Author's notes: Here is the second part to this AU version of the episode "Never Again." You will note the divergence from the original episode in this story. Scully does not find out about the ergot in the tattoo…which leads her to decide to take more of a chance with him.
Knocking on Heaven's Door
Chapter 2
Scully awoke with confusion, the foreign smell of Ed's cologne wafting into her nostrils. The smooth feel of his wrinkle-free white shirt crinkled on her skin, as the memories of their furious love-making from last night returned to her. Still drowsy, she drifted out of bed.
Just as she began to realize Ed was out, the police showed up, and a weird exchange took place where she drifted from the role of suspect (or suspect's girlfriend, anyway) to authority, and shut the door while the strange encounter began to set off her logical thought processes. 'I need to research this,' she thought, examining the slip of paper that contained the number of an unknown chemical compound.
But before she could secretly run a check on his computer, Ed was home. 'I should tell him,' she thought.
"Ed, the police were here." In response to his questioning look, she explained about the neighbor who was missing, and that his blood had been found in her apartment. He had a logical explanation, and she believed him. Still, he looked angry that they even suspected him. She did not understand why, but she let it go.
Ed had brought her coffee and doughnuts for breakfast. 'If only he knew,' she thought, and decided to tell him.
After she got dressed, he began to gently caress her once again. "I had fun last night," he said. "Can I see you again before you leave?"
She pulled away from him and looked down. "Ed, I have a confession to make." His face drew a blank. "I'm not…visiting my aunt. I'm with the FBI, here on an assignment. And…" She turned her head to the side. "…I have to be back at work today—so there's no way I can stay."
Now Ed looked thoughtful. "Well…how about next weekend? Maybe I can come up there to visit you instead?"
"Ed…" She turned away from him. "I don't know about this. I had fun too, but…"
"But what? Why can't we just enjoy each other's company? We obviously have a spark of…something, for each other."
She had so many arguments why this would not work out. It was long distance, so they wouldn't see each other much. But then there was always e-mail and phones, of course. Distance could hardly be an excuse for avoiding relationships in today's day and age. But there was also the fact that she was an FBI agent, and he was a salesman, and they lived in two different worlds. And her world was so much more dangerous and foreign to him. And then there was Mulder, of course.
Mulder. He would never let her hear the end of this. She didn't know if she could bear the contempt in his voice when she talked about Ed. But what right did he have to decide who she saw? It's not like he was courting her, or even being polite to her half the time. More like ordering her around. Was she going to let his possessive spirit control her?
Her sudden burst of anger made her feel more like taking this little fling with Ed to the next level.
