ghost5

A Ghost of a Chance

As Skinner drove to work the next morning, he thought about what had happened. Once Scully had left, as usual his thoughts were all for Mulder. He couldn't understand what was happening. And he felt awful about how he'd treated Scully. Now he could remember clearly the hurt look in her eyes as he'd suddenly gone from Dr. Jekyll, about to open his heart to her, to Mr. Hyde, chasing her out and all but threatening her job. What on earth could have made him do that? // The same thing that makes me keep thinking about Mulder? // He hated to give Mulder the credence, but by this point he was seriously hoping that this WAS an X-file.

So how the hell was he going to fix this with Dana? He wanted to talk with her informally. But there was no way in hell he was going down to their office; he still wasn't ready to face Mulder. If he called her up to the office, she'd be afraid he was making his comments last night official. But he didn't want to do it in public. OK, the office was best.

He settled in at his desk, going through his morning routine, trying not to be impatient. He wanted nothing to look unusual today. Finally, around 10AM, he reached for the phone. He wanted to call her himself, to hopefully reassure her. // But what if Mulder answers the phone? // The question popped in to his mind at the last minute. Damn. He sighed and buzzed his secretary.

"Kim? Can you please have Agent Scully come up to my office? No, not both of them. Just Scully. Thank you."

She'd be scared, but there was nothing he could do about that. He'd reassure her soon enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As usual, Mulder was there when she got in the next morning. As she closed the door behind her, he grinned at her. "So how'd it go?"

Hanging her suit coat over the back of her chair, Scully sighed and shook her head. "It was very strange, Mulder. He was distant at first, but that was to be expected. I thought he was starting to open up to me, and then all of a sudden it was like a steel wall clamped down between us. He said my behavior was inappropriate and that I should leave. I left."

"Hmmm �." Mulder's face looked thoughtful.

"What?" Scully finally asked after a couple of minutes.

"Well, we can be pretty sure that if there is a horny ghost there, it's gay sex he's after. Otherwise, I'm SURE you two would have been doing the horizontal tango within minutes. He wants you, Scully, and if the ghost agreed, it would have happened. So I'm guessing it was the ghost who was really mad at you when he felt Walter responding to you.

"You remember I said the ghost was enhancing our pleasure? Well, now that I think about it, I think he was also enhancing our emotions. There were a couple of times I felt almost like a blanket of affection, or contentment had wrapped around me. When the ghost is happy, Walter is happy. When the ghost gets pissed, Walter gets pissed."

Scully sighed. It certainly would explain their boss's weird behavior, but she still had problems REALLY believing in a ghost.

"Did you find anything on the previous tenants?"

"Oh, yeah! Meant to mention that. The last tenant was a woman, and the one before that a man, but neither of them stayed long, just one year each. Prior to that, there had been a guy who lived there for a long time, about 20 years in fact. Haven't found anything remarkable on any of them. Except the guy who stayed 20 years I think might have been gay. He never married and when he died he left all his money to a gay-rights organization."

"Do you think he's the ghost?"

Mulder shook his head. "Might be, but I doubt it. Ghosts are usually souls who got cut off, died before they got to do what there were here to do. This guy looked like he lived a full life. And think about it, Scully. If that apartment is haunted by a gay ghost, can you imagine his sex life? Twenty years of weekends like the one I just had? He had to die a happy man!"

Scully blushed as she laughed at Mulder's expression. "So the short term tenants were?"

"A woman and a straight man, neither of which would do our ghost any good in getting his ghostly rocks off. Which would also explain why he's so horny now. I'm thinking he scared them away. I've got their current addresses, I'm going to try to talk to them today."

"What about earlier tenants?"

"Prior to the guy who stayed there 20 years, it's just a normal mix, a couple of years here and there. Nobody ran away or stayed extra long. So I'm betting on the tenant right before our long-timer. Julian Kingston. Lived there during the early 60's. Haven't gotten his death records yet; it's still paper from back then. But I'm betting he died in some tragedy, maybe right after he figured out he was gay."

Their conversation was interrupted by Scully's phone ringing. She picked it up. "Scully. OK, Kim, I'll be right there."

She looked up at Mulder. "He wants to see me. Fallout from last night?"

Mulder shook his head. "Away from the apartment, he should be himself. Probably wants to apologize." He smiled reassuringly. "At least YOU should be safe with that. Me, I'm safer with the ghost."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nervously, Scully adjusted her collar over the lapels of her coat reflected in the elevator doors. She took a deep breath as the doors opened and strode down the hall to the AD's office. Kim smiled at her, waving her in. "He's waiting for you."

Scully entered, closing the door behind her. Skinner was standing by the window, looking out. Not being able to see his face worried her. "Sir? You wanted to see me?"

Skinner felt a shiver run down his back at the sound of her voice. He remembered the soft entreaty in her eyes last night as she had tried to draw him out. He remembered the feel of her hand against his. But he couldn't let this happen now. They were at work, it was too dangerous.

Finally he turned around and looked at her. He could see the worry in her eyes.

"Scully? About last night � I wanted to apologize."

// Mulder was right! // Scully could feel herself relaxing at those words. "It's all right, sir, I understand."

He looked puzzled. "You understand? That's strange, because I sure as hell don't understand what happened!"

"It was the ghost talking, sir, not you."

His usual scowl was back. "That sounds like Mulder talking, not you."

She made a face. "I know, sir. But what other explanation is there? I saw it happen, sir. One minute you were about to open up, let me in, and the next the wall slams down. And from what Mulder's told me, you really haven't been acting like yourself lately, at least when you're in that apartment."

Skinner sighed and perched on the edge of his desk. "For once, I hope you two are right, Scully. I � this thing is driving me crazy."

Encouraged, Scully came forward and gently touched his arm. "You do want to talk about it?"

Skinner nodded. "But not here. You were right about that, I don't want to discuss it at work."

Seeing this usually strong, confident man looking so uncertain touched something deep inside her. She wanted very much to be the one he confided in, to be able to comfort him. And maybe something more? "Why don't you join me for dinner tonight at my place? I don't think this conversation should be public, and it's obvious we can't talk at yours."

Skinner hesitated; this could be dangerous. And yet as he looked into her soft blue eyes, he couldn't say no. Whatever happened would happen. He smiled. "Thank you. What time?"

"Seven?" Scully grabbed a note pad from his desk and scribbled her address.

As he watched her leave, he wondered what path this evening would take.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Skinner hesitated as he raised his hand to ring the doorbell. He really wasn't sure what to expect here tonight. Was this a date? It didn't really feel like it. He'd thought about bringing a bottle of wine or something, but what if it wasn't? He didn't want to look like a fool. It was obvious that Scully cared about him, but face it, outside his imagination, nothing had indicated it was anything more than the concern of a friend. This ghost thing had him seeing sex everywhere. He couldn't let Dana find out, though. He took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.

The door opened and Scully smiled at him. She was wearing jeans and a black sleeveless blouse which looked stunning against her milky skin. He couldn't help wondering if there was a black lacy bra underneath.

"Come on in, sir." Her voice shook him out of his reverie, and he followed her inside. The place was bright and airy, with a feel of casual elegance. Neat and tidy, just as he'd expected. It suited her perfectly.

"Would you like something to drink? I just made a pitcher of fresh brewed iced tea."

"That sounds fine." His response was automatic. As she turned toward the kitchen to get it, he shrugged out of his suit coat, hanging it over the back of a chair. He'd thought about going home to change first, but had been afraid if he went in the ghost would make him forget to leave again. Nervously, his fingers fidgeted with his necktie, loosening it and undoing the top button of his shirt.

Dana came back in carrying two tall glasses of iced tea. "Here you go, sir." She handed him one as they sat down, he on the couch, and she on a chair opposite him.

He sipped at the tea � lightly sweetened, just the way he liked it. He smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She reached for a menu on the coffee table. "I thought we'd order Chinese, if that's ok?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure." He took the menu, barely glancing at it. Scully had reached for the phone and was dialing; obviously she ordered from this place a lot. She gave them her order and looked at him expectantly.

"Kung Pao Chicken."

Scully repeated his order into the phone, listened for a moment as they gave her the total, and hung up. "About half an hour." She could see he was uncomfortable. It wouldn�t do to get into a deep personal conversation only to be interrupted by the delivery guy, so instead she focused on the nuts and bolts of this 'case.'

"Mulder and I talked to the previous two residents of your apartment this afternoon. They had some interesting stories to tell."

Skinner gazed at her, hiding behind his glass of tea. "Such as?"

Scully smiled. "The lady who lived there before you was convinced the place was haunted. Mulder didn't even have to suggest the idea to her. She said she felt a 'malevolent presence' that just gave her the creeps. She just 'knew' she wasn't wanted. It was worst in the bedroom. Sometimes at night she'd wake up from very disturbing dreams about two men. She found it quite disgusting, the sort of thing she'd never come up with on her own, seeing as she was a lesbian. She couldn't wait until the lease was over."

Skinner was looking at her with one eyebrow raised. Maybe there was something to this 'ghost' theory after all? "What about the other one?"

"Well, he was a bit reluctant to talk to us. Mulder finally had to flat out tell him what we were looking for. When Mulder asked him if he'd ever experienced any odd sexual desires he got very defensive and tried to get rid of us. But you know Mulder, he's like a bulldog. We both knew this guy had experienced something that he didn't like, just from the way he was blocking us out. So Mulder told him we thought there was something supernatural involved, specifically a horny gay ghost. So it wasn't his fault if he'd had any 'unusual' desires while he lived there. Once he realized there was an explanation of sorts, he spilled. Before living there, he'd never looked at another man. But while he was living there, he'd often wake up from a highly erotic dream involving another man. Since he moved out, it hasn't happened again."

Skinner sighed. // It's NOT me! It IS some kind of ghost! // Relief flooded through him. He wanted to reach out and hug Dana for bringing him this wonderful news. But one question remained. "You said he had dreams. Did he ever � actually DO anything?"

Scully bit her lip; this was the part he probably wasn't going to like. "No. I checked � he said he often had male friends visit, to watch a ballgame and such. Nothing like last weekend ever happened. He might have been lying; I could see he was very uncomfortable with the subject. But I really don't think so."

Skinner felt the heat rising up his neck when she mentioned the previous weekend. It was obvious that Mulder had told her the whole story. It was also obvious that if the ghost hadn't been able to get the previous male tenant to live out his fantasies, there was something different about HIM that allowed it to work. He remembered his doubts, wondering if this was why his marriage had disintegrated. At least some part of him wanted this, enjoyed it. That knowledge scared him. // And why did it have to be Mulder, of all people! //

The doorbell had rung and Scully got up to get their dinner. She paid the delivery guy and deposited the bag on the dining room table on her way to the kitchen to get plates. She quickly set the table, bringing out the rest of the pitcher of tea as well. Skinner still sat on the couch, obviously lost in thought. Once again, she was struck by how lost he looked. It was so out of character for him. She came over to stand in front of him, reaching out to gently touch his shoulder. "Sir? Dinner's ready."

"Oh! Right �" He got up and followed her to the table. They didn't say much as the rice was dished up and covered by the contents of the classic cardboard boxes. Scully frantically searched her mind for something light and cheery to talk about, but nothing was coming. That last bit of info from the previous tenant had shaken him. She could see he didn't like what it implied about him. That he HAD gone along with the ghost. At some level he must have wanted it. She found she wanted to reassure him that it didn't mean he was gay. At least not exclusively. Finally she pushed her plate away.

"Sir? Are you all right?"

Skinner sighed and threw down his chopsticks.

"I don't know, Dana, I really don't know." He looked up into eyes full of concern and compassion.

She reached across the table and took his hand. "You're afraid this means you're gay." She said it as a statement, not a question. He just nodded in response. She didn't say anything else, waiting for him to elaborate.

Finally he took a deep breath and said the words he'd hidden even from himself. "I enjoyed it, Dana. I keep trying to convince myself otherwise, but I can't. What happened last weekend was the best sex I've ever had in my entire life."

She smiled softly. "Well, if Mulder is right, the ghost had a lot to do with that, sir. It seems to intensify things, physically and emotionally. It's not surprising that it would be better than normal. Not to mention that normally you wouldn't have that kind of, uh, stamina."

"Uh, yeah, I guess �" Skinner felt the heat rising up his neck. He knew she knew, but still, it was embarrassing.

"Just because you enjoyed that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy it with a woman, does it?"

The heat flared as he remembered his fantasies about her. Her hand slid over his, up underneath the rolled-up cuff, becoming a caress.

"Yesterday morning, in the cafeteria. The way you were looking at me?" She left it hanging, as a question.

Skinner looked away, unable to face her. He swallowed convulsively. "Dana, I'm sorry � I shouldn't have �"

"It's all right, sir. Really. Besides, I started it. When I kissed you on Saturday."

He shook his head, still unwilling to face her. When he didn't speak, she tried again.

"You've been thinking about me as kind of an 'antidote' to what the ghost made you do with Mulder?"

He nodded, but still didn't look at her. "Not made. Makes. Every night when I go home, I end up fantasizing about him, dreaming about him. But he was right, Dana. Even before this weekend, I'd wished there was some way I could approach you. Sunday afternoon, after I threw him out, I � I needed to get the taste of him out of my mouth. I'm sorry, Dana, I shouldn't have thought of you like that, but I did �"

Dana sighed, let go of his hand and stood up. She came to stand behind his chair, letting her hands rest on his broad shoulders, sliding down over his chest, embracing him from behind. She felt his entire body stiffen before he exploded from the chair, breaking her embrace.

"Dana, no! This can't happen! You're my subordinate, and besides I don�t want a mercy fuck!"

His eyes flashed with anger as he finally met her gaze.

"It's not like that, sir. I'm the one who first kissed you, remember?"

"But you didn't mean it, not like that!"

She moved closer to him again, touching his arm. "Not exactly, no, not then. But I do now. And you need to know for sure, don't you?"

He looked down at her, so beautiful, so enticing. And willing; once he allowed himself to look into her eyes, he knew. It wasn't a 'happily ever after' kind of look, but definitely laced with desire. He realized that he cared about her, didn't want to use her like this. But her eyes were saying 'use me.' She knew the situation and wanted to help, because she cared about him. When was the last time somebody had cared about him? He felt his resolve crumbling.

"I'm still your boss �" he sputtered, trying one last time.

Dana smiled. "That didn't stop you with Mulder, did it? You've already broken that rule with one of us. Why not the other? Aren't we a matched set, after all?"

Skinner had to laugh at that. "I don't know about that. More like mis-matched if you ask me."

She moved even closer, reaching up one hand to touch his cheek. "Well, he's not here now, and I am."

It was more than his tortured soul could take. Her fingers slid around his neck, drawing him down towards her uplifted face. Eyes closed, he drank in her sweetness as their lips first touched and his arms wrapped around her. Much to his delight, his body responded immediately.

When they broke apart, Dana sighed happily and leaned her head on his broad chest. "Oh, sir!"

Skinner cringed inside. He let go of her and gently tipped her face up to look at him. "Dana. My name is Walter. I'd love to hear you say it �"

She realized her mistake, but it was going to be such a hard habit to break. She had always thought of him as A.D. Skinner, or sir, and she realized now it had been to keep herself from going down this path. But then she had never looked into those dark eyes before. "Walter �" she sighed softly.

The sound of it was music to his ears. "Oh, Dana!" he sighed in return as he pulled her into a tight embrace. She was so tiny in his arms, he was almost afraid of hurting her. // Nothing like Mulder // Now where in the hell had THAT thought come from? He angrily stomped it down, determined to not let her see the reaction. Instead he kissed her again, finding her mouth open and hungry.

Dana's body thrilled to the touch of the strong arms which held her. He was so big, so powerful, so damned attractive. And it had been a very long time since she'd been with anyone; not since Mulder had stolen her heart. This kiss was different from the first; there was a power, a fierceness behind it that thrilled her. She responded eagerly, letting him in, feeling his big hands slide up her back into her hair.

After a while, Walter let go and stood up; his neck and shoulders were cramping. Gazing down at her, he simply couldn't resist the impulse to play out his fantasy. Without warning, he swept her off her feet into his arms. "Where's your bedroom?" he asked a bit breathlessly; she was heavier in real life than in his fantasy.

Giggling, Dana just pointed. A few moments later he gently placed her on her bed, quite a bit more breathless than he thought he ought to be. Almost absently, he set his glasses on the nightstand. She pulled him down beside her, laughing. And then they were kissing again, their faces even now as they lay side-by-side. She felt his hand sliding down over her neck, coming to rest over her breast. She heard his soft moan as he cupped it, squeezing gently.

Breaking the kiss, she rolled onto her back, inviting him in. He smiled down at her as he caressed first one breast then the other. His hand hovered over the top button, his eyes asking permission. She smiled and nodded, and his big fingers began opening the buttons of her blouse, pushing it aside to reveal the black lacy bra beneath.

Skinner smiled with delight as he saw what lay beneath. Just like his fantasy, the black lace perfectly framed the most beautiful creamy white mounds. He bent down to kiss them, his lips seeking out the nipples hardening beneath the lace. He gently dragged his teeth over first one, then the other, drawing small gasps of pleasure from Dana.

As he suckled, she let her hands roam over his shoulders, up his neck, over his head. The short hairs on the sides felt strangely fuzzy, an interesting contrast to the sleek smoothness of his bald head. The overall impression was wildly erotic as she caressed him, holding him to her.

After a while he broke free, his mouth again seeking hers as he pulled her onto her side. His fingers fumbled at the clasp of the bra as they kissed. As it came free, it was her turn to push him down onto his back. She climbed over him, straddling his hips, settling lightly over his swollen cock, rocking gently against him.

Skinner moaned softly at the touch, his eyes glued to her upper body as she slid the blouse off her shoulders then plucked the bra away. Her breasts swayed just a bit as she moved over him.

"God, you're beautiful!" His hands reached out to caress the flat stomach, sliding upwards towards her breasts. She smiled at him, leaning forward to help him reach. She bit her lip as his thumbs brushed circles over her taut nipples. Then she was laying on top of him, her hands unbuttoning his shirt as her lips sought his again.

Finally his shirt was open and she gazed down at the broad, sculptured chest. "Talk about beautiful �" she sighed as she ran her hands across it. Not overly hairy; just enough to look manly and strong.

Her words echoed over and over in his brain. // Finally someone appreciates me! // Then they were lost as her weight shifted off him. Her hands followed the trail of dark hairs between his abs down over his belt to caress his hardness through the thin fabric of his dress slacks.

As she felt him up, Dana couldn't help remembering Mulder's words. // He was right; Walter IS hung! // She suppressed a giggle and focused instead on releasing the belt, undoing the hook, and finally tugging down the zipper. His cock bulged inside the briefs, a wet spot already forming at the tip. She caressed him once, then slid her hands inside the waistband, tugging downward.

Walter complied, lifting his hips, letting her take pants and briefs in one fell swoop. His cock resisted momentarily, caught in the waistband, but it pulled free and bounced against him as she drew the clothing down his body. She had to stop and remove his shoes before finishing the process.

Dana stood at the foot of the bed, admiring the now completely naked body spread out before her. His cock stood nearly straight up, big and thick and juicy-looking. She wanted it inside her, NOW. While standing, she quickly skinned out of her jeans and panties, tossing them aside.

Skinner watched, rapt, as she finished undressing. She was every bit as beautiful as he had imagined. The close-cropped coppery bush managed to draw his attention away from her breasts. Then she was back on the bed, crawling to him, leaning over him to reach the nightstand. He caught one breast in his mouth and sucked as she rummaged in the drawer.

She pulled away as she sat up, ripping open the condom she'd retrieved. Unfortunately, she didn�t need them for birth control, and she knew Mulder hadn't been sleeping around lately, but she couldn't be absolutely sure about Skinner. So, better safe than sorry; it wasn't a conversation she was going to start just now. Instead, she just opened it and slid it over him, enjoying the startled look on his face.

Skinner really hadn't been expecting her to take such an � active role in their lovemaking. He simply watched as she put the condom on him, shuddering at her touch. And then she climbed over him again, leaning forward to kiss him.

"You ready, big boy?" She asked with a gleam in her eyes.

"God, yes!" was all the answer he could manage. His eyes were glued to her as she raised herself over him, then settled down, impaling herself on his prick. He moaned as her warm wetness enveloped him. She leaned forward, kissing him deeply as she held him deep inside her. And then she was moving, slowly at first, long slow strokes. They found a rhythm as he thrust up toward her, meeting her with each stroke. His fingers found her clit and began stroking it in time. He watched with delight as she came, her pussy muscles rippling over him. It was delicious �

When she was done, Skinner wrapped his arms tightly around her and rolled them over so that he was on top. Dana smiled and opened her legs wider, giving him room as he began thrusting, harder and harder into her until finally he exploded. Now it was her turn to watch his face as the rapture overcame him. She always loved this moment, seeing the total abandon that brought even the most powerful man to this state.

Breathing heavily, Skinner withdrew from her and slipped the condom off. She pointed to a small trash can on the other side of the bed. He tossed it away and finally allowed himself to collapse beside her. She smiled and snuggled close, pillowing her head on his broad shoulder, her left arm draped over his chest.

He pulled her close, holding her tightly. Usually he wasn't big on post-coital cuddling, in fact it had driven Sharon crazy most of the time. But right now he needed it in a way he'd never felt before. Unaccustomed emotions welled up inside him; all the uncertainty of the past few days, the loneliness he'd been forced to finally recognize, the affection he'd developed for these two, for even now he really couldn't think of Scully without Mulder. He held on to her as if his life depended on it.

Dana could feel him shaking, and it worried her. Still tightly within his grasp, she reached up to caress his face. "Walter? Are you all right?"

He took a deep shuddering breath and forced himself to release her. "I don't know � oh, god, Dana, I wish I knew what was happening to me �"

Tenderly, she gathered him into her arms, placing a gentle kiss on the top of his head. "It's all right, Walter, everything's going to be all right," she said soothingly, her hands keeping up their gentle stroking over his arms and chest.

He held on tight, needing her soft, reassuring presence. After a while, he sighed. "So what does it mean, Dana? I enjoyed this, but not as much as last weekend � The ghost couldn't have made me do it if I didn't want to, could he? He couldn't make the previous guy �"

Dana hugged him. "It doesn't seem so. But it still doesn't mean you're gay. In fact, I know you're not. If you were really gay, we wouldn't have done this."

There was just a hint of sadness in her voice. He twisted around to look at her. "Dana?"

She gave him a sad smile. "Mulder couldn't. We tried once � it was a disaster."

Skinner realized his instincts had been right. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

She just nodded. After a while, she spoke. "We connect on so many levels .. just not the physical one."

Skinner sighed and settled back against her, one hand gently rubbing her forearm. "I'm sorry."

Dana hugged him again. "It's ok. Most of the time."

He caught her hand and gently brought it to his lips, wanting to comfort her. She kissed the top of his head again, acknowledging. They lay there in silence for a little while.

Scully broke the silence. "He really cares about you too, you know. And he's been terrified of you since Sunday."

Skinner shuddered as he remembered the scene in his car. "I was pretty pissed."

"He really didn't mean to take advantage of you."

"Dana, he left Saturday night to get � supplies. He KNEW, and didn't say anything when he got back!"

"He wanted to, Walter! But your ghost didn't let him. Any more than he let you talk to me last night."

"Oh �!" Skinner suddenly felt like a jerk. "Dana, will you tell him I'm sorry?"

"Don't you think you should do that?"

"I'm still not sure I can face him, Dana. Knowing that he's wanted this all along � and probably still wants it. It still kind of wierds me out."

"Because part of you still wants it too?"

The truth of her words hit him like a jackhammer. "I don't want to want it, Dana!"

She kissed him again. "But you do."

He sat up and turned to her. "But I want you, too. Or was this just a mercy fuck after all?"

Dana gently caressed his face. "No, Walter, it wasn't. You're going to have to come to terms with the fact that you're bisexual. One lover can never give you everything you need. Lucky for you, I love Mulder enough to be willing to share."

He just stared at her as his brain tried to wrap around two new concepts. // I'm bisexual? // and // sharing? //

Dana urged him back down into her arms. They lay together, each lost in their own thoughts.

Skinner's mind was whirling. Part of him was relieved; despite what had happened, he could still function 'normally,' at least when he was away from that damned ghost. It had been good, and it was still good, having someone to hold him like this. God, it had been too long. Even the last times he'd been with Sharon, it had been mechanical, devoid of passion and emotion. Here with Dana, there had definitely been passion, and at some level, love. He knew her heart belonged to Mulder, but he could give her something Mulder couldn't. If it wasn't 'true love,' it was at least affection. And that was a hell of a lot better than nothing. He still wasn't sure what he wanted from Mulder, or even if he could accept it if offered again. That was going to take a bit more getting used to.

But however he looked at it, the world looked a lot better now than it had a couple of hours ago. He sat up again, turning to face her. One hand reached out, his fingers brushing the russet tresses back from her face. "Thank you, Dana," he said softly

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "You're welcome," she said as they separated. Her hand trailed along his powerful bicep. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

He blinked, surprised by the request. After this, he really didn't want to go home to the ghost and dreams of Mulder. But he hadn't expected the invitation.

Dana saw his hesitation. "Walter, please. I want you to stay. And not just to avoid the ghost."

He looked into her eyes and saw the pleading. She really did want him to stay. She needed the closeness as much as he did. Time to worry about his relationship with Mulder later. He leaned in and kissed her again, drawing her back down to the bed �

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Chapter 5