Scully went about taking her dish out of the oven. She steadied it with the potholders as she spoke on her speakerphone at the same time. "Ethan, it's no big deal really, I assure you."
"I don't know, Dana. I'm not so sure I feel good about this."
"What do you mean?" Scully asked as she fanned the hot steam away from the dish.
"I mean that you are having dinner with the last person that was with your student that turned up dead. Not to mention the fact that he's the person she left with when you told her to wait. And as of now he is the police's number one suspect."
Scully started taking out food and putting it on two plates. "Ethan, he is not their suspect. Ok well maybe he is but that's because they haven't turned up anything else yet. I'm telling you there is nothing to worry about." She sighed. "Look, remember I am an FBI Agent all right? I am perfectly capable of defending myself should that need arise. Not to mention if he tried anything I would bring charges against him for sexual harassment. He's not going to do anything, Ethan."
"What if he drugs you?"
"Ethan, for crying out loud!"
"Well, he could!"
"Ethan, you are being over paranoid!" She turned as she heard a knock at her door. "And I have to go."
"Is he there?"
"I did tell him to be here at a specific time and since it is that hour, yes I am assuming it is."
"I'm telling you, Dana you should tell him you changed your mind."
"Ethan, I will do no such thing! I'm sorry I even told you about it now. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Don't do it, Dana."
"Goodbye, Ethan." Scully answered before bushing the button on her phone. "He is being absolutely ridiculous!" She sighed loudly as she headed toward her door. "I'm coming!" She straightened herself slightly and then opened it. "Ryan, hi."
"Dr. Scully." Ryan replied standing in a pair of blue jeans and t-shirt. He held out to her a dozen roses. "For what you're doing for me tonight."
"Oh, of course." Scully replied smiling as she took the roses. She smelled them. "They smell, beautiful, Ryan."
He then held up a bottle of wine. "For dinner. I figured….it would be appropriate?"
Scully was surprised at the wine but thought nothing of it. "How very nice of you." She took the bottle from him. "Won't you come in? Dinner just got finished so you had perfect timing." She turned and moved away from the door.
"Thank you." Ryan replied with a smile before stepping inside. He heard the door closed behind him as he looked around. "Wow, this is really a nice place Dr. Scully. It's so….quaint."
"Why, thank you Ryan." Scully answered as she stepped into the kitchen. She found a vase from the cupboard and began to fill it with water. "I like to call it home."
Ryan glanced around the room as he took a seat on the couch. "If you don't mind me saying so Dr. Scully your apartment mirrors your personality."
"Does it?" Scully asked as she placed the roses in the vase and put it in a corner.
"Yes, the way everything here is so perfect and organized. Not one thing is out of place. You are like that as well. Your personality as well as your office at Quantico. You have both light and openness in here, which to me describes you as a teacher. You open yourself up to your student's ideas and do not judge them. You have the light that shines in here to keep you from the darkness which sometimes overcomes you with your job."
Scully stood in the kitchen holding the wine bottle and walked over within viewing area of the couch. "Wow, that's amazing, Ryan. And accurate I might add." She pulled out the cork with her opener. "Do you plan to go into profiling?"
"Oh absolutely. I can't imagine myself doing anything else." He smelled toward the kitchen. "Dinner smells wonderful."
Scully went back into the kitchen. "It's nothing too fancy I'm afraid. Just a baked chicken dish my mother used to make."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's delicious." Ryan answered back. His eyes fell upon some pictures on a table. "Who is the young lady next to you in this picture by the couch?"
"Oh, that's my sister Melissa." Scully called back.
Ryan studied the picture. "She's pretty." Although not as pretty as her younger sister. He ran his fingers down the glass and around the picture of Scully. "I can see how you two look alike." He then looked at another picture of Scully and another man. "And who is it in this other picture with you?"
"Oh, that's my boyfriend, Ethan."
"Is it now?" Ryan answered as he traced the shape of a noose around Ethan's neck. "This is the man I overheard you talking on your cell with yesterday?"
"That's right." Scully answered as she brought two plates to the table. "He works in the news business. That picture was taken at a party we went to last month."
"Yes, well he looks…interesting." He started to trace the picture of Scully as he hummed You Belong To Me. You don't deserve her my friend. Oh no she is no good for you. She could have been with you tonight curled up next to you in bed. But instead she is here with me. And tonight I will be the one that shares that bed with her and wakes up with her in my arms. Feels her tender caresses and hears her pleasurable moans as I fill her with my essence.
Scully walked into the living room. "Are you ready to eat?"
Ryan looked at her smiling. "I'm starving."
"Good. Well I've prepared a plate for you at the table."
"Dr. Scully do you mind if I make a kind of…well strange request?"
"What is it, Ryan?"
"Well…do you mind if we…eat on the floor….in front of the fireplace? I know it sounds crazy but it's something I've always wanted to do. And…" He paused. "It's something I was originally going to do with Laurie at the cabin but…" He sighed. "If you don't want to, I understand. It's just that I always sit and eat at a table and just wanted something different."
Scully looked at Ryan strangely for a moment. "Well, I have to admit that it's one of the strangest requests I've had."
Ryan nodded and sighed. So it appears we may have to do things the hard way. Pity.
Scully smiled. "But I don't mind."
Ryan's eyes widened. "Really? I mean…great. Thanks so much."
"No problem. Just help me bring the dinner to the coffee table."
"You got it." Ryan answered before rising from the couch and heading to the table to help her. Oh you truly don't know what this means to me, Dana. But you will soon.
Hours passed and the remains of the food on the plates were crumbs. The wine bottle was also half empty but the glasses were full. The entire room echoed with both male and female laughter.
"I can't believe someone actually told you that!" Scully replied leaning forward and taking another drink of her wine.
"Guess it goes to show you that you can't always believe what you hear huh?"
"I mean me sleeping with Chuck the head of the firearms training course? I mean come on he's old enough to be my father! No wait, my grandfather!" She took a sip of her wine. "I mean come on that is just nasty!"
"Well, I didn't believe it when I heard it anyway. I mean you are too beautiful of a woman to be with an ancient dude like him anyway."
Scully's smile faded. "Ryan, I'm not beautiful."
"Oh but you are, Dana." He took a sip of his wine. "Don't you realize you're the one thing I look forward to every morning? Just…knowing that I get to see you in class gets me up and going."
"Ryan, I don't know what to…"
Ryan put down his wine glass. "Each day I sit in my seat with my mind occupied on what you are going to be wearing that morning. Wondering if you're going to have that faint scene of honeysuckle that seems to follow you wherever you go."
Scully lowered her head. "Ryan…"
Ryan reached forward and placed his hand under her chin, lifting it up to him. He looked deep into her eyes as he traced her lips with his finger. "And every day I wonder what kind of lipstick you'll be wearing to accent those pouty lips of yours. Those lips that I follow with my eyes every time that you speak."
Scully looked back at him and could feel her head spinning. She swallowed and took in a breath. "I…I think I've had too much wine."
Ryan leaned forward and placed his hand on Scully's right leg. "And I watch your legs when you wear those skirts of yours. The ones where you can sometimes see up your thigh if you're sitting just right at your desk." He slowly ran his hand up her leg toward her thigh. "You have no idea what that does to me, Dana."
"Ryan, you…you shouldn't have these thoughts."
"But I do, Dana. You drive me absolutely wild with desire every time I see you. Even when I was with Laurie I imagined it was you." He ran another hand slowly down her shirt. "When I made love with her, I cried out your name in my moment of passion, Dana. I imagined it was you I was making love with and not her."
"Oh god." Scully whispered as she felt Ryan's hand on her thigh and moving toward her pants buttons.
"I want you, Dana." Ryan whispered in her ear as he started to undo her shirt. "I've wanted you since the first day I saw you in class. You can't tell me you haven't sensed that." He managed to undo her shirt and began to caress the top of her breast sticking out of her bra.
"Ryan…Ryan please."
Ryan started undoing her pants as he placed his lips just above hers. "Ethan, is no good for you, Dana. He could never treat you the way that I could." He leaned forward and took her lips in a passionate kiss.
Scully started to return his kiss and then stopped, pulling away. "No. No, I can't."
Ryan placed his hand inside of her bra and caressed her nipple. "Sure you can. Just give in to what you really want, Dana."
Scully moaned as she felt Ryan's touches. The fact that she had drank nearly half a bottle of wine was starting to truly take its effect on her. She leaned back with her shirt wide open. "Oh god." She breathed.
"Yes, Dana." Ryan whispered as the last button of Scully's pants came undone. He placed his hands inside of her pants touching her bare skin. "I told you no one will love you like I can."
As soon as Scully felt Ryan's hand inching toward her underwear, her eyes sprang open. She quickly sat up. "Stop this, Ryan."
"You don't really mean that, Dana." Ryan whispered as he started to caress her nipple again as he kissed her neck.
Scully took a swallow and then pushed him away roughly. "Yes I do, Ryan. Stop it!"
Ryan sighed as he sat back. "You're being unreasonable, Dana. You can't tell me you didn't want this too."
Scully sat and held her shirt trembling. "I want you to leave, Ryan."
"What? You can't be serious?"
"Please, just…..just leave now."
"Dana…" He reached out to touch her face.
Scully raised her head and looked at him defiantly. "Did you hear what I said?! I said, leave now!"
"You're making a big mistake, Dana."
"No, you're the one who is making the mistake, Ryan. Now leave or I will report this incident to the Bureau. And the last thing you would want to do is tarnish your reputation at this point. So, leave and we will never speak of this again."
Ryan stood up from the ground. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Dana. I had hoped you would see things differently. But I can see you are just like all the others." He headed toward the door and then turned. "Do your best to think of Ethan tonight in your dreams even though my scent will be on you." He gave her an evil smile. "Good night, Dana." He then closed the door behind him.
Scully looked toward the door for a moment before putting her face in her hands and crying. She then fell to the floor and picked up her wine glass, throwing it into the fireplace. "Ethan." She whispered. "Oh god, Ethan why didn't I listen to you?"
