The bright moonlight displayed her naked body surprisingly well. She lay still on the damp grass her legs tied to a stake and each arm out stretched to separate stakes, holding her firmly in the crucifix position. He had used rough rope and her wrist bled slowly from the scraping she'd gotten while struggling. Her gag was tight and she fought to breath, eventually passing out from a mixture of fear and exhaustion.
He walked up to her, thankful for the full moon and straddled her. Looking down at her still body he smiled preparing the small metal box by his knee he reached to her face and slapped it viciously as he tried to rouse her.
"Hey, wake up, WAKE UP!" he yelled.
Slowly her head lolled from side to side as her consciousness returned. Feeling the heavy weight on top of her she turned to face him with a muffled cry.
"Now then…it's bitches like you that really make me fucking mad. You probably think I'm insane," he said softly, "but I'm just sick and tired of your fucking cheating."
Her eyes widened with fear when he lifted the metal box and placed it on her stomach, making her flinch under the cold metal. From beside his knees he grabbed a hammer and pulled a six-inch nail from the box. She shook her head in an effort to get away but she was tired firmly and her movement came to nothing. Tears fell on her already stained face as he pressed the tip of the nail against her chest over her heart. He lifter he hammer up high relishing the look of fear that swarmed her small features before slamming it down onto the nail's head.
Her body jerked under the pressure of each hit but he tightened his knees against her holding her in place until the nail was fully sunken into her chest. Her eyes streamed and glazed over before finally rolling into the back of her head, the pain unbearable she passed out again.
He could feel her pulse weaken so he quickly reached for more nails, hammering again and again until eight nails were in her chest carefully placed in a clear heart shape. He felt for a pulse but found nothing.
Satisfied that she was dead he stood away from the body and picked up the now empty box. Her eyes had remained closed and her features had relaxed showing no signs of her fear except for the trails from her tears.
"Payback received," he said under his breath before walking away into the night without a second glance.
***
When Mulder arrived at the office to find Scully working on her paper, he noticed her hair was tied up, telling him that she had been here for more than a few hours already. He handed her a cup of coffee and tried to ignore her curious gaze as he lowered himself slowly into his chair.
She noticed how he seemed aware of the slightest noise and guessed he stayed out with Danny after she had left. On the table he placed a white box and opened it to reveal a row of six donuts.
"Good night?" she asked, reaching for a powdered donut.
"Great night…shitty morning."
He couldn't help but detect the engaging scent she brought into the office this morning.
New perfume? He thought. Her barely there makeup was impeccable and not a hint of a late night clung to her.
"How's it going?" he said biting into a plain one and nodding at her screen.
"Thank god it's Friday."
"That bad?" He came round to her side of the desk and with one hand on the back of her chair he leaned over her shoulder resting the other on the desk. "Do you need a hand?"
"Do you think you can handle it?" she said smiling up at him.
"Well I'm waiting for Professor Doyle to ring me about my research but until then I'm all yours," he said with a slight twitch in his eyebrows.
They worked in a cosy silence, side by side until lunchtime when both of them stood in a silent agreement to go for food. A light knock at the door made them turn in time to see Danny sticking his head around.
"Hey Danny!" Mulder exclaimed.
Scully looked up and saw how Danny seemed a lot fresher than Mulder but with his bigger build she figured he had a higher tolerance for alcohol. His hair was still damp from the shower and he was dressed in a black suit that made him look even taller than he did last night. She glanced at Mulder who was looking at her oddly. Danny had asked her something but she couldn't remember what. Her eyes darted between both men and Mulder stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Scully?
You okay?"
"Yeah, my head is just spinning from all the graphs I've been studying all
morning," she stammered unconvincingly.
"I'm treating Fox to lunch, do you want to join us?" Danny repeated.
"Sure. I'd love to."
She followed both men out of the building and soon they found themselves squeezed into a small table at a deli, jostling for space with their knees and elbows touching. Scully's earlier embarrassment vanished in wave after wave of free flowing conversation. She couldn't believe how different Mulder was acting, with a smile permanently on his lips, he laughed loudly oblivious to the close confines and she found herself watching him, enjoying his laughter, his release. When his mobile rang he excused himself from the table and walked out of the deli to answer it.
"Sorry for keeping you out late last night Dana," Danny said after he caught her trying to hide another yawn.
"No it's not that. I have just finished a paper and I'm afraid all the sleepless nights are catching up on me. I must look a wreck."
"Not at all, you look lovely."
She smiled at his compliment and hated her soft complexion for blushing so easily.
"So your from Oxford?" she asked eager to get the focus away from herself.
"God no, I was in college there, but I'm from Ireland."
"You're Irish?" she exclaimed surprised that he hadn't mentioned it last night.
"The pub didn't give it away last night?" he laughed. She smiled remembering the overtly Irish Themed pub.
"Your accent isn't very strong."
"No, I suppose not. I travel around a lot."
"Mulder said you play rugby."
"Yeah, International and Club Level. I'm scouting with our trainer for players. This month in DC, next in LA, then over to Boston and New York."
"Sound glamorous."
"You've never been to a rugby game have you?" he said covering her arm with his hand.
"No," she laughed.
"The last thing it is is glamorous."
Mulder pushed the deli door open and stepped inside in time to see Danny reach out and touch her arm. He froze for a moment taking in the scene, watching Scully's reaction to this obvious invasion of her personal space but she smiled a strange smile, one he didn't recognise. He'd seen them on other women but never on Scully. Her lips curved slightly one side higher than the other before parting enough for a small laugh.
That was a flirting smile he thought unsure if he was pleased to see it or disappointed because it wasn't aimed at him. Breaking his trance he stepped fully into the room and strode over to them. She turned to him immediately fixing a professional expression on her face and looked up.
"What's up?" she asked.
"I have to
go and meet Professor Doyle in 20 minutes so I'm going back to the office to
collect my files."
"I'll go with you," she said half standing before he pushed her back into her
seat.
"No stay here and finish up," he insisted as he pulled his jacket on, "I'll see you later."
Scully watched as he walked away and turned to Danny with a small smile. Mulder stood outside the deli pulling at his lapels to fix them. He looked in at Scully and Danny as she laughed again at something he had said. Turning away from the traitorous image he hurried back to the office where he gathered his files under a cloud of thought.
"Why now?" he said aloud to no one. Why couldn't he stop watching her, noticing the small things like her new perfume, and her new smile? Using her expressions as a measurement of her moods, he was always able to gage what kind of day they would have. Even behind her mask of feeling fine he could always tell.
He'd always been able to read her expressions but lately he found himself trying to manipulate them. Loving the way her eyes glistening when she held back her laughter or the sight of her all too well hidden dimples when she finally gave in and released a full smile. With his mind elsewhere the phone had to ring three times to grab his attention.
"Hello."
"Agent Mulder, Firstly I have a two cases for you to look over," Skinners voice was rushed and Mulder imagined him signing papers as he spoke on the phone.
"Firstly?"
"And Secondly I had Agent Keane in here this morning asking about your case status."
"Agent Keane? Why?"
"I presume she's going to ask for you assistance on a case."
"She's back in V.C. right?"
"Yes."
"Well I have a meeting in ten minutes, I can make it up to your office at about 3.30 for debriefing?"
"What about Agent Scully?" Skinner asked.
"She's grabbing lunch, I can send her up straight away if you prefer?"
"No, both of you at 3.30 will be fine."
"Okay sir, see you then."
Mulder hung up and quickly scribbled a note for Scully about their meeting before grabbing his files and running out the door.
**Dammit I'm a sucker for these case file / MSR stories…ahh well!! I'm writing this one blind though, so I have only a vague idea of where it is headed.**