Chapter 15: Confession.
Mulder and Scully headed back to the Bureau in silence. Scully was busy jotting down notes while Mulder drove. It was their usual way and yet for the first time Scully was uneasy. They stopped, parked in their usual place, and began heading into the building before Scully spoke. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the way they arrived or what they had done while out on their investigation, but something had changed in the case, and it had shaken Scully right to the core.
"That guy really spooked me Mulder," Scully whispered as they stepped into the empty elevator and the door closed behind them. "I don't know why, I was fine when I first saw him, but as soon as he shook my hand I got a crazy uncomfortable vibe."
"He seems completely guilty to me, we just have to find a way to prove it." Mulder said nonchalantly. "We should have taken him into custody though; I have a feeling he's going to bolt. We could still organize surveillance on him but, I don't think he's going to be at the porn shop anymore."
"That's not what I mean, Mulder," Scully said looking at her feet. "It was only and hand shake, but I feel like I was attacked."
"What, what's wrong?" he asked looking at her now and noticing the blush on her cheeks and the worry in her eyes. He could have sworn that she was near tears.
"It was like staring at Pfaster and not being able to do anything," Scully whispered, "or like looking at Toombs and knowing he was something out of a science fiction story. There is just something not right about that Max kid and I felt it."
"What brought this on?" Mulder asked looking at her now with more compassion.
"From the moment he shook my hand, Mulder, I was uncomfortable." Scully confessed.
Mulder paused for a moment, watching her and reading her, and becoming more concerned with every passing moment. This wasn't like his Scully; she was never leery like this, not with her skills. She was confident, independent and completely in control, but in that moment she was scared and it was in every aspect of her character. She usually ran head first into any danger that faced them, but this was concern, this was anxiety, and most of all there was hesitation in her looks and her manners.
"You want me to stay with you tonight?" he asked as the door to the elevator opened and they stepped out into the hall of the forensics floor.
"Would you mind?" she asked. "I'll make dinner."
"We have to wait for these lab results anyways," Mulder smirked, "we may as well call it an early night. I haven't actually slept in two days."
"Thank you," Scully tried to smile but Mulder could see that her uneasiness was getting the better of her.
With their work at an end for the day, Mulder escorted Scully back to his car and drove swiftly through the streets. She hadn't been made easy since they had been in the porn shop and he began to worry, but with the prospect of being at home, she soon began to calm herself down.