Chapter 1
Dana Scully's apartment, Georgetown, October 8, 1997
The call came at 3 am and I grunted to pick up the phone. There were only 2 people in the world who would wake me at that ungodly hour. My A.D. would call with information about a new case that needs immediate attention. And the other one would be Mulder sometimes calling for the same purpose but also, oh yes, he'd call because of one of his nightmares, needing me to calm down his ragging mind. So I picked up and was surprised to hear both men's voices. That must be really urgent. So I tried to wake up faster.
"Scully, I am very sorry to disturb you at this early hour but how fast can you be in my office?" Skinner asked.
"In about 45 min. An hour if I need to pack." I said with my sleep-roughed voice. Oh god, this can't be good. With annoyance I asked "Mulder, what is this about?"
Skinner answered before he could say anything. "Get here as fast as you can, pack for 5 days for warmer weather. I will explain everything when you get here. Mulder doesn't know either, he only was still in the building. That's why he is here earlier then you. Does he sleep at all?" He was so much in work mode that he didn't let Mulder answer and ended the call, but I could slightly hear Mulder's grunt in the background about Skinner's comment.
Smiling a bit about that to myself, I hit the shower. Thankfully, I always have a suitcase packed. Just in case. I learned that quickly throughout the last 4 years. But this time Skinner said warmer weather. So I only packed two skirt suits and more casual, comfortable clothes, but also added 2 sundresses, sunglasses, sunscreen and my little bathing suit. I didn't know if I would need it, but with Mulder you'll never know.
Mulder!
Why was he still in the Hoover Building? When I left him, he said he wanted to close up soon and also get some sleep. After the tiering and painful ordeal he went through in Russia, I thought that he would be able to get some sleep. Maybe he was anxious to fall asleep and have the pictures in his dreams again. All the horrible things he told me about. The black oil, the prison he was in, Krycek and the people chasing him. I listened carefully and concerned, ending with me having nightmares as well.
I can't stand that he is hurting. I am hurting, too.
To relieve that ache, I tried to comfort him more, touched him more, embraced him more and spend more of the off-hours with him. At first, I thought he didn't even recognize the change, till I realized that he reciprocated. We both fell into a new rhythm with each other and I caught myself missing him dearly when we were apart. Especially in the nights when I lay alone in my empty cold bed, I missed him so much. Funny, because he never spend a night with me.
The worst about my misery is the constant replay of the memory of him. He was moving into the room of that hearing, smiling at me. Once catching his eyes, his gaze stayed transfixed on mine. God, those hazel-green depths of his. He doesn't know what he does to me, when he looked at me with this warmth. But I wasn't allowed to touch him in that moment and it took all of my strength not to fall at his feet and thank God he was save. First I had had to end the hearing and his appearance there saved us both.
When he embraced me so lovingly after the hearing, I could only think two things: first, that I am the happiest person having him back save and sound. And the second, I wanted to kiss him, hold him and having my way with him. If we hadn't been with so many people around us and with Skinner, I would have done just that, for sure. The long separation in the highest danger made my feelings for him come up to the surface. I was so worried about him, that one lonely night in that cell made me swear to myself not to deny anything anymore.
But standing right in front of me made me chicken out. I was so overwhelmed that I didn't know how to act around him. So I settled myself to swell in his presence first and then figure out a way to approach this.
Since then, it was so hard to keep up my concentration being in his proximity. Something shifted between us. He also felt it and exuded it in waves when I stood or sat close by which didn't help things at all. He also started looking at me in a way that sent heavy shivers down my spine. Moreover, his voice dropped and got that raspy tone. Boy! That makes me lose my mind and my clear reasoning immediately.
Now I am looking into my suitcase and thought that getting with him into warmer weather will be unbearable. I am definitely in trouble here! He gets so playful in warmer weather, making me light-headed even before Tunguska. God, I have to keep my feelings at bay! Our work is too important and when Skinner calls us both in the middle of the night, something has got to give.
So I tried to shake those feelings and hurried myself to drive to the Hoover. Clad in blue jeans, a white light sweater with three buttons undone at the top, showing more curves and cleavage than usual under my thick coat, I headed out of the door with a wicked smile on my face.
In Skinner's office.
I opened the door after knocking and once more butterflies creeping up in my stomach when his warm smile and appreciating eyes hit me. I tried not to blush, but failed miserably. God, he was so gorgeous in his blue rumpled suit, tie askew and his five-o'clock-shadow. I didn't even recognize Skinner, when he said "Good morning". I just smiled and mumbled "Morning" without being able to draw my eyes from my partner.
"Agent Scully, take a seat." Skinner said and made me startle slightly. BUSTED! Oh crab. Now I was blushing.
I bent my head to stop Skinner detecting my reaction to Mulder. Mulder sat wordlessly but smirking in his respectable seat in front of Skinner's desk. I exhaled to calm myself, sat down and tried to lose the color on my cheeks a bit. Finally, I looked up at our boss.
"Thank you for being here at this ungodly hour, but I just received an unusual call from a friend of mine in the Italian Secret Service. It is hard to explain, because I cannot even believe it myself. For two weeks now, there have been 10 unexplainable deaths in a row. The victims vary in age, gender and social background. He told me there is only one link between all the victims, which are round huge bitemarks on their lower backs or abdomen, depending on where they have been attacked. Those bite marks can be seen on that photo here."
He handed us the picture and we both stared at it and recognizing those very typical bitemarks immediately. We locked eyes and simultaneously said "Flukman?". Skinner just nodded and said, "I knew you would love to investigate that phenomenon. I already told my friend Enzo Fabrini that I would sent my best qualified team. I know this is unusual for FBI agents to be sent abroad to investigate a case, but this is so unique that I thought it appropriate. However, I really am spooked by the intensified spread of the victims all over Rome. It is even more unusual then last time. I don't know how this investigation goes, but I hope you can catch it again to do some research on that phenomenon."
Mulder looked at Skinner and asked "How does your plan for that investigation look like?"
"Well, you will meet Enzo at the airport and he will show you around and take you to your hotel. Because there is a conference in Rome, nearly all the places were booked, so we were forced to set you in the Waldorf Astoria. I am also embarrassed to tell you that, but they had only one suite left. But it will be big enough to make comfortable sleeping arrangements. I hope this will be okay with you two?"
We both looked up at him and I nodded, whereas Mulder said, not believing what he just heard, "So, we don't need to spend a private dime on that?"
Skinner chuckled lightly and said "Yes, Mulder it is completely on the tax payer. You don't need to worry. The bureau pays for all your expenses. If you really want to know, it is 50/50 with the Italian Secret Services. So, I take it you want to pursue the case?"
This time I put my hand on Mulder's arm before he blurted out something that would piss Skinner off and answered for us both. "Sure, we would love to. Even if it feels like Fluky escalated and I even don't understand how he ended up in the Roman sewer system. But this is what we have to find out. Thank you for the opportunity, Sir."
Being blessed with what I said, he explained the rest of our schedule in Rome and gave his "Good Luck".
After we left his office, Mulder and me were silent till we reached the elevator taking us straight to the office to grab the old Flukeman case file and the evidence we collected. Waiting till he opened the office door, he finally turned to me, stopping my movements towards my desk. He just stood in front of me touching my arm, smiling. In stupor, I just looked into his eyes and nervously waited for what he would do or say next.
He exhaled and incredulously said, "Can you believe that? This is overwhelming. We can travel to Europe for free. To investigate a case we already know the perpetrator of and just need to catch it. And all of this in one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in Europe."
As if the rest he said didn't exist I just replied "Romantic, huh?", sending him a smirk.
Moving more into my space, he said "Yeah, romantic. With both of us becoming roommates in the most expensive hotel there."
Oh god, this voice again. It dropped an octave while he was telling me that, arousal pooling between my legs immediately. How do I react to that? Not being able to think anymore, instinctively I leaned into him till our chests touched, got on my toes, anchored my arm around his neck to draw him down a bit and moved my head against his ear and whispered "Maybe, you will get lucky one night there, if you behave." Slowly I put some distance between us again. Oh no! Where did that came from? Am I insane now?
I leaned back and was even more surprised what reaction I saw in his face.
Pure and undisguised desire! Jesus! I can't resist that look. I need to stop this or we'll never get out of the office.
So I broke the spell with clearing my voice and then went to the file cabinet to get the file, saying without looking at him again: "Mulder, stop catching flies and get moving! We have a flight to get."
Still unable to speak, he finally got out of his stupor. I could feel him avoiding to look at me again and gathered his things. Without another word we moved out of the building and got into his car. In silence we rode to the airport, reaching the plane just in time and getting into our seats. We were drop dead tired and just fell asleep without mentioning the tension between us that occurred only an hour ago.