Time Is Running Out Part Seven
By Katie Phillips
Disclaimer Info located in Part One
April 14th 9:00 AM
Mulder's Apartment
Mulder woke with a horribly stiff neck as a result of sleeping on his old leather couch. He rolled his neck while he gazed down at the source of his discomfort. Scully was curled up next to him giving him very little room to stretch out his long legs.
He couldn't have been happier. Scully had been right. Making out was a lost art form. He never in a million years would have thought that kissing Scully and only kissing Scully would have been so enjoyable.
Sure, he had managed to cop a little feel or two along the way, but had spent most of the night exploring her mouth, face and neck and judging for the wide array of sounds he got her to produce, she had found it satisfying too.
Heaven help him when they got around to the good stuff. Knowing them, it would take another five years he thought to himself as he felt Scully stir beside him. She rolled herself on top of him and smiled as she squirmed up to kiss him.
"Good morning Mulder." She whispered between kisses. "Last night made me feel like a teenager again. Who knows, maybe if you are lucky next time I will let you get to second base."
Mulder ran his hands up her back and pushed her closer to him. "There is no time like the present Scully." He began to stroke her back.
"That's true." Scully said pushing herself to an upright position ignoring Mulder's groan of protest "unless you are scheduled for a 11:00 stress test in Dr. Bulter's office."
"Scully, I'm fine." Mulder whined. "If you come back down here I will show you just how capable my heart is."
Scully gave him one of her looks and he sat up grumbling. "You jump in the shower Mulder, I'll take your car back to my place and then come back and get you around 10:45."
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here and shower with me?" Mulder asked hopefully.
"I am absolutely positive. After your stress test we can grab a bite to eat on our way to the lab."
"The lab?"
"The quicker I enter in the data I have on you the quicker you can be certified healthy and ready for active duty." Scully said walking over to Mulder and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek goodbye.
Not satisfied by this, Mulder grabbed her arm as she was walking away and pulled her close enough to give her a long, deep kiss. "Now that is a proper goodbye kiss Agent Scully." Mulder remarked as he released her.
"I will keep that in mind for future reference."
11:00 AM Doctor Butler's Office
"Thank you for squeezing us in on a Sunday Fred." Scully said as she followed Dr. Butler in to his examination room.
"It is my pleasure Dana, really. If I wasn't here, my wife would have me cleaning out our gutters at home."
Scully laughed but stopped abruptly at the sight of Mulder walking into the room wearing only his running shorts and sneakers.
"Dr. Butler, this is Special Agent Fox Mulder. Mulder, this is Dr. Butler."
The two men shook hands and then Dr. Butler explained the procedure to them both. Basically Mulder would be put through not only the standard portions of a stress test, but also some more vigorous tests designed with him in mind. "I imagine these are because of the physical activities you encounter during your daily routine with the Bureau." The Doctor added not noticing the knowing look that Mulder shot Scully's way.
"I have gone over all the tests with Dana and I will make sure you are hooked up correctly to all the machines before I leave. After that, all that is really needed is for Dana to tell you what test to perform and for her to monitor your progress. The only thing I ask of you Agent Mulder is to let Dana know if you are feeling any discomfort at all. Even something that you would normally ignore."
"Sounds simple enough." Mulder said pulling his eyes off of Scully long enough to address the doctor.
Doctor Butler spent the next ten minutes sticking patches over every conceivable part of his body. When he was satisfied everything was in its proper place, he flipped the machines on, checked their output and left to return home to his gutters.
"Okay Mulder, why don't you hop onto the treadmill and we will begin." Scully said donning her professional persona.
"Scully, did I ever tell you that I like it when the woman takes charge?"
Scully simply shot him and dirty look and started the treadmill. Mulder smirked at her as he began a slow jog and Scully walked over to the machine recording his output to study the tape. "This is too easy Scully." he complained after a minute.
"Then let's see if we can challenge you a bit more, shall we?" Scully said with her own smirk.
It took Mulder less than ten minutes to stop complaining about the ease of the testing and to turn his full attention towards it. Scully put him through his paces changing the treadmill to produce a wide array of running conditions.
She monitored his vitals carefully but had to admit that she enjoyed watching him when he got into the 'zone' running. He was breathing rather heavily and the sweat was pouring off of him but even so Scully had to fight the urge to turn off the machine and pull his sweat covered body on top of hers.
Scully shook the image from her head and looked again at the readings. They were good, actually a little bit too good. Here Mulder was running uphill at a good pace sweating like crazy while his heart beat only a bit faster than normal.
Scully decided to try something else to see if the result was the same. After giving Mulder a few minutes rest and making note of the fact that his heart rate barely slowed, she put him on a rowing machine and watched in fascination as his heart rate stayed basically the same.
"Something is odd here Mulder." She said to him as she handed him a towel. "I am seeing very little change in your heart rate no matter what test I run on you."
She pointed to the computer screen and Mulder went over to look at it for himself. "That is interesting Scully. Do you think it has something to do with the vaccine?"
Scully bent over his shoulder to take a closer look herself when something caught her eye. "Mulder, do you remember when I shot you?"
"How could I forget that Scully? My shoulder still hurts whenever it is going to rain."
"Can you show me the spot Mulder?" Scully said. Mulder pointed to the general area and heard Scully swallow hard. "I see no sign of an injury there."
"What?" Mulder exclaimed as he headed over to the bank of mirrors that lined one side of the wall. He looked himself and finding nothing turned and looked back at Scully.
"What does this mean Scully?" Mulder said walking over to her.
"It means Mulder that you get to suffer through a whole other series of tests so I can compare the new Mulder with the one we have on record."
"Don't you want to check my neck first to make sure I am not a shapeshifter Scully?" Mulder said wiping his face with the towel.
"I believe I did quite a thorough examination of the area in question last night. I am convinced you are human."
Mulder pulled her close to him. "Maybe you should examine the rest of me to make sure that everything in functioning properly. . ." he stopped mid- sentence as a thought struck him.
He pulled back from Scully looking down at her a bit fearful. "Scully, have you forgotten that you have had the vaccine too."
Scully looked at him perplexed. "Don't you see Scully, it this vaccine fixes things or makes things better than they originally were. . ."
"Then perhaps I might be able to have. . ." She stopped not able to complete the thought.
"Let me grab a quick shower and then we can head down to the lab and enter in all this data." Mulder said leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Noon The Ambassador Hotel Lobby
Alex Krycek smiled when he saw Alicia get off the elevator. She was dressed in a skin tight sweater and jeans that showed off every curve. This assignment was going to be one of his more enjoyable ones he thought as he presented his arm to her.
"Where to first?" Krycek asked after complimenting Alicia on how good she looked.
"Well, if it is all right with you, I would like to stop by my lab and pick up my computer. I have a bit of work to do before I head in tomorrow morning."
Krycek smiled amazed with his good luck. "That won't be a problem at all. Where is it that you work?"
"I am a research scientist for the government, but currently I am using the FBI labs." Alicia replied as Krycek opened up the door of the car for her.
Krycek slipped onto the seat next to her and started the car. "You are going to have to tell me the way to get there." He lied starting up the car. "Can you telling what you are working on, or is it some sort of big secret?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Alicia said laughing.
"Try me."
They arrived at the FBI labs about fifteen minutes later. Much to Krycek's relief, the building was not nearly as secure as the main headquarters and he was let into the building with little more than a wave from the watchman after Alicia showed him her ID.
Krycek made a mental note of the arrangement for future reference and quietly followed Alicia into the lab. Krycek's eyes grew wide when he saw the collection of small tubes sitting in the clear glass refrigerator unit at the back of the room.
"Surely it couldn't be this easy." Krycek thought to himself and he attempted to keep his face neutral.
"I am going to have to hurry." Alicia was saying "My colleague Dana is coming in some time this afternoon to enter some test results into the computer. If she catches us, we could be stuck here all afternoon."
"Then we must at all costs avoid her." Krycek said listening as hard as he could for the sound of footsteps coming down the hall.
Luckily it only took Alicia a moment or two to gather together her equipment. She smiled sweetly at Krycek when he offered to carry her computer bag for her. She was truly lucky to have found such a gentleman.
Krycek didn't relax until they were both back in his car. He was just about to start his engine when he spotted Mulder and Scully walking towards the door from the other side of the parking garage.
"Oh look, there they are. . ." Alicia started before Krycek leaned over her and kissed her. He kissed her long and hard enough to take her breath away and hopefully remove any idea she might have of introducing him to her associates.
The plan seemed to work for when he pulled back he found Alicia looking up at him with dreamy eyes. "Sorry." He said turning the car on "You just looked so sexy there that I couldn't resist."
"No problem." Alicia said her voice a bit husky. "Maybe we should go back to my room and order room service."
Krycek smiled at her. "Okay, but on the way tell me about, ummm, what were their names again?"
"Mulder and Scully." Alicia said reaching over and stroking Krycek's thigh. She was so taken in by Krycek's charm she found herself telling him everything she knew about Mulder and Scully.
How she and Mulder had worked for months on preparing their secret project for its arrival in DC. About how Mulder and Scully were madly in love with each other, but for some reason had yet to do anything about it.
Krycek interrupted at that point to ask. "Are you telling me that they have been working side by side for all these years and haven't slept together? Maybe that guy Mulder is gay."
Alicia laughed at this. "I can tell you from personal experience, Alex, that Fox Mulder is anything but gay. Agent Scully has some good times coming her way if she plays her cards right."
She had just about finished her story as they arrived at the door of her hotel room. "You know Fox's room is right next door." She said as she slipped the keycard in. "Maybe sometime you two will meet."
"I am sure of it." Krycek said with a smile as he followed her into the room.
As he expected, his assignment turned out to be a most enjoyable one. Alicia turned out to be a very talented lover and several times during the course of the next few hours, Krycek found himself actually liking the woman. He did his part to wear her out and after reaching more peaks than she ever knew she was capable of having, Alicia had fallen off into a deep sleep.
Krycek then had simply removed himself from her bed and calmly taken her computer out of her bag and copied everything on it on to the CD's he carried in his coat pocket. Pleased with his results, he climbed back into bed assuming that all his hard work and earned him a night of fun when Alicia woke back up.
6:30 PM Scully's Apartment
Ever since he implied that Scully may have, herself, been changed by the alien vaccine, Mulder noticed that she had gotten very quiet. As if she had withdrawn into herself but was trying her best not to show it.
Mulder let it go for the most part but found his curiosity getting the better of him now that he had her alone in her apartment. He waited for coffee she had offered him before asking. "Scully, what is it?"
Scully looked at him a bit startled and then smiled weakly at him. She should have known better. She never could hide anything from Mulder for very long. She looked at him longingly and decided it was better to get everything out in the open now. Now when he could still have a chance of finding happiness with Alicia.
"Do you remember last night when you asked me why it has taken you so long to get me to your bed?"
"Scully, I was only joking, more or less." He began. She stopped him by putting a finger to his lips.
"Well, I have been giving that a lot of thought Mulder. And up until we were in Doctor Butler's office, I would have blamed it on our mutual ability to think everything to death before acting on it." Mulder smiled at this but then felt a small pang of fear when she continued.
"Then when you mentioned you thought that the alien vaccine may have made me whole again it hit me like a ton of bricks."
She looked up hoping that Mulder would make one of his great leaps of logic and spare her explaining further but he only frowned at her.
"Don't you see Mulder? You see me as many things Mulder. A partner, an equal, a doctor but not as a woman. At the beginning I think it was because you were trying so hard not to offend me but then they took my ability to have children away from me and with it any thoughts you might have of me as a mate. A sexual being. A woman."
Mulder was just staring at her with disbelief now. Scully glanced at him and got up and walked over to mantle and leaned heavily against it. "Mulder you are a very attractive man with from what I have seen a very healthy sexual appetite."
She snorted and turned to face him. "Alicia has spent many an hour retelling of your exploitations with her before it dawned on her that I had no stories to share with her."
Mulder was still staring at her and Scully took his silence to mean that she had been correct in her assumption. "The reason we have not slept together Mulder is that you don't think of me in that way and never will. You are only with me now out of guilt and obligation for all we have been through together."
She turned back towards the mantle and whispered. "Mulder, I want you to go and find someone who will meet all your needs. You have more than filled your obligation with me."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
End of Part Seven - Is Scully right?
Disclaimer Info located in Part One
April 14th 9:00 AM
Mulder's Apartment
Mulder woke with a horribly stiff neck as a result of sleeping on his old leather couch. He rolled his neck while he gazed down at the source of his discomfort. Scully was curled up next to him giving him very little room to stretch out his long legs.
He couldn't have been happier. Scully had been right. Making out was a lost art form. He never in a million years would have thought that kissing Scully and only kissing Scully would have been so enjoyable.
Sure, he had managed to cop a little feel or two along the way, but had spent most of the night exploring her mouth, face and neck and judging for the wide array of sounds he got her to produce, she had found it satisfying too.
Heaven help him when they got around to the good stuff. Knowing them, it would take another five years he thought to himself as he felt Scully stir beside him. She rolled herself on top of him and smiled as she squirmed up to kiss him.
"Good morning Mulder." She whispered between kisses. "Last night made me feel like a teenager again. Who knows, maybe if you are lucky next time I will let you get to second base."
Mulder ran his hands up her back and pushed her closer to him. "There is no time like the present Scully." He began to stroke her back.
"That's true." Scully said pushing herself to an upright position ignoring Mulder's groan of protest "unless you are scheduled for a 11:00 stress test in Dr. Bulter's office."
"Scully, I'm fine." Mulder whined. "If you come back down here I will show you just how capable my heart is."
Scully gave him one of her looks and he sat up grumbling. "You jump in the shower Mulder, I'll take your car back to my place and then come back and get you around 10:45."
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here and shower with me?" Mulder asked hopefully.
"I am absolutely positive. After your stress test we can grab a bite to eat on our way to the lab."
"The lab?"
"The quicker I enter in the data I have on you the quicker you can be certified healthy and ready for active duty." Scully said walking over to Mulder and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek goodbye.
Not satisfied by this, Mulder grabbed her arm as she was walking away and pulled her close enough to give her a long, deep kiss. "Now that is a proper goodbye kiss Agent Scully." Mulder remarked as he released her.
"I will keep that in mind for future reference."
11:00 AM Doctor Butler's Office
"Thank you for squeezing us in on a Sunday Fred." Scully said as she followed Dr. Butler in to his examination room.
"It is my pleasure Dana, really. If I wasn't here, my wife would have me cleaning out our gutters at home."
Scully laughed but stopped abruptly at the sight of Mulder walking into the room wearing only his running shorts and sneakers.
"Dr. Butler, this is Special Agent Fox Mulder. Mulder, this is Dr. Butler."
The two men shook hands and then Dr. Butler explained the procedure to them both. Basically Mulder would be put through not only the standard portions of a stress test, but also some more vigorous tests designed with him in mind. "I imagine these are because of the physical activities you encounter during your daily routine with the Bureau." The Doctor added not noticing the knowing look that Mulder shot Scully's way.
"I have gone over all the tests with Dana and I will make sure you are hooked up correctly to all the machines before I leave. After that, all that is really needed is for Dana to tell you what test to perform and for her to monitor your progress. The only thing I ask of you Agent Mulder is to let Dana know if you are feeling any discomfort at all. Even something that you would normally ignore."
"Sounds simple enough." Mulder said pulling his eyes off of Scully long enough to address the doctor.
Doctor Butler spent the next ten minutes sticking patches over every conceivable part of his body. When he was satisfied everything was in its proper place, he flipped the machines on, checked their output and left to return home to his gutters.
"Okay Mulder, why don't you hop onto the treadmill and we will begin." Scully said donning her professional persona.
"Scully, did I ever tell you that I like it when the woman takes charge?"
Scully simply shot him and dirty look and started the treadmill. Mulder smirked at her as he began a slow jog and Scully walked over to the machine recording his output to study the tape. "This is too easy Scully." he complained after a minute.
"Then let's see if we can challenge you a bit more, shall we?" Scully said with her own smirk.
It took Mulder less than ten minutes to stop complaining about the ease of the testing and to turn his full attention towards it. Scully put him through his paces changing the treadmill to produce a wide array of running conditions.
She monitored his vitals carefully but had to admit that she enjoyed watching him when he got into the 'zone' running. He was breathing rather heavily and the sweat was pouring off of him but even so Scully had to fight the urge to turn off the machine and pull his sweat covered body on top of hers.
Scully shook the image from her head and looked again at the readings. They were good, actually a little bit too good. Here Mulder was running uphill at a good pace sweating like crazy while his heart beat only a bit faster than normal.
Scully decided to try something else to see if the result was the same. After giving Mulder a few minutes rest and making note of the fact that his heart rate barely slowed, she put him on a rowing machine and watched in fascination as his heart rate stayed basically the same.
"Something is odd here Mulder." She said to him as she handed him a towel. "I am seeing very little change in your heart rate no matter what test I run on you."
She pointed to the computer screen and Mulder went over to look at it for himself. "That is interesting Scully. Do you think it has something to do with the vaccine?"
Scully bent over his shoulder to take a closer look herself when something caught her eye. "Mulder, do you remember when I shot you?"
"How could I forget that Scully? My shoulder still hurts whenever it is going to rain."
"Can you show me the spot Mulder?" Scully said. Mulder pointed to the general area and heard Scully swallow hard. "I see no sign of an injury there."
"What?" Mulder exclaimed as he headed over to the bank of mirrors that lined one side of the wall. He looked himself and finding nothing turned and looked back at Scully.
"What does this mean Scully?" Mulder said walking over to her.
"It means Mulder that you get to suffer through a whole other series of tests so I can compare the new Mulder with the one we have on record."
"Don't you want to check my neck first to make sure I am not a shapeshifter Scully?" Mulder said wiping his face with the towel.
"I believe I did quite a thorough examination of the area in question last night. I am convinced you are human."
Mulder pulled her close to him. "Maybe you should examine the rest of me to make sure that everything in functioning properly. . ." he stopped mid- sentence as a thought struck him.
He pulled back from Scully looking down at her a bit fearful. "Scully, have you forgotten that you have had the vaccine too."
Scully looked at him perplexed. "Don't you see Scully, it this vaccine fixes things or makes things better than they originally were. . ."
"Then perhaps I might be able to have. . ." She stopped not able to complete the thought.
"Let me grab a quick shower and then we can head down to the lab and enter in all this data." Mulder said leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Noon The Ambassador Hotel Lobby
Alex Krycek smiled when he saw Alicia get off the elevator. She was dressed in a skin tight sweater and jeans that showed off every curve. This assignment was going to be one of his more enjoyable ones he thought as he presented his arm to her.
"Where to first?" Krycek asked after complimenting Alicia on how good she looked.
"Well, if it is all right with you, I would like to stop by my lab and pick up my computer. I have a bit of work to do before I head in tomorrow morning."
Krycek smiled amazed with his good luck. "That won't be a problem at all. Where is it that you work?"
"I am a research scientist for the government, but currently I am using the FBI labs." Alicia replied as Krycek opened up the door of the car for her.
Krycek slipped onto the seat next to her and started the car. "You are going to have to tell me the way to get there." He lied starting up the car. "Can you telling what you are working on, or is it some sort of big secret?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Alicia said laughing.
"Try me."
They arrived at the FBI labs about fifteen minutes later. Much to Krycek's relief, the building was not nearly as secure as the main headquarters and he was let into the building with little more than a wave from the watchman after Alicia showed him her ID.
Krycek made a mental note of the arrangement for future reference and quietly followed Alicia into the lab. Krycek's eyes grew wide when he saw the collection of small tubes sitting in the clear glass refrigerator unit at the back of the room.
"Surely it couldn't be this easy." Krycek thought to himself and he attempted to keep his face neutral.
"I am going to have to hurry." Alicia was saying "My colleague Dana is coming in some time this afternoon to enter some test results into the computer. If she catches us, we could be stuck here all afternoon."
"Then we must at all costs avoid her." Krycek said listening as hard as he could for the sound of footsteps coming down the hall.
Luckily it only took Alicia a moment or two to gather together her equipment. She smiled sweetly at Krycek when he offered to carry her computer bag for her. She was truly lucky to have found such a gentleman.
Krycek didn't relax until they were both back in his car. He was just about to start his engine when he spotted Mulder and Scully walking towards the door from the other side of the parking garage.
"Oh look, there they are. . ." Alicia started before Krycek leaned over her and kissed her. He kissed her long and hard enough to take her breath away and hopefully remove any idea she might have of introducing him to her associates.
The plan seemed to work for when he pulled back he found Alicia looking up at him with dreamy eyes. "Sorry." He said turning the car on "You just looked so sexy there that I couldn't resist."
"No problem." Alicia said her voice a bit husky. "Maybe we should go back to my room and order room service."
Krycek smiled at her. "Okay, but on the way tell me about, ummm, what were their names again?"
"Mulder and Scully." Alicia said reaching over and stroking Krycek's thigh. She was so taken in by Krycek's charm she found herself telling him everything she knew about Mulder and Scully.
How she and Mulder had worked for months on preparing their secret project for its arrival in DC. About how Mulder and Scully were madly in love with each other, but for some reason had yet to do anything about it.
Krycek interrupted at that point to ask. "Are you telling me that they have been working side by side for all these years and haven't slept together? Maybe that guy Mulder is gay."
Alicia laughed at this. "I can tell you from personal experience, Alex, that Fox Mulder is anything but gay. Agent Scully has some good times coming her way if she plays her cards right."
She had just about finished her story as they arrived at the door of her hotel room. "You know Fox's room is right next door." She said as she slipped the keycard in. "Maybe sometime you two will meet."
"I am sure of it." Krycek said with a smile as he followed her into the room.
As he expected, his assignment turned out to be a most enjoyable one. Alicia turned out to be a very talented lover and several times during the course of the next few hours, Krycek found himself actually liking the woman. He did his part to wear her out and after reaching more peaks than she ever knew she was capable of having, Alicia had fallen off into a deep sleep.
Krycek then had simply removed himself from her bed and calmly taken her computer out of her bag and copied everything on it on to the CD's he carried in his coat pocket. Pleased with his results, he climbed back into bed assuming that all his hard work and earned him a night of fun when Alicia woke back up.
6:30 PM Scully's Apartment
Ever since he implied that Scully may have, herself, been changed by the alien vaccine, Mulder noticed that she had gotten very quiet. As if she had withdrawn into herself but was trying her best not to show it.
Mulder let it go for the most part but found his curiosity getting the better of him now that he had her alone in her apartment. He waited for coffee she had offered him before asking. "Scully, what is it?"
Scully looked at him a bit startled and then smiled weakly at him. She should have known better. She never could hide anything from Mulder for very long. She looked at him longingly and decided it was better to get everything out in the open now. Now when he could still have a chance of finding happiness with Alicia.
"Do you remember last night when you asked me why it has taken you so long to get me to your bed?"
"Scully, I was only joking, more or less." He began. She stopped him by putting a finger to his lips.
"Well, I have been giving that a lot of thought Mulder. And up until we were in Doctor Butler's office, I would have blamed it on our mutual ability to think everything to death before acting on it." Mulder smiled at this but then felt a small pang of fear when she continued.
"Then when you mentioned you thought that the alien vaccine may have made me whole again it hit me like a ton of bricks."
She looked up hoping that Mulder would make one of his great leaps of logic and spare her explaining further but he only frowned at her.
"Don't you see Mulder? You see me as many things Mulder. A partner, an equal, a doctor but not as a woman. At the beginning I think it was because you were trying so hard not to offend me but then they took my ability to have children away from me and with it any thoughts you might have of me as a mate. A sexual being. A woman."
Mulder was just staring at her with disbelief now. Scully glanced at him and got up and walked over to mantle and leaned heavily against it. "Mulder you are a very attractive man with from what I have seen a very healthy sexual appetite."
She snorted and turned to face him. "Alicia has spent many an hour retelling of your exploitations with her before it dawned on her that I had no stories to share with her."
Mulder was still staring at her and Scully took his silence to mean that she had been correct in her assumption. "The reason we have not slept together Mulder is that you don't think of me in that way and never will. You are only with me now out of guilt and obligation for all we have been through together."
She turned back towards the mantle and whispered. "Mulder, I want you to go and find someone who will meet all your needs. You have more than filled your obligation with me."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
End of Part Seven - Is Scully right?