Cista Adhæsit

Agent Scully shifts awkwardly, regarding Frohike with noticeable discomfort. The noise and debris of road work fills the air in front of the Hoover building while she watches him advance. In the months following their brief romantic entanglement, they'd made good on their agreement to remain friends and colleagues, although their encounters had been admittedly strained. Now she needs his help. What's more, since Mulder's disappearance, she has to introduce him to her new partner. She wonders what they'll think of each other. As he approaches, Scully can see that Frohike looks just as uncomfortable as she is. She leads him in through the main entrance, serving as his clearance. God, I still haven't even said hello to him! She scolds herself. Looking over at him, she casts him a fond smile. They made no mention of their relationship since it ended a year ago, but the intervening time has done nothing to change their feelings for each other. At times, they'd been caught in the act of making eyes at each other. This time, Frohike simply trots ahead a few steps to catch up and walk beside her.

There's so much that he can't say, or unsay. After Mulder disappeared, he knew that Scully had fallen into the habit of calling Lone Gunmen headquarters and hanging up after the first ring. Who else could it be? She needs a friend, he thinks to himself. He can't even think of a way to offer proper consolation for losing someone so close to her, so much a part of her life, without looking like an opportunist. He sees her wipe the smile off her face for the sake of propriety as she hits the elevator button, though the soft look remains in her eyes, clearly showing that she is hurting, yet happy to be with him.

"Any news?" he sighs as an awkward opener, stepping into the elevator with her. Once the doors slide shut, she speaks.

"Well, I don't know if I've already told you this, but I'm officially cancer-free."

"That's great! You're not going to die!"

"Yet," she mutters dryly.

The car then slows to an unexpected halt, the lights flicker for a few seconds before going out completely. Several seconds pass while they absorb this fact.

"Shit!" Scully exclaims, bracing herself against the wall, gripping the handrail as though expecting it to go into a freefall. "Oh god, oh god…" she whispers frantically under her breath. A hand gropes towards her in the dark and grasps her shoulder.

"Dana, it's all right. Listen to me, Dana!"

The use of her first name shocks her out of her panic. He'd acknowledged her, acknowledged them for the first time since they broke up. Feeling her way in the darkness, she steps towards Frohike and they embrace. If we fall to our deaths, I'll die in his arms. So much better than going alone, her morbid imagination tells her. She feels his hand part her hair and is reassured that he's there. As the moments draw out and the car fails to drop, she opens her eyes. Not that it does much good, they're in total darkness.

"Are you scared?" Frohike asks. His rather amused tone annoys Scully, who gulps and nods. Heights in general, particularly the prospect of falling from them, have never been her strong suit. Despite her waning panic-attack, she's reluctant to leave that which she'd denied herself for all this time. She presses her cheek against his shoulder. "Oh, Mel, I missed you. For a second I thought we were going to…"

"It's almost impossible to crash one of these things. They all have redundant cables, and one of them is more than enough to hold the car. There are the regular and emergency brakes, and they even have springs on the bottom to break the fall if all the rest of it fails."

"Trust you to know something like that." Finally stepping away from him, Scully folds her arms and leans against the wall. "Well, now what?"

"Looks like we wait." They both slouch down until they're sitting on the floor, holding hands.

They're quiet for a few minutes, when Scully finally breaks the silence. "So, who's a 'creature of the air and light' now?" Her eyes have adjusted to the dark and she looks over at Frohike significantly. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since they last had this talk.

"Hoo boy, we're back to that again."

"Well? In hindsight, how much worse could it have been? We were…I thought we were happy. If it did no good, why call it off? God, I never thought…I mean, what were the odds of us happening? Then to throw it all away? I just want to know what it was for."

"You think I should've dragged you down to my level?" Frohike asks.

"What level? I don't know how you got it into your head that we're so different. We're not. I've seen the dark, Mel, I know it, I've lived in it. Whatever world you live in, I'm there, too."

Frohike isn't convinced, "But you shouldn't have to. I didn't want that for you. You…you're an actual person, you have a family and a career and a life."

"Family…" she whispers, almost inaudibly, laden with irony.

"Why do you want to talk about this now? To pass the time?"

Scully's breathing becomes shaky, after a few false starts she blurts out, "I'm pregnant."

Frohike stares, barely able to see her in the dimness but enough to see the vulnerable expression on her face. "What? But…who?"

"I don't know. I haven't…I mean, there wasn't anyone." Scully tries to explain, but only thinks of how stupid it sounds. "At the risk of sounding selfish…I don't think I can do this alone. I'm not asking you to…to be the father," the word sounds foreign, she never thought she'd be having this discussion, "But you said before that if I ever needed anything I should ask. Well, I'm asking now."

Frohike scoots in and puts an arm around her. "I'm so not the man for the job…but if I can help in any way. I don't know what I can do, but-"

"Hey, didn't you hear me right? I'm not asking you to be the father," there's that word again, "if you don't want to. I just need you to be there…as a friend."

Relief is obvious in his voice as he assures her, "I can do that."

"Good," she replies, feeling a little better. In light of all that's happened lately, she's thankful for all the allies she can count on. Something about being alone with no chance of intrusion gives them license to cuddle up without any awkwardness. A moment later, however, Scully feels Frohike become tense.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, nothing," he denies lamely. "Just…do you think we'll get moving again soon? I mean…it's a bit close in here, isn't it? Think there's enough air?" He nervously tugs at his collar.

"There's enough air, don't worry."

"Just keep talking. If we keep talking it'll take my mind off of it. Why do you think I learned so much about elevator safety features? I don't like this, I've never liked this, and if I just don't think about it I'll be fine."

Scully pets his arm soothingly, "And I was just enjoying a chance to be alone with you," she remarks, resting her head on his shoulder and bringing her arms around him. "I really missed you. I-I-"

"Don't." Once again, Frohike feels bound to keep her from making any wild confessions. As much as he knows it to be true, something about hearing it said out loud would make it final. It would invite disaster. He would be unable to refuse her, would be willing to take back all he'd said about them, would even be willing to try being a parent to her child. The road that lay before them from that possibility was both beautiful and treacherous. If he didn't drag her down, she'd lure him up…or maybe she was right, they weren't from such different worlds. He makes no move to escape her embrace. Feeling her this close to him is helping keep his mind off of his claustrophobia. He takes her hand and squeezes for reassurance.

Scully isn't sure what to think of the mixed signals she's getting, so she leans in close to his ear and whispers sneakily, "-love you!"

Cringing as though he were struck, Frohike admits, "No one's ever said that to me before."

"Well, 'someone' would have a year ago, Mel, if you would've let her," Scully reminds him.

"Look, Dana, it was hard for me, too. I didn't want to give you up after what we had. I know I made the call, but just think: all romantic notions aside, once we fell into a routine it would've gotten old real fast. And look at the lives we lead. Where would we find time for a relationship? I don't even know how to carry on a relationship! It wasn't you, Dana. It was never about you or anything you did or said."

"Just what I supposedly am," she mutters bitterly.

"Not even that. Really, I want you to try to imagine what the long haul would've looked like." He keeps a firm hold on Scully's hand, belying the genuineness of his rejection. She has no idea how badly he wants to take her back, to be with her, and this is his final effort to the contrary. The only sound is their breathing and faint noises of the floors they're stuck between. It's enough to let Scully know how uncomfortable Frohike is to be trapped in such a small space. She cuddles up to him again, kissing him on the neck. He turns his head to face her while she's going in once more, making them kiss full on the mouth…which leads to another, mutually deliberate one…and another…Even during their brief time as a couple they hadn't truly indulged in each other. Once it's turned on, consequences be damned.

Scully scoots backwards to catch her breath. After a snap decision that it's now or never, she shrugs off her jacket and unbuttons her blouse. After taking a second to fathom what's happening, Frohike pulls her back to him, hands sliding coolly over her warm, exposed flesh.

Since there's no telling how much longer they have alone, neither of them completely disrobes. Scully closes her eyes and feels his trail of kisses leading from her neck on down. Every few inches downwards he goes back up and surprises her with a wet smooch on the mouth, claiming her lips to hear her muffled cry of delight. Frohike draws his hands down her legs, then back up under her skirt, pulling down her underwear as they cling damply to her skin. He removes his jacket, spreading it out under Scully along with her own as an improvised "bed".

Meanwhile, Agent Doggett has forced open the elevator doors at the bottom level and shines a flashlight up the shaft. He hears creaking from the elevator car several feet above him, and it reverberates with faint distorted voice sounds. He can't tell from them if it means someone's in danger or just freaked out by the power outage. He lets go of the doors and they close again. He goes back to his desk and picks up a stone paperweight. Opening the doors again, he bangs on the shaft until it rings loudly. "Hey up there! Any injured?" He shouts uselessly. The chances of anyone hearing him or being able to intelligibly respond are slim. Still, he bangs again.

"Hey, Dana?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you hear bells?" She doesn't answer, just smiles contentedly up at the ceiling. "How…you know…how was it for you?"

"Just what the doctor ordered," she sighs. "I needed that. How 'bout you?"

"Good," he answers simply, punctuating it with a kiss, "Very good."

They are both ready to doze off, but of course that's when the lights come back on. Frohike helps Scully to her feet and they dress quickly, their efforts somewhat impeded by their inability to keep their hands off of each other. The car continues its decent, they're now both in earnest, trying to look as normal as they can. Too late, Scully realizes something is missing.

"Feel a draft, Agent Scully?" Frohike asks, holding up her panties before pocketing them with an evil grin. Just then the doors slide open; Agent Doggett nods to them both in greeting. The other two, struggling to maintain appropriately somber expressions, return it, introductions are made and they're ready for the day's work. Doggett looks at Scully, surveying her carefully. She looks different: flushed and less tense than he'd seen her in days. He looks at her accomplice, then back at her, shrugging off the suspicion as quickly as it had formed. "Nah."