Chapter 16 - So Where Do We Go From Here?
Mulder arrived back at the house only a few minutes after Scully did. He entered the house to find her filling the coffee pot and pulling out the cookie jar.
She grabbed a couple of cookies and motioned for him to have a seat at the kitchen table.
Mulder did so, bracing himself for her interrogation of his actions, but she surprised him by sitting down and removing a manila folder from her briefcase.
Even before she spoke, Mulder knew that what had happened that afternoon was being added to their very long list of 'things that happened between us that we will ignore forever'.
"I ran tests on the tea that Agnes made for me" she said her face showing absolutely no emotion.
"And?" Mulder replied
"And, it was nothing but a bunch of dried herbs. It seems she gave me a placebo."
"Really? I wonder why?"
"Perhaps Agnes had more faith in Jodi that Richard did" Scully said in a mocking tone of voice.
Mulder's eyebrows went up at this comment. Maybe he and Scully would talk after all.
"Or maybe she wanted Richard to fail so he would want to look elsewhere."
Scully looked at him and Mulder thought he saw a bit of hurt in her eyes.
"Perhaps" Scully replied. "No matter what her reason for doing it, there is no way to link the tea she made with the crimes you think she committed."
"So where do we go from here?" Mulder said getting up and going over to the coffee pot. He raised his eyebrows to question Scully if she wanted a cup.
She shook her head. "No, I made that for you. Judging by what I saw in the living room, I thought you might need it."
"Thanks partner." Mulder said a bit sheepishly.
Scully walked over to him and placed her hand gently on his back. "Don't worry Mulder, no matter what may come between us, you can always count on me to cover your back."
Leaving Mulder to pour his coffee, she walked into the living room and picked up the empty bottle and glass. She had been quite surprised to find them when she had walked into the house knowing that Mulder never drank alone.
She placed the bottle and glass on the kitchen counter and raised her eyebrow at Mulder - giving him a chance to explain why he had drunk the whole bottle.
Mulder looked at Scully and then at the bottle. "I messed up big time, didn't I Scully?" he said barely able to meet her eyes.
"Yeah you did" she answered.
"Are we going to be okay?" he asked wanting desperately to take her into his arms but knowing she would never allow it.
"To be honest with you Mulder, I don't know." Scully reached over and stroked Mulder's cheek. "I hope so, but I really don't know."
Mulder nodded. "What about the case?"
Scully smiled weakly at him. "Not to worry Mulder, Jodi has no plans to leave Richard just yet. She will stick with him at least until the big party."
Mulder groaned. He had forgotten about the party which Roger had told him about. It was a costume party with prizes going to the wildest outfit. From what Roger implied, this would be their big opportunity to flush out the murdered.
But the party was three days away. Mulder hoped Scully and he could get along until then.
After their brief conversation that night, it seemed to Mulder that he barely saw Scully. She rose, showered quickly and then found some excuse to go out to the local FBI headquarters every day before having any breakfast. She often didn't return until dinner time and then the only thing they discussed were her findings for the day.
Mulder knew perfectly well that Scully could have performed all of her research using her laptop, but said nothing. Scully wanted some space between them and after what he had done to her, he was happy to oblige.
He spent his time puttering around the house working on field reports and doing massive research on the internet. He knew the key to the murders was Agnes but he just couldn't find the smoking gun that would prove him right.
On the second morning he had been busily making himself a cup of coffee when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him from behind. Scully had left for the research lab well over an hour ago but had probably forgotten something which had prompted her return.
Mulder turned around about to address his partner when he froze in his tracks. The woman standing in front of him was definitely not Scully.
"What are you doing here?" he said rather annoyed.
The woman he was addressing gently touched his arm and the look of annoyance vanished immediately. It was replaced by one of total peace.
"Now, that's better" she said gently taking his hand and leading him into the living room.
They sat on the couch and she was careful not to release his hand.
"Tell me" she said with some authority "who you really are."
Mulder looked at her, paused for a second as if trying to decide whether or not to answer her but then did. "Fox Mulder"
"Why are you here Fox Mulder?"
"I work for the FBI. I have come to catch the murderer."
The woman's eyes widened considerably. "How fascinating. And your wife?"
Mulder smiled at the thought of Scully. "She's my partner."
"Your partner. Very interesting. Are you two involved?"
Mulder looked sheepishly at her. "No, not yet."
The woman nodded at this. "One hour after you leave the party you will meet me by the Mile High Bridge. Understand?"
"I understand"
"You will remember nothing of this conversation Fox but will have a wonderful time at Roger's party - for it will be your last. Close your eyes, count to 100 and then return to where you were in the kitchen."
The woman released her hand and left the house to the sound of Mulder softly counting to himself ringing in her ears.
Mulder picked up his coffee mug wondering how it could have possibly cooled off so quickly. He had thought, for a moment, that he had heard the sound of Scully's approaching footsteps but upon turning saw nothing.
He shook his head and returned to his computer.
Scully had brought back pizza and beer with her and she and Mulder sat at the kitchen table eating in silence. Scully had regretted her avoidance of Mulder and was hoping that the beer would help loosen them both up a bit.
They were just finishing up their pizza and opening up their second bottle of beer when the doorbell rang.
Scully got up quickly looking over at Mulder who shrugged. Scully walked over to the door hoping that it wasn't Wendy coming to pay them a call.
It wasn't. It was Roger.
"Good evening Roger" Scully said opening the door and letting him enter the house.
"Good evening Jodi" Roger replied after allowing himself to truly take in Scully's appearance.
Scully followed Roger into the living room feeling a bit embarrassed by his gaze.
"Roger" Mulder said walking over to him and extending his hand. "To what do we owe this honor?"
Roger pumped Mulder's hand "Just wanted to make sure that you two were coming to our little party tomorrow night."
"We wouldn't miss it for anything" Mulder said noticing for the first time that Roger seemed to be unable to keep his eyes off Scully. "Would we sweetheart?"
Scully who was fighting the urge to squirm under Roger's constant gaze smiled flirtatiously at Roger. "I am looking forward to it" she said in a voice that seemed to Mulder to drip of sexual innuendo.
Roger must have noticed too for his smiled broadened and he became bold enough to practically stare at Scully's chest - which was rather well displayed in the tight t-shirt she was wearing.
"Wonderful. I know Wendy is looking forward to having a dance with Richard and I was hoping to keep you occupied on the dance floor during your husband's absence."
It took every ounce of control to keep Mulder from punching Roger right in the nose. He was practically asking Scully to sleep with him right in front of him.
Scully said nothing but just smiled a sexy little smile at Roger.
"Wonderful" Roger said again. "I will leave you two to finish up your costumes and will see you tomorrow at eight."
Scully started towards the door to walk Roger out but Mulder slyly cut her off and saw Roger out himself. Scully smiled to herself as she realized that Mulder was acting like a jealous husband.
"Can you believe him?" Mulder began to rant as soon as Roger cleared their driveway. "The way he was coming on to you?"
"Oh, I've seen worse" Scully said dryly going to the kitchen to retrieve their beers.
Mulder stopped his ranting at this and took his beer from Scully in silence.
"I suppose our course has been pretty much decided for us" Scully said taking a large swig of beer. "Apparently you have been chosen for Wendy and I get Roger"
She watched Mulder scowl at the thought of tomorrow night's party even as she admitted to herself that she could think of worse things than having to kiss the very handsome Roger.
Mulder sat down abruptly on the couch and Scully sat down too - on the far end of the couch. If Mulder noticed the literal distance between them, he didn't mention it when he started to speak.
"Scully, we have to finalize our plans."
"Do you still want me to burst in before you and Wendy."
Mulder cut her off immediately. "Of course I do. Do you really think that I want to be with that woman?"
"You did seem to be enjoying yourself quite a bit the other day. Or did my eyes deceive me?" Scully said surprised with how angry she was. She sounded like a jilted wife.
Mulder turned to her and looked her straight in the eye his face red with anger. "And what choice did I really have? Should I have pushed her away and possibly wrecked our case?"
Scully looked away but he moved closer to her and took her face in his hands forcing her to look at him. "I thought she only meant to kiss me. Believe me I was surprised as you were when she decided to be so bold. As far as my reaction goes, I would imagine if you were in a similar situation with Roger" he said the name as if it were poison "and he was stroking you the way she was stroking me, that your body would respond even if your mind didn't want it to."
Scully blinked at him not knowing what to say. Even now her body was responding to his words in a way that her mind found quite annoying.
Mulder dropped his hands from her face and sighed. He spoke softly now. "Scully, she is nothing to me. Do you believe me?"
Scully nodded and picked up one of his hands and brought it to her cheek. She left it pressed there for a moment and then turned it over and kissed it right in the middle of the palm.
Scully dropped his hand then whispering "I am going to take a long hot bath Mulder and then go to bed."
Mulder sat back on the couch and sipped his beer trying very hard not to think of his partner lying naked in the bathtub upstairs.
End of chapter 16 - only one or two chapters left to go.
Mulder arrived back at the house only a few minutes after Scully did. He entered the house to find her filling the coffee pot and pulling out the cookie jar.
She grabbed a couple of cookies and motioned for him to have a seat at the kitchen table.
Mulder did so, bracing himself for her interrogation of his actions, but she surprised him by sitting down and removing a manila folder from her briefcase.
Even before she spoke, Mulder knew that what had happened that afternoon was being added to their very long list of 'things that happened between us that we will ignore forever'.
"I ran tests on the tea that Agnes made for me" she said her face showing absolutely no emotion.
"And?" Mulder replied
"And, it was nothing but a bunch of dried herbs. It seems she gave me a placebo."
"Really? I wonder why?"
"Perhaps Agnes had more faith in Jodi that Richard did" Scully said in a mocking tone of voice.
Mulder's eyebrows went up at this comment. Maybe he and Scully would talk after all.
"Or maybe she wanted Richard to fail so he would want to look elsewhere."
Scully looked at him and Mulder thought he saw a bit of hurt in her eyes.
"Perhaps" Scully replied. "No matter what her reason for doing it, there is no way to link the tea she made with the crimes you think she committed."
"So where do we go from here?" Mulder said getting up and going over to the coffee pot. He raised his eyebrows to question Scully if she wanted a cup.
She shook her head. "No, I made that for you. Judging by what I saw in the living room, I thought you might need it."
"Thanks partner." Mulder said a bit sheepishly.
Scully walked over to him and placed her hand gently on his back. "Don't worry Mulder, no matter what may come between us, you can always count on me to cover your back."
Leaving Mulder to pour his coffee, she walked into the living room and picked up the empty bottle and glass. She had been quite surprised to find them when she had walked into the house knowing that Mulder never drank alone.
She placed the bottle and glass on the kitchen counter and raised her eyebrow at Mulder - giving him a chance to explain why he had drunk the whole bottle.
Mulder looked at Scully and then at the bottle. "I messed up big time, didn't I Scully?" he said barely able to meet her eyes.
"Yeah you did" she answered.
"Are we going to be okay?" he asked wanting desperately to take her into his arms but knowing she would never allow it.
"To be honest with you Mulder, I don't know." Scully reached over and stroked Mulder's cheek. "I hope so, but I really don't know."
Mulder nodded. "What about the case?"
Scully smiled weakly at him. "Not to worry Mulder, Jodi has no plans to leave Richard just yet. She will stick with him at least until the big party."
Mulder groaned. He had forgotten about the party which Roger had told him about. It was a costume party with prizes going to the wildest outfit. From what Roger implied, this would be their big opportunity to flush out the murdered.
But the party was three days away. Mulder hoped Scully and he could get along until then.
After their brief conversation that night, it seemed to Mulder that he barely saw Scully. She rose, showered quickly and then found some excuse to go out to the local FBI headquarters every day before having any breakfast. She often didn't return until dinner time and then the only thing they discussed were her findings for the day.
Mulder knew perfectly well that Scully could have performed all of her research using her laptop, but said nothing. Scully wanted some space between them and after what he had done to her, he was happy to oblige.
He spent his time puttering around the house working on field reports and doing massive research on the internet. He knew the key to the murders was Agnes but he just couldn't find the smoking gun that would prove him right.
On the second morning he had been busily making himself a cup of coffee when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him from behind. Scully had left for the research lab well over an hour ago but had probably forgotten something which had prompted her return.
Mulder turned around about to address his partner when he froze in his tracks. The woman standing in front of him was definitely not Scully.
"What are you doing here?" he said rather annoyed.
The woman he was addressing gently touched his arm and the look of annoyance vanished immediately. It was replaced by one of total peace.
"Now, that's better" she said gently taking his hand and leading him into the living room.
They sat on the couch and she was careful not to release his hand.
"Tell me" she said with some authority "who you really are."
Mulder looked at her, paused for a second as if trying to decide whether or not to answer her but then did. "Fox Mulder"
"Why are you here Fox Mulder?"
"I work for the FBI. I have come to catch the murderer."
The woman's eyes widened considerably. "How fascinating. And your wife?"
Mulder smiled at the thought of Scully. "She's my partner."
"Your partner. Very interesting. Are you two involved?"
Mulder looked sheepishly at her. "No, not yet."
The woman nodded at this. "One hour after you leave the party you will meet me by the Mile High Bridge. Understand?"
"I understand"
"You will remember nothing of this conversation Fox but will have a wonderful time at Roger's party - for it will be your last. Close your eyes, count to 100 and then return to where you were in the kitchen."
The woman released her hand and left the house to the sound of Mulder softly counting to himself ringing in her ears.
Mulder picked up his coffee mug wondering how it could have possibly cooled off so quickly. He had thought, for a moment, that he had heard the sound of Scully's approaching footsteps but upon turning saw nothing.
He shook his head and returned to his computer.
Scully had brought back pizza and beer with her and she and Mulder sat at the kitchen table eating in silence. Scully had regretted her avoidance of Mulder and was hoping that the beer would help loosen them both up a bit.
They were just finishing up their pizza and opening up their second bottle of beer when the doorbell rang.
Scully got up quickly looking over at Mulder who shrugged. Scully walked over to the door hoping that it wasn't Wendy coming to pay them a call.
It wasn't. It was Roger.
"Good evening Roger" Scully said opening the door and letting him enter the house.
"Good evening Jodi" Roger replied after allowing himself to truly take in Scully's appearance.
Scully followed Roger into the living room feeling a bit embarrassed by his gaze.
"Roger" Mulder said walking over to him and extending his hand. "To what do we owe this honor?"
Roger pumped Mulder's hand "Just wanted to make sure that you two were coming to our little party tomorrow night."
"We wouldn't miss it for anything" Mulder said noticing for the first time that Roger seemed to be unable to keep his eyes off Scully. "Would we sweetheart?"
Scully who was fighting the urge to squirm under Roger's constant gaze smiled flirtatiously at Roger. "I am looking forward to it" she said in a voice that seemed to Mulder to drip of sexual innuendo.
Roger must have noticed too for his smiled broadened and he became bold enough to practically stare at Scully's chest - which was rather well displayed in the tight t-shirt she was wearing.
"Wonderful. I know Wendy is looking forward to having a dance with Richard and I was hoping to keep you occupied on the dance floor during your husband's absence."
It took every ounce of control to keep Mulder from punching Roger right in the nose. He was practically asking Scully to sleep with him right in front of him.
Scully said nothing but just smiled a sexy little smile at Roger.
"Wonderful" Roger said again. "I will leave you two to finish up your costumes and will see you tomorrow at eight."
Scully started towards the door to walk Roger out but Mulder slyly cut her off and saw Roger out himself. Scully smiled to herself as she realized that Mulder was acting like a jealous husband.
"Can you believe him?" Mulder began to rant as soon as Roger cleared their driveway. "The way he was coming on to you?"
"Oh, I've seen worse" Scully said dryly going to the kitchen to retrieve their beers.
Mulder stopped his ranting at this and took his beer from Scully in silence.
"I suppose our course has been pretty much decided for us" Scully said taking a large swig of beer. "Apparently you have been chosen for Wendy and I get Roger"
She watched Mulder scowl at the thought of tomorrow night's party even as she admitted to herself that she could think of worse things than having to kiss the very handsome Roger.
Mulder sat down abruptly on the couch and Scully sat down too - on the far end of the couch. If Mulder noticed the literal distance between them, he didn't mention it when he started to speak.
"Scully, we have to finalize our plans."
"Do you still want me to burst in before you and Wendy."
Mulder cut her off immediately. "Of course I do. Do you really think that I want to be with that woman?"
"You did seem to be enjoying yourself quite a bit the other day. Or did my eyes deceive me?" Scully said surprised with how angry she was. She sounded like a jilted wife.
Mulder turned to her and looked her straight in the eye his face red with anger. "And what choice did I really have? Should I have pushed her away and possibly wrecked our case?"
Scully looked away but he moved closer to her and took her face in his hands forcing her to look at him. "I thought she only meant to kiss me. Believe me I was surprised as you were when she decided to be so bold. As far as my reaction goes, I would imagine if you were in a similar situation with Roger" he said the name as if it were poison "and he was stroking you the way she was stroking me, that your body would respond even if your mind didn't want it to."
Scully blinked at him not knowing what to say. Even now her body was responding to his words in a way that her mind found quite annoying.
Mulder dropped his hands from her face and sighed. He spoke softly now. "Scully, she is nothing to me. Do you believe me?"
Scully nodded and picked up one of his hands and brought it to her cheek. She left it pressed there for a moment and then turned it over and kissed it right in the middle of the palm.
Scully dropped his hand then whispering "I am going to take a long hot bath Mulder and then go to bed."
Mulder sat back on the couch and sipped his beer trying very hard not to think of his partner lying naked in the bathtub upstairs.
End of chapter 16 - only one or two chapters left to go.