The Night Shift Series - Part 12 The Meaning of Love by Mulderslady DISCLAIMER: They don't belong to me, wish they did. RATING: P.G.-13 later stories maybe mild R CLASSIFICATION: S, Alternative Universe, X-file KEYWORDS: UST/MSR, Minor Mulder and Scully angst, AU SPOILERS: From All seasons URL: http:/ /www.geocities.com/Area51/Capsule/5160/Nightshift.html FEEDBACK: Please!!! at damacia@home.com ARCHIVE: Oh yeah, anywhere!! SUMMARY: Off-Kilter veteran Paramedic Fox Mulder meets the new Medical Examiner for Georgetown Medical Center, Dr. Dana Scully. A deep friendship instantly develops as they have numerous X-file like adventures on the night shift. Twelfth part of the Night Shift series. Scully eyed the wrapped bodies suspiciously. She lifted the sheet off one and looked at the cause of death on the chart. Explosion, hit by debris, doubt it, this man is totally animacious. His tissues are like jelly, explosions don't do that. There isn't a scratch on these bodies, no autopsy's been done, what gives? Scully heard footsteps and recovered the body quickly. Mr. Skinner came in and she turned to him, a chart in her hand. "These are already done?" "Yes." "Who did the autopsies on these people?" "FBI crime lab." Oh really? Scully thought looking at the chart again. Curiouser and Curiouser, Mulder would love to dispute government cover-up about this. "So why are they here? If they're done, they don't need to be here, they're taking up room Mr. Skinner." "I don't know why they're here they just are, they'll be moved but till then the morgue is off limits." "WHAT?! Why?!" Mr. Skinner shrugged "They threatened arrest if I didn't concede. Must be important, probably from that bombing in Texas." "So what? I can't do my job because the FBI doesn't have enough room in their lab for their own bodies?" "Hey, think of it as a paid vacation." Skinner said with a sympathetic smile. Scully let out a half smile and picked up her backpack heading out the door. 3 a.m. Scully laid on her couch, running everything she had seen over in her head, when the phone ring. "Mulder is that you?" "Of course, Skinner told me, so what are going to do with your mini paid Vay?" "I don't know, but I know I have to get another look at those bodies before they disappear." "Huh? Why?" "Because they didn't die the way the charts said. Most likely they were already dead before the explosion." "I think your right. I did a little research of my own, those bodies were found in the FEMA offices. I believe the building was blown up to get rid of the bodies." There was a long silence. "You know for once, I think your right Mulder." "Really?!" Mulder smiled, that's a first, he thought as she continued "yeah, those bodies where infected with something that if it got out, would cause mass hysteria. The bodies seem to have something eating at the tissues, breaking down the body. Mulder? Want to do some B&E?" "What? Now?!" "Sure, I won't get another chance. If anyone shows up, I could say I was getting paperwork." "What about me?" "Do you ever need an explanation other than your Spooky Mulder for anything you do?" Mulder laughed "Guess not, I'll pick you up in 10." 3:30 a.m. "I didn't know you had a microscope in your office." Mulder said as he watched her pull a microscope from her desk. "It's my spare, for days like these when your trying to uncover government conspiracies. Oh wow, porous! I was right, mass infection of the tissues, but of what?" There was a rattle at the door followed by loud footsteps. Scully put away the microscope, quickly pocketing the sample and hiding under her desk with Mulder. She was cradled close to him, their faces inches apart. Scully smiled at him, teasing him with an air kiss. Mulder stuck his tongue out and licked the tip of her nose. She let out a small yelp and jerked away, throwing him the 'I'm going to kick your butt' look. He smiled and mouthed "You know you love me." Scully gave him a mysterious smile as she peeked over the desk. "Come on, I need to get this analyzed." She said, pulling the sample from her pocket. "How are you going to do that without getting caught?" "I have a friend in the lab. He has a crush on me, he'll keep it on the down low." She said, dusting her pants off and grabbing her backpack. "Pendrell?" Mulder said suddenly, making Scully look at him strangely "Yes! I knew he had a crush on you. It's mine!" "What is?" "Me and the guys in transportation had a little bet that Pendrell . . ." "Nevermind, but I'll test my new kick boxing move out on you if I don't get a cut." "Deal, come on lets go before they come back. Lab "It's a mutated virus, but not like one I've ever seen. It's either manufactured or from outerspace." Pendrell said turning and throwing Scully a love sick glance with his blue eyes. He brushed a lock of his shaggy red hair out of his face and waited to hear Scully's voice. "Manufactured like bioweapons? That would explain the secrecy, but why destroy it?" Scully said, unconsciously leaning into Pendrell as she looked at the results. "So no one would know they released it." Mulder said quietly. Pendrell and Scully looked at Mulder with realization. "Controlled tests on the public?!" Pendrell squeaked. Mulder shrugged "Just a guess." "Good guess Mulder, thanks Pendrell you're the greatest." Scully said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek making Pendrell turn as red as his hair. Mulder bristled with jealousy at the quick show of affection and gave Pendrell a predatory glare as Scully linked her fingers with Mulder's and headed out of the lab. Undisclosed location The old well dressed British man walked in to join his associates in the office. Everyone was there, they looked grave. "We have had news, the virus has mutated." "Into what?" the British man asked, taking a seat "Into a stronger strain." "do we still have time to perfect the vaccine? Is the vaccine still effective?" "Yes, but we need to take care of something first." "What?" "Mulder and his Dr. Scully have seen one of the infected bodies." "How? I thought they had been moved. This needs to be handled." The British man said angrily "Why? What can they do? He's a paramedic." One of his associates asked. "They could figure out the project. She's a respected doctor, she could explain it. She could cause mass hysteria and expose us." "She'll stop if Mulder does." "The only way to stop Mulder is to take something he holds dear away. Do you think that could be arranged?" the British man said turning to the cigarette smoking man, who was sitting next to him. "OH that will be a simple task. We'll need to give them something though to bait them. She'll walk right into our hands." He said in a smoke cured voice, his lips curled into an evil smile as he raised a cigarette to them. 2 days later "Scully did you get my email?" "Hello Mulder, yes I did. So when we going?" "Now if your ready?" "yep, pick me up in 15." Warehouse undisclosed area in downtown D.C. "How do you know this isn't a hoax Mulder?" Scully said, getting off the back of Mulder's motorcycle, tucking a strand of her fiery hair behind her ear. "I traced the email back to a government office." "FEMA?" "Yep" "Well lets go in." Scully said cocking her gun and waiting for Mulder to go in first. "Me?!" Mulder said, stepping back slightly. "Never mind wimp, follow me." Scully teased as she kicked the door in, only to be snatched inside quickly. "Scully!" Mulder said, cocking his gun and starting in when he was stopped by a large man with a crewcut. The man smiled ruefully as he quickly aimed his gun at Mulder's head and fired. Mulder woke up, his head pounding, his motorcycle missing. He got to his feet unsteadily and started to walk towards the main road. "Need a lift Mr. Mulder." An older British man said, pulling up beside him in a limo. Mulder stopped. Where did he come from? How did he know my name? He continued walking, picking up his pace a tad. "I don't take rides from strangers." He quipped "I well I think you'll find it imperative to take one from me." The British man said, cocking a gun and pointing it at Mulder. Mulder stopped and looked at the man again. The door opened and Mulder got in quickly. "She's special to you isn't she?" The man said after a few moments of silence. "Who?" Mulder asked confused, his head pounding. "Don't play dumb with me Mr. Mulder, I know your not. Dr. Scully, she's special to you, isn't she?" "Yes she is, she's my best friend." "She's more than that to you. Your definitely more than that to her." Mulder double blinked, who is this guy? How does he know that? "I've been watching you two for years now. I've watched you grow closer together. We were hoping she'd distract you more. She would have if she'd let you, isn't that right Mr. Mulder?" Mulder smiled slightly "Yeah she would have. Why is that any business of yours though?" "Because what your thinking is true isn't and once you discover that truth, you'll turn your energies in the right direction. We can't have you doing that." "Why? What are you hiding?" Mulder started, looking nervously at the old man when he tightened his grip on the gun in his lap. "So what are you . . ." "Nothing, if you were dead there would be more following you. Your Dr. Scully being one." "Why did you take her? Where is she?" Mulder asked urgently "We took her to make you stop searching. I have the means to find her and save her life Mr. Mulder. By now she's most likely been infected with the virus we've made." The man showed Mulder the vaccine and syringe in his hand. Mulder reached for it, but the man jerked it back. "This is the vaccine, that can save her Mr. Mulder, but you must tell me something first." "Anything." Mulder said desperately "What is the meaning of love?" "What?" "The more I watch you two the more it alludes me. I'm a lonely man Mr. Mulder. Everyone I've loved has died or I've had to kill for the greater good of the project. I don't want you to end up like me Mr. Mulder, it is a lonely existence when your driven. I want to know, what is the meaning of love?" "A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness. A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment . . ." Mulder started to rattle off. "No Mr. Mulder, not the American Heritage version. What does love mean to you Mr. Mulder? Your loves life is depending on the answer." "Love . . . love is risking my life and everything I have to find her." The old man smiled and placed the vaccine in his hand along with a small piece of paper. "Then go find her." 2 days later Alaska Scully woke up feeling warm and tingly. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around. "Where . . ." she started "Dr. Scully glad to have you with us again. I'm Dr. Ritter. You were admitted for exposure to extreme cold. It's a good thing you were found when you were." Scully looked at the doctor confused. She felt her hand squeezed and turned looking into Mulder's expressive eyes. "Mulder? What are you . . ." "Hey sunshine, you had us worried." "Worried? Where am I? How did I get . . ." "Ssh it's a long story. You rest now, I'll tell you later." Mulder said petting her hair lightly, stopping when she gave him THE LOOK. "What about the bodies and the virus?" Scully insisted, still trying to sit up. "They just helped me discover the meaning of something, something important that was missing in my life." Scully sat up and ruffled his hair playfully, flashing him a smile. "Well Mr. Deep Hidden Meaning, could you get me something to drink?" "Sure." He said, reaching into a brown paper bag he had at his feet. "If there's a Pepsi in that bag, could be love." Scully teased. Mulder smiled, remembering when he had first said those words five years earlier, as he pulled out a 20 oz Pepsi and handed it to her. "Must be fate Scully."