Act III - Leggo my Egg-o!

Scully finished cataloging her additional samples and it was nearing the end of the day. Dr. Hammond looked wiped out. "You are a workhorse." Dale puffed exaggeratedly.

"Dale, you work harder than that every day. I don't fall for flattery easily." Scully was smiling as she cleaned and put the instruments away.

"You don't need to when flattery is the truth.' Hammond said from across the room. "What are you doing for dinner tonight?"

"Are you asking me out?"

"Yes, I am. Having a beauty like you on my arm as we go to the diner to see Carmen will be a feather in my cap!"

Scully laughed. "I actually would like that, but I have to pick up my partner at the commune. Tomorrow?"

"It's a date." Hammond said as his body audibly creaked. "Don't let these old joints fool you. I am a master at seduction!"

"Yes, you are." Scully walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "You got me to agree to a date and I just met you!"

Hammond grinned. "That partner of yours is missing something special, I think."

"I don't want to talk about him." She looked at a chart. "Are all the samples sent?"

"On my word of honor!" Dale said magnanimously. "When are you coming tomorrow?"

"About 8am. Should I bring coffee and Danish?"

"I would fall prostrate at your feet, madam."

Scully put her jacket on. "See you tomorrow, Dale." He saluted and she walked to the car. The man was sweet and this was enjoyable. She hoped Mulder had a productive day and that he was closer to finding what he wanted. If Miss Lollipop Thighs was it—she hoped he was happy. If Dale did anything for her, he made her feel desirable as a woman. Mulder didn't do that. It was nice to be wanted by the opposite sex. Mulder got hit on all the time. Not her. She pulled into the commune at 5:50 and parked, walking up to the meeting house, she was intercepted by Tiger.

"I've been waiting for you." Tiger said alluringly. "After dinner, let's compare notes and see what develops." He leaned into her. "I can make you feel really good. Don't fight it—I'll make it so glorious, you will be coming back for more…"

"Tiger, I'm not really…" Scully was interrupted by an interfering Mulder.

"Hi, Scully. Glad you are back." Mulder turned to Tiger. "I think Azure needs you in the hall."

"I'm sure she doesn't." Tiger said rebelliously. "Why don't you go and double check that request?"

"I need to talk to my partner." Mulder announced. "You're presence is not required."

"Like I said before, it's not cool, man. I think you are in a weaker position than even *you* realize." Tiger sniffed. "I'll leave, but you've been put on notice." The man walked away.

Scully watched the man go. "Mulder? What was that about?"

"Nothing, Scully. Do you want to talk about your findings?" She started to speak, but the dinner bell rung. "Let's talk at the hotel." Scully nodded her agreement and they walked to the hall.

Rehashed gazpacho for the first course, cooked summer squash with firm tofu for the second and the bean curd 'dessert' made an encore appearance. Scully ate everything except the dessert (at least she had standards) and was pleased. Mulder picked at the meal. Man wasn't made to live on vegetables and tofu. There are animals whose purpose are to sustain the higher forms of life. He was going to have to seek them out before going back to the hotel.

Tiger kept staring at them and finally, Mulder announced their departure. "Azure, we have done all we can do for today. Can we meet with you tomorrow about 9am?"

"Sure. We'll be here."

Mulder beat a hasty exit and Scully was left to catch up. "Mulder? What is going on?"

"I'm just tired. I need real food and I don't want to talk to anyone but you…okay?"

Scully shrugged and got in the car. Mulder took back the keys and drove them toward the hotel. He stopped at the Burger and Go, asked if Scully wanted anything and got a flat 'no'. He ordered and sped out of there. Mulder knew he was acting irrationally and that he was worrying Scully. He also knew he couldn't help it. Azure and Tiger's probes into his relationship with her struck a nerve.

"Mulder? Are you okay?" Scully sounded concerned.

"Yeah. The commune had some interesting secrets to reveal. How did the autopsy go?"

Scully was enthusiastic. "Dale is quite good. We re-examined the body and had a few new discoveries. It may not result in anything substantial, but at least it's a start."

"Dale?"

"Dr. Dale Hammond. He was the medical examiner that did the original autopsy. We are to meet tomorrow at 8am. You can drop me off. What are your plans?"

Mulder was annoyed and he wasn't sure why. Scully was sitting next to him, they were making progress on the case and he felt like belting someone in the nose. The swell of emotions were actually starting to overwhelm him. "I'll head back to the commune." He pulled into the parking lot. Let's eat in my room. You show me yours and I'll show you mine." He waggled his eyebrows. That earned him a small smile. Scully was in much better mood after being with 'Dale'. That made his mood even darker. Why didn't he have that effect on her?

Back at the hotel room, Mulder slurped, smacked and chomped through a triple burger with cheese, onions and chili sauce. He could see Scully trying hard to ignore him. "I'm sorry, I'm hungry. They tried to make me eat bean curd today!" Mulder took a gigantic bite and chewed.

"I'm trying to understand, Mulder. Do you want to hear my findings?"

"Uh huh." Mulder swallowed loudly.

Scully told of the 'birthmark', the condition of the fetus and the basic blood panel indicating no drugs were responsible. In between chomps, Mulder relayed his interviews with the four main witnesses and their assessment of the 'incident'. They both concluded that the mark Scully found in the same area where Marshall said the entity penetrated her, was significant.

"What do you think, Scully?"

"I won't know until the test results come back. I'm interested in the 'orange pill' contents and the effect on Beggar Price." Scully remembered something. "Did you get the DNA samples from the men?"

"Yes. They weren't happy, but all of them seemed to want to help. Even Tiger gave a sample though he reiterated that he was 'fixed'." Mulder held her gaze. "Do you think you can travel outside your body? That event with your grandmother…"

"I don't know if I dreamed it or it happened, Mulder." Scully was emphatic. "Let's see what science has to say, first."

"Who do you think I will see if I went astral projecting?" Mulder was curious on his partner's take.

Scully stink-eyed him. "Don't even think about taking that pill until we know what it is. As for your astral travel, I'm sure that the women's showers would be first on your list."

"I'm not that bad, Scully."

"You are like a tom cat, Mulder. I saw you drooling over Azure Harris. She matches your type of female perfectly. Not that there is anything wrong with a healthy sex drive—speaking as a doctor, of course."

"Do you have a 'healthy sex drive? Mulder watched his partner carefully.

Scully ignored him. "I think that once we match the father of Louisa's baby, we will have a good motive for murder. Dr. Hammond and I will work on that tomorrow."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Thanks for getting those samples. I'll examine the contents of the orange pill and rule it out as a factor in at least Louisa Richardson's death since no drugs were found in her system. We can cross check that with Beggar Price." Scully rose and walked toward the connecting door. "I'm tired. See you at 7am tomorrow? I told Dale I'd be there around eight. We have to stop for coffee and donuts." Scully breezed out.

Mulder sat looking at the remnants of a greasy wrapper, a melting shake and his bruised ego. Scully was having a good time and he wasn't. This 'Dale' seems to have captured her attention and Tiger was advancing full throttle. Where did that leave him?

He put the trash away and took a shower. Getting ready for bed, Mulder turned on the TV, then quickly turned it off and flopped on the board they call a hotel bed. He was used to experiencing a lot of emotions, but he usually ignored the ones about Scully. Those were bubbling up to the surface and it was muddying his thoughts. Was Tiger right? Was he standing in the way of Scully's happiness?

There were many occasions that Mulder had intimidated men that showed interest in his partner and almost all of them she never knew about. He would just take them aside and with a few well-placed words and phrases, let them know their advances weren't welcome. It worked 99% of the time. In contrast, Mulder could think of a few times that Scully wasn't happy with his interest in available females, but she didn't directly interfere. That is something that was bothering him. Scully had gotten over her irritation quickly. She seemed to almost be giving her blessing for him to pursue Azure. Was it Dale? Had she found someone else?

Mulder used to think that they always did this dance of mutual attraction where they circled each other, sometimes drawing closer, sometimes further away, but stuck in a permanent orbit. Lately, he seemed to be dancing alone. Was he losing her—and to whom? Maybe she just got tired and decided to sit this one out.

The whole situation was depressing him so he decided to try to get some sleep. Having Scully right next door was a double edged sword. If she wasn't mad at him, he usually had good dreams about her. When she was angry, they would turn into nightmares of losing her to some faceless monster or governmental assassin.

After tossing and turning for an hour, he started to drift off to sleep. He saw Scully as he always knew her at work. She was wearing the familiar black suit with an orange blouse and was leaning languidly against her desk in the basement. Her small smile seemed welcoming and Mulder saw himself walking in, happy to see her. She waved him over, pointed to something on her desk and when she turned around, there was a creature attached to her back. It's eyes glittered white, the body was slightly green and just like the reports of Louisa Richardson, it had tentacles stretched around and inside Scully's body. Mulder cried out in shock and she faced him. The tentacles had pierced her chest and was sucking out a pink liquid that the creature was absorbing. Mulder tried to remove it from her as he screamed her name again and again, but he couldn't get hold of it. Scully's eyes began to close and she wilted in Mulder's arms. "No!" Mulder screamed as the creature sucked her completely dry and her body crumbed to dust. That's when Mulder shrieked as loud as he could.

"Mulder! Mulder! Wake up!" Scully was shaking him.

"Scully? It's you!" Mulder cried and latched onto her, pulling her body to his. "You're alive!"

"Yes, Mulder—I'm fine. It was just a bad dream." She let him hug her for a while, then drew back touching his face and hair. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm just glad you are okay."

Scully studied his face. "Mulder, you've been acting strange since the beginning of the case. You said you were sure you would find something here. Do you want to tell me what you are looking for? Maybe I can help."

Mulder dimly realized he was still holding her. Scully's face was only inches away and those brilliant blue eyes were focused on him. He owed her an explanation. "I—I was looking for my purpose, Scully. Some force is moving me forward and I want to meet it face to face. I want to know my destiny."

"Why did you think the commune would have the answer?"

"It wasn't the commune itself, it was the practices that would be there. Meditation, Yoga, Astral Projection, Channeling Spirits, Auras, Karma, Reincarnation, Psychedelics—all of these have the potential of opening me up to the spirit plane. I think my answers are out there."

Scully was skeptical. "Do you believe that if any of them work, that you will be allowed to know your destiny or meet the Guiding Force that is leading you there? What happens if you discover all this and it alters the outcome?"

Mulder couldn't believe she hadn't pulled away. *She feels so good*. "It's the uncertainty, Scully. Now that I've put Samantha to rest—what else is there? The conspiracies roll on, the world rushes closer to a possible alien take over and I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels."

"It sounds like you are having a mid-life crisis, Mulder." Scully said fondly. "I had one not too long ago—remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. I missed it too. I couldn't believe you finally got mystical on me and I wasn't there. I'm sorry, Scully—if I had known…" He pulled her to his chest again. "You so rarely let me inside."

"It's alright, Mulder. I understand, why you weren't there. I don't think you were supposed to be." She stayed against his chest and Mulder settled back against the headboard. She sounded so small. "Do you really think I shut you out all the time?"

Mulder could hear her getting sleepy. "Not all the time, but most of the time. It's okay, Scully. I know I cause you pain and you are just protecting yourself."

Scully yawned. "You don't cause me pain, Mulder. You are the best thing in my life. I'm glad you are here—with me."

"So am I." Mulder droned. His eyes were blinking and before he knew it, he fell asleep.

The brightness of the room raised his consciousness and Mulder discovered it was morning and he and Scully had slept all night together. He didn't toss or turn and there were no nightmares because she was safe in his arms.

Mulder tried not to move and enjoy this slice of heaven for a few more minutes, but Scully started to stir. Her sleep dazed face looked up into his and Mulder felt the intense urge to kiss her. It must have shown on his face because her eyes grew wide and she pulled away from him.

"Wha' time is it?"

"6am." Mulder said bereft of his warm teddy bear.

She stretched and scooted over to the side of the bed. "I'm sorry you slept like that all night. Does your neck hurt?"

"No." He stared hard. The urge to kiss her hadn't gone away.

Scully glanced at him and hastily got up from the bed. "I'll go shower and change. See you at 7am." She practically ran out the door.

Scully wasn't sure what to make out of that look Mulder had this morning. Frankly, it frightened her. Her partner wasn't the type to be predatory, but he displayed raw desire and it was directed at *her*. Thankfully, Mulder didn't say anything about last night or this morning when she went to his room at 7am. In fact, he seemed happier than he had been in the last few weeks.

They stopped at the closest bakery and she picked up coffee for all three of them and Mulder took her up on an orange marmalade Danish. Scully had never heard of such a thing, but Mulder said it sounded good and proceeded to eat it messily in the car on the way to the coroner's office. Expecting to be dropped off, she was surprised when he parked and started to walk in with her.

"You don't have to come, Mulder. Just call me when you are finished with your interviews and I'll let you know how far along we are."

He shrugged. "I dunno, Scully. I would like to meet this Dr. Hammond. You aren't trying to hide him from me—are you?"

Scully tried not to be offended and then she tried not to be miffed. She was a trained FBI agent, just like he was and didn't need to be babysat. Scully opened her mouth to say so, when the argument was settled by Hammond pulling up beside them in his Buick. The older man popped out and cheerfully walked over to them.

"Good Morning Dana!" Dale said with a big smile. His dark hair was combed neatly and his pale blue eyes sparkled with affection.

"I brought breakfast, as promised!" Scully replied returning the grin. Mulder was scowling. She didn't feel like doing it, especially after his misogynistic tone, but she introduced them. "Dr. Dale Hammond, meet my partner, Dr. Fox Mulder."

"A doctor eh?" Hammond nodded and they shook. "PhD in Psychology—right?"

Mulder was off balance. "Yes. How did you know?"

"Your partner speaks glowingly of you. She mentioned you were a psychologist." Dale took the coffees from Scully's hands. "Don't let it ever be said that chivalry is completely dead." He studied Mulder. "You have quite a partner in Dana. I'm sure you know that."

"She's the best partner I've ever had." Mulder stared at Scully. For some reason, his scrutiny made her feel self-conscious.

Dale was watching him. "Well, I hope you find out what happened over at that hippie haven. It's got me baffled. Are you coming to see the lab?"

"No. I have somewhere else to be." He nodded at the car. It saddened her that the happiness she saw this morning had dissipated. "I'll call you later, Scully. Nice to meet you Dr. Hammond." The coroner nodded and Mulder got back into the car and drove away.

Dale came up to Dana. "Did I interrupt something?"

Scully shook her head. "Mulder is going through some…things. It's not you."

"Could have fooled me." They walked into the morgue and ate their danish in silence. Dale finally looked up. "Dana, if you ever want to talk…"

"Thanks, Dale." She swallowed a gulp of coffee. "Ready for Mr. Price? I have DNA samples of all the males at the commune for matching against the Richardson fetus."

"Don't forget Beggar Price." Dale reminded. "He could have been the father too."

"Good catch." Scully said. She took a sample from the corpse, packaged it up with the others and called someone to get them. Gotta watch the chain of custody stuff.

Both pathologists worked all morning going over the toxicology results after Mulder texted the ingredients of the 'orange pill'. They sent the sample pill Mulder got yesterday to the lab, but if the physical sample matched these herbs, they could rule it out as the cause of death.

"I don't know why Beggar Price died." Scully said exasperatedly. "It doesn't make sense."

"I agree with you." Dale said unhelpfully. "Let's take a break. When is your partner due back?"

"Whenever he is finished. He may be there all day again. If we get done early, I can call a cab back to the hotel."

"Nothing doing." Dale was emphatic. "We have a dinner date and I've decided that Carmen already knows too much about me. I'm taking you somewhere else."

Scully smiled. "Where, Dale?"

"It's a surprise. You should invite your partner."

"Why would I do that?" Scully wrinkled her brow.

"Because he is in love with you."

The world came to a screeching halt. "Ex-excuse me?" Scully stammered. "That a fantastic leap of logic. You barely met the man."

Dale chuckled as he put the instruments away. "I didn't just fall off the turnip truck. I suspected that you were in love with him by the way you described him yesterday. When I met him this morning, I was sure he was also in love with you. It was written all over him. I'm not sure why you both choose to deny it. I imagine it has something to do with FBI regulations."

Scully was indulgent. "Dale, Mulder and I have a very close, but professional relationship. That's all there is to it."

"Okay." Hammond was indulgent. "If you say so."

She almost continued the argument, but she might have been said to 'protest too much' so Scully let it drop and decided on a professional discourse. "We should have the test results from yesterday back now. I'll run upstairs and check." She beat a hasty exit before her face betrayed too much.

Scully thought she hid it well. The 'crush' she had on Mulder turned into love years ago, but that was a secret she was prepared to take to her grave, if necessary. In the light of Mulder's strange behavior this morning and Dale observation, she was wondering if it was mutual. Nah. Mulder is the type of man that would go after a woman like 'Brunette Big Tits' and think of propriety later. If he was interested in Short, Redheaded and Brainy, she would have seen some empirical evidence during their seven years together.

It turned out the lab did have the results and she read them eagerly on the way back down to the basement. According to the report, the fetus died at the same time as the mother. However, the desiccated condition of the fetus and surrounding tissue indicated a targeted attack of a radioactive nature. The 'birthmark' was a radiation burn and most likely the point of entry. It supported the eyewitness testimony, but didn't explain how that was possible. Something killed Louisa Richmond, but it was focused on her unborn child. She gave the results to Dale and explained her theory.

"If the entity was able to produce a radioactive burst and direct it internally, it might explain the damage to her reproductive system. However, until we find what did this, we will never know for sure." Dale looked at Dana. "You're partner is working on motive and opportunity for the human suspects?"

"Yes. I haven't ruled out foul play and while we know what killed her fetus, we don't know what killed the woman." Scully said plainly. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Radiation poisoning?" Dale guessed.

"That takes hours or days to develop or it would have left obvious traces."

"Look at what it did to the fetus. If it is supernatural, it could have accelerated that in a supernatural way."

Scully regarded at her colleague. "Are you suggesting that the radiation Louisa Richards was exposed to, abnormally affected her other systems resulting in her immediate death?"

Dale shrugged. "It's a theory."

"If so, the bone marrow will tell us if she was exposed."

"There aren't any burst cellular structures in the blood or organs." Dale mentioned. "How could the radiation kill so quickly?"

An unexpected voice rang in the lab. "It could have set off her auto immune response." Scully whirled around and saw Mulder walking across the floor. He liked to give an entrance. "Where the entity latched on to was the place where the 2nd chakra is reported to be located in the human body. That chakra governs several bodily organs including the reproductive system, but also it related to the body's auto immunity reaction."

Scully approached him. "Mulder, are you saying that her own body killed her?"

"It's possible. I'm not sure she was meant to die. It might have been an accident." Mulder and Scully stared at each other.

"If so, there would be high levels of white blood cells to fight the invader. Her white blood cell count is normal." Dale interjected. "I don't see how this is plausible."

Scully was thoughtful. "It might be possible, Dale. The mitochondria could have been stimulated in the organs and over produced Adenosine triphosphate aka ATP. That substance is what produces cellular energy. A massive flood of ATP would be enough to stop most bodily functions including the heart and it wouldn't show up in a tox screen because it is naturally found in the body."

Dale leaned against the table. "We could easily tell by testing the liver for its levels." He strapped on gloves. "Could that have happened with Beggar Price?"

"Unknown." Scully said. "Let me assist, doctor." She joined him at the table and they took a sample from Louisa Richardson's liver and dropped it into tube containing a liquid indicator. It turned orange and not just pale orange. It was bright and bold.

"My god." Dale said. "Do you realize the concentration that is needed to produce this deep of a color? No wonder she died."

Scully turned to her partner. "You did it, Mulder. You figured out how Louisa Richardson's died. Why do you think her death was unintentional?"

Mulder shrugged. "It was something I found in her room. She was keeping a journal. Louisa knew she was pregnant and I bet you will prove that Beggar Price is the father. She was upset and considered having an abortion especially after Price died, but she couldn't go through with it. I think whatever attacked her was targeting the child."

"No one else knew she was pregnant." Scully said.

"No one except Beggar." Mulder added. "I think he was the entity."

Scully crossed her arms. "I don't need to tell you that Beggar Price died two weeks before Louisa."

"I think he came back to help his love interest, but things went wrong." Mulder said plainly. "Have you analyzed the pill yet?"

"The results should come back tomorrow. If the ingredients are what you texted, then it had nothing to do with Beggar Price's death."

"I'm not sure about that, Scully." Mulder said. "Something is off here. I guess we will have to wait and see."

Scully with Dr. Dale Hammond and Mulder's help, replaced everyone in the morgue drawers and put the autopsy bay back to rights. "Whew, I'm beat. Do you want to postpone dinner, Dr. Hammond?"

Dale walked up to the redhead. Even the older man was taller than she. "My dear. I have never welshed on a dinner date." He looked up. "Your partner must join us though. I'm particular about these things. It's still my treat. I think the both of you just solved a baffling mystery and deserve the celebration."

"Maybe," Scully cautioned. "We still have to prove the entity exists."

"I doubt that is going to happen." Dale chuckled. "However, there is a scientific explanation for Louisa's death. Will it satisfy your Senator?" Scully looked doubtful. "Make up where the radiation came from. No one would believe the truth anyway."

"So you believe there is an entity, Doctor?" Mulder asked standing close to Scully.

"I am open to extreme possibilities, Agent Mulder." Dale said humorously. "Come. I want to show you two something." He turned the lights off in autopsy and beckoned them to follow him in their car.

Mulder and Scully were silent during the trip as they tracked the Dale's Buick to a desolate area that turned out to be a graveyard. Dale hopped out and almost ran to a headstone—not too far away. Mulder motioned to Scully to wait in the car, but she insisted and they both got out approaching the prostrate man.

"This is my wife's grave." Dale said. "Her name is Alice." They waited for a few minutes and the two agents were getting uncomfortable when a cold presence blew through them. Scully watched in wonder as a semi-transparent film seemed to cover Dr. Dale Hammond and she could see him nod and laugh. In a few minutes, the film blew away and Scully could have sworn something touched her cheek. Dale arose.

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Dr. Scully. Alice is still with me and I'm grateful. However, when I watch you two, all I can see is you wasting time. Love each other—while you are still able to touch, feel and taste. Don't wait until the opportunity is gone." He stretched. "On to dinner. Follow me."

Mulder escorted Scully away from the graveyard and into their car. Scully was shaken. "Did that just happen?"

Mulder was smiling. "We just saw a ghost, Scully. Even you can't deny that."

"Something touched me."

"She didn't harm you and there is definitely a lesson here. We don't know how much time we have left to enjoy the people in our lives." Mulder looked at Scully, but she refused to meet his eyes. It was quiet as they followed the Buick to a nearby restaurant.

Scully was still hesitant about Dr. Hammond, but Mulder's presence reassured her. They sat down at a cozy booth in a Bistro style eatery. Mulder was right beside her. Their thighs touched and Scully found that comforting.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you, Dana." Dale Hammond started. "I have been looking for someone to believe me for a long time. From what you said, I knew your partner would understand, but I wasn't sure you would. I thought it would be simpler if you saw for yourself."

"Do you have to go to the graveyard to visit her?" Scully asked with astonishment.

"Yes. I asked her why she didn't come back to the house and she said she wanted me to move on with my life, but if I needed her, she would be there."

"I felt something brush my cheek." Scully unconsciously put a hand to her face.

"She said that likes you." Dale said as he perused the menu. He looked up abruptly. "I know my personal life has nothing to do with this investigation, but I wanted you to know that this isn't my first rodeo dealing with the unknown. It isn't yours either. Is it so difficult to accept that love can transcend death? Alice and I were together for 25 years before cancer took her. We still love each other. She and I talk, but that is all we can do. You and your partner can have more than that. Don't miss out."

"Dr. Hammond," Mulder interrupted. "If you suspected a supernatural presence responsible for Louisa Richardson's death, why didn't you speak up?"

The man looked older. "Who would believe me?" He stared at the FBI agent. "Your two were a gift. I'm glad that I have someone around that would listen instead of locking me away in an institution. As it is, we will have to come up with a reality-based explanation despite what the evidence shows."

"What do you think happened, Dr. Hammond?" Mulder asked politely.

Dale smirked. "I think that Beggar Price tried to help the girl he got pregnant and it went wrong. Why? I don't know. I think that is your job. However, we are in the same fix. I can't report my surmises any more than you can. I have to deal in fact."

"We still need to explain the source of the radiation and Beggar Price's death." Scully stopped as the waitress arrived, took their food orders and left.

"I might be able to do both." Mulder said. "Azure offered me a guided meditation complete with astral travel. If I can reach Price on the astrophysical plane, I might be able to clear up everything."

Scully swiveled to her partner. "Mulder, you can't be considering going through the same process that may have killed that man! We don't know what is in that orange pill and Azure Harris is not ruled out as a suspect."

Mulder faced her. "I'll wait for the lab results, but the answers we need are not going to be found here, Scully. Someone will have to go *there*."

"You told me that others have had trouble getting back. What if something happens to you? What if Beggar Price tries to kill you too?"

"Azure will be there to help. I'll be fine." Mulder looked up to see Hammond staring at him closely.

"She is right, y'know." Dale Hammond said softly. "The leader of that commune may not be telling all that she knows. It will be a dangerous risk."

Their food came and everyone ate in tense silence. Scully kept giving strange looks at Mulder, but he ignored them. After the dishes were cleared away Hammond spoke.

"I'm going to go home and I'll pay the check on the way out because it is my treat. I hope you two are able to work things out—before it's too late." He rose. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Dana. Have a good night, agents." Hammond left.

Mulder didn't look at Scully as he threw the tip on the table and rose. "Let's go back to the hotel." Scully reluctantly came with him.

Mulder's tried astral projection before. He got a great feeling of euphoria, but that was it. What would it be like to leave his body and visit people and places without them being aware of his presence? If he could, he would visit Scully and see what she does when she is alone.

Dr. Hammond's words and the ghost visitation of his wife, came him pause. What if he lost Scully? What would he do? Mulder didn't like the internal answers to those questions and he decided not to address them. He was determined to reach that other plane and prove he wasn't just chasing his tail, but performing a necessity that helped people and advanced the course of human events.

The unsolicited observation that his relationship with Scully was more than professional was not welcome. It only shoved a painful reality in his face. He was in love with Scully, but not the other way around. Sometimes, he caught himself treating her badly because he was angry over not getting what he wanted. He wanted her to love him back. She cared for him, of that there was no doubt. However, she thwarted him when he tried to get close to her and dismissed every attempt (albeit rare) when he tried to tell her how he felt. Mulder told her that he loved her once and her response was 'Oh, Brother!' He hadn't tried again since. Maybe if he got to the astral plane, he could get close to her that way—like Alice did for Dale Hammond.

Shaking off these thoughts, they reached the hotel and went their separate ways to their rooms, Mulder found his longing for her had increased from his usual dull ache to vibrant acuity. He needed something to take her off of his mind. When a night started out with his desire level raised, it usually ended in nightmares of losing her.

He flopped down on the bed and started channel surfing when there was a knock at the connecting door. "Come in." He said hoping that she would change her mind. When his resistance is low, the smallest temptations are difficult to manage. Having her stand close to him, look at him with those peacock blue eyes or smelling her shampoo and natural Scully-ness, usually pushed him to the edge.

"Mulder," Scully walked over and sat on the side of the bed. *Shit* "I want you to know that I'm in favor of you seeking out this Guiding Force and I want to help. I just don't want you doing it with Azure Harris. Once we finish the case, is there a place back in DC that you would trust?"

Mulder didn't want to have this conversation. "Scully, Azure is the first person that has offered to help me and I think she is uniquely qualified to walk me through this. I don't believe she murdered Beggar Price."

Scully looked at her hands. "Maybe not 'murdered' as in intentionally, but it is possible she knows more about what happened to him than she is telling us."

"When you get the results tomorrow and the pill shows to be benign, I'll set up a meeting with Azure to try to reach Beggar on the astral plane."

"Alright." She stood. "You have heard my argument. I was just hoping you would change your mind." She started for the door.

"Scully…" She stopped. "You know I have to do this."

"I know, Mulder." She reached the door, but Mulder leaped up and put his hand on the knob, stopping her escape.

"I do respect your opinion, Scully." His altruistic purpose for keeping her here was trying to smooth things over, but she was so close and he wanted her so badly.

She turned and looked at him. "I'll try to understand."

Almost on autopilot, Mulder pulled her into him. Her firm little body fit so nicely with his. The knowledge that he was playing with fire fled his mind as he concentrated on how good she felt and her smell overwhelmed him as he heard himself speaking. "Hammond is right, y'know. I am in love with you and I want you so badly, that I can taste it."

Scully's gasp seemed loud in the room and he felt her begin to pull away. "No, Scully." He looked down at her. "I'm not letting you run from me this time." He captured her lips in his and sucked gently, then insistently. He buried his hand in her hair and the movement opened her lips enough for Mulder to push his way in and kiss her deeply.

Faintly he could feel her trying to pull away, then surrendering to him as he quenched his thirst. When he finally stopped, Scully was like a rag doll in his arms. Her eyes were closed and when they finally opened, he didn't see anger, but bewilderment.

"Mulder? Why did you do that?"

Adamant hazel eyes met confused blue. "Because I'm in love with you and have been for a long time. If for some reason I don't come back tomorrow, I wanted you to know that."

"*If*? I don't want to lose you. We are best friends, Mulder. We are partners. After seven years we do love each other, but…"

"No buts, Scully. There isn't any with me. My love goes deeper than just a best friend. I see you as the other half of myself—the better half. I'm attracted to you both inside and out and I don't want to pretend my feelings don't exist anymore." Scully started to speak, but he put a finger lightly to her lips. "It's okay that you don't feel that way for me. It doesn't change how I feel."

"Mulder…" He stopped her.

"Don't say anything, Scully. I couldn't bear to hear it. I'm sorry if I scared you, but I needed you to know." Mulder opened the connecting door and ushered her through. "Sweet Dreams." He closed and locked it—wanting to cry it hurt so badly. He will have to face her tomorrow, but he finally told her. That alone took a huge weight off his chest, but Mulder only hoped that they still had a friendship in the morning.