This is a fiction story based on the characters created by Chris Carter. No infringement of copyrights held by 10/13 Productions, Twentieth Century Productions, or Fox Broadcasting is intended. All unrecognised characters and plot-lines belong to me. Names, characters, and places exist solely within my imagination, or are used fictitiously. No connection to any person, living or dead, is intended, and any resemblance is entirely coincidental. Feel free to distribute, but please keep me as the author. Rating - R (for sexual content - and not between our heros). Classification - X, R. Summary - Mulder and Scully go undercover to Nebraska to investigate some murders, and discover that working so closely has both advantages and disadvantages. This story is dedicated to Gerry Hill, whose work continues to inspire me. No spoilers. Danielle Culverson. Undercover. Part 1/2. An auburn-haired woman sat alone at a desk in a basement office in the J. Edgar Hoover Building. She wrote quickly on a report form, glancing up every now and then to check some piece of information from the folder open on the side of the desk. There were three desks in the cramped room, which was stuffy and warm from a lack of air conditioning. The one the woman sat at was fairly neat, with a pile of papers and folders in the "In" tray in the corner. A polystyrene cup of coffee stood on a coaster next to the tray. The name-plate on the front of the desk read "Dana Scully. Special Agent.". The desk to Scully's right was strewn with papers and documents. Two empty polystyrene cups lay on their sides on the floor at the side of the desk where they had fallen. Sunflower seeds and their empty husks littered the desk and the area around it. Both the "In" and the "Out" tray were nearly empty. A photograph of a pigtailed girl aged about eight stood near to the trays, in the only clear area on the desk. The desk was unoccupied, but the name-plate that lay near the cups on the floor read "Fox Mulder. Special Agent.". In front of the unoccupied desk was a smaller desk supporting a computer, not yet switched on. To the right of this was an old photocopier. Near the door to the office was a waste paper basket with a toy basketball hoop above it. It was overflowing with balls of paper. Next to the basket was a coat stand, supporting a black baseball cap with the letters "N.I.C.A.P." on the front. On the left of Scully's desk were three metal filing cabinets, each marked "X-files". The X-files was a small department within the FBI that was worked only by Agents Mulder and Scully. It dealt with all the cases which didn't fall into Bureau mainstream. The wealth of unusual cases which passed through the partner's hands had given them a certain reputation within the Bureau. Their colleagues mostly treated them with suspicion or contempt. Their superiors disliked certain aspects of their investigations, which often involved exposing conspiracies, and government secrets. It wasn't just lack of space which kept them confined to the basement of Bureau headquarters, out of sight, and as much out of mind as possible. The door of the office opened, and Scully looked up to see her partner coming in. "Morning, Mulder." she smiled as she greeted him. He smiled in return. "Hi, Scully." He moved over to his scruffy desk, and dropped his bag at the side of it. Removing his light brown suit jacket, and tossing it onto a wooden chair a little way behind his desk, Mulder moved to the imitation leather swivel chair at his desk, and sat down, his hands automatically reaching to undo the buttons at the collar of his shirt, and loosen his tie in concession to the over-heated room. Mulder stared at his desk for several moments, organising his thoughts and preparing his mind for the day's work. A few feet to his left, Scully finished the report she had been working on, and turned towards him. "Message from Skinner." she said, "We're expected in his office at nine o'clock this morning." "Any idea why?" Mulder asked, frowning as he tried to remember if he had done anything worth being called into Skinner's office to be yelled at for lately. Scully shrugged. "New case, possibly." she replied. Mulder looked hopeful. Scully got to her feet, and crossed the room to the shelf at the side of the photocopier in order to get a folder she needed for her next piece of work. Mulder sat back in his chair and admired her as she passed his desk. She was wearing a bottle green skirt and jacket that brought out the green in her eyes, with a white v-necked blouse underneath. As his gaze traveled down her legs towards her low-heeled shoes, his eyes caught on something. "You've got a run in your stockings, Scully." he said quietly. She span around to look at him in surprise, and then down at the offending piece of clothing. She sighed. "You shouldn't be looking." she scolded Mulder gently, and crossed the room to where she had put her bag down at the side of her desk. Taking out a spare pair of stockings, she turned to leave the office. "If you're going to the ladies, it's closed." Mulder reminded her, "They're still redecorating. - You'll have to go to the one on the second floor." Scully glanced at her watch, and groaned, "It'll be really busy at this time in the morning." she said, and then surveyed the room thoughtfully before turning back to her partner. "Look the other way, Mulder." Mulder obligingly swiveled his chair until he had his back to Scully. After watching him for a moment, she slipped off her right shoe, and quickly unfastened and removed her right stocking. Glancing at Mulder again to make sure he wasn't peeking, she turned slightly away from him as she put the new stocking on. She had almost finished, and had her skirt hitched most of the way up her leg when she realised that Mulder had turned his head, and was admiring what he could see. "Mulder...!" she said warningly, too embarrassed to be properly angry with him. He grinned stupidly, and turned away again as she fastened the stocking in place, and straightened her skirt. "You shouldn't mind anyway," Mulder commented, still with his back to her, "you're a doctor. - You know we're all the same." Scully pulled a face, and her eyes fell on the discarded stocking at her feet. Picking it up, and holding it by the ends with her hands, she advanced on Mulder, and caught him around the neck with it. "That's what *I'm* supposed to tell *you*." she growled, before releasing him, and whipping him playfully with the stocking. Mulder grinned, and turned back to face her. "It doesn't mean it's not true." he said. Scully sighed, tossed the stocking into the waste basket, and returned to her desk. - Mulder would be Mulder, and she knew she would only get in deeper with this discussion. Pulling a file from her "In" tray, she set to work. * * * Mulder and Scully entered the outer office of Assistant Director Skinner, and the secretary looked up and smiled brightly at them. "Mr Skinner said you are to go straight in." she told them. Mulder glanced at his partner, who gave a tiny shrug, and headed for the door to the inner office. She opened it, and stepped inside, closely followed by Mulder. There were two agents already seated in front of Skinner's desk. Smiling, Mulder nodded to Agents Kirren and Stanton, two of the few agents who didn't treat him with contempt. Behind the desk sat the bald-headed Assistant Director. He looked up at the partners as Mulder closed the door, and gestured towards the chairs around the conference table behind Kirren and Stanton. "Take a seat, agents." he invited. The two partners drew up chairs, and sat down alongside Kirren and Stanton. A silence fell as Skinner closed the file he had in front of him, and passed it across the desk to Agent Stanton. "I've called you in here to assign your new case." Skinner began, nodding towards the case-folder which Stanton opened, surveyed quickly, and then passed to his partner. "Over the last two weeks three couples have been attacked and murdered in different hotels in Rosetown, Nebraska." Kirren pulled out three crime-scene photographs from the folder, and passed them to Scully on her left. "In each case, the man was hit over the head, apparently tied with twine, and then shot once in the head, and once through the heart. In each case, the woman was raped, and then stabbed to death on the bed. All the couples were in their late twenties or early to mid-thirties. Other than that there are no apparent significant links between them. All the attacks took place during the night. We have very little other information." Mulder took the photographs from Scully, and looked at the three scenes. In each case the man lay on the floor, bullet-holes in his forehead and chest, and the woman lay on her back on the bed, sprawled in a pool of blood and the remnants of her nightclothes. The black and white photographs did not dispel much of the horror of the crimes. Colour images could not have given a more stark view of just what had taken place in those three hotel rooms. He put the photos back on the edge of Skinner's desk, and looked up at the Assistant Director. "Agents Kirren and Stanton, you will investigate this case officially, with the aid of the local law enforcement." Skinner continued, looking at the two agents, "Agents Mulder and Scully, you will go undercover as a couple staying in one of the hotels not yet hit, - whichever you think the most likely target, - and try and expose the killer that way." "Killer? Sir?" Scully spoke up, "Surely in a case like this, two people would be needed to control the two victims?" "Possibly, but it would be possible for one person to carry out the attacks," Skinner replied, "and the evidence gives no direct indication of more than one person being involved." "The level of psychosis needed to trigger such activity is unlikely to preclude two people being involved." Mulder added. Skinner nodded in agreement. "Your travel arrangements have been made, and I advise you not to associate between the two groups other than by phone once you arrive." Skinner added, "Your plane leaves Washington National Airport at 12.35pm." He nodded his dismissal. Mulder, Scully, Kirren, and Stanton got to their feet, and headed for the door. - It looked like being a busy few days. * * * Scully stared out of the window of the rental car as Mulder drove them into Rosetown, Nebraska. Their flight to Omaha had been tedious, and made worse by the fact that upon their arrival only one of Scully's bags had arrived with them. Her smaller suitcase had disappeared somewhere at 30,000 feet. The day was still light although it was mid-evening in Rosetown. Mulder pulled the car up outside the "Excalibur Hotel", and shifted into park. Glancing across at Scully, he said, "Okay, "Kathy"?" She sighed, and got out of the car, slamming the door closed a little hard behind her. Mulder got out on his side, and moved around to the trunk to get the cases which *had* arrived with them. Watching him, Scully muttered, "I don't see why it couldn't have been one of your bags which went missing, Will. - It wouldn't have mattered as much then." Mulder didn't comment, knowing that Scully was just tired, and would be in a better mood once she had got some sleep. Feeling generous, and wanting to cheer her up as well as create their image as a couple, he picked up her suitcase as well as his, and carried them into the hotel. He approached the young, dark-haired receptionist. "We've a room reserved in the name of Hindley." he told the girl. She nodded, and turned to fetch a key from the board on the wall behind her. Mulder's sharp eyes picked out the number of the hook as being 207. The receptionist pushed a clip-board towards him with a sheet attached to it. She marked a cross by one of the boxes. "If you could just sign there for me, Mr Hindley." she said. Mulder bent over the sheet, and carefully signed his pseudonym, - "William Hindley". - The receptionist took back her clip-board, and handed him the key. "Clive will show you to your room." she said, indicating a nearby bellboy, "Dinner is being served until nine." she added. Mulder nodded, and picked up Scully's suitcase, letting Clive take his heavier one. He and Scully followed the young man towards the elevator. As they stepped inside, Scully saw Agents Kirren and Stanton entering the hotel. Emerging on the second floor, Clive led the two agents to room 207, and then left them. Mulder put the suitcases at the side of the double bed, and looked around at the pleasant room. Scully went over to the table to put her laptop down, and then looked out of the window. "Welcome to Nebraska, Kathy." Mulder said cheerfully. She managed a small smile, and glanced at her watch. Moving towards the door which led to their ensuite bathroom, she said, "I'm going to wash up quickly, and then we'd better go down to dinner." Mulder nodded in agreement as the door closed behind his partner. Looking back at the two cases standing at the side of the bed, he hoped he was right about their hotel being the next target. He had pinpointed the positions of the other three hotels where attacks had taken place, and noted that the killer was gradually moving through the town in an east to west direction, probably just taking each hotel to be a logical next choice without realising there was a pattern to his crimes. He was missing the really seedy joints, and the really expensive, upper-class hotels with video surveillance systems, but otherwise was just logically working his way across the fairly large town of Rosetown. Mulder sat down on the edge of the bed, and waited for his partner to come out of the bathroom so that they could go to dinner. * * * Mulder and Scully re-entered their room after eating a pleasant dinner, both feeling a little brighter than they had when they had arrived at the hotel. It was now nearly ten o'clock, and they had decided to go straight to bed in order to catch up on their rest. Mulder closed the door behind them, and turned to stand beside his partner as she contemplated the double bed. "There's only the one bed." she stated the obvious, as though that might somehow change it. "It wouldn't make any difference if there wasn't, - we'd still have to maintain our cover in here." Mulder replied carefully. He wasn't concerned about having to share a bed with his attractive partner, but he understood that she wouldn't be too keen on the idea. "I know." Scully sighed, still not lifting her eyes from the covers, "I suppose we can live with it." "Sure we can. - I'll keep to my side, if you keep to yours." Mulder grinned. "What would I want from your side of the bed?" Scully retorted, "There won't be anything there but you." "Scully, I'm hurt!" Mulder exclaimed, and moved to open his suitcase and unpack the clothes he had brought with him. Scully moved to do likewise. There were two pine wardrobes, so they each took the one closest to their side of the bed, and began hanging their clothes up. Scully put a few of her things on the pine dresser beside her wardrobe as well. She frowned at her hanging clothes, and turned to face her partner. "Mulder, my nightclothes were in the suitcase which went missing..." she began. Mulder turned around to look at her, a cunning glint in his eyes. "And...?" he asked hopefully. She sighed. "And I was wondering if I could borrow one of your shirts?" "Sure." he picked a white shirt from his suitcase, and tossed it to her, "There you go." "Thanks." She finished unpacking, pushed her case underneath the bed, and then headed into the bathroom to change. Mulder took the opportunity to strip himself, and when Scully emerged from the bathroom ready for bed, he was wearing only his black boxer shorts. She glanced at him, decided not to comment, and moved quickly around the bed to her side. Mulder watched her, his eyes dropping to take in her slender legs below the shirt. "You look better in that than I do." he commented admiringly. Scully shot him a black look, and he lowered his head and hurried into the bathroom to wash. When he came out again she was already under the covers, and reading over the case-notes. He slipped into the bed beside her. She glanced over at him. "Goodnight, Mulder." she said. "Night, Scully." he replied. She switched off the bedside lamp on her side of the bed, and the room was plunged into darkness. Mulder heard the rustle of Scully putting the case-notes in her bedside cabinet, and felt her lie down. They lay in silence until sleep came. * * * Mulder drifted slowly towards consciousness, fighting the force which was dragging him into the next day. He turned over under the warm covers, and his left arm fell across a warm body. He sighed gently, and relaxed back towards sleep, wishing he could stay where he was for the whole day. Scully awoke slowly, and opened her eyes. After a couple of moments she became aware of what had woken her, - the weight of her partner's arm resting across her body. She shifted her weight in the bed. "Mulder." she said sternly. He mumbled something which sounded like "go back to sleep", and didn't properly waken. She said his name again, louder, "Mulder!" "Hmm?" Mulder opened his eyes, and lifted his head to look at his partner. "Get your arm off me." Scully said impatiently. Mulder stared at her for a moment, not understanding, and then retracted his arm so quickly it was as though she burned. "Sorry." he mumbled, and turned over to slide out from under the covers. He opened his wardrobe, pulled out a t-shirt and jeans that would be suitable for the day, and lay them on the bed as Scully climbed out. She fetched a calf-length olive skirt from her wardrobe, and a cream blouse to go with it, and then headed for the bathroom to get dressed. Mulder watched her going in, his gaze on her legs again. Just before she closed the door she looked back and caught him staring. He dropped his eyes to the floor in embarrassment, and she smiled as she closed the door between them. When Scully emerged from the bathroom fully dressed ten minutes later, Mulder was also dressed, and sitting on the edge of the bed with his cell phone in his hands. "Who are you calling?" Scully asked. "I'd thought I'd check what Kirren and Stanton are planning to do today." Mulder replied. He pressed a number into the phone, and then put it to his ear. He listened for a few moments, and then smiled as the person at the other end picked up. "Hi Stanton, it's Mulder. - We were just wondering what you two were planning to do today, so that we can keep out of your way... Yeah, sure... You are?..." Mulder listened as Agent Stanton related his and his partner's plans for the investigation. "Mulder," Scully said in a loud whisper, "ask him if they can drop us a copy of the list of people, including staff, at each hotel at the times of the attacks." Mulder nodded, and related this to his colleague. "Scully says could you find a way to get us a copy of all the guests and staff at the hotels at the time of the attacks?... Yeah, thanks Stanton. Good luck." Mulder disconnected, and nodded to Scully. "He'll have it here by tonight." She nodded. "Shall we go into town after breakfast then?" she said, "We need to be seen together." "Sure." Mulder nodded, and got to his feet, slipping the phone back into the pocket of his jacket, which was hanging on the back of the chair by the small table at the window. He turned towards the door, and took Scully's arm, "Can I take you to breakfast, madam?" he asked with a little bow. Scully smiled, and nodded. "Of course, sir." she said. They left the room arm in arm. End of part 1. I'd greatly appreciate any comments or constructive criticism from fellow X-Philes. Email me at . Danielle Culverson. From GHill52695@aol.com Mon Mar 10 08:56:27 1997 Subject: "Undercover" (2/2) by Danielle Culverson From: GHill52695@aol.com Date: Mon, 10 Mar 1997 09:56:27 -0500 (EST) -------- I am forwarding this for the author, Danielle Culverson (smythja@aston.ac.uk). She would love to hear any comments you may have! Gerry This is a fiction story based on the characters created by Chris Carter. No infringement of copyrights held by 10/13 Productions, Twentieth Century Productions, or Fox Broadcasting is intended. All unrecognised characters and plot-lines belong to me. Names, characters, and places exist solely within my imagination, or are used fictitiously. No connection to any person, living or dead, is intended, and any resemblance is entirely coincidental. Feel free to distribute, but please keep me as the author. Danielle Culverson. Rated: Strong R for sexual situations. Part 2/2. * * * Scully put the two drinks down on the table, sat down on the sun lounger, and put her sun-glasses on. Resting her book on her knee, she picked her drink up, took a sip, and then glanced over at her partner, who was absorbed in a game of solitaire. They had spent the morning like a couple of tourists, wandering through Rosetown being seen by as many people as possible. Finally bored of looking at over-priced knick-knacks in brightly-lit craft-shops, they had returned to the hotel to spend the afternoon in the garden, being seen by as many people in and around the hotel as possible. All this public undercover work was very tiring. Mulder completed his game, having won against the odds for the first time in seven rounds. Glancing at his watch, he sat back in his chair and stretched his arms out in front of him. "Can I borrow your phone, Kathy? - I left mine in the room." "Sure." Scully replied, and gestured towards her handbag vaguely with the hand which wasn't holding her glass. Mulder picked up the bag and found the phone. He dialed the number quickly. "Hello, Stanton? - Will here. - How's things?... There has?" Mulder sat up, all his concentration on the phone call. Scully noticed his changed attitude, and looked over at him. "What happened?" Mulder listened, "Yeah, sure, I understand. Just like the others?... Yes, okay, we will. Let me know what happens. - Bye." Mulder disconnected, and looked over at Scully. Glancing quickly around to see that nobody was within hearing distance, he said quietly, "There's been another pair of murders, - in a hotel just east of here. He's still moving this way." Scully nodded in understanding, "I feel like we're not doing anything here." she complained, "We might not even be noticed. Surely we're of more use investigating the case?" Mulder shrugged, "Skinner said undercover, I say we stay undercover. - We can't afford to rile him at the moment." Scully nodded in agreement, and took another sip of her drink. "That doesn't make me feel better though." she said quietly. Mulder nodded in understanding. "Well, we'll just keep a high profile, and see what turns up. - If there are any more Skinner might well change his mind anyway." Scully nodded, and glanced at her watch, "Should we go in and get ready for dinner?" she asked, "I'm tired of sitting out here, and I'm feeling hungry already." "And you say it's me who's always eating." Mulder grinned, and got up from his seat. He offered his partner a hand, which she took to help her up, and they went into the hotel together. * * * Scully stirred in sleep, and turned towards the warmth beside her. In her semi-consciouss state she thought only of her immediate comfort, and in the back of her mind lurked the unpleasant idea of waking up properly and reaching a point where her duty became more important than the bliss she was currently experiencing. Moving one hand slightly, Scully's fingers brushed against the body providing the warmth, and she drew herself up against the long, lanky body, her legs lying along the back of his legs, her face pressed against his firm back, her curves naturally folding around his. She sighed softly, and wrapped both arms around the form to hold it close to her, although this meant her left arm was uncomfortable squashed beneath the larger frame. Mulder turned his head slightly as Scully slipped her arms around him, and smiled in his sleep at the sensations he was feeling. Then, abruptly startled awake by the realisation that something was wrong, he discovered his situation. His movements woke Scully, and as she shook off the remnants of sleep, she looked up at his turned head in surprise. "You're lying on my arm." she commented after a few moments of stunned silence. "You *are* on *my* side of the bed." Mulder defended himself, certain he was not to blame in this instance. Scully said nothing more about it, but carefully extricated herself from her partner. Sliding out of bed she retrieved a suitable outfit for the day, and headed into the bathroom to change. Mulder watched her go in silence. Shaking off the last cobwebs of sleep, Mulder got out of the bed, stretched his stiff limbs, and got his jeans and a clean shirt from the wardrobe on his side of the bed. He dressed quickly, and was sitting at the table reading the list of names supplied by Agents Kirren and Stanton when Scully emerged from the bathroom. She crossed quickly to the door, and then turned back to him impatiently and said, "Well, are you coming to breakfast or not?" Mulder followed her out of the room hastily, making a mental note not to mention their night again. The breakfast room was a light, airy room with yellow paisley curtains, and matching table-cloths. Few of the hotel guests were down for breakfast yet, but those who were chatted happily to each other about what they had done the previous day, and where they were planning to go today. Mulder and Scully collected their breakfast from the buffet table set out along one wall, and took their seats relatively unnoticed. Scully stuck to her usual breakfast of coffee and toast, while Mulder helped himself to everything going, drinking coffee and orange juice, eating cereal, toast, and croissant. He ate with his usual ravenous appetite, which Scully envied because he never seemed to suffer indigestion. Their meal was essentially finished in fifteen minutes, but they made their drinks and quiet morning conversation last some time longer in order to remain in view of the other guests. Finally leaving the breakfast room, they determined to leave the hotel half an hour later, and visit a monument in the centre of Rosetown. * * * Mulder rose from the depths of his sleep, aware that something in his immediate surroundings had changed. As he surfaced into wakefulness, he realised what it was. During the night, Scully had moved closer to him again, and had just turned over. She was now resting against his side, one slender leg thrown over both of his. Lying on his back, Mulder held his breath, not daring to move. The feel of Scully's skin against his own awoke feelings in him which he had been vaguely aware of for some time, but which he had always pushed to one side. He knew that to reveal what he held so close to his heart he barely knew it himself would only lose him the friendship he so valued. Scully shifted in her sleep, apparently in the grip of a dream. Looking at her face, - something Mulder realised he could do without fear of embarrassment while she was asleep, - Mulder guessed it was a pleasant dream, as she was smiling at her thoughts. Her leg rubbed against his, making it harder for him to ignore the pleadings of his body. She sighed, smiled, and turned her head slightly. Smiling again, she murmured a word. "Fox..." Mulder's eyes widened. He had never felt so touched by someone using his first name as he did then, and yet he didn't know why she was saying it. What was it that she dreamed about him? What made her smile in her sleep as she said his name so tenderly? Mulder's right arm was starting to lose it's feeling under the weight of Scully's body. He tried to extricate it gently, but his actions woke his partner. "Mulder?" Scully opened her eyes, and found herself looking straight into her partner's face. "Scully..." he began, but then was uncertain of how to continue. He tried again. "You were dreaming." "Y...Yes." She looked startled, and tried to hide her eyes from his, as though to keep something from him. "A good dream, I hope?" Mulder asked, "You were smiling." "Yes... a very good dream." she admitted, still not meeting his eyes. Mulder was silent for a minute, but then said quietly. "You said my name." Scully looked a little flustered, "I said "Mulder"?... Well, I must..." "No," he corrected, "You said "Fox"." Scully looked up into her partner's eyes, her embarrassment gone, replaced by a look of mild surprise, and an innocent-appearing hope. "I did?" She didn't seem to expect an answer. Lowering her head slightly, she rested it against the side of Mulder's chest, before looking up at him again. "I guess I ought to admit that sharing a room and a bed with you isn't exactly something I look on as a necessary part of our work to be endured." she said carefully. Mulder stared at her, wondering if he was hearing and understanding her correctly. "My agreement to our undercover personas was... partly selfish." She lowered her head to his chest again, hiding the expression in her eyes from him. Mulder lay in silence for a moment, lost in the wonder of what he had just heard. Then he moved his left hand to lift her face towards his again. Scully looked up into her partner's eyes, and saw something there that she'd never noticed before. When he spoke to her, his words were soft and understanding. "What are you saying, Dana? Is there... something personal in our relationship for you?" She swallowed, and met his gaze as she nodded dumbly. She saw the relief flood through her partner's face, and felt his arms move to embrace her. "And all this time I thought it was only me." he said, with a smile. "You mean you too..." she trailed off as she realised they had both been hiding from the other. Mulder turned onto his side, and pulled Scully close against him. "I think we've got some talking to do." he murmured, and moved his head slowly towards hers. Their lips brushed... The door of the hotel room flew open, and two men holding revolvers in their hands rushed inside. One switched the light on, and the other closed the door behind them. As the partners broke apart and moved to reach for their weapons, forgotten as they revealed their secrets to each other, the first man charged across the room, and hit Mulder across the back of the head with the butt of his revolver. Mulder collapsed forward on the bed on top of Scully. The second man approached Scully as the first dragged Mulder from the bed towards the radiator by the table. As her eyes grew accustomed to the light she realised that the two men in the room were identical... all the way down to their psychosis. Still reaching for her gun, Scully was dragged back into the centre of the bed by the second man, who gripped her wrist with a hand like a vice, and used his other hand to strip away the bedclothes covering her as she inflicted as much damage on him as she could with her free hand. The two men were both dark-haired, dark-eyed, and fairly short, but well-built. The first was busy tying the half-consciouss Mulder's hands to the radiator with twine as his twin was occupied with holding Scully. While they both had revolvers, they seemed more inclined to use their hands than the weapons. The first man finished tying Mulder just as the agent returned to full consciousness. He stood back against the wall by the door, watching his twin on the bed with Scully. The second man had succeeded in pushing the covers off Scully, and was now holding both of her wrists as she tried to hit him. She was backed up against the headboard of the bed, fighting for all she was worth. The room was completely silent except for the harsh breathing of the two on the bed, and their quiet grunts as Scully fought off her attacker. Mulder raised his head and blinked to try and bring his eyes into focus. What he saw when he managed it horrified him. "Scully!" he cried, forgetting all about their cover as he wrenched at the twine on his wrists, trying to get to his partner. He was rewarded by a kick from the man standing near the door, and lapsed into silence again. He watched helplessly as the man on the bed dragged his partner away from the headboard until she was lying on the bed instead of sitting up. She was wearing the shirt he had lent her, a little creased now from three night's wear. Tears pricked at his eyes, but did not fall. Scully gave a low moan of frustration. The man on the bed had pinned her wrists against the mattress, and was holding her legs down with the weight of his own. He had been wearing sweat-pants with an elasticated waist-band, but he had managed to remove these. Shaking his head in despair at his inability to help Scully, Mulder's eyes happened upon his nearby jacket. His cell phone was in the pocket, and he knew that the last person he had called was Agent Stanton. If he could just manage to switch it on and press the re-dial button... Keeping his gaze fixed on Scully as he shifted his position, Mulder moved so that his foot was towards the chair on which his jacket hung. Reaching up with his leg, he prodded the jacket pocket gently, making out the position of the phone. Guessing where the "On" button would be, he prodded, and hoped for the best. Then he shifted his weight, and aimed for the bottom right of the phone, where the small re-dial button was located. He pressed, and thought he felt the button through the material beneath his toe. If he'd hit the wrong one... Scully struggled as the man shifted over her, and moved her hands together above her head so that he could hold them both with one hand. Mulder cursed his earlier loss of concentration, straining against his bonds, tears in his eyes because yet again he could not help her when she needed him. The man holding her ripped away her panties with his free hand. Mulder closed his eyes, and dropped his head in despair. Scully gave a short cry as the man entered her, turning her head to the side, her body going limp as she lost the mental will to struggle any longer. Her cry pierced Mulder's heart, and twisted it, and a tear escaped his eye and ran down his face as he watched his partner being violated. The man by the door watched impassively as the act progressed, barely seeming to notice what his twin was doing. The hotel room door flew open under the impact of a heavy shove. Agents Kirren and Stanton rushed in, Kirren turning even as she entered to deal with the man standing by the door, Stanton heading for the bed where he pulled the other man off Scully. In half a minute the twins were handcuffed, and hustled out of the room by Stanton, while Agent Kirren remained to untie Mulder. She turned to go to Scully, but Mulder put a hand on her arm, and shook his head softly. She nodded in understanding, and left the room to help her partner. Mulder went over to the bed where Scully was now sitting up, his shirt not properly covering her body, her eyes dry and staring straight ahead. He sat down beside his partner, and put his arm around her, offering silent comfort. She stiffly allowed him to embrace her, and then the tears she had until then held back welled suddenly in her eyes. She turned gratefully into Mulder's embrace, and buried her face against his neck. As her body shook with the pain that escaped her, Mulder held all of his in, not showing his own hurt as he helped his partner to deal with hers. * * * Mulder sat alone on the couch in his apartment, staring at the floor a little way in front of his feet. His brown hair was tousled and unkempt, his eyes lifeless, and the shadows beneath them darker than was usual, even for him. He had barely slept since the attack in Rosetown, and it had been four days since then. Four days. It felt more like weeks. They had spent the rest of that night giving samples and statements, and the next few days undergoing embarrassing personal interviews, reviewing their statements, and completing the paperwork for the case. So far there had been no time for them to talk to each other in private about what had happened. There was a knock at the apartment door. Mulder closed his eyes for a moment, and then got to his feet and went to open it. Glancing through the peephole he saw his partner standing outside, and felt a wave of guilt wash over him again. He opened the door, his head lowered so that he wouldn't have to meet her eyes, and invited her in. Scully entered the apartment, and looked around at the dim main room, which seemed more than usually untidy. Glancing back at her partner, who was following her into the apartment, she knew that once again he was torturing himself for what had happened to her. She moved to a chair, and sat down, watching as Mulder took the couch, and then moved to sit next to him. Taking both of his hands in hers, she spoke quietly. "I know what you're doing, Mulder." she said, "You're blaming yourself for what happened. - It was *not* your fault." He shook his head in negation of her statement, "I shouldn't have let down my guard like that, - I knew why we were there." "So did I." Scully pointed out. Mulder shook his head. "I should have *done* something." "Mulder, you *did* do something!..." Scully cried. "Well I didn't do enough!" he yelled back, "He still raped you!" Mulder looked up at her as he said these words, and Scully saw the terrible pain in his eyes. It squeezed her heart, and for a moment left her speechless. Then she spoke again quietly. "It could have been a lot worse." she said, "If you hadn't managed to contact Agents Kirren and Stanton, it *would* have been a *lot* worse." Mulder lowered his head again, still trying to come to terms with the guilt he felt was his. Scully lifted her left hand from his, and brushed it along the side of his face, lifting his chin so that he had to meet her gaze again. "If you hadn't managed to contact Kirren and Stanton, they would have killed both of us." she said quietly, "You saved both our lives, Mulder. - Thank you." Mulder stared at his partner, confusion in his expression as he realised what she was saying. He swallowed, and Scully continued. "I think we were in the middle of an important conversation when they broke in." she said, "A conversation we really ought to finish." "I don't remember what we were saying." Mulder replied in a whisper, his gaze holding hers. "I think I do..." Scully leaned closer to her partner, and touched her lips to his. Moving her arms to embrace him, and draw him closer, she kept her eyes open to watch his face, and to prove to herself that this time it was happening in more than just her imagination. Mulder responded to the kiss, allowing his arms to enfold her. He too kept his eyes on her face as they touched, and the kiss intensified. Drawing her head back, Scully looked up at her partner, and gave a faint, but beautiful smile. "Your touch wipes away the filth of what he did." she murmured, "Your kiss makes me clean again." Mulder stared into her eyes in wonder, the hurt in his own diminishing at her words. "You've never been other than perfect and pure in my eyes." he said. Then he lowered his lips to hers again. Undercover 2. Part 1/4. The door to the outer office opened, and a dark haired man entered. He crossed the room to the secretary's desk, and she looked up from the meeting minutes she was typing up to look at him. "Assistant Director Skinner requested to see me." he told the middle-aged woman. She nodded. "He'll be with you in a few minutes, Agent Mulder, if you'd like to take a seat." Special Agent Fox Mulder nodded, and moved to the row of four imitation leather easy chairs that ran along one wall. Sitting down, his eyes moved to the wooden door that bore a plaque, - "Assistant Director Walter Skinner". Mulder took a deep breath, and lowered his head into his hands, his elbows balancing on his knees. For once he looked reasonably smart, his hair in place, his tie still knotted at his collar, which was still fastened. But the expression in his eyes told a different story from the smart clothes which told of a good FBI agent. His hazel eyes, which had always been filled with an expression of pain, and a long-felt desire, now held a newer hurt. The hurt which etched lines on his usually young-looking face, and shaded circles under his eyes. He had been so close to finding something perfect. *They* had been so close. And then in a moment it had been ripped away. Scully. Her name ran round and round in his head like a caged animal trying to get free, breaking into his thoughts every time he stopped concentrating on blocking it out. What had happened to her had been terrible, and he had been unable to do anything to help her... The door to the outer office opened, and a woman came in. She was petite, and auburn-haired. Her dark blue skirt and jacket were well-pressed, and not a hair was out of place on her head. She wore the minimum of make up, and most of this was to hide the dark circles which she too had beneath her eyes. She crossed the room to where her partner was sitting, and sat down at his side without a word. She looked perfectly normal and confident. Only Mulder could see the pain in her eyes, the slight hesitancy in her walk, and recognise the loss of vitality in her movements. Nobody who didn't know would have been able to tell from her appearance that she had recently been the victim of a violent rape. The secretary looked up from her desk, and smiled at the two agents. "Assistant Director Skinner is free to see you now." she said. Mulder's eyebrows rose in surprise as he realised that he had been so deep in his contemplation of Scully that he hadn't heard the secretary's intercom beep. - Usually when he was called to account in Skinner's office he was so tense that he would be waiting for it. - But not this time. The two agents stood almost in synchronisation, and Mulder moved slightly ahead of his partner towards the door. Opening it, he held it for her as she entered, and then closed it behind her. - This apparent chivalry was no after-effect of what had happened or Scully wouldn't have stood for it. - It was just the way he was. They approached Skinner's desk, and the balding ex-marine looked up and invited them to sit down with a wave of his hand. They sat in the two chairs in front of the oak desk. Skinner took of his glasses, and scrutinised both the agents carefully. His sharp eyes took in more than most people would have seen, noting the hurt and pain in both expressions, but he wasn't as aware of their emotions as much as they were of each others. "I would have congratulated you on some good work," he said slowly, "but I think under the circumstances, it would be a little tasteless." Lifting one hand to pinch a small headache from the bridge of his nose, Skinner rested his other on the file which was open on the desk in front of him. "I've already spoken to Agents Kirren and Stanton, but after what happened I decided it was best I spoke to you separately. - I'm very pleased that the four of you caught the men responsible for the murders, it was a good result, and probably a consequence of your profiling, Agent Mulder." Skinner nodded towards the dark-haired agent in front of him. Mulder nodded vaguely, but knew that he had done little but suggest a good hotel for setting up their cover. What he *had* done, however, but neither of them would inform Skinner, was lose his concentration as his thoughts turned rather unprofessionally towards his partner. Skinner paused, and then turned towards Scully. He hesitated again, uncertain quite what to say to the agent who had always been so self-assured and independent. She didn't seem to have lost much of that confidence, and he hoped that it would remain that way. "Agent Scully, I'm very sorry about what happened. - Possibly it was a misjudgment on my part to send the two of you under cover on a case like this one, but at the time I believed it to be the best option for pin-pointing the offenders. "Agent Mulder, your actions and quick thinking in the circumstances almost certainly saved both your lives, and I shall be issuing a report of commendation to go in your personnel file." Skinner paused momentarily again. "Agent Scully, I'd like you to take whatever time you need off to recover from this regrettable incident. The Bureau will also pay for you to see a private counsellor of your own choice if you wish, or you can see Karen Kossoff again if you'd rather." "It's alright, sir, I don't need to see a counsellor." Scully spoke for the first time since she had arrived, and her voice was firm, if a little quiet, "And I don't need any time off work. - I'd rather get back to our cases." "Scully..." Mulder began, a note of caution in his voice. Seeing the determination in her face, he stopped. - She would not be pressed on something like this, and he knew that. So did Skinner. "Okay, well if you change your mind, the offer's open." The Assistant Director nodded dismissal to the two agents, and they got to their feet, and moved towards the door, Scully a little ahead of her partner this time. Skinner watched them leave, then he closed his eyes and rested his forehead in his upturned palms, giving a small sigh of exasperation. - They were both as stubborn as each other. * * * Mulder followed Scully into her house, and closed the door behind him. She went into the main room, and he went in after her, watching her every move as she crossed to the table to put down her briefcase, and then shrugged off her overcoat. Slipping off his own coat likewise, he hung it on the back of a chair, and then sat down in one of Scully's armchairs. She moved to the sofa, and sat down. Mulder could see the quietness about her, the stillness. His heart ached to see her so affected by what had happened, and it ached still more when his thoughts reminded him again that he hadn't been able to stop it. He had been caught with his guard down, more interested in pursuing the chance of a deeper relationship with Scully than the case they were supposed to be working on, and look this was what had happened. The chance of a deeper relationship with Scully. - He had never really thought it was possible that she might feel similarly for him as he did for her. His more-than-partnerly feelings for her had always been pushed to the side as something that would only drive them apart if she ever found out. But that night, in the stillness of their hotel room, when he had heard her speak his name so tenderly in her dreams, with a smile on her face, something in his heart had been deeply touched. And when she had woken in their shared bed, and he had told her what she had said, she had admitted her feelings to him. "I guess I don't consider having to share a room and a bed with you a part of our work to be endured." she had said. His mind had instantly shot into overdrive, trying to ascertain whether she meant what his heart was trying to tell him she meant, and trying to get his words straight before they came tumbling out of his mouth and landed him in deep trouble. "What are you saying Dana? Is there something personal in our relationship for you?" And she had nodded. Every thought and feeling he had ever had for her had coalesced in that moment into a feeling of pure joy. He had drawn her closer to him, although in her sleep she had already half-embraced him, and moved his lips to hers. Then the men had come. Everything had turned upside down in an instant, and the two partners just discovering the realms of possibility outside their professional lives had to snap back into their professional roles again. Only they hadn't been quick enough. And Scully had paid the price for both of them. It was like a sign warning against their new relationship. Scully looked at her partner from the sofa, and saw his reflections in his eyes. He was lost in thought, and although his eyes were towards her, they were no longer focused on her, and she allowed hers to focus on him. She knew what he was thinking, - as always. - He was blaming himself for what had happened, when it hadn't been either of their faults, or if it had it had been both of them. After all, she had chosen that moment to admit her feelings to her partner. Although she had been aware that her love for her partner was more than just that for a close friend, she had refrained from telling him until then through uncertainty about his reaction. But when he had pursued her cryptic statement with his question which had cut straight to her heart, she had had no choice but to give him a straight answer, and hope that if he could ask the question, he was as open to the extremes of the possible answers as he normally was when pursuing a case. An exhilaration greater than any she had ever felt had rushed through her when he had said in his low, husky voice, "And all this time I thought I was the only one!" Then he had started to kiss her, and then it had all gone wrong. Scully turned away from the progression of that thought, and back to her partner's contemplations. "Mulder." she said sharply. He looked up at her, surprised at her tone. "There's no reason for you to blame yourself." Mulder lowered his head, convicted, "But I should have stopped them..." he began in weak protest. "You *did* stop them. - You stopped them from killing us both. You saved our lives. - Now if you don't stop looking so glum about it, I shall start feeling I was inadequate as well, for I was surely as much at fault as you were for not paying attention to our assignment." Mulder nodded his head in acceptance of her words, and then looked up at her. Still seeing pain he didn't like in her eyes, he asked, "What about you, Scully? You refused Skinner's offer of time off and counseling, but you must be a little disorientated after what happened." Scully shook her head. "I'm fine, Mulder, really. - It shook me up at the time, but there's no damage done." Mulder frowned, not fully believing her answer. "Scully, it's okay to be affected by it. - Anyone would be, and although you're the strongest person I know, that doesn't mean you won't be upset by what happened." "What happened!" Scully cried suddenly, anger surfacing in her voice, "Why does everyone keep skirting around the subject? - I was raped, okay? Duncan Mansfield raped me, and you, Kirren, Stanton, and his brother all saw it happen. It makes me feel dirty, humiliated, degraded, and helpless. But avoiding mentioning it isn't going to make it go away!" Mulder stared at his partner, and saw tears appear in her eyes. He moved quickly from his seat to the sofa at her side, and gently took her hands in his. His eyes met hers, and she saw they were filled with compassion and understanding. Swallowing back her tears and pain, she lowered her head slightly so she wouldn't have to look into his probing eyes. After drawing comfort from him for a few silent minutes, she extricated her hands from his as well, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Mulder broke the silence. "Scully, before they arrived, we were discussing something important. I understand if you don't want to talk about that yet, but we've got to sort it out at some point." Scully looked up at Mulder, her eyes wide and almost fearful. "What's to talk about?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Well, we both admitted to some pretty strong feelings, and we're going to have to address those, and decide if we want to act on them or not." It sounded terribly logical, and more the sort of thing she would have expected to say herself than to hear coming from her partner, but it gave her a tremendous feeling of relief. She let out a sigh. "I was afraid you had regretted what we said, and were going to avoid mentioning it." she said quietly, her eyes down. Mulder shook his head, also not lifting his eyes towards his partner. - They had been platonic partners for so long that now it was difficult to make declarations like this. "I don't regret anything that happened that night before the Mansfields arrived." he replied. After a moment's pause, he continued, "I've had these feelings for a long time, but until I heard you speak my name so tenderly in your sleep that night, I never considered that you might possibly feel the same." Scully looked up at him, and their eyes met. "Maybe something good did come out of that night, after all." she said. Mulder smiled faintly, and lifted one hand to draw her head towards his for a kiss. Scully looked willing enough, but when his hand touched the back of her neck, she jerked away sharply, and pulled away from him. Mulder let his hand drop back to the sofa again, surprised. Scully saw the pain in his eyes, and hers filled with tears. * * * Mulder turned the t.v. in his hotel room off. - The late night film had just finished, and there was nothing else he was interested in watching. He hadn't been able to concentrate much on the film anyway, his mind being too occupied with the case he and his partner were working on. It was three weeks since the close of the Mansfield case, and they were on their first major assignment, tracking down the cause of a mysterious food poisoning which had broken out in New Jersey. The case was pretty routine, for them at least, and Mulder suspected that Skinner was being careful about their workload after the strains of their previous case. Scully was in the adjoining hotel room, long asleep by now. Mulder's thoughts turned to her as they always did, and almost always had in the dead of night since he had met her. Their personal relationship was on hold until Scully felt ready to begin it, as the rape incident had apparently instiled a fear of being touched into her. Mulder knew she wanted to begin the relationship, but every time he touched her, she couldn't help but pull away from him. He just hoped that between them they would be able to work it out. Mulder swung his long legs off his bed, and got to his feet. He went to the window, and looked out from his darkened room at the street-light polluted sky of New Jersey. The clouds hung low overhead, and he could see nothing of the stars. Somewhere above a police helicopter was working, and he caught a brief glimpse of it's searchlight as it passed overhead. Closing the curtains, he moved towards the bathroom, and went in. He turned on the light above the mirror, and looked at his reflection. The man staring back at him looked older than his years at the moment. Too much emotional trauma had deepened his hazel eyes, and darkened his face beneath them. The insomnia which plagued him nightly was evident in those dark circles, and the haunted expression which shaped his features whenever he was alone with his thoughts at night, - which was often. Turning off the light again, Mulder left the bathroom, intent on trying to sleep, even without anything on the television. As he crossed his room to his bed, he heard a cry coming from his partner's room. Mulder's eyes widened in horror, and he turned towards the door that linked to his partner's room. Pulling it open, he ran inside, and to her bedside. Switching on the bedside light, he looked down at Scully's face as she screamed again in her sleep. "No!!!!" Her cry was anguished, and it tore at Mulder's heart. He took her hand in his, - the only physical contact she would usually permit since the rape, - and spoke softly. "It's alright, Scully, I'm here. - I'm here, and I'm not going to leave you." Scully's eyes flew open, fixing first on the ceiling above her, and then on Mulder's face. She swallowed convulsively, and he squeezed the hand he held. "Are you alright?" he asked, and his concern was evident in his eyes and his tone. She nodded shakily. "Just a bad dream." she replied. "Pretty bad. - You were screaming." "I'm sorry, - did I wake you?" Scully asked. Mulder smiled, and shook his head. "No, I hadn't got to sleep yet anyway. What were you dreaming about?" Scully turned her head away, and Mulder resisted the powerful urge to turn her face gently back towards him with one hand, not wanting to isolate her further by causing her to withdraw from him. "Scully, you can tell me. - I know all about bad dreams, remember?" Scully nodded with a weak smile. - Mulder had certainly had more than his fair share of bad dreams during the time she had known him. "Just my mind, reliving the rape." she admitted finally. Mulder nodded, having suspected as much. "That probably means your subconscious is coming to terms with it." he said, "It's good, although I know it doesn't feel it." "Your subconscious never came to terms with it." Scully said sharply, and then immediately regretted her unconsidered words when she saw the old pain surface on Mulder's face. "I'm sorry." she whispered. Compassion flooded across Mulder's face. "You don't have to be." he replied. Scully smiled weakly, and took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she allowed the comfort of Mulder's presence to lull her back to sleep again. End of part 1. I'd greatly appreciate any comments or constructive criticism from fellow X-Philes. Email me at . Danielle Culverson. I am forwarding this story for the author, Danielle Culverson (smythja@aston.ac.uk). She would appreciate receiving your comments. Sorry, but I forgot to add the Summary to Part I; you'll find it below. Gerry This is a fiction story based on the characters created by Chris Carter. No infringement of copyrights held by 10/13 Productions, Twentieth Century Productions, or Fox Broadcasting is intended. All unrecognised characters and plot-lines belong to me. Names, characters, and places exist solely within my imagination, or are used fictitiously. No connection to any person, living or dead, is intended, and any resemblance is entirely coincidental. Feel free to distribute, but please keep me as the author. Summary: Continuing from "Undercover", this story follows Scully's reaction to the rape, and the difficulties it causes in her early relationship with Mulder Rated: 12 (PG-13) Danielle Culverson. Part 2/4. * * * Scully walked quickly around the corner and into a corridor on the first floor of the J. Edgar Hoover building. It was a little used corridor, in the middle of the administrative area, and Scully had herself been down it less times than she could count on her fingers. She slowed her pace slightly, and glanced behind her to see if anyone she knew was nearby, still not wanting to admit to any inadequacy. Then she turned quickly towards a door marked, "Karen Kossoff - Counsellor". Scully entered Karen Kossoff's office, and swallowed reflexively. The last time she had been in here had been when the Donnie Pfaster case had got to her so much that she had had to leave Mulder at the crime scene and return to Washington in order to get away from it, even if it had only been for a few hours. She believed that talking her feelings over with Karen had helped her then, although any confidence she had regained had immediately been banished on her return to Minneapolis, when she had been abducted by Pfaster herself. Karen had also helped her and Mulder when they were working on the Holvey case, although that case had been so strange that anything the counsellor had done had had little effect on matters, other than the revelation that Charlie Holvey was aware of the twin brother he had never been told about, who had died at birth. Scully crossed the small outer room to the door which led into Karen's main office, and knocked lightly. A moment later there was an answering call. "Come in?" Scully opened the door, and went inside. Karen, who was sitting at a pine desk, pushed her swivel chair back a little, and invited Scully in with a gesture. "Good morning, Dana, - would you like to sit down?" Scully moved across the room and sat down in the chair near the window that Karen had indicated. Karen moved her own chair a little closer to Scully as she sat down, and sat back to quickly scrutinise the agent's appearance. Scully looked as smart and efficient as always, although she had more difficulty meeting Karen's eyes than she normally did. Her hands twined together in her lap, and for a few moments she studied them intently, waiting for Karen to begin the conversation. Finally, the counsellor did. "I heard about what happened to you." she said gently, "I suppose that's why you're here?" Scully nodded in silence, opened her mouth to speak, but for long moments couldn't get any words out. Finally she managed to voice what she was thinking. "I thought I could manage, but... it's not getting any easier." she said carefully. Karen nodded. "It's only been two months. - You need to give yourself more time." "But it's hard!" Scully exclaimed, and looked up at Karen briefly before returning her gaze to her hands. In that one glimpse of the agent's eyes, Karen saw an eternity or emotional pain. Scully was already close to tears, just trying to talk about what she was feeling. "I... I can't put it behind me. It's in my thoughts, all the time, and I just want to forget it." "Have you been able to talk to anyone else about it before now?" Karen asked, "Your partner perhaps? - I understand he was there at the time." Scully shook her head, "I can't talk to Mulder. - He'd understand, I know, but I'm just so *ashamed*..." "You've no reason to be. - In your mind you know that, don't you?" Scully nodded again, "But he saw it happening,... - it makes it harder." "You really need to talk to him about this. - Storing it all up inside yourself isn't going to make it any easier to get over it." Karen paused when she saw Scully continuing to shake her head in denial of the suggestion. "Do you blame your partner for not being able to stop it happening?" "No!" Scully shook her head, and looked up at Karen in surprise, her eyes still shining with unfallen tears, "No, it's not his fault. He thinks it is, but we were both there to do a job, and it was up to me as much as him. As it was he saved our lives, - we'd both have been killed if he hadn't managed to call Agent Stanton." There was a long pause in the small room. Karen kept the silence, waiting for Scully to break it. Eventually she did. "Ever since the rape, I've not been able to cope with physical contact. - Every time someone tries to touch me, I can't help pulling away. I can let Mulder touch my hand, but that's all, and even that sometimes makes me want to move away." Karen nodded in understanding. "That's perfectly normal after any violent attack. - Most people find that they can't abide being touched, even by their closest friends and loved ones. - You may well find that your personal relationships are similarly affected, but the only comfort I can really offer is to tell you that it *will* pass. - And the more you can talk to people about the way you're feeling, the quicker it will happen." Scully lowered her head, and Karen sighed inwardly, knowing that the strong-minded and independent agent was taking very little of her advice in. There was only one more thing she could offer. "If you can't talk to anyone else, at least keep coming to me, and let your feelings out." But as Scully went out of the door with a mask-like smile and a word of thanks ten minutes later, Karen knew that she almost certainly wouldn't return. - Not with *this* problem, at least. * * * Scully came out of Mulder's kitchenette, and slumped down onto his couch, a weary smile on her face. He followed her out, and sat down next to her, being careful not to touch her. - After nearly five months this was becoming a habit to him now, although it was one he sincerely wished to break. They had just finished washing up after dinner, which Mulder had cooked for them in celebration of having finished their previous case, and not having anything pressing to do at present. The case, - the disappearance of a single mother in Ohio, - had taken them nearly three weeks to complete, and they had both been feeling drained, so they had agreed to meet at Mulder's apartment and have a relaxing evening off work. spending the evening together as close friends though, was as far as their relationship had yet got, much to the silent consternation of both partners. Scully let her head drop back against the couch, and she stared up at the ceiling, which was cracked and marked. Her sharp eyes fixed on what looked like a bit of cobweb, and she absently wondered how often Mulder cleaned the pit he called his home. Mulder rubbed his hands over his face in an attempt to make himself feel a little more awake, but it only brought a yawn to his mouth. A moment later, Scully yawned as well, and Mulder smiled. "Catching, isn't it?" he said. Scully lifted her head to look at him, one eyebrow raised. "What?" "Yawning, - it's contagious. - I yawned just now, and a moment later you yawned as well." "But I didn't see you yawn, or hear you." Scully protested. Mulder grinned. "See, I knew you were telepathic." Scully opened her mouth to retort, but then thought better of it, and closed her lips again. During the brief conversation they had both sat up, and now they were staring into each other's eyes. Scully could almost feel invisible bonds of energy passing between them, as their thoughts, feelings, and desires were laid open to each other in their eyes. Then Mulder leaned slowly towards her, his expression hopeful and cautious as his lips approached hers. Scully steeled herself not to pull back as his lips brushed softly over hers, and then pressed down more firmly. She didn't want to see that pain in his eyes again, - the pain she had seen on the previous occasions when she had been unable to accept his touches. - But she couldn't respond to his kiss, it was all she could do not to draw away, and after a few moments he pulled back himself, aware of her discomfort. "Scully?" he asked carefully, his eyes searching out hers, but she kept them lowered. She could feel his gaze probing her face for some clue as to her emotions. She closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry, Mulder, I'm trying as hard as I can." Mulder shook his head sorrowfully, "I know you are, Scully, and I don't want you to try if it's hard. - I just want to help you. I want to know what you're feeling, so I can help you through it." "I can't, Mulder. - I can't talk to you about it. Not this time." "Why not?" he asked gently. She shook her head slowly, not really hearing him. "Why not?" he asked again. "Because I can't, okay?" Scully yelled suddenly, "I don't know what I'm feeling, and I don't know why this is happening, but I can't talk about it now..." Leaping to her feet, sudden tears streaming down her face, she ran to the door, and tried to open it. A sharp pull revealed it to be locked, but she kept pulling and pulling at the handle, sobbing all the while. Mulder came up behind her quietly, and moved towards the door. "Here, let me..." he reached carefully past her, allowing her time to move back a little so his hand wouldn't touch her. The key was in the lock, - Scully hadn't seen it in her struggle with the door. - Mulder unlocked it carefully, and then stepped back from the door. Fixing his eyes on Scully's tear streaked face, and seeing her eyes were still fixed on the door, he spoke again, quietly. "You can go if you want to, - but I wish you wouldn't." Scully turned her face slowly towards him, her eyes wide and uncomprehending. "You want me to stay?" she asked eventually. He nodded. "I'd like you to stay. - Please don't go." Scully considered his face for a long moment as she regained control of her emotions, and then nodded slightly and turned to go back to the couch. Sitting down, she spoke in a low voice. "I don't know why this is happening. - I want to touch you so much, I don't understand why I can't." "Don't try and rush yourself." Mulder advised, "You'll get over this in time." "But it's been five months already!" Scully cried, her voice anguished, "I want to move forward with you, explore what we have together..." She lowered her head, unable to hold his gaze as she spoke her next words, "I want so much to hold you, to be your lover. - Why can't I cope when you touch me, if it's what I want so much?" Mulder shook his head, "I don't know, Scully, but it doesn't matter. You take as long as you need." She looked up, and met his gaze. Bracing her nerves, she reached out cautiously with her left hand, and rested it on top of his. After a few moments he allowed his fingers to gently curl around hers, until he was holding her hand in his. He rose to his feet. "You're tired." he stated, "We've shared a bed platonically before. - Why can't we do it again?" Scully gave way to his gentle tugging on her hand, and followed him out of the main room, and into his bedroom, her tears still drying on her cheeks. End of part 2. I'd greatly appreciate any comments or constructive criticism from fellow X-Philes. Email me at . Danielle Culverson. I am forwarding this story for the author, Danielle Culverson (smythja@aston.ac.uk). She would appreciate receiving your comments. Gerry This is a fiction story based on the characters created by Chris Carter. No infringement of copyrights held by 10/13 Productions, Twentieth Century Productions, or Fox Broadcasting is intended. All unrecognised characters and plot-lines belong to me. Names, characters, and places exist solely within my imagination, or are used fictitiously. No connection to any person, living or dead, is intended, and any resemblance is entirely coincidental. Feel free to distribute, but please keep me as the author. Danielle Culverson. Part 3/4. * * * Mulder parked the hire car in front of Kernham police station, and switched the engine off. He suppressed a yawn as he reached into the back seat of the car to get his and Scully's overcoats, - it had been a long day. They had arrived at Bureau Headquarters that morning, to be greeted with a call from Skinner's secretary, asking them to go up and see the Assistant Director immediately. They had gone, - Mulder feeling very nervous as sudden, unexpected calls usually meant he had done something wrong, - but Skinner had presented them with a new case. Well, at this point it couldn't really be called a case. The only information Skinner could give them was that the police chief in Kernham, Texas, had requested the FBI's involvement in a series of murders taking place in the large town. Due to a problem with the communication lines, the fax report Chief Hollis had been sending about the case had not been able to get through, and Mulder and Scully had been sent to Texas knowing nothing more than the name of the police chief, and the fact that a series of murders had taken place in and around Kernham. After that the day had just gone downhill. They had got stuck in a traffic jam on their way to the airport, and so had rushed all the way there believing they would have missed their flight. Then, on arrival, they found that the flight had been delayed ten hours for some mysterious "technical" reason. After hours spent sitting in the smoky airport cafe, drinking coffee that was either too watery, or too strong, with milk from plastic cartons that tasted like it had long gone off, their flight had begun boarding. Mulder, bored from the wait, and more than usually depressed for the beginning of a case which looked to be no more than a fairly "routine" murder case, had neglected to tell an over-zealous airport security guard who wanted to check his bags that he was an FBI agent. - Scully had to wait for him while the guard went through his travel bag, and finally on checking Mulder's clothes discovered his gun. At this point Mulder revealed his identity, and the crushed guard had to let him continue to board. By this time Scully's mood was also not good. The flight had been too bumpy for them to work or sleep, - even Mulder, who could usually sleep anywhere, was kept awake by the constant rocking and jolting. The in-flight food was not much better than what they had eaten on the ground in the airport cafe. On disembarking, the narrow corridor leading away from the 'plane had been busy with people, and one man, apparently in a rush to make up for his late arrival, brushed close against Scully as he hurried past, startling a short cry from her. She had now reached the point where she could cope with physical contact when she knew it was coming, but still found it impossible to enjoy it. Her "close encounter", as Mulder put it, in the airport upset her though, as she wanted to be over that phase of her recovery. Mulder, understanding her anxiety, had caught her eyes with his, gently put his hand on hers, and led her out of the crowd to where it was quieter. Then they had had to drive from Houston, seventy miles to Kernham. The drive had been quite good, - fortunately, - but they were both exhausted by the time they arrived. It didn't show, though, as they got out of the hire car. Mulder straightened his tie, and Scully brushed the creases from her beige trousers and jacket. She accepted her brown overcoat from Mulder, and put it on. Then she picked up her briefcase, and walked with her partner up to the police station. The station was well lit inside, a pleasant contrast to the growing dusk outside. A young woman with curly blond hair, and overly-long fingernails sat at a desk to one side. All around the reception room were posters for the public's benefit, and photographs of wanted criminals. A couple of plastic-covered chairs stood opposite the receptionist's desk, and a few plants were dotted through the room. Two doors led out of the room, apart from the one the agents had entered through. One was closed, and although it had a reinforced glass pane at head-height in it, it had been covered over with paper on the reverse side. The other door was open. The agents approached the receptionist. "Good evening, Miss... Harpland," Mulder read the woman's name from the plate on her desk, "Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully from the FBI. - We're here to see Chief Hollis." Mulder held up his ID in his left hand for the woman to see. A voice spoke from behind him. "I'm glad you came so promptly." The two agents turned around to see a tall, dark-haired woman standing in the open doorway behind them. Her eyes were as dark as her hair, which was tied back in a pony-tail, and fell just past her shoulders, and she wore skin-tight blue jeans with her police uniform shirt. Her hands were in the pockets of her jeans, and she leaned against the frame of her office door as she scrutinised the agents closely. Then she smiled, and strode towards them. "I'm Jan Hollis. - Would you like to come into my office, and we can discuss the case in detail? - I gather not much of the information I sent reached you in Washington." "None of it, actually." Scully said, following the woman into the office, "Only a message through our superior that you'd requested the FBI's involvement with a series of murders here." Hollis nodded, "Okay, well I'll fill you in then." Mulder closed the door behind him, and glanced around at the photographs and posters he could see in the room. Scully took a seat on the wooden chair in front of Hollis' desk, as Hollis herself sat down behind it. "There've been five murders so far." she told the agents, pulling a file from the pile on her desk. She pulled out some photographs, and passed them to Mulder, who reached for them. "Five women, all between twenty-five and forty, all quite attractive, all single, and all living alone. Each one was found indoors, either in their home, or their place of work, - or in Lisa Starn's case, in a study room in the library. - Each of them was killed with a knife, apparently being stabbed in the stomach, and then sliced open, as you can see." Hollis waved a hand towards the pictures as Mulder handed them to his partner. Scully looked with the clinical detachment of a pathologist of the stark black and white photos of the five crime scenes. Even in black and white it was plain to see there had been a *lot* of blood. "Each of the women were found with their own stockings pushed into their mouths and used as gags. Each had bruises on their wrists, suggesting they had been tied or held during a struggle. Each had been violently raped, first by the attacker, and then using the knife with which he later killed them. - We haven't recovered the weapon." Mulder nodded, and then, subconsciously knowing that something was wrong, his eyes moved to Scully. He could only see the back of her head, but he could tell that she was no longer looking at the photographs she held in her hands. She sat very still, staring into nothing, and Mulder could see the slight tremor of her hands on her lap. As though she felt his eyes on her, Scully sat up straight very suddenly, "Excuse me." she said, and rose quickly to her feet, thrusting the photographs at Mulder as she hurried to the door, and left the office. Mulder stared after her in concern, and then became aware of Hollis' eyes on him. He turned back to her, and shrugged. "Nature calls, I guess. - You were saying about the weapon...?" Hollis continued her explanation of the progress so far, which wasn't much, while Mulder worried silently for his partner. * * * The two agents slept side by side in Scully's double bed in Kernham's Grand Hotel. It had been nearly two weeks since their arrival in the town, and now they finally felt that they were getting somewhere with the case. After her initial trepidation about the case, Scully had set to work with more than her usual vigour, while Mulder had too more occupied keeping a watchful eye on her to get depressed over the slow beginning to the case. Now they felt that they were closing in on the killer, and they hoped to be back in Washington within the next four days. Mulder turned over in his sleep to face Scully, who lay on her back, one arm raised above her head, her auburn hair fanned out around her face. Even in his sleep Mulder was careful not to encroach onto her side of the bed. Sharing a bed was something they had done regularly over the last few weeks, although they had never done anything more than sleep. They still booked two adjoining rooms when working on cases, because, difficult though it was to remember when their romantic relationship was so barely there anyway, the Bureau frowned upon relationships between colleagues. And they didn't need to give some of the Bureau's high-ups any ammunition. Mulder stirred into wakefulness, subconsciously sensing that something was wrong, although at first nothing was evident as he strained his eyes to see around the darkened room, and listened carefully to the silence of the small hours of the morning, and Scully's breathing. Scully's breathing. It was harsh, shallow, fast. Mulder fixed on it with a singular intensity so strong it seemed his heart would stop beating in his concentration. - Her breathing was much too fast. Her head whipped to one side suddenly with a strangled moan, and Mulder recognised the action with a feeling that felt like a lead weight in his heart, sinking it towards his stomach as his chest crushed in around it. - He had seen her head turn to the side in that exact same way that night... "No!!!" Scully bolted awake with a blood-curdling scream, an expression of panic frozen on her face as she shot upright on the bed. Mulder had to restrain himself from taking her in his arms and soothing her panic, knowing that would probably be the worst thing he could do then. "Scully? It's okay, I'm here. - Are you alright?" He held one hand forward towards her for her to take if she wanted to touch him for reassurance, but she didn't take it. Was it just him, or had she shied away from him a little when he had spoken to her? "Scully?" he repeated, "Are you alright?" After a pause which seemed eternal, she turned her face towards him, and even in the semi-darkness of the hotel room, he could see the tears shining in her eyes. He could see her lips working, wanting to say something, but not being able to form the words. Finally she choked out, "Oh, Mulder..." and the tears in her eyes overflowed and flooded down her cheeks. Even now, though, she didn't take his proffered hand. "Bad dream?" he asked gently, holding her gaze with his. She nodded dumbly for a moment, and then said, "It was happening all over again, - the rape, - and I was crying and struggling, and trying to get away, but I couldn't. Then I looked up and I saw the man leaning over me... - and it was *you*, Mulder." Mulder's lips parted slightly to say something, but the words failed him. Even in the dark room he could see that her face was deathly pale, and it wrenched at his heart. She continued, "I'm afraid, Mulder. - What does this mean? - I don't blame you for what happened, so why did I dream something so horrible?" Her voice was filled with a fear Mulder longed to be able to clean away, and he felt tears pricking at his own eyes as he realised that now he was giving Scully pain even in her dreams, and he still couldn't do anything to stop it. He hated feeling so helpless. - Why was it that at all the most important times in his life he had felt so completely helpless? "It's alright, Scully. - It was just a dream. It doesn't have to mean anything. - Your mind is just focused on two things that it wants to sort out, - the rape, and our relationship. - It's natural that you should mix the two in dreams, even though it seems strange when you're awake." Scully said nothing, but Mulder could feel the air of disbelief and pain coming from her. "Perhaps it's time we addressed this properly together anyway." he said, "We'll get it sorted out when we get back to Washington." Scully remained silent, but lay back carefully again, and rested her head on the pillows. It was a long time before either of them slept. End of part 3. I'd greatly appreciate any comments or constructive criticism from fellow X-Philes. Email me at . Danielle Culverson. I am forwarding this story for the author, Danielle Culverson (smythja@aston.ac.uk). She would appreciate receiving your comments. Gerry This is a fiction story based on the characters created by Chris Carter. No infringement of copyrights held by 10/13 Productions, Twentieth Century Productions, or Fox Broadcasting is intended. All unrecognised characters and plot-lines belong to me. Names, characters, and places exist solely within my imagination, or are used fictitiously. No connection to any person, living or dead, is intended, and any resemblance is entirely coincidental. Feel free to distribute, but please keep me as the author. Danielle Culverson. Part 4/4. * * * A woman in her early thirties sat at a desk in a waiting room, busy at her word-processor. Her long blond hair was tied back in a French braid, and she wore just a hint of make up around her blue eyes. The room was well lit. A cheese-plant stood in one corner, it's large leaves extending to fill the bit of space that was otherwise left unused. Horizontal blinds at the window had been raised half-way to let the morning sunlight in. Innocuous wallpaper covered the walls, which were lined with plush beige leather chairs. A smoked glass coffee table stood in the middle of the room, covered with magazines. In a chair by the windows, a young man sat alone, staring out of the window down twelve floors to the ground. His dark hair was tousled and greasy, and he wore a woollen jumper which looked several sizes too large for him. His blue jeans were dirty, and ripped at the knees, and he clutched the remnants of a bus ticket in one hand. A few seats away from the young man, a middle-aged woman sat watching him with a concerned expression on her face. She sat very straight in her chair, a magazine in her lap which she hadn't opened beyond the first page. A suede handbag lay on the floor by her feet, matching the suede shoes she wore. A teenage girl sat near to the cheese plant, engrossed in a magazine. Her mousy-coloured hair just reached her shoulders, and hung loose around her face. She wore a long loose skirt, with a white shirt over it. A canvas bag sat on the chair next to her, with the anorak she had been wearing when she had arrived. The door opened, and a couple came in. They approached the receptionist together, but although they walked closely, they didn't touch each other at all. The man was dark-haired, and a good nine inches taller than the auburn-haired woman at his side. They both wore long overcoats and business suits, - the woman wearing a maroon jacket and skirt, the man in dark blue. "Can I help you?" the receptionist looked up from her work. "Yes, - Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. - We've got an appointment with Dr. Manton at 11.30." Mulder spoke to the woman in a low voice. He glanced up at the clock on the wall above her head. - It was 11.21am. "Yes, Mr Mulder. - If you'd like to both take a seat, I'll call you when Dr. Manton is free." Mulder nodded, and he and his partner turned towards the seats. They headed for the largest patch of free space, and sat down in the middle of it. Scully smiled slightly, recognising the familiar, unconscious phenomenon, when no-one wanted to invade anyone else's private space. But her smile was only skin deep, and at her side Mulder was very aware of her nervousness. Mulder glanced around the room, and saw the plaque on one of the three doors which read "Dr. D. Manton.". He turned back to Scully, consciouss that she was not entirely happy with what they were doing. "Are you alright?" he asked softly. She looked up, met his eyes, and nodded carefully. After a moment's thought, she reached out towards him with her right hand, reaching for his left. He let her take his hand in hers, and their eyes communicated the feelings they couldn't express in words. Although Skinner had offered Scully the chance to talk to a counsellor of her choosing at the Bureau's expense, in the end she and Mulder were going to foot the bill for the session he had arranged with Dr. Daniel Manton. Having decided that their biggest problem was Scully's inability to move into their personal relationship, - her inability to touch or be touched, - they had determined that it was best if they went to see a counsellor as an anonymous couple, not as a pair of working partners from the FBI. Scully's fingers were cold and trembling in Mulder's hand, and he squeezed them gently, his eyes still fixed on her. She tried to smile in reassurance to him, but could only manage a slight twitch at the corner of her lips. "Mr Mulder, Ms Scully?" the receptionist called, "Dr. Manton is ready to see you now." she indicated the door Mulder had seen before. He nodded, and rose to his feet, feeling a sense of loss as Scully slid her hand out of his, no longer able to maintain the comforting contact. They crossed the room to the door, where Mulder gave a perfunctory knock, and went in. The room was decorated in much the same way as the waiting room. Horizontal blinds hung at the window, this time pulled all the way down, but slanted to let in the light. A thick beige carpet covered the floor. A dark leather couch, and three chairs stood in a small group around a goatskin rug. Dr. Manton sat at his desk a short distance from the chairs. He was in his late forties, and starting to grey a little at the temples. His fingers were interlaced, and resting on the desk in front of them. As the two agents came in, he smiled at them benevolently, and indicated the group of chairs. "Good morning, Mr Mulder, Ms Scully. - Would you like to sit down?" "Thank you." Mulder nodded. At his side, Scully just nodded, and moved with her partner to the chairs, where they sat down. Daniel Manton followed them over, a memo pad and expensive looking pen in his hands, and took the remaining chair. "So, how can I help you?" he asked, smiling from one to the other. Scully lowered her eyes from him, unable to speak for the moment. Mulder, however, understood her discomfort, and spoke for her. "Dana was raped about six months ago at a hotel we were staying at. - Since then she's not been able to enjoy any physical contact, and she can barely abide to be touched at all. She's also having nightmares..." Mulder trailed, not sure what else to say. He looked at Scully, who was still looking down at her fingers, which were tensely clasped together in her lap. "Do you mind if I call you Dana?" Manton asked, looking at Scully. She shook her head, and glanced up at him briefly. "Can you tell me what happened to you?" he asked gently. "Yes..." she trailed, but then took a deep breath and continued, "Mulder and I were staying in a hotel for the week with some friends, and on our last night, at about 2am, we were both awake, and talking together. - Our friends were in the room down the hall. Suddenly two men burst into our room. One of them grabbed hold of Mulder, and hit him over the head, knocking him half-unconsciouss. He dragged him off the bed and tied him to the radiator. The other man grabbed me, and... he pulled me down the bed until I was lying flat on my back, and held my wrists above my head while he pulled my panties off..." Scully turned her head to the side, and closed her eyes for a moment as the memories suddenly cam alive in her head, assaulting her again with the pain they carried. She took a deep breath, "I could hear Mulder screaming my name as the man raped me. The other man was just standing there, watching. Then the door of the room flew open again, and our friends rushed in. - They pulled the man off me, and dragged him and the other man out of the room..." Scully shook her head slowly at the memories, wishing she could clear the pain from her head. Mulder looked at her in sympathy and understanding, and held one hand out towards her, offering comfort. Scully took it and squeezed it briefly, before letting it drop again. Manton watched this with interest. "What happened to the men?" he asked, "Were they caught?" "Yes." Mulder nodded, "And prosecuted. - Apparently we weren't the first people this had happened to." Mulder neglected to mention that the other couples who had been attacked had later been killed by their assailants. "Dana, how do you feel about what happened now?" Manton asked. "Angry." Scully replied, after a moment's thought, "Angry that his actions have messed my life up so much. And... dirty. - I feel filthy inside because of what he did, and that Mulder saw it..." "Do you blame Mulder at all for not being able to stop what happened?" Scully shook her head, "No... it wasn't his fault. - He did everything he could." "But you don't like him touching you since the rape?" "No... yes... I... - I don't know. - I want him to touch me. I want him to hold me and make me feel better about myself, but every time he does I tense up. - I've tried to stop it, but I can't. And I can't stand the pain in his eyes when I can't accept his touches." Manton nodded slowly. "It's quite natural for you to find it difficult to make physical, and especially personal contact, after something like this. It's an emotionally traumatic event, and is bound to take some time to get over. - I gather you haven't spoken to anyone about this before?" "Not really." Scully admitted. "And you're having nightmares?" "Yes, - a lot since it happened, mostly about the rape, - but recently I've started dreaming that Mulder is the man who rapes me." Scully looked up at Manton, and he saw the haunted pain in her eyes, "I don't know why, and it scares me." Manton nodded, "Yes, I can understand that. - But you have to remember that what you dream isn't supposed to make sense. It's just the mind's way of processing it's information. Anything which is on your mind a lot is likely to show up in your dreams in all sorts of combinations. Although I'm sure it's unpleasant, I think it's probably actually good that you're having these dreams, as at least your subconsciouss is dealing with what happened to you. - And as it is your subconsciouss which is causing your fear of being touched, when it deals with one problem, the other will follow automatically." Scully nodded uncertainly, and looked down at her hands again. "Don't assume that your fear of being touched will last forever, or you'll create a block in your subconsciouss, which will make it even harder to get over it. With time, and support, you'll be alright." Manton glanced at his watch, and saw that it was approaching midday, "I'm afraid I have another patient now, - and I think this has been enough for both of you for one day. - I would suggest that you make another appointment with Jean outside for next week. - An hour, perhaps?" Mulder looked at Scully, who felt his eyes on her, and looked up. He raised an eyebrow in question, and she nodded shortly. Mulder turned back to Manton, and nodded. "Okay, we'll see you next week." Mulder got to his feet, and Scully rose with him. They walked to the door together, and Mulder held it open for his partner to go through. * * * Special Agent Dana Scully sat alone in the basement office of the J. Edgar Hoover building. It was quite early, and she had come into the office before Mulder in order to get some work done that had built up during their previous case. Scully's thin black overcoat hung from the coat-stand by the door. At the foot of the coat-stand was a metal waste paper bin with a basketball hoop attached to it. The bin was overflowing with paper. The office, as usual, was in a state of disarray. Scully's desk, and the desk the computer stood on were the neatest parts of it, - and even these were in a jumble this morning. Everywhere there were papers waiting to be completed, filed, or sent back to their relevant departments upstairs. Old memos and used polystyrene coffee cups littered the cramped office. The smell of strong coffee, air freshener, and ozone permeated everything. Around Mulder's unoccupied desk, sunflower seed shells were scattered, and an empty polythene bag lay on top of his "In" tray where he had left it. The room was already stuffy in the early morning, the air conditioning still not having been fixed. Scully made a mental note to report the fact again, and continued with the work she was doing. She leaned over an autopsy report from a case which was being handled by the Violent Crimes Unit, and scrutinised it carefully. Finally sitting back, she wrote a few lines at the bottom, scrawled her signature, and thrust the paper into her "Out" tray. She sighed heavily, and leaned back in her imitation leather swivel chair, pinching the bridge of her nose where a headache was forming. Then she reached across her desk to her "In" tray, and pulled out a new document. Opening the file, Scully saw it was the case-file from the case she and Mulder had investigated in Kernham. There were still a few loose ends which needed tidying up before it was sent upstairs to Skinner for approval. Leaning forward in her chair again, she sifted through the graphic photographs, detailed autopsy reports, and fact-files, and pulled out the statement which had been given by the murderer's last victim. Carianne Georges had been attacked and raped by the man who had been committing the murders, but Mulder and Scully had found her before he killed her. Thus they had captured the killer and got a statement to prove their case. Scully read through the statement carefully. Holding it in one hand, she leaned back again in her chair, and crossed her left arm across her chest as she read. The statement gave a detailed account of what had happened leading up to the agents' arrival on the scene. Scully swallowed hard as she read Carianne's description of what had happened to her, and felt her heart constrict in her chest but she couldn't put the paper down. Her eyes remained fixed on the last few lines at the bottom of the page until the door to the office opened, and Mulder came in. Scully looked up from the statement, and met her partner's eyes. As she lowered the paper to her desk with her right hand, Mulder saw the expression in her eyes, and the smile of greeting which had been on his face slipped away. He moved quickly to her side, and knelt down at the side of her chair, looking closely into her eyes. "What's wrong, Scully?", he asked in a low voice. She opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again and swallowed hard before replying, "I was just reading over Carianne Georges' statement..." Mulder frowned in concern when he saw tears forming in his partner's eyes. She continued after a short pause, "It brought it all back..." Scully swallowed again, fighting the tears which were pricking at her eyes, but suddenly her emotional barriers broke down, and the tears overflowed down her cheeks. With a hoarse cry, "Oh, Mulder..." she turned towards him, and buried her face in his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his back, and crushing him close to her. Mulder didn't know how to respond for a moment, but then, as Scully's tears soaked through the thin material of his shirt, he understood what was happening, and he allowed his arms to embrace her too, and he held her close to him as her pain overcame her. Rocking her softly back and forth to soothe her, his left hand rose to caress her hair, and he realised with relief that at last the worst was over. The End. I'd greatly appreciate any comments or constructive criticism from fellow X-Philes. Email me at . Danielle Culverson.