Discoveries - Part One


Story - MLSFR/AH
Everything, from this season on back.
NO infringement intended, respecting
anyone's property.  

"Discoveries"
by Sue

Chapter One

She rolled over, and over, and over.  Or, was it her 
head that was doing all that rolling, all on its own?  
Swimming, but getting nowhere.  It was the first 
coherent thought that flashed in her mind as she
neared waking.  The second was, after her eyes 
focused, and she lifted her head up,   She winced in 
an effort to sit up, but only succeeded in hoisting 
herself up onto her elbows.  Without a doubt, this 
sleeping quarter was the exact opposite of her homey 
bedroom with its gracious motifs and charming 
ambiance.

She lay on a lumpy cot of a bed, in a drab, chaotic 
closet of a room.  *But I've been here before*, the 
idea jabbed.  Growing wider awake by the second, she 
realized where she was.  Recognized this messy room
with its clutter of worn-out keyboards and tangled 
wires litter, its computer printouts, its 
multitudinous gameboys strewn about and its flood of 
mini videorecorder tapes.

*Yipes--the guys...the Gunmen...LANGLY* Scully flopped 
back down, her hand sailing to her feverish-feeling 
forehead.  *Oh, God!*  Flinching, she tried to process 
a sizeable chunk of reality.  *We Couldn't Have*  
Then, the other voice, the snarly, unfeeling, broad 
jumper to hasty conclusions accuser, did what it did 
best.  It accused.  

--YOU IDIOT--WHAT GOT INTO YOU?--

When the voice really got nasty, she shut it down in 
mid-cognition.  *Quit it, you foul-mouthed 
troublemaker--that's a direct order!*

She shuddered, but then the voice of reason, the voice 
she cherished, loved so very much, whispered in her 
brain.  

*You're fully clothed, Lambkins...Hello*

Willing it with her lion-hearted determination, Scully 
sat up.  Uh huh, she was still wearing her delicious 
black cardigan sweater and stone-washed blue jeans.  
*Nah, THAT couldn't have happened......not with 
Langly...could it?* She moaned again, and rose from 
the bed, holding her head which felt as though it 
weighed the weight of a girder; the brain fuzz not 
unraveling.  *If we did, what possessed me?*

It took some time, but finally, she located her stack-
heeled, off-black loafers amidst the clutter, and 
slipped them on.  Maneuvering unsteadily, she ventured 
out into the office area proper.

"Langly?"  Scully looked around, and called his name 
again.  *What's with the timid routine?* "LANGLY!"  
She went to the bank of computers, but none of them 
were on.  "Hey, are you here?"  Agitated now, she 
plopped down on a stool, made some space by moving 
some stray computer repair tools clear, propped her 
arm up on the counter and settled chin in hand.

"'A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away,'" she 
muttered, then sighed.  "Not far away enough...to 
leave the mistakes of this one
behind, I'm afraid..."

*I'm not shoving off till I know why I'm here, and not 
where I should be...why can't I remember clearly?*

An incredibly galling thought struck her.  *If he 
spiked that Coke with some perky powder, I'm gonna 
kick his--

*Wait!*...why??  *Because you're not being fair, 
Lambkins...*

*Oh yeah...who says?*

*I do; the voice of reason--the one you worship, 
remember?...*

*oh, right, you...*

*Me.  Lest you regret it later, you wanted to be here.  
You insisted*...

*i did?...why?...*

*You didn't want to go home.  Didn't want the pleasing 
companionship and balmy camaraderie to end when the 
"Phantom Menace" did.  The Memories, well Short-term 
more so than Long, Long really takes a beating when 
the intruder shows up, although, it's no picnic for 
the three of us, and I pieced together what we could 
salvage from the maelstorm of your addled control 
center.  You told him:  I won't bite'...*

*How come i don't remember that clearly?...*

*Oh, it's a miracle we can manage to recall anything 
of much value before the big shutdown, when you bounce 
over to automatic pilot.  We're rendered useless, and 
most assuredly not ourselves until the interloper 
disappears.  We're irresistably restrained, and 
detained...*

*By what?...*

*Can't answer that for you right now...don't have all 
the facts.  That's your job.  You'll have to supply 
those, besides, both the Mems 
and I have our processing cut out for us, sorting out 
the "Menace"...*

*i really LOVED that movie...haveta see it again...*

*Yes, we will, if only to check if we've got the 
sequencing straight.  But, returning to the issue at 
hand:  spending the night with tall, blond and 
obliging...*

*So you're saying we...we...*

Quite unexpectedly, the several locks of the office's 
door clicked, and the object of the confounding, one-
sided conversation lunged inside to get in out of the 
considerable wind.  He really did look like the 
Scarecrow of Oz fame, with his fly-away hair hanging 
every which way.  Seeing her sitting at the equipment 
counter, as though she was waiting for him, elicited 
an immediate smile from Langly.  His facial expression 
waxed warm and friendly, positively glowing in 
outreach, as the unexpected events of a few hours ago 
crowded his memory.

"Morning, Dana.  How ya feeling?"  After he locked and 
chained the door back up, he ambled over to her.  
Looking content, he gave her a tight little hug with 
his free arm.  In his right hand, he toted a large 
McDonald's take-out bag which was crammed with 
tasties.

*Deeply weird.  Can't you tell?*  "Uh, hi...fine.  Uh, 
when did you get up?  What've you got there?"

"You sure?  You were so orbital last night."  Langly 
set the bag down before her, after clearing away more 
equipment paraphenalia, and moving one of the 
computers back some.  "You deserve a break today.  I 
got up at about seven.  Thought maybe you'd be hungry, 
so I split to grab us some breakfast."

*Orbital?   And, "Us"...uh oh, we're an 'us' 
now...just great...and you're the one who said he 
needs HIS head examined...

--TAKE A NUMBER!--

*Leave Lambkins alone, you bullying meddler.  You'll 
poison us all with that brand of sarcasm, one day...*

Scully eyeballed her wristwatch, but asked him what 
time it was despite the fact.  She'd never remembered 
him looking so sure of himself as he
did at this point in time.

"Nine-forty.  The nearest Mickey Dee's a hike from 
here, but I walked anyhow, 'cause it's still faster 
than waiting for the number ten.  It's going to be a 
gorgeous day.  Sure hope the contact arrives on 
schedule, or better still, earlier, so I can get out 
and enjoy most of it.  It's been ages since I just 
claimed a day for hanging out at the park."
Precipitously, a perturbed look crossed his face when 
he sensed there was something bothering her.  "Hey-uh, 
do you like uh eat McDonald's?"

Having nothing remotely close to an appetite, Scully 
just looked at him, wondering if he would bring the 
matter of their intimacy up first. She felt her anger 
spark again.

*Breakfast at McDonald's...definitely NOT a favorite 
thing*

*Listen, Precious, he's an enigma, and your 
suppositions are goading you to harp on what he's not, 
but his intentions are in the right place; right along 
with his heart.  He does have feelings too.  Does that 
seem strange to you?  Don't you dare hurt them, 
despite what you may think at this stage.  'Kay?  Do 
it for that old-fashioned notion of having good 
manners.  At least be civil.  Do it for Mom, your 
forebearing embodiment of gentility and deference.  A 
little greasy food won't kill you.  Neither will some 
indulgence.  Langly's not Mulder, he's his friend; 
same as you, for that matter.  He deserves to stand on 
his own merits.  You'd want the same consideration,
wouldn't you?*...

*Oh, all right, you're devastating, you know that?*

Scully's smile finally put in its appearance.  She 
nodded, and threaded her hair behind her ears.  "I'm 
starved.  What did you get?"

Digging into the bag, Langly brought up three 
styrofoam containers, each containing sausage bagels; 
one for her, two for him.  It had taken some pleading 
for them, but his begging had finally won out, and the 
young man who'd waited on him had acquiesced to having 
the special order made up.  Additionally, for Scully, 
he'd purchased an order of hotcakes and sausages, 
along with a plain biscuit, a large-sized cup of 
coffee, some oj and two hash browns.

"Who's supposed to eat all this?"  She managed a hint 
of playfulness in her tone.

*A real sweetie isn't he?  Just look at all the 
trouble he's gone to. You're doing just fine, 
Lambkins.  You do me proud...*

*He really is something special...he didn't have to 
give me half his jackpot*

*Yes, isn't he?  And, no, he didn't...*

*How come i never really noticed before?*

*You're witnessing it for yourself, firsthand...*

*But, maybe he thought i owed him big for giving me 
all that money, so he got me in the sack as pay back!*

*That's harsh.  Have him answer for himself, why don't 
you?*

He grinned right back, sheepishly.  "Uh, yeah.  Guess 
I got carried away, as usual.  Comin' down off the 
'Star Wars' high.  I'm all set to stoke.  Figured 
maybe you'd be too.  Whatever you can't finish, Dana, 
I will.  No sweat."  He broke open the bagel container 
and began chowing down with a vengeance.  "Man, I'm 
starved too!"

*He may look like a waif who could blow away if 
breathed on too hard, but he sure doesn't eat like 
one...he's putting it away like a burly trucker...wow*

Scully opened the container of hotcakes, accepted the 
knife and fork he offered her after he'd removed his 
coffee and juice from the bag, and started in.  She 
picked at the fast-food at first, but as she ate,
an amazing thing happened.  Her appetite started 
kicking in, and something her mom was fond of saying 
buzzed her brain.  'Eat for the hunger that comes...'

"Is it cool?"

"No, actually everything's quite warm."  She beamed at 
him, meaning it.

"No, no, I mean is the food okay?"

"Oh...right.  Yeah, it's delicious."  Play acting was 
no longer necessary.  She found herself enjoying the 
entire experience.  McDonald's breakfast was edible, 
and Langly was an offbeat host, but he was, as her 
reasoning had convinced her to view him, a well-
meaning unconventional, who was giving it his all to 
be her friend.  Perhaps, too good a friend.

*Don't go there anymore, Lambkins, until you get the 
facts*

She considered all those times Mulder had tried 
coaxing her to just sample a 'Big Mac'.  ["C'mon, just 
one tiny bite, it'll do ya good, Scully.  Would I 
lie?"]  Having turned her nose up each time, he'd 
teased that it would stay that way.

--MULDER--THAT'S RIGHT, MISSY, MULDER.  REMEMBER HIM?  
THE GUY YOU'D GIVE YOUR LIFE FOR.  THE GUY YOU IMAGINE 
YOURSELF WITH NEARLY EVERY CHANCE YOU GET.  WHAT 
HAPPENS NOW, LITTLE MISS ONE NIGHT STAND?--

"Nothing--now just shut up!"  she mumbled to herself, 
louder than she'd realized.  She felt another wave of 
moodiness wash over her, and shook her head.

Langly gave her strange looks in between bites.  "Are 
you really down with the food?  You don't have to song 
and dance with me."

Blinking a few times, Scully nodded.  "Don't mind me, 
I'm still dreaming.  I have this bad habit.  I over 
analyze to the point of complete distraction."

"I know what you mean.  'Phantom' was all-out heavy.  
It wiped me industrial strength.  It's just that for a 
second there, you looked like you'd just been royally 
screwed, man."

Her eyebrows flew up, then knitted for the deep frown.  
Finding it difficult to do then, she forced eye 
contact to look him squarely in his eyeglass magnified 
ones.  "You absolutely loved the movie, didn't you?"  
*Royally, it was*

"As much as I like 'Dungeons an' Dragons'; uh, 
Advanced that is.  An' that's a whole lotta like.  In 
fact, it might be a whole 'nother' 
universe of like."  He hesitated before adding, 
"It...uh...could easily turn out to be how much I 
like...you, too..."

Scully held his intensely tender gaze, as a shiver 
went through her.  "'Dungeons an' Dragons', and that 
is?..."

"Uh, huh.  The vid game I'm having a love affair with.  
Lord Manhammer in attendance, and at your service, 
M'lady."  

"OH, I see.  I know next to nothing about gaming.  
Maybe you'll show me what the fascination is, one of 
these days."

"It'd be an honor."  Langly downed his oj in one gulp, 
and then bit into his second sandwich, once he'd torn 
it away from its container.  "You loved 'Phantom' too, 
didn't you?"

"I did.  I think I need to see it again.  Very soon."

"Yeah--me too!  Hey, maybe we can see it again, 
together, so we can compare what we missed the first 
time."

"I have a feeling you got more out of it the first 
time, than I did..."  She thought about what she'd 
just said and sighed.  *In more ways than one?*  
Sipping more of her coffee, and inhaling deeply, she 
judged the time was ripe for venturing into extremely 
'rocky,' unchartered terrain, knowing it was wiser to 
speak, than to keep silent and stew.  

The sticky subject would be harder to broach now, 
because she couldn't deny there was a curious 
chemistry between them.  A certain glowing aura that 
hung about their developing friendship, which she 
perceived as being inexplicable, but nevertheless, 
real; elemental.  There was something captivating 
about him that seemed to give her permission to be 
free.  It felt as though he'd re-animated the feisty, 
freckled-face tomboy in her, whom she thought she'd 
lost along the way, forever.  That was why.  He 
beckoned that tomboy to come out and play with him; 
there was no shame in it.  

Langly was a kid at heart, a quirky one at that, but 
he wasn't childish.  To the contrary, she suspected he 
was brilliant, with an IQ soaring to the stratosphere; 
a bona fide genius.  Not the Mulder kind of smarts, 
but the nutty professor kind, who'd have that one 
female student in his class who would spend her 
weekends grading his exam papers, just for the meager 
recognition paid.  She knew now, in all its clarity, 
that it was imperative she didn't hurt him with 
thoughtless
words and stormy accusations.  Even if he had put dope 
in the Coke, she conceded, he'd probably figured I'd 
enjoy the movie more.  She'd give giving him the 
benefit of the doubt her best shot.

"Ring?"

"Yeah?" he promptly responded, as he finished wisking 
away some pesky crumbs from the corner of his mouth.

"We did it last night...didn't we?"

"Did what?"

Scully tried not to roll her eyes, but before she did, 
she looked down at her buttery, syrup-laden hotcakes.  
*Oh, well...here goes*

"We, we slept together."

"Oh, that."

*Oh that?  Yeah THAT...you, you pothead*

*Easy, Lambkins, Easy.  Cool down.  What were you just 
thinking?  Aura? Chemistry?  Bona fide genius?  Not 
wanting to hurt him.  Benefit of the doubt?  Don't go 
for the jugular off the blocks...explain yourself. 
Calmly*>

"Yes, that.  I don't, re...what I'm trying to say is 
that I, I don't really remember...much.  I'm sure you 
were magic.  I must have been so
far out of it.  Even now I feel so hungover...so 
spent."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about having sex with you--"

"SEX?  WITH ME?"

"Who else?  We had it, didn't we?  DIDN'T WE?"

Turning beet red, and going bug-eyed, Langly started 
gagging on sausage remnants lodged in his throat.  He 
chugged down his milk, and swabbed the creamy white 
rivulets streaming from his mouth, with his hand.  
When he had recovered enough from shock and near-
asphyxiation, to speak, he wheezed, "Y-you think we 
got down?  You've gotta be seriously trippin'--still!"

"That's just it," she replied, sounding atypically 
mystified, "I cannot remember what happened once we 
got here.  It's so hazy, with bits and pieces trying 
to filter in, but not truly coalescing.  After I 
stopped the car, that's where I lose memory.  You 
didn't put something in the Coke, right?"

Feeling as though she'd just slugged him with a 
baseball bat, and glove, Langly shook his head 
somewhat maniacally.  "Gimme a break.  You think I'd 
get you stoned, without telling you?  Man!  I told you 
I've been there, done that.  I was only kiddin' about 
gettin' a buzz off Coke.  I didn't mess with it--and I 
sure as he--"  He cut himself off, knowing where this 
kind of anger could lead.  The livid zone was dead 
ahead.  He took the necessary moments to calm down 
before continuing.  "I didn't mess with you either.  
What do you think I am?"

"You didn't?"

"Don't believe me, huh?  Like all of a sudden I'm 
spaced-out Doctor freakin' Strangelove?"

"But, but."

"I thought it was a goof, thought I was the one 
trippin', but you're the one who started."  Langly 
scrutinized her severely with eyes brimming dismay, 
that drilled.  "Maybe it's hard for you to believe,
but you started coming on to me, Scully.  Yeah, you 
did.  Totally big time.  You were all over me in the 
car.  You gripped my face, and lip-locked me as I was 
about to say goodnight.  When I got out, you raced 
around to my side, like you weren't about to let me 
get away.  You grabbed my hand and started yanking me 
to the lab, giggling your head off.  Real loud.  When 
I told you that me and the guys have this sorta rule 
about having women stay over, even when one of us is 
on our own, you said it'd be, 'Cool.'  You said you 
were warm for my form, and wouldn't bite."

"I said that?"

He felt his temperature rise then, much as it had last 
night, in response to her insistently suggestive 
carrying-on.  "You kept calling me cutie as you led me 
to the storage room until you...till...you..."

"Until I what?"

Langly bit the side of his lower lip.  "You did a 
little 'Vida Loca' number, and passed out."

She ran her hand through her hair, feeling a cloying 
sense of unnerving disquietude envelope her.  *What 
the...am i going nuts?...i tried to jump him?...then, 
passed out?...Why?...And why can't i remember?...This 
is sick...*

*Ah, now that bears investigating, Lambkins*

"What exactly do you mean I did a 'Vida Loca' number?"

"Let's just say you'd better keep your day job, Dana.  
Hope there aren't any more floor shows in your future.  
It got intensely aberrant, man.  Lame-oh!  'Specially 
when you started strippin', but I wouldn't let you, so 
you tried peelin' off my shirt."

"Oh...God!"

Langly reached out to cover her hand with his, as her 
chin came to rest against her chest, and her other 
hand flew to her head.  "After you'd passed out in my 
arms, I carried you in there, and laid you--I mean I 
PUT you on the cot.  You kinda semi came to long 
enough to tell me that you were going to be a good 
little girl from now on, 'Daddy,' and would I hold you 
till you fell asleep, which I did.  Once you were out 
again,
and I was sure you'd be okay, I went to the car.  
Since it wasn't locked, I slept in there, to give you 
some privacy."

Seeing that the aspersions she'd cast on his character 
had dampened the cheerfulness of his disposition, 
that, and his having to recount the
sleazy tableau, she turned her hand over in his, palm 
up, and squeezed. "Please, Ring, forgive me for 
leaping to some very wrong, very biased,
and distressingly stupid conclusions.  I have no idea 
why I behaved the way I did, but I'm sure glad you 
were with me to look after me, when I
turned into Dana the Tramp.  Forgive me for what I 
said about the Coke.  That was rash, and uncalled for.  
I feel so dumb.  Thanks for what you did.  Thanks for
everything.  Still friends?  We'd better be, Mista."

"The good vibes aren't damaged.  You're better than 
twenty chat rooms, and you're not THAT bad a dancer.  
Yeah, sure--but.  Lemme state for the record:  I DON'T 
take advantage of my friends--ain't no way.  That's 
anathema, man.  No matter how loopy they might get.  
I'd never turn you on, or do you...unless you...uh, 
just forget that.  I just wouldn't, that's all."  He 
eyed her unopened bagel container longingly, then 
pointed.  "Hey, you gonna eat that?"

"It's yours."  She took her hand from his, and 
stammered, "I don't know what to make of me.  Seems I 
get freakier with every year that passes 
since having been assigned to the X-Files."

"Are you going to finish your hotcakes?"

"Yes.  Yes I am.  You can't have all my food, you 
bottomless pit," she teased.  Taking up her coffee 
again, she drained the cup, picked up the
fork and resumed consuming the stack.

As Langly started in on her sandwich, which was a tad 
cold, he said thoughtfully, "Ya know, the way you were 
last night was like a repeat of Vegas.  How you were 
during Jimmy's autopsy, then with that circle of 
grabby convention guys in the hotel lobby, where you 
starred as Bimbett the Party Girl.  'Hike told us all 
about how he rescued you from those good time losers.  
And even when I came into the room, and Suzanne 
Modeski was de-bimboing ya ...yeah.  Remember?  I came 
in, you said, 'hi, Cutie,' she shot you up with her 
antidote, you promptly fell out, and I asked if you 
were having a bad trip.  When you came to, you seemed 
normal enough."

Scully stopped chewing and looked as though he were 
speaking about someone else entirely.  "I don't 
remember...any...of that happening ...either..."

"Yeah, well it did.  Maybe you're having a relapse or 
something."  He removed his glasses to rub his stingy 
eyes which were red.  His neck had a whopper of a 
crick in it, from his having to sleep all curled up in 
the fetal position most of the night.  Raising his 
right hand, he started massaging the soreness.

"You were given the same mind control drug.  Why 
haven't you flipped out?"  Scully eyed him charily, 
but it slowly dawned on her that he was hurting.  "You 
haven't, have you?"

Langly frowned.  "Not since the last time I checked.  
Suzanne said her drug affected people's higher brain 
functionings differently.  For some unknown reason, 
maybe I'm not susceptible to a relapse, but you are.  
Maybe it's a gender thing, but I'm just thinkin' out 
loud."  He sighed, and pondered the implications of 
what he'd just said.  "Her junk's gotta be potent and 
complex.  Maybe in your system the antidote wore off 
too quickly, thereby enabling the M-C drug, or a 
variation thereof, to gradually reassert itself, or 
reconfigure into something more insidious.  Maybe the 
drug went dormant as a recombinant with a blood
chemical, and an organic or inorganic triggerer acted 
upon it to re-release it back into your bloodstream."  
Shrugging, Langly closed his eyes and rolled his head 
from side to side a few times.

Scully gave him a worried look, and yet, at the same 
time was quite taken with his off the cuff 
postulations.  "If your hypotheses are supposed to be 
comforting thoughts, forget it.  But, I'll admit they 
warrant investigation.  Something's definitely awry."  
Then, deciding to pay him a compliment from left 
field, she said, "Have you ever considered coming 
aboard with the F-B-I on a legitimate, full-time 
basis?  You may be wasting your talents.  The pay 
could stand improvement, of course, as Mulder 
painfully reminds, but the travel's unlimited, with 
above average expense coverage.  The health benefits 
aren't that shabby either."

Langly just groaned.

She couldn't discern whether that was his answer, or 
his present state of discomfort.  Deciding it was the 
latter, she finished eating and invited, "Here, sit 
down."

"Get yourself checked out for stray traces of the 
drug, or anything fluky, a-s-a-p."  Tiredly, he 
obeyed, but once seated he exclaimed in surprise, 
"Hey--what's this action?"  Despite his reluctance,
his eyes snapped shut as he succumbed to the gentle 
pressure of her skillful kneading.

"Detecting comes with my job experience.  Self-massage 
isn't nearly as effective as a massage administered by 
someone other than oneself, when one has a stiff neck.  
And you have one, no thanks to me."  She gathered up 
his hair to move it off to one side.  "Now, 
relax...you're a knot."  Langly nodded, but his 
hunched shoulders tensed up even more in response to 
her soothingly firm, but unsettling touch.

"Uh, Dana, you really don't haveta...have...tahhh, 
yeah ...that feels sweet--but, but...you don't have to 
do this..."

*Lamkins, it's...it's happening again...I'm losing 
you.  Nothing I can do to assert myself, such as with 
the last time.  The shadowy depressor is back.  
Goodbye for now.  I'll be with you once more, when 
this vile alien's hold weakens.  Terribly sorry, and 
do be careful while pure impulse, and freedom from 
inhibition now hold sway*

Squealing laughter with abandon, Scully wrapped her 
arms around Langly's neck, and zeroing in, fairly 
slammed her mouth into his ear.  "I--I won't bite, 
Cutie," she whispered breathily, and nuzzled his ear
with her nose.  Then, after puffing a breath into it, 
she started nibbling.  "Well, n-not hard, an-any way," 
she sniggered between nibbles.

When she stuck her tongue in his ear, she'd gone well 
past his point of embarrassing return.  He whipped 
around to hold her off, far at bay, feeling panicky, 
and the determined gleam in her eye registered but
good.  Indeed, this time it looked as though she might 
succeed in having her way with him, which given the 
circumstances, would not be the 'coolest' thing to let 
happen.  He wasn't a prude, and she was SO fine,
but--uhah--he was a man of his word.  He liked his
women rational, not totally zonked out of their minds.
And Scully wasn't just some woman, some dippy, when she
wasn't like this, throw-away chick.  She was the luminous
ivory tower ideal; the forbidden, and yet, the blithe
possessor of the gal next door mystique.  Eternally,
she'd be the high priestess of righteous babedom, in
his qualitative estimation.  He was not about to sully
her divinity.

"Oh No!  Not Again!"  Battling to recover from the 
initial throes of being turned on, he cried, "I'm 
getting Mulder over here pronto!  He'll know what to 
do."

"Mu-Mul...Mulder?  Wh-wha-whatza Mul-de-der?"

Backing away from her, and working his fingers into a 
cross, as though he really were warding off a vampire, 
he shouted, "He's your partner.  You know?  Partner?  
He, Fox.  You, Dana.  You're F-B-I agents.
Special ones--together."

Scully giggled for the umpteenth time.  "I-I think y-
you're special.  I-I wa-want you, Cu-cutie!  You be m-
my partner--st-stop.  D-don't r-run aw-away!  I-it's 
you wh-who li-lights my fire!"  She froze suddenly in her
tracks and glared at him, with hands on hips.  Langly,
backed up against the adjacent work table, and held his
breath, seeing she was preparing to pounce.  He lowered
his hands as a sign of truce.

"Wouldn't you feel better lying down?"

Her face jelled into the biggest smile.  "Ex-xactly 
what I-I had i-in mind, Cutie P-pie!"  She lurched for 
him and clutched his hand in a powerful seizure.  "L-
let's go!"  She jerked him forcefully, as though
she'd just roped and hogtied him, dragging him en 
route to the storage room.  "Right-ri-right now!"

"B-but I'm not that kind of guy, Scully!"

"We-we'll just se-see 'bout th-that, Bl-blondie!"

When the loud banging on the door came, Langly thanked 
every lucky star he'd ever wished on.  He snatched up 
his glasses and transformed into all no nonsense.  
"Okay--like, check it out--I gotta go answer that!  
You behave.  I'll be right back."

"N-no!  Take m-me with y-you...pleeeeeease?"
  
Determindedly, but with a dignified way about it, he 
sat her down on the stool and pointed his finger at 
her.  "Don't move.  Be good now!  That's an order, 
Agent!"

Crankily, as she watched him go answer the door, 
Scully sat pouting, like the spoiled, bratty child 
she'd never had the luxury to have been. Under her 
breath she fitfully muttered, "I-I'm al-always good.  
I ju-just wa-want to show y-you how much I ah-am, 
Cutie..."

Langly shot her a pleading look, and waved for her to 
be quiet.  Reaching the door, he peeked through the 
peephole, and when he saw who it was, he didn't know 
whether to be glad or sad, given the situation.
He unlocked the locks, unhooked the chains, and threw 
open the door.  Excitedly, he exclaimed, "Man, you're 
early, but no bigee.  You came here by car?"

The coal black-haired, swarthy South American visitor 
nodded, looking startled with this sort of welcome.  
Although, THIS ONE was the kookiest member of the 
trio, he remembered from his last visit.

"Good!  You can do me a big favor, Silvio."  Langly 
pronounced the name, "Seelo."  "Drive my friend and me 
to the hospital.  I don't know where she threw the 
keys to her car last night, but, as you can hear, 
she needs to see a doctor like since yesterday!"