However, sometime after that the Bureau shut down the X-Files.
Mulder and I were reassigned to different divisions, our archive sealed off. I was back to forensic medicine at Quantico while my former partner was transferred to the electronic surveillance unit. That assignment was downright humiliating, to say the least, for such exceptional individual like Mulder.
I did my best to cheer him up, but as time went by, we saw each other more rarely, still deprived of an access to the X-Files archive. I read only apathy and alienation in his eyes at those rare moments when I run into him in the FBI halls.
When AD Skinner told me that they couldn't find Mulder, I wasn't even surprised. It was so Mulderish, sneaking away and disappearing during yet another wild goose chase-
That his AWOL might have cost us our lives-
I found him at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Mulder was babbling about 'the contact', 'extraterrestrial intelligence', and 'proofs' while I was examining the mess in the room with broken equipment and a stiff body of some unknown man.
Having heard the roar of a car engine, I darted outside and saw an army van with the Green Berets seal on its flank. As you might guess, this special force made its appearance only on special occasions. It seemed that they had arrived here for a mop-up operation. We needed to get out of there as soon as possible otherwise we'd got yourselves killed without a doubt. I had to literally force Mulder out of the room.
I could already hear soldiers' voices nearby when Mulder finally jumped into the Jeep and pushed the accelerator into the floor with all his might. The car darted off and moved down the hill. In a second I heard our rear window shattered.
"Scully, get down!" Mulder shouted.
I clung to the dashboard and looked back. The troops were chasing us, firing at our truck. Were my former partner's findings so important they were going to kill him for it?
Mulder whirled the wheel to the limit and the car raced down through the branches and foliage. Soon the gun shots got distant and the roar of the army van faded in the distance.
Mulder was driving at top speed for the next twenty minutes, constantly swerving at the landscape. At last he turned the engine off and the Jeep stopped, jerking for the last time.
We kept silence, straining our ears in attempt to catch any sound of the farther pursuit. Mulder was first to speak.
"Are you hurt!?"
I managed to loosen my grip on the dashboard and then release it.
"I'm fine. What about you?"
"I didn't put everything on the line to get myself shot by Green berets, Scully. I was able to grab one of the reels with the alien signal on it from the observatory."
I stared at him in total disbelief. We'd barely avoided being killed, and yet he still thought about the evidence of the existence of the extraterrestrial life! The adrenalin in my blood suddenly kicked in and I started laughing hysterically.
Mulder was watching me for a while mutely but then started laughing too.
Everything, we'd been through recently, had an effect of alcohol upon us. The emotions were changing with light speed as weakness turned to exultation, fear gave way to joy. The air in the car became stuffy and I felt the heady musky scent of male sweat.
I dared to have a look at Mulder and gasped, feeling a wave of arousal washed over me as I took in his tight muscles under the sweaty T-shirt, his frowned eyebrows, his sparkling eyes. Dark stubble covered his cheeks and chin, making Mulder look even more moody and dangerous. At the moment I was being suddenly overwhelmed by the insane desire to press my mouth to his neck and taste his salty skin. I couldn't help but lick my lips, and this little gesture didn't escaped Mulder's attention – I noticed that he had tensed even more. He was scrutinizing my flushed face, his fingers clutched the wheel spasmodically.
As I shifted my gaze to them, it came to me that he had strong but delicate fingers. Our practice shooting at the FBI shooting range revealed to me that Mulder was good at firing a gun, but what if his palm squeezed my breast instead of the butt of a weapon? What if his hands caressed my stomach and hips? My nipples reacted to this day-dream instantly by getting hard, while my panties got wet.
'You moron, what the hell is wrong with you? It's just the perfect timing for getting horny with all this mess going on around you,' I berated myself inwardly.
"Let's go, Mulder," I asked him, turning to the passenger window. My voice was thick and a little bit husky with arousal, so I could only hope that he hadn't noticed it.
Mulder turned the key into the ignition and pushed the accelerator to the floor. The car darted forward and he drove it to the nearest town.
We kept persistent silence almost all the way back to Washington, breaking it only in case of emergency.
And afterwards things started changing with a truly breathtaking speed.
Mulder got a new partner, a certain Alex Krycek, and together they run an investigation of a strange case of a soldier who hadn't been sleeping for more than twenty years and was killing his fellow soldiers. Later, when a man named Duane Barry had taken hostages in a travel agency in Richmond, Mulder was summoned there to carry a negotiation with him.
Barry had been diagnosed with a mental disorder in 1982 and been on and off the mental institution since then. He believed that he had been abducted by aliens repeatedly, and, naturally, Mulder couldn't keep out of this case.
During the operation Barry was shot by a sniper and taken to the hospital in critical condition. Doctors retrieved metal implants from his body and Mulder brought one of them to me. I took it down to the ballistics to run the tests and they found a microscopic stamp on it. Later, at the supermarket, I had an idea of running it across the bar code scanner. To my utter shock, the machine went haywire, ringing up thousands of digits as though it was a serial number.
Back at my apartment I left a message on Mulder's answering machine, sharing my guesses about Barry being catalogued in some king of archive with it.
I remember what happened later in snatches; just sounds of window glass breaking, a strong blow to my head, sharp pain in my tied wrists, the darkness and the stuffy air in the trunk. Then nothing at all.
It was Mulder who gave me back my cross that my Mom had given me on my 15-th birthday. I had no idea I had lost it during my abduction by Duane Barry; it seemed Mulder had found it.
I felt how hot tears started filling my eyes and averted my face hastily to prevent him from seeing me in such vulnerable condition. I still was too weak and therefore too sensitive.
"But you're alive, Scully!" Mulder said repeatedly when he visited me at hospital.
Without a doubt, it was the most important thing.
I had no memories of what had happened with me back then at all; I didn't know how I had ended up at the Skyland Mountain with Duane Barry, or where I had spent all that time, or how I had appeared in the hospital as though out of nowhere.
From Mulder I gathered that the X-Files had been opened anew, so he once again became a senior agent in the division, while I got a vacant position of his partner back. As it turned out, Alex Krycek, the same agent who'd been assigned to be his partner, had had something to do with my abduction by Barry. They put out an APB on Krycek after his involvement had become apparent. Mulder was sure that he worked for those people who had been behind my abduction.
As time passed, I slowly but surely recovered. It would take time to estimate the consequences of my three-month absence, but it was impossible to ascertain the damage that had been done to my health. I had no choice but to believe that everything was going to be all right. And return to my work.
"Scully, I don't think you should do IT!"
"Thanks for your care, Mulder, but I've rested enough. I'm ready for field work!"
"I'd rather you rest just a little bit more-"
We'd had this conversation not for the first time since my recovering and coming back to work. Mulder did his best to protect me from any possible overwork. With dogged determination he let me do only paperwork or some research in the lab. It was time to do something about it, so I was intended to stand my ground and accompany him to the next field trip.
About the same time Adam Pierce, a scientist at the California Institute of Technology who was a member of a special volcanic research project, went to us, seeking our help.
He told us about a strange incident that had happened to a team of scientists who worked at Mount Avalon. They suddenly stopped making scheduled status reports and hadn't responded to the calls ever since. The tape, Pierce had with him, revealed burnt body of the chief seismologist, Philip Erikson, lying at the floor of the volcano. Pierce suspected that his colleague, Daniel Trepkos, had something to do with his death.
I insisted on Mulder taking me with him. Reluctantly, but he gave in.
Upon arriving at Mount Avalon, we met those scientists Pierce had mentioned earlier: robotics engineer Jason Ludwig, systems analyst Peter Tanaka, and graduate student Jesse O'Neil. They were shell-shocked, obviously. Later Mulder found Trepkos's notes with descriptions of some unknown life form, discovered in the volcano.
That was when our real problems started.
Peter Tanaka died when his throat was pierced by some fungus-like organism. External examination of his body revealed that a silicon-based parasite (exactly as Trepkos described it) had grown inside of the scientist until it reached reproductive maturity and essentially outgrow its host. I was able to ascertain that that organism released its spores into the air. This discovery made me place the entire group in quarantine.
Jesse O'Neil was depressed. Having talked with her, I gathered that she had come there because of Trepkos. I could only guess about the true nature of their relationships.
I tried to cheer her up but I realized that I couldn't tell her anything soothing yet. Also we still didn't have a slightest idea about Trepkos's whereabouts.
Mulder decided to descend to the volcano caves, seeking for our main suspect. How could I let him go alone? After everything we went through here?
"I'd like to go with you, Mulder."
"It's out of question, Scully."
I was ready to voice all my pros, but Mulder, as always, refused to take me with him in a terse and curt manner. The look in his eyes was calm and steady when he made it perfectly clear that any arguments and strife from my end would be like talking to a brick wall.
"Look, I know what you're thinking but you have to get past that. We both do. I'm back, and I'm not going anywhere!"
It was a feeble attempt, I know.
"Don't you have to finish the autopsy on Tanaka?"
The blow was completely unfair, but sometimes Mulder tended to do something like that. I couldn't help but feel tears welling up. He heaved a semi-sigh, semi-groan and leaned closer to me.
"Look, Scully," he said softly, "I have to find out what he knows. What he's found could change everything we understand about the origin and evolution of life."
"Mulder, Trepkos is dangerous. He's already killed two men!"
At the moment I didn't care if he wouldn't approve my sentimental outburst. But Mulder simply shook his head, and I realized that he wasn't going to change his decision no matter what; I had to stay at base while he risked his life.
"Scully, I'm counting on you. Perhaps, you'll give us a better idea of what we're dealing with here, and… keep us all from ending up on that slab."
Mulder moved even closed and squeezed my shoulder with his hand in a tender and desperate gesture. We didn't have right for more explicit display of our emotions in such situation.
I watched him go, thinking how Mulder had felt when he hadn't found me at the Skyland mountain. Mom told me that he'd worn my cross while I'd been gone. I thought it was very intimate gesture, so I hesitated to discuss this particular topic with my partner. I wanted to move on, leave that terror of my abduction behind, but Mulder still believed that I was vulnerable and tried to protect me fiercely. I had to admit that we grew closer because of everything we'd gone through back then.
And if I wanted to, I wouldn't possibly forget that sudden wave of overwhelming desire that had hit me when we had fled from Green Berets. Now I felt that even one small spark would be enough for us to end up in the sack-
I broke that train of thought to go on with the work at hand. I run some tests and found out that unless these spores were ingested or inhaled by the host organism immediately upon their release, they became harmless... effectively dead. Great news! At least, Mulder and I hadn't been infected yet.
Suddenly the power went out. As I fumbled with switches on the electrical switchbox, Jesse appeared, scaring the hell out of me. Her glassy eyes looked as though through me, she panted as the air escaped her lungs with wheezing sound; something was definitely wrong with her.
Suddenly she grabbed my arm and cuffed it to her own with handcuffs. I saw a large bulge forming on her throat as though something tried to pierce it from inside. Jesse was infected! Having realized that I had no much time left, I threw O'Neil over my shoulder and put her into a plexiglass contaminated sample chamber, closing the door against the chain and leaning on it from outside. O'Neil tried to break through the transparent glass, screaming and wheezing. I was out of my mind with fear. Eventually I heard a pop and Jesse's body went limp. Fortunately, the glass wall took the main blow so now the spores as well as Jesse O'Neil were dead.
Being overwhelmed be a sudden wave of tiredness, I sank to the floor and tried to catch my breath. It was over.
"Scully?!"
My partner's voice seemed to be the greatest sound in the world to me at that moment.
I sensed him near and said over and over again, "I'm OK. I'm OK."
Mulder kneeled by my side and put his hand on my cheek, tracing the outlines of my face with his fingers. For a moment I allowed myself luxury to enjoy this sign of affection.
After Mulder had unlocked the handcuffs and helped me up, he told me Trepkos's story and let the scientist, who had come with him, go with Jesse's body.
I made an attempt to question my partner's decision, but man's blank expression made me bite my tongue. We left the base a few hours later.
Inside the chopper, that took us away from the mountain, Mulder covered my hand with his own and squeezed lightly.
Involuntary my thoughts kept turning to Trepkos, heading for the volcano caves with Jesse O'Neil's body in his arms.
That girl followed her teacher, her friend, and, perhaps, her lover who was looking for the Truth. What irony! The truth revealed itself to him, but as a result he lost everything he held dear. But my loyalty to Mulder was akin to imprudence too. And should I let myself offset the perfect balance of our relationships, we would find ourselves in the same position as Jesse and Trepkos eventually. Our successful partnership was based upon mutual respect and trust. That was how things had to proceed.
While my acute sensuality in the Mulder's proximity, the caress of his hands, the thrill of his touch, and the look in his eyes emanating tenderness one moment and burning with desperate lust the other had to be left behind, in the base at Mount Avalon.
I appeared before the FBI disciplinary panel in Skinner's office where the preliminary hearing for my partner's, Fox Mulder, misconduct was hold.
Rumors spread through the Hoover Building with the speed of wild fire. Literally after Mulder's assault on Skinner I was told about it by two dozens of agents at least.
Eyewitnesses claimed that assistant director had approached Mulder to speak with him, not showing any signs of animosity, and my partner had physically attacked him. That incident only added fuel to already bright fire. The X-Files project had drawn criticism from the superiors because of my partner's unorthodox methods before, and now it was in jeopardy once again, only this time the division was on the edge of closing due to outrageous insubordination on Mulder's part.
"Have you heard about the incident that took place here, in the hallway, yesterday, Agent Scully?" one of the members of the panel asked me.
Geez, it seemed that even parking employees were already familiar with every single detail of the fight Mulder had put up yesterday!
The sneer of the chairman grated on my nerves. I wanted nothing more than introduce him to my fist and erase this sanctimonious expression from his face.
"Yes, Sir."
"Do you have any explanation to Agent Mulder's bizarre behavior?"
Actually, that was his normal behavior.
"No, Sir. Agent Mulder told me he was having trouble sleeping."
Oh, I wish it was his only trouble.
I applauded myself for my ability to keep cool in this situation.
"Agent Scully, do you think Agent Mulder confides in you?"
Sixty-four-thousand-dollar question.
"Of course, he is my partner."
Yeah, and that's why I have to take the rap for him.
"Your partner," another member of the panel interjected. "Weren't you originally assigned to Agent Mulder to debunk his work?"
Why, aren't you well-informed pencil pusher?
"Yes, Sir. For a year and a half I've been writing regular reports stating the validity of agent Mulder's work on The X-Files."
"Would you lie to protect him?" It was asked in the same mocking tone.
And what am I doing now, in your opinion, you pompous ass?
"Am I accused of lying?"
I allowed myself to add a slight note of doubt in my voice. The panel members got nervous all of a sudden. You bet! To throw unproved accusations into federal agent's face!
"Agent Mulder has been advised of a disciplinary hearing. If there's something we learn at that meeting that you haven't stated today, you could be subject to the same summary action!"
They put the lid on the matter without really trying to get to the bottom of the problem. It was the Bureau typical practice in regard to their two rogue agents.
"What action is that?"
"Dismissal without chance of reinstatement," Skinner voiced their verdict.
"Is that all, Sir?"
"Yes, Agent Scully, thank you." The assistant director didn't even look at me. Well, by the way, he'd gotten an uncalled slap in the face from Mulder. And now he had to play a role of an executioner, notifying me about repercussions of the inconsiderate acts of his subordinate.
At that the execution was over, so I got up and left the room without saying goodbye. I had no choice but set out on a search for Mulder.
All that mess started because of the diskette that Mulder got from his secret source. Two days earlier when I came to work, my partner seemed to be too excited and nervous. Nevertheless, I wrote it off as the awakening thrill of the hunt. He assured me that he had been given new facts that proved the existence of the extraterrestrial life, but as it turned out, the files were encrypted. You see I had often witnessed how Mulder had rushed forward, following yet another bizarre theory, so that was why I might not pay much attention to his behavior this time.
As his doctor I should have insisted on a full examination, but I had to give up that idea, because Mulder wanted me to find a translator from Navajo language.
So, as a result of my thoughtlessness, I had to endure a half-hour meeting with the disciplinary panel in the Skinner office.
I needed answers, so I went to Mulder's place for them.
My partner was sleeping on his favorite leather couch when I came in. I found a glass of water and sleeping pills on the coffee table. So, did that mean he felt better now?
As I was going to awaken him, Mulder suddenly opened his eyes, startled, and reached for his gun.
"Mulder, it's me! You didn't answer the door!"
He sat up and rubbed his hand over his face. I looked at him closely: tired, bloodshot eyes, labored, heavy breathing, abrupt, jerky movements. Definitely something was wrong with him.
"I took a pill."
Well, it was quite reasonable for a man who, as it seemed, couldn't control his actions.
"I couldn't find you at work. I was worried about you," I started, but Mulder interrupted me.
"I came home."
I heard rising irritation in his voice. He made a gulp of water.
"I must be running a fever. Maybe it's the treat of being burnt at the stake," he attempted to lighten the mood with a lame joke.
"They called me in today," I went on cautiously.
Mulder leaned against the back of the couch and looked up at me with interest.
"What did you tell them?"
Was it me, or I heard a threatening notes in his voice?
"That nothing was wrong."
"Well, you told them the truth then!"
"Mulder, you opened the door for them. They're looking for a good reason now."
I sounded accusing, but it seemed that Mulder didn't give a shit about it. He closed his eyes and put his arms behind his head, giving a deep sigh.
"Okay, I'll say I'm sorry."
What's wrong with him!? This is just plain childish!
"Mulder, these files. Who knows you have them?"
I tried to test the waters to understand where all of this had come from and how to proceed from here.
"Why?"
"Because I had to lie today! And I put my job in jeopardy to do so."
Why is he so unconcerned about this hearing? What did happen with him after all?
"So, if they find out about those files-"
"How would they found out?" he put in.
"Maybe they already know! The question is, is it worth it? Worth risking everything?" I insisted despite his interruption.
Let him think about it after all! Let him see whether he'd jumped over his head.
"I'll tell you when I find out what's on it. Now just tell me who I can talk to about breaking that code," he nearly shouted it to my face.
"I'm meeting with someone in an hour. I might know something later tonight."
Mulder took another sip of the water and nodded, not rising his eyes to meet mine.
"I just need some kind of assurance that they're not going to let us hang ourselves with this. That I'm doing the right thing!" I finally decided to voice my worries.
The muscles in Mulder's jaw clenched as he scowled at me. His glance gave me the shivers. I'd never seen him like that, even then, in Icy Cape, when we had held each other at gunpoint.
Mulder neared the window and taped an X to it.
"I'll try to find out."
Wow! Have I really deserved some poor words?
"I need to know one more thing Mulder," I wasn't ready to drop it yet. "Why did you attack Skinner?"
What possessed me to say that?
Pinning me with his piercing eyes, Mulder got around the table and towered over me threateningly. I barely reached his shoulder, and it came to me that he was much taller and stronger than me. These thoughts made my heart leap in my chest and then race. My mouth dried up instantly as I got acutely aware of his musky scent.
We had been maneuvering skillfully to avoid such situation, and that was how it turned out to be with Mulder standing so close to me, irritated and mad as hell.
I looked up at him, trying not to show my panic.
"And what do you think, Scully?"
To say the truth, I wasn't thinking at all at the moment. This conversation was going out of hand.
"Mulder, I think you should see a doctor. Something's wrong with you."
I was caught completely off guard when he suddenly crossed the distance between us and captured my lips with his own in a hungry, impatient kiss. I gasped and stumbled as my legs gave way. His hands grabbed me, slid down my back, gave my ass cheeks a squeeze.
"Scully, prove you're on my side-" He pressed his lips to my throat and rubbed his groin over my stomach.
His hot tongue intruded into the cavern of my mouth forcefully, caressing and demanding a response. Heat started spreading through my lower abdomen.
Damn, we both went out of our minds.
I took his head with my hands and pulled on his hair. Groaning, he slid his hand under my coat, covered one of my breasts with it, and rubbed the nipple with his fingers.
Oh, shiiit.
I felt like if we kept it up, a disciplinary punishment would be the least of our problems; we would be just kicked out of the Bureau because of fraternization between partners.
And still I realized with perfect clarity that I wanted Mulder.
Wanted to moan and scream loudly because of his caresses.
Wanted to feel his hard hot erection thrusting deep into me over and over again, giving me pleasure.
Shiiiiiiiit.
I disentangled myself from his embrace with great effort.
Run.
Not giving myself time to change my mind and stay, I gathered remnants of my self-control and virtually fled from his apartment without looking back.