She was fuming, how dare he disappear on her. Sure, she had become accustomed to his busier work schedule now that they had developed...something, but she never expected him to outright ditch her. Scully paused her thoughts, suddenly feeling that she had no right to act like some jilted girlfriend. They had become close in the month that she spent at his apartment, making him dinners and helping in his recovery process. He was her friend, her best friend in such a short time, if she would allow herself to accept that. Most people were kept an arm's distance from her, afraid of revealing her true emotions. It was easier to shelter them behind her work. If he had been at the hospital to purposely see her, why did he leave without a word?
The note he left was crumpled in her hand as she banged on the door of his apartment for the fourth time. It was a soft, wary knock at first, now becoming more persistent. Remembering she still had the spare key, she fiddled with it in her hands, contemplating on invading his privacy. The key was in the lock, her hand turning the knob before she had another moment to second guess her actions.
It looked just as she had last seen it. There was nothing that screamed that he would just pick up and move. That thought was somewhat reassuring as she tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Making her way to his bedroom, she finally realized that he had after multiple visits to his apartment, she noticed the closet disheveled. He left in a hurry, wherever he was going. The drawers were slightly askew, as if he were escaping. What the hell was happening?
She sat on his couch, at a loss of what to do. Why would he just leave? Their communications had somewhat decreased once he went back to work, but that was to be expected. They always made time for each other, even a short conversation before bed. She thought that meant something, but he hadn't made a move since that first night in his apartment, so she thought maybe not.
Her eyes caught the picture frame that was on his desk, the picture of his sister, Samantha. He wouldn't leave without it, which meant he was coming back. Something new raged inside of her. If he were just leaving for a short while, he could have left more than a note. Was it a case, was it some kind of family emergency? She had no idea, but she knew someone who might.
Scully paced the front lobby of the Hoover building, waiting for her guest. There was something he wasn't telling her, she could sense that much. Her suspicions were only confirmed by the wide-eyed, guilty look on his face as he approached her.
"Come to pay your dues and take me out to lunch Dr. Scully?" Reggie attempted a joke, it usually worked for Mulder. He could tell she was pissed, nothing was going to work on this one. Nothing but answers.
"I came to ask you where your partner disappeared to." Her lips were pursed, arms crossed over her chest in a defensive, demanding stance. Now he was confused.
"He said he was going to see you before he left."
"All I received was a note." She presented Reggie with the crumpled up piece of paper that she had placed in her pocket. This woman would make one hell of an agent, he thought.
"Did something happen?"
"What do you mean?" Reggie sighed, running his hand over his face and through his hair. He didn't know how much he should disclose to her, and what Mulder would kill him for telling.
"He was adamant about telling you in person. He said it was too big to just leave a message if he missed you when he called. Unless something happened, this doesn't make sense."
"Nothing happened, I never even saw him!" She exclaimed, exasperated with this whole thing. "I was in my office, and when I went to leave for lunch, they gave me this note."
"Were you alone?" His interrogation mode was kicking in, something she did not particularly appreciate.
"I was with my friend, I don't see how -" Her words stopped short. She sighed, closing her eyes with a loud groan. She remembered the hurt in Mulder's eyes the first time Josh made an unexpected appearance at the hospital. The assurance she gave him that he was just a friend clearly gone from his mind. "I think I know what happened."
"You've only known Mulder for a short time, but there's a lot of layers to that man. He trusts you to open up about some things, but I can guarantee you he's holding back a lot. Hell, I can tell you there's still things I don't know about him, and we've been partners for years."
"Why did he have to leave so quickly? Did something happen?" Reggie only faltered for a moment, glancing around the crowded lobby filled with agents going to and from their lunch breaks. "Let's take a walk."
He led her far enough away from any prying eyes and ears, not that many people paid him much attention. Mulder had certainly made a name for himself, and most new Reggie by association, though he wasn't nearly as much trouble as his partner. He could see the worried expression that hadn't left her face, not understanding what was going on. He felt for her.
"He's been assigned a case."
"I haven't cleared him for field duty yet."
"It's not really a field assignment." He said vaguely, causing her eyes to narrow. He let out a heavy sigh, knowing this wasn't going to be easy. "Mulder is in undercover." Reggie held up his hand at her beginning protests. "It's not physical, they need him to profile someone."
"I don't understand. He's still recovering. Why him?"
"He was requested, I can't tell you by who. He's not in any danger." He watched as she visibly relaxed. Mulder was usually the profiler between them, but Reggie was really testing his skills here.
"Are you sure?" Her voice was worried so he tried to ease the tension.
"Well, it's Mulder, so he tends to find his own trouble." He paused with the inclination, causing her to smile. "But the case itself is not endangering him in any way."
"How long will he be gone?"
"It's hard to say. These things could take weeks, but it's Mulder, so it could be tomorrow. Just depends on what kind of mindset he's in." Reggie's voice trailed off with the slight accusation. Knowing now that Mulder was walking into this assignment dragging his feet, rather than floating on the cloud he was on earlier in the day, caused him to worry. His partner could be reckless when in a certain mood. "What has he told you about himself?"
Scully was taken back by the question. Was this some kind of test? She couldn't decipher what Reggie was asking exactly. Shifting uncomfortably on her feet, she bit her lip before proceeding with a response. "He's told me about his work with Violent Crimes, he's told me about his divorced parents, his time at Oxford, his ex wife." She paused to gauge his reaction, seeing if he found the answer he was looking for. "He told me about Samantha." Reggie's eyes widened slightly, nodding as she finished her explanation. It took him a year to find out why Mulder was the way he was, and even then, he knew some details were hidden for his own benefit. If his partner trusted this woman with that much information in such a short time, then his heart was broken more than he originally thought. He needed to get in touch with him, soon.
She didn't know what she triggered, but she could tell by the look in Reggie's eyes that she wasn't going to like his next question.
"Would you say he's worth it to stick around for? I mean, he didn't exactly handle the things the way he should have, and he can be an idiot, but I don't want to see him get hurt again." Both of their minds went straight to Diana, there was a mutual understanding that passed between them. She didn't know the extent that he was hurt by her actions, but she could sense that Reggie had to do a lot of looking after Mulder after she left.
"Yes, he's my friend." Reggie nearly rolled his eyes at the familiar words. How could these two both be completely clueless as to how the other felt. "What?"
"Nothing, I've just heard that line before." She frowned slightly, her face falling as she realized he was talking about Mulder. Sure, she couldn't really expect anything more, they hadn't moved into any kind of romantic relationship in their time together. They enjoyed each other's company, and on a few hopeful nights, she thought he might kiss her, but it never became of anything. Maybe she was reading too much into this. Not that there was any fault in their current relationship, she'd rather have him as a friend than nothing at all. It was just on some lonely nights, when she fell asleep curled up on the end of his couch, that she wished they were something more.
Reggie could practically read her thoughts by her facial expressions. Mulder had always said she was on the reserved side when it came to opening up to him, but he felt barriers being broken down as she served him dinner that she made while he recovered. He knew he needed to ease her mind just as much as he did his partner's. "It was a lie when he said it, too."
Her cheeks were flaming, she could practically feel the flush all the way down to her toes. No one had ever called her out on her feelings before, not even her mother who pried into her good mood as of lately.
"Reggie -"
"I don't need an explanation, but you two should really talk." She attempted to suppress her embarrassed grin, hiding her eyes from him. "I'm going to reach out to him the best I can, but you just need to be patient." She huffed out a heavy sigh, almost groaning at the thought. She wanted to fix it now.
"Just, let him know -" She began, questioning what exactly it was that she wanted Mulder to know. "Tell him, I'll be waiting for him when he gets back." Reggie smiled, that's what he was hoping to hear. "And tell him if he damages the wound I closed up, I'll kick his ass." He had to laugh, that was the Dr. Scully he had met. The worried woman standing before him only moments before had been Dana, someone he was also becoming fond of as his friend.
Mulder's mind was on anything other than the boring staff meetings he had to endure. He didn't know how non-field agents did this on a regular day. The only difference was that he was now Michael Williams, bored out of his mind Staff Advisor to Senator Matheson. The good senator was more than happy that Mulder accepted his request, not that he really had a choice in the matter.
"I would also like to welcome a new junior Staff Advisor to the team, Michael Williams." Mulder perked up at his false name, nodding to the room. No one seemed to pay him any extra attention, except for a brunette who he understood to be a secretary to the team. He seemed to have her undivided attention. He mentally scoffed. Any other time, he would be more than happy to play on her silent advances, but he couldn't bring himself to enjoy the pursuit anymore. The only thing that kept replaying in his head was the sound of Scully's laughter echoing down the hospital corridors, due to another man's presence.
"How you settling in?" Matheson asked as they were alone in his office.
"I'm just getting adjusted to everything, thanks." Mulder put his finger up to his lips to signal for them to remain quiet while he swept the office for bugs. His paranoia was really coming in handy. He looked over as much as he could, not finding any in the obvious places, feeling it was safe to talk briefly. "Can never be too sure."
"I appreciate you being here, there's just been too many incidents recently with information leaking." Matheson leaned back in his chair, hands crossed in his lap. "I don't know if you were informed before getting here, but there's also been a death threat."
"How recently?" Mulder's interest was now peaked.
"Just a few days, before I requested your help."
"I'm not cleared for field duty yet, sir."
"I'm hoping it doesn't come to that." Mulder nodded his understanding, leaving the room without another word.
When he arrived at the room in Matheson's residence, where he was being housed, he checked it thoroughly for bugs, knowing he had to make several calls in to Patterson for updates. This was definitely a new detail that he was not aware of.
"Patterson."
"It's Mulder."
"A little early for a break in the case, Mulder. Even for you."
"Were you aware of the death threats that Matheson received?" He asked through gritted teeth. He already knew the answer.
"It may have been mentioned." Mulder would have thrown his phone across the room if he didn't think it would give Patterson some sort of satisfaction.
"You know I'm not cleared for field duty, why the hell would you put me on this case?"
"Agent Mulder, I'm going to need you to contain your temper. You were requested, and I was assured that no further actions had been taken. Call me when you have an update. Oh, and call your partner." The click on the line caused Mulder's rage to build. What the hell was Patterson thinking? He took a few deep breaths before calling Reggie.
"How did you manage to piss of Patterson, it's only been a day." He didn't bother with the pleasantries of a 'hello,' he could tell from the yelling in the other office who was calling.
"It's good to know you missed me, too." Mulder grumbled into the phone. "Why am I calling you?"
"Well, first, because you're an ass."
"You couldn't wait until I got back to tell me that?"
"And second, because the love doctor came to visit me today. You really did it this time, buddy." Mulder was floored by what he was hearing. Scully had come after him, wanting answers for the pathetic note he left in his wake. He wanted to take it back as soon as he walked out of the hospital, but he couldn't risk seeing her with that guy. She had assured him before that they were only friends, but then, that's all they were as well. There were many nights that she spent snuggled next to him on his couch, looking comfortable in his company. He wanted to kiss her, losing every ounce of courage he had ever built up when it came to her. His relationships never ended in anything other than disasters, and he couldn't chance that with this one. She deserved more than what he could give her.
"Wh - uh, what did she say?"
"She wanted to know why you ditched her."
"I didn't ditch her, she was just...busy. I left a note." Mulder grumbled, knowing what his excuse sounded like.
"Yeah, I read that, too. What the hell happened?" He sighed, not really wanting to get into this with Reggie. If he was going to argue about it with anyone, it would be the woman in question.
"It's a long story, and I was an idiot." Mulder scoffed. "Maybe not as long of a story as I thought." He was thankful for the knock at his door, needing any kind of distraction. It didn't occur to him that he should be more cautious opening his door. His eyes widened as he saw the brunette from the meeting. Her name escaping him as he wasn't really paying attention to the introductions in the first place. "I'm going to have to call you back."
"Before you go, she told me to tell you that if you mess up her handiwork, she'll kick your ass." Mulder smiled into his phone, a silent apology to the woman standing at his door. She shook her head, letting him finish his call.
"Yeah, I'll uh - talk to you later." He hung up quickly, not wanting to divulge too much information that would lead to questions about himself. "Sorry about that."
"No worries, I was just coming by to introduce myself. We didn't meet properly earlier, I'm Angela." She held out her hand as he took the offered gesture. He could tell that she was trying way too hard, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable as she smiled at him almost sinsterly.
"It's nice to meet you Angela. I'm Michael."
"Oh, I know who you are. Matheson raved about you before the meeting, I was very eager to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine." He smiled a friendly, tight-lipped smile, desperately hoping she would leave. He wasn't really up for the small talk that she seemed intent on creating.
He listened and nodded mindlessly as she rattled on about the odds and ends of the office. She explained what they were currently working on, a fundraiser with the local Naval base. Matheson being former Navy himself, it came as no surprise to Mulder. His thoughts wandered off to Reggie's phone call. He smiled to himself, knowing that his little redhead cared enough to come after him when he ultimately ditched her. There would be a lot of apologizing once he was done with the case, if he were ever done.
Matheson had a large staff, all working different avenues of his office. Mulder's primary assignment was to find the person leaking information to other offices to bring down Matheson's chances of reelection. His primary focus were the interns and administrative office staff, the people who had the least to lose and the most to gain. Mulder attempted to create a profile on his way to the residence, but kept coming up empty without meeting the people in question.
"You'll be there, right?" Angela's question brought him back from his thoughts.
"I'm sorry?" He gave her a sheepish smile, her knowing look made him feel guilty.
"The fundraiser, it's next weekend, you'll be attending I assume."
"Oh, I hadn't thought much about it. I assumed all the seats were already reserved."
"They are, but we always save a few extra seats." She moved closer to him, smiling up through her lashes. "Or, you could be my date."
He didn't want to agree, but figured this would be his best way into that office. They were all his prime suspects, including the younger woman standing before him with cheap lipstick covering her mouth.
"Sure." He nodded, then excusing himself for the evening to 'settle in.' Thankfully for Mulder, she took the hint and left him alone for the night. He sighed, leaning heavily against the door, the exhaustion overcoming him.
Mulder tossed and turned that evening, the unresolved issue with Scully haunting his mind. He didn't want to chance making any more personal calls, but he desperately needed to speak with her. Capturing his bottom lip between his index finger and thumb in thought, he picked up the phone. Better judgement and rule abiding were never his strong suits.
As the phone rang, he felt guilty when he realized it was nearly 2:00 am. It wouldn't be the first time he called her in the middle of the night because he couldn't sleep. Making his complaints was what ultimately led her to casually fall asleep on his couch at his apartment more often, even if she didn't want to admit it.
"Mm 'ello?" Her voice was husky with sleep. She half consciously answered the incessantly ringing phone without a second thought.
He was silent for a moment, unsure if he should just hang up. He didn't have much energy for a fight, but he wanted to hear her voice. "Scully…"
She furrowed her brow before the recognition of his voice kicked in. That, and he's the only one who called her that. She sat up in bed, more alert than she was waking from a deep sleep.
"Mulder, what -"
"I can't talk long, I just...I wanted to say that I'm sorry." He heard her sigh, unable to detect whether that was a good or bad thing.
"I talked to Reggie, I know why you had to leave."
"I know, I spoke with him a while ago."
"Did he tell you that if you open your wound, I'll kick your ass?" Her voice was teasing and he relaxed. She wasn't angry, which is what he feared. He was used to rejection in his past, but hers would destroy him.
"He mentioned that." He said with a light chuckle. She smiled into the phone, unable to be angry with him, as frustrating as he was.
"Good." She huffed jokingly. They were both silent again. "Mulder, I know when you came to the hospital that I was with Josh, but I -"
"No, it's okay. I jumped to conclusions, and overreacted, and I really had no right to treat you the way I did." He blurted out before she gave him an unnecessary apology. Her smile grew at his flustered words. There was a wordless agreement that passed between them, they were okay.
"How long are you gone for?"
"I wish I knew." He let out a resigned sigh, knowing he had to cut his phone conversation shorter than he would have liked. There were employees everywhere, and everyone was a suspect. He was supposed to be unmarried, unattached, and long phone conversations in the middle of the night would make people wonder. "I do have to go soon though."
"I'm glad you called."
"I am, too. I'll try to sneak a phone call out sometime later this week."
"It's a date." She said confidently, hearing a small gasp on his end. She knew she had him. "Good night, Mulder."
"Night." Was all he managed to get out, the grin plastered on his face only growing. This woman was doing things to him, and he was enjoying every minute of it.
Mulder had been surveilling the office for a week, turning up nothing. Matheson was becoming frustrated, which he understood. He himself was starting to feel hopeless. They were pulling out all the stops as far as security went for the fundraiser that evening, Mulder having a hunch that whoever was behind this, was going to make a bigger display when there was esteemed company present.
The banquet hall would shortly be filled with Naval Officers, other Congressmen and political figures, and D.C.'s socialites who just wanted to buy a seat to be in good company. Mulder had been provided a list of the attendees, but hadn't bothered to glance through the hundreds of names. He knew that whoever was doing this, was working closely in the office.
The information being leaked was about Matheson's past and contradicting stances on certain laws from his college and Navy years, to now. With as much press that would be there, they were taking every precaution. Mulder assured Matheson that the suspect wasn't physically threatening, but could do some damage to his future campaigns.
He stood in front of the mirror in his room, sighing at the monkey suit that he dreaded wearing. His childhood took him to enough formal events, that when he had the option to go, he always chose against the idea. The fact that he had a date with a woman who he knew would be putting forth every effort she had, did not raise his spirits. Luckily, she had agreed to meet him there.
As he arrived, Matheson had introduced him to a few fellow senators of neighboring areas, Mulder shaking their hands with causal pleasantries. His date spotted him from across the room, making a beeline in his direction. He excused himself before having to make the awkward introductions there as well.
"Well, you clean up nice." Angela flashed him a flirtatious grin and he already dreaded the rest of the evening.
"You look lovely." He gave her a forced smile, remembering that her office held the primary suspects.
She led him to the group that she had been chatting with prior to his arrival. It was filled with temps and interns, a few clerical staffers and other secretaries. He was bored out of his mind, desperately trying to maintain his willpower to do his job and profile each of them. They seemed like runts, none of them manipulative enough to pull off anything as intricate as the leaks have been.
"There's a lot of different people here." One of them spoke up, his name was Luke, if he remembered correctly.
"Yeah, lots of military types and the big deals in politics." Another chimed in, the conversation seeming endless to Mulder as he excused himself to get another drink at the bar.
There was a line at the bar, no doubt others who were just as bored out of their mind as he was, looking for the easiest escape. He was hit on by a few already buzzed wives of men in the room, gently declining their advances. If he could sneak out and leave, he would.
"What are you drinking tonight, Dana?" Mulder's head perked up at the name, looking towards the end of the bar and seeing nothing but a sea of people. He couldn't make out who was talking, he couldn't see anything.
"Just wine, please." He then used his height to look over the group as much as he could, he knew that voice, could easily pick it out of a crowd. It's the same voice that occupied his dreams.
"I never had a moment to thank you for bringing me tonight."
"I'm sorry it was so last minute, I wasn't even sure I wanted to come, but my parents insisted."
"Well, I'm glad I had the opportunity to see you in that dress." Mulder nearly groaned in frustration, he wanted to see her in whatever was stealing the attention of not only her date, but a few others around them.
The bartender had to nearly shout at Mulder to take his drink, his mind clearly elsewhere. He mentally chastised himself, he should have reviewed the guest list. He briskly made his way through the crowd, finding himself closer to the sound of her voice. He hadn't had a chance to call her again, and this was too good to be true. Mulder stopped short at the sight of her 'date' for the evening. She had told him, time and again, that they were just friends, but they seemed awfully chummy standing closely together. Josh was leaning in, speaking close so that only she could hear, whatever he was saying had the magic to make her laugh.
Before he had a chance to escape, Josh looked up quizzically at the man who was awkwardly staring at the pair. She turned to see what had caught his attention, her eyes widening at seeing him in what felt like forever. Scully stepped forward to hug him, his name on her lips with only the sound 'M' escaping before he slightly shook his head. They seemed to both remember that he was supposed to be undercover at the same time.
"Dana?" Josh came up next to her, his hand resting almost posessively on her elbow.
"I'm sorry, this is, uh -"
"Michael Williams, it's nice to meet you." Mulder held out his hand pleasantly, even though he had every urge to make his hand a fist and deck the guy for no reason other than jealousy. Not that he would ever admit that.
"I know Michael from...a friend." She explained vaguely, feeling caught in every sense of the word.
"Nice to meet you, too." Josh shook the offered hand, sizing him up. Scully wanted to roll her eyes at both of them. "We should take our seats." He began to lead her away, a moment of panic and resistance taking over.
"Actually, I'll be right there." She smiled at him reassuringly, the dismissal clear. He simply nodded, wandering off to find her parents. "What are you doing here?" She whispered and he found it absolutely adorable, like they were in some covert operation. Well, he technically was.
"The person I'm working for, is hosting the event tonight." He said broadly enough for anyone around them eavesdropping. After the shock of seeing her wore off, he noticed what she was wearing. It was a fitted, floor length gown in a deep blue that contrasted her skin and brought out her eyes. It was cut straight across with thin straps barely holding up the bodice. The cleavage, that he could clearly see with a nice height difference, was what made him catch his breath. She blushed under his gaze, attempting to hide her smirk. "Wow."
"Wow yourself." She stepped closer, and he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her. He had deprived himself for too long.
Before either of them could say another word, Angela was by his side, slipping her arm through his bent elbow of the arm that held his drink. Scully's entire demeanor completely changed, seeing this woman hanging off him. She straightened her back, jutting out her chin confidently and defiantly. Her lips were pursed, eyebrow raised, and Mulder immediately knew she was not amused.
"Michael, we should take our seats, the speeches are going to start soon." Angela attempted to say in a sultry tone, though to Mulder, it only sounded drunk. Scully downed her wine glass, signaling to the bartender for another. She was suddenly very thankful for the open bar.
"Don't let me stop you." She gave him a tight-lipped, fake smile. He could see the hurt and fury burning in her eyes. He needed to do something.
"I'll be right there, Angela." She didn't like being excused so easily, cuddling up to him more as Scully seethed, crossing her arms with her new wine glass in hand. "Please."
"Fine." She left with a huff, knowing he didn't really want to be there with her.
"Scully."
"I'm sorry I interrupted your date." She knew she was overreacting, but with everything that had happened, the emotions were raw. He followed her back towards her table, pleading with her to stop and listen.
"I'm sorry."
"You seem to be sorry a lot." She turned, startling him as he nearly ran into her. She was small, but definitely should not be messed with. "I just thought that you'd be a little more professional while on a case."
He panicked, he couldn't explain to her his entire method to his madness with only a few seconds of explanation that she would allow. His shoulders slumped in defeat, the announcements being made on stage for people to please find their seats. "I'm sorry."
It was all he could say, desperately wanting to grab her by her shoulders and knock some sense into her. He wanted to kiss her, hold her, and tell her that she definitely had nothing to worry about and that he was just doing his job.
The speeches dragged on, Mulder glancing every so often towards Scully once he figured out where she was sitting. Josh was beside her, her mother on her other side and her father beside her mother. He was thankful that his state of mind wasn't completely obscured by her presence that he followed her back to her table. Her parents definitely would have blown his cover unknowingly. He shrugged his shoulder, trying to keep Angela's advances at bay. She was constantly rubbing up against him in the pretext of having another mindless comment about the speakers.
A movement caught his eye, seeing Scully excuse herself to the restroom. He practically jolted out of his seat, making his way to follow her and ignoring the glares from his date. He had to slow his stride as he heard her on the phone in the hallway, trying not to eavesdrop, but not really having anywhere else to go if he wanted to talk to her.
"Now? I'm not on call tonight." She sighed, listening to the other end of her conversation. "I can be there in maybe an hour." Hanging up with a huff, she turned to see Mulder standing off the side, sheepishly digging his toes into the carpet.
"I just wanted to talk to you." He mumbled, afraid to look up and see her expression. He was anticipating anger, maybe a little jealousy if he was hopeful enough. The intrigue in her eyes was something he was not expecting. He could work with that. "Look, it's not what it looks like, with Angela."
"Mulder, I don't care what you do in your free time, I just thought -"
"I'm still working, actually." He could hear someone coming around the corner, looking around quickly for somewhere to go. He grabbed her hand, pulling her into a narrow, dark space on the other side of the restrooms. Before she could ask what the hell he thought he was doing, he placed his index finger against her lips to signal for her to remain quiet.
They were a tight fit in the small hallway space, he could feel her breathing as her chest rose and fell in cadence against his. Her breath was on his hand as he kept his finger in contact with her lips, and tried desperately not to look down at the cleavage that was so prominently there. He peeked his head around the corner to see Angela standing there as if she were waiting for him. Mentally chastising himself, he wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this one. He couldn't keep Scully here forever, as much as he wanted to in this position.
"What the hell took you so long?" Angela's voice seethed as her guest met her. Mulder's intuition was on high alert as he listened in to their conversation.
"I've been breaking a story, but not on Matheson. We've got better intel on Smith, so we're running the story on him instead."
"You promised me the front column, this was supposed to be my break!" Angela was clearly agitated, whatever was happening was not in her favor.
"You've been giving us basic information, at best. Look, we just went in a different direction. If you still want a job, you've got it, but you're not getting the cover story." The man walked away with the shrug of his shoulders, leaving Angela standing there in shock. She finally stalked off back to the table, forgetting that Mulder even existed, at least he hoped.
"You might just be my good luck charm." He whispered, smiling down at her. His hand lingered on her cheek, gently grazing his fingers along her soft skin.
"Mind filling me in on what the hell is going on?" Her heart was racing, she could barely choke out the words. Damn him for having this effect on her.
"I think I just cracked my case." He grinned at her, not moving from their close confinements.
"I need to get back to my seat." She finally regained composure, pushing herself away from him as much as she could. When he didn't object, she exited the small hallway that they shoved themselves in, leaving him standing there with his thoughts. It was not a safe place to be.
"Scully, wait." It took him a few seconds to sulk and remember that he messed this up in the first place. "I need to explain."
"No, you don't. I can't do this right now. I need to be at the hospital, they need the assistance." She watched as his face fell, the mixed emotions surging through her. She was still trying to shake the feel of her body pressed against his. "I'll call you later? We'll talk."
"Really?" He looked like a kid in a candy store and she wanted to laugh. She had just given him a golden ticket, and the thought that he was that excited to talk to her made her heart leap.
"I promise." She smiled at him, before turning to return to her seat. She sighed, her shoulders sagging as another thought jumped in her mind. "I'm going to miss my Father's recognition."
"He's being honored tonight?" Mulder had moved closer to her, cautiously resting a hand on her shoulder. He was wary of how welcome his touch would be, but when she leaned slightly into him, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yeah, but it's okay." She shrugged, stepping away from him. Her head turned slightly to face him. "Thank you."
Once Mulder made it back to his seat, he was relieved to find that Angela had left with the excuse of not feeling well. He imagined she was trying to salvage her career before they both went up in flames. Getting a moment alone with Matheson was a little trickier, considering he was the man of the hour, hosting the event.
Scully stood to leave, he could see the apology to her parents being given from where he sat, a pang of jealousy as Josh escorted her out. He told himself that they were just friends, but the image in his mind didn't help his reassurances. He was just glad this stupid case was over.
As he watched her disappear from his vision, another thought popped into his mind. He knew he had a big apology to make, he was hoping this would help pave the way. Mulder was friendly with the videography crew of the evening, asking if they could record her father's recognition. They didn't budge until he pulled out a few bills, a price he would willingly pay double the amount. The results would hopefully be worth it.
"Evening, Gentlemen." Mulder interrupted a small group in which Matheson was chatting with. He was going to speak with him after the speeches, but Scully's father was one of the men he was conversing with, and this case wasn't officially over. "Mind if I steal the good Senator?"
"What's going on, any insight?" Matheson kept his voice low, smiling at any onlookers.
"I believe your rat is Angela. I overheard her talking with some guy about being promised a front page article. I think her cover for being here was just to collect intel, and write a story to get her big break." Mulder explained.
"Angela, the secretary? She seemed harmless."
"Sometimes it's the ones you least expect."
"Well, I guess that's that then. I'll interview some people in the office tomorrow, see if they had any idea. Do you know the man she was speaking with?"
"No, but my guess is that he works for a paper. I can do some research and see if he pops up anywhere."
"I'd appreciate it." Matheson smiled and waved as someone acknowledged him. "I guess your work here is done. I appreciate the favor, Mulder."
"It was my pleasure, Sir. I'll keep doing some investigating once I get back to the office, let you know what I figure out." Mulder shook the man's hand, both nodding their pleasantries.
He made his way to find the video crew, retrieving his tape for Scully, and starting on his apology mission. He didn't want to waste any time getting to the hospital, even knowing she was no doubt busy, otherwise they wouldn't have called her in. His plan was to show up, hand her the tape with another 'I'm sorry' for good measure, and hope for the best.
When he arrived, there was definitely commotion surrounding him, people buzzing by with patients and gurneys. Nurses were running to and from every which direction. He thought about the last time he was here, and how disastrous that was. He was going to see her, in person, no matter what.
He snuck by the busy nurses to her small office, plopping down in her chair and waiting. Her dress hung on the back of her door, and he marveled at the images of her tightly fit in the gorgeous ensemble, that were now permanently engraved in his mind. He found trinkets on her desk to play with, things to rummage through in her drawers. He never was good at sitting still.
"How'd you manage to sneak by the nurses?" A voice caused him to startle, fumbling in a flustered state.
"Uh -" He was now very concerned that he had the wrong office.
"I'm Terri, I work with Dr. Scully." She held out her hand which Mulder took to greet this woman. "You were a patient here, right?" She recognized him sitting there through the slightly ajar door. She figured she could get some answers to the questions that Dana came storming in with.
"Yes, but I had a really good doctor." He smirked, causing Terri to chuckle and nod in agreeance.
"Speaking of the good doctor, is this a personal visit, or a follow up?" She pried, and Mulder had to smile.
"This would be a personal visit, I'm just hoping she doesn't throw me out."
"I think you've got some good chances." Terri said with a secretive smile. "Especially since you're still in that suit."
Dana had stormed in, clearly annoyed to be there on her day off, but that wasn't her biggest nuisance. Terri was changing into fresh scrubs just as Dana came in to grab a pair for herself. She huffed and slammed things before groaning and laying her head against the wall. Terri asked if she wanted to talk about it, to which Dana ranted about how confusing this man was, and how she couldn't think clearly when they were pressed together, and how he looked damn good in a suit. She went on to say that she overreacted and was jealous to see a woman hanging all over him, but she would never admit that to him. Terri knew instantly that her friend had fallen for this man, and though he screwed up, she couldn't get him off her mind.
"Oh yeah? Any secrets or advice you'd like to share?" Mulder leaned forward conspiratorially, hoping for any piece of wisdom.
"Not a chance, but I think you'll do fine on your own."
"You clearly don't know me very well." He mumbled, losing hope in his abilities. Terri laughed, making her way back out the door.
"I've heard enough."
Mulder's head popped up with a goofy lopsided grin on his face, wanting her to elaborate more on what that meant. Before he had a moment to process anything, he heard voices just down the hall. He could make them both out, suddenly feeling embarrassed when Terri said something about 'man candy' in her office.
"I don't remember having an appointment." Scully was breathless as she rushed in, already exhausted from the few patients she had. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, small pieces of hair escaping to frame her face. Her face was scrubbed clean of the light makeup she had on earlier, and her scrubs were definitely a contrast to the gown she had on at the fundraiser. She still looked amazing to him.
"I was hoping this would help with the grovelling I plan to do later." He stood and handed her the tape, causing her brow to furrow with the question. "I had them record your dad being honored. I didn't want you to miss it." He shrugged as if it were nothing. She didn't say anything, just clutching the tape tighter in her hands. When she finally looked up, she had unshed tears in her eyes. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her.
"Mulder, thank you." She stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He held her closer to him, wrapping his whole self around her. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling the scent of his cologne. He pressed his lips against the crown of her head in a soft kiss, desperately wishing to do more. "I'm sorry I got mad earlier, I should have let you explain."
"Don't worry about it, Scully."
"I had no right to be angry about anything."
"It seems there are some misconceptions with my intentions here." She looked up at him, still wrapped in his arms. She licked her lips in anticipation, and that was all it took for him to lean down and press his mouth softly to hers.
The kiss was tentative at first, just testing the boundaries. When she sighed into his touch, leaning her whole body into him, he deepened the embrace, probing her mouth with his tongue. He was met with a small flicker against his own, not able to hold back the passion he felt for this woman.
"I've been wanting to do that for a while." He smiled when they finally pulled apart for air. Color rose on her cheeks and she suppressed an almost embarrassed smile. "Especially since I saw you in that dress." He wagged his eyebrows at her, causing her to huff a small chuckle and slap his chest playfully.
"You're not so bad in this tux either." She grabbed onto his lapels, bringing him closer to her again. He kissed her again, chastely this time. It was his new favorite thing to do.
"Does this mean my apology has been accepted." He leered, causing her to roll her eyes.
"No. You still have some work to do, mister." He pouted, causing her to push him away and not look at him, otherwise she wouldn't have resisted. "And so do I." She sighed. "I probably won't be done for another few hours."
"I have some work to do to wrap things up with this case as well. I just really wanted to see you and give you the tape."
"I'm glad you did." She smiled at him as she pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "So does this mean you're no longer undercover?"
"I am a free man." Her eyebrow rose and he had to laugh. He kissed her one last time before leaving her to work.
He made his way down the corridors of the hospital, a smile on her face. He never remembered feeling this content and happy in his life. There were some things that they would need to sort out, but he felt confident in their ability to do so now that there was no question about how they felt.
When he reached the emergency room entrance, people were still bustling around as an ambulance pulled up to the front. It was definitely a busy night. He stood off the the side to stay out of the way until they wheeled the gurney with a man unconscious by him and looked up to see a familiar, frantic woman following close behind.
"Mrs. Scully?"