Mulder and Scully, having been separated for more than a year, are reunited on an X-File.
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON NOVEMBER 25, 2001 - Rated R
Mt. Spokane State Park
Eastern Washington State
The Killer had had a hard night. This victim had fought him harder than most. But he had prevailed, as usual. Even after the torture and rape, she had still had the guts to fight him when he had started to choke her. He'd had to work at killing her. Yet, because of that, the thrill had been more
intense. Watching the life fade from her eyes had been more exciting than before.
Now the Killer tossed the body down the ravine, smiling when he heard the splash of it hitting the water in the creek below. There were many people that hiked in this area. Someone would find the body soon, maybe even tomorrow. Fear would reign yet again in this town. "The Beast strikes again." He could just see the headlines.
The Killer heard a noise. For a second, he felt panic. Had someone seen him? Had he been made? His eyes scanned the dark forest. He heard a coyote far in the distance. Then, a rustling sound. He looked up. It was the sound of a branch rubbing against another branch, and sitting on it was an owl. A Great Horned Owl he believed. It sat there, its great big yellow eyes watching him, almost as if it knew what he had done. "Stupid bird," he muttered, then turned and walked away.
************************************************************
Spokane Police Department
6 A.M.
A young woman walked in the police station and demanded to see the officer in charge of "The Beast" case. When questioned, she simply said she knew where to find the body of the most recent victim. 'How?' she was asked.
"Because I saw him put her there."
************************************************************
5:37 P.M.
Alexandria, VA
The first thing Mulder did when he got home was turn on the computer, letting the hard drive warm up while he changed from his suit to a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Then he sat down to check his e-mail. It was the same routine he had every night. For years, his computer had been simply a tool, an assistant with work, helping him with research and writing reports. In the last year, however, it had become so much more. Now it was his lifeline to Scully.
For about a month after Scully had left DC for her new job as ASAC of the Spokane, Washington FBI, Mulder had hardly heard from her. Depression had set in, and the Bureau's insistence that he work with a new partner hadn't helped. But then Scully had e-mailed him about a case she was working on. Communication had been established, and Mulder wasn't about to lose it. For the past several months afterward, they had stayed in constant contact through their computers. Mulder complained about things like his new partners, and Scully complained about things like the weather.
Now as he called up the message she had left for him, he felt anticipation run through him. Not unlike going to work back when Scully had been his partner. It had taken him a while after she left to figure out that it had not been the job but her that had made him look forward to every day. Today, though, there were just two words from the woman he would forever consider his partner: "Call Me."
Mulder was startled, but more than happy to do just that. He had talked to Scully directly only twice since she had left, once from work in response to the case she had e-mailed him about, and once just a few weeks ago, when she had called him to wish him a merry Christmas. He quickly got off-line and picked up the phone, dialing a number he had never used but knew by heart.
"Scully." Mulder couldn't help but smile at the sound of her voice.
"Hey, it's me." The phrase sounded a bit rusty to his ears, but familiar. He sensed Scully smiling on the other end of the line.
"Hi," she said. "You're lucky. I was just about to walk out the door."
"Going where?" He looked at his watch. "Don't you still have a couple more hours to work?" Spokane had a three hour time difference.
"I'm going out to interview a possible witness," she explained. "If she's got what I want, then I may just solve this case without your help."
"What kind of help will you need if she doesn't?"
He heard her sigh. "Mulder, I think I have an X-File."
************************************************************
US Federal Building
Spokane, Washington
It turned out that Scully's witness wasn't very credible. A quick call to Mulder that evening confirmed that he (and his partner) would be on a plane to Spokane the next morning. Scully's nerves were hopping. It had been a little over 13 months since she had seen him. God, she had missed him. Still did if the truth be told. Now was a chance to work together again.
How had he changed? she wondered. And would he see the changes in her? She had grown her hair out a bit, often wearing it in a French twist or a bun. And she had loosened up a bit. She went out with a couple of new friends on occasion, and had even dated a time or two. But nothing serious in either romance or friendship. There was no one she could confide in like she could Mulder. Her computer had become very important to her as of late; it was her contact to her best friend. Then why was she so nervous about seeing him again?
Well, she was his superior now. He and his partner were coming at her official request to the Seattle Field Office. Would he treat her differently now? Would he become distant because of her position? Or less, because of that kiss? Sure, it had been over a year, but Scully had never
forgotten that kiss. She had never really believed Mulder looked at her in a romantic, sexual way; she had always believed that he thought of her as a little sister, a replacement of sorts for Samantha. But that kiss had changed things, at least for her.
The phone rang and she picked it up. "Scully."
"Agent Scully, it's Monroe." Justin Monroe was one of the 10 agents assigned to Spokane. "We found another body. It's pretty old, but it looks like it's 'The Beast's' handiwork." 'The Beast' is what the Spokane press had dubbed the serial killer that had been stalking the city for the past five years. She and Monroe were the only federal agents on the task force set up to catch him. Scully was the only one on the team of city, county and federal officers that had any experience with serial killers. She had only been working on the case for the last 6 months, when the locals had given in and called the Feds for help.
Scully got the directions to the body from Justin, then left a message with her assistant to let Mulder know where he could meet her when he got in. Excitement at his impending arrival still high, Scully set out to do what she did best: catch the bad guy.
************************************************************
Spokane, Washington
Heading north on Division
Mulder had called the federal office right after he and Cat disembarked, learning that Scully was at a crime scene north of town. Now in his rental car, he drove through Spokane, following the directions given to him by her assistant.
He glanced over at Cat. Mulder had gone through three "partners" after Scully had left. None of them had stood him for long. But Cat had been with the X Files for four months now, and they had developed a good working relationship.
Catherine O'Neil was young and ambitious, a typical agent, Mulder supposed. She had a great sense of humor, and was at times very chatty. Standing 5'8" in her bare feet, in heels she stood almost as tall as Mulder. She wore her brown hair short, like a boy's, and rarely wore skirts. At 30 years of
age, she was a self-confessed tomboy. Even though she never worked on her looks, she still managed to look beautiful, and people, especially men, quickly warmed up to her. Her open mind was a plus. She was a good agent and a good partner...but she wasn't Scully.
Today, Cat was unusually quiet, fiddling with the file in her lap. "Something wrong?" Mulder asked.
Nervous, brown eyes looked over at him. "How can you ask that?" She said with a smirk. "We just traveled across the U.S. for a case we know nothing about."
He nodded to the file on her lap. "You've got the case right there."
"This is not an X File," she held up the folder. "It's a serial killer. Sick, but nothing paranormal." She looked out the passenger side window. "There must be more."
"I'm sure there is," Mulder responded dryly. Scully wouldn't have told him there was an X File if there wasn't. "Just as I'm sure that that's not what's really bothering you." She was so easy to read, unlike Scully.
Cat sighed. "I'm just a little nervous about..."
"About?"
"About meeting Scully."
Mulder glanced at her, a bit puzzled. "Why?"
"Oh, come on." Cat turned to him again. "Mulder and Scully, together again. You two are only the most legendary pairing in FBI history!"
"I wouldn't go that far," Mulder insisted. "Besides, you weren't nervous when you first met me."
"Like hell I wasn't," Cat murmured, then nodded to a road sign up ahead. "Colbert Road. Isn't this where we turn?"
Mulder didn't dwell on the change of subject. He was about to see Scully again. He couldn't wait.
************************************************************
County Road 12
Outside of Colbert, WA
When Scully saw the rental car pull up, her heartbeat got faster. 'Calm down, girl,' she told herself. She rose from the squat she had been in to examine the remains and walked towards the car. A tall, leggy brunette stepped out of the passenger side. Cat O'Neil, Scully presumed; and Mulder isn't letting her drive. Some things never change! Then her eyes zeroed in on the tall man exiting the driver's side.
Though it was February, the day was unusually sunny, and Mulder had his sunglasses on. He took them off when he spotted her and a slow smile spread across his face. She couldn't help but smile back. 'God, he's beautiful,' she thought. As they walked toward each other, Scully looked him over carefully; he hadn't changed a bit, and she was glad.
Mulder stepped in front of her, his eyes bright. "Agent Scully." His voice was low, and Scully knew he was trying his hardest to stay professional in front of the other agents and officers. She, too, tried to act normal. He gestured to the woman behind him. "My 'partner', Catherine O'Neil."
O'Neil stuck her hand out. "Pleased to meet you."
Scully shook O'Neil's hand, noticing how the agent's palm seemed a bit damp, despite the 30 degree temperature. 'She's nervous', Scully realized, startled. "And you," she replied. "I've heard a lot about you." She glanced at Mulder. "Mostly good, amazingly enough."
O'Neil blushed and also gave Mulder a sidelong glance.
Mulder looked surprised, as if he never knew his partner COULD blush. Then, looking at Scully again, he nodded to the barely visible corpse behind her. "The latest victim?"
"Actually, no." Scully started to explain. "Not the most recent. These remains appear to be about 6 to 8 months old. But it does look like 'The Beast's' work." The three started toward the body. Mulder's arm brushed Scully's. She wondered if it was deliberate. She wished O'Neil and the others were gone, so she could say 'hi' to Mulder the way she really wanted to. She satisfied herself with taking a deep breath inward. He still wore the same cologne.
Scully introduced them to Agent Monroe and the other officers, then detailed 'The Beast's' work. It was thought that the man had been killing hookers in this Spokane area for more than five years. His MO had rarely changed; rape, torture, then death, usually strangulation with an article of the woman's clothing. The body was then dumped away from the scene of the crime, usually north of town in the mountains, or sometimes in the Spokane River which ran through the city.
Seventeen dead prostitutes in the last five years. Eight other unsolved cases could very well be his work, too. If any woman had survived one of his attacks, she wasn't coming forward.
After the woman's remains had been bagged and taken away, Scully had the forensics officers set out to comb the surrounding area for clues. She wasn't expecting them to find anything, but she never gave up hope that the killer might make a mistake. She turned back to meet Mulder, O'Neil, and Justin back at Mulder's car.
Mulder was leaning against the car, his sunglasses on once again. Though she couldn't see his eyes, she felt his gaze on her. "Fascinating case, Scully." She stopped in front of him, and O'Neil and Justin, who had been talking small talk, turned toward them. "But where's the X File?"
Scully's mouth twisted into a small smile. "Would you believe that I'm having so much trouble with this case that I just wanted your help and knew you wouldn't come without promise of an X File?" She heard O'Neil gasp lightly, but ignored her.
Mulder shook his head and said without hesitation, "No, I wouldn't."
"Would you believe I just wanted an excuse to see you?" she asked tentatively.
Mulder opened his mouth as if about to answer, then closed it and shook his head again. "No. You'd never let your personal wants get in the way of work." She could tell he liked the idea, though.
"O.K." she said finally. "Follow us," she nodded to Justin. "We'll take you to meet her."
As she got into her car, she heard O'Neil ask Mulder, "Her?"
************************************************************
Black Hawk Stables
North Spokane
Mulder and Cat followed Scully and Monroe through the scenic neighborhoods of North Spokane. Lovely houses, most with several acres of land, stood sentinel along the banks of the Little Spokane River. Eventually, they drove into an area that had more pastureland than houses. Horse country. They pulled off the blacktop onto a gravel drive, passing a sign that read "Black Hawk Stables-Lessons-Training-Boarding". Paddocks with Thoroughbred and Warmblood horses lined the drive. The agent's cars stopped in front of a small house sitting next to a large indoor, riding arena.
"Wait here," Scully told them, then walked inside a little door in the side of the barn marked 'office'. She came out with a young woman of about 25 years of age. She had long, dark blonde hair pulled back into a braid, and pale blue eyes peered out from behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.
Dusty jeans and a well-worn sweatshirt completed the picture. She looked, Mulder thought, like your typical, horse-crazy kid who preferred mucking out horse stalls than dealing with people. Scully brought her over to the other agents.
"This is Moira Anderson. She's the assistant trainer here." She looked at the woman. "Moira, this is Agent O'Neil. And this is Agent Mulder, the one I told you about."
Moira shook hands with Cat, and then Mulder. Her hand was callused from hard work and strong, despite her small stature. "You're the one who'll believe me?" she asked him. Mulder glanced at Scully. "That depends. What is it you want me to believe?"
"I saw the 'Beast'." Moira looked at the gravel beneath her feet. "I saw him when he dumped his last victim."
Mulder waited. When the obviously shy woman said nothing more, he tipped his head closer and asked, "Why is that hard to believe?"
She sighed. "I wasn't myself at the time. I was..." she trailed off and looked at Scully who nodded her encouragement. "I was seeing it through the eyes of an owl. I watched him drag her body out of his car and then throw it into a ravine, from the branch of a tree."
Mulder didn't hesitate. "Could you identify him?"
Moira looked surprised. It wasn't the question she had been expecting. "I don't... I don't know." She glanced uneasily at Cat and Monroe. "Owls see differently than we do. They can't see color, but they can focus very well, and they see movement easily. Their night is just a darker version of their day. I didn't see the car that well, but I can still see his face. Whether or not I'd recognize it through these eyes, I can't say." She took a deep breath. "If I can help catch this guy in any way, I will."
Mulder looked hard at Moira for a moment, making the woman shift on her feet uncomfortably. He was positive she wasn't lying. "Scully, can I have a word with you, please?"
Scully walked over to the side of the arena building, and Mulder followed. "You believe her, don't you?" He was amazed that she would believe something so 'out there'.
"I didn't want to believe her," Scully smiled tightly. "But she did know where the body was, and she's very convincing. It took a long time before she finally told me HOW she 'saw' him." She looked up at him, confusion in her eyes. "Mulder, she says she can see through the eyes of any living animal. That she can transport her consciousness into another living thing and to see what it sees and feel what it feels!"
"Can she control the mind of the animal she inhabits?" Mulder had heard of people who could transfer like this.
"No," Scully shook her head. "She says she's just 'along for the ride'. Sometimes she can tweak its curiosity a bit, but that's all. That's how she got the owl to watch what the killer was doing. Owls are naturally curious animals."
Mulder stepped back, an expression of mock amazement on his face. "Why Agent Scully! You really DO believe her!"
Scully almost blushed. "Like I said, she's very convincing."
Mulder looked back at Moira. Cat was talking to her, and she was gradually looking more relaxed. The tall, blonde and 'handsome' Monroe was looking at the young woman like she was some kind of freak. Which, Mulder supposed, she was. But she was also a healthy, attractive woman who seemed much more comfortable with animals than with people, most likely due to her 'oddness'.
"Mulder," Scully moved closer. "Moira has become a friend of sorts. She wouldn't tell anyone about her ability but me, and the only one I've told is Justin."
"Who doesn't believe," Mulder interjected.
"I requested your help by saying I needed your profiling expertise. But I really think that with Moira's help, you can catch this guy."
"If you believe her, why do you need me?"
Scully thought for a bit. "Maybe because I really am uncomfortable doing this sort of thing without you by my side. An X File is an X File, and you are in charge of the X Files." She smiled a bit. "And besides, it was a really good excuse to see you again."
Mulder felt his expression soften. "It's good to see you, too, Scully." He nodded toward Moira. "Let's get inside, sit down and talk with her before Cat talks her ear off. I want to hear her story."
*****
Moira Anderson Residence
Black Hawk Stables
North Spokane,WA
Scully watched as Mulder and O'Neil followed Moira into her little house, then turned to Justin. "Why don't you get back to the office and finish up that paperwork you've been complaining about all day? I'll catch a ride back with Mulder." Scully didn't really need him here. Mulder was right; Justin was not a believer. He nodded, then left, a bit reluctantly Scully thought. He had become irritatingly protective of her, and he hadn't seemed happy when he found out Mulder was coming.
She entered Moira's front door. Despite its small size, the house was homey and comfortable. Several paintings, most of scenery and animals, hung on the walls. The floor was kept very clean, especially considering the amount of dirt that must be tracked though day after day. There was a large screen door just off the kitchen, and through it Scully could see two paddocks and their occupants just beyond the yard. Moira was literally surrounded by horses. Scully had always liked horses, but she doubted she could ever live her life devoted to them.
Mulder was sitting on the sofa next to Moira, with O'Neil standing a bit off to the side. He looked very intent as he listened to her. He had been so shocked that Scully had believed Moira. She guessed that her opening mind had continued to open even after leaving him. And while she still felt a twinge of doubt, she truly wanted to believe in the young woman's claims of entering the mind of animals. Moira was telling Mulder how it felt to run with a horse across a green meadow: To feel its excitement, to hear with its ears the insects rustling in the grass, to smell the sweetness of the clover as it's stepped on. Or to sore high above the earth with a hawk. To dive at speeds of over 100 miles per hour with a falcon. Feeling the unconditional love and devotion a dog has for his master.
Mulder listened with absolute fascination. Rarely did he interrupt with questions. But one question caught Moira off guard. "Have you ever entered the mind of another human being?"
Moira sat silently for a while. "When I was young, just learning how to control my gift, I tried that. But it was too difficult. The human mind has too many barriers, protecting itself, I guess." She looked up at Mulder. "I had a migraine the size of Texas for four days afterward. I haven't tried it since."
Moira looked at Scully, then glanced at O'Neil. "When I'm in another mind, my own body is basically empty. That's why I mainly do it at night, when my body is safe in bed. I can return to it at will, but most animals have no sense of time. I can be in the mind of a barn swallow, diving and playing in the wind for what feels like only minutes, but when I come back, I realize that it has been several hours." She smiled. "I've been late to work a few times because of that."
Mulder leaned back, closing his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he looked at Scully. She could swear they were glowing. She felt his excitement all the way across the room. It was addictive, and she had missed it. Clyde Bruckman, Lucy Housholder, and a handful of other, true psychics had brought about this excitement in him before. He was thrilled. But he was still a professional. "How do you think you can help us to catch 'The Beast'?"
"Well, he works at night, right? I can ride with an animal that can cover a lot of ground and see well at night, like an owl."
"I thought you couldn't control the animal you inhabit?"
"I can, in a way. I can encourage its curiosity enough that it will follow someone. Rats and cats wander the same streets as his victims. I'm sure I could spot him somewhere." She looked at Scully. "I just need to know I can call someone who'll believe me if I do find him."
"Wouldn't you get tired?" O'Neil asked.
Moira shook her head, getting more and more excited at the prospect of catching a killer. "No. I'll be asleep. Only my mind will be active. Kind of like dreaming." She looked back at Mulder. "Please let me help. My..." she took a deep breath. "My little sister was one of his victims."
************************************************************
US Federal Building
Spokane, WA
Mulder sat in a comfortable leather chair facing Scully's desk. The nameplate he had given her as a going away present sat near the front, and he found himself smiling at it. Scully had indeed made it to the bigtime. An office of her own, with a great view of Riverfront Park. An assistant all to herself. Mulder felt very proud of her, and happy that she seemed happy.
Cat was sitting in the chair next to him, looking like a schoolgirl who had been sent to the principle's office and didn't know what to expect. He had seen her nervous before, but never like this.
Scully swept into the office from the door behind them.
"Agent O'Neil?"
"Yes, Ma'am?" Cat jumped to attention.
"I was hoping you'd like to join Agent Monroe in the conference room and meet with the rest of the task force members?" She settled herself in the chair behind her desk. "I'd like to speak with Agent Mulder. We'll join you in a minute."
"Of course." Cat jumped up and followed Monroe, who was standing in the door watching Scully with a disapproving look on his face. Cat quietly closed the door behind them.
Scully looked at Mulder, eyebrows furrowed. "Is she always this jumpy?" she asked, referring to Cat.
"Actually, no," Mulder replied. "I think she's a little intimidated by you." A smile played on his lips.
"Me?!" Her eyebrows shot up. "She's almost a half of a foot taller than me and drop-dead gorgeous to boot. What's she got to fear from me?"
"She claims that the Mulder/Scully partnership is legendary. I'm thinking that she's afraid she'll do something to change that."
"Like what?"
Mulder shrugged. "Come between us, maybe?"
"Could she?"
Mulder looked her in the eye. "Never."
Scully nodded, a look of relief passing over her face. Then she looked down at the papers piled on her desk. Looking up again, she said, "I had Moira look over some mug shots the other day. Nothing. I'm going to have her look at some others on Wednesday. Her idea about 'searching' for him is just too...I don't know. It just doesn't seem like it will work too good."
Mulder had picked up her name plaque and was fiddling with it. "I agree. I also think that the possibility of finding and catching this guy within the week is slim to none."
Mulder looked up a Scully. "I'll write up a profile if you want, but other than interviewing Moira about her 'talent', there's really nothing I can do here."
"Are you saying I should never have asked you to come?"
"Hell, no, Scully." He set the plaque down and got up to look out the window. He could feel her eyes tracking him. "Nice view," he said after a while. Then he turned toward her. "Come here, Scully."
"What?"
"Just come here."
Scully stood and began walking slowly toward him. Halfway there, he opened his arms. Without any more hesitation, she walked into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his chest and burying her face against him.
Mulder held her tightly, breathing deeply her scent; spice with a hint of vanilla. "Now this, combined with the wonder that is Moira, of course, just made the trip worth-while." He felt her smile. "I missed you."
She leaned back and looked up at him. "You talk to me almost every night," she said teasingly.
"The computer is nothing like this. Seeing your eyes, touching you, smelling you..."
"Smelling me?" She looked as if she was about to laugh.
"Yes, Agent Scully. Smelling you. You smell pretty damn good, did you know that?"
She blushed slightly. "You don't smell so bad yourself."
Mulder found himself drowning in her blue eyes. With deliberate intent, he lowered his head. Scully's eyes fluttered closed and her lips parted, preparing for his kiss.
The phone on Scully's desk rang, and Scully jumped away from Mulder as if someone had walked through the door. Mulder exhaled heavily in frustration as she answered the phone. He looked out the window again, trying to calm his body down before somebody did walk in and notice; it hadn't taken long for him to become almost fully aroused with Scully so near.
Scully finished her conversation, which Mulder had heard none of, and turned to him. She wouldn't meet his eyes. "I guess it's back to work. The team's ready to meet you."
"O.K., let's go." In control now, Mulder started to follow her out of the office. "Scully." He waited until she looked at him. "This isn't over yet." She nodded, then walked out the door. With a sigh, Mulder followed.
************************************************************
Scully's House
Colbert, WA
Dana Scully's house was a small, one-story, ranch-style house that sat just off the forest in Colbert, a small 'suburb' of Spokane. Neat and comfortable, Scully rented it from a retired couple who were currently roaming the US in their RV. She hadn't bought it, though she could certainly
afford to, because she had never felt settled. She liked Spokane, it's pace much slower than the DC area, but it just didn't feel like home.
Now Scully raced around straightening pictures that didn't need straightening, and dusting tables that had already been dusted. She was nervous again, she thought. She had invited both Mulder and O'Neil to dinner, and the thought of Mulder entering her little haven for the first time made her a bit tense. It didn't help that Justin had invited himself when he overheard the invitation. With luck, she could get rid of him early, and send O'Neil off, too. The thought of being alone with Mulder excited her and made her feel very uncomfortable at the same time.
He had almost kissed her again. And she had almost let him. In her office, of all places! Where had her professionalism gone? After seven years of close contact with the man, nothing like that had ever happened! He had obviously wanted it, and he wasn't a bit sorry about it, either. She blushed
as she recalled the feel of his arousal pressed against her belly. And she also remembered the way he looked at her, with half-lidded, hot eyes, during the meeting afterwards.
"Oh, my," she sighed to herself. She had been celibate for several years now, but she didn't think that was the reason for her lust-filled thoughts now. It was Mulder, plain and simple. She had wanted him from the first moment she had met him, and the fact that he obviously wanted her too only compounded the feeling. She had never believed it was possible!
Scully had felt the pressure of being a woman in a man's world many times. But from day one, Mulder had treated her like an equal. Never once had he suggested that she couldn't do something due to her gender. Yet, he had always made her feel feminine as well. A guiding hand on the small of her back, an appreciative look when she was dressed in her best, a flirtatious statement every now and then, like his comment of her being 'hot' after her first meeting with the Lone Gunmen. Despite all this, she had never really felt like she was Mulder's 'type'. He always seemed to prefer the tall, leggy blondes (or brunettes, like O'Neil). Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he did like short red-heads. Or maybe it was just her he liked.
Justin, who had been to her house for dinner and conversation before, was the first to arrive. His smile was bright and his blue eyes flashed with good humor, but she couldn't help but be suspicious about why he was really there. He had brought a bottle of wine, and Scully had been in the kitchen opening it when Mulder and O'Neil arrived. The minute she walked into the living room, she felt flooded with testosterone; Mulder and Justin seemed to be sizing each other up. 'Oh, no,' Scully thought, remembering how Mulder had done the same thing with other male friends of hers in the past. But it appeared that Justin had started the posturing first.
"Yep," Justin was saying, answering a question Mulder had asked but Scully hadn't heard. "I do a lot of rock climbing and mountain biking. It's a good area for outdoor activities."
"Ever been to the top of Mt. Spokane?" Mulder asked.
Justin shrugged. "Who hasn't?"
Mulder looked at Scully, and she gave him an innocent smile.
"You can drive to the top, Mulder. You don't have to climb it."
"Oh," Mulder said. "So, it wouldn't be 'manly' to say I'd been to the top?" He sat on the couch. "Good thing you told me, Scully, before I started bragging about climbing Mt. Spokane!"
O'Neil laughed and Justin looked embarrassed. Scully wasn't sure what she had missed in their earlier conversation, but it appeared that Mulder had bowed out of any competition with his sarcastic remark.
Gradually, Scully began to relax. She had made lasagna, with meat since she knew both Mulder and Justin wouldn't look too fondly on vegetarian meals, and it had turned out perfect. The dinner conversation was pleasant, for the most part. Relaxed by the wine, Scully found herself watching Mulder, barely listening to the conversation flowing about her. When at one point in the evening she caught Mulder looking at her with the same expression he had in the meeting earlier, she decided to stop drinking the wine. She wanted a clear head this evening.
Finally, Justin decided to go, still eyeing Mulder warily. As she saw him out, she noticed Mulder take O'Neil's arm and whisper something to her. She nodded, looked nervously at Scully, then quickly followed Justin out. "Hey, Monroe! Can I have a ride?"
With a glare at Mulder, Justin nodded, and the two of them headed off down the walk together. Leaving Mulder and Scully alone.
************************************************************
Mulder was quite pleased with himself. He hadn't been sure Cat would be willing to leave him behind, but she had been more than accommodating. With a smile, he turned away from Scully, who stood in the doorway with a dumbfounded look on her face. He roamed the living room, recognizing knickknacks and artwork from Scully's apartment in DC. He stopped by the mantle of the small, stone fireplace. Pictures of Scully's family sat there. Her parents, Bill and his family, Charles (the only member he had never met other than her father), Scully and Melissa when they were younger, and Scully and her mother. On the end sat two pictures that surprised and delighted him. One was of himself and Scully, taken at one of those boring, silly workshops they'd had to attend. He had seen it before. In fact, one just like it had gone up in flames with his office three years ago.
The second he had no idea how she had gotten. It was a picture of him, dressed casually in shorts and a sweatshirt with the sleeves cut out, basketball in hand and a smile on his face. He looked over at Scully. She stood in the doorway to the foyer, leaning against the jamb, her arms crossed over her chest, watching him. He pointed to the picture. "Where'd you get this?"
She looked down at the floor in embarrassment. "A friend." She met his gaze again. He continued to look at her, not satisfied with that vague answer. She sighed. "Kimberly took it at a charity game a few years back. She had a crush on you, you know. She gave it to me just before I left town." She smiled. "She said I'd need it more than she since she had finally found someone of her own."
"Skinner's assistant Kimberly?" He looked surprised. "She had a crush on me?"
"Mulder," Scully tried to be patient. "She wasn't the only one in the building that was attracted to you. Surely you knew that?"
"Were you?"
Scully bit her lower lip, an action that made Mulder's body tighten uncontrollably. "I guess I was. But you were my partner and my friend."
He turned and walked toward her. "And that changed things?"
"Well, of course. There's no rule that says you can't have romantic feelings for your partner, but I felt it wasn't professional."
"Not professional?" He had stopped in front of her.
Scully nodded. "They say that while a romantic relationship between partners isn't against the rules, it had better be kept discreet and not interfere with work. If I had let my feelings be known, I'm sure it would have ruined a great partnership."
"We're not partners anymore." Mulder was amazed at the truths they were getting to in this supposedly light discussion.
"But we're still friends, and romance can put that at risk, as well." Scully's voice had become husky. Sexy, Mulder thought.
"I don't think anything in the universe can destroy our friendship, Scully." He braced his left arm on the wall beside her, leaning in close. "With all we've been through?" He shook his head.
Scully reached up to fiddle with his tie. He watched her carefully, ready to pull back if that's what she wanted. He knew that their working relationship was only an excuse. In reality, they had both been too scared to let each other in. Too scared to believe they had found their other half.
Her blue eyes flickered up to meet his. 'She is so beautiful,' he thought. She was dressed casually tonight, slacks and a long-sleeved silk blouse. Her hair was up. It should have made her look mature and professional, but the few strands that had escaped to float about her face were incredibly attractive. He knew she had drunk more than usual tonight, and he didn't want to push her. He wanted her, but he wanted her to want him just as much. No regrets in the morning. No blaming the wine, or the light, or the situation.
"Scully? Do you, by chance, believe a long-distance relationship would be too hard to accomplish?"
"Depends on what kind of relationship, I guess."
"This kind," he whispered, then lowered his head to meet her lips. She was ready for him and met his mouth with a fervency that surprised him. Wrapping his right arm around her, he pushed her over so her back was against the wall. His tongue and lips played with hers for a while, then he
swept his hands down her back, cupping her bottom.
She gasped into his mouth, then sighed. The sound encouraged him, and he lowered his hands still more, to the backs of her thighs, tugging upward. She understood his silent command, allowing him to pick her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. He pushed her against the wall. Picking her up had increased her height, and Mulder took advantage of the position by kissing her neck and throat, slowly working his way farther south. She clung to his neck, eyes closed, head leaning back against the wall behind her.
A ringing sound joined the roar in his ears. He felt Scully pushing at his shoulders. "Mulder." He forced himself to stop and look up at her. "Mulder, the phone."
Phone? Who cared? "Leave it!" he growled, and continued to nuzzle her, thrusting his hips forward, pressing his arousal hard against her. Her own hips moved, rubbing herself against him, and she moaned over the sound of her own voice on the answering machine, telling whoever to leave a message. Another voice followed: Moira
"Dana, are you there?" She sounded excited. "Dana, please! If you're there, pick up! I saw him tonight! I saw the Beast!"
*****
Spokane Police Department
11:21 P.M.
Moira sat at the desk of one of the task force members, slowly flipping through a book of mug shots, some she had seen before, some she hadn't. Mulder and Scully sat quietly, watching her. They had picked up O'Neil from her motel on the way to meet Moira at the station. O'Neil had been very excited about the new development, so much so she hadn't noticed the electricity that was still snapping between the two senior agents.
Scully looked up to see Justin walk in, looking a bit harried. She had called him, despite Mulder's insistence that he didn't need to be there; he didn't believe, after all. But she had refused to keep him in the dark. As he came closer, she noticed how his eyes narrowed upon sight of her, then glared at Mulder. With some embarrassment, Scully realized her hair had come down and was slightly mussed, and her blouse was definitely wrinkled. She must look like a woman who had just been ravished! She glanced at Mulder. His hair was none too neat, either.
"There he is!" Moira gasped. All four agents moved in to look at the picture she was pointing at. "I saw him on the street tonight. At first, I wasn't sure, but then he spoke and I knew. I was able to get a better look at him this time."
"What were you?" Mulder asked softly.
"A stray cat. Not one of my favorites, it's too sad, but they see a lot down in that neighborhood."
Justin had taken the book and sat down at the computer. Soon, he had all the information he needed. "Matthew Ross. 28 years old. Works as a bank teller, believe it or not. Was arrested 2 years ago for attempted rape. Got off on assault charges. He has an apartment here in town, and also owns a cabin up near Hayden Lake."
"Does he belong with the 'boys' up there?" Scully asked.
"Boys?" O'Neil questioned.
"The Aryan Nation has their headquarters at Hayden Lake." She looked at Justin.
"No record of him ever associating with white supremacists, but you never know."
"Can we even get a warrant?" Cat asked. "I mean, with our witness being..." She didn't know how to finish.
Mulder answered O'Neil's question. "Nobody but us knows 'how' Moira saw him. But her positive ID should be enough to get a couple warrants. If it comes to trial, however, it will be a different story."
"She would have to tell the court 'how' she saw the killer, and no one would believe her," Scully finished Mulder's thought. "But, if we find enough evidence with the warrants, she won't need to testify."
Mulder nodded to Justin. "You work on getting the judge to sign a couple. Try to get them by tomorrow, if possible. Where exactly is Hayden Lake?"
"It's in Idaho, just north of Coeur d'Alene," Scully answered.
"Out of local jurisdiction, then. But not ours." He looked at O'Neil. "Okay, you two can take the apartment," he nodded toward Justin. "Scully and I will take a look at his cabin in the woods. Sounds like a good place to hide private stuff. Make sure the warrants say what we need to find: books,
videos, women's clothing, weapons, you know the routine." He was all business now. "But for now, I think it's best if we all get some sleep." He looked over at Scully with regret in his eyes.
"Right," she replied, her own regret mixed with relief. "Tomorrow we just may catch a killer."
************************************************************
US Federal Building
Spokane, WA
A federal judge was reviewing the request for search warrants, and four federal agents were waiting impatiently for his approval. Having met at Scully's office at 7 A.M., they were now sitting around, trying to think of something to do to keep their minds occupied. Moira had taken the day
off to wait with the others; she was just as nervous as the agents.
Moira refused to believe that the Beast would not be caught. Brianna had been only 19 when she had been killed only two short years ago. Like Moira, she had left their addict mother's house at a young age. Unlike Moira, she had chosen a career that dealt strictly with people, in a very intimate
manner. Moira couldn't recall all the times she had tried talking her little sister into quitting her dangerous job as a streetwalker. But Brie had absolutely refused to take a job like her sister's. She thought cleaning up after horses was disgusting. Just like Moira thought Brie's job was disgusting, she supposed. But despite her job, Brie had been a warm, caring person. She had not deserved to die the violent way she had. No one deserved to die like that. Moira wanted the killer caught!
She looked at the four agents around her with curious eyes. Justin Monroe was an interesting man. Tall, blonde and muscular, he looked like your typical beach-bum. He didn't believe in her ability, but he wanted to catch the Beast, and that was all that mattered. And besides, he'd do anything for Dana.
Cat O'Neil was a confusing mix of confidence and uncertainty. She was comfortable with her partner and with Justin, but she seemed terrified of Dana. Moira supposed that Dana's reputation as a top agent was enough to make any aspiring female agent nervous.
Then there was Fox Mulder. The eldest of the group, he still looked boyishly handsome, and even an inexperienced woman like her could feel the sensual aura he wore. It was a wonder any woman would be able to work with him and not be totally distracted. Cat seemed to ignore it, but Moira had caught her looking at her partner in a more than appreciative way. And Dana had worked with the man for 7 years. There was no way she could have ignored him that long! And she was sure having a hard time ignoring him now, Moira smiled to herself.
It was obvious neither Fox nor Dana had gotten much sleep last night, and not because they had been with each other. Not outside their dreams, anyway; that's probably why they looked so tired. Fox's beautiful eyes had dark circles under them, and they kept glancing at Dana with a mixture of
desire and regret. Dana had the advantage of makeup to hide her circles, but she still acted very nervous, and every time her eyes met Fox's, she looked away quickly. It wasn't embarrassment, really. She just didn't want it to be obvious to everyone in the room what it was she really wanted to be doing. Underneath all the tension, Moira felt guilt. Guilt at what almost happened or guilt that it hadn't happened she didn't know. Years of dealing with animals had made it easy for Moira to read people; they used body language just like animals, especially in tense situations.
But she couldn't read their minds.
Moira looked out the window. The pleasant weather of the last few days was gone, and dark clouds hovered over the city. Snow was in the forecast. She hoped the warrants arrived soon; snow could get heavy here, especially in the mountains where Dana and Fox were going.
"I'm going to check on some paperwork." Dana's voice broke the silence. With a look at Fox that said 'don't follow me', Dana left the office. With only a short hesitation, Moira followed.
"Dana?" She called out in the hallway. Dana stopped and turned toward her.
"What's wrong, Moira?" Concern spread across her face. It made Moira feel good that someone cared for her well-being, but she quickly put Dana's mind at ease.
"Nothing. I'm okay. I was just worried about you, that's all." She paused. "You seem distracted. You have been ever since Fox showed up."
"Mulder," Dana said quickly. "He likes to be called Mulder."
"Okay." She looked at Dana intently. "Now it's my turn. What's wrong? What's going on between you two?"
"Nothing!" Dana's answer was a bit too quick. Then she sighed. "Things are complicated. Seven years too complicated."
Moira thought a bit. "Were you two romantically involved? Is that why you left to come here? You broke up?"
Dana shook her head. "No. We were never involved." She paused. "But not because I wasn't interested. I just never knew how to tell him. And it wasn't until just before I left, that I found out he was interested in the same thing."
"After seven years together, you just 'found out' before you left! What the heck were you to each other before then!?"
"Friends. Best friends. Partners. I don't know, soul mates? But never lovers."
"And now?"
"And now he wants to change that."
Moira watched her closely. "Do you?"
Dana took a deep breath. "Oh, yes. But, I guess I'm still a little scared to take that step." She laughed softly. "I was about to take that step last night when you called."
Moira remembered the agents' appearance at the police station. "Oh, Dana! I'm so sorry!"
"No! Don't be!" Dana put a hand on her shoulder. "We need to catch this guy. That's what's important right now."
"But when we catch him, Fox goes home." Moira's voice was sad.
"Whatever happens happens. If it's supposed to happen, it will."
"Then I know it will," Moira confirmed. "You two belong together. Anyone who can't see that just isn't looking!"
************************************************************
I-90 East
Somewhere around the Washington-Idaho State Line
The warrants arrived around noon. Justin and O'Neil had left to search Ross' apartment. Another agent had been sent to his workplace to inform him of the searches and escort him if he wished to be present for them. The timing, however, had been planned so he wouldn't really have the chance to get to either the apartment or the cabin before the searches were over and done. Mulder and Scully would certainly be done before he got there, seeing as the cabin was well over an hour away from his workplace.
Now on the road, Scully looked at Mulder, who was driving (as usual). She decided to ask the question that had been bothering her since Mulder's pronouncement last night. "Why'd you send O'Neil with Justin?"
"You're in charge of this case." His tone was defensive. "You could have changed my plans if you had wanted to."
"I didn't say I was against your idea, I just asked why?" Her voice rose in response.
Scully smiled and looked out the window. It had started to snow. Heavy and wet, it wasn't sticking to the road yet, but the temperature was steadily dropping. "This is going to turn the roads to ice," she observed.
"Didn't you once complain to me that the winters out here were too wet and the summers too dry?"
"Yes, I did. At least in DC, you got rain in the summer and sun in the winter."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a few more miles. While the traffic between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene was nothing compared to the east coast, it was still quite heavy, and with the roads threatening to become slick, Mulder watched his driving very carefully. But he still found time to look around.
"These mountains remind me of the Black Hills."
"Where?"
"The Black Hills. In South Dakota. You know, where Mt. Rushmore is."
Scully nodded. "Oh, yeah. We went there once when I was little. I don't remember it much."
"When I was sixteen," Mulder continued, "I went with the family of a friend of mine when they went on vacation. We stayed at a neat little cabin on the lake. Sheridan Lake, I think it was called. One day we went hiking up near the Outlaw Ranch near Custer, and we got caught in this downpour. I rained for almost an hour!" He smiled at the memory. "After it was over, I climbed on top of this huge boulder that we had taken shelter by. You could see over the trees. It was spectacular! The sun had come out, causing mist to rise out of the valleys, and the storm clouds were still rumbling in the east. Then the coyotes started howling. There was even a rainbow. It was beautiful and eeire." He glanced at Scully. "I felt more at peace at that moment than I had since before Samantha had been taken. I still went back to that rock to find peace, before I started the X Files."
He looked at her again, this time with embarrassment on his face. "Sorry for rambling like that."
Scully had been entranced by Mulder's narrative. He rarely talked about his childhood, and when he did, it was usually bad memories. "I don't mind at all," she said softly. She felt as if he had just let her look into his heart. "Maybe I'll get a chance to visit this rock sometime."
"Yeah, maybe." Silent again, he concentrated on his driving.
************************************************************
What had he just done? The only place he had kept private his whole life, and he had basically given Scully the keys to enter it. He realized that he didn't regret telling her about his 'rock'. After all, the main reason he hadn't visited that magical place in the last several years was because Scully had become his refuge. It only seemed fitting that the two should 'meet'.
Soon, he was exiting off the interstate and heading north to Hayden Lake. As they gradually left civilization behind, he began to notice how white everything was becoming. The snow had become more solid, and the roads were now covered in a slick, white film. Mulder took the twisting turns further into the mountains carefully. One last turn brought them to the road that led to Ross' cabin. No cars were present, and no signs of life were evident.
"Looks like nobody's home," Mulder quipped as he stopped the car and cut the engine.
"Good," Scully replied. "Let's get this over with." They knocked on the door, announcing their presence and their intent. By the book, even though they were sure no one was there. When silence greeted them, Mulder unlocked the door with the universal 'lockpick'. They entered with caution and trepidation.
It was a small cabin. A one room affair with a fireplace taking up most of the wall on the left side, shelves full of canned goods above it. On the right sat a neat little table, a couple of chairs, and a bookcase full of books. A small feather bed sat against the back wall, next to a door that presumably led outside.
With a quick look at each other, Mulder and Scully methodically began to search the cabin. Up and down, high and low. Under chairs. Under the bed. In the fireplace. Through all the books, most of them old paperback historicals. A quick look out the door showed an old fashioned outhouse sitting quietly in the deepening snow.
So intent was their search, they didn't even realize how deep the snow was getting. Or how wet and heavy it really was. After almost an hour of turning up nothing, the agents finally called it quits.
They left the cabin. "Oh! Wow!" Scully said when she saw, or couldn't see, their car. It was practically buried in a foot of snow!
"Yuck!" Mulder responded. With a groan, and a glare at Scully, he trudged through the snow and started to sweep it off the car. Scully started the same procedure on the other side. Mulder couldn't believe how wet and heavy it was, and it was still falling!
With the temperature still in the upper 20's and no wind, it really wasn't too cold, but pushing wet snow around made Mulder wet, and that made him grumpy. Scully wisely keep her silence. This, combined with an almost sleepless night filled with erotic thoughts about the woman standing on the
other side of the car, was just too damn much! Finally, the job was done, and he started up the car, while Scully, just as cold and wet as he, toyed with the car's heater next to him.
Mulder stepped down on the accelerator. The car moved forward about six inches...then stopped. With a sigh of exasperation, he began to rock the car back and forth in the snow. It was no use. They weren't going anywhere. Mulder and Scully were stuck at a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
Alone.
Things were looking up.
*****
"I can't believe we have to spend the night in a cabin owned by a suspected serial killer!" Scully stood at the front window of said cabin watching the snow fall. She had her arms wrapped tightly around herself, trying to get warm. The cabin was cold, and she wasn't about to take off her coat,
wet or not.
"Hey, it could be worse," Mulder commented from his position in front of the fireplace. Scully turned to glare at him. "Once I get this fire going, it'll be nice and cozy in here."
"If you ever get that fire going," Scully quipped. Even with the matches taken from the emergency pack in the trunk of the car, he was having a heck of a time starting a blaze. "Come on, Mr. Indian Guide. What's taking so long?" Mulder didn't say a word, but kept on trying to get the kindling to
burn. Scully looked back outside. "I feel like I'm in a snowglobe." She heard Mulder chuckle.
In the north country, it got dark very quickly in the wintertime. At only 3:30 in the afternoon, thanks to the low clouds, it was already dusk outside. Behind her, she heard Mulder's shout of triumph and the crackling of the fire. The darkened cabin lit up with a soft orange glow. A romantic
light, Scully thought. A seductive light. She shivered, and not just because of the cold. "What happens happens," she whispered softly to herself. But did she really want it to happen here?
"Did you say something, Scully?" Darn his very good, but incredibly selective, hearing!
Without facing him, she replied, "Nothing." Then she moved to stand next to the fire. Its warmth was a welcome relief. She felt Mulder's gaze on her and turned to face him. He was staring at her intently. He had shed his coat and tie while working on the fire, and his shirt was opened at the neck. She felt her gaze linger there, watching the dancing shadows from the fire play hide and seek with the hollow of his throat. Heat shot through her, as well as fear.
What would it be like to make love to this man, she wondered? What if she let her hormones take over, like she had in her house last night, only this time there would be no interruptions? It would be good, without a doubt. Mulder wouldn't disappoint. But would she disappoint him? She could
hardly explain to him that her experience was limited, and most of that long ago. Her Catholic upbringing had kept her inexperienced until med-school, when she had met Daniel. She could count on one hand the number of men she had been with since. Despite her confidence in her work and in her abilities as a doctor, Scully felt insecure when it came to passion, more so for every year she was without. But the incident last night had proven that she could let herself stop thinking and just feel. That's all she had to do. Don't think. Feel.
"Scully," Mulder began, his voice husky. She knew what he was thinking.
"We're on assignment, Mulder." Her excuse was weak, and she knew it.
"And we're stuck up here until a snow plow comes to dig us out or a helicopter airlifts us out!" Both had tried their cell-phones earlier, to no avail. Someone would rescue them, just not anytime soon. "Scully?" Mulder paused, waiting for her to look at him. When she did, he reached out to softly
stroke her cheek with the back of his hand. "If you don't want this to happen, just say so."
Scully bit the inside of her lip, then spun away from him, heading for the door. "Where are you going?" Mulder asked.
"To look around outside before it gets too dark," she called back over her shoulder.
She heard him mumble as he grabbed his coat and followed her. "Good idea. I need a little cooling off."
Outside, Scully stopped and lifted her face to the sky, feeling the snowflakes melt on her heated face. She took a deep breath, and felt Mulder come up behind her. "Isn't it beautiful?" she asked.
Mulder didn't reply. Instead, he walked over to stand next to a small hill. While she watched in amazement, he fell into the snow on his back and proceeded to sweep his arms and legs up and down.
Scully stifled a giggle. "What are you doing?!"
"Making a snow angel. Haven't you ever made a snow angel before?" His voice was a bit muffled by the snow.
Scully couldn't help it. She started laughing. "If you're trying to cool off, it might work better if you face down."
"Very funny!" He promptly sat up, and before she could react, sent a snowball sailing her way. Shock froze her for a second, but it didn't take long for her to retaliate.
Within seconds, an all-out snowball war commenced. Scully took shelter behind the car, laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face. Mulder's throw was powerful, but his aim was off because he was laughing too hard. Scully's aim, however, was deadly accurate, despite her giggles.
Mulder seemed to know he was beat as long as she stayed behind the car, so with a roar he charged around it. With a very un-Scully-like squeal, she turned and ran. The snow hindered her progress, and with his long legs, Mulder caught her easily. In one jump, he tackled her, and they both fell to the snow.
With a giant shove, Scully managed to push against him, twisting away. But he had strength and position on his side, and she soon found herself on her back, Mulder sprawled on top of her. Their laughter quickly faded.
"Mulder?" Scully whispered. It was a plea, of sorts. Whether it was a plea for him to let her go or a plea to kiss her, she wasn't sure. Mulder's eyes narrowed and looked at her lips. It was obvious what he wanted it to be.
His eyes met hers again. "Scully? Do you realize that there are no operating phones within miles?"
Scully started laughing again. His laughter joined hers. "Must be fate, Mulder," she said when she got her breath back.
"I thought you didn't believe in fate."
She brought a gloved hand up to his cold-reddened cheek.
"Maybe I don't," she whispered. Then she made her final choice. "But I do know that this is right."
Mulder smiled softly, then lowered his lips to hers. The first touch was tentative. Cold lips to cold lips. But they quickly warmed, then heated as they parted. Thought disappeared from Scully's mind as she told herself: feel, don't think. Just feel.
And feel she did. She felt Mulder pull her up out of the snow. She felt the heat of the fire as they re-entered the cabin. She felt herself tremble as their clothing quickly disappeared, and once again she found herself on her back, this time on the bed. There was no shyness, no hesitation. This was Mulder, her best friend. The man she trusted with her life. The man she would give her life for.
It was far more than she had ever imagined. She had known he would be a wonderful lover, gentle but intense. But she had not realized that he would demand the same amount of intensity from her. As his hands ran over her naked body, he slowly began to awaken something wild and abandoned within her. With his assistance, Scully did something she never did; she lost control. And it was wonderful.
When he finally entered her, she tensed, her body unaccustomed to the invasion after years of celibacy. He stopped, and she opened her eyes to find him watching her intently. She relaxed, and began to revel in the feel of him, thick and hard as steel, inside her. Giving him a sleepy smile, she said in a breathless voice, "Welcome home." He smiled back, then began to move. She gasped, but in
pleasure, not discomfort, and began to move with him. The feeling was like nothing she had ever experienced before, and she wanted more. She began moving her hips faster, and Mulder responded, thrusting harder. Then, with a shout, she sailed over the pinnacle, knowing, as she did, that she wasn't alone. He was there with her, and not just in body, but also in spirit.
************************************************************
Matthew Ross' Cabin
Hayden Lake, Idaho
Mulder slowly opened his eyes. The fire was low, so he knew he had fallen asleep. He turned his head sharply to the left, then gave a sigh of relief as he saw Scully there, her red hair tousled, her mouth open in sleep. He had been afraid it had all been a dream. He felt a smile play at his lips as he recalled every detail of their union. For a man who admittedly enjoyed women, he had not been with very many in his life, especially of late. Now he knew why. As sappy as it sounded, he knew he had been waiting for Scully.
Slowly, and as quietly as he could, he slipped out from under the covers to put more logs on the fire. He barely remembered getting himself and Scully under them before they had fallen asleep. But before that...Wow! Mulder couldn't believe his sedate, always in control partner had been a wildcat during sex. He turned toward the bed and stopped. His wildcat was awake.
Her eyes glowed in the firelight, and they slowly drifted down his body as he continued to walk toward her. Mulder almost blushed under her perusal. He slid under the covers and gathered her in his arms. She settled her head on his chest and curled against his body. "I thought I was dreaming," she whispered.
"Me, too." He kissed the top of her head. "But even MY dreams are never that good."
"Thank you," she said teasingly.
They lay quietly for a while, but Mulder's body had a mind of its own, and he felt himself becoming aroused again. 'Good grief,' he thought. 'I'm almost forty years old, not some randy teenager!' Only Scully could do this to him. His mind suddenly recalled something that had happened earlier, during their lovemaking, and he couldn't help but tease Scully about it. "You called me Fox."
Scully lifted her head and looked at him with surprise. "When?"
Mulder gave her a wicked grin. "Guess."
Even in the firelight, he could see her blush. He wondered how far down her body the rosy color went. "I'm sorry! I know how much you hate being called that! I..."
He quickly silenced her with a finger on her lips. "I actually didn't mind hearing it tonight." His smile had turned soft and seductive. "Just so you don't ever say it like THAT in public!"
"Not a chance of that ever happening," she whispered. She lay her head back down and Mulder gently began to stroke her bare arm.
"Why did we wait so long for something so right?" he asked after a short silence. He felt Scully's body tense slightly. He lifted his head to look at her questioningly.
Scully sighed. "I think there are a lot of reasons, Mulder." She pushed herself onto her elbow and looked down at him. "I think we both have lived our lives trying to be individuals and were so caught up in our careers that we were too scared that letting each other in would change things." She paused. "Doing what we're doing now just broke that last barrier we had between us. There's no way to ever go back now."
"Go back to what?" Mulder demanded. "Dreaming about each other? Going home alone every night? Not being able to go to sleep without knowing the other is safe, wherever they are?" He pushed himself into a sitting position. "I think you're wrong. I don't think it's that complicated. I think we're both just scared shitless!" He looked at her. "We can blame our jobs, our sense of professionalism, our fear of losing each other’s respect and friendship, our fear of letting go
and showing emotion. It's all a lie! We're just too scared to let ourselves be happy!" He stopped and stared at the fire for a while. He felt Scully sit up next to him. He turned to face her when he felt her gentle, hesitant touch on his shoulder. "Scully, I love you. I have for years, probably since you stumbled into my motel room in Oregon, convinced you were going to die like those kids up there.
Since you left, I have never really cared about anything anymore. Not the X Files, not the FBI. Nothing but you. You once called my search for the truth an obsession. No more. YOU have become my obsession, Scully. And this, tonight, has only made it worse!"
Scully was shaking her head violently. "Don't say that, Mulder!" she exclaimed. "You are too strong a person to let someone else's existence become yours!"
"But it's true! When you were in DC, I could at least pretend it wasn't. That my job was the most important thing in the world to me. But when you left, I didn't even want to go to work in the morning!"
Scully had tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted to be the cause of you losing your love for your work." She choked back a sob. "Mulder, please! I fell in love with the man whose passion drove the X Files. I've supported him through thick and thin. I can't stand the thought of being
his destroyer!" She was clutching his hand tightly, trying not to cry.
He brought her hand up to his mouth. "You're not, Scully! Just the opposite! You brought me life!" He kissed her knuckles. "Just knowing you loved me kept me going." He felt tears in his eyes now. "But why did you have to go?"
"Why did you let me?!" She questioned back. He looked at her, confused. "If you had, just once during those final weeks, asked me to stay, I would have!"
Mulder closed his eyes. He knew why. 'Oh, what a tangled web we weave,' he thought to himself. He had let her go to save her, only to lose himself in the process. "It doesn't matter anymore," he said softly. "Besides, tonight might never have happened if you hadn't gone away."
Scully gave him a faint smile. "Reunions are great, aren't they?" Suddenly, she got up on her knees, throwing the quilt and sheets covering them to the foot of the bed. "Let's not let this night go to waste!" Slowly, seductively, she straddled him, running her hands up and down his chest. With a groan, he fell back on the bed, letting her take control this time around. He moved his hands up to her breasts, toying with her nipples, watching in fascination as they tightened in response. With a soft moan, she leaned over him, catching his lower lip between her teeth and giving a gentle tug. With a sinfully beautiful smile on her face, she gently grasped him in her hand, then slowly impaled herself. Mulder arched his back and groaned. But he didn't close his eyes. He couldn't. He loved the way she looked in the firelight, leaning above him. Like a temptress, a witch, her fiery red hair burning brighter than ever.
It didn't take long for tears to turn into passion once more. With each touch, each kiss, their hearts opened more to each other. Mulder had spent most of his adult life looking for the truth, and he had found it. Here, in this cabin, in the middle of a snowstorm, with Scully.
He became determined to hear her call out "Fox" more than once tonight.
************************************************************
"Maybe we should just hike out?"
Daylight had come, and while the snow had stopped falling, a heavy fog had settled over the cabin, and temperatures were still in the low 20's, making rescue unlikely. The interior of the cabin looked like a different place in daylight, and Scully was ready to get back to work, despite her lack of
sleep.
Sometime during the night, Scully had picked up the wet clothes from the floor and hung them over the chairs by the fire to dry. At another time, she and Mulder had found a pan and heated a can of soup over the fire to eat. Both had also made separate, and very quick, trips to the cold outhouse in
the back. The rest of the night had been spent in their man-made cocoon under the covers of the bed. Sleep had been rare.
But now it was morning. Standing in front of the window wearing nothing but Mulder's shirt, Scully turned to look at him, sitting on the bed in nothing but boxers. He glanced up at her question. "Scully, you can't even see the road out there. One wrong turn, and we'll be hiking to Canada."
"Well, maybe there's another cabin nearby. One with a phone. I hate being out of touch like this!" It wasn't that Scully was anxious to leave this haven in the woods, but work and the Ross case beckoned. She walked over to sit next to Mulder on the bed. He was paging through one of the novels from the bookshelf: North and South, by John Jakes. "I've read that," Scully told him. Then, "Do you think O'Neil and Justin have found anything?"
"I hope so," Mulder said, putting the book down and looking at her. "If they didn't get anything on Ross, then that means he knows we're on to him. He'll hide low until we get tired of watching him, then start again. We can't let that happen."
"So, let's go," Scully argued. "If we don't find a house or something in a couple of hours, we'll come back here. It can't hurt to try."
Mulder sighed. "I guess." He stood and looked down at her. "I'm not really anxious to get back to civilization, you know."
Scully smiled. "Me neither. But we've got a killer to catch."
Decided now, Mulder and Scully got dressed in their now dry clothing. Mulder banked the fire, in case they ended up coming back, and the two headed out into the fog. The car was a huge, white lump in the middle of the clearing. Evidence of last night’s snowball fight had disappeared under
fresh snow. With a determined stride, Scully set out for the road, which was evident by the gap in the trees. Mulder followed, admiring the view from behind.
They had left the clearing and entered the forest when they heard the noise. 'CRACK' They reacted like the well-trained FBI agents they were and ducked down, drawing their weapons. A loud crash followed the crack, and Scully relaxed, re-holstering her gun on the small of her back. Mulder
looked at her. "What the hell was that?"
"A tree branch," Scully answered. "The snow is so heavy, it's breaking the tops of the trees off." Mulder looked up and around at the surrounding pines, noticing how many were bent at an unnatural angle. He stood up and returned his gun to the holster on his right hip. Scully continued. "Even if
we do make it to a cabin, there's a good chance their phone lines are down." She looked at Mulder. He shrugged and kept walking.
They hiked along what they hoped was the road for almost an hour, but the snow was deep and tiring, and they weren't at all sure they were going the right way. To make matters worse, Scully was exhausted and more than a little sore. She glared at Mulder's back; he appeared wide awake and moved with his usual graceful ease. 'It's not fair,' she thought, but she smiled anyway. She certainly didn't regret what she had done, or what Mulder had done to her, to make her so sore. Not one iota.
Finally, Mulder stopped and turned to look at her. She put her hands on her hips and cocked her head. "What?"
He sighed. "Do we go on?"
Scully knew she was freezing and incredibly tired. Being a doctor, she knew she could very easily fall victim to hypothermia any minute now. She shook her head. "Let's go back."
Side by side, they turned back, following their tracks back through the snow. Back to the cabin.
*****
Mulder was exhausted, and though he wouldn't admit it to Scully, he was sore. The activities of last night had pretty much done him in! Muscles he didn't know he had complained as he walked along. He glanced down at Scully. Her cheeks were rosy in the cold, and her breath came out in white, frozen puffs. The humidity made it feel colder than it actually was. And she didn't look any more comfortable than he felt.
He decided to start a conversation to help distract both of them. "We need to figure out what we need to do if Cat and Monroe didn't have any luck." Scully started laughing. He looked at her in surprise. "What?"
"Have you noticed that you call her Cat, and I call her O'Neil? Or how I call Justin by his first name, and you always call him Monroe? Don't you find that a little odd?"
Mulder smiled. "Guess we better find a good psychologist to have that explained."
"Hate to break it to you, Mulder, but you are a good psychologist."
"Yeah, but I'm way too tired to try and figure that one out!"
Scully was silent for a moment. Then, "She's nice."
"Who?"
"O'Neil. I like her. And I'm glad you found a partner who believes in the work."
"Only took eight months," Mulder commented wryly.
"Does she have a boyfriend?"
Mulder gave her an amused glance. "Do you mean 'Is she available?'. Is that your not-so-subtle way of asking if I have ever been interested in her?"
"Are you?" Scully asked. "I mean, I've seen the way she looks at you."
Mulder sighed. "Ten years ago, yeah, I might have been more than anxious to get in her pants. But I've grown up." He looked down at her. "Last night was right where I belong." Scully smiled. "If anyone should be jealous here, it should be me," he continued. "Monroe follows you around like at
big, horny dog."
Scully started laughing. Hard. She stopped walking, trying to catch her breath. Mulder stopped as well and turned to look at her. "What!?"
Scully took a deep breath. "Mulder, you don't have to be jealous of Justin. If anyone should be jealous of him, it should be me."
Mulder's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?!"
With a slightly embarrassed smile, she said simply, "He's gay."
The impact of the words hit Mulder full force. He groaned and doubled over in feigned agony. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Monroe!?" He never would have guessed.
Scully nodded. "And he told me just yesterday how he understood my attraction to you!"
"But he's so..." Mulder stood straight, brushing his hands over his face. "He's so protective of you."
"Yes, he's loyal and very protective. But that's just who he is. He was also assigned to San Francisco before he came here. He knew Bill."
"Ugh!" He started laughing. "No wonder he hates me!"
Scully started walking again, a smile still on her face. Mulder quickly caught up to her, grabbing her hand in his. He loved to see her smile. They walked the rest of the way back to the cabin like that. Hand in hand.
The cabin was still warm when they reached it, the last remnants of the fire glowing in the hearth. Mulder immediately went over to work on it, building it up again. Neither he nor Scully were comfortable, both desperate to get warm. Cold and wet yet again, they took off their coats and shoes, warming up in front of the newly awakened blaze.
"We need sleep, Scully." Mulder's teeth were chattering.
"Okay, Mulder." Scully was agreeable. "But that means the clothes stay on!"
Mulder gave her a disappointed look, but then laughed. Together, they climbed into the warm bed, clothes on. For a while, they both lay on their backs, staring at nothing. Then Mulder heard a loud, exaggerated sigh coming from Scully, and he felt the bed move. He looked over to find that she had turned to lie on her side, back facing him.
With only a slight hesitation, Mulder reached for her, curling up behind her, arm around her waist. She sighed again, this time in contentment, and settled back against him. Mulder realized this was what she had wanted him to do in the first place. With a smile, he quietly fell into a deep sleep.
************************************************************
Matthew Ross' Cabin
Hayden Lake, Idaho
The first thing Scully noticed when she woke up was that she was hot. She opened her eyes and quickly shut them again, as a bright light was shining right in them. Slowly, she opened them again. Sunlight poured through the window. It was low in the sky, but Scully smiled anyway. Sun this time of the year was a wonderful thing. It also meant that rescue was imminent.
It was then she became aware of the fact that the sun wasn't what was making her so hot. It was the 'heater' behind her on the bed. With a soft laugh, Scully turned in Mulder's arms to look at him. He was sleeping soundly, a rare event, undisturbed by the sun or her movements. Laying on her back, his arm heavy on her belly, Scully reached over and brushed his hair off of his forehead. He didn't move, but he did sigh in contentment.
She lay there, feeling much better after her short nap, and stared at the ceiling. Her mind was quickly waking up and starting to work overtime. Ross, other pending cases, her new relationship with Mulder. All the problems in her small universe began crowding in on her. Then her unfocused gaze focused. Something was atop the rafter beam right above the bed.
Glancing at Mulder, Scully slipped out from under his arm, then got up to stand on the bed. On her tiptoes, she could barely reach the beam, and she almost lost her balance once. Finally, she managed to reach the object hidden in a rather good hiding place. But before she could look closely at the
little book in her hand, Mulder's voice, husky with sleep, asked from beneath her on the bed, "Is this a private ritual, or can anyone join in?"
Scully jumped, startled. She turned and kneeled down beside him. "I thought you were asleep."
"It's kind of hard to sleep when someone is jumping up and down on the bed," he remarked dryly.
Scully didn't even bother to respond to that. She held up the book. "Look what I found."
Mulder sat up quickly. "Better get a pair of gloves."
Scully nodded, laying the book down on the bed, then getting up to retrieve two pairs of latex gloves out of her pack. Handing one pair to Mulder, she climbed onto the bed and leaned her back against the headboard next to him. Gloves on, she picked up the book.
It was a woman's diary. Kim Ross' diary, to be precise. Scully and Mulder slowly flipped through the little book. The entries were simple, dates and names rather than thoughts and feelings, but through it, the agents gathered that Kim was Matthew's mother, and that this cabin had been more than a simple get-a-way for her. It was where she did business. Kim Ross had been a very classy, high-priced call-girl. And according to the names listed, she had been a favorite among the politicians and millionaires in the area. Scully began to feel sick. No wonder she and Mulder had been so uninhibited here; it was probably something in the air!
"We could cause a lot of trouble for a lot of married men if we let this little baby get out in the open," Mulder said softly. Scully elbowed him.
"I'm just glad I don't see anyone I have learned to like and respect since I've been here in there." Not all politicians were womanizers.
"This is just a record of her deals, pretty much. She doesn't even get into any juicy details." He sounded disappointed.
Scully glared at him. "And you would enjoy it so much better if she did? Would it be better than watching all those videos that aren't yours?"
"Oh, come on, Scully. You can't tell me you've never read a romance novel before. Smut is smut, no matter the medium it's presented in."
Scully didn't respond. She wasn't about to admit that she occasionally did take in a Silhouette novel or two on occasion. She especially liked the ones about law enforcement partners who became more than friends.
Mulder had continued to flip through the book. "The last entry is dated January 23, 1995." He looked up, intent on a thought. "When did the Beast start killing?"
"The first death we attributed to him was in November of '95. But there was an unsolved murder of a hooker in February of that year." She paused. "Do you think that after his mother died he may have started killing?"
"It's possible he loved her or hated her so much that her death was a catalyst. Serial killers often start their dirty deeds after a traumatic event in their lives. Death of a family member, divorce, etcetera, etcetera."
"Do you think he killed his mother?"
"Probably not. But I am betting that her death released him from some kind of unnatural hold she had on him. She probably abused him, made him watch while she worked, things like that. That would explain his hatred of whores." As Mulder talked, he began flipping through the empty pages at the back of the book. Suddenly, the pages were no longer blank.
"Scully. Look at this!" His voice had taken on a breathless quality.
Scully took the book from him and looked carefully at the writing. A date, like a traditional diary, topped the page. 'February 3, 1995' it read. 'Turned out to be a whore called Gloria Parker'.
"That unsolved case you mentioned. The victim's name wasn't Gloria Parker, was it?" Mulder asked.
Scully nodded mutely, and continued reading. Twenty-three names were listed, names the killer obviously hadn't know when he killed them, only to add them later, after the bodies were found and the names printed in the paper. Some names were written in a different pen than the dates; Those
bodies hadn't been found immediately. The date 'June 16, 1999' was nameless. Scully knew it belonged to Jainey Conrad, the woman they had found two days ago. Ross hadn't gotten the chance to write the name in yet.
"It's an inventory of his 'work'," Scully said softly, disgust dripping from her voice. "Just like his mother." Victim number 17 was Brianna Anderson, Moira's sister. She looked at Mulder.
He nodded his head, his eyes bright. "We got him."
A faint roar caught their attention. They both rushed off the bed and ran to the door, opening it to look out. The sun was getting close to setting, but even through the long shadows cast by the trees, they could see the snow plow making its way up the road toward the cabin. Behind it was a government car, most likely carrying Justin and O'Neil.
"Well," Mulder sighed. "Looks like the vacation's over." His voice was full of regret.
"Yeah," Scully muttered. She was happy to go back, to have a shot at catching the killer. She was glad to get away from this cabin now that she knew what it had been used for. She was overjoyed to be getting back to the real world.
Then why was she so sad?
************************************************************
Days Inn
Downtown Spokane
Matthew Ross was arrested around 7 P.M. that evening. The evidence against him was enough, and it had been obtained legally. Three working girls, friends of victims, positively identified him as a regular visitor to their neck of the woods. There wasn't much Ross could do to deny it. His
lawyers would, no doubt, argue that he was just obsessed with the Beast and collected information on his victims from the papers. But the date of Jainey Conrad's death (it had been confirmed by a friend that she had indeed disappeared on the night of June 16) without a name, a name that hadn't
yet been released to the public, was pretty convincing. How had he known what day she died if he didn't even know her name unless he had killed her? The case was nearing closure, and Mulder and Cat were going back to DC in the morning.
Mulder sat on the bed watching the local news. All the local stations were re-running clips from the press conference the task force had held at 9 P.M. The speaker detailed how an anonymous witness had led to the arrest of Matthew Ross earlier that evening on suspicion of being the Beast. The
speaker looked great on TV.
Scully had worn her hair up in a French twist, her clothes were clean, and her make-up fresh. She showed no signs of having spent the previous night in a deserted cabin with an insatiable lover. She was once again the calm, unflappable Assistant Special Agent in Charge. But he could remember her
last night, her hair wild and unruly. He could still smell her, musky and sweet. He could still taste her... He closed his eyes and groaned. It was very fortunate indeed he hadn't let his memory tease him while they had worked at the office. But now, when he was relaxed and alone, tease him it did.
Now what were he and Scully to do?
Did they dare attempt a long-distance relationship as he had asked about two nights ago? Or did they just go back to the way things had been for the past year, just letting the events in the cabin become a fond memory? Could they even contemplate a change in location that might bring them
closer together? Could he seriously leave the X Files to move out here just to be closer to her? Hell, yes, he thought. But he knew she wouldn't allow him to do that. The memory of how upset she was when she discovered his dying interest in the X Files came to mind. No, she would not be happy if he quit. And he honestly didn't think it was the right thing to do anyway. He had things to do there, unfinished business that he didn't think would let him alone to be happy quite yet. He still had work to do.
A knock sounded at the door. For a moment, his heart leapt, thinking it might be Scully. But his mind didn't recognize the knock as hers. Strange, he thought as he got up to walk to the door. He never realized before that he would know Scully just by her knock. He looked through the peephole to see Cat standing nervously in the hall. He opened the door to admit her. "What's up?" It was after 11 P.M. Too late for work.
Cat stepped into the room. "Nothing. Just seeing if you were okay." She turned to face him. "You've been really quiet ever since we picked you up at the cabin. Not like an agent who just caught a serial killer."
Mulder closed the door and moved to turn off the TV. He saw Cat glance at Scully on the screen before he flipped it off. "Something happened between you and Scully up there, didn't it?" There was concern in her voice, as well as a bit of jealousy. He nodded. He had never lied to Cat, and he wasn't about to start now. "Is she coming back to the X Files?" Now she sounded worried.
That was something Mulder hadn't let himself hope. He shrugged. "I don't know. I doubt it. She's committed herself to her job here."
"But you would take her back in a second if she said she wanted to come back, wouldn't you?"
"Cat..."
"I know, I know," Cat cut him off. "She's your best friend, maybe far more, and you were great together." She looked at him, her eyes pleading. "But I really love this job. I love the X Files. I don't want to leave."
Mulder sighed. "Cat, even if she did, for some strange reason, want to come back, I'd make sure you could stay on in some way or another." He shook his head sadly. "But I'm sure we won't have to worry about that."
Cat nodded, looking relieved. The she let out a soft laugh. "You do realize that the X Files were the reason I joined the FBI in the first place, don't you?"
"I seem to recall you mentioning something like that once."
"Scully was...is...my idol. I know that sounds corny, but it's true. But I also know she's human, too. And I know how much of you she took with her when she left the X Files, because I see how you interact with her, and you're different. Whole." She took a deep breath. "Have you even asked her to come back?"
Mulder looked at his partner, and for the first time saw her as a friend. He knew she probably still had an interest in him as a man, but she also knew his heart belonged to Scully. And that would never change. Cat belonged with the X Files, and he was determined to see her stay, but that didn't mean Scully couldn't come back.
"You're right," he said finally. "I should ask her to come back. Just as I should have asked her to stay a year ago. The X Files can handle more than two agents now. It just might work!" He was getting excited now.
Cat smiled. "Good," she said softly. She had learned to care for Mulder a great deal in the past few months, but her respect for Scully and his obvious devotion to her had kept Cat from making any moves on her partner. Besides, it wouldn't be professional. So why was she encouraging him to ask Scully back when it was obvious they were more than friends? Hell, they'd been through enough trouble. They could easily handle romance!
"Good luck," she whispered as she left. But Mulder didn't even hear her. He was too busy trying to decide what to say to Scully to get her to come home.
*****
Scully's House
11:19 P.M.
Scully was reclining on her sofa, back against the armrest and bare feet on the cushions, trying hard to quiet her mind. Soft music played from the stereo and a fire burned in the fireplace. It was nothing like the fire at the cabin. 'God,' she thought to herself, 'was that only last night?' The past couple of days had seemed to take forever. Yet, they had been far too short as well; Mulder was leaving tomorrow.
With the lights dimmed, she easily saw the headlights of a car reflecting on the far wall, telling her someone had pulled into her driveway. She quickly got up and walked into the foyer, peeking through the window in the front door. She wasn't surprised to see Mulder step out of the car and walk
carefully up her recently shoveled driveway. He had his hands buried in his coat pockets and his head down. He looked like a man on a mission. Scully thought she knew what it was.
Mulder looked up as Scully opened the door, and a soft smile teased his lips. Scully stepped aside and he walked in. He shed his coat, and she noted that he had changed into jeans and a sweatshirt since she had last seen him. Together, they walked into the living room. Mulder's smile widened when he saw the fire, then he turned to face her and his smile disappeared. Scully felt unnerved by the look in his eye.
"Scully, I..." he stopped. Then he turned to look at the pictures on the mantle again. Whatever it was he was trying to tell her was obviously making him nervous as well. "I've been trying to think of a way to ask you this all the way over here, and I think that the best thing to do is just ask." He spun around to look at her. "Come back to the X Files with me." His words came out in a rush.
Scully felt tears form in her eyes. She had suspected that was what he had come here to do, ask her to return. She had been thinking about her answer all evening. "Mulder..."
Before Scully could continue, Mulder interrupted. "I know the pay sucks compared to this job, and I know it's not as highly respected as an ASAC position. I also know it's dangerous, and the last thing I want to do is see your life threatened again. But, I need you. The X Files need you."
Scully stayed silent for a while, looking at the floor, tears blurring her vision. Slowly, she shook her head. "I can't." She looked up at Mulder. "I have a responsibility here. I can't just ask for a transfer, even if I was sure they'd allow it." Mulder opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "And don't you dare think of leaving the X Files to come out here!"
Mulder sighed and gave her a laugh that sounded unbearably sad. "I knew you were gonna say that."
"You and Cat are great together," Scully continued. "And you know very well that I'll always be here for you if you need me. Just because we live 3,000 miles apart doesn't mean we can't be together." His glance in her direction was full of disbelief. "Well, we'll just have to start using those frequent flier miles we've collected over the years. And you'll have to start taking voluntary vacations!" That got a real laugh out of him.
Mulder nodded, then walked over to the stereo. "Okay. We'll make it work. But don't come to the airport to see me off tomorrow; I don't want to embarrass myself in front of Cat."
Scully laughed softly.
"And do me one favor before I say 'goodnight'."
Scully didn't want him to say goodnight just yet, but she nodded her head anyway. "Okay."
"Dance with me?"
It was the last thing she expected him to ask. She nodded silently, hoping her expression didn't look too stunned. As he turned up the volume on the stereo, she walked toward him. Faith Hill was singing 'Breathe'. Scully's heart quickened before she even stepped into his arms.
*I can feel the magic floating in the air. Being with you gets me that way.*
Slowly, Mulder and Scully swayed to the music. They had only danced together once before, but it hadn't been anything like this.
*I watch the sunlight dance across your face. And I've never been this swept away.*
Scully brought her arms up around his neck, feeling Mulder pull her closer against him. She buried her face against his sweatshirt.
*All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze. When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms.*
Mulder's arms began to move slowly, seductively up and down her back.
*The whole world just fades away. The only thing I hear is the beating of your heart.*
Scully brought her lips to his throat and kissed him.
*'Cause I can feel you breathe, it's washing over me, and suddenly I'm melting into you. There's nothing left to prove, Baby, all we need is just to be.*
His pulse jumped. She touched him again in the same spot, this time with her tongue. He groaned.
*Caught up in the touch, slow and steady rush. Baby, isn't that the way love's supposed to be?*
*I can feel you breath. Just breathe.*
Mulder backed away from her, his eyes that incredible green.
*In a way I know my heart is waking up, as all the walls come tumbling down.*
Slowly, without taking his intense gaze off hers, he began to unbutton her blouse.
*Closer that I've ever felt before, and I know, and you know, there's no need for words right now.*
Scully stood unmoving, letting him slide her shirt from her shoulders. Her heart was beating so hard, she was sure he could hear it, as just as slowly, he removed her bra. Her breathing had quickened, just as his had.
*And I can feel you breathe, it's washing over me, and suddenly I'm melting into you. There's nothing left to prove, Baby, all we need is just to be.*
Slowly, almost reverently, he cupped her breasts. He lowered his head, but did nothing more than breathe softly on them, making her nipples peak and producing a low sound from her throat.
*Caught up in the touch, slow and steady rush. Baby, isn't that the way love's supposed to be?*
*I can feel you breathe.*
Mulder stepped back and just looked at her. She wanted to move, to cover herself, but his eyes held her captive.
*Just breathe.*
*I can feel the magic floating in the air. Being with you gets me that way.*
As the music ended, Mulder dropped to his knees and proceeded to remove the rest of her clothing. With hardly any help from her, he managed to completely divest her of all of it. She found herself standing naked, in the firelight, with a fully clothed, yet highly aroused, Mulder staring at her.
She felt embarrassed. She felt like a wanton. She felt free. With a small smile, she moved over to the sofa and pulled off an afghan her mother had made years ago. Then she deliberately spread it out on the floor in front of the fireplace. She looked at him expectantly. With much less finesse and much more speed than he had used to remove her clothing, Mulder quickly undressed. Then he was next to her, touching her once again.
It was as if they had been lovers for years. Mulder seemed to know all the places to touch her to get her to gasp or moan, and she was equally adept at finding the places that made him shudder. Slowly, with no rush and no words, they loved each other. No thought of tomorrow. No worries about the future. Just each other and the night.
************************************************************
Sometime during the night, Mulder carried Scully to her bed. He planned on going back to the motel, but Scully's sleepy voice stopped him. "Don't you dare leave until you absolutely have to!" With no more encouragement needed, Mulder slid under the covers. She quickly wrapped herself
around him and fell asleep.
He lay there for a long time, just listening to her breathe. He admitted to himself that he hadn't tried very hard to talk Scully into coming 'home' with him; but she had obviously been thinking long and hard about the question herself, and had known her what her answer would be. Mulder had known, too, but Cat's pep talk had given him hope. He couldn't blame Scully for not wanting to go back. She had worked hard here in Spokane. Her years with the X Files had given her a reputation; She had long been saddled with the nickname 'Mrs. Spooky'. But the agents and local law here had learned to like her, trust her. Respect her.
He had sworn he had felt his heart break when she had said 'no', but he would survive. She loved him. She wanted him. It still amazed him that this was so. That was all that really mattered. The future always held hope. Someday, she would be willing to come back with him. Someday, he would
finish his work and be ready to move on with his life. Someday. What a hopeful word.
Mulder felt her breathing change; she was waking up. He felt her hand slide down his body. As it reached for him, his body quickly reacted. "Good, God, woman," he joked. "Don't you ever stop?"
Scully lifted her head to look at Mulder, giving him a wicked smile. "I'm sorry! I didn't think you'd mind." She began to move her hand away, but Mulder grabbed her wrist and pulled it back down onto his shaft.
"Stop now, and I'll never dance with you again!" Scully continued her 'torture' and he couldn't stop a groan from escaping. She laughed, an incredibly erotic sound combined with what she was doing to him. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her small hand caressing him, her thumb gently rubbing over the tip of his erection, then sweeping down its length to toy with an even more sensitive part of his anatomy.
Much later, as they lay spooned together, Mulder asked Scully a question. "Do you remember that rock I told you about?"
She was quiet for a moment. "The one in the Black Hills?"
"Yeah. Do you think you could find it if you needed to?"
"It's near Custer, didn't you say?"
Mulder nodded, though he knew she couldn't see him. "You take highway 16 north from Custer about 4 or 5 miles. You look for a sign for the Outlaw Ranch. The turn off is on the left. It's a gravel road and you follow it past all the houses and the turn-off for the Outlaw Ranch itself, until you come to an old logging trail that crosses the road. That's the trail. You want the right-handed one, the one
that starts on the east side of the road. The rock is just a couple hundred yards up the trail."
Scully asked Mulder softly, "Why is it so important for me to know where that rock is?"
"I just need to know you can find it," Mulder said. "Just in case..."
"In case what?" She turned in his arms to look at him.
"In case we need to meet someplace no one else knows about."
"Okay." Scully watched him for a while. "Insurance?"
"Exactly." There were still people out there that would like nothing better than to see Mulder lose everything. He needed to know that the one person he had left could find him if he had to run. His paranoia still ran deep.
"You know, all this chasing around serial killers and bank robbers and other earthly criminals has made me forget what it's like back there," Scully said softly. Her eyes looked at him with concern. "You promise me that you'll be careful, whatever it is you're planning."
How did she know he was planning something? "I promise." He had way too much to live for now to be taking too many chances with his life. But it if he didn't take some, he would never have a life. He felt her shiver, and knew it was neither the cold or him that caused it. "Oh, come on, Darlin'. You're not gonna let a bunch of alien-loving conspiracy freaks worry you, are you?"
"No, DEAR, I'm not." He had know the 'darlin' would get a rise out of her. "I just don't like the idea of you going after people like that by yourself." Her lips thinned. "Okay, I'm a little worried."
"Well stop." He kissed her forehead. "The night's not long enough for two exhausting pursuits, and I'm not through with this one, yet." He slid down in the bed and began to make love to her neck, slowly working his way down her body.
"Good, God, man," Scully quipped. "Don't you ever stop?"
He felt her shiver when he laughed. Then, reaching his destination, he took her right nipple into his mouth, rolling it around his with his tongue. She arched her back, then gave a soft squeal when he let his hand drift down to cup her mound. He smiled as he moved to the other breast; it never ceased to amaze him how responsive she was. As he made love to her left breast this time, he let his index finger delve into her moist opening, causing her to wriggle her hips. She was letting out soft, panting breaths now. Another surprise, he thought; She was very vocal during sex. He loved it. He loved her. He wanted to make sure she knew she was his. Forever.
************************************************************
When Scully woke up, she didn't even need to open her eyes to know he was gone. A lump formed in her throat, but she quickly swallowed it. Stiffly, she got out of the bed, trying not to look at the mussed covers or to see herself, equally mussed, in the mirror. She grabbed a robe and pulled it on, then walked into the kitchen. Coffee. That's what she needed.
She stopped sharply at the coffee pot. A folded piece of paper sat propped against it. With trembling fingers, she picked it up and opened it, for some reason terrified by what it might say. She looked down and read the one word printed there:
Someday
Scully let the tears fall, all the tension draining out of her body. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. She turned her head to look outside the sliding glass doors facing the backyard. A Mule deer stood in the yard, standing up to her knees in snow. She was watching the house. Scully thought of Moira, and quickly walked to the door, opening it to the frosty morning air.
Moira. If it hadn't been for her, Mulder would have never had reason to come to Spokane. If it hadn't been for her, Ross would still be killing. She had a lot to thank the young woman for. "Thank you," she said aloud to the doe, feeling slightly foolish as she did so. Mulder's open-mindedness had allowed her to believe in the magical woman, earning herself a friend, but Scully had no way of knowing if that friend was watching her through the eyes of this deer.
Suddenly, the doe twitched her tail, then turned and ran for the forest, jumping effortlessly over the fence bordering Scully's yard. She knew then that it had to have been Moira. A shiver ran through her. Who would have thought that she would not only believe in 'magic', but to have a friend who was 'magic'? Mulder must be proud.
Scully closed the door and quickly moved into the living room to her computer. She had to leave a message for Mulder now so it would be there waiting when he got home tonight.
'Someday'
THE END
How DO you define normal?
Comments