Summary: Mulder is getting hot and bothered. Will he maintain his "partnership" or will he completely lose it? Scully isn't immune either...

Chapter 4 – R.I.L. (Regular In Love)

Mulder couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was Dana Scully, good Catholic girl, dressed fantastically and provocatively in a peacock blue frilled tank top and daisy duke short jeans. He saw some of that soft and luscious rump peeking out from there. What he wouldn't give…

His ego deflated a bit because she was being held tightly at the waist by their boss AD Skinner. He always suspected that man had a thing for his partner. He had watched the conversation between SAC Colton and Skinner in the parking lot and was confused. If Colton was in charge, why was Skinner involved? In any event, he was doing a lot of touchy feely on Scully. That ticked him off.

"Are you ok, Agent Mulder?" Mark Walker said next to him.

"Kill the 'agent' stuff, Walker. Yeah, I'm ok." Mulder watched the bouncer fend off several interested patrons as Scully maneuvered her way backstage. Skinner was right about one thing. Mulder wasn't going to be able to protect her here. He almost lost her this morning when she took that cab. She must have noticed him watching her apartment last night. It wasn't that he forgot she was as good of an agent as he was, he just couldn't walk away.

The men kept getting approached by the ladies as they were both good looking and were wearing expensive suits. Mulder got his from his mother and Walker got his from the pile his bio-father left when he died. The boy was rich and didn't need to be working for the FBI. That made Mulder feel better about taking the kid along for the ride.

The dancer that had come up to Skinner, came over. "Hey sugar, I can dance, grind and make you come. Twenty dollars and I'm all yours."

"No thanks, is that redhead available?" Mulder wasn't trying to blow her cover, but he did want to see her. The dancer spat on the floor next to him, bringing Mulder out of his reverie and he finally paid serious attention to the slighted woman.

"I am sick of men wanting redheads. Every time we get one, the ATMs flock to her and the rest of us are scrounging for small change. I wouldn't get too attached to her. She won't be around long."

"Why not?" Mulder stared at the aging stripper.

"Sugar, we dancers know that there is a killer stalking redheads. It's all over the clubs. Several of the ladies dyed their hair so they wouldn't be targeted. This Ruby, she is naive and pathetic. No one told her about the killer, not even her pimp. She's stupid and going to be taken out—watch." The dancer smiled, but it reminded Mulder of a snake. "I'm a much safer bet."

"Uh, Uncle Mulder?" Walker said nervously. "I think Aunt Dana is looking for you at home. We should probably go."

Mulder was glad that Walker noticed Scully walking out the club door. It was late and he should probably follow her back to the apartment. "Thanks, Mark." He turned to the snake. "Appreciate the tip. We will be back tomorrow night. We'll look for you then."

The stripper's face fell. "I won't be here tomorrow night. Enjoy Ruby while you can." She stalked off.

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Mulder dropped Walker off at his car and went to stand guard outside Scully's apartment. It was a weak attempt to provide protection and between last night and tonight, he found he couldn't keep his eyes open. He closed them a little while only to awaken to a sound in the car. He looked over and met the angry, but beautiful blue eyes of his partner, Dana Scully.

"Hi Mulder." She said giving him that look.

"Hi Scully. I was…" He sighed. "I was…"

"You were trying to watch out for me." Scully finished his sentence. "You don't need to."

"I'm worried about you. You didn't take your car today…"

Scully nodded. "I was trying to give you the slip. However, I saw you and Mark at the Club. Why Mulder? Skinner and Colton have this well in hand."

"Skinner!' Mulder scoffed. "He has a lot more than this situation in hand. He was hanging all over you last night!"

"I'm a high priced called girl and he is my handler. He is playing a part—Mulder. I'm not supposed to be telling you any of this, but you won't go away!"

"He seems very comfortable touching you."

Scully sighed and looked at her hands. "Do you want to come up? You look exhausted."

"I won't blow your cover?"

"We'll have to risk it. Maybe you are a late client. Come on." Scully got out of the car and went around to the driver's side. Mulder got out and followed her to the elevator and into to her apartment.

Mulder loved this place. It was so—cozy, so—Scully.

"You can have the couch. Get some sleep. You have to go to work in the morning."

"Don't you?" Mulder said taking off his jacket.

"Yes. Later." She walked over and handed him one of the shirts he left over here.

He liked leaving clothes over her place. It meant he had a presence here. Mulder has even caught her wearing a few of his shirts from time to time. *Daymn* Seeing the woman you lust (and love) wearing your clothing is a complete turn on. There were a few close calls and Scully barely made it out with her virtue intact. This night could be one of them.

"You know this is really dangerous, Scully. Both Walker and I are worried." He unbuttoned his dress shirt and briefly revealing his muscled chest, put the t-shirt immediately on. He will have to wait to take his pants off, for a very good reason.

Scully smiled—almost as if she knew about the pants situation. "That's why Skinner and I didn't tell you. I knew you would get upset." She touched his cheek. The five o-clock shadow was turning into one of those hipster beards even as they spoke. "I'll be fine. Skinner took personal charge of this case to make sure nothing went wrong. We all know Colton's record. Skinner pulled a few strings and got oversight. I only agreed to work undercover after he did that. You know he will look out for me."

"He's doing a lot of looking, Scully—and a lot of touching. It isn't right."

"Maybe one day we will have to act a little for our jobs. Maybe we will have to pretend we are the perfect suburban couple and get away with it. I'm sure you will think differently then. You went undercover once. You did things you wouldn't normally do to keep your lid intact. You should understand."

"I do, but…" Mulder looked away.

"But, what?"

He knew he was revealing too much, but he was like an out of control Amtrak. His body must have been taken over by aliens and he blurted one of the most stupid things he could ever say. "Me touching you and Skinner touching you are different. You are mine and Skinner…" He stopped after his brain caught up with his mouth. Oops.

"Yours, Mulder?" Scully stuck a pose and it had the *Homey don't play dat* look written all over it. Super oops. He wanted to tuck her hip and neck back into alignment, but that would have made things worse.

"Uh…I'm going to go to bed." He yawned. "Wow, I'm reeeaallly tired, Scully. See you in the morning!" Mulder grabbed the offered comforter and leaped onto her couch turning into the cushions. He didn't move until he felt that she had walked away. Crisis averted. Whew! That could have been a five alarm fire, with him playing the over roasted weeny.

As the apartment grew quieter, he relaxed. It was much safer with her in the other room and the door closed. He hoped she locked it. He was being slowly tortured surrounded by Scully-smell wafting from her couch and apartment, his ginormous hard on butting up against the cushions and the desire of his life just a few feet away.

It wasn't like he slept when he was at his own apartment anyway. That's why he called her late at night. Hearing her voice was like a lullaby, but this—was torture. Usually, when he stayed over here or she was on the other side of a hotel wall, he slept like a baby knowing she was close. However, Ruby was going to dance tomorrow night and Mulder was going to be there to watch. Neither his brain nor his body could sleep.

XXXXXXXX

Near morning, Mulder woke and peeked into her room. She would be angry if she saw him acting like a peeping tom. This was her sanctuary. However, she is willing to take it off for all those men—why not him? Ok, she was under orders, but Mulder knew Skinner would never force her to do something like this. She volunteered. Perhaps it was a secret fantasy. It was definitely one of his.

Mulder licked his lips. Her creamy pale skin looked almost golden in the buttery light streaming in through the window. The crimson hair that fanned out on the pillow made his fingers itch. He knew how soft it was. He wanted her and neither Skinner nor Walker was going to take her away. She unexpectedly moaned and turned on her side. That sound aroused him painfully. He shouldn't…but he did.

Standing over her, he brushed her cheek with his knuckles. Baby soft, like he knew it was. Tracing her collarbone lightly, he elicited another sleep addled response.

"Mulllder!..."

Wow! She called out his name. God, that was sexy. He had a big piece of anatomy taking notice too. If he was gentle… Mulder shook his head. No. He wanted her full participation. He caressed those delicate freckles on her shoulder and lightly touched the mole on her mouth—like a butterfly kiss. This 5 year dance is over. When she is done with this assignment, he is going after what he wants—full throttle.

XXXXXXXX

Scully woke Mulder in time for work and shooed him out of her apartment. This was her big day and despite the fact that they both had enough vacation time to choke a Caribbean Cruise Line, Mulder wasn't using any today. "Go on—and I don't want to see you or Mark at the club tonight. I'm nervous enough as it is."

"Aww, Scully! I'll be there for moral support. Agent Walker will be there to ogle you, but he is just a young kid.

"Very funny." Scully tried not to smile. "Really, Mulder. I'm anxious about this."

"You will dance fine, partner. I've seen your moves at the Christmas parties. I'm more worried about the killer getting a hold of you. Is Skinner going to be there?"

"Not the whole time, he is sending a security detail headed by Colton."

"Why after all he went through to get authority, he won't come?"

"He didn't say why, but he said that he couldn't make it until after I go on." Neither agent looked at each other, but the unspoken reason was there. Skinner couldn't handle supervising her if he watched her dance. That hard on she felt yesterday was real. It was quite a chivalrous act—really. She was glad Skinner had taken over the case. If it was Colton playing her 'pimp', the man would have totally molested her by now.

Mulder dutifully went to work and Scully took a nap. Having Mulder at her apartment last night wasn't a good idea, but she suggested it and had to live with the repercussions. Those particular consequences was an intense state of awareness of the well-muscled man sporting the huge erection that was sleeping on her couch—just feet away—in his shorts! If she 'sleepwalked' right onto his cock about 50-60 times, it could be justified in a court of law.

Scully knew that Mulder was physically attracted to her. The feeling was mutual. However, the cold truth was that crossing the line was a no-no. She had a feeling that Mulder was going to see her dance tonight and if he did, she was going to let her fantasies run wild. While the partners couldn't act on their attraction, according to the FBI, Scully decided to show him how she felt for all the world to see.

Authors Note: Chapter 5– D.S. (Dream Stripper) is next. Let's see her dance...