I've decide to continue the story, it will involve a case but my focus is on Scully and Mulder's relationship. Please review, the only way I'll know if it sucks.

Scully, Mulder and the X-Files belongs to Chris Carter.

Don't Give Up

Chapter two

FBI Headquarter

Washington DC

April 20th 2008

Exactly one hour later they re-entered their basement office, the first thing to catch Scully's eyes was the well-known poster, which had followed Mulder since the beginning of his X-Files career. The second thing, however, erased the smile on her lips, Phoebe Green hadn't vanished, it appeared.

Sitting casually on Mulder's desk with her legs swinging slightly, she begged for attention. The short skirt had moved upward from all the swinging, now, exposing more leg than most women liked to show, Inspector Green seemed uncaring; her focus solely on Mulder.

Scully ran her eyes over Detective Green's features in a swift movement, turning her eyes to the left side, she met Mulder's amused ones. He was tipping from one foot to another. She wasn't amused, not at all.

"Well Phoebe, care to jump down from my desk and share the details of your visit with us?" Turning away from Phoebe, he headed for the hall stand, "you want me to take your coat, Sully?"

"No, no thanks" Blinking her eyes rapidly a few times, she followed him to the hall stand. Twisting out of her coat she sighed, working with Phoebe would test her patience, last time their ways had crossed Mulder's life had been endangered by this woman. She had sent him into fire knowing how he feared it.

Turning around Scully saw Mulder sitting on her desk, his own chair now occupied by Phoebe, nodding his head towards her chair, he silently asked her to join him. Taking a deep breath, she did as asked, pushing his legs aside to make room for her, "do you mind, Mulder" she asked.

"Nah" stressing the word with a shrugging of his shoulders, he didn't move a bit, "are you expecting me to sit between your legs, or will you separate yourself from the chair and pushed it out to me?" She hissed.

"Agent Scully! What are you suggesting?" When she just frowned at him, he continued, "you do know we are not alone, don't you?"

"Mulder, move your damn legs for heaven's sake!" With a smirk he obeyed, moving just enough to make room for her, his legs touched hers when she finally sat down. Sighing, she gave up; it would be a waste of energy to make him move any further.

Through it all, Phoebe watched their exchange with deep interest, narrowing her eyes, she studied Agent Scully, the woman was beautiful. Phoebe had to admit that. She wasn't Mulder's type, he preferred brunettes, at least, he had in the past. But something in their interacting told her they were more than work partners, there was an intimacy between them only lovers had, and never had she seen Fox this unguarded and relaxed around anyone before. This time agent Scully wouldn't be as easily ditched as the last time, perhaps the game would be more fun this time.

"Okay Phoebe, what bring you to Washington?" Mulder asked.

"Oh, it's rather delicate, I would say." Smiling directly at Mulder, she paused, "you will love this. A wing of the Holy Mary Rectory in London died last week, all doors and windows were locked from the inside, and no poison was found in their bodies."

"How do we come into the picture? London is a bit off our route?" Scully inquired.

"That's the exciting part, agent Scully. Usually, life in a Rectory is restricted to a schedule of rituals and study, good students follows the rules and nothing bad happens. But I guess a ritual or two went wrong this time." Phoebe laughed.

Taking a quick glaze at Mulder to measure his interest in the case, Scully tiredly covered her eyes behind her right hand, cases involving the Church easily caught her attention, but it seemed to drift with the English detective.

"They said their prayers backwards" She offered and was rewarded with a grin from Mulder.

"Interesting theory but no. Or perhaps you could say yes, our young boys sought answers in other religions, all but two had participated in a sweatlodge a few days prior to their deaths. And it didn't stop there; they would've tried another if they had lived."

"Sweatlodge, Native American. What would good catholic boys be doing there?" Phoebe had caught Mulder's attention.

"I'm asking the same question." Phoebe caught his eyes; he held her glance briefly, before he turned it to Scully. "Maybe God isn't a sharing man"

Scully didn't take the bait, their takes at God and the Church never matched, "Mulder, maybe these boys were just trying to keep an open mind, studying the difference between different religions."

"Or the similarities." He got up from the desk, "but that doesn't explain why you're here Phoebe?"

"The runner of the sweatlodge was American; we've trailed him to South Dakota."

"South Dakota, isn't it the home of the Lakota Indians, Scully?" Glazing at Scully he went to the drawer to look for a case file, not really expecting an answer from her.

"Yes it is" She was interrupted by her cell phone, reaching into her pocket her attention already drifted from him, she pushed the green bottom, "Scully."

Listening for a few seconds before she said, "I'll be right down, thank you"

Getting up from the chair, she placed the cell phone back in her pocket, "If you'll excuse me." Meeting his curious eyes, she smiled.

"Where you're going?" he asked with a case file in his hand.

"To the lab, the test results are ready." None of them were smiling now, both wondering, if they would like the answers they were about to get.

"I'll come with you." Forgotten was the case file in his hand.

"No, I'll be fine. Just finish up here. It's okay, Mulder" Honestly, she wanted to do this alone, to have time to adjust, if the ground disappeared underneath her. Handling her own pain and his at the same time would be beyond her strength.

"Okay." He seemed unsure, "it will be okay." She reassured him.