Mulder had settled into his hotel room in Milford. His next step was to start asking the locals if they'd seen Scully. As he prepared to leave, his cell phone rang. "Mulder," he answered.

"Mulder, we've got trouble." It was Byers. "We've hacked into Cobra's email. Cobra is not what he seems. He's been working closely with a man known to have connections to CGB Spender. This man and Cobra are planning on turning the upcoming meeting with Scully into a blood bath. They want to get rid of her and Spender so that they can keep the technology to themselves."

"I need to get to her. I'm in Milford Pennsylvania. I'm pretty sure she's here somewhere. Let Skinner know what's going on."

Mulder hung up the phone. "Dammit!" he exclaimed. "Where are you, Scully?"

As he got into the car, his cell phone rang again. "What now?" he yelled.

"Mulder, it's me," he barely heard Scully whisper.

"Scully! Are you all right? Where are you?" Mulder frantically spat out.

"I can't talk long. I'm in Milford Pennsylvania."

"So am I. I got your tapes."

"Black Walnut Restaurant. Dinner with Spender. Six o'clock tonight. Keep your distance."

"Scully, wait..." But it was too late. She had hung up.

"I have the information ready on CD," Cobra said.

"Good. He doesn't suspect a thing. Still thinks Scully will hand it over to him. Those emails you wrote to Scully that he captured did the trick," the Black-Haired Man said.

"We're still doing the exchange at Calico Cove?"

"First light of day tomorrow," the Black-Haired Man said quietly and hung up the phone.

The waiter showed Mulder to a table in the corner of the restaurant. Mulder anxiously waited for any sight of Scully and that Son-of-a... Mulder's thoughts were quickly diffused as he spotted Scully walking down the stairs looking rather, uh, wow, looking rather...wow. Mulder couldn't come up with the right words for what she looked like in that elegant black dress; soft fabric clinging to every perfect curve, almost-bare shoulders, low-cut. Definitely low cut. She glowed. He was speechless. Breathless. Stunned. Paralyzed. Electrified. And totally turned on. He didn't want to take his eyes off her, but he forced himself to when Spender appeared behind her. Mulder quickly hid behind his menu and silently reprimanded himself for the thoughts he was having about his partner in that dress.

As Scully sipped her wine, Spender proceeded to tell her about Cobra and what this new technology is capable of. Mulder scanned the rest of the restaurant and noticed another man sitting by himself, next to Scully's table, who seemed very interested in what Scully and Spender were talking about. After a few minutes, Spender got up and excused himself. Mulder saw the man next to Scully's table stand up and walk over to Scully. He discreetly laid a piece of paper in front of her, and then quickly disappeared among the bustle of waiters and waitresses carrying their trays.

Mulder stood and quietly made his way outside into the cool of the evening. Keeping a distance, he noticed Spender lighting his cigarette and speaking to a man Mulder didn't recognize.

"Cobra hasn't shown," Mulder overheard Spender say.

"What do you want to do?" The Black-Haired Man asked.

"Wait. What else can we do?"

"What trust you've won...Scully won't stick around forever. What's wrong?"

"Just do your damn job."

Mulder ran back into the restaurant, grabbed Scully by her arm, and hustled her into the ladies restroom. Fortunately the room was empty. Mulder locked the door.

"What the HELL are you doing with HIM dressed like...dressed like...THAT!" Mulder exclaimed as he looked at her up and down.

"Mulder, calm down! We don't have time for this!"

Mulder paced back and forth across the bathroom floor. Remembering all that had transpired since that moment, he took a deep breath. He took hold of Scully's shoulders. "Scully, look. You have to listen to me very carefully. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. It's a trap. You're in danger."

"Mulder, I've taken a lot of precautions..."

"Scully, listen to what I'm saying. This man 'Cobra' is playing Spender for a fool. He doesn't want Spender to have this technology, and now that you're involved, he's planning on killing both you and Spender when the exchange is made."

"Where did you hear that?"

"It doesn't matter. Cobra was here tonight. He handed you that piece of paper. We need to get you out of here."

"Mulder, no. I'm too close to getting us the proof we need. Calico Cove, first light of day," Scully said as she held up the piece of paper Cobra gave her.

"No. We're getting out of here. No matter what he's said to you, Spender can't be trusted. And neither can Cobra."

"Dammit, Mulder! This is what we've been waiting for! I'm willing to take the risk. I'm the one with this THING in my neck. What if it stops working? What if I start to get nosebleeds again? What if they use it to track me down, to take me and perform more tests! You have no idea what it's like not knowing...what they could do...This way we can have control. We can save others. We can know the truth. The TRUTH, Mulder, remember that? Your quest? Your life?"

Mulder put his hands on Scully's face, rubbing his thumbs across her cheeks and looking straight into her eyes with sheer intensity. But somehow his voice was gentle. "Scully, I have come so close to losing you so many times. Don't think that I don't have the same questions, the same fears. Let me handle this alone. You're right. This is MY quest. MY LIFE." And as he said those last two words, he squeezed her face to let her know that he meant she was his life.

She didn't miss the meaning in the grasp of his hands. She then cupped one of her hands to his face. "This is OUR quest, OUR life, and you know it." Scully replied with the same intensity in her eyes.

Mulder didn't know what to say. She glanced at the bathroom door. "Spender will wonder where I am. I need to get back. Calico Cove. First light of day."

"Scully..." But before he could argue with her any further, she broke away from him and was already out the door.

Author's note: Coming in Chapter 4: shots are fired, Mulder yells "Scully get down!", a twisting of the plot, drama, intrigue, people die...makes you want to review me and beg for more, doesn't it?