Hidden Things By Xenith xenitha@yahoo.com Website: http://xenith.freeservers.com Disclaimer: The X-files belong to Chris Carter and 1013 Productions, not me. I'm only borrowing the characters for now. I'll put them back when I'm done. Rating: NC-17 (smut, graphic violence later, maybe more smut...) Category: SA, MSR Keywords: Muldertorture, Mulderangst, Scullyangst, character death (trust me!) Spoilers: all things Archive: Sure, but e-mail me first. E-mail: xenitha@yahoo.com Feedback: Love it! Love it! E-mail me!! I WRITE FASTER for e-mail! Discussion List: Yes!!! Yes!!! Summary: Mulder and Scully's new romance is interrupted when Mulder is asked to profile a serial killer, with results that will change their relationship forever. This story takes place right after all things. Author's Note: First, thank you to my wonderful betas, Obfusc8tor and Truthwebothknow. I would be terribly ungrammatical without you two! A special thanks to the wonderful folks at Mulder's Refuge and a great big HELLO to Mulderache, aka Gail. Does this meet your challenge? WIP Note: I always write works in progress, aka WIPs. I usually have a posting schedule and I keep to it religiously. This story will probably come out weekly, sooner if I can manage it. But I will ALWAYS post. And I ALWAYS ALWAYS finish. So don't worry, I won't leave you hanging. Part 1 The lawyer straightened up in the hard wooden chair and eyed the prisoner shuffling toward him. This guy was tall but very thin, his dark hair hung uncut over his eyes but the prisoner didn?t trouble to push it out of the way. Oh, the lawyer noted, he couldn?t because of the cuffs. ?You can take the cuffs off. I don?t think he?ll hurt me,? the lawyer said. ?They ain?t on to protect you,? the guard said. ?It?s to protect *him* from himself.? The guard unlocked the cuffs and the prisoner silently stretched his arms out, relieving the kinks. The guard made a gesture toward the prisoner. ?Hey, you! Let him see your wrists!? The prisoner spared an ironic glance at the guard and held his forearms facing the lawyer. Long jagged scars ran down each arm, lots of them, some barely healed. ?We don?t know where he gets ?em from, but he always finds a razor or a shiv. He?s been on suicide watch more times than I can count, but the doc says he?s sane enough to be tried, so he?s your problem now.? The guard went to the door and looked back over his shoulder. ?I?ll be just outside if you need me.? ?We?ll be fine,? the lawyer tried to inject confidence into his voice. Oh well, it was hard starting a law practice fresh out of school, so he took whatever clients the Defender?s office couldn?t handle. Besides, this was a paying client, such as he was. This client was so quiet he was almost comatose. Better introduce himself and break the ice. ?Hi, I?m Josh Zatkovich, your new lawyer. You must be Fox Mulder. Should I call you Fox?? The prisoner smiled wryly. ?No, call me Mulder, just Mulder.? ?Glad to meet you, Mr. Mulder,? Josh opened his folder. ?I know you?ve been here quite a while. I understand that you?ve been released from treatment?? Mulder shrugged. ?They decided it?s worth trying me after all. The doctors say I?m sane now.? He looked around the room, eyeing the two way mirrored wall. "For what it's worth." ?Your first lawyer" Josh said, flipping through the pages of the file. "Ahhh...Mr. Carlton...persuaded the court that you could not assist in your own defense... It says here that you?ve been psychotic but none of the drugs had any effect.? Josh closed the file again. ?How are you feeling now?? Mulder?s eyes flickered toward the wall, the ceiling, anywhere but at his listener. ?Can't I just plead guilty now and get it over with? Carlton wouldn?t let me do it before, said I wasn?t competent. But I know what happened and it was my fault. All my fault.? ?Then you admit that you did rape and murder Special Agent Dana Scully?? Mulder hunched into his chair, his voice a low monotone. ?Yes. Yes, I did. I must have.? ?Mr. Mulder, I don?t like to allow my clients to plead guilty until I?ve heard everything they have to say. I can?t properly advise you until I know all that happened. Why don?t you tell me about it.? Mulder shrugged. ?What is there to tell? They found Scully?s blood in a pool in her apartment..? He twitched and shifted his gaze to the wall, then rubbed his nose nervously. ?Her...they found her blood and my semen on the bed sheets. They found her blood and hair in my car's trunk.? His voice trailed off. ?They never found a body, is that right?? the lawyer said softly. ?That?s right,? said Mulder, shifting his weight in the chair. ?The evidence says I did it. And she hasn?t been seen since.? He still couldn?t meet the man?s eyes. ?And you, Mr. Mulder? What do you say?? ?I...killed...her.? Mulder?s voice fell away into a gravelly whisper. ?But...all I remember is broken up...little flashes...bits and pieces...there was a fight of some kind....I don't know.? The lawyer picked up the folder again. "The tox screen says you had a level of Ketamine in your blood and that you have a history of abusing the drug. Were you shooting up with it?" "I used it once, to try to regain some memories. I don't know why I'd be using it again. I remember making love to her at her apartment. I...think it was consensual, I'd never hurt Scully in my right mind." His voice trailed off and he looked miserably away from his lawyer. Josh scanned a sheet in the folder. "I understand from your medical history that Ketamine makes you hallucinate. And gives you partial amnesia? You were unconscious when the park rangers found you." Mulder nodded. "They say I was lying next to my car in the Rock Creek Park ... with Scully's blood on me...and that I had a bloody knife with my fingerprints on it and her panties next to it. They found my bloody footprints at her apartment. They figure I killed her there and dumped her later at the park." He drew a shaky breath. ?Do you believe that you did it?" The lawyer was pulled up short by the agony in Mulder?s eyes. ?She?s gone and the only explanation is that I ki...did it...I remember a struggle but I can't see a face...? Mulder?s voice faded as he stared into space. ....................... Months Earlier Mulder woke, conscious that his bed was empty. He stretched out an arm and found a hollow where Scully had lain. She'd really been there, hadn't she? It wasn't just a dream? He spotted an auburn hair on the pillow and smiled. It hadn't been a dream, she'd really spent the night in his bed and made love to him. He checked the clock. Five a.m. and her side of the bed wasn't even warm. She must have gone a while ago. Sudden worry made him sit up. She didn't regret last night, did she? He'd just come back from England, looking for those nonexistent crop circles, only to find a completely changed Scully. Well, maybe not changed. More like she'd finally given in to the truth about their relationship that she'd been fighting against for so very long. Mulder shook his head and grinned at the memory. He got out of bed and padded into the living room. She wasn't here either; she hadn't left him to sleep on the couch after all. The Indian blanket he'd tried to cover her with last night was where she'd left it, neatly folded. He looked around and stopped when he saw the note taped to the front door. He snatched it and opened it quickly. It said: "Mulder, I'm sorry I couldn't stay the whole night, but I need to change into fresh clothes for work. We'll have our full night together, I promise. I'll see you in the office." He smiled and remembered the unexpected night before. After he'd left her sleeping on the couch he'd gone to bed himself and tried to sleep. To his surprise he heard a footstep in the doorway. "Scully? Is that you?" he'd asked sleepily. "Yeah, it's me Mulder. Okay if I come in?" "Sure, come on in," he patted the bed next to him. She sat on the side of the bed and then seemed to make a decision. She lay down next to him, resting her head on an elbow. "Mulder, have you ever fought so hard against something that your battle consumed you and you forgot your original goal?" Mulder was silent for a moment. "I've had moments like that," he finally said dryly. "Did you have anything specific in mind?" She smiled a little. "You. Me. We've worked together for how many years now and I've yet to tell you how I feel about you." She eyed him calmly. "You do know how I feel, don't you?" "Ummm, you like having me as your partner?" Mulder supplied weakly. This was going fast. Way too fast. He wondered briefly whether he was dreaming all this. "I've always been drawn to powerful men, men like my father," she sighed and caught Mulder's eye. "But they were always men who were unavailable somehow. Daniel was married. Jack Willis was my teacher." She laughed. "Mulder, did you ever wonder why I got that tattoo?" "You would never talk about it and got mad at me when I mentioned it," Mulder said, gently moving a strand of her hair from her face. "I...the whole thing with Ed Jerse...I felt like I was repeating the same pattern all over again, with you. When I was dating Daniel, and later, Jack, I was always the student, the child being mentored. I subsumed myself in them. I only broke away from Daniel when I found out he was married. I couldn't break up a family..." She sighed and was silent for a moment. "I still caused damage unwittingly. And all this was because I needed somebody else to validate me, to tell me that I was bright, competent, capable..." "And then you got assigned to the X files," Mulder prompted. "And then I met you. Mulder, you were so brilliant, it was frightening. I wanted your approval so badly that I'd have turned handsprings for you if you'd asked," Scully said softly. "Really? An opportunity missed..." Mulder replied. "But I don't understand. You questioned my every theory, debunked my science, demanded hard proof for any proposition I supported." "Would you have respected me if I hadn't? You've said it yourself, I kept you honest. And you did respect my opinion, no strings attached." She nudged herself a bit closer. "Mulder, you're the only powerful man I've ever been able to resist." Mulder leaned back, eyes on the ceiling. "Great. I'm the only one you can resist. Nice to know I'm that desirable a friend." "But that's the point, Mulder. You didn't want an adoring acolyte. You've always wanted me to be myself. When Ed Jerse happened, I was finally rebelling against the male authority figure in my life. You were in charge of my days, I spent all my spare time with you. Mulder, I felt like I was losing myself in you. I had to break the pattern if I could." "Was I that bad?" "You were every bit as demanding as my father ever was. Finally when you wanted me to investigate that ridiculous..." She stopped and looked embarrassed. "Anyway, all I wanted to do was rebel. And then Ed presented himself..." She sighed. "Mulder, every minute I was with Ed, I wanted it to be you. And there hasn't been anybody I could be interested in since I met you." "Really? You really...? Then why didn't you ever say anything, Scully?" Mulder looked tenderly into her eyes to find her gazing steadily back. She took a breath. "Mulder, I've kept you at a distance since then because I didn't trust myself not to make the same mistakes of the past. But in the last two days I've had to confront the person I was, and I discovered that I've changed. I've grown into my own person. I'm not the pliant student I was when I fell in love with Daniel. Now I want a partner, not a teacher." She searched his eyes and whispered. "I'm not too late, am I?" "No...of course not!" Mulder gathered her into an embrace and began planting kisses on her neck, cheek, chin, anywhere he could reach. Finally he worked his way down to her lips and held there for the sweetest kiss of his life. They both broke away, gasping for air and Mulder found himself laughing aloud. "I never thought this day would come, Scully. I've...well, tried to keep the possibilities open, let you have your space and not push. But I'm glad you've finally come to realize the truth we've both been dancing around all this time." He lay his left arm out and let her snuggle up against him. "You mean the fact that I love you?" Scully said flatly. "I do. I have for years. You've dominated every romantic thought I've had...um...for a long time..." She trailed off, her face flushing. "Why Dana Scully, you're blushing!" Mulder said with a smile and raised eyebrow. "What you mean to say is that I'm featured in your sexual fantasies?" Unable to meet his gaze, she just nodded. "And...um...I wouldn't mind trying a few of those fantasies if you're willing." "Scully, are you coming on to me?" Mulder said gleefully. "You are!...My God...Scully" He drew her close and kissed her forehead. "I want to make love to you, anywhere, any time you ask." He searched her face. "You don't have any doubts about my feelings for you, do you?" Her face became unreadable for a moment. "There were times when I wondered whether you and Diana would rekindle the flame. I was ready to step away if I had to, until I found out what she was." She gave him a determined look. "I'm still your partner and I've got your back." "You've got the rest of me, too. Diana and I were over a long time ago." He picked up her right hand and kissed her palm. "You're my today and my tomorrow." Keeping her eyes focused on his, Scully sat up and began pulling off her shirt. He helped her release the catch on her bra and remove her skirt and underwear. When she was naked, she got up unselfconsciously and carefully folded the clothing, setting it on the dresser. She turned to Mulder with a solemn look. Mulder was drinking her in with his eyes. He'd seen her naked before but never like this. She smiled. "Like what you see?" Mulder just nodded and pulled the covers open. He'd gone to bed with pajama bottoms on but quickly shrugged them off while Scully was climbing into bed. "It's been a while since I did this..." Mulder began nervously, trying to decide where to put his hands. She smiled. "Me too. We can both be almost-virgins together, I guess." She grabbed Mulder's right hand and gently put it on her breast. "You could start there..." "Oh. Okay," he smiled and applied first his fingers, then his lips to her nipples. She lay back, her eyes half closed, breathing hard. "You like that?" he whispered. Gasping, she just nodded. Encouraged, he moved his fingers lower while his tongue still teased her nipple. Her skin was soft and warm as he caressed her abdomen and moved further down. When he touched her clitoris she jerked and he pulled away. "You okay?" he asked anxiously. "Fine. Do what you were doing!" She grabbed his hand again and moved it back. He smiled and lowered his mouth to her clitoris and his fingers into her vagina. He continued until she was writhing and moaning, her cries soft and, he thought, restrained. Must improve that. Scully is way too inhibited, he thought. But Dana Scully moaning... He'd never thought he'd hear that sound. He bent to his task again and remained focused on her until she gradually lost all inhibition her cries growing louder until she was keening. She came, clutching at his head, running her hands through his hair in jerky desperate movements. While she was still spasming he moved himself over her then slid into her warm wetness. He stopped, savoring the moment. Home. He was home at last. Scully had stilled too, a quiet smile on her face. "Go for it, G-man," she said hoarsely. He grinned at her and did just that. -------------------- There was a spring in Mulder's step as he opened the office door. As he expected, Scully was already there with coffee in hand. She looked up at him and smiled secretly. He grinned back like an exuberant puppy. "Sleep well?" Scully asked, putting the coffee down. "Oh, very well," Mulder said blandly. "But there was some woman making an awful lot of noise. I couldn't sleep through that." Scully giggled. "You certainly didn't." Scully giggled. He'd never heard her giggle before. And was that a new dimple on her cheek? Come to think of it, he'd never seen her smiling so broadly. He was just leaning over to kiss her when the phone rang. "Damn!" Mulder hissed as he grabbed the phone. "Mulder...oh, yes Sir. Uh huh. We'll be right up." He put it down again. "Skinner wants to see us in his office right away. Another department has requested our services." Regretfully, Mulder opened the office door, waiting for Scully to precede him. She gave him a sympathetic smile as she passed. "Don't worry, Mulder. We'd better focus on the job while we're at work. But remember, there's always later..." Mulder smiled back and followed her to the elevator and the new case. --------------------------- Scully tapped at Skinner's half open office door. "Sir? You asked for us?" "Oh, Agents Mulder and Scully, please come in," Skinner motioned from his desk. "Have a seat." One of the office chairs was already occupied by a tall, fair haired man in a dark suit. "Agents Mulder and Scully, this is Agent Pargeter from the Behavioral Science Unit," Skinner gestured toward the seated agent. Pargeter smiled and stood up. "Agent Mulder, I've read about your work in the BSU and never thought I'd ever have the chance to meet you." Mulder was nonplussed. "I see." He turned to Skinner. "And this is a BSU case?" He could see Scully frowning from the corner of his eye. Skinner looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Please be seated and I'll go over it with you." Avoiding Scully's accusatory glance, Skinner pulled a file off his desk and handed it to Mulder. Mulder flipped it open and held it so that Scully could read it too. Finally, Mulder set the open folder on his knee. "I don't see why you need us. This looks like a garden variety serial killer." He shot an inquisitive look toward Pargeter. "It's garden variety except we can't catch him," Pargeter said simply. "He kills, then leaves no evidence behind. It's like he disappears into the woodwork." "No epithelials? DNA? Nothing?" Scully asked. Pargeter shook his head. "He seems to choose a victim, then stalks her until an evening when he knows she'll be alone. He breaks into the house, rapes her in her bedroom, then slits her throat leaving a pool of blood behind. May I?" Pargeter pulled a photograph out of the file. "He removes the body and later dumps it in a remote location. His current preference seems to be ______________ park, now a favorite dump site because Chandra Levy was found there." "He wants to hide them away from the light, keep them from being found," said Mulder tonelessly. "What?" asked Skinner. "He doesn't leave the body behind. It's important to him in some way and when he does dispose of it he leaves it in a place where it won't be found right away." Mulder turned to Pargeter. "How many intact bodies have you found?" "So far only three of the seven were reasonably fresh. The other four were skeletal. We linked them to the UNSUB by the pools of blood left at the scene." Pargeter sighed. "We aren't even sure how he's getting into the homes. There's no sign of forced entry. We think that he may be someone the victim trusts, so she'll open the door to him." "And why do you need Mulder's help?" Scully asked coldly. "You should know by now that he's out of the BSU. He doesn't profile anymore." "Agent Mulder, I've come to ask for your help for the simple reason that we've come to a dead end and you were the best." Pargeter shook his head. "I've been working this case for over a year. I've seen seven families grieve over their loved one and haven't been able to get close to this guy. Like I said, it's like he's invisible. You're known to be unorthodox and you like to handle unusual cases." "And there's another reason for the BSU to request your services," Skinner said. "The latest victim was the niece of a Senator. Her family wants the killer found." "I guess we're on the case, then," Mulder said. "Can I keep this?" He gestured toward the folder. Pargeter nodded vigorously. "We've preserved the last two crime scenes if you'd like to take a look at them. I can't tell you how glad I am that you've decided to help us out, Agent Mulder." "Why don't you come downstairs to the office and give us some more background," said Mulder. "Sir? If you'll excuse us?" Skinner nodded and watched as Mulder opened the office door and motioned Pargeter out. Scully waited until Pargeter had left the room before confronting Skinner. "Why? You know what'll happen to him!" she hissed. "You heard me, I didn't have any choice." Skinner took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "This has become a high profile case and they specifically requested Mulder." "This will destroy him. He almost lost himself the last time..." Scully glanced toward the door. "They don't care, Agent Scully. As long as that Senator has his justice. I insisted that the BSU appoint a liaison agent and I understand that Pargeter is well seasoned. He'll help you keep Mulder balanced." "He knows Mulder's history?" she asked. "He does. I briefed him myself. You aren't alone in this. I'm sorry, Agent. This is the best I can do." Scully slowly approached the door, then turned toward Skinner. "I just hope it's good enough." <><><><>end Ch 1 Hidden Things part 2 Dana Scully entered the basement office to find Mulder and Pargeter huddled over an open file on the desk. On the floor next to it sat a box filled with folders and evidence. "Did you bring everything with you?" she asked wistfully, eyeing the already overcrowded small office. Pargeter smiled ruefully. "Only what was portable. You can't imagine how relieved I am that Mulder decided to take the case." Pargeter pulled the chair closer and motioned for Scully to sit down. "There's no reason for a lady to stand while we all look over the evidence," he said gallantly. Scully felt her face flush and quickly sat down. "What more can you tell us Agent Pargeter?" "Tom. Please call me Tom," said Pargeter. "I brought the basic information with me: case files, scene photos, notes and profiles. The bulk of the stuff is back in my office but I'll have it brought over." He removed a file from the box."This is the latest crime scene. Ashley Williams disappeared two weeks ago. Her body was just found yesterday in Rock Creek Park." He placed a photograph on the desk. It showed a bedroom with a carpeted floor covered with a large circular red stain. "The bed was disarranged, as though it had been slept in but there are no obvious signs of violence. The pool has been identified as the victim's blood. A tox screen found Ketamine in the bloodstain. This is also consistent with the blood found at other crime scenes and for those victims we could test, which would be two bodies. Four were already skeletal when found and Ashley Williams' tox screen hasn't come back yet. We theorize that he may use the drug to subdue the victims before assaulting them. We found no other pertinent evidence on scene." At the mention of Ketamine Mulder and Scully exchanged glances. "Is that significant?" Pargeter asked, perplexed. "No, not really," Scully hastened to tell him. "We're familiar with the drug and it's effects, that's all. I can see that it would be very useful to him." Mulder nodded. "Since Ketamine largely renders its victims unconscious it may indicate that the UNSUB is not a sexual sadist. A sadist would want a fully conscious victim." Mulder picked up the photograph and studied it closely. "And you say that Ashley's body was found? What condition was it in?" "Surprisingly good. A jogger's dog found it in the underbrush, partially buried. There was some evidence of predation; a wild animal had unearthed her somewhat. She was sexually assaulted before she was killed; her throat was slit from behind but it's curious..." "Yes?" asked Mulder. "Well, her body seemed to have been almost totally drained of blood, probably just before death. But there wasn't enough blood found at her apartment to account for it. It's almost as though someone drained her body at the time of her death." Pargeter laughed a little. "I don't want to imply that we suspect a vampire, though..." "Why not," Mulder asked seriously. "It's a possibility." "Or at the very least," Scully added. "An individual who believes himself to be a vampire might act out the fantasy by collecting the blood of his victims." She frowned. "It also implies that the UNSUB has some kind of a medical background." "May I look at the crime scene photos for all of the murders?" Mulder asked. Pargeter nodded and removed them from the various files, laying them in a row on the desk. Mulder leaned forward and studied them silently. Pargeter stood by alertly until it became apparent that Mulder wasn't going to say anything. Minutes passed, and Mulder remained absorbed in the photographs. Scully stood to one side chewing her lip, a look of dismay growing on her face. Finally, after ten minutes or so, Pargeter cleared his throat. "Ahhh, Agent Mulder, do you see anything significant in the photos?" he asked hesitantly. Mulder ran his fingers lightly over the surface of each picture, chewing his lower lip and scanning the photos again."Blood. I see blood, carefully poured onto the carpet. You see how symmetrical the stain is? No footprints or droplets. It's very important to him to be neat. The blood is important...but how?...." His eyes looked glassy and he focused on the pictures again. "Agent Mulder?" Pargeter began, then Scully took him by the elbow. "I'm sorry Agent Pargeter, but Mulder gets like that when he's profiling. When he's reached a conclusion, he'll discuss it with us." She eyed Mulder with thinly disguised concern, then turned to Pargeter. "In the meantime, it's lunch time. Why don't we pick up some sandwiches at the deli? Mulder may have some opinions for us when we get back." Pargeter glanced at the still rapt Mulder and nodded. "Okay, but please, would you call me Tom?" "Then I'm Dana," Scully replied and quickly pushed him out of the office. "Mulder, we're getting some sandwiches. We'll be right back, okay?" she asked loudly. Mulder waved an absent hand as she closed the door. She shut it with a sigh and went to meet Pargeter at the elevator. "Is he always like that? Kind of...." Pargeter searched for a word. Spacey...obsessed...a variety of terms ran through Scully's mind before she found a more palatable word for it. "Focused? Yes, he takes profiling very seriously. I don't think he'll be paying much attention to either of us for the next few days. He immerses himself in the evidence," Scully punched the first floor button, wishing it were the face of the anonymous FBI supervisor higher up who had assigned them to this damned case. At the deli they ordered three sandwiches. "Say, Dana, why don't we just eat ours here and take the other one back to Mulder. He'd probably like to be alone with the evidence for a while," Pargeter smiled pleasantly and gestured toward a table. Scully accepted uncertainly. She was starting to regret that they'd left Mulder behind but, realistically, she had to let him do his work. She couldn't mother-hen him. "All right," she said, bringing her sandwich over to the side table and sitting down. Pargeter sat next to her and cheerfully began unwrapping his sandwich. "So...Tom...what brought you to the FBI?" she asked, taking a bite of hers. "The usual, I guess. My career was less than satisfying to me, and I had some law enforcement training in my background. I was working as an EMT at the time," Pargeter smiled. "It was rewarding enough but I wanted something more challenging, so I applied to the Bureau and was accepted. I worked out of the Tulsa Field Office for four years, then moved to the Behavioral Sciences Unit." He took a bite from his sandwich. "I thought it might be interesting." "That's one word for it," said Scully absently. She wondered vaguely whether she should call Mulder and check on him, then realized that Pargeter had just said something. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that.." she said. "Oh, I was just wondering why you're in the FBI, Dana?" Pargeter enquired. Men, thought Scully, I'm here because of men. I joined because of one man, Daniel, and stayed because of Mulder. Damn them. I hope Mulder is all right. "I decided that I didn't want to practice medicine, and this offered a way for me to use my scientific training to make a difference," she said, then checked her watch, absently wrapping her sandwich back in its paper. "I think I'd like to go back to the office and see how Mulder is doing." Pargeter nodded and tossed his half-eaten sandwich into the trash bin, then followed her out the door. Back at the office, Mulder sat where they'd left him, seemingly frozen in place. He continued to study and lightly stroke the pictures, sometimes muttering quietly to himself. "Mulder? We brought lunch," said Scully and put the wrapped sandwich on top of the photos. Mulder jerked and started to push the sandwich away, then caught a glimpse of Scully's face out of the corner of his eye. "Uh... Hi. Scully and...and...Agent Pargeter. Uh...thanks for lunch," he said absently, his eyes straying back to the pictures while he unwrapped the sandwich. "See anything?" asked Pargeter with interest. "Maybe," Mulder said around the sandwich. "I'll know more when I see the crime scenes. I think I'd like to take some more time today to go over the files. We can look at the scenes and any bodies you have tomorrow." "That sounds fine with me," Pargeter said. "I'll leave you to it, then. Shall I stop by tomorrow, about 10:00 a.m.?" Mulder nodded, his attention already drawn back to the photographs. Scully flashed Pargeter an apologetic smile as he let himself out of the office. 7:00 p.m. Fox Mulder's Apartment "Scully, I wish you wouldn't treat me like a child," Mulder held the door open for Scully. She flicked the interior light on, making her usual quick glance around for intruders before entering. With Mulder's apartment, you never knew. "I'm not treating you like a child, Mulder," she replied calmly, setting her overnight bag down on the floor. "I just think it's a good idea for me to stay with you while we're working on the case. For one thing, it'll be a lot more convenient. And for another," she smiled and turned toward him. "I want to spend some romantic time with my man, while I have the chance." She walked up to him and, standing on tiptoe, kissed him on the chin. "Or do you really want me to go home?" Mulder was jolted from any thought of the case by that kiss. Scully kissed him. He couldn't remember the last time she'd just kissed him. Out of nowhere. "Um..." He looked down and saw her face upturned to his, clearly wanting him to kiss her back. Well, who was he to argue? He bent down and gave her a slow, warm kiss, wrapping his arms around her, deepening it until they were both breathless. When he pulled away her eyes were still closed. "Was that acceptable?" he asked softly. She silently nodded and opened her eyes, then smiled."Very acceptable. So, having me as a houseguest isn't all that terrible, is it?" Remembering last night, Mulder grinned. "I think I could put up with it. But Scully, you know how hard we'll be working on this case. We may not have much time or energy for a good horizontal lambada every night." "Who says I want one? I get tired too, Mulder," she replied. "That doesn't mean I don't like snuggling up to you and just sleeping." She moved into his arms again and put her head against his chest. "And, Mulder, I worry about you. When you profile, you tear down your own personality and replace it with the UNSUB's. You almost lost yourself the last time." She looked up and met his eyes. "I only just found you. I don't want to lose you now." "I've been in danger before; I've almost died before," Mulder reasoned. She shook her head vigorously. "That was different, Mulder. Then, you were my partner and my friend. I cared about you, loved you, but now I've come to realize that you've become a part of me. If anything happens to you, something inside me dies too. This time, it's different." She caught her voice trembling and stopped. Mulder drew a breath. "I can't drop this case, Scully. From what Pargeter told us, I'm their best hope for catching this guy. If someone else dies because I quit, I'll feel responsible. I just can't. And besides," he added, "this time it is different. I'm not alone. You're with me, really with me. I think I'll be okay." She shot him a skeptical look. "Really. I'll be fine," he said, then remembered who'd used that phrase last. Hastily, he moved away from her and toward the file box he'd left in the hall. "I'd better get to work on the rest of these files. I'm getting a sense of our UNSUB and I don't want to lose momentum." She sighed and nodded, helping him unpack the materials. 2:00 a.m. Scully yawned and pried her eyes open. My God, what time was it? She checked her watch and saw that it was well past midnight. She stretched and sat up on the couch. Mulder sat at his desk, as he'd been all evening. He had a different stack of photographs in front of him now: the victims. "Mulder, do you know what time it is?" she demanded. His only reply was a mumble. She got up and laid her hand on his shoulder, then shook it slightly. "Mulder? It's late. Go to bed. Come on." He glanced at her briefly and shook his head, then turned back to the photos. She stood there frowning and quietly resolved to use some dirty pool. She went into the bedroom and took off her suit, carefully hanging it up in Mulder's closet. Her other work clothes had been unpacked and hung there already. She took off her blouse, bra, panties and nylons, but replaced her pumps on her feet. That ought to do it. She marched back to the living room and stood behind Mulder's chair. "Mulder?" she said. "Yeah..." he mumbled, still looking at the pictures. "Mulder, turn around and look at me," she started to fold her arms across her chest but realized that would be self defeating, so she stood, arms akimbo and waited for him. "Scully, I know it's late, so if you want to go to bed, I..." Mulder caught sight of her and gulped. "Are you sure you don't want to join me in that bed?" she asked with a smile, then reached over and shut the desk lamp off. "Come on, Mulder. I'll tuck you in." She led a dumbfounded Mulder into the bedroom and had him half undressed before he could say anything. "Scully...um...this is new for you," he said as she unbuttoned his dress shirt. "Not that I'm complaining, you understand." "Shut up and kiss me, Mulder," she said and leaned toward him. He bent down and gave Dana Scully the longest kiss of her life. When she pulled away, his eyes were still closed. "Come to bed with me, Mulder?" she asked. He slowly opened them and nodded. She led him to the bed and pulled the covers aside, then shucked her shoes and climbed in. Mulder quickly stripped off the rest of his clothing and joined her. "You did that on purpose," he said, snuggling close against her body. "What?" she replied, then gasped as he began sucking on a nipple. He pulled away briefly. "Dragging me away from those files and into bed. You're determined that I get a good night's sleep, one way or another." Then he returned to her nipple, suckling it with his tongue and teeth. "I...completely deny...that I had...ohmygod...any ulterior mo....tive...god, ohmygodMulder..." She stopped when he covered her mouth with his own and began running his hands over her body, nails lightly teasing her skin just enough to make her tingle. While she was still gasping for air, he laughed and said, "Scully, I don't mind. Do you know how long I've had this fantasy? Now, why don't I show you what comes next?" 2:00 a.m. Arlington Thomas Pargeter unlocked his apartment door and tiredly switched on the light. He riffled through his mail, then dumped the majority into the nearby wastebasket. The marketers were getting more persistent every year. He yawned and pulled off his suit jacket, slinging it across a chair, then loosened his tie. He wandered across the sparsely decorated living room and into his den, the most important room in the place. He turned on the desk lamp and booted up the computer, then pulled the digital camera from his pants pocket, plugging it into the computer. As the photographs flashed across the screen he found the one he wanted and grinned. He hadn't expected to get a shot this good to add to his collection. He printed it out almost gleefully, then grabbed a thumbtack and tried to find a spot on the wall to put it. No, he needed more light. He went to the light switch and turned the overhead light went on, flooding the room with brilliance. Although the wall was covered with pictures of various sizes, he saw a good spot right in the middle, dead center. Yes, he'd put it there. He tacked it down and smiled again at his luck. All the other photographs of Dana Scully showed her fully clothed; he'd always known she was hot underneath that suit. Now he had proof of it. Great body, and those shoes! He'd suspected she had a naughty streak in her. Too bad she was only getting naked for Mulder, but that would change... <><><><>