Chapter 2 – P.L. (Pathetic Loser)

Scully had been gone two weeks, but Mark Walker was here. Yippee. She was right about something—Walker was eager to work with him. To be fair, the kid wasn't all bad. They had finished up the one case Scully had to abandon, but that was anticlimactic. The 'alien abduction' turned out to be a wife's excuse to spend three weeks in Bermuda with her new boyfriend. Once they located her and informed her husband, the case was closed.

That's when Mulder got a great idea. He decided to send his young protégé on a secret mission. Mulder had been trying desperately to get someone in the Hoover Building to tell him what Special Agent in Charge, Tom Colton, is working on. He spoke to Scully almost every night and she was completely tight lipped about it. The other agents ran when they saw him coming. Through this he had learned one thing: There were direct orders from the top *not* to tell him. Of course that meant he *had* to find out.

Mark Walker wasn't well known at the FBI, but he had a gun, shield and badge just like the rest. He could slip unnoticed in places that Mulder could never go (he may not be well liked, but he was well known) and discover any scuttlebutt about Colton or Scully. The young agent had been at it for two days when he came in through the basement door. The man looked terrified.

"Agent Walker? Are you alright?" Mulder was genuinely concerned. The kid was normally so happy.

"I think I have the information you want, Agent Mulder. You aren't going to like it." Mark Walker went to Scully's area and sat down. Mulder had allowed him to use it but only because Scully approved of him.

"Then give it to me straight." Mulder crossed his arms. This wasn't starting out well. Agent Walker turned his guileless brown eyes on him. Mulder could detect hero worship being a trained psychologist, but sometimes the man went too far.

"Agent Scully and SAC Tom Colton are working on the Red Stripper Murders." Walker turned away.

Mulder was confused. "Colton is using my pathologist partner on the Stripper Murders? Why is that a problem?"

"They are calling them the 'Red' Stripper Murders because the perp only kills natural redheaded strippers. It's a detail they haven't leaked. The only reason I know is that the other agents were in a betting pool to see who gets chosen for the security detail when Agent Scully starts the Sting."

"The Sting?"

Walker looked at his hands. "Agent Scully has gone undercover as a stripper to be bait for the serial killer. She's not working as a pathologist on the case."

Mulder froze. *Scully is a Stripper?* That was a phrase he never thought he would use. "They are going to pose her as bait?"

"Yeah. I like Agent Scully. She's a wonderful woman. I can't believe they would ask her to do this." Walker started to pace. "She could get killed, Agent Mulder. What can we do?"

"I'm not sure. I'm not supposed to know this and if I say something, they will know it was you that told me. You could get fired."

"I know." Mark Walker stood up angrily. "Colton is an ass. He doesn't care about anyone else other than himself. If Agent Scully dies, but he catches the killer—that's good enough for him. It's not good enough for me."

Mulder eyed him. Apparently Scully made a strong impression on the young lad. However, considering the circumstances, he will have to deal with the crush factor—later. "You're right. I'll see what I can do. Thank you for telling me."

"Can I help?"

"You have a long career ahead of you at the FBI, Walker. I don't want to be the one to ruin that. I'll take care of it."

"It's okay, Agent Mulder. If it saves Agent Scully, count me in. I'll land on my feet and it's a risk I'm willing to take."

My my. Hero worship AND a Don Quixote crush. He could use him, but Mulder will try to protect the young agent. "Ok, Walker, I appreciate it. Let me see how far I get on my own first."

XXXXXXXX

Around 11pm, Mulder went to Scully's place, but she wasn't there. He couldn't understand where she could be so late at night unless she was taking all of her clothes off in front of frothing, horny men. He should have left his gun in the car. He might shoot the first frothing man he finds.

He decided to go over to Assistant Director Skinner's apartment. The phone won't do and they certainly couldn't talk at the Hoover Building. When he knocked at midnight, he was surprised at what he found when he opened the door. The stern AD was wearing a white t-shirt, jeans and wiping his hands with a towel. The delicious smell of some rich Italian dish came wafting out the door.

"Mulder? What are you doing here?"

"Um, I wanted to talk to you, sir—away from work."

Skinner started to push Mulder outside. "You shouldn't be here."

"Skinner?" A familiar voice sounded from behind the ex-marine. "I finished adding the spices…" Mulder goggled as Scully walked up behind their boss dressed in an oversized shirt and leggings. Her feet were bare. "Mulder?"

"Scully?" Mulder whispered and then sent Skinner a withering glare. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Mulder," Scully began. "This isn't what it looks like."

"Like hell it is!" He pushed on the chest of his superior. "Undercover is it? More like under *the* covers." Mulder started getting louder. "Are you enjoying her new assignment, *Sir*? I see it comes with benefits!"

"Shut up, Mulder!" Skinner hissed. "You are making an ass of yourself." He looked around. "Get in here before someone sees you." Skinner almost yanked Mulder inside.

Mulder stumbled into the sparsely decorated, black and white apartment. The walls were white and the furniture was black. Somehow it fit the AD, even though shades of grey would be more appropriate for the mysterious loyalties of the man. What was swimming through his head is that his partner, best friend and the woman he desperately wanted for himself was playing 'house' in their boss' apartment. He tried hard not to picture the two of them together, but the image was filtering through.

Skinner was a large man and Mulder had experienced his strength more than once. It was usually when he was restraining Mulder at the time. How could his petite 5'3" partner stop the burly ex-marine from taking what he wants? The worst scene in his head was the one that had Scully bent over the black, leather couch with Skinner thrusting madly into her from behind. He wanted to kill him. Another reason to leave the gun in the car.

"Mulder," Scully approached him carefully and tried to calm him. "Don't jump to conclusions. This can be explained."

He crossed his arms. "Then start explaining, Scully."

"She can't." Skinner's baritone echoed off the walls from across the room. "Neither can I. You will just have to accept our word that this is a work-related matter."

"Is Scully making dinner in your kitchen a work-related matter, Sir?" Mulder was trying not to fly off the handle. With learning that Scully was undercover as a stripper and Skinner was entertaining her late at night in his private home, it was starting to be too much.

"You are going to have to trust us." Scully said.

Mulder leaned into her and whispered. "How's your pole dancing? You must show it to me sometime."

Scully's eyes grew wide. "How did you find out?" She whispered back.

"Trying to keep it from me in the first place was the biggest mistake. You could get killed."

"Stay out of this and don't let Skinner know that you found out. Please! This will be over in a few weeks."

"I'm not letting this go." Mulder said loudly, wanting to touch her. She looked so delectable in that outfit that he was finding his thoughts wandering to greener (and lower) pastures. *Wouldn't that grass be red?*

"You *are* letting it go." Skinner said suddenly standing in front of Scully. The AD was quick and silent in his approach. "Go home, Mulder and leave Scully alone. I'm watching out for her."

"I can see that." Mulder snapped back. He stared hotly at Scully. "I hope you enjoy dinner." Mulder turned and walked to the door. "Skinner, if anything happens to her, I'm holding you *personally* responsible."

"I know." Skinner replied wearily. "Stay out of it, Mulder."

He left the apartment, but Mulder wasn't giving up. He got in his car and parked around the corner where he had a view of the front door to Skinner's place. About 1am, Scully came out and Skinner walked her to her car a block away. The AD scanned the road, but Mulder doubted that he could see him. The large man waited until Scully had driven down the street, then went back inside. Mulder followed his partner.

Author Note: Is Skinner getting any? Will Mulder catch Scully and get any himself? Stay tuned!