Thanks to Mulder's Girl, eb2504, and Lou for their reviews!
Chapter 5 – He's Here
Scully closed her eyes and tried again to get her mind to focus on the daunting paperwork ahead of her. She was having a lot of trouble concentrating this morning. Mulder's proximity to her was intensely distracting, as images of that night's kiss and the possibilities of what could come flashed through her mind.
Yesterday they had spent apart, her at her mother's and Mulder with the Gunmen. It was bizarre, but even that brief period of separation had been agony for her.
Whenever she tried to concentrate, she ended up with the feeling that she was in some sort of maze in which space and time and frozen and endless possibilities stretched out before her, awaiting her decision. She understood with a mix of terror and relief that there was no way back to the way things were.
She glanced back at her partner. He looked as if he were intensely interested in his work, but she somehow knew that he was in reality just passing time, waiting for her to say something.
The minute hand snapped onto the twelve on the wall clock. Suddenly, the maze in Scully's head tilted and twirled, reminding her of a limited amount of time. From out of the blue, it hit her – she did not have forever. She needed Mulder in her life like she needed water or air, she had established that, but now she was coming to the realization that, unlike these things, he would not be there forever. He couldn't be taken for granted. For all she knew, this could be the last time they sat like this together.
"Could I have that file, please?"
Scully jumped about two feet as Mulder's voice snapped her out of her reverie. This caused him to smile. "Earth to Scully. Come in, Scully."
She shot him a glare. "Sorry, couldn't resist. I've got to say, though, you look a little spacey."
Ignoring his attempt to inject some humor into the tension between them, Scully cut to the chase and said, "Mulder, you and I both know. We need to talk."
"Now?"
"Good a time as any."
The joking retort that she was expecting did not come. "Okay. Let's talk then. You start."
"I just feel like so much has happened between us. There is so much I could say. You and I…" She was abruptly cut off by the ringing of the phone. "You should get that."
"No, let it ring. They'll leave a message. Finish your sentence."
"Well, I think that maybe we could…"
The voice on the answering machine caused her to stop. It was a woman's voice, sounding very sultry. "Agent Mulder," the woman breathed. "I have some new information for you regarding, well, you know. Call me as soon as you possibly can. Have a nice day."
Scully's mouth dropped open a little and looked at him, demanding an explanation. The mood that had enveloped the room just moments ago had vanished. Scully sighed mentally. Another opportunity gone.
Meanwhile, Mulder was smiling embarrassedly. "That sounded really bad, didn't it?"
"Just a little."
"Well, truth is, it's nothing that clandestine. She just has an overactive sense of adventure."
"Who is she?"
Mulder grinned, noticing that her curiosity was piqued. "Oh, well, I met her back in Georgia and realized immediately that making her acquaintance would be very worthwhile."
"But who is she?"
"We met a couple of times, and I am so glad she's calling back."
"Mulder, are you playing with me?"
"I wouldn't do that, would I?" he said, too innocently.
"You know you would. Now, give me a straight answer."
"Come on, Scully. She's just an informant – she saw a guy who she thought might be our Roger Morris. I gave her my number in case she had any information, but honestly I just think she kinda likes me."
Scully playfully slapped his arm, then turned back to her work. "Well, you should call her back just in case."
"No, first you have to finish what you were going to say."
"I'll say it when I'm ready, Mulder. Not now." The moment had passed for her and she was back to running everything over in her mind and debating with herself what the proper course of action was.
He looked at her, disappointed, and regretted turning the honest mood into a joking one. He loved being playful and flirting a little with his partner, but he also was well aware of the fact that he often hid behind that humor when he was unsure of where things were heading. He made a mental note to work on that flaw, even as he picked up the phone and dialed the informant's number.
When the woman picked up, she was crying and terrified. "Agent Mulder, I need help. I saw him again. I had just hung up from calling you because I was scared that Morris might have come to DC. Now, I know he has and it's too late. He killed again!"
"What! Look, calm down and tell me exactly what happened."
"The usual, the usual. Girl found dead in river, all purple due to gas inhalation, bite marks… It's him! He's here!"
A look of alarm flashed across Mulder's face. Scully dropped what she was doing and watched him, listening intently. A strange feeling of foreboding washed over her as he asked, "What was the victim's name?"
"Something with a C… Um, Cindy? Yeah, I think so. Cindy Florisk."
"Cindy Florisk. Are you sure?"
Scully looked up in alarm at the sound of that name. Mulder was saying, "Okay, yes, thank you. We'll be right over."
He hung up and turned to Scully, looking upset. "Roger Morris killed again. Same style exactly. Scully, I am sorry, but his victim was Cindy, your friend."
"No! How did that happen?"
"I guess she agreed to go on a blind date with him."
"Oh, my God. Cindy. Last night she called me, all excited. She said she had a hot date, but she wouldn't tell me with whom. All she kept saying is that I would be so jealous." She inhaled sharply, fighting back tears at the irony of that.
Without thinking, Mulder wrapped his arms around her. "I am so sorry."
"Mulder, I don't know if I can do this. I mean, investigate my friend's death?"
"You don't have to…"
"But at the same time, I couldn't forgive myself if I didn't. I want to be there, Mulder, when they catch that son of a bitch and lock him up for good. I want to work and make sure that her death is avenged."
Mulder pulled back just enough to look down at her face. "Scully, he will be caught. I promise you that. But I think, for now at least, you might want to take a break…"
"Please, trust me. I know what I need to do."
"I trust you." She knew that he meant that in more ways than one.
"We should go now," he said softly.
"We should."
Neither wanted to move. They didn't want to walk out the door and pretend that it was just another case. They didn't want to look upon the twisted corpse of one of her close friends. They would, though. Both of them were people who did what they had to do.
But, for right now, they had a rare moment of peace. They had found in each other a place of stability, of hope, of faith to keep moving on. They both sensed it acutely, wondering when the time would come when it could finally be admitted out loud. If that time ever came.
An hour later, Scully was walking down a darkened stairwell in a Victorian mansion near the banks of the Potomac. She shivered, knowing that just hours ago someone, possibly Morris, had taken Cindy down these very same steps.
She waited until she heard her partner's footsteps on the stairs before she continued into the darkened cellar. What she saw in the corner sent a chill down her spine. Suddenly, this case was getting way too personal.
"Mulder," Scully called. "Look."
He walked over to her and his eyes followed her extended finger to the pile of broken containers of gas, all marked "Neronge".
"Mulder," she said again, her voice almost shaking. "He's here."
Okay, so I got the case file back in here. Short chapter, I know, but it's a bridge to the next one, which has some really important events. Next chapter, look for things to start getting personal as M&S continue to work on it. And, as always, please review!
