X-Files 1. DEFAULT CHAPTER

            Glancing up from her book, Sally Ryan spotted her silent nephew colouring as he sat on the patio furniture.  The beautiful sunshine they woke up to prompted an early morning relaxation session in the back garden, the perfect suntrap.   Billy had his head bent over the pages as he fumbled for the various pencils and crayons that lay scattered around him.

            He must have felt her eyes on him because he looked up to her and she could then see the faint scar that lined his left cheek, disappearing under his chin.  The accident that had killed his parents had left him with a life long reminder.

"Hey Billy, shall we go and grab some lunch?"

            He nodded and gathered the page he'd been working on and one black crayon.  Sally followed him through to the kitchen where he got back to drawing and she rummaged around the cupboards for some food.

"How about some pancakes?" she asked.

            Without looking up he nodded his head.

"Would you like some of your aunties famous chocolate chip cookies?"  Again he nodded, his interaction kept at a minimal and she just wished he'd say something.  Having been silent since the plane crash Sally wished she could hear his sweet laughter again.

            Repeating the words in her head that Billy's doctor had told her she busied herself collecting the ingredients.  As she started beating the eggs she took another glance up at him and saw him stepping off the chair and backing up against the wall.

"Billy?" she said noticing the look of fear on his face she rushed over to him, grabbing his arms just as the screaming began.

"Billy? What is it?" She checked his arms for injuries but felt nothing.  He pointed at the drawing but all she saw was a picture of a plane, single black wavy lines over the top of it in the sky.

"Billy what's wrong? Tell me?" she asked her panic rising above control but all he did was scream and star at the drawing.

***

"Ladies and gentlemen could you please fasten your seat belts as we are about to go through some rough turbulence.  It should last for about 10 minutes but don't worry we'll get you to Seattle on time."

            The crackle from the cockpit stopped and a disjointed murmur travelled around the passengers.  The air stewards walked up and down the aisles as they reassured the worried travellers and checked that all belts were fastened.  But suddenly the plane jerked pulling baggage from the overhead departments and throwing the stewards to the deck.  Screams came from all around and as the oxygen masks were released a ball of flame erupted from the right wing penetrating the plane and engulfing the passengers.

            The captain managed to send mayday messages on all frequencies before the plane plummeted to the earth below.

***

            Scully fumbled with the projector and slides trying to make it work.  Wondering how Mulder had made it seem so easy and yet she couldn't get it to switch on.  She woke up at four am that morning and knowing she wasn't going to get back to sleep she dragged herself from the bed she had occupied alone for four sleepless hours.  Now as the clock read eight am she found herself struggling with a piece of machinery that she knew Mulder would just turn on.  Exasperated she blew some air over her face to move the stray strands that insisted on tickling her nose.

            Just then the door swung open and Mulder walked in a wide smile on his face.

"Good morning Scully," he said cheerily.

"Welcome back, how did it go?"

"Amazing!" he said throwing his jacket over his chair and coming over to where she was fighting with the projector.  "You should have been there."

            He rummaged through his case and pulled out an A4 envelope. Opening it he spread the photos out on the table and showed her.

"How did you get these shots?" she said looking down at the aerial pictures of the crop circles.

"I met this guy in a bar and he turned out to be a chopper pilot."

"And he took you up?" she said glancing up from the projector to see his smile.

"Yes. It was fantastic.  You should have seen the patterns.  I wish you'd been there."

"Helicopter rides to see crop circles? I wish I'd been there too!" she said her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh Scully," he said pushing her aside and setting the projector up himself, "where is your sense of adventure?"

"My sense of adventure? Do you want to see what I've been up to since you wasted your weekend examining broken corn stalks?"

"Please Scully enthral me!" he challenged.

            She stepped around him and switched off the lights trying not to be too mad at how quickly he had set up the slides.  When she returned to the small table he had taken his customary position in his own chair with his feet perched on the corner of his desk as he waited for the show.  She focused the lens on the white screen before switching to the first slide.

            Mulder stared at the picture of the plane wreckage and turned to her, waiting for her commentary.

"Flight 357 New York to Seattle went down two weeks ago, killing all passengers, 203 people." She changed the slide again this time showing him a train derailment.  "East rail train to Florida went off the rails last Tuesday, killing 80 commuters."

"Come on Scully, what have you got?"

            She smiled inwardly laughing at how the tables had turned.  He hated to be left guessing but constantly he threw her tid-bits of information never letting her see the whole picture.  She moved on to the next slide and Mulder saw a picture of a young child in a school uniform.

"William Ryan, aged ten now.  Lives in Chelsea New York.  Both of his parents were killed in a plane crash four years ago, a crash where he was the only survivor."

"You're killing me here Scully, have you got something or not?"

            She passed him two sheets of paper with photocopied pictures and he studied them silently for a moment.

"What's this?" he said looking down at the childish drawings of a plane and a train.

"William drew them," she said and stepping closer to him she reached over his shoulder and pointed to the wavy black lines.  "And those are short hand."

"Short hand?"

"It's a form of writing used by journalists, doctors, interviewers to make transcribing conversation quicker."

"I know what short hand is Scully but what does it say?"

"It has flight numbers and destinations of the plane that went down and the train that derailed.  All drawn prior to the accidents."

"Scully are you suggesting that this child has pre-cognitive information of air accidents and rail disasters?" he turned round to face her fully, trying desperately to hold the sceptical look on his face.

"Or could it be possible that he is privy to sabotage of these vehicles?"

"Has any one taken blame?"

"No and the official lines are all stating engine trouble."

"So when do we leave?"

"Lunch time."

            She turned back to the projector and started to pull the slides out, packing them into a small case.  He twisted idly in his chair swaying it slightly as he watched her collect her things.  He had missed her over the weekend and while he flew over the crops in Ohio he had wished she were by his side.  More than once he turned to point something out to her only to find the chair beside him empty.

"How did you come up with this one?" he asked gazing on her slow movements.

"I used my vast knowledge of paranormal phenomenon and trailed through pages and pages of Internet links on the suspicion that they were connected in some para-psycological way-,"

"Scully, so how did you really get it?" he said his laugh light and chasing his voice.

"A friend of mine is a doctor of Williams and when she saw the drawings and the connection she contacted me knowing my affiliation with the paranormal.  She faxed them over to me Saturday morning."

"What does she think?"

"She doesn't know what to think, hence I got the call."  
"Well all I can say is it's about time you started to pull your weight around here, I'm getting sick of carrying you."

            She fixed him with a glare arching her eyebrow slightly as her smile broke through her tight lips.

"Shut up Mulder."

** I already posted this chapter but there were too many mistakes so I re-did it up (that's great English!)…sorry!!! **


	2. Chapter 2

            Scully rested her head against the wall of the plane and looked out at the clouds below.  She wasn't a great fan of flying but since working on the X-Files hardly a week went by when she didn't find herself flying somewhere.  Mulder sat next to her his head back against the headrest and a pair of earphones in.  As usual he could sleep through the flights leaving her to battle silently with her discomfort.  Closing her eyes she kept her hands on her seatbelt and tried to calm down knowing there was at least another hour left on the flight.

            Mulder listened to the tapes of his deductions from Ohio and let the plane's gentle rocking soothe his aching back.  Having spent the whole weekend camping in dark field waiting for more crop circles, what little he had slept he seemed to find the rockiest part of the field to do it on.  

_Scully never would have agreed to camp out_, he thought and then felt her elbow jerk against him as the plane shook a little harder.  He knew she didn't like to fly but he never brought it up, also knowing how she would think it a sign of weakness.  He supposed the fact that they were going to New York to investigate an air disaster didn't help the situation so he opened his eyes and turned to face her deciding to keep her distracted so she could forget where they were.

"Scully, what do you really think about crop circles?" he asked pulling his earphones out and slipping them into the pocket in the seat in front of him.

"It was proven that they were a prank, method, timing and ability-," she began without looking up.

"Oh come on Scully, the sheer magnitude and scale of an operation like that would be impossible to organise let alone the skill it would take to perform the mathematical correct angles and designs is beyond human ability."

"You saw it being done by a human, how can you not believe it?" she asked annoyed by his pure dismissal of fact.

"I saw one pattern taking 8 hours, by an old guy from England, not 12 patterns a night all over the world," he argued.

"Why couldn't there be 12 guys all over the world that did one each?"

"Simultaneously? Different patterns? I don't think so."

"Of course that would be too hard to believe.  It's much more probable that aliens came down and somehow managed to implement these crop circles leaving them as markers for a possible point for invasion."

"That's what I've been trying to say," he said loving how her voice would lilt when she got frustrated and her eyebrows both arched in the middle.

"Oh God Mulder," she shook her head and resumed her stare out the window.  Her smile finally broke through and she turned to see him smiling too.

"It's getting easier and easier to reel you in Scully!"

"Okay, okay that one was an easy one but you wait.  I'll get you back."

"Promises, promises Scully!"

            They sat in companionable silence for the rest of the journey and he waited by the luggage carousel while she went to collect the car.  Finally out on the road he fumbled with the map as she followed the road signs for NY City hoping they'd find Chelsea from there.

"Did you book a hotel?" Mulder asked not looking up from the mass of paper he held out on the dashboard as he tried to figure out where they were going.

"No," she turned onto the freeway crossing three lanes to get into the fastest clearest one. "I thought we'd get one when we got here."

"What time are we meeting Dr Campbell?"

"Tomorrow morning, and I've been trying to contact Sally Ryan, Williams guardian, but I can't seem to reach her."

            Mulder grabbed hold of the dashboard as Scully weaved in and out between the cars, remembering now why he usually drove.

"Well how about we go and find a hotel and try later?" he suggested throwing the map into the back seat and watching the road carefully.

"Did you give the NY field office a call?"

"Yeah, they want us to call in tomorrow morning for verification."

"Now all we need to do is find a hotel," she said speeding up and undertaking a few more cars.

"I know this lovely place just outside the city…"

"No Mulder a _nice_ place, no roaches, dodgy showers, paper thin walls and defiantly nowhere that charges by the hour."

"There you go Scully with that lack of a sense of adventure!"

"Anyway the rule is whomever drives gets to pick the hotel," she said.

"Wait, I don't remember that rule," he said laughing.

"It's always been the rule," she replied ignoring his playful gaze and watching the road.  

            It was just past seven pm when she pulled into a small hotel car park and delighted to see the vacancy sign she parked near the office and switched the engine off.

"Liberty Inn?" he said cautiously, reading the green neon sign.

"Yes the Liberty Inn looks wonderful."

"That's one word," he muttered just loud enough for her to hear as he followed her towards the reception.

"Come on Mulder, look," she said pointing to a sign in the office window, "free cable!"

"Cant be all that bad then can it?"

            The tinny ding from the doorway bell spoke volumes to them as they approached the tall desk with a young man sitting behind it.  He jumped up from his seat and turned to them with a leering smile.

"Hello, My name is Rory, what can I do for you?"

"We'd like two rooms, please Rory," Mulder said leaning on the counter with both arms.

"Two rooms?" the attendant said looking from Scully to Mulder.

"Yes, two rooms, connecting if possible," he added.

"Okay," Rory pulled at the pages from the sign in book, "will you be staying for the whole night?"

"Yes, in fact we'll be here for two or three nights," Mulder said calmly, trying not to look at Scully knowing he'd laugh after her comment about places that charged by the hour.

"Okay well we have a large suite with double rooms and a connecting door.  Numbers 213 and 214." 

            Rory handed them the keys and moved the book over for them to sign.  Mulder took the pen and signed for both rooms while Rory put his credit card through the machine.

"Have a good night," he called after them as they went back to the car to collect their luggage.

"Oh, we will!" Mulder said matching Rory's leer with one of his own.

            Scully opened the door to her room and was pleasantly surprised to see a large king sized bed waiting for her attention.  The room was tastefully decorated and a TV stood in the corner beside a mini bar that held alcohol and soft drinks.  A soft knock at the connecting door drew her attention as Mulder opened it and stepped through.  She noticed he had already changed into a pair of jeans and a grey long-sleeved top and wondered how he could do it so quickly.

"I guess it's not as bad as all that," he said crawling across her bed, kicking off his shoes and lying face down in the pillows.

"It's lovely," she said sternly, as she took off her suit jacket and rummaged through her bag for something more comfortable to wear.  

"If I was going to go for a hotel for an hour or so I suppose this place would do," he said turning his head in time to see her pull her shoes off one by one.

"What do you mean _if_ Mulder?" she called over her shoulder as she carried her change of clothes into the bathroom.  

            He smiled at her comment and wondered when she had started to get to cheekily vocal.  She never used to throw retorts at him like that but it seemed like lately he was under a constant barrage of smart comments and even an innuendo or two.  He couldn't say he didn't like it and the fact that she had relaxed so much in his company was a joy to him.  He rolled over on to his side and reached for the remote control noticing that she had left the bathroom door open as she changed.  

            From the angle of the mirror he could see her bare back as she stretched her arms high into the air before pulling a black t-shirt on.  Her hair had darkened recently he realised and had become much straighter.  He always noticed when she came in with new clothes or new hair do's but asides from the usual comments of how nice it looked he rarely let her know how much he would study her for the rest of the day as if memorising the new look.

            Feeling embarrassed at watching her so covertly he looked away and switched the TV on.  He was flicking through the channels when she returned wearing her t-shirt and a light grey pair of linen trousers.  She folded the clothes she had flown in and placed them over the chair by the bed.

"So we got the evening to ourselves Scully!" he said in his best seductive voice as he patted the bed beside him, but he decided it was out of practice when she snorted at him and reached for her files.

"Have a read of this Mulder," she said handing him a case file.

            He sat up against the headrest and opened the file reading about William Ryan's history.  She sat at the foot of the bed one of the legs bent beneath her the other stretched out in front of her.  After reading through all the files and bantering through their options for three hours Mulder slapped the file shut and closed his eyes.  She glanced up at him but he had rested his head back and was taking deep breaths.  Continuing with her work she bowed her head again and didn't look up until she felt something brush against the sole of her foot.

"Hey," she said pulling her foot away but he was still lying back against the wall with his eyes closed.  She ignored him and started to read again but this time she was ready when his hand snaked out stealthily to grab her foot she moved it before he could touch her.

"Alright Mulder, I get it, you're bored and hungry."

            She slipped off the bed and looked for her shoes.  As she sat into a chair to tie them he stood up and stretched moaning and holding the base of his back as if he had twisted it.

"Hurt your back?" she asked.

"Bad sleeping conditions over the weekend."

"You camped out didn't you?"

"Yes, and boy am I paying for it now."

"Do you want me to take a look at it?" she offered but he shook his head as he put his sneakers back on.

"No, it's fine. Right," he said standing up beside her trying not to wince at the pain that tightened round his back muscles, "lets go get some food."

***

            Sally watched as Billy's body lay unmoving in the hospital bed.  Wires and tubes surrounded him and she had to turn away afraid to look anymore.  She crossed the small corridor to the waiting room and slunk low into a chair.  When she heard footsteps coming up the hallway she looked up to see Dr Niamh Campbell stepping into the room.

"Sally, I came as soon as I could."

"They had to sedate him, he wouldn't stop crying," she said through a shaky tear filled breath.  

"I understand that he was drawing more pictures, did you bring them for me?" Niamh asked taking the seat next to her and placing a friendly hand on her lap.

"Yeah, but I still don't understand why you wanted to see them," Sally replied as she pulled two folded pages from her pocket and handed them to her.

            Niamh opened up both pages and saw the pictures of a plane flying through a clear blue sky.  Again over the plane she saw the short hand written clearly.  

"You see this?" she said pointing it out to Sally, "This is a form of short hand used to transcribe interviews."

"What does it say?" Sally asked confused.

"It says New Orleans, 221 20:50."

"What does that mean?"

"The last drawings that Billy was doing when he had an episode had the same writings, flight numbers and destinations and a train number and destination, both of which crashed and killed over 300 people."

"What?" Sally couldn't believe what she was hearing.  "What does that mean?"

"Billy drew the pictures before the accidents occurred.  I don't know what it means but I think I know someone who can help us.  She's an FBI Agent."

"FBI?" Sally jumped up from the chair. "Jesus Niamh are they going to take him away from me?"

"No, it's not like that," she said trying to calm her down.  "She works with unexplained cases and I faxed her through some of Billy's drawings.  She wants to help."

"Help me lose him," Sally shouted.

"Sally, you know Billy is very sick, he needs help, more than you can give him."

"He's already lost his parents and he's been living with me for the past four months.  You can't take him away from me now."

"We all want what's best for Billy."

            Their argument was halted by the sounds of alarms coming from his room and they both ran out to see a team of medical staff rushing in to treat him.  Niamh had to hold her back as Sally struggled to get in to be by his side.  Finally the room cleared and a doctor came out to greet them.

"He had a seizure.  Has he ever had one before?"

"Not since he's been in my care." Sally said staring at Billy's form. 

"With the heavy sedation he is under there shouldn't be enough brain activity to induce a seizure, I'm afraid we'll have to keep him in for a while to run some tests, do a CT and blood work."

            Slowly Sally nodded her head, grateful for the comforting arm Niamh had reached around her shoulders and followed the doctor to sign the consent forms.  Niamh stayed with Billy sitting by his side and looking at the pictures he had drawn.  She'd have to call Dana with this new information and tell her about the flight to New Orleans.  Hopefully with all her experience in the unexplained she would be able to help.  Looking down at Billy she wiped the sheen of sweat from his forehead and held his hand.  She could feel his pulse beating rapidly in his small wrist and see some REM behind his lids.

"Hey Billy, you're going to be okay.  Just you wait and see, we'll have you out chasing fireflies before the summer is out."

** _Again I had to repost, and in case you read the first version you'll notice that I changed the doctors name from Marian to Niamh…It was just bugging me.  Sorry if this caused any confusion._  _And now, on with the show…**_


	3. Chapter 3

            Mulder held the door open and let her walk out into the morning sunshine first.  She could see his tension building by just looking at him as they walked back to the car shrouded in silence.  He sat in and slammed the door sitting still for a moment trying to regain his composure before starting the engine.

"You okay?" Scully asked tentatively.

"They never get it do they?"

            Inwardly she sighed.  She knew he was about to go into a barrage of rhetorical questions that she couldn't answer, leaving her with nothing to do but sit and listen to his monologue of torture.

"They judge me on a reputation, never having worked with me or spoken to me for that matter.  Is that fair?"

"Mulder, we've checked in with the field office.  We'll have nothing more to do with them."

            He turned the key and felt the car come to life beneath him.  Reversing out of the parking space and pulling out onto the road Scully noticed how white his knuckles were as they gripped the steering wheel.

"I spoke to Niamh Campbell, William's doctor," she began trying to get his mind off the comments thrown at him by the other agents.  "She said that William was admitted into New York University hospital last night.  She said she'd meet us there this morning."

"So where to?" he asked letting some of his tension go with a deep breath and a long sigh.

"Straight for another four blocks then take a left and keep going until we see the hospital."

            They arrived easily despite the early morning traffic and Mulders tension.  After getting details for William Ryan they found his room empty.  Crossing the corridor to the small private waiting room Scully knocked lightly before pushing the door open and stepping in where they saw a tall woman lying cramped on a small couch.  Scully approached her and knelt down by her head touching her shoulder lightly.

"Niamh?" she said softly and instantly the woman's eyes shot open, blinking rapidly as she sat up.

"Dana?"

            Niamh brushed her hair away from her face and looked at Scully with a wide-eyed expression before grabbing her into a big hug almost knocking her in the process.

"Oh my god Dana, it's so good to see you!" she said smiling.

"It's good to see you too."

            They released each other and leaned back for a better look and stood up.  It was only then that Mulder realised how tall Niamh was.  Towering over Scully like himself she stood eye to eye with him and looking down he noticed she hadn't put any shoes on.

"It's a shame it couldn't be under better circumstances," Niamh said and Mulder noticed he deep brown eyes shimmered with a worry and grief he had often seen in Scully's blue ones.  The two women gazed at each other with a sadness often seen between friends who lived so far apart.  

"Niamh, this is my partner Fox Mulder, Mulder this is Dr Niamh Campbell," she said gesturing between them both. 

            Mulder reached out and took Niamh hand in a firm handshake aware that he was being appraised for later discussion he inadvertently felt his chest sticking out and his shoulders broadening.

"Ahh the infamous Fox _Don't-Call-Me-Fox_ Mulder, star of many a tale."

"Really?" he said smiling at Scully catching the beginning of a blush.  "And you're an old friend of Scully's?"

"Less of the old but yes I knew Dana way back in the day.  When she was the best fighter on the street."

"Oh I'd say she still is," Mulder said clearly enjoying Scully's discomfort as much as Niamh.

"So…" Scully began with a little cough, "What happened to William?"

            Mulder and Niamh exchanged a knowing glance before Niamh stepped past them and led them into the empty room across the hall.

"Each time Billy draws one of his…pictures, he experiences an episode of extreme inconsolable fear.  He screams and yells and nothing will stop him, you just have to wait it out.  But then yesterday morning he just wouldn't stop, it had gone on for hours and Sally brought him in.  He had to be sedated."

            Mulder walked around the room examining the contents as Scully picked up the child's chart and flicked through the pages.

"It says here that he was given Dilantin, that's an epileptic drug?"

"Last night he had a fit.  While under sedation."

"But 250mg in one dose seems a bit excessive."

"You didn't see it Dana.  With the amount of sedatives Billy was on he shouldn't have been able to take a fit, let alone one so strong."

"Any history of epilepsy?"

"No, none."  She looked down at the empty bed for a moment her hand reaching out to stroke the pillow.  "He has been having tests done all day. He's having a CT at the moment."

"And what triggered the episode he had yesterday?" Mulder asked.

"Well…strictly what triggered it I don't know," Niamh admitted.

"Were there any more pictures?" he asked coming round to them and standing just behind Scully.

            Niamh reached into the small locker beside the bed and pulled out a folded up piece of paper.  Wordlessly she handed it to Scully, who looked at it before passing it to Mulder.

"What does it say?"

"New Orleans, 221 20:50," Niamh said quietly.

"Could be any airline," Scully said solemnly, but Mulder had stepped out of the room and she could see him on the phone.

"Who is he talking to?" Niamh asked as she watched Mulder pace by the door.

            Scully thought of Frohike and smiled a little.

"Just a guy we know that might be able to help us find out."

"Listen Frohike, don't give me any of that crap," he was saying as he stepped past the room.

            Scully looked over to the friend she hadn't seen in years and smiled.

"How are you doing?"

"To be honest with you Dana, I've been better." She sighed and sat onto the bed.  "I've been working with Billy since his parents were killed.  It's…it's the hardest case I've ever had."

"And he's not talking at all?"

"Not a syllable.  His communication skills are limited to nods and screams."

"How is his guardian coping?" Scully asked sitting next to her.

"Very well.  He means the world to her.  When I told her about you coming down here she thought I was going to have him taken from her."

"We don't want to do that, but we will have to investigate the whole situation," Scully said and then added, "is there any possibility that Billy could be getting this information from her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Information of terrorist activity."

"You're kidding right?" Niamh said but the look on Scully's face told her she wasn't.

"It's a possibility that we will have to look into."

"Dana, it's not possible.  Sally works for a TV company here in New York, I don't think she is very political, she probably doesn't even vote."

            Scully looked down at her hands and felt the anger pulsating from Niamh's eyes.  

"We have to check out everything," she said simply.

"I didn't call you up here to tear what little is left of this family apart," Niamh said heatedly as she stood from the bed.  "If that's what you are doing you can just go back to Washington and hunting those bloody aliens."

            She brushed past her and stormed out of the room barging through Mulder who was standing silently in the doorway.  He hesitated at the sight of Scully's bent head but finally stepped over to her.

"What happened?"

"Nothing.  She's tired."

            Scully stood and reached up to curl a lock of hair behind her ear.  Stepping past Mulder without looking at him she started to walk out of the room but he didn't follow.

"Shall we go and talk to Sally Ryan?" she said stopping and half turning to him.

"Yeah." He came up behind her and she resumed her pace to the elevator.  

"What did Frohike say?"

"He's trying to get into the New Orleans air traffic control database to see if he can access their schedule."

            Scully shot him a look and frowned not sure if she wanted to hear the rest.  Mulder smiled at her expression and nudged her gently with his elbow.  

"Don't worry Scully, he only uses his hacking skills for good!"

***

            Sally leaned against the tall window watching as Billy was slowly moved into the tunnel.  She could hear his quiet whimpers through the intercom but there was little she could do about it.  The Doctors called to Billy about the procedure making sure he was going to be ready for the loud penetrating noises before switching it on.

"Okay, Mary go ahead," The neurologist said.

            Mary took the controls and switched the machine on, bouncing the room to life with an almighty crack.  Billy jerked under the sudden noise but Sally watched as his body restraints held him in place for the scan to take place.  She looked away unable to watch him struggle without helping and leant against the window, her head bent down to hide her silent tears.

"Excuse me, Sally Ryan?"

            Sally looked up to se a tall man standing in front of her with a smaller red haired lady beside him.

"Yes?" she said shakily.

"I am Special Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI, this is Dana Scully, could we have a word?"

"I don't want to leave Billy."

"Just outside, for a moment," Scully urged firmly.

            Sally glanced around to see Billy laying still, the noise from the CT Scanner fading.  She kissed her lips to her fingertips and pressed them against the window before walking out to the corridor with Scully.

"How long have you been looking after Billy?" Scully asked.

"For about four months now.  Once he came out of the hospital he moved in with me and we've been living together ever since."

"Did he know you before that?"

"Yes, his mum is my sister."

"But didn't they live in San Francisco?" Scully asked noticing Sally's distrustful posture.  

"I travelled a lot with my job and I got to see them maybe once a month," Sally replied defensively, returning Scully's stare.

"So you got on well with the family?" Mulder said taking her attention away from Scully for the first time.

"What are you implying?"

"We are just trying to establish the relationship-."

"Relationship? He's my god-dammed nephew, I took him in because I love him and he should be with family.  He had no one else."

"Did you?" Mulder asked flatly.

            Sally turned the full power of her anger onto him and stormed back into the examination room.  Mulder looked over to Scully and twitched his eyebrows in a surprised gesture.

"Defensive," he commented.

"Well Mulder wouldn't you be? If someone was trying to take the only link you had left to your family?"

            Mulder heard the stinging tone in her voice and he could only imagine what thoughts of Emily were flying through her head.  Softening the retort he had ready he turned to face her fully.

"We'll need to investigate her further, look into her job.  If she is working for a TV company she could have many contacts."

"I know Mulder, but we could have been nicer."

"We didn't join the FBI to be nice Scully," he said and instantly regretted it.

            She looked at him for a moment as images of Donnie Pfaster, Eugene Tooms, Melissa and Emily flew past her eyes.  She didn't remember anyone mentioning those when she joined the bureau but the look on Mulders face told her he knew what she was thinking.  

            Before she could change the subject Mulders phone did it for her, ringing loudly in his pocket he reached for it with an apologetic glance.

"Mulder."

"Mulder, I have some answers for you," Frohike said.

"What have you got?" he said gesturing to Scully to get a pen and paper ready.

"Flight 221 is a private jet marked for landing in New Orleans at 20:50."

"Private jet, landing in New Orleans at 20:50," he repeated for Scully to write down, "where is it coming from?"

"LAX.  Departure time at 18:30."

"LAX, 18:30. Thanks Frohike, I owe you one."

"Put the lovely Agent Scully on and we'll call it quits," Frohike said smiling.

"She's just left, sorry Frohike, next time!" he said before hanging up.

            Scully looked at him a little confused but he shook his head and started to dial another number.  

"I'll call Skinner, you get onto LAX about the plane, it doesn't leave for another," he checked his watch, "seven hours so we shouldn't have a problem stopping it."

            They both paced the small corridors each listening to the others conversation when their own was on hold.  After speaking briefly to Skinner Mulder dialled to get through to the civilian database and asked the technician to e-mail all he could on a Sally Ryan with the address he gave.  He hung up and turned to Scully who was arguing down the phone about the jurisdiction of a Federal Agent in LAX.  He listened for a moment until she held the phone away from her ear a shocked and angry expression on her face.  

"They hung up on me.  I don't think they believed I was an FBI Agent," she said furiously.  

"Well you are smaller than the average Agent and with those delicate hands the guns must he hard to hold," he began but she looked at him with such incredulity that his words caught in his throat.  "I spoke to Skinner and he said he is going to send a team out to the owner of the jet to have it checked over, but apart from an actual threat and I quote "_that wasn't plucked from the sky_" we have no jurisdiction."

"But the evidence-," she began.

"Points to nothing Scully, a few doodles drawn by a very sick little boy does not equate to mass terrorism."

"How can you say that? You saw what was written on the pages, you know about the accidents?"

"Yes but it all boils down to what _you_ see.  The shroud of Turin, The Virgin Mary in Lourdes, short hand in a boy's scribbling."

"You cannot be serious Mulder," she said staring to walk away.   "I thought you'd-."

"What?" he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "Thought I'd believe it because it's there to be believed?"

"No but because the evidence is there to suggest-,"

"Do you believe it?" he asked quietly, loosening the grip he held on her arm.

"I believe that they are true warnings of future disasters."

"But not that the boy is psychic, or has pre-cognitive information on future events?"

            She hesitated for a moment but it was all that he needed.

"So why should I?" he said.  "Because I'm _Spooky_ Mulder? Because I've been chasing shadows my whole life? Well Scully it's a life I've chosen and it's all I've got but that doesn't mean I'm going to chase any fool around that claims to know the future."

"Mulder I-," she began.

"And if you think I will then you're just like the agents at the field office today." He let go of her arm and started to walk away but turned back to face her, his face angrier than she had ever seen.  "Actually, you're worse, because you know me better than that."

            She watched him storm away, her mouth a little open as she stood in shock of what had just happened.

_A fight with Niamh and now a fight with Mulder, this was a bad day rapidly turning worse _she thought.  

Unsure of what had upset him so much she let him go and walked in to talk to Sally again, hoping that with only one Agent to talk to she might feel more relaxed and ready to talk.  

** _About that summary…MSR? You know I'm gonna have MSR! It's a given!!_  _By The Way…favourite chapter alert…I'll have to stop announcing that**_


	4. Chapter 4

            Mulder took the stairs to the lower level his anger intensifying with every step he pounded into the ground.  He had to admit at being angry with himself for blowing up at her but when he thought of her presumptions his fury flew back to her.  Bursting out from the stairwell he made his way back to Billy's room where he found Niamh sitting on his bed.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to…" he mumbled and started to back away but Niamh had turned to him and he noticed she was crying.  "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said standing and rubbing her face with both hands.

"You're worse than Scully at that," he said with a small smile.

"I'm so mad at her right now.  If she does anything to jeopardise that family-," Niamh began and he could hear the raw anger in her voice.

"She's just trying to do a thorough job, she needs to check everything.  That's what makes her a great FBI Agent," he said unable to believe he was defending her when moments ago he was ready to throttle her. 

"I know, I shouldn't have gone off at her just then.  Where is she?"

"She's upstairs with Sally Ryan," he said glancing away in case she saw the flicker of anger that shattered his clear expression.

"You had a go at her too," Niamh said plainly.

"More like she had one at me," he argued but she caught the sorrowful look in his eyes and knew better.  Moving into the room Mulder sat in the chair by the bed facing her and leaned forward resting his forearms on his knees.

"Typical Dana, churning the place up with emotions and then she's nowhere to be seen for the clean up."

            Mulder looked at her for a moment, frowning.

"Not the _Dana_ I know," he countered.

"How _is_ she doing at the FBI?"

            Mulder heard the question; an obvious probe into Scilly's private life that hadn't been shared with Niamh before.  Of course she had told her stories of different cases but permission to delve deeper into Scully's mind and heart had clearly been denied.  Mulder thought of how to answer, seconds passing as he went through his options but his hesitation told Niamh more than his words ever could.

"She's doing really well," he said finally.

"There are times when I talk to her and she seems so sad, so lonely," Niamh admitted her voice low and clear.

            Mulder sat up at this insightful conversation and concentrated on what Niamh was saying.  Willing her to share more, needing to know it all.

"And then there are times when she talks so animatedly about a current or recent case and she sounds so happy and relaxed."    

"Do you two talk often?"

"Every two weeks maybe more.  We e-mail each other quite regularly except when you two are out on a case."

"Things can get a bit hectic," he admitted.

"So I heard."

"What ever Scully has said I'm sure you could multiply it tenfold.  She tends to under state the situation," Mulder said shaking his head with a little laugh.

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what she said about you!" Niamh said as she stood up and straightened her skirt.  Mulder watched her in astonishment as she sauntered out of the room leaving him confused and curious.

***

            Sally walked in with the nurses to untie Billy while Scully stared at the monitor with the neurologist.  The screens showed low definition pictures of the scan they had just taken.

"Is that a tumour?" she asked pointing at a white mass that covered a third of Billy's brain scan.

"It appears to be.  We'll need to do a spinal tap," he replied shaking his head at the picture before him.

"With coverage like that is it operable?"

"It depends on how deep it's going, we'll need to wait for the bilateral views to see.  But looking at this…it doesn't look hopeful."

            Scully looked up to see Sally lifting the child from the table and carrying him over to the hospital trolley.  She saw as Billy reached out to her when they tucked him into the heavy blanket and Sally took his hand, holding it as the trolley moved through the room and down to the elevator.  Excusing herself she followed the bed and walked behind Sally to the lift.

"Sally, can I have a word with you?"

"I told you all I know, please can we just get Billy settled?"  Sally said not taking her eyes off the boy.  "We'll talk to you then."

            Scully let them step into the lift and watched as the doors closed.  She turned to go back to speak to the neurologist when her phone rang.  Glancing at the ID she saw Mulders name and took a deep breath before answering.

"Scully."

"Scully, it's me, where are you?"

"Right where you left me," she said unable to resist the jibe.

"Did you get to talk to Sally?" he asked ignoring her tone, not sure if he was still angry with her or not.

"A little.  Billy has just left the scan and he's on his way back down to the room.  I'm going to give them some time to settle before going in again."

"Okay, well do you want to grab some lunch? I need to go back to the motel and check some mails.  I can do that while you speak to Billy."

"Okay," she said hoping that was an olive branch he was offering.  "Where are you?"

"Behind you."

            Scully whipped around to see him standing there an expressive smile on his lips that she couldn't place or help but return. They both put their phones away and she followed him in silence back to the lift.

"We might as well just eat in the canteen," he said as he pressed the button for the ground floor.  

            She didn't reply only nodded her head slowly wondering if the fight was gone out of both of them or if it was the calm before the storm.  Chancing a glance up at him she caught him watching her unabashedly.  His smile still evident and still curious.

"What is it Mulder?" she said almost tiredly, knocking some of the wind out of his already deflating sails.

"I was talking to Niamh, she's quite upset about the fight you two had."

            Again he watched as her head bobbed up and down slowly as if she was saving her voice.  He thought quickly of what else to say and was confused at his lack of words.  Thankfully their silence was broken by the quiet ding of the elevator as it arrived at their floor.  He stood back and let her exit first, following half a step behind as they collected trays and took some food from the selection.  Queuing at the cash till Mulder took a quick look at her tray to see only a bottle of water and a chicken sandwich.

"Not hungry Scully?"

            She looked down at her own tray and then over at his that was laden down with two sandwiches some fruit and a jelly pot.

"Not really, no."

            As they arrived at the till Mulder stepped up and paid for both lunches then followed her to the table she had chosen, by the large bay windows a splattering of sunshine dispersing the dull ness of the magnolia canteen.

"Billy's scan showed a huge tumour on his brain, covering possibly a third of the frontal lobe on the right side."

"Fatal?" he asked his sandwich hovering just outside his lips reach.

"Most likely.  The neurologist didn't like to say but it doesn't look good."

"Do you think this might have something to do with…" he hesitated unsure if he wanted to breech the subject again.

"Billy's pre-cognitive messages?" she said looking him straight in the eye as she took a bite of her own lunch.  "I don't know."

            He watched her eyes quiver under the power of her stubbornness and tried hard not to smile, knowing she'd take it up wrong.  He tried to match her stare but the strength behind her cool blue eyes was so intense that he had to look away.

"The growth of brain tumours has been linked with the reported occurrence of psychic ability."

"You mean like Modell?" she said doubtfully.

"So you finally believe me about Modell?"

"Regardless of whether I believe you or not those reports have not been substantiated.  In fact the research has proven the opposite."

"Come on Scully, give me a break, I'm trying to agree with you and make a link from what we know to what we theorize," he argued anger building up inside him again.

"You mean you have a theory about Billy's condition?"

"No, but you do, whether you want to admit it or not," he said finishing his sandwich and peeling a banana.  "And I am only trying to substantiate it," he finished, throwing her own words back at her.

She finished her sandwich and watched him for a moment as he ate the last bit of his banana and began to peel the orange next.  He broke off a segment and left the rest on his tray, confused at how his eyes couldn't stay with her.  She picked up the orange and took a piece, slipping a segment past her lips and stared at him.

"Okay Mulder, let's say he is getting these messages of accidents about to happen," she began, "where are they coming from?"

"I don't know."

"How can we stop them?"

"I don't know," he said breaking off more segments and passing some to her.

"Knowing the future, will it give us the power to change it or just the opportunity to watch it?" she asked loving the sweet taste of the orange in her mouth as it mixed with her words and their repartee.

"I don't know."

"Well it seems to me like we've reverted to different, if opposite, sides again."

"Ahhh the old familiarity of self doubt."

            She smiled a little as he pulled the top of his jelly pot and dug into the shaky red substance.

"That jelly could well be an X-File in itself," she said as the red goo disappearing into his mouth.

"So Scully, where do we go from here?"

"I'm going to speak to Sally and hopefully Billy.  You are going to find if the data on Sally Ryan came through and then go and check out the TV company where she works."

"Okay, I'll collect you back here when I'm done?"

"Give me a call, I might be gone back to the motel."

            He looked at her for a moment.  His hopes that the tension between them was rapidly disappearing shattered when it seemed like it was still hovering over them ready to envelope them at a moments notice.  

"Alright.  Call me if you hear from Skinner," he said before standing and leaving the room.  She watched after him, erratic thoughts circling her head and doubts touching her lips but she let him go and made her way back to Sally Ryan.

            Mulder pulled outside the motel and waved at Rory as he walked past the reception.  The sun had finally begun to break and a cold wind bit through the air giving off the tension it could just before a heavy rain.  He hurriedly set up the laptop and waited for the connection, lying flat on the bed flicking through the TV channels.

            As the mails appeared he found the one from the information section and opened it to see all the data they had on Sally Ryan.  Leafing through it quickly he scanned for anything out of the ordinary but found nothing and left it for further scrutiny.  With a deep sigh he fell back into the bed and staring up at the ceiling his thoughts straying to Scully and her defensiveness.  Wondering how she was getting on with Sally he thought of joining her at the hospital but instead decided it was best if he went to the TV station and spoke to her colleagues.  Maybe it was space she needed to step back and realise fully what she was proposing with this case.

"Space I can do," he said aloud as he pushed himself of the bed and fixed his tie. "Space I can do."

***

            Sally watched as Agent Scully stepped quietly out of the room, closing the door with a soft click and walked past the large window.  She glanced down at Billy who stared up at her and she smiled.

"Don't worry Billy, it'll all be over soon," she said stroking the boys hand as Scully disappeared out of view.

            Scully got into the crowded elevator and saw that the ground floor button had already been pressed.  She suppressed the sigh she could feel building up inside her chest and waited patiently for the doors to open again.  Eventually she found herself walking though a light rain to the Taxi depot across the road.  It took a moment for her to remember the name of the Motel, smiling when she remembered Mulder's incredulity at her choice.  The rain became heavier as they journeyed through the city and she paid him his fee before dashing this time through a thunderous downpour to her room.  

            Ignoring the leering wave from the receptionist she quickly walked past and went straight to her room.  A fleeting thought of checking to see if Mulder was in her room disappeared when her desire for a shower became stronger.  But as she fiddled with the taps she decided on a bath and filled the plughole and turned the water on full.

            As the bath filled she removed her clothes, folding them neatly onto her bed and carried her heavy rode into the bathroom, draping it over the toilet as she carefully stepped into the hot water.  Wishing she'd thought to bring some bathing products she made do with the hotel brand bubbles and the soft music she played in her head.  She sank low into the water with her eyes closed and let the water soothe her aching shoulders.  Suddenly Mulder popped into her head and her eyes flew open.

"No Mulder, leave me alone…I need my space…" she said into the empty room.

            Looking around she half expected to see him sitting on the toilet watching her with his chin resting in his hands and a lob-sided smile on his lips, but all she saw was a foggy mirror.

"Just give me this Mulder and I'll owe you," she said as she closed her eyes back over and rested her head against the bath.

            Mulder shook the rain from his hair and threw his wet jacket onto the floor.  Kicking off his shoes as he crossed the room he loosened his tie and dropped it to the ground.  Pulling his shirt out of his trousers he dragged it over his head, completing the trail of clothes as he knocked gently on the connecting door.  Rory had told him that Scully had just arrived and he decided to talk to her before he took his shower.  

"Scully?" he called as he stepped through the door and found the room empty.  The sounds of running water told him that she was taking a bath and the sight of the clothes she was wearing earlier folded at the bottom of her bed confirmed it.  He was just about to turn and leave the room when he heard her talking and saying his name.  Stepping closer to the bathroom door, pushing away guilty thoughts he might have for eavesdropping, he listened.

"Just give me this Mulder and I'll owe you," she said silkily.

            He couldn't stop the shrewd smile from spreading across his lips as he silently left the room wondering how he would collect.

** _I know that this chapter is a bit of a non-event…gratuitous "MSR Set Up" if you will, but the imagery and angst is one I've been playing with for a while.  So I hope it fits_.  **


	5. Chapter 5

            ** _Scrap that last chapter as a favourite…I got a new favourite one…_**

Wiping the mirror with her hand Scully cleared enough of the steam to be able to see her face.  She brushed her teeth and spat into the sink, rinsing her mouth out with water before stepping into the bedroom again.  The robe felt warm against her skin and she idly rubbed her hair with a small towel.  As she crossed he room to her suitcase she spotted the connecting door to Mulders room was partially open.  Unsure whether it was open before she bathed she walked over to see if he was there.

"Mulder?" she said knocking gently as she pushed it open further and stepped through.

            His TV was switched on and showing a documentary on submarines as it cast an eerie glow on the otherwise dark room.  She could hear the shower running and turned to leave when Mulder's voice suddenly broke through the room loudly as he sang beneath the running water.  Scully didn't recognise the song and laughed a little at the thought of him being a _shower singer_.  Leaving quickly before he discovered her surveillance she returned to her own room and pulled out a change of clothes.

            Just as she pulled her jumper over her head the motel room phone rang and she rushed over to answer it.

"Hello?" she said cautiously into it.

"Agent Scully?"

"Yes."

"It's AD Skinner, I have been trying to contact you all day."

"I was at the hospital all day and the phone use is restricted."

"I sent a team over to check out the flight you called about earlier."

"Did they find something?"

"I'll say, the plane was ready for take off after all the checks when the Agents arrived but the insisted they take a look at it."

"What did they find?" she said impatiently

"A hairline crack in the fuselage."

"So Billy was right?"

"The engineers are doing tests to see what kind of pressure the crack will sustain.  But from talking to Agent White it seems that the plane wouldn't have made it out of LAX airspace."

"Do they know what caused the damage?"

"It all seems to be naturally occurring damage, no sign of foul play.  We wont know for sure until all the tests are through."

"Can you fax me through a copy of that report?" she asked, needing to read it for herself.

"It should be coming through right now."

"Thank you sir."

            She looked over to the small office she'd set up with her laptop and fax/printer and watched as a single sheet came through and fell on to the floor.

"Hey, Mulder," she called when she stepped through the connecting door looking down at the report as she walked over to the bathroom door.  She didn't notice that the water had stopped running or that he wasn't singing anymore.

"I got a report from the engineers that examined the private jet this evening," she said and a sudden whoosh of air swirled around her when the bathroom door swung open revealing Mulder.  His hair was spiked all over his head from where he'd rubbed it with a towel and his chest was glistening from the droplets that escaped his reach.  A large white towel was slung around his waist hung low on his hips and reaching down to his ankles.

"What?" he said rubbing his hair again and draping the small towel over his shoulder as he put his hands on her shoulders and manoeuvred her out of his way so he could get into the bedroom.  

            She watched him unashamedly as he walked over to the bed and pulled his bag onto it.  He rummaged through it for a while well aware of her gaze following him and suppressed the smile that threatened his lips.  But as he tried to straighten up the pain that had been niggling his back all day flared up and shot across his waist.

"Aww…" he said as he grabbed his side and rubbed hit roughly.

"Mulder?" she said rushing over to him and helping him to sit down onto the bed.  "It's your back isn't it?" she asked shaking her head at his stubbornness.

"It's fine Scully, I probably just pulled a muscle," he replied but the wincing on his face told him how sore it really was even if he wouldn't.

"Well a pulled muscle can escalate into a slipped disk if you're not careful."

"It's fine."

"Let me see."

            She twisted around him to take a look, probing his back gently with her fingers.  He squirmed under her touch and she tut-tutted when she felt the hard lump at the base of his back over his hip.

"What?" he said twisting his body trying to see what she was looking at.  He reached his hand around to feel it but she brushed his fingers away.

"Lie down Mulder, I've got something for this in my case," she called over her shoulder as she went into her own room and searched for the first aid kit she always carried.

            When she returned he was lying face down on the bed with the towel tossed to the floor and a pair of shorts just about covering his hips.  But looking at him now she forced herself into medical mode and pushed away all the urges she had to run her hands through his wet locks trace a finger down his spine, or maybe more.

"What have you got?" he asked trying to twist around to see what she held in her hands but the pain in his back shot up and forced him back into the bed.

"It's a muscle cream," she said, pulling up her sleeves before squeezing some cream onto her hands and rubbing them together. 

            Reaching down she pressed the cream into his back and she could feel the muscles in his back tightening.

"Relax Mulder, it's just a cream," she said pressing harder against the lump.

"It's a cold cream."

            Ignoring his complaint she rubbed his back in small circles around the base and up to his shoulders.  Eventually he relaxed under her touch feeling some of his tension ebb away and was suddenly glad for the burst of pain he felt earlier.

"What did you say about the private jet?" he asked needing to take his mind off the wonderful feeling of her fingers seeping into his skin making it feel alive.  

"Skinner spoke to the agents that went out to examine the plane and they found a crack in the fuselage.  It seems that the plane wouldn't have made it out of LAX airspace.  I got the report here." 

            She reached down to the ground where she had dropped the report earlier and read from it her hand still making small circles into his back gentler now, absently.

"Do they know what caused the damage?"

"Wear and tear."

"No foul play?" he asked, finding it harder to concentrate as her fingers brushed against the rim of his shorts.

"They are looking closer but no, they don't think so."

"So what do you make of that?"

"Billy you mean?"

"Yeah," he managed to get out, biting onto the pillowcase to stop himself from letting out a little moan of pleasure as she idly raked her fingers and nails along the base of his spine.

"I'm not sure, speaking to him today he seems to be still in shock over the loss of his parents.  He really was deeply affected," she said unaware of the exquisite torture she was pressing on him with her gentle touches as she read through the fax sheet.

"Mmm hmmm," was all he could say, afraid to open his mouth any further for fear of what he might say.

"And I can see the strong bond he has developed with Sally.  I can't imagine her putting him in any danger.  How did it go at the TV Station?"

"Well," he began, stalling for time to try and collect his thoughts, "she is the lead writer for a few shows there, documentary, cutting edge ones." 

            He stopped to take a deep breath as her finger traced an invisible line from the base of his neck along his spine to the rim of his shorts.

"Controversial?"

"Some could be conceived that way but never anything thing involving terrorism.  I got some tapes of her shows to see if we can pick anything up in them."

"Could someone be planting these thoughts into Billy's head by some sort of subconscious means?"

            Any surprise he felt from her suggestion was wiped out by the torment he was feeling as she started the circles again, this time between his shoulder blades.

"I don't know Scully, we'll eh need to get a list of…eh people that have any eh contact with him," he mumbled loosing his resolve and needing to get away from her touch but not wanting to.

"Okay, well I'll go and call the school and see if I can talk to his teachers."

She stood up and turned around to him, glancing at his back and the small line of scrapes she had left along his spine.

"Does your back feel any better?" she said blushing slightly wondering if he felt the scrapes on his back.

            His breathing was short and shallow and he lay face down in the pillow not answering her.

"Hey," she said, probing his back again with her medically trained hands.  He almost jumped at her touch thinking she had left the room and turned to face her.  "How's your back?"

"Much better, thanks Scully," he said avoiding her eyes afraid she'd see the churning of desire behind them.

"I'll rub some more on it later if it tightens up," she said rubbing it gently one last time before going into her room leaving the connecting door wide open.

"Okay…" he called after her thinking that he could feel it tightening up already.  And if it didn't he'd make it.

            As she fumbled around her room for her notebook and sat by the phone Mulder dragged himself from the bed and walked over to the wardrobe where he found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.  Rubbing his back he could feel the velvety patches where the cream hadn't quite dried in and he smiled to himself as he walked over to the bed to put on some socks and his sneakers.  He combed his fingers through his hair letting it fall any way it landed and walked into her room.  As she spoke on the phone she leaned across the bed and wrote on a legal pad, gesturing for him to look at what she had written.  

            He crossed the room and sat next to her taking the page she offered he saw a  list of names she had scribbled down.

"Okay, thank you very much.  Goodbye."

"What's this?" he asked when she hung up.

"I spoke to his counsellor and he said that one day in a session Billy wrote down this list of names.  She's asked his family and teachers about it but no one recognised any of them."

"I'll send it through to Matt."

            Mulder walked over to the fax machine and dialled the number while rummaging in his pocket for his mobile.

"Matt, it's Mulder here, I got a list of names this time, no address though."

            Scully watched as he placed the page into the machine and listened to whatever Matt was saying.

"Yeah I know it's half past six, but this is important…yeah…those names," He said into the phone. "How long?…okay, thanks.  Just send it through whenever you get it."

            She watched as he laughed down the phone at whatever Matt said and then smiling he glanced at her letting his eyes linger over her body.

"No way…I practically had to sell my body for those tickets…I only got two…_I_ need two…me and Scully…what?"

            Scully stood up and walked over to him trying to hear what Matt was arguing with him about.

"Okay if you get a good list to me tonight the tickets are yours," he said smiling at her curiosity and Matt's persistence.

"What was all that about?" she asked when he hung up and bent to pick the fax sheet up off the ground.

"The Knicks are playing next month in New York and I got us a couple of tickets and Matt wants them," straightening up and holding his back trying not to show how much it hurt.

"You got us two tickets? For a game in New York?"

"Yeah, it'll be great, basketball, hotdogs, beer, good company.  You'll love it."

"Matt's a Knicks fan too?"

"Yeah born and bred New Yorker," he said.

"Your back still at you?"

"A bit.  It'll be fine."

"You should take a bath, all that standing and singing in the shower isn't going to help it."

"Singing?"

            She smiled wickedly at him and returned to her spot on the bed where she had spread out her notes.  But before he could push her about what she had heard the bedside phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Dana, it's Niamh."

"Niamh, hi, I've been meaning to call you but…"

"I know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to blow up at you like that, it's just…this boy is so very special."

"I know Niamh, I know how much you care."

"Sorry about what I said.  I had a chat with your partner  Mulder," Niamh continued.

 "Did you?" Scully said her eyes darting over to Mulder where he sat next to her his legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles and he rested back on the heel of his hands.

"He's quite protective isn't he?"

"Is he?" she said looking away.

"Just a vibe I guess. Anyway I wanted to call to apologise and invite you two out to dinner."

"Dinner? Sounds great, where?"

"I know this lovely Italian near your hotel."

"What's it called?"

"Tony's.  It's on Richmond Ave.  I'll book a table for eight o'clock if that's okay."

"We'll see you then."

"Are we going out on a date?" Mulder asked her impishly when she hung up.

"Niamh invited us out to dinner tonight.  You don't have to come if you don't want to…"

"And miss the chance to hear about the _street-fighting-emotion-stirring_ Dana Scully? Never."

            She looked at him oddly wondering what exactly what had transpired between Mulder and Niamh earlier on but she let the thought disappear when he reached over to her notes to compare them with his own.  They spent the hour talking through the case bantering through ideas and theories before Scully noticed it was half past seven.

"Come on, we'd better be leaving."

"It's stopped raining, shall we walk? Niamh said it wasn't far," she suggested.

"Fine by me.  I could do with a stretching my legs."

            He rushed into his room and grabbed his coat and followed her out to the street where she led them towards the restaurant.

"Table for Campbell," she said to the maitre-de and he led them over to a table that was set for four.

"She must be bringing someone," Scully said to Mulder as they sat down.

"Is she married?" he asked.

"No."

"Boyfriend?"

"She never said."

            Mulder watched her under trained eyes as she fidgeted with the napkin, her eyes darting around the room for any sign of Niamh.  He wasn't sure if she was uncomfortable with his presence or the possibility of Niamh's companion, neither of his options making too much sense.  But before he could analyse her further he caught sight of Niamh entering the room with a tall black haired man in tow.  

            They were both dressed casually which he knew Scully would be thankful for and Niamh smiled widely as she approached.

"Hi Dana," she said as they hugged and whispered softly into her ear, "I'm sorry."

"Forget it Niamh," Scully replied with a smile.

            The four of them sat into the table and Niamh turned to the man she brought in and smiled warmly.

"Dana this is Josh Westin, Josh I'd like you to meet Dana and Fox Mulder," Niamh said introducing them like the couple she saw them as.

"Hi, pleased to meet you at last," he said shaking hands with both of them, smiling nervously an Mulder could almost see his shoulders broadening and his chest expanding, ready for the obligatory appraisal.  He smiled to himself knowing he fell into that trap too.

"You work for the FBI?" Josh said eager to get the central attention away from him and back to the table.

"Yes," Mulder said when Scully said nothing.  "We're partners."

"How does that work out?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean being married and working together all day?"

"Married? We're not married, we're just friends," Mulder replied confused but still laughing.

"Oh…sorry," he said clearly embarrassed.  "It's just that Niamh was saying Dana and Fox this, Dana and Fox that, I guess I presumed…sorry."

"Forget it. Actually we get it all the time," Mulder admitted.

"Really?"

"Yeah it must be the dreamy way that Scully keeps looking at me," he said laughing at the expression change on her face as the words tumbled past his lips.

"So what do you do Josh?" Scully asked over her initial shock.

"I'm a teacher at Jefferson high school."

"What do you teach?" she asked.

"Science. To a bunch of unappreciative Neanderthals."

"Sounds like a day at the office for me," she said with a sideways glance at Mulder over the rim of her menu but he was smiling back and edge to it that she hadn't seen before and didn't recognise.  

            The waiter came and took their orders and finally, much to Mulder's malicious delight, Niamh began with the Scully stories.  She reeled tale after tale out about how Dana had started up a protection ring in the neighbourhood for kids that were being beaten up, and started to charge for first aid to injuries during a ball game.  Mulder watched Scully squirming behind her glass of wine, her eyes following the pattern of the swirling dark liquid.  She glanced up to him and he saw her discomfort, and all he could do was smile and throw her a reassuring wink.  Josh watched the simple interaction and reached over to grasp Niamh's hand.  Niamh met his eyes and looked over to the _couple_ sitting across from them.

"So Mulder, what do you do to keep her in line?" Niamh asked promising herself a full interrogation of Dana later on.

"I couldn't even if I tried," he replied simply and honestly.

"Tell me about it.  Ahab had a hell of a time."

            Niamh caught Scully's eyes with a sorrowful glance and they both smiled at the memory of Scully's father chasing them back from the ballpark, making them promise to pay all the kids back.  Mulder noted the sad tone that the conversation had turned to and quietly removed his napkin from his lap, placing it on the table beside his now empty coffee cup.

"Anyway, I've got to get back and make some calls," he said to them all, offering Scully the chance to leave if she wanted but also telling her he would leave her here to chat some more.

"I'll go with you," she said obviously glad of the opportunity to go too.

"It was great talking with you, Dana," Niamh said rising with her and hugging her again.  Josh stood also shaking her hand nervously with a sideways glance towards Mulder, clearly not believing the spiel about being friends.

"I'll call you tomorrow," Scully said standing and accepting the hand from Mulder as they stood away from the table.  "Goodbye Josh, it was great to meet you."

"And Mulder," Niamh said with an mischievous smile, "it's great to finally put a face to all the stories."

"Glad to help," he said back, waiting to get Scully on her own before asking her about these oh so famous stories.

            Mulder held on to Scully's hand as they weaved through the small room between the scattered tabled filled with other diners and finally made it out into the cool night.  A light rain fell around them as they walked across the car park onto the sidewalk.

"Maybe we should have taken the car."

"Oh Mulder a little bit of rain never did anyone any harm," she said combing her fingers through her already damp hair and smiling up to him.

"Do you want my jacket?" he offered chivalrously.

"No I'm okay."  

The light jumper she was wearing was already starting to cling, but he didn't argue with her enjoying the sight of her plainly visible curves.  They walked slowly through the rain, comfortable with each other's silence and thoughts that swam around them.  As the rain fell harder they unconsciously leaned into each other and Mulder gently draped an arm around her shoulders, covering her as much he could with his large beaten leather jacket.

"Definitely should have taken the car," he said to her, whispering it softly against her ear tickling her skin, and making her writhe against him.

            He saw a crowd of trees at the edge of a park nearby and grabbed her hand before dashing through the downpour to the relative cover of the tall trees.  Panting from the sprint they both huddled close with Mulder's back resting against the tree and he opened his jacket letting her slip into it as he closed it around her.

"Better?" he asked looking down at her.

"A bit."

"Still cold?" He rubbed her back with his hands and pressed her closer to him.

"A bit," she said snaking her arms around his waist under his jacket.

"Well short of stripping off and getting some body heat going there's little else I can do," he said smiling at her.

            Her face pressed into his chest as she tried to keep dry but looking up at him she got caught in the power of his stare and watched the rivulets of rain, drop run his cheeks.  He said nothing looking down at her blue eyes as they darkened and her pupils widened.  Without thinking or giving the rational side of his brain a chance to voice an opinion he closed the small distance between them and touched his lips gently to hers.  

            Surprised by his swift movement Scully could do nothing but take his gentle kiss, tasting the rain off his lips making it all the sweeter and sending sparkles of passion further into her body.  But before the kiss could be deepened a crack of thunder exploded into the night quickly followed by a flash of lighting heightening both their senses.

"I may be a Neanderthal when it comes to science, but I do know that sheltering under trees isn't very smart during a thunder storm," he mumbled against her lips, still not fully breaking contact.

            He could feel her lips curving into a smile beneath his and he took it as encouragement.  He pressed his lips harder against her partially open mouth and resisting the urge to plunge further; he stood up straight before the storm caught them both.

_God dammed natural forces_ he thought, as he looked up into the dark night sky that flash with another spark of lightening.  Her body heat was simmering around him and he could swear he could feel her heat beating against his chest.  Chancing a quick glance down to her he found her smiling oddly back at him.

            She rarely saw him so…so…she wasn't sure what he was feeling.  Although ideas where popping into the mind and making her smile.  But looking at him standing there watching the lightening she could almost feel the tension building up inside him

"We should probably get back to the motel and get into some dry clothes.  How is your back feeling?"

"A little sore but nothing to worry about."

"I'll rub some more cream on it if you want," she said her tone deep and carnal but then it changed as she said "but staying out here in the rain in wet clothes isn't going to help it any."

"Oh Scully, how can you make something so sensual sound so medical?"

"Practice," she said with a half smile and an arched eyebrow.

            He laughed at her teasing tone and slid an arm tightly around her shoulders as they stepped out from under the trees, holding her as close as he could.  They both rushed through the rain, huddled close and laughing.

** _Another chapter another late night…and at last they kiss…Shine on Harvey Moon! _**


	6. Chapter 6

As they tumbled through the doors of the Liberty Inn Rory looked up and saw them wrapped around each other.  Smiling knowingly he leaned out over the counter to watch them as they turned the corner for the elevators.  Obviously they had huddled close while rushing through the rain but inside the only reason he could see for hugging like that was desire.  Sighing audibly Rory sat back into his chair and returned his attention to the quiz show on TV.

            Still holding her hand Mulder pressed the elevator button and waited for the doors to open.  He looked over and saw her looking down, her eyes avoiding his and it tore at him to know what she was thinking, what she was feeling.  But typically Scully was giving him no clues.  They stepped into the empty lift and she reached over to press the third floor button before finally meeting his gaze.  Shyly she glanced up to see him watching her intently.  He wouldn't let her eyes wander as he turned to her fully and took both of her hands lightly in his.

"Scully…"

            She couldn't move beneath the strength of his gaze and wondered if he was going to kiss her again.  The uncertainty she felt since the last kiss was discarded abruptly from her head with the delight she felt at the chance of his lips touching hers again.

"I know we should probably talk, but I can't take back what I did.  I don't want to," he mumbled, stammering now through his nervousness he found his only defence, the power of his words, leaving him.

"I wouldn't want you too either," she said quietly, but the words gave him the release he needed to let go of the breath he didn't even know he was holding.

            They shared a secret smile as they walked out of the elevator and over to their rooms.  Standing at their separate doors Mulder put his key in the lock and looked over to her.

"I don't suppose you fancy joining me to watch Sally Ryan's tapes?" he asked anxiously.  

"Sure, let me just get changed and I'll be there in a second."

            She watched him twist his key and push the door open when suddenly a ball of flame engulfed the hallway knocking her to the ground and slamming Mulder against the opposite wall.  Her first thought was how quiet it was when she realised a loud ringing in her ears was blocking out any other sound.  The hallways were thick with black smoke and she coughed loudly as she tried to call out for Mulder only to find her throat contracting against the fumes.  The lack of noise from her partner scared her more than she thought it could and she fumbled around the ground hoping to find him with her hands as her eyes closed tight against the painful sting.

"Mulder…" she coughed and then her hand brushed against something.  Feeling around it she only hoped it was Mulder as her hands fell onto his face, a face she would always know by touch alone.  

The heat from the still flickering flames scorched her but she refused to leave him.  Feeling the wet skin she presumed it to be blood and quickly examined him with her fingers looking for any further damage.  She realised that she could do little for him there and she needed to get him out of the hallway before he choked.  Her hands trailed away from his face and felt down to his shoulders where she hooked her hands into his armpits and dragged him as quickly as she could to a corner near the bottom of the hall.

            Resting him against the wall she lay as low as she could and still reach the window as she tried desperately to break it but her strength had been drained.  Pulling her gun from its holster she smashed the glass with the handle and lay over Mulder as shards of glass showered them both.  The hallway cleared of some of the smoke and she became aware of the alarm bells ringing.  Slowly she managed to blink some of the grit out of her eyes and she held them open.  Looking at Mulder now she could see a deep gash on his cheek and some burning at the top of his forehead.  She fumbled her fingers around his neck for a pulse and delighted in the weak but constant beat she felt there.  She sat next to him and cradled his head on her lap, afraid to move him anymore but needing to feel him close.

            It wasn't long before the hallway rang with the sounds of the sirens outside and soon she saw a dark figure approaching her from the opposite end of the hall.  As it came closer she recognised the fireman's uniform and sighed with relief, unable to protest when he picked her up first, leaving Mulder on the ground with a different officer.

            She found herself deposited onto a gurney in the street and the fireman disappeared back into the building.  An EMT ran up to her and flashed a mini torch in her eyes, making them sting as he held them open.  She tried to argue but her voice was raspy and stuck in her throat, sending her into a fit of coughs.

            The EMT placed an oxygen mask over her mouth and fastened it at the back of her head and she basked in the cool air against her lips as she took as deep a breath she could before she saw Mulder being lifted out of the building.

"Mulder…" she whispered as she pulled the mask off her face and rushed over to him.

            Checking him again for a pulse she helped pull him over to the ambulance and started to shout medical orders at the EMT who followed her instructions without argument.  They gave him oxygen and cleaned his wounds checking him for further injuries but he appeared to have been lucky.  Little stitches on the back of his head where it connected with the wall and some burn treatment on his forehead should do it.  All he really needed was some clear oxygen and some rest, for his body to get over the shock.

"Scully?" he said harshly, his eyes blinking rapidly through the pain.

"Hey Mulder, I'm right here."  She took his hand and gently stroked it, smiling down and wiping his head, careful not to touch his wounds.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine Mulder, and so are you.  But you have to go to the hospital for some treatment.  I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Okay," he said starting a round of coughs that shook his chest. "Scully?" 

            The EMT's stopped pushing him into the back of the ambulance and let him lift his head up to see her as best they could.  She climbed in beside him.

"Yes Mulder?"

"Be careful."  She dropped a soft kiss onto his cheek, purposely catching the edge of his lips and making him smile.        

            She watched the ambulance pull away and weave through traffic until she couldn't see it anymore.  Turning to the officers at the scene she asked for the detective in charge and was brought over to Det. Jackson.  When he saw the small red haired lady approaching him, her face smeared with smoke and dirt and a deep frown worn on engraved between her eyes he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Detective Jackson?" she said sternly.

"Yes?"

"Special Agent Dana Scully, FBI," she said searching for her badge and finally finding it, she pulled it out for him to see.

"FBI? Who called you?" he said all the laughter gone from his voice.

"No-one.  My partner and I were staying here.  I believe his room to be the origination of the explosion."

"Explosion? What makes you think it was an explosion? All we have is a fire report."

"I was in the hallway Detective, I know an explosion when I feel one throwing me to the ground," she retorted angrily.

"Can your partner corroborate this?"

"He will, when he returns from the hospital."

"What kind of case are you working on up here?" Jackson asked.

"Possible terrorist action," she said evasively, not wanting to get in to an argument over the benefits of pre-cognitive warnings from a ten year old.

"Is there something I should know about?" Jackson asked irritated this time.

"No.  The FBI was working on a need to know basis."

"Was?"

"Well with this current threat I'm afraid the investigation will have to be stepped up a bit."

"What do you mean?"  
"Listen Detective," she began, "at this precise moment I'm not interested in departmental politics.  My hotel room just exploded and I need to find somewhere to stay, so if you don't mind I'd like to get a copy of your report and anything you find.  You can either e-mail it or fax it to these details."

            She handed him a card and stalked off, wishing she had thought to get her car keys before leaving for dinner with Niamh.  She managed to hail a cab from the throng of traffic now parked around the street but before she could get into it she heard someone calling her name.

"Ms Scully?"

"Rory?" she said at the sight of the receptionist running towards her.

"I just wanted to apologise for all this," he said coyly, gesturing around to the crowds and fire trucks behind him.

"Forget it Rory, it's not the first room and it wont be the last to explode."

"Well maybe I could make it up to you, take you out for dinner?"

"No, thank you," she stammered, "I have to get to the hospital.  I'll be by later to see what's left to salvage."

            She quickly climbed into the cab and asked for Mercy hospital.  Looking back she could see Rory standing in the middle of the road watching after her and a small smile caressed her lips.

            The emergency room in the hospital was brimming with patients suffering from smoke inhalation and minor burns.  Thankfully no one had been killed and the only major injuries were caused by the lack of fire escapes available to the guests at the hotel.  Stepping through the patients she made her way up to the reception and asked to see Fox Mulder.

"Exam room one, he's just finishing up," the nurse said without looking up.  So Scully moved away from the tall desk in search of room one.  Eventually after accidentally stepping into a leg getting plastered and some one getting their stomach pumped she found him sitting alone in a small room with bright green painted walls.  He sat on the edge of the bed with his shirt off and his jeans open and loose around his waist.  She could see the dried trickle of blood that stained his neck and the blue stitching sticking out from under his hair

"Mulder…" she said softly as she pushed further into the room.

            He turned to look at her and she saw the dirt and grime that was smeared across his face and imagined hers didn't look much better.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she approached the bed and circled it to stand in front of him.

"Like I've been through a spin cycle."

            She pushed his head to the side and reached back to feel his stitching.  The lump beneath her fingers felt hard and swollen and he winced under her tender touches.

"Does it hurt much?" she asked trailing her fingers around to the front of his face and letting them rest against his cheek.

"Not really," he replied as he stared into her eyes and turned his head slightly so he could press a light kiss into the palm of her hand.

"You could have been killed," she said quietly and he didn't miss the quiver in her voice.

"Ah Scully it'll take more than a few knocks to get rid of me," he said standing and pulling his jeans up, fastening them before gathering her into a big hug.  She held him tightly and with her head pressed against chest she could hear him wheezing.

"Are you staying here tonight?" she asked, pulling away from him enough to look in to his face.

"No, I was just waiting for you."

            He twisted around looking for his t-shirt, trying to reach it without loosing her from his grasp but instead she stepped out from the circle of his arms and grabbed his top for him.  Blood marked the back of it but he had nothing else to wear so he slipped it on over his head, cringing at the pain the over stretching shot through his lower back.

"Your back still at you?"

"Yeah it's weird, I thought getting thrown across the hallway into a cement wall by an explosion would fix it right up but what do ya know…"

"Funny Mulder, real funny…but I'm not the one who's going to be rolling over trying to get comfortable in a lumpy bed."

            The retorts burst into his head all vying for supremacy but he held them back deciding now was not the time for lewd comments about who would be sleeping where.  He looked at her solemnly for a moment and smiled a sad smile, looking away before she caught him.

"Where are we going to stay?" he asked her as they walked out of the hospital and they hailed a cab.

"I'm not sure," she answered, her frown deepening with every moment that passed, "but we'll need to swing by the Liberty Inn and see if we can salvage anything."

"Joy," he murmured as he slid across the seat to make room for her then much to his delighted surprise she slid over to him and rested a hand on his thigh.  He reached an arm over her shoulder, ignoring the screams of pain from his back and pulled her against him.

_It's worth it_, he thought as he felt one of her hands resting on his chest and her head found comfort on his shoulder.  Covering her hand with his own, he squeezed it tightly and brushed her forehead with a few light kisses as the cab jostled them through the city.

            She nestled into him, feeling his body heat and listening to the faint wheeze in his chest, needing to know he was alive and wanting to feel his heartbeat.  She wondered briefly if he would welcome her over friendly gesture but when she felt his chapped lips graze her skin she settled in closer.

            The fire had finally been put out they noticed as they climbed out of the cab and muscled their way through the crowd.

"Agent Dana Scully, FBI," she said to the guard at the police tape who lifted it up to let them both through.

            She scanned the officers who were streaming around the cordoned off area and searched for Detective Jackson as Mulder went to seek out the Chief Fire officer to find out about the damage.

"Sir, I'm special Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI, I was wondering if you could tell me about the extent of the damage?" he asked when he found the right man.

"The origin point seems to be somewhere on the third floor, extensive burning to the point of ash for a lot of the furniture.  We gave a seven minute response to this alarm so nothing should have burned that much, leaving me to believe-,"

"That an accelerant was used," Mulder finished for him.

"Exactly.  The forensic officer will be here shortly to make an official report but by the speed of the burning I'm thinking nothing short of gasoline could have caused that much damage."

"Could you get him to contact me?" Mulder said fumbling through his jeans for a card. 

"You look like you've been through the wars yourself," the fire chief said as he took the card from Mulders burnt and bandaged hand.

"I was on the third floor when the shit hit the fan," Mulder said touching the back of his head gingerly as if testing the pressure he could place on it.

"Well then you are a very lucky man."

"Tell me that in the morning when wake up with a pounding headache."

            Mulder left the fire Chief and searched for Scully surprised to find her in a fully heated argument with a man that stood close to six foot four and towered over her smaller frame.

"You have got to be kidding?" she was saying heatedly, stepping closer trying to get into the guys face.

"Listen, whether you like it or not, it's evidence and I cant let it leave the crime scene until properly logged."

"I hardly think my underwear is going to reveal anything right now," she shouted making Mulders eyes widen and his eyebrows disappear under his fringe in shock.

"What ever they do reveal will be recorded," the guy leered and Mulder had to place a hand on Scully's shoulder to calm her down.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"All our stuff is being detained for testing.  My clothes and laptop, the car keys."

"What about my stuff?"

"Well…none of it was salvageable," she admitted, afraid of the thoughts the image of his burnt room provoked.

"None of it?"

"It was a high heat fire burning for almost 20 minutes sir, we're lucky the building is still there."

            The sudden intensity of the close call he'd had glared in front of him as he looked on to the still smouldering hotel.

"Lets go Scully," he said quietly, holding her elbow as much for his own strength as to lead her away.  She was about to argue with Detective Jackson more but the tone in his voice pulled her away and she helped him over to a waiting cab.

"Can you take us to…a hotel?" she said confused.

"Which one?"

"I don't know…a nice one," she replied too anxious about Mulders condition to worry about names and titles.  "Hey Mulder, you okay?" she said turning sideways to see him lounging in the seat with his head resting back as far as it would go.

"I'm just a little shocked Scully," he admitted.

"Just relax, I'll have you in bed in no time," she soothed, stroking the side of his head.

"Oh Scully, stop teasing, you know I'm in no fit state…" 

            She smiled with him glad to know that he wasn't a lost cause and still able to form the ever present innuendoes.  

"Hey Lady," the driver called as he pulled up outside a Holiday Inn, "Is this place nice enough for you?"

"It's fine." 

            She paid him and gently shook Mulder to rouse him from the light sleep he'd fallen into.

"We're here Mulder, come on, get up."

            They struggled out of the cab and helped each other into the hotel, his arm draped over her shoulders and her arm holding him tightly around the waist.  The receptionist followed their progress from the door and frowned at their dishelved appearance.

"Hi, we'd like two rooms," Scully said smiling as best she could.

"Two rooms? Have you any luggage?"

"Well we were staying at the Liberty Inn but there was a fire, everything got destroyed…" she glanced at Mulder who was shivering and silent beside her.

"We heard about that fire, was anyone hurt?" the receptionist said suddenly sympathetic and helpful.

"Nothing major, but we would like to get cleaned up and possibly a change of clothes."

"I'll have some of our resident gym clothes sent up to your room straight away."

"Our rooms…we need two rooms," she said, her concern for Mulders health over riding any power she had to argue.

"I'm afraid we have had an orthodontist convention in here all week, the only way I have a free room is because of an early departure this morning," the receptionist said sadly.

"Well it will be fine," Scully said.

"It's a double suite so there are two beds in it and we should have a free room for you tomorrow."

"That's fine, here is my credit card.  Is there somewhere I can get hold of medical supplies?" Scully asked than at the concerned look she got from the receptionist she continued, "I'm a doctor and my partner needs some muscle cream for a back pain and some fresh bandages."

"There is a pharmacy that delivers.  Nolan's.  I'll call up to your room with the number."

            Scully signed the small verification sheet for her credit card and turned to Mulder who threw a loose arm over her shoulder.

"Room 2113," the receptionist said, handing her the key and pointing her in the right direction for the elevators.

            Scully directed Mulder as best she could but the longer he was standing the harder it came to hold him up.  Thankfully the room was close to the bank of elevators on the second floor and shortly after Scully opened the door to their room Mulder fell onto the large double bed that sat against the back wall of the room.  It didn't take Scully a full crane of her neck to see that there was no other bed in the room but as the phone rang she rushed over to answer it, shaking Mulder so he wouldn't fall asleep.

"Hello, Ms Scully,"

"Yes?"

"I have the pharmacy on the other line would you like me to connect you?"

"Please," she waited for the phone to ring through and turned to see Mulder lying on his stomach his head facing her and a small smile on his lips.

"Nolan's Pharmacy, Rich Speaking how can I help?"

"This is Doctor Dana Scully and I would like a delivery to the Holiday Inn Foremount Ave,"

"What can we get for you Dr Scully?"

"A tube of cortizone cream, some mild gauze with an antiseptic film, a pack of Anadin Max Strength and a Clearway inhaler."

"That all comes to €48.95 Dr Scully and we should have it out to you in about 20 minutes."

"Thank you."

            When she hung up the phone she turned back to Mulder and saw that his lids were falling heavily over his eyes and he struggled to keep them open.

"Come on Mulder, get up," she slapped his thigh and pushed him over onto his back.

"Aww five more minutes…" he said with a laugh.

"Come on, you need to take a bath and I need a shower."

"Saving on water Scully?"

"You wish."

            She went into the bathroom and set the taps running checking the water until it was hot enough for him before returning to the bedroom to see him still lying on the bed not having moved.

"Mulder, don't make me drag your ass into that bath."

"Now you wish Scully," he grunted as he stood up from the bed and pulled his t-shirt over his head discarding it on the floor as he stepped out of his sneakers.  She followed him into the bathroom where he opened his jeans and began to pull them down before he noticed her.

"You know Scully I was just joking earlier but if you're serious I'm sure both of us could fit in there,"

"You just take your time in there Mulder, I'll have a change of clothes ready for you when you get out."

"Oh Boo Hoo," he mocked her as she stepped out of the room closing it over but not shutting it fully.

            She pottered around the room flicking through TV channels her thoughts constantly bombarded by the image of Mulder slamming against the wall and the ball of flame that engulfed the hallway.  She shook her head to rid herself of the torturous image and went to answer the soft knock at the door.

"Your delivery arrived Dr Scully, and please accept these on the Hotel."

"Thank you very much," Scully said as she took the packages form the bellboy and placed them onto the bed.  She rummaged through the pharmacy's delivery and found everything she ordered then moved her attention to the other larger packages.  Inside them she found several pairs of sweat pants, some t-shirts, four jumpers, varying in sizes and a mixed collection of men and women's underwear.  The third bag held some toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving cream and a shaver.

"Mulder, how are you dong in there?" she called by the half closed door but when she got no reply her heart jumped at the thought that he had fallen asleep in the water.

"Mulder?" she called again and stepping in this time she saw him lying still beneath the bubbly water.  She raced over to him and dunked a hand down to pull him up only to be met with a struggling body writhing under her touch.

"Jesus Scully, what are you doing?" he yelled when his head managed to breach the surface.

"I…I thought you'd fallen asleep," she said smiling at him now her arms wet up to her shoulders and one hand still resting on his chest.

"I was just dunking my head."

"Sorry," she said laughing, a delicious noise that bounced around the room infecting him and making him add his own delectable sound to the mix.  "I have a change of clothes for you here," she said dropping them onto the toilet, "and hurry up.  I want my turn."

            She returned to the bedroom and sorted out the medical supplies, pulling her sneakers and socks off and slipping out of the rest of her clothes.  She tugged one of the larger t-shirts on and it skirted just past her hips. Sitting up on the bed she waited for him to emerge.  It was all of a sudden that she felt her resolve melting and without the power to stop it she hugged her knees closer and rested her head onto them.  She didn't notice the bathroom door swinging open and the only hint she had of Mulder's presence was when he sat behind her and pulled her back to rest against his broad chest.  He didn't ask her what the problem was or why she was crying, he just held her close and gently swayed with her from side to side.

She felt his wet skin dampening her t-shirt but she didn't care, the heat he emanated into her with both his arms wrapped tightly around her was worth all the damp t-shirts this hotel had to offer.  He rested his head onto her shoulder, showering her soft skin with delicate kisses as he soothed her with gentle words of comfort and she suddenly felt guilty that he was comforting her and not the other way round.

            Twisting in his arms she turned into his chest and rested her cheek against the soft bristling hair that lined the top of it.  She felt his lungs expanding and contracting shakily and another stab of guilt hit her.

"Mulder…I…"

"Scully just let me hold you.  Don't fight it, just let it happen okay?"

            She didn't reply, but then she didn't need to.  He stretched his legs out fully along the bed and she nestled between them resting her back against his upper body.  Both his arms circled her, coming around her from either side of her head and resting together on her torso entwined with her own slender fingers.  His chin leaned on the top of her head and they sat there entangled on the bed in silence each taking what support they could from the other.  

            Scully sighed contentedly and he felt his heart quiver at the sound of her tired satisfaction.  He let his arms fall to her sides as she curled into him and he nudged her gently.

"Don't you want to go and take a shower?" he asked.

"Yes."

            After a moments silence he nudged her again.

"Go on Scully, take a shower and when you get back I'll let you rub some cream onto my back."

"You really know how to treat a lady," she said through a sigh as she pushed away from his chest and sat on the edge of his bed.  As she went to stand up fully he grabbed her arm and made her turn to face him.  He let his legs drop over the edge of the bed and pulled her so she stood between them.  She stepped closer still and he rested his head against her stomach wrapping his arms around her waist, but it wasn't enough for him so slowly he stood up letting his hands linger lightly on her hips.  He stood to his full, barefoot height and looked down to her tear stained face.  Gently he pressed a kiss on each cheek before finally settling his lips against hers and tasting her sweet salty tear covered velvety skin.

"Go Scully, go now," he whispered against her lips, needing her to be relaxed before he plunged further.  Silently she thanked him for the opportunity to clean up and went to the bathroom, their hands remaining connected until the last possible moment.  He relaxed back onto the bed and listened to the comforting sound of her pottering around the bathroom delighted at the way she had left the bathroom door open, showing him how much she trusted him.

***

"They survived?" he shouted loudly, making the other men jump and stare at him as he progressed around the room.

"Yes, the blast wasn't hooked up right and the back draft that threw him was gas, he was out of the line of fire so to say by the time the explosion occurred."

"And Scully?"

"She was at a different door."

"But they left the restaurant together?"

"Well they returned to different rooms.  The surveillance cameras in the hotel shows their progression from the reception area."

"Where are they now?"

"They checked into the Holiday Inn on Foremount Ave."

"Well lets see if we cant get this mess sorted out."

**_Oh the tension mounts…den den deeeehhhh…_**


	7. Chapter 7

            The hot water ran down her back smoothly, pooling around her feet and making her feel more relaxed than she had in a long time.  But behind it all was a tension she could feel bubbling beneath her cool surface.  As she lathered the shampoo into her hair she imagined Mulders fingers gently massaging her thick red locks and she involuntarily shivered.  She could all but feel his soft breath brushing against her neck and shoulders so she bent her head under the flowing water and rinsed the shampoo out eager to go out and feel it for real.

            Towelling her hair as dry as she could make it without turning it into an uncontrollable mass she slipped into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.  Looking down at her figure, hidden amongst the oversized clothes she sighed knowing that when she imagined herself going to Mulder she wasn't wearing Holiday Inn branded Gym clothes. 

_Come on Dana, it was just a kiss_, she thought as she watched her reflection. _Just a kiss from your best friend and work partner, what could possibly go wrong?_

But then the memories of the thunderstorm and the explosion mocked her.  Regardless she took a deep breath and reached up to curl her hair behind her ears as she moved towards the bedroom.  Opening the door fully she stepped through and stopped.

            He lay flat on the bed with his feet crossed over one another and his hands interlocked on his chest.  She stepped closer and sat on the edge of the bed making his head loll in her direction.

"You asleep Mulder?" she said softly almost afraid to wake him.

            He mumbled something incomprehensible and she smiled.  But suddenly as he took a deep breath his throat contracted against the air and he choked himself awake as he started coughing.  Sitting up he covered his mouth as the spluttering continued and she rushed into the bathroom to get him a glass of water.

"Here, take this," she said as she handed it to him.

"Thanks," he stammered.

            Taking a sip he calmed down enough to breathe easier.  She took the glass off him and put it on the bed stand.  Turning to look at him she saw his eyes were watering and he was having trouble breathing.  She reached for the clearway inhaler and wet to fill it with hot water.

"Here Mulder, breath into this," she said holding it in front of his suspicious eyes.

"What is it?"

"It's an inhaler, it'll help your throat to clear.  You took in a lot of smoke tonight and it could cause a chest infection if you're not careful."

            He took the cup with the facemask attached to it and she instructed him to take some deep breaths.  As he sat against the headrest she circled the bed and picked up the phone.  She dialled quickly and turned to him to make sure he was still using the inhaler.

"AD Skinner, it's Agent Scully."

"Agent Scully? What's happened?" he said aware that it was close to midnight and she would only be ringing if there was a problem.

            He listened intently as Scully told him about the explosion, hearing the tiredness in her voice.  As she told him about Mulders injuries he shook his head and told her to contact the field office for new equipment in the morning.

"Do you want me send up some different Agents?"

"No sir, but one of us will be back in Washington tomorrow to collect some things.  We'll call in for a full report then."

"Okay Agent Scully, relax and try to get some rest, I'll speak to you tomorrow."

"Goodnight sir," she said quietly as she hung up the phone.  Sitting there with her hand still holding the receiver into its cradle she thought of everything that had happened in the last 12 hours.

"You know what Mulder?"

"What?" he asked pulling the facemask away and leaving it on the nightstand he turned to face her fully, hearing the rhetorical tone in her voice he anticipated a profound comment.

"I can't decide whether the gods are with us or against us," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" she stalled not sure where her ramblings were taking her but needing to get the thoughts out of her head and into the air.  Even if she risked tainting whatever it was she could feel changing between them. "I mean we've been through so much but we've survived.  We live our lives trying to help others but there's nothing there to…help us."

"Do we need help?"

"Not help Mulder…I mean…" she struggled to find the right words to express the conflict she was feeling.

"What? What do you mean?" he urged her softly.

"I mean we seemed to finally be getting somewhere with this case and then the explosion…"

"They've done it to us before Scully," he scoffed then more seriously he added, "They've done worse."

"But it's not just the X-Files Mulder it's…our lives."

"Scully listen, you have to choose a path and see where it takes you, isn't that what life is? A series of paths and intersections?"

"I didn't choose this path Mulder," she said anger blinding her to the sting in his eyes.  "I seem to have had this path thrust upon me."

"So you regret joining the FBI?" he said softly unable to believe how much that simple question hurt.

"No…well…no I don't regret joining the FBI.  But I do regret letting it take over my life, letting it override any semblance of a real life I may have had before the X-Files."

"What kind of life, white picket fence? 2.3 kids…a husband?"

"I don't know Mulder, I'm just fed up."

            He didn't know how to reply to that, so he didn't.  He watched her, as she seemed to battle with some internal struggle.  Feeling his intense gaze on her she walked away from the bed and over to the window where her mind could race away from his scrutiny.  Thoughts that she had been harbouring for a long time seemed to raise its head after he kissed her.  Thoughts of where it might take them.  Thoughts of where it might leave them.  Thoughts of what could have been.  And as she tried to shake them off she became more and more resentful of the restraints that they have had to learn to live their lives under.

            Working on the X-files had left her with no opportunity to form any personal relationships.  Friendships had wavered as she lost touch with people and suddenly she found herself looking around only to find she was alone.  Except for Mulder.  Maybe that's what had driven them so close.  All they had was each other.  

            She glanced over her shoulder and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed his arms resting on his knees and he watched her cautiously from under his eyebrows.  With a sudden rush of sorrow she regretted her outburst and slowly crossed the room to him.  He stood to meet her not wanted to be at a disadvantage.

"I'm sorry Mulder."

"Sorry? For what…being honest?"

"You know what I mean.  Everything just seemed to happen so quickly today."

"I hope you're not talking about me kissing you.  I've been working up the nerve to do that for god only knows how long…you couldn't exactly say I was a quick mover."

"Not the kiss…well not only the kiss…"

"Look Scully," he placed his hand on her forearms and slid them down until he could grasp her hands.  "You are the most important person in my life.  You're my best friend, my partner…in almost every sense of the word and I wouldn't like to do anything to jeopardise the relationship we have."

            Holding her hands tighter he lifted them up against his chest and kissed the back of each of her fingers.

"But…" she said when she sensed his hesitation.

"But when I kissed you tonight it was such a relief to be able to gently touch my lips to yours, to feel yours move against mine…" As he spoke his words came out as faint whispers meant only for her, he moved his head lower and she watched his progression unable to move away.  "And now that I know how good it can feel…how good you feel…I _need_ to do it again," he kissed her softly, his lips barely touching her cheek, "and again," this time his mouth moved over to her other cheek, "and again," catching her eyes, he hesitated over her lips and waited for her permission and she gave it to him by closing the small distance he had left and closing her mouth over his.  

Capturing his lower lip between her teeth she nipped it tenderly, savouring the shiver he emitted as his hands gripped her waist and pulled her closer to him.   All of a sudden she couldn't remember her reservations, her conflicting emotions put to rest with the simple sensation of his tongue pressing past her lips and exploring her mouth with an urgency she always imagined he would possess.  He breathed her name past his lips and she pulled away looking up at him with a carnal look of desire that he could only try to answer.

"Do you know-," she began but he put a finger against her mouth and hushed her.

"Scully_, I know_ that what I want right now is standing right in front of me and I can only hope you want it too.  Whatever comes out of this…this kiss…and nothing more, will happen because it's meant to happen."  He paused hoping she wouldn't pull away from his touch or push him away altogether but instead all she did was move closer, resting her head on his chest and held him tightly until she heard him moan and she laughed a little.  

"I haven't even started yet Mulder," she said with her velvety voice, but when she looked up to him she saw the slight wince in his eyes she backed away and her expression turned to one of concern.

"Forget it Scully, it's nothing," he said reaching out for her again, but she batted his hands away.

"Your back?"

"It's fine Scully," he said trying to grab her again but she easily sidestepped his wandering hands and he couldn't turn quickly enough to catch her without sending a hot flash of pain up his spine.

"Mulder, let me see," she said pulling the t-shirt he wore up to get a better look at his back.  "Does this hurt?" she asked as she explored his back with her fingers and the jump matched with a loud yelp gave her all the answers she needed.

"Yeah Scully, that's the spot," he said laughing through the pain.

"Lie down, I got some more cortizone cream for it."

            He fell back onto the bed clutching his heart as she rummaged for the cream and was laughing lightly by the time she returned to his side.  She pushed his legs to make him roll over and knelt beside him as she spread the cream between her hands.

"Ready?"

"Mmmm hmm," he murmured, letting his eyes close over as her hands made contact with his skin.

            This time as her fingers worked into his back the nagging pain he felt paled in significance to the sensations she was stirring in him.  Instead of vaguely rubbing small circles into his lower back she worked her fingers in deeper paying attention to the parts that made him squirm hoping he was writhing with pleasure and not trying to get away from her exploring touches.

            As her fingers moved away from the medical probing to the touches of a tender lover he couldn't help but let out a soft moan.  She smiled in delight at the guttural sound coming from deep in his throat and traced her finger up to his shoulder blades where she felt his muscles tensing with anticipation.  

"Scully…" he moaned softly but when she ignored him and continued to lightly massage him he reached up and grabbed her hand half turning to face her.  "Scully, you have to stop."

"Why? Did I hurt you?" 

"No but if you don't I wont be responsible for what I'll do."

"Oh Mulder don't you have any self-control?" she mocked as she poked his side making him wrench away from her as his whole body seemed to come alive after her penetrating touches.

"You'll see the control I have as soon as I can breath properly and move without pain coursing through my back."

            He turned some more so he was lying on his back and slowly pulled her down to him.  She lay on her side curled up against him, like they had done before and Scully smiled to herself knowing this was nothing like before.  She watched her fingers as they idly played with the soft downy hair on his chest and wondered why she hadn't touched it before, without medical reason.  She had seen Mulder in so many states from frozen to boiling, delirious to lucid, fully clothed to naked but none of it compared to the sight before her right now.  His eyes were half closed and while one hand rested on his stomach the other was holding her close as he drew small circles against her hip, _subconsciously_ she thought, moving her t-shirt away from her sweats and every so often gently touching her skin.  

            Sighing against him she felt his grip on her tighten and his lips brush against her forehead.

"Mulder?"

"Yeah?" he said quietly answering her with a whisper as if they were the only people left in the world.

"You are my best friend."

"I know Scully."

            They fell into an easy silence and Mulder reached up to the bedside light switch plunging the room into darkness.  Their breathing seemed to triple in volume when the darkness amplified their silence and Scully shuffled closer to him.

"Scully?" he said his voice heavy with need.

"Yeah?"

"You are my best friend."

"I know Mulder," she said and he could feel her smiling against his chest before she planted a soft kiss to it.

***

"What kind of system did you get set up?"

"We only had enough time for a regular timer that was supposed to go off when the key was put into the lock."

"What happened?"

"It went off when the lock was opened…when he turned the key."

"So what's the next plan?"

"We could always hit the holiday inn?"

"And give you another chance to fuck up?" he laughed harshly as he lit the cigarette.

"Well what do you suggest?"

"What ever happened to simple guns? Stray bullets?"

"We need to collect the tapes from the hospital and see if they know anything."

"We need to get rid of these fuckin' G-men and keep on going with the experiment.  It's working. Don't you see that? The boy is our proof."

"So just get rid of them?"

"Yeah.  Just get rid of them."

"What about the boy?"

"He's dying soon, but we've still got a few more tests to run."

"Shall we organise the kidnap?"

"Yes.  Jesus I hate working with the military," he said as he stalked away from the other man leaving in a trail of smoke as he exhaled.

** _God Dammit, so much tension, so much angst…so many favourite chapters…okay this one is it…I think!!!_ **


	8. Chapter 8

** _Sorry for the delay, serious case of writers block…_**

"The plane ticket was booked this morning at 7.30 on her credit card."

"Only one ticket?"

"Yeah, she's going back to Washington and he's staying here."

"Can we sort out her plane?"

"No time."

"How about her return flight?"

"Possible, I'll need to confirm the flight numbers but if she's coming back this evening from Washington airport it'll possible to rig something up."

"Get on it."

"What about the boy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Should I send him the _message_?"

"Yes.  Why not? We can have a little fun right?" he laughed sharply letting the men around the table see his crooked smile instilling a sense of his madness in them.

***

            Scully walked the short distance across the room to where her partner was lying face down on the bed, the sheet covering his hips and tangling around his legs.  She sat onto the edge of the soft mattress and looked down to the space she had only moments ago occupied.  Her head had left a small indent on the pillow and she reached out to straighten it when his hand snapped up without warning and grabbed her wrist.

"Mulder, you scared me!"

"Did I?" he said with a devilish grin.  He twisted around to face her never letting go of her wrist or her eyes and pulled her down onto the bed next to him.  She lay on her back laughing as he leaned up on his elbow to look down at her menacingly.  Without words or smiles he lowered his head and engaged her lips in a duel of kisses, taking her breath as his own, he leaned over her more, ignoring the protesting pangs from his back.  Her hands moved over his ribs and dug into his hair and he moaned into her mouth as her fingers moved through it.

            Eventually his kisses became less hungry and more tender until only light touches crossing her lips over to her ears and around her chin to the sensitive parts on her neck were all he impressed upon her.

"Good morning Mulder," she mumbled through her rasps of breath.

"Mornin' Scully," he whispered against her throat, his breath tickling her and making her laugh.

"Come on, we've got to get up," she said as she tried half heartedly to push him away but his grip tightened and the hand that had been resting on her shoulder slid down her body with a grumbled moan until it met the rim of her t-shirt.  He hesitated a moment and suddenly his breath felt hot against her neck.  He carefully slipped his fingers under the rim and caught her soft skin against his hand as his ran it around to her back and pulled her up to him, his kisses feverant again. 

            Lost in the moment Scully leaned into him and matched his lips kiss for kiss and he smiled against her unexpected passion, pulling her with him as he rolled over onto his back and finally resting her atop him. 

"Awake now?" he whispered when she pulled her head away to look into his eyes.  Her hair fell around her face framing it for him so he could see little else.

"Yeah," she admitted coyly, her eyes darting away and looking down to his lips.

"Hey," he said nudging her with the arm he was holding her with.  "You okay?"

"I'm fine Mulder," she said plainly, looking him in the eye again before tentatively pressing a quick kiss against his lips and pushing off him.

"Where are you going?" he asked leaning back and interlocking his fingers behind his head.

"I have a plane to catch," she said as she searched for her sneakers. "You have a meeting at the FBI field office downtown."

"What? When?"

"At 10, I'm going to Washington, I'll pick up some of your things and I'll be back here this evening." She sat at the end of the bed to tie her laces and spoke over her shoulders.

"Okay.  Who am I looking for at the field office?"

"Agent Cassidy," she said looking around when she felt the bed moving only to see him lying the opposite way on the bed with his head beside her.

"Collecting your laptop?"

"Yes and make sure they give you one with the fax modem and a printer."

"Yes sir," he jibed, touching the small of her back with his hand and rubbing it softly.

"I'd better be leaving," she said as she sat up but didn't step away from his gentle caress.

"So I'll see you back here for dinner?" 

"My flight lands at 4.30 so I should get back into the city by half five."

"Okay, then it's up to me to provide this city with a crackpot investigator for the day."

"And you'll look the part in your Holiday Inn gym clothes," she laughed as she stood away from the bed and looked down at the branded sweats he wore.

"Maybe I'll drop by a department store and pick up something to wear."

            He stumbled into the bathroom as she gathered some things for the flight.  Packing them into one of the paper bags from the delivery last night she left them by the door and walked back to stand by the bathroom door.

"Mulder, I'm going now," she said through the small gap.

            The door swung open and he stood before her rubbing his face with a small towel.

"Are you meeting with Skinner?"

"After Lunch."

"What are you going to tell him?" he asked stepping back towards the sink to brush his teeth.  

"Only what we know for sure, the theories and speculations can wait for the report."

"So what are you going to tell him about Billy?"

"I'll tell him what we know."

"Scully you're being facetious," he commented dryly as he rinsed his mouth out with water and spat it cleanly into the sink.

"No Mulder, I'm being honest.  We don't know what's happening yet, we'll need to get the reports from last night's explosion, and Billy's medical report."

"You're email?"

"If you contact Michael in Tech he'll set it up for you over the phone."

            He didn't reply only busied himself with the shaving cream as he tried to smear it smoothly over his face.  She watched him for a moment, caught in the gentle swipes as he spread it under his chin and suddenly she became aware of how aroused she was.  As if he heard her thoughts he glanced sideways at her and wiggled his eyebrows.  She smiled and reached over to touch his arm.

"See you later."

            When she turned to walk away he swiftly grabbed her shoulders and twisted her round, snatching her back to his waiting grasp and pressed a hard kiss against her lips, parting them with his tongue he plunged deeper ensuring she knew what was on his mind.  She didn't resist but the feeling of the shaving cream being spread over her face made her laugh.

"Just something for you to think about during your flight," he said with a heavy breath holding her still tightly against him.

"Thanks Mulder, just what I needed."

            He stepped away and returned his glance to the mirror where he saw them both covered in foam.

"Scully, you have a little something…" he said indicating his chin with his finger smiling openly at her.  Snatching the towel from him she quickly cleaned up her face and threw it back to him.

"See you later," she called over her shoulder as she picked up her bag and left.

            He battled with the single blade razor and finally managed to shave most of his face leaving it feeling raw and tender.  Splashing warm water on it he could feel the sting and hoped Scully would think to bring him back his shaving kit.  As he walked through the lobby of the holiday Inn a young porter ran towards him.

"Mr Scully?" he called.

            Mulder didn't answer not realising it was him who was being called until the guy touched his elbow.

"Mr Scully, there is a message at the desk for you."

"Mr Scully?"

"Your Mr Scully from room 2113?"

"Well…yes but," Mulder said smiling.

"A message was left here for you this morning, but Dr Scully had left a Do Not Disturb point on your room and we missed her leaving this morning."

"Who is it from?" Mulder asked as they crossed the room to the reception desk.

"I'm not sure but it arrived at seven this morning."

            Mulder took the white envelope and the porter rushed off to tend to other duties.  Ripping the top off it he glanced at the slip of Holiday Inn headed paper.  The message was from Sally and it was an urgent request for help.  He shoved the paper into his pocket and ran out of the hotel making his way to the hospital in only 20 minutes.  Racing through the hospital corridors he stood outside Billy's room and looked through the large window at the empty bed.  He turned and entered the waiting room where he found Niamh and Sally huddled on the couch, both of them crying.

"What' happened?" he asked softly as he approached them.

"Billy…" Sally mumbled through her tears.

"Billy is gone," Niamh finished for her.

"Oh my god," Mulder said in a hushed voice.

"Not dead Mulder, gone…missing," Niamh said angrily.

"What? Have the police been notified?"

"They've come and gone."

            Mulder paced the small room and suddenly left to go into the other room looking around the room for clues that the other officers might have missed.  But he found nothing.  When the door opened he turned to see Niamh standing behind him.

"Where is Dana?"

"She had to go back to Washington.  She'll be back this evening."

"What happened to your face?" she said noticing only now the red mark across his cheek.

"You didn't hear? I thought Scully called you."

"Hear what?"

"The hotel we were staying at…there was an explosion."

"Oh my god, was anyone hurt?"

"Just a few minor injuries."

"Jesus, why didn't she call me?" Niamh asked her voice racked with worry.

"I'm not sure, she was in shock.  I was at the hospital getting stitched up and she was talking to detectives.  By the time we found another hotel we just collapsed into bed."

            Niamh glanced at Mulder in time to see the edge of his faint blush disappear and she smiled knowingly.

"Do they know what caused it?" she asked avoiding the topic of their relationship no matter how much she wanted to dissect it.

"I'm on my way to the Field office now to collect the reports."

"I supposes that's why you are wearing Holiday Inn Sweats," Niamh said laughing and he nodded his head slowly.

"Yeah, not exactly new FBI image."

            They fell silent their thoughts returning to Billy as the empty bed loomed in front of them both.

"I'll send out a response team," he said softly.  "I'm not sure if they'll find anything after the NYPD trampling through here but it couldn't hurt."

"Thanks Fox."

"How is Sally?"

"She's torn to pieces.  I don't know how to console her.  All my years of psychological training seem to have abandoned me."

"It's hard when you care too much," Mulder said quietly and she knew he had trouble with that problem too.  He wouldn't look at her so she didn't push.

"I better get back to Sally."

"I'll call you when I hear anything from the team."

"Okay, see you later."

***

            Scully felt tall.  She didn't want to think about the fallacy of her fresh clothes making her feel tall.  The unmistakable and yet comfortable lump pressing into her back from her gun, clear clicks from her heels and the FBI ID badge pinned to her jacket all added to the confidence in her step as she walked purposely towards Skinners office.  Kimberly sent her in immediately with a smile and as Scully pushed the door open Skinner stood and walked over to her, pressing a tender arm to her shoulder.

"Agent Scully, any news?"

"I'm waiting to hear from Mulder about the boy.  He's been missing since 7am this morning and no trace evidence can be found."

"What about hospital security footage?"

"It seems that all the cameras…malfunctioned."

"All of them?"

"Yes, between seven thirty and nine this morning."

"That seems a bit convenient."

"Mulder is organising an electronic sweep of the hospital to check for any devices that may have been interfering with the cameras."

"Right, What about the child? What do you make of it?"

"To be honest sir, I can neither validate nor disparage the claims made by his counsellor," she said neutrally.

"I sense a conflict…with agent Mulder?"

"Not quite sir," she said hoping that she wasn't blushing as images of their kiss in the rain flashed before her eyes.  "Agent Mulder and I are clashing with our…theories, but then when do we not."

"Okay, I'll wait for the report," Skinner said with a small smile, knowing that She was struggling with her neutrality.

"I'm going to the airport direct from the office sir."

"Catching an earlier flight?"

"Yes Sir, I'm booked on the five thirty flight but I'm going to see if I can get on a different on," she said as she stood to her full height and fixed her jacket.

"Okay Agent Scully, keep me informed."

"Yes Sir."

***

"Frohike, did you find anything?" Mulder said when he walked into the hospital room and spotted Frohike's legs sticking out from under the bed.

"There is something about this bed that doesn't compute," he replied his voice muffled.

"What is it?"  Mulder bent down to get closer to him and felt the jeans he had bought tighten around his waist.  After rushing to the meeting at the field office he found a department store across the road from it and bought a pair of jeans and a black polo shirt off the rack.  He changed in the bathroom before the meeting and found the jeans a little tighter than he would have liked.  The polo shirt a little bigger than he was used to but he had no time to change them.

"I'm getting some sort of electrostatic reading from it but…it's higher than normal."

"Couldn't that be from all the other equipment?"

"No, it's like the bed has been used as _ground_ for some sort of device, I dunno what though."

"Ground?"

"You now when you ground a electronic board so the power won't blow it up."

"Right."

"I know how we could find out but you're not going to like it," Frohike said with a laugh to his voice.

"How?"

"A simple EMP through the room could neutralise it and then we'd be able to find it."

"An EMP? Won't that affect the whole hospital?"

"Possibly the whole block, depending on the power behind it."

"Yeah Frohike, I can see us getting permission for that," Mulder said as he straightened, his hand holding the base of his back and he watched Frohike slide out from under the bed.

"I suppose I could localise one but there is no guarantee it wont wipe-out the floor or the building."

"That's not going to be an option.  Keep thinking."

"Okay I'll give Byers a call and see if he found anything at the hotel."

            Mulder wandered into the waiting room where Niamh was lying on the small couch again.  He carefully approached her not wanting to wake her if she was sleeping but as he stepped around the small coffee table she shot bolt upright and stared at him.

"What happened? Did they find him?" she asked looking around the room.

"No, I just came to see how you are."

"Ugh," she muttered, her hands rubbing her face and combing through her hair.

"That bad?"

"I'm just so worried and I feel guilty."

"Guilty? You shouldn't," he said softly coming around fully and sitting next to her on the small couch, their thighs pressed together.

"I know, rationally…but I really cared…care," she corrected herself, "about that child.  He had the worst fit last night and then all this happens."

"He took a fit? Was there any drawings?" Mulder asked trying hard not to make it sound as uncaring as it did.

"I…I dunno, he was in his room…"

            They both looked at each other before shooting up and racing out.  They separated around the room searching diligently as Frohike stood in the middle of the room talking to Byers.

"What are you looking for?"

"A piece of paper with a drawing on it," Mulder yelled from behind the bed.

"I found it," Niamh shouted.

            She jumped up from the wastebasket where she had been rummaging.  Straightening the paper out she held it out for all of them to see.

"What does it say?" Mulder asked pointing at the short hand that covered the top of the page.

"New York, 3554, 17.30."

"Frohike, can you find out what flights are landing in NY from 17.30 on wards?"

"I'm on it Mulder," he said pulling at his laptop and fingering the keys with a speed Mulder had rarely seen.

"I got four flights landing in La Guardia and five in JFK, what about tying it in with the number…3554."

"One flight, landing at La Guardia…from Washington."

"Scully!" Mulder said as he fumbled for his mobile.  "It's Scully's flight."

  
** _A writer once told me that to heighten the tension of a conversation or descriptive piece you should make the sentences short so that the reader goes through them quickly.  I tried it with this chapter but I don't think it reads too well.  Not very smooth.  Sorry!_ **


	9. Chapter 9

"Leave a message after the beep," her soft voice chimed into his ear and he angrily thumbed the phone off.  With one hand on the wheel Mulder haphazardly watched the road as he speed dialled her number again.

"If she's in the air her mobile will be switched off," Frohike said keeping his eyes on the laptop and avoiding the near missed Mulder was spinning them through.

"Can you find anything from the passenger manifesto?"

"Mulder it's one of the hardest systems to hack into…"

"Langly would have it printed and bound by now," Mulder taunted as he took a hard left, narrowly missing a double trailer truck, getting rewarded with a long sharp blare from it's horn.

"Okay…Scully, Dana…" he said as his eyes scanned the list of passengers booked on the 5.30 flight from Washington. "There she is, she's booked a ticket."

"It leaves in two hours, she should have her bloody phone on," he shouted angrily. 

"Maybe she caught an earlier flight.  I'll check" Frohike said trying to calm Mulder down before they were killed.

"I'll try Skinner," he said looking through his list of numbers for Skinners office.

"Mulder!" Frohike shouted grabbing the dashboard and Mulder looked up just in time to swerve away from hitting the back of a bus.

            Veering sharply into another lane he accelerated again into the clear road and continued his search for Skinners number.  Holding the phone between his ear and shoulder he reached behind himself and grabbed the seatbelt fastening it tightly.  With a rueful smile at Frohike he waited for Skinner to pick up.

"AD Skinners office," Kimberly's sweet voice said clearly.

"This is Agent Mulder I need to speak to Skinner immediately," Mulder said glad to be speaking into the phone instead of listening to Scully's message.

"Okay, hold on and I'll put you through…."

            Mulder took the break in conversation to change lanes and speed up further.

"Skinner," the clipped voice said.

"It's Mulder, has Scully been in there already?"

"Yes, she left almost two hours ago.  She was going to try and get an earlier flight. Why what's happened?" He asked hearing the tense tone in Mulders voice.

"The boy…Billy, he's been kidnapped."

"Yes Scully told me."

"Well it seems that he had a fit last night and the flight number he wrote beforehand matched the one that Scully was…is booked on this evening."

"Where is she?"

"I can't get in touch with her.  Her mobile is turned off."

"She probably caught another flight."

"I'm just getting to the airport now sir."

"Call me when you hear from her."

"I will."

"I can't see her on any other flight," Frohike said as Mulder threw his mobile down to the cubby shelf beside the gear stick.  "But if she paid cash and got in on a late seat she wouldn't be named on the system."

"Let's just get in here and find her." 

            He pulled the car half across the lane and up on the curb outside the arrivals door and they both abandoned it racing in and standing at the schedule boards.

"Go over to information and see if they'll announce her.  I'll run over to the arrivals gate for Washington and try her on the mobile again," Mulder said running away, already dialling.

He watched the crowd stream out of the gate carrying bags and meeting family and he scanned them for her red hair.  

"Come on Scully," he muttered to himself, "pick up, pick up, pick up."

***

            Standing at the carousel Scully watched it display everyone's bags one by one being claimed but her own.  Holding Mulder's things that she had packed for him she watched the now empty carousel spin endlessly without releasing her things.  She shifted Mulder's hold all from one shoulder to the other and approached the security desk.

"Excuse me," she said making the young guard look up from his PC.  "I just landed with a flight from Washington but my bag doesn't seem to have made the journey with me."

"What was the flight number?" the guard asked tiredly.

"Eh…3214, from Washington."

"Name?"

"Dana Scully."

"How many bags did you check on?"

"Two, one of them made it," she said holding up Mulders bag.

            The guard took the bag from her and scanned the barcode off its tag.

"I see it now, it's been put on a flight this evening.   3554 from Washington."

"How did that happen?" she asked a little angry now at the hold up_.  So much for getting the early flight_, she thought.

"We have you booked on that flight ma'am," the guard said.

"Yes but I managed to get an earlier flight."

"It seems your name was left on the system and when the baggage handlers scanned your bag they must have seen you on the later flight."

"I have to get into the city and I wont be able to hang around here all day."

"That's okay ma'am," he said as he tapped on the keyboard obviously going through a spiel he'd been used to before.  "If you leave a contact address with us we will deliver your bag to you this evening."

"That would be appreciated.  I'm staying at the Holiday Inn on Foremount Ave. New York."

"That will be fine ma'am, we'll have your bag out to you as soon as we can."

"Thank you."

            She hoisted Mulder bag up onto her shoulder again and walked away somewhat dejected at the thought of being without her belongings again.  As she walked through the blue gates at arrivals she heard her name being called out over the information system, asking her to pick up a white courtesy phone or to approach the information desk.  Frowning she examined the area in search of the information desk when she saw Mulder standing with his back to her his phone planted between his shoulder and ear and he combed both hands through his hair, a gesture she knew he saved for when he was worried.  She walked towards him but before she got any closer she saw Frohike step out from in front of him a similar expression of tension on his face and he said something and pointed at her.  Mulder whipped around to where Frohike was pointing and Scully could almost see the worry melt from his face, replaced by a smile when he watched her draw near.  Both of his cheeks puffed out as he blew a short sharp gasp of air from his mouth and reached a hand out to rest on her shoulder.

"Scully," he said wanting to say more, needing to touch her more but with Frohike by his side he restrained himself.  "You got an earlier flight."

"Yeah, I managed to get on the 2.30 flight. Why? What are you doing here?"

"It's Billy, he had a fit last night and his drawings…it was your flight," he said quickly, watching the blood drain from her face as the realisation dawned on her.

"My flight?"

"New York, 3554, 17:30," Mulder said.

"So someone is planting thoughts and messages in his head on purpose," she said angrily.

            He frowned amazed at her recovery and leap in logic.  

"You think-," he began but she cut him off, dropping the bag so she could use both hands to gesture with.

"Listen to me for a minute, what if someone…I don't know who, is sending him the information," she said her eyes glazing over as she tried desperately to hold on to the train of thought.

"On a frequency only he can pick up through a device attached to his bed," Frohike offered.

"And mixing that with the tumour in his brain…" she struggled for the thoughts to connect.  Beside her Mulder stood silent and still letting her join them herself.  "Tests were done with frequency waves on brain tumours for a better safer way of curing them rather than radiotherapy but they proved inconsistent and set off temporal lobe fits in many patients."

"Accounting for Billy's health," he murmured.

"But who? Why?"

"Think about it Scully, a soldier who can be given information and orders practically over brainwaves…that would be a invaluable resource to any army."

"But why kill all those people for testing?"

"A few bodies here and there mean nothing to an army. Casualties of war," Frohike said cynically.

"Over 800 people isn't just a few," Scully said as she bent to pick up the bag but Mulder stopped her and picked it up himself.

            He touched a hand to the small of her back and gently usher her to the car they had deserted earlier.  Frohike climbed in to the back and she sat into the front as Mulder argued with the parking attendant about the emergency he was in.  Before the attendant could get another word in Mulder pulled out his badge and walked away holding it up to the guards face.

            They bantered through their loose theory on the drive back and Scully rang Skinner to apprise him of the situation.  Mulder told her about the meeting in the field office and how the reports from the fire mentioned no explosion but did list possible accelerants that could have been used.  Frohike went into great detail of the kind of device that might transmit selected frequencies and run silently off a hospital bed.  Before he went into the working electronics of the machine Mulder cut him off, with a wave of his hand.

"We need to find that device Frohike," he said and then added, "without loosing power through out the whole block."

            He pulled the car into a parking space outside the hospital and Frohike went into talk to Langly and Byers who had called and said they were rescanning the room.  Going round to the boot Mulder pulled at the bag she had brought.

"Stuff in here for me?" he asked before he unzipped it.

"It's all for you, my stuff went astray," she said leaning against he open boot

"Well I need to get out of these jeans," he said pulling at them.

"I noticed they looked a little snug."

"I was in a bit of a rush," he said as he rummaged through the bag, sifting through all the clothes she'd folded neatly into it and tossing them carelessly into the boot.  He pulled out a pair of charcoal grey slacks and a light blue shirt.  

"Hey Scully which tie?" he asked her nudging her to get her attention and then holding up two ties.

"The one on the left," she said pointing to the plain black tie.

"I'm glad you're back," he said suddenly, making her look up into his eyes and see the struggle he was going through keeping her out of his arms, and his lips away from hers.

"Me too."

            With a just a small smile to show how they were feeling Mulder slammed the boot shut and they went into the hospital.  As they entered the ward Mulder veered off to change in the toilets and Scully went to Billy's room where all three members of the lone gunmen lay beneath the bed only their legs visible.  Their voices were muffled as they spoke and she hunkered down by the end of the bed and bent her head as low as it would go.

"Guys? What are you doing?"

"Agent Scully?" Byers slid out from under the bed and stood up to greet her.  

"Hello Byers, what's going on?"

"We're trying to see if we can find this transmitter."

"And you think it's in the bed?"

"It's reading a lot of EST activity."

"Couldn't that be some of the hospital equipment?" she said gesturing around the room to the expanse of monitors and other machines.

"No, we've eliminated everything except the bed."

            Just then Mulder came in changed and holding the jeans in his hands.  He dropped his clothes onto the bed and bent to speak with the two gunmen still under the bed.

"Any luck?"

"Nada," Frohike said pulling himself out.

"We've got to be missing something," Byers said obviously frustrated.

"Skinner said he was sending a team out to the airport in Washington, maybe we'll learn more from that."

"Meanwhile Billy is missing and probably in danger," Scully argued not content to sit around waiting for stuff to happen.

"What about the hotel? Find anything at the Liberty Inn?" Mulder asked turning to Byers.

"No, nothing that the fire chief hadn't already logged."

"What about the security footage, could it be cleaned up?"

"No, no way, it's like the place was rigged with magnets," Langly said shaking his head but stopping suddenly as if something just dawned on him at the same time Frohike pulled himself out from the bed and Byers turned to them.

"Magnets!"

"They could have been polarised for connection and it would explain the static from the bed…the wiped Security tapes," Byers said eagerly.

"Magnets?"

"Listen, it's like a magnet has an attraction to metal and the waves of this attraction could have been used…" 

"Piggy back on a magnet wave…clever," Frohike said nodding his head slowly.

"Some one is transmitting frequencies through magnets?" Mulder said unconvinced.

"Did you ever have two strong magnets in either hand," Byers began to explain, holding his hands out demonstrating what he was saying, "And hold them far enough apart that you can feel them pulling towards each other?"

"Yes," Scully said suddenly understanding.

"Well if those magnets were strong enough and fixed at certain points then it's conceivable that the waves travelling between them could have carried transmissions from a separate device."

"But wouldn't one of the magnets need to be attached to Billy…somewhere?" Mulder asked.

"Billy had surgery after the plane crash that killed his parents," Scully confirmed.

"Could something have been planted in him then?"

"Possibly, I'd need to check his medical history and find out where he had the surgery."

"I'll go and talk to Sally, maybe she'll know something," Mulder said.

            They both walked out into the hall and made their way to the elevator.  This time when the doors closed behind them they were alone and Mulder reached for her and pulled her into his arms.  He held her tightly, burying his face in her hair and breathed her in as deep as he could.

"Mulder…"

"Shhh Scully," he said softly against her neck.

            She let him hold her and ran her hands gently around his back.  Eventually he released her from his grasp but not fully.  Only enough to see her face as his hands trailed up her body and cupped her face.

"I was so worried," he said simply.

"I'm fine."

"I know." He gently pressed a kiss against her lips and smiled.  "I've wanted to do that for so long."

"Mulder…you kissed me last night," she said timidly.

"No, I mean take you in my arms and reassure myself that you are okay, kiss you and let any pain I imagined you were in seep away."  
"Thank you Mulder, but I'm fine."

            He let her go sensing her unease at his kindly words and forced a smile.  Her bush off stung more than he thought it would but he didn't push it, knowing it would be worse if he did.  They stepped out of the elevator on the ground floor and with a wave he went out to drive to Sally's house while she went to the information desk to find out where she might find Billy's neurologist.  

            Standing at the reception desk waiting her turn her fingers drummed absent-mindedly on the table as she watched his lean figure step through the sliding door, his head bent slightly lower than usual.  She knew she had hurt him by not giving weight to his concerns but she wasn't about to swoon over for his needs and worries.  She was able to take care of herself before and the kiss…_no matter how fantastic_ wasn't going to change that.  She released a lung full of air that she hadn't realised she was holding and turned to the receptionist.  Trying hard to dispel thoughts of Mulder she settled for calming them down and focused her attention more on the directions to the doctors office. 

**_Sorry for the shortness.  Next one will probably be the final…_**


	10. Chapter 10

            **_Sorry for the delay again…writers block is getting a bit serious.  Last time I had this it lasted 2 years…2 years without writing AAAGGGHHH_**

A sharp wind pulled at Mulders tie as he walked briskly across the hospital car park.  The light black material danced in the air before landing over his shoulder and draping down his back.  He pulled open the car door and jumped in quickly, needing to get away from the hospital smells, the foul stench of frailty clinging to his nostrils while he drove distractedly out onto the freeway.  

            His mind swirled with her image, her smiles, her kisses and then her dismissal, playing for him with torturous clarity.  He shook his head as if he could physically rid himself of the images and concentrated on the street signs until he found the correct house.  Forcing himself into a professional mode he fixed his tie and stepped out of the car, glancing around in wonderment at the large three-storey house before him.  The long winding driveway was lined garishly with tall trees and plants.  He turned towards the house already pulling his ID badge out of his pocket when the door was pulled open from the inside.

"I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI, I'd like to speak to Sally Ryan."

            The young suited man smiled politely and led him silently into the hallway and disappeared in search of Sally, Mulder hoped.

"Mr Mulder?" Sally said tentatively when she came around the corner.  "Did they find him?"

"No, no we didn't," he said softly hating to see the look of hurt crawl over her small features.

"What can I do for you?" she asked, as if suddenly remembering her manners.

"I wanted to ask you about Billy's medical history."

"Why?"

"We think he may have been involved in some illegal testing."

"What kind of testing?"

"We're not sure, the information is inconclusive."

"Inconclusive? You come to my house to tell me my nephew has been used as lab rat for someone's sick tests and then you tell me it's inconclusive?" she shouted angrily.

"I'm afraid that I don't know what to tell you."  Mulder kept looking at her, holding her angry stare with as much consolation as he could.

"He's just a little boy," she said quietly, her hands covering her mouth to catch any cries that may escape.

"I understand what you are going through."

"How could you?" she shouted at him her anger finding footing again.

"I lost someone too.  My sister, when she was eight."

"Oh…I'm sorry I didn't mean…"

"I just want to help and anything you can tell us about Billy's medical history would be much appreciated."

"Okay," she conceded gesturing for him to follow as she walked into a different room. "When Billy came to live with me I had all his personal belongings including his medical papers shipped out here.  No point going into this blind."

            She brought him into a large library that was covered wall to wall and floor to ceiling with books.  A great ornate desk stood near the bay windows at the back of the room and she made her way over to it pulling a key from her pocket.  Leaning down to reach the bottom drawer she unlocked it and reached into it for a fat folder.

"This lists everything he's taken from baby aspirin to the medical procedures he had after the crash."

"Wow, that's a big medical case file."

"His parents were both scientists and believed in documentation."

            Mulder opened the folder she had placed next to him and scanned through it leafing past pages of drugs and injections, suddenly realising the frequency of Billy's hospital visitation.

"Was Billy a sick child?"

"Not overly.  He was always a little tired, weak maybe, but he was studying years ahead of himself in school and his parents did push him a little."

"It says here he had an operation when he was four."

"He cracked his skull, falling from a bike.  Had to have it fused."

"It says here Dr Richard Mayfair, San Francisco did the operation."

"Yes, all the details will be in that folder."

"Would it be okay if I took this folder to show my partner? She's a medical doctor and I'm sure it would make much more sense to her."

"Of course." 

            Mulder hefted the big folder into his arms and held it close to his chest as she showed him to the door.  

"Thanks Ms Ryan, I'll get this back to you as soon as I can."

"Agent Mulder?" she called before he could make it to the bottom on the stairs.

"Yes?" he turned to face her.

"Did they find her? Your sister?"

            He opened his mouth to answer but the look on his face told her all she needed to know.  The pain and guilt swimming with frustration and anger contorted his features in familiar expressions of hopelessness.  Silently she looked away and closed the door.

***

            Scully walked over to the x-ray bay and held the small picture up to it.  Shaking her head slowly she was filled with a sense of horror that she found hard to disguise.  Leafing through Billy's x-ray booklet she saw all the head x-rays he'd had during his stay at the hospital after the plane crash.  The large metal plate was covering most of the right side of his brain and seemed to also be attached to his top vertebrae on his spine.

            The neurologist had willingly shown her the files and even spoke to her about the metal plate that would be needing replacement soon as Billy's Skull grew and developed.  She asked why it had been inserted but his information was vague.  She needed to contact the hospital in San Francisco where the procedure took place to get all the proper details.

            Returning to Billy's bedroom she found Byers attaching a small handheld device to the bed and wondered briefly what he was doing.  But before she could ask her phone rang and she stepped out of the room to answer it.

"Scully, it's me," he said clearly, his voice ripping through her like lava.

"What have you got?"

"A really big detailed medical file. You?"

"A splitting headache," she replied tersely before she could stop herself.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I was just speaking to the neurologist and it seems that he knows about the metal plate in Billy's head."

"He'd have to for the CT Scan," he said trying to ignore the tiredness in her voice.

"But we need to contact San Francisco for the details."

"You might want to take a look at this file before you spend hours on the phone getting the run around."

"Where are you?"

"I'm just getting on the freeway."

"Shall I meet you back at the hotel."

"Wait there I'll pick you up."

"But-," she argued but he had already hung up.  _Dammit_.  She wasn't ready to face him yet.  She hadn't sifted through all her thoughts or feelings he was stirring up in her, but evidently he was ready.

            As she wandered back into the room she watched the three men walking around the bed in measured movements.  Her energy drained from her body and she sighed.  Unable to form thoughts coherent enough to have a conversation she waved goodbye to them before making her way down to the front entrance to wait for Mulder.  Leafing incredulously though the x-ray file she didn't notice when the familiar silver Taurus pulled up beside the doorway.  Mulder looked out the window and saw her bent head; her slumped shoulders and withdrawn expression and he promised himself he'd keep it professional.  No matter how hard her hair called out to be mussed by his hands or her parted lips begged to be kissed roughly and especially no matter how much he knew her body would fit perfectly next to his.

            As if feeling his scrutiny she looked up and smiled weakly at him.  It was a half smile he knew well, from when she was doing it for him and not because she felt it.  He climbed out of the car and walked around to open the door for her.  Wordlessly she stepped past him and into the seat pulling her belt around her.  The car jostled when he sat into it and with only a cursory glance he started the engine and pulled out of the hospital and into the street.

            The drive was thankfully short and they made it in silence.  After parking close to the hotel entrance Mulder walked around to the boot and started to gather the clothes he's strewn in there earlier and the laptop while Scully collected the large folder from the back seat and waited for him by the front of the car.  They walked side-by-side in through the large revolving door and aimed towards the elevator.  Mulder made a conscious effort not to touch her back, at one point reaching out and disguising the gesture as a scratching motion on his chest.  As they passed by the reception desk the lady in service called out to them.

"Mr Scully?" she called.  "Mr Scully?"

            He glanced at Scully who was looking at him in amusement as he crossed the short distance to the desk.

"We have another room for you.  You asked for two rooms, do you still want them?"

"Eh…yeah," he said dropping the bag to the floor and taking the registration form.

"It's room 2125, it's on the same floor as Dr Scully's."

"Thank you."  He took the key from her and she smiled widely noting the distance between the couple that previously had been so close.

            Mulder caught up with Scully who was waiting for him by the elevator and smiled at her, dangling the key in his hand.

"Look like you might get a good nights sleep tonight."

"No snoring to disturb me," she said as she pressed the floor button.

"No kicking to disturb me," he added, getting rewarded by a hint of a playful glare and a jerk of her eyebrow.

            They shared a secret smile again and he realised she was turning things back to the way they used to be.  Simple flirtations that meant nothing, glances and lingering touches that led nowhere.  And he felt his heart sinking.  The vibrant beating rhythm that it had possessed since he kissed her last night in the rain had started to slow down and fade.  They walked through the halls and he stood by her as she opened her door.  

"I'll just drop my stuff in the room and I'll be back here in a few minutes to go over the stuff with you."

"Give me half an hour Mulder, I'd like a shower after flying to Washington and back," she said her eyes darting around the hallway looking anywhere but at him.

"Okay, see you then."

***

Mulder sat at the end of his bed and stared at the hotel room door.  His room was almost identical to the one he'd slept in last night with Scully in his arms, her fingers gently playing with the hair on his chest and the other hand resting across his stomach touching his slightly protruding hip bone.  Deliciously drawing small circle into his skin as she dozed off.  

            He regretted taking the second room but he had no choice.  He couldn't presume she would want him to stay in her room, so he had taken the key, signed his name and ignored the hopeful smile from the receptionist.

_What is she so afraid of?_ He thought but he knew the answer.  He had the same fears, the same worries.  But that's all they would ever be if he didn't confront her and make her confront herself.

            Standing up he loosened his tie and undid the top two buttons of his shirt.  With conviction behind every step he marched out of the room and down the hall to stand outside of her room.  As he lifted his hand to knock his courage seemed to desert him and he hesitated.  His tongue darted out to wet his rapidly drying lips and the tingling sensation it caused reminded him of the feel of her lips against his so he knocked.

"Scully, it's me," he said after the knock.

***

            Scully stepped out of the shower and pulled her robe tightly around her shivering naked body.  The look on his face before he left the hospital had engraved itself on her mind and she fought hard to get rid of it without success.  She looked up at the steamy mirror but walked away without wiping it clean.  She didn't want to see the traitorous look in her eyes telling her what she knew in her heart but had already denied with her lips.

            She made her way across the room towards the bed and let her eyes linger over the tousled sheets as if she could see him lying there if she stared hard enough.  But she shut her eyes tight and walked on opting to sit in the small armchair by the window.  The energy she was hoping would be revitalised by the shower was speedily draining from her and all she could do was sit in the soft chair and feel the soft breeze from the open window as she rested her head back and closed her eyes.

            The soft knock was followed by his soft voice and she stared at the thin wooded door wondering how long it would take him to break it down if she didn't answer.  

_How many more minutes of peace would she get before his hazel eyes and caramel voice invaded her senses?_  

"Scully?"

_Not many_, she conceded as she crossed to the room and almost heard his relief as the latch was lifted.  

            She opened the door fully, returning to her chair before looking up to him.  She was surprised by how close he had followed her and stretched her neck further her eyes travelling up the length of his body catching his rolled up sleeves, loose tie and opened shirt before finally resting on his face.  His dark expression was softened only by the concern in his eyes that he had no control in hiding.  She decided to make pre-emptive strike and opened her mouth to speak but he stopped her with a slow shake in his head, daring her to continue.  Usually she would step up to any challenge he had to offer but this time she was stunned by the look of passion that played with his face and body, like she'd never seen before.

"Look Scully, don't give me the _it was a mistake_ crap, because I don't believe it and frankly neither do you."

            A white hot flash of anger erupted inside her.

_How dare he assume to know what she felt_ she thought, but then as she realised that he was right her fury was distinguished.

"If you don't want me to kiss you…then I wont," he said softly this time, urging her with his voice to look up to him.  "But say it…tell me what you want and I'll do it.  Don't hide behind your badge or our friendship."

            She looked down to her fumbling hands afraid that he'd see the truth of she looked up.

"Look at me Scully," he pleaded and the hurt tone in his voice made her want to jump into his embrace and shower him with kisses, but all she could do was shake her head, spraying droplets of water from her wet hair in an arc around her.  A small pearl of water had landed on his hand and she saw him looking down at it.  Her eyes watched transfixed as he lifted his hand up to his mouth and licked the moisture away an absent minded gesture that drove her crazy.  All the breath was sucked out of her lungs and he looked over when he heard her gasp.  Their eyes locked and he saw clearly the worry and concern in them battle against a passion he knew she possessed.

"Mulder," she said standing up in front of him, but still only coming up to his chest.

            Words escaped her and her thoughts dispersed when he pulled her into the circle of his arms as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do.  Cradling her against him with one arm, he buried the other in her hair at the base of her skull and gently pressed her head into his chest.  As his chin came to rest on the top of her head he could feel his shirt getting wet from her hair but ignored the rapidly spreading dampness in favour of holding her so closely.  Her hands rested delicately by his hips as if she was afraid to fully commit to his embrace but she still needed to touch him.

            When the phone rang she pulled away from him guiltily stepping around the bed and into the bathroom, closing the door behind her before he even answered it.

***

            Frohike slid out from under the bed for the last time that night and stood to his full height stretching his aching limbs.  He glanced around the small room and saw Langly lying against the wall under the window while Byers examined the IV line closely.

"Right, the bed is clear. Nothing running to or from the bed would have any effect of magnets."

"Except for the metal frame," Langly argued standing next to Frohike.

"The frame isn't a catalyst, it's simply a metal frame."

"I think I found something here," Byers said pulling the IV line out of the bag and bringing it over to them.

"What is it?" Langly asked stepping in front of Frohike to get a better look.

"I seems like the attachment in this needle has some filaments in it."

"Metal filaments in the saline solution?"

"That was being pumped into the child's blood stream?"

"Making him more vulnerable to magnetic manipulation?"

            The three of them looked at each other and watched as their questioning remarks formed thoughts and ideas in their minds as if they were a collective.

"I'll call Mulder," Frohike said stepping away from the duo and pulling out a mobile phone.

"Mulder," came the terse reply.

"Mulder it's Frohike, I think we found something here."

"What is it?"

"It seems like the IV line was being used to pump some sort of metal filaments into Billy's blood stream."

"Metal in his blood?" Mulder said turning at the sound of a knock on the door and walking to pull it open, "Hang on Frohike."

"Baggage for Dr. Scully," the porter said holding out a hold all and a page for him to sign.  

            Mulder balanced the phone between his head and shoulder and signed the page tossing the bag on the bed after he closed the door.

"Scully, your stuff is here," he called softly through the bathroom door before walking back to the window to talk to Frohike.

"Why would they do that?"

"Makes him more manipulative. To the magnets."

"Wouldn't it poison his system?"

"Depends on the substance.  We know a guy down town who's going to let us use his lab, we'll call you when we know more."

            Mulder turned to see Scully rummaging through her bag and pulling out a dark blue pair of slacks and a black jumper.

"Frohike said they found traces of metal filaments in Billy's IV line that were being pumped into his system."

"What kind of metal?" she asked.

"They are going to test it."

            A heavy silence fell between them as Mulder played with the phone in his hands.  Not used to the nervousness he was feeling he struggled to cope and watched her busy herself with her things.

"Do you want to get something to eat? We could go out or…order in?" he asked tentatively.  Knowing well she'd rather get away from him, but he wasn't going to give her the chance.

"Sure.  Lets order in though, I want to call the hospital in San Francisco."

"Okay, what would you like?" he asked as he browsed through the menu.

"Whatever," she called as she stepped into the bathroom to change and he didn't miss the fact that she closed the door firmly behind her the tell tale click of the lock ringing in his ears painfully.

            When she returned fully dressed but barefoot he was sitting on the end of the bed with Billy's medical file lying beside him.  She grabbed the chair and dragged it over beside him sitting down and reaching for the legal pad on the floor by the bed she scribbled a few notes on it before looking up to his thoughtful gaze.

"Dr. Richard Mayfair, SF County hospital, Portland Road," he said calling out the address for her to take down and the phone number.

"I guess I'll call him now."

"Yeah, food will take about 30 minutes."

"What did you get?"

"Just some sandwiches, and a couple of bottles of water."

            She was surprised by what he said as she usually had to convince him that she needed fresh fruit and vegetables to sustain a normalcy in her life instead of constant burgers, fried chicken and pizza.  She checked her watch and carefully counted back the hours to see it was 10am in San Francisco.  An abrupt answer from a female secretary startled her back to the task at hand and she stated her title and asked to speak to Dr Mayfair.

"I'm afraid Dr Mayfair is not here at the moment, he is in surgery."

"Can you help me maybe? I am in search of a patients file from an operation back in 1996.  William Ryan then aged four."

"I'm afraid our records are sealed."

"I aware of that but this little boy has gone missing and as a Federal Agent I can obtain a court order to open these files for me but by then it may be too late."

"Well okay but could I have your badge number please?"

"Absolutely," she said reeling off her badge number and then the fax number to send the files to.  

"Laptop's in my room. I'll be back in a second."

            She took the opportunity to try to relax her madly beating her heart and admonished herself for falling so easily into his arms.  Pulling the chair and medical folder over to the large table she sat into it and began to read through the pages.  What she read shocked and disturbed her to a point where she felt like she could no longer read on.  Mulder walked in carrying the laptop and portable printer and started to hook it up on the table next to her.

"Have you read any of this?"

"Briefly why?"

"Billy has had more operations in his life than I could ever imagine being productive."

"What do you mean?" he asked and as he waited for the machine to boot up he came round to stand behind her letting his tie fall over her shoulder as he leant close.

"Look at this, surgery at two to correct eye defect.  At four to insert medical metal plate, at five to realign vertebrae, at seven to attach bionic lens's."

"Why would he need all this stuff?"

"It says here that he had a degenerative cell disease which attacked all parts of his body, resulting in renal failure, ocular failure, osteoporosis.  Mulder this child should be dead," she said looking up before she realised how close their faces would be.  He didn't seem to notice as he reached out and tapped a few keys on the keyboard

"Why would they keep operating on him?"

"To sustain his life."

"A life of pain and operations?"

"His parents were scientists, research scientists."

"Do you think they were using him to test their procedures on?"  
            She didn't answer the question as Mulder had dialled up the remote connection on the laptop and they both waited for the fax to arrive.  A knock at the door beckoned for their attention and Mulder walked over to answer.  She couldn't help but follow his swaggering hips over to the door where he collected the dinner tray and returned a wicked grin playing openly on his full lips.  He placed the tray on the table and lifted the lid with a _Taa-Daa_.  She looked down at the food and tried to keep the smile off her face when she glanced up at him.

"Sandwiches and water?"

"Well it is…pizza sandwiches and carbonated water with cola flavouring!"

"So pizza and coke?"

"That's what I said!"

            As the pages emerged from the printer Mulder took a slice and walked around the room as he ate, returning to sip from the bottle of coke.  She usually told him to get a glass but tonight her conversation skills seem to have been stunted and he wanted to know how far he could push her.  He saw her watching him as he lifted the 2-litre bottle to his lips and take a long swig.  She itched to say something but something in side stopped her.

"Oh my god…look at this." She grabbed the pages from the table and pulled out the adoption licence.

"He's adopted?" Mulder asked.

"By Sally Ryan.  She's his adopted mother from the age of eighteen months."

"What about the parents that were killed in the plane crash?"

"Dr Michael Ryan and Dr Phillipa Ryan.  Brother and sister."

"But they said his parents were killed in a plane crash? Not his personal research assistants?"

"They were in 1992."

"Hence the adoption."

            They sat in silence as they both took in this new information.

"That's all well and good but it does nothing to explain what's going on.  Or where he is," Scully said.

"But it does tell us something."

"Sally Ryan is lying."

            The pizza forgotten and coke left to go flat Scully grabbed her shoes and they both rushed out to her house.  Scully gazed at the picturesque image in front of her as Mulder drove up through the lined pathway.

"It's something else, right?"

"Nice for a TV writer salary."

            Mulder parked the car by the front door steps and they met by the bonnet to make and entrance together.  She had pulled out her badge ready for inspection when suddenly the ground fell from under her feet and she felt her back slamming against something hard and immovable.  Suddenly realising that she had been thrown away from the house as it exploded and looked to her side in time to see Mulder leaning up onto his elbows.  He looked around with his eyes glazed and confused and saw her before he stumbled closer and helped her up.

"Scully, you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little surprised."

            They stood next to each other and looked on at the burning house dusting their clothes off and shaking their heads.

"That's got to be a record," Mulder quipped.

"What?"

"Two explosions and still breathing, something is up here."

"What gave it away Mulder? The air rushing through your head as we were thrown or the impact on this hard ground?"

"Go easy on my Scully, I've had a hard few days!"

            She smiled ruefully at him and pulled out her phone to call the police and fire brigade.  Mulder stepped as close as he dared to the fire and ducked as small pockets of gas erupted in loud bangs through the blazing flames.  The garden was soon awash with blue flickering lights and police personnel as they badgered Mulder and Scully for answers.  Sifting through the ashes was an arduous task that they both insisted on being present for.  

Finally as the sun crept over the lush garden lighting the mess naturally for the first time the bodies were found.  Pulled out charred and burnt the y were shipped off to the morgue for identification but no one could mistake the small body that came out last, the small hands plainly positioned bound behind it's back.  Scully felt tear fill her eyes and she stepped away from the picture needing to get some fresh air that didn't carry the stench of burning hair and skin.  Mulder who was talking to Detective Jackson watched her stumble over to the car, her hand covering her mouth as she fought to maintain composure.  He excused himself from the detectives questions and approached her suddenly unsure of how he could comfort her, wondering if the rules had changed, wondering if their rules existed.

"Scully…" he said cautiously and she hastily rubbed her cheeks free of any traces of any tears that may have fallen.

"I need to go and get to the hospital for the autopsies."

"You don't need to do that.  I think our work here is done and all we can do is send our reports to the local-,"

"Mulder, that little boy was murdered.  We need to find out why? And who did it?"

"Scully, torturing yourself by going and cutting up that little boy isn't going to help you.  You cant save every child.  You couldn't save Emily."

"What? What are you talking about Mulder? This has nothing to do with Emily!" she shouted stepping out of the car and pushing his chest angrily.

"I spoke to Frohike."

            Stunned into silence she found her feet had become cement blocks and her eyes glued to his face.  Not his eyes, she couldn't look at his eyes, but the small freckle on his jaw line just past the edge of his lips.  His words clouded her brain and she found it hard to concentrate not wanting to hear what he was saying but needing to be told.

"The fluid in the IV was the same stuff that they were pumping in to Emily…testing on Emily."

"But…green…metal…" her thoughts weren't articulate enough to form full sentences but Mulder understood.

"I know, I can't explain it," he admitted, hating the fact that he couldn't help.  "I told the guys to go back to the hospital to collect anything they could but it was already cleared out.  No trace evidence."

            All of a sudden her body began to shake and as she convulsed and writhed he grabbed her and supported her against his chest letting the tears fall without witness to anyone but his shirt.  She made no sound save for the intake of breath and fought his tight grip until she could stand no more and her legs went out from under her.  He led her back to the car and sat her into the passenger seat before running around and climbing in beside her.

            Her combination of exhaustion and disbelieve pooled together to drain her of any strength she had and it want long before she fell into a restless doze next to him, the rhythmic motion of the car lulling her comfortably.  He watched her as much as he could while driving safely and finally managed to make it to the hotel.  Brushing her cheek with the back of his finger she started awake and spun round to meet him her eyes wide with fear.

"It's only me Scully," he said holding his hands up defensively. "We're here."

            Silently she got out of the car and walked towards the hotel shrugging his arm off her shoulders as they walked through the lobby and into the elevators.  As she approached her bedroom he stood with her until the doors were opened.

"Do you want to talk Scully?" he asked carefully.

"No Mulder.  Goodnight."

            She closed the door with out another word leaving him deserted in the cold hallway, confused and afraid.  

But he left.  

His bed was big and lonely and did nothing to dispel his fear of her emotional state.  It was all he could do not to reach for the phone and dial her room number, if only to hear her voice and reassure himself she was still there.  

But he didn't.

            She pulled off her clothes and slipped into a tight spaghetti strapped top and loose red and black cotton checked pyjama bottoms and la on the bed staring at the covers.  Never in her life had she been filled with such despair or loneliness as she felt the hot salty tears run down her face silently.  Her chest shook with the effort of keeping her cries at bay and suddenly she was afraid.  Afraid of being alone.  Afraid of dying alone.  Without thought for the consequences she grabbed the spare key Mulder had left on the table next to the laptop and darted through the halls barefoot to his room.

            The TV cast flickering lights across the floor casting odd shadows on simple objects like the trail of clothes he had strewn from the door to the bed where he had obviously climbed straight in.  Stealthily she shut the door and took a moment for her eyes to adjust in the dim lighting before stepping closer to the bed where he was lying on his stomach with his head sideways on the pillow facing her.  She hesitated as she stood over his still form and studied what she could see of his face, trying to decide if he was awake or not.  But suddenly his gravely voice broke through the electric air and caught her off guard.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" he said quietly as he half rolled over and invited her closer by lifting up the corner of the blanket that rested over him, but covered little.

            Without a sound she clambered in beside him and settled on her back with his arm resting over her lat stomach.  He snuggled closer pulling her into him as he did and she registered with shock that he was naked below the blankets.  

"I was lonely," he whispered into the darkness.

"I'm here now Mulder," she replied feeling him smile against her shoulder, before he pressed a light kiss to her warm skin.

"Are you okay?"

"No," she said plainly, not fighting the tears this time she found that they fell easier and couldn't help but smile a little.  "I've been sad before, I've been depressed and lonely.  But I've never been so awash with all three, doused in anger, frustration and fear…so intensely."

"It'll get easier."

"Maybe it shouldn't."

"What do you mean?" he asked pulling himself up to lean on his elbow and get a better look at her face.  Mild shock registered on his face at the extent of her tears and the slight puffiness of her eyes but he hid it from her.

"I mean I feel emotions everyday…about lots of stuff…about you…but I never let them get carried away to the point where I can't control them.  I grieved for Emily, but I never let anyone see my pain.  I grieved for my father for Melissa but again I kept…you at a distance insisting that I do my job."

            He listened to the ever-increasing beat of his heart a dared hope for what she might say.

"What I felt tonight Mulder showed me something.  There are something's in this world that are not meant to be controlled.  Just meant to grow."

"Like what?" he dared ask needing to know for sure, needing her to show him before he was too far gone to retrieve what they had before.

"Like this…" shyly almost fearfully she reached a small hand out to his chin and cupped his face before raising her head enough to kiss her lips gently to his.  For a long moment they stayed like that and Mulder felt fresh tears fall from her closed eyes, running between their cheeks and falling to her chest.  He couldn't hold back anymore so he deepened the kiss, his hands running up the length of her body as he pulled her closer and hungrily stabbed his tongue into her waiting mouth tasting her sweet mouth and salty tear stained lips. 

            Pulling his lips from hers with an audible pop he looked down at her, his hand gently stroking her face and moving wisps of hair that his fingers had released from her clasp.  Her eyes fluttered heavily as she fought to stay awake but it was a loosing battle.

"Sleep Scully," he said softly.  "I'll be here when you wake up."

            It was the final permission she needed and she gave up the futile war and let her heavy lids rest.  He rested next to her, twisting her in his arms so her back was to him and nestled in close.  Amazed at how warm she was he slipped one hand under the pillow and the other was splayed out on her torso just at the rim of her top.  Sleepily she moved her hand from under her cheek and guided his fingers under her top and against her skin, she held him there.   

            Again she felt his lips curve into a delighted smile and wished she had the energy to turn and reward him for it but as the thoughts entered her head they flitted away as sleep claimed her at last, lying in the cocoon of his arms, where she felt the safest she ever had.

** _TAA-DAA Indeed!!! Again I think I'm dissatisfied with the endings but it could be just me.  I'm just not that good with ending a piece. Anyway on with the show…NEXT!!!_ **


End file.
