Mulder had been completely taken by surprise at Scully's kiss. And the kiss she gave him literally took his breath away. How often had he dreamed of this very moment? That he would be kissing those soft, pouty lips of his partner's? At first, he returned her kiss with fervor as he became caught up in the moment. But then as he tasted her, he could also taste the alcohol. It was then that had made a decision: he would not take her, not like this. He pulled back from her lips as he caught his breath. "Jesus, Scully I thought you were going to suck my breath right out of me."

Scully smiled. "Ever been kissed like that before, Mulder?"

"Literally felt like my life had been sucked out of me? Uh, no I will have to admit that was a first."

"Well, there's plenty more where that came from." Scully purred as she ran her hands down his chest.

Mulder closed his eyes and moaned. Her touching him was not helping his decision making in the least but he knew this was wrong. "Scully.." He breathed.

Scully looked him deep in the eyes. "Yes, Mulder?" She asked in a whisper.

"I never thought I would say this but…"

"What?" She asked as she edged close to his lips again.

Mulder swallowed. "Oh god." This was becoming more and more difficult for him and his brain was starting to shut down. This is wrong. This is wrong. She's intoxicated! He could feel more sweat pouring from his face. "We…we shouldn't do this, Scully." He finally managed to blurt out.

"Why?" She asked as she placed her finger on his lips. "You can't tell me you haven't thought of this before? That you weren't thinking of us doing more than paperwork on the office desk? Of sneaking into my hotel room while I was asleep?"

"Scully, this…this isn't fair."

"So, I was right?"

"You…you have no idea."

"Then why don't you want to fulfill that fantasy of yours with me now?"

"Because you're….you're drunk, Scully."

"Drunk on Fox Mulder." She whispered as she placed her hand on his leg.

Oh god she is real close to my crotch. I can't let her know how much this is turning me on! Mulder grabbed her hand and moved it off his leg. "No, Scully. I won't take advantage of you like this."

"Oh don't be such a baby." She cooed. "You know you want this." She started to kiss his neck slowly.

Mulder moaned and closed his eyes as he felt her lips on his sensitive spot. "Oh, god." He then opened his eyes and shook his head as he pulled away from her. "No. I won't do this, Scully. I'm sorry." He had to think of something quick to distract his attention from the seductive redhead in front of him before he overrode his moral side. "I…I need to call, Isabelle. Need to….make sure she can fit us in."

"Now?"

"Yeah. You…you just rest here on the couch. I'll be back." He moved off the couch quickly so he could hide the obvious bulge in his pants. What he needed was a cold bucket of water dumped over his head! But since he didn't have that, he had to use another tactic to get rid of his arousal. Skinner. Think…think of Skinner naked. Oh god! Bad choice! Ok uhhh…think…think of that old librarian from that library in D.C. Wrinkled skin, big nose and a wart on her face. He sighed as he slowly started to return to normal. "Ok, now let's take care of that call." He pulled out his cell and dialed a number on it as he walked over to a window. "Hello, Isabelle? This is Fox Mulder."

"Who?"

"Uhhh…." He cleared his throat. "Spooky Foxy?"

"Oh of course! How are you Fox?"

"Actually, I'm calling you as I think I have a little spirit problem."

"Oh? What kind of problem?"

"Well, there have been some pretty strange things happening to my partner."

"Your partner?"

"Yeah, my FBI partner. She's been…..seeing things and feeling things that to me are more than just ordinary."

"What kinds of things?"

"Well…she saw an image in a mirror and she…" Mulder stopped as he suddenly felt an arm snake around his waist. He then felt hot breath on his neck followed by lips. Oh god

"She what, Fox?"

"Uhhh…she…she was pushed underwater in a bathtub by something." He answered as he tried to take in breaths. He then felt lips on his ear followed by a nibbling on his lobe. "Ooooo."

"Fox? Are you ok?"

"What? Yeah, yeah I'm…I'm fine." Mulder answered as he closed his eyes. He felt a tongue licking across his neck and then some teeth slightly.

"Well, it definitely sounds to me like you have something there. Course I would need to do some investigating first. Can I come over there tomorrow?"

Mulder moaned. "Jesus, Scully."

"Fox?"

"Uhhh…yeah. Tomorrow. I'll…I'll call you with the address in the morning ok?"

"Sure. I'll talk to you then. Take care of yourself."

"You…you too." Mulder answered before hanging up his cell. He looked at Scully. "Scully, what you are doing to me….you are heading into dangerous waters."

"I like danger." She whispered as she ran her hand down his thigh.

"If…if we start…I can't guarantee I'll be able to stop." Mulder whispered, as he looked deep into her eyes.

"Who says that I want you to?" Scully answered as she ran her hand slowly over his crotch.

Mulder tossed his cell to the floor and then grabbed Scully, pulling her to his face roughly. He paused a moment before taking her lips in a passionate kiss. It was clear his morality was now out the window but at this point he didn't care. He became more aroused as he heard Scully's moans and pushed his tongue into her mouth. He joined her moans, as he tasted the rum from within her warm mouth. It was truly intoxicating him as he pushed himself against her.

Scully gasped as she felt Mulder so close to her and she could feel his hardness through his jeans. Her heartbeat and breaths quickened as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her tongue connected with his as she rubbed her chest against him. Her nipples tingled as she ran them up and down his chest. She then felt Mulder's hand caressing her bottom and moaned.She returned the gesture by sliding her hand down from his neck and to his own bottom.

Feeling her hands on his backside was just too much. He pulled back from her kiss. "Bedroom." He replied huskily before picking her up in his arms. He reached forward and reconnected with her lips as he carried her toward the bedroom. His fingers played up and down her back gently as he made his way into the room. He then carefully laid her down on the bed and watched as her red hair sprawled onto the sheets. He took his hand and placed it on the side of her face. "You're so beautiful, Scully."

"Make love to me, Mulder." She whispered as she looked back at him.

"Are you sure? I mean…what you went through with Jeremy. I don't want to…"

Scully cupped his face and then kissed him passionately, pulling him on top of her. She moaned as she felt Mulder's lips move from her lips to her neck. She craned her neck and took in breaths. "Mmmm….Mulder."

Mulder moved his lips to her ear as he reached his hands down and started to unbutton her pajama top. He placed his hand inside of her top and began to caress the top part of her breast exposed from her bra. He then finished unbuttoning her top and opened it. Placing his lips on her chest he started to kiss it slowly, alternating with lips and tongue.

"Yes, Mulder." Scully whispered.

As he continued to explore her chest, his hand wandered slowly down her side and came to rest on the button to her pajama bottoms. He paused a moment and then started to undo her pants as he pushed his mouth into her cup and teased her nipple with his tongue.

"Mmmm…yes." She moaned as she shifted her body. She could feel his hands in her pants and moving under her panties.

"You're so tight. I would have expected a whore to be much looser."

Her eyes shot open as she heard the voice in her head.

"Does this excite you?"

And at that moment it all came back to her. She could see Jeremy leering at her. Feel him roughly moving his hands over her body. Feel him pushing his finger and then himself inside of her. She could even smell his body and hot breath from his mouth.

"Oh, Scully." Mulder moaned as he caressed her pink lips with his finger.

Scully jerked away from him. "Don't touch me!"

Mulder looked back at her confused. "Scully? What's…what's wrong?"

"I don't belong to you!" She screamed. "Why can't you just leave me alone!" All she could see in her mind was Jeremy as she looked at Mulder. She scooted away from Mulder and to the end of the bed where she picked up her gun. "Keep away from me!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa take it easy, Scully. It's ok." He slowly reached a hand out to her. "It's me, It's Mulder."

"No, you're not! You're lying!" She yelled as she pointed the gun at him.

"Scully, who else would I be?" Mulder asked as he steadied his hand.

"I'm not your sweet, Dana!"

It then dawned on Mulder what was happening. "Oh god. Scully, I'm not Jeremy. Jeremy isn't here. He's…he's just in your mind. Please put the gun down."

"Why can't you just die!" Scully answered as her hands started to shake. "I'll kill you and make sure you NEVER come back again!" She cocked the gun.

Mulder knew he had to think fast if he was going to prevent himself from being a victim of a shooting. He took a breath and then looked toward her. "I remember the first day you walked into my office wearing that grey tweed suit of yours. At first I thought you were some stuck up preppy but I soon found out you were more than that. I thought you had been sent to spy on me but I soon found out differently. I found out that you were the only one I could trust, Scully." He paused. "And when you were taken from me….those months were the longest of my life. I was willing to do anything to make sure that you were brought back to me. And when you were stricken with cancer…I had even thought of going to the other side just to save you. I didn't care about what happened to me, just you. I figured I was such a loser it was only fair that I should die and you should live." He sighed. "All I want to do is help you, Scully. I want to help you live through what has happened to you. I want to make certain that you are able to move on with your life. And I'll be with you through this Scully for as long as it takes. I made that promise to you and I intend to keep it. You're…you're my one in five billion remember? Please…please don't let him do this to us, Scully. Fight him."

Scully's hands slowly lowered as tears flowed down her face. "Mulder? Oh…oh god." She dropped the gun on the bed as she laid her head back and sobbed.

Mulder came forward and placed his arms around her. "Sssshhhh…it's ok, Scully." He replied as he pulled her to him gently. "We're going to work through this, I promise."

"I…I thought I was over it."

He kissed the top of her head. "Scully, you can't expect yourself to get over something like that so quickly. It's…it's going to take time. What happened to you…is horrific and no person could ever be expected to recover from it that fast."

Scully turned her head to the side as she laid it on his chest. "What am I going to do? I can't just keep living this every time I'm being intimate with you. I know…how badly you wanted it, Mulder." She sniffled. "And I ruined it for you."

"Hey, hey now stop saying that." Mulder kissed her forehead. "That's not true. You didn't ruin anything for me. Hell, I didn't even want to in the first place, remember?"

"Why?"

"Well, it's like I said…you were drunk and I didn't want to take advantage of you. I always said…that the first time I made love with you, I wanted it to be special. I wanted it be natural with no alcohol involved. That way I would know it was something that we both wanted. That's why I didn't want to, Scully."

"So…why did you change your mind?"

"Let's just say when you have a sexy redhead kissing you and running her hands down your leg while you are on a cell call, it makes you lose concentration. Not to mention I am a man and only human when it comes to my hormones."

"Well, I'm sorry if I got you all worked up for nothing." Scully answered as she lowered her head.

"Hey." Mulder answered as he took his hand and raised her head. "Listen to me. It's ok that we stopped. I'm not mad at all. The last thing I want you to feel is uncomfortable, Scully. And…I'm willing to wait for as long as it takes for you to be. I'm just content having you with me. Sex to me is a minor thing and can wait. And besides…" He leaned toward her. "Sometimes anticipation is better so that when it does happen, it makes the wait worth while."

"Thank you, Mulder. I was afraid you would hate me after this."

Mulder chuckled. "Hate you? Scully, if anything this experience has shown me how much I really care and love you. I had the chance to make love with you and I didn't. Had I been with any other woman, I would have jumped at the chance. But…I didn't want to hurt you in any way. And…the guilt I would have felt knowing I took advantage of you would always haunt me. And I also didn't want the same thing to happen to you."

"You truly are a wonderful friend to me, Mulder."

"Hey, what are friends for? And as for helping you….I know a friend of mine who might be able to help. He's a psychologist and does hypnotic regression."

"Mulder, I've tried that before and…"

"I know it's scary, Scully. But the only way you are going to get through this completely is to let out these feelings of yours. Once you do that, you'll be able to release this hold that Jeremy has on you."

"You…you really think so?"

"I do. I'll call him tomorrow and see about getting you in ok?"

"Ok."

"And I've got Isabelle coming over tomorrow too."

"She is?"

"Yep. And in the meantime, I think someone should get some sleep."

"What about dinner?"

"I'll take care of the dinner remnants." He pulled back the covers and gently eased her into the bed. "You sleep."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." He kissed her cheek tenderly. "Now sleep."

"If I need you…"

"I'll be here in a flash, don't you worry. I'll just be right outside ok?"

Scully sat up."But…"

He placed his finger on her lips. "Ah, ah. Now sleep." He gently lowered her back down on the bed. He then hummed to her as he caressed her hair. "Sleep, Dana." He whispered as he watched her eyes close. Seeing that she was starting to fall asleep, he gave her one last kiss on the cheek. He then quietly pulled away from her and headed to the door. He turned and glanced at her sleeping form on the bed. He then smiled before leaving and closing the door behind him.