Chapter eleven - I Can't Quite Believe It Myself
Scully took a sip of her coffee and looked over at Mulder who was obviously very eager to her account of what had happened in the bathroom.
"You know Mulder," she said a bit dryly "if you told me the story I am about to tell you, I would tell you to have your head examined."
"I guess that is the major difference between us. You desperately want to believe everything and I hardly believe anything."
"Without proof" Mulder corrected her.
"Yes, without proof."
She took the small stone out of her pocket and looked at it for a moment before placing it on the coffee table. Seeing Mulder looked a bit nervous, she smiled at him and put it back in her pocket.
"I know you think that the stone is what saved me from Andrea the first time and, although I hate to admit it, you may be right. When you told me that at your apartment I didn't believe you. I only brought it into the bath with me to make you happy."
Mulder smiled at this comment but kept quiet. "I kept a good hold of it up until I started to wash myself. It slipped then and I could find it in the water. That was enough time for her."
Mulder leaned towards Scully now hanging on her every word. "This time I felt her enter me. I think she wanted me to know she was there - to witness first hand what she was thinking and what she was doing to my body."
"It was an odd sensation of being totally joined with someone. I was thinking my own thoughts but was actually aware of hers as well."
Scully smiled briefly at Mulder. "She likes you - a lot. I guess Angela wouldn't let her partake in her more intimate activities and she thought with me that she would finally have that chance."
"Your quick actions in your apartment ruined that chance and she was mad, very mad at you and at me. Andrea thought about trying to use by body to seduce you again but was way too mad for that. She wanted us to pay. She wanted to kill me slowly and then watch as you found my body."
Scully's voice got very quiet. "I can't really describe what it feels like to have ones lungs fill with water while part of your brain is fighting to breathe and the other part is fighting to hold you back. She could feel my life ebbing away and she made sure that I knew it."
Scully stopped for a moment, gulped once or twice before continuing. "She was on the verge of success. All she needed was a moment more and my life would have been gone."
Scully looked up at Mulder now although she seemed to be staring through him instead of looking at him. "Right at the moment I could feel something pulling Andrea away from me, out of me. She was not happy about it and left only because she had no choice. Her last thought to me was that she would be back soon to finish the job."
She was silent then doing little more than sip her coffee and stare at the ground by her feet.
Mulder was silent too, not knowing what to say.
After a minute, Scully took a deep breath and stood up. "If it is alright with you Mulder I think I would like to get to bed. You can sleep out here - there are blankets and pillows in the chest over there. Help yourself to what ever you need."
"Scully" Mulder started not knowing exactly what he wanted to say.
Scully stopped in the doorway and turned to him and smiled. "I'm fine. Really. Good night."
Mulder sat bolt upright on the couch at the sounds of Scully's screams. He was in her room within seconds turning on the light before sitting down on her bed.
Apparently her subconscious didn't believe her when she said she was alright and she was in the midst of a terrible nightmare. She was thrashing in the bed and was covered with sweat.
Mulder grabbed her by the arms and shook her gently trying to wake her. When she didn't wake up he shook her more frantically and was relieved when she finally opened her eyes.
Her eyes showed nothing but pure fear and Mulder felt nothing but protectiveness and he gathered her into her arms and to comfort her as her broke into tears.
In a minute or so, Scully managed to gain her composure enough to separate herself from him. She had enjoyed the protective comfort of his arms - a little too much and she wanted to make sure that she didn't let things get out of hand.
"Scully?" Mulder asked pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"No one here but me Mulder" she said trying to smile but failing rather horribly "It was nothing but a bad dream."
"Want to tell me about it?"
"It's a bit fuzzy now" she lied. She didn't want to disclose to him that her nightmare consisted of her drowning and calling out to him. She called and called but he never came.
"All I really remember was that I was drowning"
"Do you want to see a doctor?"
"I am a doctor Mulder and the last thing I want to do is go into an emergency room and try to explain to some glorified med student that a ghost tried to drown me."
Mulder smiled. "Do you think you can go back to sleep?"
"Yes" she looked like she wanted to say more but didn't.
"Do you want me to stay here until you fall asleep?"
She did but would never admit to it "No - knowing you are in the other room is fine."
Mulder got off the bed and looked at the clock. It read 3am - only a few more hours until he could go see Angela and get to bottom of what was going on.
Scully settled back in under her covers and Mulder gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. "Good night Scully"
It was barely 8 am when Mulder readied himself to leave Scully's apartment. After checking on her, twice, he had convinced himself she was not going to die within the next few hours, scribbled a short note and had taken a taxi over to Angela's apartment.
Angela was wearing little more than a smile when she answered the door.
"Nice outfit" Mulder said glancing over the teddy Angela was wearing and walking into the room.
"Thanks Fox - what brings you here so early in the morning? Needing a quick roll in the hay to get your morning off to a quick start?"
Mulder looked over at her and admitted to himself that it was a very tempting offer.
"Not this morning Angela - you and I have to talk and besides, what about Tom?"
"Oh Tom - well, he is away on business and while the cat's away."
Mulder laughed despite himself. "Got any coffee ready?"
When Angela nodded yes, Mulder walked into her kitchen and poured himself a cup. Sitting down at the kitchen table, he helped himself to a donut from the box sitting there and proceeded to tell Angela exactly what had happened the night before.
"She did what?" she exclaimed when Mulder told her about Andrea's attempt at seduction. "She couldn't have" she began until she saw the look on Mulder's face.
"Andrea never was very subtle when it came to men." Angela muttered.
"Like you are?" Mulder said motioning to the skimpy outfit the Angela didn't bother to try and conceal.
"I am not quite sure where all this anger is coming from. I imagine things will only get worse until the problem is resolved." Angela responded ignoring Mulder's look.
"What do you mean? Can't you just not summon her anymore?"
Angela gave him an indulgent look. "Mulder - you obviously don't know spirits the way you think you do. Sure I could not summon her again but if a spirit is restless enough it can actually summon itself."
She saw the puzzled look on Mulder's face "You know haunt a place or a person until whatever problem is bothering the spirit is resolved."
"Any idea what Andrea's problem is?"
"Could be anything - I really need to talk to Dana a bit before I can come up with any sort of real plan. Can you arrange a little get together later today? with Melissa too - Dana seems to open up a bit more with her around."
"Will do. I'll call you with a time." Mulder walked over to the door and turned to Angela. "Angela.." he said with a hint of warning in his voice.
Angela gave him a mocking look "Don't worry, I won't summon her back today"
"Thanks" Mulder turned to go when he felt a hand on his arm.
"Fox" she whispered as she reached up and kissed him deeply on the mouth.
"Sure you have leave right away?"
Mulder smiled down at her "Maybe some other time"
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Comments anyone?
Scully took a sip of her coffee and looked over at Mulder who was obviously very eager to her account of what had happened in the bathroom.
"You know Mulder," she said a bit dryly "if you told me the story I am about to tell you, I would tell you to have your head examined."
"I guess that is the major difference between us. You desperately want to believe everything and I hardly believe anything."
"Without proof" Mulder corrected her.
"Yes, without proof."
She took the small stone out of her pocket and looked at it for a moment before placing it on the coffee table. Seeing Mulder looked a bit nervous, she smiled at him and put it back in her pocket.
"I know you think that the stone is what saved me from Andrea the first time and, although I hate to admit it, you may be right. When you told me that at your apartment I didn't believe you. I only brought it into the bath with me to make you happy."
Mulder smiled at this comment but kept quiet. "I kept a good hold of it up until I started to wash myself. It slipped then and I could find it in the water. That was enough time for her."
Mulder leaned towards Scully now hanging on her every word. "This time I felt her enter me. I think she wanted me to know she was there - to witness first hand what she was thinking and what she was doing to my body."
"It was an odd sensation of being totally joined with someone. I was thinking my own thoughts but was actually aware of hers as well."
Scully smiled briefly at Mulder. "She likes you - a lot. I guess Angela wouldn't let her partake in her more intimate activities and she thought with me that she would finally have that chance."
"Your quick actions in your apartment ruined that chance and she was mad, very mad at you and at me. Andrea thought about trying to use by body to seduce you again but was way too mad for that. She wanted us to pay. She wanted to kill me slowly and then watch as you found my body."
Scully's voice got very quiet. "I can't really describe what it feels like to have ones lungs fill with water while part of your brain is fighting to breathe and the other part is fighting to hold you back. She could feel my life ebbing away and she made sure that I knew it."
Scully stopped for a moment, gulped once or twice before continuing. "She was on the verge of success. All she needed was a moment more and my life would have been gone."
Scully looked up at Mulder now although she seemed to be staring through him instead of looking at him. "Right at the moment I could feel something pulling Andrea away from me, out of me. She was not happy about it and left only because she had no choice. Her last thought to me was that she would be back soon to finish the job."
She was silent then doing little more than sip her coffee and stare at the ground by her feet.
Mulder was silent too, not knowing what to say.
After a minute, Scully took a deep breath and stood up. "If it is alright with you Mulder I think I would like to get to bed. You can sleep out here - there are blankets and pillows in the chest over there. Help yourself to what ever you need."
"Scully" Mulder started not knowing exactly what he wanted to say.
Scully stopped in the doorway and turned to him and smiled. "I'm fine. Really. Good night."
Mulder sat bolt upright on the couch at the sounds of Scully's screams. He was in her room within seconds turning on the light before sitting down on her bed.
Apparently her subconscious didn't believe her when she said she was alright and she was in the midst of a terrible nightmare. She was thrashing in the bed and was covered with sweat.
Mulder grabbed her by the arms and shook her gently trying to wake her. When she didn't wake up he shook her more frantically and was relieved when she finally opened her eyes.
Her eyes showed nothing but pure fear and Mulder felt nothing but protectiveness and he gathered her into her arms and to comfort her as her broke into tears.
In a minute or so, Scully managed to gain her composure enough to separate herself from him. She had enjoyed the protective comfort of his arms - a little too much and she wanted to make sure that she didn't let things get out of hand.
"Scully?" Mulder asked pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"No one here but me Mulder" she said trying to smile but failing rather horribly "It was nothing but a bad dream."
"Want to tell me about it?"
"It's a bit fuzzy now" she lied. She didn't want to disclose to him that her nightmare consisted of her drowning and calling out to him. She called and called but he never came.
"All I really remember was that I was drowning"
"Do you want to see a doctor?"
"I am a doctor Mulder and the last thing I want to do is go into an emergency room and try to explain to some glorified med student that a ghost tried to drown me."
Mulder smiled. "Do you think you can go back to sleep?"
"Yes" she looked like she wanted to say more but didn't.
"Do you want me to stay here until you fall asleep?"
She did but would never admit to it "No - knowing you are in the other room is fine."
Mulder got off the bed and looked at the clock. It read 3am - only a few more hours until he could go see Angela and get to bottom of what was going on.
Scully settled back in under her covers and Mulder gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. "Good night Scully"
It was barely 8 am when Mulder readied himself to leave Scully's apartment. After checking on her, twice, he had convinced himself she was not going to die within the next few hours, scribbled a short note and had taken a taxi over to Angela's apartment.
Angela was wearing little more than a smile when she answered the door.
"Nice outfit" Mulder said glancing over the teddy Angela was wearing and walking into the room.
"Thanks Fox - what brings you here so early in the morning? Needing a quick roll in the hay to get your morning off to a quick start?"
Mulder looked over at her and admitted to himself that it was a very tempting offer.
"Not this morning Angela - you and I have to talk and besides, what about Tom?"
"Oh Tom - well, he is away on business and while the cat's away."
Mulder laughed despite himself. "Got any coffee ready?"
When Angela nodded yes, Mulder walked into her kitchen and poured himself a cup. Sitting down at the kitchen table, he helped himself to a donut from the box sitting there and proceeded to tell Angela exactly what had happened the night before.
"She did what?" she exclaimed when Mulder told her about Andrea's attempt at seduction. "She couldn't have" she began until she saw the look on Mulder's face.
"Andrea never was very subtle when it came to men." Angela muttered.
"Like you are?" Mulder said motioning to the skimpy outfit the Angela didn't bother to try and conceal.
"I am not quite sure where all this anger is coming from. I imagine things will only get worse until the problem is resolved." Angela responded ignoring Mulder's look.
"What do you mean? Can't you just not summon her anymore?"
Angela gave him an indulgent look. "Mulder - you obviously don't know spirits the way you think you do. Sure I could not summon her again but if a spirit is restless enough it can actually summon itself."
She saw the puzzled look on Mulder's face "You know haunt a place or a person until whatever problem is bothering the spirit is resolved."
"Any idea what Andrea's problem is?"
"Could be anything - I really need to talk to Dana a bit before I can come up with any sort of real plan. Can you arrange a little get together later today? with Melissa too - Dana seems to open up a bit more with her around."
"Will do. I'll call you with a time." Mulder walked over to the door and turned to Angela. "Angela.." he said with a hint of warning in his voice.
Angela gave him a mocking look "Don't worry, I won't summon her back today"
"Thanks" Mulder turned to go when he felt a hand on his arm.
"Fox" she whispered as she reached up and kissed him deeply on the mouth.
"Sure you have leave right away?"
Mulder smiled down at her "Maybe some other time"
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Comments anyone?