Disclaimers: It's really not mine.

A/N:  Here is the next installment.  Thanks for all who reviewed.  I love reviews, good or bad, so please feel free to tell me if this chapter is any good. 

Three

The cold shower didn't seem to do any good.  My whole body still felt electrified.  How could one simple kiss set my body on fire?

            I stepped out of the bathroom expecting to see Mulder sitting on the couch reading one of our case files.

            But Mulder was no where to be seen.

            "Mulder?" I called as I stepped into the kitchen.

            There was no answer.  But there was a coffee mug and an empty bowl lying on the table.  A note with my name scribbled on top sat next to it.

            I picked it up and quickly read through it.

            Scully,

                        I left for work early.  I'll see you at the office.

                                    Mulder

            I sighed as I looked at the wonderful mess he left me.  Why couldn't he be a little bit more neat?

            I dumped the dishes in the sink and looked at my watch.  My eyes wandered to the window and I couldn't help looking out.

            Once again the strange man from last night was standing across the street.  He was smiling knowingly at me, an I-know-something-you-don't-know smile.

            It sent shivers down my spine.  Why was he here again?  And why was he staring at me?

            Something in his eyes reminded me of the case Mulder and I were working on.  'I promise I'll see you again soon'.  Someone said this to me once.  But when?  And now?

            The ringing of my cell phone made me jump a mile.  Someone was trying to give me a heart attack.

            "Scully."

            "Where are you?" Mulder's voice was breathless over the line.

            "Hello to you too, Mulder," I said flatly. "I'm at home."

            Mulder ignored my sarcasm. "I think I found a break in the case.  How soon can you get here?"

            I sighed.  So much for breakfast. "I'm on my way."

~*~     

            On the way to work, I thought about the case.  It wasn't any stranger than other cases we've worked on but it was just as weird.

            In the past two weeks, four doctors have been murdered.  They all worked at different hospitals; all had completely different backgrounds.  On all of the victim's foreheads there has been a branded symbol.  A heart with thorns on it.  On a piece of paper next to the victim's was a written statement, "Love is forever.  Remember that.  I'll be seeing you soon."

            It's really not an X-Files case, but Mulder insists that is.  I know the real reason he's on the case.  The second victim was his college psychology professor, Dr. Daemon

            Even though he won't admit it, I know Mulder feels responsible.

            I stepped into our office and found Mulder  pouring over papers.  He was reading them intently as if the world around him dropped away.

            A lock of hair fell onto his forehead and I felt my hand move on it's own accord.  I looked down and stopped it on mid flight.  Stop that.

            I coughed.  Mulder was so absorbed in his reading, he didn't look up.  "What's this big break you wanted to tell me about?"

            Mulder's head whipped up and flashed a smile. "Hey, you finally made it."

            I folded my arms across my chest. "What is it?"

            Mulder stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "All four of the victim's went to Oxford.  They were classmates."

            "So they knew each other." I saw him tap the paper in front of him. "Who do you think it is?"

            Mulder looked at me, his eyes dark. "Maybe it's a disgruntled colleague."

            "A what?"

            "I think it's a former classmate of theirs."

            I arched my eyebrow in mock disbelief. "That narrows it down to at least a thousand people, Mulder."

            Mulder walked around his desk and grabbed his jacket.  I noticed for the first time he was wearing a suit.

            Mulder tilted his head. "Come on, Scully."

            I stared at him with child-like defiance. "Mulder, where are we going?"

            Mulder smiled mysteriously. "To see Frohike." He opened the door and made a motion for me to go first.

            "When did you get the suit?" I asked, as we walked towards the elevator.

            "This?  I picked it up on the way to work." He pressed the down button and we stood in an uncomfortable silence.

            We waited there awkwardly, purposely avoiding any eye contact. 

Finally, Mulder turned to me. "So . . . .um. .How are you, Scully?" he asked, digging into his side pocket and pulling out a bag of sunflower seeds.

            "I'm fine," I said evenly. "Why do you ask?"

            Mulder stuck a seed in his mouth. "I was curious.  You seemed out of it this morning."

            "I wonder why," I said dryly.

            The elevator doors opened and we stepped inside.  It was empty.  How convenient.

            I watched as he put the baggie back in his pocket and hit the first floor button.

            Mulder made a noise that sounded similarly like a soft sigh.  It reached down to the bottom of my soul.

            "What?" I croaked out, holding onto the bar in back of me.

            "You're so predictable, Scully," he said, smiling at me.

            "And what does that mean?"

            Mulder grinned boyishly at me, which sent my heart running into my throat. "It means, Agent Scully, that you will not talk about what happened this morning."

            Great, he wanted to talk. "Mulder, nothing happened.  It was a fluke accident.  A mistake due to the fact that we're both sleeping under the same roof."

            Mulder looked incredulous. "An accident?  A mistake?  You're unbelievable!"

            "What do you expect me to say?"

            Mulder reached out and slammed the emergency stop button.

            The elevator jerked and I glared Mulder. "What are you doing, Mulder?"

            "I'm trying to talk to you." His green eyes snapped brightly, giving the impression of dark fire.  God, I wanted to kiss him . . . . .No!  No, I don't!

            And I didn't want to talk.  And I *definitely* didn't want to have my brain psychoanalyzed. "There's nothing to talk about, Mulder."

            He shook his head in disbelief. "Fine, don't talk.  But by refusing to discuss this, you're basically saying you didn't want to kiss me as much as I wanted to kiss you."

            My eyes widened.  I didn't say anything.  What exactly was he getting at?

            Mulder stood in front of me, a depth of realization shinning in his eyes. "You're afraid.  You're afraid of admitting your true feelings, aren't you, Scully?"

            My temper lit up. "I'm not afraid of anything, Mulder," I said coldly.

            "Then you're just cold.  You've wrapped yourself in this ice cube so tightly, you can't even admit how you really feel."

            My eyes narrowed and I pressed my lips parted ever so slightly.  The nerve of this man!  Why on earth did I want to kiss this condescending know-it-all?  More importantly, why did I still want to kiss him?  If only he didn't look so damn beautiful when he was angry!

            "You were raised by your father to be strong and tough and never let your guard down," he continued passionately. "You think it would be weak to admit you real feelings.  Jesus Christ, Scully, that kiss never would have happened if I hadn't initiated it.  We'd be stuck where we always are if not for me."

            "Oh yeah?" I spit out. "Then how do you explain this?" I reached up, cupped his face in my hands, and kissed him hard.  I could feel him tense up in surprise.  Before he even had the chance to relax, I pulled away.

            We stared at each other, the electricity sparking around us.

            Mulder's eyes went dark with desire and I could see the challenge flare up in their depths.

            I waited about half a second before pulling him back to me.  Our lips met with the same heat as they did earlier.  Maybe even more so.

            I ran my hands through his short hair.  It was so soft.  How long have I waited to do that?  Much too long.

            Then Mulder went and did it.  He moved his hand to the back of my neck and softly caressed the spot just under the hairline, my weak spot.

            I went wild.  I moved my lips from his down to his neck.  A low purr escaped my lips as I ran my tongue over his throbbing vein.

            Mulder gasped which only made me want more.  I pushed him against the button panel and pressed my body to his.

            Bad mistake.

            The force of his body restarted the elevator.

            We broke apart, both breathing heavily.  As the elevator descended towards the first floor, I made sure I looked at least a bit presentable.  I smoothed my hair, ignoring my flushed cheeks.

            Mulder, on the other hand, didn't even make an attempt to look decent.  His hair was ruffled and messy, making him look as if he'd just woken up.  He also had a pinkish lipstick mark just over his right collar.

            The elevator came to a stop and the doors sprang open.  And there stood Assistant Director Walter Skinner, my boss.

            Skinner looked from Mulder to me and back again.  He raised an eyebrow as he looked over Mulder's disheveled appearance warily.  I could see his brain twirling a mile a minute.  I knew what he was thinking.  But he didn't say a word.  Skinner nodded his head slightly. "Agents."

            I managed a small smile, all the while praying my heart would stop pounding so loudly.

            Stepping out of the elevator, Mulder and I didn't say a word.  It was awkward, not like this morning.  What happened then could be written off as some fluke; that seeing each other in the semi-naked state set it off.  What happened just now was proof that it's more than just a physical need.  No.  It goes much deeper than that.

            I felt and stayed numb as Mulder lead me to his car, and as he drove us to the Lone Gunmen's hideout.

            Mulder was just as quiet as I was.  I watched as he drove, his forehead crinkled in thought.  He looked so amazingly beautiful in that state.

            Now we weren't even talking.  I knew this would happen.

            What am I going to do now?