Title: Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey (pt2)
Rating: R (some sexual material)
Category: Challenge-fic, MSR
Spoilers: none at all
Summary: Mulder and Scully investigate the murder of a man in a closed, hippie community. Feedback: God yes! Can't live without it- or I post to Ephemeral, but anywhere else is fine- just let me know :)
Disclaimer: Oh- they're definitely NOT mine! I just like to play.
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey- part 2
by xenoprobe
"It's ok Scully, really." He turned around to face her on the bed. They sat cross-legged to one another and Mulder took her small hands in his. "Did you really find me sexy in the moo-moo?" he teased.
"So what if I did." Her voice caught in her throat and she sounded dry; all the laughter was gone.
Scully's face reddened as silence claimed the room. Mulder could not tear his gaze from hers but was powerless to do anything but sit there. The sounds of the party downstairs tinkled all around- the White album was playing below in the room below their bed. Their bed.
"Scully." He choked out.
She touched her fingers to his knee and looked down at the place of contact. Her hand burned, as did her head. She felt drugged and considered only momentarily that perhaps they'd both been slipped something in the water. She shook her head.
"What is it? What's the matter Scully?" He'd obviously taken her gesture as a negative one.
"Its nothing Mulder- I was thinking of something else." She looked back up at him, a quiet smile on her lips.
Mulder's hand reached to caress the soft curve of her face and the smile disappeared. Mulder's eyes closed at the sensation of her hot, soft skin and she shuddered, realizing the impact of this moment.
She closed her eyes as well, logging this minute in her memory as the moment of truth. She could feel him; see just how he was affected by her- as much as she was by him. When she looked at him again, he was much closer... so much closer.
"Scully..." The whisper of this word tickled her lips and she parted them to inhale his breath. Before she could register anything else, Mulder's mouth was pressed to hers.
He was fierce. He rose on hands and knees, pushing her back against the stack of pillows, kissing her- hard. There was no turning back, the dam doors were opened and flooding his senses. If she had shown any hesitation Mulder may have reconsidered his passionate approach, but every ounce of his drive was met with equal force by Scully. They groaned as their bodies touched, hips to hips, his bare chest against the cotton of her top.
"Mulder... did you lock the door?" Scully puffed with the effort it took to break the kiss.
"Don't remember Scully- no one's around anyway, they're all downstairs." She relented, not truly caring about the prospect of being caught by a bunch of doped up hippies. "I can lock it now..."
"You're not going anywhere Mulder. No way." Her lips twisted in an evil grin as she grabbed his strong shoulders and pulled him against her small frame.
Gerry Franklin stepped out onto the back porch and lit a joint. He inhaled the smoke deeply into his lungs, and held his breath. When Star stepped up beside him, he let out the toke in her face and set her coughing.
"Thanks." She managed to sputter.
"Hey baby, how's the party- this one seems like a real pleaser." His semi-compliment went unaddressed as Star sat down on the stoop. Their yard was black in the night, stretching out to the edge of a field. "Wha's matter?"
"You know Gerry... you have really got a lot of nerve." He cocked his head and stepped down a few stairs to stand in front of his mate. "You wander around like you're some great host- offering electric kool-aid to everyone, acting like there's not a care in the world."
"People dig the kool-aid." He offered lamely.
"Oh shut up. Do you know, have you even a inkling of how much work I do around here?" Star's face was flush with colour- the anger danced around her in static electricity. Gerry stepped back.
"Is that why you're so fucking unhappy here?" His voice rose with each word. "Is that why you want to leave? Or perhaps you were just looking for an excuse to bag that boy who blew into town." Any hint of influence from the pot he'd smoked was gone. His face reflected an even rage.
"Are you talking about Jason?"
"You know I am..."
"Jason's dead Gerry. In case you haven't noticed, there are a pair of FBI agents in our home as we speak." Star shifted, pulling a leg up under herself. "You know I had nothing to do with him... I'm not like the others Franklin."
"No, but you would have been if he were still alive. You were headed straight to his bed woman and don't you dare deny it!" Star stood up quickly, towering over Gerry in the moonlight. She looked as if she would strangle him.
"I felt nothing more than pity for him. Nothing! He reminded me of... of..." She could not finish her sentence as tears flooded her eyes, her throat closed around the words.
"Of what?" He demanded, stepping closer to her. Star's tears spilled over her lashes, streaking her tired face.
"He could have been my boy. He was the same age. That's the only connection I felt to him." She stubbornly wiped at her cheeks.
"But he did come onto you."
"I suppose he did- but I did nothing to spark his interest. It was his nature I suppose." She looked passed Gerry at the stars in the night sky.
Gerry's posture shifted and softened suddenly. He leaned forward and placed a careful kiss on his partner's forehead. "Don't think about it babe. What's done is done- you gave it up for adoption and he's probably leading a very different life right now. A life that our community just couldn't offer back then."
Star sniffled again then stood up, stretching her back as she arched her body. The tears were still visible and her temper had not completely receded, but she relented to her fatigue and turned to go back inside.
"Star?"
"Yes, Franklin." He reached out to take her hand.
"Try not to think about him ok?"
She nodded as the screen door slammed behind her.
The strains of Beatles songs wafted under the guest room door, every once in a while reminding Mulder and Scully that they were not alone. They were facing the wrong direction on the bed sheets still tangled in kisses.
Her shirt was open, exposing a soft ivory bra, and Mulder greedily sucked and licked at her flesh until he found his lips at the crook of her neck. He paused, inhaling deeply. The combination of her deodorant, her perfume and her arousal overwhelmed his nostrils, making him hunger for her that much more.
"Mulder?" Her soft voice rang in his ears. He could feel the blood coursing through him, rejuvenating his senses tenfold.
"God Scully... you smell so good." He dipped his head to her neck and licked the hollow of her throat. She shivered and her whole body trembled. His continued his assault by suckling at her pulse point, nipping at her skin until it was raised and red. She exhaled in his ear- a low satisfied breath that made him more hard than he already was.
Mulder groaned appreciatively as her body responded, twisting and dancing under his weight. Scully's hands traveled up his back, feeling the muscles twitch as she raked her nails over his flesh. His mouth was unforgiving, and she loved it.
"Mulder... I want. I want..."
"What Scully- tell me what you want." He raised his eyes to hers and could see the change in her. Her body was awake; her mind alert but drugged on lust. She looked like how he felt.
"You- just you... I want you."
"Amazing." He uttered, eyes sparkling as she lifted her face to his. She curled her arms 'round his shoulders and claimed his mouth with hers, delving her tongue between his lips. Demanding. Hungry. Insistent.
Mulder made quick work of her clothing, freeing her body of her top and bra at once then moving on to her pants. She had worked his boxers down, over the curve of his ass and was kneading the flesh there. Everywhere her fingers touched was transformed. Mulder could feel his entire body reacting to her- he was losing control.
Allison Brown made her way through the crowd to the front door. She inhaled deeply, stepping out under the night sky. The house behind her was illuminated with lights and laughter from within. She continued to walk away from the house down the lane-way, past a few cars and many bikes until she came to the main road. She wasn't sure about walking home alone but as she rubbed the small bulge of her tummy, she reminded herself she really wasn't alone after all.
"I'm so sorry little one." She whispered to herself. "I don't even have a photo of your daddy." She attempted a smile but fell short.
In the shadows of the Franklin's property line, Gerry listened to the younger woman chat quietly to her unborn child as she sauntered home under the stars.
Mulder threw the covers off their tangled bodies when a loud crashing noise pierced the night. Below him, Scully lay naked and smiling. Her parted lips were kiss- bruised and glossy and visible marks formed a scattered chain around her neck.
Mulder looked over his shoulder, remembering that their door was still unlocked. He smiled inwardly. Skinner could barge in and he could not have cared less- he was close, so close, to making love with Scully. Finally.
"Mulder? S'everything ok?"
"Just fine Scully." He looked back to her again, "better than fine in fact." He dipped down, closing his lips around her taught nipple. She moaned loudly- free and unashamed. She ran her fingers through the silk of his hair and savoured the stages of their first coupling. It was high voltage passion at a steady even pace. Each were bursting with the need to feel, taste as equally as their need to learn and share. It was going to be a long delicious night.
As the music and partying carried on, so did they. Each moment was a lesson learned, each minute was a lifetime's sweetness and each kiss was a shower of electricity. The voracious hunger each had demonstrated leveled into a steady burn.
When Mulder, at long last, slid his hard length into her, both he and Scully had to stop for the moment. Everything in the world outside was wiped away and replaced with a universe made of only them. Fierce emotions begged to be freed in their teary eyes but the words would have to keep.
He pushed her apart with a determined grunt and she responded by lifting her hips to his rhythm. They moved together, always together, as the creeping sensation of pleasure blurred everything else.
Mulder was transfixed as Scully slammed her head to the pillows, calling his name. She tossed her hair from her face and smiled. His hand came up to cup her flushed cheek and the quiet reverent act exploded when she took his fingers between her moist lips. Mulder's head lolled at the sensation and his elbows nearly gave out.
It was like tunnel vision, the night closed around them as they danced a slow crawl between bed sheets.
Scully concentrated on the sound of his voice as he panted her name out, riding the wave of the impending orgasm. She was so close herself that every second was like flying in the face of the sun- hot, scorching, brilliant and consuming. As the tide of climax swallowed them both, Mulder howled out her name, broken and jagged. Only the soft murmurs of his partner soothed him back to earth in the wake.
Star leaned against the doorjamb of the kitchen, surveying the damage. It would be a while before they recovered from this party. People still milled about, grinning through hollow conversations as the night neared dawn. She wandered through the house aimlessly as her thoughts drifted back in time. She remembered the day too clearly. Only eight days after giving birth to her baby boy, Star had made a life choice. She was young and unprepared for parenthood and her boyfriend was even less prepared than she. The Gerry Franklin she knew then was a protester and had been fighting 'the system' for years, well past the hippie movement's fall at Haight- Ashbury in the late 60's.
Star had changed her name the year before they moved from San Francisco. Gerry gave up policing that same year and instead was satisfied taking odd jobs in exchange for petty cash and marijuana. They were happy then. The community was like an exclusive party; it consisted largely of familiar friends and some family as well. Their homes were their own and the farming was good.
Star smiled inwardly at the thought of her first garden- the plump tomatoes and long green beans were staple items at dinner-time.
A couple of summers went by before Star realized the isolation was getting to her. She had gone to Gerry to tell him of her intentions to return to Canada, he'd been livid- almost violent. His reaction had shocked her then- his pacifist facade was quickly dropped in light of his true nature.
During her weeks of preparation and packing, Star found out she was pregnant. She was never more happy. Gerry however, was not. Soon after her son's birth it was decided that they would take the baby to the city and leave him at the police station. The deed was done quickly, leaving her forever changed.
She walked back into the kitchen, stroking her flat tummy with tears in her eyes.
Scully lay on her side, watching the television over Mulder's sleeping frame. He'd been unable to stay awake after making love too her- as if he'd drained his very life force into her body. In this exchange, Scully had awakened, her senses alert and heightened. She giggled softly at the movie on tv. The Goonies. It was a film she'd watched several times, secretly loving it for its adventure and imagination. It had come in handy while babysitting her cousins on rare occasions.
Beyond the television, the morning light crept across the windowsill. Scully eased herself out of bed, kissing Mulder's cheek quietly before moving. She stood by the window holding the orange moo-moo around her torso like a wrap.
"You make that look sexy Scully." Mulder said groggily. His smile was brighter than the coming sun.
"Hey sleepy. Did you get some rest?" She sat at his side on the edge of the bed, admiring his half-covered body. He certainly was a delicious vision.
"Mmhmm... didn't you sleep at all?"
"Not a wink, yet. But I feel good Mulder- I haven't felt this good in years." She leaned over him, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear before kissing him greedily. "That has everything to do with you."
"Well, I haven't slept that peacefully in years Scully- and that has everything to do with you." He chuckled at the opposite effects of each other affections and basked in her smile. Her face became serious suddenly and she leaned in again for another kiss. This time Mulder sat up, pushing her back into his lap until they sat face to face.
He pressed tiny kisses to her brow, to her eyelids, to her jaw before returning to her rosy lips.
"We complete each other." She whispered against his kiss making him weak with hunger for her.
"Yes Scully. We do." He lowered his partner to the sheets, pulling the garment from her grasp. As he blanketed her slender frame the soft sounds of crying filtered under their door.
"Mulder?"
"I think someone's crying." He pulled back for them both to listen. "I think its Star." Scully pushed up on her elbows and glanced at her partner.
"I should go talk to her. We are, after all, here to solve a crime, not make love at all hours." Mulder couldn't be sure if hearing her say 'make love' turned him on even more or made his heart soar- likely both. He released his hold and she got out of bed.
Scully dressed in her pajamas quickly and slipped into the hallway.
Star sat on the bottom step to the attic stairwell, crying softly into her palms. Scully approached; careful not to startle her.
"Oh. Dana I'm sorry- did I wake you?" Star rubbed at her eyes, wiping tears with her shirt sleeves.
"No, I was awake. I was enjoying the sun rise actually." The older woman smiled. "You have a lovely place here Star."
"I suppose it would appear that way to someone new. But after all these years, I can't see the beauty in it anymore."
"Is that what's upsetting you?" Scully crouched down in front of her. "Or is it something else Star."
"It's a part of it- yes. But there's so much more, so much more." The woman began to cry again and Scully lay a soothing hand to Star's knee.
"C'mon, let's go downstairs. I'll make coffee and you can talk to me while I start cleaning up down there- it must be a disaster." She took Star's hand and led her to stand and they made their way downstairs.
"...So he was given away then, the police took care of him and found him a new home?" Scully's look of concern was genuine as she sat listening to Star's sorrows.
"Yes, Gerry told me that an old friend of his on the force took the baby in himself. I was so relieved. But now, now I just ache at the decisions I've made." She poked a finger at a leftover brownie, all dried up on a platter. "You must find me a very selfish woman Miss Scully."
"No, no I don't. Actually, I find you a very strong woman- you have endured a lot, living here, maintaining this lifestyle and moving on after such a pivotal decision." Scully stood, stretching her back. "Would you like some more coffee."
"Sure. You might as well have more yourself, I have plenty more to tell you if you don't mind listening." She declared. Scully nodded and offered a sympathetic smile.
"So what brought all of this on so suddenly?" Scully asked, resuming her seat at the country-kitchen table.
"Well, it would have been my child's birthday, 29 I think, just last month. That started me thinking about him. Besides, things with Franklin have been unstable for a while now too- I guess it all just piled up. And then there was that boy- Jason Gallway.. When he came to town, everything just went awry."
"Jason Gallway, the murder victim?" The investigator in her suddenly awakened and Scully leaned in a little closer. "What does he have to do in your being upset, if I may ask?"
"Well, he was my son's age, or at least close. When he arrived here, he'd seemed like the perfect candidate to stay on- live here- become a part of our community, you know." She sipped from steamy mug carefully. "But it didn't take long to see what he was doing."
"Which was?"
"Well, he was just here to cause trouble it seemed. He'd steal from people, he stole Gerry's stash at a party once. But it seemed like all he wanted was sex. He went through the women in our town so fast, no one could keep track. Now, very few of our friends here are actually married- but I can assure you that people's partners did not take kindly to a wolf in their beds."
Scully sat back and exhaled, she felt like a reporter digging for the scoop. The information was of good use though, it would certainly help to flesh out the profile on Jason Gallway. "Did he try the same things with you?"
"What, you mean the sex? I suppose he came here looking for that too. I turned him away. Gerry has never believed me on that though, he thinks I was like all the others who took that kid into their beds."
"So Gerry felt like the other men. He thought you'd cheated on him?"
"He still does- we argued about it just last night. How can he think I could do that when all the kid reminded me of was my son?" Scully took Star's hand in hers and gripped it reassuringly.
"I'm sure time will take care of the issue. Gerry obviously still wants you here. If he were really convinced of adultery, I doubt he'd be holding parties and inviting two FBI agents into the house." Star looked up through watery eyes, her expression was flat.
"That's just the thing Dana. He does want me here. But I am more a slave to him than a partner. We have our good days, but mostly I cook and clean, tend the garden. He hasn't treated me like an equal in years. I was going to leave him you know. I was going to dig out my birth certificate and leave my entire identity here behind and return to Canada."
"Wow." It was all Scully could think to say for the moment. "Did Gerry know about your intentions?"
"Yes, he did- only he thought I was going to run away with Jason. He was furious. That's why I've stayed..."
"Because of his anger over the issue?" Scully's confusion was apparent in her furrowed brow.
"I stayed because of two things. I wanted him to come to understand that leaving was my idea and that I'd had nothing to do with the boy. And, I knew, deep down that Gerry would never really let me go."
Scully felt sad for the woman across from her. She was a beautiful, intelligent and capable person- trapped by fear and control. She cleared her throat, "why don't we put this conversation behind us and start off the day. We can talk later- for now, we should get this place tidied up."
"Thank you Dana. Thank you for just listening to me. I haven't had another woman to really talk to in years." Star stood and hugged Scully firmly.
Scully stepped into the living room, expecting to see ground zero. The party had gone on all night and the level of damage was bound to be drastic. But, instead of laying eyes on a wrecked room, she found Mulder stuffing garbage into a bag.
"What are you doing?" she smiled.
"Cleaning. You should have seen this place." His expression was flat as he surveyed his progress but as Scully approached his lips formed an infectious grin. "Good morning Scully."
"Good morning yourself Mulder." She stood on tip toes and placed a quick kiss on his lips and his tongue darted out, tasting the coffee-sweetness of her gift. "I have a lot to tell you about our hosts Mulder. When we're done here, I'd like to get down to the lab for the results of the tox screen, I can tell you what I've learned along the way."
Scully turned on her heel and strode into the hallway, picking up cups and mugs to take to the kitchen.
"Beautiful... so beautiful." Mulder whispered to himself.
Mulder sat in the driver's seat, waiting while Scully went into the clinic to retrieve the results of the toxicological. All the information Scully had related to him about Jason Gallway and the community swilled around in his head, dropping into place as he reviewed what he knew of the deceased.
Scully punched through the doors with a scowl on her face, Mulder smiled at her, attempting to defuse her apparent anger. She got into the car nearly slamming the door.
"What is it?" He asked.
"The tox results. The lab tech said that Gerry Franklin already picked them up. Those documents aren't supposed to be released to anyone but a qualified doctor Mulder, Gerry didn't even sign for them..."
"He just waltzed in here and took the lab results. Didn't anyone question him?"
"Likely not Mulder, the man is considered law enforcement, albeit loosely." She huffed, putting her seatbelt back on.
"Well, let's get back to the house- after what you've told me, Gerry Franklin has just stepped up into prime-suspect position." Mulder put his foot to the gas and took off.
The agents pulled up outside Star and Gerry's large home. The morning sun was still low in the sky as the day had started earlier than most. Scully was already at the front door, toeing off her shoes when she heard a scream from inside.
Mulder darted past her, not stopping to abide the house rules, his gun was drawn at the threshold. Scully kept up behind him as they carefully made their way through the rooms. Another cry tore through them and Scully motioned to the kitchen.
As they blasted through the doors they found Star rolled into a ball on the tiled floor.
"Star." Scully called to her, rushing to her side to check her vitals. She reached her hand into the crook of the woman's neck, seeking a pulse. "She's alive."
Mulder let out a breath of air he'd been holding just as Star began to roll towards Scully.
"It was him..." She muttered. Her face was stained with tears and she was clutching something to her breast. "It was really him..."
Scully pulled the hair from Star's face, exposing sad eyes and a grimace of pure anguish. "Who was it, Star? What happened here?"
Mulder carefully pulled the piece of paper the woman was gripping, freeing it from her fists. He turned to his partner.
"It's a birth certificate. Dated 29 years ago."
"Her son's?"
"Looks like it, her signature is right there." Mulder pointed it out.
"Star, why did you scream? C'mon, you can tell me. Was it about your son Star?" The woman began mumbling something. Her mouth moved quickly but nothing could be distinguished. "Star, we don't understand. Did something happen to your son? Did you get news of him?"
"My son..." she uttered, "...my son is dead."
"How did you learn of this?" Mulder asked, leaning over the two women.
"Gerry. Gerry told me just now." Star whispered. "It was Jason. Jason was my baby boy." The sobs began anew and Scully looked to Mulder openly.
"Mulder, go see if you can find Gerry Franklin. I want to know what he knows."
Mulder nodded, grabbing the birth certificate from the table where he'd placed it.
"Mr. Mulder... Gerry said he was going to see Allison. She's two lanes over from us..."
"I'll call as soon as I track him down Scully." Mulder darted out the back door and ripped up the driveway as the car sped off.
"Shhh. It'll be ok. Let's get you into the living room." Scully helped the woman to her feet and guided her to the sofa in the front room. There, they talked softly as Star related all that Gerry had told her.
Mulder spotted Gerry's truck by the gate of a small house. He grabbed his gun and cell phone off the passenger seat and jogged up to the front door. He knocked. He called out to the woman he'd met in the chapel. He heard nothing in response but the low hum of something electrical.
"This is agent Mulder, I'm coming in." He declared, opening the unlocked door.
From the hallway, Mulder could see clear across the house to the opposite side. He remarked that one could see right out onto the main street from the large window that ran the length of what he thought was the kitchen. As he closed the distanced though, he could plainly see that this was the juice bar that Gerry had mentioned the day prior. Mulder rounded the corner, finding a blender and juicer, both on and unattended.
"Allison?" He called again. Glancing out the window, he saw Gerry Franklin and Allison heading toward the chapel. The woman did not appear to be going willingly.
Mulder ran out into the street and to the chapel door. He could see the two inside. They were arguing, but stood a safe distance from each other. Mulder pulled out his cell phone and dialed Scully.
"Scully." she answered.
"Scully, I found Franklin and the girl, they're in the chapel."
"Keep a close eye on Gerry, Mulder. I think he's responsible for the murder. I found the tox results here- looks like it was poison."
Mulder held the phone away briefly, checking on the pair inside.
"Mulder?"
"Yeah- sorry Scully, just checking in on things. What did the tox results reveal?"
"Arsenic. It was in a large amount of carrot juice that Jason Gallway had consumed."
"How soon can you get here Scully?"
"I'm on foot Mulder, five minutes I think."
Mulder disconnected just as the arguing began to escalate between Allison and Gerry Franklin. Mulder decided to intervene.
"What seems to be the problem here?" He inquired as he stepped into the dark room.
"None of your business agent Mulder, I assure you." Gerry stepped between Mulder and the woman.
"Actually Gerry, this looks exactly like my business. You called me out here to solve a crime and here you are, arguing at the very scene of it- I'd say that's my business wouldn't you?" Mulder took a step closer.
"Back off man. This is between me and Allison." Gerry swatted at the air.
"And now its between all of us." Mulder took a seat in a chair along the aisle. "Care to tell me how you know so much about Jason Gallway?"
Allison's face went white at the mention of the victim's name. She too sat down, a few rows from the FBI agent.
"What I know of that kid is that he was rotten, man. He was a disturbance to our entire community and I'm glad he's gone. In fact I don't want even a trace of him left behind." Gerry looked to Allison and pulled a plastic container from inside his shirt. It was full of something orange. Carrot juice. "Now, Allison here is gonna drink this all down like a good little gal. She needs her vitamins on account of her being pregnant and all. C'mon, be a good girl and take your medicine."
The man lunged forward, grabbing the girl by the back of the head. He held her by the hair and brought the jug to her lips.
"Now you know what happens to sluts like you. You pay for your mistakes." He tipped the container.
"Stop. Gerry Franklin, step away from the girl." Scully's voice pierced the darkness of the room. Gerry looked up once and turned right back to his task. Scully fired and took out the juice container between the suspect and Allison.
Gerry was stunned but not deterred, his large hands quickly closed around the throat of his hopeful victim as he choked her to the ground. Scully let go another shot, clipping the man in the left shoulder. Gerry Franklin dropped to the ground, freeing Allison. Mulder helped her to her feet and sat her down away from her attacker.
"It's over Gerry." Scully rushed to the man she'd shot and cuffed him. Star came to Allison's side and held her close, like a mother.
"We'll be alright. I promise." Star whispered to her friend and the mother of her grandchild. Both women smiled at each other, understanding the new relationship they were about to embark upon.
The flight to DC was riddled with turbulence as they headed toward Washington airport. Scully sat with her head to Mulder's shoulder but went rigid every time the plane lurched. Her partner was reading to her, going over the casefile before they reached home.
All the details were in place. Gerry Franklin had poisoned Jason Gallway after believing the boy had seduced his own mother. He had lost all reason upon learning that Allison Brown was pregnant. He'd used arsenic in the carrot juice to kill the young man and had intended to do the same to the woman were it not for the intervention of the two FBI agents that Gerry Franklin had invited to investigate the crime.
"One thing still puzzles me Scully."
"What's that?" she asked, straightening up in her seat.
"The magna doodle." He scratched his stubbly chin for a moment. "Was Jason Gallway actually drawing a carrot? Could he have been trying to tell us that the juice was poisoned?"
Scully smiled, suppressing a giggle.
"Actually, Allison told me that the image on the magna doodle was pointed in the precise direction of the seat that Gerry Franklin occupied regularly at the chapel. I think he was pointing to his killer."
"But why draw it Scully? Why not just point his own finger in the same direction. Surely it took more of his last energy to draw on the screen than to point his own arm the right way." Scully shrugged.
"Maybe so. Maybe he really was drawing a carrot."
Mulder looked at her with a dubious grin before they both started laughing.
"You know Scully, we don't laugh enough." Mulder stated, his shoulders still shaking.
"Just remember what happened the last time we laughed together like this..." She looked up at him with a challenging glint in her eyes.
"I remember like it was yesterday- wait- it was yesterday..." Mulder looked over his shoulder before leaning down to place a suggestive kiss on Scully's parted lips. "If all our laughing ended with us in bed together, I'd be howling every day Scully."
"Promises, promises..." She whispered, pulling on his collar for more. "You're taking me home Mulder."
"I am." He returned, unquestioningly.
Just then, the plane dropped a few feet and stabilized. Scully drew in a sharp breath before they both began to laugh out loud.
Scully's overnight bag hit the hallway floor with a thud. Mulder gripped her face in both hands as he kissed her back against her front door.
The trip home had been long and painful, not being able to touch each other until they reached the relative privacy of her apartment building. Now they were glued at the lips.
His hands traveled down over her shoulders, her arms and hands. Their fingers laced together mimicking the joining of their bodies. Mulder brought her hands up beside her head, pinning her to the door as he claimed her throat in dangerously passionate kisses. She let out a moan and felt their bodies connect at the hips.
"I want you." He growled. She smiled in return, understanding the same need in herself. She cupped his face in her hands when he finally freed her and pressed her mouth to his. Instead of kissing his, as he'd expected, she whispered.
"Oh you'll have me Mulder."
She then turned away from him, seeking her keys in her coat pocket. Mulder continued to plant kisses in her hair, at the base of her neck- he couldn't stand to not touch her. The door swung wide and Mulder grabbed her face, turning her to him as he kicked their luggage across the threshold. His fingers slipped between her lips and she smiled, sucking them suggestively. They kissed, his fingers still in place, before she turned away again, looking towards the kitchen.
With one of his fingers still between her lips she muttered,
"Tim Tams- oh shit."
"What?" Mulder groaned as his partner whirled around to fully face her living room. The realization struck them both simultaneously- they were not alone.
Sitting on her couch was Maggie Scully and a man that Mulder had never before laid eyes upon.
"Charlie!" Scully yelped as she rushed to him.
Mulder's head sank as he smiled. They would not have tonight alone, Scully would visit with her brother instead.
"Mulder, this is Charlie- my brother Charlie." The words came out like a song. Mulder stepped forward and shook the man's hand. He was handsome, more so than Bill Jr.
"Nice to meet you."
"And you Mr. Mulder, I've heard so much about you- from everyone." Mulder wasn't sure if he should smile or duck, just in case this brother thought the same as Bill did. Something between a grin and a grimace came across his face and everyone laughed but him. "You needn't worry about me. I know my baby sister can handle herself and besides, I know how much she loves you."
Scully swatted her brother's arm. Mulder's eyes softened.
"Hey, blame mom Danes, she's the one who's been telling me that for years." Mulder and Scully both looked to Maggie who stood her ground firmly, smiling.
"I brought you Tim Tams Dana, I was in Australia last week and didn't dare return home without some for you." Charles stepped into the kitchen and passed the package to his sister.
"Thanks Charlie." Scully waited all of two seconds before ripping off the plastic and opening her treat. Mulder watched her carefully, noting the childlike glee she possessed and how it warmed his heart. She kissed her brother's cheek then walked back to Mulder.
"Tim Tam?" she inquired on tip toes. Mulder took a bite of hers and smiled.
"I should go- let you folks visit."
"No- stay, please. We can all visit, together. Besides, there's bound to be lots of laughter..." She winked at him before kissing him again, in front of her brother, her mother and the open box of cookies. He hugged her to him and whispered into her hair.
"I love you Scully."
"Me too, me too..." she answered leading him by the hand to her sofa.
FIN