The next day Scully found Mulder already in the office, leaned back in his chair with a pencil in his hand. She smiled as he prepared to chunk it into the ceiling.

"Why do you always do that?" she asked, startling him. He almost fell back in his chair again, but caught himself.

He smiled as he straightened his chair back up. "You trying to make me fall?"

"Maybe," she said, putting a file on the desk. "Skinner gave that to me this morning."

Mulder looked at her curiously, then opened the file. He flipped through the pages quickly, stopping every now and then to read something or stare at a picture. When he finished, he handed the file back to Scully and frowned. "That's Marson's case."

"I know. His Mestdale case."

"Why would Skinner give us this? Is Marson off it?"

"I don't know. He just gave it to me this morning and said that he'd see us later."

Mulder scratched his chin as he thought. "I dunno. Maybe he couldn't handle it, or decided that it was an X-File." He looked up suddenly as a young woman appeared in the door. "Yes?"

"Agents Mulder and Scully? AD Skinner wishes to see you in his office." She looked at Scully. "And he wants you to bring the file that he gave you earlier."

"We'll be right there," Scully answered. The woman nodded and disappeared from the doorway.

Mulder shrugged. "She was cute," he joked, getting a paperclip thrown at him in rebuke. He laughed as he stood up from his chair. Scully smiled back, happy that everything seemed to be back in order.

As they walked down the hall, Scully turned her thoughts back to what Mulder had said on the phone. He'd defended her, even though he had nothing to gain from it. He comforted her, not expecting anything in return. That was the way he'd always been with her. He never seemed to want anything in return. She looked up at him, not surprised to see that he was munching on sunflower seeds he'd hidden in his pocket. "Tell me something, Mulder." He turned to look at her. "Would you really shove your phone up Marson's ass?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. That was a twenty dollar phone, but I think it'd be worth it." He shook his head. "I kinda bit my tongue last night. Didn't say half the things I wanted to say." He turned to her and smiled.

"Yeah. I think you said enough. He didn't call my apartment or my cell last night."

"Tell me Scully, why did you come to me last night? Why didn't you just go home?"

Scully's step faltered. "I...I just wanted someone to talk, I guess. And...I feel safer when I'm with you." She looked up, expecting Mulder to be taken aback, but he was smiling.

"Marson said that. I asked him why you would come to me and he said that you feel safe with me."

Scully smiled back. "Maybe just knowing all the times you've saved me before."

Mulder shrugged. "Part of being your partner, I guess. Besides, you've saved my life a good many times as well."

"Do you feel safe with me?"

Mulder thought for a moment. "Well, with you, I'm not afraid to say what I think. I'm not afraid to give anyone my theories on the cases we work on. And I know you've got my back, just as I've got yours."

Scully grinned. "Good to know that, Mulder," she said as she turned into Skinner's assistant's office. The woman looked up at them and nodded.

"AD Skinner is in his office, Agent Mulder. He wants you to go right in."

Mulder smiled and nodded to her. As they stepped into Skinner's office he leaned over to Scully. "She's new."

"So?" Scully asked, turning to Skinner's desk. To her surprise, Marson was sitting in it, staring at them as they came in.

He smiled cynically. "Well, we meet again. Dana," he said, nodding his head to her. "I tried to call you. And Agent Mulder claims to have not seen you last night."

Scully stared at him. "I decided to ride around town last night." She turned to Mulder, who was staring at her with a slight smile on his face. He shook his head and sank into a chair across from Skinner's desk. Marson, however, kept his attention on Scully.

"I wanted to apologize to you. To say I'm sorry for acting like a jerk."

Scully shook her head slightly as she took a seat next to Mulder. "Well, you're forgiven. I'm not really one to hold grudges."

Mulder arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

Scully shot him a look. "Really. Though I don't think anything between us would ever work."

Marson's face reddened. "So sure, are you? You barely gave me chance. And when things didn't go just your way, you go and run off to your little lapdog," he said, glaring at Mulder. Mulder simply glared back.

Scully shook her head, but Mulder leaned forward before she could say anything. "Let me tell you something, Marson. Agent Scully is a scary judge of character. She can figure out more about you by just looking at you than most people can by talking with you."

Marson looked as though he were about to reply, but just then Skinner entered through a side door. He paused at the sight of Marson in his chair. "Up," he commanded. Marson nodded and stood up, allowing Skinner to reclaim his chair. Marson looked for another chair, but Mulder and Scully had taken up the ones right by the desk. He scowled and stood behind them.

Skinner looked up at him suspiciously, then shook his head. "Agent Mulder, Scully, we've got a new assignment for you."

"Why's he here?" Mulder asked, indicating Marson.

Skinner stared at him for a moment, then looked down at a paper on his desk. "Well, I've got a letter here, from Agent Marson, requesting your help on a case he's working on. Says here that he feels it falls more under your...'jurisdiction and area of expertise'." Skinner leaned forward. "In other words, he thinks it's an X-file."

Mulder began to laugh quietly to himself. Scully shook her head. Skinner looked at Mulder quizzically. "What so funny, Agent Mulder?"

"I've seen the file, sir. It's deals with a serial killer taking the organs of the victims. I've talked with Marson; he doesn't believe in the X-files. He thinks they're a waste of government money and thinks I should be sent off to Alaska. When did this letter come to you?"

"This morning."

Mulder glanced at Scully. "You see, this is all just a plot to keep Agent Scully with him."

Skinner made a face. "What? What do you mean?" He turned to Scully.

She sighed. "Agent Marson and I went out last night. It didn't work out."

Skinner turned to Marson. "Did you ask for her help just so you could be with her?"

Marson scoffed. "Or course not."

Mulder held up a hand. "Wait, asked for her help?"

Skinner nodded. "Yes. In fact, you are not mentioned at all in his letter, Mulder. It says 'to ensure the success of my case, I would like to ask that Special Agent Dana Scully of the X-file department accompany me. With her expertise in matters like this, I am sure that we could solve the case and capture the culprit'."

"And you believed that?" Mulder asked incredulously.

"No, I didn't. But I did believe that the case would be more likely to be solved if you and Agent Scully were on it. But, since it was already Marson's case, he will have to go with you." He turned to Marson, who was working his mouth as if talking, but no words were coming out. "I am relieving you of your command over this investigation." He smiled. "We've called in the experts. You will accompany them and follow their lead. If Agent Mulder tells you to hop on one foot, you say 'yes, sir'. And if I hear of any 'harassment' from Agent Scully, I will make sure that you are charged. Am I understood?"

Marson nodded, "Yes, sir."

Skinner nodded and turned to Mulder. "And you, I don't want to hear of you abusing you position."

Mulder smiled. "Aw, c'mon sir, you know me better than that."