SPOILER ALERT for most of Seasons 1-7. there are many references to canon episodes.

Memory Lane has Pluses and Minuses. Raw feelings surface... P.S. This isn't a learning manual-kiddies. Beat it! ;-) The rest of you-Stay tuned. Mature Audiences Only My 'Total Smut Biscuit Series' is skimpy on the plot. This story really tries for one. Enjoy.

Act I – Caution required

Mulder ran through two yellow lights heading back from Maryland to Virginia. Their phones rang several times, but they ignored them. They were going to have to get the first clue and leave before the FBI came looking for them.

Just as promised there was an envelope under the door. Scully ran to Mulder's closet and got her go bag. Over the years they got in the habit of keeping a change of clothes and toiletries in several places. It proved to be useful. Mulder retrieved a small fingerprint kit and dusted both envelopes and the phone for prints. Not surprisingly there weren't any except the corner where Scully picked up the one under the seat. Just in case, he got a small garbage bag and started putting the 'evidence' into them. At least they can do the best they can keeping trace fibers and such from escaping.

"Let me grab my bag and we will open the envelope on the road." Mulder ran into his bedroom. "The way our phones are ringing off the hook, they must be on their way over here. We will have to read the first clue in transit."

"We need another car, they will put BOLO out for yours."

Packed up, Mulder took a last look at his apartment. After they arrest him, he may not see it for a while.

XXXXXXXX

Mulder was on the highway again when Scully opened the envelope. All that was in there was a picture of a female's bare back lit by candlelight with two bumps on it. Scully looked confused. *This is a clue?*

"What is it, Scully?" Mulder said trying to look and drive at the same time.

Suddenly, she remembered. "Head for the airport, Mulder. It looks like we are going to Bellefleur, Oregon.

"Why do I want to have anything to do with Oregon?"

"It's where our first case together was. Remember? Billy Miles?"

Mulder's face showed recognition. "That picture was like when you thought you had marks on your back like the other abducted kids. I had to look by candlelight and they turned out to be mosquito bites." He laughed. "It was the first time I got to see creamy Scully-skin."

"What?" Scully's head whipped to her partner. She couldn't believe not only what her partner said, but how he said it. He sounded almost mesmerized. "Creamy Scully-skin? Really, Mulder."

"You have beautiful skin, Scully. I wish you wouldn't cover up your freckles and that mole. I think they are cute."

Scully's head was reeling. She remembered baring her back to her brand new (and hot) partner on their first case together. She was so spooked by all that alien stuff that she did it without thinking and then afterwards realized how forward it looked and was embarrassed. Scully also forgot that Mulder had an eidetic memory and probably could recall the entire incident in living color.

"You are bushing, Scully." Mulder teased. "Curse of the red-head?"

"Shut up, Mulder."

"I didn't mean to embarrass you. I meant it as a compliment."

"Thanks." Scully was terse. She had vowed—even back then, that she would never let Mulder know how attractive he was. Not having him snuggle up with her in that cabin that night was a disappointment, but it turned out for the best. She had already dated a co-worker and that ended badly. Her partner was a definite no-no.

Mulder wore a huge grin all the way to the airport. Scully knew he was thinking about that case. He had bared his soul to her about his sister and his quest for the Truth in that candlelit shack. She was honored to be considered worthy. It was true that she was sent as a not-so-subtle spy to debunk his work, but often she ended up lending credibility to the X-Files. At the least, the reports to her superiors didn't discredit it. She walked a fine line in those years.

Luckily, the FBI hadn't put a stop on them at the airport so, they were able to get tickets and the first leg was leaving in just a few minutes. Scully hated to fly and even worse, they were going to the forest. Bad things always happened to them in the forest.

"There is our plane Scully. Jet Yellow airlines. It has a chicken for a logo. Kinda gives you confidence—doesn't it? Chickens can't fly."

"I'm just praying for no turbulence."

"I know you hate planes and I know you hate the forest. Are you sure that I can't do this alone? You can still wriggle out of this." Mulder lifted her chin and stared into her peacock blue eyes. His chameleon hazel ones were honest. "I mean it. It's not too late."

For Scully, it was much too late. Fox Mulder was her partner and she was going to back him up no matter what. He would do the same for her—and has. "What is a few pockets of air and mud between friends? Skinner needs us. No one else would have recognized that clue." Scully's voice wavered and she was surprised when Mulder pulled her in for a quick hug.

"We're going to find him."

XXXXXXXX

Mulder watched his partner sleep fitfully on the plane after the stopover in Minneapolis. He had the irresistible urge to pull her into his lap and hold her. Dana Scully was a petite woman, barely coming up to his shoulder without her heels. He wished she would let him protect her like he wanted to, however she wouldn't see that gesture as gallant or chivalrous, but controlling and belittling. Scully was his equal in every way and he has told her that, but…seeing her get hurt on their many adventures wounded him in a way he didn't think possible. Even the guilt and shame of losing his sister, Samantha, didn't measure up to that kind of pain. Mulder knew why those emotions ran so deep for this woman, but Scully thwarted him in every attempt to tell her. He had to make the best of it.

The plane started to descend. This wasn't her favorite part, so Mulder let her sleep. However, he reached over and fastened her seatbelt very gently, but she snuffled awake anyway. "Muller?" Her sleep addled voice slurred. *god she was sexy*

"We're touching down, Scully."

"Umm…s'okay." She reflexively gripped the seat. "Where are we?"

"Oregon. I rented a car and we should be out in Bellefleur by 5pm. We'll have to stay the night. Maybe that cabin we stayed at is still available? I recall it only had one bed." Mulder waggled his eyebrows and was rewarded with a Scully-smile. That small uptick of one corner of those ruby red lips is usually the best he could get out of her. Rarely, she would turn the full high beams on and he had to stop from swooning. As of late, she didn't seem to smile much at all, in fact, she seemed sad.

They disembarked and Mulder noted that negotiating the Portland airport wasn't as fun as it looked on TV. He forgot that he was going to have to fight with businessmen for the choice of rental car so by the time they got up to the front desk, they were stuck with the dregs.

"All you have is a yellow Volkswagen?" Mulder nearly whined. "That's not even a real car! It's a glorified roller skate!"

"Sorry, it's the last small vehicle that we have. I can upgrade you to an SUV for $50/day more…"

"No, we'll take it." Mulder handed over his credit and insurance card. They were financing this little trip on their own and while Mulder had come into a nice pile when his parents passed, living all of those years on an FBI agent's salary has taught him to be judicious with his spending.

There were some that remarked on his expensive suits, but, honestly, his mother bought them. She was such a society queen that after the one time he showed up to a cotillion in an 'ordinary' suit, Tina Mulder made a standing order with a Washington D.C. shop for a new designer suit each year. He had Prada, Armani, Gucci and Versace stocked to the brim in his closet. There were some he hadn't even worn yet.

Now that his mother was dead, he could go back to being normal, but he had gotten used to this luxury for two reasons. One, Scully told him how good he looks in those suits. And two, it gives him extra room in the crotch for those unexpected times when Scully's allure caught him off guard. The truth be told, Mulder had risen to the occasion many times, but luckily the pants' roominess disguised what could have been an embarrassing situation.

Still, Scully was a doctor, she must have noticed at some point, especially when she was 'playing doctor' with him. Those delicate hands caressing whatever needed to be examined during the many times he was injured—how could she miss his blue steel? Wow, he had to get himself under control even thinking about it. Anyway, they both had seen each other naked, so what's a little lust between friends?

Mulder's calculations were correct and they arrived at the town a little after 5pm. His amazing memory took them to the exact area when the radio had gone wild during their first encounter, but the 'X' he placed on the road had been wiped out with normal maintenance over the years. The location of the cabins weren't too far away and they reached the spot only to find the pitiful wooden shelters leveled.

"It's been 7 years, Mulder. If I remember correctly, those cabins had seen better days even back then." Scully walked around the area in the gym shoes and jeans that she had changed into at the airport. Suddenly she stopped. "Mulder?" Her voice was wavering again.

He joined his partner to see stuck to a pole, wrapped in a baggie was a map. Mulder pulled it off and examined it. It was a map of the woods with a large 'X' marked on it. "I found the 'X', Scully." He showed her the map. "Ready to take a walk in the forest?" He saw her sigh and felt her pain. "There aren't any Moth Men, Fluke Men or giant crocodiles named Big Blue out there. Promise."

"Mulder!" Scully resignedly tramped forward. "Did you have to remind me?"

"Maybe it will rain sleeping bags tonight." Mulder said impishly.

Scully rolled her eyes. "It's not cold and according to the map, it isn't far. We should make it back to a *real* hotel by dark."

"Too bad." Mulder whispered to himself and they tramped off. A few minutes into the woods, Mulder started to sing. "Jeremiah was a bullfrog….Was a good friend of mine…"

"Can it, Mulder." Scully said smiling.

Mulder wanted to pump his arm as he got more than a Scully-mona-lisa-smile this time. It wasn't the high beams, but he will take it. "Come on Scully, join in, I know you know the words."

"You don't sing any better than I do." She was still smiling. "By the way, I really thought I could start that fire with the gunpowder from my bullet."

"It was a good try. We survived, even without the sleeping bag." They walked in silence for a few minutes. "Scully, would you have crawled in naked with me?"

Scully gave him a cryptic look again. "Maybe, Mulder. You were too hurt to try anything."

"Never underestimate a horny male's motivation." There was a small pond to their left.

"I miss Queequeg." Scully said quietly.

"That rat…I mean *dog* is in a better place, Scully."

"You never liked him." There was censure in her tone.

"No, I can't say that I did." Mulder was unashamed. "He ate a human!"

"Clyde said not to blame him for that."

Mulder sighed. "Clyde Bruckman also said you aren't going to die."

Scully shrugged. "Maybe I'm not. However, he said that *you* were."

"Let's not talk about it. Lookie here!" Mulder ran ahead to avoid the conversation. Clyde Bruckman was a man that seemed to be able to predict the manner of people's death with amazing accuracy. He told Scully that she doesn't die and told him that he was going to die of auto-erotic asphyxia. Mulder wasn't sure how that was going to happen, but the thought kept him up more than a few nights.

Scully followed him. At the spot marked 'X' with the same color paint he used 7 years ago, was another pole with a baggie and a cardboard box inside. Fingerprints weren't a concern anymore and if the kidnapper wanted to kill them, he would have taken them out long ago. Mulder opened the box and shook. A finger splint fell out along with several $1 and $5 bills.

Mulder swallowed heavily reliving the memory. "I know our next location, Scully."

XXXXXXXX

Scully followed Mulder and they walked silently out of the woods. She had caught on that this clue had to do with his stint undercover with the New Spartans terrorists near Middlefield, OH about two years ago. He stayed with them in a remote cabin area called Pine Bluff. Scully had to be stopped from blowing his cover when she followed him—thinking he might have turned traitor. They had been together 5 years, and she should have trusted him.

Even operating independently they managed to stop a potential biological weapon from being further released on an unsuspecting populace. The group was going to use money to distribute the agent, but Scully caught on and quarantined the bank. That case saw Mulder's finger broken and he was almost gang-style executed for treachery to the group, however a double agent saved Mulder's life.

It was a memory of a dangerous assignment where he had to face the possibility of his own death—*again*, but Mulder's behavior was strangely withdrawn. Scully caught up with him and he was in the rental car already. Somehow the bright cheery yellow was out of place here. Getting in without comment, she scanned her partner for hints as Mulder drove back into town. Her attempts at conversation were met with silence. They checked into a motel and found their rooms.

"I need to shower, Mulder. Give me 30 minutes and then we will find some food?" Scully felt like she was yelling. Her mute partner nodded and walked into his part of the adjoining rooms and shut the door.

Scully quickly performed her ablutions and knocked on the connecting door. No response. She jiggled it and it was locked. Concerned, she went outside and knocked at the main door then waited. No one came. The car was down in the parking lot, but he could have gone out for a run. Scully felt like she didn't have a choice. Whenever they checked in, they exchanged key cards with each other. She had his, but the understanding was to use it in case of an emergency and this may not be an emergency. Knocking again and receiving no response, she decided to accept his wrath and opened the door.

Scully gasped and ran to Mulder. There on the bed, curled up almost into a ball was her partner, sweating and catatonic. "Mulder?!" She shook him. "It's me. Answer me, Mulder!" A low moan escaped from his mouth. "Mulder? Talk to me!" He started shaking his head and tears started to flow.

"Oh god!" Scully said and put her arms around him—holding him tight. He was having another episode, and he had been free of them for months. This whole breadcrumb trail was bringing back some very painful memories. The fifth year of their partnership ushered in many terrors.

Scully was recovering from near fatal cancer. She had almost left him, but was abducted again and taken to Antarctica where Mulder went to the ends of the earth to rescue her. Scully's cloned daughter was found and lost. Pusher's sister had tried to make him kill Scully by forcing him to think that she was someone else. Mulder was committed to a mental ward because no one would believe an insect-like creature was stalking people. Then there was the incident at Pine Bluff. The terrorists seemed tame by all other standards, even if they were spreading a disease that dissolved the flesh off humans.

"Mulder?" She whispered in his ear. "I'm here. It's over. You're fine…I'm fine…" That got a reaction.

"You are not…'FINE'!" Mulder nearly spat in her face. Scully reared back from the verbal attack. "You tell me that you are 'fine', but you aren't. I can't lose you again…."

Scully was really worried. "Mulder, I'm right here. You saved me—remember? Antarctica? This kidnapper is wanting us to fail. He is purposefully bringing back bad memories to cripple us. Don't let him win."

Mulder stared, bleary eyed at her. "I can't let him hurt you, Scully. You are all I have left."

"He won't." Scully said and smoothed his hair. It seemed to calm him. "Let's order in, we'll find an old movie on the tube and we'll watch it together. We are going to get Skinner back and he is NOT going to get inside our heads. Promise me, Mulder."

"I can't promise that, Scully—but I will try." He swiped at his eyes and sat up. "Will you stay with me?"

Scully chuckled. "We can't watch a movie together from the other room."

"We did once."

She opened the take out menu with a Scully-smile. "I remember."

XXXXXXXX

The pizza was munched, the Ohio plane tickets were ordered and Scully fell asleep on the movie, cuddled against his chest. *Yowza*. Mulder looked down at the petite redhead and pulled her closer. Yeah, he 'fell off the sanity wagon' for a minute, but Scully brought him back. It wasn't the first time that he realized that if she ever left him, there would be nothing worth living for, but it was becoming a real and present danger.

King Kong vs. Godzilla was rubberizing around on the screen, he had the love of his life in his arms and a slice of pizza wasn't far away. What more to life was there? Oh yeah…tortured Skinner. Shit. All Mulder knew is that his natural defenses to this woman were being systematically broken down by this trip down the yellow brick road. He wanted her and he wasn't sure he could hide it much longer. Scully started to fret in her dreams and Mulder tried to calm her.

"Mulder! NO!" She cried and he shook her gently.

"Wake up, Scully!" It was he that was doing the shaking this time, but softened. "Dana, it's alright."

Scully opened her eyes and Mulder was lost in the blueness. The desire to have her was overwhleming and he needed to find a way to arrest it. Her lips were so close…

"S'orry. Iz wuz dreaming." Sleepy Scully slurred. "Goin' to be kay tonight? I'm tired."

Mulder had an angel and a devil on his shoulders. The angel said to send her to her room because that way he wouldn't be able to get at her. The devil said to keep her here and pretend it was all platonic. The latter won. "Go on to sleep. You'll be okay here. I'll just finish watching the movie." Sleepy Scully didn't question, but sank into the bed and Mulder pulled the covers around her.

Mulder didn't last much longer himself, but had some great dreams. The first one was him ambushing Scully in her apartment, pushing her up against the wall and taking her still in her suit from work. It blurred into them going at it in the basement office. Mulder was pushing into her from behind after he had ripped a hold in her hose and moved her panties aside. The soft noises she made as he pounded her filled his ears. The final dream of the night was Mulder holding Scully close after they made sweet, passionate love. That was the best one and he awoke to find some of it came true.

It was 3am and their flight left at 6am. Mulder found Scully nestled in his arms and his body enveloping hers. *Oh yeah* He pulled her closer and placed his mouth next to her ear. This was heaven and he could probably kiss that delicate shell and she wouldn't notice, but… Sleepy Scully made a reappearance. *He was so close*

"Muller? What time do we have to leave?"

"We have to get up now, my love."

"Wha?" Scully was waking up. "What did you say?"

Mulder pulled a poker face. "We have to get up now." Scully scrutinized him, but in the absence of concrete proof, let him go.

"Alright." Scully pulled away from him, got up and padded to her side of the door.

Mulder almost couldn't bear it. His emotions were on hyper drive. *What am I going to do?* He buried his face into his pillow. The mask was gone and he couldn't replace it. If she found out how he felt, she would leave him. Double Shit, Fuck and Damn.

XXXXXXX

Scully was sarcastically thrilled. Another plane ride. Yippee. She hated to fly, but it was the most efficient way of getting across the country. She had no idea why the kidnapper would have them travel all the way from Washington D.C. to Oregon and now back to Ohio. There was no doubt in her mind that somehow, he was watching this whole process play out—she guessed for his perverse pleasure.

Unfortunately, that feeling was confirmed after they landed.

They were waved through security, but Scully had an odd feeling like they were being watched. She looked over at Mulder and their unspoken communication served them well this time. He sensed it too. The kidnapper's burn phone went off in the airport and she answered it with a terse greeting.

The masked voice spoke clearly. "Agent Scully, how was Oregon? I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane that I provided for you. It's too bad the cabins had been razed. You and Agent Mulder might have gotten cozy last night—or did you?"

"We are following your clues. I assume we are on track?" Scully said quietly and Mulder pushed her to the side and tried to listen.

"Can Agent Mulder hear me now?" The mechanized voice intoned.

"I'm trying." Mulder said. "Speak up."

"I'd rather not as you are being watched…by your own kind—I'm afraid."

"We know." Mulder said. "Are we on the right path?"

The electronic words were encouraging. "Of course. I think you will enjoy Ohio. That is where you started taking your *partnership* seriously isn't it? I must say that I've relished watching you evaluate the clues I left. They weren't designed to be hard, just enlightening. What do you think, Agent Scully?"

"I think you are a cretin." Scully said flatly. "Do we really have to travel *again* to the forest to find the next clue? Just let Skinner go. We are playing along."

The voice laughed. "No, Dana. May I call you Dana? Probably not as Agent Mulder doesn't even call you that. Your next clue is more of an issue of faith. Go to yellow locker 42 and open it. Hopefully you can figure that out in time to save your boss."

"How is he?" Mulder spoke into the phone.

"As promised, not further damaged since you have kept your end of the deal. I even bandaged his previous wound—the penalty for talking with Deputy Director Amarillo. Still, infection might set in and you have only 45 hours left to save him from an excruciating painful death. Remember…no law enforcement or I kill him now. Chop Chop—agents!" The caller hung up.

Scully found it odd that their playmate relayed all of this information on the phone if they were being monitored by the FBI, but they had bigger fish to fry. They had to find locker 42. "Mulder, where do they keep the airport storage?" He pointed toward a sign and they went. "You know we are being followed, right?"

Mulder rubbed his neck. "Yeah. We picked them up right after we landed. For some reason they aren't approaching us."

"I think our mechanical friend tried to give us cover. I don't think he is concerned about being identified. He is probably more worried about trying to keep the FBI from hauling us in. After all, it would spoil his fun. We used our credit cards for everything. We aren't hard to track."

"Do you think the kidnapper will kill Skinner?"

Scully thought about this. "Possibly. He is designing this golden goose chase for reason. He chose us specifically and may have even planned this whole adventure to target us. The question to 'why he would care' will help us identify him."

They reached the set of yellow lockers and found #42 easily. The door was slightly open and inside, hanging on a hook was a crucifix. The pierced hand were stained red. Scully reeled and memories flooded her mind. It brought her back to four years ago when a young boy—Kevin Kryder, exhibited spontaneous bleeding from his hands. In the religious world it was called a stigmata.

"Scully?" Mulder was concerned.

"It's alright. Our kidnapper wants to now toy with me, instead of you. Do you remember Kevin Kryder?"

"Yeah." Mulder sighed.

"We need to find him."