'Fox'

Author: PhileyX 
E-Mail: phileyxback@yahoo.com 
Web-site: https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx 
Rating: PG 
Category: UST
Spoilers: Season Six - Three Of A Kind
Disclaimer: The X-files and their characters do not belong to me. But at least I mentioned Fox a couple of times, sort of free publicity for the Fox Network. So go easy on me, will ya?
Intro: Ever wonder why Mulder finally kissed Scully on New Year’s Eve? Here’s my theory...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Fox"

Someone was knocking furiously on his apartment door.  "I'm coming," Mulder yelled, glancing at the clock. It was one in the morning. He opened the door and found a stranger struggling to hold up his unsteady partner. "Scully?"

"Mulder! Nice of you to drop by." She brightly told him and sauntered into his apartment.

Transfixed by her presumably drunken condition, he looked at the lady in front of him. "And who are you?"

She smiled and held out her hand. "I'm Ellen and you're Mulder, right? Dana's told me a lot about you."

He shook her hand and asked in disbelief. "She's drunk?"

Ellen shook her head. "I don't know. She can't be. All she had was a bottle of beer and a vodka. It usually takes more than that. She's a better drinker than the rest of us."

"Why didn't you take her home?"

"Because she didn't want to go home. Besides, I can't find her keys and I have two more intoxicated women in my van. So, Dana's all yours."

"What? You can't leave her with me?"

"Why not? You're her partner, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Not her mother."

She sighed and leaned a little towards him. "Agent Mulder, you and Dana should loosen up a little. Relax. What can she possibly do to you in this state?" She gave him a gentle pat on his shoulder and walked towards the elevator.

Mulder shook his head in disbelief. Scully did mention that she would be having an all girls night out. But he never expected this. It was a Wednesday night, for heaven sakes. Even he had more sense than to get stoned on a 'school night'.

He walked into his living room and straight into her. She had taken off her coat and Mulder noticed that she had gone home to change before going out again. She wearing a low-cut, silk blouse and a chiffon skirt. It was a far cry from the power suites that she usually had on.

Scully was swaying slightly and Mulder unconsciously encircled her his arms as if ready to catch her if she dropped. She was looking at him strangely, Mulder suddenly noticed. Her eyelids fluttered a little and she smiled at him provocatively. Mulder cocked his head in surprise and swallowed hard. Scully had just made a pass at him! The first, in 6 years!

"Scully? I think you should take a long hot bath and sleep this off." He quietly told her.

"Mulder, have I ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?"

Mulder almost smiled, amused that alcohol had this effect on her. He shook his head in reply to her question, deciding to indulge her just for a moment.

"And your lips…. I've always wondered what they would taste like."

Mulder's eyes widened. 'Maybe this is a bad idea.' Half his brain told him to tell her that she could sample his lips if she wanted to and the other half told him to call Ellen and make her take Scully home before he started listening to the first half of his brain.

Much to his horror, she seemed to have read his mind.  "Would you mind terribly if I sampled them?"

"Scully, you're drunk." He told her, although there didn't seem to be any evidence of it except her unnatural behavior.

She certainly didn't smell drunk. And her eyes were clear and bright. She was a little unsteady but Mulder noticed that she was humming a song from the Eagles and thus moving to its rhythm.

She was about to contradict him when her cell-phone rang in her coat pocket. She pushed him away gently and went to get it at the other end of the living room, giving Mulder time to assess her condition further.

He was right. Her movements were sure and confident. She wasn't drunk, just unfamiliar.

"Hello……." She answered her call.

'Very unfamiliar.' Mulder added silently.

"Oh hi Ellen." She paused as her friend spoke. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be in bed soon." Pause. "Mulder's okay." She turned to look at him, whispered something into the phone and smiled. "I'm working on it. It should be a piece of cake."

Mulder cocked his head to one side, wary of the suggestive smile that his partner was giving him. Then Scully giggled and Mulder snapped.

He covered the room with two long strides, took the phone from her hand and began to interrogate Ellen. "What the hell is going on? What on earth did you give her? Is she high or something?"

Ellen relieved voice answered him. "I think we might have a problem, Mulder.  She's been acting strange ever since her visit to the ladies in 'Papa Joe's'. She excused herself and never came back. We found her twenty minutes later dancing on the pool table with a cowboy named Dan."

Mulder gaped. "She does that often?"

"Of course not. Honestly, I've never seen her so wild. On the way home, she suggested that I drop her off at your place, saying that it was about time that she, and I quote, "Tear his clothes off and have my way with him", unquote. It was then that I knew something was wrong so I refused. But she threw her house keys out the window on the freeway. And I had two others with me whom threatened to throw up in my car any second so I had to bring her to you. She was most cooperative in providing directions to your place."

If Mulder heard the last few sentences, it was pure luck. His whole brain numbed right after digesting Scully's quote.

"Mulder?"

Mulder recovered. "Ye…ah. So she got this way right after she left the table for the Ladies?"

"That's right."

"Maybe she'll be fine tomorrow."

"I hope so. Question is, will you be fine tomorrow? I mean, from what I heard just now, I wonder if you could hold up till then." She inquired with mock innocence.

Her tone of voice suggested that the last sentence held a double meaning. And he secretly wondered the same. This particular redhead was a firecracker in more ways than one. He wondered if Scully was generally fantastic in everything that she did.

"Mulder?" Ellen had to catch his attention for the second time.

And Mulder shook his head in disgust. Scully was his partner and his best friend. How could he even think about stuff like that? It's probably considered incestuous in public opinion. "Thanks Ellen. Don't worry, I'll just put her to bed and make her sleep it off."

"Okay" Ellen said with a sigh, clearly disappointed that Mulder hadn't caught her inappropriate innuendo. "Bye."

Feeling uncomfortably hot the whole evening, Scully was glad that she was in the privacy of Mulder's home. She removed her skirt and was in process of unbuttoning her blouse when Mulder turned around.

"Scul….." He froze.

She was down to her fourth button when she looked up and noticed Mulder staring at her in shock. She smiled and deliberately left the button alone. "It's terribly hot tonight, isn't it?"

Mulder didn't reply, or rather couldn't. Scully could see that he was barely even breathing. He was more focused on her perfect curves, peeking through the half-unbuttoned blouse in the most maddening manner possible. She slowly walked towards him. "Mulder, aren't you hot?"

''Hot' doesn't even come close.' Mulder answered silently as his body reacted to her like a thirteen-year-old looking at his first playboy centerfold.

She closed in on him and rested her hands on his chest, causing his stomach to lurch wildly. Then she gently fingered the buttons of his shirt and Mulder bit his lip in panic. She grinned. How she loved him and his oral fixation. She leaned closer, just an inch away from his beautiful mouth and whispered. "I want you. Mulder."

'Oh God!' Mulder stepped back as if he had been shot. He was very close to embarrassing himself in front of her. She took a step closer but he retreated again. "Scully, you're not yourself." He croaked in a strangled voice.

"What do you mean? Haven't you always wanted this? I think it's time."

Mulder frowned in confusion. It sounded so logical, almost like the Scully that he knew and yet it wasn't her. Scully wasn't this impulsive. Not when it came to the act that would probably destroy the whole balance of their relationship. The final barrier in between that separated them from being partners and lovers. Although after six years, it was almost an invisible one.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down. 'He could handle this.' He assured himself, several times before he moved to her. "Scully, I don't know what's going but you need sleep. Lots of sleep." He began to button her up, taking care not to touch her skin lest his fingers forget their mission and wander about.

Totally concentrating on his quest, he didn't realize that Scully had started on another. She began unbuttoning him, his shirt that is.

"There." He said when he finished but stiffened when he felt her fingers slowly caress his bare chest. He looked down in amazement at his unbuttoned shirt.

While his head moved back up to face her, she took the opportunity of the lowered height to brush her lips against his. He stopped and stared, forgetting he wasn't supposed to get sidetracked into wanting her.

She took his hesitation as approval and kissed him thoroughly, smoothing her lips back and forth over his until he opened for her.

Lost in the pleasure of the kiss and the erotic feeling of her breasts lightly pressed against him, he gave up the fight with his conscience. His hands slid over her shoulders and back while his tongue slowly explored her mouth. She continued to touch him, lingering intently on one of his nipples, tracing little circles around it, much to his delight.

Soon, he lost his head.  Rashly, he backed her against the wall and pressed himself against her. Their kiss deepened. His left hand gradually sort a lower destination and soon reminded him that she had already removed her skirt. The thought made him shudder with need.

She felt him shake. She broke the kiss and asked him. "Mulder, are you all right?"

He wanted to laugh at the question. No, he wasn't all right. He was crazy with desire. All he wanted to do right now was to thrust himself in her and make her his. He closed his eyes, struggling for control. It was too soon for her.

"Mulder?" She softly called him again.

He opened his eyes and looked into hers, wide-eyed and trusting. 'Trusting…….' The thought made him frown. What was he thinking? How could he allow this to happen? And he cursed himself for allowing his lust for her overcome his senses. He looked about the room wildly. He needed to ground himself. He needed a distraction.

"Mulder?" She called to him softly. He then realized needed to distract her from coming on to him too.

The phone, he stared. Who could he call? Ellen? No, she's too busy with Scully's other friends. Skinner? No way, one look at Mulder's pants and he'll probably transfer his ass to Seattle for inappropriate conduct with a colleague. The Gunmen? Mulder turned her back against his confused partner and headed towards the phone. He shook his head as he started dialing the Gunmen's number. He needed to make new friends.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"No fair, Mulder." Scully pouted. "You keep asking sports trivia."

Mulder grinned. Distracting Scully was easier than he thought. "A question is a question, Scully. You still got it wrong. Put on the sweater."

Scully muttered a curse under her breath and put on Mulder's green sweater. She looked ridiculous with her blouse, two sweatshirts, three shirts, two boxer shorts, one sweat pants and a sweater on. But it worked; Mulder certainly felt a lot in control.

"Next question….."

Scully interrupted him. "Mulder, why is it you keep asking me questions and I don't get to ask you any."

"I already told you, Scully. You play today and it's my turn tomorrow."

She sighed but brightened as a thought struck her. "Tomorrow, can we change the rules to stripping instead?"

Mulder groaned as his autonomy perked up. 'Where the hell are the Gunmen?' He wondered. If they didn't get here soon, he might run out of ideas and Scully would indeed have his way with him. And he doubted he'd do anything to stop her.

He was about to continue the game when there was a knock on the door. He sighed in relief. She too jumped up in excitement, bored of the game that she kept losing.

Wanting to warn the Gunmen of Scully condition in advance, he firmly told her to stay in the living room. She scowled at him but he insisted until she complied.

"Mulder, what's up?" Langly asked when he opened the door.

He hesitated, wondering how much he should tell about Scully's condition. "Scully's been drugged."

The trio looked at one another in surprise. Byers inquired gently. "Is she hurt?"

"No, just not herself." He paused. "She's different. More …..affectionate."

"Affectionate?" Langly repeated slowly. "What exactly do you mean?"

Mulder ran his hand through his hair in frustration. How on earth could he explain this to the Gunmen without betraying his partner? Scully would kill him if they knew what she tried to do with him. "Oh stuff it. Come and see for yourself." He muttered and led them in.

The four of them stepped into the living room and stopped dead in their tracks. Agent Scully was in the middle of removing the last sweatshirt over her head, hiking up her blouse and thus revealing way too much skin and her generous cleavage.

'Now how the hell did she manage to remove so many clothes in such a short time?' Mulder wondered as he rushed to her side, pulling her blouse down. Thankfully, she seemed too sleepy to notice the other men in the room. Smiling at her, he told her that it was time for bed. She looked at him and whined. "But Mulder, it's still early."

He glanced at his friends. From their faces, he was certain that the trio had a good idea what he had meant by now. Whining was not something that Scully would do, much less undress in public.

"If you don't to bed now, we won't play tomorrow." He warned.

She sighed and gave in. "Okay. G'nite, Mulder."

"Good night, Scully." He couldn't help himself and leaned over to kiss her on her forehead. Then, he turned her around and guided her towards his bedroom. Shutting the door behind her, he turned to the three staring men.

"You see what I'm up against?" Mulder asked them.

"I wouldn't mind being up against **that** any day." Frohike remarked.

"What was **that** anyway?" Langly asked.

"**That** was the enigmatic Agent Scully."

"No way."

"I think she's been drugged."

Frohike added. "Yeah, like the last time in LA." The others suddenly fixed their looks on him. "What?"

Byers nodded his head at Mulder. "Check her for a tiny needle puncture mark. And we need a blood sample."

"I'll get it." And he moved towards the bedroom door. "Whatever it is, Scully is definitely not the Scully we know. We gotta find a cure."

"We'll do our best, Mr. G." Langly then grinned. "Or maybe you'd like us to take our time on it?" He leered.

Mulder caught his meaning and shook his head vehemently. "No, find something fast."

The trio looked at each other knowingly and laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Scully woke up with a splitting headache. She groaned and snuggled deeper into the pillow, willing the sleep to take her away into dreamland again. But it was of no use. Her mind was insistent that she had enough sleep and refused to let her doze. So she opened her eyes.

She almost jumped out of the sheets in surprise. She was in Mulder's room. And the only thing she had on was her blouse and her underwear. Looking around her, she noticed that the rest of her clothes were on the floor, marking a trail from the door to the bed.

'What happened?' She willed her brain to think but all she could remember was drinking a glass of vodka and telling Ellen a bad joke, concerning men and their feet. How on earth did she eventually wind up in Mulder's place?

As her senses came back to her, she heard the shower running. 'Mulder.' She decided when that someone started whistling the theme from the Twilight Zone. She frowned as her mind tried to fit the pieces together.

‘Papa Joe’s. Drinking Vodka. Waking with a bad headache. Naked in Mulder's bed. Mulder in the shower….. Oh my God!' She stopped breathing as the pieces rapidly made sense.

'How could this happen?' Scully shook her head, her anxiety slowly evolving into pure fear. They have been partners for six years now. And somehow they have always managed to control the primitive urges that haunt them occasionally. What was different last night? Because she was drunk?

The dull throbbing in her head began to pound and she squeezed her eyes shut. If only she could remember what happened last night that led to this, maybe she would be able to handle it. But there's just a blank. The only conclusion she could come up with, in the light of the evidences around her was that she was drunk and Mulder took full advantage of it.

She seethed in anger. 'How could he? How dared he?' After all these years, she willingly faced whatever trials their partnership brought them. Despite that, she never expected anything from him. She knew that they’ve both saved each other’s asses enough and were probably even.

But there was one thing trusted him to do, to respect her. He may put her down as many times as he liked when she questioned his theories. But ultimately Scully knew that he was challenging her, not disregarding her.

But this time, he blew it.

Slowly, she picked herself up, retrieved her clothes from the floor and put them on. Then, she heard Mulder turn off the water and she panicked, not knowing how to face him calmly. She wondered what would he say when he saw her.

'Hey Scully, last night was great. Can we do it again sometime?'

Or 'Good morning. Was it good for you like it was good for me?'

Or 'Scully, get changed. We're going to be late for work.'

She grimaced at the prospect of acting collected and concealing her turbulent emotions. A habit that even after six years still remains. She shook her head. She wouldn’t be able to do it. Not this time.

Grabbing her coat on her way out, she left his apartment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He heard the door slam shut. Mulder frowned. 'Scully's awake?' He hurriedly wrapped the towel around the lower half of his body and jumped out of the shower.

The bedroom was empty and his heart sank. He ran through the rest of the rooms. She was really gone. And if Scully was still the Scully yesterday, that could only mean trouble. He glanced out the window and his face brightened. His partner was at the curb, hailing a cab. So Mulder ran out of his apartment after her in nothing else but a towel.

He caught the cab door just as it was about to close. "Scully, wait!"

"Mulder, let go of the door." She growled without looking at him.

Half-relieved that she was herself again and half-confused why she left without a word, he firmly told her, "No, you're in no condition to go anywhere. At least you weren't last night."

"And you took full advantage of it." She accused him fiercely.

"I ….. what?" Realization dawned on him. 'She thought I slept with her.' "**I** had to fight you off. You were the one throwing yourself at me."

"Oh come on, Mulder. No matter how drunk I was, I doubt I was that desperate."

"You wanna bet on that?"

She glared at him. Without warning, she slammed the door shut with all her might, just barely missing his fingers that were in the way.

"Downtown." She told the cab driver.

Mulder rapped his knuckles against the glass and shouted at her through the pane. "You weren't drunk, Scully. You were drugged."

She glanced at him and stopped the driver. "Wait."

The cab driver groaned. "Come on, lady. I don't have all day."

She wound the glass down. "Drugged?"

"Yeah. The Gunmen took your blood sample to check it out."

She hesitated. "I woke up in your bed without my clothes on."

He shook his head and sighed. "I slept on the couch the whole night. You probably took your own clothes off. You were complaining you were hot. A lot."

She frowned. 'We didn't sleep together.' The panic was slowly subsiding. 

He mistook her silence and snapped at her. "If you don't trust me, the Gunmen were there."

She almost rolled her eyes. It would just like Mulder to make it about him. She mumbled an apology to the bewildered driver. "Lady, you actually believed that?"

"Hey, take a hike." Mulder growled at him. Scully got out of the cab and it drove off. The duo walked silently back into the building.

They stepped into the elevator. An elderly couple held it open for them. Both were staring at Mulder's indecency with curiosity. And it didn't help that Scully's clothes looked ruffled. The older man whispered something to his wife and she clucked her tongue in disgust.

Scully felt embarrassed. They were after all Mulder's neighbors and she spent a lot of time in the vicinity herself. She whispered to him. "You could have at least put a shirt on before you left the apartment."

Mulder flippantly replied. "Are you kidding? I was too concerned chasing after a wanton, sex-crazed woman, worried that she might rape the next guy she meets."

'That certainly blew up in her face.' Scully grimaced and shot back. "When I already had a perfect wet guy in the shower? Mulder, you know me better than to waste time."

The elevator bell tinkled as it stopped at the elder couple's floor. They walked out shaking their heads and muttering something about young people these days. The doors closed behind them.

A few seconds later, a grinned escaped Mulder. Scully caught it and soon they both doubled up in laughter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 

They were still laughing when they reached his door. "Hurry up and change Mulder, you need to drop me off at my place to get changed too."

"Give me 5 minutes."

She called out to him from his living room. "Mulder, you mentioned that I was acting uncharacteristically last night?"

"That would be putting it mildly."

"Yeah right, like I would believe that I came on to you."

"Repeatedly."

"No way."

"Really Scully, You were all over me. It took every bit of my will power to resist you. Come to think of it, I was a saint."

"Or a monk."

"A saint." He came out fully dressed. "Let's go."

"Wait a minute. You said the Gunmen were here. I didn't do anything stupid while they were around, did I?"

Mulder was just about to pick up his keys when her question froze him. He debated with himself for two seconds and decided to stick to his original resolve. Dramatically, he slapped his hand against his chest. "I'm hurt. I would never let you make a fool of yourself in front of them. I reserve that pleasure all to myself."

She raised an eyebrow. "My, how noble." She followed him to the door when a knock stopped them.

"Hey Romeo, open up."

"Frohike." Mulder grinned at his partner as though it was proof enough of what happened the night before. She gave him a fake smile in return as he opened the door.

At the sight of her, the trio stopped in their tracks and stared.

"Agent Scully." Byers greeted her.

"Agent Scully." Langly resounded.

And finally Frohike. "Agent Scully."

She stared back at them in surprise before glaring at Mulder. "You didn't let me do anything stupid, huh?"

"Scully, nothing happened." He turned and gave the Gunmen a fierce glare. "Right guys?"

They replied. "No, nothing at all." Too quickly.

Scully sighed. Whatever it was al least they knew it was under the influenced of drugs. Or at least that was the theory. "What did you find in my blood?"

Whipping a file out of his jacket, Langly went to work. "Only one thing could have made gone that ga-ga. The very same brainwashing compound that I too am personally not too trilled about, a derivative of the E-H gas. The same drug that Byers' chick was playing around with."

"She's not my chick." He protested. "And will you stop calling her a chick?"

Mulder groaned. "Ladies, ladies. Back to the story please."

Byers took over. "It's a mind altering drug. Agent Scully knows all about it. But I'm still unclear on how they use it to control her. I mean, Scully going wild is hardly an ideal state for her to assassinate anyone or sneak documents out of the FBI."

Langly added. "When I was a cruel victim of the drug, I obediently went about my business without a whine. So how come it drives Agent Scully hot but just makes me a worker ant."

Scully was clearly disturbed with the whole conversation at this point because she raised her hand to stop the flow. "Mulder, if you don't tell what I did last night that constituted ga-ga, wild and hot, I'm gonna make your day miserable. You know I'm capable of doing that."

'Too capable.' Mulder grimaced inside.

"And if Frohike stares at my breast two seconds longer, it's not gonna be a pleasant sight."

"Frohike!" Mulder kicked him hard.

"Ouch! Okay, okay. The spell's broken."

Byers tried to distract Scully back to the theory. "Let's assume that they still had what little that was left behind from what Grant Ellis gave them. And they used it on you. Why?"

"As you said, they need something from the FBI and Scully has access."

"So do 300 other agents. Again, why pick Scully?"

"Maybe she's the only FED getting a life on a Wednesday night," suggested Frohike.

She ignored him. "I thought I needed an antidote to extinguish the effects."

"That's what we thought too. Unless, this isn't the same drug that we dealt with. Maybe they came up with a similar form with slightly different characteristics."

"Too many maybes." Mulder shook his head. "Look guys, why don't we take a little time to check this out? Meanwhile, Scully and I have a paycheck to maintain. Call us if you find anything."

The trio agreed and filed out the door. Byers quietly gave Mulder a little advice on his way out. "Keep an eye on her Mulder. The effects might not be completely gone."

Behind him, Scully frowned. She wondered if he were right.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The morning passed easily enough. Mulder did have his eye on Scully and it wasn't only because of Byers' advice. The kisses they shared were still fresh in his mind. And with a little help from his imagination, their passion knew no bounds. Fortunately Scully was too engrossed with her report to notice his frequent out-of -body experience. He was watching her when she suddenly looked up. 'Opps, busted…" Mulder ducked behind his computer monitor, out of her view.

Scully frowned. The Gunmen weren't the only ones acting strange this morning. She wondered how much of last night affected Mulder. Most importantly, did he tell her all or was there more? She got up and slowly walked towards her partner's table.

"What?" Mulder asked when she leaned against his desk and stared at him.

"I caught you, five times."

His face showed pure innocence. "Caught me doing what?"

She smiled lazily. "That's what I'd like to know."

Now he was nervous. She was teasing him and it reminded him of last night. 'Play it cool,' he told himself. "I'm just glad you're back to normal."

"Oh. That's all?"

"Yes, that's all." He smiled at her sweetly, hoping that she would let it go. But the look on her face told him otherwise.

"Mulder, you said I came on to you. How far did I manage to go?"

He grimaced. He was right. "Not far."

"Did I kiss you?" She was surprised that she could be so calm. Hours before, the thought of the both of them sleeping together drove her deranged.

"Yes."

"Did you kiss me back?"

Mulder drew in a deep breath and diverted her. "You absolutely don't remember a thing, do you?"

She nearly rolled her eyes at his attempt to maneuver himself out of answering her question. But before she could say anything, he stood up and leisurely took three long strides into her 'area' of the basement. She continued to watch him curiously, raising an eyebrow when he picked up her glasses that were on her table.

"Yes, I was watching you.” He admitted. “I couldn't help it. You're sitting there, peering hard at your computer screen……." His voice trailed off wistfully as he bent the frame tips open and gently fingered its golden rim. He noticed that the simple act seemed to disconcert her. He smiled. "What's your power like Scully?"

She gave him a suspicious look, wondering where he was going with this. "One seventy five on the left and hundred on the right. Why?"

"Any chance you'll have to wear this all the time?"

"I hope not. Do you want to wear **your** glasses all the time?"

"I don't look good in them."

'God if he only knew….' Scully almost blurted protest. Instead she asked, "And I do?"

He smiled and walked towards his partner. "Well, I like watching you when you have these perched on your cute, little nose." And he tapped her gently on her nose with it.

If Scully was surprised before, she was astonished now. Trying to regain her composure, she grabbed the set of rims away from him and retreated back to her corner. He almost sighed in relief. That should keep her from asking questions for a while.

"I'm meeting Mom for lunch." She muttered without looking at him.

"Okay, take your time." He casually replied.

On her way out, Scully caught his smug smile. It was only then that she recalled he still hadn't answered her question. 'Damn, the man's good.' But what did she expect from a psychologist? "Mulder?"

"Yeah?" He looked up.

"I'm on to you." She gave him a look and disappeared behind the door.

Mulder had to laugh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
 

Scully strode down the FBI corridors ignoring the people around her. She was too busy thinking about the bizarre morning she had. Firstly, waking up in Mulder's bed.

She hadn't time to think about her reaction this morning. She acted on pure terror and impulse. 'Why?' She asked herself. She had feelings for Mulder. That she knew to be a fact. So why did she panic?

Then the strip-show for the Gunmen. Mulder confessed the truth in the car. But she forgave him when he told her that he wrapped her up quickly and sent her to bed before she could provide them with any more exposure.

The thing that bugged her the most was kissing him. She wondered what was his reaction. She could bet her life that he did respond to her. Well, at least until reality struck and he started thinking with his brains again.

Mulder may be the shrink but Scully knew him too well for too long. He was attracted to her. He made that clear every single day. With each passing innuendo that he made, she got more adept at ignoring his come-ons. However, today's pass unnerved her. Maybe it had something to do with the spectacles.

One of Scully favorite fantasies was with Mulder in glasses, and nothing else. So when he actually acknowledged that he too like her with hers on, her knees nearly gave way. It was weird, people usually associated glasses in their age as a sure sign of aging. Whereas for Mulder and her, it was a major turn on.
 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mulder looked about for the mother and daughter. He knew that they usually had lunch a few blocks away from the FBI building. Byers had checked in with him half an hour ago. And he chided him for allowing Agent Scully to go off alone. So Mulder grudgingly came to check on her. He soon caught sight of them two tables away. He watched them for a few seconds and turned to leave after he was satisfied that Scully was still normal.

At the sidewalk, he was waiting for a chance to cross the busy street when Maggie called out to him. "Fox?"

They were just coming out of the restaurant when Maggie thought she saw someone familiar. And she was right. Maggie smiled at her daughter's partner and gave him a warm hug.

"Hi, Mrs. Scully."

"Just when will you call me Maggie, Fox?"

He smiled shyly and glanced past her at Scully. "My …," He hesitated when she winked at him, "……mother taught me manners, ma’am."

"I just wish you would stop being so formal around me."

"Yeah Mulder, stop being so formal." Scully whined. He found her beside him, holding his hand firmly in hers and gazing adoringly into his eyes.

'Oh-oh.' Mulder grimaced. Something told him that the drug had kicked in.

Maggie looked at her daughter in surprise. Her daughter rarely showed so much affection for her partner in front of her. And from the look upon Mulder's face, she doubted Mulder had this pleasure in her absence either. "Dana, are you all right?"

Scully smiled at her mother sweetly and answered. "Of course, I'm all right. Mulder takes good care of me."

"Erm… Scully…." Mulder tried to stop her from talking but she leaned closer to her mom as if revealing a conspiracy theory.

"In fact, I think I'll marry him." She whispered but not too soft for Mulder not to hear her.

Maggie gasped in response. And Mulder quickly excused themselves with a fake laugh. "Heh heh heh. Isn't she a riot, Mrs. Mulder? But look at the time, we have to get back to work. Don't we, Scully?"

"Bu.."

"Oh yes we do." He gave her no chance to worsen the situation. "Mrs. Scully, see you next week. Bye."

He grabbed his partner's hand and literally dragged her across the street. Maggie, still in shock, watched them go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were standing outside the entrance, far enough from the flow of agents that walked in and out of the building. Mulder spoke to her slowly as if she were a child. "Okay, what's the plan again?"

Scully pouted. She obviously didn't think much of the plan. "I don't say a word until we reach the office."

"That's right. And I'll reward you with a kiss."

She shook her head defiantly.

He rolled his eyes. "But you agreed."

"Two kisses." She bargained.

Mulder eyes widened. He can't believe she raised the deal as if it would be any sacrifice on his part. "Fine. Two kisses. No more." He agreed, secretly hoping that she would change her mind and ask for more.

"No less." She gave him a nod. And headed towards the doorway. Mulder took a deep breath and hoped that this Dana Scully kept her promises.

They made through security without any trouble. Although Mulder noticed that his partner had a frown that could permanently stick if she held it there long enough. Then, she glanced at him from time to time. He recognized that something was troubling her and she was bursting to tell or ask him about it.

'Hang in there. Just a little longer.' He cheered her on silently and gently guided her into the elevator. It was full of agents, back from their lunch hour.

He was just beginning to relax with she tugged his sleeve. 'On no.' He shook his head at her. She pouted. And half the eyebrows in the elevator rose. Special Agent Dana Scully never pouts.

"Mulder?" Scully broke her silence.

"Not here." Mulder firmly told her.

"But it's important…." She whined. And the remaining eyebrows rose.

He hissed at her. "We had a deal, Scully."

She hesitated and Mulder nearly thought she was going to give in. 'Wrong.' He groaned when she tip-toed and whispered in his ear. "Fine. I'll sacrifice one kiss. But I need to tell you something **now**."

At least seven people, Mulder noticed, caught the word **kiss** because their mouth rounded to form the letter 'O'. And Mulder gave up. The situation was hopeless. Scully was intent on ruining their impeccable non-sexual reputation no matter how hard he tried to prevent it. He sighed. Maybe what she wanted to tell wasn't so bad after all. It could be just an innocent remark.

"What is it, Scully?"

She smiled at him brightly for allowing her to speak. "When I saw Agent Trovolsky at the entrance…. you know the one wearing the black bra and that horrible see-through…."

He interrupted her. "Scully, the point please?"

"Right, she reminded me of something. I think I left something in your apartment last night. I remembered just after you tucked me in your bed but I forgot in the morn….."

The elevator stopped at the 2nd floor with a loud 'bing'. Mulder grabbed his partner's hand and hauled her out of the stunned cubicle. When the doors closed behind them, and Mulder glared at her.

"What?" She innocently asked.

"No kisses for you."

"But Mulder……" She whined and almost ran to keep up with his long strides towards the stairwell.

"I don't care, Scully. You broke the deal."

"I hate you." She sulked.

He held the door for her. "Will you hurry up before we bump into someone else?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Somehow they made it to the basement without seeing anyone. He finally relaxed and she huffed to her chair. He watched her move her stuff around noisily for a while before he gave in to an impulse.

"Scully?" He went over her side.

"What?"

She was taken by surprise as he swooped down to kiss her hard on her mouth. When they parted, she looked a little dazed. He whispered, "I'll be right back. Promise me you won't go anywhere."

She nodded meekly and smiled at him. He almost melted but firmly turned for the door. 'Now why did you go do that for?' Mulder asked himself although he knew very well why. It wasn't often that his partner sulked and it turned him on big time. Now, he just needed some time away from her to cool down.

"Agent Mulder!"

The latter jumped at the sound of his superior's voice.  "Sir."

Skinner glanced past him down the basement corridor. "Scully in?"

"No," he lied. "She's in the lab."

He nodded. "Just what the hell is going on?"

"Sir?"

"Assistant Director Fuller was in the elevator back from his lunch when he overheard you two."

'Oh-oh.' Mulder's mind raced for an explanation.

"Agent Mulder, I don't relish being humiliated in front of my peers. I've never compromised on my staff's discipline and I certainly am not going to start now. I don't care how well you and Agent Scully hold the record of cases solved. If the both you are fraternizing against FBI protocol, I'll have the both of you stuck in separate basements with 500 miles in between. Do you understand what I'm saying, Agent Mulder?"

"Sir, there's truly nothing going on between us." He licked his lips. 'Now, would be a good time to come up with something, Mulder.' He told himself.

"A.D. Fuller begs to differ."

Mulder blinked at his boss as a miraculous solution appeared in his head. "Sir, A.D. Fuller and the rest of the agents were unknowingly subjected to an experiment." He grimaced, waiting for a reaction.

Skinner frowned. It was a good sign so Mulder continued to weave the tale. "Scully's conducting this psychological experiment. It involves watching the reaction of by-standers in cases of unusual circumstances."

"Like you and Scully sleeping together?" He asked skeptically.

"Yes. She blurts something to surprise everybody, notes their expressions and writes a hypothesis on it. You know how scientists are. They run experiments on anything."

"Mulder. Scully's a medical doctor. If anyone would run a psychological experiment, it would be you. And how come I wasn't informed about this?"

"Actually…," he paused, willing his brain to think fast, "……it's not really her experiment. She helping out her friend."

Skinner studied him carefully. He honestly couldn't tell whether Mulder was lying or not. The explanation was a little far-fetched but quite plausible. He wondered if he should look into it or trust his subordinate.

"Sir, if we were really involved. It just wouldn't be like Scully to do a stupid thing like letting the cat out of the bag in an elevator, would it?"

Skinner frowned. 'No it wouldn't.' He thought to himself. But he had to say something to Fuller. "Mulder, I want a report."

"But sir, it's not her experiment."

"I don't care. If Fuller is going to bring this up in our next Directors meeting. I want my ass covered. The next meet is scheduled for the 15th. I expect it by then." He glared at him a little longer and walked off.

Mulder ran his hand through his hair, wondering if things could get any worse.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Scully woke up to find herself in the office. She whirled around. "Mulder?"

He looked up from his file, habitually taking his off his glasses before facing her. "You're finally awake." He glanced at his watch." Scully, you certainly have impeccable timing. It's time to go home." He grinned and started clearing his desk.

"It happened again, didn't it?" She almost jumped out of her seat in agitation. "All I can remember is having lunch with mom."

 "And we can conclude that sleep wears off the effect temporarily."

"Oh my God! Did I say anything stupid in front of Mom?"

Mulder winced. "Well, I believe you told her that you were going to marry me some day."

"I didn't." She denied.

"One minute you were plain old Scully and the next, you were Super Slut Scully."

"Why didn't you stop me?" She demanded to know.

Mulder groaned. He was getting awfully tired of getting blame for anything that she unconsciously did.

"Because it was last sentence I'd ever imagined you'd say."

She glared at him. "All you had to do was shut me up and get me out of there. How difficult can that be?"

Now, he was angry. Ignoring her, he grabbed his coat and walked out of the room. She rolled her eyes and followed him.

They walked by the corridors in silence. Scully soon realized that everyone was looking at her and smiling. It wasn't a nice, polite smile. It was as if her ears had grown bigger or something. "Mulder, am I drooling?"

Surprised at her question, he answered her. "No." Then he caught the other agents' looks and he understood why. There was probably a new betting pool on what-Scullyleft-behind-in-Mulder-apartment by now.

"Am I foaming in the mouth?"

"No."

"Then why is everyone looking at me like that?"

"Maybe they like you, Scully."

She almost wanted to slug him there and then but held her temper until they were alone.
 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Just what did I do?" She hissed at him when they finally reached the car.

Mulder was still in a crappy mood so he lied. "You kissed Skinner."

"No, I didn't!" She gasped.

"You're right. I lied." He unlocked the doors.

"Mulder!"

"Look whatever I tell you, you're not gonna believe me anyway. So just forget about it, okay?" He ducked into the car and slammed the door shut.

'He was angry.' She sighed. Maybe she **was** too harsh on him. After all, it wasn't his fault she was in this nightmare. She got into the car and waited for him to cool down.

Ten minutes later, she tried to make peace. "Rough day, huh?"

He snorted. "Well, keeping up with you is no picnic." His voice showed more contempt than she would have usually tolerated.

She reminded him. "Mulder, it's **not ** like I wanted to get brain-washed either."

"I know. But you're not the only one, frustrated. You think I don't want to get you back to normal?"

She smiled to herself, hearing that his tone had softened. She teased, "I don't know Mulder. You seemed rather pleasantly preoccupied this morning. I believe it had something to do with me coming on to you last night?"

He looked at her in surprise, caught her smile and grinned. "Well, maybe there were some moments to remember. **But**, I wouldn't have you any other way than what you really are, Scully."

She raised an eyebrow at his unexpected sweetness. "Mulder, you sound like a Hallmark Card."

He announced. "We're here." They had stopped in front of a diner 4 blocks away from the center of town. Before she could ask, he told her. "I called the boys while you were asleep. Byers is already out looking for Susanne Modenski. We're meeting the others for dinner."

"Oh joy." She muttered to herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 

Frohike was giving Scully a strange look as she sat down. She smiled sweetly and said to him. "Sorry, already had my nap." The disappointment on his face was obvious and Mulder had to smile. Scully seemed to be lightening up about her condition.

"So, what do we have boys?"

"An X-file." Langly shook his head. "I can't make head or tail of it."

"One thing's for sure the drug doesn't wear off. We need Susanne."

"But how come Agent Scully goes in and out of trance like that?"

Mulder shrugged. "It could be like hypnosis. Maybe there's a trigger. A sight, a sound, a word…." He trailed off.

"That makes sense."

Scully was getting tired of being referred to as a third party even though she was in their midst. "But what's the trigger that sets me off, that's what I'd like to know?"

"Me too." Frohike piped in, only to receive glares from all three of them. "Kidding,"

"Anyway Byers called to say he's found her. They're sneaking into a government lab facility tonight to formulate the antidote. Then they'll meet up with us in a motel 3 miles off the north-south highway, exit no. 10." Langly unfolded the map and pointed to the location. Mulder nodded noting the name of the town.

"What time?" She asked.

"7 a.m." Frohike answered. "You might be late for work. But we're taking no chances. Susanne Modenski out in the open is not a good option, especially since she's technically dead. We're shipping her off as soon as she administers the anti-drug."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan."

"And we do it all you for you, Scully." Mulder grinned at her and signaled the waitress for a menu. "All for you."
 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Your place, again?"

"Can't leave you out of my sight. You know that."

She sighed. He glanced at her and frowned as she wistfully looked out the window. Did she really hate spending the night with him so much? "At least you get the bed."

"Oh come one Mulder, you hardly sleep there yourself."

"How do you know?"

"I'm right, aren't I?" She knew because the sheets were fresh. No Mulder scent. She was surprised her brain noted that fact in the event of the confusion.

"Yeah, guess I'm too used to my couch."

"And mine." She added, reminding him that he stayed over at her place almost every other night.

"Gotta start using the bed." He muttered under his breath.

And Scully wondered. 'His or mine?'

They pulled over at the curb next to Mulder's building. And silently made their way up to his apartment. Scully disappeared into his bedroom to change while he poured himself a glass of water.

"Mulder? Where's my set of clothes?" She called out from his room.

He had forgotten to tell her. "It's in the laundry bag. You used it last night. Use any of my clothes." He grinned at the thought. "They'll definitely fit."

"Mulder, your clothes could fit two of me."

Twenty minutes later, his partner stepped out with an oversized Nicks Jersey and a gigantic pair of shorts. He bit his lip to keep himself from laughing. She saw the reaction, grabbed a pillow from the couch and threw it at him.

The pillow smoldered his laughter to some extent but he was still chuckling when they both sat down on his couch. Scully drew her legs up against her and hugged them. Mulder stretched out his legs onto the coffee table and leaned back to ease the stiffness in his shoulders. She couldn't think of anything to say so she didn't, hoping that he would. He didn't either.

The silence soon grew uncomfortable. She looked at him. Mulder seemed to be mesmerized by her toes. She unconsciously wriggled them gently, causing him to look up into his eyes. They held the gaze for a few minutes before she forced herself to get up.

"It's late. Good night, Mulder." She wished him, her voice a little rough.

He gruffly wished her the same and watched her scurry away to safety. One second longer and he would have kissed her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He was just about to fall asleep when the ringing of the cell-phone startled him. "Makes sense." He muttered, cursing the caller that had no respect for insomniacs. It wasn't his, it was Scully's. He pressed the 'Yes' button and held it to his ear.

A low male voice said. "Fox. Listen carefully at my instructions….."

Surprised that someone called him from her phone, he interrupted. "Who's this?"

The line went dead. He frowned. 'That was weird.' He tried to recognize the voice but it just didn't sound familiar.

A thought suddenly struck him. Quietly, he went into his bedroom. Scully was sleeping soundly. He placed her phone on the nightstand beside the bed and returned the living room.

Her phone rang two hours later. Mulder checked his watch. It was 4.30am. Half a minute later, he heard the bedroom door open. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. He could sense Scully hovering over him, checking if he really was asleep. Then, he heard the front door open and close. He got up, grabbed his coat and followed her.

Standing in the shadows of the building entrance, he watched his partner walk up to the telephone booth across the road. She slipped a coin into the slot and dialed. Suddenly, he knew why 'they' had picked Scully.

Keeping his eyes on her, he pulled out his cell-phone and called Byers.

"Mulder? What's wrong?"

"How's it going?" Mulder softly asked him.

"We just finished. We're heading to the motel now."

"I wouldn't if I were you."

"Why not?"

"I just figured out why Scully was shot up with the E-H. She was there with you guys in LA. She was also the doctor that last saw her. And I think that they know that Susanne is alive."

Byers finished for him. "They're trying to get to her by drawing her out into the open"

"That's right. And Scully's ratting on us as we speak."

"Mulder, I'm dropping the serum off with Frohike and Langly. Don't worry, I'll leave you clear instructions on what to do. But I don't think Susanne should stick around anymore."

"I agree. Watch your back, Byers."

Mulder hung up and silently went back to his apartment, settling back on his couch. Minutes later, he heard Scully enter. He closed his eyes. She moved about in the living room for a little longer and then went back into the bedroom. Mulder had a feeling she wouldn't remember any of this when she woke in the morning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Morning." He called out to her when she emerged.

"Hmmmm." She replied while jerking her head in an attempt to loosen all the cricks. "Why do I feel as if I didn't sleep at all?"

He smiled and went back to his cup of coffee. She poured herself one in the kitchen and sat down with him on the couch. He looked a little scruffy although he clearly had already taken a bath. "Didn't you sleep, Mulder?"

"Not much," he admitted and set his cup down. "Scully, there's something you should know."

"What?" She was slightly surprised at his seriousness.

"Last night, you got a call. And you went out and made a phone call from the pay-phone across the road." She gaped slightly and shook her head to indicate that she couldn't recall the action. Mulder continued. "I checked where you called. It was an abandoned warehouse two hours from town. I think…..," he paused, giving her time to digest his words, "…that someone knows that Susanne Modenski isn't dead. And he's using you and find her."

"I revealed her location?"

"I assumed you did. However, I called Byers and he's taken the precautionary steps to ensure that Susanne is safe."

She sighed in relief. "So they didn't get her."

"No. I know that it's scary what this drug does. But Susanne confirmed that she's the only that knows how to manufacture the drug. What they gave you are just leftovers."

"Until someone else figures it out." She added sadly.

He tried to shake her out of the melancholy state. "Come one Scully. It's a Friday and we still have to get to work."

She blinked as reality sunk in. Sighing, she rose to her feet. "When will I be able to get my body back?"

He told her softly. "They're just lying low at the moment but Byers will pass the antidote to the others as soon as possible."

"Meanwhile I just wait to get 'triggered' again?"

He comforted her. "At least now we know what the trigger is."

"Mulder, you figured it out?" Her eyes widened in hope.

He grinned at the sudden radiance on her face. "Yeah and believe or not, Scully. It's my first name."

She stood transfixed. "The trigger is F…?"

He quickly intercepted her. "Don't say it! I don't relish the idea of trailing you around all day to keep you out of trouble again."

"But how come I don’t turn into a snitch all the time, instead an airhead?"

"Susanne mentioned that they performed voice recognition tests with the gas as well."

“I see. So basically, I was brainwashed and prompted to wait for a trigger. And if from the correct source, I become the perfect spy. If not, I just go demented.”

Mulder nodded at her.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt like laughing at the irony of the whole situation. Of all words in the English language, 'they' chose a word that so intimately connected with Mulder and to her for that matter. She doubted they picked the name because he was her partner. And no wonder she went into the voodoo trance yesterday. No one else calls Mulder by his first name besides her mom.

"Scully, you coming?" Mulder asked, holding the door open for her.

"Yeah."

"You know what?" He asked her as they walked through the hallway. "Thank God I've always insisted that you call me Mulder."

She laughed, agreeing with him for once.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Thank God I've always insisted everyone else call me Mulder." Mulder said in relief at the end of the day. They were walking out of the FBI headquarters.

"Except Mom." Scully reminded him.

Mulder smiled in reply. Friday went by without a hitch. The word 'Fox' thankfully wasn't an easy word to include in a day-to-day conversation. And Scully was in a better mood today. Probably because a cure was already in hand.

"Have you called Langly?"

"Yeah. He said he'll drop off the antidote at the corner of Sanderson Street at eleven."

"At eleven?"

"Something about being followed." Mulder explained.

"Oh." They boarded the car and Mulder started the ignition. "So what do we do till then?"

"We could have dinner." Mulder suggested.

"Are you buying?"

"I have a better idea, let's skip dinner and have dessert in front of the TV."

She raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

He grinned cheekily. "They're showing 'Dogs Of The Wild' on The Discovery Channel."

She glared at him knowing his tease had something to do with the trigger. "Very funny Mulder. Although I doubt you could handle that kind of dessert."

"Are you coming on to me, Scully?"

"I doubt you'll be able to handle that either."

"I believe you just called me a wimp."

"Mulder, the only reason why you're smug about the whole situation is because I can't remember what happens every time I supposedly go wild over you."

"Aw… come on Scully. Have a little faith in me."

"Mulder, we're going to Denny's and you're buying."

As they drove into the freeway, Scully realized that they weren't going to eat. "Mulder, I said Denny's, not Baltimore."

"Thought we might want to check out the warehouse that the call came from."

She groaned. "I knew it wouldn't be that easy to get a meal out of you."
 

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mulder examined the huge padlock that secured the gate and dropped it in disgust. "Can't even shoot it open." He muttered. He then studied the height of the fence. ‘A little high, but still not impossible.’ He hoisted himself unto the wired enclosure and began his way up.

"Mulder." Scully called out to him.

"Nearly there, Scully." He called back without a glance. He took a deep breath and swung his right leg over the top. The barbwire dug deep into his Armani pants and he mentally groaned at the thought of the bill that would come later.

Cautiously avoiding scratching himself against the metal thorns, he heaved the rest of his body over the fence, climbed a little lower and hopped to the ground. Clearly satisfied with himself, he looked up to jubilantly face his partner through the mesh. But she wasn't there. "Scully?"

"Yes?" She sweetly replied behind him, causing him to jump.

"Gees, Scully. You scared the hell out of me! How…?"

She held her picklock set. "Lesson No. 1 in the Academy."

He frowned. "Must have missed that one." He dusted himself and fingered a torn patch on his suit. "Any chance you learnt sewing too?"

She rolled her eyes. "I learnt that in the Girls Scouts."

Mulder took out his torch and flashed it about the darkness. "Starbuck Dana Scully a Girl Scout? Impossible!"

She too switched on her flashlight and surveyed the area. "Well, we didn't have Indian Scouts in naval base schools. By the way, are girls allowed to become Indian Scouts?"

"No. That's one of the reasons I joined it. So that my kid sister couldn't tag along."

They approached the warehouse. "I'm surprised you even bothered to join a club like that. I thought you were a sports jock."

"I wasn't given a choice. It was compulsory to join at least one uniform body in my school."

She raised an eyebrow. "Indian Scouts have uniforms?"

"Sure we do." He looked at her with mock seriousness. "It's a itsy-bitsy cow hide just big enough to cover the essentials." He grinned. "I guess maybe that's why we didn't take in girls."

"An itsy-bitsy piece of leather? That's all it takes, Mulder? " She asked innocently.

He glared at her. "I was eight, Scully. I've grown, believe me."

She bit back a laugh while he hastily turned back to the task at hand.

The warehouse itself wasn’t locked. Mulder heaved the heavy sliding door apart and they both stepped in. Scully felt about for the control switches and turned them on. Momentarily blinding them, bright lights filled the house. They blinked hard, taking in the layout of the place. It was wide and spacious. The furniture in the room consisted of two long metal tables and several chairs. Besides that, it was empty.

“What was this place before?” She asked.

“Storing metal scrap.”

“How long ago?”

“Supposedly five years ago.”

She frowned. “You would think it would be less tidy.”

He agreed. The place was clean, too clean to be a former scrap storehouse. “Someone’s been using this place.”

Looking around, Scully’s eyes caught a shining object glittering two feet away from her. Taking a moment to wear a surgical glove from her coat pocket, she walked towards it, bent down and picked it up.

“Mulder, look at this.”

He strode to her side and peered at the evidence in her hand. “What am I looking at?”

“A needle. Used for medical injection guns.”

Mulder bit his lip. “Bingo.”

“We’re a bit too late.”

“They must have realized they were busted when they stormed the motel room this morning, only to find it empty.”

“They stormed the motel room this morning?”

“Yeah, I called the local PD there while you were sleeping. The intruders broke into the room under the name Flynders at about 6.30am. Nothing’s missing but they trashed the place.”

“Flynders?” She cocked her head.

“Byers….. Flynders…. What can I say? The guy may be paranoid but he has absolutely no imagination.”

Shaking their heads, they both headed out the warehouse, knowing they had come to a dead end. As they walked Mulder remembered something. “Scully?”

“Hmmmm….”

“Did you leave something at my apartment?”

“How did you know?” She looked at him in wonder. “I only realized it when I fumbled for my set of tools fifteen minutes ago.”

He hid a grimace. “Oh, you mentioned.”

“I did? I just can’t understand. I am not usually careless with it. And if I left it in your bedroom, I definitely would have noticed it since I cleaned it up this morning.”

“What did you leave behind anyway?” He asked, absolutely curious now.

“My badge.” She answered matter-of-factly. And Mulder burst out laughing, surprising her again.

“You find that funny?”

He tried to muffle his laughter with his hand and nodded at his stupefied partner.

“I don’t see the joke Mulder.”

He knew that she wouldn’t even if he told her what had happened in the elevator. Not wanting to bring up another point to be angry with him, he shook his head and waved away the subject. “It’s nothing. Let’s go have dinner. I’m buying.”

He hurried to the car, grinning. Somehow, he doubted that anyone in the elevator thought that Special Agent Dana Scully left her badge behind. He was pretty sure that they had a number of explicit suggestions compared to the harsh, disappointing truth. He chuckled again.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“What’s taking them so long?” Frohike muttered impatiently under his breath.

Langly wondered too. It was already eleven and he didn’t feel safe with the fact that they shook off a tailing car only two blocks away. Headlights flashed from the next street and both of them nervously prepared to duck. But as the car drew nearer, they smiled.

Their two favorite FBI agents stepped out the car and Frohike greeted them. “It’s about time, agents.”

Mulder grinned. “Now don’t you start talking like Skinner. Have you got the antidote?”

Langly nodded and passed him a small bottle and a syringe kit. “Byers said to inject it into a vein and wait. It’s a while before it takes effect.

 “Have you found out anything about the group that’s looking for Modenski?” Mulder asked.

“The group dissolved when Grant Ellis died. My guess would be that they’re working under another government facility to throw off the scent.”

There was a sudden silence and all three men turned to look at Scully with concern. As if waiting for her to dismiss them from the case that they had just closed. She smiled at them sincerely, feeling grateful that she had such caring friends, despite their paranoid characters. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Agent Scully. Glad to soon have you back.” Langly tapped Frohike on his shoulder, signaling him that it was time to go. The latter nodded and followed him to the car.

Mulder glanced at Scully. “I guess you’ll have to stay over again.”

“Why?”

“The antidote takes time to work.”

She sighed and nodded. “I guess.” And they walked slowly to the car.

The journey back to Mulder’s apartment was quiet. Scully gently swiveled the bottle in her hand and stared at the liquid inside it. Then, she looked out the window and peered into the dark night.

Bits and pieces of the two days came to her mind like a slide show. Although she was exhausted at the turn of events, she was a little disappointed that it was about to end. Surprised at herself, she wondered why she was feeling that way.

Perhaps it was the fact that she still had no recollection of her brief affair with Mulder. And now that things were to return to normal, she probably would never know the answers to the questions that quite recently began to plague her.

‘What did he taste like?’ That was her pet question. Her theory was that he tasted of sunflower seeds. A rational conclusion based to his favorite pastime.

When she kissed him, did he kiss her back? He would, she presumed.

Did she shamelessly run her fingers through his beautiful brown hair? Unlike the times when she had to wait for opportunities to briefly touch him, especially when he was wounded.

Did she try to undress him? Did he try to undress her? Did he press himself against her? Did she feel him against her? The list goes on and on…….

Mulder found himself sneaking a peek at his quiet partner. ‘She must be tired.’ He thought and a wave of depression hit him. He frowned. He hadn’t realized he had been enjoying the past two days until now. The fact that she couldn’t remember coming on to him drove her nuts, he knew. No doubt he would forever hold the leverage over her, but the injection would put an end to the fantasy that he had given a chance to live. Dana Scully would never kiss him again.

He sighed softly, wondering if he would ever have the guts to tell her how he felt about her. How his whole world evolved around her, even though he was a pretty good actor and he pretended that it didn’t.

As he turned into his street, he mentally resolved to kiss her again. Sometime soon. Maybe Christmas, he decided.
 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 

Syringe in hand, Mulder took Scully’s arm and looked at her. She didn’t look back at him but concentrated grimly on the palm of her hand, as if dreading the event that was about to take place. He suddenly realized that it would be second time that he had to stick a needle into her and he told her so.

She looked up at him, her eyes sad, her thoughts unreadable. “Yeah, I suppose.”

He tried his hand at humor instead. “Any last words?”

She frowned, mildly rebuking him for making light of the situation. He apologized by being sentimental instead. “You know what Scully, these past few days have taught me something.”

“What?”

“That our partnership and friendship means more to me than anything else.”

She hesitated, as if waiting for him to come to the punch line. He looked back quietly and she realized that her partner had just allowed her to peek into his soul, with no puns intended. So she told him. “Thank you. It means a lot to me too.”

Deciding that, that was enough mushiness for one night, he jerked his head towards her arm. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” And she watched as he applied alcohol, pricked her with the needle and slowly administered the anti-drug. Then he gently pressured the alcohol soaked cotton bud on the needle puncture, a little longer than necessary.

“Mulder, I’ll be fine.” She told him softly and took over the action.

He nodded, trying not to feel offended as she hastily stood up and stepped away, as if wanting some distance between them. He busied himself by clearing up and walked to the kitchen to throw away the used syringe.

She called from the living room. “Mulder, I’m just gonna take a bath and change into your clothes, okay?”

Familiar sensations filled his body at the mention of wearing his clothes but he just yelled back. “Okay.” And he distracted himself by washing up the plates in the sink.

When he reentered the den, he found that she was still not back. So, he sat himself on the couch and switched his TV on by remote.

<< Time of Your Life returns this summer for a run of nine consecutive original episodes! Stay tuned for time, date and day…….. >>

Scully stepped out of his bedroom and heard the TV on. Walking over, she found her partner sprawled comfortably in front of it. When he realized that she was standing behind him, he moved his body to admit her on the couch.

<< Capturing the thrill of the chase, the shoot-out and the bust wherever it can be found, WORLD'S WILDEST POLICE VIDEOS, hosted by Retired Sheriff John …..>>

She sat down beside him, relaxing her tense shoulders against the leather seat.

<< WORLD'S WILDEST POLICE VIDEOS delivers a combination of real and never-before-seen videos acquired from law enforcement agencies, news bureaus and other sources from around the world……>>

Mulder glanced at her. Her face was scrubbed clean from the make-up and her copper hair was damp and a little mussed. He sighed and turned his attention back to the tube.

<< Each episode will detail up to two dozen astonishing stories, all told through relentless editing. All this only on the Fox Network…..>>

Mulder jerked up in his seat when he heard the word ‘Fox’. He turned to his partner who was looking slightly surprised at his reaction.

He stared at her. ‘Byers said that the antidote didn’t work immediately. So shouldn’t she be reacting towards the trigger?’ He wondered.

Meanwhile, Scully was trying to figure out why Mulder was acting so strangely. Why was he staring at her as if she was about to turn into a monster? Turn into a monster….. the answer hit her and she bit back a laugh.

She was just about to assure him that the word did not affect her when the little devil in her spoke. Hadn’t she had wanted to remember what had happened during her bouts of drugged behavior? Now was the perfect opportunity to find out! Her conscience protested but she calmed it down by promising just to taste and nothing more.

“Scully?” He whispered as the look on her face turned serious.

Her pulse began to race. And the worried, boyish look he gave her made her feel more confidant of herself and what she was about to do. She slided closer beside him and he shrank back.

“Mulder?” Her voice matched his whisper and made him gulp. She leaned towards him, cupping his face with her hands and fixed her blue eyes on his hazel ones. Frozen, he gazed back, his mouth slightly apart.

‘How convenient.’ She thought as she set about the business of finding out the answers to her questions. She tilted her head to meet his lips. The sweet contact jolted her so much that she forgot all about the promise to her conscience and she deepened the kiss.

Within seconds, she felt him respond. His tongue soon invaded her mouth and she groaned softly, loving every moment of it. His hands slowly trailed behind her back and he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her possessively.

He pulled his jersey on her up and slipped his hands beneath it, touching her skin and marveling at its softness. She didn’t even consider objecting, as she became more aroused. ‘Some saint.’ She thought in between the kiss, partly amused and partly angry that he had lied to her.

She shifted herself up and settled on his lap. He broke connection but began to gently trail a series of light kisses from her forehead to her neck. Her heart thudded against her chest and she wanted so much to touch him under his shirt. She tugged at it but he stopped her. “No, Scully.” His voice hoarse and firm.

She wondered if this was his way of keeping check of his libido. “A little unfair, don’t you think Mulder?” She asked him reminding him that he was already touching her.

He was about to smile but shook his head instead. “Not really, considering the fact that I’m the one expected to stop this.” And he closed in on her lips again, making full use of the practice he got from his sunflower seeds. And she secretly rejoiced that she had allowed the indulgent.

She soon pressed her body against his and her knee accidentally brushed against his hard-on. She heard a moan, but this time it didn’t come from her. It was muffled and urgent. Before she could even take credit for it, he pushed her off him and scrambled to his feet.

His breathing was long and laborious, causing the only doctor in the room to worry. “Mulder?”

He didn’t respond but concentrated on a spot on his living room floor. She watched as he regained control, not failing to notice a trace of his arousal from his loose Armani slacks. She smiled but wiped it off when he turned to look at her. “I’m sorry but there’s just so much that a guy can take.” He told her.

And she wondered how much more before he snapped and made them both very happy. But reality reminded her that there was so much more at stake than just fulfilling sexual needs between them.

Then she remembered his words……. ‘Our partnership and friendship means more to me than anything else.’ And her heart warmed. She wasn’t wrong in trusting him to respect her. He did, he probably even loved her as much as she loved him.

Suddenly feeling the urge to hug him, she got up and started towards him. He stopped her with a fierce look. “No more, Scully. You’ll hate me in the morning.”

She began to explain. “Mulder, I just……”

“I said no more.” He interrupted her firmly. “Get into my room and stay there. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She looked at him for a while, her eyes giving away the emotions she tried to hide. He watched her back, trying to recognize the ‘airhead’ Scully that he had come to know recently. But the woman in front of him seemed more like his partner than her drugged alter ego. He frowned at the thought and wondered how much of the antidote had already taken effect.

Wanting to take no chances at suddenly finding a cured Scully hurling herself against him and wringing his neck for kissing her, he told her firmly again. “Scully, go to my room now.”

Her head jerked slightly as if she had just woken up from a dream and Mulder prepared himself for the worst. But to his relief, she turned and obeyed him.

After she was gone, he plopped himself on the couch and closed his eyes to capture all the memories of the past two days. He wondered if he would ever kiss his partner again. Then, he wondered if he could stop himself if given the opportunity.

As the vision her soft lips flashed in his mind, he strengthened his resolution. ‘Definitely Christmas.’ And if he missed that, there was always New Year’s Eve.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The End of "Fox"

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