Title: Regaining Perspective & Judgment: She Said/He Said Setting: Past: Hilton Head, South Carolina Present: Washington, DC Summary: Mulder and Scully have to sort out the results of their time at the International Law Enforcement Conference Rating: PG and NC-17 Author: Nancy. Feedback wanted. Email me: abracadabra1754@hotmail.com FBI EAP (Employee Assistance Program-Counseling) Office, Session 1, Present Time; FBI Counselor: So, Agent Scully, tell me what happened. Scully: I’m still not sure exactly what went wrong when. Wait a minute, let me change that. I am sure that Mulder made me look and feel like an a$$ in front of colleagues and trashed whatever we had started to discover about each other; our relationship. I’ll probably kill him unless someone takes away my license to carry my weapon. Heck, who needs a weapon; I’ll use my bare hands! Guess that would mean I actually have to see and talk to him. Not a chance. FBI Counselor: Tell me more about what you’re feeling. I’m sensing some hostility? Scully: I wonder if I’d be this angry--did I say ‘angry’? It’s probably more a combination of angry, bereft and sad. I truly thought we had something significant going for us. FBI Counselor: When you say, ‘him’, I take it you’re referrring to Agent Mulder? Scully: Yes. FBI Counselor: Tell me about him. Scully: He is playful to my serious; emotion to my reservation; passionate to my skeptical. We are yin and yang; two pieces of the same whole. Independent; yet desparately intertwined, symbiotic. FBI Counselor: Tell me about your relationship with him. Scully: Mulder allowed me to drop my barriers; at my own pace. Well, almost always at my own pace. Sometimes, it was more like he pushed them in. Encouraged the exploration of feelings I had sublimated far too long. God, I even stopped saying, “fine, whatever” to him! He had started to show me just how vast our physical connection could be. That man is a walking “More Joy of Sex”. He humanizes those bull-like, pseudo-men in his video collection. He is caring and rakish; bold and soft; animalistic and tender; a study in contrasts. I cannot remember another man who has put aside his own needs for mine more. All that aside, I am so angry I see stars, but I want him in the worst way. FBI Counselor: You ‘want’ him. What does that mean, exactly, Agent Scully? Scully: It means more than one thing, I guess. First of all, I want him to apologize to me. Second, I just ‘want’ him--badly. =================================================== FBI Counselor: Tell me why you’re here, Agent Mulder. Mulder: I’m not sure; maybe because Skinner said I needed to be here. Ok; I guess we caused a scene or two. We did work it out, though. So, I’m not sure why I still need to be here. FBI Counselor: Honesty is a good sign, Agent. But, I think AD Skinner wanted to make sure you two are back on the right track professionally. Mulder: Hmmpf.. FBI Counselor: Ok; let’s move past the specific reason you’re here. Tell me what happened between you and Agent Scully that caused Skinner to suggest you need to see me. Mulder: First, it was the damm conference, then it was the damm train. Ok, ok, I’m not helping any, am I? As usual, she lept to conclusions that only looked like what she thought they were. She refused to let me explain. She let me have it verbally. If I hadn’t restrained her hands, she would have let me have it with them, too. FBI Counselor: Describe your relationship with Agent Scully prior to this, uh, ‘incident’. Mulder: Great! I mean, we had just come off of several days of shared vacation spent together followed by an undercover assignment in New Hampshire. We got to spend more time together while on assignment. We were finally beginning to take our almost 7-year relationship to a new level. She had let me get quite close to her; emotionally and intimately. And, we were probably tired before that conference, too. FBI Counselor: So, I repeat, what do you think went wrong for the two of you? Mulder: Well, if you ask her-- FBI Counselor: I’m asking you. Mulder: But she sees it differently. FBI Counselor: I realize that, Agent Mulder. Tell me what *you* think went wrong and why. Her Counselor will ask her for her version. Mulder: What probably went wrong was that she thought the attention I paid to a few fellow Agents eroded our relationship. FBI Counselor: Agent Mulder? How about you let me be the psychologist and you be the client? Mulder: Right, yeah, ok! What went wrong was that when she got upset, I laughed at her upset. We ended up hurling every name we could remember or manufacture, at each other. ========================================================= Two Weeks Ago: Skinner’s Office, Friday 8:30A “Agents, come in. I have just finished reading your report from the New Hampshire case. I must admit, I’m a bit surprised. Your reports actually indicate very little difference of opinion on the outcome. Do you have an explanation?” Scully sits very still. Mulder squirms only slightly. “Well, Sir, it was a pretty direct case. We just put our minds to it and worked very hard. We were very conscious of wanting to bring it home without a lot of bills to the department.” “Ok, Mulder, you can drop the bs. Maybe Scully can offer a better theory?” “Sir, I honestly support Agent Mulder’s assessment in every way.” Skinner is stumped, but nonetheless pleased that the higher ups will have their resolution. He does wonder about this new found connectedness between his star Agents (ok; one star, one who is brilliant and often needs to be reigned in.). Skinner continues, “And the Ritter involvement? How did that resolve itself. I don’t see any mention of it in your report.” Mulder looks as if he would like to respond. Scully feels the need to give Skinner an honest, direct, assessment. “Well, Sir, he clearly had an agenda other than the resolution of the case. However, in the end, he performed as you would expect him to; he redeemed himself.” “Agent Mulder? You look like you disagree with Agent Scully’s assessment?” Mulder is clearly torn. He knows Scully is right. He also worries that such a ‘glowing report’ could partner Ritter with them again in the future; a burden too heavy for Mulder. “No Sir, I do not.” “Well, then. I’d love to tell you that I had another case for you, but the main reason I called you here was to tell you about your next situation.” Skinner clamps down on his jaw, setting it in his determined face. He is about to share some information he knows will not set well. “I’m sending you two to Hilton Head for the ILEA Conference for the next week. You leave on Saturday out of Dulles--“ Before Skinner can finish the details, the Agents have geared themselves for an argument;even if it is for different reasons. Scully begins, “Sir, we’ve just come off a rather intense case. There’s probably a lot of administrative catching up to do?” “Nice try, Agent, but the International Law Enforcement Conference happens only once every two years. There will be representation for all facets of Law Enforcement from all corners of the world. This is our chance to shine.” Mulder is anxiously waiting to slip in his ploy, “Sir, you know that conferences aren’t really my forte. Wouldn’t I best be utilized in some other capacity?” “As I was saying, you leave Saturday. You’ll be sharing a suite at the Hilton Head Towers. The last part of the conference is a train ride back to DC. All Agents who head home out of Dulles will accompany you. Call it a little ‘team building’. There will be a few required activities.” “If we have to start buidling with office furniture, I may have to pull the emergency stop, Scully.” “Agents, I don’t want to hear any more resistance. It’s a done deal.” +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ EAP Office, Session 1, Continued, Present Time FBI Counselor: So, tell me about this conference. The way you mentioned it sounded like you had mixed emotions about going. Is that correct? Scully: Mixed emotions, yes, that sounds right. Ok; I’m not big on conferences, but I never mind going. It’s a great way to stay on top of the latest developments, do some networking and catch up with friends. It’s just that I was tired after the undercover assignment and… FBI Counselor: And, what? Scully: And, there was still the unresolved relationship to deal with. FBI Counselor: The unresolved relationship between you and Agent Mulder? You almost make it sound like a task to complete. Is that an accurate read, Agent? Scully: Yes, my relationship with Agent Mulder. I don’t mean to make it sound like a task. It’s just that we were like the tortoise and the haire; he running quickly to somewhere or something and then stopping quicky at an undefined ‘end’ or ‘finish’. Me, checking out the plan along the way; probably heading to the same place, but getting their differently. It was taking a lot of my energy. With Agent Mulder, there are so many levels of complexity. I often find myself enjoying that about him, but there are times I’d really like us to just decide what our relationship is. FBI Counselor: Was that a good thing; that it was taking a lot of your energy? Scully: Um, yeah. Like I said yesterday, Mulder had allowed me to take down some fences. He sense of playful teasing and testing was driving me over the edge. I’d gladly go back there right now. If I could get over being so damm angry at him. FBI Counselor: Agent Scully? You do know that there’s a fine line between opposites? Love and hate. Anger and joy. You get the picture? Scully: Yes; oh yes. ================================================ Mulder: So, how many more of these ‘little talks’ do we need to have? FBI Counselor: As many as it takes, Agent Mulder. Now, do you mind if I ask a few questions? FBI Counselor: So, tell me about this conference. The way you talk about it almost sounds as if you didn’t want to go. Mulder: That would be because I didn’t want to go. I detest those sorry excuses to waste time away from my job to pretend I like playing nice with others. Oh, yeah, you learn a few new things, run into some former college buddies, get trashed, but other than that, WASTE OF TIME. FBI Counselor: What would you have been doing during that time if you didn’t have to attend? Mulder: I would have been working on X-Files and I would have been spending more time with Scully; not necessarily in that order… FBI Counselor: Spending time with Scully? Mulder: Did you lose your sense of hearing, Sir? YES; spending time with her. We were at a turning point in our relationship. I had finally admitted to myself that I love her; love her enough to risk my job with the Bureau--just checking, but these sessions are confidential unless I give you serious reason to believe I’m a threat to myself or others, right? FBI Counselor: Yes. Mulder: Ok, then. I think she was telling me, in her own way, that she loves me, too. Getting to the point of actually telling each other; talking about our feelings, isn’t always easy for us. New Hampshire actually let us play more together. It was exciting playing our new roles and discovering where our true selves differed from and merged with our covers. FBI Counselor: So, what happened to all of that? Mulder: ILEA! The damm conference. Ok, truth be told, the conference was only the setting for the disaster. FBI Counselor: Now, we’re getting somewhere, Agent. Mulder: I know; I’m the one who said it. Anyway, the influx of so many other people with us day and night made things hectic. I guess that wouldn’t have been so bad, we’re used to being thrown into new and hectic situations on a routine basis. I just think it was the identity of those people that was our downfall. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Two Weeks Ago; Saturday Morning, Dulles Airport “I’ll still can’t believe it, Scully! Who invented the conference idea, anyway? Certainly not someone who had any interest in preserving individual sanity.” Scully hooks her hand through the crook in Mulder’s bent arm as they walk along the concourse with their carry-ons. She smiles and replies to him, “Mulder, give it a rest; ok? I know how much you hate going to these workshops, but we’ve got no choice. Seeing we’re in the airport, we’re half-way there already. Besides, we get to spend some more time with each other, right?” Mulder stops them and looks over at Scully with that ‘layers’ deep’ smile of his that said a little bit and a whole lot more. “Hmmm, more time together. Ok; I can do that, Scully, yes I can.” Before she has chance to respond or reflect, he is guiding them toward their Gate. Scully finds it a little hard to walk with her knees about to buckle underneath her. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ EAP, Session 2, Current Time FBI Counselor: So, Agent Scully, your trip started out on a good note? Scully: Yeah, it did . He has that effect on me. FBI Counselor: If he ‘has that effect’ on you, why didn’t it help you through whatever happened at the Conference? Scully: I don’t know, actually. We’ve had our ups and downs over our entire working relationship. You know how it is in our profession. FBI Counselor: Tell me ‘how it is’, Agent. Scully: Intense; sometimes brutal. Sometimes you’re partners, best friends, confidantes, sometimes the sheer drudgery, the evil you see, the long hours that turn into days, sometimes you grate on each other, fuses burn hot and short, emotions run icy and steamy, you set each other off. FBI Counselor: But you cope? Scully: Yes, we have, for the most part. There have been other times where we’ve coped well and some not-so-well. Usually those not-so-well occur when one us of shuts the other out. ========================================================= FBI Counselor: Agent, tell me how you and your partner cope with the life of Bureau Agents; the day-in/day-out tediousness, the ups and downs. Mulder: Usually pretty well. Scully and I were thrown together against our will. From the start, a bad dynamic almost won out. Had we not been the people we are, our partnership could have been tragic. We learned to trust one and other; talk to one and other, complete one and other. FBI Counselor: Tell me about the ‘trust’. Mulder: It’s very simple and basic, I trust her with my very life. FBI Counselor: Does she trust you? Mulder: Yes. FBI Counselor: What evidence do you have, Agent? Mulder: Now you sound like her. ‘What evidence do I have?’ How about the fact that she’s opened up to me, revealed some of her fears, her anxieties, her deepest desires? How about the shared life experiences we’ve had; her abuduction, her cancer, the deaths of her father, her sister, my father, my mother; we’ve been there for each other through all of those. FBI Counselor: You also said you "complete one and other". What's that about? Mulder: I'm not sure exactly how to explain it; it's just a gut feeling. Ok, ok, an example. We can be working on separate tasks in the office and I'll think about needing to do something. Before I can actually plan to do it, Scully will be assisting me. Does that sound strange? Yup; probably does. Anyway, it goes deeper to; on an emotional level. We're just very connected to each other. FBI Counselor: So, what changed? Mulder: If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn’t be here. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Saturday Noon, Hilton Head, ILEA Conference Site “Mulder, I’ve never seen so many suits, badges and briefcases in my life! And, they’re all in one place. We all look interchangeable.” “Yeah, you did say this would be a good time, Scully. Now I know why! But look, we’re not all the same. Some of ‘us’ have shiney badges and we don’t.” Mulder laughs as they head into the hotel lobby to register. The weather is very warm and somewhat humid. Scully can’t wait to change her clothes. They have a day before the Conference begins. She plans to enjoy it… Mulder tells Scully to feel free to sit and relax and he goes to check in for them. They have a suite on the penthouse floor. Other Special and Field Agents from the national and international Bureaus are starting to arrive. Scully also spots a wide range of Police, Security Officers and Guards. Mulder is also checking out the crowds; wondering who he might run into. As if someone has read his mind , he spots Ritter. Mulder quickly looks away; Mulder gives the Bell Captain their room number and goes to find Scully. She is over by a large window facing the street. She is sitting in a over-stuffed, club chair with her feet on an ottoman, her shoes kicked off. She is leaning back, eyes almost closed. Mulder squats down behind her and quickly kisses the top of her head. He then stands and smiles at her. “How can you just veg out here, Scully, in the midst of the teeming masses?” Scully slowly stands up and puts her shoes back on. “Mulder, it’s all about self-control and the ability to contemplate only what you choose to focus on.” “And just what were you focusing on that produced that serenely happy face, Scully?” “Hmmm, I’ll never tell. Let’s go check out our room.” They walk through the lobby that sports, “Welcome ILEA Conference. Hilton Head is Happy You’re Here” banners. They nudge their way through the crowds to a bank of elevators with no one waiting. The elevator cars that take hotel guests to the Penthouse have a glass wall that overlooks an atrium lobby with fica and palm trees and exotic flowers. Scully walks to the window wall and places her hands on the railing as she looks down. Mulder comes to stand behind her, a hand on each side of hers on the railing. “You still haven’t told me what you were thinking back there, Scully.” “You’re right, Mulder.” He leans into her a little more closely. The doors open on the 15th floor and two adults and 6 children walk on. Scully elbows Mulder gently, asking him to break contact. The children vary in age from 2-15. The younger children really want to look out of the window wall. They ‘indicate’ their desire by nudging Mulder and Scully away. The two year old grabs a handful of Scully’s skirt hem and tugs on it until she looks down and smiles. “Molly wanna see, lady.” Scully laughs. She turns toward the parents and asks if she can lift the little girl up for a better view. They say ‘yes’. Scully picks up the little girl who is small for her age. “Nice to meet you, Molly.” She is pointing and talking; sometimes looking at her, sometimes merely babbling and pointing. At the 23rd floor, her parents call her name. She claps her small hands and smiles at Scully. Her parents then take her and they depart; five other children following and chatting. “Only three more floors to our suite, Scully.” Mulder smiles mischeiviously. She returns the mischievious look. He hits the “stop” button and comes up behind her again. She is looking down over the canopy of vegetation. Mulder once again presses against her. Without turning around to face him, Scully asks, “At the risk of sounding very trite, Mulder, is your service weapon in the wrong place today or are you just ‘extremely’ glad to be standing behind me?” Mulder moves his hips against her in response. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Penthouse Suite “Mulder, this is unbelievable; isnt it? Look at the size of this and this is only the living room/dining room area. We’ve got a view of the ocean, too.” Scully is wandering around, narrating as she goes, “Oh, my; my bedroom is obscenely huge. It looks larger than my apartment! Check out the bathroom, too.” Mulder walks into the bathroom where she is standing by the sunken tub with a window wall to the ocean. He then runs across the common living area to his room. While it is very nice, it pales in comparison to Scully’s; and he tells her so. “Hey, Scully, how come you get the bigger room? My bathroom doesn’t have an ocean view, either.” She walks up to him and places the palm of her hand on his polo shirt. She smiles sweetly at him and whispers, “Because, Mulder.” She then heads back into her room to unpack. Mulder is already watching the ‘hotel channel’. “Scully, did you know the Penthouse has its own pool on the roof? Should we go for a swim?” Scully walks out of her room, holding up her one piece bathing suit. “We were thinking alike, Mulder. Last one dressed gets thrown in.” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hilton Head Penthouse Pool, Saturday They find two lounge chairs close to the pool and drop their towels onto the chairs. “Scully, I was dressed first, so I guess that means you go in first?” Mulder is entirely too excited about the prospect. “Mulder, that was just a taunt; it wasn’t meant to be taken literally.” Scully is backing away from her chair as she speaks. Mulder, in no hurry, follows her. “Well, Scully, you should be more careful about your ‘taunts’. They can be misinterpreted. Misinterpretations can lead to unexpected results. You know that, don’t you?” Scully’s bathing suit wrap is starting to slide as she breaks into a run. She grabs it and hastily re-ties it at her hip. There really isn’t very far to go as the pool area is intimate. Mulder does not need to run to catch her. She has backed herself up to the food service counter. The staff are presently serving other guests around the pool, so the area is empty. Mulder approaches Scully, his look unreadable. She attempts to move either to her right or left, but he has effectively blocked her exit. “Scully, Scully, ‘nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide’, huh?” He sings as he walks up to her and unceremoniously picks her up, placing her facedown over his shoulder. His arms are wrapped around her backside and thighs; holding her to him. She is trying hard to display anger, but the close contact with Mulder’s body is sending extreme messages coursing through her. None of those extreme messages are even close to anger… “Mulder, put me down!” She is pounding his back and hips with her fists and kicking her sandaled feet. She is yelling and laughing. “Scully, I will put you down; we’re almost there. I do think that it would be a good idea if you stopped kicking just a little though. You’re going to injure me, if you know what I mean.” Mulder’s voice is playful, but calm. He runs one hand down the back of her legs, raising goosebumps on her skin and causing her to wriggle and writhe in his grasp. Scully stops kicking, realizing the injury she can cause… She does not stop pommeling him. When he reaches the side of the pool, he slips her sandals off and lets them drop. He unties her wrap and in one strong pull, it is with her sandals. Scully resorts to pleading and begging, “Mulder, can’t we just swim together? Why don’t you just put me down and I’ll walk in, I promise. What if it’s cold, Mulder?” Mulder is laughing so hard he’s afraid Scully will end up in the water simply because he will lose control over his muscles. “Scully, you’re going in all right, but ‘walking in’ isn’t one of your options. And, whining doesn’t become you, G-Woman.” Plop! Rings of waves of water disperse from where Scully hits the water with a loud, “Muuullllldddeeerr!!!” Mulder is not far behind her. Scully is just surfacing, sputtering water and inappropriate public epithets. Mulder swims over to her and pushes her wet hair from her face. “Scully, relax, the water’s good for your everyday stresses.” Scully is having none of his attempts to relax her ‘everyday stresses’. As a matter of fact, she would love to dunk her most current ‘everyday stress’. She dives under water and comes up behind Mulder. She pushes down on his shoulders as hard as she can. With the buoyancey, she is having some difficulty trying to shove him under. She succeeds. However, a surprise can only work once… Mulder reaches behind him and grabs one of her ankles. He pulls her around and toward him. She is pushing against the water with her arms, trying to move herself in the opposite direction. At some point, she realizes that is not what she ‘really’ wants to do. She finds herself literally wrapped around Mulder; arms around his neck, legs around his waist. The water is warm, the air is humid, their bodies are electric. Ever conscious of the fact they are in a very public pool where colleagues could surface at any time, they make every attempt to confine their actions to their location. It is not easy. “Mulder, I don’t know whether I want to kiss the life out of you or beat the crap out of you right now. And, that’s just for starters.” Mulder chastely kisses her mouth. “Scully, I choose door #1 and a lot more right now.” He reaches his hands from her waist to her hips and pulls her closer to him. She takes one hand from his neck and moves it lower, in between them. Her hand illicits a low growl from Mulder as his body moves of its own accord, coming closer to hers. She then lays back in the water, her legs still around his waist. He runs his hands along her abdomen and up toward the very low-cut neckline of her suit. His gesture raises the fabric of her suit. Sputtering for breath, she says, “Mulder, I think we should swim separately for a few minutes and then get out of here.” Mulder swears he can see steam whisps rising off the water’s surface. +++++++++++++++++++++ Sunday Morning, ILEA Conference Keynote Speaker, Hilton Auditorium “Awww, c’mon, Scully. Can’t we just stay here and read the paper and have breakfast and go back to bed and…” Mulder’s attempts at whining are not convincing Scully that they can avoid the keynote speaker. She knows that Skinner will want documentation of their attendance. The brief description of the speaker in the Conference Schedule book will not suffice. “Get a move on, Mulder. Pretend this is something you’ve fantasized about; like --you pick it. That ought to get you ‘up’ and out!” Scully playfully slaps his butt and disappears back into her bedroom to grab her handbag and Conference materials. Mulder reappears ready to go. “Up on the roof…” He’s singing at the top of his lungs, mugging it up, his hand held like a microphone. “What got you going, Mulder?” “Oh, I don’t know, Scully, must be your words of encouragement--and that slap on my a$$!” Scully grabs the lapel of his jacket and they head down to the auditorium. As they walk in and take a seat in the back (Mulder wants an aisle seat incase they’re ‘called away’), they scan the crowds, looking for people they know. “Hey, Scully, I think I spotted your boyfriend from that vampire case down South. Yeah, it is him, Sheriff Lucius Hartwell. Maybe I should call him over to visit with us. I’m sure you’d like to reminisce, huh?” Mulder tries to stand up to get the Sheriff’s attention. Scully plants her heel into his instep, immediately causing him to sit back down; hard. “Mulder, I can run into him later; ok? Let’s look at the list of attendees in the Program Book. Much easier than hoping to spot people.” Scully opens her Book, but Mulder grabs it from her. “I’ll read it to you, Scully.” Mulder starts down the list, trying to pick out names they both know. “Hmmm, Colton, Colton, where do I know that friendly name from, Scully?” Scully looks over at Mulder expectantly. She says nothing. “Ok, moving on then. Oh, look, it *is* Sheriff Hartwell; he’s listed right here. I didn’t know his middle name is ‘Boone’; Lucius Boone Hartwell!” “Ok, Mulder, that’s enough out of you. Give me my Program Book back. It’s my turn to read some names I’m sure are in there.” She reaches for the Book, but Mulder puts it on the seat to his right. “Later, Scully, the speaker is about to begin. God, I just love being here, ready to soak in all this new-found knowledge.” Scully playfully jabs him in the ribs with her elbow, silencing him. As the speaker begins, Scully finds herself glancing around the auditorium, trying to make out faces of people they know. It’s hard since Mulder chose the back row, all she gets to see is the back of heads. Then, as she looks to her right to see who else is in their aisle, her gaze stops at Mulder. He’s looking at her, too. She raises an eyebrow in question. He raises his back, then looks toward the speaker. He takes her hand in his and rests it on his leg. She doesn’t turn toward him again, but she does smile. The fact that the simplicity of Mulder’s touch can stir her emotions so deeply seeps into her. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Penthouse Café, Lunchtime, Sunday “Mulder, we should be socializing with our fellow Law Enforcement colleagues.” Scully puts her salad down on the umbrella table and sits down. Mulder joins her with his burger and fries. “Scully, why would I want to do that? Let me count the reasons for you: 1. They’ll just call me ‘Spooky’, 2. They’ll call you ‘Mrs. Spooky’, 3. They’ll bust on me about aliens and 4. I won’t get to spend any alone time with you.” He bites into his freshmade, but still greasy, burger. “Mulder, people have *always* referred to us as Mr. and Mrs Spooky; that’s never bothered us before, and, you love ‘aliens’ and, we *have* been spending time alone together. Now, I found another Program Book and I’m going to look to see what evening activities they have that we can attend. Don’t give me that look of yours; it’s not going to work.” She opens the Program Book as she takes another forkful of salad. Mulder sighs visibly when he realizes she isn’t looking for the list of Conference attendees. “Hey, look at this, Mulder. There’s a Dance Party the last night we’re here. We have to dress up for it.” “What *kind* of Dance Party, Scully? I’m NOT doing another John Travolta imitation, although, I must admit I was pretty good, huh? Scully?” Scully looks up at him and tilts her head to one side, ‘seeing’ something Mulder doesn’t. “Hmmm.” Is all she says. Mulder stops eating. “What are you thinking, Scully. I know that look; something’s up.” “Well, Mulder, to answer your very first question, it’s a ‘Hot Salsa Night’ Dance Party. And, to answer your second question, I was picturing you dressed for this party.” “Scully, that wasn’t my second question! I wanted to know how good I was as Travolta at that Disco.” Scully pauses and smiles. “Mulder, for someone who wasn’t even invited, you were amazing. Feeling better, now are we?” “Ok, not, tell me just how you were picturing me dressed for this one.” “Ok, starting at the top; a very carefully disheveled head of hair, a nice, open down to here black, shirt and some ‘barely-room-to-move-in’ leather pants.” Scully is quite surprised by two things. The look on Mulder’s face and the heat she knows is showing on hers. “Whoa, Scully, down girl! Remember lunch? Salad? Give me the Program Book and no one gets hurt. We’ll talk about this later, ok?” Mulder is surprised at how ‘into’ it Scully is. Actually, he’s pleasantly surprised. He’s dying to find some tight, black leather pants; in a hurry! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Private Musings; Program Break Time, Sunday afternoon Mulder is trying to decide which session to attend in the second afternoon time slot. He really wants to go with Scully, but Skinner likes it better when his Agents split up and cover more ground. They then come back to DC with information to share with all Agents. He’s walking out of the Men’s Room, flipping through the Book when he bumps into someone. Without looking up, he mumbles and apology and tries to move on. A hand reaches up to his Book and pulls it down. “Hello, Fox. I thought I saw your name in the Book. Shall we?” Phoebe Green leads Mulder over to an alcove of lounge chairs. People are coming and going all around them, but Phoebe acts is if they are the only two people in that area. “It’s been a while, Mulder. What, 6 years?” She flashes her eyes at him, batting long eyelashes his way. She has one hand on his. He gently extricates himself from her touch. “Yes, Phoebe, it’s been 6 years. Six years since the fire and the little fiasco.” She doesn’t miss a beat as she continues. “So, how is that mousey partner of yours? Gotten an injection of backbone yet or is she just following you around, panting over you. It was pathetically obvious from the first time I met her that--“ Scully turns around and heads in the other direction before she has a chance to be seen. She has seen and heard enough. “That’s about enough, Phoebe. Now, I came here to learn something new, so it’s a colossal waste of my time to rehash old information with you.” Mulder stands to leave. Phoebe isn’t ready for him to do so. “I’m sorry, Fox. I guess I’m a little jealous of the hold she has on you; something I couldn’t seem to produce.” “Phoebe, you talk about what we had like the game it was for you. What Scully and I have is not like that. Ah, he!!, what am I doing trying to compare you to her? I’ll see you around.” Mulder drops her hand from his and walks away. He’s glad Scully wasn’t here. ===================== Scully, now well away from the scene with Phoebe and Mulder, is on her way to a session on “Women in Forensics”. She is angry. She is moving quickly through the throngs of people who are chatting in between sessions. As she moves around a group of people, she hears a familiar voice. She pauses for a moment and then moves on. At that point, the ‘familiar voice’ breaks from the group he was talking with and approaches her. “Dana? Dana, wait. It’s me, Tom.” Tom Colton walks up to Scully somewhat shyly. Scully looks as if she is going to turn and leave. She does not want to talk to Tom and she is far too angry to even consider the possibility. He stops her. “Don’t go, Dana. I owe you a big apology.” “Yeah, you do, Tom. But actually, I grew tired of waiting for it during the first year it was due. So, if you’ll excuse me?” Her comments come out harshly. She sees the reaction her tone of voice has on him and somewhat regrets her brashness. “No, wait, Dana, I--“ As Tom begins to explain, a voice comes over the speakers, “Conferees, please move toward your last session now.” “Maybe later, Tom. I really want to get to this session.” She moves away. Tom stands there looking upset. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Penthouse Suite; Sunday Night Mulder walks into the suite and finds Scully sitting on the large sofa by the window. He plops down beside her. She has the Program Book in her hands and appears to be reading intently. She doesn’t look up as he joins her. With her eyes still on the Book, she asks, “So, Mulder, meet anyone interesting today?” Mulder, not yet sure exactly what she’s referring to says, “No; what about you?” Scully slowly looks up at him and says, “Actually, yes, I did run into someone between sessions.” She is not going to give him more until he explains why he didn’t share the names of the attendees with her this morning or the fact that he talked to Phoebe. She closes the Book in her lap and turns toward him, arm across the back of the sofa. Mulder fidgets slightly. “Are you sure you didn’t run into anyone, Mulder? I mean this Book seems to have names of quite a few people we both know.” Mulder, given the chance to tell Scully about running into Phoebe,and, unaware that she witnessed half of the conversation, again tells her ‘no’. “Well, I ran into Tom Colton.” She stands and heads for her room. Mulder is up in a flash and he follows her. “You don’t mean Mr. Tough Guy Colton, do you? I mean, he was supposed to be friend of yours, Scully. Turned out to be a real a$$, huh?” “Tom hasn’t changed, Mulder, if that’s what you mean. I just find it strange that with all the people we both know, you haven’t seen anyone yet…” A silent war is erupting in Mulder’s head. If he tells Scully right now that he saw Phoebe, she’ll only be slightly angry. She already knows Phoebe is here (he’s sure she was reading the Attendees list when he walked in.) and she’s pretty sure he has to have seen her. She’ll be angry because he denied it. If he waits any longer, she’ll be angry about Phoebe and extremely angry that he lied to her for so long. The war continues and he’s fast becoming a member of the losing side… Before he can give more thought to his next statement, he blurts, “It’s not all that strange, Scully, there are so many people here, so many choices of sessions, it would be statistically possible to never run into one person you know.” “Guess I blew those stats right out of the water, huh, Mulder?” Scully decides not to press the issue any farther at this point. However, Mulder’s response, or, rather, lack of sufficient response, has been categorized and filed away for future reference. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Featured Speaker Session, Auditorium, Monday Morning Once again, crowds are filing into the auditorium. “Mulder, let’s sit a little closer to the front today. I really want to hear what this speaker has to say without all the distraction.” Mulder looks at Scully questioningly. He attempts light humor first, “Scully, you don’t want to hide out with me, your brilliant partner? You’d rather get right into the thick of it?” He smiles. She smiles right back at him. She loves his sometimes feeble attempts to sidetrack her. She actually plays along with him because she knows it’s all in good intent. Not this time, however. She holds onto his arm and gives him a disarming smile, “Actually, Mulder, I’m doing this more for you than for me. I remember you saying that you hadn’t yet run into anyone you know. This will be your opportunity.” Mulder swallows; hard. She leads him to the 4th row, center. The podium on the stage is still empty. The session is titled, “Pulling the Pieces Together: Utilizing Multiple Forms of Investigative Style to Discover the Best Resolution”. Scully knows that Mulder knows that she knows who the speaker is! Scully wants to watch him squirm; just a little. She’s not all that happy about sitting this close, either… Someone has walked onto the stage and come to the podium, “Excuse me Agents and Officers, can I have your attention for a moment? Our speaker is just about ready to begin this morning’s program. If you would all kindly take your seats?” Mulder’s private little war is raging. Not only has he seen Phoebe and lost his opportunity to tell Scully, but they’re about to come face-face with another of her not-so- favorite people. He’s pretty sure she has to know who it is. Suddenly, the enemy line meets the resistance head on. Let the war games resume… “Scully, are you sure this is close enough? There are a few seats on the stage…” Scully notices the change in his approach and is somewhat puzzled by it. “This is fine, Mulder.” The Program begins. “Good morning Agents, Officers and other law enforcement personnel. I’m very pleased to present to you today an outstanding Agent. This Agent has extensive background and experience internationally. While originally working here in the States, the work has provided an opportunity for world-wide experience and education. I’m sure you’re going to find what she has to say as fascinating as she is! Without further ado, let me introduce to you, the FBI’s Special Agent Diana Fowley!” As Diana walks onto the stage, Mulder glances at Scully. Her eyes are straight ahead of her, but he can sense her agitation. It is no secret how she feels about Diana. Scully is trying to guage Mulder’s reaction, but finds him looking over at her. She keeps her eyes on Diana. Her hair is longer than the last time they met and it is pulled up in a french braid. She is wearing a red pantsuit with a white satin tank underneath. Scully doesn’t remember ever seeing Agent Fowley in bright colors. As Diana reaches the podium, she briefly scans the audience. As her eyes make their way from the farthest seating to the front rows, she seems to zone right in on Mulder. She smiles broadly. He turns just slightly less red than her suit. Diana then casts her glance toward Scully. She drops the smile. Scully, however, smiles at Diana. “Good morning, everyone…” Diana begins her speech. Mulder reaches over and puts his hand on Scully’s leg lightly. She turns to him, her expression blank. Mulder raises his eyebrows and moves his head to one side, suggesting they leave. Scully smiles at him, looks up at Diana and follows Mulder out of the auditorium. As they two Agents reach the back of the auditorium, Mulder stops and looks back. Diana is still watching him, still speaking. Ever the master of duplicity, she manages to embue her speech with sincere enthusiasm while glaring at Mulder. They walk outside to the hotel courtyard. They head over to a stone bench under some cypress trees. “Scully, you knew Diana was the speaker, right?” Mulder continues to just look straight ahead. “Yes, Mulder, I did.” She turns toward him. “Why?” “Well, I can’t imagine why you would have made sure we sat so close to her. I know how you feel about her. We could have skipped the session; just as we ended up doing.” “Mulder, look at me. You’re right, there is no love lost between me and Diana. I guess I was just a little upset that you purposely hid the list of Attendees from me, then made such a big deal about Sheriff Hartwell and Tom Colton. It was obvious you had read Diana’s name and, probably Phoebe’s, too. If I could remember Bambi’s last name, I bet she might be here, too--“ “She’s not, I checked--“ Mulder opens and engages his mouth before his brain is fully in gear. “I’ll just let that slip right on by, Mulder. Bambi’s not a law enforcement agent. Anyway, I thought we were always upfront with each other. I asked you if you had run into anyone. You said ‘no’ and I guess I should take you at your word. You just seem to be going to great lengths to ‘hide’ something from me. How about an explanation?” Scully is still looking directly at Mulder. A few Agents walk by and say hello. Mulder, thankful for the brief respite, says hello back. “Scully, I just don’t like to see you upset. I figured it would be better to just , well- -“ “Just ‘lie’ to me, Mulder?” “No, I mean, well, how about saying I was momentarily ‘truth challenged’? Ok; serioulsy, Scully, I’m sorry for however it looked. Can we move on?” Scully hangs her head down and then looks back up at Mulder. “Mulder, promise me that you’ll be upfront and honest with me about whoever you run into? I know you’re not responsible for how I feel about people. Just trust me enough to let me decide how I feel, ok?” “Deal.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ FBI EAP, Session 2, Continued; Current Time FBI Counselor: It sounds like the first couple of days went well? Scully: Yes, they did. We did have an initial issue about me finding out about other Agents--wait, no that’s not right. You see, there are some women from Mulder’s past who have this effect on me and-- FBI Counselor: Let’s stop right there. Tell me about these women from Agent Mulder’s past. Scully: Well, they were colleagues in law enforcement, one with the Bureau, the other from Scotland Yard. They occasionally resurface in his life. Because he and I are partners, that means they appear in my work life, too. It’s complicated. I know Agent Mulder and I aren’t an ‘item’; we’re work partners. I guess it’s just that I expect that they, as fellow women of law enforcement would know how hard it is in a mostly male environment. If they knew, they probably wouldn’t treat me with such disrespect. FBI Counselor: Is there another reason, aside from the fact that you are all women in law enforcement, that you feel they might treat you the way they do? Scully: I think they might be jealous of my relationship with Agent Mulder. FBI Counselor: Exactly what about your relationship do you think causes their jealousy? Scully: Well, Agent Mulder had a pretty serious relationship with each of these women. They seem to think there’s something more to my relationship with him. FBI Counselor: Ok, we’ll leave it at that for now. So you and he decided to be upfront with each other about running into former colleagues of the opposite sex… Scully: Yes; we got everything out in the open; or so I thought. ===================================== FBI Counselor: So, Agent Mulder, you ran into some former colleagues and Agent Scully exacted a promise from you? Mulder: Yeah, I ran into two; both women. After Scully found out I had been trying to keep it from her, we agreed to be upfront with each other about meeting up with former colleagues. I guess I just know how upset she gets; especially because I had relationships with both of these women and-- FBI Counselor: Let’s break this down a little more. You were trying to keep Agent Scully from finding out you saw these women because you wanted to protect her. You didn’t want her to become upset because she knew you had relationships with these women. Is that correct? Mulder: Yes. FBI Counselor: Are these relationships over? Mulder: Yes FBI Counselor: What exactly are you protecting her from? Mulder: Uhh, that’s what she usually wants to know… FBI Counselor: All right, now that we know she doesn’t understand why you want to protect her, why don’t you explain it so I’ll know the answer, too. Mulder: I guess I just feel so responsible for so many things that have happened to her since she became my partner. I truly don’t like to see her hurting, in any way! Is that so bad? FBI Counselor: Then, why does Agent Scully get upset about these women? Mulder: Um, well, they have occasionally acted rude her presence. FBI Counselor: And? Mulder: And I had relationships with each of these women. FBI Counselor: How would you characterize those relationships; then and now, Agent Mulder? Mulder: The ‘now’ is easy; we no longer have a relationship. ‘Then’ is a little more complicated. Suffice it to say that at the time, with each of these women, it was pretty intense and rather wildly hot. I guess I was experiencing relationship extremes. FBI Counselor: So, you agreed to keep lines of communication open? Mulder: Yes. FBI Counselor: Did it work? Mulder: For the most part… ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Special International FBI Luncheon, Monday, Grand Ballroom As the Keynote and morning sessions conclude, the Agents make their way to the Grand Ballroom off the hotel’s lobby. The set up includes approximately 50, large, round tables with seating for 10 at each table. “Where do you want to sit, Scully?” They are both looking around for Agents they recognize. Neither of them is very interested in the social part of the Luncheon. However, to not attend would look bad for the Washington Home Office. “Oh, no.” “What is it, Mulder?” “It’s those two Agents who started out with us for that Team Building Convention. You remember, the one where I was asked to stop and help the locals with that mossman creature in the woods?” “You were *asked*, Mulder?” Scully is standing with one hand on her hip, holding her Program Book. She’s trying to look stern, but isn’t succeeding. “Ok, maybe I volunteered; they needed my help!” “You *volunteered*? How about trying the words *tried to take over* their investigation just so you could get out of the Convention?” Mulder smiles sheepishly and steers them clear of the two Agents. Mulder leans over and whispers to Scully, “Oh, oh, Agent Colton approaching at 12 o’clock.” Mulder looks at Scully to see her reaction. She crosses her arms in front of her body and just stands there; waiting. Mulder turns to go. She stops him with her hand. “No, don’t go, Mulder. I want to see what happens this time.” Tom Colton approaches the Agents. Mulder is wearing a neutral expression. Scully’s arms are once again crossed in front of her and she is standing slightly in front of Mulder. “Hello, Dana, Mulder. Are you enjoying the Conference?” Colton looks mostly at Scully, but glances at Mulder briefly. “Yes, Tom, we are. Look, I’m sorry I was so harsh with you earlier, but I’m not sure what we have to say to each other.” Scully looks at him expectantly. “Could I talk to you alone for a minute, Dana?” Colton looks as if he’s in pain and his face is turning redder by the minute. Mulder starts to walk away. Scully stops him again. “Tom, anything you need to say to me can be said in front of Mulder. We don’t keep secrets from each other.” Mulder stands his ground, but keeps the neutral look. Colton is struggling. Scully does not help him; she waits patiently. “I believe I owe you an apology, Dana.” He lets the words hang in the air, hoping that Scully will bail him out. She simply tilts her head to one side, indicating that she is listening. Mulder is enjoying the interaction between his partner and Colton. “Go on.” Scully keeps her ‘help’ to a minimum. “Dana, I really wanted us to be able to work together on that case. Regardless of how it turned out, you only proved my point; you *are* a brilliant Agent. I’ve kept up on your cases and your record; officially and unofficially. I’d like to wipe the slate clean and maybe give our partnership another chance.” It is starting to get noisey in the Ballroom. Scully motions to both Mulder and Colton to follow her. She leads them to a quieter area just outside the Ballroom. Colton cannot wait for her reply and, he has no idea what he will get in response…as evidenced by his smile. Mulder remains silent. Scully is pleased and surprised; he is showing great respect and restraint. She chooses her words carefully because she knows how easy it would be to allow her emotion to rule her response. “Tom, we started out as friends, maybe even a little more, at one time. I was deeply flattered that you asked for my help so early in our careers; it meant a lot to me. But, you didn’t and still don’t, play fair. All you saw and see is your way over and up on your way to the top. Yes, you’ve got some solid skills and expertise; I’ve checked out your career, too.” Mulder raised his eyebrows; his first visible reaction to the conversation. “The part I just don’t think you ‘get’ is that I was and still am, very challenged and happy right where I am, doing what I do. It’s quite presumptious of you to think you can waltz in here, slap on an apology, and then have the nerve to suggest we can be partners now.” “Dana, it’s just that you have so much to give and--“ Mulder cannot believe the audacity. Colton is assuming that Scully is not working to her potential on the X-Files; with him! He opens his mouth to add his thoughts, but Scully is quicker. “Tom, I think this conversation is at an end.” She starts to walk away. Colton walks in front of her to block her way. “Dana--“ Scully pushes past him, furious. Outward appearances, to those who do not know her, would not give away her thoughts. Mulder, however, knows exactly what she is thinking. He follows her into the Ballroom and they take seats at one of the back tables. Thankfully, no one they know is sitting there and the table is only half-occupied by others already engaged in conversations. Scully grabs a glass of water and gulps it down. “Mulder, I can’t believe the gall of that man.” She is speaking in a loud whisper. “Scully, he’s not even worth your time or effort. It’s clear he just doesn’t get it. He’s thinking selfishly, looking at how he can use you to gain his goals. I know you know that, but you’re too angry to see it right now.” Scully takes a few deep breaths and appears more relaxed. “I partially blame myself, Mulder. All those years back, I could have just told him that you’d be very much a part of the case no matter what. I didn’t do that.” “No, you didn’t, Scully. But, it wasn’t your place to do that. He and Blevins were calling the shots and you were doing what good Agents do; assisting and consulting. You went out on a limb to include me and defend me; things you didn’t have to do. Colton is either going to understand that or he’s not; nothing you can do will make any difference.” “Oh, yeah, Mulder. I could turn around and request a transfer to work with him. That’s what he wants.” Mulder doesn’t say a word. Scully grabs a roll and some butter. As usual, tacit understanding passes between them without any spoken words. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Monday Night; Penthouse “Scully, how about if we just stay in and watch TV or something? I really don’t feel like socializing with anyone.” Scully follows Mulder into the Penthouse. “Not even with me, Mulder?” “I didn’t mean it that way, Scully. It’s just that it’s easy to just be myself with you.” They drop their briefcases down on the sofa. “I don’t have to watch what I say or try to figure out what everyone else is going to think once I stick my foot in my mouth.” Scully smiles. “Sounds good to me, Mulder. It might be nice to actually have some time to ourselves. I’m going to go in and get changed.” “Need any help, Scully?” “Mulder; I’ll be out in a bit.” Mulder tosses his jacket off and removes his tie. He decides to get changed, too. A few minutes later, he comes back into the living room area in his gray tee and sweats. He hears a knock at the door and the water running in Scully’s bathroom. Mulder opens the door and stares. When he locates his voice, he says, “Diana?” “Hello, Fox.” She walks past him into the living room. “I had hoped you would have waited after my address this morning, but I saw you being dragged out of the auditorium soon after I began.” Mulder has not left the door. “Diana, I don’t think you being here is a good idea. We don’t really have anything to talk about.” “Come now, Fox, relax; it’s me.” She walks over to him at the door and puts a hand on his arm. She leads him back into the living room and over by the window. The running water has stopped in Scully’s room and all is quiet. “Fox, this is a great time for us to talk. And, we do have a lot to talk about, you and I. I know we can’t just pick things up right where we left off, but--“ “Diana, we can’t pick things up at all. I thought you knew that. You’re no longer a part of my life and haven’t been for some time, now.” Diana doesn’t miss a beat and does not seem at all affected by Mulder’s words. “Fox, you know as well as I do that your life has been nothing but heartache, searching and desperation since we’ve been apart. I can remedy all that.” She places her hand on his shoulder. Scully has put on her leggings and long tee and is listening by the door as she pins her hair up. She is essentially trapped in her room unless she wishes to become part of the discussion. At this point, she has no desire to tangle with Diana. One overheard conversation with someone from Mulder’s past is more than enough in one day… “Diana, I don’t know exactly what you think there is to ‘remedy’--“ She cuts him off with a finger to his lips. “You’re going to try to tell me that your deep and profoundly meaningful relationship with your partner has helped you, that you trust her implicitly and possibly, you’re going to somehow believe that you are actually in love with her. What you feel for her, Fox, is obligation and loyalty; nothing more, nothing less. She goes out of her way to tamp down your theories, ignore your brilliance. She does nothing to support you or care for you the way that you know I can.” Scully is beginning to fume and seethe. While she does not believe that Mulder will fall for any of her lies, she nonetheless wants to remove all of Diana’s hair, one strand at a time and she means *all* of Diana’s hair. Scully is pacing in her room. “Diana, I think that’s quite enough. I want you to leave before I say things I won’t even regret anymore. You’ve managed to trash whatever possible relationship we could maintain.” Scully is quietly routing for Mulder. He is ever the gentleman and goes out of his way to show respect, but Diana is pushing his buttons and Scully can tell Mulder is nearing his boiling point. “Fox, can you be so blind that you do not recognize how Scully is manipulating you? Playing on your good nature? Are you aware that she is sleeping with another Agent?” Scully is trying to figure out how to leave her room and not kill Diana. While she is sure of her relationship with Mulder, she is bitterly angry with the lies being spread. Mulder stops in his tracks. He smiles sardonically at Diana. He cannot believe how low she will stoop to try to reintiate their long-over relationship. Diana misreads the smile as agreement. “Oh, Fox, you do understand!” She places both arms on his shoulders and moves closer to him. Scully no longer hears any talking, but can’t see what is happening without giving herself away. “Diana,” Mulder says as he pulls her hands off of his shoulders, “I won’t listen to anymore Scully bashing. For the record, I have never met anyone like her and probably never will. Far from tamping me down, as you put it, she has encouraged me and supported me. She has been by my side through the best and the worst. She has been sincere and honest with me; integrity is important to her. Something you seem to know so little about. Notice that I will not even dignify your comment about her sleeping with another Agent. You’re leaving now. You’re not coming back.” Mulder unceremoniously drags her to the door. When he closes it behind her, he leans his back to the door and takes a deep breath. When he opens his eyes, he sees Scully standing barefoot, looking up at him and smiling. How she always seems to know just what he needs, he’ll never know. “You heard, Scully?” “Oh, yeah.” “And?” “And, thank you, Mulder.” She walks over to him, stands on her toes and kisses him quickly. “Let’s watch TV and order in, ok?” Mulder is waiting. This is too good to be true. He’s just had an all-out scene with Diana with Scully in the same area and she’s not fuming at him. It even seems like he did something right! Scully orders some nachoes and beer from room service and turns on the TV. She is flipping through the channels when Mulder sits down beside her. “Scully, you are amazing, you know that?” “Mulder, let’s just watch TV right now.” She snuggles into him, still flipping channels. Mulder takes the remote from her hand and puts it out of her reach. He mutes the sound. “Scully, what’s going on? You just witnessed a pretty big Diana scene and you’re acting like it happens everyday. Have you been cloned? Where’s my real Scully?” “Mulder, it’s me; I’m still here. Yes, I heard everything. Yes, she makes me see red and want to inflict major bodily harm in the most wicked of ways. I must admit, she has reached a new low with the comment about me and another Agent. You should have asked her who it is so I could figure out if I’m enjoying myself. I guess the reason that I’m not mad is because I admire the way you stood up to her. And the ‘thank you’ earlier was for the nice things you said about me. I feel the same way about you, Mulder.” Mulder says nothing initially. He’s much too busy being stunned, surprised and outrageously happy by Scully’s comments. The nachoes arrive and they dig in. Once the nachoes are finished and a couple of beers have disappeared, they continue to talk. “Mulder, hypothetically speaking, how do you suppose two people know how they really feel about each other?” Scully is now sitting on the floor up against the sofa. Mulder is sitting on the sofa next to her. He pauses thoughtfully. “Well, ‘hypothetically speaking’, aside from each of them simply telling the other, it’s probably obvious from how they behave around one and other. Can they be natural with each other? Can they tell each other anything without fear? What do you think, Scully?” She turns around toward the sofa to face him. “I think sometimes it’s an unspoken thing that happens when you just find your paths coming together more often than not, when two people are just comfortable around each other, when the occasional tension doesn’t destroy what they have.” Mulder reaches down and pulls Scully to her knees between his legs. “Hypothetically, does any of what we’ve both described relate to anyone we know?” His eyes look into her; his hands are firm on her arms as he holds her in place. “I would say, ‘yes’.” Scully manages to whisper that one response. Mulder leans down and kisses her mouth. The kiss is, at first, tentative and light. He pulls back and looks again into her eyes. “You do know how I feel about you, don’t you, Scully?” She answers by initiating the kiss this time. Her arms move around his waist. Her lips press more insistantly into his. He helps her move up onto the sofa, never breaking their connection. They both silently wonder who or what will conspire to stop this moment from becoming many moments in time strung together. Hopefully, the stars have somehow aligned to allow the moments their due. Scully is fast becoming breathless. She wonders who has turned the heat up in the Penthouse. Mulder experiences a tingling sensation that originates somewhere in the center of his being and moves along his nerve endings; an all together pleasant sensation… Scully lands on the remote and the tv volume increases dramatically causing both Agents to briefly pull apart. She finds the remote underneath her and flings it over her shoulder and across the room. Mulder opens his mouth, closes it and then opens it again as he reconnects with Scully. She pulls his lower lip between hers and gently sucks on it. The blood is pounding in her head and she feels deliciously dizzy. Mulder pulls her to him until they can feel each others’ hearts pounding. She maneuvers his long limbs onto the couch underneath her and straddles his legs. Unwilling and unwanting to break the touch of their lips, she leans forward and kisses him lightly, at first. He pulls away again and whispers in her ear, “Scully?”. She really does not want to discuss or analyze this moment. All she knows is that she is here where she wants to be, he is beneath her, his warm breath in her ear is sending wave after wave of hot pulses through her body. Thankfully, it seems as if Mulder understands her lack of verbal response. He slips his tongue into her ear and circles the inner whorls playfully. She responds, turning her face to his and tracing his lips with her tongue. She parts his lips and her tongue explores his mouth. She is breathing so hard that she is not sure if she is breathing on her own or with him. She can no longer hold herself up; her muscle strength has been drained and transferred to other areas of her body. She lowers herself on top of him, her legs still straddling his hips. He reaches down with both hands and pulls her hips closer to his and she says his name breathlessly into his mouth. He does not move his hands from her hips. Their desire to explore each others’ bodies is beyond their ability to control. She sits up again and runs her hands underneath his sweatshirt, trying to pull it over his head. Mulder, seeing no reason to slow them down, assists her. The sweatshirt lands on the coffee table. The feel of his skin under her palms is almost too hot to touch. She starts to lower herself down once again, wanting to be as close to him as possible. “No, no, no, Ms. Scully, not ‘that way’.” He says quietly as he pulls her sweatshirt up and off of her. It joins its partner on the coffee table. Mulder’s chest is rising and receeding quickly as he realizes that Scully seems to have forgotten to wear a bra. Their brief separation from each other chills her and she lowers herself back to Mulder. “Ohgodohgodohgod…” Mulder is nearly inchoherent, the words strung together hoarsely as he feels Scully’s chest against his. He is also thankful he chose to wear sweats… He manages to eek out his last coherent words to Scully, “If you want me to stop, Scully, please tell me now.” Nearly out of her own skin at this point, she lifts her head. Her face is flushed, her skin is rosey and she is smiling, her hair wildly framing her face. “Mulder, ‘stopping’ is the last thing I would want you to do. Sometimes, things just align and--“. Words fail her. `~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Tuesday Morning; Going to Sessions? “Knock, knock, knock.” “I’ll get it, Scully. It’s probably room service.” “Room service, Mulder? Skinner’s not going to be happy about that. You know, we could have just gone down the hall to the lounge. They’re serving breakfast in there as part of the room rate.” She smiles as she walks out of her room and into the living room putting her jacket on. “I know, Scully, but it’s not quite the same as having coffee here; just the two of us.” He wheels the cart into the room, drapes a white linen napkin over his arm and bows, “What can I get you, mademoiselle?” Scully slides the napkin off his arm, grabs his arm and pulls him down beside her, “You can get me *you*…” “Uh, Scully, are you suggesting we blow off this morning’s sessions?” “I was sort of thinking--“ “Don’t do that, Scully, it gets in the way of the fun stuff.” He pushes her jacket off her shoulders as he kisses her neck. “You smell nice, Scully.” “Mulder, we probably should attend a session or two; it’s the last day. Besides, we’ve got the dance tonight and the train ride all the way home…” She brings his face back to meet hers and kisses the tip of his nose. “I’ll see you up here at lunchtime, ok?” “Oh, Scully, ‘afternoon delight’?” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ FBI EAP, Session 3, 1st part, Current Time FBI Counselor: Agent Scully, this is probably the last of our sessions. I’d like to cover a little more ground today. It sounds as though you and Agent Mulder made some rather strong headway in your personal relationship. Tell me about that. Scully: Well, after talking about keeping our lines of communication open, one of those women showed up at our Penthouse suite. She wasn’t aware that I was in the other room. I was very impressed with how forthrightly Mulder dealt with her and I told him so. FBI Counselor: And? Scully: And, that led us into some revelations about our own relationship. We talked for a bit, but frankly, I sometimes tire of having to always be in control and talk everything out. We mutually agreed to just let things take their course that night. FBI Counselor: Did the evenings course of events go the way you planned? Scully: I don’t know if I’d say there really *was* a plan… ============================================= FBI Counselor: As this is probably our last session, I’d like to see if we can piece this together. Tell me what happened with you and Agent Scully after you two agreed to keep your lines of communication open. Mulder: Well, it was almost as if someone were conspiring against me. One of the women Agent Scully reviles most came to visit me. Her sole intent was to persuade me that I belong with her and not with Agent Scully. Scully was in the other room and overheard the entire conversation. FBI Counselor: What happened?. Mulder: I basically threw the woman out; tactfully, of course. She had alluded to some rather nasty stuff regarding Scully that I knew was patently a lie. Scully had indeed heard everything and surprised the he!! out of me by thanking me for how I handled the situation. FBI Counselor: Surprised you, how? Mulder: In several ways. First of all, she outright told me I handled the woman well. Secondly, we ended up in this conversation about relationships. Third, well, we got a whole lot closer than we had been in a while. FBI Counselor: And there was no more reference to your first encounter with the other Agent? Mulder: No, I think she had put that issue away. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Tuesday Lunchtime Scully is on her way to the elevator when her cellphone rings. “Scully.” “Hi, Scully; it’s me.” “Mulder, you couldn’t wait until I get upstairs? Where are you?” “I’m in the lobby with someone who wants to say hello.” Scully looks around. “Where in the lobby are you? I’m in the lobby, too.” Mulder walks up behind Scully. “I’m right here.” He says into his cellphone. Scully snaps the phone shut and whirls around on her heel. “Mulder! Don’t do that! Now, where’s this person--“ “Agent Scully, long time no see. Hope this partner of yours has finally realized what a hot little number you are! Glad I didn’t have to compete with him out in Las Vegas.” Scully blushes, trying to look angry, but ends up laughing. Mulder is smiling broadly; wondering about Las Vegas. “Mr. Fletcher--“ “Morris, honey, Morris.” “Morris, I didn’t realize you’d be here, too. Nice to see you again.” “Look, for old time’s sake, let me take the two of you to lunch. No, I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, I insist!” He pats Scully on her backside and extends an arm up and over Mulder’s shoulder. “So Agent Mulder, how’re you liking your waterbed?” Mulder looks puzzled and looks over and behind Morris at Scully. She just raises her eyebrows and shrugs. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Tuesday Late Afternoon The crowds file out of the auditorium after the closing speaker. Mulder yawns showing his intense interest in the topic, “Going Forth in the New Millenium as Vital Partners in the Protection of the Community at Large.” “Scully, do you think they hire the same people who write ‘get well’ cards to title these talks? I could do better, I know it…” Scully leans closer to him and whispers, “Just get over to the Penthouse elevator right now and don’t say another word.” It is very easy for them to get to the elevator; the crowds are pressing them forward. Luckily, only one elevator goes to the Penthouse and it’s private! As the door opens, the two Agents are propelled into it by the teeming masses waiting to board other cars to their floors. Mulder’s tie is around his neck and over the back of his jacket. Scully’s hair is falling every which way. “We’ve escaped with our very lives, Scully! We’re alliiiivvee, Scully, allliiivvvee.” Mulder pushes the button for the penthouse. They stand by the glass wall, looking down into the atrium. “Cute, Mulder.” As soon as the elevator passes the 3rd floor, Scully hits the ‘stop’ button. “Scully, I’m in trouble? Ok, so the little ‘we’re alive’ wasn’t that funny.” Mulder’s hands are out in front of him, palms open and up. Scully smiles suggestively and takes his hands. She kisses his open palm and then wraps his hands around her hips. She walks him back into the window wall. “Uh, Scully, I thought you weren’t into pubic displays.” Mulder is a little nervous about what she has in mind, but is nonetheless turned on by her actions. “You’re right, Mulder; move over to the other corner and don’t move.” “Ooh, commando Scully. And you once told me *I* was ‘unfolding like a flower’. How many more sides do I get to see, Scully?” *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Tuesday Night, Preparations “Do we really have to go to this dance, Scully?” Mulder walks into the living room and Scully tries to suppress her desire to get just a little bit closer to him. His hair is partly covering his forehead and ruffled just a bit. He’s standing with his hands on his hips, the black leather of his pants creasing and pulling quite nicely in a few strategic places. His black shirt has a small, stand-up, collar. The buttons undone almost to his waist leave Scully speechless and breathless. She walks a little closer and reaches for his hand. The cuffs of his shirt are open so they hang onto the backs of his hands. She takes his hand and runs her fingers lightly underneath the open cuff. “I like this look on you, Mulder. ¡Me lo gusta mucho!” “I didn’t know you spoke Spanish, Scully. What did you say?” “I spent a little time in Mexico, but don’t remember too much, Mulder. I’ve got to go get ready. Don’t go anywhere ok, suavecito mio?” “Scully, what did you say? Yo quiero Taco Bell? Hasta manana?” Scully heads into her room, smiling. She calls out to him, over her shoulder, “Cute, Mulder.” Mulder is discovering that sitting in tight leather pants is not quite as easy as he’d like. He heads for the breakfast counter and perches on a stool. He turns on the TV and finds a basketball game. He’s gesturing and vocalizing wildly when Scully appears in the room. She walks around on the other side of the breakfast counter and leans on it, facing Mulder. He glances at her quickly then looks back at the game. Scully waits not-so-patiently for Mulder to glance her way again. She is rewarded just a few short minutes later. It’s almost as if it’s taken that time for Mulder’s brain to catch up with his eyes. “Scully?” “Yes, Mulder, it’s me.” “Scully, I think I need to see the rest of this little number. Get over to my side of the counter.” “¿Que quieres, caro mio?” Scully raises an eyebrow in question. Mulder tries to swivel the stool around to face her, but ends up having to stand up and move the stool. Leather pants on vinyl stool…Scully stifles a giggle. “Smooth, Mulder, smooth.” Scully walks around the counter slowly. Her hair is swept up on one side with a small, black velvet, flower by her ear. Her diamond stud earrings are her only jewelry. They glint as she moves. Her dress has a wide, square, low-cut neckline with wide-set, ‘bra’ straps. The back exposes her shoulder blades. Until the dress reaches her hips, it caresses her curves. The skirt has bias-cut swirls of rust-colored glitter that are hidden when she stands still, but sparkle and shine when she moves. Mulder notices her shoes; matt black 3 strap, spiky heels. He’s still not quite sure how Scully (or any woman) moves on those pinpoints. He’s also glad he’ll never have to figure out that aspect of a woman’s life. “Turn around, Scully.” Scully obliges, spinning just a little as she turns. Mulder notices just how nicely the skirt flares. Since it does not appear that Mulder is capable of further speech, Scully asks, “So, what do you think?” Mulder stands, takes her hand and spins her around, just a little bit faster than she spun herself. “I think you look absolutely good enough to eat.” “I’ll take that as a compliment. Let’s go.” “Scully, you’re always trying to leave so fast. Shouldn’t we practice a little first?” “Practice what, Mulder? All you have to know how to do is move to the beat and move those hips of yours. You *can* handle that, can’t you? ¡Vamanos!” “Ooh, Scully, I can handle that. I love it when you speak foreign languages to me.” They walk out the door and head for the ballroom. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Tuesday Night, Salsa Latina Dance Party The Ballroom is a wild, sensory overload. There is a large dance floor in the middle of the room. There a large spotlights and colored gel lights; some stationary and some cutting through the crowds embuing faces with a firey look. The music is decidely heavy on the bass in full surround sound glory. Positioned on platforms of varying levels above the crowd are male and female dancers moving singly and in pairs. Guests are arriving in large and small groups and are streaming in through the mulitiple entrances. Scully and Mulder pause just inside a door to absorb the scene. Mulder is holding Scully’s hand and her hips are moving and shaking to “Livin’ La Vida Loca”. Mulder places his other hand on his hip, sticks it out to one side and glances over at Scully. He is smiling broadly, enjoying the Scully Show. She is initially unaware of his gaze. As the song begins to mix into a slower number, she glances his way. Her face becomes flushed realizing he has been watching her. “Don’t stop now, Scully. I was enjoying the view.” She punches him in the arm and leads him toward the dance floor. The slower, “Nobody Wants to be Lonely” (Ricky Martin, Sound Louded) is playing. […Here I stand in the shadows. Come to me. Come to me. Come to me. Can’t you see that…] Mulder’s right hand moves to Scully’s hip. His left hand takes her right and he pulls it close to his body. [Can’t you see that Nobody wants to be lonely. Nobody wants to cry. My body’s longing to hold you so bad it hurts inside…] Scully looks up into his eyes and slides her hands onto his shoulders. His hands on her hips pull her closer. [Time is percious and it’s slipping away and I’ve been waitin’ for you all of my life…] Mulder lightly kisses her lips. Her hands move under his arms and around his back to his shoulders, pulling him closer still. [Nobody wants to be lonely so why, why don’t you let me love you tonight. Can you hear my voice, do you hear my song, it’s a seranade so your heart can find me…] Mulder moves one leg inbetween hers. She moves forward, leaving no room for even a molecule of air between them. [And suddenly you’re flying down the stairs into my arms, baby. Before I start going crazy. Run to me, run to me, cause I’m dyin’. I wanna feel you need me just like the air you’re breathin’. I need you here in my life…] Mulder blows lightly into her ear. He whispers, “Scully, I---“ He thinks he spots someone in the crowd and loses his train of thought. Scully pulls her face back slightly and looks up at Mulder. “Mulder?” she says. She tries to turn around to see what or who he is looking at, but only sees other dancers. She places one hand on the back of his neck and turns him back to her. “I’m sorry, Scully. Where was I?” “I don’t know, Mulder, you tell me.” She is wonderng what or who broke the mood. “I was right here. About to tell you that this is one of my fantasies.” “Dancing with me? We’ve done that before, Mulder.” Scully smiles at him. His attention momentarily re-focused on Scully, he replies, “No. No. Dancing with you close and slow while I kiss you here,” He kisses her nose. “And kiss you, here.” He kisses her cheek. “And kiss you, here.” He kisses her lips. His hands move to her arms, holding on tighter than she expected or he intended. When she squirms in his grasp, he looks startled and pulls back slightly. Scully looks up at him, puzzled. “Nice fantasy, Mulder. Was it supposed to include bruising me? What’s up with you?” Mulder glances around her, takes her hand and leads her off the dance floor. Since she has experience being in the middle of a situation with him about which she has no prior knowledge, she is not all that concerned. What is perplexing to her is the strange change in moods. She decides that if he brings her up and then suddenly drops her back down one more time, she will ask to get off this rollercoaster. When they reach the edge of the dance floor, Mulder finds a chair and sits down. Scully is standing there, hands on her hips, looking down at him. There is only one chair, but he does not seem to notice. “Earth to Agent Mulder. Hellloooo, is there life on this planet?” Scully bends over and places one hand on Mulder’s shoulder. Mulder seems to suddenly realize that she is standing there. He takes her arm and pulls her onto his lap. The sensation of being pulled down so quickly and having her skirt flounce up behind her surprises her. She finds herself in Mulder’s lap with very little between her and his leather pants. The loud, pulsing music is doing nothing to aid her efforts at breathing. “Ok, Mulder, are you all right?” “Yes, Scully. I guess you want some sort of explanation?” “That *would* make sense.” “Ok, I just thought I saw someone I know.” “And?” “And, nothing.” “Mulder, excuse me for being blunt, but one minute you’re whispering sweet nothings in my ear, holding me close and kissing me. The next minute you’re miles away. In my book, that’s not ‘nothing’.” Mulder tilts his head to one side, as if seeing her for the first time tonight. He smiles and kisses her lips. “You’re right, Scully. I’m sorry. I guess I just let my mind wander.” Scully, still thinking the whole situation is odd, even for Mulder, looks puzzled. “Mulder, who did you think you saw?” He hesitates. “Probably no one. It looked a little like Phoebe.” “It was ‘probably Phoebe’ and that got you sidetracked? Ok. Ok, let’s just let this go. I hear some great music and I want to dance. Do I need to find myself another partner or can you get it together enough to help me out here?” Mulder doesn’t need an engraved invitation to get him back into her arms on the dance floor. They head for the dance floor, holding hands, Scully walking slightly ahead of Mulder. “So tell me, is there more to this fantasy, Mulder?” Mulder draws a deep breath as if preparing to say something that he’s unsure of. He stops them and holds both of her hands. “Actually, there is more, Scully. I imagine myself telling you how I feel about you.” Mulder looks deeply into Scully’s eyes and sees her encouragement and warmth. “Go on, Mulder.” “I see me telling you that I love you.“ “Do I say anything after you tell me?” Scully breathes deeply. “I don’t usually get that far in my fantasy. Finish it for me.” Before she can say anything, Mulder notices Phoebe and Tom dancing nearby. Tom’s hands are moving up and down Phoebe’s back and hips, pulling her close and then spinning her around. Mulder notices that Phoebe looks less than excited about her dance partner. She catches his eye and silently mouths, ‘Help me.’” Meanwhile, Scully is ready to finish Mulder’s fantasy for him. “Mulder, I think that I would tell you that I--“ “Scully, I’ll be back in a few minutes, ok? Someone needs my help. Promise me you’ll wait right here, please?” He’s looking at her and then over her shoulder. Mulder is holding her hands, looking at her imploringly. She squeezes his hand and says, “Let me come with you. Maybe I can help?” “No, no, no, Scully. This is my problem. Just give me 5 minutes. I want to continue right where we left off.” He pulls her off the dance floor. He grabs her upper arms, pulling her toward him and kisses her. His face inches from hers, he says, “wait for me, Scully.” Scully stands there for a few minutes, too stunned to move. She watches Mulder plunge back onto the crowded dance floor. She realizes she is following him after her legs take her forward. Mulder reaches Phoebe and Tom and sees the artfully crafed, grateful look on her face. For just a moment, Mulder thinks he sees something else; Phoebe-deception perhaps? He taps Tom on the shoulder. When Tom turns around, Mulder grabs him by the arm and starts to pull him off the dance floor. Scully is now standing just a few feet away. Tom sees her and looks panicked. He clearly has no idea what this is all about. Scully notices the sly smile in Phoebe’s eyes as she watches the scene. Mulder is in Tom’s face, pointing toward Phoebe. He still has Tom by one arm. Finally, he lets go, shoves Tom out of his way, and moves back toward Phoebe. Phoebe bats her eyelashes at him, takes his hand, and leads Mulder away. Scully follows out of sight. Phoebe and Mulder reach a quiet area and sit facing each other. “What happened, Phoebe?” “I asked him to dance, but I think he got the wrong idea, Fox.” She reaches for his hand. “Phoebe, I know you better than that. You can hold your own in almost any situation. What’s going on here?” “Fox, we need another chance to--“ “Phoebe Subterfuge; now there’s a real surprise! We don’t need any other chances to do anything with each other. I thought I made that clear a day ago.” He tries to figure out how to get rid of her before Scully finds them. Mulder stands to leave. She joins him. He heads back onto the dance floor to find Scully. “Look, Phoebe, I don’t want to be rude, but you’re not leaving me much choice. I’m otherwise occupied. “Yes, I can see that, Fox. You’re all by yourself on this dance floor. Just what kind of detective work are you involved in; other than wondering where your pretty little partner has gotten off to?” Phoebe puts her hands on Mulder’s arms, moving her hands up and down lightly. Mulder removes them. She then reaches around him and massages his back. Mulder is trying to pull himself away when she kisses him. His hands on her arms, her hands on his butt, their lips together. Scully walks back onto the dance floor as “Jezabel” is playing. [You walk into a room, you’ve got killer eyes that hypnotize. You’re dangerous, oh yeah, you’re dangerous. You’ve got a snaky kind of strut, it’s too hot to touch, can’t trust a thing you do or say, gotta stay away. Jezabel, kiss and tell, you use your body just to cast your spell…here you come…and now the damage is done…] Phoebe and Mulder are moving. Scully’s heart drops into her stomach, her mouth hangs open, as if to speak and then closes again. She leaves the dance and heads out of the hotel. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Tuesday Night, Cause and Effect Scully knows that things are not always as they appear. She cannot, however, get the image of Mulder and Phoebe out of her mind. She trusts him with all of her heart and soul. She also is pretty sure that he neglected to tell her he ran into Phoebe at the Conference and then she sees them together and, oh boy, were they ever together. Scully needs some air. She walks around the hotel and finds herself near the water. She suddenly feels sad, thinking about the last night in New Hampshire she spent with Mulder on the beach. She walks back into the hotel lobby and finds an unoccupied couch. She kicks off her heels and pulls her feet up under her. Sometimes, being in the midst of bustling activity helps her collect her thoughts. Her mind rambles through the swirl of thoughts. She has very deep feelings for Mulder. They haven’t come easily for her. Sometimes, she is very sure of those feelings. At other times, they are like individual grains of sand pieced together in an intricate pattern that forms a beach when the elements cooperate. At other times, the intricate pattern can be toppled too easily. The music tempo has picked up at the dance. Phoebe is guiding Mulder off the dance floor. “Phoebe, look, I need to go find Scully. She should have been waiting here for me.” “Fox, I’m sure she’s around somewhere.” She continues to hold his hands. He pulls them away. She returns them. --------------------------------- Scully feels foolish. Mulder has been so good to her and she does know he really cares. She has never liked Phoebe since they met so long ago. She just doesn’t trust her where Mulder is concerned. Focusing on her trust for him, Scully heads back in to find Mulder. She stops short outside the ballroom as she sees Mulder holding Phoebe’s hands. They are as she left them. Only their location has changed. Scully turns and walks off angrily. -------------------------------- “Phoebe, I’m tired, oh so tired, of asking you nicely to back off. You don’t need my help. You’re just doing what comes naturally to you, playing. I’m done and have been done with your games.” Mulder gets up and walks away from Phoebe. To her (very slight) credit, she does not pursue him. He heads for the Penthouse, hoping to find Scully there. ------------------------------- Scully leaves the note and heads into her room. Shortly after she is settled into her bed, she hears the door to the living room open. Mulder is calling her name. She rolls over and pulls the blankets up around her. Mulder finds her note, “Mulder, I was very tired and went to bed early. I came to look for you on the dance floor. Good night. S” Mulder is clearly puzzled. Scully seemed anything but tired. He knocks on her door, but gets no answer. He heads in to pack since they are scheduled to leave in the morning. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Wednesday Morning, Troubled Waters Scully rises very early. She has already packed the night before. She is emotionally torn. She cannot stop focusing on what she saw and what she believes about Mulder keeping his earlier meeting with Phoebe a secret. She is especially upset because she feels she gave him every opportunity to tell her. Her anger runs smack into her feelings of love for him. She quietly takes her suitcase into the living room and places another note by his keycard on the coffee table. She leaves. --------------------------------- Mulder wakes up and wonders if Scully is up. The phone rings on his way to Scully’s room. “Hello?” He recognizes the voice on the other end and almost hangs up. “Fox, it’s me. I think we parted under, let us say, not so favorable circumstances last night.” Mulder is irate. “Phoebe, there is not such thing as ‘favorbable circumstances for us’. i may have just ruined the most important relationship in my life because of my lack of spine around you.” Phoebe is relentless. “Fox, nothing that strong can be destroyed by simple jealousy. You’re just helping her develop more backbone”, Phoebe purred into the phone. Mulder was pacing back and forth, choosing the right words to put a stop to her behavior. Merely hanging up would solve nothing. She would just try another avenue in her approach. He willed himself to be calm and direct. “Phoebe, here me and hear me well because this will be the last time I will speak to you. Whatever it was that we had, you trashed it. That is in the past. What I want to have with Scully, if she’ll let me, is lasting and true. I love her with all of my heart and soul. Now, if that’s not enough of an explanation for you, maybe you need to take a remedial communcations course.” With that, he did hang up. Mulder once again headed for Scully’s room. He is not sure what is wrong, but he knows something is not right and his guess is that Phoebe is at the core. He thinks that he should have pursued her last night instead of letting her sleep. He focuses on her note. It said she went to look for him on the dance floor. He desperately wants to talk to her. He walks over to her room, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He knocks on her door, gets no answer. “Scully, are you awake? Can I come in?” Still, no answer. He opens the door slightly-- and finds her room empty. He opens her closet and bureau drawers finding both empty. Now he is very concerned. On his way through the living room, he sees the note. He does not want to read this one. “Mulder, I’ll see you on the train. S” His first thought is that she’s run into a dangerous situation and cannot tell him any more. His next thought is that she’s sick and doesn’t want to bother him. His third, final, and most accurate thought is that she knows about Phoebe and saw them together. He runs and gets dressed, picks up his bag and heads for the taxi stand. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Wednesday Morning, C’Mon and Ride the Train Scully arrives at the train station and pays the cabbie. The porters begin boarding passengers. He helps her with her carry-on as she climbs the steps. She walks through the various cars on the way to their adjoining compartments. She allows herself to luxuriate in the elegance of the glass-ceilinged dining car, the multi-level viewing car and then on to the sleeper cars. She checks the number on her ticket and unlocks the door. Never having traveled on an overnighter, she is sure the quarters will be quite cramped. While not quite as sumptuous as the penthouse, she is nonetheless surprised with the spaciousness and the natural light afforded by the rounded roof windows. There is a connector door into Mulder’s sleeping area and their shared bathroom. She unpacks and decides she should not be here when he arrives. She also needs some time to figure out what she’s going to do when she runs into Diana and Phoebe. She almost finds herself wishing she could locate Tom and Payton; almost… --------------------------- Mulder rides to the train station with Morris Fletcher. “So, Fox, how was the conference for you?” “Hmmpf.” Is all Mulder manages to get out. Morris doesn’t miss a beat, “Yeah, I brought back something for my wife and kids. They love it when I come back with presents. So, you and Dana get to have any time together? You two certainly seem like a cozy pair. Bureau frowns on that kind of stuff, though, huh?” “Hmmpf.” Mulder is ready to board the train. “Catch you later, Morris.” Mulder tosses his bag up the steps and heads for the sleeper car. He is still trying to piece together how to approach Scully. He tries to see the situation from her point of view, but he’s having trouble because he knows there is absolutely nothing going on between him and Phoebe; much to Phoebe’s chagrin. He thinks he knows how it probably “looked” to Scully, but he expects more from her than simply believing appearances. He is also having trouble understanding just how she could think he’d have anything to do with any other woman when he’s given himself to her so completely. When he arrives at his compartment, he smiles. Train travel has sure changed since his early days at the Bureau! He checks out the adjoining room and finds that Scully has already arrived and left. Since it’s almost lunchtime, he decides to check out the dining car. ------------------------------ Scully is seated by a window, sipping tea. Her arm is bent and she is leaning on her hand, gazing out at the unmoving scene of passengers ready to board. Mulder sits down across from her. “Scully?” He speaks softly, hesitantly. She looks over at him blankly, but does not respond. He tries again, “Scully, please talk to me. I know something’s bothering you, so don’t even pretend to try, ‘I’m fine’, ok?” Scully puts down her tea, slides to the end of the booth, stands and walks away. Mulder is not ready to give up. He follows her. She knows he is following her, but she is not sure what will come from her lips if she speaks. She is walking against the crowds of boarding passengers, not sure where she will end up. The crowds serve her well; Mulder gets stuck trying to move by them and she disappears to the second level of the viewing car. The train starts moving out of the station. The scene through the windows changes from the station rooftop to tree tops to roofs of residential neighborhoods and finally to open sky. She heads for the back of the car and takes a window seat one row from the end. She can see only mid-day sun and clouds. Several minutes pass quietly. She realizes someone is talking to her. “Agent Scully, you would be wise to think this thing through carefully. You think you know what your relationship is with Agent Mulder, but you don’t.” Scully attempts to leave, but Diana places her hand firmly on Scully’s arm. Scully looks down at Diana’s hand with sheer venom and yanks her arm free. “You believe he trusts you, cares for you and maybe, just maybe, you are foolish enough to believe that he loves you. I will concede that in his own, strange way, he probably cares what happens to you. It’s just the kind of man he is.” Scully glares at Diana. She says nothing to her. She doesn’t have to. Diana moves in front of her, blocking her way. “But if you think you foresee anything more, you are sadly deluded. I know this because I truly know Fox.” Before Scully can respond, Diana Fowley starts to walk away from her. Scully thinks for all of about 10 seconds and decides she’s spent much to much time ‘thinking’ about this situation. She is tired of being the doormat for the two bad witches from Mulder’s past. She takes a step forward and reaches for Diana. She grabs her wrist, turning her toward Scully. Raising her other hand, she hears the satisfying ‘thwak’ as Scully hand meets Diana face. The remaining red imprint on Diana’s face brings an unbidden smile to Scully’s face. She shoves Diana out of her way and walks past. A few people hoot and clap. She hopes she will not actually have to meet up with Phoebe. ------------------------------ Mulder heads back to their living compartment, hoping to find Scully there. When he doesn’t find her, he lays down on the sofa bed. The steady movement lulls him to sleep. He does not hear Scully come in. She kicks off her shoes and sits facing the window, watching the curtain of greenery blurring by the window. While her encounter with Diana actually let her vent some of her anger, she can’t seem to shake her underlying anxiety. She’s not sure who she’s more angry with at this point; Mulder for not talking candidly with her about Phoebe or herself for not giving him a real chance. She knows she just needs a little more time to pull herself together to talk with Mulder. Mulder awakens and decides to see if Scully has returned. He knocks on the adjoining door. No answer. He knocks louder. She actually says, “come in”. “Scully, will you please let me talk to you? I got the message that you don’t want to talk to me. Please, at least hear me out. This distance between us is killing me, Scully. It’s killing us.” “I’m so sorry about that, Mulder.” Scully replies, voice dripping with sarcasm. She stands and starts to pace like a caged animal who has the key to the door, but doesn’t know how to unlock it. “Good, at least you’re talking to me. Now, maybe we can get somewhere. Let me tell you what really happened at the dance. I know that’s what you’re so upset about.” “Oh, you do, do you? Why would that be, Mulder? Possibly because there *is* something for me to be mad about? Possibly because what you tell me and how you behave are different? C’mon, you’re the master of non-verbal behavior and psychological profiles. Tell me what you’re seeing and hearing, now, Mulder!” Mulder takes a step back. Her intensity catches him off guard. He keeps his voice low, quiet, “I’m seeing and hearing that you don’t want me to explain anything. You’ve already made up your mind about what you ‘saw’ and you didn’t even hear anything. You’ve made assumptions and you’re not ready to allow me the benefit of the doubt. Me, your partner, your--“ “Don’t go there, Mulder; not now.” She softens her voice belying the uncertainty of her feelings. “I can’t do this, now, here.” She slowly walks past him and into the hallway. ----------------------------------- Wednesday Night; Down Time Scully is lying in bed on her back, looking up at the blackness through the overhead windows to her compartment. She can hear Mulder getting ready for bed in the bathroom. She is dying inside. Unbidden, she thinks about and feels his lips on hers. She remembers her total inability to think when he kisses her. She has to find a way to move past the issues. Problem is, she’s not sure what they are: her inability to swallow her pride and admit he may be right? That he’s somehow not strong enough to not even have to deal with Diana or Phoebe? That relationships have their ups and downs and the true test is how the ‘downs’ are handled? She vows to talk with him in the mornng. Mulder is angry and hurt. He squeezes way too much toothpaste onto his brush and shoves it absentmindedly into his mouth. He is at a loss of how else to approach the situation with Scully. He’s not even sure what she’s mad about. He really wants this trip to give them some more time to talk, but, at this rate, they might as well have separate living compartments…on separate trains… *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Thursday Morning Scully’s travel alarm chirps at 5A. She quietly gets up and puts on her Quantico tee and a pair of gray cotton running shorts. Since it’s so early, the train will be quiet. She is going to work off some of her pent up emotions. She plans to calm herself down and really talk with Mulder today. She grabs her walkman and slips the headset on. She inserts her mixed INXS tape and heads out. Always able to maintain her pace, even with a slower beat, she finds herself lost in the sultry, slamming beats. She runs the stairs to the viewing car, listening to “Devil Inside”, taking advantage of the empty car and driving beat to do a series of jumping jacks. She’s feeling better already. She leaves the viewing car and heads back along the train, heading toward the caboose. “I Need You Tonight” plays, the words causing her to take an unplanned rest stop. [I need you tonight, ‘Cuz I’m not sleeping. Something about you…that makes me sweat…Your moves are so raw, I’ve got to let you know…] She heads back toward her compartment, a sudden, renewed desire to rouse Mulder settling over her. ------------------------- At 6A Mulder rolls over when he hears the door to Scully’s compartment open and close. He rolls over and holds his clock close to his half open eyes. He reaches overhead and pushes the button on the reading light. He sits up, careful not to bump his head on the overhead storage shelf. He pads barefoot to the wall mirror and smiles. He heads into the bathroom to wash up quickly. Wearing nothing more than his pale, blue, drawstring, pajama, bottoms, he knocks on Scully’s door. ---------------------- Scully is feeling physically tired, but emotionally charged. She didn’t realize just how long the train is, so she’s had a great jog. Her hair is falling out of the scrunchie in curly tendrils and her face is still damp. Her headset is still on and she’s singing softly to “Never Tear Us Apart” as she stretches. She places one foot onto the bed in front of her, her back to the bathroom door., She bends toward her foot on the bed from her hips, reaching toward her foot, gently stretching her hamstrings. [Don’t ask me, what you know is true. Don’t have to tell you, I love your precious heart…] She sings along. ---------------------- Mulder can hear her voice and wonders who she’s talking to. He knocks again. When he gets no answer, he slowly opens the door just a crack. Unsure of what type of reception he will get, he cautiously sticks his head through the crack. He smiles. He can hear her singing. He recognizes the words, but just barely recognizes the tune. He takes in the scene. Her hips facing him, her gym shorts rolled at the waist and hitched up provocatively at the top of her thigh. A slight shine to her exposed skin. Her hair damply curling. He wonders if he should call out to her or touch her. Deciding he really doesn’t want to risk losing a precious body part, he opts for the verbal approach. He places his hands above her on the overhead storage shelf and calls out, “Scully?” -------------------- Caught off guard, she pulls the headset off and whirls around to find Mulder a foot in front of her. She takes in his presence and stifles a laugh at his hair. He takes the headset from her and puts it on.[I was standin’ and you were there, two worlds collidin’…and they could never tear us apart.] He smiles broadly at her choice of music. He hands the headset back to her and she hangs it around her neck; switching the power off. She is framed by him; arms on the storage shelf, legs slightly apart bracing him to the movement of the train. She realizes that she is standing there staring into his eyes. ------------------- The train takes a sharp turn around the track. Scully is jostled and loses her footing momentarily. Before she can struggle to regain her balance, Mulder grabs her. The train is still in its turn. He ends up with his back against the closed bathroom door. She is up against him spun around, her back to his front. Her walkman beltpack hits into him squarely, meeting some rather stiff resistance and eliciting a sharp, ‘ugh’! The train settles into the straight track again. Scully, realizing the location of her beltpack, unclips it and tries to pull it from between them, leaning forward as she does so. He tries to help her pull it around in front of her. In so doing, his hand inadvertently moves across her chest. She reaches for his hand, but ends up with the beltpack. She takes it and the headset and tosses them toward the bed. She tries to stifle a laugh. Mulder does not. ----------------//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//- Scully tries to move forward out of Mulder’s arms. He pulls her back toward him, leans down and whispers, “Don’t.” He reaches one arm over her shoulder and across her chest, effectively pinning her to him. Her head falls back on his chest. He nuzzles her ear and her neck, causing her to lean back into him further. He turns her around to face him, holding her close to him. He holds her upper arms gently, but firmly. The sun is starting to come up outside the window and is casting a faint light in the still semi-dark compartment. She looks into his eyes and sees nothing but sincerity and desire. She smiles oh-so- slightly, but it is enough to be mirrored on his face. She reaches up to his arms and holds him. He places one hand on her shoulder and pulls the scrunchie from her hair with his other. “Mulder, I’m so sorry I--“ “Not now.” He touches her lip with his finger. The tip of her tongue touches his finger. She kisses and tongues it. He runs his wet finger down the hollow in her throat. Mulder backs her up to the window, playfully kissing her as they move. She stands on her toes and pulls his head toward her, deepening their kiss. The shriek of the train whistle momentarily jars them apart and they laugh. Scully, her hands at his waist, pulls him away from the window and toward the bed. The train rounds another sharp turn and they end up back at the window again. Scully laughs, “Mulder, either someone threw a few extra curves into this track or we’re being sent a signal to stay away from the other side of the compartment.” “Or, Scully, to get closer to each other.” Once again, they move toward the bed. She stops; looking at him from head to toe and then looking at the bed from end to end. They smile. He backs her toward the bed. When the backs of her legs hit the bed, she sits. Mulder kneels down in front of her. She is suddenly wide-eyed, her lips parted slightly. He smiles crookedly; mischief in his eyes as he reaches for her sneakered foot. He slowly unties the laces of her right sneaker and pulls it off. He does the same with the left. He runs his hands up, along her calves and then around and down her shins, causing her to gasp. He then removes her socks, placing one of her feet on his very thinly pajama clad thigh. He runs his fingers along the arch of her foot and then around her heel and ankle. Scully places her hands on the bed on either side of her, scrunching the bedspread in her fists. She closes her eyes briefly. When she opens them, she watches Mulder. She moves her foot higher on his leg, her target obvious. She leans forward just slightly and whispers, “*That* looks wonderfully…painful, Mulder. Can I help?” Her foot rises just a little bit higher and toward his inner thigh. “Uh, Scully…” Her foot reaches its destination and she revels in the exquisitely hard and soft feel under her toes through the cloth of the pajama bottoms. His legs begin to lose their ability to support him. “Scul--down here.” “I know, Mulder, I can see ‘down there’… Just what is it you want ‘down there’?” She continues to use her toes to elicit a response from him. His eyes close and he bites his lower lip. Scully brings her other foot onto his other thigh and loses herself in the moment. At that point, Mulder pushes one of her feet onto the floor, quickly grabs her by the waist and pulls her down to the carpeting. They can feel the heavy motion of the train beneath them. She is panting, caught off guard one more time. She grabs the blankets off the bed and he lays the blankets on the carpeting. “Too much, Scully.” “What?” “Too much clothing…must go…Scully.” He breathes the words huskily, tugging on her tee. “Go where, Mulder?” Scully’s tee lands on the overhead storage shelf. Her shorts snag the bathroom doorknob. She leans toward him, their bare upper bodies touching. She kisses him. “Did you ever consider making basketball a career, Mulder?” she laughs into his mouth. “Some of the guys told me that my aim doesn’t always hit its mark.” Scully holds onto the tied drawstrings and tugs. She then pulls the drawstrings on Mulder’s pajama bottoms, untying them. “I don’t know what ‘the guys’ were thinking, but I think ‘practice makes perfect’, Mulder. Besides, from what I can tell, your ‘aim’ is already straight on. As a matter of fact, Mulder--” “Scully, too much…talking.” Mulder leans forward and kisses her. Thursday Night; 8P, The Viewing Car Mulder and Scully head for the viewing car. “Let’s head upstairs; it’s beautiful to see the stars rushing by in the dark, Mulder.” “You’ve been in here at night, Scully?” She does not answer him and leads him upstairs. They settle into a two seater sofa recliner and sit in companionable silence for awhile. “Scully, can we get a few things cleared up?” “Sure, Mulder.” “First of all, what did mean about Diana talking to you yesterday? I knew nothing about that, you have to believe me.” Scully smiles at him and touches his cheek with her palm. “I do believe you, Mulder. It’s just that I cannot fathom how you can ignore her duplicity. Yes, I heard perfectly well what you told her the other night. You probably thought she took it to heart, right? Wrong, Mulder! She ambushed me in public and proceeded to tell me how you don’t care about me, I’m not enough for you, etc. She then had the audacity to try to just walk away from me.” Mulder is visibly agitated by what Scully has told him. Diana is like a loose cannon around Scully. If he’s the expert profiler everyone claims him to be, he’s placing money on the Diana jealousy theory. Deep down, she probably knows she doesn’t hold a candle to Scully in his eyes, so she makes every attempt to pull Scully down. “She ‘tried’ to walk away? What does that mean, Scully?” “Mulder, let’s just say that I’ve had enough of her getting the last word.” Mulder turns to look at Scully, his eyebrows raised. “Am I detecting some ‘action’ on your part? You do know that striking a fellow Agent is considered criminal?” He’s trying not to laugh. Scully responds, “I ‘do know’ that provocation requires response.” “Scully, you also know that I cannot control the words and actions of another; especially someone as obsessive as Diana is where I’m concerned.” “Yes, I do know that, Mulder. Sometimes, it’s just so very hard feeling that I have to run head first through brick walls to be with you, to try to figure out where this relationship with you may go.” Mulder does not respond right away. He can’t see Scully’s face in the faint floor lighting. He can hear the despair and question in her voice. He reaches toward her and pulls her against his so that she is leaning against his chest. He runs his hand through her hair and down her arm. He can feel goose bumps on her bare arm. “Are you cold, Scully?” She nods against his body, “A little, I guess.” “Don’t move, I’ll be right back.” Within two minutes, Mulder is back with his fleece blanket. He sits down, pulls her back against him and covers them both. “Ok, Scully, you were talking about running into brick walls to be with me.” “Scully, it seems to me that you’re either questioning things I cannot control; like my past, relationships or things that I’ve told you from my heart. I can’t make you believe what you choose to doubt.” Scully moves to sit up. Her hand slides off of Mulder’s chest and accidentally lands in his lap. Thankful that it is dark, her bright red face goes unnoticed. As does Mulder’s. She quickly removes her hand and pulls the blanket up a little closer. “Mulder, I think I do know that you cannot control others. I just can’t figure out how you are always the victim of ‘wrong place, wrong time, wrong people’. I’ve never known anyone who ends up in the wrong situation as much as you do; especially where I’m concerned. As for the second--“ “Scully, why is this about ‘you’?” Mulder surprises himself with this small show of anger. He thought it was long gone. “It isn’t *about* me, Mulder, it’s about us. Everytime one of those, those, women,” she spits the word out, “drops back into your life, it always seems to be timed to us being somehow together. Don’t you see that? Now, before you get angry again, let me tell you that I have never doubted what you’ve told me from your heart. No other man has ever been half as open with me as you are and…” “And?” He wants badly to tell her how he feels, but he also needs her to share her feelings. He thinks he knows what they are, but needs her to acknowledge them. Scully leans a little closer. She places her face as close to him as possible and with her lips almost touching his ear says, “And…I do love you, Mulder.” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FBI EAP, Last Session, Continued, Current Time, Monday Morning FBI Counselor: So, Agent Scully, some of your fellow Agents claimed that you and Agent Mulder were having some difficulties with your partnership. Do you want to talk about it? Scully: No, not particularly. It’s not something I’m proud of. I was just feeling as if Agent Mulder was telling me one thing and then throwing these women in my face. FBI Counselor: What was he ‘telling’ you? Scully: I think he was telling me he loves me. FBI Counselor: But if he loves you, why would he also be, um, how did you phrase it? Throwing these women in your face? Scully: It doesn’t sound like it makes much sense when you put it that way. I guess I was just feeling too many intense emotions at the same time. I am very uncomfortable around both of those women. I’m not proud of the fact that inflicting bodily harm on both of them would give me extreme satisfaction. I mean, it’s not like I condone the usual of physical violence! Sometimes, no--isn’t it helpful to-- what if I’m venting my anger; that’s a good thing? FBI Counselor: Agent, are you about to tell me something I would be compelled to report? Scully: Um, no, not at all. ------------------------------------- FBI Counselor: Agent Mulder, tell me why you think your fellow passengers would report that you and Agent Scully were having difficulty with your relationship. Mulder: I’m guessing they may have witnessed us around the two women I was referring to earlier. I think we were exhibiting a lot of strange behavior; even for us. FBI Counselor: Tell me about this strange behavior and what happened from there. Mulder: The best way to describe it would be extreme avoidance and verbal chatisement. I mean, I guess we’re both pretty good at avoiding issues we don’t want to deal with. And, well, after Agent Scully managed to deal with one of the women; she doesn’t know that I found out , we talked things through. FBI Counselor: Is that all? Mulder: It’s all you’re going to hear from my mouth. ------------------------------- FBI Counselor: Agents, how would you describe the current state of your non- professional relationship with each other? Scully: I’d say things are looking up. Mulder: Aw, Scully, looking skyward, are we? ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ FBI Headquarters, Current Time Tuesday Morning The two Agents are sorting through files in their office when the phone rings. “Mulder, Skinner wants to see us right away.” “Scully, if he’s going to send us to another conference, I may just have to reach across his desk and--“ Scully playfully grabs his tie and starts walking toward the door. “Mulder, shut up and follow me.” “Anytime, Scully, anytime.” ------------------------------ “Well, Agents, are you ready to tell me about it?” Scully sits quietly, waiting for Skinner to explain what ‘it’ is. Mulder, not one to leave dead spaces in any conversation, chimes in,”It was a colossal waste of time, Sir.” “Would you be referring to the ILEA conference or the Counseling sessions, Agent Mulder?” Mulder has the decency to look down and then appear contrite. “No clarification necessary Agent, I think I know your response pertained to both.” “I’ve heard a few things myself about the Conference. Would either of you care to enlighten me?” Skinner leans back in his chair, his arms on the arm rests. Both Agents start speaking at the same time. “It’s not what it looks---“ “We didn’t, it’s just what everyone else---“ “Then, someone went and---“ Skinner is working his jaw, trying desperately not to snicker or grind his teeth. “Agents! Enough. I was referring to the sessions and the featured speakers. I didn’t send you there on vacation. I want to hear what you’ve brought back that can be of use to the Bureau. Agent Mulder?” Mulder is thinking about how to describe their short-lived stay at the Opening Session featuring Diana Fowley as the speaker. “The auditorium they used for the Opening Session was spacious and the stage was expansive.” He realizes he’s making no sense, glances over at Scully and then looks neutrally at Skinner. “Thank you, Mulder for that elucidating overview. Agent Scully, would you care to elaborate? Agent Mulder seems to have lost his ability to form coherent thoughts and speech.” Scully is feeling no more able in the area of coherent thoughts, her mind wandering to Diana. “Um, no, Sir, I think Agent Mulder summed up the Opening Session with all due coherence.” Skinner is looking disgruntled, but no more so than almost anytime his two star Agents are asked to disagree with or elaborate for each other. “All right, then, we’ll travel a different route. Did you get a chance to meet up with any colleagues?” Skinner smiles, wistfully remembering his early days in the Bureau when he was afforded the opportunity to attend conferences. He connects with a very special memory of a fateful meeting. The smile slowly fades and he returns to the present as he remembers that meeting with Sharon and the subsequent failure of their marriage. Willing himself back to the question he asked, he nods toward Mulder and Scully, inviting their responses. Scully begins. “Well, we did meet up with Morris Fletcher.” However, Mulder does not choose the middle of the road. “Let me see, there were so many.” He holds up one hand and uses the fingers of his other hand to count them. “My very close friend, Field Agent Rodent--sorry, Sir--Ritter, Scully’s old friend, Agent Tom Colton…” Scully is shooting Mulder a warning glare. Skinner is carefully observing the unspoken communcation occuring between them, realizing that they are not even aware it’s happening. He again reflects on their strengths as Agents, the fact that they are very skilled and that that special communication bond gives them an edge few Agents share. As he comes back to reality, he knows that special communication also usually manages to get one of them in trouble and he sees Mulder heading down that road, unaware. He tries to assist him, “Well, Agent Mulder, it certainly seems---“ “I’m almost done, Sir.” Scully looks at Skinner, then at the door to Kim’s desk, then back at Mulder. Mulder comes out of his recollections when he feels the Scully Glare on him. He turns towards her and smiles wanly, turning his palms up as he shrugs his shoulders. She smiles at him and his recitation ends. Skinner moves the conversation in another direction. The Counselor has certified you both officially finished with your sessions. While I am not asking you to divulge that which transpired during your sessions, I would hope that whatever came out of it will prevent a repeat situation. Do I make myself perfectly clear?” Both nod and stand. As they head for the door, first Mulder, then Scully, stop and turn toward A.D. Skinner. Skinner is mumbling. “Did you say something, Sir?” Skinner’s color rises a bit, but he nods, letting them leave his office. “Problem magnet, my a$$. More like woman magnet. Mulder needs her to keep his a$$ in line.” Skinner tossess two folders down onto his desk, shaking his head. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Unfinished Business; A New Reality Mulder and Scully head for the elevator upon leaving Skinner’s office. Mulder’s cell phone chirps. “Mulder. Who? Where? Why? How the--?” Scully is looking at Mulder’s phone and then, at his face. She moves over closer, hoping to hear who he is talking to without appearing to evesdrop. Mulder snaps the phone shut and jams it into his pocket. “Who was that, Mulder?” Mulder looks at Scully and touches her shoulder, guiding her around the corner out of site of the few Agents in the hall. “Mulder?” Scully’s curiousity is piqued. “It was the main security desk. They said there’s an international Agent waiting there for me who refuses to show identification saying I’ll come down to see her.” Scully’s expression hardens visibly. Suddenly, a small smile appears on her face; a woman with a plan… “Scully? I’d know that look anywhere. What’s going on in there?” Mulder taps her forehead with his index finger, attempting to appear serious. Scully swats his finger away, looks up at him and then turns and almost runs for the elevator. Mulder follows, but Scully slips inside the car before he can join her. Scully approaches the lobby security desk from the overhung walkway one level above. She steers clear of the railing so that she is not seen from below. She walks slowly, searching the groups of people below her. She strikes paydirt. Standing next to the main desk area, ‘entertaining’ the men within a 10 foot radius; batting her eyelashes and exhibiting very ‘open’ body language, she sees Mulder’s ‘international Agent’. Scully walks back and forth, deciding how she wants to proceed. She knows she has but a few minutes before Mulder shows up. She heads downstairs; calm and collected. She approaches quickly, confidently, from behind and taps Phoebe on the shoulder. Phoebe, thinking it is Mulder, turns slowly, her arms open wide, a smile plastered to her face. When she sees it is Scully, her look changes; dramatically. “Agent, Scully, how nice to see you.” Phoebe is looking over Scully’s shoulders, her eyes darting around. “Having some trouble locating my face Agent Green?” Scully moves directly in front of Phoebe. “I thought Fox might have come with you to say, ‘hello’?” She smiles placatingly at Scully. Scully takes hold of Phoebe’s arm, smiles and starts walking with her toward the main doors. Mulder, from the overhead walkway, cannot hear what Scully is saying, but, from the look on Phoebe’s face, Phoebe is not happy and is shocked. The two women approach the glass doors and walk outside. Mulder wishes he could be a fly on Scully’s lapel for the rest of the exchange, but figures he’ll find a way to find out what transpires. Scully propels Phoebe through the lobby and out the front doors. As they walk along, Scully is speaking in a low, very firm voice. She leaves Phoebe no room for reponse. “Phoebe, your visits to Agent Mulder, to the Bureau, hell, to Washington, DC, are officially at an end. Your diplomatic exchange agreement will no longer be in service. It would be an extremely wise decision on your part to listen well to what I’m telling you.” They approach Phoebe’s car, her driver waiting. “Should you choose to saunter back into ‘Fox’s’ life again, I will personally see to it that you never ‘saunter’ again in your life. You play with him like he’s your toy. What you claim is affection is nothing more than a hold over to the sick games you tortured him with long ago.” Scully stops when they reach the car. Phoebe’s driver opens the door for her. Scully, still holding Phoebe’s arm, leans toward Phoebe’s ear. “I do hope we have come to an understanding, Agent Green.” Scully smiles and lets Phoebe’s arm go. She stands and watches the car drive away and then takes a deep breath. As Scully heads for the main doors, Mulder approaches from her left. He takes her arm and whisks her past the doors toward the parking garage. When they reach the main floor of the darkened gargage, he puts his arm around her waist and whispers, “I want to hear *all* about that, Scully.” She removes his arm and replies, “I’m sure you do, Mulder, but my lips are sealed.” “Yeah, but, it just looked like you--“ Scully stops and faces Mulder. She holds her index finger and thumb together and brings the up to her closed lips. She turns her fingers as if turning a key in a lock and then makes a sweeping motion with her hand as the ‘key’ flies away, out of reach. ------------------------------------- Nobody Here but the FBI’s Most Unwanted “Going down?” Mulder reaches the elevator, holds the door open for Scully. She tries to keep a straight face as she raises one eyebrow at him. “Sure do know how to turn a phrase, Mulder…” Once the door closes, he hits the ‘stop’ button. “Mulder, not here! We’re being surveilled!” Pssst! A can of spray paint appears out of Mulder’s pants pocket and covers the camera eye. “Mulder! There are probably more cameras than those that we can see. And, do you always carry spray paint equipment in your pants?” She walks to the other side of the elevator. Mulder follows her and, before she can turn around to face him, quickly places his arms around her pressing her against the back wall of the elevator. She turns her head to the side as he nuzzles her neck and his hands roam over the front of her jacket. “We don’t have much time, Scully.” He breathes into her ear. His lips nibble her ear lobe. She says his name through clenched teeth and heavy breathing. He presses against her harder. Mulder unwraps himself from Scully and hits the basement button. Scully holds onto the railing so tightly her fingers turn white. ---------------------------- Mulder heads over to the desk and puts his feet up. “So, Scully, no immediate case, conference out of the way, no more counseling sessions, what’s there to do?” Scully hangs her jacket on the coat rack and heads over to the other desk. “Well, I have some email to catch up on and then maybe we can go to an early lunch?” “Sounds good. Guess I should probably check my email, too.” Scully logs on and reviews a few messages from colleagues who have just returned from the ILEA conference. She responds to the first one and deletes the original message. She is about to open the next message when her system alerts her that she has new mail. There is no name in the sender area and the subject line reads, “Want to?” Intrigued, Scully clicks open the message. The entire message area just says, “want to” over and over again. Scully deletes it, sure it is some crank or hacker playing stupid games with her address. Again, the alert sounds. This time, the subject line reads, “I do.” The message area simply says, “with you.” Scully is puzzled and a bit intrigued. She does not notice Mulder behind her until she sees his face in her monitor. She gasps and then laughs. Without turning around, she says, “Are you telling me you’re ready for lunch this early, Mulder. I mean, I know you can eat at any time, but--“ “Shhh, Scully. I’m not interested in food right now.” She attempts to turn around, but he places his hands on her shoulders and gently pulls her back in her chair. “Give me your hands, Scully.” As if a mindless clone, Scully lifts her bare arms and places her hands in Mulder’s. He kisses her fingers, sending a fluttering thrill up her body. “Mulder, is--the--door--locked?” Scully’s breathing does not allow the smooth release of words. “Yes; I think ahead, Scully.” Mulder answers her in a low, throaty, voice. Scully’s head drops back against the chair as Mulder places her arms against his body. He runs his hands slowly down her arms and her sides. He can see the reaction he is having on her through the clingy fabric of her sleevess, low-cut tee. “Mulder, I need you here, in front of me, now.” Scully pulls her arms back down and pushes away from the desk. She stands and faces Mulder. He slides the paperwork from the desktop onto the floor. Scully raises her eyebrow and finds herself lifted onto the desktop with Mulder standing between her legs. Her skirt finds its way up her thighs. “Mulder?” “Yeah, Scully?” “Mulder, I’ve been thinking about things.” “What ‘things’?” He is caressing her back, her shoulders, her hair, her face. He is slowly and deliciously obliterating her ability to speak. “Um, you know, our situation on the train and, and…” With one finger touching her lips, Mulder says, “C’mon, Scully, tell me more.” She kisses his finger and nibbles it. Now it is Mulder’s turn to be rendered speechless. Scully explores his body with her hands as he withdraws his finger from her lips and kisses her recklessly, wildly. She tightens her legs against his hips. As she does so, he reaches down with one hand and slips her shoe off her foot, letting it fall to the floor. He slides his hand along her calf and mutters into her mouth, “Scully? No stockings today? Planning ahead are we?” Mulder reaches for her other shoe and removes it. Her legs now encircle his hips, her heels pressing into his backside. Scully tugs on Mulder’s tie, pulling him a little closer. “You know, Mulder, I’ve always been a good planner. It’s an acquired ability. You set yourself a goal and then you plan the steps you need to achieve the goal.” Mulder loosens her grip on his tie and steps back, her feet sliding off his hips. He puts his hands on his hips, leaning his head to the side and looks at her. Her face is flushed, her skirt around her upper thighs, her jacket on the floor and she is breathing heavily. He smiles. “So, just what is your goal, Master Planner?” Mulder is painfully out of Scully’s reach. She sits up and leans forward. “Mulder, come back here.” “Nooo, not until I find out what your goal is.” He takes another step back; still smiling at her. “Mulder, this isn’t part of the plan.” “Then come show me what’s supposed to happen.” He walks back farther until he is against the low counter on the back wall to their office. As the back of his legs come in contact with the counter, he sits on it, scattering the disorganized piles of files and papers. Some of the mess slides and drifts to the floor. Scully slides off her perch on the desk and walks slowly, barefoot toward Mulder. “You want to see what’s supposed to happen, do you, Mulder?” She starts lifting the hem of her top out of the waistband of her skirt. She pauses midway. “You’re *sure* you locked the door?” He smiles and nods, transfixed by her slow, but steady, movement toward him. He loosens and removes his tie. Scully removes her top and tosses it to him. He drops it with his tie. His pupils dilate as he stares at the rise and fall of her chest in her skin-tone bra. She starts picking up papers and files, placing them in neat piles on the desk. She bends down, sitting back almost on her heels, twisting her hips to one side to pick up the files, She takes the time to push the ends of the papers and file folders together until all sides match and then lays them neatly on top of the previous pile. Mulder, now clearly puzzled, but nevertheless enjoying the show, asks her, “Did I miss something here Scully? One minute your performing an office striptease and I emphasize ‘tease’ and then next you’ve become the office cleaner?” She approaches Mulder, stands up against him, leaning against his knees. She reaches to a pile of papers to his right and starts to straighten it. Mulder has had enough. He laughs and then takes the papers from her hands and flings them into the air. He grabs her hair in each hand and pulls her closer to him. “Scully, are you intentionally trying to drive me crazy? I’ve heard of foreplay, but…” She pushes him back into his “I Want to Believe” poster and climbs onto the counter next to him. Knock, knockknockknock!! “Mulder,” Scully gasps, “I think we need to go back and work some more on your judgment.” “Scully, it’s all a matter of your perspective and, I really do love your perspective.” THE END of the RP&J Trilogy by nja3