As she got up to leave Scully caught Mulders eye, she saw him give a look of concern.
Scully left the office and went up to the fourth floor. Scully went and waited for Kersch assistant to inform the inner office of her arrival.
"Please take a seat" Kersch motioned to the chair in front of his desk.
"Sir..." Scully began
"No. You will listen to what I have to say first." Kersch stopped her before she could say more.
"It has come to my knowledge that you had been in contact with some very interesting characters and have been using them to help you access some very highly classified information. Information which I hear has been used to do nothing more than find Agent Mulder, who for some unknown reason decided to take a trip out into the ocean."
Scully was not at all surprised that Kersch was aware of the entire story, she remember how she had tried to come to him for help only to find the cigarette-smoking man in his office. Scully was not sure if Kersch was directing or being directed in that meeting she had disturbed.
"I want you to name your sources, and how you got the other information you need, I want you to name the person from within the FBI that is responsible for helping you waste so much taxpayers' money on your little expedition." Kersch said
"And before you give me some excuse as to why you cannot do this, let me stress that it is your job that is on the line here." Kersch continued.
Scully posture stiffened with this threat of termination. Scully was rigged in her chair. "Refusing to answer is not your best option here Agent Scully." Kersch said after Scully had not answered him.
"Fine, we will start with two weeks suspension, no pay, then I will review you and you role here with the FBI, and I will defiantly be putting in some further restrictions regarding your involvement with continuing cases with Agent Mulder. Oh, and do not worry about Agent Mulder I will be speaking to him shortly too." Kersch warned.
Scully was frozen in the chair.
"You may go Agent" said Kersch
It took Scully a moment to register to send the message to her feet; she stood up slowly and left the room. Scully made her way back down to the lower floor. Scully entered the office; Mulder was sitting at his desk, not really doing anything. Scully could see that he was waiting for her to get back to find out just how much trouble he had gotten her into this time. Mulder saw Scully and got up and meet her half way across the room. Mulder reached out for Scully's arm.
"Well?" Mulder asked.
"I was asked to name my sources, and then was suspended for two weeks, on my return my role will be reviewed, there will be restrictions on us working together, and I think Kersch is going to talk to you next." Scully said.
Just as she finished another Agent approached them.
"Agent Mulder, I have been asked to bring you up to Kersch's office." said the Agent
Mulder and Scully shared a look.
"Good luck." Scully said.
Scully collected some things from her desk and left. Mulder watched her before turning to go see Kersch.
Scully sat at home alone with a glass of wine in her hand. Scully found herself thinking what life would be like if she had not joined the FBI. Scully wonder if it was all worth it, she was still single, and was not sure what she wanted out of life. Scully just knew that she was tired of constantly going here and there on some whim or hunch of Mulders, on some never ending quest that she herself did not really believed. Aliens, really?
There was a knock on the door, Scully got up, looked through the peep hole, sighed when she saw Mulder on the other side and paused.
Mulder must have heard her.
"Scully, it's me, please open the door." Mulder said
Scully paused again, but then undid the locks and opened the door. Mulder stood just outside her door not wanting to be forcefully and make his own way inside; he wanted her to invite him in. Mulder felt that Scully deserved that, he could see in her eyes she did not know what he wanted showing up on her door like this, at this hour. Or maybe it was because of those three words. Mulder had so many times come to her door and wake her up to take her off on some other case. Scully always was hesitant but always went along.
"What is it Mulder?" was all Scully said.
"I think we need to talk." was all Mulder said in return.
"Now?" Scully asked
"What do you want me to do? It can't be ignored; we need to work something out so we can go back on working together?" Mulder said
"Working together?" Scully was getting angry.
"Mulder I am suspended, I will then be reviewed and monitored. I am sure that if they see me still working with you that will be it; they will kick me out of the FBI. There is no working together." Scully continued
Mulder was taken aback by Scully's anger. Mulder shifted uncomfortably.
"I think you'd better go." Scully said before he could say anything.
Scully began to close the door.
"Scully. Wait! I'm sorry, that was not what I meant. I certainly don't want you to lose your job. You did the right thing not naming the Gunmen or Skinner as you co-conspirators." Mulder said
"I would hate to lose you as a partner." Mulder paused "And as a friend."
Scully's eyes soften ever so slightly, but Mulder, who never missed anything, saw it. Mulder saw Scully expression change, where she had looked so down she now had the faintness smile.
Scully opened the door wider.
"Come in." Scully said, the bitterness almost gone from her voice.
Mulder came in and took a seat on the lounge; he saw that Scully had a glass of wine in her hand. Before joining Mulder on the lounge Scully retrieved another glass from the kitchen. Pouring Mulder a glass and sitting next to him.
"So what did Kersch say?" Scully asked.
Mulder was relieved that she had calmed down, and he told her about his meeting with the superior.
"Same old Mulder you are a disgrace to the FBI jargon. Three weeks suspension. Upon return I will have to write daily journals reporting on the work I am doing, which will no doubt still be the same lame-ass background checks; or something worse. Do you think they could make me scrub the toilets?" Mulder joked.
Scully could not contain her laugh, which just broaden her smile.
Mulder found himself looking at her. Man she is beautiful. Mulder thought.
Scully caught the look in Mulders eye and contained herself and took a long sip of wine from her glass. There was a long awkward silence. Mulder took a long sip of his wine. Mulder cleared his throat.
"It's late I better go." Mulder said
Scully looked up from her wine, a bit surprised, Mulder had come all this way to talk but now he was here he wanted to go.
"Mulder?" Scully was surprised
Mulder paused from getting up, he turned towards Scully, but he could not bring himself to look at her face.
Scully saw that he was not really looking at her, she wasn't sure if she could look straight at his face at the moment either. Scully could get lost so easily in his eyes.
Again there was silence. Neither wanting to be the next person to speak.
Scully thought, he never gets embarrassed, what is going on.
Finally Mulder look at her face, he always could read her, always knew she when she was afraid, knew that she put up walls to protect herself. To put a front to others that she was always strong. Mulder knew her too well, had been through so much with her, where she had been pushed and challenged. Now as he looked at her face he was not sure what he saw.
For Scully, Mulder was the one person that could always make light of a difficult situation, comfort her, and read her so well. Scully did not feel that comfort right now.
The two sat there just drink wine in silence.
"Get some rest Scully." Mulder said, stood and left.
And just like that Mulder was gone. Scully sat looking at the closed door.
This is weird. Scully thought.
Scully empty her glass of wine, refilled it, and emptied it again. Scully then got up and took herself to bed. Scully sleep was disturbed by dreams. These dreams were not of Mulders new revelation, but of all that they had done so far. Scully loved her work, but she always thought that by this time in her life she would have matured in her life. Maybe married, or at least some serious relationship that was heading towards marriage. Scully woke up. The clock read 3.15am. Scully spent the rest of the night thinking about her future. After the suspension, would the FBI change her role, change her partner. If she refused, that would not doubt mean the end of her career with the FBI. Then what would she do. Scully did not really want to go back into medicine, but it was a backup at least.