Disclaimer: The X-Files belong to Chris Carter and Fox, Californication belongs to Tom Kapinos and Showtime. David Duchovny is just the common factor, and more importantly, the inspiration!

A/N: Again, I was pleasantly pleased to find that I had an audience for this fic now that our favorite couple has arrived! Hopefully I stayed as true to the characters as possible when I wrote their first meeting. As much as Scully is annoyed by Hank, she still has to appreciate the man because he looks and speaks almost exactly like Mulder! Haha. I hope you like the third installment!

Ch. 3: Seeing Double

The ex-writer swallowed his panic, reminding himself that it was just Fox. Hank hadn't really insulted him that badly, at least not according to his standards. Still, his cousin looked pretty pissed. So Hank considered himself to be fortunate when Mulder was suddenly consumed by a sneezing attack.

"Achoo! Achoo! ACHOO!"

Mulder tried to cover his nose with his hands but both Hank and Scully could tell that globs of yellow snot were flying everywhere. While Scully rooted around in her purse for a tissue, Hank used this opportune moment to gulp down the rest of his bourbon. By the time Mulder had gotten his mucus problem under control, Hank was hopeful that he'd forgotten the whole thing.

"It's good to see you Fox," said Hank in a falsely cheery voice as he stood up to greet him. "You look a lot different than the last time I saw you."

"And you look like the same asshole as ever," growled Mulder. He'd meant to sound harsh, but his nose was still somewhat stuffed up so it didn't quite have the intimidating effect on Hank that he'd been going for. Hence, Hank's chuckle.

"Mulder!" Scully hissed. "Be nice."

"What did I do to deserve this sort of cold reception?" Hank asked, his face a picture of perfect innocence that Scully tried hard not to find absolutely adorable.

"You just insulted Scully and I in the same sentence!" Mulder exclaimed.

"I don't know what you mean," Hank said smoothly. His cousin glared at him.

"You insulted Scully by assuming that she was automatically sleeping with me because we were travelling together, and you insulted me by assuming that she wouldn't ever want to sleep with me."

"I was kidding!" Hank insisted. Scully raised her eyebrows at him, indicating otherwise.

"Shall we start heading towards the parking garage?" she suggested. "You two can argue as we walk."

"Good idea, Dana," said Hank with a charming grin.

"It's Scully!" Both agents yelled. Mulder looked absolutely furious that Hank dared to call her Dana, a name that he reserved for Scully only on special occasions or during nighttime activities.

"Okay, okay!" Hank backed off, at least for now.

Scully tried to discreetly pick up the bulky suitcase Mulder was toting around, but he wouldn't have it. She could understand his need to act like a macho man in front of his older cousin, but for the love of God, her partner was sick! He had a sore throat, a nose cold, and she also strongly suspected he had a fever. Plus, for all she knew, his nose could be broken. It was just unreal how many ailments Mulder had contracted in just the past few hours. But he didn't believe that any of that got him off the hook where Hank was concerned.

"So, Hank, do you have anything planned for us while we're down here?" Scully asked, trying to clear the air between the newly reunited cousins as they headed towards the exit.

"No, not really," said Hank, making an effort to walk right beside her while poor Mulder lagged behind. "It's really up to you what you do while you're here. I'm just glad that you're here in L.A. because I've been looking forward to your visit ever since you called."

"Cut the crap, Hank," Mulder scoffed. "You haven't been looking forward to our visit. You've never even liked me!"

"Now what gave you that idea?" Hank asked, sounding wounded by that comment. Scully knew better.

"You hated it when my family used to visit when I was a kid," said Mulder. "You once locked me in your closet that was stocked with your fireworks collection, remember?"

"That doesn't sound so bad," said Scully. She'd endured much worse treatments at the hand of her brothers when she'd been younger. Mulder sighed.

"One of the fuses was lit."

"What?" Scully stopped dead in her tracks and whacked Hank with her purse. Hard.

"Owww!" cried Hank, glowering at Scully. "What the hell was that for?"

"That was for what you did to Mulder!" She exploded. "You fueled his terrible phobia of fire! You're lucky I don't have access to my gun right now."

"Scully, did you have to tell him about that?" Mulder whined.

"Fox is afraid of fire? Really?" Hank sounded delighted about it.

"Not anymore," Mulder shot back angrily. "I was forced to overcome my fear when I had to save someone from a fire in the line of duty."

"I didn't know F.B.I. agents were serving as firefighters these days," said Hank without missing a beat.

"Scully," Mulder complained.

"Hank," Scully sighed.

"Fox," Hank whined. Scully just rolled her eyes at them both. Men.

333

Thankfully, it didn't take long before they had left the airport and had found Hank's black convertible in the garage. Hank made a big show of helping Scully with her bag while Mulder struggled to lift his into the trunk.

"Mulder, you look exhausted," Scully fretted, standing on tip-toe to feel his forehead. "I hate to say it, but I think your fever feels worse."

"Why don't you lay down in the back seat, and Scully can sit up front with me?" Hank offered.

"No thank you," Mulder growled. "Scully stays with me."

"Possessive, much?" Hank raised his eyebrows. Mulder was about to deck his cousin when Scully stepped in between them.

"Will you guys stop it?" Mulder had the decency to look ashamed, but Hank just gave her a cheeky smirk. Scully decided she might just deck Hank herself and save Mulder the trouble. "Mulder, get in the back," she ordered. "Hank, I'm sitting with Mulder. Got it?"

"Yes ma'm," they mumbled. Scully and Mulder crawled into the back and situated themselves with his head resting in her lap so that he could be as comfortable as possible. He stared up at her with his sad puppy-dog eyes, looking so miserable from his various ailments that she wanted to kiss him. But, considering their present company, she didn't.

"Mulder, can you breathe through your nose alright?" Scully asked, gently stroking his cheek.

"I think so," said Mulder, still sounding pathetically congested. "Thanks for taking such good care of me, Scully."

"Anytime, Spooky," she grinned. Hank made a gagging sound from the front seat as he pulled out of the parking garage.

"So what's the story with you two?" He asked.

"Well, he's my best friend," Scully began. Now she wasn't so sure if she wanted Hank to know the nature of her relationship with Mulder. But then again, if he knew she was completely committed to Mulder, then perhaps he would leave her alone for the rest of the trip.

"We're partners," Mulder said cautiously, as if that explained everything.

"What the hell does that mean?" Hank wondered. "Does that mean work partners, or partner partners, or are you just friends with benefits?"

"Apparently, Scully, according to Hank, our relationship can be programmed, categorized, or easily referenced," said Mulder. She snorted quietly at that.

"Oh, so it's a relationship!" Hank grinned. "Tell me more."

"I don't think so," Mulder said firmly. "Our relationship is our business, and it's private." Scully squeezed his hand and he squeezed it back.

"I'm all for that - that's why you two have the foldout couch, and my room is on the opposite side of the house," said Hank, nodding. "So, tell me, Dana, what do you see in a guy like Fox?" This time, Scully didn't bother wasting the energy correcting him about what she'd prefer to be called.

"It's really hard to explain it," said Scully, all the while gently running her fingers through her lover's dark hair, trying her best to soothe him. "Like all of us he has his faults, but I know that deep down, Mulder has a good heart. Also, I know he deeply cares about me."

"Really," said Hank, not convinced.

"Yes, really," said Scully. "Once he went to all the way to Antarctica just to save me!"

"Antarctica?" Hank wondered if he'd underestimated his cousin a bit as he merged onto the freeway. "Yeah, nothing says 'I love you' like a rescue mission to the South Pole."

"Not only that, Mulder has a unique sense of humor that I've come to appreciate over the years," said Scully, pretending that she hadn't heard his somewhat witty interruption.

"Yeah, he has a unique fashion sense too," said Hank under his breath, causing Mulder to wonder if he'd made a mistake by wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt to travel to California in.

"He's also fiercely loyal, insanely intelligent, and I doubt if there's a person in this world I could trust more than Mulder," Scully finished, gazing at him with a deep devotion Hank had rarely seen in the eyes of a woman.

"And he's not bad to look at," Hank added. "Eh? Am I right?" Shit. Scully knew exactly where this was going.

"I didn't choose to spend the rest of my life with Mulder just because of his looks," sighed Scully, exasperated with Hank. "Where's the practicality in that? No, I needed someone who could truly connect with me, and I found that in my partner. Mulder gets me, and I get him; it's as simple as that."

"That's all fine and good, but aren't you physically attracted to him at least a little bit?" Hank pried.

"Well, yes," Scully admitted. How could she not be? "But it's mostly his personality that I-"

"Do you think I look like Fox?" Hank pressed her to answer. Not knowing what would be the best answer to give for that question, Scully hemmed and hawed a little. It wouldn't do for Mulder to find out just how attractive she really found Hank to be, even if it was only because he reminded her of Mulder.

"I, uh… I guess you do," admitted Scully. "You two do look very similar." Hank smirked again.

"How similar?" Scully glanced down at Mulder again, but he had appeared to have fallen asleep.

"Besides the obvious? Oddly, you two have a couple of the same mannerisms," said Scully.

"Like what?" Hank demanded to know. "Give me an example."

"Like quickly flicking your tongue in and out of your mouth at the most inopportune of times," said Scully with a blush.

"Scully!" Mulder groaned. Yikes! She hadn't known he was still awake. Hank gave Mulder a triumphant smile in the rear view mirror, which irked the agent to no end.

"Mulder, I have to admit that he bears a strong physical resemblance to you," she said patiently.

"Only because I'm his cousin," Mulder mumbled. And then he really did fall asleep, leaving Scully to talk by herself with their gracious host Hank.

End Ch. 3.

A/N: So they haven't even made it to Hank's house yet. But it should be interesting to see what this fic turns into! I have some ideas, but nothing is set in stone. Let me know if you have any suggestions or comments! Thanks.

:Edit:

A/N: In light of recent news, I'm putting this story on hiatus for about a week. Then I'll start updating again.