The Marfa Murder Mysteries Part Three By Katie Phillips Disclaimer information located in Part One

Scully stood in front of her closet, systematically going through her limited wardrobe. She sighed as she looked at her choices. Last Saturday night she hadn't given a moment's thought to what she would wear to the dance, but tonight she did. She knew it was because Mulder was going to be there, but she refused to acknowledge the fact to herself.

After about ten minutes, she decided to dress in all black, from her black cowboy boots, to her black jeans and snug t-shirt that Suzie talked her into buying earlier that afternoon. She pulled her hair up in a loose knot, letting small pieces fall around her face . Simple gold hoop earrings and her cross completed the outfit.

Scully spun slowly around, looking at herself in the mirror. She wasn't quite sure she liked herself in this particular style of clothing. She glanced briefly at the black cowboy hat sitting on her bed, but decided against it. That would definitely be too much.

XXX

Stan had closed the facility at four, so everyone could go home and get ready for the dance, which was scheduled to begin at eight. He wanted his employees to enjoy the evening too, so he had hired a few people to work the gift shop and serve refreshments.

Suzie and Scully arrived together, after Suzie had insisted on giving Scully a ride. Scully wasn't aware of it, but Suzie was trying to give Mulder an excuse to take her friend home. While Scully was dressed in head- to-toe black, Suzie was awash in an array of colors that showed off her Mexican heritage. Both women were greeted by whistles from the construction workers, who had already consumed an impressive quantity of beer from a large keg.

Carlos, who was enjoying a beer with his workers, immediately went over to greet the women. "I don't remember when I have ever seen such visions of loveliness." He bent over and kissed both Scully's and Suzie's hands. Scully fought to avoid rolling her eyes, while Suzie burst into giggles.

"Oh Carlos," she cooed, grabbing him by the arm. "You're such a flirt. I think the music is starting up. Come dance with me." Before Carlos knew what hit him, Suzie was dragging him out onto the viewing platform to dance, turning to wink at Scully before disappearing into the crowd already there.

Mulder stood on the other side of the room observing. He saw the way Carlos looked at Scully, and although he didn't like the look of naked desire that had shown in the man's eyes, he could definitely sympathize with him. Scully looked fabulous. No, not fabulous. Hot. Very hot. Mulder took a minute to pull himself together before going over to her.

He smoothed down his shirt, and thought again about what he had worn. Mulder was used to dressing in either designer suits, or old, disgusting running shorts and t-shirts. The whole college professor look was new for him. He did the best he could, by pairing his jeans and work boots with an old denim shirt he had brought from home. With the sleeves rolled up and his face showing quite the five o'clock shadow, Mulder hoped he looked like a professor who spent more time in the field than in front of his mirror.

Mulder was about to join Scully, when Stan walked over to him and shook his hand vigorously while pounding him on the back. "Glad you could make it to our little party, Barry. How was your hike with Bobby?"

Mulder dragged his gaze away from Scully long enough to answer Stan's questions. When he looked back at her, he found she was staring at him openly. Judging by the look on her face, his outfit was just fine. Stan glanced over to see what Mulder was looking at, and saw the same look. He smiled and slapped Mulder on the back again. "She's a pretty one that Ashley, and smart too. She came here looking to start over, after her man back east took to ignoring her."

Mulder turned back to Stan, eager to hear Scully's cover story. "I can't imagine anyone ignoring her."

Stan snorted his agreement. "She hasn't said much about it, except that they worked in the same office and that she had been in love with him for years. He never seemed to catch on, and she decided to let him go and get on with her life. I assume it was her boss she had a thing for. Who knows, maybe he was even married."

Mulder stared at Stan. Surely the story Scully had made up was a piece of fiction, not some variation of her relationship with him. "The man's an idiot." Mulder said softly. Stan laughed in agreement. "You're right there, Barry. Of course, his loss is your gain. From what I hear, Ashley has a little thing for you."

"She does?" Mulder suddenly felt like he was back in high school.

Stan leered at Mulder and gave him a gentle shove. "I think y'all should find out for yourself."

By the time Mulder had gotten away from Stan, Scully had disappeared. Mulder wandered out to the viewing platform, only to find Scully being whirled around the dance floor by Carlos. The man seemed to be enjoying the experience, but even though Scully was smiling, Mulder could tell she didn't share his enthusiasm.

"What took you so long?" Suzie came up behind Mulder, causing him to jump. "I left you a clear opening, and you blew it."

Mulder gave Suzie a long look. "Can I ask you something Suzie?" When she nodded, he continued. "Why are you so set on getting Ashley and me together? We only met yesterday."

Suzie smiled and linked her arm in his. "Because of the sparks."

"Sparks?"

"I felt them as soon as you two were introduced. You could almost see them flying through the air between you two. I thought it was lust at first sight, God knows I've suffered from that enough, but then when you walked her back into the gift shop last night, and you two said goodbye..." Suzie's face took on an almost dreamlike quality as she relived the moment. "It was like you two had known each other forever. That you had just found your...soul mate. Yeah, that's it. You two are soul mates."

"Ashley and I are soul mates?"

"Definitely. I can always tell. Ask anyone; I always know who is going to end up together."

Mulder looked down at Suzie and smiled at her. He liked her and her enthusiastic way of looking at things, but there were times that he thought her pony tail was tied a little too tight. This was one of those times. "Do you have a soul mate Suzie?"

"Of course I do." She looked out at where Carlos was spinning Scully around the dance floor. "He's just not ready yet."

The music stopped and Scully made her way over to where Mulder and Suzie were standing, Carlos right behind her. There was an uncomfortable moment when greetings were exchanged, and the two men's testosterone levels rose as they vied for Ashley's attention. The music started again and recognizing the song, Mulder grabbed Scully's hand and pulled her out onto the dance floor.

"The two-step. You promised." He was smiling at her as he took her in his arms.

"I've never really done this before." Scully was staring at her feet, a frightened expression on her face.

"Not to worry, you're in good hands." Mulder was right. Before she knew it, Scully was dancing like a pro. The song ended and seamlessly led into a slow one. Scully looked up and saw Mulder's intense gaze. She looked down, suddenly shy, and gasped as he pulled her into a tight embrace. Slowly they began to move around the dance floor as one.

They didn't speak. The song ended too quickly, and Scully found herself suddenly feeling a bit flushed. She excused herself to the ladies room, to splash water on her face and try and regain her self-control. It didn't matter how good it felt to be held by Mulder, or that they were acting undercover, they were still on a case, and they couldn't very well follow up leads if they spent the entire evening gazing into each other's eyes.

Scully leaned against the sink and looked into the mirror, surprised at the flushed face that stared back at her. If she didn't know better, she would say she looked aroused. She couldn't be aroused by Mulder so easily, could she?

Mulder sensed her unease, and backed off a bit when she returned from the ladies room. He too, was surprised by the depth of feelings brought on by that simple dance, although he was more likely than Scully to act on them.

He handed her a cup of punch, and they wandered around the viewing platform, watching the other couples dance and occasionally checking the Lights. The Lights themselves appeared to enjoy the party atmosphere, as they joined in the music and danced around the sky.

It was after watching the Lights, that Scully spotted Carlos out of the corner of her eye. He had a look of determination on his face, and Scully feared the slow song that had just begun had inspired him to seek her out.

"Christ, here he comes again," she muttered under her breath.

Mulder frowned. "I think I have an idea that might convince Mr. Romance that you aren't interested in him."

Scully brightened considerably at the thought. "You do?"

Mulder paused a second, as if considering what he was going to say. "Yeah, I think it might work, but first I need to know two things."

"They are?"

"'Do you trust me?' and 'Are you armed?'"

"Of course I do, and no, I left my weapon at my apartment."

"Perfect, come with me."

Carlos saw Mulder and Scully go around the corner, and promptly followed them. It took a minute to spot them. When he did, he stopped dead in his tracks. Scully was sitting on a lower portion of the stone fence, with Mulder firmly situated between her legs. He was holding her head in his hands, and was kissing her with a passion that Carlos had rarely seen.

He watched as Mulder pulled back, and Scully looked at him with eyes so full of wonder, that Carlos knew he had lost her. He sighed and shrugged, and turned around, wondering if maybe Suzie would like to dance with him again.

XXX

"Is he gone?" Mulder leaned his forehead against Scully's. She seemed to be having trouble catching her breath. Mulder refrained from smirking, and repeated his question. "Is he gone?"

Scully snapped out of her mini-trance, and looked over Mulder's shoulder. No sign of Carlos. Mulder's plan seemed to have worked, but at what cost? "What was that?" she whispered hoarsely, pushing him back slightly with her right hand while clinging for dear life to the fence with her left.

Mulder loosened his grip on his partner, and placed his hands gently on her hips. "I realize that it may have been a long time for you, but I thought you would at least remember what a kiss was."

Scully tried her best to glare at him and failed. "I know *what* it was. Was it really necessary?"

Mulder put on a look of mock dismay on his face. "It worked, didn't it? I'm sorry if it was so awful for you."

"It wasn't awful. It was .." Scully looked behind her and saw several people walking past beaming at them. Apparently Mulder's little demonstration was seen by more than just Carlos. "Great, now everyone is going to think I'm easy."

Mulder chuckled and leaned his head down until their foreheads touched again. He spoke so softly, Scully could barely hear him. "You're not easy Scully, but it's okay if Ashley is." He smiled at her. "I did have ulterior motives though, besides the obvious." He chuckled when Scully poked him in the ribs. "If everyone thinks that Barry and Ashley are sleeping together, it will give us the excuse to be alone together to work on this case."

Scully pulled back from Mulder, and looked at him for a moment or two. She searched his eyes, which were surprisingly neutral, and realized that he was letting the other, more forbidden aspect, of 'the kiss' go, for now. She put her hand up and stroked his face, and dropping her voice slightly lower, whispered: "Barry, I think you should take me home now."

The neutral look in Mulder's eyes disappeared immediately, followed by what Scully thought might have been desire. They became dark and intense... "I thought you would never ask."

XXX

During the twenty minute drive to Scully's apartment, Mulder filled her in on his serial killer case. As he had predicted, his profile annoyed his superiors until it resulted in a major break. After figuring out who the killer was, it was only a matter of time before they brought him in.

"So, who did the stake out?" Scully asked, glad to be discussing something safe.

"About half of the VCU was spread out in the warehouses."

"That's they caught him, in the warehouses?"

"Not exactly." Mulder got a bit quiet.

"What do you mean, 'not exactly'? Where did they catch him?"

"Actually, they didn't catch him. I did."

"You did, alone? After pitching a fit about me coming down here without backup, you go chasing after a serial killer alone?"

Mulder chuckled at her. "You are so cute when you mother me Scully. What can I tell you, I followed a hunch, and I was right."

"Idiot," Scully muttered, although she was grudgingly proud of her partner. "What good would you do me dead?"

"Dead? Don't talk to me about dead, Dana Katherine Scully. How do you think I felt when I heard about the explosion down here, and learned that one woman was dead? The Marfa Police Department didn't feel it was necessary to involve the FBI, so I had no idea. . . " His voice trailed off and Scully's heart clenched.

She reached over with her left hand and grabbed his right, giving it a squeeze. "I half expected you to fly out here waving your gun and your badge, as soon as you heard the news."

Mulder snorted and turned to look at her, his eyes telling her just how worried he had been. "I was going to, before Skinner talked me out of it. He reminded me that you would have kicked my badge-waving ass, if I had broken your cover."

"Damn right." Scully gave him a smile. "I'm still not sure what caused the explosion, and I don't know if we'll ever find out. The Police tried to be helpful, and let Stan clean up the mess as soon as the victims had been removed. They did a good job--not one piece of forensic evidence to be found." She pointed out the window. "See that apartment complex on the right? Go into the second driveway. My place is number #1013."

Before Mulder followed Scully toward her apartment, he stopped at the trunk of the car and grabbed a large briefcase. Scully looked at the bag and then at Mulder. "You were rather sure of yourself, weren't you Barry?"

Mulder walked up to Scully and slung his arm around her shoulders. "I was an Eagle Scout, Ashley. I always come prepared."

XXX

Once safely inside Scully's apartment, Mulder put the briefcase on her kitchen table and opened it. He began pulling out file folders, blueprints and several shiny black and green bags.

Scully peered over his shoulder. "Is this the information I requested?" She leaned around Mulder to pick up a folder, and one of the shiny bags caught her eye. She ignored the folder and grabbed it. "It isn't, is it? Tell me it isn't."

Mulder straightened up, and watched as his partner eyed the bag like a kid in a candy store. "Did you really bring me Starbucks Coffee, Mulder?" Reluctantly she looked away from the bag, and beamed at him.

"Scully, you're impossible to deal with until you've had at least two cups of that stuff. I figured if I brought you some, we could get this case solved in half the time."

"Thank you Mulder." Scully threw her arms around him and hugged him so enthusiastically that Mulder was taken slightly aback. "Gee Scully if I had known, I would have bought you a case of the stuff years ago."

Scully poked him and headed for the kitchen. "I'll start the coffee while you set us up on the couch."

Ten minutes later Scully was savoring her coffee, as she and Mulder slowly went through her list of potential suspects. It was a short list, consisting of Bobby Durham, Carlos, Stan, Suzie, George White, and those few construction workers who had been on the job since day one.

"Your little boyfriend has quite the history Scully." Mulder pulled out a rather large file and handed it to her.

"Who? Carlos?" She began to the summary Mulder had written up. Carlos had been arrested several times for displaying his rather violent temper, but each time the case had been dropped. Scully noticed that Mulder had written 'father = money = power' along the edge of the paper.

"What did you mean by that?" She looked up, only to find Mulder looking at her with a wide grin on his face. "What are you looking at Mulder?"

"You."

Scully looked down at herself and then around her. "Do I have something on my face?" She put down the folder, and skimmed her hands across her face and hair, looking for the object of Mulder's mirth.

"Nope."

Scully was getting annoyed now. "Care to share with the rest of the class, Mulder?"

"I know you don't want to talk about this right now, and knowing you, you may never want to talk about it, but I gotta tell you something Scully."

Scully glared at him. "Tell me what?"

Mulder leaned over to get a bit closer. "I've been with my fair share of women Scully, but that kiss was the hottest, most passionate one I have ever had. That's all." He sat back and grinned at her, as he watched pink rise from her collarbone to her head. God, she was sexy when she blushed and was angry.

"You want to talk about it?" Scully threw the folders aside and got up off the couch. "Okay, let's talk about it." She turned and faced Mulder who had followed her off the couch. "Why here, why now? We've worked together for the better part of a decade, been on countless assignments, and have even played husband and wife before, but you pick here in nowhere-land Texas, to finally kiss me."

Mulder knew Scully was gearing for a fight, and deliberately kept his voice calm. "Are you telling me you think I should have kissed you before this, Scully?"

"Don't put words in my mouth, Mulder!" She was really working up a full head of steam now. "I know why now and not then. It's pretty obvious really. Prim and proper Dana Scully doesn't do a thing for you, does she?" Mulder just stared at her, his mouth open, unable to believe what he was hearing. He wisely decided to keep silent as she continued. "Ashley, though, likes to show off her assets a bit more. Is that what finally caught your attention, Mulder?"

Mulder took a deep breath and kept his voice calm even though his own anger was beginning to rise. "You are both of those women, Scully. Can't you see that? When you became Ashley you simply gave into your more rebellious side, that's all. You've done it before." The words came out before Mulder could stop them, and Scully's mind raced back through time, to her little jaunt to Philadelphia, and the tattoo at the base of her spine.

Knowing he had to do something, Mulder stepped over to where Scully sat, and gently took her by the shoulders. She shrugged him off, not ready to give up the fight yet. "So I'm acting out of rebellion? Against whom, you? Are you saying I dressed like this so I'd have an excuse to flaunt myself in front of you?"

"You didn't even know I would be here, Scully."

"Come on Mulder, I doubt there is even one person in the DC Bureau who thought for a moment that you would let me handle this case all on my own. I knew you would find a way to get down here, and you knew it too."

Mulder was shocked by her words, but had to admit she was right. "You're right Scully, but not for the reasons you think. I know you're capable, and that you could easily manage this case on your own. What *I* can't manage, is being away from you for weeks at a time."

Scully's head was spinning. Did she really dress the way she had on this case, to attract Mulder's attention when he eventually arrived? Did Mulder mean what he said about not being able to manage without her? And what about that kiss?

Mulder silently watched as Scully pulled herself together. She took a couple of deep breaths before addressing him. "I'm not sure what's going on here Mulder, but I do know it's interfering with this case. I think you should leave the files here and go."

Mulder said nothing as he watched her force her feelings down until they disappeared. He picked up his briefcase, and left without a word.

Scully stared at the closed door a long, long time, wondering if she had just blocked the pathway to any chance of a real relationship with Mulder. Tears threatened to spill, but she ignored them as she turned back to the couch, the folders and her now very cold coffee.

XXX

Scully opened her eyes and looked at her alarm clock. She slowly closed them again, only to have them snap open as she realized how late she was. It was already past eight, and she was supposed to be at work at nine.

"Damn!" she said to the empty room, as she began randomly pulling clothes out of her dresser and putting them on. She ran a brush through her hair and slapped on some makeup, and was out the door in under fifteen minutes.

Thank goodness there was a coffee shop on the way to work. She had been looking forward to a cup of the coffee Mulder had brought her, but there simply wasn't time.

Mulder. What was she going to do about him? Scully had been up half the night trying to figure out exactly why she had gotten so mad at him. So he found her attractive in clothes other than what she wore to work. So what? It wasn't like he didn't know it was her under the tight tops. Scully was always impressed by the way Mulder treated her as an equal, but for longer than she could remember, she also lamented the fact that he never seemed to realize that she was a real woman, as well. He finally does so, and she practically takes his head off.

If it weren't for their undercover assignment, Scully knew that Mulder would avoid her like the plague for a couple of days, and probably even stop the innuendos for a while. Unfortunately, they had chosen to play the parts of potential lovers, and in doing so, they would have to continue to interact on a more personal level, at least until the case was resolved.

Scully was beginning to realize that she was a bit leery of Mulder's attention, and more than a little afraid of her reaction to it. However, part of her couldn't wait for Mulder to resume his role of Barry Livingston.

XXX

Suzie smiled at her when she walked into the gift shop, still slightly bleary-eyed. "Somebody didn't get much sleep last night. I want to hear all about it."

Scully frowned at her for a second, before realizing that Suzie thought her tired appearance was brought on by an exciting night of sex with Barry. "I wish," Scully thought to herself, as she poured another cup of coffee. "Sorry to disappoint you, Suzie." She closed her eyes in near-bliss as she sipped her coffee. Another three or four cups, and she might feel human again. "Barry only stayed for an hour or so."

Suzie joined her, but made a cup of herbal tea instead. "Good for you. Don't be too easy. Make him work for it." She dunked her teabag in and out of her cup, before casually throwing it into the trashcan. Scully looked at her friend thinking how much she would miss Suzie when she returned to DC. It had been a long time, probably before Missy was killed, since she had female companionship her own age.

"So what did I miss?" Scully leaned against the counter and looked at her friend.

"Nothing too exciting. Carlos was pretty pissed off when he spotted you two making out like a couple of horny teenagers." Scully blushed with the memory. "He was angry and wanted to take it out on someone, so he came looking for me."

"I'm sorry Suzie." Scully squeezed Suzie's hand.

"Oh don't be. He took it out on me the best way possible...that was probably the best sex I've had in over a year. First he. . ."

Suzie was interrupted by the sounds of voices, as someone came in through the main entrance. She and Scully looked at each other, and went out to see who it was.

Stan was showing a middle-aged man around. When he spotted the two women, he guided his guest in their direction. "Ladies, I would like you to meet Joe Iron Horse. He's an Apache medicine man. I've asked him to take a look around, and tell me whether or not we need to have the Apache cleansing ritual done."

Scully didn't notice the small scowl on Suzie's face as she shook the man's hand. "What's a cleansing ritual?"

Joe Iron Horse smiled at her. He was around fifty, with straight black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a face that told Scully he had spent most of his life outdoors. "The cleansing ritual will remove bad spirits. Stan thinks that might put an end to the problems y'all have had here."

Scully had met a few Native Americans in her day, but never one that said 'y'all'. She tried to hide her surprise at his accent. "Sounds very interesting. Are you going to do it?"

Joe Iron Horse looked at her and Stan, and nodded. "I can do it this afternoon, after Stan and I work out a price." Stan smiled enthusiastically, and smacked Joe on the back. "Excellent, excellent. Let's go back to my office and work out all of the details."

Suzie and Scully watched them leave before returning to the stock room. Scully noticed that the ever-effervescent Suzie was quiet. "You don't like him, do you?" Scully asked, as she poured another cup of coffee.

Suzie shook her head. "Oh I like Joe just fine--it's his claim to being a medicine man that bothers me." She saw the confused look on Scully's face and continued. "He knows the ritual, but he isn't a real medicine man. He does his 'act' mainly for the tourists."

"How do you know?"

"My mother was an Apache, and she taught me their ways. She kept up the traditions even though she married a Mexican." Suzie shook her head as if to clear herself out of her self-induced funk. "Even though it will probably do no good, you should watch Joe do his thing this afternoon. He puts on an entertaining little performance."

"I think I'll do that." Scully wondered if Mulder would show up in time to catch the act, too.

XXX

It was a bit after noon when Scully noticed a strange fragrance. She was sitting behind her desk looking over the receipts from the day before, when she became aware of the smell. Suzie must have noticed it too. She popped her head out of the stockroom. "White sage."

"Excuse me?" Scully swiveled in her chair so she could see her friend.

"White sage. Joe must have started his little show. White sage is used to drive negative energy away. I imagine he is working his way through the building."

True enough, in a few minutes Scully spotted Joe Iron Horse, this time in full Native American dress, walking slowly through the facility. In one hand he held a large shell containing the substance giving off the strong-smelling smoke. In the other hand, he held a large feather, with which he seemed to dust everything in sight.

Suzie came up behind Scully, and whispered in her ear as Joe approached them. "The white sage is burning in that shell. Joe first exposes an area to the smoke, and then uses the feather to remove the negativity. He'll do us in a second."

Scully sat in fascination as Joe waved both the smoking shell and feather around her before heading into the gift shop. Suzie snorted at him before saying sarcastically, "I, for one, feel like a totally new woman after that experience." She gave Scully's shoulder a squeeze. "You should head outside in a couple of minutes. You wouldn't want to miss his little dance."

"Don't you want to see it?"

"That's okay. I've seen it before and even if I hadn't, I can do it myself."

Suzie shrugged and went to make sure that Joe didn't drop any ashes on her shelves.

XXX

Mulder arrived right before Joe Iron Horse finished his smoke and feather routine. He recognized the ceremony at once, and walked over to join Bobby Durham, who was also watching closely. Whereas Mulder watched with obvious amusement, Bobby looked quite peeved. He politely waited for Joe to put down his clam shell, however, before storming over to speak with him.

"Joe, what the hell? do you think you're doing?" Bobby demanded, thrusting his chin in the direction of the clam shell and its smoldering contents. "You know as well as I do that if you don't do this the right way, things will get even worse."

Mulder watched in interest, as Joe gave Bobby a look of total distain. "Bobby, what would you know? You're a white man."

Bobby laughed out loud at this. "And what are you Joe, about one twenty- fourth Apache? Spare me."

Joe glared at Bobby and looked around to make sure that Stan wasn't within ear shot. It wouldn't do him any good to be called a fraud by the leading Apache expert in the area. If Stan heard that, he would probably want his money back. He picked up his antelope skin bag, and brushed against Bobby as he headed outside. "Excuse me White Boy, I have work to do."

Mulder's interest was piqued now. He followed them, not wanting to miss a single thing.

XXX

The first thing Mulder noticed when he spotted Scully, was that the clothes she wore were those of Dana, not Ashley. He paused for a moment, wondering if it was a conscious choice or if she had done it without thinking. He shrugged off the thought; he would ponder it later. Right now he was far more interested in watching Joe Iron Horse, and trying to find out if Scully was still mad at him.

Not wanting to startle her, Mulder called out a soft greeting before walking up behind Ashley and wrapping his arms around her waist. He made as if he was nuzzling her ear. "I called the Bureau this morning. I requested a few things, and they should be at my apartment by tonight."

Scully said nothing, just nodded her understanding that she had heard him. Even though she still wasn't sure how she felt about what had transpired the night before, she felt herself lean against him as he switched from one side of her neck to the other. "Do you think you can stand being around me long enough to pop over for a while tonight? I could really use your help."

"Maybe."

Mulder stopped his nuzzling and rested his chin on the top of her head, watching as Joe Iron Horse finished up his dance. "Do you think it will work?"

"I have no idea. Suzie seems to think he is a bit of a fake."

"So does Bobby." Mulder chuckled. "You have to admit, though, the man does put on a good show."

They watched in silence as Joe Iron Horse finished up his dance and relit the sage in his clam shell. He proceeded to wave it around as if to purge the outside, too, of all negativity. Having already witnessed him doing his purging routine, Scully turned and faced Mulder.

"I really should get back inside." She was perfectly aware that Suzie wouldn't care if she stayed outside another hour. She still wasn't comfortable around Mulder.

Mulder released her. "Okay, come over around dinner. There's a great Mexican place down the street from my apartment, we can grab a quick bite then just hang out." He leaned forward so his forehead was touching hers. He spoke so quietly she could barely hear him. "With all these people milling about, I should probably give you at least a little kiss. Nothing more than a peck, I promise. Is that okay?"

Scully smiled up at him. No matter what happened between them, Mulder was always the gentleman. "I think I can handle it."

Mulder smiled and bent to kiss her. His lips were hovering over hers, when a shriek shattered the air.

"The Indian, he's collapsed!" A middle aged woman in a jogging suit was jumping up and down screaming, and pointing towards Joe.

Scully and Mulder split apart and immediately ran to where Joe Iron Horse lay in a crumpled heap. Scully quickly checked his pulse, and finding none, rolled him over and began CPR. By the time the ambulance arrived ten minutes later, Joe was pronounced dead at the scene.

End of part three.