act that way…they probably thought we were mad at each other or something. But lovers? Especially the type you described to him. You are never going to be able to pull it off.”
“Mulder! You kept teasing me in Arcadia! You were purposely trying to make me uncomfortable. I can do anything I set my mind to, and I resent you saying that I can’t.”
“See, you’re mad at me already. I think this is going to be too hard for you, when you don’t have the slightest bit of interest in me.”
“Mulder…who says I don’t? I mean,” she quickly amended, “if we weren’t partners I would find you attractive.”
Mulder raised his brows at her. “Oh, so because I’m your partner, you don’t find me attractive?”
“Of course I do!” Scully sighed, falling back on the bed next to him. “Quit twisting my words around, Mulder. You know we have to work with each other day in and day out. Being involved would ruin things.” She looked over at him. “Are you saying you aren’t willing to pretend you’re my boyfriend for one day?”
Mulder looked at her hard for a moment. “No, Scully, I’ll do it for you. I’m really just surprised that this is the way you’re solving the problem, that’s all. I have my doubts that you can pull it off.”
“Well, I tried telling him I wasn’t interested, and I tried hitting him, and I gave him the cold shoulder…he just kept calling me ‘sugar’ and various other stupid names, and touching me.”
“Sexual harassment?” Mulder frowned. “Scully, you don’t have to put up with it!”
Scully was beginning to get a headache. “Listen, I wish I hadn’t named you, all right? And I guess maybe I should have reported him…I don’t know, he hasn’t done anything that bad. I just want him to feel that I’m off limits. Okay?” The last word was said softly, and Mulder squeezed her hand.
“Okay. We’re lovers.”
Scully stared into his eyes, so close to hers. A shiver went up her back at his words. Had Mulder been suggesting that she had implied they were together because it was something she wanted? Was it? She reached over and touched his face.
“Just so you know,” she said, “We have really loud sex.”
The expression Mulder had on his face caused Scully to break out into peels of laughter.
There was a knock on the adjoining door. Scully stopped laughing and stared at Mulder. “That’s him,” she mouthed.
“Dana-honey, I hear you’re still up. Can I see you a moment?” Braun called through the door.
Mulder stood up and began unbuttoning his shirt.
“What are you doing?” Scully asked, sitting up.
“Just want to look the part,” he said, peeling his shirt off and striding to the door. He’d put a stop to this guy bothering Scully. If she, with her pride, felt she had to ask him to pose as her boyfriend, then this guy must be pretty bad. Reaching out, he unlocked the door and threw it open.
Scully felt suddenly euphoric. The comments and looks were going to stop right here. She would be able to work for as long as she had to with Agent Braun Jennings and he wouldn’t be coming on to her anymore.
She smiled brightly as she rose up off the bed. At this moment, she didn’t even mind the necropsies she’d have to do in the morning on those damn cows!
Braun stood in the doorway looking Mulder over. He stuck out a big hand.
“You must be Agent Mulder. I’m Agent Braun Jennings.”
Mulder shook his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
Braun looked over at Dana, standing in her green silk pajamas. His eyes traveled over her body and then returned to her face. “I heard Dana laughing and realized she was still awake. I wondered if you’d made it.”
Mulder smiled easily. “Yeah, well, we were just about to!” He jumped just slightly when Scully came to stand beside him and slipped her arm through his, leaning her cheek on his bare bicep. He wrapped it around her and pulled her close, thinking that he could get used to this.
Agent Jennings seemed to be watching them closely, and Mulder wondered what the man was all about. Normally, it didn’t take much for a woman to convey that she was not interested in the advances of a man. In the case of Agent Dana Scully, he felt certain that she had made it very plain. He usually avoided taking the possessive role with her because he knew she resented it and could take care of herself. But this time, she was asking him to do it.
He squeezed her to him, pressing his lips to her head as his eyes never left Braun.
“We can discuss the cases over breakfast if you want. I think Dana and I need some time together right now. We’ve been apart for a few days.” Scully’s hand had slid up around his waist and Mulder felt a sudden satisfaction that surprised him.
Agent Jennings nodded. “Of course,” he stepped through the door and Mulder closed it in his face. He and Scully stepped apart, and Scully glanced at the door, knowing that Braun could hear every word they said if he wanted to.
She looked at Mulder and he seemed to get her meaning.
“Come here, you,” he said, pulling her close. He raised an eyebrow as if to say <You said you could do this>
Scully gave herself a mental shake and then laughed sultrily. “I’ve missed you soooo much!” she said, and Mulder felt a thrill pass through him. A slight bump from the other side of the door told them that they did, indeed, have an audience.
Scully swallowed. They were going to have to make this good.
She raised her arms and wrapped them around Mulder’s neck. Standing on tiptoe, she nuzzled his neck.
“You smell delicious, …darling.”
Mulder emitted a low moan and Scully thought, <Man, he’s good at this>
His arms around her felt awfully good, she had to admit. He pulled her closer and she was pressed up against him. Her eyes widened a bit. The wall beside them cracked gently, as if someone were leaning against it on the other side. Scully licked her lips and glanced that way, frowning slightly. Mulder shrugged and then his face was moving toward hers. Scully froze, suddenly remembering the moment in his hallway when he’d done this very thing. Their lips had actually met before that damn bee had stung her. And then, there had been that kiss on New Years…it had left her with a yearning for more. But she would never endanger their partnership. Now his lips were grazing hers and she was moving her own beneath them. This was different. This was not real.
She groaned loudly as his tongue entered her mouth, wet and hot, and hoped that he thought it was for Jenning’s benefit. It was, wasn’t it? God, he felt good. His body was so lean and hard, and it felt marvelous up against her. His chest was bare and she slowly ran her hands down it.
“Oh Scully…” he said, turning her and guiding them slightly toward the bed as they continued kissing. Their lips gently pulled and nipped at each other, the sucking sounds probably loud enough for Jenning’s to hear through the wall.
The bed creaked as he lowered her onto it. She stared up at him as their mouths parted, her red hair spread about her face like flames.
Was that passion in his eyes? Scully could have sworn it was, but the next minute his knee was on the bed and he was bouncing it up and down, the springs creaking suggestively.
Scully blinked and reminded herself that she had a part to play in this, too.
“Oh Fox!” she called out on a groan, and Mulder’s eyes widened slightly. Then he grinned. She smiled back and winked at him slyly. “Oh FOX! Yes, yes…just like that!”
Mulder bit his lip to stifle a laugh, then he said, “Dana…I’m so glad you like to be on top,” in a voice that sounded broken with passion.
Scully pinched him and he cried out, which only added to the scenario.
“Oh..oh…ohhhh!” she cried out, squeezing her eyes shut, and then peeking at him to see his reaction. He sped up his jostling of the bed and moaned. “You’re so soft, so beautiful….” He grunted loudly, and Scully wiggled out from beneath him and grabbed the headboard. Mulder looked at her questioningly and then she began to bang it rhythmically on the wall.
“Oh! Oh! Oh! Yes, more…yes, yes, please….Oh!!!” she called out, raising her voice until it reached a fevered pitch and then she let out a wail. When she opened her eyes, Mulder was staring at her with his mouth hanging open. She smiled at him and dropped on the bed, then they both dissolved into fits of giggles. Hopefully Jennings would take this to be a post-coital high.
After a time, they turned out the light and got under the covers, falling asleep exhausted from their act. Just as Scully felt herself drifting, Mulder’s hand slipped into hers.
The next morning, the three agents sat at the local Denney’s eating breakfast. Mulder watched Agent Jennings over his coffee cup. The man was huge. He hoped he wouldn’t have to kick his ass over Scully because he’d probably end up in the hospital for his efforts. He was frankly amazed that Scully had dared hit him. No wonder she felt this a difficult battle to win without subterfuge.
The man was staring at Scully like he wanted to spread her on his toast and take a bite. Mulder felt a twinge of what was possibly jealousy. Scully was ignoring him and being as cold as humanly possible. It was a wonder the man didn’t have icicles hanging off his nose by now, but he went on totally oblivious to her obvious dislike.
“So, Dana-doll, you’re going to be slicing up the cattle this mornin’?” They had brought Jennings up to speed on the animal deaths.
She nodded, her face a hard mask. “I have to go out to a nearby farm to do it. I can probably stop after I do two of them.” She glanced at Mulder. “No point in doing more.”
Mulder nodded in agreement. “Just want to see if they died the same way.” He reached out and held her hand on the table. After all, they supposedly couldn’t keep their hands off one another.
Finishing up, they paid and headed out to the dairy farm that the police had directed them to.
To his credit, Agent Jennings took the animal deaths in stride, along with Mulder’s musings on UFO involvement. Mulder said as much to Scully when Braun took a bathroom break during the necropsy.
“That’s the thing about him, Mulder. He is perfectly professional while he’s working, and he is a nice enough guy. He just won’t give up.” She finished splitting the cow in half. Mulder had to hold its feet up so that she could get at it.
“This reminds me of when you made me cut up that elephant,” Scully said, removing a wad of bovine guts.
“Man, this stinks, Scully!” Mulder wrinkled up his nose.
“Look, Mulder. Here’s the heart.” She took out a fist-size hard black ball. It’s all shriveled up. Just like the men.”
“And the chickens,” Mulder added morosely.
“And here’s the liver, the…” she groped inside, “kidneys, the spleen…all the same.” She laid them out on the cloth.
Blowing the hair out of her eyes, she moved to the next animal. Mulder thought she was probably the only woman who could look absolutely beautiful with her arms elbow-deep in guts.
Agent Jennings came back and looked at the charred black things lined up on the sheet. He grunted. “Well, I guess whatever it is, it’s the same.”
Scully found the same results in the next cow, and then washed up at the pump outside. A police officer that had met them there and waited outside took notes on her findings while Mulder and Jennings conferred by the car. Scully walked over to Mulder. “I’ll type out the report at the hotel, and then we’ll catch the flight to Dallas tonight. Unless you have any other ideas.”
Mulder shook his head. “I’m going to go check out the field where they found the cows, but that’s it.”
“Guess you’ll be joining us in Dallas,” Jennings replied.
“Yeah, I’ll have to call Skinner and then the airport to catch a flight. I’ve got all my stuff with me.” Mulder wrapped his arm around Scully’s neck. She was momentarily startled, and then remembered their ruse. She didn’t think she could get used to this, but with Mulder returning to Dallas with them, she was going to have to. Although Agent Jennings would be more likely to leave her alone, she and Mulder were going to have to keep up their ploy until the case was solved.
At 9 PM that night, Scully was seated beside Jennings in the small airport, waiting for their flight to be called. Braun had his ankle resting on his knee and his elbows propped up on the seat behind him. She could feel his hot gaze upon her. Would he never give up?
She was surprised to look up and see Mulder approaching at a fast pace.
She put down the magazine she was leafing through and stood up. “Mulder! I haven’t heard from you since this afternoon.”
He walked up to her and kissed her cheek. Scully marveled that he never seemed to forget their façade, although it was constantly slipping her mind. She squeezed his hand as a thank you.
“I was out looking at that field for quite awhile. Found some burnt places and took some pictures. My flight leaves tomorrow afternoon…I couldn’t get on this one. But I couldn’t let you leave without a proper goodbye, Dana.” He pulled her to him roughly and his lips met hers. Scully, utterly taken off guard, felt herself melting with the intensity of his kiss. She could hardly believe that it was happening, particularly in a crowded airport. She could hear Braun clearing his throat bedside them, but it only seemed to drive Mulder further. His arms had slid around her and she could feel his fingers gently stroking her lower back. She opened her mouth to him and he hungrily welcomed her tongue into his mouth.
To her complete amazement and embarrassment, Mulder then ran his hands down lower and cupped her bottom, pulling her upward and pressing her chest more firmly to him. Scully found her hands were in his hair and she marveled at the feel of him. She knew, without a doubt, that no man had ever made her feel this way. No other man ever could.
When his mouth finally lifted from hers, his warm tongue withdrawing and leaving her empty and wanting so much more, he moved his face into her neck and she shivered.
“That ought to have convinced him,” his hot breath in her ear sent frantic signals to her nerve endings. Scully stiffened.
This was all a ruse to him. She must remember that, even though she now had to admit to herself what she’d been denying for years. The exact reason why she had avoided physical contact with her partner at all costs. Why she had not deepened the New Years kiss or given him any encouragement.
This was an excuse to get her partner into her arms and it meant more to her than what she had led herself to believe.
So much more.
She watched Mulder go, and then boarded the plane with Agent Jennings. He was strangely silent. When they had gotten situated in their seats, she couldn’t resist turning to him and asking him what the matter was.
He looked over at her. “I guess I’m just trying to digest that you’re a taken woman, Dana.” He looked so downcast, that Scully couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
“You’ll find someone, Braun,” she said with certainty. He smiled slightly at her. The plane began to take off and Scully clutched the armrests until they were safely in the air.
“Afraid of flying, Dana-doll?” Braun asked her.
“A little.” She unfastened her belt and repositioned herself more comfortably in the seat.
“Want me to hold your hand?” He flashed his teeth.
“No, that’s okay.” She settled back and closed her eyes, intending to sleep and ignore him.
After a few more tries, he finally gave up, and the rest of the flight was quiet.
Mulder returned to his hotel room that he had shared the previous night with Scully. Flopping down on the bed, he thought of how they’d kissed by the adjoining door in order for Agent Braun Jennings to hear them.
He had long ago given up on the notion that he and Scully would ever be more than friends. She had shown him time and time again that partners and friends was all that she wanted them to be. This is why he was reluctant to help her out in this little façade. He didn’t know if he could keep his feelings in check. Keeping Scully as his partner was his ultimate concern. He’d never been her lover, so that was still something he could manage without, but he knew with a stinging certainty that he could not live without her as a friend.
Leaning back against the pillows, he closed his eyes and saw again her luminous blue eyes staring up at him and could almost feel her soft lips on his. Groaning, he rolled over and flipped the TV on. Tomorrow he’d see her again and then they’d have to continue with the act. He didn’t mind, but the longer it went on, he knew, the more painful it would be to stop.
Scully settled back into the little apartment she called home in Dallas with difficulty. She was having trouble digesting the emotional turmoil she was suddenly feeling. Mulder seemed to have no difficulty pretending to be her boyfriend, and the ease with which he did it is what bothered her so. It was anything but easy for her. The enormity of her feelings when he held her and kissed her had been totally unexpected. She knew that she cared about Mulder. She even knew that she cared about him more strongly than she probably should. But she hadn’t known that a kiss…well, not just any kiss, a passionate kiss…would turn her world utterly upside down. All of a sudden, she wanted more than she’d been getting for the past seven years. She wanted more kissing, more closeness. She wanted him to whisper in her ear that he thought she was beautiful. She wanted to feel his bare body against hers and to be able to take for herself any part of him that she wished. She wanted him to want her. And he didn’t. She knew that he didn’t. If Mulder wanted her, he would have tried again to kiss her after that time in his hallway. Scully realized later that he’d only been trying to make her stay with him.
She knew that Mulder felt lost without her; that she was his friend and someone he relied heavily on. For all of his independence, he was needy. He wouldn’t purposely try to mislead her…no, she believed he’d thought he’d wanted to kiss her. But with the return of normalcy, he’d rethought what had happened and changed his mind.
Then there was that New Year’s kiss. Unexpected, but oh so brotherly. Scully closed her eyes. All right, maybe not exactly brotherly, but not passionate either. Mulder had had plenty of chances if he wanted to take their relationship to a new level, and he hadn’t acted on any of them.
Scully felt torn. She didn’t want to feel the pain of daily working with a man whom she was in love with, but did not return her love in that way. Yet, she knew that leaving Mulder would be like ripping off a limb. She didn’t know what to do.
Irritably, she threw a pillow from the couch across the room. How many choices did she have?
She could sit down with Mulder and tell him of her feelings. <Ha! And be rejected? She couldn’t stand it>
She could continue working with him and hiding her feelings, perhaps one day being forced to watch him fall in love with someone else. <No, that would be too painful> Scully felt physically ill at the thought.
She could leave.
Scully chewed on her lip. Which would be more painful, to leave or to stay? That was really the question.
She slept fitfully that night, dreaming of things that were never going to be.
The next day she got up early and showered and dressed. Taking her mug of coffee into the living room, she called Braun to pick her up. They had to make some headway on this case.
It took about 25 minutes for Agent Jennings to get there, and Scully was waiting on the stoop. She walked to his car and got in.
“My superior called after I hung up with you. There have been more bodies found.”
Scully looked at him, surprised. “More men?”
“Women this time,” he said. “Six of them in a field. Sounds a lot like the others. I’m taking us there now.”
Jennings took them a ways out a country dirt road and then turned off at a dilapidated barn. Several patrol cars and some unmarked vehicles could be seen in the distance.
Dirt rose behind them as the car made its way carefully onto the grass. As it stopped, Scully unbuckled and got out. She joined the group standing in the circle around the group of dead women.
Pushing them aside a little and identifying herself as an FBI agent and forensic pathologist, she made her way to the site of the bodies.
Gazing down, she saw that the women were lying nude toe to toe as the men had been. Now there were two bodies above the others instead of one.
She looked at Jennings, who had joined her. “Is this close to where the men were found?”
He nodded. “This is the same field.”
Scully began walking around, looking at the ground.
Agent Jennings was at her elbow. “Those burnt marks are new,” he pointed to another area. “These are the older ones.”
Scully nodded. “Where were the men’s bodies found?”
“Over there,” Jennings pointed a few feet away, and as Scully got closer, she could see the crime scene paint marking where they had been.
After hours of taking notes and drawing sketches, the agents were ready to leave.
“What time is Mulder’s flight?” Jennings asked.
“Um, I haven’t talked to him. He said afternoon sometime.”
Jennings took his eyes off the road for a moment and looked at her. “He going to stay with you?”
Scully rubbed her eyes. “The Bureau frowns on that. I think it would be better if Mulder stayed at a hotel while he’s here. That’s what they’re expecting.”
Jennings grunted, but said nothing. They went to the Dallas office and typed up their notes. Donna, the agent Scully had met the first time she was there, glanced over at her and smiled. Scully tried to return it, but she was feeling anything but happy. She wanted nothing more than to finish up this case and get out of this town. She needed time to think.
“If we’re done,” she said half an hour later, “I think I’ll leave. I’m really not feeling very well.”
Jennings looked her over. “Okay, Dana honey. I’ll drive you home.”
“Thanks,” she said, picking up her purse.
Scully fell asleep on the couch almost immediately she got home, awakening in the twilight hours. Rising, she went to the kitchen and then cursed because she still really hadn’t gotten any food. Just coffee and bagels. She wondered if Mulder had made it to Dallas and where he was staying. She picked up her phone and called in to access her messages.
“Scully, hi, it’s me. I am here, and staying at the Starview hotel off the interstate. The number is 555-7525.”
Scully jotted the number down and hung up, then walked into the bedroom, stripping off her clothes and pulling some jeans and a T-shirt out of the dresser. Grabbing her sneakers, she sat on the bed and put them on. She didn’t want to call Mulder right now. She was hungry and also full of energy after her nap.
Leaving the apartment and locking the door, she headed out at a fast clip. She knew approximately where things were, and there should be a Subway a few miles down the road. A good sandwich sounded wonderful to her.
She walked briskly and had worked up quite a sweat by the time she reached the little restaurant in the strip mall. Walking in, she ordered a turkey on wheat piled with vegetables and a diet coke. Taking a seat in the corner, she thoroughly enjoyed her dinner, carefully keeping her mind off of Mulder.
It was dark now outside, but Scully was loath to return home. She had her key and her gun in her fanny pack, so she felt well protected. She threw her food packages away and headed out into the warm Texas night. Getting her bearings, Scully turned to the west and began to walk out of town. If she wasn’t mistaken, the field where the bodies had been found was not too far out. She needed the exercise anyway.
10:00 PM
“Agent Mulder, this is Agent Jennings. I found out where you were staying from the Bureau. I have had a report of
some type of activity in the field where the bodies were found. I assume Dana has updated you on what went on there today?”
Mulder rolled over in bed, setting his book on the nightstand.
“Actually, I haven’t been able to get in touch with Agent Scully.” <Crap> Mulder thought, <you’re supposed to be involved with her! Don’t call her that>
“Funny, I can’t get a hold of her either. She hasn’t requisitioned a car yet. Where could she be? I assumed she was with you.” Braun sounded mildly concerned.
“She could be running. Believe me, Agent Jennings. She won’t appreciate the concern. Ag-Dana can take care of herself. Now, what happened in the field today?”
“Same field, six bodies, women this time. Looks to be the same thing.”
“And now?” Mulder asked, already standing and slipping into his Levi’s.
“Just some neighbors reporting strange lights and voices. Wanna check it out?”
“You read my mind. I’ll get dressed and try Scully again while you get over here.”
“Okay. See you in ten.” He hung up, and Mulder pulled a shirt on over his head. Picking up the phone, he dialed Scully’s apartment. He let it ring fifteen times before hanging up. A twinge of concern nibbled at him, but he pushed it aside. She could have walked to a convenience store, taken a cab somewhere, anything. Locking his motel room door, he stood outside under the lights waiting for Jennings.
Scully made her way along the dark road, wishing she had a flashlight. However, the moon was full and cast enough light for her to see fairly well. It was a very warm night, comfortable for walking, and she began thinking about her life these last seven years. Although painful things had happened to her, she didn’t find herself regretting working with Fox Mulder on the X Files. Wasn’t that strange?
By now she should want to run as fast and as far away from him as possible. She’d lost her sister, her fertility, she’d gotten cancer, she’d been abducted. Wasn’t that enough? Didn’t she deserve some peace?
Scully sighed. She didn’t want peace. She wanted Mulder.
She approached the field, staring at it as the huge moon loomed overhead. The bugs were chirping full force in the trees surrounding her, and dark shadows cast eerie shapes over the ground. Scully moved across the grass toward the area inside the yellow police tape. The bodies had been removed, of course, but Scully wanted to look at the burnt places again and to just satisfy her curiosity. She hadn’t really planned coming here for any particular reason; she just wanted to be out and to be alone.
A cool breeze ruffled her hair as she knelt examining the grass. It looked as if immense heat had scorched the ground in several places. All at once, as she crouched there looking, a blinding light shone over everything, causing Scully to put her arm in front of her face in order to shield her eyes. She blinked. What the hell was that? The brightness was relentless. Scully covered her eyes with her hands and fell back onto her haunches. Peeking through her fingers, she was amazed to see the lights begin to move around the area, alternating turning on and off. Total silence hung over the scene for several minutes until a low mumbling began. It rose up as if from the earth itself and became louder and louder until it filled her mind.
Scully struggled to her feet and began to stagger back away from the field. Her eyes caught a movement near the dilapidated barn to her left. Several women were walking toward her, staring straight ahead as if in a trance.
Scully stood staring and then felt herself being pulled toward them against her will. Slowly she walked across the field, the brightness of the lights blinding her, but somehow she didn’t trip or stumble. She almost felt as if she were walking on air a foot or so above the ground and being pulled by an invisible leash. The lights stopped moving and the brightest light hung alone from the sky.
Scully’s body was filled with unbelievable sensations. They felt good and had a calming effect. She tried to focus on the women. They all looked familiar to her…did she know them? They were completely nude. What were they doing out in this field at this time of night? Without clothing? Had Mulder been right? Was there a ship now hovering over them with alien passengers?
The tingling, euphoric sensations ceased as abruptly as they had begun, and were replaced by a low burning beginning right in the middle of Scully’s torso. She went from being unaware of it to extremely uncomfortable. She had stopped and was facing the women, who all looked upward. Scully turned her head and saw a group of men, also nude, entering the field. They came and stood by the women, heads tilted toward the light, which shone down upon them all. Scully alone stood outside the brightness.
Squinting, Scully made a horrific discovery just as the burning sensation within her turned to liquid fire and the screams began coming from her mouth. As she stared at the men, she saw the long, Y-shaped incisions on their bodies. They were the men she’d autopsied a couple of days ago! The fire within her rose a notch higher and her hands rose to her mouth as she instinctively tried to muffle her cries even as the horrible realization came that she was being cooked from the inside out. In an instant, the men and women disappeared and the light shut off, leaving her in complete darkness, made even blacker by the absence of the blinding rays. She sank to the ground and gave herself up to the pain.
+++
Mulder and Jennings lowered their windows and listened intently as the car rolled along the dirt road. A full moon guarded the sky and the bugs were in full chorus in the surrounding woods.
“I hope we’re not coming here to find another bunch of victims,” Jennings commented. He ran his hand through his blond hair and sighed. “This case beats all I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s pretty normal for me. I’ve seen all kinds of things. It’s what we do.” Mulder cracked open a sunflower seed and scanned the area. “Let’s stop here and continue on foot,” he suggested.
Jennings pulled over onto the grass and they got out of the car. Their shoes squeaked on the slightly wet turf as they made their way across the field.
“I don’t see anything,” Jennings grunted. Mulder swung his flashlight around in an arc.
“Hey!” A man called from behind them, causing the men to jump and ready their guns.
A short, paunchy man dressed in jeans and undershirt approached. “I’m Hal Green. I live up on the ridge. You guys police?”
“FBI,” Mulder said, putting his gun away.
“Well I called the police about the lights I seen from my house. They was all over the sky…the brightest thing I ever seen.”
“Did you see anything else? People?” Jennings asked, pulling a notebook out of his pocket.
“I thought I did…one kinda small one alone and then two other groups of people. It was hard to tell because of the lights, but sometimes they’d dim a little. I came about halfway down the ridge to look. Strangest thing I ever seen, I tell ya. Then all of a sudden everyone disappeared.” The man rubbed his nose and shook his head.
“I’m not one to believe in aliens or nothing, but this has about made a believer outta me. Not nothing in this world makes that kind of light and does that kind of thing with it. All switchin’ on and off, they was. Then other lights joined in from all sides. It was a regular spectacle. I tried to get the missus out to see it, but she was hiding in the closet.”
Mulder was looking at him with interest. “Have you ever seen this before?”
“Yessir. Not so much light as this time, but I seen the lights moving around last night before they found them women, and also the night they found them men.”
Mulder looked at Jennings, who was jotting it all down. His cell phone rang, and the big man pulled it out of his pocket.
Mulder turned back to the little man who stood before him.
He took one of his cards out of his wallet and handed it to him. “Call me if you remember anything else.”
Mr. Green nodded and headed back toward the ridge. Mulder could see the lights of the man’s house in the distance. It was a great spot to witness anything that went on in this field.
“Mulder,” Jennings said from behind him. “That was the main office.” The other agent looked alarmed and Mulder prompted him with a look. “Those bodies…the men and the women. They’re gone!”
“Gone? You mean disappeared from the morgue?” Mulder inquired.
Jennings nodded.
Mulder thought a moment. “Those groups of people that he saw…it could have been them. Going back with the ship.”
He waited for Agent Jennings to tell him what a ridiculous theory that was, but he remained silent.
“So you’re not going to laugh?” Mulder said.
Jennings shook his head. “I’ve seen things, Agent Mulder. Things that I can’t deny.”
Mulder felt a shiver go up his spine and a feeling of déjà vu settled over him. The two men walked together back to the car and Mulder felt a sense of hesitation he couldn’t explain. He stopped.
“What is it, Mulder?” Jennings asked, one leg in the car.
“I don’t know,” Mulder said, looking around. “I just feel like there’s something we’re missing.”
He climbed in and buckled his belt. Jennings eased the car off the grass and they began driving away. Mulder looked up at the moon, willing the feeling of unease to vanish.
“Stop!” he yelled abruptly and Jennings slammed his foot onto the brake. He turned to Mulder.
“What? What the hell’s the matter?”
Mulder opened the car door and stepped out, heading into the field. He swung his flashlight left and right. Jennings hurried to catch up with him.
“What is it?”
“Try Scully’s apartment again,” he ordered, and Jennings did so. After a couple of minutes, his eyes met Mulder’s.
“Still no answer.”
“Mr. Green said that there was a small figure standing outside of the two groups. I’m guessing that one group was the men that had been killed, and one was the women. So who was this extra person?”
Jennings looked bewildered, and then realization dawned. “You think that Dana came out here alone?”
Mulder nodded. “She may have just wanted the exercise. But if she was here, then she witnessed whatever happened.” He walked a few more steps. “Scully!” he called into the night, uncaring that he wasn’t keeping up the charade for Jennings. He used the name that was most familiar to his lips and dearest to his heart. “Scully!”
“If she came out here, than where the hell is she?” Jennings demanded.
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Mulder said solemnly, walking farther into the field and shining his light.
Suddenly, it hit upon something.
“Over here!” he called to Jennings, who had veered off in another direction. Approaching a bundle on the ground, he got closer and saw that it was indeed his partner lying unconscious in the damp grass.
“Scully…” he said, fear evident in his voice. He laid his flashlight down and felt for her pulse at the carotid artery. Jennings came to kneel beside him.
“What happened to her?” he wondered aloud, not expecting an answer. “Is she alive?”
“Yes, her pulse is steady, thank God.” Mulder pulled her over onto her back and brushed her hair out of her eyes. He gently slapped at her face with his hands. “Scully…come on, wake up!”
She was unresponsive and Mulder leaned down to listen for her breathing. He was rewarded with the feel of it on his cheek and he saw her chest rise faintly. He took her face in his hands again and shook it a little. “Scully!”
She moaned.
“That’s it, Scully, come on…wake up.” He shook her shoulders. “Scully…say something, come on.”
Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him in confusion. “Mulder…w-what are you doing here?”
“No, the question is, what are YOU doing here?” he chided.
She blinked and looked past his face and into the dark, starry night. “Where am I?”
“You’re out in the middle of a field. Don’t you remember coming out here?”
She swallowed and thought for a moment. The last thing she remembered doing was eating a sandwich at Subway. She shook her head.
Leaning down and supporting her under the arms, Mulder helped her to sit up. She put her head in her hands.
“Mulder, it hurts…and I don’t feel so well.”
Sensing her meaning, he helped her to turn just as she began to vomit. Jennings stood up and stepped away in order to give her some privacy.
When she was finished retching, she moaned again and leaned against Mulder.
“We’d better get her to a hospital,” he told Jennings, who nodded in agreement. Mulder swiftly picked Scully up and began carrying her to the car. She didn’t resist, just laid her head on his shoulder, and this worried Mulder more than anything else.
Scully moaned loudly as he put her in the car and slipped in beside her on the back seat. Jennings got behind the wheel and pulled out, his wheels spinning for a moment in the mud.
Mulder held Scully’s face still as the car bounced down the dirt road. She opened her eyes and looked at him, pain clouding her vision.
“Why did you come out here by yourself, Scully?” he asked her in a low voice.
“Just…walking.” Her face contorted a moment and she grabbed his shirt with her hand, clenching it in her fist. “Pain, Mulder, everywhere.” she whispered, so softly that she had to bend low to hear her.
“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked, silently willing Jennings to drive faster. He realized that this probably wasn’t possible, since the man was breaking some kind of record already.
Scully fought to look at him as another wave of pain came over her. It wasn’t the burning sensation she’d had earlier, but just an overall, pulsating, knifing inside her entire body. She moaned again, and buried her face in Mulder’s shirt. He reached over and combed his fingers through her hair. “It’s all right, Scully, you can tell me later. Just lie still.” He leaned up a little. “Are we close?” he asked Jennings, who nodded and sped up a little more.
The pain was gaining intensity, and Scully didn’t think she could stand it for another minute. Against her will, she began to writhe against her partner, clutching at him as small cries escaped her lips. Mulder pulled her tighter to him, sweat breaking out on his forehead.
“For God’s sake, Jennings, where’s the fucking hospital?!” he yelled.
“Almost there,” Jennings ran a light and turned a corner with precision, gunning the engine and shooting down another stretch of road, blaring his horn to get the cars he thought were going too slow out of his way. For the most part, they were fortunate because the streets were pretty empty at that time of night.
“Hold on, Scully,” Mulder whispered to her, his mouth against her temple. She gripped his neck and whimpered as the pain stepped up a notch. She was scared. What if her insides were hardening like those of the victims? Was she dying? She couldn’t stop the tears from escaping her eyes.
Finally, they pulled into the hospital and Jennings drove the car up to the emergency entrance. Mulder scooted out of the seat with Scully still clinging to him. He lifted her up and walked through the electric doorway.
“I need help!” he yelled. As a nurse turned to him, he said, “FBI! My partner is hurt…get a stretcher, we need assistance NOW!” His tone broached no argument. In a few moments a stretcher was brought up to them and Mulder laid Scully gently down upon it. She grasped his hand.
“You’re going to need to x-ray her…she has a lot of internal pain,” Mulder said. He reluctantly let go of her hand as they wheeled her off.
+++
Mulder sat nursing a cup of coffee as Jennings talked on his cell phone with his superior. Scully was still being evaluated. When he hung up, he sat down beside the pensive agent.
Mulder glanced over at him. “Jennings, what made you believe so easily out there?” He wanted to get his mind off of Scully, and he was still surprised at the other agent’s ready acceptance of his alien theory.
The big man sighed. “There have been a lot of sightings around here. I’ve lived here all my life.”
“You ever see anything?” Mulder asked him curiously.
Jennings seemed reluctant to say. “I’ve seen some stuff. Anyway, who am I to say? If there are creatures on other planets coming here to check us out, then there are. Nobody can change that by saying they don’t believe it. What the hell’s taking them so long to let us know about Dana?” He shifted abruptly in his seat, his huge frame dwarfing the small metal chair.
Mulder set his cup down on a nearby table. “I’ve learned it doesn’t do any good to rant and rave at them, believe me. In fact, I think it makes them slower.” He studied Agent Jennings for a long moment. “So, you were interested in Dana…?”
Jennings turned his head and looked straight into Mulder’s eyes. “Yeah. If you weren’t in the picture, she’d be mine.” He stated it as a simple fact.
Mulder raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be so sure. She’s got a mind of her own, you know.”
Jennings clenched his jaw. “I’d convince her. She’s everything I like in a woman. Brave, beautiful, smart, spunky…and I let her know immediately that I was interested.” He glanced at Mulder. “That’s what you gotta do, you know. Women need to know it.”
Mulder nodded slowly. “You learn that the hard way?”
Jennings looked sheepish. “Yeah, I did.” He stared off into space, forgetting everything else for a moment. “She was my partner and I adored her. She was the best. Stuck by me for years, and I had my problems, believe me. She was always there for me.” He sighed.
Mulder’s interest was peaked. “What happened?” He was afraid he would say she’d been killed. His worst fear for Scully.
Jennings looked over at him. “I couldn’t tell her how I felt. Oh, I’m sure she knew, but I just couldn’t say the words.” His gaze shifted back to the ceiling. “I couldn’t sit down with her and have a normal conversation about stuff…couldn’t tell her that she had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. I couldn’t tell her that when she stood near me I felt different, that her belief in me was what made me a man.” His voice had become thick and he stopped a moment before continuing. “If I had told her all these things, we’d still be together. But after awhile, she just gave up on us. Opted for the normal life…a man who’d give her a house and some kids. A man who could tell her what she was and what she meant to him.” He turned to Mulder and looked him straight in the eye. “I’m not going to make that mistake again. If I’m lucky enough to find a woman I could love like that again…she’ll know it.”
They were silent a moment, and Mulder could feel the swell of emotion threatening to break him. He turned away.
“You don’t have to worry, Mulder. You’ve got your gal. I can see how much she loves you. You’re a lucky man.”
Mulder swung his head and looked at him, the tears now flooding his eyes. “How do you know that? What do you mean?”
Jennings looked confused. “I mean, that she looks at you like you’re the only man on this planet! She looks at you like she’d do anything for you.” He turned away. “She looks at you the way Connie looked at me.” He cleared his throat, stood up, and stretched.
Mulder sat staring at the floor. Was he right? Did Scully really look at him that way and he never even noticed?
His thoughts were interrupted as a nurse approached them.
Mulder stood up, looking at her expectantly, resisting the urge to shake her when she didn’t open her mouth fast enough.
“How is she?” he asked, his voice a mere croak from the tears he’d been suppressing.
“We have her stabilized. Are you family?”
Mulder glanced at Jennings, who pushed him forward. “He’s her husband.”
“You may see her then, but only for a few minutes.” She led the way to Scully’s curtained-off area, and held the drapes open for him to pass through.
He stood looking down at his partner, who was awake, her eyes clouded with drugs. He moved toward the bed and took her hand.
She looked up at him. “What’s the matter?” she asked, her voice slightly slurred.
He shook his head vaguely, trying to smile. She could tell he’d been crying. “Just a sad story somebody told me. I’m okay…what about you, Scully? Are you still hurting?” He squeezed her hand gently.
“No…not really. They’ve given me something strong for it,” she pulled lightly on his hand so he’d come down to her level. He pulled a chair close to her and sat down.
He studied her for a moment. “Scully…” She drug her heavy eyes to his face.
“Yeah?”
“You have the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. Did you know that?”
She blinked and then smiled. He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it.
The nurse stuck her head in the curtain. “Okay, time’s up. They want to move her to a room now.”
Mulder looked back at Scully. “You heard her!” He said softly. “I’ll be right outside. I’ll come and see you when they get you settled in a room.”
Scully reluctantly let go of his hand as he stood and began to walk away.
“Mulder,” she said groggily.
“Yeah?” he turned and stepped back close to her.
“I love you,” she said.
He hesitated, then smiled and leaned down, kissing her forehead. “I love you, too, Scully.” He straightened up, and with a little wave to her, left the cubicle.
Scully sighed. “No, Mulder,” she said softly. “I mean I really love you.” She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.
Braun was on the phone again when Mulder got out in the hallway. Scully’s doctor stood at the nurses’ station, looking at a chart. Mulder approached him.
“Have you gotten the results back on Agent Scully’s tests?” he asked.
The doctor looked up from the papers. “You’re her partner?” At Mulder’s nod, he continued, “We can’t find any internal damage, Agent Mulder. At this point, we aren’t at all certain what is causing all of her pain. She is on some medication to dull it, and all we can do is wait at this point. Her blood work has not returned from the lab as yet…perhaps that will tell us something.”
Mulder nodded and walked away. Jennings approached him, turning off his cellular phone.
“Well, Agent Mulder. Looks like this is where we part company. We’re being pulled from the case due to, well, lack of evidence. The bodies are gone, and the animals’ bodies have already been incinerated. We have Dana’s autopsy reports, of course, but I honestly don’t know where we can go from here on this investigation. We’ve got no prints, no weapons, no nothing. Just the sightings of the lights.”
“Just another unsolved X File,” Mulder said softly.
After a beat, Jennings asked, “How’s Dana?”
“She’s okay as far as they can tell, but they don’t know what happened exactly. At least she hasn’t been harmed internally.”
Braun nodded, then patted the other agent on the back. “Tell her I said goodbye, will you?”
Mulder looked at him. “You don’t want to tell her yourself?”
“Naw. I just need to move on.” He winked at Mulder and walked away, his large body oddly graceful in its movements.
Several hours later, Mulder sat in Scully’s room watching her sleep. He kept thinking back to what Jennings had told him about his former partner. How he had never told her all those things and she had finally left him. Was that what was going to happen with him and Scully if he didn’t speak up?
His biggest fear had been that if he did tell her, she wouldn’t feel the same way and would feel forced to leave. As he watched her chest slowly rise and fall with each breath, he wondered which would be worse, and immediately knew the answer. It would be far worse for her to leave without ever knowing how he felt about her. He had to tell her, and he had to do it soon.
He fell asleep after awhile, his head falling back onto the chair and his mouth dropping open. His snoring was what awoke Scully. She moved a little, testing for the pain, but it was gone. Rolling over, she looked at her partner. His feet were propped up on the side of the bed and his arms were crossed in his lap. His snoring was getting louder. Scully smiled and reached down, shaking his foot.
His eyes popped open. “Wha? Scully?” He looked at her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “You were snoring,” she said.
He dropped his feet off of the bed and got up to sit beside her. “Not possible, Scully. I don’t snore.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Wonder what that loud noise was coming out of your mouth, then.”
He smiled. “Feeling better?”
“Yes. No more pain.” Gingerly, she sat up, and he helped to prop some pillows up behind her. He leaned over and pushed some hair behind her ear. Scully reached up and took his hand before it could retreat.
“Mulder, can I ask you something?” Her eyes remained lowered and focused somewhere between his neck and his chest.
“Of course.”
“Do you…” Scully paused a moment, losing her nerve. She rushed on, “Do you find me attractive?” She bit her lip; unable to believe she’d said it.
Mulder looked surprised when she finally got the nerve to look him in the face.
“What?” He laughed rather nervously. “Why do you ask me that?”
“That’s not an answer, Mulder. And remember…I can tell if you’re lying.”
Mulder cleared his throat. “Of course I find you attractive, Scully. You ARE attractive. You must know that.”
“Well, I know I’m not butt-ugly. But my question was: Do you find me attractive? Would you, as a man, be the slightest bit interested in touching me…kissing me…making love to me?” Her voice was soft and Mulder felt his insides begin to tremble. He resisted the urge to say, “Boy, would I!” Instead, he reached out and tilted her chin up a little so he could look more deeply into her eyes.
“I wish you’d tell me why you are asking me this, Scully.”
She licked her lips. “We’ve been friends for a long time, and I know you care about me. I-I just wondered if you found me the least bit …tempting, that’s all. I mean, most of the time I figure you think of me as a man.”
Mulder stared at her for a moment. “I promise you, Scully, I don’t think of you as a man.”
Their faces were inches away from one another, and he found himself staring at her mouth. It was pink, and open. Almost inviting him to kiss it. Her tongue flicked out and Mulder heard himself groan. Scully’s hands crawled up his chest and slid by his jaw and back into his hair.
“Then prove it, Mulder.”
His heart beating wildly, he leaned forward and she met him half way, her mouth over his, just slightly wet and oh, so warm. He groaned again and his tongue came out to touch hers as they passed one another in route to their final destinations. Scully’s hands tightened on his neck and then her arms came around him and she enfolded him within her embrace. He pulled her to him, kissing her hungrily, and in between telling her things his mind had been screaming, “God, yes, Scully, I find you attractive…I want you more than I can say,…You feel so good…so good,” and Scully was answering into his mouth.
“Mulder,” she breathed as her lips moved down to his neck, tasting his salty skin. “I had to know…if you felt the same way.” Her hands traversed his shoulders and slowly skimmed his arms, sending shivers up his spine.
He kissed her harder, pushing her back into the mattress. She clung to him. His breath was warm, his body was hot. He smelled like something she wanted to eat and her breathing became ragged as he moved his mouth down to the edge of the hospital gown where her collarbone was.
The door opened, and the same nurse Mulder had talked to in the ER stuck her head in. Mulder pulled himself away quickly.
“Visiting hours are over!” she said in a singsong voice.
Mulder stared into Scully’s eyes, promising more when they could be alone. He stood up, her hand in his, and slowly let it go as he held her gaze and backed up. Then he turned and left the room.
As Scully watched his perfect behind retreat from the room, she moaned slightly and sunk down into the bed.
“Now THAT couldn’t be good for your blood pressure,” the nurse said, fitting the cuff to her arm.
Scully was released later that day when her blood tests came back normal. Mulder drove her to her Dallas apartment to help her pack up her things.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “It may be that the chip in your neck saved your life out in that field, Scully. Maybe that’s why you weren’t fried to a crisp on the inside.”
Scully gave him a look at his choice of words, and then said, “Maybe so, Mulder. It certainly felt like I was being cooked, though. From the inside out…like a microwave.”
Mulder made a face. “I guess we’ll never know, Scully, what the aliens wanted with those men, women, and animals. Perhaps it was the fluid in their internal organs that they wanted,” he speculated.
Scully didn’t comment, since she didn’t want to believe that aliens were responsible.
Mulder pulled up in front of the apartment building, and he and Scully got out of the car. Scully’s mind was working fast as they walked. She felt a tremendous physical need for Mulder that had intensified threefold when they’d kissed in the hospital. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. His hands on her body, his mouth moving over hers. Suddenly, Scully realized that Mulder had been talking to her.
“What?” she asked.
“I said, should I go on to the motel and pack my things?”
Mulder looked at her expectantly. Was he asking her if he should go pack his stuff, or was he really asking her if she wanted to take things further right now in her apartment?
The nearness of him threatened to drive her crazy. She wet her lips and looked at him, trying to read his face. Was it her imagination, or were his eyes shining with penned up desire?
“Mulder…do you want to go pack?” she asked, hoping he’d say no, he wanted to take her on her apartment floor.
“I guess I may as well,” he said instead, and Scully sighed in disappointment.
“Okay, I guess you can pick me up when you’re done, and then we’ll return the car and take a cab to the airport.”
“Sounds good,” Mulder said, his eyes lingering on her a second too long before he turned away. She opened her door, and then turned back to watch the way he filled out his jeans in the back. Sighing again, she went inside, flipping on the light.
It didn’t take her long to pack. She wondered what it would take to jump start Mulder as she put her toiletries in her bag. Perhaps what they needed was a night on the town. Maybe she was rushing things. When they got back to DC, she’d see what she could do.
She was sitting on the stoop with her suitcase when he pulled up to the curb. He popped the trunk and she tossed it in, then climbed onto the seat beside him.
“Scully, I want you to know that I’ve always appreciated the fact that you’re a fast packer,” he said.
She smiled and looked at him. “What brought that on?” she asked.
Mulder shrugged one shoulder. “I guess I just don’t want to take you for granted, that’s all. I want you to know that I have frequently thought about how nice it is that I never have to sit around waiting for you to get ready.”
“Okay, Mulder. Thanks for letting me know,” Scully said, a bit surprised at his admission.
“You’re welcome,” he said quietly.
They returned the requisitioned car and took a taxi to the airport. Mulder had made reservations for a flight and they had two hours to wait. They made their way to the small restaurant by the gift shop and ordered a couple of hamburgers and some fries, settling in a booth.
Scully watched Mulder eat with a mixture of fondness and animal lust. She hoped it didn’t show. She had to remind herself to eat. Why had she never noticed the sexy way he ate his French fries? He held them so delicately between his long fingers and then forcefully jabbed them into the puddled catsup and lifted them to his mouth…
Scully shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts.
“Mulder, I’m going to the ladies room,” she said.
The café restroom consisted of one toilet, which Scully hated. She had to wait ten minutes for it to vacate and then spend another five trying to disinfect the room enough to use it herself.
When she’d finished and was drying her hands, she looked at herself in the mirror and made a promise. <When you get home, Dana. You are going to do something about it if he doesn’t. He is not going to ignore what happened between you, and neither are you> She dried her hands and went to open the door.
It wouldn’t budge.
“Damn!” Scully said, twisting the knob as hard as she could. It came off in her hand. She lifted her hands and slapped them against the door. “Hey! I’m locked in!’ She yelled.
She went over to the counter and started looking through her purse for something to pry the door open with.
“Scully?” She heard Mulder’s voice.
“Mulder! I’m locked in!” she said, her mouth near the crack.
“Well, hold on…let me see if I can open it.” He fiddled with the knob a minute and the door swung open, causing Scully to step back quickly and fall onto the trash can. Mulder walked in.
“Sorry, Scully… are you okay?” he reached over and pulled her up.
“Mulder, no!” she lunged forward to grab the door, but it was too late. It had shut and wouldn’t open.
“Dammit, Mulder!” She turned on him. “What the hell did you let go of the door for?”
“Well, I was trying to help you out of the trash, Scully, if you want to know the truth,” Mulder said irritably, “Where’s the doorknob?”
Scully reached over and picked it up off the sink and handed it to him. He tried to fit it back on the door, but it kept falling and rolling away. “Shit,” he mumbled under his breath. He turned around and shrugged. “Well, someone is bound to come along soon.” He sat on the edge on the sink and crossed his arms over his chest. “So this is what the ladies’ room looks like.” He glanced around.
Scully frowned. “Well what’s so interesting about it, Mulder? It has a toilet and a sink. Wow.”
Mulder raised an eyebrow. “Snippy, aren’t we, Scully. Listen, someone will be around in a minute. There’s a huge storm brewing outside anyway…I’ll bet our flight will be delayed. Calm down, we have all the time in the world.”
Scully sighed and glanced around the room. The only seat was the toilet, and she wasn’t about to sit there.
“I just can’t believe our luck,” she muttered, leaning against the wall. Just then, the lights flickered and went out. Scully moaned dolefully.
Mulder chuckled.
“Oh, well, I’m glad you find this humorous, Mulder!”
Mulder laughed harder. “Can’t you see how funny it is, Scully?” he choked out between spasms.
“Not really,” Scully didn’t relish being locked in a public bathroom in the dark. Even if it was with her handsome, sexy partner. Her thoughts turned all of a sudden and she felt herself blushing. She was glad that he couldn’t see it.
Mulder had quieted down and was sniffling and wiping his eyes. Scully was seeing all of this in her mind’s eye as she listened to him in the dark. She suddenly wondered what he’d do if she peeled all her clothes off and walked over to him stark naked.
“Scully?” Mulder said out of the dark, jerking her out of her thoughts.
“Yes?”
“Why so silent, partner?”
“Oh, um, just thinking.”
She heard Mulder push off of the counter and move toward her. “What are you thinking about?” His voice was very close to her now, and she suddenly felt his hand settle on her breast. He jerked it away quickly.
“Sorry, I was trying to find you,” he mumbled, obviously embarrassed. Now it was Scully’s turn to start giggling.
“What?” he asked, laughter in his voice.
“You touched my breast, Mulder,” she laughed, holding her sides as the humor of it hit her again.
“Glad you find that so funny, Scully,” he said, somewhat insulted. Scully laughed harder.
“It’s…just…that…” Scully snorted, and Mulder started laughing. She tried to stop and snorted again, causing Mulder to double over in his mirth. They slid to the floor of the bathroom, giggling uncontrollably. Tears were streaming down Scully’s face when she finally settled down.
Between gasps, she said, “Before you did that, I was just wondering,” she laughed again, “I was just w-wondering what you’d do if I took all my clothes off…” her voice trailed off on a new bout of snickering.
Mulder was silent a moment. “Why were you wondering that?” he finally asked, his voice soft in the blackness.
Scully leaned her head against the wall and sighed, pulling herself together. She reached over and felt for his hand, intending to hold it. Instead, she latched onto a piece of his anatomy that was standing at attention. She gasped and jerked her hand away, and then they both broke out in gales of laughter all over again.
When Scully recovered her composure, she got up on her knees, hiking her skirt up to her waist, and straddled Mulder’s legs. When her hot tongue delved into his ear, he nearly bucked her off his lap in his astonishment and pleasure.
“Sc-Scully! My God, what are you doing?”
She lifted her head in the dark and her breath hit his cheek, warm and enticing. “What I should have done a long time ago, Mulder.” She brought her lips onto his and kissed him hungrily. His mouth opened to her and he returned the kiss whole-heartedly, his arms enfolding her. Scully was so turned on she felt like she could explode right then and there, and Mulder was moaning so loud that she wondered if people outside could hear him.
“Oh, Scully…” his hands were traveling up her shirtfront and she wiggled in anticipation, causing Mulder to moan again. Despite the fact that they were in a dirty, public bathroom, Scully felt that she had to have him.
“ARE YOU ALL RIGHT IN THERE?!” The voice shocked them both, and they jumped; Scully falling off of his lap and rolling onto the hard floor.
“Yes…we’re stuck,” Mulder managed to say, struggling up and feeling around for Scully so he could help her.
“Isn’t that the ladies’ bathroom, mister?” the gruff voice said.
“I’m an FBI agent! Get this door open!” Mulder’s voice was commanding, and Scully smiled in the dark. She felt Mulder’s hand touch hers and their fingers entwined. Pressing herself up against him, she said, “Later, Mulder. I’ll get my satin sheets out.”
Mulder swallowed audibly and Scully smiled again. A loud crack and the gruff voice shouting for them to move back followed sounds of the door being pried open. They stepped out of the way and the door swung wide. Emergency lights illuminated the café outside, and Scully grabbed her purse as they exited the small lavatory.
On the flight home, Scully’s eyes kept traveling to Mulder’s lap. She bit her lip and grabbed a magazine to keep her attention. Her eyes strayed again, and then she looked up to see Mulder staring at her, a feral kind of grin on his face. Scully sucked in her breath and leaned toward him. He pulled her to him roughly and kissed her hard on the mouth, occasionally nipping her lips with his teeth. Her hands slid up around his neck and she pulled him closer, until the armrest between them started digging into his middle. They reluctantly came apart and Mulder stared into her eyes. “Soon, Scully…soon.” Scully nodded her head slowly.
When they landed, they took a taxi to the J. Edgar Hoover building, knowing that Ad Skinner expected them. In the elevator going up, Scully turned and looked at her partner. Soon their whole relationship was going to change. Did she want that?
Hell, yes, she did!
She moved toward him, sliding her hands up his hard chest. Mulder leaned down until his forehead pressed against hers and their breaths combined.
“Mulder…I want you so much. I mean, I just can’t stand it anymore. I have to have you…” Scully had lost every bit of her composure.
Mulder groaned and leaned his head back against the paneling. “Don’t, Scully…I’ll never get through this meeting with Skinner…”
Scully leaned up and nibbled on his neck and he grabbed her, pressing his mouth to hers, his tongue plunging inside and gliding over her teeth and gums. Scully began breathing hard, her hands all over him.
Then the elevator door opened, and they lunged apart. Scully pressed herself against the other side of the elevator, her hand to her mouth. It would have been all too obvious to an onlooker what they had been doing: Mulder’s tie was askew, Scully’s shirt untucked. Her lipstick was smeared all over her face and his. Their hair was disheveled. Fortunately, no one was on the other side of the doors, and with a glance at Mulder; Scully straightened her blouse and skirt and exited the elevator, her partner close behind. She helped him with his tie and they walked into the outer office, telling Kimberly why they were there.
Did she look at them differently? It was hard to tell.
Seated in AD Skinner’s office, Mulder and Scully did their best not to look at one another. Their boss sat and listened to their report on what had taken place in Dallas and Oklahoma and made a few notes.
“Another inconclusive ending to a case, eh agents?” he said, tossing his pen on his desk and leaning back.
“Yes sir,” Scully said. “I’ll have the report written up and typed out as soon as possible.”
“The end of the week will do, Agent Scully. Go on home and unpack and take tomorrow off. It’s late. I’ll see you two on Thursday.”
“Thank you, Sir,” they said and got up from their seats, moving as one toward the door.
Once in the hall, Scully looked up at Mulder and said, “Come over tomorrow night at seven, Mulder,” and he nodded, not trusting himself to speak. They parted on the street as they caught separate cabs home.
Scully thought about all she wanted to do the next day to prepare. She was feeling nervous, but knew that she wanted this to be special and she would have to work a little bit at it.
When she got home, she immediately made a list. At the top of it was to buy some satin sheets. She smiled to herself. Mulder had seemed to like the idea, and there was no way that she was going to admit she didn’t have any.
The next morning, Mulder awoke early and went for a run. He spent an extra thirty minutes at it because he had so much penned up energy. He wondered how he was going to get through this day.
When he got back to his apartment, he took his laundry downstairs and did it, making certain that the shirt and slacks he planned to wear that night were among the pile of dirty clothing.
He ate a light sandwich for lunch and then took a long shower, washing his hair. Next came shaving and brushing his teeth. He looked at himself in the mirror, thinking how very long it had been since he’d gotten laid. And now he was going to do it with his partner, of all people! He smiled. He still couldn’t believe that she wanted him that way.
He left early for Scully’s and stopped to buy some champagne and flowers. He was still 15 minutes early when he knocked on her door.
Scully opened it, wearing a low cut black dress that stopped mid thigh. Mulder’s eyes combed her with undisguised appreciation and she smiled enticingly.
As he handed her the champagne, she said, “I was afraid you’d back out.”
She turned and walked into the living room and Mulder stifled a gasp when he saw that the dress was backless. He followed her and gave her the flowers when she’d set the bottle down on the kitchen counter.
“It would’ve taken a natural disaster to keep me from coming, Scully,” he told her truthfully.
She admired the flowers and set them in some water, then popped the cork and poured the glittering liquid into two skinny flutes. She handed him one and clinked hers to it.
“To new beginnings,” she said in a voice that made his bones melt within him. He nodded and took a sip, then set the glass on the counter.
“You don’t like it?” she asked, raising a brow.
“There’s something else I’d rather have in my mouth at the moment,” he told her, his voice gravely. Scully sucked in her breath as he pulled her to him. She could feel every part of him pressed closely to her. Most especially one very important part.
She reached over and set her glass down, then ran her hands up his bare arms. He had on a white polo shirt that made his skin look darker and his soulful eyes shine green. His jeans fit his form perfectly. Scully glanced down. Even his Nike sneakers turned her on.
She raised her eyes to meet his. “Mulder, I have to tell you, before we do this…I,I…” She took a deep breath, “I love you, Mulder. I love you and I want to be with you because I love you, and because I want you more than any man I’ve ever known. I can’t wait for you to be a part of me physically, because you’ve been a part of me emotionally for so long now.” Her voice was soft and truthful and Mulder felt a lump rising in his throat.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before, Scully? I told you I loved you that day in the hospital after Bermuda.” His hands were running up and down her bare back and Scully shivered with anticipation.
“When you were drugged?” She shook her head. “I didn’t think you were serious, Mulder. And I don’t think I really understood until recently that, not only do you mean everything to me, but I am also incredibly attracted to you. I never let myself feel those things before.”
Mulder leaned down and kissed her softly. “I did mean it, Scully. I really thought by your reaction that you wanted only friendship.” He rubbed his nose against hers. “And I would accept that if it were all you felt you could give me.”
“It is far from all, Mulder. I want to give you everything. All of me. Now.”
She pulled his mouth down to hers and tasted it thoroughly, their passion rising at a fevered pace until she whispered hoarsely in his ear, “Take me to bed, Mulder.”
He quickly complied, pulling her by the hand. When they entered her bedroom, he was amazed to see it alight with candles. A pair of very red satin sheets adorned the bed. He looked at Scully. “It looks very inviting.”
“That’s only the beginning, Mulder.” Her eyes never left his as she slowly shed her dress, revealing only a black thong beneath. She stood there in her high heels for his inspection. His heart was beating so wildly he thought he was having a coronary. She held out her hand to him and he took it, allowing her to pull him close. She unbuttoned the single button on his shirt and he pulled it over his head.
The sight of his bare chest caused her breathing to quicken, and she began placing small, wet kisses all over him. Groaning, Mulder rid himself of his pants and Scully smiled when she saw the black silk boxers she recognized from long ago. “My fantasy,” she breathed.
He looked at her, “You’ve fantasized about me?”
“Yes, about us. This is pretty much it,” she gestured to the room and their attire, or lack of it. “Except for the one that involves your desk at work.”
Mulder almost choked. He grabbed her to him. “We’ll work on that one later,” he kissed her hungrily and they stumbled back onto the bed.
“Oh, and the one in Skinner’s office…”
“Scully…” Mulder pleaded, and he began working making her first fantasy a reality.
^^^
In the wee hours of the morning, Scully lay atop of Mulder, her hand idly playing with his hair. He had fallen asleep after the fifth time, when they’d stop having sex and had made love. He excited her more than any man ever had, and she was having trouble believing that it all had really happened. His stamina had been amazing, and his taking of her body merciless.
She had loved it.
Tears came to her eyes when she recalled the emotion she had felt. This man was everything she had ever wanted. She had traded her life for him years ago, and she didn’t regret a moment of it. She raised herself up a bit and stared down at his handsome face, eased of all expression by deep slumber. Leaning down, she placed a gentle kiss on his chin, then rolled off of him and settled into the crook of his arm, pulling her comforter up close about their bodies. Man, was she going to be sore in a few hours!
As she fell asleep, she sent a silent thank you to Braun Jennings, without whom she may never have realized that there was a final step required in completing the amazing relationship that she had with her partner. Now she felt content.
Now all was right with the world.
THE END
EX-LIBRIS: X-LIBRIS
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