The only sound surrounding them was the dirt being kicked back from the tires of the car. She had a puzzled expression on her face, opening and closing her mouth at a complete loss for words. He was staring ahead, in the passenger seat, because that's normally where she sat. She glanced to her right, it was where she was sitting, only it wasn't her. Her hands gripped tighter on the steering wheel, pulling over when she felt they were far enough out of the way from the government men that they just encountered. She slumped into the seat, him still not looking at her, just staring straight ahead.
"Mulder..." She said cautiously, only it wasn't her voice, but his. It sounded like when he answered the phone, that familiar tone dripping from her own mouth. His mouth.
"I don't know." She scrunched her face, did her voice really sound like that when she was worried. God, how annoying. She shook herself from her thoughts, needing to focus on the issue at hand.
"What the hell happened?"
"I just remember seeing the aircraft, and then an odd sensation, and then I saw you, but me." He explained, finally turning to look at her. At himself.
"So, essentially what you're saying, is that we are...each other? Like some freaky friday occurrence?"
"It would look that way. Scully, I can't even explain this one." It was odd for her, to see herself describe it, his words coming from her mouth.
"Maybe, everything will be back to normal tomorrow. Let's just, get back to the motel, and sleep it off." She was attempting to convince herself that that would do the trick, knowing the science of it didn't make sense. She mentally laughed to herself, the science of them switching places didn't make sense either. Their cases were getting stranger by the minute.
He simply nodded at her, still at a loss for words. She continued driving, admiring his arms as she steered through the darkness of the night, an open road ahead of them. She loved when he wore t-shirts, catching subtle glances at his hands and arms. This might not be so bad after all.
They automatically went to their respective rooms, the adjoining door remaining open. The exhaustion was beginning to wash over both of them as they got ready for bed. It wasn't until she went to use the restroom that a new realization popped into her head, very clearly noticing this wasn't her body.
"Uh, Mulder..." She stepped into the open door between their rooms, seeing herself plopped on his bed, arm resting behind his head in his normal stance. She could only imagine that he was trying to resume his normal tendencies until everything went back to the way it was supposed to be. The psychologist in him shining through his actions.
"Yeah?"
"I - we, uh...I went to use the restroom, and realized that -" She stammered, willing him to catch on to her train of thought. He shot up to a seated position, eyes widening.
"Oh."
"Right. I - uh, I mean..." She took a deep breath, composing herself to get through this with some sanity. "I think that as two people who have known each other for several years, have been partners in that time, that we can be professional and adult about this." It was a blatant lie, perhaps one of the only ones she has ever told him. Technically, she was lying to her own face, that feeling she was familiar with.
"I think I can manage that." There was a suppressed grin beginning on his lips and she wanted to slap it right off her own face. She simply nodded, excusing herself for the rest of the evening, closing the door so that only a sliver was left open.
She stood in front of the mirror, Mulder staring back at her. She wanted nothing more than a hot shower, and to crawl into bed and dream this nightmare away. Out of respect for him, she chose to undress away from the mirror, letting the hot water hit her body, his body. She couldn't help but admire his arms and his toned torso as she washed herself, with her bathroom products. She bit back the laugh that he would smell like warm vanilla.
The shower calmed her, given the situation. She realized that everything in her room had her belongings, which were going to be awkwardly small for his long, lean figure. Wrapping the towel around herself as she would, tucked just under her arms, she made her way and knocked on the adjoining door. When she heard him call back to come in, she stuck her head inside his room, feeling embarrassed.
"I - uh, need to borrow your clothes. I don't think my pajamas will quite fit." His voice sounded extremely shy and cautious, it's a tone she's rarely heard from him. But it wasn't coming from him, it was coming from her, she reminded herself.
"Right...my bag's right there on the chair. Take whatever you need." He gestured, sitting up again in the bed. She noticed that he had managed to throw on one of his t-shirts, which looked adorably large on her small figure. When this was over, she may need to find a way to steal a few of his shirts sometime soon.
She crept into the room further, still gripping the towel tightly around her. As she gathered some pajamas, a few clothes for tomorrow's flight home, she could hear a suppressed laugh coming from behind her. She turned, glaring at him, not finding anything amusing about their current predicament.
"What?" She asked annoyed.
"Nothing, it's just - that's an interesting look for me. Normally, the towel just hangs around my waist." She could feel herself blush furiously, wondering if his embarrassment was as noticeable as hers was normally. She wished him a goodnight, clutching the clothes to her body and making a quick escape to her own room.
The next morning, Scully roused with more of a headache than usual whenever Mulder dragged her out in the middle of the night on these ridiculous cases. She groaned, it sounding deeper than her normal morning voice. Her eyes widened, running to the mirror just above the desk in her room. She let out a heavy sigh, seeing those familiar hazel eyes staring back at her. His hair was doing funny things, and his sleepy eyes filled her soul with warmth. She shook the thoughts from her head, approaching the adjoining door and knocking softly. When there was no response, she pushed it open further, seeing herself sleeping on her back, her hand resting flat on her stomach, low enough to question what exactly he was doing the night before.
"Mulder." She said sternly, nudging her own body awake. He opened his eyes slowly, seeing himself staring back through tired eyes. He closed them again, sighing heavily.
"I take it your sleep suggestion didn't work." He grumbled, her voice sounding low and husky from sleep. She pouted slightly, taking in her morning appearance. Her hair always curled during the night, she had to blow it out every morning to get it in control.
"It appears not."
"So what do we do now?"
"Well, we can't go back to work like this."
"Why not? We still only really work together anyway."
"Yeah, but -"
"What? You don't trust me to uphold your glowing reputation?"
"Of course I trust you, otherwise I'd be going completely out of my mind right now if I didn't." She hissed at him, planting her hands on his hips. He laughed at the stance, seeing him acting out her emotions was more amusing than he thought it should be.
"Sorry, it's just funny to see me doing things I normally wouldn't be doing." He said lightly, responding to the glare she was shooting him. She huffed out a small laugh, realizing what he meant. She nodded, relaxing her stiff stance.
"So you just want to continue on and head home?"
"We'll have more resources when we get back, we can have the guys look into any similar occurrences that have happened near the area." He suggested, coming to stand before her. Normally, he would embrace her, and it felt awkward for her to be looking down at him. They both shared a laugh at the amusing situation.
"This is going to take some getting used to." She said, the awkwardness settling around them. She stepped closer, so that she was standing completely over him. "Am I really that short?"
"I'm going to choose against comment, seeing as you have the advantage here." He grinned, swerving from the hand that came to swat him playfully.
When they made it back to DC, there was an awkward moment of who was going to which apartment. The discussion of just switching had made an appearance, but neither felt completely comfortable with that prospect. They were sitting in the car outside of the airport, shifting uncomfortably in their seats, no words to explain their apprehensions.
"So..." He began, her voice dripping with question as his words escaped her lips.
"I don't know, Mulder." She let out a heavy sigh, feeling even more entrapped as his long frame barely fit in the passenger seat of the car.
"Until we know how long this is going to last, why don't we stop by my place, grab a few clothes and I can crash on your couch. I just think it'll be better if we are together."
"You don't think I'll need more things?"
"I'm a pretty simple guy, Scully."
"Mulder, you are a lot of things, but I would never classify you as simple." She huffed out a small laugh, causing the mock glare to shine in his eyes. Her eyes.
"I just figured that I'd need more of your things, and you can show me what half of them are." He said with a slight shrug, she laughed and nodded in agreement.
She opened her apartment as she normally would, it seeming like he was leading her inside. His things were taken to her room and settled at the foot of her bed. This entire adjustment period was confusing for them both.
"I - uh, was going to take a shower and then go to bed. I'm exhausted, it's been a long few days." She said quietly. The thought of her washing his body again was sending a warmth surging through her, but it was a more noticeable reaction in his body.
"Okay, yeah. But go easy on the body wash, Scully. I can't be walking around the bullpen smelling like warm vanilla and lavender." She laughed, only he could make her feel comfortable when she was quite literally having an out of body experience. She found a small solace in the fact that he knew her scent as well.
"You should shower in the morning, it's easier to get my hair in control that way."
"I don't know, the curls are kind of cute."
"There's no chance in hell that I'm letting you leave my hair natural for work." She scoffed. She realized he could do anything to her body, and there wouldn't be anything she could do about it. They were both relieved this happened with each other, with people they trusted.
After her shower, they settled themselves on the couch, her finding it extremely hard to sit as she normally would with her feet curled under her. She was starting to really relish in the advantages of being smaller. She gave up on comfort, huffing out an annoyed breath, plopping his long legs out in front of her.
"Sorry, you get used to it after a while." He laughed, noticing her struggle with her stance.
"I'm really starting to appreciate my height. Remind me never to take it for granted again."
"At least sleeping on your couch will be quite roomy for me now."
"Oh. Right. You - uh, you can sleep in the bed with me. I don't mind."
He froze, not knowing how to take her words. There was a slight shift in their relationship recently, their feelings being exposed through simple flirtations and innuendos, mostly on his part. She didn't brush them off as she used to, it almost seemed like she was welcoming them.
"It's okay, I'm used to the couch." He said with a shrug.
"Mulder, we don't know how long we're stuck like this and -" She paused, giving him a sideways glance, the smirk touching the corners of his lips. "I don't want my body to be sore from sleeping on the couch."
"Oh, so this is more for your benefit than my well being." She laughed at the mock glare that she watched him give her with her own eyes. Maybe they could make this work for them after all.
The next morning it was a struggle as they prepared for work, her wanting to continue in her normal morning routines, and him not doing much for her appearance. She sighed heavily as he stood at her closet, staring with a dumbfounded look as he took in her neatly organized selection.
"Here...this suit, this blouse, and -" She paused, biting her lip, giving him an amused look.
"What?"
"Have you ever walked in heels, Mulder?" She watched as her own eyes widened, desperately trying not to laugh.
"Are they necessary?"
"When you're my height, yes. Plus, we would look even more ridiculous together if I wore flats."
"Scully…" He whined, pouting her plump lips.
"Oh, I need to do your makeup. My makeup." She corrected, the explanation sounding odd.
"I don't know what's going to be worse, actually wearing makeup, or watching myself apply it." He groaned. She laughed at the absurdity of their situation, they were about to be even more acquainted with each other than before.
"Change and put the moisturizer to the left of the sink on and I'll come in and do the makeup." She instructed, shooing him away towards the bathroom with the outfit she picked out. When he emerged, he let out a heavy sigh. She picked a skirt on purpose, needing to get her kicks where she could.
"Scully, are these a must? They ride up in places that I wouldn't even think you're comfortable with." He plucked at the pantyhose with his fingers, the elastic bouncing back on her leg.
"Well, usually I wear thigh-high stockings, but I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of putting those on."
"Wait, really?" He was intrigued and she pursed his lips to mask the smirk she knew was itching to make an appearance.
"I guess you'll just have to find out some other way eventually." She said mysteriously, causing him to groan slightly. There were definitely some new discoveries to be made during this. "I need to do my makeup."
"Fine." He resigned as she pushed herself into the bathroom. They were much tighter quarters with them both in there.
"That's usually my line."
"I'm just getting into character. It's almost like an undercover operation." The amused grin creeping on both of their faces.
She began her normal makeup routine, having to adjust how she held her brushes, since his hands were prominently larger than hers. She was meticulous about the rhythm and pattern of every brush stroke, painting her face with the subtle colors she normally displayed.
"Hey Scully…" He asked, completely enchanted by watching himself so focused, the knowledge that it was her.
"Hmm?"
"Why do you cover your freckles, and your mole?" Her hand paused, catching his gaze, her gaze, with purpose. No one has ever asked her that before, partially because she didn't think anyone really noticed the little things she considered flaws.
"I - uh, just felt like they made me look adolescent. When I started instructing, I felt like they saw me as an equal, and not someone with authority, so I enhanced my appearance." She said with a shrug, dismissing the question.
"I like them." He said a beat later, breaking the silence that fell over the room.
"Thanks."
She finished applying her makeup, nodding in satisfaction. Their height difference was almost comical when she was barefoot, and it was a strange sensation looking down at herself. She narrowed her eyes, hands on his hips again.
"Mulder…"
"Yeah?"
"Can you always see down my shirt when you stand this close?" His eyebrow arched, her natural reflect when she was questioning him. She was thankful for her fair skin, exposing his bashfulness by the tinge of color on her own cheeks.
"I - uh, I've never noticed." He said dismissively, using her small stature to his advantage and making a quick escape.
When they made their way to work, she had to bite back several laughs as he nearly rolled his ankle a few times while attempting to walk in her heels. She only started helping him when she realized it would be her eventually that would have to deal with the ramifications of any injury sustained. The heels were lost as soon as he reached his desk, him leaning back in the chair, feet on the top. He missed the first few times he attempted this move, realizing that her legs weren't as long as his.
Their day passed uneventfully as they finished up reports and answered pointless phone calls. Mulder was right, they didn't really converse with any of the other agents, so no one noticed anything different between them. They had practically picked up each other's habits, working so closely for as long as they had.
"Lunch?" He finally asked, spinning around and around in his seat before stopping to face her. He was teetering from side to side like a child, awaiting her response.
"Did you even touch any of the reports?"
"I think I did...one."
"Mulder -" She hissed, realizing it must sound odd that he would be scolding his own name. His tongue came out to wet his bottom lip, something she always did out of discomfort. Somehow he was still turned on, even seeing himself doing it, knowing it was her action. She leaned in closer, her voice lowering as much as his would allow. "That's my name you're signing at the bottom of those documents, please try to at least attempt to care to finish them."
"Scully, you know I hate reports. Plus, I signed your name perfectly." He held up the only finished report proudly, her name flawlessly scrawled on the bottom. They really had worked together too long.
"Fine, let's go to lunch then." She sighed in concession, pushing herself away from his desk. He felt awkward having to pick up her purse as they left. He was definitely getting in touch with his feminine side during whatever life lesson this was.
They made their way to the diner that they frequented way too often, settling into a booth in the corner, away from the crowd. Mulder had made a late night phone call to the Gunmen, asking them to research into any similar occurrences in the area. Frohike offered to help, only after he agreed to say several suggestive sentences in Scully's voice that he could record and save for later. Mulder left that little detail out when he told her the good news.
"Have you heard anything from the guys?"
"No, they said they would call back as soon as they found something."
"Were they surprised to hear from me, well...you, but me."
"I think they were more confused than anything, and found it all too amusing." She nodded, knowing the feeling. As she perused over the menu, she realized that he was eating for her, and vice versa.
"You're eating a salad." She said pointedly, leaving no room for argument.
"I want a burger."
"It's not you that's eating the burger. You're getting a salad."
"Come on, Scully. I've already been walking around in heels all day, I had to hold your purse, and now you won't even let me get a double bacon cheeseburger?" The whine that escaped her own lips even annoyed herself. She scrunched his face at his order, shaking her head.
"I don't have your metabolism, I can't just scarf down that junk and not expect it to settle in places it is definitely not welcome. But -" She said with a bright smile. "You can eat whatever you want, and I haven't had a good, greasy burger in ages."
She laughed as she watched her eyes narrow in her direction, jaw clenching. He couldn't believe she was enjoying this game of who was allowed to do what. A smile appeared on his face, a million ideas popping into his mind. Two can play this game. He unbuttoned her blouse just one more notch, exposing a modest amount of cleavage. The entertainment value she was enjoying over the switch faded with the fall of her face.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"It's getting kind of warm in here." He feigned innocence, shrugging off the question.
"Button that back up." She demanded, reaching over to do it herself. He leaned back, covering her own hand over the area in question, in a mock moment of modesty.
"Agent Mulder, may I remind you that we are still on the clock." She stared back at him incredulously, was he honestly going to play this game just because she wouldn't let him eat a cheeseburger? He was such a child sometimes.
"Agent Scully, may I remind you that your blouse is what I would consider bordering unprofessional for a federal employee." She challenged.
"While I value your opinion on my state of dress, as well as my diet, I am perfectly capable of making these decisions on my own." He spat back at her with perfect accuracy in her tone of voice. She was fuming, how dare he threaten her, in her own body nonetheless. She opened her mouth to argue back, the phone in his pocket stopping her short.
"Scully." She answered automatically, annoyance clouding her better thoughts.
"Oh, I thought we called Mulder's phone. Well, I guess we did." Byers stammered, causing the realization to hit. Her answering his phone, with his voice, projecting her name was confusing even to her. She winced, mentally chastising herself for not being as careful as she had planned.
"Yeah, you did. I - uh…"
"It's okay, he explained everything to us. You'll have to excuse us, it's just weird hearing your words, with his voice."
"You're telling me. Did you find anything?"
"We think so. Are you able to stop by after work?"
"Yeah, we'll be there. Thanks again." She said pleasantly, hanging up the phone. He looked at her expectantly, his gaze being interrupted as the waitress stopped to take their order. His gaze was averted back to her, waiting for her to say something.
"You're not going to tell me who called me on my phone? Or where we are going to be later?"
"Well, I, Fox Mulder, received a call from an important source about some imperative information that I have been anxiously waiting to receive. You, Dana Scully, will blindly follow me on whatever this venture is, because that's what we do."
"I'm pretty sure that's what got us into the mess." Her voice sounded low, almost melancholy. She gave him a puzzled look at the shift in his demeanor.
"It was a joke, Mulder." She tried to reassure him, seeing something deeper happening in his eyes. In her eyes.
The rest of the day, there was an awkward silence that lingered around. Other than a few exchanges about reports, he had hardly spoken since lunch. She knew there was something shadowing his mind, but she couldn't for the life of her determine what is could possibly be.
"Nice makeup job, Mulder." Frohike teased as they made their way into the Gunmen's lair. He smiled, nodding subtly. She rolled her eyes, knowing there was a conversation to be had later.
"What'd you guys find?" She asked, anxiously wanting to know how soon they could get back to their normal lives. Not that she wasn't finding small perks to this arrangement.
"It looks like there was another reported case including a bunch of teenagers who stumbled into area 51 one drunken night. Two of them claimed that they had switched bodies, but the authorities didn't believe them. Their friends thought it was a prank, and they went on with their lives." Langly explained.
"So, we're just stuck like this?" She asked incredulously.
"Not exactly. They claim to have gone back to the site where it happened, and when the police followed up on their original claims, the teens had no recollection of any of the events they claimed occurred. They said they remember visiting the field, and then seeing an aircraft of sorts, and then they just went home. Their friends remember them arguing about the switch, but the people in question don't remember a thing. The case was ultimately dropped since they didn't care to investigate." Byers explained carefully.
"So, you're saying if we go back to the site, and just wait for an aircraft to fly above us and switch us back, we won't remember switching in the first place?"
"That's what we're assuming, based on what happened to these kids." Frohike chimed in. "But we would essentially remember."
"Looks like we're going back to Nevada." Mulder finally chimed in, standing off to the side, sulking about the attempted joke Scully had made earlier in the day.
She thanked the Gunmen, following him out to the car. He was moody, and it was even more apparent on her own face, since she knew her expressions and stances. Their car ride was quiet all the way back to her apartment, both completely lost in their own thoughts.
"I think I'm going to grab some stuff and stay at my own place tonight." He finally spoke, causing the furrow of her brow. He avoided her gaze, gripping onto the steering wheel tighter, feeling his own eyes staring at the side of him. "You can pick everything out."
"What's this about? You've been...different since lunch." There wasn't a word to explain his mood, and different didn't even cover it, considering they weren't even themselves at the moment. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm fine." She scoffed at the words, understanding now how truly annoying they were.
"I don't think now's the time to separate."
She hoped she could convey as much desperation in his voice as she normally could in hers. Nothing about them separating made her feel comfortable, and he was being extremely stubborn for god knows what reason. As his next words escaped her lips, she felt the breath hitch in his throat, brow furrowing further at the implication of his sentiment.
"It's time for you to get out of the car, Scully…"