The Marfa Murder Mysteries
By: Katie Phillips
Written: February 2004

Disclaimer:  I know they belong to CC, I just want to know if 
he even thinks about them anymore.
Keywords:  MSR, Casefile
Rating: R (to be on the safe side)
Archive:  Sure, just let me know where.
Feedback:  PLEASE!!! Xfstories@yahoo.com.

Summary:  Mulder gets tied up working on a case with VCU so 
Scully is forced to go undercover on her own down in Texas 
investigating mysterious deaths involving the world famous 
Marfa Lights.  Problems arise and Mulder also goes undercover 
to make sure his partner is safe.

Many thanks to Sallie for not only doing the beta work on this story
but for also coming up with the title.

Author's notes:  This story is completed and Sallie is busy 
doing the beta-work on the last part of it.  As soon as she 
is done, I will post it.


"Thank you for coming, Agent Scully."  AD Skinner motioned 
from behind his desk for her to have a seat.  "I also asked 
Agent Mulder to join us but apparently he is still tied up at 
VCU."

"They've been working pretty much around the clock Sir, 
trying to catch that serial killer."  Scully took her seat, 
crossed her legs and waited.

Before Skinner could speak further, the door opened and one 
very tired Fox Mulder entered the room.  All it took was one 
look at him to see that his stint with VCU was taking its 
toll.

"Thank you for coming, Agent Mulder." Mulder nodded to Scully 
and took his seat next to her.  "Are you making any progress 
on your case?"

"It's been slow going, Sir.  We're hoping to catch a lucky 
break soon."  Mulder rubbed at his eyes with the balls of his 
hands. He looked like he was in dire need of both sleep and a 
cup of coffee.

"I'm sure they're happy to have your help, Agent."

"Thank you, Sir." 

"The reason I've sent for you both is because of something 
that's happening in southwest Texas."  Skinner referred to 
the folder on his desk.  "In a place called "Marfa" to be 
exact."

"'Marfa,' as in the 'Marfa lights'?"  Skinner had Mulder's 
total attention now.

Skinner gave him a brief nod. "The area is going through a 
bit of a recession, and local authorities are trying to use 
the rumors surrounding these lights to help stimulate the 
economy. There's been a simple viewing area open to the 
public for years, but now they've decided to open up a more 
elaborate research facility and museum."

Mulder smiled.  "Trying to find a way to sell more t-shirts, 
no doubt."

Skinner gave him a slightly annoyed look and continued.  "The 
facility is set to open shortly with great fanfare, and 
practically every politician in the state attending. 
Unfortunately they've been having some problems."

"Problems Sir?"  Scully was still trying to figure out what 
any of this had to do with her and Mulder.

"A few of the construction workers on the site have died 
under mysterious circumstances, and just last night a couple 
sitting in one of the viewing areas appears to have been 
electrocuted in their car."  Skinner closed the folder and 
looked at both of his agents.  "The El Paso Bureau believes 
that someone in the area is upset about the opening of the 
facility. They've asked for one or two agents to go 
undercover and give them a hand 
catching the perpetrators."

"When do we leave Sir?"  Mulder was eager to check out the 
mysterious lights for himself, and obviously had no problem 
leaving the VCU investigation.

"Agent Scully will be heading out first thing in the 
morning."

"Alone?" Mulder ignored the look Scully threw his way.  
"Without backup?"

Skinner ignored him, and directed his next words to Scully.  
"You'll be employed at the new facility in their information 
center and gift shop. This should give you full access to 
everyone and everything."

Scully nodded and waited for him to continue.  "The town is 
very small so it's crucial you don't break your cover.  The 
SAC out of El Paso will let you know the arrangements for 
contact with the Bureau."

"Meaning no disrespect Sir," Mulder began, before Skinner cut 
him off.  

"I know you want to go too Mulder, but the VCU needs you.  
Their case is very much in the public eye, and the Bureau 
wants it wrapped as soon as possible.  When you're done 
there, we can address you joining Agent Scully if the case 
warrants it."

Mulder scowled at Skinner but said nothing further.  Scully 
shot him a look of sympathy before turning her attention to 
Skinner.  "When do I leave, Sir?"

"First thing in the morning."  Skinner passed her the file 
and an airline ticket.  "Agent Mulder, I was hoping you could 
spare an hour or two this morning to go over everything you 
know about the Marfa Lights with Agent Scully."  Skinner knew 
how disappointed Mulder was at not being assigned this case, 
and wanted to at least give him the chance to say 'goodbye' 
to his partner.

Mulder brightened a bit.  "I can give Agent Scully all the 
time she needs, Sir."

XXX

Since Mulder had to return to VCU that morning, he and Scully 
agreed to meet around noon.  Lunchtime came and went, with 
Mulder unable to get away.  He finally hooked up with Scully 
around 8:30 that evening, at her apartment.

"Mulder you look exhausted." Scully opened the door and 
ushered him in.  "When was the last time you slept?"

Mulder gave her a wan smile.  "I got a couple hours last 
night, or was it the night before?"  He shrugged and followed 
Scully into her kitchen where she had a pot of coffee 
brewing.  "You know how I get when I start profiling someone, 
I can't stop until I'm done."

Scully nodded.  She hated what working with VCU did to 
Mulder, and was glad he only had to help them occasionally.  
"Do you think you're close to being done?"

"I think so, but I'm really going to piss some people off 
with my profile.  It's totally different from the one they're 
using now."

Scully and Mulder settled onto her couch, and he gave her a 
brief rundown of the case and his profile.  Once again she 
found herself impressed with the way Mulder's mind worked, 
and his ability to see things that others missed.  When he 
finished, she asked him about the Marfa Lights.

"Scully, they're one of the great scientific mysteries of 
modern time.  They were first spotted during the late 1800's 
and have been seen constantly ever since.  There are tons of 
theories about them.  Some folks believe they're nothing more 
than car headlights bouncing off the mountains.  Others think 
they're swamp gas or some sort of UFO."

"Is that what you think?"  

"That they're UFO's?  Only in the most technical sense, that 
they have yet to be identified.  I don't think they have 
anything to do with aliens at all."

"But you do have a theory?"  Scully put down her coffee cup, 
turning to give Mulder her full attention.

"Of course I have a theory, Scully."  Mulder smiled at his 
partner.  "The land upon which this facility has been built 
was supposedly Apache burial grounds.  Their legend states 
that the Marfa Lights are Apache spirits roaming the earth.  
I think some of the spirits are mad enough to stop roaming 
and actually put up a fight."

Scully gave Mulder her patented raised eyebrow.  "You're 
saying that these attacks are being caused by annoyed 
spirits?"

"Wouldn't you be annoyed if someone built a gift shop on your 
final resting place?"

"Most likely, but from what I've read, the burial grounds are 
located more to the south."

"As far as they know."  Mulder said raising his own eyebrow.

XXX

Mulder and Scully spent the rest of the evening just talking, 
until Mulder realized how late it was. "Sorry Scully," he 
said getting up and returning his coffee cup to the kitchen.  
"I had no idea it was so late.  I'll leave you to finish 
packing.  I know you have an early flight and a million 
things to do before you leave."

Scully didn't want to see him go but knew he was right.  She 
did have a million things to do.  She followed him to the 
door.  "You will remember to water my plants this time, won't 
you Mulder?"

Mulder smiled down at her.  "You're plants are safe with me, 
Scully."

"That's what you said last time."  

"I replaced the ones I killed, Scully."  Mulder chuckled but 
then turned serious.  "Don't forget our password. Leave me a 
message and I'll drop everything and get out there."

"I'll be fine, Mulder."  Scully smiled.  He looked like a 
mother sending her child off to college for the first time.

"Please, Scully?"  Mulder threw her his best puppy-dog look.

"Okay, okay.  If I get in trouble I'll call your cell phone 
and say 'iced tea.'"

"Thanks, Scully."  Mulder wrapped his arms around her and 
held her close, putting his chin on top of her head.  "I'm 
going to miss you G-woman."

Scully closed her eyes and savored the feeling of being in 
his arms.  "I'll be back before you know it, Mulder."

Mulder said nothing.  He gave her a kiss on the forehead 
before releasing her and walking out the door.  Scully shut 
the door to her apartment, suddenly feeling very alone.  She 
took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and went to 
finish packing.

XXX

After a long conversation with the SAC in El Paso, it was 
decided that Scully would head directly for Alpine, a town 
about ten miles from the research center.  A small apartment 
was waiting for her there with everything she would need to 
start work the next day. It was also arranged that she 
would check in with the SAC Thursday evening at 7PM, using a 
pay phone.  During that conversation, the next check-in would 
be arranged.

The four hour drive from El Paso to Alpine gave Scully a good 
opportunity to observe her new surroundings. She had never 
been to this part of Texas before, and was surprised to see 
how dry and sparsely populated it was.  She was sometimes 
able to drive for 10 to 15 minutes on the highway, without 
seeing another car.

It was definitely not Washington DC.

The town of Alpine was a small one, and Scully had little 
trouble finding her apartment complex.  Her apartment was a 
small one bedroom and was nicely furnished.  She had even 
been supplied with linens and a fully stocked refrigerator.

Scully unpacked and then went to explore the town.  Alpine 
was a simple place, especially when compared to Washington, 
but it seemed to have everything she needed, and the people 
were friendly and outgoing.  Scully found it hard to believe 
that any of the people she met were capable of murder.

Returning to her empty apartment, Scully placed a small bunch 
of flowers she'd bought in a glass, and put them on a knotty 
pine table next to the telephone. She had been told her cell 
phone would be relatively useless in this part of Texas.  
Unable to get a signal, she stared at it angrily, desperately 
wishing she could call her partner.  After several minutes, 
Scully sighed and turned away.
XXX

The Marfa Lights research facility was about a twenty minute 
ride from Alpine, over twisting roads that wove their way 
through some very impressive rock formations.  The formations 
slowly disappeared and Scully found herself traveling down a 
long, straight stretch of road.

She didn't see another car for miles, let alone another 
building.  The only signs of mankind were the train tracks 
that ran parallel to the road, and the wires that lay between 
the two.  The landscape was so barren and flat, that Scully 
was able to spot the research facility long before she got 
there.

She pulled her car into a parking space and quickly checked 
her reflection in the mirror.  Agent Scully always 
straightened her hair, but Scully's alter ego had decided to 
go for the more natural look, and let the waves in her red 
hair come out.  That, combined with her simple short-sleeved 
blouse and jeans, completed the picture.  Scully smiled at 
her reflection.  Even Mulder would have to do a double-take 
to recognize her.

The research facility was a hubbub of activity as 
construction workers and painters hurried to 
complete their tasks.  Scully entered through the main door, 
taking a moment to review the exhibits that lined either side 
of the hall on the way to the information desk.  The desk was 
large and contained a computer, a cash register and a display 
of books ready to be purchased by tourists eager to remember 
their experiences.

The desk was located by the door to the gift shop.  It was an 
oddly shaped room that was filled with a variety of shelves, 
most of which still stood empty.  Scully could smell the 
strong odor of paint as she approached the desk and assumed 
that the shop had just been completed.

There was a middle-aged man in jeans and cowboy boots leaning 
over the desk, looking at the blueprints spread out in front 
of him.  At the sound of Scully's footsteps he looked up 
smiling, as his eyes went over her.

"You must be Ashley."  The man straightened and walked over 
to her, hand extended.  "I'm Stan, the overseer for this 
mess."  He waved his hand, gesturing to the activity that was 
going on around them.  Despite his joke, Scully could tell 
instantly that he was very proud of the place.

"Nice to meet you Stan."  Scully shook his hand and then 
gestured herself.  "Looks like there's still a bit of work to 
be done."

"That, my dear, is an understatement.  We are scheduled to 
open on Saturday which only gives us four days.  Thank God 
the politicians aren't showing up for another two weeks.  
With a little luck, we'll get all the bugs worked out by 
then."

Scully smiled, taking an instant liking to Stan.  He wasn't a 
very tall man, maybe six inches taller than she, but he had 
kind blue eyes and was quick to smile.  He patted the desk.  
"This will be your domain Ashley.  You and Suzie Ortiz will 
be the two manning the desk and the gift shop. I'll 
leave it to the both of you to work out your schedule."

"We plan to have the facility open from 9 am to 11 pm 
everyday.  I expect a few scientists to wander in here during 
the day to use our research library.  Normally tourists won't 
bother coming by until after dark.  We're hoping that by 
having a decent gift shop, and maybe in a month or two 
a little cafe, that we can get folks traveling down Route 90 
to stop in anytime."

Stan gave Scully the grand tour of the facility.  It featured 
not only the gift shop and its storage room, but a small 
kitchen around which the cafe would be based.  There was a 
comfortable room for viewing the "official" Marfa Lights 
video, which Scully was told could be purchased for the low 
price of $9.95, and a nearby exhibition room that featured 
dozens of photographs and first-hand accounts of witnesses to 
the local phenomenon.  

Passing through double doors marked 'no admittance,' Scully 
and Stan arrived at the research part of the facility.  The 
room was filled with computers, slide projectors and files 
holding copies of all the research completed to that point.  
One wall was made completely of glass, and gave the 
researchers the opportunity to view the lights without having 
to deal with the elements.  Several large stationary cameras, 
telescopes and binoculars stood ready at the windows.

Scully's tour concluded with a walk around the outside 
viewing area.  It featured more stationary binoculars and was 
littered with picnic tables and permanent benches.  There 
were also plenty of parking spaces allowing tourists to view 
the lights from the comfort of their own cars.

The tour completed, Stan left Scully in the hands of Suzie, 
who spent the rest of the day showing her how to work the 
register, enter inventory into the computer, and create 
interesting displays within the gift shop.

Halfway through folding her second box of t-shirts, Scully 
noticed a dark-haired man staring at her.  Suzie noticed him 
too.  "That's Carlos, Marfa's very own Romeo.  I'm sure he 
heard about you and came to check you out for himself."

Scully hated to admit it, but Carlos gave her the creeps.  
"Does he work here?"

Suzie nodded her head.  "He's in charge of the entire 
construction project.  Considers himself to be very 
important, and compared to a lot of folks around here 
he is."  She smiled politely at Carlos before steering Scully 
into the stockroom.  "He's comes from money--oil money--and 
he thinks he can buy anyone or anything he wants.  Too bad he 
has such a superior attitude, because he is kind of cute."

Scully peaked out through the stockroom door to see if Carlos 
was still hovering about.  He was.  He and Stan appeared to 
be deep in conversation. She had to admit that the man was 
good looking in his tight jeans, cowboy boots and hat.  "Have 
you and he. . ." she began.

Suzie giggled.  "You'll be hard pressed to find someone under 
the age of 40 that Carlos hasn't dated in one form or 
another.  We went out for a month or so.  It was fun at 
first, but I got sick of him talking about himself all the 
time."  She looked at Scully who was still watching Carlos 
through the partially open door.  "I don't want to set your 
mind against him.  If y'all want to try him out yourself, you 
go right ahead."

Scully turned towards Suzie and smiled.  "I would be happy to 
meet him, of course, but somehow I don't think he's my type."

XXX

Scully did meet him and everyone else associated with the 
research facility over the next few days.  Carlos seemed to 
ooze charm, and apparently took an instant liking to her.  
Scully tried her best to ignore him, until she realized that 
it was in the best interest of the case for her to try and 
get to know him better.  He had asked her to dinner, but 
citing how much work she needed to get done before Opening 
Day, they ended up instead, having coffee every morning 
before Scully headed into work.

Another person caught her eye as a possible suspect.  Bobby 
Durham was a naturalist who had spent his entire adult life 
studying the Apache civilization.  He wasn't pleased about 
where the research facility was built, and didn't mind 
telling people about it.  He was about as non-Texan as 
they come, often walking around the facility in his Ramones 
t-shirt and Earth shoes.  He reminded Scully a lot of 
Langley.

Before Scully knew it, Thursday had rolled around, and it was 
time for her to check in with the El Paso Bureau.  She gave 
them a list of names to look into, and was told to call in 
again on Sunday morning at 9AM, to find out if anyone on her 
list had a criminal record or appeared anywhere at all in the 
FBI databanks.

Scully returned to her apartment to find Carlos leaning 
against her door, obviously waiting for her. "Howdy, Ashley.  
It's about time you got home.  You left the facility over an 
hour ago."

Scully gave him a weak smile, thinking, not for the first 
time, how much she missed carrying her weapon.  She opted 
against the sarcastic comment that was on the tip of her 
tongue.  "Hi Carlos, I had some errands to run.  Do you need 
help with something?"

She paused outside her door, not anxious to open it.  She 
knew, without a doubt, that Carlos wouldn't be easy to get 
out of her apartment once he'd made his way inside.  

"Concerning the facility? No."  He smiled and took a step 
closer to her.  Scully could feel his breath on her face, and 
resisted the urge to step back.  "I figured since they let us 
go home early tonight, that you'd have no excuse not to have 
dinner with me."

Scully said nothing, groping hopelessly for a reasonable 
excuse not to join him.  Thinking of none, she gave him 
another weak smile.  Taking this to be an acceptance of his 
offer, Carlos took her by the arm and led her outside to 
where his pickup truck was parked.

Scully looked at the door and was thankful that she was 
wearing her jeans as she hoisted herself up.  She waited for 
Carlos to settle in.  "Where are we going?"

"There's a steak place down the street.  I figured it was 
about time you got to sample the best of what Texas has to 
offer." Scully smiled and nodded, wondering if he was talking 
about the food or himself.

The dinner itself lived up to its reputation.  Scully wasn't 
much of a red meat eater, but found her steak to be tender 
and quite flavorful.  Unfortunately, she was not as pleased 
with her dinner companion.

She did have to admit that Carlos was a very good looking 
man.  Practically every female eye in the place followed him 
as they walked to their table.  Unfortunately, Carlos was 
only too aware of this fact, and acted as if Scully should be 
honored to be in his company.

He liked to talk about himself--a lot.  Scully let him ramble 
on, using the opportunity to find out as much about him and 
his connection to the research facility as possible.  Carlos 
had been brought on board almost immediately. He was known 
for his ability to sweet talk people into making 
donations.  That wasn't his only asset. The research facility 
had been the brain child of his father, who had made a rather 
sizeable donation to the project.

Scully made a mental note to have the Bureau check into 
Carlos's immediate family, as she sipped her coffee and 
nodded through his monologue. After enlightening her about 
his importance to the research facility, he continued by 
outlining his entire life for her.  By the time he 
was pulling up to her apartment building, Scully knew that he 
was the star of his high school football team, and was 
offered a full scholarship at Penn State but had turned it 
down to go to Texas A&M at his father's request.

As the truck pulled to a stop, panic engulfed Scully.  She 
realized that Carlos may have been planning to come up to her 
apartment.  She saw him reach for his keys to turn off the 
engine, and she spoke quickly without thinking.  "Thank you 
for a lovely evening, Carlos."  She reached for the door 
handle.

"Aren't you going to invite me up for coffee?"  Carlos raised 
an eyebrow at her and gave her a suggestive leer.


"I don't think that will be a good idea,"  Scully said, 
looking down at her feet.  "We do *work* together, more or 
less."

Carlos nodded and looked at her carefully.  His frown quickly 
changed to a smile, as if he had just figured something out.  
"Playing hard to get, huh?"  He leaned over, until his face 
was inches away from her.  "I don't get discouraged that 
easily."  Before Scully knew what happened, Carlos 
had his hand behind her head.   He pulled her towards him, 
and thrust his tongue deeply into her mouth. 

It had been a long, long time since Scully had received more 
than a chaste peck on the lips, and it took her a second to 
realize what was happening.  She didn't respond with arousal, 
but with disgust.  Her hand instinctively reached for her 
gun, and when she realized it wasn't there, she pushed him 
away, none too gently. 

"Good night."  Scully quickly climbed down from the truck, 
and couldn't get back to her apartment fast enough.  All she 
could think about was grabbing her bottle of mouthwash and 
spitting the taste of him down the drain.

Carlos watched her hurry to her door, and grinned to himself.  
"No one says 'no' to me, missy.  No one." 

XXX

Walter Skinner looked at his watch and smiled when he heard a 
sharp knock on his door.  He knew it was Mulder, eager to 
hear about his phone call with the El Paso SAC.  He was 
frankly surprised that Mulder hadn't magically appeared at 
exactly when he'd been scheduled to make the call.

"It's open."  Skinner suppressed a smile as Mulder tried to 
look casual entering the room. "Sit down.  What can I do for 
you Agent Mulder?"

"I wanted to update you on the Baltimore case."

"Has something changed since the 5:30 briefing?"  Skinner's 
amusement rose as he watched Mulder squirm in his chair.  He 
knew he should put the agent out of his misery.  After all, 
it was Mulder's profile that had provided a major break in 
the case.

"Not really, Sir.  With a bit of luck we'll be able to pick 
up our suspect sometime over the weekend."

"Good work, Agent.  I know you aggravated a few people when 
you came out with your profile, but they're whistling a 
different tune now."

"Thank you, Sir."  Mulder paused staring down at the floor.  
"There is one other thing, Sir."

Mulder looked up and was surprised to find Skinner actually 
smiling.  He could count on one hand, the number of times he 
had seen Skinner smile.  "I don't suppose it has anything to 
do with the conversation I had with the El Paso SAC fifteen 
minutes ago."

Mulder shrugged but straightened up, his attention fully 
focused on Skinner.  "Scully checked in right on schedule and 
provided us with a half dozen names to run through the 
system."

Mulder was about to speak but Skinner silenced him with a 
raised hand.  "I've already forwarded a copy of the list to 
you."  Mulder nodded his thanks.  "The facility is opening 
Saturday, with Scully scheduled to check in again Sunday."

Mulder rose and was opening the door, when Skinner called his 
name.  "Mulder, there was a message for you.  Scully told the 
SAC to let you know that she doesn't need any iced tea, but 
would kill for some Starbucks coffee."

Mulder burst into his own smile.  "Thank you Sir."  He left 
the room knowing, at least for now, Scully was safe.

XXX

Friday passed in a blur as everyone rushed around, trying to 
get everything ready for the opening the next day.  Stan, who 
normally was unfazed by anything, was starting to wear under 
the stress, while Suzie broke into tears, twice, when she was 
told that the Hershey bar order would not arrive until 
Monday.

Scully had hoped that Carlos would be too busy to bother with 
her, but wasn't so lucky.  He managed to find reasons to 
swing through the gift shop at least six times during the 
day.  "He's after you big time Ashley," Suzie had said when 
Carlos finally left the shop.  "You didn't happen to 
turn down his advances, did you?"

Scully blushed a little and then smiled.  "How did you know?"

"Carlos is wearing a look of determination I haven't seen 
since the mayor of Marfa refused to dedicate a small park in 
his family's honor."

"Did he get his way?"  

"Oh yeah, Carlos always gets his way."

Scully was about to respond about how disappointed Carlos was 
going to be, when Stan came in holding a piece of paper and 
looking as white as a ghost.

"What's the matter Stan?"  Suzie dropped her bottle of 
cleaning solution onto the counter and hurried over to him.

Stan waved the paper at them.  "I thought it couldn't get any 
worse than Bobby Durham trying to get a court order to keep 
us from opening tomorrow."  He saw the look of shock on the 
two women's faces and smiled.  "It didn't work.  He's just 
blowing smoke the way he always does. This, however," he 
shook the piece of paper again for emphasis, "may be 
serious."

Scully took the piece of paper and glanced at it.  On it was 
a simple message.  "Do it and you'll pay."

"Any idea what this means?"  Scully watched nervously as Stan 
took the paper back and then showed it to Suzie.  They were 
probably destroying any fingerprints left behind by the 
note's author.

"We've had a couple of strange incidents here.  We thought 
they were just coincidences.  Now I'm not so sure."

"Have you called the police?"  Suzie was starting to look a 
bit pale.

"Yeah, Henry is going swing by on his way home and take a 
look at it."  Scully was shocked at the laid back attitude 
towards such an obvious threat.  "Can't they get here any 
earlier?"  She asked, trying not to sound too much like an 
FBI agent.

"They're over at Jake's ranch, looking into some cattle 
rustling."

This reason seemed to satisfy Suzie.  "They'll be here 
tomorrow, won't they Stan?"
 
Stan smiled at her and gave her an affectionate pat on the 
head.  "Don't you worry Suzie, we've hired extra security for 
tomorrow.  I expect everyone associated with this place, 
except for that peace-loving Durham, will bring along their 
guns."

That particular thought made Scully's head spin.  It did give 
her an excuse to bring her own weapon, however.  "Do you 
shoot, Ashley?"  Suzie looked at her with her big, brown 
eyes.  She smiled when Scully nodded.  "Pistol or shotgun?  
My Daddy gave me my first shotgun when I was twelve.  Still 
have it.  I think I'll bring that one."

XXX

Scully rose early Saturday and showered quickly.  She had 
only been in Texas for a few days, so she was surprised to 
find she was excited about the opening.  She had had a chance 
to drive around the area, and could see how important, 
economically, the facility was.  It simply had to be 
a success.

She donned her blue jeans and newly acquired cowboy boots, 
and slipped on a slightly-too-tight t-shirt before downing a 
cup of weak coffee.  She grabbed a bottle of water and a 
granola bar as she dashed out the door.

When she arrived at the facility, things were already in full 
swing.  Stan was strutting around like a proud father, while 
Suzie was standing on a chair, hanging streamers and 
balloons.  "Howdy Ashley!"  she called from her perch.  "Grab 
a chair and start on those balloons, will you?"

Scully nodded and was heading towards the stack of balloons 
on the counter, when suddenly someone grabbed her arm.  She 
looked up and saw Carlos looking down at her, smiling.  
"Sorry I've been too busy to give you the attention you 
deserve." 

Scully resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  "I've been so 
busy myself that I didn't notice."  This comment invoked a 
glare from Carlos and snickers from Suzie.  

Carlos chose to ignore the comment, giving Scully a tug 
towards him.  He bent down so his face was close to hers.  
"Tonight, when the band starts playing outside, the first 
dance is mine."  He let her go and began to walk away.  He 
stopped and turned to face her.  "And the last."

Suzie, Stan and Scully all watched until he left the room.  
Suzie immediately burst out laughing.  "He is pretty 
confident of himself.  If he gives you any trouble, give me a 
signal, and you and I will head into the safe confines of the 
ladies room."

Stan walked over to Scully and put his hand on her shoulder.  
"Think you can handle him?"  

Scully nodded.  "Too bad.  I would love an excuse to shoot 
that SOB."

+++ end of part one +++

The Marfa Murder Mysteries Part Two
By Katie Phillips
Disclaimer information located in Part One

Stan opened the doors promptly at 10 a.m. and the visitors 
began to arrive.  Most of the people were from the surrounding 
area, coming in search of free coffee and the entertainment 
that had been scheduled throughout the day.

Scully was stationed at the information booth and manned the 
cash register while Suzie roamed the gift shop answering 
questions and helping people choose the perfect t-shirt.  The 
steady stream of people throughout the day made the time pass 
quickly.  Before Scully knew it, it was nearing sunset.  
Another couple of hours and she would be done for the day.  
With a little luck, she'd be able to escape before Carlos 
spotted her.

Bobby Durham made an unexpected appearance just as the sky was 
growing dark.  He smiled briefly at Scully and asked her how 
the day had gone.  He was a nice man--even Stan had trouble 
holding a grudge against him.

"I'm a bit surprised to see you here Bobby," Scully said, 
offering him a commemorative booklet.

Bobby smiled.  "It's not the facility I'm against, Ashley.  
It's the location of the southern--most parking area.  All I've 
ever wanted was for it to be pushed back a couple hundred feet, 
off the Apache burial grounds."

"That doesn't sound like such an unreasonable request."
 
Bobby snorted.  "I didn't think so either.  Carlos and his 
family were dead set against it--thought it would cut out too 
many parking spaces and be an inconvenience to the visitors 
here."  Bobby leaned against the counter and spoke in a 
conspiratorial whisper.  "Between you and me Ashley, 
I doubt that besides tonight and the night the politicians are 
all here, that there will ever be a shortage of parking 
spaces."

Scully smiled and said nothing, although she thought he was 
probably right.  She watched him as he wandered off to talk to 
Suzie, wondering if he was the kind of man whose passions would 
lead him to violence.  She didn't want to think so, but knew 
enough to know that the most mild-mannered men could be the 
most vicious killers.  She shuddered as the image of Donnie 
Pfaster popped into her head.

A few minutes later, Stan came by to tell them it was time to 
close up shop.  "You can count the register tomorrow morning," 
he told them as he pulled down the gate that locked the gift 
shop.  "The music is starting and you two have worked too hard 
today to miss out on the fun." 

Scully's mind went immediately back to Carlos's statement about 
the first dance.  She looked at Suzie and realized she was 
thinking the same thing.  "Give me a sign Ashley, and I'll 
rescue you in a minute."

XXX

As a rule, Scully disliked country music, but here under the 
bright Texas stars it seemed to fit. She strolled along the 
observation deck, watching people peer at the Marfa lights 
through binoculars.  The lights themselves seemed to sense the 
importance of the occasion, and were "dancing" more than 
normal.  Scully smiled at the sight, thinking how much Mulder 
would enjoy all of this. She really missed him.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Carlos casually slung 
his arm around her shoulders.  "The music's playing Ashley.  
That's our cue."

Seeing Suzie nowhere in sight, Scully calmly turned to Carlos.  
"Let me freshen up a bit first, okay?"  She smiled at him so 
sweetly he had no choice but to agree.  

"Go ahead but don't take all night."

Scully smiled at him again and headed for the ladies room 
cursing the fact that there was only one entrance.  It would 
make her plans for escape that much more difficult.

Carlos leaned against a concrete wall and watched the parade of 
women entering and leaving the ladies room.  He had no 
intention of letting his woman sneak past him.  He was going to 
spend the entire night with her and, if she was lucky, he would 
buy her breakfast.

Suzie spotted Carlos and quickly figured out what he was doing.  
Determined to help her friend, she set out to distract him.  
She was calling his name when a huge explosion shook the 
ground, and smoke began billowing from the ladies room.

XXX

Skinner heard the pounding on his front door, and checked the 
clock.  It read 5:47 AM.  He groaned as he swung his feet out 
of bed and headed for the door.  There was only one person 
who would have the nerve to bang on his door at this early 
hour.  He knew it was Mulder, he just didn't know why.

Mulder had been up most of the night rounding up the serial 
killer.  He had once again gone against popular opinion, and 
ended up being correct.  He single-handedly chased down the 
suspect and tackled him, holding the man until his backup had 
arrived.  

The arrest had been made around 1 AM though.  Something else 
must be wrong.  Skinner immediately thought of Scully.  He 
pulled open the door and found a very agitated Fox Mulder, 
grim-faced and twitching, standing on his doorstep. Mulder 
burst past Skinner, into the apartment.  

"Was it her?"  Mulder turned and looked at Skinner, his eyes 
filled with panic.

"What?" 

Mulder's look of panic was replaced by one of annoyance. "Was 
it *her*?" he demanded.

"Take a deep breath Mulder, and tell me exactly what you're 
talking about."

"There was an explosion at the research facility." he chuffed 
harshly.   He paused a second, taking a deep, hitching breath 
in an attempt to calm himself.  "In the ladies room.  At least 
one person is dead."

Skinner's eyes grew wide and Mulder was surprised at how pale 
he became.  "Where did you hear this?"

"The Gunmen have been monitoring the police stations in that 
area. Around 9 PM a call came in that there had been explosion, 
and that at least one female was dead.  That's all they could 
get for me."

Skinner had grabbed his phone before Mulder had finished 
speaking.  He gestured to the kitchen and mouthed to Mulder to 
start making coffee, as he brusquely directed the Bureau 
switchboard operator to patch him through to the El Paso office 
immediately.

Mulder started the coffee and continued his pacing, as he 
waited for Skinner to get off the phone.  Finally, after about 
ten minutes, Skinner hung up.

"Well?" 

Skinner took off his glasses and rubbed between his eyes before 
heading to the kitchen.  He poured himself a large mug of 
coffee before turning to face Mulder.  "As you already know, 
there was an explosion at the facility last night.  Ten women 
were brought to the emergency room for treatment, and there was 
one fatality.  The names have yet to be released."

Mulder turned to go, only to be stopped by Skinner's hand on 
his arm.  "You can't go down there Mulder, not yet."

Mulder turned and glared at his boss.  "Since neither you nor 
the Bureau has been notified about an injury to Scully, we must 
assume that she has been able to maintain her cover.  Running 
down there now could easily undo everything she has done."  
Skinner gave him a weak smile.  "I don't think she would 
appreciate you riding in on your white horse to save her, and 
blowing her cover in the process, do you?"

Mulder shrugged and Skinner released his arm.  "Scully is due 
to check in with the El Paso Bureau at 10 AM.  They're going to 
call me as soon as they hear from her or get any more 
information about the victims.  Go home Mulder, and get a 
couple of hours sleep and I'll see you in my office at ten."

Mulder muttered his thanks and left Skinner's apartment, 
knowing there was no chance he would sleep.

XXX

Scully felt someone shake her gently, and forced herself to 
open her eyes.  She squinted as the bright lights of the 
emergency room blinded her briefly.  "Ms. Wilkes, the detective 
is ready to see 
you now."

Scully nodded and slowly rose from the small couch on which she 
had fallen asleep.  She was stiff and quite groggy, as she 
followed the police officer down the bright hallway into a 
small office.  There, sitting behind a generic looking steel 
gray desk, sat a middle-aged detective who looked even worse 
than she felt.

"Have a seat.  Can Clarence get you some coffee?"  

"That would be great, thanks."  Scully rolled her head from 
side to side trying to get out the kinks.  She had read up on 
this particular detective.  George White was a twenty-year 
veteran of the Marfa police force, with a spotless record.  
Even so, Scully had been specifically asked not to 
reveal her cover to him unless absolutely necessary.  He had 
too many friends in town, and was known to chat a bit when he 
had a beer or two, which was practically every night.

White looked at Scully's hand.  It looked like it had been 
quickly bandaged and showed spots of dark red where blood had 
leaked through.  He motioned towards her injury with his head.  
"Shouldn't you have that looked at?"

Scully shrugged.  "I will when we're done.  The others seemed 
to need the attention more than I did, so I decided to rest for 
a few minutes."  She looked perplexed for a second.  "Just what 
time is it?"

White looked down at his watch.  "Jesus, it's already 8:45.  I 
can't believe I've been at this all night."

Scully's shoulders sagged when she realized there was no way 
she could check in with the Bureau by 10 AM.   What she had to 
tell them would have to wait until their next appointed time, 
that night at ten.  Scully sighed and addressed the detective.  
"As far as I know, this is what happened. . . ."

XXX

Mulder found the door to Skinner's office closed when he 
arrived there promptly at 9:55 AM.  He gave two courtesy knocks 
before entering and taking a seat in front of Skinner's desk.  
He placed the duffle bag he was carrying on the floor next to 
him.

Skinner glanced at the bag but said nothing.  One look at 
Mulder told him everything he needed to know.  Mulder hadn't 
slept, and if there was no news from Scully, he would be on the 
next plane to Texas.  

The only sound in the office was the gentle clicking sound made 
by the old clock hanging on the wall.  It chimed when it 
reached the top of the hour, causing Mulder to jump in his 
chair.  He exchanged a look with Skinner then rested his head 
on his hands.

When they had heard nothing by 10:15, Skinner sent Mulder out 
to get them both breakfast, promising to call Mulder 
immediately on his cell phone if he received any news.  Skinner 
wasn't particularly hungry but knew that Mulder needed 
something to keep him busy.  He also knew that Mulder probably 
hadn't eaten a thing since before the sting operation the 
previous night.
 
Mulder saw through Skinner's ploy, but agreed.  Anything was 
better than sitting around Skinner's office waiting for the 
phone to ring.  He returned fifteen minutes later to find 
Skinner staring at the phone.  Mulder was surprised at how 
apprehensive the A.D. looked.  Skinner looked up and 
nodded his thanks to Mulder as he accepted a large coffee and 
bagel.  "We'll eat and if no call comes through by the time 
we're done, I'll starting making phone calls."
 
Mulder nodded and placed his coffee on the corner of Skinner's 
desk and ripped open his own bag.  It was his favorite--egg, 
cheese and ham on an everything bagel, but it tasted like 
sawdust in his dry mouth.  He managed a few bites, then pushed 
it away. He noticed Skinner had done the same, picking up the 
phone after the third or fourth mouthful.

It took awhile, but Skinner was finally able to track down the 
SAC in El Paso.  Mulder watched in silence as Skinner 
systematically grilled the SAC about Scully. He hung up the 
phone a bit harder than he had to, and got up and walked over 
to the window.

"Scully has yet to check in.  The procedure they established 
was that she would check in within an hour of her scheduled 
time, and if she couldn't do that, she would check in at the 
next scheduled time."

Mulder glanced at his watch.  It was 10:40 AM.  Scully still 
had twenty minutes.  "When is the next scheduled time?"

Skinner turned and glared at Mulder, his own frustration at the 
situation showing.  "Ten tonight."
 
"Twelve more hours?"  Mulder jumped out of his chair and walked 
over to Skinner.  "That's unacceptable!  If you think I'm going 
to wait around until then. . ."  

Skinner raised his hand to stop him.  "I'm quite sure I know 
your feelings on this particular matter Agent Mulder."  Mulder 
opened his mouth to say something and then promptly shut it.  

Skinner brushed past Mulder and sat on the edge of his desk 
before continuing.  "There's more."  Mulder grimaced, and 
steeled himself for what might come next.  "The Marfa Police 
Department is considering the explosion to be accidental.  They 
don't consider this to be a Bureau matter so they have yet to 
release the names of the victims to the El Paso office."  

Mulder's eyes widened in shock, and he was on the verge of 
another outburst, when Skinner cut him off.  "They are, 
however, asking for the Bureau's help with the autopsy of the 
woman who died.  They are in the process of driving her body to 
El Paso.  They expect it there by this afternoon."

"This afternoon!"  Mulder was practically beside himself.  

"Calm down, Mulder.  The SAC is going to call the agents 
bringing in the body and get a basic description of the victim.  
That should give us at least some indication of whether or not 
it's Scully."

Mulder agree it was better than nothing, and resumed his spot 
in front of Skinner's desk.  He bent over and put his head in 
his hands, trying desperately not to think the worse.  A few 
minutes later the phone rang.  Mulder squeezed his eyes shut as 
he listened to Skinner.

"The face is unrecognizable?  Okay, she's petite and, hold on a 
second. . . Mulder, do you know if Scully has any identifying 
marks on her body?"

Mulder barely looked up at this.  "She has a tattoo of a snake 
on her lower back.  It's in the shape of a circle with the head 
biting its tail."

Skinner gave Mulder an odd look before relaying this 
information.  Mulder realized that Skinner was probably 
wondering how Mulder knew this particular piece of 
information.  He put his head back in his hands when he saw 
Skinner close his eyes as if to collect himself before 
speaking.  "That should be all the proof we need.  I'm sending 
her partner down there on the next available flight.  He'll 
assist you in wrapping this up."

Mulder raised his head when he heard the phone go back on its 
cradle.  His eyes were brimming with unshed tears.  "Is it her?  
Is it Scully?"

Skinner frowned and remained silent trying to understand 
Mulder's confusion.  "Mulder, the woman they are transporting 
to El Paso is at least 5'8" tall and weighs, they're guessing, 
close to 150 pounds."  Mulder gave a huge sigh of relief and 
smiled as he wiped an errant tear off his face.  "I'm sending 
you there undercover.  You'll be Scully's backup."  

Mulder was out of his seat and heading towards the door before 
Skinner even finished speaking.  "You're to check in with the 
El Paso Bureau as soon as you arrive.  They'll set you up with 
a cover.  You'll be heading to Marfa sometime tomorrow.  And 
Mulder?"

Mulder stopped and turned back around.  "Yes Sir."

"That tattoo?"  
 
Mulder smiled.  "She got it in Philly a few years back.  I've 
only seen pictures of it."

 "I see."  Mulder turned to leave.   "Mulder, off the 
record..."

"Yes, Sir?"

"It might be interesting to see that tattoo in person."  


XXX

Scully didn't leave the hospital until after noon on Sunday.  
All she wanted to do was to go back to her apartment and sleep, 
but decided to check in with the El Paso office first. She 
wasn't supposed to call in until ten that night, but she knew 
that back in Washington Mulder would be worrying about her if 
he had caught wind of the explosion.

Scully placed the call shortly after one, only to be told that 
the SAC was on a very important phone call and couldn't be 
disturbed.  Scully left a message that she was fine, and that 
she would report again within the next few days with more 
details about the explosion.  She stifled a yawn while hanging 
up the phone, and headed for her apartment and bed.

Scully returned to work Monday night, surprised to find the 
facility looking like nothing had happened.  She was certain 
that the ladies room, at least, would be sealed off from the 
public while the police investigated the explosion. She was 
about to check it out herself, when she heard someone calling 
her.

"Ashley, I'm so happy to see you."  Before Scully knew it, she 
was in Suzie's arms having the wind squeezed out of her.  "You 
gave us such a scare."  Suzie pulled back, still holding both 
of Scully's arms and looking at her like she was proof of the 
second coming.

Scully quickly diverted the attention off herself.  "I can't 
believe how clean everything is.  I would have thought for sure 
that it would still be a mess."

Suzie released Scully and smiled at her.  "The police looked 
around a little bit after they took all the injured women out, 
and then told Stan it was okay to start cleaning up."  Scully 
sighed as she realized that all the forensic evidence had 
probably gone down the drain-- literally.  "Stan and I 
spent most of Sunday scrubbing walls and the floors.  Would you 
believe that Carlos even helped out some?  He hauled away the 
garbage can and all the debris in his truck."  

Suzie then proceeded to tell Scully about the swarms of people 
that had shown up on Sunday afternoon, most of them reporters, 
some from as far away as Fort Stockton.  Suzie stopped her 
description of one particular male reporter, and motioned with 
her chin at something behind Scully.  "Looks like you've got 
yourself another admirer."

Scully frowned.  "What are you talking about Suzie?"

"Don't look now, but there's this really cute guy checking you 
out, and he obviously likes what he sees."  

Scully sighed.  She was beginning to get annoyed by the way the 
men in this part of the country openly gawked at her.  She 
squared her shoulders and spun around, ready for a 
confrontation.  Her jaw almost dropped when she saw the man to 
whom Suzie was referring.

Suzie saw the look on Scully's face, and the slow smile 
creeping over Mulder's face.  She leaned over and whispered to 
Scully when Mulder started walking towards them.  "Carlos isn't 
going to be happy about this."  Scully gave her a quick dirty 
look.  Suzie just grinned at her and gave her a little poke in 
the ribs with her elbow.  "I told you he was cute."

Mulder managed to pull himself together as he walked across the 
room, quite pleased with himself for not running over and 
sweeping Scully up in his arms.  If it weren't for her telltale 
red hair, he might not have recognized her.  She looked so 
different with her hair falling in soft waves. As a rule, 
Scully hated her wavy hair, and went to great efforts to keep 
it as straight as possible.

It wasn't her hair that had thrown him off though, as much as 
it was her attire.  Scully always looked like she had stepped 
out of a Talbot's catalogue.  The woman standing in front of 
him was dressed in jeans and a simple t-shirt that clung to 
every curve, leaving very little to one's imagination.  The 
cowboy boots she wore didn't add height that her normal pumps 
did.  The result was a petite redhead who oozed sexuality.  The 
fact that she seemed to be unaware of the effect she had made 
her even more appealing.

"Good evening ladies."  Mulder approached making sure to make 
eye contact with Scully's companion first.  "I'm Barry 
Livingston.  Dr. Barry Livingston.  I'm hoping to use your 
research facility here."

Suzie reached out her hand in greeting. "Hi.  I'm Suzie and 
this is Ashley."

Mulder shook Suzie's hand and then reached for Scully's.  She 
gave a little wave with her right hand showing him the bandage.  
Mulder dropped his hand and tried not to look too concerned.  
"Hurt yourself?"

"It's nothing, really."  

"Nothing?  Are you saying it's 'nothing'"?  Suzie was outraged.  
"It's 'nothing' except you got hurt trying to save that poor 
woman!"

Mulder looked at Scully who simply shrugged, then to Suzie who 
seemed eager to tell the story.  "Saturday night there was an 
explosion in the ladies room.  Ashley was washing her hands 
when something in the garbage can blew up.  It was one of those 
fancy garbage cans made out of metal, that looks like a bullet, 
and pieces of it went flying every where."  Suzie was waving 
her arms in illustration.  Mulder looked on in fascination, 
while Scully stifled a smile.

"Linda Jacobson had the bad fortune to be spitting her gum into 
the can when it blew.  You know, my mother always told me not 
to spit out my gum like that, but to put it in a piece of paper 
and then throw it out.  I guess she was right."  Suzie paused 
as she gave the matter of how to correctly dispose of gum some 
thought.

She continued when she realized that she had an eager audience 
in Mulder.  "Anyway, pieces of the can went flying.  Some of 
them caught poor Linda right in the face.  Ashley pulled them 
off, but they were so hot they burned her.  Isn't that right, 
Ashley?"

Scully put on a straight face.  "More or less."

"Why did it blow up?"  Scully saw a look of pure innocence 
plastered on Mulder's face.  He was playing the part of the 
research scientist perfectly.  

"I'm no scientist," Ashley began "but if I had to make a 
guess, I would say that someone threw out some construction 
adhesive or cleaning solution.  Add to that a match or a spark 
and. . ."

"Kaboom!"  Suzie said extending her arms again.  "The next 
thing you know they're hauling bodies out of here.  The 
emergency room was overflowing."  Suzie put her arm around 
Scully and gave her a squeeze.  "George White told me how you 
insisted on everyone else being treated before you, and how you 
helped the doctors in the ER determine who was the most 
seriously injured.  He said you used to be a Girl Scout 
Counselor, and that's why you knew so much about first aid."

Scully smiled, avoiding Mulder's eyes, and nodded.  She was 
very glad that she hadn't confided much more in George White.  
The man did have a big mouth.

Mulder was about to ask more questions when the sound of 
footsteps caught his attention.  Stan walked over to them, a 
huge grin on his face.  "Doctor Livingston I presume?"  Scully 
had to look down at the floor to keep from at laughing at 
Mulder's alias.  

Stan pumped Mulder's hand with enthusiasm.  "It's an honor to 
have a man of your prestige visit our little facility."  Stan 
released Mulder's hand and turned his attention to the two 
women.  "Dr. Livingston has done research on paranormal 
behavior all over the world, and now he wants to study our 
little lights."  He turned back to Mulder. "Let me show you 
around." Stan led Mulder away. 

"Now that's an ass.  You'll have to let me know if it looks as 
good undressed as it does in those jeans."

"Suzie!"  Scully was shocked by Suzie's assumption, but did 
have to admit that Mulder's jeans showed off his assets nicely.

"Don't 'Suzie' me.  I know sparks when I see them, and there 
are definitely sparks between the two of you.  I say with 
within the week, you are lying on your back in that man's bed, 
your ankles. . ."

"I got the idea Suzie."  

Suzie giggled at her friend's discomfort.  "Come on Ashley, you 
must admit he is good looking."  She and Scully began walking 
toward the gift shop.

"Yeah, I guess he is."  

"And you could think of a lot worse things than having him 
screw your brains out, couldn't you?"
 
Scully immediately thought of dealing with flukeworms and 
little gray men.  "Yeah, I guess I could."

"See, I knew it."  

Carlos emerged from the ladies room where he had just installed 
the new garbage can. He hadn't heard all of their conversation, 
but had caught enough.  There was no way that he was going to 
let that gay college man near his woman--at least not until he 
had sampled her himself.

XXX

Scully tried to keep her mind on business, as she walked around 
the gift shop straightening shelves.  She had been taken off 
guard by Mulder's appearance, but wasn't too surprised he had 
shown up.  Part of her knew that as soon as Mulder heard about 
the explosion, he would be on a plane to Texas.  The fact that 
Skinner permitted him to come, could only mean that his stint 
with VCU was finally over.

She was dying to ask him about the case and whether his profile 
had worked, but knew it could be days until they found 
themselves in a situation where it would be safe to talk at 
length.  In the meantime, she would have to satisfy herself 
with whatever stolen moments they could finagle.

Suzie walked over to and gave her a brief squeeze.  Scully 
liked Suzie, a lot, but was still having trouble getting used 
to being touched so much.  In that way, Suzie reminded her of 
Mulder.  He was always touching.  "Ashley, you've got to go 
outside and check it out."

"Why, what's going on?"

"The lights are unbelievable tonight.  They haven't been this 
active in weeks."

"Maybe after I finish straightening up."  Scully turned toward 
the next pile of disheveled t-shirts.  


Suzie promptly took the shirt from her hand.  "The show will be 
over long before we get this place back in order.  Go out for a 
couple of minutes, I'll cover for you."

Scully nodded and turned to leave, but stopped suddenly.  "Why 
are you so anxious for me to see the lights?"  

Suzie grinned and shrugged.  "They're really bright tonight, 
Ashley."  She paused for a second, her grin growing larger.  
"That, plus I spotted your professor wandering around out 
there.  Maybe you could show him where to get the best view."  
She smiled knowingly at Scully.

"Suzie, you're impossible."  Scully knew she should head back 
to the t-shirt table, but she couldn't resist the opportunity 
to see Mulder again, even if it was from a distance.  "Okay," 
she agreed, smiling at Suzie.  "I'll be back in five minutes."

"Take all the time you need.  You won't want to rush through 
anything."  Suzie winked at her and turned her attention to a 
man at the cash register waiting to buy a book.

XXX

The night had gotten cooler, and Scully wrapped her arms around 
herself as she strolled along the observation platform.  The 
area was dotted with people, some in small groups and others 
obviously couples.  She glanced around casually, trying to spot 
Mulder.  Not seeing him, she walked over to an empty spot along 
the wall, and putting her elbows on it, rested her chin in her 
hands and watched the show.

Suzie was right. The lights were exceptionally brilliant as 
they darted and danced along the horizon.  The night was almost 
silent.  The hum of quiet conversation was occasionally 
interrupted by a loud 'Did you see that?'. Even the crickets 
and other night insects seemed to have taken the night off.

Scully sensed him before she saw him, as he quietly walked up 
to her and stood so their arms barely touched.  They stood side 
by side in silence, each appreciating the presence of the 
other.  It was Scully who finally broke the silence.

"Are they what you thought they would be?"  

"Yeah, pretty much.  I did some research on them before I 
headed down here.  Didn't want to make a complete ass out of 
myself--at least no more than usual."

Scully was about to ask him about his case, when she heard the 
sound of approaching footsteps.  "How long do you plan on being 
here, Doctor Livingston?"  

"Please call me Barry.  I've rented a room in Marfa, and plan 
to stay as long as it takes to me to get a handle on what goes 
on around here."

Scully nodded politely.  "If I can be of any assistance, please 
let me know."

Mulder looked down at her and smiled.  "Actually you can.  
Suzie told me that the dance that was interrupted on Saturday 
night is being held here tomorrow."  Scully frowned slightly; 
she had totally forgotten about the rescheduled dance.  "I was 
hoping you could help me work out the kinks in my two-step."

"Your two-step M..Barry?"  She said biting her lip to keep from 
laughing.

"Does that surprise you?"  Mulder was doing a good job looking 
offended.

"Well, it's just that you don't look like the country line 
dancing type, that's all,"  Scully said innocently.  She 
thought about how Suzie had given her a crash course on the 
dance early Saturday morning.

"I'll have you know that my parents exposed me to a wide array 
of dance techniques while I was growing up."  Mulder grinned 
down at her.

"Then I'll be happy to see what you can do," Scully replied, 
grinning back.  She sighed.  "I told Suzie I would be back in 
five minutes, so I'd better go."

Mulder nodded.  "I'll walk back in with you. I need to get 
Bobby Durham's phone number.  He's promised to take me on a 
hike tomorrow around the area."

Scully didn't realize how much she missed Mulder's subtle 
touches until she felt him guide her through the doorway, 
touching her gently with his hand.  They walked into the gift 
shop together, where Scully dug up Bobby's phone number and 
Suzie, not-so-subtly, pried Mulder for information.

Mulder took the slip of paper from Scully and tucked it in his 
pocket.  "Until tomorrow ladies."  Mulder gave a dramatic bow, 
resulting in a wave of giggles from Suzie, and left.  She 
watched him walk out to his SUV, while Scully began 
straightening up the books.  "You're definitely in."

Scully looked up, puzzled by the remark.  "Excuse me?"

Suzie grinned at her again.  "You and the professor.  I may 
have to push ahead my prediction a day or two."

Suzie wasn't the only one who watched Mulder walk out to his 
car.  Carlos had also seen the interaction between Mulder and 
Scully, and was not at all pleased.  Carlos was sure he was a 
much better catch than some lame professor who made his living 
writing articles and teaching classes.  He was better looking, 
and definitely had more money.  Tomorrow night he would make 
his move, and before Ashley knew it, the professor would be 
forgotten.

XXX

Mulder spent the entire day hiking the area around the research 
facility with Bobby Durham.  The lack of shade made it brutally 
hot, but Mulder found himself enjoying the experience.  Bobby 
was an excellent guide, and although rather outspoken about his 
political beliefs when it came to the Apaches, Mulder found 
himself liking Bobby very much.  

Mulder's only unease came from Bobby's lack of concern when it 
came to the incidents at the facility.  He appeared to be 
genuinely upset about the deaths, but seemed to think that the 
bad luck the facility was experiencing, was brought on by its 
owners.

"You're saying everything that has happened is because of bad 
karma?"  Mulder lifted up the hem of his t-shirt and wiped the 
sweat off his face.  That idea was crazy enough to have come 
from him.  He took several gulps of water from his thermos, 
ignoring the water streaming down his chin before passing the 
canister to Bobby.

"More or less. If the Apache spirits have been angered, they'll 
have to be appeased."  Bobby took his own large gulp of water 
before capping the bottle and putting in back into his pack.  
He had long ago stripped himself of his shirt and mopped at his 
brow with his bare arm.

Mulder picked up his own pack and slung it on his back, before 
resuming his pace alongside Bobby.  "How do you do that?"

"I don't know.  Only an Apache medicine man or woman could 
answer that question, and real ones are few and far between."

"Have you mentioned any of this to Stan?"

"I've been talking to Stan since the first set of blueprints 
was drawn up.  He's a good man and I know he would never 
intentionally do anything to offend the Apaches, or anyone 
else.  He brought my suggestions to the board, and they were 
systematically shot down."

"Who makes up the board?"

"A bunch of local ranchers, politicians and Carlos."

Mulder stopped abruptly causing Bobby to pause and look at him.  
"Carlos, the construction guy?"

Bobby laughed out loud.  "Oh, he would love to hear himself 
called 'the construction guy.' Carlos's family has made 
significant financial donations to this project.  The Lights 
have always fascinated his father.  Carlos not only oversaw the 
fundraising efforts, but as you know, has overseen the design 
and construction of the facility as well.  It's his baby as 
much as his father's."

Mulder paused a moment to let all this information sink in.  He 
thought briefly about asking Bobby more questions, but thought 
better of it.  He was, after all, supposed to be a professor, 
not an FBI agent.

End of part two.

The Marfa Murder Mysteries Part Three
By Katie Phillips
Disclaimer information located in Part One


Scully stood in front of her closet, systematically going 
through her limited wardrobe.  She sighed as she looked at her 
choices.  Last Saturday night she hadn't given a moment's 
thought to what she would wear to the dance, but tonight she 
did.  She knew it was because Mulder was going to be there, but 
she refused to acknowledge the fact to herself.

After about ten minutes, she decided to dress in all black, 
from her black cowboy boots, to her black jeans and snug t-
shirt that Suzie talked her into buying earlier that afternoon.  
She pulled her hair up in a loose knot, letting small pieces 
fall around her face . Simple gold hoop earrings and her cross 
completed the outfit.

Scully spun slowly around, looking at herself in the mirror. 
She wasn't quite sure she liked herself in this particular 
style of clothing.  She glanced briefly at the black cowboy hat 
sitting on her bed, but decided against it.  That would 
definitely be too much.

XXX
 
Stan had closed the facility at four, so everyone could go home 
and get ready for the dance, which was scheduled to begin at 
eight.  He wanted his employees to enjoy the evening too, so he 
had hired a few people to work the gift shop and serve 
refreshments.

Suzie and Scully arrived together, after Suzie had insisted on 
giving Scully a ride.  Scully wasn't aware of it, but Suzie was 
trying to give Mulder an excuse to take her friend home.  While 
Scully was dressed in head-to-toe black, Suzie was awash in an 
array of colors that showed off her Mexican heritage.  Both 
women were greeted by whistles from the construction workers, 
who had already consumed an impressive quantity of beer from a 
large keg.

Carlos, who was enjoying a beer with his workers, immediately 
went over to greet the women.  "I don't remember when I have 
ever seen such visions of loveliness."  He bent over and kissed 
both Scully's and Suzie's hands.  Scully fought to avoid 
rolling her eyes, while Suzie burst into giggles.

"Oh Carlos," she cooed, grabbing him by the arm.  "You're such 
a flirt.  I think the music is starting up.  Come dance with 
me."  Before Carlos knew what hit him, Suzie was dragging him 
out onto the viewing platform to dance, turning to wink at 
Scully before disappearing into the crowd already there.

Mulder stood on the other side of the room observing.  He saw 
the way Carlos looked at Scully, and although he didn't like 
the look of naked desire that had shown in the man's eyes, he 
could definitely sympathize with him.  Scully looked fabulous.  
No, not fabulous.  Hot.  Very hot. Mulder took a minute to pull 
himself together before going over to her.

He smoothed down his shirt, and thought again about what he had 
worn.  Mulder was used to dressing in either designer suits, or 
old, disgusting running shorts and t-shirts.  The whole college 
professor look was new for him.  He did the best he could, by 
pairing his jeans and work boots with an old denim shirt he had 
brought from home.  With the sleeves rolled up and his face 
showing quite the five o'clock shadow, Mulder hoped he looked 
like a professor who spent more time in the field than in front 
of his mirror.

Mulder was about to join Scully, when Stan walked over to him 
and shook his hand vigorously while pounding him on the back.  
"Glad you could make it to our little party, Barry. How was 
your hike with Bobby?"

Mulder dragged his gaze away from Scully long enough to answer 
Stan's questions.  When he looked back at her, he found she was 
staring at him openly.  Judging by the look on her face, his 
outfit was just fine.  Stan glanced over to see what Mulder was 
looking at, and saw the same look.  He smiled and slapped 
Mulder on the back again.  "She's a pretty one that Ashley, and 
smart too.  She came here looking to start over, after her man 
back east took to ignoring her."

Mulder turned back to Stan, eager to hear Scully's cover story.  
"I can't imagine anyone ignoring her."

Stan snorted his agreement.  "She hasn't said much about it, 
except that they worked in the same office and that she had 
been in love with him for years.  He never seemed to catch on, 
and she decided to let him go and get on with her life.  I 
assume it was her boss she had a thing for.  Who knows, maybe 
he was even married."
 
Mulder stared at Stan. Surely the story Scully had made up was 
a piece of fiction, not some variation of her relationship with 
him.  "The man's an idiot."  Mulder said softly.  Stan laughed 
in agreement.  "You're right there, Barry.  Of course, his loss 
is your gain.  From what I hear, Ashley has a little thing for 
you."

"She does?"  Mulder suddenly felt like he was back in high 
school.  

Stan leered at Mulder and gave him a gentle shove.  "I think 
y'all should find out for yourself."

By the time Mulder had gotten away from Stan, Scully had 
disappeared.  Mulder wandered out to the viewing platform, only 
to find Scully being whirled around the dance floor by Carlos.  
The  man seemed to be enjoying the experience, but even though 
Scully was smiling, Mulder could tell she didn't share his 
enthusiasm.

"What took you so long?"  Suzie came up behind Mulder, causing 
him to jump.  "I left you a clear opening, and you blew it."

Mulder gave Suzie a long look.  "Can I ask you something 
Suzie?"  When she nodded, he continued.  "Why are you so set on 
getting Ashley and me together?  We only met yesterday."

Suzie smiled and linked her arm in his.  "Because of the 
sparks."

"Sparks?"

"I felt them as soon as you two were introduced.  You could 
almost see them flying through the air between you two.  I 
thought it was lust at first sight, God knows I've suffered 
from that enough, but then when you walked her back into the 
gift shop last night, and you two said goodbye..."  Suzie's 
face took on an almost dreamlike quality as she relived the 
moment.  "It was like you two had known each other forever.  
That you had just found your...soul mate.  Yeah, that's it.  
You two are soul mates."

"Ashley and I are soul mates?"

"Definitely.  I can always tell.  Ask anyone; I always know who 
is going to end up together."
 
Mulder looked down at Suzie and smiled at her.  He liked her 
and her enthusiastic way of looking at things, but there were 
times that he thought her pony tail was tied a little too 
tight.  This was one of those times.  "Do you have a soul mate 
Suzie?"

"Of course I do."  She looked out at where Carlos was spinning 
Scully around the dance floor.  "He's just not ready yet."

The music stopped and Scully made her way over to where Mulder 
and Suzie were standing, Carlos right behind her.  There was an 
uncomfortable moment when greetings were exchanged, 
and the two men's testosterone levels rose as they vied for 
Ashley's attention.  The music started again and recognizing 
the song, Mulder grabbed Scully's hand and pulled her out onto 
the dance floor.

"The two-step.  You promised."  He was smiling at her as he 
took her in his arms.  

"I've never really done this before."  Scully was staring at 
her feet, a frightened expression on her face.

"Not to worry, you're in good hands."  Mulder was right. Before 
she knew it, Scully was dancing like a pro.  The song ended and 
seamlessly led into a slow one.  Scully looked up and saw 
Mulder's intense gaze.  She looked down, suddenly shy, and 
gasped as he pulled her into a tight embrace.  Slowly they 
began to move around the dance floor as one.

They didn't speak. The song ended too quickly, and Scully found 
herself suddenly feeling a bit flushed.  She excused herself to 
the ladies room, to splash water on her face and try and regain 
her self-control.  It didn't matter how good it felt to be held 
by Mulder, or that they were acting undercover, they were still 
on a case, and they couldn't very well follow up leads if they 
spent the entire evening gazing into each other's eyes.

Scully leaned against the sink and looked into the mirror, 
surprised at the flushed face that stared back at her.  If she 
didn't know better, she would say she looked aroused.  She 
couldn't be aroused by Mulder so easily, could she?

Mulder sensed her unease, and backed off a bit when she 
returned from the ladies room.  He too, was surprised by the 
depth of feelings brought on by that simple dance, although he 
was more likely than Scully to act on them.

He handed her a cup of punch, and they wandered around the 
viewing platform, watching the other couples dance and 
occasionally checking the Lights. The Lights themselves 
appeared to enjoy the party atmosphere, as they joined in the 
music and danced around the sky.

It was after watching the Lights, that Scully spotted Carlos 
out of the corner of her eye.  He had a look of determination 
on his face, and Scully feared the slow song that had just 
begun had inspired him to seek her out.

"Christ, here he comes again," she muttered under her breath.

Mulder frowned.  "I think I have an idea that might convince 
Mr. Romance that you aren't interested in him."

Scully brightened considerably at the thought.  "You do?"

Mulder paused a second, as if considering what he was going to 
say.  "Yeah, I think it might work, but first I need to know 
two things."
 
"They are?"

"'Do you trust me?' and 'Are you armed?'"

"Of course I do, and no, I left my weapon at my apartment."

"Perfect, come with me."

Carlos saw Mulder and Scully go around the corner, and promptly 
followed them.  It took a minute to spot them.  When he did, he 
stopped dead in his tracks.  Scully was sitting on a lower 
portion of the stone fence, with Mulder firmly situated between 
her legs.  He was holding her head in his hands, and was 
kissing her with a passion that Carlos had rarely seen.

He watched as Mulder pulled back, and Scully looked at him with 
eyes so full of wonder, that Carlos knew he had lost her.  He 
sighed and shrugged, and turned around, wondering if maybe 
Suzie would like to dance with him again.

XXX

"Is he gone?"  Mulder leaned his forehead against Scully's.  
She seemed to be having trouble catching her breath.  Mulder 
refrained from smirking, and repeated his question.  "Is he 
gone?"

Scully snapped out of her mini-trance, and looked over Mulder's 
shoulder.  No sign of Carlos.  Mulder's plan seemed to have 
worked, but at what cost?  "What was that?" she whispered 
hoarsely, pushing him back slightly with her right hand while 
clinging for dear life to the fence with her left.
 
Mulder loosened his grip on his partner, and placed his hands 
gently on her hips.  "I realize that it may have been a long 
time for you, but I thought you would at least remember what a 
kiss was."

Scully tried her best to glare at him and failed.  "I know 
*what* it was. Was it really necessary?"

Mulder put on a look of mock dismay on his face.  "It worked, 
didn't it?  I'm sorry if it was so awful for you."

"It wasn't awful.  It was .."  Scully looked behind her and saw 
several people walking past beaming at them.  Apparently 
Mulder's little demonstration was seen by more than just 
Carlos.  "Great, now everyone is going to think I'm easy."

Mulder chuckled and leaned his head down until their foreheads 
touched again.  He spoke so softly, Scully could barely hear 
him.  "You're not easy Scully, but it's okay if Ashley is."  He 
smiled at her.  "I did have ulterior motives though, besides 
the obvious."  He chuckled when Scully poked him in the ribs.  
"If everyone thinks that Barry and Ashley are sleeping 
together, it will give us the excuse to be alone together to 
work on this case."

Scully pulled back from Mulder, and looked at him for a moment 
or two.  She searched his eyes, which were surprisingly 
neutral, and realized that he was letting the other, more 
forbidden aspect, of 'the kiss' go, for now.  She put her hand 
up and stroked his face, and dropping her voice slightly lower, 
whispered:  "Barry, I think you should take me home now."

The neutral look in Mulder's eyes disappeared immediately, 
followed by what Scully thought might have been desire.  They 
became dark and intense...  "I thought you would never ask."

XXX

During the twenty minute drive to Scully's apartment, Mulder 
filled her in on his serial killer case.  As he had predicted, 
his profile annoyed his superiors until it resulted in a major 
break.  After figuring out who the killer was, it was only a 
matter of time before they brought him in.

"So, who did the stake out?" Scully asked, glad to be 
discussing something safe.

"About half of the VCU was spread out in the warehouses."  

"That's they caught him, in the warehouses?"

"Not exactly."  Mulder got a bit quiet.  

"What do you mean, 'not exactly'?  Where did they catch him?"

"Actually, they didn't catch him.  I did."

"You did, alone?  After pitching a fit about me coming down 
here without backup, you go chasing after a serial killer 
alone?"

Mulder chuckled at her.  "You are so cute when you mother me 
Scully.  What can I tell you, I followed a hunch, and I was 
right."

"Idiot," Scully muttered, although she was grudgingly proud of 
her partner.  "What good would you do me dead?"

"Dead?  Don't talk to me about dead, Dana Katherine Scully.  
How do you think I felt when I heard about the explosion down 
here, and learned that one woman was dead?  The Marfa Police 
Department didn't feel it was necessary to involve the FBI, so 
I had no idea. . . "  His voice trailed off and Scully's heart 
clenched.

She reached over with her left hand and grabbed his right, 
giving it a squeeze.  "I half expected you to fly out here 
waving your gun and your badge, as soon as you heard the news."

Mulder snorted and turned to look at her, his eyes telling her 
just how worried he had been.  "I was going to, before Skinner 
talked me out of it.  He reminded me that you would have kicked 
my badge-waving ass, if I had broken your cover."

"Damn right."  Scully gave him a smile.  "I'm still not sure 
what caused the explosion, and I don't know if we'll ever find 
out.  The Police tried to be helpful, and let Stan clean up the 
mess as soon as the victims had been removed.  They did a good 
job--not one piece of forensic evidence to be found."  She 
pointed out the window.  "See that apartment complex on the 
right?  Go into the second driveway.  My place is number 
#1013."

Before Mulder followed Scully toward her apartment, he stopped 
at the trunk of the car and grabbed a large briefcase.  Scully 
looked at the bag and then at Mulder.  "You were rather sure of 
yourself, weren't you Barry?"

Mulder walked up to Scully and slung his arm around her 
shoulders.  "I was an Eagle Scout, Ashley.  I always come 
prepared."

XXX

Once safely inside Scully's apartment, Mulder put the briefcase 
on her kitchen table and opened it.  He began pulling out file 
folders, blueprints and several shiny black and green bags.

Scully peered over his shoulder.  "Is this the information I 
requested?"  She leaned around Mulder to pick up a folder, and 
one of the shiny bags caught her eye.  She ignored the folder 
and grabbed it.  "It isn't, is it?  Tell me it isn't."
 
Mulder straightened up, and watched as his partner eyed the bag 
like a kid in a candy store.  "Did you really bring me 
Starbucks Coffee, Mulder?"  Reluctantly she looked away from 
the bag, and beamed at him.  

"Scully, you're impossible to deal with until you've had at 
least two cups of that stuff.  I figured if I brought you some, 
we could get this case solved in half the time."

"Thank you Mulder."  Scully threw her arms around him and 
hugged him so enthusiastically that Mulder was taken slightly 
aback.  "Gee Scully if I had known, I would have bought you a 
case of the stuff years ago."

Scully poked him and headed for the kitchen.  "I'll start the 
coffee while you set us up on the couch."

Ten minutes later Scully was savoring her coffee, as she and 
Mulder slowly went through her list of potential suspects.  It 
was a short list, consisting of Bobby Durham, Carlos, Stan, 
Suzie, George White, and those few construction workers who had 
been on the job since day one.

"Your little boyfriend has quite the history Scully."  Mulder 
pulled out a rather large file and handed it to her.

"Who? Carlos?"  She began to the summary Mulder had written up.  
Carlos had been arrested several times for displaying his 
rather violent temper, but each time the case had been dropped.  
Scully noticed that Mulder had written 'father = money = power' 
along the edge of the paper.

"What did you mean by that?"  She looked up, only to find 
Mulder looking at her with a wide grin on his face.  "What are 
you looking at Mulder?"  

"You."

Scully looked down at herself and then around her.  "Do I have 
something on my face?"  She put down the folder, and skimmed 
her hands across her face and hair, looking for the object of 
Mulder's mirth.

"Nope."  

Scully was getting annoyed now.  "Care to share with the rest 
of the class, Mulder?"

"I know you don't want to talk about this right now, and 
knowing you, you may never want to talk about it, but I gotta 
tell you something Scully."

Scully glared at him.  "Tell me what?"

Mulder leaned over to get a bit closer. "I've been with my fair 
share of women Scully, but that kiss was the hottest, most 
passionate one I have ever had.  That's all."  He sat back and 
grinned at her, as he watched pink rise from her collarbone to 
her head.  God, she was sexy when she blushed and was angry.

"You want to talk about it?"  Scully threw the folders aside 
and got up off the couch. "Okay, let's talk about it."  She 
turned and faced Mulder who had followed her off the couch.  
"Why here, why now?  We've worked together for the better part 
of a decade, been on countless assignments, and have even 
played husband and wife before, but you pick here in nowhere-
land Texas, to finally kiss me."

Mulder knew Scully was gearing for a fight, and deliberately 
kept his voice calm.  "Are you telling me you think I should 
have kissed you before this, Scully?"

"Don't put words in my mouth, Mulder!"  She was really working 
up a full head of steam now.  "I know why now and not then.  
It's pretty obvious really.  Prim and proper Dana Scully 
doesn't do a thing for you, does she?"  Mulder just stared at 
her, his mouth open, unable to believe what he was hearing.  He 
wisely decided to keep silent as she continued.  "Ashley, 
though, likes to show off her assets a bit more.  Is that what 
finally caught your attention, Mulder?"

Mulder took a deep breath and kept his voice calm even though 
his own anger was beginning to rise.  "You are both of those 
women, Scully.  Can't you see that?  When you became Ashley you 
simply gave into your more rebellious side, that's all.  You've 
done it before."  The words came out before Mulder could stop 
them, and Scully's mind raced back through time, to her little 
jaunt to Philadelphia, and the tattoo at the base of her spine.

Knowing he had to do something, Mulder stepped over to where 
Scully sat, and gently took her by the shoulders.  She shrugged 
him off, not ready to give up the fight yet.  "So I'm acting 
out of rebellion?  Against whom, you?  Are you saying I dressed 
like this so I'd have an excuse to flaunt myself in front of 
you?"

"You didn't even know I would be here, Scully."

"Come on Mulder, I doubt there is even one person in the DC 
Bureau who thought for a moment that you would let me handle 
this case all on my own.  I knew you would find a way to get 
down here, and you knew it too."

Mulder was shocked by her words, but had to admit she was 
right.  "You're right Scully, but not for the reasons you 
think.  I know you're capable, and that you could easily manage 
this case on your own.  What *I* can't manage, is being away 
from you for weeks at a time."

Scully's head was spinning.  Did she really dress the way she 
had on this case, to attract Mulder's attention when he 
eventually arrived?  Did Mulder mean what he said about not 
being able to manage without her?  And what about that kiss?

Mulder silently watched as Scully pulled herself together.  She 
took a couple of deep breaths before addressing him.  "I'm not 
sure what's going on here Mulder, but I do know it's 
interfering with this case.  I think you should leave the files 
here and go."  

Mulder said nothing as he watched her force her feelings down 
until they disappeared.  He picked up his briefcase, and left 
without a word.

Scully stared at the closed door a long, long time, wondering 
if she had just blocked the pathway to any chance of a real 
relationship with Mulder.  Tears threatened to spill, but she 
ignored them as she turned back to the couch, the folders and 
her now very cold coffee.
 
XXX

Scully opened her eyes and looked at her alarm clock.  She 
slowly closed them again, only to have them snap open as she 
realized how late she was.  It was already past eight, and she 
was supposed to be at work at nine.

"Damn!" she said to the empty room, as she began randomly 
pulling clothes out of her dresser and putting them on.  She 
ran a brush through her hair and slapped on some makeup, and 
was out the door in under fifteen minutes.

Thank goodness there was a coffee shop on the way to work.  She 
had been looking forward to a cup of the coffee Mulder had 
brought her, but there simply wasn't time.

Mulder.  What was she going to do about him?  Scully had been 
up half the night trying to figure out exactly why she had 
gotten so mad at him.  So he found her attractive in clothes 
other than what she wore to work.  So what?  It wasn't like he 
didn't know it was her under the tight tops.  Scully was always 
impressed by the way Mulder treated her as an equal, but for 
longer than she could remember, she also lamented the fact that 
he never seemed to realize that she was a real woman, as well. 
He finally does so, and she practically takes his head off.

If it weren't for their undercover assignment, Scully knew that 
Mulder would avoid her like the plague for a couple of days, 
and probably even stop the innuendos for a while. 
Unfortunately, they had chosen to play the parts of potential 
lovers, and in doing so, they would have to continue to 
interact on a more personal level, at least until the case was 
resolved.

Scully was beginning to realize that she was a bit leery of 
Mulder's attention, and more than a little afraid of her 
reaction to it.  However, part of her couldn't wait for Mulder 
to resume his role of Barry Livingston.

XXX

Suzie smiled at her when she walked into the gift shop, still 
slightly bleary-eyed.  "Somebody didn't get much sleep last 
night.  I want to hear all about it."

Scully frowned at her for a second, before realizing that Suzie 
thought her tired appearance was brought on by an exciting 
night of sex with Barry.  "I wish," Scully thought to herself, 
as she poured another cup of coffee.  "Sorry to disappoint you, 
Suzie."  She closed her eyes in near-bliss as she sipped her 
coffee.  Another three or four cups, and she might feel human 
again.  "Barry only stayed for an hour or so."

Suzie joined her, but made a cup of herbal tea instead.  "Good 
for you.  Don't be too easy.  Make him work for it."  She 
dunked her teabag in and out of her cup, before casually 
throwing it into the trashcan.  Scully looked at her friend 
thinking how much she would miss Suzie when she returned 
to DC.  It had been a long time, probably before Missy was 
killed, since she had female companionship her own age.

"So what did I miss?"  Scully leaned against the counter and 
looked at her friend.

"Nothing too exciting.  Carlos was pretty pissed off when he 
spotted you two making out like a couple of horny teenagers."  
Scully blushed with the memory.  "He was angry and wanted to 
take it out on someone, so he came looking for me."

"I'm sorry Suzie."  Scully squeezed Suzie's hand.

"Oh don't be.  He took it out on me the best way 
possible...that was probably the best sex I've had in over a 
year.  First he. . ."

Suzie was interrupted by the sounds of voices, as someone came 
in through the main entrance.  She and Scully looked at each 
other, and went out to see who it was.  

Stan was showing a middle-aged man around.  When he spotted the 
two women, he guided his guest in their direction.  "Ladies, I 
would like you to meet Joe Iron Horse.  He's an Apache medicine 
man.  I've asked him to take a look around, and tell me whether 
or not we need to have the Apache cleansing ritual done."

Scully didn't notice the small scowl on Suzie's face as she 
shook the man's hand.  "What's a cleansing ritual?"

Joe Iron Horse smiled at her.  He was around fifty, with 
straight black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a face 
that told Scully he had spent most of his life outdoors.  "The 
cleansing ritual will remove bad spirits.  Stan thinks that 
might put an end to the problems y'all have had here."

Scully had met a few Native Americans in her day, but never one 
that said 'y'all'.  She tried to hide her surprise at his 
accent.  "Sounds very interesting.  Are you going to do it?"

Joe Iron Horse looked at her and Stan, and nodded.  "I can do 
it this afternoon, after Stan and I work out a price."  Stan 
smiled enthusiastically, and smacked Joe on the back.  
"Excellent, excellent.  Let's go back to my office and work out 
all of the details."

Suzie and Scully watched them leave before returning to the 
stock room.  Scully noticed that the ever-effervescent Suzie 
was quiet.  "You don't like him, do you?"  Scully asked, as she 
poured another cup of coffee.

Suzie shook her head.  "Oh I like Joe just fine--it's his claim 
to being a medicine man that bothers me."  She saw the confused 
look on Scully's face and continued.  "He knows the ritual, but 
he isn't a real medicine man.  He does his 'act' mainly for the 
tourists."

"How do you know?"

"My mother was an Apache, and she taught me their ways.  She 
kept up the traditions even though she married a Mexican."  
Suzie shook her head as if to clear herself out of her self-
induced funk.  "Even though it will probably do no good, you 
should watch Joe do his thing this afternoon.  He puts on an 
entertaining little performance."

"I think I'll do that."  Scully wondered if Mulder would show 
up in time to catch the act, too.

XXX

It was a bit after noon when Scully noticed a strange 
fragrance.  She was sitting behind her desk looking over the 
receipts from the day before, when she became aware of the 
smell.  Suzie must have noticed it too.  She popped her head 
out of the stockroom.  "White sage."

"Excuse me?"  Scully swiveled in her chair so she could see her 
friend. 

"White sage.  Joe must have started his little show.  White 
sage is used to drive negative energy away.  I imagine he is 
working his way through the building."

True enough, in a few minutes Scully spotted Joe Iron Horse, 
this time in full Native American dress, walking slowly through 
the facility.  In one hand he held a large shell containing the 
substance giving off the strong-smelling smoke.  In the other 
hand, he held a large feather, with which he seemed to dust 
everything in sight.

Suzie came up behind Scully, and whispered in her ear as Joe 
approached them. "The white sage is burning in that shell.  Joe 
first exposes an area to the smoke, and then uses the feather 
to remove the negativity.  He'll do us in a second."

Scully sat in fascination as Joe waved both the smoking shell 
and feather around her before heading into the gift shop.  
Suzie snorted at him before saying sarcastically, "I, for one, 
feel like a totally new woman after that experience."  She gave 
Scully's shoulder a squeeze.  "You should head outside in a 
couple of minutes.  You wouldn't want to miss his little 
dance."

"Don't you want to see it?"

"That's okay.  I've seen it before and even if I hadn't, I can 
do it myself."

Suzie shrugged and went to make sure that Joe didn't drop any 
ashes on her shelves.

XXX

Mulder arrived right before Joe Iron Horse finished his smoke 
and feather routine.  He recognized the ceremony at once, and 
walked over to join Bobby Durham, who was also watching 
closely.  Whereas Mulder watched with obvious amusement, Bobby 
looked quite peeved. He politely waited for Joe to put down his 
clam shell, however, before storming over to speak with him.  

"Joe, what the hell? do you think you're doing?"  Bobby 
demanded, thrusting his chin in the direction of the clam shell 
and its smoldering contents.  "You know as well as I do that if 
you don't do this the right way, things will get even worse."

Mulder watched in interest, as Joe gave Bobby a look of total 
distain.  "Bobby, what would you know?  You're a white man."

Bobby laughed out loud at this.  "And what are you Joe, about 
one twenty-fourth Apache?  Spare me."

Joe glared at Bobby and looked around to make sure that Stan 
wasn't within ear shot.  It wouldn't do him any good to be 
called a fraud by the leading Apache expert in the area.  If 
Stan heard that, he would probably want his money back.  He 
picked up his antelope skin bag, and brushed against Bobby as 
he headed outside.  "Excuse me White Boy, I have work to do."

Mulder's interest was piqued now.  He followed them, not 
wanting to miss a single thing.

XXX

The first thing Mulder noticed when he spotted Scully, was that 
the clothes she wore were those of Dana, not Ashley.  He paused 
for a moment, wondering if it was a conscious choice or if she 
had done it without thinking.  He shrugged off the thought; he 
would ponder it later.  Right now he was far more interested in 
watching Joe Iron Horse, and trying to find out if Scully was 
still mad at him.

Not wanting to startle her, Mulder called out a soft greeting 
before walking up behind Ashley and wrapping his arms around 
her waist.  He made as if he was nuzzling her ear.  "I called 
the Bureau this morning.  I requested a few things, and they 
should be at my apartment by tonight."

Scully said nothing, just nodded her understanding that she had 
heard him.  Even though she still wasn't sure how she felt 
about what had transpired the night before, she felt herself 
lean against him as he switched from one side of her neck to 
the other.  "Do you think you can stand being around me long 
enough to pop over for a while tonight?  I could really use 
your help."

"Maybe."  

Mulder stopped his nuzzling and rested his chin on the top of 
her head, watching as Joe Iron Horse finished up his dance.  
"Do you think it will work?"

"I have no idea.  Suzie seems to think he is a bit of a fake."

"So does Bobby."  Mulder chuckled.  "You have to admit, though, 
the man does put on a good show."  

They watched in silence as Joe Iron Horse finished up his dance 
and relit the sage in his clam shell.  He proceeded to wave it 
around as if to purge the outside, too, of all negativity.  
Having already witnessed him doing his purging routine, Scully 
turned and faced Mulder.

"I really should get back inside."  She was perfectly aware 
that Suzie wouldn't care if she stayed outside another hour.  
She still wasn't comfortable around Mulder.

Mulder released her.  "Okay, come over around dinner.  There's 
a great Mexican place down the street from my apartment, we can 
grab a quick bite then just hang out."  He leaned forward so 
his forehead was touching hers.  He spoke so quietly she could 
barely hear him.  "With all these people milling about, I 
should probably give you at least a little kiss.  Nothing more 
than a peck, I promise.  Is that okay?"

Scully smiled up at him.  No matter what happened between them, 
Mulder was always the gentleman.  "I think I can handle it."  

Mulder smiled and bent to kiss her.  His lips were hovering 
over hers, when a shriek shattered the air.

"The Indian, he's collapsed!"  A middle aged woman in a jogging 
suit was jumping up and down screaming, and pointing towards 
Joe.

Scully and Mulder split apart and immediately ran to where Joe 
Iron Horse lay in a crumpled heap.  Scully quickly checked his 
pulse, and finding none, rolled him over and began CPR. By the 
time the ambulance arrived ten minutes later, Joe was 
pronounced dead at the scene. 


End of part three.

The Marfa Murder Mysteries Part Four
By Katie Phillips
Disclaimer information located in Part One.


More than once over the next couple of hours, Scully had to 
resist the urge to pull out her ID and reveal her identity.  It 
was bad enough that she hadn't been able to save Joe Iron 
Horse, but it was even worse that she couldn't find out exactly 
what killed him.

Because of her undercover role, Scully was just another 
witness.  She was therefore not privy to the autopsy results--
had they even bothered to do one--or any other piece of 
forensic evidence.  She and Mulder had both given their 
statements to the police, and had been thanked for doing 
everything they could to resuscitate Joe.  The police had 
assumed that Joe was the victim of a heart attack, but after 
some gentle prodding from Mulder, said they would consider 
looking into the death a little closer.

Mulder had spent the afternoon walking around the facility 
grounds with Bobby, trying to get a handle on what happened.  
He kept a close eye on the naturalist who, although upset by 
Joe's untimely death, didn't seem to be too surprised by it.

"Earlier you told Joe that he could make things worse.  What 
did you mean by that?"  Mulder asked, as he and Bobby squatted 
down where Joe had fallen.  Bobby seemed a bit surprised by 
the question.  "Apache spirits don't take kindly to unqualified 
people asking them to leave their burial grounds."  Bobby 
looked over at Mulder.  "You don't actually think that the 
spirits struck him dead, do you?"

"Do you?"  Mulder responded with a raised eyebrow.  "There are 
a lot of unexplained incidents in this area, the least of which 
are the mysterious Lights.  If the theory of the angered 
spirits is correct, it would explain a lot."

Bobby chuckled at him.  "For a scientist, you're very open-
minded.  Hey, what's this?"  Bobby began rubbing the sand in 
the area where Joe was standing before he fell.  Mulder joined 
his efforts and soon the two men had revealed a small, 4 inch 
square piece of metal.  It was slightly warm.

"What do you think it is?"  Bobby asked again, as he stood up 
and brushed the dust off his jeans.

"I have no idea," Mulder lied. He had a theory.

XXX

When Scully arrived at Mulder's apartment, she was greeting by 
the piquant aroma of Mexican food as Mulder ushered her in.  "I 
thought I'd save some time by ordering in."

Scully shrugged out of her jacket and threw it over a chair, 
relieved to see that Mulder was in full-fledge work mode.  
Chances were good he was too wrapped up in the case to question 
her about her actions the night before.  She looked around the 
apartment as she walked into the kitchen to grab a plate of 
food.

Mulder's apartment was basically one large room, with a small 
kitchen area set off to one side.  It sported a huge fireplace, 
some living room furniture, two dressers and a king-sized bed.  
Scully swallowed when she saw it.  The tables were covered with 
the papers Mulder was using to process all the information 
presented to him.

"The files I asked for just arrived.  They came in a pizza 
box."  Mulder chuckled to himself.  "The neighbors must think 
I'm quite the pig.  First several large pizza boxes arrive, and 
then I go out and buy three bags of Mexican food.  Have a seat 
Scully."
 
Scully sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, and 
cleared a small spot on which to put her dish.  It wasn't until 
she took her first bite of enchilada, that she realized how 
hungry she was.  "This is absolutely fabulous," she said 
between bites.  

"Yeah it is," Mulder agreed, enjoying the sight of Scully 
eating with such gusto.   It was a nice change from seeing her 
pick at a simple green salad.  "Are you upset Scully, that you 
can't do the old slice and dice on Joe?"  

"It's killing me.  I don't even know for sure if they're 
considering his death anything but accidental. The only thing 
I've been able to find out, is that they 'assume' he had a 
heart attack."


"His death was far from accidental Scully," Mulder mumbled, his 
mouth partially full.  "I can almost guarantee that."  Scully 
raised a questioning eyebrow at him.  "I noticed some black, 
smudge-like marks on Joe's moccasins right after he died, but 
didn't think much of it until later."

"And what are you thinking it means now? Are you going to eat 
all that guacamole?"  Scully gave Mulder her best beguiling 
smile.

"Help yourself, there's tons more in the kitchen.  This 
afternoon, Bobby and I noticed a small piece of metal in the 
ground near where Joe fell."

"God, this stuff is good.  And?"

"I think maybe an electric current was sent through it."

"You think Joe Iron Horse was electrocuted?  By whom?  And why? 
Besides Mulder, I don't think I need to tell you that 
electrocution leaves telltale signs, such as burned or scorched 
flesh, and charred or melted footwear.  Prior to death there 
would have been violent jerking, twitching, or convulsions.  We 
didn't see anything like that with Joe Iron Horse.  Surely the 
coroner would have noticed any burning of the flesh, and 
realized that a heart attack wasn't the cause of death."

"Bobby Durham wasn't too happy about a bogus medicine man being 
there. The person behind the murders may not have been too 
happy either, I don't know how to explain it exactly, but what 
if someone used a smaller amount of electricity than is usually 
fatal, just hoping to scare Joe Iron Horse.  Maybe he had a bad 
heart, and the death was unintentional.  We've been told that 
the deaths of the construction workers were 'suspicious,' and 
we know for a fact that the tourists were electrocuted."

"Agent Mulder, are you actually conceding that the other deaths 
were not caused by paranormal events?  And you think they're 
connected to Joe Iron Horse's death as well?  I may need to 
have a beer."

"Good idea, Scully.  Grab me one, too."  Mulder grinned when 
she moaned, got up from her seat, and returned with two beers 
and another helping of guacamole and tortilla chips.  He opened 
the beers, took a long drink and continued.  "No, Scully I 
don't think that these deaths are caused by the Marfa Lights.  
I think someone electrocuted all these people, not just the 
tourist couple.  What if somehow he or she found a way to use a 
typically non-lethal charge to cause death by heart failure 
alone, without the signature scorching or burning?  I just 
haven't figured out how or why yet."  

Scully nodded.  Mulder's explanation didn't sound as farfetched 
as some of his had in the past.  "What do you suggest we do 
now?"

"You have tomorrow off, right?"  Mulder leaned back against the 
couch and patted his stomach with satisfaction.  "I thought 
Ashley would join Barry on a little hike around the facility 
grounds.  I'll bring along some metal detectors, under the 
premise that I think that the Marfa Lights are drawn 
to certain types of metals.  Do you know the approximate 
location of each of the deaths?"

"I think so."

"Good, we can check for metal plates in the ground.  If we find 
them, we may have found our link."

"We have no motive and no real suspect."

"If we find what I think we're going to find, I think it will 
narrow down our suspect list quite a bit."  

Mulder and Scully reviewed their notes and their lists of 
potential suspects in relative silence.  No one on the list 
seemed especially likely to have committed the crimes, but none 
had air-tight alibis either.

Dishes were cleared and folders stowed away.  Mulder got each 
of them another beer, and sat down on the couch, patting the 
seat next to him.  "Come on partner, you look beat.  Can I rub 
your shoulders for you?"

Scully hesitated for a second.  She knew she was too tired to 
make the nearly one hour drive back to Alpine, but she was also 
nervous about sitting so close to Mulder.  Her shoulder muscles 
felt like they were tied up in knots, and Scully was very much 
aware of the fact that no one gave better shoulder massages 
than her partner.

Mulder turned so his back was to the side of the sofa and he 
put one of his legs down on the floor, making a place for 
Scully to sit between them. Hesitantly, she settled herself in 
between his legs, and stretched hers out in front of her, 
leaning into his hands as he began his kneading.  "Didn't sleep 
well last night Scully?"  He spoke conversationally, as he 
worked on a particularly stubborn knot.  

Scully rolled her head slightly at his prodding.  "No, too much 
on my mind."

 Mulder convinced the knot to surrender, and was now working on 
another. "Jesus Scully, you're as tight as a drum.  Care to 
talk to Dr. Mulder about what's troubling you?"  

"I think that would be difficult, considering it's Dr. Mulder 
who's the source of my problem.  Oh yeah Mulder, right there.  
Do you feel that?  That's been bothering me since I got here."  
Mulder moved his probing fingers to the spot, and Scully moaned 
again.  After a little more pressure, Mulder felt her finally 
begin to relax.

"This is about more than the kiss, isn't it Scully?"

"I don't know, Mulder. You're the one with the psych degree; 
you tell me."

Mulder chuckled.  Scully always sniped at him when he was right 
about her feelings and she didn't want to admit it.  "I think, 
Scully, that you let your guard down, and were surprised that I 
had done the same.  I think, or at least I hope, that the kiss 
we shared was more than you thought it would be."  He stopped 
rubbing her neck and leaned forward so he could see her face.  
"Honestly Scully, I was only planning on giving you a bit of a 
peck, just enough to give Carlos the message that you weren't 
available."  He flushed slightly.  "I guess it turned into more 
than that."

"That was Barry kissing Ashley, Mulder.  Not you and I 
kissing."

Mulder resumed his massage of Scully's neck, leaning back so 
she couldn't see him roll his eyes.  "Well, Ashley and Barry 
aren't here now, if you care to see whether that really would 
make a difference."

"You don't have to cop an attitude, Mulder."  Mulder could tell 
that Scully was about to go on the offensive again, trying to 
steer the conversation in another direction.  

"No I don't, and you don't have to try pick a fight with me 
either."

Scully was about to angrily deny his remark, when she realized 
he was right.  She was trying to divert him from discussing the 
two of them, and the feelings they might have for one another.  
"I'm sorry, Mulder.  All I keep thinking about is how it's okay 
for Barry and Ashley to be together, but not okay for us.  They 
don't have to go back to DC and work together."

"No they don't."  Mulder said nothing more, instead pulling 
Scully back so she lay against him as he reclined against the 
arm of the couch.  He settled his chin on her head and waited 
for her to ponder what was happening between them.

XXX

Mulder was afraid that Scully may have dozed off when she 
finally turned around to face him, tucking her legs underneath 
her.  "I don't suppose one kiss could hurt anything."

Mulder tried to restrain himself, replying calmly.  "No, I 
don't think it could."  He leaned over and placed his lips 
gently on hers.   He pressed a bit harder and felt her respond.  
He had every intention of moving slowly, but within seconds 
found himself exactly where they had been the night before--
each of them exploring the other, with a passion that surprised 
him.

They finally split apart, and Mulder placed a small kiss on 
Scully's forehead.  He frowned when he saw the look of fear  
steal across her face.  She was thinking again, thinking about 
all the possible negative repercussions.  Mulder leaned back 
against the arm of the couch again, and maneuvered Scully into 
the same position she was in before their kiss.

Mulder just held her for a long time, his arms wrapped loosely 
around her, his hands on her hands, which rested on her 
stomach.  He made gentle circles on the back of her hand with 
his thumb, as he patiently waited for her to relax. "Scully, 
sometimes you think too much."

Scully snorted.  "I know Mulder, but I'm scared to take the 
plunge.  Scared of what might happen."
 
Mulder kissed her neck and whispered in her ear.  "You trust 
me, don't you Scully?"  He waited until he felt her nod.  "Then 
trust me not to let you fall."  He placed small kisses behind 
her ear. "Don't think Scully, just feel.  Can you do that for 
me?"  Scully nodded again, and Mulder began his slow seduction, 
not proceeding until he felt his partner relax beneath him.  
"We'll take this as slow or as fast as you want.  Okay?"

Hearing no objection, Mulder continued to speak softly as he 
slowly stroked and explored every inch of Scully's body within 
his reach.  He whispered terms of endearments in her ear, and 
ignored the tingling in his legs as they lost circulation, 
instead concentrating on the small sounds Scully made when he 
touched her.  After awhile he stopped talking briefly, to 
quench his parched throat with a sip of beer.  It was then he 
realized why Scully had become so relaxed. She was fast 
asleep.  

Mulder smiled when he looked down at her.  Scully really could 
sleep through anything.  He shook his head and watched her for 
a long time, until his legs really began to complain.  
Carefully he tried to extract himself from beneath his sleeping 
partner, his movement waking her up.  She blinked once or 
twice, as if trying to remember where she was, and what she was 
doing.  She looked up at Mulder who was sitting next to her 
grinning, and blushed.  "Sorry Mulder.  Don't take it 
personally, I was really tired."

"I know, I know.  Some jerk pissed you off last night, and you 
were up all night thinking about it."

Scully smiled up at him.  "How far did you go before you 
noticed I was asleep?"  She sat up next to Mulder and 
stretched.

"I was rounding first, heading for second."  Mulder wrapped his 
arm around her and gave her a squeeze.  

"Too bad I fell asleep.  What you were doing felt so good, I 
was thinking about letting you steal third."  She leaned 
against him resting her head on his chest.

"What?  No home run?"  Mulder kissed the top of her head, 
enjoying the weight of her against him, as she wrapped her arms 
around his neck.

"On the first date?  What kind of girl do you think I am?"

Mulder put his finger under her chin and tilted it up so he 
could look at her more closely. Although her eyes still showed 
signs of wariness, she was definitely in the mood to tease him, 
her mini-nap obviously having relieved some of the tension.  
"An intelligent, sexy one."  He bent down to kiss her again, 
playfully groping at her until she erupted in giggles.

"Mulder, what are you doing?"  

"Trying to get to second base."  

Scully erupted in giggles as she tried to free herself from 
Mulder's grasp.  He was too strong for her, and within seconds 
she was pinned beneath him.  They stopped laughing, and Mulder 
looked down at her with such a look of naked desire that it 
almost took her breath away.

"Yes or no?"  Mulder searched her eyes for the answer. Scully 
became perfectly still, and Mulder held his breath, fearing the 
worst.  

"Yes."  Scully said, as she pulled him down to her.  

XXX

Scully opened her eyes, surprised to find the room bright with 
sunlight.  She tried to move in order to glance at the alarm 
clock by the bed, only to feel Mulder tighten the arm he had 
around her waist.  She rolled her eyes.  Even asleep Mulder was 
possessive of her.  Scully couldn't get annoyed with him 
though, not after last night and all the wonderful things he 
had done to her.

She snuggled back against him and closed her eyes, reliving the 
feeling as Mulder had slowly, systematically explored every 
inch of her body, first with his hands, and then with his 
mouth.  Scully experienced sensations she hadn't thought 
possible--the things that man could do with his mouth. She had 
actually reached orgasm just from Mulder sucking on her ear 
lobe, but that was nothing compared to what he did to her when 
he explored between her legs.

The memory of his actions made her squirm against him.  
Mulder's lower body noticed the motion immediately, and sprang 
to action.  Apparently the rest of Mulder noticed as well.  He 
gave her shoulder a quick nibble, before speaking with a voice 
husky from sleep.  "Morning Scully."

Scully turned over so she was facing him, and smiled.  He moved 
to kiss her, when she stopped him with a hand on his chest.  
"Oh no you don't."  Mulder looked concerned for a moment, 
before realizing she was teasing.  "You made a liar out of me, 
Mulder."

"How's that?"  Mulder propped his head up on his elbow and 
looked at her.  He had always thought Scully was a good-looking 
woman, but seeing her now, after a night in his bed, he was 
struck by just how beautiful she really was.

 "I said you wouldn't be hitting a home run last night."   
Scully tried to scold Mulder but erupted into giggles as he 
attacked her.  "Stop, Mulder."

Mulder stopped his assault and glanced at the alarm clock.  
"Damn, ten o'clock already?  I don't suppose we could let the 
Marfa Police Department solve this case on their own?"  Scully 
arched an eyebrow at him.  "Didn't think so.  I'm going to grab 
a quick shower and cook you breakfast, okay?"

Mulder was out of bed and halfway to the bathroom, when he 
stopped and walked back over to where Scully lay watching him.  
He bent over and gave her a long, deep kiss.  "Thanks, Scully.  
Last night was better than I ever dreamed, and I've had some 
pretty good dreams.  Promise me that when we're done with this 
case, we'll sneak off for a weekend together so I can indulge 
in the rest of my fantasies."

Scully stroked his face with her hand.  "Deal."  Mulder smiled 
down at her, and gave her a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose.

XXX

Scully and Mulder arrived just south of the research facility a 
little after eleven.  They parked the car, threw on their packs 
and started their exploration of the grounds.  They didn't 
speak much. Mulder was wearing a listening device that pinged 
every time the metal detector he was waving over the ground 
discovered anything.

Scully had charted out the location of all of the 'accidents,' 
and they started there.  Mulder's theory seemed to be panning 
out, as they found small metal squares several inches under the 
soil at the three of the accident sites.  Satisfied with the 
results, Mulder stowed his gear in his backpack before taking a 
long drink of water and addressing Scully.

"I want to walk around out there a bit too."  He pointed 
towards where the Marfa Lights appeared.  

Scully took her own drink of water and wiped some dust off her 
face.  "God, it's dusty out here.  What are we looking for?"

Mulder shrugged.  "I have no idea, but I'll know it when I see 
it."  He glanced around to see if anyone was within earshot, 
before offering Scully his hand.  "This is probably the only 
assignment where I'll be able to show any public signs of 
affection for you, Scully.  I plan to take full 
advantage of it." Scully looked at him a long second, before 
taking his hand. 

They hiked for an hour or so, before finding some shade under a 
large outcropping of rocks.  Mulder had taken out his metal 
detector again, but had found no signs of metal other than that 
in the occasional rock.  He put down his pack, took off the 
headphones, and carefully lay the equipment against the rock 
ledge.

Scully, who had brought a small blanket in her pack, spread it 
in the shade and began unpacking their lunch.  "Any ideas 
Mulder?"

"About the Lights, not one."  He plopped down next to Scully on 
the blanket, and grabbed a sandwich.  He took a large bite 
before continuing.  "I do, though, have a theory about the 
murders."

He began drawing a picture in the dusty ground to help 
illustrate his point.  "I'm not sure that the killer intended 
to kill any one in particular.  I'm beginning to think that the 
killings are result of the victims being at the wrong place at 
the wrong time."

Scully nibbled at her fruit salad.  "How so?"

"I think that a series of those small metal plates were placed 
all around the facility and its grounds.  I think, too, that 
strong electrical currents are sent to those plates at random 
intervals.  The attacks on the construction workers and those 
kids in the car were random acts designed to scare people."

"What about the exploding garbage can in the Ladies Room, and 
Joe Iron Horse's death?"

"I think the garbage can was rigged to go off sometime during 
the celebration.  I also think that someone wasn't happy about 
Joe's little dance."

"Didn't you tell me that Bobby and Joe had a fight right before 
he was killed?"

"Yeah, but I don't think Bobby is behind this.  He doesn't 
strike me as the kind who would spend time jury-rigging an 
electrical system."  Mulder had finished his sandwich and was 
leaning against the rock, closing his eyes and enjoying the 
warm sun on his face.  "Tonight, I think you and I 
should pay a little visit to Carlos's office. If we can find 
the plans for the electrical system, we can email them to the 
Gunmen and have them take a look at them."

Mulder opened his eyes and looked at Scully.  "In the meantime. 
. ."  He pulled Scully towards him and kissed her.  "Our bosses 
are always accusing us of screwing around on their time.  I 
think it's about time we prove them right."


End of part four.

The Marfa Murder Mysteries Part Five
By Katie Phillips
Disclaimer information located in part one.

Scully plugged in her seatbelt and pulled a small piece of 
tumbleweed from her hair.  She still couldn't believe that she 
had let Mulder strip her naked and make love to her for hours, 
while they were officially on the clock.  She was also 
beginning to think that the dry air and constant sun were 
taking their toll on her skin.

"Sorry about your sunburn, Scully."  Mulder sat down next to 
her, trying hard not to grin.  "I forgot how fair-skinned you 
are."    

Scully smiled back at him, wondering how she was ever going to 
manage to go without a bra for the next couple of days, until 
her skin recovered.  "It's my fault too, Mulder.  I *know* how 
easily I burn."

Mulder started the car and leaned towards her.  "I'll spread 
some cream on all your burned spots later, okay?"  He sat 
upright at the look Scully gave him.  "What?"

"How many times can you...perform...in one day Mulder?"

Mulder chuckled to himself, thinking he might have a 
performance or two left in him yet.  He realized he just might 
reach an all-time personal best.

XXX

Back at Mulder's apartment, Scully tried to ignore the stinging 
from her sunburn and the soreness between her legs, as she 
pulled on her black t-shirt.  She looked at her reflection in 
the mirror, amazed that barely 24 hours ago, she was had not 
been with a man for nearly a decade.  Since then, she and 
Mulder had been going at it like a pair of rabbits.  Rather 
impressive, she thought, considering their ages.

The thought of more rabbit-like behavior crossed her mind, when 
Mulder re-appeared dressed head-to-toe in black.  He shrugged 
on his leather coat and winked at Scully, no doubt recognizing 
the gleam in her eye.  "Later Scully," he teased, as he picked 
up his cell phone and flashlight from the table by the front 
door.  He glanced at his watch.  "It's just after one.  We 
should get going."

Scully nodded and slipped on her own black jacket.  She 
instinctively checked to make sure her weapon and flashlight 
were where they belonged, before joining him at the door.  
"Okay, let's go."

Mulder went over his plan with Scully again, as they traveled 
the dark, winding roads towards the facility. "It should be 
pretty easy really.  We'll backup what's on Carlos's computer, 
and then e-mail it to the boys.  They should have an answer for 
us by mid-morning.  Oh great.  Isn't that Suzie's car?" Mulder 
pulled into the parking lot next to a red Ford Taurus. Scully 
studied the car for a moment before responding.  "Yeah, I think 
so.  I wouldn't worry about it though, she probably went home 
with Carlos tonight."  

Mulder paused a second before getting out of the car.  "You're 
probably right Scully, but if you're not, we'll tell Suzie that 
I wanted to observe the Lights during the darkest part of the 
night."

They got out of the car and walked silently towards the main 
door.  Scully unlocked it, and they entered quietly.  After a 
quick look around to make sure they were alone, Scully led 
Mulder towards Carlos's office.  "It's right next to the 
research room," she whispered, pointing down the hall.  "The 
second door on the left."

Mulder tested the door, and finding it locked, quickly pulled 
out his lock-picking kit.  He had the door open within seconds.  
Clicking on his flashlight, he motioned for Scully to enter 
ahead of him, and then followed her into the office.  

The room was sparsely furnished, and contained little more than 
a desk with a computer, and a large drafting table.  Mulder 
ignored the prints lying on the table, and headed directly for 
the computer.  Within minutes he was examining Carlos's files. 
"Whoa!  This is unbelievable, Scully."  

"What is?"  Scully turned away from the drafting table, and 
looked over his shoulder at the computer screen.

"The lack of security here.  This facility has no alarm system, 
and Carlos didn't even bother to use a password to protect his 
files."

Scully patted his shoulder.  "I guess they're not as paranoid 
down here as we are back home.  Did you find what you need?"

"I think so."  Mulder pulled a diskette out of his pocket and 
stuck it into the machine.  Scully left Mulder to copy the 
files, and walked over to the large picture window that took up 
most of one wall.  In theory, this office would be turned into 
additional research space at some point in the future.

Looking out over the desert, Scully was once again awed by the 
enormity of the Texas night sky.  The stars really were big and 
bright down here.  She was about to turn away, when a small 
flicker of light caught her attention.  It seemed to be a small 
fire.

"Mulder."  The sound of her voice made him look up and frown.

"Yeah?"

"Take a look at this."

Mulder pocketed his diskette, shut down the computer, and 
walked over to where Scully was staring out the window.  He 
squinted at the flickering light, before sweeping his 
flashlight around the office.  

"What are you looking for?"

"Binoculars.  I thought I spotted some when we came in."  
Catching sight of them, Mulder picked them up and aimed them in 
the direction of the flickering light.  He stood staring for a 
second, before putting down the binoculars and turning to 
Scully.  "We'd better get out there.  I think there's another 
Native American ritual going on." 

Scully checked for her weapon, as they pushed through the door 
that opened out onto the viewing platform.  They moved quickly 
and quietly, all business now.  About thirty feet from the 
fire, they stopped as the smell of white sage and the sounds of 
chanting and an occasional moan, reached them.

Scully squinted at the two figures, and then grabbed Mulder's 
arm.  "Oh my God, Mulder!  It's Suzie and Carlos.  I think 
she's trying to kill him."

She was about to grab her weapon and spring forward, when 
Mulder grabbed her arm.  "No, Suzie told me that she and Carlos 
were 'soul mates.'  If she really believes that, she may be 
trying to save him."

Scully glared at him.  "Whichever it is Mulder, we need to get 
over there and stop her."  Mulder took out his gun, and 
motioned for her to go to the left while he went to the right.  
At his nod, they broke apart and ran toward the fire.

Because of his longer legs, Mulder reached the blaze first.  He 
stopped dead at the sight of Suzie drawing what looked like a 
sharp knife, over Carlos's belly.  "Drop it, Suzie."  

Suzie jumped at the sound of his voice, and looked around to 
see from where it came.  She didn't, however, drop her knife.  
Scully approached her from behind.  "Federal Agent, I'm armed.  
Drop your weapon Suzie."

Suzie, recognizing Scully's voice, turned around knife still in 
hand, with a look of pure shock on her face.  "Ashley?"  She 
turned at the sound of Mulder's footsteps.  "Barry?"

"Drop it Suzie."  Mulder said quietly "Drop it and step away."

XXX

Scully waited outside the Marfa Police station interrogation 
room, sipping what she hoped would be her last cup of bad Texan 
coffee.  The local authorities hadn't been too happy about 
having a pair of undercover agents poking into their business, 
and were doing everything they could to inconvenience Scully.  
She had been waiting well over an hour.

Under normal circumstances, Scully would have accompanied 
Carlos to the emergency room, but she felt the need to talk to 
her friend Scully hadn't thought Suzie capable of murder, and 
desperately wanted to know what had driven her to it.  Scully 
drained the cup of coffee, as her cell phone began to ring.

"Scully."

"Scully, it's me.  You'll never guess what happened."

"Mulder, I'm too tired for games. . ."

"Okay, okay.  We were right about the electrical system of the 
facility being compromised."

"Really?  How did you figure that out?"  She glanced at her 
watch.  It wasn't even 6 AM yet, too early for him to have 
contacted the Gunmen.  

"Carlos told me."

"Excuse me?"

"Carlos told me.  Whatever Suzie slipped him in his beer did 
quite a number on his head.  He was sure there, for awhile, 
that he was dying."

"And?"

"And he wanted me to know the truth about what happened."

"Which was?"

"He did it.  He did it all."  Mulder went on to explain to 
Scully how the resentment Carlos had felt over the years at 
having to do his father's bidding, had finally come to a head.  
He knew how much the research facility meant to his father, and 
he'd set out to slowly destroy it.  "He altered the wiring, and 
installed a timer in the system, which sent out large surges of 
electricity randomly. He figured within a few months the 
facility would be closed."

"What about Suzie?"

"He is pushing to have all charges against her dropped.  He 
claims she was only trying to drive the evil from him."

XXX

Thirty six hours later, Mulder and Scully sat in AD Skinner's 
office as he went over their report.  The trip back from Texas 
had been somewhat strained, as neither of them wanted to broach 
the subject of their new relationship.  They spoke only of the 
case, and even that conversation was limited to deciding who 
would write up their report.  Since Scully had been on the case 
longer, they decided she would do it.

Skinner put down the report and looked at his two agents.  He 
sensed something was amiss between the two of them, but decided 
against mentioning it, instead addressing their account of the 
events.  

"Agent Scully, you mention several times that you and Agent 
Mulder were able to put together the pieces of this case by 
working together closely.  How did you manage to find time 
alone without destroying your cover?"

Scully looked over at Mulder for a second, but answered the 
question herself.  "Agent Mulder and I posed as lovers, Sir."

"Lovers?"  Skinner choked on his reply, echoing her own words 
back to her.  "I see."  He paused a second before continuing.  
"The entire Texas congressional delegation has asked me to 
relay their thanks to you for handling this matter so 
efficiently.  I'll put copies of their e-mails in both the case 
file and your personnel files, as well as send copies to DD 
Kersh and the Director.  I will, however, leave out any 
specific details of how you handled your cover."

His eyes swept over his two agents and it looked for a moment 
like he was about to smile. "That is unless there is something 
else you'd like to tell me."

Mulder didn't even need to look at Scully before responding.  
"We have nothing more to report on the matter at this time, 
Sir."

"Very well.  That will be all."  Both agents turned to leave, 
and had almost reached the door.  "Agent Mulder, a moment 
please?"

Scully looked at Mulder and then at Skinner, before leaving the 
office, and closing the door behind her.

Mulder turned and faced his boss.  "Sir?"

Skinner stood up and walked over to Mulder, looking somewhat 
uncomfortable.  "Off the record, Mulder."

"Yes Sir?"  Mulder voice reflected his suspicion.

"I assume that you and Agent Scully will keep this latest 
development in your partnership to yourselves."

Mulder opened his mouth to deny everything, but closed it 
instead, giving the briefest of nods.  Skinner looked at him 
long and hard before speaking.   "Don't blow this, Mulder."

"I'll do my best not to, Sir."

XXX
 
Scully was waiting for Mulder by the elevator.  One look at 
him, eliminated the need to ask him what had just happened with 
Skinner.  It wasn't until the elevator doors closed, that he 
spoke.  "He knows."  Scully eyes grew huge, and she looked a 
bit pale.  They stood side by side in silence.  

Mulder finally took a deep breath and spoke.  "Do you think 
Ashley would like to go out with me tonight?"

Scully gave him a long look before answering.  "No, I don't 
think she would."  She shook her head, and Mulder's shoulders 
slumped.  He was always ready to accept defeat when it came to 
her.  "She might not, but Dana would."

Author's notes:  The Marfa Lights really do exist and are seen 
almost nightly outside of Marfa, Texas. I saw them myself last 
December and they are truly incredible.  If you would like to 
find out some more on them check out their official website:  
www.marfalights.com.