Disclaimer in Chapter 1, applies to whole sha-bang.

CHAPTER 2

Frohike smirked and opened the door wider for Mulder to enter.

"Take it easy there stretch," he said sarcastically. "I'm not stalking Agent Scully or anything. Well, not anymore. She called me and asked me to meet her here."

Mulder raised his eyebrows, mostly as if he expected further explanation. Frohike responded by shrugging and leaning against the couch.

"What did she want?" he said surprisedly.

Frohike glared at Mulder.

"Is it so impossible to assume that an attractive woman might seek my company for enjoyment?"

Mulder tilted his head down and gave Frohike a look that insinuated "oh really?" The shorter man shrugged again and folded his arms.

"Okay, maybe not, but other than that I can't tell you."

Mulder nodded and looked around. He saw the jacket Scully was wearing earlier tossed over one of the chairs in her kitchen. He looked at the Lone Gunman again.

"Is she here?" he asked expectantly.

Frohike sniffed and shifted his weight to one side.

"No," he paused, thinking something over. "She was here. She had to leave. Something came up."

Now Mulder was really suspicious. It wasn't like Scully to get involved in something serious without contacting him first. Why had she gone to Frohike? That didn't make sense to Mulder…..

"Unless," his mind chimed in. "She knew it was something you wouldn't hear."

Mulder shook his head and rubbed his eyebrows.

"She's still investigating Diana, isn't she?"

Frohike's body language gave him all the answer he needed. It infuriated him more. Why couldn't she just trust his judgment on this? Why did she feel the need to go behind his back and involve his friends. He had introduced her to Frohike for God's sake, and now she had him teaming up on Diana? Her obstinance aggravated the hell out of him.

Mulder stiffened up and moved for the door.

"I don't have time for this," he said reaching for the knob.

"For someone who is supposed to be so brilliant at reading people, you really are an idiot." Frohike chimed in.

Mulder turned slowly and approached the smaller man, coming almost toe to toe to him.

"Excuse me?"

Frohike motioned Mulder to the couch. When he refused to move, Frohike straightened his leather jacket and stared Mulder in the eye.

"You don't get it do you?" he started the lesson. "She's not here because she's out digging up dirt on Lady Di, she left because she knew you were coming and she doesn't want to see you."

Mulder frowned, his brow creasing, causing his hazel eyes to become the size of slits.

"Why? What did I do?"

Frohike threw his hands up in the air in alienation.

"See, this is what I mean," he yelled. "You can dissect the mind of a serial killer right down to his favorite type of dental floss but you don't even try to understand your partner. You may think you know her mind but you know little else about her, my tall friend."

This caused Mulder to take a seat on the couch. All this information was becoming a lot to absorb.

"You're wrong," he said calmly. "I know Scully better than anyone."

Frohike walked behind the couch and leaned close to Mulder.

"Oh yeah?" he whispered. "How come you can't prove it?"

Mulder turned, incredulous to the man's accusation.

"What do you mean?" he said. "Since when do I have to prove anything to you? Or Scully?"

Frohike smirked and sat down in a chair opposite the couch.

"It's kind of a double-edged sword, isn't it?" he said. "Scully has had to prove herself to you each day you've worked together. I'd be willing to bet she always felt like she was still on the outside looking in. But still, she kept going. How would you like to have your deepest insecurities thrown back into your face? Especially by someone you trusted so much."

Mulder started to turn red. Not from embarrassment, but from anger.

"I never forced her to do anything!" he yelled. "No one held a gun to her head to keep her on the X-Files. She could have left anytime she wanted too!"

He paused to catch his breath.

"Wait….trusted? She doesn't trust me anymore?"

Frohike sighed and stood up.

"You still haven't learned anything have you?"

Now, Mulder was on his feet.

"Well, why don't you educate me?"

Frohike walked toward the door and stopped, looking at Mulder.

"Did it ever occur to you to ask yourself why Scully stayed on the X-Files after everything that had happened to her?" he said. "Or better yet, name one other person that has shown you the kind of dedication Dana has and then try to tell me she doesn't deserve better than to be a second priority."

Mulder stood there, still angry but more resigned.

"I never thought of her as a second priority," he muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets like a child who had just been scolded by his parent.

As Frohike opened the door, Mulder reached out to stop him.

"Wait," he said. "You still never told me what you were doing here?"

Frohike looked down and away.

"Scully said she needed a ride to the airport," he said, handing Mulder a piece of paper. "But she was already gone when I got here."