TITLE:      TRUCKIN'
AUTHOR:     FATCAT & DONNILEE
E-MAIL:     FatCat926@msn.com / donnilee@snet.net
RATING:     NC-17
SPOILERS:   Pilot, Pine Bluff Variant, Millennium, Closure, Talitha
Cumi, 3, Triangle, Per Manum, Tooms, Momento Mori, Milagro, First
Person Shooter.

DISCLAIMER: Sometimes the urge just hits you take a ROAD TRIP!
Oh, you mean the story?  The characters aren't ours unfortunately.
Frankly, I think we do better with them than their owners.  But
alas, they belong to their creator, Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen
Productions and Fox Broadcasting.  We're both poor as church mice.
Don't sue.

SUMMARY:    Mulder and Scully go undercover as an over the road,
married driving team to break up a hijacking ring.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  This is FatCat's and my first attempt at writing as a
team.  We had great fun!  Hope you enjoy the spewing of our combined
imaginations.  She wrote Scully, I wrote Mulder and away we went.

THANKS:     To our beta reader extraordinaire, Fran Hartman for doing
her usual bang up job.  When she's not looking, we call her "grammar
nazi."  Affectionately, of course!

DEDICATION:  I think this has to be dedicated to Mimic117, who
caterwauled the longest and loudest for the completion of this fic.
And I mean that in the nicest way, darling!  This one's for you!

PART 1 (PG)
FBI HEADQUARTERS
HOOVER BUILDING
THIRD FLOOR - A.D. SKINNER'S OFFICE
3:00 PM - THURSDAY

"Come in, Agents.  Have a seat."  A.D. Skinner gestured toward his
conference table.  I exchanged a glance with Mulder before we moved
as one to take seats opposite Skinner and the two unidentified men.

"Agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder.  These gentlemen are Mr. Franklin
Thomas and Mr. Dennis McMahon of the Morehead Insurance Company."
Skinner made short work of the introductions.

"Mr. Thomas and Mr. McMahon have been investigating a number of
hijackings and murders that have occurred involving a trucking
company covered by Morehead."

"Excuse me, Sir, but exactly what does that have to do with Agent
Mulder and me, or the FBI for that matter?" I asked politely
before Mulder could insult everyone present asking the same question
in that insolent, scathing way of his.

"The Director has approved the investigation into these incidents
because the victims have been transported across state lines before
being killed, and because the cargos that have been hijacked have all
been federal property."

Again I exchanged glances with Mulder.

"Isn't that handled by the Department of Transportation, Sir?"
he asked.

"Normally, Agent Mulder, that would be the usual agency to handle
this case, but there are extenuating circumstances that exclude
pursuit of the investigation through the DOT.  Mr. Thomas, if you
would," Skinner indicated the man on his left.

"Agents, I have been in charge of this investigation for several
months.  It has come to my attention during this time that there are
possible links to the DOT and several other governmental agencies;
links that seem to indicate a large number of federal employees are
involved in these crimes."  He looked from one agent to the
other, trying to make sure they understood the gravity and scope of
this investigation.

"Those are serious charges, Mr. Thomas," I said.  "Do you have
the kind of proof you will need to bring this operation down?"

Mr. McMahon broke in with, "No, and that's where you two come in."

"What the Director wants is an undercover operation, using FBI
personnel.  When the task force asked for a few of our best teams to
be considered for the job, your names were mentioned by the
Director himself," Skinner interjected.

"That's very flattering, Sir, but we're not a trained part of the
undercover task force.  Mulder and I have only gone undercover a few
times; once with near disastrous results," I shot back.

Mulder interjected, "The director probably just wants us off the X-
Files."

"We're aware of your lack of undercover training, Agent Mulder, but
you and Agent Scully have a partnership that is known to be out of
the ordinary," Thomas said.  "Your solve rate is statistical proof
of that."

Skinner added, "You are close and work well together.  You both know
that agents are closer with their partner than their spouse
sometimes, and that's especially evident with you two.  I don't have
to tell you that your partnership is nearly legendary in the Bureau.
And yes, your solve rate has a lot do with you being selected by the
Director.  He may not know you personally, but he knows the numbers,
and he knows your solve rate, even if he's not always impressed with
your methods."

"Just what kind of operation are you looking to run, Mr. Thomas?"  I
asked, secretly pleased at Skinner's praise as well as slightly
uncomfortable with the comments about being so close.  I was getting
a bad feeling about this whole conversation.

Skinner looked at us for a moment and then said, "This will be a
deep-cover operation.  You will not be able to contact your families
or friends.  You will be given a cover story for your absence.  You
will not be able to surface until the hijacking ring has been
completely eliminated, or heaven forbid, your cover is blown."

Mulder and I exchanged glances again.

"What..." I cleared my throat.  "What would our cover be?"

Skinner picked up the conversation at this point, "You will be
working as an over-the-road driving team for one of Morehead's
clients, Global-Tech Express."

My eyebrow shot toward my hairline.  "With all due respect, sir,
this is ludicrous.  Neither Agent Mulder nor I have ever driven a
semi and now you expect us to pass ourselves off as professional
truck drivers?"

Skinner held back the smile that threatened to crack his face.
"Agent Mulder?  Would you like to handle this?"

Mulder turned to face me, squirming in his chair.

"Scully, I do have truck driving experience.  The summer before I
went to Oxford, I worked at a logging camp in Maine.  I wasn't a
lumber jack.  I was actually the cook's help until one of the
regular drivers broke his arm unloading logs at the paper mill.
They sent me to school and I drove for them for quite a while."

"So you learned to drive a semi?"  I was incredulous.

"Yeah, I learned," he smirked.

XXXXXXXXXX

"By the end of summer I was the top driver.  Not needing much sleep
gave me an edge on the other guys.  Oh, and by the way, if you want
to sound like a truck driver, call it a 'big rig'.  No self-
respecting truck driver ever says 'semi'.  They say 'rig' or 'big
rig', or maybe 'big truck.'"

"Thanks for the vocabulary lesson," she said sarcastically, unable
to keep her annoyance out of her voice.  "That's all well and good,
but what about me?  I don't know how to drive a ... big rig.  I
don't have my Class A driver's license and neither do you anymore,
for that matter.  What would be my role in this operation?"

She sounded as if she definitely wasn't going to enjoy this.
Knowing Scully as I do, I could almost see the dread in her eyes as
she got a mental picture of herself in a short, pink waitress
uniform.

"Well, Agent Scully..." Mr. Thomas began.

I interrupted, "Scully, you can be my 'better half' and take care
of all the paperwork, etc."  I began to grin and added, "I'm sure
the idea of you doing all the paperwork appeals to you immensely.
You know, finding ways to weasel out of filling out expense
reports and case reports on concluded X-Files is my specialty.  Just
think of it, you can have complete control of the paper trail from
day one."

"Why don't I like the way you said that, Mulder?" she growled.  I
knew she felt like she was being ganged up on.  I'd accepted
this easily and it began to bother her.  Suspicion of the true
meaning of 'better half' began to dawn on her.  As soon as it hit
me what they were proposing, I liked the idea of this assignment even
more.

"Just what is a 'better half', Mulder?" she glared at me.

Skinner interjected, "You'd be posing as man and wife, Agent
Scully."

That was it.  Her jaw dropped.  "That's preposterous!" she nearly
shouted.  I didn't miss the two insurance investigators' smirks over
her indignation.

Scully was not amused.  She turned to give them her death stare,
making it clear that she was anything but amused.  Scully in full
chill mode made their mirth disappear immediately.  That however,
made me smile softly at her.  "It wouldn't be so bad, Scully."

In a calm voice, she asked, "Mulder, do you know how small those
sleepers must be?"  She made a sound of disgust with
her tongue.

I frowned.  Before I could respond, Mr. Thomas said, "We had
anticipated an objection on those grounds, Agent Scully, and we've
arranged for you to have one of our newest trucks with the largest
sleeper compartment available.  That's an optional feature we don't
usually indulge in.  The bed is nearly a double bed.  You normally
won't be sleeping at the same time anyway.  Even though it is close
quarters, A.D. Skinner has assured us that it should be adequate for
two professionals such as you and Agent Mulder."

"What about bunk beds?" I asked.

"I can look into that," McMahon replied.

Thomas continued.  "It comes with a small refrigerator, microwave,
stereo, headphones, sizeable clothing compartments and a small sink
with a vanity mirror."

"What?  No TV?" I grinned at him.

"Of course, I forgot to mention the television-vcr-dvd combination
mounted in the sleeping area," Thomas assured me.

"Lucky me," Scully muttered.

"Hey, I was only kidding."  I was impressed.

Skinner was regarding me thoughtfully.  "We've also consulted with
a driving school in Somers, CT.  We can send you there for a private
crash course for your Class A license.  Mulder will probably do most
of the driving."

"I don't know, Sir," Scully said.

"Agent Scully, I know it sounds daunting, but the only real reason
for you to have your license is in case of emergency."

McMahon again contributed to the conversation, "DOT regulations
are a lot stricter than when you drove, Agent Mulder.  Long haul
truckers are no longer allowed to drive for twenty-fours straight
like in the old days."

"What are the rules now?" I asked.

"I have a whole list of them here," he said as he slid a file across
the table towards me.

I put my hand on it but didn't open it.  "Summarize for me," I
requested.

McMahon nodded.  "Well, drivers are cut off at ten hours.  After
that, they have to take an eight hour break.  A lone driver will
often drive for five, sleep for four, drive five, sleep four.  This
enables him to make better time than shutting down for an entire
eight hours and allows him to take advantage of the low traffic
times on the highways."

"The dead of night was usually best," I commented.

Scully was glaring at us again.  I knew it seemed as if we had
completely skipped over her objections.

"That's still true.  However, when you have a team, they usually
drive straight through; eight hour shifts, alternating drivers.  One
drives, one sleeps and then they switch.  In your case, if you felt
the need to do most of the driving, you could drive like a lone
driver, or you could just fudge the books to make it look like Agent
Scully took over when she didn't.  Because of the delicate nature of
the operation, we are willing to bend the rules here a little and
take a chance on circumventing the DOT regulations.  We want these
people caught."

I looked at Scully who was still frowning fiercely.  "Scully,
the backing up, docking, and parking are the hard parts and I could
always do those.  Driving on the open highway is easy.  As long as
you learn to shift properly, and I've every confidence you can do
that, you wouldn't have a problem.  I've seen some of these new
trucks.  They're fabulous."

"It's still a truck," Scully said under her breath.

Thomas added, "They are.  Not like the old days when you needed
muscle.  Power steering, power brakes, and air ride are all standard
on our trucks.  Oh, and I almost forgot, adjustable seats."

"So the little women can drive?" she asked sarcastically.

"Agent Scully ..." Skinner said softly, his voice a warning growl.
She frowned heavily, embarrassed at the subtle reprimand.  This sort
of attitude and objections were usually coming from me.  She knew
Skinner was surprised that she was protesting so much.

Thomas answered her as if she hadn't been hostile.  "Not at all.  It
cuts down on fatigue for the drivers.  The less physical it is, the
more alert they remain.  Cuts down on accidents.  Air ride seats are
great not only for fatigue, but it cuts down on back and kidney
problems that used to be a chronic health issue for a lot of old
time drivers.  All that vibrating beats up the body after a few
years."

She looked down, suddenly ashamed of her outburst.  It wasn't like
her to be so defensive.  I could tell she needed to get a grip and
think this out after we left the meeting.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Thomas.  I didn't mean to sound nasty," she said
quietly.

"Not a problem.  You have a right to have all your questions
answered and I'd be happy to do that.  If I can't, I'll find someone
who can.  I'm not a trucker myself, although I used to be before I
went to work for Morehead.  However, I've had to familiarize myself
with all aspects of the industry in this line of work and keep up
with all the changes in laws.  They vary from state to state as
well, concerning permits and such, which frankly, is a pain in the
ass," he ended, his lips curling into an exasperated smile.

She looked at him and then turned to Skinner again.  "Sir, aren't
there partners more qualified than Mulder and I?"  It was her last
effort.

He frowned.  "Not really.  Mulder has the background, even if it was
a while ago, so he will have the easiest time relearning.  Plus, you
two are close, one of our best teams.  If anyone can pull off acting
like a married couple, it's you.  You don't have to smooch for the
public, Agent Scully, just work as a team ... which is what you do
best."  He said quietly, "You two are best friends."

Skinner's remark shocked her into saying a curt, "So what?"

Mr. Thomas answered for him with a question, "How do most old,
married couples act?"

I answered him, "Like best friends."

Thomas smiled broadly.  "Exactly.  You two can pull it off because
you do know each other so well.  Most people in the industry are
uncomplicated folk, but they aren't stupid.  And you'd be surprised at
how
well they read people.  They see a couple that looks uncomfortable
with each other, doesn't know anything about each other on a
personal level ... well, they aren't going to buy it."

McMahon added, "Even same sex teams are close.  It's a tight
environment to live in, for sure.  I won't lie to you about that.
But that's exactly why we need a couple of agents that can stand
being around each other that much.  Plus, in some of the other
male/female agent teams, one or the other is married and their
spouses would never. . . consent to let them go on the road with
their opposite-sex work partners."

She looked at her lap, seeing that her arguments were being ditched
neatly, one by one.  She sighed loudly, "I don't like that I won't
be able to contact my family.  What if there was an emergency?  For
that matter, what about my financial obligations?"

Skinner said, "Kimberly will personally take care of paying all your
bills.  You can make arrangements with her tomorrow.  And in case of
a family emergency, you may give them my direct line number here and
my personal home number when you inform them of your 'assignment'.
If anything happens, we can pull you off the road immediately."

"How will you find us?" she asked.

Thomas said, "All the trucks are equipped with a computer with a
satellite link over which you receive your routing instructions."

"Satellites?" she asked.

"Yes, we track our trucks wherever they go.  We can find you in a
heartbeat if a call comes in that you're needed or there is an
emergency.  We can locate you with no problem and send a message
over the satellite."

"Wow," I said.  "Times have changed for sure."

Thomas smiled.  "All for the better, mostly.  I can't say that I
enjoy all of the regulations placed on the industry but a large
number of them are beneficial to the drivers and the industry.  Most
changes deal with safety for the drivers and the public.  The rest
deal with protecting the companies from legalities."

"People can be stupid near big trucks," I said, easily sliding back
into the lingo.

"Yes, they can.  They don't understand how powerful the vehicle is.
They cut in front of them not realizing that a fully loaded tractor
trailer, going fifty-five miles an hour, can take nearly a quarter
mile to come to a complete stop."

Scully's eyes widened at this piece of information.

I replied, "And it doesn't matter that the four wheeler was at fault
most times."

"No, because the other party IS usually the one that gets hurt and
'YOU' are the professional driver," McMahon agreed with me.

"So you get bagged with the responsibility," I replied.

"Exactly.  As a professional, you're supposed to be better than the
average driver ... drive defensively ... take evasive actions ...
follow the rules of the road, know your truck and your load and
drive accordingly."

"What would we be hauling?" I asked.

Thomas said, "It would vary.  Really, that would be up to the
trucking company.  I have requested that you not have to pull any
dual trailers or haul any hazardous materials.  Other than that, it
could be anything.  You would actually be doing the job for real.
Some of your loads might involve supplies for the military,
computers for the government, metal for the ship building yards.
It could be anything.  But since the hijackers are targeting
government loads, you'd be hauling almost exclusively government
facility loads."

I nodded, nonplussed by this.  I said, "Trailers are
easier than the flat beds used for logging.  If I could flatbed a
logger, I'm sure I can get the hang of a trailer."

"They are bigger than they used to be," he warned.

"Forty-three and forty-eight footers used to be the standard,"
I commented.

"We have fifty-three foot trailers now.  That's the largest and
probably what you would be driving most of the time.  You'll be
hauling heavy loads."

"Which means stopping at weigh stations throughout the country,"
Scully chimed in.

"Exactly, and checking them out while you're there, seeing if you
spot any suspicious activity by the DOT employees, anyone hassling
you unnecessarily."

"I imagine the paperwork is monstrous," she sighed.

"Yes, unfortunately, you have to keep careful logs of your time
driving, your distances, etc.  Your average speeds are calculated
from that so the companies can detect anyone racing on the roads out
there.  They know exactly how long it should take you to get from
point A to point B going the speed limit.  If you make it in half
the time, there's a problem.  Most of the trucks have governors on
them anyway."

"Governors?" she asked.

"Devices that don't allow the truck to go over 65 miles an hour," Mr.
Franklin
supplied.

"Don't be a cowboy, in other words," I joked.

"Right.  But they give you plenty of time usually.  It's rare with
the government that there is a rush job.  You usually have a
couple DAYS wiggle room to account for any mechanical problems or
detours, etc.  So you may actually find yourself with down time in
some interesting places."

"See that, Scully?" I teased.  "You don't need to join the Army
to see the world.  Just become a long-haul truck driver."

I smiled gently at her in spite of her misgivings.  I was trying to
lighten the mood and make her feel better about it.  I actually felt
excited
about this assignment.  Of course, I have no family to worry about.
I was instantly stabbed with a dart of guilt for thinking that way.
Lord knows, I have been responsible for enough pain in her life, and
the lives of
her family members.  I knew she wouldn't trade places with me for
the world.  She loved her family and I knew she couldn't imagine
what it was like to the be the last one in your immediate family.  I
hoped she'd never have to find out, never have to know that kind of
loneliness.  Quietly, a wave of affection stole over me for my
partner.  We were close, best friends.  I knew she trusted me like I
trusted her, but why did this assignment make her so nervous?

She gazed up at me and sighed again, turning to Skinner.  "We're not
getting out of this, are we, Sir?" she asked, realizing that her
arguments never stood a chance from the beginning.

He shook his head slowly.  "Afraid not, Agent Scully, unless there
are some extenuating circumstances."

"What about the X-Files?" Scully asked.

"We do have other agents who could be trusted to handle a case or
two if something urgent comes up.  But I don't anticipate anything
that can't be set aside until you return."  Skinner was trying to
assure her that they would be back on the X-Files when we returned.

"What will our cover story be to our families and others?" she asked.

"That we're sending you out of the country to work with Interpol on
a classified basis," Skinner answered right away.

Scully swallowed and nodded.

Skinner wrapped up the meeting.  "We'll meet again tomorrow to go
over details, such as contacting the trucking company, who your
contacts will be, reporting, etc.  We'll meet here at 8:00 AM.  We
could be here all day.  I have a representative from the trucking
company coming in to talk with you.  Then, you'll be leaving Sunday
night and flying into Bradley International Airport in Hartford, CT.
You start school Monday morning."

"Oh, goody," she said, seemingly unable to help this last bit of
sarcasm.  It wasn't like Scully not to be able to control herself, or
act in a professional manner.

The men chuckled and they all stood.  Mr. Thomas said, "Agent
Scully?"

"Yes?"

"I know you're not ... happy about this, but you are our last hope,
the FBI I mean, the undercover operation.  We've been at this for
months ... I've lost a couple of good friends to these guys . . .
we don't want more lives lost ... and we have no solid leads."  He
paused, "We need you."

She nodded.  I wondered again why she was so reluctant and being so
contrary about this.  This was what we signed on for.  We were Special
Agents of the FBI.  And if I could do this, then so could she.  This
wasn't about whether she could fit in or drive a rig.  I knew that
she could learn anything if she put her mind to it.  I think I'd
been on the X-files too long... even my partner's thoughts were
becoming a mystery to solve.

I had a feeling I knew exactly what this was about.  The challenge
of playing at being married again was making Scully remember how
difficult it had been during our case at the Falls of Arcadia.

Being assigned to play house with Scully brought up feelings
that I kept carefully locked away most of the time.  Close quarters
with her would be difficult at best, but I had kept my feelings
under wraps for several years and I felt confident that I would be
able to handle this assignment.  Then again, it would certainly be
a break in routine for us and maybe just what we needed.  We were
getting stale and cranky running over the same old ground.  Maybe it
would be good for us to do something different, remember what it
used to be like to be 'normal agents'.

Scully smiled at Thomas and McMahon.  "I'm sorry.  I was just taken
by surprise.  I'll get used to the idea."

"We heard you always give your best, Agents."

"Thank you.  We'll talk tomorrow," I said as Scully nodded at them.

Skinner said, "Agents, take off for the day, discuss what you need
to.  When you come in tomorrow morning, be prepared to give Kimberly
all your financial information so that she can arrange to pay your
bills while you're gone.  We'll begin at 8:00 AM, sharp."

"You got it, Chief," I spouted, saluting him crisply.  The
investigators laughed, Skinner scowled and Scully grinned.

"Come on, wise guy, we have plans to make," Scully said as she
walked out the door.

XXXXXXXXXX

PART 2 (PG)
DANA SCULLY'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN
7:14 PM - THURSDAY

"Mom, I know.  We've rarely been assigned outside the U.S. before so
I am excited.  It's not really a case.  We're going as advisors,
helping set up an X-Files department at Interpol."  I was pacing
while talking to my mother.  I hated to lie to her, but I had my
orders.

"Mom, we will not be in danger.... Just because I can't get calls
does not mean that I am working on something dangerous."
I was running out of lies.  "No, Mulder and I are going there to set
up a new and highly controversial department for Interpol.  They asked
for us, they just don't want to let anyone know we're there so they've
slapped a high level classification on it," I sighed.  "They don't
want the whole world to know what we're doing.  I'll try to call or at
least send you a postcard or two."  I sighed with relief.  She was
finally buying it.  "We are NOT going to be living it up on the
government dime in Europe.  We'll be working, I assure you.  There's
nothing to tell.  Mulder is my partner, that's it."  I sighed again.
"I'm not having this conversation with you again, Mom.  You're
starting to sound like Charlie now.

I listened as my mother continued to speak her mind, trying to
soothe her and keep her from becoming suspicious.  Finally I
interjected, "Listen Mom, I have a lot to do before our meeting
tomorrow.  I'll see you on Saturday for lunch.  I'll bring over my
plants then."  I smiled as she replied and then said, "I love you
too, Mom."

I hated to lie to her, but I knew it was important.  I knew she
would understand the need for secrecy if I could have explained it
to her.  After all, I was sure that my father had not given
her the entire truth about some of the missions that he was ordered
on during his years at sea, and that she knew it.  But I still felt
bad about lying.

I walked back into my room and stared at my clothes.  'What does one
wear to drive an 18 wheeler 24/7?' I asked myself.  I looked at my
rack of Donna Karan and Armani suits and knew what I wasn't going to
pack.  But I knew that if I didn't get them out of the closet and
Mom came over to check things out, they would reveal my duplicity.

I decided to store them while we were gone.  My mother would
never think to go to Mulder's apartment.  I picked up my cell phone
and hit speed dial number one.  On the third ring Mulder answered.

[Mulder.]

"Mulder, it's me."

[Hey Scully, what's up?]

"Mulder, I need to bring over some of my better suits and shoes to
your apartment..." I began.

Mulder's quick intake of breath and teasing, [Are you asking to move
in with me, Scully?] surprised me.

"Mulder, if I did, you would run like a scalded dog!" I laughed.

[Don't be so sure, Scully,] he said quietly.

I smiled as said, "Mulder, I need to make sure my mother doesn't
know we're not in Europe when she checks out my apartment while
we're gone.  She's a master at putting two and two together after
raising four navy brats."

[Okay.  Sure, but I'm not home right now.  Could we do it tomorrow
night?] Mulder said.  [I just took my fish over to the guys and I
was doing a little shopping.]

"That's fine, Mulder.  I just wanted to make sure it would be okay."
I heard a knock at my door and said, "Someone's here, hold on
just a minute."

I walked to the door and peeked out.  Mulder stood there with a huge
grin on his face.  I shook my head and opened the door.  He had his
phone in one hand and a large bag in another.

"Bye, Scully," he teased as he closed the phone.

I sighed and smiled at him.  "Come on in, Mulder."  I switched
off my phone and put it back on the charger.

Mulder walked into the living room and sat on the couch.  "You got
any tea, Scully?  Shopping works up a thirst for me."

XXXXXXXXXX

Scully always has tea on hand.  If she doesn't have freshly made
iced tea in the fridge, she keeps a supply of my favorite brand of
canned iced tea.  She grabbed two and came back to the living room.

"Thanks, Scully," I gulped half the can down right away.

"Boy, you weren't kidding about shopping making you thirsty, were
you?" she teased.

"Well, I put it off as long as I can then I have to do a lot.  It's
not my favorite thing, you know?"

"I couldn't tell by the way you dress, Mulder," she continued to
tease.

"Is that a remark about my ties, Scully?  I'll have you know that I
get them from the best on-line shopping source available," I said
with a straight face.  "Ties R Us, a subsidiary of McDonald's and
Toys R Us."

Her peal of laughter over my ridiculous remark made me smile back at
her.  I loved it when I could make her laugh.  She didn't do it
nearly enough to suit me.  "You really are beautiful when you laugh,
Scully," I said softly, before I could stop myself.

Her laughter faded to a gentle smile and a blush.  "Thank you,
Mulder.  That's the nicest compliment I've had in ages."

I didn't know what to say to that so I changed the subject.  "I...
umm... did a little shopping for you too, Scully,"  For some reason
I couldn't look at her right now.

"Mulder...." she said warily.

"I knew you probably didn't know what to wear so I drove out and
cased the truck stop on I66.  I didn't really see too many women
like you there Scully, but there were one or two, so I used them as a
guide for shopping."

"Mulder," she growled.  "If the women you saw were the ones going
from truck to truck and knocking on the door, you're in big
trouble."

"Scully," I feigned surprise.  "Would I do that to you?  By the way,
the proper term for those ladies of the evening is lot lizards."

"I don't know, Mulder.  If I base my response on the quality level
of your video collection, I think you may be wiser to leave now
while you have both kneecaps."  Her harsh words were spoiled by the
smile that wiped the frown off her face.

"I'll need those for this assignment, Scully.  No physical abuse
allowed," I teased back.

"So, you really bought me clothes, Mulder?"

"Uh, yeah.  I know you're not happy about this assignment, so you
don't need to be spending money on a new wardrobe on top of it.  I
know you only own two pairs of jeans and that's not nearly enough.
And the ones you do own are too 'dressy' for what we need here," I
prattled on, wondering why I was babbling.

"I appreciate it, Mulder," she said quietly.  "Let's see what you
got."

I opened the bag and pulled out three pairs of stone washed jeans,
two blue and one black, and four chamois shirts, tan, black, red and
green, and laid them on the coffee table.  Then I pulled out matching
turtlenecks to go under them.

She stood with her mouth slightly open.  "Mulder, that's too much."

"Too late now, Scully.  Try one of each on and make sure they fit.
I got them all the same size."

"How did you know my size?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" I teased.

"Uh, I guess not," she replied, reaching for the green chamois,
turtleneck and the black jeans.  She picked them up and held them to
her chest.  "Thanks, Mulder.  I'll be right back."

She disappeared into the bedroom and I finished my iced tea while I
waited.

She reemerged wearing the soft, tight turtleneck with the chamois
shirt over it, buttoned up only half way so it framed the generous
breasts that rode high on her chest.  The jeans fit her perfectly,
except that they were a little long, but she wasn't wearing any shoes.

She smiled.  "Can I pass for a trucker chick?" she asked, clearly
amused with her new look.

"A pair of boots and some work gloves and you're golden, Scully," I
said, nodding my head and smiling.

She beamed me a smile and twirled around.  I chuckled and stood up,
walking over to her and placing my hands on her shoulders.  She
looked up at me and I said, "It's going to be all right, Scully.  I
promise.  I know it won't be easy, but when is anything we ever do
easy?"

She swallowed hard and her smile faded.  "We're going to need some
ground rules, Mulder."

I nodded, having expected this.  "I know, whatever you want,
Scully."

She must have detected the note of resignation in my voice.  "What's
wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Mulder, come on."

I turned from her and returned to the couch, sitting down.  She came
over and sat on the opposite end of the couch.  "Do you have cowboy
boots or work boots, Scully?"

"I have hiking boots and I can pick up some work boots.  Don't
change the subject, Mulder.  Nice try."

I smiled sadly.  "Can't blame me for trying," I quipped.

She just stared at me, giving me the look that said I wasn't getting
out of this.  "Spill, Mulder."

I sighed deeply.  "Nothing, really.  I just expected you to have a
whole laundry list of rules and regulations that I'll have to
follow.  It's not really a surprise."

She frowned now.  "You expected it, why?"

I smiled softly at her now. "Because I know you, Scully."

She seemed to contemplate this statement for a minute trying to
figure if there was hidden meaning in it.  Then she said, "I don't
know if I'm happy you know me so well, or bothered that I'm so
predictable."

I gazed at her for a moment, seeing an opportunity to talk to her.
We rarely had conversations like this.  Normally, we could retreat
into our neutral corners if we got on each other's nerves.  We
weren't going to be able to do that on this assignment.  If this was
going to work, then we needed to talk more.

"Look, Scully.  You trust me, right?"

"Of course I do," she quickly replied.

"And I trust you.  But we don't talk enough, Scully.  I mean, we
know a lot about each other, but we're going to be working in close
quarters, closer than ever before, and we won't be able to retreat to
separate hotel rooms or our respective apartments when we piss each
other off."

"And you're sure we'll piss each other off?" she asked wryly.

"Don't we always?" I asked, with another note of resignation.

She frowned again.  "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we're going to need to talk more than we normally do.
If we do something that bothers the other one, we need to talk about
it before it festers into a boil and we end up fighting over it.
We're not going to be able to afford that on this assignment."

"I guess you're right."

"Can you do it, Scully?"

"Do what?  Talk to you more?  Sure."

I shook my head, thinking that she was taking this too easily, not
putting enough importance on what I was saying.  "Our partnership,
our friendship is precious to me, Scully.  I don't want to damage it
for anything, and certainly not for this assignment.  But this will
be something completely different for us and we need to be able to
communicate ... and not just silently like we usually do.  We're
going to be pretending we're married ..."

I broke off and swallowed.  Being married to Scully was one of those
furtive dreams that I squashed into the back of my mind whenever it
reared its ugly head.  It was one of those fantasies that would
bring more pain than pleasure because I knew it would never happen.
This assignment was going to be rough on me for that reason.  I
would be living out that fantasy in one respect.

I was quite certain Scully would approach this with her usual logic
and stoicism.  She would trudge through, doing what she had to do
and concentrating on the case because she would want it over as soon
as possible.  I, on the other hand, was going to have trouble not
paying attention to the roles we were playing.  It hit too close to
home.  So this assignment was a double edged sword.

"Scully ..."

"Why are you shaking your head at me?" she asked, sounding annoyed.
"I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize our relationship either."

"Relationship or partnership, Scully?"

She looked confused for a second.  Then said, "We're friends, that's
a relationship, Mulder.  And I meant both, partnership, friendship,
whatever you want to call it."

"That's just it, Scully.  What would you call it?  If someone were
to ask, I mean."

She looked confused again.  "I'm not sure what you're asking."

"If someone came up to you and asked, 'What's your relationship with
Fox Mulder?'  What would you say?"

I held her with my gaze and she swallowed hard.  "I would say ...
he's my partner at work, my friend, my ... confidante.  He's my best
friend."

I nodded.  "Same here, Scully."  I looked at my lap, wondering if
that was all we'd ever be.

She seemed to sense that I wasn't entirely satisfied with her answer
and I wasn't going to give up anything more than she was.  She
added, "Maybe what's important here is what I 'wouldn't' tell them."

"What's that, Scully?"

She cleared her throat then met my gaze.  "That you're the most
important person in my life, Mulder.  You have to know that."

"No," I whispered.  "I didn't know that."

Her eyes widened slightly and one eyebrow went up as if to say, 'How
could you not know?'  "Well, you are," she said briskly.  "I don't
know
what I'd do without you, Mulder.  I mean that."

She stood up, suddenly fidgety, which wasn't like her at all.  I
stood too and took her shoulders in my hands again.  I was wearing
my black boots with the inch and half heel and I towered over her,
especially since she wasn't wearing any shoes.  Her cute red
toenails peeked out from beneath the legs of her jeans.  She looked
up at me and I said, "Same here, Scully."

She chuffed a breath out and said, "You don't need to say it just
because I did."

I placed two fingers under her chin and tipped her face up further.
I stared into her eyes and said, "I'm not.  You're all I have left,
Scully.  I'd be lost without you.  So no matter what happens on this
assignment, please remember that."

She nodded and her hand came up to cup my cheek.  I shivered
slightly and she smiled.  "We'll be okay, Mulder.  We always are.  I
care for you ... so much.  I know I don't say it often enough."

I looked hard at her now.  "Scully ..."

"Yeah?"

I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.  I wasn't
sure, but I thought she shivered slightly.  I smiled, letting her
feel my lips move against her forehead.  "Mulder?"

I pulled back to look at her face.  "I need you to know ..."

Could I say it?

"What Mulder?  Tell me."

I met her gaze for a long moment.  "I love you, Scully."

She gasped and her mouth opened.  I placed two fingers over her soft
lips and her mouth closed.  "Don't say anything.  Just ... know it.
Don't forget it.  I'd do anything for you ... anything."

I brushed another quick kiss on her forehead and turned on my heel.
I strode to the door and yanked it open.  I looked over my shoulder
and she was staring at me with a stunned expression on her face.  I
said, "Doesn't mean I won't still be the pain in the ass you're used
to, though."

She smiled tremulously at that and I turned and walked out, closing
the door behind me with a soft click.  I took a deep breath and
nearly jogged to my car, needing air and to get away from her before
the import of what I'd said sunk in.  It had been surprisingly easy
to tell her.  She knew I loved her, but I knew it would jar her
hearing it from me out loud.  And I hadn't said I was in love with
her, just that I loved her.  It gave her an out, a way to interpret
it that would be palatable for her.  But it  needed to be said,
and I'd said it.  I felt lighter somehow.

I hadn't expected a tearful reciprocation or declaration of undying
love from her.  I never expected to get that.  It wasn't 'Scully's
way'.  She held her cards very close to the chest.  But that didn't
mean I had to.  I was going to be able to pretend Scully was my
wife.  I smiled evilly at the thought.  Maybe I could get away with
a few more touches than normal, a few more liberties.  I'd have to
be careful, though.  If I made her angry, all bets would be off.

'You're a big boy, Mulder.  You can handle this,' I said to myself.
Too bad I didn't believe it.

XXXXXXXXXX

I stood staring at Mulder's back as he walked out of my apartment.
What the hell had he just done?  How could he tell me he loved me
and leave like that?  What did he think I would do if he stayed,
shoot him again?

I stalked over to my window and watched him drive away.  I stood
staring off into the distance, trying to grasp the implications of
what he had just said.

'He loves me.  He said it again and this time, there were no
injuries or drugs to blame.  He loves me.  He would do anything for
me,' I thought.  Why didn't his words make me feel better about this
assignment?

I sat down on the couch and tried to think this through logically.
What exactly was it about this assignment that bothered me?  I began
to list the positives first.

We would be saving lives.  We would be saving the government untold
millions of dollars.  We would be able to put a stop to corruption
in the DOT.  We were being recognized by the Director of the FBI as
the best qualified team for this job.  Okay... the positives were
not the problem.

I pulled the afghan down off the back of the sofa and began the list
for the negatives.

I'd never been inside a 'big rig', let alone driven
one.  I didn't feel comfortable in an undercover operation.  We were
being taken away from the X-Files and somehow I felt that it was a
set up.  The last time we were undercover as a married couple, our
partnership was strained.  Mulder just told me he loves me.  Mulder
didn't tell me he's in love with me.

"Oh, my God!" I said aloud.  That was the problem.  I just
recently accepted that I was 'in love' with Mulder, but he... he just
loved me.  How would I ever survive being cooped up in the cab of a
truck with Mulder for an undetermined length of time without acting
on my feelings?

The sound of the phone ringing startled me out of the deep funk I
had sunk into.  I didn't want to concern my mother if it was her
calling back so I sighed and thrust myself up to get it before the
machine kicked in.

"Scully."

[Hey, Scully, it's me.]

"Mulder, you can't be home yet," I said automatically.

[No, I'm not.  I forgot to tell you while I was there...] he
hesitated for a moment.  [Shit.  Some drivers should be taken off
the road!]

"Mulder, are you okay?"

[Yeah, just a near miss.] I could picture him grinning as he spoke.

"What do you need, Mulder?  I want to get to bed so that I make sure
I'm on time for our meeting tomorrow."

[Scully, I forgot to tell you that I have a theory about the
hijackings,] he started.

"Mulder, can't you tell me tomorrow?" I yawned.

[Why don't you wear some of your new clothes to the meeting
tomorrow, Scully?  I'm going to.]

"Mulder, you know you won't come to the meeting wearing jeans," I
laughed.

[You won't know till you get there, will you?]

"Mulder!" I laughed again.  It seemed like he always knew when I
needed cheering up.

[Scully, have you considered what our undercover names should be?]

"No, I haven't given it any thought at all," I said as I walked into
the bathroom and started the water for a bath.

[I have some ideas...] he started.

"Mulder, you always have ideas.  That doesn't mean I agree with
them," I teased.

[Yeah, well, I was thinking your name could be Jane.  That way you
could use Calamity Jane as your handle.]

"My what?"

[Your CB handle,] he said.

"Oh, no, we agreed that I could pick the names next time we went
under cover.  Besides, why ever did you pick Jane?" I was curious
about it, but not agreeable to the name.

[If you remember your western history, Calamity Jane was a crack
shot, and I thought that really would be an appropriate name for
you, partner.]

"Thanks, but I WILL pick out the names this time, Mulder."

[Okay, but let me tell you my theory...]

I sighed, "Mulder, you can tell me your theory tomorrow.  Besides,
Skinner may have already chosen our names.  Who knows, he may have
used our real names, and you can use Foxy Loxey as your handle," I
couldn't resist.

[Cruel, Dana.]

"Goodnight, Fox."

We both snickered at the same time, "Let's stick with what works,
okay, Mulder?"

['Nite Scully.]

Once again we refused to say goodbye.

XXXXXXXXXX

PART 3 (PG-13)
FBI HEADQUARTERS
HOOVER BUILDING
THIRD FLOOR - A.D. SKINNER'S OFFICE
11:00 AM - FRIDAY

I convinced Scully to dress for our roles for our meeting the
next day.  Skinner's eyebrows rose when we marched in, Scully
wearing one of the new outfits I'd purchased for her and me wearing
a flannel shirt, jeans and work boots with the laces half undone.

After a quick appraisal, he'd smiled, realizing this move was our
acceptance and resignation to the assignment.  We weren't going to
fight him anymore.

Mr. Ken Casey, Manager of Operations for Global-Tech Trucking, had
been talking for over two hours and he was still going.

"You should have some background information on the industry as
well.  Most truckers keep up with this stuff and it can't hurt to
know it.  There are approximately 2.3 million trucks on the road in
the United States and approximately 3.12 million drivers nationwide.
The country boasts around 500,000 trucking companies.  Eighty
percent of those have twenty or fewer trucks, small independent
outfits.  Those statistics come from the American Trucking
Association, which keeps track of these things. Global-Tech is in the
other twenty percent, having a fleet of 100 trucks.

"A lot of people criticize the trucking industry, but never think
about what they would do if they had to operate without it.  They go
into the store and buy all the products, never wondering how they
got there."

The guy was obviously passionate about his work, I thought with a
smirk.  I glanced at Scully and saw she was wearing the same amused
look of interest as he rattled on.  "And 9.3 billion tons of
freight.  That's over sixty-four percent of the total U.S. freight in
the nation -- is moved by truck.  Seventy percent of U.S. communities
depend solely on the trucking industry to deliver their goods.
Seventy percent, think about that."

The number was impressive.  "A new tractor costs between $70,000 and
$115,000, depending on the model, not to mention the cost of the
trailer."

A low whistle escaped Scully at that little tidbit.  He nodded
sagely.  "Yeah, that's a lot of beans.  So losing a truck, just
one, to an accident, or in this case, a hijacking, is a major set back
for any company, even one as big as Global-Tech.  A set back of
about $150,000, to be exact.  Because not only are these loads
being hijacked and unloaded somewhere, the rigs have completely
disappeared."

"Couldn't you track them by satellite?"  Scully asked.

He made a face.  "I wish, but they know about the satellites and
always disable them.  It's the first thing they do when they hijack
a truck.  All we know is that the truck has dropped off our radar.
We've rushed to the area, and notified police in whatever area the
truck was last tracked.  Unfortunately, by the time the cops get
there, the hijackers are long gone, and so are the rigs.  We have no
idea where they are storing these loads.  The trailers are not turning
up later, so they may not even be unloading them, but storing them
somewhere in a drop and hook yard or a warehouse and selling them
later.  Who knows?"

"I have a question for you," Scully asked.

"Shoot," Ken replied, holding up his finger and thumb like a gun and
pointing at her, lowering his thumb as though firing.

It took all my effort not to roll my eyes.  Scully seemed to take it
in stride.  "How many women are there in the industry?"

He smiled.  "Numbers are going up, ma'am.  Among owner/operators,
independent truckers, that is, about 12% are female."

"And companies?"

"About 10%."

"Just 10%?"

"Afraid so.  It's not a job that attracts most women."

"Why not?"

"If they want to have a family, they simply can't be away from home
for long stretches at a time.  Not unless they have a house husband
to take care of the chicklets."

"Chicklets?" Scully questioned, her scowl telegraphing her
displeasure at the derogatory terms he was using.  To his credit, he
caught on.

"I didn't mean to be insulting, ma'am ..."

"Agent Scully," she reminded him pointedly.

He cleared his throat, "Yes, sorry, Agent Scully.  I didn't mean to
be insulting, but ... it's true.  Most women, IF they have children,
want to stay home with them."

"And men don't?"

He sighed.  "Some men do, yes, and they end up quitting the job once
they start a family.  That's why so many truckers are single men.
The wives don't generally like their absences either, so they end up
quitting to stay home with the wives, or looking for local driving
jobs rather than long haul.  Most, NOT ALL, but MOST of the women in
the industry are one half of a married, driving team.  In other
words, there are enough women that it won't seem unusual for you to
be on the road, especially since you're posing as a married couple."

The rest of meeting went smoothly.  We were briefed on the trucks
that had been hijacked and the contents of their loads.  We went
over the files and asked our questions.  I think Ken
Casey's admiration of Scully grew by the minute once we were into
examining the evidence and operating techniques of the hijackers.
Her questions were pointed, insightful and she scribbled furiously,
making notes and writing questions that needed to be answered.  He
soon saw that she was not be trifled with and her mind was sharp as
a tack.  I caught him looking at her with open admiration a few
times.  It was starting to annoy me, but I reminded myself that we
probably wouldn't see him again after today until the case was over.

We were to go to Somers for a one week crash coarse in training,
eight hours a day and then we would report to Global-Tech's main hub
in Nashville to get our new truck and be briefed on our first set of
loads and trips at that time.  I had a feeling that by the time this
was over, both Scully and I would know more about the trucking
industry than we ever cared to know.

Finally, the day was over, and we broke a bit early, at 4:00 PM.
Skinner told us to go home and we wasted no time.  I drove us
straight to Scully's apartment where I helped her load several
garment bags full of suits  and shoes into the trunk.  She cleaned
out most of her underwear drawer.  I won't even go into how exciting
it was for me to handle her silky stockings as I tossed them into a
grocery bag.  It was quite the adolescent thrill for me.  No silk
stockings on this trip.  Too bad, I thought ruefully.  Then again,
there was something to be said for Scully in casual clothes.  I was
wishing I'd bought shells for her rather than turtlenecks by the
end of the evening.  God, I could be such a pig.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sunday evening saw Mulder and I on a flight to Bradley International
Airport.

We were booked into the Sheraton Hotel in Somers near the driving
school.  Tomorrow was a school day and we decided to get in bed
early.  But throughout dinner we tossed around our ideas so far.  It
was nice to fall into the comfortable mode of examining the facts of
a case.  We threw ideas back and forth.  Our conversation from
Thursday evening had yet to be discussed.  I was just as glad, I
thought.  Wasn't I?

XXXXXXXXXX

SHERATON HOTEL
MAPLE LEAF RESTAURANT
SOMERS, CT

Sitting across the table from Fox Mulder in a motel coffee shop
was not a new experience for me.  But for some reason, tonight it
felt... strange.  Perhaps it was the diamond wedding band on my
left hand that skewed my perception of reality.

At first, Mulder and I talked about the case and his theory that
connected the hijackings to the Consortium.  But as the meal
continued and I grew tired, I found myself staring into the
sparkling diamonds and zoning out, rehashing memories of the last
few days.

Skinner had dismissed us early on Friday, well, early for us.  We
made arrangements to leave my car in the long-term underground
parking area at the Bureau the next day and straightened up the
office.  Mulder drove me home, since he had picked me up that
morning.  I needed his help loading up the garment bags of suits and
blouses I didn't want my Mother to see while I was gone.  He
reminded me that if I were actually going to Europe, I would also
be taking several pairs of shoes and of course, lingerie and
stockings.

What is it about lingerie that makes a grown man respond like he has
turned into a Bevis or Butthead clone?  I swear I heard him snort
and give a dirty little chuckle as he loaded my stockings into a
grocery bag for storage.  But as heavy as the garment bags were, I
wasn't about to reject his help, especially since he would be
carrying them upstairs to his apartment alone.

Saturday seemed endless.  I pulled several boxes of summer
clothes out to choose what I wanted to take to complete my wardrobe.
I had the new jeans, shirts and turtlenecks Mulder bought for me,
but I wanted a few cooler outfits to wear.  I selected a few pairs
of shorts, tanks and tee shirts and returned the rest to storage.  I
would deal with changing over to my summer suits if I got
home before the summer was over.

As I did laundry, I cleaned my refrigerator and took out the trash.
By the time all that was done, it was time to go to my mother's
house and drop off my plants.  Thank goodness the weather was mild
and Mulder had helped me load them into my car the night before.  He
was going to meet me at the Hoover building to give me a ride after
lunch, but Mom had blindsided me and invited him to lunch with us.

I filled Mulder in on my cover story with Mom on Friday, so I was
not worried about what he would say.  I was, however, very worried
about what Mom would say while she had us both as a captive
audience.

I had every reason to worry, as it turned out.

"Fox, have you ever been to Europe?" she started innocently.

I was as interested in Mulder's answer as she was.  It surprised me
to find out that he had traveled extensively in Europe while going
to school at Oxford.

"I really didn't have a good reason to go back to the States
during the summer.  Mom and Dad had already divorced and I didn't
have a home to go back to," Mulder started.

I could see my mother cringe at the life Mulder had led as a young
man.

"I was smart enough to save my money during the school year and was
able to travel from hostel to hostel during the summer."

"Have you every been to Paris, Fox?  I hear it's one of Europe's
most romantic cities.  Do you think you'll go there on your
assignment?"

"We really don't know where we'll wind up until we get there, Mom,"
I said truthfully.  I didn't want her to push either of us into
lying to her again.

"Well, if I were one of two young, unmarried people who were treated
to a tour of Europe on business, I would make sure there was some
pleasure involved as well," she continued innocently.

"Mom!  Mulder and I are going on assignment, not vacation."  I
blushed as I spoke.  A quick glance at Mulder confirmed my worst
fear.  He was enjoying this banter.

"I'm sure we'll have some down time to rest and do a little sight
seeing," Mulder agreed.

I glared at him and silently told him to change the subject.  For
once Mulder did as I asked, and steered the conversation into other
family news.  After that, I actually enjoyed my lunch.  Mom didn't
strike again until we were standing outside after unloading the
plants from my car.

"Remember, Dana, you can call and ask for anything that you can't
find in Europe.  I have years of experience in sending care
packages.  Just please don't ask me to send you condoms like Charlie
did."

"Mom..." I began but stopped.  Mulder's face was flushed an
attractive pink and I realized that he knew she was hinting to both
of us.

"I don't think that will be a problem, Mother.  We have to go.  I'm
storing my car at work and Mulder is going to give me a ride home.
I still have lots to do before tomorrow afternoon."

My mother took the hint and dropped the subject.  She kissed Mulder
and bid him a safe and successful trip.  He gave her a big hug and a
kiss and left us alone to say our goodbyes.

"Mom, I'm going to miss you.  I'll get in touch as often as
possible.  Don't forget, I left A.D. Skinner's card by the phone.
If there is an emergency, I'm sure I can be here by the next day."

"Bye, darling.  Good luck and for goodness sake, have some fun
while you and Fox are in Europe."  She teased, "You know, I wouldn't
be too upset if you came home married."

I teased back, "Mom, you know the chances of that happening
are infinitesimal.  I would probably have a better chance of coming
home pregnant, and we both know that won't happen."   At her raised
brow, I
continued, "For two reasons.  First, Lourdes is not on our itinerary,"
I grinned to lighten the conversation.

"Second?" she asked smiling back.

"Second, I would have to have sex before I could conceive.  That
would mean finding a man between now and then," I couldn't help
saying.

"Dana Katherine Scully!  What's wrong with the perfectly good man
that's going to Europe with you?  When will you two come to your
senses..." she scolded, and then stopped, realizing that I had
suckered her into declaring her real thoughts.  "I'll see you when
you get back, dear.  Try to call when you get there at least."  She
hugged me tightly.  "I love you Dana.  Tell Fox I love him, too."

"Love you too, Mom.  I'll tell him."  I had to kiss her quickly and
run down the sidewalk to my car before I started crying.  I really
hated lying to her.

Mulder beeped the horn and waved as he drove away from Mom's house.

I cried all the way to the Hoover Building.  I parked my car and
turned the keys into the guard on duty.  I found Mulder's car and
climbed in.  He wasn't there, but I knew he would be back soon.  He
probably forgot something he wanted to take on the assignment.

He returned in a few minutes and we started back to my place.

"Are you going to be all right, Scully?" he asked a few minutes
later.

"Yeah.  It just hit me that it could be weeks or months until I see
her again," I sniffed as I stared out the side window.  I didn't
want to start crying again and I especially didn't want Mulder to
see my tears.

After a few minutes of companionable silence he said, "Are you ready
now to listen to my theory on this case?"

The balance of the ride was taken up by Mulder giving me his opinion
of what was going on.  I wasn't really listening, and Mulder didn't
seem to expect me to reply.  I was grateful for his understanding.

I should have realized his non-stop dissertation on his 'theory' was
a cover for his fear of what he was going to do next.

We pulled up to my apartment and I got out.  I was surprised to see
Mulder getting out to go up with me.  I had a lot to do before the
next day.

He followed me in and sat down on the couch, glancing nervously at
me.  I began to get suspicious after the third covert glance he gave
me.

"Okay, Mulder, what's up?" I said and sat down facing him on the
other end of the couch.

"Skinner stopped me when I ran in to the office while we were
parking your car," he started.  "He gave me our undercover
identities and paperwork."

"Mulder, you promised I could pick out our names this time," I said
automatically.  I really hadn't given it any thought.  I just knew I
didn't want to be Laura Hale or Laura Petrie.

"Yeah, I tried to tell him that, but he said he already had the
papers drawn up."

"Well, what are our names this time?" I sighed.

"You're Dana Tanner and I'm Martin Tanner," he said.

"You're Marty?  Marty Tanner?"  I couldn't help but grin.

"Yeah, I guess Fox is too distinctive and Mulder would never do as a
first name," he smiled back and handed me my papers.

I sorted through them, surprised that there was a Class A driver's
license in the group.  "Skinner must have pulled some strings to get
these before we even attended the driving school."

"Yeah, he wanted to make sure we weren't spotted by a spy at the
school."  Mulder was not as relieved as I thought he should be.
After all, I didn't really put up much of a fuss about my new name.
At least we didn't have to remember something new for me and
Mulder's new name at least started with an 'M'.  It shouldn't be too
hard to remember.

"Uh, Scully.  I picked this up too."

I looked up at Mulder and saw fear in his eyes.  I followed his
glance downwards toward his hand.  He opened his fist and I gasped.
He was holding a diamond band that looked to be just my size.  It
was exactly what I would pick out for myself.  There were three
perfect diamonds, channel set with an invisible mounting into the
heavy platinum of the band.  With a ring like this I would never
have to risk losing it by removing it to 'snap on the latex' while
doing an autopsy.

It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.  It was
also scarier than my first glimpse of the fluke man.  I knew that
this gorgeous ring did not come from the Confiscated Properties
Unit.

I reached tentatively to touch it, but when he moved it closer to
me, I snatched my hand back as if I were afraid to be burned.

"Don't you like it, Scully?" Mulder asked.

"It's... It's beautiful.  Where did you get it?"

"You like it?" he repeated.

"Well, yes, Mulder.  What's not to like?  It's beautiful."  I
brought my face down to look at it closely, but held my hands
behind my back.

"It won't bite you, you know," he chuckled.  He held the ring in his
left hand and placed his right hand on my left shoulder.  He let his
hand slide down my arm until he captured my left hand.  He brought
it to his lips and kissed the back of my hand.

He squeezed my finger gently and said, "Dana, will you do me the
honor of becoming my wife?"  His voice was teasing, but there was a
gleam in his eyes that I had never seen before.

"Oh, Marty, it's so sudden," I tried to joke my way around his
suddenly serious words.

His eyes darkened, "Answer me, Scully," he said.

As I gazed into his eyes, I saw the sincerity of his question.  This
was Mulder asking me, not Marty.  I had to wear this ring for the
assignment.  But I heard the unspoken question.  If it was really
him asking, what would I say?  He wanted to know.  He told me he
loved me the night before and I was terrified that he hadn't meant it
in the same context that I loved him.

I had many doubts and fears but being rejected was one that was
laid to rest while I stared into his beautiful eyes.  He loved me.
He was in love with me.  But for right now, our assigned 'marriage'
would be as close as we could get to expressing our real feelings
aloud.

What else could I do?  I said, "Yes, Marty.  I would be honored to
have you as my husband."

As I spoke I saw his face melt into a soft smile.  The look of love
in his eyes was clear and I knew that we had just taken another baby
step toward an honest to goodness romantic relationship.  He slid
the ring on my finger and grinned his loopy smile at me as he bent
down.

"Can Marty give his wife a kiss?" he asked quietly, playing along
with the name swap.  "We might need some practice to pull off this
married act," he joked.  We both knew it was a cover.  I didn't
answer right away and he sighed, bending down to kiss my cheek.

I turned my face quickly and captured his lips with mine.  He wasn't
the only one that had suffered from a fear of rejection.  I now knew
that he was in love with me and I wanted to let him know that I was
'in love' with him too.  He grunted softly in surprise but didn't
hesitate when our mouths came together.

Our second kiss was everything our first kiss had not been.  On New
Year's our kiss was gentle and warm and loving, but tentative.  This
kiss was still gentle, but heat was there, and love, and with only a
small stroke of his tongue against my lips, passion took over.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me.  Our
lips kissed.  Our tongues dueled, and yes, our breath mingled.
Every cliché from the hysterical romance novels Melissa used to read
became God's truth.  It took every particle of strength in my
entire body to break the kiss.

When I pulled away from his lips, he groaned.  I drew in a deep
breath and hugged him.  We couldn't take this farther tonight, nor
for the next few weeks or months.  We had an assignment ahead of us
and we needed to complete it before we could explore our personal
relationship.

"Mulder, we can't allow our feelings to get in the way of this
assignment..." I began.

"Shhhh.... Dana... Scully, I know.  I just want to hold you for a
moment and then I'll go," he said as his warmth enveloped me and we
stood rocking gently back and forth for too few precious moments.

"Kiss me goodnight, Scully.  Just once before I leave," he murmured
in my ear as he slid his hands up to stroke my hair.  Scully now.
No more playing.  His kiss was so sweet and exciting, all thoughts
of letting him go home left my mind.

When he pulled away, I was stunned.  "I better get out of here while
I still can," he said.  He turned around and walked out my door,
pausing to lock it before striding down the hall.

I was thankful that he was strong enough to leave, because I knew I
didn't have the strength to ask him to go.

I had started a bath and spent the entire time staring at the
diamonds in my ring, too stunned to even try to sort out my
thoughts.  I realized I had forgotten to ask him where the ring
came from.

XXXXXXXXXX

That was very much how I still felt as I came back to the present
and realized that Mulder was waiting for a response from me.  I
found myself back in the restaurant again.

"I'm sorry, Mul... Marty.  I was zoning out.  What did you say?" I
decided to be honest.

Mulder chuckled and said, "I said, you must be tired.  Are you
ready to go back to our room?  We start our new career tomorrow
morning at 8:00 AM and we need to be rested."

I could feel my face flush in embarrassment.  It was only 7:30 PM
and Mulder knew anyone who heard us would think we were going back
to our room to make love.  The fact that we both wanted to do just
that but had more or less silently agreed to hold off on a physical
relationship until after this assignment was over made it all the
more difficult.

I glared at him, but said out loud, "Come on, Stud."  I walked away
from him without looking back to see if he was following.  I knew he
was.  Several of the men that had been eating near us were giving
him male bonding grunts of approval as he moved to follow me.

Tomorrow should prove to be an interesting day.

XXXXXXXXXX

I wondered what was going through her mind as she stared at the ring
on her finger.  Our little subterfuge in her apartment last night
had been a big step forward for us.  We'd couched our answers behind
the assignment and the names we were given to play, but we'd both
known what I was really asking her.  I was afraid to put it all out
there.  I needed to know what she would say if I ever really asked
her to marry me.  My heart nearly spun out of my chest when she said
yes.  I'd imagined that I was really asking her and she was really
saying yes.

I swallowed harshly, already wanting this assignment to be over.
Maybe I could get another kiss good night.  It was worth a try.  I
nudged her out of her trance and said we needed to get some sleep to
be fresh for the morning.  She'd given me an odd look I couldn't
interpret, but then she said, "Come on, Stud."

I'd grinned so hard I thought my face would crack and secretly
reveled in the sly looks given to me by the guys sitting at the next
table.  They were envious, and who could blame them?

XXXXXXXXXXX

PART 4 (NC-17)
HOTEL ROOMS
SOMERS, CT

We made our way upstairs to our rooms.  We said our awkward good
nights and went into our separate rooms.  I undressed, leaving my
boxers on and knocked on our connecting doors.  She opened it a
minute later wearing a baby doll nightie and tap pants.  My knees
nearly buckled, seeing all that Scully leg.

I just stared at her, sweeping her from head to toe with my eyes.
When I reached her face again it was turning a nice shade of pink
and I couldn't help the grin that graced my lips.  "God, you're hot,"
I breathed out, nearly under my breath.

She blushed a brighter shade of pink and I took a step toward her.
"What do you want, Mulder?" she asked, her voice uncharacteristic-
ally shaky.

I let my fingers slide over her cheeks and into her silky hair.  She
shivered at my touch and I secretly cheered that I could make her
react at all.  I stared at her for a second.

"What, Mulder?" she asked again, her voice stronger this time.

I whispered, "I want a kiss good night."

"Mulder, we really shouldn't do this.  It'll just make it harder ...
make the wait harder ..."

I didn't let her finish. "Got to," I mumbled and bent down and
covered her mouth with mine.  Her lips were warm and soft and she
let out a little adorable squeak of surprise as I touched down.  I
tugged gently on her bottom lip, gripping it between mine.

"Mul ..." she tried to protest and I pressed in, opening her mouth
under mine with the force of my kiss.

She moaned gently and I slipped my tongue inside.  She was hot and
damp inside as I explored her mouth and then teased her tongue with
mine.  She moaned a little harder and I deepened the kiss again.
Unable to resist, I momentarily broke the kiss and slid my arms down
her back and cupped her dainty rear end.  I could nearly fit her
whole cheek in my palm.

"Oh God," she murmured.

Then I pulled her up and toward me, nearly taking her feet off the
floor and pressed my now aching shaft into her tummy, kissing her
again.  My lust was going to take over any minute now, but I
couldn't seem to let go.  I squeezed her ass cheeks, kneading
gently.  I tried to kiss her again.

She finally made a token struggle, her hands pushing on my chest and
I let her pull her mouth from mine.  "Please, Mulder, don't make
this hard ..."

I was hard all right -- "Too late."  But I took a deep breath to
steady myself and slowly let her sink down, her tummy rubbing on my
dick as she lowered herself to the floor.  I groaned.  "Jesus,
Scully.  What you do to me."

"Go to bed, Mulder," she said abruptly.

I didn't want to leave, but I knew she was right.  We couldn't keep
doing this.  "Sorry," I muttered as I turned around.  Her hand
landed on my forearm and I stopped, turning back to look at her.

"Nothing to be sorry for, Mulder.  I just ... we have to be
reasonable about this.  This could be so distracting.  I think we
need to ...keep our distance until this case is over, so we don't
... lose our heads here, you know?"

I swallowed harshly, my dick still throbbing, not responding to her
words at all, still feeling the phantom press of her tiny body.  "I
think it's already too late for that, Scully.  I lost my head over
you a long time ago."

With that, I turned and walked back into my room, gently closing the
door between us.  Its soft click sounded like a resounding boom,
separating us from one another.  I wanted nothing more than to march
back in there and toss her on the bed.  She was right, but that
didn't make it any easier.  I honestly didn't know how long I could
hold out.  It would depend on how long this case lasted.  If it
lasted more than a few days, and it surely would, I was in big
trouble.  I'd just have to find a way to convince her that we could
handle both.  There had to be a way.

My personal thought was that it would relieve the distraction.
Waiting was the worst part.  Knowing that she was willing to be
intimate with me was going to drive me insane - until it happened.
Kissing her wouldn't be enough for long, as wonderful as it was.
I stripped off my boxers and laid down on the bed, not bothering
with the covers.

XXXXXXXXXX  NC-17 PORTION  XXXXXXXXXXX

I was so hot I might light the damn things on fire.  I grasped my cock
and began stroking slowly.  I licked my palm and stroked again,
closing my eyes and imagining her mouth pouting around the head of my
shaft.  I groaned loudly, not even trying to be quiet.

Let her hear me.  Fuck it.  Let her hear what she did to me.  I
reached down with my left hand and cupped my balls, rolling them
gently and stroking faster, feeling my orgasm coil at the base of my
spine.  The backs of my legs began tingling and I wailed as I
climaxed, "Ssscccuuulllyyy.  Oh God!"

I laid there quivering with aftershocks.  I reached for the tissues
on the nightstand and then decided to take a quick shower instead.
I hopped in, soaped up and rinsed off and crawled back into bed,
under the covers this time.  I sighed and then smiled.  At least I
could kiss her now.  If I was persistent, I knew I could break her
down.  Plus, we were supposed to be married, no one would think
anything of it once we were on the road.  If I could hold out until
school was over, and that was just one week, then maybe I could
convince her it was silly to wait.  It wouldn't blow our cover, that
was for sure.

I heard a soft moan from next door and knew that she was doing what
I'd just finished doing.  It struck me as ridiculous that we were in
separate beds relieving our needs separately, needs caused by one
another.  This was the way it had to be for now.  I sighed, closing
my eyes and hoping that sleep would come quickly.

It was just so hard to wait.  It felt like I'd been waiting for
years.  I should be grateful and doing cartwheels over the fact that
I could kiss her now.  But all I could think was, 'I want more'.
I loved the woman.  Frankly, I thought waiting was stupid.  She'd
never know I felt that way.  And I would wait, not because I agreed
with her, but because I respected her feelings.

I heard another soft groan and gritted my teeth.  I reached down,
surprised at the speed of my reload, and grasped my cock.  The soft
moans I could hear through the wall made my balls ache.  It was
going to be a long night.

XXXXXXXXXX  END OF NC-17 PORTION  XXXXXXXXXX

We parted at our room doors.  I had insisted on separate, but
connected rooms while we were here at the driving school.  It was
possible that we were being watched by one or more members of the
hijacking group, but I knew for sure that our progress was being
monitored by Skinner.  It was appropriate for Marty and Dana Tanner
to share a room on the road.  But for Dana Scully and Fox Mulder
the assignment was just beginning, and it was still inappropriate.

Our goodnight was strained.  I was beginning to regret letting
Mulder know just how I felt about him.  This undercover assignment
was no more and no less dangerous than the infiltration of the
militia group Mulder was assigned to a few years back.  These men
had killed before and if we weren't focused, we could be next.

I heard him moving around and pictured him stripping down for bed in
my mind.  I was suddenly wet.  How could he do that to me with
just a thought?

I changed into my pajamas.  The warmer weather called for cooler
pajamas and I had brought my favorites for this trip.  A baby doll
top and tap pants were my sleepwear of choice.  I had decided to
wear one of Mulder's old tee shirts and sweat shorts on the road.
But tonight I felt...sexy and desirable...even if Mulder wasn't
going to see me in these.  I wanted to hold on to the feeling of
being a desirable woman I felt every time I looked into his eyes.

His knock on the connecting door surprised me.  I started to pull on
my robe but hesitated.  Damn him.  Two could play at this game.  I
pulled open the door and forgot how to speak.

He stood there, dressed only in his boxers.  His eyes widened and
his breathing quickened as he caressed me with his eyes.  "God,
you're hot," he said.  His voice was honey over velvet.

I couldn't stop my blush as I managed to say, "What do you want,
Mulder?"

He stroked my cheek with his fingertips and then began to slide
those long, sexy fingers through my hair.  His smug look of
satisfaction helped me regain my voice and I said, "What, Mulder?"
with more strength this time.

He growled, "I want a kiss good night."

I began to speak, giving him good, solid reasons why we should not
take this any further until after our assignment when he lowered
those sexy lips to mine and kissed me senseless.  His lips nibbled
and sucked mine, and I heard a disgusting girly squeak come from my
throat.  I couldn't help it.  As he deepened the kiss, the hands
that had been stroking my face and hair and caressing my neck slid
around me and down my body.

One hand encircled my waist then moved down to cup the
cheeks of my ass.  "Oh God," I murmured.  How did he do that?  How
could he know that I am sensitive on my derriere?  It was as if
God had given him a roadmap and said, 'Touch her here, touch her
here, and here.'

My tap pants were immediately as soaked as my panties had been.  If
this didn't stop soon I wasn't going to have any clean underwear
left.

I moaned harder as his lips deepened the kiss.  He pulled me up
against his body and I was standing on the precipice of total
meltdown.  I could feel the heat of his shaft against my stomach as
he forcefully pulled me against his body.  Oh, Mulder, I want
this...I kissed him back and debated about giving in and dragging
him back to my bed.  I groaned, feeling him squeeze my ass.  I felt
my insides tighten up and knew I had to stop this now.  I wanted to
kiss him and touch him and have my way with him for the rest of my
life.

That's what I wanted to do, but I knew I couldn't.  I had to try one
more time to be the voice of reason.  I pushed against his chest
while still letting my fingers stroke against his golden skin.
"Please, Mulder, don't make this hard..."

He let me slide down his body, rubbing his incredible erection down
the length of my stomach.  What the hell was I thinking?  I was so
wet, I could smell my arousal.  I knew that his control was
stretched to the limit.

He mumbled an apology and I tried to smooth things over.  I could
tell that he wasn't listening as I babbled some rhetoric about why
we should wait, why we shouldn't lose our heads now, when his words
stopped me cold.

"I think it's already too late for that, Scully.  I lost my head
over you a long time ago."

He turned and walked back into his room, gently closing the door.  I
covered my mouth with both hands to keep from calling him back.  I
could feel the wet heat between my legs and tried to tamp down the
throbbing with thoughts of duty and honor and safety.

It was no good.  I returned to the bathroom after I felt my juices
running down my leg.  I needed a shower, but I would wait until
morning.  I cleaned up quickly and changed into yet another pair of
tap pants.

The rough washcloth had taken the edge off the throbbing of my sex,
but I knew it was going to be a long time before I could relax
enough to go to sleep.

I toyed with the idea of masturbation, but somehow, it didn't sound
right tonight.  That is, until I heard the soft grunts and groans
start from Mulder's room.  I could picture him in my mind.  Lying in
the middle of the bed, naked.  His golden skin glowing in the low
light coming from the bathroom.  The muscles of his abdomen would be
working as he stroked his big, strong hands down his own body.

Oh, God, there went another pair of pants.  I practically ripped
them off me.  I had to sleep naked or I would go through every pair
of underwear I brought with me.  I didn't want to explain why I had
to do laundry tomorrow to Mulder.

The small breeze from the room heater flowed over my body and I
began to fantasize that it was Mulder's hands and lips and breath on
me.  I let my hands begin to wander over my body.

The sounds from his room increased and I knew he had taken his
thick, hot cock into his hand and was working it towards an orgasm.
No, women called them orgasms, what did men usually call them?
Did he think of it  as coming or as cum?  Did he lick his palm to
smooth the
friction, or did he spread his pre-cum over his cock?  Did he like
to play with his balls as he masturbated?  Did he like a gentle
stroke, pretending that it was me, or was he rough with his strokes,
pretending he was pounding into me as he came?

I realized that the sounds were getting harsher and I heard a
strangled, "Sssccccuuuulllyyy.  Oh God!"  And then silence.  I could
feel my breath coming in short pants and gasps.  I tried to calm
myself down.  This would never do.  How was I going to survive until
this damn assignment was done?

I heard the shower go on in his bathroom and a visual of him lying
on his bed with his ejaculate all over his stomach and chest made me
groan.  I began to stroke my sex with one hand and my breasts with
my other.  I let my mind wonder over the way Mulder would make love.
Would he be sweet and gentle or would he be a demanding lover?
Would he want to mount me and surround me with his essence or would
he want to watch me ride him?  With every thought I came closer to
reaching my orgasm, but was not quite able to reach it before his
shower turned off.

XXXXXXXXXX  NC-17 PORTION XXXXXXXXXX

I rolled over and buried my face in my pillow.  The grunts and
groans that I had been subduing poured into the muffling depths of
the pillow.  I pulled my knees up under me and began to fantasize
that Mulder was taking me from behind.  My fingers were flying over
my clit and I pictured his turgid balls rhythmically striking my
clit as his huge cock stroked into me.  His hands would be stroking
my ass and I would be begging him to 'fuck me harder, Mulder... fuck
me...'

Oh, fuck me!  My orgasm swept over me and nearly made me faint.  I
groaned and tried to stifle the sound in my pillow, but the need for
air was overwhelming.  I moaned  as I rolled onto my back again.  I
was panting hard.  My heart was beating out of my chest and I
realized that I had the biggest, silliest grin on my face I had ever
had.

XXXXXXXXXX  END OF NC-17 PORTION  XXXXXXXXXX

I was well and truly screwed.  Well, not literally, yet, but
figuratively.  How was I going to survive this case with any sanity?
How was I going to be able to protect Mulder's back when all I could
think of was getting him on it?

This was going to be a long, hard case.  I fell asleep grinning.

XXXXXXXXXXX

SOMERS CLASS A DRIVING SCHOOL
SOMERS, CT

The next day found us sitting behind the wheel of a big rig.  God,
it had been a long time and I'd forgotten how powerful these things
were.  I'd also forgotten how empowering it was to handle one of
these awesome machines.  It made you feel like Hercules.

Scully was surprised at the ease with which she was able to adjust
the seats and reach the pedals.  Her spatial geometry was even
better than mine and she had no problem using the mirrors.  She
didn't get confused and was able to back up using the mirrors,
knowing instinctively which way to turn to cause the mirror image to
straighten out.

I know she'd been nervous at first but as the day went on, she
relaxed.  After driving through her first obstacle course of orange
cones and backing into a dock for the first time, she set the brakes
and let out a whoop, raising her fists in the air and pumping her
arms once in a victory signal.

I was laughing broadly as she climbed out of the cab and started
toward me at the edge of the huge paved lot in front of the main
building where I'd stood watching her progress.  She was intercepted
by Dean Blackwell, the instructor.  "Excellent work, Dana.  Most
people don't do this well on their first day."

"Thank you," she replied, grinning up at him and obviously pleased
with herself.  Morehead Insurance had hired this guy privately from
a school in Tennessee.  He'd come up here to teach us after the
school agreed to let us use their facilities.  They didn't have
a class scheduled to start for another two weeks.  I sauntered
over to her as I saw him reach out to put his hand on her shoulder
in a gesture of camaraderie.

'Oh, no, we'll be having none of that,' I thought.  No one was going
to be touching her, except me.  I lengthened my stride and arrived
just as his hand landed on her shoulder.  She was frowning and I
knew she didn't like it, but was too polite to say anything at this
point.

I slid my right arm around her shoulder and casually knocked his
hand off with my left.  I glared at him, the alpha male in me coming
out big time.  He smirked, but upon meeting my eyes, his smile died
and he recognized the challenge in mine.

I looked down at Scully and she said, "It's all right, Mu...Marty."

I looked from her to him again and then said softly.  "Yeah.
Everything will be just fine as long as he keeps his hands to
himself."  I made no attempt to lower my voice so he couldn't hear.
I wanted him to hear.

Then I abruptly changed the subject, "Good job, Honey."  She
scowled briefly at the endearment and I said, "My turn, I guess."

I hated to leave her there with him while I drove, but there was no
choice.  I had to concentrate too and worrying about his advances,
if indeed that's what they were, would be a big distraction.  I knew
Scully could take care of herself and didn't need me to protect her,
but damn it.  I hoped every man we encountered on this assignment
wasn't going to drool over her.  I hoped they would have more
respect for her and me than to openly do that.  Because if they
didn't, I honestly couldn't say whether I'd be able to hold onto my
temper.

Scully touched my forearm as I glared at the instructor.  I turned
back to her and she whispered, "I'm fine.  I can handle this M...
Marty."

I bent down so my lips were close to her ear.  "He touches you again
I want you put his balls in his throat.  You understand?"

She threw her head back and laughed and I straightened up, smiling
down at her and glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.  Her
easy laughter was intimate and he probably thought we were making
fun of him.  He scowled and I didn't give a damn.

He did finally speak up though, "Your turn, Mr. Tanner.  Days a
wastin'." He turned and walked towards the rig with me.

I nodded, smiling at him.  "No hard feelings, man.  Sorry about
that," I said casually as I could.  I didn't need to alienate this
guy on the first day of class.  He nodded his head in grudging
acceptance.  "I'm a little sensitive about her," I added, now that we
were out of Scully's hearing.

"I didn't mean nothin' by it," he drawled.

"I know."  No, I didn't.  "Forget it."

He nodded again and I headed for the driver's side of the rig.  I
jumped in and released the brake.  I put it in gear and slowly
pulled out of the bay and headed for the other side of the parking
lot where the cones were set up.  I forced myself to concentrate and
took the truck through the obstacle course.  At this point, it was
only hauling a 38 foot trailer.  As the week went on, Dean had said
he would increase the size of the trailer.  We needed to be hauling
a 53 foot trailer by the end of the week.

I went through the course, turned and went back through before
docking the truck.  I was secretly pleased with myself and grateful
that it was all coming back to me so quickly.

XXXXXXXXX

Our first day of school hadn't been the disaster I had foreseen.  We
were given a few hours of classroom information and study time and
then taken right out to the obstacle course after lunch.

I was surprised that I did as well as I did.  I guess being a math
geek when I was younger finally paid off.  The rig, though
intimidating upon first approach, was not the horror I thought it
would be.  The driver's seat was very comfortable and after
adjusting everything to fit me just right, I found that my
geometry classes were finally being put to use.  The same rules of
mathematics that had attracted me by their order and scientific
basis now transferred to driving a big rig, of all things.

The only glitch in the day was Mulder's run in with Dean Blackwell,
our instructor.

I knew it was going to happen the moment we had stepped through the
front door of the main building and Dean had introduced himself to
us.

He was a man about the size of Mulder, but that's where the
comparison stopped.  Mulder was a tall man, but he was graceful as a
big cat.  His incredible intelligence made him sensitive to others,
a trait that attracted every woman he met.  Unfortunately, it gave
the wrong impression to other men.

Dean Blackwell was more like a bull, intelligent, but depending
heavily on his strength and size to get him what he wanted in life.
I'm sure that there were many women who found his type attractive.
I'm not one of them.

He was an excellent teacher.  He had been a driver since he was in
his teens and started teaching after an accident injured his back
badly enough that he was no longer capable of long-haul trucking.
He had a feeling for the rig, and was able to verbalize it in a way
that made it easy to learn.

He was also a touchie-feelie son-of-a-gun.  I am not a person who
has ever allowed my personal space to be invaded, that is, until
Mulder came along.  I didn't mention all the little encroachments to
him or to Mulder, at first.  A few times he had gotten too close
and I had backed him off with a glance.

But towards the end of the day I had just completed the obstacle
course and backed the rig and a 38 foot trailer up to the dock.  I
was pretty proud of myself for doing it on the first try.

I jumped out of the truck and looked for Mulder.  He was standing
over by the main building and I couldn't resist a victory dance.  I
raised my fists into the air and gave out a whoop as I walked
towards him.  He was grinning widely, enjoying my success as much as
I was.

Dean approached me from the other side of the rig and congratulated
me.  He put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.  I
could see the expression on Mulder's face change from one of
happiness to one of danger.

Most men dismiss Mulder as a threat.  He is most likely to use his
intelligence and his dry sense of humor to defuse a situation.  What
most people don't know about Mulder is that there is a dark side to
his personality.  He is a trained agent of the FBI and his
understanding of the havoc that violence can wreak on the human body
usually keeps him on an even keel.  But he is possessive and
protective of those he loves.  I needed to act fast or Dean
Blackwell was going to be of no further use to us.

I frowned at him to let him know that I was aware of his feelings
and to back off.  He stepped to my side and slid his arm around my
shoulders, blatantly pushing Dean's hand away.  He glared at him and
I sucked in my breath as Dean smirked back at him...that is, until he
met Mulder's eyes.

Mulder finally broke the glare and looked down at me.  I could see
the remnants of his alpha male dominance in his eyes soften as they
searched my face.

I whispered, "I'm fine.  I can handle this M... Marty."  I was
relieved when he bent down and placed his lips close to my ear.

"He touches you again I want you to put his balls in his throat.
You understand?"  He wanted me to use my training to protect myself
and his belief in my abilities made me laugh aloud.  I changed my
mind about the lecture I was planning to give him tonight.

Dean probably thought we were making fun of him, but I didn't
care...not even when he scowled.

He and Mulder moved back towards the rig and I could tell they
exchanged words, but everything seemed to be back on an even keel.

Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

XXXXXXXXXX

SOMERS CLASS A DRIVING SCHOOL
SOMERS, CT
TUESDAY AFTERNOON

The next day didn't go as well for Scully.  We'd pretty much been in
low gear around the parking lot, but today he took us out on the
road to drive around the block.

She had a hard time shifting, got frustrated and stalled the truck
when she tried to double clutch, bucking the cab and making it
whine.

At one point, she pounded the steering wheel as if to make the beast
do what she wanted.  It was NOT like Scully to lose her cool like
this.  I was sitting in the sleeper, which was small, and I had to
duck to not hit my head.  I hoped ours was going to be bigger than
this.

Dean sat in the passenger seat as we idled along side the road.
"O.K., you can do this," he spoke calmly to her and I had to give
him credit.  He'd kept his hands to himself today but I'd watched
him closely.

"Take a deep breath, let it out slow," he drawled.  Christ, his
voice was going to put me to sleep.  These southerners took an hour
to say 'shit.'  It was only day two and already I wanted to scream
at him, 'Get to the fucking point!'  He didn't hurry, no matter
what.  I surmised that this must be because if they moved like we
did, the heat would kill them.

I smiled internally at this thought as he continued to drone.

Scully was listening intently though, having regained her composure.
"All riight, now.  I'm going to walk you through thiiss, step by
step."  He sounded like a demented cowboy.  "We're gonna take thiiss,
realll
slow."

Scully smiled, then bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing at
the way he talked.  We'd better get used to it.  I had a feeling
we'd be spending a lot of time in the south and mid-west where most
of these hijackings were occurring.  That's one of the reasons they
wanted us to come here, up north to Connecticut.  The hijackers
hadn't hit New England yet, so it was safest place for us to learn
undetected.

"Now push in the cluuutch," Dean said.

She did.  "Hoed it," he said with his peculiar accent, instead of
'hold' it.  He glanced at me.  "I gotta touch her, Mr. Tanner."

I raised my eyebrows and so did Scully.  "How so?" I asked.

"I wanna to put my haand on hers and shift with her.  That be
awlright?"

I nodded, smiling.  Scully gave me the eyebrow, but said nothing.
He placed his hand on hers.  "Now, push all the way to the left, and
gently sliiide that baaby up thare till you feel it catch on that
nottch, in there.  Feel it?"  Scully nodded.  "Then you gohead and
push it straaiight up."  The truck slid into gear. "Goood, now let up
slowly on the cluuttch, just like in a caarr."  She began lifting off
the clutch.  "Let her start to rowl, and then press gently on the
gaasss, jest feather that puppy."

I was biting the inside of my cheek now.  I tuned him out as he
continued and the truck began to roll forward.

"Nooowww, the important ppaaart.  Listen to the engiine.  Hear it?
Hear it start to strain?  That soouwnd, lit'l higher pitched?"

Scully nodded.

"Now you shiift."

He pulled down on her hand and slid it into second.  She gained
confidence as we tooled down the road.  "Keep going straaight.  I'll
take ya up through the geears."

Rather than turn back to go around the block, she continued on.  The
streets were nearly deserted at 10:00 AM and he continued to shift
her up until we were tooling along at 45 miles an hour.  He had her
slow down for a light and shift down and then pull onto the highway.
He took her up to 45 and then flipped toggle button on her gear
shift to bring us up into the high gears.  She sailed along as I
suspected, having no trouble with the open highway.  We went back
into town, his hand still firmly on top of hers and guiding her
through the gears as she double clutched and slowed down.

"Hit the cluutch, tap the gas and spin those gears, and slliiiddeee
her home," he continued his non-stop commentary as he talked her
through double clutching.  "Hit that clutch once more and release it
slooowww."

We finally made it back to the yard 40 minutes later.  Scully
slumped in the seat and turned to Dean as he released her hand,
glancing at me once with a slightly nervous expression.  I smiled at
him and at Scully.

"Damn," she muttered, embarrassed that he'd had to coach her through
all that.

"Don't be embarrassed, Dana.  It's only day two and this a crash
course," I reminded her.

Dean nodded, "For sure, buuddy.  Norm'ly you'd have a couple of
weeks 'fore you went on the rowd."

I said to Dean.  "She's used to things coming easy to her.  She's very
smart."

"I know she is," he said with a firm nod.  "But this issn't liike
ani'thin' else.  Youse got ta get a feeelll for it, smart or nooot."

We both smiled now, unable to help it.

XXXXXXXXXX

The week flew by and somehow we managed to keep our hands off one
another.  I never missed my good night kiss though.  I didn't want
her to forget what was waiting for her whenever she was ready.
There was no freakin' way I was lasting until the end of the
assignment.  If I wasn't boffing her inside of a week, I was going
to explode.  I figured she didn't need to know that, though.

I wish we had another week for Scully to get used to things and
for me to brush up, for that matter, but our week ended and we
thanked Dean and hopped a flight to Tennessee.  First stop ...
Nashville.

XXXXXXXXXX
PART 5 (PG-13)
CRICKET MOTEL
NASHVILLE, TN

Nashville is a hole.  I never knew that.  There are some nice
sections, but for the most part, it's a city like any other.  Trash
and dirt lined the streets.  There was corruption, crime and seedy
bars.  More than the average city, Nashville was filled with little
juke joints with low lighting, smoke-filled rooms and stages for
amateur musician wannabes to try out their stuff.  I was a little
surprised at the dilapidated look of many of the buildings and
streets.  Being such a tourist attraction, I'd expected a better
infrastructure and upkeep of the streets and buildings.

Global-Tech had a contract with the Cricket Motel, a no-tell motel
downtown with Spartan rooms featuring the TV and chairs bolted to
the floor.  The mattress was hard and the floors and bathroom were
clean.  I guess that's about as much as we could hope for.  They
told us it would look funny if we signed into the Regency or the
Sheraton.  This was the 'trucker's motel' and that's where we would
stay.

We showed up at headquarters and a dispatcher named Cole led us to
our rig.  He knew nothing of our new identities, only that we were a
newly hired driving team.  His eyes seemed permanently attached to
Scully's ass until I glared him down, too.  This was going to be a
long assignment.

Scully pulled in a gasp as we climbed into the rig.  The sleeper was
spacious, the bed folded out into a mattress almost as big as a
double bed, but not quite, and was able to fold up into a single bed
during travel.  There was a small dormitory size fridge and a small
sink.  Every available corner was a cubby hole to store things.
Under the bunk was a large space to store suitcases or larger items.
All around the ceiling were hanging cupboards for storage.  The
dashboard looked like a cockpit of a jet fighter.  Even I was
impressed.

Cole showed us how to use the satellite, receive, and send messages.
This was how dispatch would contact us 99% of the time.  He gave us
a schedule for truck maintenance and a list of authorized garages
throughout the continental US should we experience any mechanical
trouble.  He droned on through our orientation as I tried to pay
attention.  Scully took a few notes and it was a good thing, because
I missed half of what he said.  I was too busy planning where to put
things and deciding the best place to store weapons.

I'd contacted the Lone Gunmen and they were meeting us at the hotel
tonight with some back up weapons and extra ammunition.  We were
trying to lure killers and I was going to be prepared.  We would be
a moving armory by the time I was done.  All the weapons were
magically registered in our fake names through the miracle of
technology ... and some fancy hacking by Langly.

I drove the tractor back to the hotel, explaining to Scully that
driving without a trailer was called, 'bobtailing'.  We immediately
moved everything but essential toiletries and a change of clothes
for morning into the truck, spending a good deal of time divvying up
the space and deciding what was going where.

We went to Denny's for dinner, which was within walking distance
about four blocks away.  We returned to find the Gunmen in the
parking lot, their rental car parked in front of our door.  I'd
called to give them the number earlier.

We walked up to them and Frohike started in immediately.  "Christ,
Mulder.  We come all this way and you couldn't even be here to greet
us."

"He's Marty now," Scully said with a smirk in her voice.

"I thought you only used that name for 1-900 calls," Langly
cracked, earning him a glare from me.  I groaned internally as I saw
the look of amusement on Scully's face.  That was definitely in the
'Scully doesn't need to know' column.

Changing the subject abruptly, I asked, "What have you got for us?"

"Pushy, pushy.  The gratitude is overwhelming," Frohike mumbled as
he opened the trunk of their rental car and they started pulling
cases out of the trunk.

Scully unlocked the door and we traipsed inside.  They laid the
cases out on the bed and began opening them.

There were some interesting items in their collection.  Scully was
particularly impressed with the Ares Defense Mini Mag flashlight
that would fire a .380 and still operate as a flashlight.  There was
also the Ares Defense Companion, a big 3-cell mag lite with a single
shot .410 shotgun built in.  The rest of the grocery list included a
Glock with gunpower foldable stocks, a Berreta 92 Bigadier, two Sig
Sauer P229 - 357, and a Para Ordnance Full Auto 85.  Those things
could fire 800-900 rounds a minute.  They also threw in a Beretta
Mag light shot gun.  I was glad to see the Sigs.  They had a safety,
which our
government issue ones didn't, but otherwise it was a familiar gun.

But my personal favorite was a Sig77 with a M203 grenade launcher.
I felt like James Bond preparing to go to war.

"Holy shit, Batman," Scully muttered after they were all laid out on
the bed in my room.

The Gunmen chuckled as Scully shook her head.  "What'd you think,
guys?  We were going to be playing Mad Max?"

I laughed at her Thunderdome reference, silently impressed that
she'd seen that movie at all.  Didn't seem like her type of fare.

In his calm, unruffled way, Byers said, "We wanted you to be
prepared for any eventuality."

"No doubt about that," I commented.  "How much do I owe you?"

Frohike was shaking his head.  "Don't worry about it."

"Yes, worry about it.  These guns cost a fortune."

"There's ammo for them all in the car too.  I'll go get that,"
Langly announced and disappeared through the door.

"Frohike, I have the money.  How much?"

He sighed, "A lot."

I nodded.  "Send me a bill.  I'm serious.  Total it all up and let
me know.  I'll be in touch with you guys in a few days and I'll wire
you the money.  I don't want you to sit on this type of bill."

He nodded.  I knew the price tag was in thousands.  There had to be
$10,000 worth of firepower here.  We carefully put the guns back in
the cases and thanked the guys.  We walked them out to the parking
lot.  Byers pulled a small canvas bag from the trunk of the car and
handed it to me.  I didn't want to discuss the contents of the bag
with Scully until later on the road.

Frohike stared unabashedly at Scully as she stood with her hands in
the back pockets of her jeans, pushing her chest out unconsciously
and stretching the material of her snug fitting tee shirt.

He glanced at the hiking boots that she was wearing until we picked
her up some work boots, and he scanned her from toe to head.  She
took her hands out of her back pockets and scrunched her shoulders
slightly as she realized the effect she was presenting.

"You make a hot trucker momma," Frohike blurted out, unable to help
himself.

Scully scowled and I grinned.  "Shut up, Frohike," she responded.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm, definitely an improvement on those schoolmarm suits
you wear to work."

"Hey, those suits cost a lot of money," she exclaimed, totally
missing the point.  Or maybe she wasn't and was trying to change the
subject.

He grinned.  "Yeah, but they cover you up too much."

"She doesn't dress for you, Frohike," I said, figuring I better step
in before this got ugly.

He grinned unrepentant.  "Don't I know it."

"Good bye, guys," she said curtly and they turned and piled into the
car with Byers behind the wheel, Frohike in the passenger seat and
Langly in the back.  They backed out of their parking space and we
waved.  Frohike peeled out a wolf whistle as they drove out of the
driveway.

I couldn't help laughing and looked down to see Scully scowling.
"Better get used to it," I said in between chuckles.

"Get used to it?  What's that supposed to mean?  I'm not becoming
the little woman, so just get that out of your head right now."

I smiled at her.  "I meant that men are going to be checking you
out, Scully.  You're a beautiful woman, it's just a fact.  They
aren't all mature and respectful like me," I teased.

That made her chuckle.  "Yeah, right.  You're soooo mature," she
teased back.

I put my hands over my heart and said, "Moi?  You wound me, Scully."

"I'll wound you all right, if I hear any sexist comments in front of
anyone.  So help me Mulder, you embarrass me and there will be hell
to pay."

She turned on her heel and headed for the door to her room.  "I
don't doubt it," I muttered as I followed her.  "Help me get these
into the truck?"  I asked.

She sighed.  "Yeah, we better in case we have to roll out early in
the AM."

I smiled at her choice of words.  I didn't even think she realized
she was already starting to talk the lingo.  "Let's roll, baby,"
I teased, unable to stop myself from getting in one last jab.

She scowled, "Go ahead and push it, Mulder.  I'll make you sorry."

"Oh, I hope so!" I replied.  She chuckled and we began taking the
cases out to the truck.  We had to find a place to hide them all.
The pistols were put under the seats, the Mag Lites in the glove
box.  At least we would have those within easy reach.  The rifles
and larger guns were stored in the overhead compartments situated
over the bunk.  Finally, we were done and ready for bed.  I checked
the locks on the cab door and exterior compartments and turned to
follow her back to the sidewalk.

Before leaving her, I pulled her to me outside our motel room doors.
She smiled up at me.  "What?"

"You know what.  Where's my good night kiss, Mrs. Tanner?" I teased.

She sighed a long suffering sigh, still not liking being called Mrs.
Tanner.  "Mulder ..."

"Kiss me," I whispered, leaning down and capturing her lips before
she could lodge any protests.

Her hands came up around my neck and I wrapped my arms around her
waist, pulling her up tight against me.  I deepened the kiss and
felt my groin tingle as I started to harden.

I felt daring and moved away from her mouth, tracing a path to her
neck and sucking gently on her pulse at the base of her neck.  She
moaned and I gripped her tighter, swirling my tongue on the skin and
tasting her.  She pushed gently on my shoulder.  "Mulder, stop."

I moved back up to her lips, ignoring her command and took her mouth
under mine again, slipping my tongue between her swollen lips and
teasing her tongue.  She mewled into my mouth, a sound that made me
harden fully and I pressed into her soft belly, her jeans and mine
doing nothing to block the heat coming off my dick.

Just then, a trucker I recognized from the headquarters walked past
and grumbled, "Geez, get a room, you two."

I chuckled and released Scully as she flushed bright red.  "Jesus,
Mul... Marty, we're right out in the open."

I smiled softly, "So what?  We're supposed to be married, remember?"

"That's not the point ..." she trailed off.  "Forget it.  Good
night, Marty."

"Good night ... Dana."

I reluctantly watched her disappear through her door and put the key
into mine.  Another lonely night with a hard on to relieve.  I
couldn't go on like this.  I told myself I should be happy with what
we had.  I should be doing thrilled just over the fact that she
allowed me to touch her at all.  I should be ecstatic that she was
giving me good night kisses.

But I'm a pig.  All I could think was, 'I want more.'  I was a
greedy bastard and now that I'd tasted her, nothing but the whole
enchilada was going to satisfy me.  I was tired of pussy footin'
around.  I wanted IN, and I wanted IN NOW.

I stripped and lay down on the bed to complete my nightly ritual.  I
gripped myself and gasped, closing my eyes and picturing her swollen
lips in my mind's eye and replaying the mewling whimper that I
swallowed just minutes before.  I wasn't going to last long tonight.

Didn't matter, it was just a means to an end, anyway.  I wanted the
real thing and I was going to have it ... soon ... even if I had to
push.

XXXXXXXXXX

ROUTE 65 NORTH
TENNESSEE

Our first assignment came in the morning.  We were to go to a drop
and hook warehouse in Portland, Tennessee on the Kentucky border.
There we would pick up a trailer full of old computers and bring
them to a business named Computer Solutions in Louisville, Kentucky.
These were all outdated computers that were being turned in for
overhaul or being sold for parts to this business.  Computer
Solutions had a government contract to upgrade hardware throughout
the mid-west for most government installations.

It was no coincidence that we were hauling government computers.
This would be a prime target for the hijackers as their previous
heists had targeted technology type loads.  Once there, we were to
pick up newly reconditioned computers and deliver them to various
government agencies roughly along a path toward Nevada.

We rose and dressed after the phone call that awoke us with our
assignment and we headed out.  I chose to drive the first leg and
headed north on Route 65.

Scully chattered about the significance of the load we were hauling
as we tooled up the highway.  "Do you think they'd hit us so soon?"

"You mean on this first run?" I asked for clarification.

"Yeah."

"I don't know.  We have no idea if there's someone inside the
company that's arranging these loads and tipping off the hijackers,
or how they are getting their information on the loads.  It could be
an inside job at Global-Tech, or it could be DOT workers that
inspect the trailers and loads at weigh stations.  We have no way of
knowing.  That's what we need to find out."

"I think when we hit the DOT weigh stations, we should work out a
plan."

"What kind of plan?"

"Well, I was thinking one of us should stay with the inspectors
while they go over the truck and the other one should wander around
and observe any others that may be there, see if anything pops up."

"You mean split up?" I asked with a note of anxiety in my voice.

"Not really split up, per se.  But we want to watch the inspectors
to see if we notice anyone taking undue interest in the content of
our load.  On the other hand, if there's some stoolie in the weigh
station picking up the phone as soon as he knows what we're hauling,
I want to know about that too and we can't be in two places at the
same time unless we split up.  It's just while we're at the weigh
stations."

"What excuse could we have for wandering inside?  Most of these
places are little more than huts, some have a building, but even
those aren't usually large.  Others are located in a space that has
more of a rest area with a convenience store or whatever."

"I can always ask to use the bathroom.  Women always have to pee."

I chuckled at that.  "Most of the bathrooms are located in the rear
of the buildings."

"Right next to the offices.  Just a thought," she tossed out.

I sighed, knowing her plan was sound but always hating it when we
split up.  I would never admit to her my niggling concern about her
being a woman in this environment.  I'd meant what I said about a
lot of men not respecting women.  I knew, intellectually, that
Scully could take care of herself.  That didn't mean that I could
stop myself from worrying.  I had to keep reminding myself that she
was a fully trained FBI agent and she'd be insulted if I told her
the real reason I didn't want us to split up.

"Just be careful if we do that.  I don't like the idea of splitting
up."

"Afraid I'll get in a jam?" she asked, zeroing in on my concern
without even trying.

I sighed.  "No, I'm afraid *I* will," I answered, which was also
true.

She chuckled.  "I won't ever be far away and we both know how to
yell for help, Mulder."

"Marty."

"Huh?"

"We need to start calling each other Dana and Marty, or we're going
to mess up at some critical point.  I know it's hard, Dana, but we
have to try and get into our 'roles.'  If we don't, we'll never pull
this off."

"You just want to play house," she teased.

"Well, that is a side benefit," I said in a cavalier tone.  "I'm
serious, though," I added, growing more somber.

"You're right. It's hard, though."

"Hard how?  To remember to call me Marty?"

She swallowed.  "No, it's just ... hard to pretend we're married,"
she said finally.

I concentrated on the road for a few seconds while I took a
particularly sharp corner on the highway, my eyes darting to all the
mirrors to check for traffic as I changed lanes.  Like riding a
bike, I thought.  This was something that you never forgot once
you'd done it.  I found the mindless activity of driving soothing.
I would often go driving when I needed to think or relax.  It was a
secret of mine that not many people knew.  That summer, driving for
the loggers, I'd discovered the peace that there was to be found on
the open road with nothing but the moon and stars for company.  I
still had some of that in me.  Maybe it was why I loved traveling so
much.  There really wasn't much waiting for me at home.  I never
minded being on the road, although I knew Scully longed often to be
more stationary.

I didn't quite know what to make of her comment.  Finally I
answered, "Why?  Can't picture it, can you?"

She must have detected the note of hurt in my voice that I was
trying to hide.  Her next words were, "What are you saying?  It's
easy for you to picture us married?  Come on, Mulder.  This is US
we're talking about."

My thumb moved up to finger the wedding band on my left ring finger.
I twirled it around and swallowed around the lump in my throat.
"What do you mean, it's US we're talking about?  What's so fucked up
about me that you can't even imagine being married to me?"

I glanced at her and she looked puzzled.  "It's not YOU, Mulder.
It's US, who we are, Federal Agents, on the road all the time."

"Who said marriage has to include the farm house with the
white picket fence and 2.5 kids?  There are lots of ways to have a
marriage, Scully.  Granted, not all of them are ideal.  But if two
people love each other and they work well together, it doesn't
matter where they are, where they roost at night."

"Roost?"

"You know what I mean.  There are couples that work on opposite
coasts and maintain marriages.  There are couples that travel for
their work and make a go of marriage."  I paused.  "And there are
FBI agents who make marriage work."

She was silent for so long that I was afraid I'd said too much.  At
long last, she spoke quietly.  "Are you saying you can picture it?"

An instinct told me to go for broke.  "I picture it all the time,
Scully.  It's one of my favorite fantasies." I glanced at her again
and she looked startled.

"You mean your fantasies don't include sexy lingerie and lap
dances?" she tried to tease, but her voice came out breathy.

I chuckled.  Gee, thanks for that visual, Scully.  I felt my groin
tingle and ruthlessly suppressed it.  This was serious.  She rarely
opened up to me, and her questions indicated that she wanted to
clarify some things, too.  Maybe answers to these questions were what
she needed to finally make the decision to move this gravy train
forward.  I felt like we were standing on a precipice.  How I
answered her questions would determine the fate of our relationship.
I was scared and exhilarated at the same time.  "I have some of
those too, but mostly, I just dream of what it would be like."

"What it would be like?  What's IT, Mulder?"

I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes on the road.  I needed to, but it
was also a good excuse not to have to look at her.  I was suddenly
sweating for no apparent reason.  We didn't talk like this often and
I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to get some things out in
the open.  On the other hand, I didn't want to blow it by saying too
much and scaring her off.  She was softening toward me and I didn't
want to send her scurrying for cover again.  I needed to be honest
with her.

I said, "Just ... being with you, Scully."

"You mean sex?"

I sighed.  "No, you're missing the whole point."

"Which is?" she asked, sounding a bit testy.

I risked glancing at her again and realized she was staring at me.
I squirmed in the seat a bit and then said,  "The point is, Scully,
that I want to be with you and not just as your work partner or your
best friend.  I thought I'd made that clear."

"Yeah, but wanting to advance our relationship into the physical
realm doesn't mean you want all the baggage of a committed
relationship," she responded.

I scowled.  "We really aren't on the same page sometimes, you know
that?"

She clucked her tongue.  "I don't know where you're going with this,
Mulder."

"Marty."

"Marty, whatever.  What are you trying to say ... exactly?"

"I'm saying I want it all, Scully."

"Dana," she corrected.

"Right, Dana.  Hello pot this is the kettle," I quipped but then got
serious again.  "I don't know about you, but I've been committed for a
long time already."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning ... you're the ONE, Scully.  I've known it for a long time.
We've already been sharing each other's baggage for years and it
hasn't sent either one of us screaming for the hills.  We're as close
as two people can be without making love.  Hell, yes, I can picture us
married.  We're already closer than most married couples.  We just
don't have that little piece of paper that makes it legal ... well,
that, and we don't sleep together."

"Elaborate on what you mean by you've already been committed.'"

"That didn't make sense?  I love you, Scully.  I told you that.  I
want to be your man, in every way.   I want to have sex, yes, but it
goes WAY beyond that."  At that very moment, I realized it for myself.
It did go way beyond that.  For all my frustration and vows to push a
physical relationship, that wasn't what it was about for me.

"I want to be THE man in your life, Dana.  I want to have the right
to knock some asshole's hand off your shoulder.  I want to be able to
kiss you in public.  I want to come home to you every night and eat
dinner together and watch TV."

"You don't get enough of me during the week?" she tried for another
half hearted tease.

"I never get enough of you, Dana."

I heard her huff out a breath and glanced at her again, surprised to
see wetness pooling in her baby blues.  "You've been the only woman
for me for ... a long time.  There's a reason why I don't date.
That reason is YOU.  Nobody measures up to you, Dana.  Nobody even
comes close ... not for me.  It's you or nobody."

"God, Mulder.  How can you say that?  You don't know who you might
meet down the road."

"No, I don't, and it doesn't matter.  In my heart, I committed to
you a long time ago.  Don't you get it?  I want it all.  I would
never push you, but I want to be intimate with you.  I want to share
everything with you.  And yes, damn it; someday, I want to be
married to you."

"I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything.  Just think about it.  I know you're not ready
for that yet ... but know that it's there waiting for you ...
whenever you are ready ... if you're ever ready.  I'll still be here
waiting."

She didn't say anything and I watched the road again, concentrating
harder than I had to.  Traffic was light.  I stole glances at her as
she stared out the window, avoiding looking at me.  I decided some
levity was needed here.

"Besides, you should know by now that I'm like a burr under a
saddle.  I'm very hard to get rid of and I'll keep poking you until
you give in.  I can be very persistent when I want to be."

"Don't I know it," she muttered.

I turned and she was smiling at me.  I returned the smile and said,
"Just think about it."

She nodded and turned away again.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"Screw this name thing.  Just be careful to call me Marty in public or
if someone else is around.  When we're alone, we're Mulder and Scully,
that's who we are. I'm not going to drive myself crazy with it."

"O.K.," she said softly.

After a minute, I asked, "Just tell me one thing."

"What?"

"You do love me, don't you?"

"Yes," she said softly.

"You're IN love with me?" I pushed.

Her breath hitched in her throat and she whispered, "Yes."

I smiled, feeling warmth steal through my chest, feeling tears sting
my eyelids.  I blinked rapidly and said in a husky voice, choked
with emotion, "Then I can wait forever, as long as I know you love
me."

XXXXXXXXXXX

We made it.  We both finished the driving course and made it through
the introductions to our dispatcher at Global-Tech.  We'd even
picked up our truck...rig.

I have to admit, it hasn't been the nightmare I thought it would be.
Driving a big rig was just another skill I had to learn, like Mulder
had tried to tell me.  I thought he was just trying to talk me into
taking the assignment and reassure me when he first promised me that I
could do this, but he was right again.  One more off-the-wall theory
that proved to be true.

I've been puzzled by Mulder's behavior during the entire first part
of this assignment.  Something about Mulder is different.  I was
trying to analyze exactly what and why, when it came to me out of
the blue.

We were checking out our new rig and it hit me . . . Mulder was
happy.  The darkness that had been his constant companion for most
of our partnership was missing.  He told me he was free after his
revelation about Samantha in starlight, but the grief over his
mother's death had still colored his world a deep shade of grey.

During the day to day routine of our lives, I somehow lost track
of the precise moment that Mulder's depression lifted.  I tried to
think back to a conversation or event that should have clued me in
to his relief, but I couldn't.  I think it was a gradual adjustment
that wasn't obvious while we continued in our normal surroundings.

Then another revelation struck me.  As soon as he was able to kiss
me, touch me, the final veil had lifted from behind his eyes.  While
he had changed over the course of time, there was a hesitancy, a
quality of indecision that permeated his interactions with me.  By
the simple act of allowing that first lover's kiss, all his
hesitation was gone.  He was smiling more and he looked like a man
... with a future ... something to look forward to ... like a man in
love.

I was talking to Cole about the maintenance schedule for our rig
while Mulder was climbing like a monkey all over it, inside and out.
I turned toward his exuberant, "S...Dana!  Check this out!"

He was hanging off the handle on the cab, grinning like a little
kid.  The sun was peeking through the clouds and took that exact
moment to bathe him in a patch of gold.  He was so brilliant and
beautiful in the glare of the sunshine, I had to shade my eyes with
my hand.  The happiness in his smile was blinding.

The long, lean line of his body was highlighted against the black
and chrome of the Kenworth we were given to drive.  His blue
chambray shirt molded to his body as if it were custom tailored and
his jeans were like a second layer of skin on him.  I gazed at the
breadth of his shoulders and the ropey muscles in his arms.  The
muscles in his long legs flexed as he climbed over the back of the
truck with
amazing agility.  When he jumped down and bent over to check
the air lines, I knew I gasped.  The worn denim of his jeans cupped
his spectacular ass and left nothing to the imagination.   I had
never wanted him more than I did at that moment.  Happy Mulder was
a hard man to resist.

I must have stood there for several minutes, grinning like a fool.
I would probably still be there if Cole hadn't cleared his throat
and said, "You two been married long?"

I blushed and looked down at the clipboard in my hand, "Not that
long, two years."  Thank God I remembered the cover story Skinner
had set up for us.

Cole laughed and shook his head.  He continued with the orientation
and I tried to pay attention.  We drove, I mean, we bobtailed the
rig back to the motel for a final night before hitting the road.

Mulder surprised me with the news that the Gunmen were meeting us at
the motel later.  When I asked him why, he gave me a secretive smile
and told me that I would find out soon enough.

Find out I did.  They brought enough armament to start a small
war.  We had not been allowed to bring our service weapons along, as
they were
too easily traced to our real names.  Skinner had approved
us purchasing, legally, a few guns and had even gotten permits
for Marty and Dana Tanner to carry concealed weapons.  I don't think
this arsenal was what he had in mind.

The guys dropped off the weapons and ammunition and then took off
right away, but not before Frohike got in a few drooling
remarks.  If I didn't know that he truly respected and liked Mulder
and me, I would have taken the little troll out.  As it was, Frohike
was just being Frohike.  Ya had to love him.  The last thing the guys
gave us was a small canvas bag that Mulder stored in the rig without
opening.  I assumed it was a 'guy gift' and didn't question him.  If
he wanted to share, he would later.

The next morning, I was difficult.  We were off on our first
assignment and needed to be sharp.  I felt like I needed at least a
gallon of coffee before I could face the day.  I didn't get to sleep
until after 4:00 AM.  Mulder's goodnight kiss had kept me awake
until then.  I knew I was being argumentative and purposely distant,
but I couldn't help it.

We discussed the possibility of an early attack and some ideas I had
been thinking about to flush out our perps.  Mulder was concerned,
as usual, about us splitting up.  Sometimes his protectiveness drove
me crazy, but this time he did have a point.

When he cautioned me to call him Marty, I tried to lighten the
subject by teasing him, "You just want to play house."

His quick uptake on my tease surprised me.

"Well, that is a side benefit," he said lightly.  "I'm serious
though," he added somberly.

"You're right.  It's hard, though," I responded.

"Hard, how?  To remember to call me Marty?"

I swallowed and decided to tell him the truth.  "No, it's just...
hard to pretend we're married," I said.

A few moments later he said, "Why?  Can't picture it, can you?"

I could hear the pain in his voice.  Could I tell him the truth?
Could I tell him how dear the idea was to me?  No, we had to keep
this professional until the assignment was over.  I answered his
question with a question.

"What are you saying?  It's easy for you to picture us married?
Come on, Mulder, this is US we're talking about."

He seemed taken aback by my words and replied, "What do you mean,
it's US we're talking about?  What's so fucked up about me that you
can't even *imagine* being married to me?"

He shot a quick glance at me and I knew he could tell I was puzzled
by his response.  I added quickly, "It's not YOU, Mulder.  It's US,
who we are, Federal Agents, on the road all the time."  I purposely
left out the unspoken reasons.  We were in constant danger of being
killed or separated by the vermin that hid in the shadows of the
conspiracy we were trying to uncover.  I didn't want Mulder to even
think about that aspect right now.  We didn't need to add his guilt
over past happenings to this conversation.

I had obviously deflected his thinking when he responded, "Who said
marriage has to include the farm house with the white picket fence
and 2.5 kids?  There are lots of ways to have a marriage, Scully.
Granted, not all of them are ideal.  But if two people love each
other and they work well together, it doesn't matter where they are,
where they roost at night."

"Roost?"

"You know what I mean.  There are couples that work on opposite
coasts and maintain marriages.  There are couples that travel for
their work and make a go of marriage."  Then he paused.  "And there
are FBI agents who make marriage work."

I was silent for a long time.  "Are you saying you can picture it?"
I asked quietly.

"I picture it all the time, Scully.  It's one of my favorite
fantasies."  He glanced at me again and could tell I was startled.

Once again he had managed to surprise me.  "You mean your fantasies
don't
include sexy lingerie and lap dances?" I teased, but
my voice came out entirely too girlie for my comfort.  It must have
given him the go-ahead for the rest of the conversation.

He rocked my world.  He loved me and wanted to be married to me.
It wasn't entirely about sex.  It was about commitment and love and
friendship and comfort.  All the things I had been denying that I
needed for years.  All the things I wanted from Mulder and never
believed that he would ever want from me.

All the things that I couldn't allow him to feel for me.  He deserved
a whole woman.  Someone that could give him children.  Someone unlike
me.  But his words continued and he told me that he was committed to
me.

To me.  He really did want to be married to me.  I realized suddenly
how insulting it was for me to assume that this was purely about sex
and intimacy, although that was a part of it.  Mulder was not a
shallow person in any other way; why had I assumed that he would be
in this situation?   But I had.  I thought he wanted the sex
without the marriage, the intimacy without the full commitment.  It
never occurred to me that he would want marriage.  Guess I was wrong
again.

Was this a real proposal?  I was at a loss, so I said, "I don't know
what to say."

"Don't say anything," he responded.  "Just think about it.  I know
you're not ready for that yet ... but know that it's there waiting
for you ... whenever you are ready ... if you're ever ready.  I'll
still be here waiting."

When I didn't reply, the Mulder self-deprecating sense of humor came
out.  "Besides, you should know by now that I'm like a burr under a
saddle.  I'm very hard to get rid of and I'll keep poking you until
you give in.  I can be very persistent when I want to be."

"Don't I know it," I grumbled, smiling at him.

"Just think about it," he smiled back.

I nodded and turned away thinking of all he had just said.

After a minute, he asked, "Just tell me one thing."

"What?"  I couldn't wait to hear what was coming next.

"You do love me, don't you?"

I had to force a quiet "Yes," from my lips.  He was taking my breath
away with his directness.

"You're IN love with me, right?" he clarified.

"Yes," I managed.

He smiled and said in a husky tone, "Then I can wait forever, as
long as I know you love me."

I looked away, trying to gain a little space to process all that had
just been said.  Being in constant contact with Mulder was driving
me crazy and this conversation had not helped.  Sure, we were
together constantly in DC, but I had my apartment, my mother's
house, church... places I could relax and enjoy without the constant
edge of sexual tension that haunted me every time I was around
Mulder.  I was a woman in the middle of my sexual peak and I had
what most women would agree was one of the most desirable men in the
western hemisphere as my constant companion and I couldn't do a
thing about it.   Nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  Or at least, I couldn't
before now.

I felt like I was going crazy.  I'd masturbated more in the past ten
days than I did all through high school, college and med school.  I
couldn't stand it.  I knew he was only a door away... an unlocked door
away.  No one would know.  No one could prove anything.  He was
letting me know that he wanted me.  He called out my name when he hit
his orgasm.  So what was stopping me?  I'd asked myself that a
hundred times last night alone.  Each time it came down to one
statement.

We needed to keep our professional lives and our personal lives
separate so that we could survive to enjoy said personal lives.

That was it.  The assignment came first.  When this was all over, I
had no doubt that we would take some time off and explore every
aspect of our relationship.  I knew I wanted to.

There were a lot of things I wanted to do with and to Mulder.  I
wanted to strip him and lick every inch of his beautiful body.  I
wanted to have sex with him everywhere and anywhere . . . every way
and every position.

When I heard him moan and knew that he was yelling my name because
he had jacked off again, I was jealous of his right hand.  Was it
his right hand or did he use his left?  Does he switch hit?  I wanted
to know everything.

I wanted to know how he tasted and smelled and felt.  I wanted to
tease him with my tongue and draw him as far down my throat as I
could.  I wanted to taste him, every part of him.  I wanted to run
my teeth over his nipples and tease him with my tongue.  I wanted to
stroke my sex with his cock until I came.  I wanted his tongue in my
ear, my mouth, my sex.  I wanted him.

I didn't want to ever have to worry about another woman touching
him.  I was amazed to realize that I was jealous.  I hated his
clothes because they caressed him as I could not give myself
permission to do.  I hated every waitress, clerk, secretary, police
woman, female agent and doctor we met that coveted him with their
eyes, thought of him sexually, lusted after him.

And now that he had just laid it all on the line and told me how he
felt, I was definitely going to be certifiable by the time this
assignment was over.  Why was I driving myself crazy?

Over and over I forced myself to think about all the good, sound
reasons to hold off on this relationship.  But every good reason was
countermanded with a visual of Mulder lying naked under me, over me,
oh my God, IN me.

Somewhere near Portland, I came to the conclusion that this must
end.  Tonight, after we dropped our load, I'd get Mulder to stop at
a motel and we would take this final step in our relationship.
Well, the second to the last step.  We would have our consummation,
tonight.  Talk of marriage could wait until after the assignment.

If I didn't get relief from the need for Mulder I was experiencing,
I was going to be too distracted to do my job.  We both had to be at
the top of our game to catch these guys.  This was a dangerous
assignment.  Besides, if I didn't quit creaming my panties with
flashes of fantasies about Mulder, I was going to get diaper rash.

We dropped the load and were immediately given another pick up.
We had a load of refurbished computers to drop in Little Rock,
Arkansas.  I took my turn driving down I40 first and Mulder dozed in
the seat beside me.  I was somewhat tentative at first, but Mulder's
confidence in me helped settle my nerves down, at least about
driving.

I was totally psyched about our evening together.  I smiled to
myself, thinking of the way things were going to proceed tonight.

XXXXXXXXXX

PART 6 (PG-13)
I40 MEMPHIS, TN
SUPER 8 MOTEL

I slammed the door of the motel room and threw myself down on the
bed, tears beginning to fight their way past my resolve and stream
down my face.

'How could he do this to us?' I asked myself.

Just when I was ready to take our relationship one step farther,
Mulder killed it.  I wasn't sure I could even continue the
assignment.

All the barriers I had built up around my heart that Mulder had so
effectively torn down with his words of love and commitment earlier
began to move back into place.

I could do this.  I was a professional.  We were on assignment and I
could complete it.  I'd get a transfer as soon as we solved this
case.

The thought of living without Mulder caused a fresh spate of
tears.  I sobbed into my pillow, lying in the dark.  What made a man
do such things?  Why did he have to turn out to be like all the
others?  I should have known better.

I could see it now in my mind, as if it were just happening.

We stopped for fuel about five hours down the road.  I pulled
into a decent looking truck stop and woke Mulder.  I asked him if
he wanted to stop at the motel across the parking lot for the night,
but he said that after we got fueled and ate that we should go on.

He didn't know what I had in mind.  When I tried to coax him into
staying, he was firm about continuing.  After I pushed him about his
reasoning he finally said, "I don't think I can take another night
of jacking off, Scully.  I've had enough sleep.  Let's just keep
going."

"There are other things to do in a motel than masturbate, Mulder," I
said.  I was losing my temper with this stubborn man.  How could I
convince him without telling him outright that I wanted tonight to
be our first time and I didn't want it to happen in a truck bunk.

He refused to see the need to stop.

Sure.  Fine.  Whatever.  "Like I said, there are other things to do in
a motel room than abuse yourself, Mulder," I spat.

"Oh?"  Suddenly he was interested.  I wasn't.

"I need a shower, Mulder."  I wasn't in the mood to do anything but
argue at this point.

"Well, you made a great choice of stops, then, Scully.  Cole told me
that all the AMERASTOP truck stops have great shower and laundry
facilities.  You can get your shower while I fuel up the rig."

He was trying to be conciliatory, but I wanted nothing to do with
it.  HE didn't know what HE was turning down.  I did.

"Fine," I said shortly.  I climbed into the bunk and grabbed my
duffle with a change of clothes and my toiletries.  I slammed out of
the truck and stormed into the shower facilities.

By the time I was through with my shower, I felt a lot calmer.  I
was anxious to make love to Mulder, but it shouldn't get in the way
of our assignment.  I made the decision that it would happen, but I
couldn't dictate when and where without his agreement.  I felt
foolish that I had been so angry and sarcastic with him.  I turned
in the key to the shower stall and waited for my receipt.

"That your man out there by the black Kenworth?" the older man at
the counter asked.

I looked out the window and saw Mulder standing with his back to me
next to our rig.

"Yes," I responded.

"Well, if I was you, I wouldn't waste any time getting back out
there.  Chloe, the newest lot lizard, has got her eye on him.  Some
guys have all the luck.  Don't see why he'd be interested in a whore
when he has a looker like you," he leered.

I held out my hand for my receipt and he grinned.  "You come on back
now, ya hear?  Ol' Tom'll let you plant your boots under my bunk any
time, Red."

I glared at him and his badge that said, "Hello, My name is Tom" and
left without a word.  Mulder was right.  I was going to have to be
careful.

I walked through the door to the parking lot and was bumped by a
man coming in the building.

"Excuse me, ma'm," he said politely.  I was just about to tell him
it was all right when I caught the gleam in his eye.  He had brushed
against me on purpose.

"No harm done," I said and started to pick up my duffle.

"Let me," he quickly said and swooped down to get it.

"Thanks," I said as I pulled it from his hand, walking way.

He grabbed my arm and stopped me.  "Would you like a cuppa joe?" he
asked.

"Thanks, but my husband is waiting for me," I said, grateful that I
had Mulder as an excuse.

"Lucky man," the guy said and tipped his cap.

I looked back toward the area that Mulder had parked the truck and
my world came crashing down.

He was there, all right.  And so was one of the lot lizards we had
been warned about.  They were talking seriously and I could see the
look of adulation on this young girl's face.

She was obviously taken with Mulder, and God help me, he seemed to
be attracted to her.  She was standing there, barely dressed for
daylight, and everything I could never be.

She was young, fresh and beautiful.  She was tall and slender
with a set of breasts that would make a priest drool.  The worst
part of all was that under her makeup, she was a natural beauty.
Her eyes were sparkling through her long black lashes.  Her
honey blond hair and tan complexion were also natural.  And Mulder
was eating it up.

He was on the phone and nodded to her.  She squealed and threw
herself into his arms.  He seemed somewhat clumsy but put his arm
around her and hugged her back.  They didn't see me.  They didn't
even look around, as a cab pulled up.  Mulder jumped into the rig
for a few seconds.  I didn't even care what he was getting ...
probably a condom from the little bag the Gunmen had given him.

Then they got into the cab that Mulder had obviously called and
took off.  I stood there dumbfounded for a moment or two.  I decided
to get a room at the motel when the tears threatened to fall.  Now
I was here and he was there, wherever he was.  Fucking a whore and
destroying our chance at happiness.  I cried myself to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jesus, could my life get any more complicated?  Why do these things
always land in my lap?

I exited the truck, planning on going inside to grab a few
sandwiches for the road and a salad for Scully.  I slammed the door
and turned, coming face to face with a young girl, a child really,
dressed in a black leather mini skirt that barely covered the
essentials, an exposed midriff and a pink spandex tube top that
left nothing to the imagination.  'She's going to freeze to death
in that outfit', was my first thought.

She smiled and snapped her gum.  "Hi, honey, you interested in a
date?"

Oh, Christ, she was a prostitute, or a lot lizard, as they called them
in the industry.  "No, thanks," I said and started to walk by her.

She grabbed my arm and I turned back to look at her.  Black coal
makeup was slightly smudged around her green eyes and they were
pooling with wetness.  "Mister, please.  I haven't eaten since
yesterday," she said softly.

Well, shit.  Now what?  "How about if I buy you some food?" I
offered.

She smiled shyly and nodded her head.  "I'd really 'preciate it."

"What do you want?"

"Anything, I like ham sandwiches."

"Stay here.  Don't move," I commanded when she started to follow me.
She frowned but nodded her head.

I walked into the truck stop restaurant and looked in the display
case that held ready-made sandwiches.  I bought two ham sandwiches
for her, two chicken salad for me and a garden salad for Scully.  I
bought three ice teas to go with it. I paid and the waitress behind
the register said, "Look out for Chloe, she's a wily one."

"Just getting her some dinner," I replied.

She smirked and I heard a huff of laughter behind me.  "Sure you
are, darlin'."

She didn't believe me and I didn't really give a shit.  I turned and
walked out of the restaurant.  'Chloe' was waiting just where I'd
left her.  I handed her the two sandwiches and she smiled.  "Thanks.
Want to sit down over there?"

There were picnic benches off to the side on the lawn in front of
the building.  "It's cold, get in the truck."

She beamed a smile that told me she was expecting more.  I sighed
and climbed into the driver's seat.  As soon as the doors closed,
she tore into the wrapper and extracted one of the sandwiches.  She
ate like she was starving and some of my apprehension died away.
"How old are you?" I asked.

She stopped in mid-chew and looked at me.  Then she finished chewing
and swallowed.  "Old enough."

"I doubt it.  How old are you?"

She looked at her lap.  "Sixteen," she said quietly.

"Jesus," I muttered.

"Look, I can take care of myself.  I 'preciate the food.  I don't
like charity, man, you know?  You sure there ain't somethin' I can
do for you?  Pay you back, like?"

"No, nothing.  Just eat the sandwich."

"I'm serious, Mister.  I 'preciate this.  I'll give you a blow job
for nothin'!" she said, as if this would be an enticing offer.

I stared at her slack jawed at her bold offer.  Her long silky,
blonde hair was beautiful.  Her youthful breasts were high on her
chest, the cold making her nipples poke through the spandex that
barely contained them.  She had a stud in her tongue and a belly
ring in her navel that peeked out above the top of the leather mini-
skirt.  Most men would probably jump at the chance to plank a little
hottie like this.  Me ... I felt ... nothing.  Not even a tingle.

I sighed.  "Look, I appreciate the offer, but my wife is inside
there taking a shower and she'll be back any minute now."

She smiled a sly smile that transformed her face from innocence to
guile.  "Bet she don't do things I'd do.  Anything you want mister.
What doesn't she do for you?  Huh?  She swallow?"

I grimaced.  "Look, Chloe ..."

"She doesn't, does she?  I swallow.  I can even deep throat.  She
let you in the back door?" she asked quietly, leaning over and
placing her hand on my thigh.

I slapped it away and said, "Christ!"

She giggled.  "Come on, I don't want to owe you."

"You don't owe me anything."

"Your loss," she drawled and opened the second sandwich, devouring
it in about three minutes during which the silence grew and I wished
Scully would return.  She would know how to handle this.

The girl was brazen and bold, something that used to turn me on.
Now, only Scully turned me on and I had to wonder just how truly
screwed and whipped I was.  "Chloe, where do you live?"

She laughed.  "Here, there and everywhere."

"You like this living?"

"I'm used to it."

"How long have you been doing it?"

"Two years."

"Two years!  Jesus Christ!  You're just a kid!"

She frowned.  "Mister, I'm probably older than you are ... up here,"
she added and tapped her temple.

"If you had someplace to go, would you do this?"

She looked at me oddly.  "I do what I have to do, Mister."

She was closing down.  "I don't ask that because I'm criticizing."

"No, of course not," she said sarcastically.

"I'm asking because I might be able to help you."

"How?  By buying me some food for the road?" she asked as she eyed my
second sandwich.  "You gonna eat that?"

"No," I said as I handed her my other sandwich.  "If ... I could
find you a shelter for teens or abused women ... would you go
there?"

"I ain't got no money, Mister.  I couldn't even buy a fuckin'
sandwich.  Remember?"

"You wouldn't need money.  They take you in, clothe and feed you and
try to help you find a job, get back on your feet ... so you don't
have to do ... this."

"Why would you do that?  I'm just a another whore, another bozo on
the black top, you know?"

"You're a human being, Chloe, and a young one at that, with your
whole life ahead of you.  Where do you think you'll end up if you
keep doing this?"

She was silent as she chewed slowly, looking like she'd suddenly
lost her appetite.  "I don't plan on doing this forever."

"What do you plan on doing?"

"Saving my money ... finding a room to rent, you know, normal
stuff."

"What would you do if you could do anything?"

"I learned to type in school.  I always thought I'd be a secretary
someday."

I sighed.  To her, that was a great aspiration, and I suppose it
was.  I'd love to see her be a secretary, anything but this.  "Let
me make a phone call."

"Where?"

"To find the closest shelter in the area."

"No!  I don't want you helpin' me any more.  I already owe you ..."

"Shush," I quieted her and pulled out my cell phone, dialing
Skinner's office.  It was late but I'd bet he was still there.

He answered on the second ring.  [Skinner.]

"Hi, it's me."

[Trouble already?] he asked, with concern in his voice.

"Not the kind you mean."

[What's up, Mulder?]

"Can you have Kimberly do a quick check and find the nearest women's
shelter to Memphis, Tennessee?"

[That where you are?]

"Yes."

[Why?]

"I'm sitting in my truck with a 16 year old prostitute that I'd like
to see if I can take off the streets."

[Jesus, Mulder!  How'd you get involved with that?  Where the hell
is Scully?]

"Taking a shower in the truck stop.  Look, can you help me or not?"

[Hold on.]  The phone clicked and he placed me on hold.  I sat
listening to the awful Muzak that the Bureau played on their hold
system.

She asked, "Who you callin'?"

"My boss," I answered evasively.

"You're really gonna help me?" she asked softly, sounding
astonished.

I nodded curtly. "I'm going to try.  Look I gotta take a leak, get
out of the truck," I said abruptly, embarrassed by her look of
admiration.

We climbed out and she circled around to stand in front of me by the
driver's side door.  Skinner came back on the line.  [You're in luck,
Mulder, there's a shelter right there in Memphis.  'Graceland Home for
Girls'.  It's at 2360 Pine Street, across from the Warner Theater.]

"You're the best," I quipped.

[Just do it and get back there as quickly as possible, Mulder.  You
don't need to be getting involved in this shit.  Keep to yourself,
for Christ's sake.  You might as well be wearing a neon sign.  You
don't need to be calling attention to yourself.]

"Who's gonna know?"

[Put her in a cab, Mulder.  Don't argue with me about this.]

"Thanks for the info," I said, and hung up before he could argue
with me some more.

"What'd he say?  Who's your boss, anyway?"

"Never mind.  There's a shelter here in Memphis."  I called
information and got the number and dialed.  I spoke to a Mrs.
Pincher and she said they had beds available and to bring the girl
down.  They provided room, board, counseling and job placement.  I
thanked her and hung up, and then called a cab, 1-800-YELLOW, the
universal number for Yellow Cab Co.

When I was finished, I looked at Chloe and said, "They have a bed
for you."

She squealed and launched herself into my arms, her arms going
around my neck.  She pressed her lithe, slender body up against
mine.  I tentatively put my left arm around her shoulders in a quick
hug before I pushed her away as the taxi pulled up.  That was quick,
I thought.  He must have just been around the corner.

I climbed into the rig and grabbed a pad from the glove box and
scribbled Scully a note.

*Dana, I'm taking a young girl to the women's shelter at 2360 Pine
Street in Memphis, The Graceland Home for Girls.  Hope to help her
get off the streets.  I'll be back in no time.  I love you, ---
M.*

I left it on her seat where she'd have to sit on it.  She couldn't
miss it.  I climbed down and locked the truck, knowing Scully had
keys and turned to Chloe as the taxi pulled into the parking lot and
stopped.  "Ready to roll?" I asked her.

She threw herself at me again and whispered in my ear, "Thank you.
I don't know how to thank you ... I don't even know your name."

"Marty," I said.

"Thank you, Marty.  My real name's Meghan."

"Come on.  Let's go.  I need to get back and talk to my wife."

She nodded, tears making her eyes bright and we crawled into the
cab.

It was a quick trip and I dropped her off.  I checked her in with
Mrs. Pincher, and left and went back to the truck stop.  I crawled
wearily into the truck and saw that the note was still on the seat.
I peered into the sleeper and Scully wasn't there.  What the fuck?

I felt panic surge through my veins and I leaped out the truck and
ran inside.  I frantically searched the restaurant booths for a
flash of red hair.  Turning to leave I heard the waitress drawl,
"Lookin' for someone, sugar?"

I turned.  "My wife, Dana.  Short, redhead, beautiful, have you seen
her?"

She smiled a conspiratorial smile.  "No, I haven't.  But since you
ran off with Chloe, I don't imagine you need to find her right now,
do you?"

What is this?  I stalked up to her and she cringed as I towered over
her.  "I've had just about enough of your innuendo.  For your
information, Ms. Know-It-All, I just took that girl to a shelter for
girls to help get her off the streets," I growled.  "So you can
shove your self-righteous attitude right up your ass, and TELL ME
WHERE MY WIFE IS!" I shouted in her face.

She stepped back and stopped when she hit the counter.  Her bottom
lip was quivering and I felt guilty instantly.  "I'm sorry ..." I
said, running anxious hands through my hair and trying to calm down.

"No, no.  I'm sorry.  I thought you was a typical trucker.  Guess
not.  That's a right-noble thing you did.  But I swear, I haven't
seen your wife."

I nodded.  "Thank you."  I turned and surveyed the booths, seeing
about six or seven truckers eating quietly.  They were all trying
not to look at me.  I announced to whole room, "If I find out anyone
here hurt my wife, you're gonna wish you were never born."

I turned on my heel and marched out, stomping out to the truck.  The
exercise did nothing to calm my mind.  I was picturing her dragged
off into some trucker's rig, assaulted, or worse yet, ... oh God,
please ... not the hijackers.

I climbed into the truck and realized I hadn't tried to call her
cell phone.  I searched the bunk and it wasn't there.  She must have
taken it with her.  We'd agreed to always carry them, especially
when we had to separate, even to shower.  I quickly hit Speed Dial 1
on my cell phone and when she answered angrily, I felt all the
tension drain out off my limbs and I slumped in the drivers seat.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of my cell phone woke me up.  The room was completely dark
and I was disoriented.  It only took a few seconds for all the pain
to come crashing back down on my heart.

I fumbled in my coat pocket and pulled the offending noise maker
out.  It was Mulder.

"What?" I snapped.

"Scully!  Where the hell are you?"  He sounded scared.  Scared and
mad as I had ever heard him.

"What do you care, Mulder?"

"Scully, you know I always care.  You disappeared.  I didn't know
where you were," he accused.

I couldn't stand the act any longer, "Wasn't your little friend
enough for you, Mulder?  Do you want to play lead-the-partner on
some more?"

"Scully, what are you talking about?"

"You know very well, what I'm talking about, Mulder.  I saw you
leave with Chloe."  Let him wonder where I found out her name.

He sucked in his breath and groaned.  "Her name isn't really Chloe,
Scully.  It's Meghan and she...."

"Thanks for the update, partner, but I really don't need any more
information," I interrupted.

"Scully!" he seemed hurt.  "Where are you?  When are you coming back
to the rig so we can roll?  I just made a scene in the truck stop
looking for you."

"I'll be there in the morning, Mulder," I grated.

"Scully, what's wrong?"

"Wrong?  What could possibly be wrong Mulder?  We aren't married.
You can sleep with whomever you choose.  Just understand that by
your actions this afternoon, you're choices don't include me any
longer."  I was tired of his innocent act.

"Scully, I don't understand.  I didn't sleep with anyone.  Why would
you think that after our conversation this afternoon?"

"Mulder, I don't want to talk to you anymore."  I started to hang
up.

"Wait, Dana!  Just answer a few questions and I'll leave you
alone," he begged.

It was against my better judgment, but I wanted to see what he would
ask.  After all, the last time he had used that line he got me to
admit that I was in love with him.  Mulder never failed to surprise
me.

"All right."

"Did you see me leave with Meghan earlier?"

"Yes," I spat.  "Right after I saw her wrap herself around you in a
full body feel-up."

He was quiet for a moment then asked, "Did you go back to the truck
at all this afternoon?"

"No.  I didn't want to be there when you came back."  I said.  The
thought of Mulder climbing back into the cab with the smell of sex
and another woman on him would have caused me to shoot him again,
and this time I would aim to kill.

"So you didn't see my note," he said quietly.

Note?  He left me a note?  What did it say? I wondered.  'Goin' to
get laid cause you won't let me into your pants?'

"Are you in the motel, Scully?" he asked quietly but I could feel
the anger building in him.

I thought a long time before I said, "If I tell you where I am, will
you leave me alone until morning?"  I didn't want to see him
tonight.

"I just want to know that you're safe, Scully.  Are you in the
motel?" he pushed.

"Yeah, but I used another name, so you wouldn't be able to find me,"
I said spitefully.  If he really wanted to he would find me.  My
description alone could lead him to this room.

"I won't bother you tonight, Scully.  But there's something you
should see in the rig."  I could tell that he was fighting to stay
calm.

"There's nothing you have to show me that could change my mind,
Mulder.  I'll see you in the morning."  And I hung up.

I cried myself to sleep again.  What was I going to do?

XXXXXXXXXX

Shit.  Damn.  Fuck.

I should have known better.  I should have found Scully first and
told her what I was doing.  Now she thought I'd slept with a
prostitute.  I didn't even want to examine why it hurt so much that
she would automatically assume the worst about me.  Did she think I
could so easily betray her after confessing my commitment to her?
Did she think I was that much of a horn dog?  Jesus.

No, we weren't having sex.  Yes, I wanted it more than I'd ever
wanted anything in my life, but with HER.  Just because I wasn't
getting any and I was frustrated over the state of our relationship
didn't mean that I was going to run off with the first piece of ass
that crossed my path.  How could she think that?

And why didn't she go back to the truck?  She would have gotten my
note and all this could have been avoided.  But no, she had to jump
to conclusions and go disappear in a huff.  Didn't she know how
dangerous it was to do that?  To take off on her own?  To not let me
know where the FUCK she was!  Jesus.  I'd nearly had a heart attack.

Inanely, I thought I was good that I'd thought to get a second set of
keys made or
I would have been locked out.

Well, she wasn't listening tonight and I knew there was no point in
talking to her when she was in one of these moods.  I looked at the
note on the seat and left it right where it was.  Guess we weren't
going any further tonight.  I pulled out the log books and logged
our time.  I stripped down to my boxers and crawled into the bunk,
shivering under the cool sheets.  My concern was warring with my
anger.  God damn it, Scully.  Don't you have any more faith in me
than that?

I felt tears in my eyes and I blinked them rapidly away.  I laid
there for an hour and sleep would not come.  I wasn't even horny.
Jerking off wasn't an option.  I was too pissed off at her.

I got up and threw my jeans and a fresh tee shirt on.  It was chilly,
so I grabbed a sweatshirt and clipped on my Sig, covering it with
the sweatshirt.  I shoved my feet into my work boots without
bothering to lace them up.  I saw the neon glow of the Budweiser
sign across the street and headed for it.  Maybe a few beers would
make me sleepy enough to drop off.

XXXXXXXXXX

PART 7 (R)
FRIENDLY BILL'S TAVERN
MEMPHIS, TN
01:00 AM

The bar was dimly lit and smoke-filled.  The smoke burned my eyes as
I entered and approached the bar.  Several rough looking trucker
types were sitting at the bar and grunted a greeting as I
approached.

I was about to order a Heineken when I looked over and saw they were
all drinking Miller.  I ordered a Miller and sat down on the stool.
No sense in standing out.  The guy next to me stuck out his hand,
"I'm Cooner."

I took his hand in a firm grip shook it.  "Marty."

"What brings you here in the wee hours of the morning?"

"Couldn't sleep.  Fight with the Mrs.," I muttered.

He clucked sympathetically.  "Know all about that, partner," he
replied.

He was an enormous man with biceps like tree trunks.  He was wearing
a denim shirt with the sleeves cut off and jeans and cowboy boots.
His longish, greasy, black hair was tied back at the nap of his neck
with an elastic.

He downed his beer and ordered another.  "What'd you fight about?"

'None of your business' sprang to mind, but I found myself curiously
wanting to unload on this stranger as he sat looking at me placidly.
"I got approached by a lot lizard."

"Ooo, weee, yupper, that'll do 'er."

"Huh?"

"That's right plenty enough to piss off the little woman."

I smiled internally, knowing what Scully's reaction would be to being
called the 'little woman'.  "I didn't sleep with her," I said
defensively.

He raised his eyebrows, "Why not?"

"Why not?  Are you nuts?  All the diseases out there?  My wife right
inside in the shower?  I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree,
Cooner, but I'm not a fuckin' idiot either.  Besides, I wasn't
interested.  She was just a kid, for Christ's sake.  And I love my
wife.  I couldn't do that to her."

He laughed then and said, "You're all right, Marty.  Most men'd
sleep with 'ol Chloe in a heartbeat."

I turned quickly to look at him.  The surprise must have registered
on my face.  "Ever' body knows Chloe.  Christ, most men who visit
this stop regular have probably had her once or twice.  She's a hot
little tamale."

"You too?" I asked, unable to keep the disgust out of my voice
entirely.

He grinned.  "Naw, not me.  I got my Alice at home and she's all
I'll ever need."

I smiled.  "Good woman, huh?"

"The best.  Don't give me no reason to go anywhere else, you know
what I'm saying?" he said with a conspiratorial wink.

"I don't know.  What do you mean?"

He grinned, showing surprisingly well kept teeth.  "Meaning she's a
right hot roll in the hay all by herself, she is.  I come home every
two weeks and we rattle the walls, buddy.  You can set your clock by
it."  He cackled at my look of surprise and then I started laughing
with him.

"Your lady give you what you need?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, that's why most of these losers shag a lot lizard, boy.
Cause they ain't getting' it at home.  The little wifeypoo holds out
the poon tang thinking she be gettin' her way by doing that, you
know?  Control the hubby syndrome.  But she shootin' herself in the
foot cause they just leave and come here and shag some lizard like
Chloe half of wifeypoo's age and a body that'd wifey would kill
for."

"If they do that, then they don't really love their wives in the first
place," I replied
confidently.  He nodded in agreement.

His crude language aside, I understood what he was saying.  Men went
to prostitutes because they weren't getting intimacy at home, or the
wife wouldn't do something they liked ... like say, oh, swallow  their
cum after a blow job.  Chloe ... Meghan's astute offer came back to me
in a flash.  She might have been a young girl, but she knew her way
around men and what they needed.  She'd probably heard the complaints
a million times about wives that wouldn't do things for their
husbands, or held out and used sex as a weapon.  I hoped Scully and I
would never come to that.  Of course, this was assuming she ever
talked to me again.

I sat there and we proceeded to drink and chat until closing time.
As we went out in the parking lot, Cooner offered, "Hey, I know an
after hours place.  You interested?"

"Sure," I said, without thinking.  I knew that the prospect of
returning to the empty truck didn't appeal to me right now.  I
climbed into his truck and we bobtailed down the road about two
miles and parked in the back of a pool hall.  We entered a back door
and went down into a basement.

Unconsciously I touched my Sig Sauer, hidden under my sweatshirt
and hooked to my waist.  There were only three other guys, plus the
bartender sitting around a big round table and drinking beer and
playing poker.

I hadn't played poker since college but it all came back to me.
Having an eidetic memory didn't hurt.  We split up into three teams
of two.  After asking me if I knew 'shit' about poker, Cooner
consented to partner up with me.  We kicked ass.

Every time I made a good play or advised him on a move, he would
raise his eyebrows but take the chance I was right.  We played five
rounds and drank about ten beers each.  At the end, Cooner and I
were $600 richer.

We split it 50/50 and he gave me a high five, leaning back on the
back legs of his chair and nearly tipping over until I caught him
and righted the chair.  We were laughing like idiots and the others
were laughing at us, apparently unfazed that they'd lost about $150
each.

I stared at his biceps and said, "Nice tattoos.  Where'd you get
them?"

"Right here in Memphis.  The Bug does right nice work, don't you
think?" he asked, flexing his gigantic biceps and making a mermaid
on his arm belly dance.  We all laughed.

"You got a tat?" he asked.

I shook my head.  One of the other guys, Carl, asked "What the hell
kind of trucker are you?"

I scowled at him.  Cooner just said, "You ever want one?"

"I've thought about it."

"What stopped you?"

"The wife.  Don't know how she'd react."

"Fuck the wife," Carl said.

I suppressed the frown and smiled instead.  I hated when men talked
like that.  I was pretty buzzed, my head swimming and Cooner said,
"Shit, it's 6:30.  The Bug opens at 7:00 AM and he's just down the
street.  Why don't I take you down there and you can look around?"

"I'm not sure."

"Just look.  Food for thought, buddy."

"No harm in that, I guess."

The bartender, Al, brought over a pot of coffee and six mugs and
plunked them down on the table.  "Drink up, you lushes.  No driving
till you're a wide awake drunk."

We all laughed and poured the coffee, waiting for 7:00 AM to come.
Then we staggered unsteadily out of the bar into the breaking dawn,
blinking like cave bats.  We both groaned as we heaved ourselves
into the rig.

Cooner leaned back and said,  "I'm going home today.  My little
Alice is waiting in Sweetwater.  But I wanted to tie one on first.
Haven't done it in a while.  I think I'm gonna regret it."

I laughed.  "I KNOW I'm gonna regret it."

He laughed and fired up the truck and we slowly pulled out onto the
state road.  Three blocks later, he parked the truck on the side of
the road and left the flashers going.  We climbed out and he banged
on the window of the 'Beauty Mark Tattoo Parlor'.

A skinny, little man about five foot, four inches tall, with a
handle bar mustache and a bald pate unlocked the door, smiling from
ear to ear.  "Cooner, don't tell me you want another one, buddy.
You ain't hardly got any room left."

Cooner laughed jovially and clapped the man on the back, nearly
sending him sprawling.  "Naw, I brought a friend though to take a
look-see at your incredible arteesstic talents."

The man chuckled and backed up, letting us through the door.  "This
here's Marty," Cooner introduced us.  I shook the man's hand and my
eyes began to wander around the walls.  They were wallpapered with
various designs, each one interesting in its own right.  My eyes
locked on one that said, "Born to Lose" below a tiger with a rabbit
in it's paws.

"Did you have anything in mind?" Bug asked.

"Not really.  That one's nice," I pointed to the spot on the wall.

"The Born to Lose one?" he asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, I'm feeling like a loser," I said, wondering why I said that.

He shook his head.  "Naw, all wrong for you.  Keep looking while
Cooner and I have a chat."

I nodded and they went into a back room and I continued to look
around the store.  There really was some amazing art work here.  I
thought of Scully and wondered if we would be able to work this out.
We had to.  There was no other option.  I had to make her see that I
wasn't a man that would run off with the first piece of ass that
came along.  I thought about my track record and some of the bimbos
I'd dated, and I supposed I couldn't blame her entirely for her
assumption.  But it still hurt.

Scully and I were bound.  I really believed some ethereal tether
inextricably bound us.  We were meant for each other and I had to
make her see that, and somehow convince her to trust me, to not
assume the worst when she saw me with another woman.

My eyes wandered over the walls and came to a sudden halt.  I sucked
in my breath as I stared at the picture.  It was two Phoenix birds
intertwined around each other as they rose from the ashes on the
ground.  I couldn't take my eyes off it.  It was perfect.  It was
everything Scully and I were.  We had been burned, beaten,
separated, you name it.  But we always rose above it, to come back
to fight another day; and we always did it together, wrapped around
each other, compensating for each other's weaknesses.

That's where they found me five minutes later, still staring at the
Phoenii.  I had to believe that this was just one more bump in the
road, and like all the times in the past, Scully and I would rise
above this, get beyond it.  We would always be together, no matter
what.  I couldn't imagine my future any other way.

"You like that one son?" the Bug asked skeptically.

"I love it.  It's ... exquisite."

"Just how drunk are you boy?"  His eyes flashed over to Cooner.

"I'm not that drunk," I growled.

"Well, you must be if you're contemplating getting a tattoo on your
cock!" the Bug exclaimed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I said as soon as his words
soaked through my concentration.

"Aren't you talking about Puff?" he asked.

I looked at him and shook my head to clear it even more.  "Puff?
The magic dragon?"

The Bug gawked at me and then began to emit a high pitched whiny
laugh as he moved towards the display.  He tapped the back of his
hand against a display about a foot away from the phoenix and said,
"Puff, the Flying Dragon.  One of the best tats I ever did on one of
the sickest bastards I ever met.  He was so full of shit, his eyes
were brown!"

Once again the Bug laughed at his own joke.  "He called himself a
mystic or doctor or somethin', but I knew he wasn't no doctor.  He
brought in the plan for that one.  I wasn't going to do it, seemed
kinda sick, ya know?"

I leaned closer to the pictures he had indicated, admiring the
colors and the intricacy of the tattoo until I focused well enough
to realized that it was indeed a dragon, tattooed on a man's penis,
balls and abdomen.   The work was fabulous, but the thoughts of a
tattoo in that area made my stomach lurch.   I jerked back far
enough that the picture was out of focus again.

"What kind of man could get something like that done to himself?" I
asked, knowing that he was probably going to end up as one of the
three-named serial killers the VCU guys routinely tracked down.

"Don't rightly know.  He came into town with a circus.  Said his
name was Dr. something..." the Bug trailed off.

"Dr. Blockhead?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah, that's his name.  You know him?"  The Bug gave me a leery
glare.

"Naw, I saw a flyer about his show at a truck stop once.  I never
forgot his name because of all the weird things he claimed he could
do.  Always thought it'd be cool to catch his show," I lied.

"Well, he was in town just long enough to get that done and move on.
He sent me the pictures to let me know how it turned out.  Don't
know why I even display them.  I wouldn't do that again for any
amount of money.  Which one do you like if it's not ol' Puff?"

I pointed to the intertwined phoenix tat.

The Bug nodded and grinned, "I'm proud of that one."

"I want it."

"That's not a cheap one, son."

"I don't care.  I want it.  Can you put the words, 'I Believe' below
it?"

"No problem, come over here and pick out the type of font you want."

"Font?"

"Well, lettering actually.  What type of lettering for the words."

I walked over to the counter and perused the letters, picking a
simple, crisp looking design that would be easy to read.  I tapped
the book and he nodded.

"You drunk?"

"I'm buzzed," I admitted.

"Let's wait a bit.  Cooner, you run over to the diner across the
street and grab us all some coffee."

"Bossy little fucker, ain't he?" Cooner deadpanned.

I laughed.  Bug said, "He's rude, crude and socially unacceptable
... my kinda guy."

We laughed again as he pulled out a copy of the design that was on
the wall, a stencil that he would use to outline it on my arm.

He pulled my arm over the counter and examined it.  "You got a great
canvas there, pal, no blemishes.  This will look real nice.  You
want to go with mainly red and yellow like the picture or you want
other colors?"

"Red and yellow will be fine, letters in blue though."

"Sure thing.  I'd do it now, but you bleed too much if you're
drunk.  Blood's too thin.  More chance of infection."

"I'm not that drunk."

"We'll wait a bit just to be sure. O.K.?"

"You're the boss," I replied.

"Damn straight.  And don't you forget it, son."

An hour later I was tilted back in an adjustable chair with my arm
propped on a device made to rest my arms.  Bug shaved my arm, and
coated it with alcohol swipes.  He put on gloves and pulled out a
pack of fresh needles.  I watched fascinated as he made his
preparations and got out the inks for the tat.

"Normally, I would do this in two stages, but Cooner tells me you're
pulling out today."

"Yeah, and I don't know when I'll be back."

"Well, we'll do it all, but that will make you a bit sore for a
while."

"I'll live with it."

He nodded and began, tracing the outlines first after tracing the
ink onto my skin.  Then he picked up his needles and began embedding
the ink into skin.  It hurt at first and I grimaced but then I got
used to the steady stinging sensation and my arm went a little numb.
I began to sweat and my legs quivered a bit and then I felt a rush
to my groin.  I hardened to an embarrassing point and bit down on a
groan.  What the hell?

Cooner chuckled from where he sat in a plastic chair across the room
reading 'Truck and Driver' magazine.  "Gets the old boxer snake
jumpin', don't it?"

"Jesus!" I muttered.

He chuckled again.  "No need to be embarrassed.  It happens.  All
those endorphins releasing in the body, rushing to the site to kill
the pain."

"Perfectly natural," Bug replied.

"Still embarrassing," I muttered, squirming slightly in my seat.

"Stay still!" Bug barked, raising his needle gun.

"Sorry."

"Let's take a break."  He set down the needle gun and motioned me
up.

"Go use the lav and get a drink of water, then we'll continue."  He
placed a piece of gauze on my tat and taped it down gently.

I nodded and walked awkwardly to the bathroom.  Christ, I didn't
ever remember getting hard so fast.  My balls ached for release and
my erection pushed painfully on my zipper.  I carefully unzipped my
jeans and peeled them away from my front.  I pulled my cock out and
realized there was no way I was going to pee with a hard on like
this.  Gritting my teeth, I jerked myself hard, hoping I could get
this over with quickly.

I pictured Scully's berry red lips wrapping around the head of my
cock, sucking.  In my dreams ... she always swallowed.  I grunted,
"Awww, Uggg!" and ejaculated into the toilet, spraying some on the
lid as I pictured her swallowing as I sprayed into her mouth.
"Shit," I muttered and then relaxed, relieving myself finally.  I
wondered how Dr. Blockhead had been able to handle it all.

I cleaned up my mess with paper towels and splashed water on my
face, using the plastic cup there to take a drink, wondering how
many other mouths had used the cup.  I shrugged and placed it back
on the sink.

I rearranged my clothes, making sure my Sig was covered, and went
back out into the main room and took my seat in the chair again.  I
was glad I'd worn the sweat shirt.  I was baggy enough that I could
pull the sleeve up and didn't have to take it off.  Another hour and
we were finished.  My skin was burning, I had another hard on, and I
was gritting my teeth as he smeared antiseptic gel all over the tat
and placed gauze on it.  I paid with my credit card with the name of
Marty Tanner.  To do otherwise would be suspicious and I didn't have
the cash.  I'd have to reimburse the Bureau, that's all.

He droned on about care of the tat and handed me printed
instructions on cleaning and caring for it and sent us on our way
with a tube of antibiotic ointment.

I glanced at my watch and started.  Geez, I'd been gone a lot
longer than I realized.  It was nearly 9:00 AM.  Scully would
probably be wondering where I was by now.   I reached for my cell
phone, hanging on the opposite side of my belt from my Sig and then
stopped.

Screw it.  Let her see how it feels, I thought.  Let her wonder.
I'll be back in a few minutes.  "Need to get back, Cooner.  I
appreciate this."

"No problem, buddy.  Maybe we'll run across each other again
sometime."

"I hope so," I said as he drove back toward the truck stop.

We pulled in and drove down the row of trucks till I pointed mine
out.

Cooner stopped and peered out the window as I turned to him.  "That
your wife?" he asked.

"That's her, looking madder than a hornet's nest."

"Damn, you're a lucky man, Marty."

I smiled.  "Yeah, I am."  I paused and then looked down at her
scowling at me.  "I might not be feeling that way in another minute
or so."

He chuckled.  "No matter what she says, whether it's her fault or
not ... say you're sorry."

I glanced at him and realized you really couldn't judge a book by
its cover.  He was a good man.  I stuck out my hand and he shook it.
I opened the door, taking a deep breath and climbed down onto the
pavement to meet my fate.

The alcohol was purging itself from my system and my head felt
wrapped in cotton wool.  The pressure behind my eyes was tremendous
and I needed to find my sunglasses.  I really wasn't up for this
fight, but I knew we had to have it.

I wondered if she'd found the note.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Damn, Damn, Double Damn, Triple Damn, HELL!" I cursed as I paced
back and forth in front of our rig, waiting for Mulder.  I was
alternating between thoughts of killing him and thoughts of how I
was going to handcuff him to me so that he never got out of my sight
again.

The anger and pain that I felt last night was gone.  Poof!  One
phone call and all that was left was regret, and fear.

I had cried myself to sleep twice last night, so sure that Mulder
had betrayed me.  Now I couldn't believe my own actions.  I
alternated between anger at and fear for Mulder, and rage at myself
for my foolish assumptions.

Mulder had never given me a reason to doubt his actions towards me
before yesterday.  Why did I pounce on the very first suspicious
thing he did as proof that he was playing head games with me?  I
didn't really want to examine my reasons for acting the way I had
all night, but I was awake until 4:00 AM this morning, doing
just that.  Memories that I had tried successfully to suppress for
years came crashing back.

Why did I believe my eyes, rather than asking Mulder what was going
on?  Why didn't I give him a chance to explain?  When have I ever
accepted anything without hard proof before?  I tried to call him
and ask him to come up to the room so that we could talk about
everything, but he wasn't answering his phone.  I was terrified that
I would lose my courage and not be able to discuss this with him
tomorrow.

'He must really be upset with me,' thought the rational side of my
mind.

'Or he was still screwing his little whore,' said the green-eyed
monster that had taken up residence in my brain.

I finally forced myself to fall asleep.  Thinking about it any more
would drive me crazy.  I would talk to Mulder the next day and give
him a chance to explain his actions and my reaction to the whole
situation.  That is, if he was still speaking to me.

I was pulled out of a sound sleep by the ringing of my cell phone.
I grabbed it, "Sc... Dana Tanner."

[Agent Scully?]

"Yes, sir?" I was immediately awake.

[What is going on out there?  You two are on an undercover
assignment.  You're supposed to be truck drivers.  Why are you still
in the same town this morning as you were yesterday?]

"Well, sir, our load is not scheduled to be dropped until day after
tomorrow and we decided not to push it," I tried to convince him as
well as myself.

[That's fine, Agent, but what is Mulder thinking?  You are supposed
to be regular truck drivers, not some evangelists cruising for lost
souls to save.  Did Mulder get that girl to the shelter?]

"Uh, yes sir, I believe so."  Oh no!  Shelter?  He'd said it wasn't
what I thought, didn't he?  No, I'd never given him a chance to
explain anything.  I'd just assumed the worst and cut him off at the
knees.  He did say he didn't sleep with anyone and seemed puzzled as
to why I would think that.  I'd thought it was an act.  He was
telling the truth.  Oh God, he took that girl to a shelter?

[What do you mean, you 'believe so'?]  The bite in his words made me
want to say ouch.

"Well, I spent the night in a motel room at the truck stop, Sir, and
Mulder didn't."  That sounded great.

[Agent Scully, I agreed to allow you two to be recruited for this
assignment because I was under the impression that you would stick
together.  I am counting on you to keep Mulder in line, is that
clear?  No more side trips to help wayward souls,] he said through
clenched teeth.

"Yes, sir," I said.

[Then maybe you can explain to me the meaning of the twelve hundred
dollar charge that just rang up on his 'Martin Tanner' credit card
from the 'Beauty Mark Tattoo Parlor'!] Skinner was yelling now.

I held the phone away from my ear and replied, "Well, sir, since I'm
not with Agent Mulder right now, I can't give you a definitive
answer on the charge, but if I were to make an educated guess, I
would say that it was probably for an informant, sir."

Skinner inhaled for so long, I thought his lungs would explode, [And
you and Agent Mulder discussed approaching informants, Agent
Scully?]

"No sir, we didn't.  But I know that Agent Mulder wouldn't do
anything to jeopardize the operation this early in the assignment,
sir.  If he did approach an informant, he would do it without
blowing his. . .our cover."

[I want you two to quit fooling around and get on with this
assignment.  Is that clear, Agent Scully?] he barely waited for my
affirmative answer before he continued.  [And tell Agent Mulder that
if he is not able to prove that the TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS he
charged was a justifiable cost of solving this case, he will be
paying it back to the Bureau out of his paycheck until he retires!
Understood?]

"Yes, sir.  I'll make sure that he gets the message."  Skinner hung
up before I could ask him how he knew we were still in the Memphis
area and how he heard about the charge to the card so quickly.

I showered and rushed down to the truck, suddenly anxious about
Mulder.

He wasn't there.

As soon as I opened the door of the cab, I could smell the onions in
the salad that sat wilting on the dash.  Two cups of iced tea and
the remains of his chicken salad sandwich added to the mess.  I had
climbed in on the driver's side because it was closest to the door
of the motel.

I knew without looking that Mulder wasn't in the bunk, but I forced
myself to check anyway.

He had been there.  His dirty shirt was still on the top of the
covers, but there was no sign of anyone else having been in there
with him.

I glanced around the cab at the mess he had left and spotted a sheet
of paper on the passenger side seat.  I didn't want to touch it.  I
knew what it would say.

I read the short note and accepted once again what a fool I had
been yesterday.  I thought about my actions all the time I was
cleaning up the cab.  Telling Mulder why I acted as I did was going
to be harder than telling him I loved him for the first time.  I
took out the trash and made up the bunk.  I checked the log book and
saw Mulder's entries.

I tried to keep myself busy so that I wouldn't let my imagination
take over and drive me crazy, but I ran out of things to do.

I climbed out of the cab and started pacing around the rig.  I saw
another driver pounding on his tires and remembered Dean's training
on checking the pressure of the tires, for both tractor and trailer.
I got out the gauge from the maintenance kit and checked all the
tires.

That was done too quickly.  I was back to pacing.  I heard another
rig pull up and stop in front of ours.  I looked up to see if it
was another one of my brother-truckers stopping to ask if the
'little lady' needed any help.  I plastered a frown on my face to
discourage whoever it was and nearly froze in my tracks.

It was Mulder.  I could see him nodding at the driver and grinning.
As he climbed down, his grin faded and he got a pained expression on
his face, squinting as the light hurt his eyes.  He was drunk, or
had been a short time ago.

I could smell him before he opened his mouth.  The alcohol and
cigarette smoke stench was clinging to his clothes and oozing from
his pores.

He gave me a loopy smile and turned to wave at the driver who had
dropped him off, nearly falling while trying to complete these two
actions at the same time.

With the carefully exaggerated movements of the recently drunk, he
walked the few feet between us, stopping when the toes of his boots
were touching mine.  He swayed back and forth, not speaking, just
staring into my eyes.

"You still love me," he finally said.

"Mulder," I started.

"Don't deny it.  You love me and I love you," his normally sweet
breath had the sour odor of the numerous beers he'd consumed during
the night.

I took two steps back from him, needing the fresh air.  He crowded
me back against the grill of the Kenworth, raising his arms to
either side of my body to trap me.

"I love you and you love me, Dana.  We have to work this out.  You
can't leave me.  I don't know who I'd be without you."  His words
were only slightly slow, not slurred.  He wasn't drunk after all.
"I don't know what you thought I was doing yesterday ... but I would
never hurt you.  We have to talk.  No running away from me."

"I'm not going anywhere, Mulder, but you are."

"Nope," he said with a mulish look on his face.  "Not leaving you
either.  Not letting you out of my sight again."

Two fellow truckers, walking towards their rig, stopped and asked,
"Need any help, ma'am?"

I smiled and shook my head no before Mulder could turn around and
challenge them for interrupting us.

I touched his forearm to bring his attention back to me.  I sighed.
He didn't seem to be this out of it when he first got here.  Maybe
he was just hung over and punch drunk from lack of sleep.  I
wondered if he'd slept at all.  I decided that it was finally
catching up with him.

"Mulder, you are going to march right into the trucker's lounge and
take a shower.  I don't want you to come out until you no longer
stink."  I ordered as I ducked under his arm.  "Stand right there
while I get you some clean clothes and your kit," I said in a softer
tone of voice.

"Can you find my sunglasses too?" he asked feebly, shielding his
eyes from the minimal glare of the morning.  Oh yeah, this was going
to be a doozie.

I quickly gathered his things and walked him towards the showers.  I
left him there and went to the coffee shop to get a supply of
coffee, aspirin and bottled water.  Between the headache he was
going to have and the pain from the mysterious and expensive tattoo
I was guessing he had somewhere under his clothing, he was going to
need them.

I got the giant, economy sized bottle of aspirin and asked the
waitress to fill the stainless steel thermos that I bought before I
headed back out to the truck.

My old friend Tom called to me from the doorway of the trucker's
lounge.

"Hey, Red!  I think your man's sick.  He's pukin' his guts out in
the shower.  You want me to call a doctor?"

"I am a ..." I stopped just in time.  "He doesn't need a doctor.
He's just hung over.  Thanks, Tom," I said and dumped my purchases on
his desk as I changed directions to go check on Mulder.

As quickly as I could, I got Mulder cleaned up and dragged him out
to the rig.  He was barely able to crawl up into the bunk with my
help.

I got him to take a couple aspirins and drink an entire bottle of
water to replace the fluids he'd lost.  I tucked him into the
bunk and put up the safety bar.  I placed the trash basket, lined
with plastic bags, beside his head.  I closed the curtain after I
turned on the vent for fresh air.

I climbed into the seat of the rig and drove down the ramp to the
interstate after I logged my time of departure in the written log
and on the satellite.  We would talk when he felt better.  Thank God
he was all right and sporting nothing more than a hangover ... oh,
and a tattoo.

XXXXXXXXXXX

PART 8 (PG-13)
SOMEWHERE ON THE INTERSTATE
5 HOURS LATER

I woke up as I felt and heard the rig slowing down.  Scully was
driving.  I struggled to sit up in the bunk and felt the contents of
my skull swirl dangerously in a pirouette.  I moaned and grabbed my
head as though it would stop the movement.

Scully raised her voice above the roar of the engine as she
downshifted.  "Mandatory Weigh Station, Mulder.  I have to stop.  I
need to pee anyway and I could use some lunch.  How are you
feeling?"

"Uhhhhhh," was the most intelligent response I could muster.

"Look in the shaving kit on the sink.  I put the bottle of aspirin
in there.  There's bottled water in the fridge," she added.

"Thanks," I murmured, fumbling to retrieve the aspirin and spilling
several when we hit a speed bump and the cap flew off as my thumb
was jammed under the notch.

"Shit!" I grumbled.  I looked at the three stray aspirin on the
floor and kicked them to the side.  I wasn't about to bend over and
get them.  That would be a *very* bad idea right now.  I shook four
aspirin out and recapped the bottle, tossing it toward my shaving
kit and succeeding only in slam dunking it into the little sink. I
winced at the
clatter it made.  I shrugged, feeling the stiffness in
my neck as I did and nearly moaned again.

I managed to get a bottle of water out and downed the aspirin.  I
saw my sunglasses hanging from a Velcro strap on the side of the
wall and pulled them down.  Scully parked near the gas pumps and I
gingerly made my way up front, plopping formlessly into the
passenger seat and moaning as the light sent daggers into my head
even through the sunglasses.  I pulled the sun visor down.

"Bad, huh?" she asked.

I figured it was a rhetorical question.  "What now?" I asked.

"I'm going to get gas and then some food.  Then I have to go over
there and get weighed and checked in."

"Right.  Want me to get the food?"

"Can you walk?" she asked, a slightly sarcastic tone to her voice.
I turned my head, slowly, and looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Scully."

"For what?"

"For not finding you before I took that girl to the shelter.  I
assume you found my note ... eventually."

She sighed heavily.  "Yeah, I'm sorry too, Mulder."

"I should have found you ... "

"It's over."

"I don't think so."

"We'll talk later, O.K.?  Let's get this part over with.  Skinner
called this morning and he's not a happy camper.  We'll talk about
that too.  He wants an explanation for the $1,200 charge on the
credit card."

"News travels fast," I muttered.

She pulled some money out of her pocket.

"I have money."

"Get me an egg and cheese sandwich and whatever you want."

"Sure."

I sighed as I opened the door and slid carefully to the ground, the
landing alone jarring my muscles.  God, everything ached, from the
tip of my toes to the crown of my head.  Even my freakin' hair hurt.
I walked gingerly into the little rest stop and went straight for
the bathroom.  I relieved myself and splashed some water on my face.

As I looked up and turned to get some paper towels my eyes met in
the mirror.  God, I was a sight.  Five o'clock shadow covered my
lower face, my eyelids were swollen and puffy, my hair was sticking
up in about hundred different directions.

I wet my hands and ran them through my hair, letting the water
trickle down my back, not caring that my tee shirt was getting wet.
When I got my hair under some semblance of control, I walked out
into the restaurant and ordered our sandwiches at the counter.  The
smell of egg and cheese hit my nose as I picked up the bag and my
stomach rolled.  I got toast and coffee for myself.  I didn't
think my stomach could handle anything else at this point.

By the time I returned to the truck, Scully was in the driver's seat
and ready to pull into the weigh station portion of the rest area.
I handed her the bag wordlessly after pulling out our coffees and
she set it on the dash.

She pulled away from the pumps and expertly maneuvered the rig
around the lane leading to the weigh station.  She pulled onto the
scale and jumped out, heading for the booth.  'I should go with her,'
I thought, but couldn't bring myself to move.  Instead, I dug the
toast out of the bag, wanting to eat it before it got cold.

I bit and chewed slowly, feeling my head tame down to a low roar.
The aspirin must be taking effect.  I chugged some more water,
feeling completely dehydrated.

She returned and picked up the log book, making some notations,
absently saying, "Everything's fine.  You want to keep going, or
would you like to rest for a while?  I've driven for five hours.  We
could take a four hour break and hit it for another five."

"Sounds good.  Hopefully, I'll have this head under control by then
and can drive."

"If you can't, I'll drive again.  I don't mind."

"Where are we headed?" I asked.

"After we drop this trailer, we're picking up another load headed
for Utah."

"Utah?"  I don't know why that surprised me.  All my synapses were
not firing together this morning.  The brain fuzzies, I called this
type of hangover, where focus was nearly impossible for more than a
few seconds.  Self-induced ADHD.

"Yup.  Home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir," she chirped, entirely too
cheery for this time of day.

I attempted a smile, "Ever see them?"

"Once, on TV."

"They really are amazing."

"Let me park this thing so I can eat."

I nodded and she pulled around in the back, finding a parking space
near the end where she could pull in instead of backing up.  She
parked and grabbed her sandwich, ripping open the wrapper.  She bit
and chewed slowly, only I knew she didn't have a hang over.

"What happened?" she asked between bites.

"Now you want to hear my explanation?" I asked, more testily than I
intended.

"I said I was sorry, Mulder.  I let past experiences color my
judgment and I jumped to conclusions.  It won't happen again."  She
paused, "Just tell me what happened."

I stared at her for a moment, before starting, "I was heading inside
to take a leak and this girl came up to me asking me for a date."

She grimaced.

"I knew immediately she was a prostitute."

"Lot lizard.  Appropriate name."

"I told her no, thank you."

"What happened then?"

"She grabbed my arm and told me she hadn't eaten since the day
before, basically offering to ... service me for food."

"Shit."

"Yeah, I could blow off a little saucy tart, but I couldn't see her
go hungry, so I told her I would just get her some food.  I went in
and got her a couple of sandwiches.  I told her to get in the truck,
it was cold out."

"Yeah, and she certainly wasn't wearing much, was she?"

"No, she wasn't."

"Were you tempted?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

I waited until she raised her eyes to mine.  "Not even a little," I
answered honestly.  I realized I had my sun glasses on and she
couldn't see my eyes.

I took them off, squinting briefly but feeling my head getting
better.  I met her eyes again and repeated, "Not even a little,
Scully."

She hung her head, and took another bite of her egg sandwich, her
eyes suspiciously wet.  "She was a kid, for Christ's sake, sixteen
years old.  Said she'd been doing this for two years.  Two years!
Can you imagine?"  She didn't say anything so I continued.  "So I
called Skinner and got the name and address of the nearest shelter for
teens.  As luck would have it, there was one right there in Memphis.
I called them and they had a bed for her.  So I ... wrote you a note
and took her there.  And then I came back to find you gone."

"I'm sorry," she said again softly.

I felt a wave of anger purge my aching head and I nearly shouted,
"You're sorry?  Jesus Christ, Scully. I came back and couldn't find
you.  I nearly went ballistic.  I screamed at those poor people in
the coffee shop trying to find you.  All these things went through
my head.  You'd gotten grabbed by one of these assholes ... or
heaven forbid..."  I swallowed harshly.  "The hijackers ... God damn
it!" I cried out, smashing my fist onto the console.

She jumped and said again, "I'm sorry."

I turned sideways in the seat and leaned into her.  She pressed
herself into the back of the seat to get away from my prying eyes.
"I... couldn't ... find ... you.  Do you know how FUCKING SCARED I
WAS?" I shouted, wincing as my head reminded me that it was still
quite delicate.

Her face crumpled like she was going to cry and I instantly
regretted shouting at her.  "I'm sorry, Scully.  I didn't mean to
yell."

"It won't happen again, Mulder," she said softly.  "Is that the only
thing you're angry about?"

"Yes ... no," I admitted.

"Might as well get it all out," she said, followed by a resigned sigh.

I stared at her and leaned back away from her, resting my head on
the cool glass of the window.  It actually felt good to my aching
head.  I'd hurt my own ears with my yelling.  I rubbed my hands over
my face.  I cleared my throat, determined not to raise my voice.
When I finally spoke, my voice was gravel toned but not loud.  "How
could you ... "

She looked at me but said nothing.

I took a deep breath.  "How could you think I'd sleep with a
hooker?"  I paused.  "After all we've been through?  After these
last few weeks, telling you how I feel about you?  How could you
think I would ...betray you like that?"

I was embarrassed to find my bottom lip quivering and I bit it with
my upper teeth.  She still hadn't answered me.  I added, "That hurt,
Scully.  That you would have so little faith in me ..." I nearly
whispered as my voice trailed off.

I felt the sting of tears and brushed them away angrily.  I didn't
want to cry in front of her.  Shit.  I put my face in my hands and
rested my elbows on my knees.  A second later, I heard her wrapper
rustling and she was holding my wrists, moving my hands away from my
face.  I looked down, not wanting to look at her right now,
embarrassed that her opinion meant so much to me ... embarrassed
that I was so hurt by her actions.

She gently leaned me backwards and crawled into my lap right there
in the seat, straddling my thighs.  She cupped my face and made me
look at her.  "I thought about the same thing last night.  I asked
myself over and over how I could dismiss the trust and belief I have
in you... in our partnership... our relationship," she paused.

I grunted to let her know that I was waiting for her to continue.

"Mulder, did you know that my mother lost a baby after Charlie?  It
was a boy and it nearly tore my family apart."

Her sudden change of subject was confusing, but I waited to hear her
out.

"It was the summer I was thirteen.  Mom was as surprised as the rest
of us, but Dad had come home after a long time away and number five
was soon on his way.  The pregnancy was hard on Mom from the first.
She was older and she had morning sickness for the first four
months.  Bill, Missy and I were shipped off to summer camp.  Charlie
couldn't go because he had just broken his leg.  We all thought he
was the lucky one.  Dad was home and he was going to have time with
him all summer."  She paused and sighed.

"We weren't called home when Mom lost the baby.  Dad said that she
needed to rest.  By the time we got home, Dad was gone, his ship had
left on maneuvers.  Mom was sad, but seemed to be all right."

I didn't see what this had to do with her lack of trust, but I
nodded to encourage her to continue.

"Like I said, Mom was all right, but Charlie wasn't.  He was sullen
and withdrawn and had nightmares.  I was always Charlie's favorite
and one night the dreams were so bad, he crawled into bed with me
and cried like a baby.  The whole story came out.  I was shocked."

Scully looked out the window and then back at me.  I could see her
pain and I wanted to tell her it was all right.  She didn't have to
continue, but I knew she needed to make me understand her reaction.

"Mom had lost the baby because she had an infection.  A STD that my
father had given her.  When she got home from the hospital, they had
fought over my father's betrayal.  He volunteered to go out on
maneuvers to get away from home.  Charlie was the only one of us
kids that knew that we might never be a family again," her voice
broke.

"Oh, God, Scully.  I'm sorry.  I never got to meet your father, but
you and your mother always speak of him with so much love that it's
hard to believe that he ever betrayed your mother's trust."

"My mom does remember him with love, Mulder.  She was able to
forgive him, to work through the pain.  She joined him in Hawaii for
a two week vacation just before school started.  They spent the time
at a retreat for Catholics working on their relationship.  She and
my father came out of the tragedy stronger and more in love than
ever."

"How about Charlie?" I asked.

"Charlie never forgave my father.  He left home as soon as he
graduated high school, put himself through college and never came
home when my dad was there again.  He didn't even come for Dad's
memorial service."  Her voice was barely a whisper.

"And you?"

"I couldn't accept the fact that my father had slept with another
woman, and brought home an STD.  I was shocked and couldn't believe
that my Ahab would do something like that.  Just before Dad came
home that Christmas, I confronted my mother and made her tell me the
truth.  She was so strong.  She didn't make excuses for my father.
She told me the whole story.  I was furious with Ahab.  I raged at
my mother.  Unlike Charlie, I couldn't hold back my disgust and
anger."  Scully smiled at me.  "When I called him a few choice
names, she slapped my face.  It was the first time that my mother
had ever hit me."

"Then what happened?"

Scully was quiet for a long moment before saying, "Oh, you know.
She cried.  I cried.  We talked and when everything was settled, I
was able to forgive him, but I never felt the respect for him that I
had previously felt.  He was no longer my knight in shining armor.  He
was just a man.  A man in love with his wife but unable to resist
temptation when he'd gone too long without sex."

"Is that why you believed that I would sleep with a hooker?" I
understood her pain, but not how she could think that about me.

"It's not just you, Mulder.  I think my fear and distrust in male
monogamy has destroyed all the relationships I've had during my
entire adult life."

"You don't trust men?" I asked stunned.

She contemplated my question for a moment and then replied, "It's
not that I don't trust men, I just don't trust them to be faithful
to me."

"Scully!  This is you and me we're talking about.  We've been
partners for over 6 years..."

"I don't know if that is the whole answer, or if I even have a good
answer, Mulder.  Maybe it's because ... I thought it was all too
good to be true.  I was waiting for the other shoe to drop ... to
find out ... it couldn't be ..."

"What couldn't be?" I asked.

"You ... in love with me.  And I was putting you off, I wouldn't have
sex yet and I thought ... I frustrated you and maybe in the back of
my head I thought that ... you needed relief ... just like my ...
father..."  I must have looked incredulous.  "I guess it's always been
one of my
fears."

Now I was truly confused.  "What do you mean?" I sounded as puzzled
as I felt.

"Maybe ... I've been putting you off because ... I'm afraid."

"Of me?" I asked, astonished.

"No ... that I'll disappoint you, I won't be enough for you ...
enough to hold you."

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her against me,
feeling her soft breasts pillow up against my chest.  I buried my
nose in her hair and whispered in her ear.  "Scully, you could never
disappoint me.  Jesus, woman.  Have I not made it clear?  How much I
love you?  How much ... it's a miracle to me that you're even still
with me, let alone ... any of the rest.  No matter how shy or clumsy
we are the first time ... it will be perfect, Scully."

"How can you say that?"

"Because I'll be with you."

Tears did come now, streaking down her cheeks.  I raised my hands
and wiped them with my thumbs.  "Believe in me, Scully."  I kissed
her gently with no tongue and she kissed me softly in return.  "I
felt like such a loser.  I went and got drunk ... met this trucker
... nice guy."

Her hands slid up my arm and hit the bandage on my tattoo and I
hissed in pain.  She lurched back and I had to grab for her or she
would have toppled over backwards off my lap.  "Oh, I'm sorry!" she
said.

I was wearing a long sleeve chamois shirt.  "Get up for a sec."

She frowned but backed off my lap and sat sideways in the driver's
seat.  "Let's get in the sleeper."

Her eyebrows raised in question.  I loved it when she did that.  I
felt myself smiling at her goofily.  "No, I'm not propositioning
you, Agent Scully.  I want to show you something and I have to take
my shirt off.  Unless you'd like me to give the public a free show?"
I teased.

She smiled then.  "No way."

We climbed into the back and flopped the bunk down into its *double*
size, which was questionable at best.  We perched on the edge as she
closed the curtain and I took off my shirt.  I turned and held my
left bicep up to her.  "Take it off."

She gingerly reached out and pried up the edge of the tape with her
fingernail.  "Go ahead.  I have more gauze and antibiotic ointment.
I need to put some more on anyway and a fresh bandage."  There was
blood dotting the gauze and she ripped it off in a quick movement,
making me yelp.

"Sorry!" she hissed.

I nodded.  Better quick than drawn out.  She stared at the tattoo.
It was very colorful and covered my entire bicep, leaving only my
shoulder and elbow uncovered.  There were little scabs dotting the
surface of the tat but you could easily see what it was.

She sucked in a breath and leaned close, her breath stirring the
hairs on my forearm and making me shiver.  She smiled softly and
then looked up at me, her blue eyes swimming with wetness again.
"It's beautiful, Mulder."  She paused and then said lightly,
"Skinner is going to be so pissed."

We both laughed then and I said, "I'll wire the money to the Bureau.
I intended to pay it back all along, but I didn't have the cash and
I couldn't use my own credit card without blowing my cover.  I
didn't think that would be wise."

"I'm surprised you could think that straight."

"Why?" I asked, immediately realizing how dumb that question was.

She raised one eyebrow again and said, "You really tied on one,
didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I was relatively sober by the time I got this."  She looked
at me again.  "It's us, Scully," I said quietly.  "It reminded me of
us."

She nodded and licked her lips, her expression so tender.  She
leaned in and kissed me gently and whispered, "I believe, Mulder.
I believe."

I smiled and then kissed her back, this time with more
determination.  She moaned into my mouth and I felt my groin stir.
We reluctantly parted and she said, "Let me fix this up."

She was quick and efficient as only a doctor can be as she carefully
applied the antibiotic gel to the entire tattoo, obviously admiring
it as she did, careful not to press and cause me pain.  Then she
securely taped more gauze all over it.

Satisfied she said, "O.K., put your shirt back on."

I waggled my eyebrows at her.  "I don't want to."

She looked at my chest and sighed.  "You have a nice chest, Mulder."

I felt warmth steal through said chest at her open admiration.  I
sat up a little straighter and said, "Let's take a nap."

"A nap?"

"Yeah, you remember those, don't you?  My head could use a couple
more hours sleep.  You've been driving for five hours and it's
tiring, especially since we're not used to it yet."

She blinked slowly.  "I'm am a little tired, especially after
eating."

I stood up and shucked off my pants, leaving my boxers on.  I didn't
want to push it.  I crawled in and whipped the covers back, patting
the bed.  She chuckled and shed her flannel shirt and jeans.  I
sucked in a breath as she stood there in nothing but a bra and
panties.  She blushed and I murmured in a voice husky with arousal,
"You are so beautiful."

She swallowed.  "We're just going to sleep, right?" she asked
tentatively.

I smiled at her.  "Just sleep.  Come on.  I want to hold you, feel
you against me.  Get in here and we'll snuggle up."

She still looked tentative but she sat on the edge of the bed and
slid under the covers with her back to me.  I was on my right side
which was convenient, because I didn't think I could lay on the left
side with the tattoo.  It was still pretty sore and probably would
be for several days.

The heat rose in the cocoon under the blanket and we both sighed as
she relaxed and her body fell against mine.  There wasn't a lot of
room despite it begin spacious *for a sleeper*, even lying on our
sides.  I spooned up behind her and tugged her into my body.  She
felt so small and warm and soft.  I buried my nose in her hair again
and kissed the nap of her neck.

She shivered, "Mmuullddeeerrr," she murmured in that low alto that
drove me nuts.

I felt my erection return, not quite full but definitely noticeable.
She stiffened.  "Ignore it, Scully," I advised.

"Hard to ignore."

"Try, we need the sleep.  I just can't control the little beast."

She chuckled.  "It doesn't feel so little."

I chuckled with her and snuggled deeper under the covers, hugging
her tight.  She reached up and set the alarm and we drifted off to
sleep.  I think we were both emotionally exhausted as well as
physically tired.

I was almost asleep when I heard her whisper, "Feels good."

I hummed in the back of my throat.  "Yeah," I whispered.  "I love
you, Sc ... Dana."

"Love you too," she said softly, not bothering with the pesky name
thing.

I smiled as she fell asleep, assured that we were going to be O.K.
I still stung from her lack of faith in me, but I would get over it.
I'd just have to prove myself.  I was used to that.

Despite my self-righteous indignation at her lack of faith, her
story explained a lot.  Her father was her hero throughout her whole
childhood.  Finding out that he was human and capable of betrayal,
even under the circumstances of separation, must have been an awful
blow to her perceptions of relationships.  If her father could
weaken... any man could weaken.  So she'd grown up believing that
all men, if alone enough or denied relief of sexual release, would
eventually turn elsewhere, despite being in love.

I understood it, but I was still hurt.  Intellectually, I could
understand her deep seated fear that no one was immune to the wiles
of a sexy and willing woman, especially if they weren't getting any,
so to speak.  I remembered Cooner saying that the reason most men
slept with hookers was simply because they weren't having sex at
home.  He'd also pointed out that the reason he was an exception was
because his wife 'didn't give him a reason to go anywhere else'.
This type of thinking was probably exactly what was going on with
Scully, only in reverse.

She'd been postponing our intimacy, putting me off, exciting me and
then putting an end to our petting sessions.  While I *did* find
that frustrating, I would simply wait until I was alone and jerk off
to relieve the lingering tension from those encounters.  Yes, it was
becoming increasingly frustrating.  However, I was simply incapable
of betraying Scully.  I didn't *want* anyone else.  I was so fixated
on her that even a beautiful 16 year old in a skimpy outfit held no
appeal for me.  I hadn't even felt a stirring of desire when I
looked at that child.  Because that's what I had seen ... a child.
Not a whore, not an attractive young woman ... I'd seen a child, and
that held no appeal for me.

Scully was the only woman that lit my fire.  I didn't quite know
how to make her believe that, but I had to try.  For one thing, it
wasn't like we were separated for long periods of time like her
mother and father were.  That was one major difference right
there that I would point out to her at the first opportunity.  One
week without Scully and I was climbing the walls.  I could never
endure a separation of months.  I'd lose my mind.  And this was
before we had sex.  After we had sex ... forget it.

Despite my taste in videos, I was not a promiscuous person, and never
had been.  I didn't have any sexual hang ups, but I'd never
been one to enjoy a one-night stand.  My one indiscretion during the
vampire case had left me feeling ill and full of disgust for myself.
Where most men might have felt the conquering hero, I'd felt only
self-loathing and a sense of having betrayed the one I love ... and
she wasn't even there.

At the time, I hadn't known if she was ever coming back, and yet ...
I still couldn't get over the feeling that I'd betrayed her.  I
vowed then that it would never happen again.  I would find her and I
would never touch another woman again.  If she was dead, maybe
I'd have to rethink that, but otherwise, I was going to remain loyal
to my love for her ... even if she didn't return it.

XXXXXXXXXX

PART 9 (R)
TWO WEEKS LATER
I15, Between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas

I forgot how luxurious it felt to sleep in the arms of a man that
loves you.  Mulder's warmth and scent and body surrounded me, making
me feel cherished and completely boneless.  When we slept together,
I woke to the most wonderful feeling of completeness I had ever
experienced in my life.

I had found my other half and he fit all my broken edges
perfectly.  He and I made one whole, seamless soul.  His body was
large and strong and almost overpowering in its raw sexual appeal.
I knew that if he made one move towards consummating our
relationship I would be lost.

But so far he hadn't.  And that was beginning to worry me.  I must
be going crazy.  I worried when he tried to move our relationship
along and I worried when he gave me the space I told him I needed.
It didn't help that I was in a constant state of arousal.  Poor man
couldn't win.  My breasts actually ached at times, needing his
touch, his kiss, his tongue.  I had taken to wearing a sports bra
and panty liners all the time.  A serious case of diaper rash was
nothing to joke about when you drive a big rig for hours at a time.

He had made it a point for us to sleep together as often as
possible, but had not interrupted our driving and delivery schedule
to enforce it.  Many mornings I woke up with the scent of Mulder
covering my body, but no Mulder in sight.  He had taken to working
out in the mornings.  If there was a public workout room where we
were stopped, he would use the equipment and take a short run.  If
not, he would run for miles before I was even awake.

I knew he was doing this to work off the sexual tension he felt and
I respected it.  I also respected what the constant work outs and
the demands of trucking had done for his body.  What was absolutely
making me crazy was that he always showered or cleaned up before he
got back in the truck.

I had never been able to resist a clean, sexy Mulder.  A sweat hog
I could resist.  But, he was just so... lickable, when he climbed into
the cab all clean and still damp from his shower.  I knew I was losing
my mind.  I needed to concentrate on this assignment.  When the case
was solved... well, work before pleasure.

We'd been on the road almost a month now.  There had been another
hijacking of a Global-Tech truck, but the drivers had not been
found.  Skinner thought that this one was an inside job.  Mulder had
his own ideas.  We actually met the two guys that had disappeared at
the Nashville yard, and we both agreed that they didn't fit the
profile of undercover operatives.

Mulder's theory was that we were being watched.  I agreed.  I knew
that he was the one with the 'Spooky' sense, but I had a feeling he
was right.  We knew that someone had been in our truck.  That meant
that there was a master B&E artist out there or someone from Global-
Tech had passed along a duplicate set of the keys to our cab.

I believed we came back to the rig before the perp could search
thoroughly.  Mulder thought he saw a light in the cab and we ran
back to the truck instead of going into the diner.  The passenger
side door was not shut all the way or locked.  I had been driving
and I know I heard Mulder slam and lock the door when we left for
the facilities.  The personal laptop we brought to use for case
notes was on the console.

We both thought that it was a spy.  A thief could have lifted the
laptop and still gotten away.  We decided that we needed to do more
than encode and put a password on our files.  After discussing it
for a while, Mulder had the idea to use the guys.  He called and
asked them what they suggested.

We were both surprised when Byers came up with the idea of a diary.

He asked us to give them a few days and he and the guys would
develop files that we could download into the computer that would
make it look as if it were Dana Tanner's personal diary.  Our data
about the case could be entered and encrypted by a special program
that they would install that would turn our data into personal day
to day facts.  They would even post date it so that no one would
ever be able to prove that it wasn't at least two years old... the
length of the Tanner marriage.

A couple days later we contacted them again and they said they were
ready.  They needed us to check into a motel and use the land line
to make the connection instead of the wireless we were using.

Both Mulder and I were glad to comply.  It had been ten days since
we had done more than sleep in shifts and in the crowded bunk
together.  We both were looking forward to a night in a motel.  We
pulled off the interstate near San Antonio and drove to an area that
was a mix of commercial and residential buildings.  We didn't want
to stay at the truck stop motel, but we didn't want to get too far
out into the county and look conspicuous.

We drove by several 'No Vacancy' signs until we found a decent
looking motel with rooms available.  Mulder went in to register.
While he was gone, I gathered up our overnight kits and fresh
clothing.

When he came back out he had a little grin and I knew he was going
to tease me.

"Bad luck, Dana," he said as he grabbed the duffle I tossed down to
him.  "The only rooms they had left were singles."

"Marty!  We can't sleep in a single bed together," I stated flatly.

"What's the matter, Dana, afraid I'll jump your bones?" he said with
a big grin.

I couldn't tell him how good that sounded to me, so I said, "No,
afraid you'll hog the covers."

"No sweat, Ladybird.  It has one bed, but it's a king.  I meant
single room, not single bed," he grinned at me over his sunglasses.
He was teasing me again and I decided to play.

"Phoenix, I asked you not to call me that name," I shot back.

"Hey, I didn't start it.  You did.  The first time you responded to
Cooner on the CB when he shouted for you, it was official."  Mulder
sounded pleased with himself.

"You responding to Cooner calling you Phoenix is your business.  I
only answered because he was so insistent," I teased.

"But you did answer, Dana and now it's too late.  You're stuck with
the handle Ladybird for the rest of your days."

"Whatever," I threw down the overnight kit and started to climb
down.

Mulder placed his hand on my ankle to stop me. "Jump," he said.

His voice was low and sexy and entirely too enticing.

"I can climb down by myself." I avoided looking into his eyes as I
spoke.

"Jump, Dana.  I'll catch you."

It was a test.  Since our misunderstanding about Meghan, Mulder had
been giving me space, but every once in a while he would throw me
off balance with a word or demand that tested our...my trust in our
relationship.

I stared at him for only a second before replying, "Here I come,
ready or not."  And I jumped down into his arms.

"Oh, I'm ready Dana," he whispered into my ear as his strong arms
caught me.  "I'll always be there to catch you."

He nuzzled my neck and placed a soft kiss on my cheek and then let
me slide down his body to stand on my own two feet.

I didn't know if my sigh was one of relief or dismay as he released
me and turned to grab the bags.

"I forgot the laptop," I said as I turned to climb back up for it.

"Forget it.  I'm going to refuel before we settle in for the night.
I'll get it then and set the alarm at the same time."

I shrugged and slammed the door, locking it with the special dead
bolt lock we had installed after the break in.  Global could remove
it when they got the truck back, but for now, we had too much fire
power stashed in the cab to let it go unprotected.  The alarm system
the guys had advised us on was also installed.

Mulder spread the word through our friend Cooner that all the
special security on the rig was due to his desire to keep me safe.
I had tried to look helpless as Mulder had gone on about keeping his
lady safe, but the balance of the conversation was lost to me as I
began to think of the ways I would punish him for using my gender as
an excuse.

By the end of the meal, I was resigned to accepting the reasoning
behind his story.  While Mulder accepted me as his equal and a
valuable partner, the majority of the men on the road would look at
me as a woman who needs protection.  This attitude made the cover
story sound reasonable.  No one said I had to like it, but I
understood it.  I surprised Mulder when he began to apologize to me
after leaving the diner by kissing him and telling him that very
thing.  All he could do was grin.

We got to our room and decided to get cleaned up and walk over to
the Chevy's restaurant across the road.  I was starving and took a
quick shower while Mulder refueled and parked the rig in a line of
others that were backed up against a concrete wall facing the motel
room doors.  He brought in the lap top and headed straight for the
shower.

We were to contact the Guys at midnight Washington time, so we had
plenty of time to eat.  Chevy's had several big-screen TV's and the
Yankees were playing.  We decided to enjoy the evening off.

When we walked in, we saw a large group of fellow truckers.  They
waved us over and made room for us at their table.  As big as our
country was, you would think that the odds of meeting other drivers
frequently enough to become friendly would be tremendous.  But not
true.  Drivers you would meet once or twice face to face kept in
contact through the CB.  They were a close knit group and took care
of their own.

Mulder had surprised me several times during this assignment, but
one of the biggest surprises was how well my Oxford-educated, FBI-
trained partner fit in with these men.  I contemplated this
incongruity for a long time until I at last realized why.  These men
were honest, open people.  They were not competing with Mulder or
trying to belittle him to make themselves look better.  He was not
held up as an example to ridicule or praise.  He was just one of the
guys and as long as he delivered his load on time and didn't prevent
them from delivering their loads, he was accepted.  He wasn't trying
to prove anything to them.

How different from his position in the FBI.  How sad that he found
acceptance here, but not in the life he had chosen.

The evening was fun.  Good food, good game, good conversation.  We
left for our room around eleven.  Mulder had hung back to talk to a
driver named Little John but quickly caught up to me.

"Hey, wait for me," he said as he jogged up to a halt at my side.

I smiled at him and took his hand.  "What were you and Little John
talking about?"

"He asked if I could help him unload early tomorrow morning.  The
lumpers that normally hang around the warehouse where he has to unload
tomorrow have been banned from the premises while a union dispute is
settled, and I promised to help," he said casually.

"Mulder, you promised to unload the whole truck?" I was shocked.

"Naw, just a couple hundred cases that are a special order.  They
can't use the forklift or the pullpack on it, so it has to be done
by hand.  He doesn't trust the personnel at this warehouse not to
lift a few cases for themselves, so he can't do it alone.  It won't
take me but an hour or so and I can clean up again before we check
out."  He suddenly looked into my eyes and asked, "Is that all
right, Dana?  I mean, I didn't think to ask you if you had early
plans for the morning."

His concern for my wishes warmed my heart.  "No, I think I'd
like to sleep in tomorrow.  That sounds fine."

We had been gathering data during the entire month that we had been
on the road.  We had sent that information to the guys via e-mail
and Byers and Langly had set up a program that we could use to hide
our findings in plain sight.

They had us plug our laptop into the phone jack and log on to a site
they had set up.  Within in moments the screen came alive with
encoded data and then shut down abruptly.

Mulder called them on the cell phone immediately to ask what
happened and they explained that it was done.  We needed to reboot
the computer and go to a special file of instructions they had
inserted.  Once that file was accessed it would self destruct.
Mulder read it carefully and committed it to his own memory bank for
future reference.  I read it until I felt comfortable with the
program and we deleted it.

We had to reboot the computer once again and the Guys walked us
through the many ways possible of trying to recover the file.  It
was gone.  All that was left was the personal diary of Dana Tanner,
nee Kelly, dating back two and a half years to her first meeting
with Martin Tanner.  If anyone tried to access the data base without
the correct password, the encryption program would also self
destruct, leaving only the personal thoughts of a Dana Tanner to be
found.

Both Mulder and I were impressed.  We thanked the Guys and said
goodnight.

After the sounds of a small struggle, Frohike's words came
through loud and clear, "Hey, Marty, how is life with the Mrs.?"

"Hello, Fro, I didn't know you were there," Mulder said.

"Yeah, these two sent me on a wild goose chase while they talked to
you.  So, how's married life treating you?"

Mulder smiled into my eyes and said, "It's unbelievable, Frohike.
Absolutely unbelievable."  He hung up the phone but not before we
both could hear poor Frohike groaning.

"That was cruel," I scolded.

"He deserves that and more for having the guts to ask something like
that," Mulder growled.  He smiled and shook his head.  He reached
over and pulled me into his arms.

"It has been unbelievable, Scully.  I don't know if I'll be able to
ever sleep alone again.  I can't believe how well I sleep with you
next to me."

"What do you mean, Mulder?  You sleep alone all the time when I'm
driving."

"Yeah, but I can still hear you and reach out and touch you."

"I know what you mean," I said snuggling against his chest.  "I'm
getting very used to being with you day and night, too.  I thought
it would be..."

"Impossible?  Being around someone else night and day?" he finished
for me.  "Yeah, me too.  I was worried that we would start to bicker
and get on each other's nerves.  But we haven't."  He wrapped his
arms around me even tighter and kissed the top of my head.

I looked up and he said, "I need my goodnight kiss now, Dana.  I've
got to get up early to help Little John."

I pulled away and I could tell he was disappointed.  I just smiled
and walked over to turn off the lights and check the lock on the
door.  "I'm turning in right now too.  Get into bed and I'll be out
in just a moment."

I hurriedly finished getting ready and crawled in on my side of the
huge king sized bed.

Mulder pulled me into his arms and kissed me.  We always called it a
goodnight kiss when in fact it had worked up to a goodnight necking
session.  And this time we were horizontal in a huge bed while it
happened.

I wanted him to push me a little, try to talk me into having sex
with him but he stopped as usual.  He was as aroused as I was but he
stopped short once again.

"Oh, Mulder," I whispered.  "I don't know how much longer we can go
on like this."

"As long as you need, Scully.  I can wait as long as you need me to,
but I have to tell you this is damn hard."

I chuckled and brushed my hand against his pulsing erection, "I'll
say."

He moaned and jerked back from my touch.  "Scculllly!  Damn it,
don't make this worse than it is."

I was immediately contrite.  "I'm sorry, Mulder.  I want this case
to be over too."

He just nodded and pulled me closer, lifting me and flipping me so
that we could spoon.  "Do we have to wait until the case is over?"

I sighed, beginning to wonder what the hell I was waiting for.
Would he push it?  I sighed again, trying to think of an answer and
then he gave up.

"Night, Scully."

"Night, Mulder."

XXXXXXXXXX

BOEHM COMPANY (R)
THE NEXT MORNING

I was so frustrated, I could scream.  If I had one more unrelieved
hard on, I was going combust.  I'd woken up on my back, Scully
snuggled into my side, a leg thrown over my thigh, her head on my
shoulder and her tiny hand gently gripping my erection through my
boxers.

The uncontrolled moan I'd let out the instant I realized it was her
hand on my johnson had awakened her.  A second was all it took for her
to realize what she was doing and she jerked away like she'd been
burned.

"I'm sorry!" she'd hissed.

I hadn't even been able to answer her.  If I opened my mouth or
touched her at that moment, I would have ravished her.  Instead, I
heaved myself away from her and leaped out of bed, stomping off into
the shower.  I was too turned on to be embarrassed about the funny
way I was walking.  I'd locked the door, turned on the shower full
blast and climbed in after shedding my underwear.

Before I even reached for a bar of soap, I'd been pumping my full
blown erection hard and fast, feeling the ache rise up in my balls
within seconds.  In an embarrassingly short time, I was moaning like
I was dying as hard, stinging ropes of cum shot out onto the walls
of the shower as I climaxed, her name dying on my lips.

I couldn't keep this up.  I know I told her I would give her as much
time as she needed.  Jesus Christ, how long did she need?

If she was half as frustrated as I was, I hoped she would reconsider
about waiting until the end of this case.  If I knew it would only
be a few more days, I could talk myself into waiting.  The reality
was, however, that this could go on for a long time, months even.
We had no way of knowing.

I wouldn't be an ass about it, but maybe I could slide those late
night make out sessions into heavy petting.  If I excited her
enough, maybe she would decide not to wait as well.  It was
pointless as far as I was concerned.  I knew it was inevitable that
we'd be together.

I'd known it for a long time.  At the same time, I needed for her to
be sure.  I also wanted her to be comfortable and not caving in
out of some misguided notion that she would lose me if she didn't
fuck me.  This being a gentleman could really suck big time,
sometimes.

I'd emerged from the shower to see her watching me furtively.
Despite the noise of the shower, there's no way she could have
missed me moaning and groaning in there like I was dying.  She had
to know what I was doing in there.  She never mentioned it, so
neither did I.  I knew it made her uncomfortable.  Well, shit.  I
couldn't help it.  It was that or walk around with blue balls all
day and I wasn't willing to do that.

XXXXXXXXXX

'Well, that could have gone better,' I thought as Mulder slammed the
door.  I couldn't help what I did in my sleep.  I know this waiting
was getting to him.  What did he think it was doing to me?  At least
he could climb in the shower and jack off.  Some of the women's
showers we've had to use are not exactly conducive to masturbatory
fantasies.  If they weren't dirty, communal or sterile, they were
downright dangerous.  And I absolutely refused to masturbate in the
bunk while Mulder was three feet away from me.

Speaking of which, I found that I was hot and needing release after
waking with Mulder's cock in my hand and being forced to listen to
his cries of completion.  I forced myself to ignore my need and
snuggled back down to go to sleep.  Even though the cab of the rig
was luxurious, there still was no replacement for a bed that did not
move.

I tried to think of the many reasons I had to keep our relationship
on a professional basis on this case, but all I could remember was a
kaleidoscope of mental snapshots of Mulder.

Mulder grinning in the sunshine... Mulder kissing me goodnight...
Mulder's long, thick cock twitching in my hand as I woke up...

And when I tried to block the thoughts of a very masculine Mulder,
all those other traitorous thoughts would flood in.

Mulder giving me back my cross when I was returned, at my bedside,
sporting a
goofy grin and Super Stars of the Super Bowl tape in hand, Mulder
holding me after Penny's death, after Padgett's fantasy killer
trying to kill me, after the final IVF attempt failed.

I fell asleep thinking of how intertwined our lives are.  There was
never going to be another man for me.  Why was I waiting?  I
couldn't answer my own question.  What did that mean?

XXXXXXXXXX

I felt the sweat soaking my wife beater tee shirt as I lifted
another box from the trailer and lumped it out onto the dock,
stacking it neatly on the skids that were set up there.  I welcomed
the physical activity to burn off my frustration.  It helped keep me
tired enough not to blow up and say or do something stupid.  I'd
foregone my run this morning to do this, and it was a fine
substitute.

"Only a few more," Little John hollered from inside the cavernous
fifty-three foot trailer.

I stood up straight and stretched my arms over my head, hearing my
back decompress with a few loud pops.  I bent at the waist,
stretching my back muscles and groaned gently, feeling the muscles
pull with a nice ache.  The group of women on their break that had
been watching Little John and I unload gave out a group moan, as a
tease, trying to get my attention.  I had to admit I enjoyed the
attention.  It was good for my ego.  Why couldn't Scully be affected
that way?

I shot them a grin just as I heard a gasp.  I looked off the edge of
the dock, behind them and saw her.

There she stood, two plastic cups in her hand, wearing a blue tank
top and khaki shorts with a cuffed hem, along with bulky socks and
her work boots.  She looked so cute I couldn't help but smile.

She had an odd look on her face and I teasingly waved my hand up and
down to get her attention.  She blinked rapidly and then smiled,
holding up one cup.  "I brought you guys some ice tea.  Thought you
might want a drink by now."

Little John emerged from the back of the trailer, dropped his box on
the skid and twirled to greet her.  "Hey there, little lady.  Did I
hear someone say iced tea?"

Scully smiled her tight lipped smile, obviously irritated at being
called 'little lady'.  She refrained from a biting remark I knew was
on the tip of her tongue and worked her way over to the cement steps
on the side that led up to the dock.  She gave the women there a
glare and moved on up to join us.

"Thanks, honey," I said, risking the endearment.

She didn't cringe so that was a good sign.  We each took a cup from
her and gulped it down in a couple of long swallows.  I coughed and
wiped my mouth on the back of my hand.

When I looked up she was staring at me again, with that odd look
again.  I looked down at myself to make sure I didn't have something
smeared on my shirt.  Only sweat, I noted, then looked up again.
Then I realized what that look was.  She was checking me out!  She
was liking what she saw.  Her cheeks were slightly flushed and I
couldn't help but notice her nipples poking out through her shirt.

I also couldn't help the slow, smug smile that spread across my
face.  She blushed and turned away, clearing her throat.  "Well, uh,
how much longer ... honey?" she emphasized the last. Only I would
have caught the censure in her voice and I grinned, unwilling to be
chastened.

I stepped into her and raised her face to mine.  I dipped down
quickly for a quick kiss and then stood up.  While she was making
that adorable, surprised, guppy face she makes, I answered, "Just a
few more minutes.  We should be done in about ten, right, John?"

"You bet," he said, saluting and returning to the trailer after
handing Scully his empty cup.  I handed her my cup and winked at
her.  "You want to wait for me or meet me back at the truck?"

"Umm, I'll wait."

"O.K., we'll walk back together."

XXXXXXXXXX

True to Little John's word, we were done ten minutes later.  He
suggested a shower and then breakfast at the diner just down the
street.  We accepted and met there a half hour later.

We were about half way through our breakfast when Little John asked,
"So, you hit all the weigh stations up the interstate yet?"

"No, not yet.  We're headed that way, though."

"How's your load?"

"Meaning?" I asked, looking sideways at Scully who had stopped
chewing and was suddenly very alert.

"Meaning, are you overweight or legal?"

"I think we're legal," I answered, remembering my bout in the rig
with a hangover while Scully did all the work.  I felt a quick spurt
of guilt and resolved, like I do every time, never to drink again.

"We are, legal, that is. I checked last night," Scully added.

"Oh, well, you're set then," Little John said, punctuating his
comment with a sharp nod of his head.

"And if we weren't?" I asked casually, spooning hash browns into my
mouth to try and act like I wasn't overly interested.

Little John put down his fork and carefully wiped his mouth.  "Well,
I guess my question for you is ... are you by-the-book types?"

I saw the look of indignation cross Scully's face and interrupted
her before she could defend us and blow this for us.  She didn't see
where he was headed, only that he was possibly insulting us.

"Not always," I replied quickly.  "We've risked running overweight a
time or two," I added, as though we were old hands at this.

Scully shot me a surprised look, but then schooled her features into
her blank mask.  I knew that look.  It was the one that said, 'I'm
going to wait and see what you're doing, but I don't like it.'

"Well, there are certain stations where you can slip by ... for a
few bucks."

"Oh yeah?  Which ones would those be?  That could come in handy in
the future."

Little John winked.  "Now you're talking.  You know the PUC, Public
Utility Commission Officers, they call 'em?"

"Yup," I said, keeping my responses short, not wanting to give
anything away.

"Well, they ain't all Abe Lincoln, you know what I mean?"

I smiled at him and gently nudged Scully when I saw her open her
mouth.  If she got righteous on this guy, he would shut down like a
virgin in a locker room.

She shot me a dirty look this time, but leaned back in her seat,
effectively removing herself from the conversation.  I leaned toward
him conspiratorially.  "You wouldn't want to help out a friend, now
would you?  And let me in on who might be willing to overlook a
little oops?"

He smiled back at me, nodding.  "Sure.  There's a station on I15 at
the Utah/Arizona border and another one at the Cali border.  There's
a guy, Brody, at the Utah one.  He's a slacker.  For a Jackson, he'll
look the other way and write you up as pretty as you please."

"Well, now," I murmured.  "That is valuable information, buddy.  How
about the other one?  Where in Cali?"

He regarded me for a moment, decided I wasn't going to turn on him,
and said, "Well, as you head south to Cali on fifteen you'll hit one
as you head through Stateline.  At that one, there's a PUC named
Kara.  She's a ripe, cute, little thing too, but she's affable."  He
stressed 'affable' with special meaning.

"For a Jackson?" I said.

"No, she's a little harder on the wallet, say ... a Grant."

"I read you," I said and we casually went back to eating our
breakfast.  "Thanks for the info," I mumbled around a mouthful of
eggs.

He smiled.  "Sure thing, buddy.  Least I can do since you helped me
lump that load.  I gotta go now though, my time's up.  Maybe we'll
hook up again sometime."  He stood up and reached a hand out to me
and then Scully, which we shook firmly and then he said, "Y'all take
care now."

And he was gone.  I let out a deep sigh and turned to Scully.
"Well, that was interesting, no?"

She pursed her lips but then said, "I almost blew it, didn't I?"

I was silent a moment, not wanting to make her feel bad but not
wanting to lie to her either.  "You could have ... but you didn't,
that's what matters."

"We have to go to these weigh stations, Mulder."

"I know.  They're directly on our route anyway, so it won't be out
of the way, which is good.  If we deviate a little off the plan it
might go unnoticed, but a big detour would definitely draw too much
attention.  We need to remember that most of the people at Global-
Tech don't know what we're up to."

"Yeah, I know.  They think we're just another pair of drivers."

"Right, so we luck out this time.  That's a major clue, Scully.  If
there is a string of dirty PUC Officers, that could be our link to
the hijackers.  Maybe they're informants too ... to the hijackers,
reporting on loads."

"That's all speculation, Mulder," she gently scolded me.

"I know, but speculation is all we have right now.  We've been at
this for weeks and so far, we have nothing.  Zip, zero, zilch, nada,
the big goose egg ..." I went on.

"All right!  I get the point," she said as she chucked me in the
arm.  "And I've learned to follow your instincts, Mulder.  They are
usually good."

I waggled my eyebrows at her.  "I wish you would follow my
instincts, Scully," I teased.

She blushed to the roots of her hair and picked up her coffee cup,
letting her hair swing forward to hide her face.  I smirked, unable
to help myself and tucked her hair behind her ear.  She cringed and
leaned her head down to dislodge my hand.

She peered up at me from under her long eyelashes and I nearly
groaned at how sexy she looked.  I loved it when she looked at me
like that.  She was embarrassed, but intrigued and aroused at the
same time.  I hoped this case ended soon, because I honestly didn't
know how long I could wait to be with her.  I found myself fervently
praying to a God I didn't believe in that this clue led us
somewhere.

"Let's get going.  We hit the Utah/Arizona border, bop down to Las
Vegas and drop this load.  Then we pick up another one there and
head to San Diego, LA and San Francisco.  Sunny California, here we
come," I joked.

She smiled.  "Come on, Marty, let's hit the bricks."

XXXXXXXXXX

I took first shift.  Mulder had already had quite a workout this
morning lumping for Little John.  He didn't climb up into the bunk,
but dozed in his seat as soon as we hit the interstate.

I couldn't keep from looking at him now and then.  He looked so
different when he slept.  Peaceful, boyish, sexy.

Who was I kidding?  Not myself, certainly.  I want him.  I thought
I was going to melt this morning.  I came up behind the women at the
break area without them noticing me.  I heard them talking about the
men they were watching, but didn't realize that Mulder was the one
who held most of their interest until I stepped around the dumpster
at the edge of the dock.  I wanted to see this hunk they were
talking about.  When I realized that it was my partner, I was
shocked.

I knew Mulder was a good looking man.  I'd desired him off and on
from the first time I laid eyes on him.  I had seen him naked more
than once and part of my mind always appreciated the view.  But he was
Mulder. . .  the smartest man I had ever known, my partner, my
friend, my best friend.  I loved him for what was inside as much or
more than the packaging.  In fact, even though our close proximity
had been driving me crazy, it was really just an extension of the
desire that I'd felt for the inner man for years now.

But listening to them talk, the way they described his movements,
their speculations on his abilities and attributes shocked me.
Mulder?  All this was about Mulder?  Then I saw him.  He had
just finished stacking a box and stood up, stretching his arms over
his head then bent over at the waist.  They were right.  Where had I
been all this time?  What was I thinking?

I guess I'd gotten too used to the sight of him to fully appreciate
the packaging.  The job had toned him even more than usual.  His
biceps were bigger, his pecs had more definition.  The tight wife
beater tee molded his chest and six pack abs like the skin on a
grape.

I was mesmerized by the sheer beauty of his body and his grace.  He
made tossing heavy boxes around look sexy, but when he stopped and
stretched, I was lost in a dream of a hot, sexy, Mulder, stretched
out over me, touching me, kissing me, making love to me.

When he waved to get my attention, I was embarrassed.  Caught
staring at the merchandise.  His smug little grin let me know that
he was enjoying my discomfort.  It was a good thing he was almost
done.  I gave the women at the break area one final glare and moved
out of the way until they were done.

This case had to end soon or I'd be certifiable.  I tried to think
about the case to take my mind off Mulder.  Little John had given us
a couple of names to check out.  Maybe things would break soon.  It
was my only hope.

XXXXXXXXXX

PART 10 (R)
I15 UTAH/ARIZONA BORDER
PUC WEIGH STATION

I'd left Scully sitting in the truck on the scale.  I'd moved the
load around at the last weigh station, so that we would be
overweight on two axles.  There was virtually no weight in the back
of the trailer now, it was all in the front.  "Hey there!" I grinned
as I stepped up to the window.

"Hey yourself," the frowning man behind the window replied.

"What's your name?"

"Who wants to know?"

"I'm a friend of Little John's.  He said I should look for a guy
named Brody."

He looked at me suspiciously.  "I might be Brody."

"Might be?"

He just stared at me.  I slipped a twenty dollar bill into the tray
that sat below the Plexiglas window featuring a small grill that you
could talk through.  "I need your help, buddy," I whispered, leaning
in close.  "I really need to get this load to San Diego ... quick.
And I'm behind schedule.  It's a government job and if I fuck it up,
the boss is going to have a cow.  I don't have time to be fussing
with the chassis and the fifth wheel, man.  I have to keep moving.
Can you understand that?"

"Yeah," he said tentatively, weakening.  He glanced at the twenty.

"That enough to snake on out of here?" I asked quietly.

He looked at the scales in front of him and back to me, then to the
twenty.  I pulled a ten out of my wallet.  "How 'bout a Hamilton to
go with that, buddy.  I'm a little short this week, one of the
reasons I need to get this load through.  I can do better for you
next time," I added, hoping his greed would push him to accept my
offer.  He was suspicious, but obviously, even thirty bucks was a nice
little tip for the day.

He smiled suddenly, "You really know Little John?"

"Sure do, just left him at Boehm Company.  Helped him lump a load
cause the other boys weren't there to help."

"You're all right, then," he drawled.  "Any friend of Little John's
is a friend of mine."

I pushed the bills toward him.  "You need me to sign that sheet?"

He pushed the clipboard into the tray and pushed it out to me.  I
glanced and saw the evenly distributed weights written on the sheet.
I grinned and winked at him, signing my name ... Marty Tanner.  "I
won't forget this, man," I assured him.

"No problem.  Hey, how you like driving for Global?" he asked.

I detected more than casual interest but feigned indifference.
"It's all right, I guess.  One outfit's a lot like the next.  'Cept
I must say, these guys gave us a right nice rig," I added, sliding
into the lingo.  I winked at him again, "Me and the Mrs. appreciate
that bigger bunk, if you know what I mean."

He laughed then.  Ah, sex, the universal language of male bonding.  "I
sure do.  Easier to rock the shocks when you have a little room, eh?
Yeah, these mom and pop outfits can't afford rigs like that with all
the fixin's, but RP Industries is fuckin' loaded, you know?"

I had to stop myself from letting my head snap straight up.  "RP
Industries?"

"Yeah, they own Global-Tech, didn't you know that?"

"Oh yeah, I guess I heard it mentioned, but I never gave it much
thought."

"Well, that's where the money comes from and the government
contracts.  Those boys have *contacts,* if you know what I mean.
They get all the good accounts."

"How's that?"

"Oh, well, that's the latest gossip.  Other companies hatin' it, you
know?  But the VP of Fleet Services?"  He ended with a question.

"Yeah?" I encouraged as I handed the clipboard back to him through
the tray.

"He's got some sort of government connections and he's married to
the VP of Logistics for Global Tech.  She apparently, well, I think
her Daddy is up to his neck in RP Industries stock.  So between the
two of them, they're shoving other bidders right out of the picture
for those government contracts."

"That's not very fair."

"Dirty business for sure, buddy, but ... hey, that's what makes the
world go 'round, eh?"  He looked at the money still lying in the
tray.

"I guess."

"We all do what we gotta do to get by, right?" he asked.

"We sure do, Brody.  Big business is none of my concern, just so
long as I get paid.  Look, I gotta hit it.  Thanks again, man."

"Go on and git," he said.  "And hey, rock the shocks for me one
time, huh?  She's a real looker."

I forced a smile and walked away, leaving the bills in the tray and
forced myself not to look back.  I could see Scully peering at us
from the passenger side of the truck as I crossed the pavement.  I
hopped into the truck and blew air out of pursed lips.

"Soon as you turned around, he snatched that money like it was the
Holy Grail."

"Definitely dirty.  If he'd take money from me, a stranger for the
most part, then he probably is on the take from a lot of truckers."

"Other Global-Tech drivers?"

"Probably anyone that's willing to pay and keep their mouth shut."

"Well, we'll send someone to check him out.  Let's roll.  It'll look
funny if we sit here too long."

"Yeah, I told him we were in a hurry."  I double clutched and slid
the rig into gear and gently navigated off the scale and around the
lane that led back out onto the Interstate.

Scully murmured, "One down, one to go."

"We got bigger troubles, Scully."

"What?"

"He told me Global-Tech is owned by RP Industries."

"So?"

"Those initials don't ring a bell?"

She scrunched her brow.  "Should they?"

"Roush/Pinck Pharmaceuticals, Scully, also known as ... RP
Industries."

"Oh my God!"

"Yeah, and wait, it gets better.  Get on the horn to the Gunmen.  We
need to find out the names of the VP of Fleet Services and the VP of
Logistics at Global-Tech."

"What for?"

"The first has government connections, whatever that means, and the
second is the daughter of some big deal in RP Industries.  I'll lay
money down that those two are up to their necks in dirty business."

Scully pulled out her cell phone.  "I'm on it."

XXXXXXXXXX

The guys called us back nearly an hour later as we zoomed down the
highway in the dead of night.  I watched the street lights and the
headlights flash by as Scully made sounds of interest into her cell
phone, while scribbling onto a small pad she was resting on her
thigh.

"Oh man," she whispered, sounding distressed.

"What?"

She waved me to silence.

"O.K., no, I've got it.  Damn, this could get ugly.  Been a while
since I heard either of those names.  Hoped I'd never hear them
again."

I looked at her and frowned.

"Don't get caught.  Poke around if you must, but cover your tracks
well.  We're not dealing with small timers here, I'm afraid."  She
paused, "I can't stop you, can I?"  Another pause.  "Cover your
asses," she said finally, and shut off her phone.

"What's going on, Scully?"

"You're not going to like it."

"I didn't figure I would.  It's bad, huh?"

"Worse."

"Worse?"

"You'll never guess who the VP of Fleet Services is for Global-
Tech."

"No, I probably won't, so why don't you tell me?" I said, more
testily than I meant to, getting impatient with her stalling.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"No, I'm sorry.  I'm on edge.  So who is he?  A name you recognize,
I take it?"

"Oh yeah, the name Thomas Strughold set your brain on fire?"

"No shit."

"Yeah, the guys dug a little deeper and he's THE Strughold's
grandson."

"Damn."

"Yeah, I'll bet he's Consortium up to his arm pits."

"Taking Daddy's place?"

"You said he had government connections.  What does that sound like
to you?  It's too much of a coincidence, Mulder."

"You think he's in cahoots to move product for the Consortium
business."

"It has to be something like that."

"Who's the VP of Logistics?  Who's she?  Brody said they were
married."

Scully looked at her lap and once again seemed reluctant to give me
bad news.  "This one's going to be bigger shock."

"Bigger than Strughold?"

She gave me a look of almost pity and I felt a cold chasm open up in
my chest.  "Who is it, Scully?"

She swallowed and whispered, "Her name is ... Deirdre Fowley."

"WHAT?" I nearly screamed.

Scully looked at her lap again.  "Who is she?" she asked.

It was my turn to swallow.  "She's Diana's little sister."

"Oh shit," she muttered.

"Oh shit doesn't begin to cover it."

"Who is the father?"

"Diana's father's name is Henry Fowley.  He went by the nickname
Butch.  He's a wealthy man, owns an import/export business, among
other things.  He has his hands in a lot of pies, but I never knew
..."

"Never knew what?"

"I never heard him linked with Roush/Pinck Pharmaceuticals."

"The guys are checking now.  Brody said he owned stock.  The guys
are trying to find out just how much ... or if it goes even further
than that."

"This is getting shitty in a hurry, huh?" I said.  It was a
rhetorical question.

"Yeah, it is," she said as she began to put her notes into the
encrypted 'diary' program.

XXXXXXXXXX

The lights of Los Vegas were visible for miles.  Contrary to popular
belief, gambling was not the only business in town.  Several major
companies had manufacturing and warehousing facilities in and around
Vegas proper.  Our business in Vegas was with a facility that
assembled computers.  We were delivering a load of parts and picking
up our first load of supercomputers to be delivered in San Diego for
disbursement to the various government facilities there.  Both
Mulder and I knew that this could be it.

We pulled into the terminal around dawn and dropped our trailer.  We
were given an appointment to pick up our next load for two days
later and directions to the warehouse.  We had a two day layover in
Vegas.  Two days with nothing to do.  Oh boy!

Mulder and I drove through the city, checking out the sights and
trying to decide where to stay.  The dispatcher had suggested The
Voyeur Motel down the street from the terminal, but when we drove
by, we both agreed that we wanted something better.

"We could always stay at the Palms, Dana," Mulder teased.

"The Palms, Marty?" I knew I had heard of it, but couldn't place the
conversation.

"Yeah, it's owned by the Maloofs, owners of the Sacramento Kings,"
he grinned.  "Maybe we could see Chris Webber or Vlade Divac or Doug
Christie."

"Mulder..." I warned him.

"I know, I know.  No parking for the rig," he grinned to let me know
he had been teasing.

"Right.  I want to go to a nicer place, too, but not quite that
upscale.  We don't need to bring attention to ourselves while we're
here."

He agreed and fell quiet as we searched for an acceptable motel.  We
finally agreed to try the Rising Star Motor Court.  I had Mulder
pull over and I ran in to ask about an available room.  The
attendant was a sweet little old lady type and she took me out to
make sure the room was acceptable before I paid.

They didn't have a double room available on the first floor, parking
lot side.  I wasn't sure how Mulder would feel about being
separated, but she promised to save the adjoining room for us for
the next night, if we needed it.  I was almost relieved that my room
was on the other side of the motel and upstairs.  My hormones were
in overdrive already, and I didn't think I could take one more night
in Mulder's arms without jumping him.

We needed to be on top of our game right now.  We were getting close
and things could be heating up any moment.  I just hoped that Mulder
understood that this wasn't a personal rejection.

Mulder's quick acceptance of the sleeping arrangements hurt my
feelings at first, which was ridiculous since it was what I wanted.
Right?  It wasn't until I looked into his eyes and saw the love
and understanding there, that I realized that he was doing what he
thought I needed.  Space.  Just a little breathing room to keep it
together.

"This is good Scully.  I can park the rig close enough that I can
hear if anyone is messing with it.  We can both use a good night's
sleep."  His smile eased my concern.

"Speaking of sleep, I think I'm going to go up to my room and grab a
nap after I shower," I said.  "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, I think I might grab a shuttle and go look around
downtown a little.  Do you want to go?" he asked.

I assured him that I was in dire need of a shower and sleep and he
grinned again.  "I'll call you when I get back.  We can go get some
dinner and a maybe catch a show or... something."

I held my breath for a moment, then I had to ask, "Is this a date,
Mr. Tanner?"

He stared at me and smiled.  "Yeah.  A date.  I'll call you later
and let you know what time, Mrs. Tanner."

I smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.  "Later,
handsome."  I knew he was watching me climb the stairs, eyes glued
to my derriere.  The extra wiggle in my walk extracted a small groan
as he waited until I was out of sight.  This could prove to be
interesting.

XXXXXXXXXXX

I had a cab take me to a small plaza I'd seen on our ride in.  As I
walked the sidewalk and browsed the windows of the stores, my eyes
were caught by one in particular, 'The Cow's Outside'.  I wandered
over and looked at the outfit on the mannequin in the window and
instantly saw it on Scully.  Oh Christ Almighty.  She would be so
hot in that.  Before I could talk myself out of it, I went inside
and looked around for a while, but I kept wandering back to the
outfit in the window.  A form fitting, waist-length jacket and
a black leather skirt that would hang to mid thigh.  The mannequin
wore a white cropped tee underneath that barely hung below the bust
line.

A saleswoman approached and said.  "That's a nice one.  You
interested?"

"Yes, do you have it other sizes?"

"Not ones that would fit you," she teased.

I chuckled.  "No, my ... wife is a size six."

"Top and bottom?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Let me take a look in the back."

She disappeared and I stood my ground.  She returned shortly with
the skirt and jacket in her arms.  "Here they are."

I took them from her hands and examined the tags.  Not cheap.  But
then again, Scully was worth it.  At one of our layovers at a truck
stop, I'd pocketed the personal ATM card that I'd had the guys set
up for Marty Tanner that accessed my own funds, and withdrew three
hundred in cash.  I did it for the next couple days as well.  I
hadn't told Scully.  I'd wanted to have cash on me.  And she would
worry about us blowing us our cover.

"What would you recommend for footwear with this?"

The clerk gave me an assessing look and said, "Dressy cowboy boots
would be perfect, the ankle height ones they make for women.  I have
just the thing.  Do you know her shoe size?"

"Size five."

"Tiny feet.  You'll want a size five and a half or six in a boot."

"How come?" I asked as I followed her to the back of the store where
the wall was covered with shoes, and boots on little shelves.

"Because boots run a about a half size smaller in comparison to
shoes and it gives some wiggle room.  Feet tend to swell slightly in
boots because there isn't a lot of air circulation, so you want to
be sure you have room for that.  Otherwise, they end up pinching
your feet."

"Don't want that."

"No you don't," she replied.  "Here they are.  They have that small
cranberry stripe for color.  What do you think?"

"Perfect.  You have a size six?"

"Yes, I do."

"I'll take them, and the outfit."

"Right on.  I'll get them for you."

I paid for the outfit and the boots and exited the store.  I figured
I'd spent enough money for one day and hailed a cab to take me back
to the hotel.  I hoped Scully wouldn't be offended that I'd bought
her clothes again.  I didn't want to imply that her clothing choices
were substandard.  I just knew what she had in her suitcase.  None
of it was really appropriate for a night on the town.  And I
intended to show Scully a good time.  I wasn't going to let the
chance go by.  I was going to take her on a real date.  I couldn't
wait.

Then I remembered the tracking device the guys had slipped in the
bag with the ATM card and made a mental note not to forget to give
it to Scully.  She wouldn't know what it was, but what she didn't
know wouldn't hurt her.

XXXXXXXXXX

I thought I would be too excited to take a nap, but after a long,
hot bath, I easily fell asleep and woke up rested and excited for
our date to begin.

I searched through all my clothes and realized that I didn't have
anything to wear.  I chuckled to myself at the girlie way I was
thinking.  This is Vegas; any way I dress will be acceptable, I
finally decided as I picked a pair of jeans and the green tank and
shirt that matched.  This was a date, but it was with Mulder.  There
was nothing to be nervous about.  Was there?

I almost called Mulder three times that afternoon before the phone
rang.

[Hey, Dana.  Did you have a good nap?] his voice was low and sexy.

"Yes, thanks.  I feel rested and hungry.  Have you picked somewhere
to eat yet?"

[I got a few ideas while I was out.  What do you feel like eating
tonight?  Italian, Chinese, Seafood?  They have something for
everyone here in Vegas.]

"Hummm... I'll have to let you know when you come to pick me up," I
stalled.

[Scully, what are you wearing?]  His words sent a jolt of desire
through me.

"Mulder..."

[I got you something while I was out.  I'd love to see you in it
tonight.]

"Mulder, I can't wear anything you would buy at an adult bookstore
out in public," I teased, suddenly even more nervous.

[You'll like it, Dana, can I bring it up now?]

"Just give me a few minutes, Mulder, then come on up.  And it better
not be edible underwear!"

"Gee, thanks for that visual, Scully," he reprimanded with mock
sternness.  I laughed as I hung up the phone and rushed into the
bathroom to make sure my makeup was perfect.  My hair had decided to
take a vacation and was wildly curled.  I hadn't noticed how long it
was getting while we were on the road.  Maybe I should get it cut
while I was here in Vegas.

Mulder's knock on the door was expected, but it still made me
startle.

"Coming..." I said as I walked across the room.

Mulder said something under his breath that I couldn't quite catch
through the door.  I started to ask him what he said, when the look
on his face stopped me cold.  He was standing there dressed in a pair
of his old jeans and a new shirt, staring at my hair as if he'd
never seen it before.

"Scu...Dana!  You're hair is beautiful.  It's so curly and. . .
long," he reached out tentatively to touch my hair but drew his hand
back quickly.  "May I come in?" he asked almost sheepishly.

"Of course, I'm sorry," I said as I stepped away from the door.

Mulder walked in carrying a large bag.  He kept going until he
reached the bed and sat down, not taking his eyes off my hair for a
moment.

I laughed nervously, and asked "Is that for me?"  I gestured towards
the bag.

"Oh, yeah, the boots are from me.  These and the outfit they match,"
Mulder grinned.  "I thought you might need some clothes for our
down-time.  Who knows? We may be able to have a little fun in this
town."

I opened the boot box and saw a pair of beautiful, handcrafted black
leather boots with just a touch of cranberry trim.  "Mulder.  I
don't know what to say."  I was stunned.  Mulder handed me a smaller
bag and waited until I opened it.

"I saw these and I couldn't resist.  Happy Birthday, Scully."
Mulder said without a trace of a smile.

"Mulder, my birthday was months ago," I said as I opened the bag and
pulled out the contents.  "Oh my, it's beautiful!" I gasped.  The
skirt was black, short and straight.  The jacket was buttery soft
black leather with a touch of cranberry and white.  It was short but
had long sleeves.  The outfit was extremely well made out of a
superior cut of leather.  I would never have spent this much on
myself.

"Mulder..."

He held up his hand, stopping my words, "Think of this as a way to
make up for all the birthdays I've forgotten in the past and the ones
that I'll probably forget in the future.  Do you like it?"

I was nearly speechless.  "Yes," I managed, "But this must have cost
a fortune."

"Good, it's worth twice the price if you like it and it fits.  Try
it on.  The display had one of those tee shirts that look like it's
been torn off right in the middle of your stomach under the jacket."

"You mean a cropped tee?  I think I have something to put under it.
I'll be right back."

Mulder settled back on the bed and watched me leave the room.  I
took the boots and leather outfit, and then came back to search
through my suitcase for the rest of the clothes I would need.

Did I say I was stunned?  The boots and the outfit had to have cost
several hundred dollars.  Why would Mulder spend that kind of money
on me?  And where did he get it?  I hoped he hadn't made another
large charge on the Martin Tanner credit card.  Skinner would have a
cow.  No pun intended.

I knew I should give it back, but...  How did he know leather
clothing was my secret weakness?  I love the smell and feel
of fine leather.  I love how it molds to my body and makes every
curve look sexy.

When Melissa and I were young, I could never wear the flowing long
skirts and 'Stevie Nicks' outfits that made Melissa look like a
fairy princess.  But give me a black leather mini-skirt and a pair
of high heels and I had my own pack of men falling all over
themselves to ask me out.

I quickly pulled off my clothes and put the new outfit on.  I slid
the silky thigh-high stockings I brought with me on and then donned
the skirt.  I looked at myself in the mirror and frowned.  The skirt
hung low on my hips and fit just right, but it was so molded to my
curves that my panty line showed.  I quickly stepped out of my
bikini panties and donned the pair of thong underwear I had brought,
just in case.  Problem solved.

I pulled on a white cropped silk tee and the boots.  The fit was
wonderful.  They had a two and a half inch heel, high enough to
showcase my legs, but low enough to dance in all night.

Last but not least was the jacket.  It slid over my arms, and it
molded to my breasts.  It felt like it had been custom made just for
me.  I stood looking at myself in the mirror.  I remembered this
woman.  It was Dana.  I suddenly realized why Mulder had bought this
outfit for me. He wanted me to know that he saw me, Dana Scully.  He
was giving me the sign I always told myself I was waiting for.

Mulder told me he wanted to deepen our relationship and this was
his commitment.  He wanted me to trust him, to know that he valued
all of me, not just as his partner or his friend, but as his love,
as a strong, independent woman.

Or maybe I was reading way too much into it.  Maybe he thought if I
looked and felt sexy, it would improve his chances.  He didn't need
any help in the temptation department, but I didn't need to let him
know that.

I saw Mulder step up behind me in the mirror.  I watched him inspect
me from the rear, head to toe.  His eyes widened as he spied my
tattoo.  He stepped forward to check out my reflection in the
mirror.  Finally his eyes met mine in the glass.

"Beautiful," he said and slowly slid his arms around me from behind.
"You look better than the mannequin did in that, Scully.  It was made
for you, I swear."

"Thank you," I said, my voice was low and sultry.  "How can I ever
let you know how much I love this outfit, Mulder?"  I placed my
hands on his strong forearms and leaned back into his embrace.

"I'm sure I can think of something, Scully."  His eyes glowed and
his beautiful lips twitched as he fought the urge to accept the
opening I had just given him to tease me.

I smiled back at him in the mirror and we stood quietly enjoying the
feeling of our embrace.  I watched as Mulder's eyes darkened.  I
could feel the heat from his arousal through the soft leather,
practically branding my skin.  I casually wondered what he would do
if he knew I had a thong on under the skirt.  I was soon to find
out.

Mulder slid his hands from around my waist.  One went higher to
caress the bare skin of my midriff, just skimming the undersides of
my breasts.  His other hand slid over my belly button to the leather
clinging to my hip, on around to cup the cheek of my ass, and then
on down my thigh.  On his way back up he slid his hand under the
edge of the skirt to stroke the silky stockings that clung to my
thighs.

"Damn!  Scully, warn a guy, will you?" he gasped.

"Hummm?" was all I could say.

"Stockings, Agent Scully?  Do you have any idea how incredibly sexy I
find stockings on a woman in a short skirt?"  Mulder nuzzled my ear as
he rasped out, "How incredibly sexy you are when you wear stockings?"

I remained silent, but it didn't stop my mind from screaming, 'If
you think that's something, keep going, G-Man!'

Mulder stroked up my thigh and when I didn't stop him, let his hand
roam a little higher, seeking at least a touch of my panties.  His
hand slid higher and higher until he was cupping my bare derriere
in his large hand.  The look on his face in the mirror was
priceless. . .a mixture of shock, lust and curiosity.

"Scully?  Are you naked under this skirt by any chance?" he finally
asked.

"Of course not, Mulder.  You know that I have my stockings on," I
replied calmly.  My lips began to twitch at his continued look of
bemusement.

"And?" Mulder coached.

"And my underwear, of course," I wouldn't give an inch.

"Sccuuullly," he groaned as his hand explored more of my bare skin.
"God help me, you're wearing a thong."

I merely gazed back at him in the mirror.  If I tried to speak right
now, I would lose it and start giggling.

Mulder's expression darkened as he caught a glimpse of my tattoo
between the jacket and the low riding skirt, "That's it, take it
off."  He pulled the jacket down off my arms and yanked it off me.
He reached for the zipper to the skirt but I scooted out of his
reach.

"What do you mean, take it off?"

"I have to take it back, Scully."  Mulder moved towards me again.

"No!" I slipped by him and moved into the bedroom.  "Why?  I thought
you liked how it looks on me."

"I LOVE how it looks on you, Scully.  And so will every other tenth
degree horn dog that walks by," Mulder said with a growl.  He
pursed his lips until they were thin lines slashed across his face,
"I fucking love how it looks on you, but I can't stand the thought
of you wearing it ..." he stopped.

"Showing off my assets?" I whispered.

"Yeah," Mulder spat, but said no more.

"Why?  Why don't you want me to wear it for everyone to see?" I
pushed.  I needed to hear him tell me what he was feeling.

"Because... Because I... I'm a selfish bastard, Scully.  I don't
want you around any other men."

"Let's clarify this, shall we, Mulder?" I said.  "You don't want me
to wear this when there are other men around or you don't want me to
wear this where anyone can see me in it, particularly men?"

"Yeah," he growled.

"Mulder," I grinned.  "That means I could wear it to, oh, say, bed."

At his surprised look, I burst into a deep belly laugh.

"That's the only place I go that there's no men around, Mulder."

"You could fix that, Scully.  Just say the word."  He made a quick
move and grabbed me, pulling me up next to him and wrapping his arms
around me.  "Are you laughing at me, Scully?"  His mood had lightened
again.

"No, Mulder.  I was trying to make you see how impossible it is to
expect me to never go around other men," I smiled as I spoke.  "What
makes you think I'd wear it for anyone but you, anyway?"

His expression softened.  "Scully, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to
imply that I have the right to tell you what you can and can't do.
It just makes me crazy, thinking of you wearing that outfit, knowing
what you're wearing under it or not wearing under it," Mulder
sighed.  "And when I think of another man touching you, I lose it."
He turned away, looking out the window.

I studied him for a long moment and then spoke, "What if I want you
to feel that way, Mulder?"

He turned back to me, interest in his eyes.

"What if I want to wear this outfit for you and only you?  What
if I like the thought of everyone knowing that I'm with you and
that it's going to stay that way?"  My voice lowered to a tiny
whisper, "What if I want to wear this in front of other people and
let them know that you're the only one that will ever know what I
actually wear under it, the only man that will ever take it off me?
Yours is the only opinion that matters to me, Mulder."

As I spoke, he drew closer to me as my words faded to a mere
sigh.  I wanted him and I was finally able to believe in his fidelity.
I loved him and I was ready to commit to him.

"Scully," he said quietly.  "I can't think of anything that would
make me happier.  I've known you were the woman for me for years.  I
feel like we're finally on the same page.  It's time ... it's our
time."  He slowly lowered his lips to mine.  When I rose up to meet
him he grasped me tightly, trying to draw me even closer.

Our lips barely touched, then drew apart.  Touched again and slid
across each other's lips.  And again apart.  He pulled away, asking
if I wanted to go farther, with a look.

I slid my hands up his chest and wrapped them around the back of his
neck, pulling his lips down to mine again.  Mulder groaned as I
began to nip and suckle at his lips, ending with a series of small,
passionate kisses.

He reached down and grasped my legs, bringing me up to his height.
The supple leather skirt slid up as I wrapped my thighs around his
waist and grabbed his shoulders for balance.  I groaned at the feel of
his big hands on my bare ass.  He gave a squeeze and I moaned right
into his mouth.  That got a response.

He began to ravage my mouth, using his lips and tongue and teeth to
let me know how much he loved me, needed me, wanted me.

I kissed him back with several years of desire unleashed.  Moments
passed and we finally pulled apart, panting and smiling and giving
each other soft, parting kisses.

I rested my forehead against his,  "Mulder, we have to stop."

"I know, Scully.  I understand.  You need time to sort this out."

"No, Mulder, you don't understand.  I know exactly what I want and
who I want it with.  You," I said with a smile.  "I just don't want
to rush anything.  We have a number of people who are depending on
us to solve this case.  When we finally do this, and it will be
soon, Mulder, I don't want an hour or two.  I don't want even a day
or a weekend.  When we do this, Mulder, I want it to be all about
us.  No interruptions, no phone calls, no responsibilities.  Just
days and days of us.  Do you understand?"

He let me slide down his body, giving a soft moan of desire as I
rubbed against his erection on the way down.  "Yeah, I understand,
Scully.  I can wait for that.  Just don't make me wait to hear you
say..."  He paused.  "You admitted it.  Can you say it?

I placed my fingertips on his lips, "I love you, Mulder.  I've told
you before and I'll not stop saying it now.  We'll have our time
together, I promise.  Now, take me out, Handsome.  This outfit is
gorgeous and I want to strut my stuff."

XXXXXXXXXX

PART 11 (R)
RISING STAR MOTOR COURT
SCULLY'S ROOM

"Oh, one more thing.  I almost forgot."  I picked up the leather
jacket that I planned on wearing tonight and had draped over the
chair in her room.  I pulled out the small black box, holding it out
to her.

She stepped into me.  "Mulder, you've spent way too much money here.
Now jewelry?  You already gave me the ring."

"It's not much, don't get excited, but I thought they were nice.
They just looked like you."

She gingerly opened the box and smiled wide.  Her eyes were a little
wet but she plucked one out and set the box on the bed.  She fumbled
with her earlobe and the back to the earring, finally sliding the
overlapping silver hearts into her ears.  She did the same with the
other one and then trotted into the bathroom to look at them.

I followed and stepped in to see her tucking her hair behind her
ears as she looked in the mirror.  They're pretty, Mulder, thank
you."

"You're welcome.  I knew you wouldn't want something dangly or
flashy."

"No, not my style."

"But I ... wanted something that was just from me to you, you know,
not government issue."

She grinned.  "I'll never take them off."

"Good.  As long as you're wearing them, I'll know we're still a
team."

She frowned slightly at that but said, "Of course."

I smiled at her.  "Now I would like to take my unbearably hot wife
out on the town.  You ready, Mrs. Tanner?"

"Ready or not, Las Vegas, here we come!" she cried with a little
mocking jubilance.

I chuckled and followed her out of the bathroom and out into the
hallway, grabbing my jacket on the way out.

XXXXXXXXXX

SAM'S TOWN BAR AND DANCE HALL
LAS VEGAS, NV

We ate a quick dinner of various appetizers, sampling the menu and
then crossed over into the bar side of the establishment.  A DJ was
set up on the stage and couples gyrated to the sounds reverberating
off the walls.

We found a small round table off the side of the dance floor and sat
down.  I went to the bar and ordered us two Heinekens.  I returned
and settled my chair close to hers and sat down, draping one arm
over the back of her chair in a possessive move that didn't go
unnoticed.  I was treated to the 'eyebrow', but she didn't say a
word.  She just smiled and took a long swallow of her beer.  I
watched her throat as she swallowed, wishing I was the one sliding
down her throat.  I wondered if she could deep throat.

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair as I felt my groin tingle.  I
didn't need to get excited right now.  That wasn't what this night
was all about.  I wanted Scully to have a good time.  I wanted us to
enjoy being normal people out for a night on the town.  We didn't
get the chance very often and it was even rarer that we could enjoy
an evening together.

Of course, knowing that I could touch her now, even in small ways,
was driving me to distraction.  My tattoo was healed now, and I was
wearing a snug, white tank top and black jeans under my leather
jacket that hung to mid thigh.  I took off my jacket and hung it
over the back of the chair.

A Judd tune, 'Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Rain' started to play
and I stood up and grabbed Scully's hand.  "Come on, Mrs. Tanner,
let's dance."

She grinned and stood, following me as I towed her out onto the
dance floor.

**Sittin' on the porch swing
Listenin' to the light rain
Beatin' on the tin roof
Baby, just me and you
Rockin' with the rhythm of the rain**

I grasped Scully tightly around the waist with one arm, the other on
the back of her neck and began swaying around the dance floor.  She
was light on her feet and followed my lead easily.

**Slide on over
Baby hold me closer
Movin' to and fro
Just swayin' like a slow freight train
Rockin' with the rhythm of the rain**

She leaned back slightly to peer into my face and she was beaming
from ear to ear.  I smiled at her and then looked over her head to
see several males with their eyes glued to her backside.  I swung
her around to lessen the view and put her butt facing the middle of
the dance floor and I let my knees go loose and both hands slide
down to cover said derriere.  She gasped a little as I palmed her
tight rear end cheeks, but didn't protest.  Her hands slid from my
arms up around my neck and she pressed close as we two stepped slowly
around the dance floor, my hands never leaving the soft buttery
leather that covered her ass.  As we did, the unearthly harmony of the
Judds flooded the bar and I felt like we were dancing in a bubble,
where no one else existed.

**So let the breeze keep blowin'
(Rockin with the rhythm of the rain)
(Night birds a singin' the crickets a callin')
Oh, my heart will never be the same
Keep the sweet feelin' flowin'
(Whisper in my ear baby)
(Oh, feels so fine)
(Nights like this come once in a lifetime)
Me and my baby rockin' with the rhythm of the rain

Oh baby, hold me tight
Say you love me
That's all I wanna hear tonight

Sittin on the porch swing
Listenin to the light rain
Beatin' on the tin roof
Baby, just me and you
Rockin' with the rhythm of the rain

Slide on over
Baby hold me closer
Movin' to and fro
Just swayin' like a slow freight train
Rockin' with the rhythm of the rain

So let the breeze keep blowin'
(Rockin with the rhythm of the rain)
(Night birds a singin' the crickets a callin')
Oh, my heart will never be the same
Keep the sweet feelin' flowin'
(Whisper in my ear baby)
(Oh, feels so fine)
(Nights like this come once in a lifetime)
Me and my baby rockin' with the rhythm of the rain

Me and my baby rockin with the rhythm of the rain**

That song segued into one by George Strait, singing about life
and love and we slowed.  My hands drifted up to clasp her around the
waist.  I dropped my nose into her hair and inhaled its citrus scent
and swayed slowly, just enjoying the feel of her leather clad body
pressed tightly
to mine.

I felt twinges of sexual excitement and ruthlessly suppressed them.
Her flushed cheeks and glowing face were enough of a reward.  Scully
was actually relaxing, a rare event indeed, and I didn't want to blow
it by coming on too strong and making her feel like she had to break
out her defenses.

When the slow song ended, we returned to our seats and finished our
beers.  The evening went well, and several men came over and asked
Scully to dance.  She politely turned them down as I glowered from
my chair, leaning over her possessively, and they backed off with
looks that told me I was one lucky son-of-a-bitch.

Finally, it was getting late and we were tired, but still high on
our evening on the town.  We decided to go back to the hotel.  When
we got there, Scully spied the pool and took my hand, leading me
through the fence and I settled on a padded chaise lounge chair,
reclining my back.  She straddled my thighs, causing her short skirt
to ride up her thighs and expose the tops of her silky stockings.  I
sucked in my breath and stared at her legs.

She chucked my chin playfully and murmured, "Hey, my face is up
here."

I looked up to find her grinning at me and I yanked her into my
chest.  She landed with a soft thud and chuckled, raising her face.
I kissed her, slowly and leisurely as she wiggled herself into a
more comfortable position.  This had the effect of making me start
to harden and I bucked underneath her to let her know what she was
doing to me.

She broke the kiss and looked into my eyes.  My voice was gravel-
toned as I stared into her baby blues.  "Scully, I can't wait much
longer ... case or not."

She stared at me and knew I was dead serious.  "I know.  I feel bad
now."

"Bad?"

"Yeah, that I'm making you wait, exciting you and not following
through."

"It has gone beyond the playful teasing stage," I admitted.

"You've been so patient with me and I love you for it.  But I
really think it's important that we not be distracted while this case
is going on."

"I don't know about you but ... you don't think I'm distracted now?" I
asked, my voice incredulous.

She smiled softly.  "I guess we are."

"You guess?  Scully, unlike you, I don't believe it's an either/or
situation."

"What do you mean?"

"I think we can be lovers and still work on a case.  I think NOT
being with you and knowing that I'm going to be ABLE to be with you
is a hell of a lot more distracting than if we were doing the
horizontal mambo."

"Horizontal mambo?"

"You know what I mean.  All I can think about every spare moment is
WHEN?  When can I hold you next, kiss you again?  When can I make love
to you?"

She sighed deeply and put her head on my shoulder.  We sat that way,
her sitting facing me in my lap for a long while, listening to the
crickets and hearing the water lap gently against the sides of the
pool.  "I need to think about it a little more, Mulder.  Maybe
you're right.  Can you give me just a little more time?"

"Of course I can, Scully.  I didn't mean to imply that I WOULDN'T
wait.  I'll wait as long as you need me to wait.  You know that.
Not like I have a choice in the matter," I murmured, knowing I
sounded slightly petulant.

She kissed the skin above my tank top and I swallowed heavily.  "Let
me think about it.  And you do have a choice.  You could be pushy and
you're not.  You could get angry and you haven't.  I appreciate that,
Mulder."

"All right.  Let's go to bed.  We have a day to sleep late and
relax, but then we have to be moving again by tomorrow night."

She extricated herself from my lap and we held hands as we walked to
her room.  I kissed her in the doorway and couldn't help myself when
I deepened the kiss, feeling myself become erect again.  It seemed
this was going to be a near perpetual state around Scully.  My hands
skimmed over her exposed midriff, reveling in the softness of her
skin.  She finally broke the kiss.  "I had a wonderful time tonight,
Mulder."

"Me too.  We'll have to do it again sometime."

She nodded, smiling.  "Are you tired?"

"Not yet, but I'll get there."

"You going to watch TV?"

"Maybe.  I'll probably just jerk off and go to sleep though," I
teased.

She gasped at my boldness and then slapped my chest playfully.
"Geez, Mulder.  Do you have to be so ..."

"Crude?" I supplied.  "Just being honest, Scully.  Driving around
with blue balls isn't my idea of a fun day."

She frowned, "I was going to say graphic."

"I can only be hard so long before I give myself relief or it becomes
painful."

She bit her bit her bottom lip and whispered, "I'm sorry.  Am I being
too much of a tease?"

I smiled gently.  "No, Scully.  You can't help it if the mere sight of
your skin or brush of your arm or your smile makes me insta-hard.  You
could dress like a nun and you'd be a temptation to me.  It doesn't
matter.  I want you.  That doesn't go away.  It's just this ...
constant ache I have.  I'll have it until ... well, until you let me
make love to you.  I'm kinda used to it.  After all, I've wanted you
for years.  But knowing that being with you is so close ..."  I
shrugged, not knowing what else to say.  I kissed her forehead
lightly.  "Good night, Scully," I whispered in her ear and then I
backed away and made my way to my own room.

I felt the loss of her next to me like a severed limb and wondered
if that sensation would ever go away.  I doubted it.  We were
getting close.  She'd admitted she wanted to be with me.
She was no longer pondering the pros and cons.  It was just a matter
of timing for her.  For me, I personally didn't see what the fuck
difference it made.  I wanted her, she wanted me.  Why the hell
couldn't we be together?  I honestly didn't think that I would be
better or worse on this case because of it.  It was one of those
things that was a part of my life and it would always be slightly
distracting.  But I could concentrate when I needed to.

She didn't know it but I did get angry occasionally.  I was sick of
this whole song and dance.  I thought waiting was ridiculous.  I
wouldn't tell her that, though.  I respected her opinions and
feelings, even if I didn't share them.  I respected her.  And that was
why I wasn't being pushy or showing her my anger or the true level
of my frustration.

I sighed and slipped the key into my lock, knowing it was going to be
another lonely night in a long string of lonely nights.  At least I
knew there was an end in sight.  She did want to be with me.  God, I
just hoped she didn't make me wait too long.  I was going insane.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day we slept late, had brunch and then went shopping to
stock up the fridge and cooler in the truck.  We packed up and
checked out of the hotel and made our way over to Las Vegas
Circuitry to pick up the load of computers that we were to take to
their San Diego warehouse.

Scully was quiet but not sullen, and I knew she was thinking about
our discussion from last night.  True to my word, I'd stripped and
jerked off before going to sleep.  This time, though, I'd decided to
masturbate in the shower and save myself the trouble of clean up.
That ritual was getting old, fast.  I drove in silence and turned on
the radio to fill the dead air and let her think whatever she needed
to think.  I concentrated on the road, knowing we had another DOT
weigh station to hit before crossing the border into California.

I fully expected that this load would attract the hijackers.  If it
didn't, I didn't know what would.  I was going to make sure that the
inspectors at the weigh station knew what our load was.  If someone
came after us shortly thereafter, we would know the likely source of
the information leak, or one of them anyway.

XXXXXXXXXX

We made it through the weigh station.  I made up some bullshit
excuse like I thought my load had shifted in the trailer.  I opened
up the back and hopped in while the inspector watched me.  I moved a
few pallets with a pallet jack and re-secured them even though they
were fine, just to put on a show and make sure anyone interested
could see that it was government computers we were hauling.

The name and city of the computers' destination was written in big
bold letters on the shrink wrap of each pallet.  I hopped out,
smiled at the man and closed the trailer, replacing the red seal on
the handle as he watched.

I'd been driving about five hours, so we pulled into a truck stop a
few miles up the road, refueled, got some supper and Scully took
over.

We were in California and headed southwest.  Two hours later, it
happened.  I heard Scully slowing the rig and pulling over.  I sat
up in my seat, having been dozing.  "What's up?"

She pointed and I saw a young girl standing beside a car with a
smoking engine.  She looked fairly distressed as Scully pulled to a
stop several feet beyond her.  "What are you going to do?" I asked.

"See if she needs a ride," she said as she set the brakes.  I looked
around and saw that we were in the middle of nowhere.  There were no
rest stops, no truck stops, no weigh stations and no houses for as
far as the eye could see.  The road was a long ribbon of concrete
between the rolling dunes and scrub that populated the desert all
the way into the mountains.  The solar emergency-call box located
about fifty feet away was obviously out of commission.  It looked
like it had been hit by a truck.

"Scully, let me check on her."

"Don't be silly."  She jumped out of the rig and headed toward the
girl.

I hopped out on my side and made my way toward the end of the
trailer, thinking I was probably being paranoid.

The girl said, "Thank God you stopped.  I don't know what to do.  I
don't have no cell phone and the call box has been damaged.  I was
afraid to walk to the next one alone."

"You want a ride to the next exit?" I asked, seeing that she was
really a young girl.

"That would be good, I guess.  I need to find a phone."

"We have cell phones," I offered.

"What happened?" Scully asked, her voice suddenly a little harsh.

I turned to look at her.  The girl answered, "I don't know.  I
heard a knocking, then a bang and then it started smokin'.  I figured
I ought to pull over."

"Did you open the hood?" Scully asked.

"No, it's hot."

I took a step toward the front of the car and Scully's arm whipped
out and shot in front of my stomach.  "Don't."

"Dana, what's the problem?  I'm just gonna see if it's something
obvious.  We probably shouldn't be here anyway, it could blow up.
We need to call the cops."

"Oh, you don't need to be doin' that!" the girl drawled in a
southern accent, her voice suddenly much more assured.

Scully said, "She has a phone, Marty."

I glanced and saw the cell phone peeking out of her purse and it was
lit up.  The phone was on and someone was listening to this entire
conversation.  I stiffened and turned toward the manzanita
scrub wood just in time to see two men emerge holding pistols.
Bullets pinged off the hood of the car as I shoved Scully ahead of
me and around to the driver side of the trailer.  We raced for the
door.

I turned to see the girl barreling after us with a pistol in her
hand.  I spun on my heel as Scully yanked the door open and climbed
into the cab.  I rushed the girl and she wasn't expecting it.

Her arms went up in the air and I easily knocked the gun out of her
hand.  Not waiting to meet the welcoming committee, I spun back and
hopped into the open door of the cab just in time to see Scully
pointing one of the Mag flashlights out the open passenger side
window.  She took careful aim as I released the brakes and slid the
truck into gear.  She pushed the button and I heard a yelp and saw
one man go down out of the corner of my eye.

"Move!" Scully shouted.

I popped the clutch and the truck leaped forward.

I heard what sounded like a mini explosion.  "Shit!"  Scully said,
"They hit a tire
on the trailer.  Go, go, go!"

I up shifted as quickly as I could, checking my west coast mirrors
and saw a small dirt turn around some distance behind.  A four by
four sped out onto the pavement with two men behind the wheel.

I gunned it, knowing the four by four would catch us in no time.
Scully was on her feet and behind the curtain.  She emerged, hauling
fire power into the cab and putting it between the seats.

"Scully?"

"Just drive Mulder, they're coming fast.  Get in the fast lane."

"Why?"

"So they come up on my side."

"I don't want them on your side," I cried out.

"Damn it, Mulder.  You need to drive.  I need to shoot.  I'm better
at it anyway," she threw out.

I felt a twinge at the minor insult but knew she was right.  She was
a better shot.  I checked my mirrors.  There was no traffic and I
pulled quickly into the fast lane, ensuring they would have to pull
up on the passenger side.

If I went all protective on her while we were 'on the job' and wanted
to take all the risks myself, it would just be one more reason for her
to stall a relationship with me, afraid that I would view her
differently at work.  I think this was one of the big reasons she'd
held out this long.  She was very sensitive about being treated as an
equal on the job.  My protective streak had nothing to do with my
belief in her capabilities.  I just couldn't live without her.
However, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't difficult to swallow that
fear and let her take the bigger risk.

Scully had her Sig Sauer in one hand and her PPK Walther in the
other.  Both had clips for automatic rounds.  She chambered the
first round in each one and waited, the wind from her open window
whipped her hair around her head.  She turned sideways on the seat,
pulled the seat belt out and wrapped the lap belt, loose, around her
waist.  This allowed her to leave one knee on the seat, her other
leg standing on the floor and balance her guns on the sill of the
window.  The seat belt acted as a harness, so she wouldn't move
around too much.  Man, this woman was unbelievable.

No sooner had I had that thought when I heard the first shot.  I
glanced at the slow lane and could see the four by four level with
us and coming into the center lane.  Scully began to fire.  I heard
the tat, tat, tat of the automatic pistol, the shattering of glass.
At this point I heard a bullet hit the metal in the cab and she
jerked back inside, twisting and pressing her back to the back rest.
The seat belt prevented her from falling backwards.  Clever woman.

I felt panic wash over me.  "Are you hit?" I nearly screamed.

She shouted back,  "No!"

Then she was swinging her body back into the window.  "Mulder, hand
me the grenade launcher."

I reached down, tossing guns to the side and found the grenade
launcher and hoisted it with one hand, my adrenaline pumping as I
kept looking back at the road to make sure there was nothing in our
way.

I heard another tire blow and watched in the mirror as rubber peeled
away from the hub and left a strip on the pavement.  The four by
four had to swerve to miss it.

I could feel the load was unbalanced now with two tires blown but I
kept my foot to floor and nudged the rig up to 75 miles an hour.
Thank God they'd turned off the governor on this thing.  If we'd
only been able to do 55 or 65 miles an hour, we'd be toast.

We hit a small decline in the road and I kept my foot to the floor.
We edged up to 80 miles an hour.  I was frantically scanning the
road ahead, waiting for the inevitable traffic that I knew we had to
hit eventually.  But they had chosen their spot well.  There was
nothing for miles on this stretch of road.  I did see one exit sign
ahead.

"Here comes the bastard, Mulder.  Hold it steady!" Scully shouted.

I gripped the wheel so tight my knuckles turned white and I held my
breath, slightly compensating as I felt the trailer sway under the
uneven support of its tires.

The roar of the rig's engine, the whine of the tires on the pavement
and the wind whipping through the cab filled my ears as I felt the
color drain from my face.   Jesus Christ, I thought.  We could die
here.  I said a silent prayer, 'Please let us get out of this.  Not
yet, it can't be our time yet.'

Then I concentrated on the road.  Five seconds later I heard Scully's
voice.  It
was nearly lost in all the noise, but I could
swear she said, "Hasta la vista, bastards."

Her body jerked back in her makeshift seatbelt harness as the
grenade launcher went off, firing its deadly load out the window.
I cringed when I heard the explosion and the trailer began to
fishtail.  "Oh shit!" I shouted, and concentrated on getting the rig
under control.  I let off the gas I looked in the rear view and
pulled into the center lane.  The four by four was a huge fireball
in the middle of the three lane highway.

I watched as it grew smaller in the mirrors and saw the car pull up
beside it.  Guess there was nothing wrong with it after all.  I
could see the figure of the girl and another man jump out of the car
and then jump back as the four by four greeted them with another
explosion.

Scully flopped boneless into the passenger seat and dropped her guns
on the floor between her feet.

She gripped the dash and breathed heavily through her pursed lips.
"You all right?" I asked.

"Yeah, just need to catch my breath.  We need to call that in."

"Yeah, I'm not in a hurry, though."

She sat up and looked in the side mirror.  "Shit!"

"What?" I asked.

"The car - it's still coming!"

"Fuck!" I shouted.  I scanned the road ahead.

"Yermo Road, take the Yermo Road exit," she screamed and gestured
frantically toward the exit at the bottom of the slight hill we were
barreling down.  She rolled up her window and braced herself for a
bumpy ride.

I cut the wheel hard and felt the load shift again and the trailer
fish tail as I slid off the exit, hitting the brakes.  I pulled onto
the state road, which was also deserted but thankfully populated by
a cover of abandoned warehouses and businesses, and followed the
signs.  A half mile later I slowed to the speed limit and continued
east.

"Get on the horn, Scully.  Maybe the local police can stop that
car."

"Do you think they saw us take the exit?" she asked.

"I don't know.  No sign of them yet, but I'm not ready to stop and
watch for them."

I stepped on the gas again and shifted into the higher gears, edging
the rig up as I watched the speedometer.  "Careful, Mulder, we need
to have those tires replaced.  The last thing we need right now is
to jackknife the trailer."

"I know, but it's straight road here, and as long as it is, I'm
pushing
it."

"Got my vote," she said as she leaned back and closed her eyes.

"You were great back there, Scully."

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"Glad you're on my side," I muttered.  My protective streak had
nothing to do with her prowess.  She was probably more capable than I
in many ways.  It was my fear of losing her that made my jealousy and
my protectiveness rear their ugly heads.

She laughed then and the sound was musical.  We weren't out of
danger yet, we knew, but I felt relief that we had escaped death
one more time.  She reluctantly sat up and began to type on the
satellite.

I pulled out my cell phone and called the local police, telling them
to put out an APB on that red mustang and to clean up the four by
four that had exploded on the highway.  They wanted more answers
than I could give them, so I gave them Skinner's number and then I
called him.

He riddled me with questions and I told him where we were and the
alternate route we were taking at the moment.  He said he would have
unmarked CHPs in the vicinity monitor us until we reached our
destination.

We kept driving until the satellite beeped and Ken Casey from
Global-Tech sent a message that the girl, Cheryl Rainy, and a man,
Nate Colder, had been picked up and taken into custody for
questioning.

I breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at Scully.  She was booting
up the computer the guys had given us.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What are you doing, Scully?" Mulder asked as I waited for the
computer to boot up.

"Looking for an alternate route for us, Mulder.  I don't want to get
back on I15 and I seem to remember there was another interstate that
fed into Barstow just south of here," I said as I began to zoom in
on the map I had pulled up.

Within moments I had a new route mapped out for us and logged in on
the satellite router.  We were going to follow Yermo Road as it ran
parallel to the interstate for a few miles past Toomey.  I shuddered
as I thought of our own experience with Eugene Tooms, but didn't
mention it to Mulder. He would make the connection himself.

When we reached Minneola Road we would turn south through Minneola,
CA and on down Hidden Springs Road to the I40 interchange, heading
southwest again.  Hopefully there would not be a problem with the
local police about our rig on these back roads.  As long as there were
no low bridges, we should be fine.

I breathed a deep sigh of relief and got a snootful of Mulderscent.
I knew I should be concentrating on our survival, but all I could
think of was sex.  Sex with Mulder.  Mulder, naked and lying under
me as I caressed him with my hands and my tongue.  I wanted to rub
my face all over him.  I wanted to lick away the sweat that I could
smell dripping down his chest.

I was trying not to let Mulder see my agitation.  I was sitting
absolutely still, concentrating on calming my need, my desire.  I
didn't think I had ever felt this aggressive, this needy before.
But even as I consciously thought that, I realized that I was
wrong.

First Person Shooter.  After our escape from the virtual bitch,
Maitreya, I'd had this feeling.  It had made me edgy, unsettled,
horny.  At that time I was afraid of it overpowering my control and
exposing my emotions to Mulder.

I ran.

I hid behind my cool façade and distain of male testosterone-driven
bonding rituals and ran as fast and as far as I could.  Right to my
motel room.  Right to the shower; the icy, cold shower.  By morning,
my emotions were well-buried.  I was once again Special Agent Scully
instead of Scully, Warrior Princess.  I had run all the way back to
myself.

I couldn't run now.  I was confined in the cab of an 80,000 pound
rocket, two tires short of being safe.  Held immobile by fear and a
seatbelt that Mulder had tightened to the point of discomfort,
without ever laying a hand on me.  This had to end.  I closed my
eyes and tried to breathe normally.

I was beginning to think he might be right.  Our lives were in danger
and I wanted to get laid instead of figuring out what to do next.  If
that wasn't distraction, I didn't know what was.

XXXXXXXXXX

As soon as we were back on I40, I decided to pull off at the first
full-service truck stop I saw.  Scully and I both needed showers and
food and a minute to get our bearings.  There was a garage there and
I pulled up and asked the mechanic to replace the two blown tires on
the trailer.

He raised an eyebrow, wondering, I'm sure what had shredded them so
completely.  I offered no answers and Scully appeared, plopping
clean clothes and a towel along with a plastic case with soap into
my hands.

We made our way to the showers without saying anything.  Scully
suggested that we eat dinner before we went back to the rig; who
knew when we would have a chance again if there were others out
there after us.

We needed to discuss what to do now.  We decided to make some more
phone calls and find out what was going on in the outside world.  I
didn't want to stumble into anything unaware.  We went back to the
rig and paid for the new tires with the Global Tech credit card that
was specifically for repairs.

We climbed into the cab and locked up carefully.  We pulled away
from the shop and into a sparsely populated section of the parking
lot that had a direct exit nearby.  We cleaned the guns and I put
them away, leaving two out in cubby holes near the bunk for easy
access.  We cleaned up again.  I stripped down to my boxers and
crawled into the bunk after flipping it out.

Scully eyed me dubiously and I said, "I need to hold you, Scully."

She nodded and gave no more protest as she shed her clothes, leaving
on her camisole and panties and sliding under the covers with me.  I
pulled her against me and kissed her hair.  "I was so scared,
Scully.  So scared we were gonna die."

"I know," she whispered. "But we didn't."

"No, but what if ..."

"What if what?"

"I'm just wondering if ... you died ..." my voice broke off.  "And
we never got the chance to ... be together.  I'd regret that for the
rest of my life."

"You were thinking about sex at a time like that?" she asked,
unsurprised at my train of thought.

I sighed.  "It's not about sex, Scully, not really.  It's about
losing chances, about being as close to someone you love as you can
be.  I want that for us and I don't ever want to have to say 'it's
too late now'."

She kissed my chest and snuggled closer.  "I love you, Mulder."

"I love you too, Scully.  Today was too close.  I was all ready to
help that girl without asking questions.  You were more suspicious
and more observant.  You saved our asses again.  A few more seconds
and one of us would have taken a bullet."

She swallowed harshly.  "Yeah, but I'm the one that stopped to help
her.  It was a classic ploy, damsel in distress.  You fell for it
like most guys would.  I'm a woman.  I wasn't as quick to be
lulled into a false sense of security.  I wasn't sure at first.
She seemed legit, but something about the picture just didn't ring
true for me.  I still stopped."

"What do you think caused the smoke?" I asked idly as I ran my
fingers through her hair.

"I don't know.  Could have been dry ice.  Could have been anything.
Good set-up, though."

"At least we know how they lured the others.  No more stopping for
damsels in distress."

"Yeah, one hooker and one hijacker is plenty for this trip, don't
you think?"

I chuckled then.  "Sleep, Scully.  We have a busy day tomorrow."

XXXXXXXXXX

PART 12 (NC-17)
AMERICAN EAGLE TRUCK STOP
I40, NEAR BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA

Mulder pulled me closer and heaved a huge sigh.  I could feel the
fear and tension still controlling him. I thought about his words,
and decided that he was right.  It wasn't just about sex.  It was
about losing chances, about being as close to someone you love
as you can be.

I wanted that for us, too, I decided.  I didn't ever want to say it
was too late.  I kept thinking about it being too late, of never
sharing my life with Mulder and I began to tremble.  I was lying so
close to him that I could feel the heat his fear generated, but I
was suddenly as cold as ice.  The stress of my earlier shoot out and
close call was now catching up to me as I began to relax.

The trembling escalated to tremors and the tremors quickly turned
into full body shuddering that identified the onset of shock.

"Hey," Mulder said as he pulled me even closer to his heat.  "Are
you going to be all right, Scully?"

"Don't know," was all I could say between my clenched teeth.

"Scully, you're scaring me.  Are you going into shock?"

I nodded and he pulled me even closer.

"What can I do?"

"Blankets," I managed to say.  "Warm."

Mulder reached into one of the bins above the bed and pulled out a few
light blankets and started to wrap me up.  I pulled away and stripped
off my clothes, then pulled at his boxers.  He got the hint right
away.  Skin contact under blankets was one of the quickest ways to
generate body heat.

"Anything you say, Dr. Scully," he grinned as he pulled the
blankets around us and tucked me into the curve of his body.
"Anything in the interest of science."

I snuggled against his chest and raised the blanket so that it
almost covered my entire head.  I knew I had pulled them off
Mulder's feet, but didn't think he would mind.  He was going to be
roasting in just a minute or two, but I was still shivering with
delayed reaction.

I ran my icy hands over his body and even though he flinched and
moved away a time or two, he let me do anything I needed to warm up.

I could feel the tremors lessening as my temperature rose.  The skin
under my fingertips became heated, and the heat seemed to flow from
his body straight to my heart.

I found myself stroking him rather than rubbing him.  I noticed the
different textures of his skin.  Here it was silky.  Here it was
still smooth, but the strength it covered gave it a different feel.

My breathing started to speed up again.  I was naked in Mulder's
arms and the only danger of shock I was in now was the shock I would
feel if I tried to move away from him.

My hands smoothed down his chest, past his ridged abdomen and
further down, tracing the line of hair that began on his chest.  My
fingers brushed against his navel and he inhaled deeply and let out
a moan of pleasure.  My lips followed my hands.

"Scully?  What's..."

I slid back up his body quickly and placed my lips on his,
effectively stopping his words.

"Shhhh," I said.  "Let me."

Mulder groaned and let me continue my exploration.

I again traced the hair down his abdomen to his cock.  I ran my
fingers through the hair that surrounded it.  It was as silky as
the hair on his head.  I kissed around his navel and turned to rest
my cheek on him.  I inhaled deeply and the musk of an aroused Mulder
made me wet.

I lifted my head and rubbed my face against the length of his
arousal.  Mulder pulled me up to his eye level and shook his head.

"Scully, God, not here.  I want you.  I want you more than I want my
next breath, but not here.  Not in this truck surrounded by danger."

I slid my hand down and wrapped my fingers around his pulsing cock.

"Scully.... please," he groaned.

I didn't know if he wanted me to continue or to stop.  I didn't
care.  Stopping was no longer an option.  We were both in love with
each other.  The only time I can remember ever having an option to
stop loving Mulder was right after our first case together.  I could
have run away then, if I had gone straight from the airport to
Blevins' office and turned in my request for transfer.

By the time I had arrived home and had to put up with Ethan for the
evening, it was already too late.

Ethan was supposed to be perfect for me.  My parents loved him, my
brothers loved him, Melissa didn't hate him, and he was Catholic.
He was from an old Navy family, so he understood me like very few
people ever would.  I had enjoyed dating him and had eventually felt
comfortable enough to share my body with him.  He claimed he loved
me and was ready for a commitment.

But at the end of the evening when we were making love, I knew that
Ethan was not the man for me.  I kept comparing him to Mulder.  He
wasn't nearly as intriguing and he was blatantly predictable.  He
wasn't as handsome as Mulder, he wasn't as smart as Mulder.  He was
a chameleon, allowing the priorities and beliefs of others to drive
his life, again, very unlike Mulder.  He had a very comfortable way
about him when we made love, but I didn't want comfortable.

I wanted wild.  I wanted passion to balance the prim and proper way I
needed to act at work, to make it in a man's world.  I wanted Mulder.

I wanted Mulder then, before I even knew him as completely as I do
now.  I wanted him now, but I realized that he was right.  I wanted
our first time to be special.  I wanted to be able to look back on
our first night together and smile with happiness, not laugh at how
typical it was for the agents on the X-Files.

I wanted him before I loved him and I waited.  I loved him and I
wanted him now, but I would still wait.  At least, I'd wait for our
first experience at intercourse.  Nothing was going to stop me from
a lot of heavy petting or maybe some mutual masturbation.  There was
more than way of making love.

I could have lost him today.  Right now, I wanted to be as close to
him as I could be without actually having intercourse.

I didn't think I was going to have a problem making him see things
my way.

XXXXXXXXXX  NC-17 PORTION  XXXXXXXXXX

"Mulder, I want to make love with you.  I know we should wait, but I
need to touch you, connect with you tonight.  Please let me..." I
lowered my mouth to his cock and kissed the entire length of it.  I
let my tongue swirl over the tip and back down to his balls.  I
wrapped my fingers around the base of his erection and slowly began
to slide my hand up and down as I let my tongue lap at the precum
that was leaking from the tip.

"Scully!  Oh shit!  Don't...  Stop... Don't stop!  Plea... ungh!"

I smiled as I wrapped my lips around the girth of him and slid down
as far as I could.  He was too large for me to deep throat, hell,
for most women, but I knew from the moans of pleasure that he made
that I was
doing something right.  God, he was thick, too.

My thighs were wet with the proof of my arousal.  Giving head to
Mulder was turning me on.  The texture of the hairs on the tops of
his legs was turning my nipples into sharp points of pleasure/pain
as they jostled and bobbed against him with each nod of my head.

Mulder wrapped my hair around his hands and I was somewhat fearful
that he was going to try to guide my motions.  But what he did was
so sensual, I almost came right then and there.

It felt like his fingers were worshipping me.  Softly, slowly
sliding through strands of my hair to my scalp and back.  He was
caressing each curl and strand as if it was precious and rare.
Occasionally his fingertips would caress my cheek.  Each touch was
as thrilling as a kiss.  Each moan or sigh from him excited me,
drove me to a higher level of arousal.

I shifted my leg and straddled his.  He lifted his knee enough to
bring his leg into contact with my sex.  I groaned my pleasure.  I
began to stroke his cock faster and let my tongue and lips tease
his tip.  My cheeks hollowed as I applied more suction.

Mulder curled up, flexing his abs and gasped, "Scully, I need to
watch.  I want to see your lips wrapped around me."  With that
he scooted back to prop his shoulders against the side of the bunk
and reached up to turn on one of the small map lamps on the wall.

I slowed my movements, but never let him leave my possession.

I looked up and saw everything I ever wanted in his eyes.  Love,
desire, respect, understanding, acceptance.  It was all there.
There in the eyes of the man I loved.

He gently slid his fingers into my hair again and soon was lost
in the sensual rhythm of my assault.  I had never enjoyed giving
oral sex this much before.  I knew that I had never initiated it,
and I had never followed through to completion with any other man.
But this wasn't just a man.  This was Mulder.  My man.

I felt his body tense and his balls tightened in my grasp.  I knew
he was close.  He tried to speak, but was beyond words.

"Sc...  Scu...   Dana, gonna... cum...!" he gasped.

I didn't slow or stop to talk, all I did was match his moan with
one of my own and he was lost.

The sound that roared from him made no sense to anyone but me.  It
was a sound of triumph, surrender and love.  It was magnificent.

His cum shot into my mouth in fast spurts.  I was amazed at how
much there was.  I knew he had been masturbating regularly so he
wasn't storing it up.  It wasn't hot like all the romance novels
stated.  It was, after all, 98.6 degrees, just like all normal body
fluids.  As a doctor I knew this, but it still was a surprise.  It
was salty and tangy, and not unpleasant tasting.  It was proof of
his desire for me.  It was heavenly.

As I licked and nuzzled his cock, trying to extend his pleasure, I
realized that I was rubbing my sex against his leg.  I was so close
to coming myself.

Mulder scooted back down and reached up to pull me over him, but I
stroked my clit back down his leg, moving my body into position to
take full advantage of his.

"Scully, baby, c'mer."  I could tell he was almost asleep, but was
fighting to stay awake.

"Shhhh, Mulder.  It's okay, go to sleep."

"Nuhuh.  Wanna make you happy," he slurred.

I began rubbing my clit against the top of his thigh, and leaned
forward to lick the sweat on his chest as I did.  He realized what
I was doing then and brought both of his hands to my breasts.  He
began to stroke and rub, then pinch my nipples.  In a matter of
moments, I came.

"Mulllddderrrr," I groaned.

"Jesus, Scully.  Oh, baby," he sighed.

XXXXXXXXXXX  END NC-17 PORTION  XXXXXXXXXX

I climbed up his body and reached up to turn off the light.  He
caught my nipple with his lips and gave it a suck and a kiss.  I
could tell he was at the end of his endurance.  Everything we had
been through that day was draining us both.  We needed to sleep.

So we did.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning we pulled out early, but stopped in Barstow at a
pay phone to call the guys.  We had discussed it over breakfast and
decided that we wanted them to bug some of the computers, if they
could, so that we could track them after delivery.

Mulder gave them the okay to charge the plane reservations for all
three of them on his charge account.  They called back and let us
know that they were all on different flights and would join us at
the Super 8 Motel in Escondido.  We would be near the delivery
destination and they could converge from the various airports
without the fear of being followed.

The rest of the day was easy.  That is, if you called traffic in and
around Los Angeles and San Diego easy.

We pulled into the Super 8 and checked in by dinner time.  Byers was
already there.  His room was to be tech central.  Langly showed up
around 7:00PM and together they assembled some of the equipment they
carried.

Frohike showed up after 10:00PM.  His eyes were bloodshot and he had
a silly grin on his face, but he had the supplies we needed to
complete our little project.

"Damn, Frohike, what did you have to do?  Drink somebody under the
table to get this stuff?" Langly grimaced as he got a whiff of
Frohike.

"Jus' a few drinks with an ol' bud to talk over ol' times," Frohike
insisted, just before he passed out on the empty bed.

"Did he get the right stuff?" Mulder asked.  "Why did he have to
pick some of it up here?  Didn't you guys have what we needed?"

"Yeah, he got the rest of it," Byers answered, "But we couldn't get
some of this stuff through airport security.  We had to get the
electronics locally."

"Yeah," Langly interjected.  "And Frohike had the connections we
needed."

"Looks like they go way back," Mulder grinned.

"What's your time table, guys?" I asked.  We were on a tight
schedule to deliver on time, after stopping last night.

"We'll be able to assemble the bugs and calibrate them in a couple
hours.  Frohike should be awake by then.  He's our B&E man."

I must have looked lost to Byers because he said, "Breaking and
Entering man, Agent Scully.  Frohike was a truck driver years ago
and knows how to open the trailer doors and seal them back up so
that the official seals don't look tampered with."

"Why don't you go on up to our room, Scully, and sleep.  I'll help
the guys.  I'll be back to get you and you can drive us on in to
San Diego."

"Where do you think you're going without me?" I asked, suddenly
uncomfortable with being separated.

"Just down the road to a less trafficked area, Agent Scully.  We
don't need an audience for our activities, do we?" Byers teased.

I blushed as I agreed.  Mulder wrapped his arm around my shoulder
and said, "I'll walk with you."

I said goodnight to the guys and turned to leave.  Mulder did not
release me from his embrace, walking beside me as we left.

The door was not entirely shut and both of us heard Langly's next
words.

"I told you they were doing it."

"Shhhh, they'll hear you," Byers immediately replied.  "If they are
or they're not is none of our business."

"Yeah, but Frohike will be pissed."

"Don't you think he already knows?  Have you ever seen him drink
with a business contact before?"

Langly's words were lost as the door shut and we moved on down the
hall.

"Sorry, Scully," Mulder whispered into my ear.

"It's all right, Mulder.  Even though they're wrong about the actual
happenings, the feelings are true," I smiled up into his eyes.

"I love you, Scully.  We've got to talk about what happened last
night..." he started.

"Love.  Love happened last night, Mulder.  That's all.  I wanted to
be as close to you as I could be and yet I agreed that I didn't want
our first time to be in the bunk.  It was a simple choice.  I chose
love."

We were at our door and Mulder leaned in to kiss me.  "I can't stay,
or I'll never get back to help the guys.  Sleep well, Scully."

"Hurry back, Phoenix," I said.

"Why do you call me that so often?" he asked.

I stood up on my tiptoes and let my lips brush his ear as I
whispered, "Because I really hate the name Marty.  I'd rather think
of the phoenix tattoo and remind you of how our lives are now
intertwined."

Mulder jerked me against him and buried his face in the curve of my
neck.  "I love the way you think, Scully.  I can't get used to calling
you Dana, either.  What's wrong with that picture?  But when it's
just us, we can use Mulder and Scully.  Just be careful to call me
Marty or by my handle in public where someone might overhear us."  He
released me and opened the door.  After he checked every room and made
sure I would be safe while he was gone, he kissed me goodbye and left.

I normally would have been irritated at his display of protective
behavior, but after almost being killed yesterday, I couldn't find
it in me to be angry.

XXXXXXXXXX

Time was of the essence and I was anxious to get back to Scully.  I
wondered if we would have another session of oral sex tonight.  I
owed her more than a dry hump against my thigh.  I groaned inwardly
as I realized how out of it I'd been afterwards and how I may have
seemed unappreciative.  I'd been worried she would regret it, but at
least that wasn't the case.  Fantasy No. 3 was complete, having seen
her swollen red lips wrapped around my aching cock.  Sure beat the
hell out of whacking off.  My palms were getting mighty hairy.

As I jogged back to Byers' room, I realized I was grinning,
remembering last night's intimacy.  I had always prided myself on
seeking the truth, and now one of the biggest truths I had pondered
for years had been revealed to me.  Scully swallows.  Fuck.  Who'd
of thought it?  Did pondering such things make me a pig?  It took a
concerted effort for me to wipe the grin from my face before joining
the guys, but I managed.

Once the bugs were assembled, we all boarded the truck and carefully
disassembled the computer boxes one by one, and Langly and Byers
went quickly and efficiently through them, placing bugs inside
the computer towers near the mother boards.  It was all beyond my
comprehension.  Although still tipsy, Frohike was the look out, not
because he was the most alert at the moment, but because he wasn't
capable of much else.

Even with their expertise and efficiency, it took a few hours,
and then we had to put each one carefully back into the box and
re-tape it so it didn't look like it had been disturbed.

I thanked the guys profusely as Frohike sealed up the trailer again
with the red seals.  We went to Byers' room and I helped them pack
up the equipment they were taking back with them.

As they were getting ready to leave, Frohike asked, "Mulder?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I know it's none of my business but ..."

"What do you want to know, Frohike?"  I asked with a resigned sigh,
knowing what was coming.  I wouldn't lie to the guys but I wasn't
about to give any details that were none of their business either.
Our relationship was at a very delicate stage right now.

"Are you two ... together now?"

"Together?"

"You know what I mean, Mulder."

"Are we a couple?"

"Yeah, I mean, I know you love her ..."

"Yes, I do," I admitted.  I was surprised at how easy it was to
say it and I could tell Langly and Byers were a little surprised
at my easy admission as well.

Frohike swallowed.  "I don't even know what I'm asking," he said
finally.

We were all silent for a few minutes and finally, I said, "Frohike,
I love her.  She says she loves me.  We're together but ... easing our
way into it ... the intimacy part."

His face asked the question he really wanted to ask.  I wasn't sure
if I should say anything.  Technically, it was none of his business.
On the other hand, I knew his asking had no malicious intent.  I
knew he wouldn't use it against her or me later.  I also knew that
he loved her too.

"Forget it," he said and turned toward the door.  They all made
moves to leave.

"This doesn't go outside this room," I said, stopping them all.
They all turned to face me and nodded.

"I know what you're asking Frohike.  It's none of your business."
He opened his mouth and I held up my hand to forestall his
objections or denials.  "I'll tell you anyway, because I know you're
not asking to have fodder for gossip.  I know you're asking because
you care about her."

He nodded.  I held his gaze for a few moments.  "I haven't slept
with her yet," I said softly.

He took a deep breath.  I couldn't tell if he was surprised or
relieved by the news, or feeling something else entirely.  His face
gave away nothing.

I continued.  "Will we be together that way?"  I paused.  "I think
so, probably soon, but it's her call.  It's always been her call."

He nodded.  "I care about you too, Mulder, you know that, it's just
..."

"I know," I said, acknowledging what he wasn't saying.  He'd loved
her for a long time.  Everybody in the room knew it.

"You don't deserve her, Mulder," he said, and I knew he didn't mean
it as the insult that it sounded like.

"Frohike," Byers said with a censure in his voice.  I held up my hand
to stall his comment.

"I know that too.  Nobody knows it better than me, Frohike.  But I
do love her and I can't just turn that off.  You know that as well
as I do.  She's the most important person in the world to me.  You
know that too."

"Take good care of her, Mulder.  I don't mean just on the job."

I nodded.  After another pause I stared at him again.  "I won't hurt
her, Frohike, if that's what you're worried about."

"Not intentionally," he murmured.

"What we do is dangerous, but it's not my choice to have her do this
job.  It's what she does.  She'd do it whether I was in the picture
or not.  And I'd rather be here to watch her back ... than have
someone else doing it."

"That's not what I meant," he said quietly.

I swallowed.  "What did you mean?"

"I mean don't break her heart."

"You think I could break her heart?" I asked incredulously.

"I know you could," he said with confidence.  "I don't think you
realize how everything you do affects her.  All the chances you
take.  It hits her deep, even if she doesn't show it."

I shook my head.  "No, you're wrong about that, Frohike.  I'm
incapable of hurting her that way.  I would never do anything to
hurt her like that.  I would never ... wander.  And I stopped ditching
her a long time ago.  I don't even want anyone else.  I haven't wanted
anyone but her for so long ... I don't even remember what it was like
to be attracted to someone else.  No, if anyone's heart gets broken,
it's going to be mine."

"Promise?" he asked, a quirky, sad smile on his face.

"I promise," I responded.

Frohike and Langly left to go to their respective rooms, and I
hurried to Scully's room, anxious to be with her again, to hold her
and feel her next to me.  I was so tired from moving all the boxes
and pallets by myself, but realized I smelled.  I would need a
shower first.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was after 2:00 AM when Mulder came back to the room.  I was still
sleeping soundly and didn't hear him enter.  I woke to the sound of
the shower.

I was trying to decide whether to join him or to let him have his
privacy when I realized I was naked and walking towards the bathroom
door.  Well, that was settled.

Mulder was tired, leaning against the shower wall, letting the hot
water ease the aches in his muscles.

"Hey, need help?" I asked softly.

"Scully.  Your help is always wanted," he gave me a tired smile.

I washed his hair and helped him as he finished his shower.  I
quickly washed my hair and rinsed off with him.  He was asleep on
his feet.  It made me smile to see him actually fighting sleep for
a change.

"This isn't funny, Scully.  I'm never going to be able to sleep
alone again," he said as he draped his body over mine while I tried
to dry him.

"Who said you had to?"  My reply perked him up enough to make it to
the bed.  He crashed, naked, across the bed.  I watched him while I
dried off and contemplated what to do about asserting some sleeping
space of my own.  I was grinning again.  I didn't need a 'side' of
the bed!  I would sleep on Mulder.

XXXXXXXXXX

We were up and out the door by 6:30 AM.  I was amazed at what three
hours sleep could do for Mulder.

"I've lived on three hours of sleep a night for years, Scully.  It's
normal for me.  All this sleeping I've been doing while traveling
with you is abnormal."  Mulder finished his gargantuan breakfast and
put the money down for the meal.  I noticed this job had increased his
appetite as well.  Must be all the fresh air.

The waitress had just grabbed the money and the tab when the Gunmen
joined us.

Byers and Langly looked sleepy but normal.  Byers in his suit,
Langly in his black Ramones tee shirt and jeans.  Frohike looked
like death warmed over.

Mulder's cheerful greeting invoked dark looks from all three of our
friends.  I laughed.  After the waitress brought them coffee and
orange juice, they actually started to look human; well, Byers and
Langly did.

Mulder and the guys filled me in on what they had done the night
before.  Not only had they bugged a sampling of all the computers,
but they had altered our satellite responder to allow us to use the
laptop to send out false readings.  Now we could escape the
hijackers if they were using their connection to Global-Tech to find
us.  No wonder Mulder was tired.  His part had been to move all the
pallets of computers so that the guys had access to the entire load.

I was dutifully impressed by their ingenuity and told them so.  My
words of praise seemed to do more for Frohike than the black coffee
and toast he had been eating.

I picked up our receipt and stood up.  It was time to go.  We had a
10:00 AM appointment to deliver and we were going to be doing well
to make it.

Mulder stood beside me as we told the guy thanks again.  Byers stood
up as his good manners demanded.  Langly sprawled in his chair and
gave us a, "Later, dudes."

Frohike stood up and came around the table to say good bye.  He
picked up my hand and kissed the back of it before saying, "May I
say that you are looking disgustingly perky and happy today, Dana?"
His sharp little eyes sparkled behind his glasses, as he shot Mulder
a glance I couldn't quite read.  Approval?

"That's a compliment I would accept only from you, Frohike," I said
as I kissed him on the cheek.  I knew he was trying to accept my
newly defined relationship with Mulder and wanted to give me his
somewhat strange blessing.  He smiled and blushed at my words.

"You take care of her, or I'll kick your ass," was his remark to
Mulder.

"With my life."  Mulder's reply seemed to assure him.

As we turned to leave I heard Frohike telling the waitress to 'get
your pretty parts over here.  What kind of breakfast is toast for a
real man, anyway?'

XXXXXXXXXX

I jumped out and got the bay number for our delivery.  The dock
manager was gruff but helpful, and I crossed him off the list of
involved personnel.

Mulder had the rig backed up to the dock and the seals were broken
without a question.  The dock plate was already in place when the
manager of the warehouse came charging up on a skateboard.  I  thought
I had seen it all. Warehouses ranged from small to millions of square
feet and we had seen every mode of transportation used from bicycles
to golf carts.  This was our first skateboard.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.  "I have a truck scheduled
in from Seattle at this dock," he informed us as he slid sideways to a
stop, hopped off, tapped the board with his toe and flipped it upright
neatly catching the opposite end in his hand.  It was an impressive
move.  His manners, however, were decidedly less impressive.

The dock supervisor rode up on his bike and interceded.  "I told
them to use this dock.  It's on the schedule for them.  They have
the right papers.  What's going on, Dave?"

Dave backed off immediately.  "Oh, I must have double booked.  Sorry,
Bud."  He started to retreat when Mulder spoke up.

"I'd better call my dispatch and confirm that I was supposed to drop
this load here.  Can I use the phone in your office?  My cell seems to
be in a dead zone here."

"We have a pay phone by the break room you can use.  No drivers in
the office," Dave said as he took off.

Mulder asked Bud where the break room was and we headed in that
direction.  "We've got to get in that office," Mulder said quietly
to me as we walked.  "I need to find out the phone numbers in there
so the guys can monitor all the calls out."

"Let me see what I can do," I said as I walked towards the ladies
bathroom.  Just as I suspected.  It was filthy.  I turned around and
walked into the office as if I were invited.

There was an older red head sitting outside Dave's office.  I walked
up to her, and smiled.

"Ms. Willis?"  Her name was on her desk plate.

"Jeannine.  What can I do for you?"  Her smile was small but friendly.

"I'm here with my husband to unload, and I went into the restroom
out by the break room.  I was uh... wondering if I could use the
staff facilities.  That one is uh... kinda dirty.  Men are such pigs,
sometimes."  I put on my best clueless impersonation.

"Sure, honey, right back down that hall past the water cooler."

"Thanks!" I grinned.

"Anything for a fellow red-head," she smiled back.

I had to stifle the urge to laugh out loud.  I'm sure her red came
from a bottle, but I was in and I wasn't going to insult her.

I used the facilities and walked back to thank her.  I could hear
Dave in his office yelling at some one.  I glanced at the phone on
Jeannine's desk and saw the light lit under his name.  The last four
digits of the phone number were there and I committed them to memory.

"I was wondering if I could make a local call?" I said.

"We have a payphone for drivers out by the break room..." she started.

"I know.  But... you see, I don't really want Marty to know that I'm
calling my brother's house.  They don't get along and I try not to
piss him off, but I need to see my family, ya know?"

I could see that she was wavering, and I pushed again.  "I have the
sweetest little nephew and I'm missing his entire childhood.  Since
I can't have any of my own, he's the closest thing I have to a baby
in my life."

Tears had sprung up in my eyes.  I wasn't acting; my words were
true.  I purposely used my emotions to sway her to let me use the
phone.

"Sure, honey, I understand," she said with a sigh.  "You can use the
phone over in the corner.  Just don't let Dave catch you.  Although
with the screaming match he's having in there, I don't think it will
be a problem."

I got Bill & Tara's answering machine, as I knew I would at this
time of day.  I asked Jeannine what the area code and prefix for the
number there was to leave on the message machine and she gave it to
me.

I thanked her and asked her to please page me if Tara called in the
next few minutes before we left.  She patted my hand and said she
would do what she could.

Mission accomplished.  I went back to the truck and signaled Mulder.
I got into the bunk and called the gunmen, giving them the number to
check.  I climbed down into the driver's seat and finished our log
and satellite information for the delivery.  Just as I was getting
ready to log off the satellite, a message came through for us to
call Global-Tech Logistics and a number was given that I had never
seen before.  I wrote it down and climbed out to find Mulder.

"We have a message from Global-Tech," I said as I handed him the
number.

"Dispatch?" he glanced at the number.

"No, this is a new one.  I've never seen it before.  What do you
want to bet that it's the same number our friend Dave was calling a
few minutes ago?"

Mulder smiled at me and jogged away to call the number.  He looked
upset when he came back.  I had a feeling I knew why before he
even spoke.

"It was Deirdre.  She wants us to keep part of the load on and deliver
it to San Francisco.  She gave me specific instructions about our
route.  She will put the information through to dispatch right away."

"Mul... Marty, I'm sorry," I said.  And I was.  Mulder's trust in
Diana Fowley had been destroyed completely.  The consortium was
obviously a family business.  She had to have been lying from the
very beginning of their relationship.  No one deserved that kind of
betrayal.

"I'm okay, but it was close for a second there.  She asked if we had
ever met before.  I sounded like an acquaintance of hers.  I asked
her if she had grown up in Ohio and made a pass at her.  I think it
threw her off the track.  She obviously knew that we were a married
team because she made a remark about giving her best to my wife
before she hung up."

"That was quick thinking, partner," I grinned.

"Yeah, well, I've found most women will rebuff a man that they think
is married, especially when he's across the country from them and
they're planning to have him and his wife killed in the next couple
of days."  Mulder said bitterly.

"I hope she really didn't know it was us."

"Me too," he said.

Dave came rolling up on his skateboard.  "Tanner, new information
was just given to us by your dispatch from Logistics Department.
You're to take half of the load you brought in on up to San
Francisco."

"Yeah, I just got off the phone with Global-Tech.  As soon as the
paperwork is faxed, we'll be on our way.  Do you want me to pull
away from the dock so your Seattle in-bound can get in?"  Mulder was
playing him like a fish.

"Yeah, he's out in the lot right now.  Bud will let you know when
you're unloaded and can pull away."  Dave hurried back to the office.

Mulder and I turned to go back to the rig.  I glanced at him and saw
the smile he was trying to hide.  I gave him a quizzical look.

"There's something basically wrong with a skateboarder running a
warehouse, don't you think, Dana?"

I just smiled and nodded.  I wanted to get back to the truck to call
Tara and Bill and let them know that we didn't have time to visit.
I also wanted to get back to the guys to see if the number Deirdre
Fowley had given Mulder was the number Dave called earlier.

I also wondered if we could find out who the Seattle truck was driven
by.  But we'd already overstayed our welcome and I decided it wasn't
worth the risk to ask, lest it look suspicious that we were asking too
many questions.

XXXXXXXXXX

We were on the road again, I15 north towards I10 west and on up to
I5 north.    All interstates meant that the traffic was going to be
bad until we got outside the Los Angeles metro area.  Not exactly
the type of place that a hijacking could take place.  We were
following the route given to Mulder by Fowley, but didn't expect
anything to happen until we were past Bakersfield.

They guys had confirmed that Dave had contacted Fowley directly.  We
now had the names of three of the players in the ring and called
Skinner to have search warrants standing by for them.  If our
hunch played out, we were being set up again.  This time we weren't
going to play.

We had been instructed to take I99 at the split of I5 and I99 after
we passed the Grapevine.  We had been driving ever since we left San
Diego, stopping only for fuel and bathroom breaks.  We traded off
shifts, and kept on the road.  I didn't like falsifying our
documents, but we needed to be ahead of where our satellite was
telling them we were.  It could mean the difference between life and
death for us.

We were about a hundred miles beyond Grapevine Peak when the CB
started squawking.  Hundreds of drivers were sending out warnings
about an explosion and rock slide on the Grapevine.  Mulder and I
knew that it had been planned for us.  I prayed that no one was
seriously hurt.

We kept going until we found an out of the way place to stop.  We
fueled up and ate dinner.  We found a motel room and checked in.  We
contacted Skinner and had him set up a stakeout of the motel we were
in.  The local Feds were told that we had received a tip about our
load being marked for hijacking.  They were to watch and follow, but
not to attempt an arrest.  The ringleaders needed to be found.  They
weren't happy, but they agreed.

When we got the word from Skinner that all the agents were in place,
we reconfigured the satellite to our current location.  About 2:00AM
Mulder called into to dispatch and told them we were stopping for
the night.  The man on duty was new and he questioned us about how
we had gotten around the mess on the Grapevine.  He told him that we
were past it when it happened, but that his wife had gotten sick and
we had been resting until I felt better.

Mulder and I had picked this particular motel because it was out of
the way and easy to access.  He had parked the rig with the back of
the trailer to an open service road.  If anyone wanted to steal the
load, all they had to do was break open the lock and it was theirs.

We showered and climbed into bed snuggled together.  If anything
happened before morning, Skinner would let us know.

XXXXXXXXXX

PART 13 (R)
SOMEWHERE PAST GRAPEVINE PEAK
CALIFORNIA

We were already up and dressed by the time Skinner called.  The
stakeout had been a success.  The computers were snatched and on
their way north on I99 with a team of agents in a helicopter
following them.  The thieves had relocked and sealed the door to our
trailer, leaving no sign that they had unloaded the computers.  The
agents that remained after the hijackers left had gone over the
trailer already.  The fingerprints and fiber samples were on their
way to the lab in Washington.

We decided to continue as if we didn't know the load was gone.  Of
course, any experienced trucker would know as soon as he moved that
the trailer was empty by the feel of the steering.  We hoped no one at
Global-Tech would pick up on our ruse later and ask why we didn't
suspect missing freight.  Skinner had called, mad as a hornet.  The
helicopter tail had lost the truck in the mountains.  We immediately
called the guys and they were able to track the computers from San
Diego.  Since I5 and I99 converged in Sacramento, we decided to take
I5 north instead of the route given us by Fowley.  Once again we set
up the satellite link to broadcast incorrect data.

We drove hard for the second day in a row.  We made it to Sacramento
in a little over six hours.  Even the traffic around the junction of
I405 didn't slow us down.  As we approached Sacramento from the
south, I99 and I5 again merged.  We knew that the truck with the
stolen computers was behind us, so we pulled off in West Sacramento
after we reached I80 to let them get ahead of us.

We made a quick pit stop and fueled up, not knowing when we would
get a chance again.  I was paying for some sunflower seeds and a few
other snacks when a voice behind me called out, "Ladybird?  Is that
you?"

When I turned I spotted him immediately.  Cooner was a hard man to
miss, even if Mulder hadn't described him to me in detail.  We had
yakked on the CB a time or two.  He was the one that pasted Ladybird
on me as a handle.

"Cooner?  What are you doing here?"  I smiled at the big man as he
looked around for Mulder.

"Just a quick stop on the way to Frisco.  Where's that man of
yours?" he grinned.  "Or did you off him after your last fight and
take over the rig?"

I had to laugh.  When Mulder and I had gone through our hard time, I
was grateful that Mulder had met a man like Cooner.  So many of the
drivers we came in contact with were good men like him, but there were
always lowlifes that came with any profession.

"He's out checking out the rig while we fuel up."  I couldn't help
myself when I said, "I let him live this time.  I didn't even shoot
him again."  Let him wonder about that one.

Cooner's eyes widened but he didn't remark on my comment.  "I got
the wife with me and I want to introduce her to the both of you.
I also want her to see his tat.  I been trying to talk her into
getting one, but she's dead set against it."

I could see Mulder coming in the door and knew by the look on his
face he didn't recognize Cooner from the back.  I smiled to let him
know that I was all right and didn't notice the large woman that
barreled up to me.

"Get lost, bitch.  This one's taken," she glared at me and I took a
step back, shifting my weight so that I would be ready for her if
she actually attacked me.  I realized in a flash that she probably
thought I was a lot lizard despite my conservative clothes.

"Hey, sweet thing, I know this lady.  She's the wife of one of my
buddies.  It's okay, honeybunch.  You know you're the only woman for
me," Cooner was soothing her.

Mulder strode up and wrapped his arm around me, sticking out his
right hand to Cooner.  "Hey, Cooner.  Good to see you.  Is this your
lovely wife Alice that you told me so much about?"

I could see Alice relax as Mulder's words sunk in.  If she was this
territorial about the big man next to her, I no longer doubted that
he was faithful to her.  She looked at her man with pride and love
and acceptance.  I hoped that was what she saw in my eyes for
Mulder.  That and more.

Cooner and Mulder talked for a few minutes and decided that we would
get some dinner with them.  Alice apologized to me again and I had
to grin.

"I know how you feel, Alice.  I don't want Marty hanging around other
women either.  Thank goodness he feels the same way about me and other
men."  I grinned at Mulder as we talked.

We drove our trucks up the road to a restaurant called Vince's and
had some of the best Italian food I ever ate.  The minestrone soup
was out of this world and it was served with fresh hot loaves of sour
dough bread and butter.  I could have eaten just that and been
happy, but when I tasted the ravioli, I was in heaven.

Mulder ordered something called a Land, Sea and Italy.  It was a
small steak, done to perfection, a fried piece of cod and a healthy
serving of pasta.  I watched him eat every bite and start picking at
my leftovers and just shook my head.  He never gained an ounce.

"It kills me how these men can eat until they can't move and not
gain a pound, but let me even look at dessert and I'm up five
pounds," Alice said.

"I know.  Marty can eat his own weight in fattening foods and still
not gain a pound.  Of course, he exercises a lot too."

We talked about our men for a few minutes as the subjects of our
conversation caught up.  I couldn't have guessed we'd make friends
with an odder pair.  Back in D.C., we wouldn't have traveled in the
same circles at all.  I was surprised at how much I was enjoying
talking to another woman for a change.  At work, other than a few
lab people, most agents thought of me as Mrs. Spooky and avoided me
like the plague, as though contact with me and the X-Files might
somehow taint them.  It was refreshing to gab with someone that had
no preconceived idea of who you were.

I also realized how much I enjoyed being a couple and sharing
friendships and other things with Mulder besides work.  Socializing,
for instance.  It was rare we socialized with anyone other than each
other or the Gunmen.

"So you think the rockslide on five was not an accident?" Mulder was
asking Cooner.

"I know it wasn't.  I was just coming up an incline and at the top I
looked across the next hill and saw the cloud from the explosion.
That was as planned as a wedding day, if you ask me," Cooner nodded
to stress his point.

"What do you think they were trying to accomplish?" Mulder pumped.

Cooner took a drink of coffee and settled back in his chair.  He
looked around before he spoke, as if looking for an eavesdropper.

"I think it was that bunch of yeahoos that are hijacking loads of
technical equipment.  I don't know who they are or why they're doing
it, but I've lost a couple good buddies lately.  The last team they
offed were both men I had worked with for years when I drove for
Global-Tech."

Neither of us could hide our surprise.  "You drove for Global-Tech,
Cooner?" I had to ask.

"Yeah, but they shorted me on a few loads and took it out of my pay,
so I hooked up with Direct Transit.  They've done good by me.  I've
not regretted switching over," Cooner nodded to Alice.  "'Sides, I
get home on a regular schedule now and they let Ali come with me
whenever she wants."

"Yeah, it saved our marriage," Alice interjected.

"Say, they're always looking for new driving teams, if you two are
interested.  Just mention my name and I get a bonus if you sign
on," Cooner informed us with a grin.  "Gotta keep the money flowin'."

I looked at Mulder.  I knew he wanted to tell Cooner about our
assignment.  I wanted to trust this man, but I still felt a little
uncomfortable about disclosing our assignment to him.  I could tell
Mulder was reading my hesitation and understood it.

He winked at me and touched his phone.  I nodded back.  He excused
himself and I knew he was calling the guys to see if there were any
surprises in Cooner's past.  He was back in a few minutes with a
grin on his face.

Cooner had been telling Alice about Mulder's tattoo and teasing her
about getting one of her own.

"Now just what do you think my father the preacher would think about
his only daughter getting a tattoo?" Alice laughed at him.  "I'm
sure Dana wouldn't dream of getting a tattoo.  Most women wouldn't
consider it."

"Marty, show Ali your tat.  Come on, no one's watching," Cooner
insisted.

Mulder pulled his arm out of his shirt and leaned over so Alice
could see his tattoo up close.  I felt the hairs on the back of my
neck raise as she studied his tattoo and then the rest of his
gorgeous chest that was exposed.

"I can see why you wanted me to see this, Cooner.  Beautiful," she
breathed.

"Yes, he is," I said.  She gave me a quick glance and backed off.  I
knew how she felt now when she had first seen me talking to Cooner.
And I knew she wasn't a real threat; just admiring the view because it
was there.  How would I react to someone that was really putting the
make on Mulder?  I shuddered to think.  This was a new feeling for me,
and I didn't like it.  Mulder seemed to pick up on it right away.  He
moved closer to me and pulled his shirt on quickly.

"Thanks," he said, but he was looking at me with a silly grin on his
face.  It was reassuring.  I realized that I trusted him.  If I did,
then I didn't need to trust the women that flirted with him.  I could
hardly blame them.  I knew Mulder wasn't fickle and he had chosen me.
I could thumb my nose at them and say, 'I won.'

I'd jumped to the wrong conclusion about Chloe, or Meghan or whatever
her name was.  I realized that my jealousy said that I didn't trust
him.  No wonder he'd been so hurt.  But it was a deeply ingrained
instinct in me to be suspicious of man's ability to resist temptation.
I would need to remind myself that Mulder wasn't my father, he wasn't
Ethan or Jack or Daniel.  He was his own man and he was unique.  That
was part of why I loved him in the first place, because he was
different from every other man I'd ever been involved with.  And here
I was treating him like every other man ... with suspicion and
assumptions of the worst.  It wasn't fair to him.  He'd done nothing
to deserve that.  I resolved to be better about this sort of thing in
the future.

"What'd you think honeybunch?  Wouldn't you like a tat like that?"
Cooner was clueless.

"I don't know, big man.  That would be too big and obvious on a
woman's arm.  I don't know any women with tattoos unless you count
the parolees in Pa's parish."

"Dana has a tattoo." Mulder said casually.

I wanted to kill him.  I knew what was coming next.

"You do?  Let's see!" said Alice, right away.  "Unless it's in a
private spot that is," she amended.

"Yeah, Dana, let's see."  Cooner was intrigued.

"Marty!" I growled.  I didn't want to play show and tell in a public
restaurant.  That's why I hadn't said anything when she first
mentioned it.

"Come on Dana," Mulder teased.  "It's a beaut."

I slid onto my knees in the booth and turned so that they could see
my tattoo.  I pulled up my shirt and I could feel Mulder's fingers
pulling down the waistband of my shorts a little to uncover it
completely.

"Wow!  A snake eating its tail!  That's a strange one, Dana.  What
does it mean?" Alice was curious.

"It's an Oroborus, a symbol of life's eternal circle," I said,
hoping the subject could be dropped.

"What did you think about it when she first got it, Marty?" Cooner
asked.

I looked into Mulder's eyes, as anxious as Cooner and Alice to hear
his answer.

"She got it at a time that was hard on both of us. It was a rebellion
of sorts.  We weren't really together yet, but I knew she was the one
for me.  I think it was something she had to do, and it helped us in
the end."

"How?" was my one word question.  Mulder was speaking directly to me
now.  Cooner and Alice might as well have not been there at all.

"Every time I put my hand on your back I thought about it being
there under your clothes and it reminded me of the strong
independent spirit you are under your public persona.  It hurt to
think about it when you first got it, but eventually, I realized
that everything wasn't about me," he grinned as the private moment
between us spun out and memories of a rose petal and a desk filled
our minds.

"Umhhh.  Well, I guess that's clear as mud," Cooner joked.

I could see Mulder shake off the old memories and come back to the
present.  "Cooner, Dana and I aren't what you think we are."

"You're not married?" Alice asked.

"Well, no, not in the widely accepted terms of marriage.  But we're
together," I said.

"Cooner," Mulder started again, looking around for listeners.  "Dana
and I are not professional truck drivers.  We're FBI and we're
undercover trying to bring down the hijackers that have been killing
truckers and stealing loads."

"FBI?  What are you doing with that rig from Global-Tech then?"
Cooner was suspicious.  Mulder explained everything and Cooner and
Alice listened, enthralled.

"So, you're actually an FBI agent?" Alice asked me.

"Yes," I replied.

"And a medical doctor," Mulder interjected with pride.  "She's a
brilliant pathologist."

Cooner and Alice exchanged a glance and then stared at me again.

"So, what..." Cooner cleared his throat.  "Why did you tell me
this?"

"You don't think he has something to do with the hijackers just
because he used to drive for Global-Tech, do you?" Alice paled as
she questioned Mulder.

"No, not at all!" Mulder quickly assured them.  "We know that some
of the higher ups in the ring are officials of Global-Tech.  We've
actually had a run in with them between Barstow and Vegas.  If it
hadn't been for Dana's quick thinking, we would be another set of
statistics."

"And we believe that the rockslide on I5 was aimed to stop or kill
us," I added.  "Besides, if we suspected you were involved, you'd be
the last people we'd blow our cover to.  We're telling you because we
trust you and it can never hurt to have another set of eyes and ears
out there.  Plus, we want to know if you've heard anything."

"How could they be so far off on your location?" Cooner asked.

"We have the technology to send a false signal through the satellite
link," Mulder answered simply.  Neither of us saw a reason to let
him in on the fact that the technology didn't come from the FBI.

Mulder went on to answer Cooner's other questions.  Alice listened,
interjecting a question once in a while.

"So, you know that the stolen computers are on a truck that's
probably passing us even as we speak?" Cooner was amazed.

"Yeah, we've got some people watching them.  If they deviate from
I80 west, they'll call us.  We don't want to get too close to them.
We can't exactly hide in a crowd with that Kenworth out there, and
we don't know if they have others out there with them," Mulder
replied.

"So, what do you want us to do?" Cooner finally asked.

"Nothing overt," Mulder said.  "We wanted to tell you so that we
could find out any information that you may remember or for that
matter, not even know that you know."

We discussed the hijackings until Mulder's phone rang.

"Tanner," he said automatically.  It was the guys.  The truck had
driven past us and was heading up I80 about 5 miles ahead of us.
They didn't seem to be in any hurry, so either they didn't know that
we were near them, or they didn't care.  Mulder stood up, throwing
down a wad of bills for our dinner.

"We need to get going," he said as Cooner and Alice exchanged
glances.

"Marty, let us go with you," Cooner suggested.  "We're empty right now
and it'll be a couple days before we get another load.  We could ride
shotgun."

"No, Cooner, I can't ask you to risk your wife and rig to help us,"
Mulder started.

"You're not asking me, I'm asking you.  I've lost some good friends
to these creeps, and I don't want to lose two more.  I'm going to
follow you whether you like it or not."

I could tell that Mulder appreciated his thoughts, but didn't want
to be responsible for a civilian during a fight.

I placed my hand on Mulder's forearm, "Alice, Cooner, we don't want
to put you in harm's way.  These guys tried to shoot us once already
and obviously were trying to kill us again on the Grapevine.  We
think they're part of a larger group of men who are using the
government for their own agenda.  If you do this, we can't guarantee
that we can protect you anymore than we are sure that we can defend
ourselves."

"We understand that, Dana.  It's a risk we're willing to take to help
stop these guys," Alice said.  "My daddy always told me that you
have to work to keep the world safe for the good people.  It's the
way I've always lived and it's the way Cooner's always lived.  We're
not going to stop now."

Mulder said, "You have to agree to do everything we say ... without
question.  If an untrained civilian was injured because of our
actions, it could mean our jobs," he said.  "Hell, if they knew we
blew our cover to a pair of civilians, much less took them along
during a pursuit, THAT would be enough to cost us our jobs, let alone
if one of you got hurt."

Cooner and Alice just nodded.  Alice added, "You're the professionals.
We'll follow your lead."

We left it at that.  We needed to get on the road.

XXXXXXXXXX

An hour down the road, we got another call from the guys.  The
hijackers had turned northwest on Route 12.  We signaled our turn
and were not surprised to see Cooner and two other trucks follow us
onto the exit ramp.

We weren't exactly under cover, but at least we wouldn't stand out
as the only pursuer of the perps.  I wondered who was in the other two
trucks.  I hoped Cooner hadn't blown our cover with anyone else.

Twenty minutes later we got another call.  They had turned off on
Old Sonoma Road.  The guys advised us to pull over and wait for a
while to see where they were headed.  Their destination could be
just down the road and we didn't want to over shoot them.  We pulled
over at a truck stop and we climbed out to talk to the other
drivers.

We all convened in the coffee shop to wait for our next call.  We
were almost ready to take off when it came.  The truck had stopped.
Byers said that they were on Congress Valley Road, probably at one
of the three vineyards that lined that road.  The irony of the name
did not escape Mulder or me.

Mulder asked the guys to get the names of the three vineyards and
when they came back with the information, he knew right away which
one to check first.

"Starlight Vineyards," Mulder said to me.  I agreed.  It was too
much of a coincidence to pass up.  We decided to wait until dark and
go in for a 'look-see', as Cooner called it.

Upon questioning, we found out that Cooner had simply said we were a
couple of maverick drivers recruiting help to try and bust the
hijackers since the authorities weren't having much luck.  He'd
hinted that we'd gotten some information through bribes of Public
Utility officers.  Since they all knew how susceptible they were to
bribes, no one questioned that.  He immediately got volunteers.
Drivers were mad about losing friends and scared of losing their own
lives.  They wanted it to end, for better or worse.

Mulder called Skinner and apprised him of the situation.  He said he
would have a team meet us at the truck stop with all the gear we
would need.  We didn't tell him that we had all the fire power we
needed.

We just needed transportation to get us in quietly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Before the team from Sacramento got there it was fully dark.  Mulder
and Cooner took off to reconnoiter against my wishes.
Cooner had sweet talked the use of a car from one of the waitresses,
much to the amusement of Ali and me.

They were gone for over an hour and I was starting to get worried.
I didn't want the FBI team to get there before Mulder was back.  I
don't think I've ever loved the sight of a Hyundai as much as I did
the moment Mulder and Cooner pulled into the parking lot in the
little red car.

"That's the one.  We checked out the other two vineyards while we
were there.  If it's one of them, I'd be surprised." Mulder said as
he hugged me.

"Why?" I squeaked out.  His embrace was so tight, I knew something
was wrong.

"Because the Starlight Vineyard is locked up as securely as a
federal prison.  There are miles of razor wire surrounding fields of
newly planted grapes.  If that's a producing vineyard, I'm a spook
from the CIA."

"Ooookay.  Now, tell me the rest," I looked deeply into his eyes
until he dropped his glance.  He took my hand and moved us away from
the rest of the group.

"Mulder," I whispered.  "You're scaring me."

"Scully.  We saw dogs and guards everywhere around the
building.  I had the night vision binoculars the guys left for me
and I was checking out the doors.  There's only two that can be seen
from the road."

I didn't reply.  I knew he hadn't come to the hard part yet.  "One
of the guards led a man out that looked familiar.  He took him out
into the field and shot him."

"Oh my God!  Mulder who was it?"

"It was one of the Kurt Crawfords, Scully.  He melted away, just
like the others when he was killed, only slower than a ... pure breed.
I had a hard time stopping Cooner from rushing the guard to stop the
execution, but I knew what would happen.  Cooner would have been shot
or killed by the toxic fumes from the Kurt."

"Mulder, if there was one Kurt Crawford, there's probably more.
Didn't you say that they were the lab technicians at the tanks for
the clones?"

"Yeah, they were at the fertility clinic where they were holding the
ova of all the abductees."  He didn't say any more, but I knew
what he was thinking.

"There may be more of my ova stored there," I said.  We might still
have a chance to have a child together, I thought, but didn't say
it.  It was implied.

"Chances are slim, Scully.  Even if there are labs there, chances that
YOUR ova are there ... chances are slim," he repeated.

He was right; I didn't want to get my hopes up, or his.  It was a
remote chance.  Even if there were ova there, they might not be mine.
And just because the other Kurts worked in a fertility clinic, didn't
mean that's what this facility was doing.  I'd used the ova Mulder had
stolen.  Another batch had blown up on a ship.  That explosion had
almost killed Agents Doggett, Reyes and me.  Chances that any more of
my ova existed anywhere were pretty low.  I could hardly believe it,
though.  Even a slim chance was more than we'd had before.  But I was
getting ahead of myself.

"Yeah, we have to get into that facility before they destroy it when
they're attacked, but that place is like a fortress.  Even if we got
through the gates and up the drive without being noticed, I can't
believe that we could stop them from blowing up the entire facility,
just to keep from being caught.  That's their usual M.O."

"What are they using the computers for, Mulder?" I couldn't quite
figure that out.

Mulder's eyes began to glow.  I knew he had just had one of those
great leaps of logic for which he was famous.

"The computers!  If they're using the computers, it's a good bet
that they're accessing the net or at least using a T-1 line that
the guys could trace.  It's worth a shot."

"Yes!" I agreed.  "If they can hack into the computers being used,
maybe we can get some idea about what's going on inside and we could
have a better chance to get to the cryogenics area before they
destroy it."  If there is one, I reminded myself.

Mulder was hitting the speed dial for the guys as I finished
speaking.  His conversation was short and I was disappointed until
he said, "They're on their way here, just about twenty miles away.
They should be here in less than a half an hour."  He looked as
surprised as I was.

"Did you ask them to follow us?"

"No, I told them to stay where they were and out of trouble," Mulder
smiled.  "But I'm glad they're almost here now."

"Yeah, but what will the FBI team think of them?" I asked.

"We'll just have to tell them they're consultants sent in by
Skinner.  I doubt anyone will question that until it's too late."

I smiled back at Mulder and told him I was going to the truck to get
changed into something basic and black.  He waggled his eyebrows and
offered to join me.

I think he was surprised when I said yes.

I went straight to the rig to change into a black outfit.  Mulder
gave the rest of the group an update on the guys and then joined me.
I was up in the bunk in my bra and panties when he climbed in the
cab.

"Scully!"  He wolf whistled.

"C'mere," I said and opened my arms to embrace him.  "Mulder, we have
to talk."

"What?"  He could tell I had something important to say.

"Mulder, I would rather never have a child if it meant that I lost
you trying to claim my ova back or figure out if they are there.   If
we find out there are ova there, I don't want you to do something
rash and have to spend the rest of my life alone."

"Scully," he sighed.

"Please, Mulder, don't take any unnecessary chances out there.  I
couldn't take losing you now."

"Right back at you Scully," he hugged me tighter. "Live to fight
another day and all that.  You know, I've been so calm since we were
together the other night.  I know that we still haven't consummated
our relationship, but just sharing pleasure, being intimate, has made
it easier for me to wait, and I hope for you."

I nodded to let him know that I agreed.

"I would do anything to spend the rest of my life with you, Scully.
Including backing off from trying to find your ova in there, if
that's what you want.  But you gotta remember.  We're going in
together."

"I know Mulder.  We're always stronger together.  Whatever happens,
I will have your back, as I know you'll have mine." I answered.

"Damn straight!" he said with a smile.  "Now, don't you think you
should put on a black bra and panties set before we go out to storm
the fortress?"  He waggled his eyebrows and I broke up laughing.

Mulder always knew when to interject a bit of humor to lighten the
situation.  I pulled him down with me as I laid back on the bunk.
We had a few minutes and I didn't want to waste a one of them.

XXXXXXXXXX

The guys pulled up in a van with a sign, 'The Computer Doctor' on
the side.  When they opened the back door, everyone standing around
gasped.  It was full of electronic surveillance equipment and
computer consoles.

"Someone call for a hacker?" Frohike said as he crawled out of the
back.

"Please, Fro, you know I prefer Electronic Surveillance Systems
Expert," Byers laughed.

"I don't care what you call it," Langly interjected.  "Just tell me
that the coffee shop is still serving dinner."  He took off in the
direction of food like a hound dog on a trail.

Mulder, Frohike, Byers and I climbed into the van and got to work.
There were only three chairs, so I sat on Mulder's lap.  For some
reason, it made me blush.  We were so much closer now.  But it would
still take a while to get used to the public displays of affection or
closeness.

Langly had been able to hack into the computers at the vineyard on
the way up to meet us.  They had already identified what needed to
be done to disable the gate and alarm system, but nothing was found
on the system that helped with the locks on the doors.  Apparently
they were all manual, or on a separate stand-alone system to prevent
hacking.

The layout of the facility was printed out for Mulder and I.  We
found the cryogenic area at the same time.  It was right in the
middle of the building.  Almost impervious to any kind of attack.
But it was there, just as we suspected.

We asked the guys to work on getting the door locks open to that
particular area and went out to discuss our findings with the rest
of the group.  Every one threw in ideas about how to get into the
facility, until Mulder called a halt to the discussion.

"Guys, you get us in the gate and create a disturbance in the north
west corner and I'll get us into the facility.  Watch out for the
fucking dogs," he warned.

"Mulder, shouldn't we wait for the FBI Team?" I asked, already
knowing the answer.

"We'll wait for another half hour, then we're going in," Mulder
said.  "Why don't you call Skinner and find out what their ETA is?"

He was willing to wait for a half hour.  At least it was something.
I pulled out my phone and called Skinner.

When I hung up, I knew Mulder was going to be furious.  The local
ASAC had countermanded Skinner's order to send a team.  It seemed
that there was a bomb scare called in at a rock concert in Sacramento
and his guys had been pulled to assist there.  We were on our own.

I had to wonder if that bomb scare was legitimate.  Were they on to
us?  Now I was just being paranoid.

XXXXXXXXXX

Forty-five minutes later, we were on the road about two hundred
yards from the gates of the Starlight Vineyards.  Skinner had pulled
some strings and a CHP officer had delivered a search warrant to us
to make our raid legal.

The guys followed Mulder and I in their van.  We dropped our
empty trailer and drove up to our current location without our
lights on.  The big diesel was not quiet, but certainly no louder
than a car at the lower speeds.  Mulder had pulled out the Para
Ordnance Full Auto 85 and two hand guns.  I tucked the Beretta in
the back of my jeans and carried my trusty Sig Sauer.  We were ready
to roll.

The rest of the truckers were about a mile back down the road.
Mulder had offered Cooner a weapon, but didn't seem surprised when
he pulled out a sawed off shotgun from under his truck seat.  The
rest of the truckers had a weapon of choice of their own also.  I
didn't feel as uncomfortable about them being unarmed in a
confrontation.  Now, if I could just shake the unease I felt about
them being armed, behind us and untrained.  It was an accident waiting
to happen.  I guess you can't have everything.  Now that we wouldn't
have FBI back up, I was glad they were there nonetheless.

The gate lock clicked open and Byers shoved it out of the way.  We
drove the rig up the drive way, slowly and quietly.  When Frohike
gave the signal we knew the alarm system was off, and Mulder began
speeding up the roadway, winding the truck into the higher gears as
he went.  I suddenly knew how he expected to get into the building.
I looked over to make sure he had his seat belt on securely and
tightened mine again.  We were about to cost Global-Tech or the FBI a
lot of money.  Par for the course.

"Hold on Scully, we're going in!" Mulder shouted as he drove the
Kenworth straight into the side of the concrete block building at
more than seventy miles per hour.

The rush of the impact was intoxicating.  It was like driving a tank
through butter.  The Kenworth wound up halfway to the middle of the
building, taking out several guards along with the walls and
furniture that were in its way.

Mulder and I exited the cab before the cloud of dust settled and
were able to work our way towards the doors of the cryogenics lab
without firing a shot.  Chaos reigned.  No one knew what had
happened and so they didn't know how to react.  The dust and debris
were a perfect cover.

We arrived at the door of the lab only to find that it was still
locked.  The guys had not been able to hack into that particular
system.  It was either a stand alone or manual like the door locks.

"I'm going to try shooting it open, Scully.  Stand back," Mulder
said as he pushed me behind him.

He aimed his gun but before he could fire we heard a loud voice
right behind us say, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Agent
Mulder."

We turned to face our enemy, only to come face to face with one of
the Kurt Crawfords.

"If you damage the scanner in any way, the door locks down for
twenty-four hours.  You need a card," he said as he walked forward
with one in his right hand.  His left hand was out to the side and
empty.  He continued, "You took it from me when you jumped me by
surprise," he said, giving his own cover story in case we were
caught.

"All right."  Mulder moved away from the door staying in front of
me.  The Kurt stopped.

"Agent Mulder, I wouldn't hurt Agent Scully, ever.  I would die to
protect her."  His sad expression emphasized the truth of his
statement.

"Why?" I asked as I moved from behind Mulder.  "Why do you wish to
help me... us?"

The Kurt looked at Mulder and then back to me.  "Didn't you tell
her, Agent Mulder?"

"Tell her what?" he asked.

"Tell me what?" I repeated, wondering what else Mulder may have
kept from me besides my ova.  Kurt looked at me.  "You're our
mother, or the closest thing to one we'll ever have.  I am made
from your genetic material.  We all are."

I felt like I had been gut-shot again.  All these clones were my
sons?  "How?" I was able to gasp out.

"We are all from the one fetus created by mixing the sperm of a man
named Kurt Crawford, who was a brilliant bio-chemist and researcher
and your ova, Agent Scully.  We are all hybrid clones of your
offspring.  We are grateful and would do anything for you.  We have
protected you many times when you weren't aware of it."

"Oh my God," I whispered.  All the times I had heard of or saw one
of the Kurts die, it was someone who shared my genetic make up.  Two
words he'd said stuck in my brain.  "My offspring?" I whispered.
"You were cloned from ... my offspring?  What offspring?"  They were
like Emily; mine but not mine.  However, he said they were cloned
from a fetus -- my offspring -- a real child.

"You have a son," he said.  And he didn't mean himself and the other
clones.

I felt the room sway and everything turned black.

XXXXXXXXXX

I watched Scully blanch as the Kurt answered her questions and
expected her to react strongly.  I didn't expect her to pass out.

I barely caught her as her gun slipped from her lifeless fingers and
she pitched forward towards the floor.  If the Kurt had meant any
harm to either of us, he would have easily been able to kill us
right then.

I glared at him and said sarcastically, "Why didn't you give it to
her straight?"

He gave me a puzzled look, "Should I have not told her the truth,
Agent Mulder?  Would you have me lie to her?"

"No, of course not," I said in exasperation.  "I wish..."

The lights suddenly dimmed to a faint amber glow and the sound of a
woman's voice counting down from 500 sounded over the intercom
system.

"What the hell is that?" I demanded.

"You must go, Agent Mulder.  You must get Agent Scully to safety."
The Kurt obviously knew what was happening.

"What do you mean, 'Go'?  I need to get in this room to get Scully's
ova," I insisted, "If there's any left."

"No, we must leave.  I will see what I can do.  They have initiated
the self-destruct system and we have less than five minutes to get
away from here.  You must take Agent Scully back to your vehicle and
leave."  The Kurt turned to depart.

"Where the hell are you going?" I yelled after him.

"I must try to free my brothers.  They are trapped on the level
below and have no hope of escaping unless I can get to a computer
terminal for access to the locks."

Shit!  I needed to get Scully to safety, but I knew that I needed to
help the Kurt free all the others.  It's what Scully would want us
to do.  I remembered what she'd said.  She'd rather not have a child
than lose me.  But we still had some time.  Just then Byers appeared
out of the dust and debris and skidded to a halt next to me.

"Mulder, they've initiated the self-destruct.  You've got to get
out of here.  Oh, my God, was she shot?"

I shook my head as I handed Scully over to the shocked gunman.
"Take her back to the rig, Byers.  I'll be back in two minutes.  If
I'm not, back that truck out of here and take off."  Byers stood there
gaping at me.  "Do you understand me, John?  I'm trusting you to take
care of Scully.  Can you do this for me?"

"Sure, Mulder," he said as he held Scully tightly in his arms.  "You
can count on me."  He knew how rare it was for me to trust anyone but
myself with Scully's well being.  He took off towards the rig and I
ran after the Kurt to help free his brothers.

In less than a minute, we reached the steel door that sealed the
rest of the Kurts in the lab.

"When the self-destruct system is on, the lock is a combination of
an encrypted password and a scan of an approved palm print.  I have
clearance to open the door normally but I need you at that terminal
to enter the password," he shouted over the droning countdown.

I nodded and moved to the terminal.  He rattled off a series of
alpha/numeric keystrokes that I entered as he moved his hand to the
pad next to the lock.  It opened almost immediately, and the Kurts
began to pour out the door.

"Come on, we need to get out of here," I shouted.

"Agent Mulder, you must go make sure Agent Scully is safely out of
the building.  We need to exit through the under ground passage to
the supply area.  We must not be seen leaving this facility or our
lives will be worthless.  They could still be hovering over the area
in their helicopters waiting to shoot us," the first Kurt quickly
explained.  "It will allow us to disperse through the fields of this
vineyard and the surrounding vineyards to safety."

"Not good enough," I said, thinking hard.  "Look, all of you head
towards the diner at the truck stop down on Old Sonoma Road.  You
can hide in our trailer and we'll get you to safety."

One of the Kurts stepped forward and shoved a pile of papers into my
hands.  "Thanks, Agent Mulder," said the first Kurt.  "Now go!"

They turned and ran in all directions.  They obviously had a plan.
So did I.  I wanted to get Scully to safety.  I wanted us both to
live to a ripe old age together.  Even if there would be no little
UberScully-Mulders, I wanted to spend a good part of my hopefully
long life making love to my partner.

I got back just as the voice that sounded more and more like Diana
Fowley counting, got to 90.  Byers had the truck started and was
grinding the gears, searching for reverse when I pulled the door
open.

"Shit, Mulder, you scared me," he spat.

"Move over!" I shouted.

"I've got to get back to the guys," he said as he scrambled over the
console and out the other door.  "Move!  Mulder!" he screamed as he
headed out of the building to the waiting van.

I threw the rig into reverse and popped the clutch.  We moved
backwards through the rubble and I tried not to think about the
bumps we ran over as bodies of the dead guards as we cleared the
building.

I spun the wheel and screeched to a halt, ramming it into first
gear.  I took off as fast as I could without stalling out.  We had
to get away from there quickly, or the ensuing explosion would
vaporize us, truck and all.

I heard Scully moving around in the bunk and started to yell at her
to hold on, but a small explosion went off, and then another and
another.

Scully opened the curtains yelled, "Mulder, what's happening?"

XXXXXXXXXXX

When I came to, I was in the bunk of our rig, and we were moving
swiftly back down the driveway towards the road.

"Mulder, what's happening?" I yelled over the sound of the engine
and the explosions behind us.

"We've got to get as far away as possible, Scully.  They had the
entire place rigged.  They all got away in a couple of helicopters
they had up on the top of the building, and they set off the self-
destruct mechanism when they left."

"Mulder," I grabbed his shoulder as I climbed back down into my
seat.  "What about the Kurts?  My... Did they get out?"  I
had to know.  I realized they were mine biologically, not really
'mine' as in fostered in the womb - and they emerged full grown,
never really having been children.  Still it was my genetic material
that formed them and I felt an uncanny connection to them.

"Yeah, Scully, they got out.  At least all the ones who were viable
and could walk.  There was a room full of them in the tanks that
were not done yet that didn't make it, though."  Mulder was quiet
for a moment.

"Scully, I didn't know that they were made from ... you.  When he told
me that 'they' were their mothers, I thought he was speaking of all
the ova of all the women represented there in the storage area.  I
never thought that you were the mother of all the Kurt Crawfords.  I
swear.  I wouldn't have kept that from you.  I didn't know.  You have
to believe me."

I couldn't say anything.  It was too much to assimilate under
stress, but I wasn't mad at Mulder.  I believed him, I just couldn't
find the words to tell him.

Mulder babbled for a few more minutes, trying to find a way to make
me believe that he hadn't lied to me or hid another important detail
until I finally found the words to stop him.

"Just drive, Mulder.  I believe you, but put this sucker in gear and
put the pedal to the metal before we're blown to kingdom come."

Mulder grinned at me and concentrated on driving.  Another series of
several small explosions went off behind us and then one mammoth
explosion that left a huge crater in the earth and completely
destroyed all evidence that a concrete structure had been there
moments before.

The blast impact rocked our rig, but we had made it to safety.
Ahead of us, I could see the Gunmen's van and the other rigs
retreating to the diner.

"We're going to meet up with the others, then they're going to move
out before the cops get here," Mulder said.  "No need to bring any
more people into the Consortium sights than necessary."

I agreed and we fell silent again.  I moved around in the seat and
noticed a pile of papers on the floor at my feet.  "Mulder, what's
all this stuff?"

"Just some papers one of the Kurts thrust at me on the way back to
the rig.  I thought that they might give us some clues as to the
rest of the gang."

I made a mental note to look through them before we entered them
into evidence.  I wanted to know what we had before it disappeared.
I'd be making copies of it all for our files as soon as I was within
spitting distance of a copier.

Mulder pulled up to the diner and backed up to our trailer.  I
thought it odd that he was going to make sure we were hooked up
before the cops even got there, but I didn't say anything.  It was
empty anyway.  I was too tired and shook up to question it.

We met with Cooner and the others and sent them on their way.  We
tried, successfully, I hope, to dispel the impression that they saw
a number of men with the same exact face.  We told them it was a
gang of brothers running the hijacking ring that looked similar, but
not exactly the same.  I think they bought it.  The alternative was
probably just too much for them to contemplate.

None of them wanted to stick around to be interrogated by the
police, and the diner parking lot was soon deserted except for the
guys' van and our rig.  It was a beautiful still night with only the
faintest sounds of our friends driving away in the back ground.

Mulder and I crawled into the bunk and went through the documents he
had rescued.  We sent the guys ahead and told them we would meet them
in Davis.  It was right up I80 and close enough to the Sacramento
Airport that we could all fly home if necessary.  The guys were taking
the van back to their friend in Woodland, so they agreed.

They hadn't been gone long when I found pieces of information that
made all the damage to the Kenworth worth it.  There were manifestos
stating which loads the stolen computers came from, their purpose
and the serial number of each.  Software licensing numbers for the
bio-chemical programs needed for their research and a number of
printouts of information gleaned from the stolen computers were all
the proof we needed.

When I showed them to Mulder it cheered him some, but I could
still tell that he didn't think we had enough to close the case.
One of the final pieces of paper that I found was a memo from T.
Strughold to D. Fowley with all the VINs (Vehicle Identification
Numbers) of the stolen rigs and trailer numbers listed and a
corresponding number of an overseas freight container that the
equipment was loaded into.  All of it was on a dock in New York
City waiting for a freighter from Germany to deliver it to an RP
Industries site in Tunisia.  We had them.

Several times while we were reading, I thought I heard someone
behind us, but when I looked there was nothing moving.  I decided I
was just on edge after everything that happened this evening.

We finally heard the sirens in the distance, followed by a
helicopter that landed in the field behind the diner.  I wasn't
surprised when Skinner, Thomas and McMahon climbed out of it and
hurried over to us.

Mulder and I glanced at each other and knew we had some 'splainin' to
do.

We grinned.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was dawn before we were ready to leave the site of the explosion.
Skinner had a CSI crew there, checking the site with a fine-toothed
comb.  We knew that they would find the remains of a few of the
guards, and just one other person.  And they did.  They just didn't
know how to explain why the volume of the remains seemed more
appropriate for two dozen people, not one.  Mulder and I let them
try to figure it out and asked if we could leave.

That was the first time Mr. Thomas and Mr. McMahon actually noticed
the state of the Kenworth.  Even though the truck was built like a
tank, it had taken a beating.  It was still mechanically sound, but
it sure looked like hell.  They started to bitch poor Mulder out
about the condition of their equipment and how much it was going to
cost them to repair it.

"You two gentlemen were not so quick to reprimand Agent Mulder when
you first got your hands on the memos about your stolen property and
the employees in your own company and the DOT that were in on the
hijacking ring," I spat.

I had my dander up and nothing that Skinner or Mulder could say was
going to keep me from giving them a piece of my mind.  "Agent Mulder
and I solved your case.  Our east coast agents already have both
Strughold and Fowley under arrest along with a number of lesser
players in the ring that they squealed on."

"See here, Agent Scully, we've already lost a considerable number of
rigs during this entire fiasco, and now we have to repair a brand
new Kenworth.  It's going to cost thousands..."

"I suppose you're not interested in this last piece of information,
then?" I acted as if I was going to tear it up.

"What information is that Agent Scully?" Skinner interjected.

I contemplated the two men and let them squirm for a moment.  I
sighed and handed the paper to Skinner.  "The shipping manifesto for
every one of the other rigs and their trailers that they were trying
to smuggle out of the country."

Skinner looked at me over his glasses and smiled a tight little
smile of glee.  "Good job, Agents.  We'll get right on this."

I glanced at Mulder and we exchanged a wink and a grin.  We owed it
all to the Kurt that had retrieved this information for us.  However,
I didn't think they'd mind if we took the credit for finding it.

"Now, if you gentlemen would excuse us, Agent Scully and I haven't
slept in over twenty-four hours," Mulder said as he turned me
towards the rig.

I shot him a questioning look and he let me know he would tell me
what he was up to in a little while with his glance.

"Agents, where are you going?" Skinner called after us.

"We're going to find a motel where we can park our rig and sleep for
at least a full day.  Then we'll call dispatch and see about getting
this baby back to the nearest repair center before we fly home."

"You don't have to do that Agent Mulder..." Mr. McMahon started.

"Yes, Mr. McMahon, we do.  We always complete what we start and we
'always give our best', to paraphrase your own words," Mulder said
to the three stunned men.

We climbed into the rig and headed back towards Sacramento in
silence.

When we hit I80 I turned to Mulder and asked, "Do you want to tell
me what this is all about, Mulder?"

Mulder grinned at me and looked at his watch and then the odometer.
"I didn't think you could hold out that long, Scully."

I gave him a sharp punch to the arm but couldn't keep from smiling,
"Shithead."

"Ohhhh, Agent Scully, the potty mouth you have picked up on this
assignment."  We both laughed.

"What's up, Mulder?" I was serious now.

"Scully, all the Kurts that escaped are in our trailer," he said
calmly.  "I didn't know what else to do with them," he said and
shrugged.

"Are they okay?" I gasped.

"Yeah, I didn't want them to go wandering around Napa without any
help or anywhere to go, so I told them to climb into the trailer and
we would take them to safety after we talked to the cops and our
superiors."

"Mulder..." I smiled.  "Thank you."

"What?  They didn't do anything but follow orders.  The one that was
killed when we were watching was an example to all the others as to
how expendable they were to the consortium.  They treated them like
machines and they're not, Scully.  Each one may look like the other,
and think like the others, but they're individuals, too."

"What are they going to do?  Where can they go?" I was worried about
these clones that thought of themselves as my sons.  I realized that
I felt the same way about them, or at least that they were my flesh
and blood.  It was hard to think of full grown men as my sons.

"They have somewhere to go, they just need transportation.  I
thought we could stop along the way back to the repair shop and drop
them off at different bus and train terminals.  It's too difficult
to fly these days with the picture ID's required to get on the
planes."

"Good thinking, partner, but lets get them some water and food
before it gets too hot.  We should stop so that we can all get some
rest before moving on."

Mulder nodded his agreement and we began to look for a safe place to
stop.

XXXXXXXXXXX

PART 14 (NC-17)
DAVIS, CA  I80 TOWARDS RENO, NEVADA

We made our first stop at a bus station in Davis.  The guys were
waiting there in a rental car.  Scully, Frohike, Byers, Langly and I
climbed into the back of the trailer.  There were twenty of them and
it was more than a little disconcerting to see that many identical
men at once.

We asked them what they wanted to do and the first Kurt explained
that in moments when they could discuss things unobserved, they had
made contingency plans in case they were ever able to escape.  The
Consortium had paid them a regular salary, and having nothing to
really spend it on, they had been slowly buying up houses and
properties all over the United States and Canada through a contact
on the Internet.

They wanted to go to those predetermined destinations, places they
considered their homes.  They explained that it was probably better
if we didn't know where they all were.  They had been called Kurt1,
Kurt2, etc. at the facility.  However, amongst themselves, they had
given each other different names to lend them individuality.  I
hadn't noticed before but when they pointed it out, they all had a
small number tattooed on their index finger to indicate which
'clone' they were.

Having photographic memories, they were able to remember which names
were assigned to which numbers.  This had been essential for the
buying of properties and establishing identities in the outside
world.  Kurt1, who called himself Kevin Sorenson, was their
appointed leader and spokesperson.  He alone gave us his destination
of Ontario, Canada, an address on Davis Drive East, and a telephone
number where he could be reached should we ever need help.  He could
be in touch with the others very quickly and they would come to our
aid.

Lots of 'thank yous' and hand shaking went on with me and the Gunmen.
They all, though, hugged Scully individually and stared at her for a
moment as if memorizing her face.  Her face was streaming with tears
by the time we were finished.  Even the guys were sniffling.

"We're headed to Reno, Nevada," I informed them.

'Kevin' scribbled on a small notebook pad he'd had in his
pocket. "Here's some train and bus stations along the way.  If you
could drop a couple of us at each one that would be great," he said.

"A couple?" Scully questioned.

"We can always pull off being twins for a few minutes in a terminal
somewhere, but we'll be going in different directions.  More than
two of us would attract undue attention, though.  If you see any
others en route that I haven't listed here, feel free to stop.  We
can make our way from there.  We all have wallets with IDs and ATM
cards and bank accounts we can draw from.  I created a small stash of
cash by skimming their checks which I grabbed before we left.  I gave
each of them $100 for now to tide them over till they can find an
ATM."

"You had this pretty well thought out," I commented.

He stared at me a moment and said, "We had a long time to think
about it.  We appreciate your help more than you know."  The others
smiled their agreement.  "We never hoped to actually see you again,"
he said softly to Scully.

Scully murmured, "We know.  God speed, all of you."

They nodded as we left.  We climbed out of the trailer with two of
the Kurts and the guys.  Scully hugged them again and gave them
a kiss before they walked away to melt into the crowd.

"Well, Mulder, Scully, we had better get going too," Byers said.
"Our flight leaves in a little over two hours."

"Yeah, you two drive safely," Frohike said.  "And take care of each
other."

Scully smiled at him and kissed his cheek.  "We will, Melvin."

Langly flashed us the peace sign and hurried to catch up with Byers.
"Hey, do you think they'll have any of those Cinnabuns at the
Sacramento airport?" we heard him ask Byers.

Frohike just shook his head.  "I swear he regresses into his preteen
years more and more each day."  He waved and turned to follow his
friends.

We were tired, but decided to proceed on for another hour or so since
the next two stations on Kevin's list were in Sacramento and not
that far away.  Scully watched until everyone was out of sight and
then turned to me.  "It's like I'm living a dream or something.
It's almost too much to get my mind around."

"I know.  It's so fantastic, no one would believe us, except the
guys."

"Let's go, Mulder, before I get all blubbery again."

"It's O.K. to get blubbery, Scully.  If you couldn't do it now, when
the hell could you?"

She gave me a sad smile and we climbed into the cab and hit the road
again.  In Sacramento we stopped at the train station and the bus
terminal, dropping off four more of the Kurts.

We drove on to Roseville and stopped at a K-Mart that was just off
I80.  We bought pillows, blankets and food and returned to the
trailer, doling out them out to our remaining passengers.

A few miles up I80 we stopped at the Marriott Courtyard and rented
two rooms, one room for us and one for the Kurts to use.  For the
first time, ours was a single room with one queen bed.

We grabbed a change of clothes for morning and wearily made our way
inside, showering and finally headed for bed.  Scully was buck naked
and headed under the sheets.  I took my cue from her and climbed in
next to her, spooning up behind her.

I thought I would sleep quickly, but found myself too wired up, my
mind still spinning from the events of the day.  Losing another
chance to find Scully's ova, killing members of the consortium in
the crash into the building, escaping with the Kurts, ending the
hijacking ring.  It had been a busy day!

I snuggled tighter to Scully and hugged her tight.  She hummed and
pushed her naked butt against my hips.  My dick responded
immediately, beginning to rise up.  I wondered if we were going to
have another mutual heavy petting session, when she rolled over and
faced me, kissing me hard.  She made her way down my chest, kissing
a trail over my skin that was beginning to burn with anticipation.

"Uh, Scully, I think it's my turn to do that for you," I reminded
her.

"Nuh, uh," she mumbled and her head disappeared under the covers as
I flopped onto my back.  I slid the covers down so I could see what
was happening.  Just in time too.

XXXXXXXXXX  NC-17 PORTION XXXXXXXXXX

I looked down to see her lips stretched wide to wrap around the
burning shaft that was now fully erect merely from anticipation.
Her hands rubbed my hip bones and she hummed again as swirled her
tongue over the sensitive head of my cock.  I groaned as she took me
in one hand and squeezed gently at the base, trapping the blood flow
and making me throb incessantly as she bobbed her head up and down,
sucking gently.

I ran my hands gently over her face, feeling her smooth skin and
struggling to keep my eyes open.  "Scully, let me touch you.  I
don't want to come yet," I managed to croak out.

She backed off slowly, as though reluctant and stretched herself
over my body.  I pulled her in for another kiss and we made out for
some minutes, letting the passion rise slowly.

I flipped her onto her back and began to return the gift of the
previous blow job I'd been treated to.  I'd been pathetically ill
equipped to return the favor at that time, but I intended to remedy
the situation right now.

She pulled my head down and whispered in my ear.  "I don't want to
stop there, Mulder."

I pulled up suddenly and looked into her eyes.  "What?"

"I'm ready.  I want to make love to you."

I swallowed, hoping I wasn't misinterpreting this.  "All the way?" I
asked stupidly, sounding like a high school kid.

She smiled and nodded.  "Yeah ... all the way, baby."

I grinned so hard it's a wonder my face didn't crack.  I ducked down
and latched onto her nipple without warning.  She shouted and arched
off the bed, pressing her flesh into my mouth as I suckled and laved
her budded peak, delighting in the sounds she was uttering from the
back of her throat.  I swear her voice had already dropped an
octave.  It was sexy on a regular day, but this ... this sound coming
from her was intoxicating.  I wanted more of it.

I assaulted the other breast, feeling a bit frantic and reminding
myself to slow down.  We did have all night, and I didn't want to
rush this first time.  My cock felt dense and so hard, throbbing in
time with every moan she uttered.

I kissed down her stomach and proceeded to dive into her jewel.  She
was moist, downy and so hot it blew me away.  I lapped up her
essence and hummed my own little tune of satisfaction as I drank her
in, diving into every crevice and leaving no small cranny
unmolested.  She writhed on the bed under me and I gripped her hips
to hold them still.  I wanted to make her come this way.  Then if I
blew it later, it wouldn't be a total loss for her.  I had my doubts
as to my endurance.

Finally, after another minute or so, she shouted my name and began
to climax.  "Ohhhh, Mmuullddeerr, yes!"

I lapped her gently as she came down and then crawled up over her,
brushing her hair away from her face.  I kissed her softly and she
stared up at me like I was a dream come true.  I was suddenly
totally overwhelmed by what was happening here.  Sure, we'd made
out, we'd petted, she'd even given me a blow job, and now I'd gone
down on her.  In a minute, however, I was going to be inside the
woman I had loved for so long, I couldn't remember ever NOT loving
her.

I stared at her for a moment and said, "I love you, Scully, so
much."

"I know."  Maybe she saw a question in my face because she said,
"I'm ready, Mulder.  Come to me."

I settled into the cradle of her thighs, taking my weight on my
elbows.  I needed no hand assistance to find my goal.  The tip of my
cock was so sensitive and it was drawn straight to the heat I could
feel emanating from between her legs.  I brushed against the lips of
her sex and she sucked in a small gasp.

I rubbed back and forth for a moment, letting her wetness coat me
and just trying to slow down and revel in this first time.  If I
survived the first push inside without exploding, I would be all
right.

I braced myself and slid gently into her cupped opening.  I pushed
gently, feeling my wide cock head begin to slide inside, stretching
her lips to the side.

Her eyes got really big as my head slid inside and her nether lips
surrounded it like a snug glove.  I moaned, "Oh Jeezzuuuss," feeling
her heat surround my cock head.  I pushed slowly, allowing her time
to adjust to my size.  She was so small, and it had been a long time
for both of us.

I was about half way in when she whimpered, "Oh, Chriisstt Almighty,
Mulder."

"I know," I croaked and pulled back a little and pressed forward
again, watching her face closely for any signs of distress.
Although the incredible tightness was a mixture of pleasure and near
pain, I continued to press forward, rocking slightly and feeling my
cock slide inch after inch deeper into her hot, little body.

Her voice was low and quivering when she said, "The deeper you go, the
bigger you feel.  Oh, Christ, Mulder.  It feels so good."

I was finally all the way in and I hitched up, pressing hard and
embedding myself just that millimeter more, stretching the door to her
womb and feeling my swollen balls press against her firm ass cheeks.

"Oh God!" she yelped as I filled her.  We held still, both of us
trembling slightly. Then she arched her back, pulling her hips back
and pressing up hard against me.

I moaned and began to fill her with long, slow, steady strokes.  My
cock felt so hard and sensitive as I pressed inside, feeling her
strong, tight walls part like a wave each time and surround me in
incredible silky heat.

I didn't want to leave her for a second but I knew I couldn't stop
the call of nature.  I murmured, "So good, Scully.  This feels so
RIGHT.  Oh fuck, you feel so incredible."  I felt like I'd reached her
soul.  She'd let me ALL the way in, and the final frontier was now
wide open.  I pressed my hips to her pelvis, grinding myself against
her.

My head fell into the nook between her shoulder and neck and I
kissed her there as I began to thrust again, keeping my pace fairly
slow, but feeling the urge to speed up creep up on me quickly.  She
pulled her legs up higher and I felt myself sink even deeper into
her tiny body.  Her internal muscles began to quiver on my shaft and
it was the most incredible sensation I think I'd ever felt.  Her
muscles were hugging my shaft as I tried to retreat.

I stopped to catch my breath and withdrew my aching shaft until just
the tip remained stuffed between her swollen lips.  Then I pressed
back in quickly, feeling her vaginal muscles close tightly around me
and massage me with small quivering waves.  I bottomed out against her
cervix with every stroke, stretching it taut in my effort to bury
myself balls deep in her tiny channel.

In no time, my slow withdrawals and quick entrances were not enough
for her, although it had helped me get things back under control.
She began to heave her hips off the bed and impale herself on my
shaft, silently begging me to take her faster.

I groaned quietly, angling my thrusts a little differently and
causing the top of my cock to rub against her clitoris.  I thrust as
deep as I could go into her warmth, burying myself over and over and
feeling her body shudder under mine each time I dragged my stomach
over her pubic bone.  I made sure I was dragging over her clitoris
with every slow, hard thrust.

Her hands ran up and down my back as her eyes rolled back in her
head.  She had stretched to accommodate me and I was now sliding
a bit more easily, but she was still incredibly snug.  I ran one
hand down her torso and back up to her breast, pinching her nipple
gently.  I felt her muscles suddenly clamp down, then she tensed and
shouted, "I'm ccoommiinngg, Mulder!"

I kept up a steady rhythm, shortening my strokes and saw her
face register surprise as I pushed her deeper into the climax and
kept slamming inside.  "Oh Goodd," she shouted as I felt her walls
convulse around me, squeezing tightly and rapidly as she rode out
her climax.  She arched her back to allow me to go even deeper into
her body.

I could feel my own cum burning and coiling in my balls and I slowed
down, not wanting to end it yet.  I slowed to a glacial pace as she
lay there panting.  I was more rocking in and out of her than
thrusting.

She opened her heavy lidded eyes and mumbled, "So good, Mulder.  I
can't believe how good you make me feel."

I smiled a lop sided grin at her and kept pressing deep inside,
unable to give up reveling in the feeling of being inside her.  "I
never want to leave," I said softly.

She began to chuckle.  "You can stay as long as you like," she
teased.

"Good to know," I grunted.  I flexed my cock inside her and began to
stroke her again, gently this time.  She began swivel her hips like
a belly dancer and I felt my own eyes roll back in my head at the
change in pressure and angle.  A fresh wave of arousal sped through
me and I hardened further, not knowing that was even possible.

My balls were pulled up tight to the base of my cock and my toes
were curling as the slow undulating waves of sensation coursed
through my body.  I lifted my body and looked down to watch my rigid
cock sliding in and out of her.  I looked so thick and heavy between
her trim thighs.  My stomach muscles clenching, driving my cock into
her soft, bruised walls, my flared head feeling like it was scraping
her as I plunged inside.

"So beautiful, look at us, Scully," I choked out.

She looked down and moaned low in her throat.  When she looked up, I
leaned in and kissed her again, speeding up.  Her hands slid down my
back and gripped my ass cheeks and I groaned right into her mouth,
feeling my orgasm becoming imminent.

She groaned, "Let go, Mulder.  Come for me."

I roared, no longer able to prolong the inevitable.  I hitched up on
my knees and began ramming into her, bouncing back from the impact.
She hollered, "Yes!  Harder, harder, Mulder!  Let go!  Come for me,
baby."

"Ahhhhhhhhhh, shiiiiiitt, Scully!" I shouted and felt the delicious
friction as her muscles tried to hold me in as I backed away, only
to sink deep again.

My cum shot up my shaft without warning, stiffening me to just this
side of unbearable and then I was cumming, drenching her insides in
a shower of powerful blasts that seemed to last forever.  "Oh
Jesus.  Again!" she shouted and I felt her begin to quake around me
again.

I was dizzy and crying out nonsense as my balls clenched and
produced more sperm, emptying into her until I felt my own juices
leaking out around our juncture.  Her orgasm had prolonged mine.


XXXXXXXXXX  END NC-17 PORTION  XXXXXXXXXX

I sank down onto her chest, wanting contact but not wanting to crush
her.  Somehow she grasped the bedspread and pulled it up over our
cooling bodies as I laid there trying to catch my breath.  I
realized I wanted this ... forever.  I wanted a commitment with her.
I wanted the ultimate commitment with her.  I wanted to be in her bed
every night.  I never wanted to sleep alone again.  Some empty place
in my soul had just been filled up, because Scully had let me in.

"I love you, Scully ... just in case you forgot," I added.

She chuckled again and it caused my flaccid penis to slide out of
her.

We both moaned gently and she said, "I love you, too, Mulder.
Always."

After a moment of silence, I added, "Just thought I should share
with you that was, bar none, the best sex I've ever had in my life."

She lifted my face to hers and kissed me, grinning.  "Sure," she
quipped.

I nodded.  "It was, I'm not humoring you."

She sobered.  "I can't even describe how good that was, Mulder."

"You don't have to.  I was there, remember?"

She chuckled again.  "I'm tired now."

"Mmm, me too, big day tomorrow."

"You mean dropping off the rest of the Kurts?"

"Mmm, yeah, that and finding an outfit for you to wear."

"Outfit to wear?  For what?"

"Our wedding," I said softly as I kissed her neck.

"WHAT?" she shouted, and tried to sit up, but my big body was
blocking that move.

I turned to face her again, totally serious.  "Marry me, Scully," I
said quietly.

"Mulder, what are you thinking?"

I blinked.  "I'm thinking I want you to be my wife.  I'm thinking
that I know I'm never going to love anyone else.  I'm thinking that
I want to wake up with you right next to me for the rest of my life.
And I am tired of waiting.  Tired of waiting to kiss, tired of
waiting to touch, tired of waiting to make love.  And now I'm tired
of waiting to ask for what I want ... what I've wanted for so long.
I'm not going to be afraid anymore."

"You're serious," she said, as she stared at me.

"As a heart attack.  Will you marry me, Scully?"

"Just like that?"

"Yeah, just like that."

"I don't know ..."

I frowned, feeling crushing disappointment and I knew it showed on
my face.  "Are you still not sure?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"No!  It's not that.  I guess you just ... surprised me.  My brain
hasn't engaged yet."

I kissed her softly.  "Marry me, Scully.  I have a ring at home that
matches the one I already gave you.  It's a family ring, beautiful
set, platinum and diamonds.  You'd have to wait for that.  Or we can
go buy rings once we hit Nevada if you want a new set.  We don't need
a blood test in Nevada, you know I'm clean anyway..."

I stopped, realizing I was babbling.  She would know all this.  I
stared at her and cupped her face in my hands.  Slowly, I said, "Say
yes, Scully.  Be. My. Wife.  If you do, I promise you won't regret
it.  Nobody will ever love you like I do."  I paused, "Just one
word, Scully.  Say it.  Say. Yes."

Her eyes were big as saucers and I saw them grow moist with tears.
I held my breath waiting for her answer.

XXXXXXXXXX

Emotions so sweet they made tears flood my eyes, flushed through me.
Married.  Mulder wanted to be married to me.  Thoughts of the quasi
marriage proposal he had given me at the beginning of our assignment
flashed through my mind.

I knew then that I wanted to commit to Mulder, even though it was
couched in terms of the aliases of the assignment.  Our relationship
had grown over the past weeks and now he was asking me the 'big'
question.  There was only one answer.

"Yes."

Mulder expelled his breath with a loud whoosh, "Yes?"

I nodded and smiled, "Yes."

"Holy shit, Scully!  You said yes!" Mulder grinned back at me.  He
tightened his grasp and rolled us over so that I was lying atop his
body.

I stared down into his kaleidoscope eyes and saw the mirror to all
my feelings there.  Fear, excitement, passion, commitment, love.  We
were so well matched, in so many ways.  Why did we wait for so long?

XXXXXXXXXXX  NC-17 PORTION XXXXXXXXXXX

I felt a surge of desire and possessiveness.  It was just as quickly
reflected back to me by Mulder.  His erection was fast regaining its
previous glory.

"I thought you said you were tired?" I wiggled against his cock,
feeling it lengthen and grow harder as it slid in between my legs.

"Hey, I'm not that old.  When a beautiful woman tells me she loves
me and will marry me, it turns me on," Mulder grinned up at me.

"What do you think we should do about this...?" I teased.

"I'd love to say we should make love until the dawn, but I really
don't think I have it in me..." Mulder started to say.

I moved my legs out to lie along the outside of his and slid onto
his cock as if we had been lovers for years.  "I think I have it in
me, Mulder.  Wouldn't you agree?"

At his grunt of pleasure, I pushed up and began to gently slide his
cock deeper into me.  When I bottomed out, I leaned down and kissed
every part of him I could reach.

"Mine," was the only word that I could think to say.  "Mine, mine,
mine, mine."  Over and over I repeated it, following each possessive
proclamation with a kiss or a suck or a nip.  Mulder's groans and
gasps of pleasure drove me on.  I began to move over him more
forcefully, and started to tighten the muscles of my vagina around
his cock when he was embedded deeply in me.  He filled me so full I
could feel every ridge on his gloriously thick shaft as it slid in and
out of me.

His hands automatically rose to cup my breasts.  His long fingers
stroking and teasing and pinching my nipples into sharp points of
pleasure that shot down and ended between my legs.

"Mulder, love you, oh don't stop, love you..."

Mulder had allowed me to control our lovemaking up until now, but it
became more than he could handle.  He raised his knees and gently
pushed me back against them, sitting up as he did.  His lips covered
my left nipple while his big hands began to roam all over my body.

I was incapable of doing anything but moaning and allowing him to
take over.  I dropped my head back and closed my eyes, letting my
sense of touch control me.  He pushed back with his heels and moved
us up in the bed so that he was sitting against the back board.  He
had done much the same thing in the bunk of the truck, stating that
he wanted to watch me, and earlier when he had watched as his cock
had driven into me.  Mulder's voyeuristic tendencies, honed by those
videos he didn't own, were showing through.  He was visual and he
liked to watch.

"Scully, look at me," he said.

I dropped my head forward and opened my eyes.  "Mulder.."  His
quizzical look made me explain.  "Just... Mulder.  I said it so that I
could believe it.  I love you, Mulder.  Love you so much."

He pulled me down to kiss his lips and slid his hands to my hips,
increasing the tempo of our lovemaking.  Once he had the rhythm he
wanted established, he let his hands begin to wander again.  One went
north towards my breasts and the other south towards my clit.

I always thought of Mulder as having an oral fixation, but he soon
proved that his manual dexterity rivaled all his other talents.

I screamed his name as the walls of my vagina began to milk him,
encouraging his climax.  It was only a stroke or two later that he
came, and the hands that had been playing me like an instrument
slid around me and pulled me down to his chest as he twitched and
jerked inside me, finally coming to a halt.

XXXXXXXXXXX  END NC-17 PORTION  XXXXXXXXXX

We were both breathless, unable to speak, but our hands were active.
Fingers were stroking and touching with a tenderness only true love
can bring.

When our bodies began to cool, Mulder slid me off him and over to
the dry side of the bed.  "I'll be right back," he whispered as he
kissed me gently.

I smiled and stretched as he turned to walk to the bathroom.  I
closed my eyes and must have drifted off for a moment, because the
next thing I was aware of was him gently cleaning me up with a warm
washcloth.  His eyes were green as grass, and the soft smile on his
face was more precious to me than I would have ever believed
possible just a few short months ago.

"Hey, sleepyhead.  I didn't mean to wake you up," he said as he sat
down next to me on the edge of the bed.

"No problem, Mulder.  I'm sure I'll fall right back to sleep."  I
smiled at him.  "You didn't have to do this, you know.  I could have
gotten up and gone into the bathroom."

"Sure I did, Scully.  I wanted to," he whispered as he began to dry
me with a towel.  He placed small kisses everywhere he patted with
the towel, creating a feeling of languor in me that assured I was
going to fall asleep any moment.

"Mulder, I love you..." I broke off and yawned.

"I love you too, Scully."  He bit his lip and I knew he had
something important to say.

I forced myself to wake up enough to listen.

"Scully, if you don't want to get married in Reno, we could wait
and get married when we get home.  I mean, I know you probably want
your mother and brothers and other members of your family to be
there.  I can wait, if that's what you want."

Tears filled my eyes again,  "Oh, Mulder."

"Shit... Scully don't cry.  I'm sorry, baby.  Please don't cry," he
looked so sad that I had to laugh.

"Mulder, you goof.  I'm not crying because I'm sad.  I'm crying
because I love you so much and you make me happier than I ever
thought possible."

His face cleared and he gave me a rueful grin.  "Tears twice in one
night is kind of hard to interpret, if you know what I mean,
Scully."

"I promise that I will get my emotions under control in the next
month or two and you'll have your old partner back, but until
then..."

"Jesus!  I hope not.  I want you just like you are now, Scully.
Naked and happy to be in my arms, I don't ever want to have to
wonder how you're feeling again.  If that means that I have to learn
when you're crying happy or when you're crying sad, I will.  Don't
shut me out, Scully.  I think I could stand almost anything else
before I could handle you shutting me out again."

I scooted over and pulled him down to lie next to me.  "You don't
have to worry about that."

He smiled as I held him and thought for a moment.

"I don't want to wait to get married, Mulder.  I know Mom will want
to give us a reception when we get home, but I don't want to share
our marriage with anyone but you.  Oddly, I don't want to deal with
my family until it's a done deal."

Mulder was quiet for a moment and I knew he was fighting tears.  He
swallowed hard several times before he was able to say, "Well, we'll
at least have to share it with the official and a couple witnesses."

I pinched his arm and said, "Smart ass.  You know what I mean."

"Yeah.  Yeah, I do, but I think we should call your mom at least and
tell her what we're going to do."

I was touched by his thoughtfulness and was fighting tears again.

"Don't you, Scully?" he pulled back to look at me.

I smiled and nodded and pulled him closer to me again.  For a man
who was never given respect or love, he was amazing.  "We can
call her from Reno after we turn in the rig, okay?"

He kissed me softly, but with such passion, I felt a curl of desire
warming me again.  "Goodnight, Scully."

"'Night, Mulder."

XXXXXXXXXX

PART 15 (PG-13)
RENO, NEVADA

The next two days were spent driving from bus stop to train station
in a roundabout route to take back the rig to a Kenworth service
center in Reno.

We drove up I80 and stopped at Auburn, Colfax and Truckee.  We
doubled back towards Donner Pass and down Route 89 to South Lake
Tahoe and back up the other side of the lake to Carson City, the
capital of Nevada, and finally to Reno.

We had dropped off all the Kurts except Kevin Sorensen, Kurt1.  He
was going to check into a motel for a day or two and then leave by
train so that he and the other Kurts we had dropped off at the Reno
bus and train stations were not seen together.

We were pleasantly surprised when we pulled into the Kenworth dealer
to find that Morehead Insurance had rented a car for our use while
we were in Reno.  It was a white Mustang convertible with a white
interior.  Mulder was practically salivating as he slid behind the
wheel.

We checked into the Eldorado on Virginia Street in the early
afternoon and decided to look for an acceptable place to get married
right away.  After a few discreet inquiries, we picked out a few of
places to check out in person.

The first two establishments (I won't dignify them by calling them
chapels) were rejected with a drive by inspection.  The third had
potential and we actually went in to check out the arrangements, but
were met by a minister wearing an Elvis impersonator's outfit.

Both Mulder and I ran for the door.  Not even the guys would believe
the wedding pictures from this place.

The fourth place was a winner.  Off on a side street, away from the
main strip, it was as if we had walked into another dimension.  The
exterior was as sun-baked as the rest of the area, but the adobe
fence hid a charming southwestern garden complete with fountains,
cactus and a variety of blooming plants normally not found
flourishing in the desert.  The interior was cool and dark, but not
a bit gloomy.  The adobe walls looked to be original to the area and
at least two feet thick.  The reception area of the chapel was
tastefully decorated with fresh flowers and the smiling woman who
greeted us looked like everyone's idea of the perfect grandma.

We told her what we wanted and she was able to assure us that
everything we wanted would be available by the next day.  As we were
finishing with the arrangements, the doors of the chapel proper
popped open and a young couple left, without a glance for anyone but
each other.

The witness for the young couple followed them, giving their thanks
to the Justice of the Peace that had married their friends.  Mulder
and I were amused to see a man that looked like Santa Claus dressed
in a moderately expensive suit, accepting their thanks.  We looked
at one another and almost slipped out of the room ahead of the other
guests, when Mrs. Claus grabbed our arms and guided us over to her
husband.  Her grip was surprisingly strong.

"George, we have a couple here that would like to speak to you.
They're interested in getting married tomorrow," her voice was soft
and loving.

"Hannah, my dear!  What a fine looking couple you've brought me!"
the little man said and he smiled at Mulder and me.

Mulder introduced us and let him know what we had discussed with
Hannah.

He was all business as he directed us to join him in his office.
The next few minutes were as bizarre as any OPR meeting or grilling
by Skinner that we had ever sat through.  He quizzed us on the
length of our relationship, our previous relationships, marriages,
religion, and our goals for the future.  Did we want children?  Had
we discussed living arrangements?  Were we aware of the pitfalls and
hard work ahead of us to make our marriage work?

At the end of the interview, he sat back in his chair and pulled out
a pipe.  He gave us permission to smoke and lit it up, turning on an
exhaust vent that cleared the air quietly and efficiently.

"Hannah is trying to make me quit," he said with a sparkle in his
eye.  "You're better off if you never start, but I'm too old now to
give it up."  He nodded his approval at us when we rejected his
offer.

The smoke from his pipe swirled around his head in a halo before
being whisked away by the exhaust fan.  He stared at us for a few
minutes before speaking again, stroking his full white beard as he
thought.  Mulder and I were at a loss for words.

"Very well," he said at last.  "Does two o'clock tomorrow sound like
a good time?"

"Excuse me, Mr..." I stopped.  I didn't feel comfortable calling him
George.

"St. Nicholes.  George St. Nicholes," he said.

"Saint Nicholas?" Mulder blurted.

"No, no, St. Nicholes," he repeated with a smile.

"Does anyone . . . remark . . about your resemblance to Santa Claus,
Mr. St. Nicholes?" Mulder was fascinated by this old man.

"Of course they do, son.  And I must say, it turns in a tidy profit
around Christmas time for Hannah and I.  We always go to Cancun
right after Christmas on the money I make doing personal
appearances."  He winked, "If you know what I mean?"

We laughed with him and relaxed.  We were not going to be married by
a man who thought he was Santa Claus.  Our wedding wasn't going to
turn into an X-File, after all.

We discussed the service and decided to write our own vows.  Mr. St.
Nicholes was both an ordained minister in the Church of Christ and
an official Justice of the Peace, and we decided that our ceremony
would be a combination of civil and Christian ceremony.

When he asked if we had witnesses lined up we were once again at a
loss.  I looked at Mulder and he looked at me.

"We..." Mulder began again.  "We do have someone here in town, if we
can get in touch with him, but that's all."

I thought I would cry when Mulder thought to include Kevin in our
plans.  At least we could have one of the Kurts with us when we were
married.

Mrs. St. Nicholes agreed to be our second witness and offered to
arrange for the flowers.  We left and drove directly to the motel
where we had dropped Kevin.  We needed to catch him before he left
town.

He was surprised to see us at his door, but when we asked him to
join us the next day for our marriage, he was shocked.  He thanked
us and said very solemnly that he would join us there tomorrow.  He
was still staring at the directions when we left.

We purchased our marriage license and realized the rest of the day was
open.  We spent it relaxing, sightseeing and shopping for the wedding.
I picked out a cream-colored linen dress to wear.  Neither Mulder nor
I were interested in gambling, but we did catch a dinner show that
night that featured a comedian.  His show was hilarious, just what we
needed after all the tension we had been under for the past months.
The rest of the evening was quiet as we wrote our vows.  We were both
very emotional by the time we were done.  All we wanted to do was
snuggle, and we fell asleep spooned up and content.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day we met Kevin in front of the Chapel.  He had on a new
suit and carried a tastefully wrapped package.  For the first time
ever he was grinning and I was shocked by how much he looked like my
brother Charlie.

Most of the ceremony performed by George St. Nicholes was a blur to
me.  I was glad we had requested a video tape of the ceremony.  I
actually had to look down to remember the dress I was wearing.  Of
course, I remember how handsome Mulder was in his dove grey Armani.
Everything seemed to snap into focus when it was time for us to
exchange our vows.

Mr. St. Nicholes gave us a short homily on marriage and then asked
for the rings.  We placed the plain platinum band we had purchased
for Mulder and the diamond band I had been wearing for the past
months on his bible and he said a prayer to bless them.  He smiled
and nodded at us.  Mulder picked up my ring and clasped my left hand.

He gave me a beautiful smile and began the vows he had written. . .

"Dana Katherine Scully, I offer you my heart, my name, and my body
in this uncertain world.  If it's for a day or a year or a century,
I will remain faithful to you, bound by love and truth.

"I believe that our lives have been intertwined since the beginning
of time.  When I look into your eyes, I see my soul mate.  We have
been bound together in all our other lives but whether it has been
by the Holy church, hand-fasting, jumping the broom or by civil law,
it cannot be more binding than my pledge to you now."

"I love you and will honor you above all others.  I may not always
agree with you or defer to you, but I will honor our marriage vows
and I will forsake all others to walk with you."

"Thank you for joining your life to mine.  I pledge to cover your
back and protect you with my life."

"This ring is the symbol of our pledge.  A circle, never ending,
never broken.  A symbol of my love for you.  I love you, Scully."

He held my hand for a moment, gazing deeply into my eyes as if to
underscore the words he had just spoken so sweetly to me.

I turned and accepted his ring from atop Mr. St. Nicholes' bible
and picked up his left hand.

"Fox William Mulder, I accept your love, your name and your body,
and I thank you for choosing me to share them with."

"I cannot agree with all your theories about previous lives being
intertwined for all eternity without proof, but I believe in God
and his power on this earth.  I believe in love.  And most of all, I
believe in you.  I believe that God has bound me to you."

"I offer my love and I promise to honor and love you until the end
of our lives.  I will not always agree with you, but I will never
allow anger or mistrust to flourish in our marriage.  I will cover
your back and protect you with my life."

"With this ring, I bind myself to you freely, accepting you to be my
husband, my equal, my partner for life.  I promise to always tell
you the truth, and I promise to believe in you until our dying
days."

"I will love you forever, Mulder."  I slid the ring on his finger
and held on for dear life.

The silence in the chapel was broken by a stifled sob from Hannah
St. Nicholes.  George smiled at her and continued.

"You have listened to my spiel on marriage and have exchanged vows.
I don't think I've ever met two people who belonged together more
than you two."  He chucked, "Except maybe Hannah and me."

His demeanor became more serious again as he said, "You have pledged
your love to each other here in the sight of God, state and these
witnesses and have exchanged rings as an earthly token of that
pledge.  By the powers vested in me by the sovereign state of
Nevada and more importantly, by God Almighty, I pronounce you man
and wife.  May you live long and be fruitful in your union.  You may
kiss the bride."

Mulder and I had been facing each other throughout his final decree.
We had been holding hands during our vows, and now Mulder pulled me
into his embrace and kissed me.  It was a long, slow kiss with depth
and passion but no lust, only commitment.  I kissed him back with
the same level of love, then deepened our kiss and threw in as much
heat as I could in a public house of the Lord.

When we pulled apart, Kevin was blushing and the St. Nicholes were
hugging one another.

We moved to the side of the altar and signed the marriage
certificate, stepping aside for the signatures of our witnesses.

I hugged George and Hannah, as they insisted we call them, and
thanked them again.  We made arrangements to pick up the video of
our wedding the next day and turned to leave.

Kevin was waiting at the back of the church, just out of range of
the video camera, smiling nervously at us.  We asked him to join us
for dinner but he declined.  He had a train to catch.  He shook
Mulder's hand and looked at me.  Mulder moved back to the
St. Nicholes to thank them and I opened my arms to him for a hug.

I held him in my embrace for a long moment, trying to memorize the
face that was already so familiar to me.  I kissed him on the cheek
and whispered to him, "I'm so glad you told me you are my offspring."
I couldn't call them my sons yet.  I didn't know if I ever could.  "I
care for you all.  I wish I had been able to know you when you were
first... er... born. I'm so sorry you have been manipulated by fate
and I wish you only happiness for the future."

"Thank you ... Mother," he said quietly.  He stepped over to bench
next to the door and brought out the wedding present he had been
holding when he arrived.

"This is for you from all of us.  Please promise not to open it
until you get back to your room."

"If this is a gift from Victoria's Secret, I'm going to have to have
a talk with you and all your brothers," I teased.

Once again the 'Charlie smile' flashed across his face and was gone.
"No, Mother.  It's not a gag gift, but it is personal and I would
never want to embarrass you."

"Thank you, Kevin.  Promise that you will keep in touch .. if it's
safe to do so.  Tell all the others hello and that I'm glad they
made it home safely."  My voice cracked as I began to cry again.
"Let us know that they made it, all right?"

He nodded and walked back over to Mulder to shake his hand.  Mulder
shook his hand then pulled him into a manly embrace that embarrassed
both of them.  I could tell they were both pleased with the moment.

Kevin spoke quietly to Mulder and handed him an envelope.  My
curiosity was piqued, but I shrugged it off as Mulder's wedding
present from the 'boys'.

Another quick hug and he was gone.  I wondered if I would ever see him
again.  What a beautiful young man he was, so like Charlie and so
unlike any other human on this earth.  I felt like crying, and it
wasn't going to be tears of happiness this time.

Mulder's embrace stopped me.  He held me from behind and whispered
into my ear, "How about we get out of here and finish that kiss
somewhere more conducive to a honeymoon, Mrs. Mulder."  He turned me
to face him and the sparkles in his eyes made me feel better right
away.

"I don't know, Mr. Scully, where did you have in mind?" I shot back.

Mulder let out a deep belly laugh and hugged me tighter.  "Mr. Scully,
huh?"

I just smiled up at him.

"Well, we'll have to talk about that, but right now, I have a
surprise for you."  He led me back over to the St. Nicholes and we
thanked them again.

XXXXXXXXX

We left in the Mustang and drove straight back to our hotel.  The
concierge met us at the door and assured Mulder that he had handled
all the arrangements as requested.

"Thanks, Hank." Mulder said as he began pulling me towards the
elevators.  If I hadn't been in as much of a hurry as he was, it
would have either irritated me or embarrassed me.

We got onto the elevator and I pressed the button for our floor.
Mulder stepped around me and slid a key card into the controls and
pressed a higher number.

I looked at him, silently asking what he was doing, but he silenced
any questions with a long, hot kiss that only ended when we got to
the upper floor.

"I love you, Scully," he said as he lifted me into his arms, present
and all, and carried me to the bridal suite across from the
elevator.  The bellhop waiting there opened the door and Mulder
carried me across the threshold and straight to the bedroom of the
suite, without giving me a chance to look around.

He put me down and told me to stay right where I was, "I mean it,
Scully.  Don't move."

He rushed back to the front door and gave the bellhop a tip, putting
the DO NOT DISTURB sign on the outside handle.  He locked the door and
turned back to me.

I was able to see everything from right where I was, so for once I did
exactly as he requested and didn't move.

The smile that he gave me was worth the aggravation of being told
what to do.  I smiled back.

Mulder kissed me and pulled me down to sit beside him on the bed.  I
stared at the room as he watched my reactions.

"Mulder, this is..."

"Too much?  If you don't like it, we can go back to our old room or
even to another hotel," he said nervously.

"No!  It's perfect.  It's just so... perfect."  And it was.  Every-
thing was tastefully decorated, from the linens gracing the bed to
the fresh flowers on the dresser, I couldn't have dictated a more
perfect honeymoon location.  We could have been anywhere, Paris,
Rome, Hawaii, anywhere.  And for all the time we were going to spend
outside of these walls, it didn't matter.

Everything I wanted was on the bed with me.  Well, everything but a
few bottles of fine wine and a dozen or so room service meals.

Oh, yeah, and whatever was in the gift wrapped box from Kevin that I
still held in my arms.

"Don't you want to put that over on the dresser, Scully, and get a
little more comfortable?"  Mulder began to slide the zipper in my
dress down, but I pulled away.

"Wait, Mulder.  We have to call my mother and I don't want to do it
in my birthday suit."

He smirked and said, "Why?  Of all people, she's seen it more times
than I have."

"That's just the point.  She'll know we're on our honeymoon and
that's awkward enough without me being stark naked while I talk to
her."

"Ooooohhhh... Scully.  Let's talk more about mutual nakedness," he
said and kissed the top of my shoulder as he tried to sneak his
other hand  around to unzip me again.

I chuckled and moved up the bed towards my cell phone.  He waggled
his eyebrows at me and began to crawl forward, a beatific smile on
his face.

I grabbed my cell phone and hit speed dial #3 with one hand, holding
up a controlling forefinger to halt his approach.  He grinned and
flopped over on the bed behind me after he stripped off his suit
coat and tie.

I had put off calling Mom until today because I was nervous.  I had
not told her where we were even though the undercover portion of the
case was technically over.  I knew she was going to be surprised by
my news, so I didn't actually, precisely, exactly tell her that we
were in Reno not in Europe.  I wanted to explain everything to her
when we were together, not over the phone.

As I expected, Mom was happy for the both of us.  She cried and I
cried and then she talked to Mulder and darned if he didn't cry too.
The good part was that we were smiling as tears streamed down our
faces.

Mulder and I snuggled together after the call and told each other
what she said.  We were both feeling the joy of finally being fully
committed and not having to hide our feelings anymore; from each
other or the outside world.  There were going to be some shocked
people when we returned to Washington D.C.

A few moments later, Mulder kissed me on my forehead and rolled off
the bed.  He kicked off his shoes and pulled his shirt out of his
pants.  He unbuttoned it as he walked towards the wine chilling on
the table by the window.

"Are you ready for some Asti?" Mulder asked.

"Asti?"

"Yes.  Asti Spumonte.  It's a sparkling white wine that's better than
champagne and won't give you a headache."

Sometimes I forgot that Mulder was raised in an entirely different
social atmosphere that I.  Sometimes, it was all too evident.

"Yes, please.  I'll try a small glass.  Then come on, let's open our
first wedding present."

I was so engrossed in trying to guess what was in the package from
Kevin that the pop of the cork startled me.  Mulder joined me on the
bed, handing me my glass.

"A toast," he said.  "To the Scully-Mulders!  Long may we love."

I smiled at him and said, "To us!"

We drank the Asti quickly.  It was delicious.  Once again Mulder was
right, but I wasn't afraid to tell him this time.

He poured us another drink and then we opened the present.

Under the wrapping paper was a heavy cardboard box that had been
sealed and marked, 'Danger, Bio-hazardous materials enclosed'.

I gawked at the box and then back at Mulder.  "Do you think we
should open it here, or should we wait for a level 4 clean room set
up to open it?"

"I don't think Kevin would do anything to hurt you, Scully.  I think
this is just to discourage others from messing with it if it got
into the wrong hands."

Did we really know them?  Could we trust them?  I looked at the box
for a moment longer and realized that I agreed with Mulder.  Kevin
would not do anything harmful on purpose.

"Do you have a knife that we can use to open this, Mulder?" I asked.

He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a Swiss Army knife.
He sliced open the tape and let me open the box.

I stared at the cylinder resting in the packaging and was just as
confused as I had been moments before.

"What is it, Mulder?" I asked.  I could tell that he thought he knew
what was in the cylinder, but didn't want to make a guess.  I
wondered if it was alien DNA or something, the proof we'd been
seeking all along.

"Let's read the letter Kevin gave me and see if it holds an
explanation," he answered.  He retrieved the letter Kevin had given
him and turned it over.

On the front of the envelope in large letters were the words: 'TO BE
READ BY MULDER-FIRST!'

I shrugged and he moved back to read the letter first before sharing
the contents with me.  I could tell by the look of shock on his face
that this was big.

"Mulder?" I prodded him after watching him finish the letter and
stare into space for a moment or two.  "Mulder, say something!  Is
it good news?  Bad news?  Is it the evidence of their existence?"
Curiosity was driving me crazy.

He looked at me as if coming out of a trance, "I'm sorry, Scully.
It's just... overwhelming."

"What?" I was ready to explode with curiosity.

"It's the best news possible, Scully.  We might be able to have a
family."

"What?" I gasped, not willing to allow myself to believe that the
cylinder contained what he was implying it contained.

"The cylinder is your ova.  All of the rest of them.  They're clean
and ready to fertilize.  They haven't been altered in any way.  We
could have children."  Mulder's grin was now almost splitting his
face in two.

"Oh, my God!  I thought... I thought they blew up with all the
others at the cryogenics lab," I said.  "A family?"

Mulder grinned he read me a paragraph from the letter.

"'Mother's, Agent Scully's, ova were not stored with the others.  We
had replaced her ova with another specimen that proved inferior
in a test run and hid Agent Scully's ova in a secret vault in
the kitchen of the facility.  We figured the world didn't need
any more of us.  When the bid for freedom came, we were going to take
all of her ova away from our captors, and find a way to return them
to her.  Imagine our surprise when our saviors were you, Agent
Mulder, and our Mother.'"

"Mulder, we have to get them to a laboratory, they mustn't be
allowed to spoil."  I jumped up from the bed and looked nervously
around for my suitcase.  We needed to protect our future children.

"Scully, it's all right.  Kevin says that the cylinder should not be
opened and it will protect the eggs for up to one year.  It's filled
with liquid nitrogen and the inner container is at absolute zero.
It's good for a year, Scully.  A year."

"A year?" I repeated to make sure there was no mistake.

"Yeah, a year."  Mulder took me into his arms and hugged me.  He was
trembling as hard as I was.  A family.  We might be able to have a
family.  In vitro fertilization was not always successful, but if the
eggs had not been altered, and with this many, we would have a good
chance.

"Scully," he said softly.

A feeling of foreboding washed over me.  "What's the catch?"

"Oh, no catch, Scully, but there's more."

"More...?"

Mulder nodded and kissed me again.  He pulled away and looked deeply
into my eyes before speaking.

"There's a child..."

"Like Emily?" I interrupted.

"No, not like Emily.  Do you remember when Kevin was telling us
about who he was-they are?  He said, 'We are all from the one fetus
created by mixing the sperm of a man named Kurt Crawford, who was a
brilliant bio-chemist and researcher and your ova, Agent Scully.
We are all hybrid clones of your offspring.'"  He grew silent again
and let me absorb his words.

My brain went into overload, but his meaning became perfectly clear.

"There's a little boy out there, isn't there Mulder?"

"Yes.  A normal little boy named Douglas Kurt Crawford.  He's in an
orphanage in upper New York state."

"Oh, my God!" I murmured.  "Why...  Why did he give you this
information, Mulder?  Why not just tell me directly?"

Mulder hesitated then said, "He didn't know if I would want to raise
a child that wasn't mine.  He was giving me the option of telling
you about the ova, and not revealing the presence of the boy."

"Why?" I whispered.

"Because he knew that when we married it was no longer a decision
for you alone.  I think it was a test," he said finally.

"A test?"  I seemed to be reduced to simple sentences.

"Yes, if we go to get him together, he'll be there, but if I had
made inquiries singly, my money says he would have been moved before
I got there."

I gazed deeply into his eyes, "What do you want to do, Mulder?"

"Scully!" he pulled me to him and said solemnly, "I told you before
I was willing to adopt children born to strangers and raise them as
our own.  Why would you think I would hesitate to raise a child of
yours, even one with another father?"

"Mulder, not every man is able to accept another man's child into
his home and his heart," I began.

"I understand that, Scully.  But this is a rather unique situation.
The original Kurt Crawford is dead.  You never met him, let alone
had sex with him.  Your ova and his sperm were combined in a Petri
dish or however they do it.  A child was born and from that, the
clones were engineered."  He gave me a lopsided grin, "I might have
some difficulties accepting the child of an old lover of yours, but
not this innocent little boy.  I'd be jealous of a dead man you never
met, and that would be stupid."

I hugged him as tightly as I could.  We were going to have a family.
It was overwhelming.  Even if the in vitro didn't work, we could
have this little boy.

"Come on, Scully.  Let's call the guys and get them working on a
place to store the ova and tracking down little DK."

"DK?"

"Yeah, I really don't like the name Douglas very much, and Kurt is
out."

"Okay, we'll think of something other than DK later." I agreed.

"Yeah, much later!  Right now, I want to get these calls over with and
get truckin' back to the honeymoon!" he grinned.

"Truckin'?  Isn't that what got us into this in the first place?"

He gave me a big cheesy grin and said, "That's a 10-4, good buddy.
Over and out."

THE END.