MORE THEN A FEELING

Chapter 2 – Mr and Mrs Spooky…

*Pairing: Mulder/Scully, Dogget/Reyes, Mulder/Rhodes
*Rating: T
*Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any character from the X-files, Millennium or The Lone Gunmen Series. I claim no hold over characters and locations.
*Summery: Mr and Mrs Spooky, Office politics, Night time calls.

WASHINGTON D.C. – HOOVER BUILDING – SHOOTING CAGES
*Thursday 25th May 2000* 8:44 *

"Ow that hurts!" Scully yelled loud enough for Mulder to hear through the large ear muffs and past the sound of barraging bullets. He quirked an eye brow as he adjusted one of her arms, lining up the shot for her. She sighed and relaxed her shoulder into his. His arms wrapped around her own, knees bent so that his eye level was nearly at the same point as her own.

"Would hurt a lot more if you got shot" He quipped, his warm breath danced over Scully's neck, she wanted to turn her head and look at him but instead kept a steady eye on the target, waiting for the perfect moment to pull the trigger.

Scullys finger twitched on the trigger, she could almost hear Mulder in her head urging her to do it. When she finally felt the gun push back into her hand, like a baseball hitting a mitt, she didn't even realise until she'd opened her eyes that she'd hit right on the 'bulls eye'. She lowered her hands down, and Mulders followed, still half heartedly wrapped protectively around her tiny form.

As she turned to smile at Mulder she was suddenly very aware that they were being watched. A few of the regular FBI Jocks were lent back watching the two 'partners' practise their shooting skills. Her smile dropped a little as the 3 men looked at her with an amused smile.

Scully had always been professional with Mulder, it didn't matter if those men thought that they were together; fact was they weren't. It didn't matter what people thought, or at least that's what Scully tried to tell herself. Most of the time she couldn't tell if they did push the barriers between friends and … and something more. Scully had perfect rationalizations about Mulder and her, and their relationship, they'd been through a lot together; the fact that they'd seen the ugly face of humanity and the snarl of the things that go bump in the night only made them stronger… only made them closer. Scully would follow him to the end of the world on one of his sometimes, seemingly, crazy notions. He was heart, and in a world of shadow's and deceit, no matter how bad things would get, following his heart always brought her into the light.

Scully cocked the gun and placed it on the side. Mulder had taken a step back from her, urging her not to say anything. He always knew that she was a rational person, she was the voice of reason; only problem was from Mulder she was always holding something back, which just kept him guessing.

She glanced at Mulder and then back at the pencil pushers. "Got something to say guys?" she spoke loud enough for them to hear her, yet soft enough for it not to sound threatening, confrontational.

The guys all let their attention fall on the man and women in front of them. The middle guy, a new face.

"Oh, Sorry" He raised his voice over the gun shots, they stopped and he started adjusting the protective ear muff's on his head. He step forward. "Mr names Assistant Director Follmer, You two must be…" His mouth twitched looking at Mulder "… Spooky and…" he looked down at Scully "…and Mrs Sp-"

"Scully" she interjected, she looked up at him "Its Agent Scully and Agent Mulder actually"

"Or coarse" He replied smiling from Scully to Mulder, Mulder placed his hand on Scullys arm, she glanced briefly up into his eyes… she got the message and nodded.

"Nice chatting and all but we've got places to be" Mulder said waiting for Scully to collect her weapon and lead the way, he stood with perfect eye contact with A.D. Fuller, before flashing him a quick smile and following the tiny women out of the shooting cages.

WASHINGTON D.C. – HOOVER BUILDING – SKINNERS OFFICE
*Thursday 25th May 2000* 9:12 *

"…He was just trying to get under our skin" Scully took big strides to keep up with her fast paced partner.

"I wanna know who this weasel is for a start" Mulder snapped walking a bee-line for Skinners office. Scully kept up, trying to speak to his inner-voice-of-reason but alas no. When Mulder got it into head there was to talking to him, getting him to seem a little more composed.

As he moved to go past A.D. Skinners receptionist she bolted up. "Agent Mulder, you can't go in there!" she said trying to race him for the door, he didn't listen and burst into Skinners office. Scully smiled apologetically and almost walked straight into Mulders, suddenly stationery muscular, back.

"Agent Mulder!" Skinner rose to his feet staring at his Agent with disbelief. Mulder looked at the women sat across the desk, a little unsure of what to say for himself. He moved into the office a little more. Scully shuffled in besides him. The frazzled PA sqeezed her body around the door frame.

"I'm sorry sir! There was nothing I could do" she said looking from her boss to the two Agents who seemed to think she was utterly invisible.

"Its fine" He said taking a glance over Mulder and Scullys faces. The young receptionist nodded and moved out of the office shutting the large doors behind her.

"Agent Mulder, Agent Scully. What are you doing bursting into her office like this?" His voice was stern and clearly annoyed. Scullys attention fell on the women sat in the chair, the distinctive black-blue hair shimmering in the light. Rhodes wasn't looking at her though, she was staring at the floor – eyes glazed over.

"Sorry Sir, We just…" Mulder's frustration had subsided, his train of thought had fallen off the tracks. She women in the room, she was Miss Rayne; he felt an uneasy knot in his stomach. Over the previous couple of days he'd read file after file of hand scrawled notes, case files, uniformly typed reports; he'd often had the same uneasy feeling when profiling a killer… but for some reason the way this women wrote about her killer was a little unnerving.

Skinner sighed, signalling for them to take a seat. "I believe you two have met Miss R-"

"Rhodes" Scully gave the women a lob sided smile and offered her a hand, breaking the women's day-dream.

"Agent Scully" she took her hand "Good to see you" her gaze ran over Agent Mulder and she nodded to him "Agent Mulder"

As Mulder and Scully settled into the large comfy chairs Skinner let forward in his own. "Agents, I have been talking to Miss Rayne and she has agreed to work with you both on the Angelic Charm copy cat case"

"This isn't a copy cat" Mulder piped up, Scully shot him a warning look, when she turned back she could see the younger women had gone white – as if her worst fear had been confirmed.

Skinner opened his mouth to scold Mulder

"He's back?" the girl interjected, Mulder turned and levelled her gaze, nodding slowly in response. Rhodes jumped to her feet "Excuse me", she quickly bee-lined for the door; Scully wrinkled her brow in disapproval at Mulder before following her out, leaving Mulder to have a tongue lashing from Skinner.

WASHINGTON D.C. – HOOVER BUILDING – BASEMENT
*Thursday 25th May 2000* 12:30 *

"…she knew you were telling the truth, or at least that you believed what you were saying…" Scully's icy blue eyes gazed across her partners large desk, placing a barrier between them. "…she was scared, confused…"

Mulder could hear the subtle emotions leaking through her composed voice, his mind wandered back to when she was broken, her father had died; she was scared, confused… 'I'm afraid. I'm afraid to believe' her voice rang through his head, like it did so many times before, it had taken her seven years to believe… she could relate to this women's fear of something unthinkable, improbable, impossible.

"Okay, okay, I get it, I have yet again put my foot in it" his head fell to the desk top with an audible bang, Scully cringed inwardly and lent back into the chair, she watched him roll his forehead across the table. He quickly straightened up, his eyes locking Scully's with that oh-too familiar look. "You need to talk to her"

Scully mentally rolled his eyes, he'd got it all sussed out, he was going to send her to clean up his mess; just because Scully now understood Mulders belief in the unexplainable didn't mean that everyone else did, didn't mean that others had to believe in the darkness and the things that only horror movie writers could think up while rat-a-tat-tapping on their factory made plastic keyboards.

"Why me? I wasn't the one who gave the girl a crash coarse in reality, you did this, it's your job" She folded her arms protectively across her chest, and gave him her oh-so familiar look.

He smiled "But you have such a way with words" leaning in, hoping to see a crack in her ice-cold exterior.

"Bite me"

Mulder opened his mouth and slammed his teeth back down coursing them to snap together. Scully just tapped her foot against the floor, determined not to give into his childish humour, although she couldn't help but to mentally laugh to her self.

MARYLAND – ANNAPOLIS – SCULLY'S APPARTMENT
*Friday 26th May 2000* 3:21 *

*Ring Ring**Ring Ring*

Scully rolled over and looked at her digital clock, the early hours of the morning indicated it could only be one person… she reached for the handset.

"Scully" she answered, her voice raspy and harsh from the lack of use.

"Its me Scully, Just had Michigan state police on the phone, they found another body" his tone was sombre, as if it never got easier. Truth was, it never did.

"Where are you?" she sat a little more upright, the hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention.

"Outside" he replied, she got out of bed and slipped her feet onto the cold floor, the icy sensation was a surprisingly welcomed feeling. She pulled a curtain to one side and peaked out onto the street below. Sure enough there he was.

"I'll be right down" as she ended the call and placed her phone back on the side, she suddenly felt very unsteady. She reached out and supported herself using her chest of drawers, regaining her balance. She quickly concluded that it was most probably due to the quick dash out of bed.

MARYLAND – ANNAPOLIS – SCULLY'S STREET
*Friday 26th May 2000* 3:37 *

Mulder began to tap his hands idly on his steering wheel, every so often glancing up at Scully's apartment in anticipation of the lights being turned off on her way out. As he sat there restless, full of caffine, he thought of how many times he'd sat waiting for Scully. Scully was like his friend he call on after school to take her off on an adventure to see 'this really cool rock' or 'huge spider!', truth was he still got the same childhood excitement when she came 'out-to-play' but the 'cool rock' or 'huge spider' was always something more dark and sinister.

He'd zoned out, hadn't noticed her heading towards the car, as his gaze moved back up to her darkened apartment he was caught off guard with her opening the car door. He visibly jumped, an amused smile crept across her features. "You okay Mulder?"

He wrinkled his nose, he might have well screamed like a little girl from the look on Scully's face. He proceeded to wipe off some hot coffee of which split onto his lap.

"Hold this a sec would you?" he held out the coffee to Scully and continued with sorting out his burning leg.

Scully stared down at the large paper cup in her hand, the smell of hot roasted coffee wafted up into her nostrils; the normal feelings that the aroma would usually provoke didn't happen this time, her stomach began to churn for reasons unknown to Scully.

"M-Mulder…" she stared at the coffee in her hand

"What is it Scully?" he wasn't watching her, too busy wiping down his damp lap

It was too late, she flung the car door open, leaning out of the passenger seat. The coffee slipped out of her hand onto the cold pavement and a fimilar vial rose in the back of her throat. Mulders eyes grew wide and her quickly unbuckled him self, leaning across the centre column and pulling his partners hair back. He rubbed her back for her as the little contents of her stomach split across the pavement.

As she finally stopped, he continued to rub her back, stroking her hair without realising. "You okay Scully?" he soothed her, still unconsciously moving his fingers through her silky hair.

She merely nodded, pulling a tissue from her jacket pocket and wiping her mouth. He pulled her door closed and resumed his position behind the wheel, never for a moment breaking body contact with his partner as she composed her self.

"I think you better stay here Scully, I can take his one alone" he suddenly felt a pang of guilt and concern for his partner, dragging her out of bed just when she was obviously unwell.

"I'm fine Mulder" she couldn't make eye contact, embarrassed by her own weakness, she hated him seeing her weak. He took his hand back, realising she was now pulling on her strong front "I'm sorry"

He laughed "Sorry?" she cracked a laugh as well.

"I'm coming with you, I'm fine" She now looked at him, she didn't look sick, but concern was written across his face.

"Is there any point talking you out of this?"

She shook her head. He handed her a bottle of water and she smiled appreciation. She could tell he was a little unsure of weather to push the matter.

He turned the key in the ignition "You're the doc"

A/N: Hello, please do review; love it, hate it, either way drop me a line and let me know, I will get personally back to any feedback I receive so just click the little green button please =D