The next morning, Scully roused from a restless night of sleep. Her mind was bouncing in so many different directions, she didn't know what bothered her more. She knew things were going to be difficult to amend with Mulder, and having Reid around was complicating things, but she found some small amusement in the jealously that she knew he felt. She knew the feeling well, considering she felt it anytime Diana was even so much as mentioned, as much as she didn't want to admit it. She got herself ready for the day, worried that Mulder was too stubborn to stay, even for her. She exhaled deeply as she slowly opened her bedroom door, not entirely sure as to what to expect. She walked further into the small living room area, but there was no sign of Mulder. His bedroom door was still closed, but she couldn't imagine he would still be asleep, if he slept at all. She licked her lips subconsciously, fighting back the tears that dare threaten to escape her eyes. She knew everything between them was so twisted, but didn't think he would ever just walk away. She began to make coffee, losing her appetite for anything else, and was startled when the main door opened.
"Mulder...hi, good morning." She said in a small voice as she turned her head away from him, hiding her wet eyes.
"Hey, Scully, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly as soon as he saw the expression on her face and the unshed tears in her eyes.
"Nothing, I'm fine. I, uh, would you like some coffee?" She remained avoiding his gaze, knowing he would be able to read right through her.
"Yeah, sure thanks. I went for a run, so I'm going to shower and change really quick."
"Okay, sounds good." He hated this. They never had to do the mundane small talk before, and neither really knew how to handle their current situation. He knew he should apologize for his behavior yesterday, but he also knew he couldn't control how he acted any time he saw them both together. It was driving him crazy, but he didn't want the distance to grow so big that they couldn't fix this.
"Hey, uh, I just wanted to say sorry, for yesterday. I don't know what got into me, maybe it really was an alien clone taking over me." He said as he stopped on the walk to his room. He smiled apologetically at her, and she allowed her lips to curve into a small smile.
"It's okay, I think there's just been a lot of stress lately. Does this mean you're staying?" She asked cautiously.
"Yeah, we've got a case to finish, and who better to solve it than us." He said with a wink before finally escaping to his room. She smiled at the familiar banter between them, missing this.
When he finally emerged from getting ready, she was hanging up the phone with Reid. She had a bright smile on her face, and Mulder's stomach began to turn. It wasn't that he didn't like to see her happy, it's just that it was a rare occurrence and sight for him. It upset him most that he wasn't the one to put it on her face. He pushed aside his personal feelings for now, trying to remain civil for her.
"Hey, Reid just called and said the lab reports are back. We have a meeting set up with the last victim's wife, so we'll meet him at the house there." She said, smile still present on her face. Little did Mulder know, she was smiling because of him. Reid had made a point to tease her about him when he heard the lightness in her voice that morning.
"Is that all he said?" Mulder huffed, wincing at his own tone of voice. He didn't mean for it to sound so bitter, he was trying. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come off that way."
"Can I ask you something?" She said in a hushed voice, almost as if she was afraid.
"Uh, sure. You can ask me anything, Scully."
"I just get the feeling that you don't like him. Is there a reason for that?"
"I don't even know him. I'm just trying to work this case, and solve it. There's nothing more to it than that." He lied, not even convincing himself of his own words.
"You've just seemed so, agitated, since you met him. When we first got here, I just thought this trip was more about-" She paused, not ready to face those emotions. "Nothing, maybe I'm just overthinking."
"Or maybe you're thinking is right on point." He said slowly, both understanding the implications being made. They caught each other's gaze, passing silent sentiments between each other with their eyes. He nodded wordlessly before clearing their coffee cups. "We should get going."
The car ride was silent, both stealing subtle glances over at the other, minds lost in the unspoken conversation from the morning. As Mulder pulled up to the house, he could see Reid leaning against his car, flashing the charming grin at them as they parked. He rolled his eyes, and aggressively unbuckled his seat belt. Scully bit her lip to hide the smirk forming, reveling in the jealous side of him.
"Well if it isn't the troublemaker, and her partner." Reid teased at her.
"You know, that may be the first time I've been called the troublemaker in this equation."
"That's because they don't know you that well. Mulder, has Dana ever told you about the time in junior year when she stole a car, running away from-"
"Reid Coleman, don't you dare finish that sentence. Not if you know what's good for you."
"Oh come on, Scully. It sounded like he was getting to the best part." Mulder said as he bumped her arm with his. She glanced towards him with a shy smile, silently thanking him for at least trying. He nodded, and she turned her gaze away towards Reid who watched in amusement.
"I'll have to tell you about it later, maybe we can find something to keep her in the lab for a few hours." Reid said jokingly as he led them towards the house.
"Not funny, either of you." She huffed, relieved that they were both playing nice. They made their way inside, Reid making casual pleasantries with the sheriff's widow. He made the introductions as they all sat down.
"I just don't know how much more I can help you, I've already told you everything I know." Mrs. Sanders explained exhaustedly.
"We appreciate your cooperation, it's been a big help to us. We used to work in a unit called the x-files, working with unexplained phenomena. We understand that your husband's demeanor completely changed right before he died?" Mulder asked warmly.
"That's one way to describe it I suppose. He just went completely crazy, shouting about the voices in his head telling him to do things he didn't want to. I took him to the doctor, but they said there was nothing they could find. That was the day before he died." She huffed, sniffling back a few unshed tears.
"Was there any indication that he might have been drinking again?" Scully asked, assuming her medical persona.
"My husband was sober for nearly 15 years, and even when he did drink, it was never like that. He was a regular at AA meetings, and part of online support groups to share his stories. He took it seriously, he wanted to help people recover in any way that he could."
"What about this website, did he ever mention anything about it?" Mulder asked as he placed the information before her. She looked it over with a blank expression.
"Not that I can recall. Like I said, he was part of several support groups. Oh! Wait, this one was new. He received a sort of welcoming package from them a few days before he died." She said as the realization came to her. She got up from her seat to retrieve the envelope filled with pamphlets and brochures. "I suppose you can have this if you think it will help."
They all finished their questioning, and made their way outside. Mulder's mind was buzzing, and Scully could see the theories forming by the way his eyes were shining.
"Care to share with the class?" She asked lightly as he finally broke himself from his thoughts, he smiled guiltily at her, enjoying the fact that she knew him so well.
"I think it's time for me to sign up for a new website subscription." Mulder said as he wagged his eyebrows playfully at her. She shook her head with a small chuckle.
They made their way back to the precinct, and Mulder immediately situated himself at a computer. He began to fill in his personal information into the website, using the address of the hotel as his own.
"I feel like I'm filling out a dating profile." He huffed.
"When's the last time you made a dating profile, Mulder?" Scully asked with the arch of her eyebrow. Reid suppressed the chuckle forming, and Mulder looked up guiltily at her.
"Oh, look at that. I should be receiving my welcome package in about two days. Think you can take a closer look at the contents Mrs. Sanders gave us?" He asked as he began to get up from the table.
"And where exactly do you think you're going?" She said with her hands planted on her hips.
"I've got a few things to check out, I'll call you in a bit. Let me know if you find something."
"Mulder, please don't do anything stupid, I don't have that kind of energy today." She said with a smirk on her lips.
"Scully, you wound me by your lack of faith. I'll be good, I promise." He leered at her as he made his exit. Reid let the laugh he was holding in escape, and Scully turned to glare at him.
"No comments from you." She said as she grabbed the evidence and made her way down the lab. He knew these two would never get anywhere in their relationship, without a little help. He smiled to himself as he devised a plan in his mind.
Scully spent the better part of the day in the lab, looking over the blood results and trying to find any small trace of a substance on the evidence. She was coming up empty, and the frustration began building. She yanked off her gloves and threw them angrily in the trash.
"I hope your bedside manner is that welcoming, too." Reid teased as he strolled into the lab. She scoffed at him, and shook her head as the smirk touched her lips.
"If you just came to harass me, I'll kick you out of my temporary lab again." She teased back.
"Ouch, and here I was coming to offer a nice dinner, giving you all Seattle has to offer."
"Well if Seattle's paying, I suppose I can't refuse." She said lightly. Neither noticed that Mulder was standing at the entrance, overhearing their entire conversation. His heart dropped, and he didn't know how much longer he could play nice. He began to silently turn and leave until he was stopped.
"Mulder! Great, just in time. I'm offering to take you guys out tonight, show you the best of Seattle. What do you say?" Reid said with a mischievous look in his eyes.
"Oh, uh, yeah sure. If you don't mind." He said as he glanced more towards Scully, asking the silent question. She nodded and bowed her head to hide the color rising to her cheeks.
"Perfect. I'll give you guys some time to wrap things up, and I'll swing by to pick you up around 7. See you both then." Reid said as he made his exit, leaving the two to awkwardly stand in the lab together.
"Scully, I don't want to impose on your date, I can decline." He said as he moved towards her slowly.
"Hey, no, he invited both of us. It'll be fun, I mean, if you want to go." She said in a small voice. She glanced up at him, expectant eyes shining. "But it is not going to be an evening of sharing Dana Scully stories. I'll tell you that right now." She said as she playfully patted at his chest with her finger. He chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Fine, but if he starts it, I can't help but to join in. You wanted us to bond, remember?"
"I'm already starting to regret this." She groaned. "I'm going to wrap some things up here, I'll meet you upstairs and we can head back to the hotel?" He nodded and made his way to the main floor. She bit her lip as she cleaned up the lab, knowing what this evening could mean for them.
She knew that Reid would help her push past the walls she put up over the years, finding a comfort in an old friend. She could only hope that it would allow her to open up to Mulder in ways she would have never imagined.
"Hey, ready to go?" Mulder asked as she walked towards him.
"Uh, yeah. Hey do you mind if I drop you off at the hotel and then take the rental before dinner? I just want to find something nice to wear that's not a suit." She said with a gleam in her eyes. His stomach began to turn at the thought that she was dressing to impress Reid, and he gritted his teeth, biting back the comments threatening to escape.
"Sure, Scully. Let's go." He said shortly. She rolled her eyes at his change in attitude, already assuming what conclusions he was jumping to. Little did he know, she wanted to look good for him.
She dropped him off and made her way to the nearest mall. She rummaged through several stores, nothing catching her eye the way she hoped. When she realized how late it was getting, she made one final stop, and found the perfect dress. She smiled to herself at the way she looked in it, and knew it was just the thing to drive Mulder absolutely crazy.
When she arrived back to the hotel, she saw Mulder sitting on the couch watching TV, waiting for her.
"I was starting to think you went off to dinner without me." He said monotoned.
"Sorry, it was a little crazier than I expected. I'm going to get changed, he should be here shortly. You should get ready, too." She said pointedly at his casual wear.
"You sure you still want me to go? I'm totally fine with kicking back here, watching the game." He said with a pout. She shook her head at him, and he let out a heavy sigh. "Fine, I'll go change."
As she got ready, she put on her new dress, and ran her hand over the shiny, silky material. She smiled at herself, and added a subtle touch of makeup to her look. She grabbed her coat and put it on over her outfit, wanting to catch Mulder, and possibly Reid, off guard in the moment.
The knock on the door startled her from her thoughts, and she could hear Mulder and Reid making casual pleasantries. She smiled and made her presence known. Reid smiling warmly at her as he walked over to place a small kiss on her cheek. She looked up at him, a grin touching her lips as she playfully glared her eyes at him.
"You look beautiful, Day. You guys ready to go?" He said excitedly.
"Are you going to tell us where we are going, or is that all part of the surprise?" She asked suspiciously.
"Nah, I know how much you love surprises." He teased as she scoffed. Mulder shook his head, knowing Reid was playing with fire.
They all three made their way to a small, intimate restaurant right on the waterfront. The entire place was lit by dim candlelight, and small twinkling lights hanging above the tables. Scully's breath caught in her throat at the beautiful sight before them, and Mulder reveled in the gleam in her eyes. Reid knew his plan was working, and escorted them to their table.
"It's stunning, don't tell me you've actually grown up?" Scully asked teasingly as they approached the table. She looked at him puzzled by the arrangement, considering there were only 2 seats.
"I would like to think so. This, is the other part of the surprise. I won't be joining you two, I've had something come up. It's all still on me, so enjoy." He leaned in to place another gentle kiss on her cheek. She looked up at him in disbelief, now realizing what his plan was all along. Her eyes grew wide, not knowing if she was ready to take this step with Mulder.
"Reid Coleman, what do you think you're doing?" She hissed just low enough for him to hear. He flashed her a sly grin, enjoying how flustered she was becoming, knowing she needed this push.
"Enjoy yourself, let him know the Dana Scully I know and love. Stop running from your feelings." He whispered into her ear. Mulder looked over at their closeness and visibly scoffed as he watched them interact. She licked her lips nervously before glancing over to catch Mulder's gaze. She could see the raw emotions flooding through him by the look in his eyes, and knew Reid was right.
She wordlessly nodded and began to take off her coat, wanting to get back at Reid for his last minute change of plans, and needing reassurance that Mulder felt the way that she had hoped he did. When they both caught sight of her appearance, she could see the twinkle in both of their eyes, and relished in this moment and the effect she had on them.
The dress she had deemed perfect was a deep blue color, making her eyes shine. It was silky, and hung on her curves, accentuating them in the best possible way. It silhouetted her figure, and was cut just above her knees. The top was low enough to show an modest amount of cleavage, and the sleeves hung off her arms, displaying her bare shoulders. She smirked at them as she took her seat, and Reid glared his eyes at her.
"You owe me." He growled as he turned his attention to Mulder, who was still standing there at a complete loss at the sight before him.
"Wh - what?" Mulder asked as he was finally shaken from his thoughts.
"There's been a change of plans, Reid here had something come up, so it's just you and me tonight, if that's okay?" She asked in a small voice, worried for his response. He tried to hide the smile touching his lips, as he situated himself in the seat across from her.
"Have fun." Reid teased as he made his exit. Scully shook her head at him, already thinking of ways to get back at him later. She shyly situated herself across from Mulder, biting her lip before exhaling deeply.
"Sorry I'm not the company you were expecting." He said as he smiled sheepishly at her. Oh, if he only knew. "You look really nice tonight, Scully."
"Thanks, I take every opportunity I can to get dressed up. It's definitely a rare occurrence." She huffed. She looked up from her menu, noticing the guilty, almost hurt expression cloud his face. She knew that between them, it wasn't going to be easy to uncover their true feelings.
"Well I'm glad Reid could give you that chance, too bad he had to leave early. I'm assuming you bought the dress to impress him?" He said almost bitterly. He sighed at his own foolishness, knowing he wasn't helping their current situation.
She raised her eyebrow at him, gritting her teeth in response to his bitterness. After discovering what Reid's plan was, she silently vowed to make this night special for her and Mulder. He was making that difficult by the minute.
"Whether I did or not, I don't see how that's any of your concern." She said, annoyance rising.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad. It was just an observation." He said genuinely, trying to ease the mood. They caught each other's gaze for a moment, and both nodded in their silent apology.
They finished their evening, keeping their conversation rather simple. She opened herself up a little more than usual, and he enjoyed the lightheartedness that they shared. This entire instance was a rare moment for them, and they both didn't want it to end.
"Do you want to go for a walk along the water before we head back? It's, uh, a nice night, that's all." He asked nervously. She smiled and bowed her head to hide the color rising to her cheeks. She nodded slightly, but sighed heavily at the sound of her phone ringing.
"Hold that thought." She said as she answered the phone. Reid was calling to say there was a break in the case, and a new potential victim. "Yeah we'll be right there."
"Duty calls?"
"Yeah, we need to head over to the hospital a few hours from here. There was someone brought in, displaying some of the same symptoms as our previous victims."
"Well then, let's go, partner." He said emphasizing the last word. She flashed him an appreciative smirk, enjoying being with him again.
They made a comfortable trip to the hospital, not having a chance to change from their dinner. When she arrived, Reid gleamed his charming grin at her, and Mulder scoffed silently.
"I'd let you be my doctor dressed like that any day." He teased at her.
"Would you shut up." She said masking the chuckle forming, she playfully swatted his arm, loving how easy it was between them. "Where's our most recent victim, Sheriff Coleman?"
"Ouch, wound me with the formalities. Follow me this way, Dr. Agent Scully." He said as he led them to a room. There was a small window that they could inspect the middle aged woman from. She was sitting in her bed, knees held to her chest by her arms, rocking back and forth. There was indistinct mumbling coming from her lips, as the fear shone through her eyes.
"Have they found anything in her blood work?" Scully asked as she scanned the hospital chart.
"They found a trace of a hallucinogen in her blood, one that's never been detectable in the others, but we've always found them after the fact. We can't tell how it was ingested." Reid explained, briefing them on everything he knew so far.
"I guess this is where my expertise comes in. I'm going in to talk to her." Mulder said quietly, already devising a plan of action in his mind.
"Mulder-" Scully began to say before pausing to catch his eyes. "Just, be careful. We don't know what she thinks is happening in her mind, and the drug obviously hasn't been flushed out of her system yet."
"I'll yell for my partner if I need her." He said with a wink before making his way into the small room. Reid and Scully stayed on the outside, watching and listening in from the window.
"I never did ask, other than his expertise in the paranormal, what is it that he did for the FBI prior?" Reid asked, visibly seeing how he was already getting through to the woman.
"He was recruited straight from Oxford, studied psychology. He used to be a criminal profiler for Violent Crimes. The way he finds himself in the minds of these monsters, will forever amaze me. As aggravating and exhausting as he is, he's one of the best agents I've ever worked with." She said with a hint of pride in her voice.
"That's not a bias opinion or anything, right?" Reid teased.
"Shut up." She said as she bumped her shoulder to his arm.
"So how did your date go anyway?"
"It wasn't a date, no thanks to you. I still owe you for that one, by the way."
"And here I thought I was doing you a favor."
"You tricked me!"
"Helped. I helped you. You need to push past these walls you've so evidently put up around yourself over the years. Especially with him, Day. You've been through too much together to maintain this distance."
"I know." She said with a heavy sigh. "I just don't know how he feels, how I even feel. Or maybe I'm not ready to face those emotions. I don't know." She scoffed.
"Maybe you're not as smart as I remember, because if you don't know how he feels about you, you're more of a lost cause than I thought. I take it nothing special happened tonight?"
"Oh, well we were getting ready to rip each other's clothes off, but you called and ruined the moment." She said playfully with a shrug. He laughed and shook his head at her, remembering how much he loved her sarcasm.
"Well it looks like he's just about done, so you can resume those actions back at your hotel." He wagged his eyebrows at her. Her eyes grew slightly wide, realizing they would have to eventually resume their evening and where it was possibly leading earlier.
"What, uh, did she say? We could only hear so much." Scully asked as he approached them. She stepped in front of Reid to stand in Mulder's personal space, as they had become accustomed to.
"I got her to admit to receiving the welcome package, but other than that she doesn't remember much. She said there were online registration instructions, but she doesn't know how she inhaled the drug. She was tired, so hopefully we can get more after they flush her system and she has time to rest them off." He said with a heavy sigh, frustrated with no new information in the case.
"Okay, we'll have a guard kept on her overnight, and see if we can get more out of her tomorrow. Good work, Mulder." Reid said with an impressed nod. Scully's eyes were shining at the praise he was receiving, and he smiled shyly. "Well I'm staying overnight here, but you two should head back. I'll call you if there's an update, but otherwise we can plan to meet back here tomorrow afternoon. I'll have the blood samples sent to the lab in Seattle so you can have a look at them yourself in the morning before you head back."
"Sounds good, thank you." Scully said with a genuine smile.
"Enjoy the rest of your evening." Reid whispered into her ear before planting another lingering kiss on her cheek. He nodded towards Mulder with a sly grin on his face, making his exit. Mulder clenched his jaw, instantly annoyed by the action. He turned on his heels and stalked out towards the car.
"Where's the fire, Mulder?" She asked as she caught up to him just in time to situate herself in the passenger seat before he sped off.
"It's just getting late, thought we should head back right away." He said completely void of emotion, irritation clouding his face.
"I, uh, had a nice evening tonight." She said in a small voice, trying to break through his stubbornness.
"You should probably thank Reid for that."
"I'll make sure to thank him for the setting, but he's not the one I went to dinner with." She mumbled just low enough for him to hear. She turned her face to gaze out the window, avoiding his eyes. He glanced over to her, not sure if he understood what she was implying.
The rest of the car ride was quiet all the way back to the hotel. When they arrived, she grabbed her things more forcefully than she anticipated, and stalked to the main door. She realized she didn't have the keys, and had to wait for him to catch up to open it for her. She crossed her arms, still not meeting his eyes. They were both annoyed for different reasons, and too stubborn to come to the right conclusions.
As soon as he opened the door, she pushed her way past him to find some privacy in her room. She stopped in her stride, replaying Reid's words in her head. She knew she was building the walls up even more, and they would never come down if they both kept avoiding their feelings. She turned to see him slowly making his way to his room, and her voice stopped his movements.
"Mulder..." She said with a shaky breath. She exhaled deeply, gaining the courage she needed. "You were wrong, he wasn't the one I was trying to impress with my dress. Good night." She said as she turned just in time to hide her smirk that was forming in response to his wide-eyed expression. She leaned against the door, proud of herself for taking this step, and only hoping that their relationship could move forward from here.