TITLE: Genesis II:Tempered by Fire
AUTHOR: Radclyffe 
EMAIL ADDRESS: rdclyfhall@hotmail.com 
SPOILERS: Up to The Red and the Black 
SUMMARY: Adversity deepens the ties between Scully and Marsh. This is a 
sequel to Genesis I but stands alone.

DISCLAIMERS:The characters of Scully, Mulder, Skinner and others/events 
introduced on the X-Files are the sole property of Chris Carter etc, and 
are used here without permission for entertainment, not for profit.

***Comments welcome. All deficiencies are those of the chronicler(me), 
not anyone residing herein.

*********

A Saturday 2:23 pm

Scully was certain she did not have the ability to orgasm again. But she 
thought that the last time, and the time before that. She had lost track 
of the hours, her muscles long since having ceased to function, her 
bones slowly dissolving. *My mind will be the next to go* She didn't 
have the energy or the inclination to tell Marsh to stop whatever it was 
she was doing with her tongue. The pressure was building, her hips were 
beginning to rock, and she heard herself making the sounds she made when 
she was about to come.

"Ahh...ahh...ahh..." She gripped Marsh's fingers, squeezing them with 
the rhythm of the blood pulsing in her pelvis. So close, ready to 
explode-- *_What_ is that????* Dimly a persistent noise penetrated her 
consciousness, forcing her back from the brink of orgasm. "Marsh," she 
gasped, too conditioned to ignore it, "what is ringing?"

Marsh groaned, about to come herself from the urgent movement of Dana's 
leg between her own. She raised her head a fraction, "My beeper." Then 
she pulled Scully into her mouth again, not caring who might be calling. 
All she wanted was one more minute and she would bring them both off.

"That's not your beeper! That's my phone!" Scully exclaimed, rolling out 
from under Marsh. "Where is the damn thing," she groaned, standing none 
too steadily.

Marsh pressed her forehead to the mattress, cursing softly as she tried 
to ignore the insistent throbbing between her legs. Her fingers strayed 
to her clitoris. It was so hard, and it felt so good to touch it. In 
another second she would come. *Like the last ten years? Wait for her, 
you fool!* She dragged her hand away. "It's with your clothes on the 
window seat," she finally managed as Scully ransacked the room.

Scully tore through the neatly arranged pile, snatched up the phone, and 
collapsed back on the bed. "Sorry," she whispered to Marsh, pulling 
Marsh's head onto her lap with one hand while pushing the on button on 
her cellular with the other. She stroked the damp hair back from Marsh's 
face as she announced, "Scully."

"Scully? Where are you?"

Scully straightened slightly. "Mulder! What's going on?"

"You didn't come back to the office yesterday--"

"Mulder--it's Saturday morning. Why are you calling me?"

"It's Saturday _afternoon_, Scully," Mulder said pointedly.

Scully felt Marsh tremble against her. *Damn, she was ready to come, 
too!* Trying to control her exasperation, she said through clenched 
teeth, "Whatever, Mulder. What's the matter?"

"Well, there _is_ a lot of paperwork and I was wondering if you were 
coming in."

*He's bored and he wants company* Scully gazed down the long expanse of 
Marsh's toned body, thinking how much she would like to run her hands 
over every inch of her. "Mulder, it's Saturday. Do we have a new 
assignment?"

"No, but--"

"Are you in any kind of trouble?"

"No, but--"

"I'll see you Monday, Mulder," Scully said as she pushed the off button. 
She reached for Marsh, pulling her up until their faces were at the same 
level. She pressed her lips to the hollow at the base of Marsh's throat 
as she slid one hand down Marsh's belly into the warmth that was waiting 
for her below.

Marsh shuddered, gasping, "God, I need to come."

Scully smiled, circling her with slow, teasing strokes, feeling her 
tense and swell. "I'm sorry about the call," Scully murmured, pressing 
until Marsh's hips jerked. "Let me make it up to you."

Marsh whimpered as Scully milked the length of her engorged clitoris 
between her thumb and forefinger, clutching Scully's shoulders with 
bruising intensity. "Ohh, you're making me come---" Marsh cried, burying 
her face against Scully's breast.

"Hold on, honey," Scully breathed into her hair, tightening her hold on 
the quivering woman with her other arm. "Let me make this good for you."

"Can't-- I'm-- coming--" Marsh sobbed as she exploded under Scully's 
fingers.

*Oh yesssss, so beautiful* Scully pressed her face to the top of Marsh's 
head, cradling her against her own body as the orgasm shook her. "I've 
got you, I've got you," she murmured over and over as Marsh trembled. To 
her amazement, Marsh gripped her wrist with surprising strength and 
pushed her fingers inside her, closing her legs and trapping Scully's 
hand. The power of possessing her this way was intoxicating. "Oh, god," 
Scully moaned, "what you're doing to me."

Marsh groaned as Scully filled her, her hips thrusting as her internal 
muscles contracted around Scully's fingers. It seemed like hours before 
she could speak. "I'm going to kill him."

Scully laughed, hugging the lean, dark haired woman. "Not if I see him 
first."

"Anything serious?" Marsh asked as she finally found the strength to 
move. She nestled her cheek against Dana's firm belly, slowly trailing 
her fingers along the inside of Dana's legs from her knees to the silky 
hair at the base of her thighs.

"Mmmm--"Scully sighed as she shifted slightly and opened her legs. "No. 
Just weekend blues."

"Good," Marsh replied softly as she slipped a finger along each side of 
Scully's clitoris. "Because you seem in need of a little attention," she 
observed as she massaged the exquisitely sensitive shaft rhythmically.

"Unnhh--I don't think so," Scully moaned. "I think you finally wore me 
out."

Marsh withdrew until only the pad of her finger lightly stroked the tip. 
"Is that your diagnosis, Dr. Scully?" Marsh countered teasingly. She 
caught her breath as the tissue under her fingers stiffened. Still she 
kept her movements feather soft.

"It feels so good--" Scully whispered, her eyes closed, her hands 
resting on Marsh's hair. "But I don't think I can--"

"Sshhh--" Marsh murmured. "You don't have to. I just want to touch you." 
Slowly she inched her face down until she could replace her fingers with 
her lips. Soft, light kisses--barely a breath.

"Oh!" Scully cried as the silken warmth of Marsh's tongue caressed her. 
She felt herself opening, distending, reaching for Marsh's mouth-- even 
as she lay still, surrendering to the total abandon of being pleasured. 
"You're wonderful--"

Marsh drew back enough to look at the flushed, achingly beautiful woman, 
her heart filled with wonder at the miracle of her presence. *Oh, 
Dana--if only I could say--* She had no words to describe what this 
moment meant, so she set about telling her the best way she knew how. 
She let her body speak to her. Ever so slowly she encircled Dana with 
her lips, then began to suck gently, alternating the rhythmic motion 
with soft, long strokes of her tongue. It took tremendous concentration 
for her to keep the contact light, because just the scent of her drove 
her wild. As much as she wanted to consume her, she knew Dana needed 
this time to be gentle, and she wanted to give her that. Tenderly, she 
worshipped.

"Marsh--" Scully rasped, her entire body coiled with the tension 
building in her belly. "Don't stop."

Marsh murmured soft assurances, never leaving her.

The room was completely quiet, the air heavy with expectation, when 
suddenly a piercing cry broke the stillness. "Ahhhhh--" Scully screamed, 
her hands fisting in the sheets, her back arching off the bed.

Marsh gripped Dana's legs, cleaving to her, moaning as she felt Dana 
coming. She thought her heart might break with the sheer beauty of 
her.*I lo--* Marsh closed her eyes tightly. *Don't you _dare_, Black. 
Don't even _think_ it*

They lay together, Marsh curled around Scully, her face resting on the 
smooth skin of her thigh. She reveled in Scully's small sounds of 
contentment, knowing complete satisfaction herself. Scully's fingers 
drew faint aimless patterns on her skin as they listened to each other 
breathe.

"Marsh?" Scully said at length.

"Hmmmm?"

"Are you okay?"

Marsh planted a small kiss on the inside of Dana's thigh. "Perfect."

"Good, because I do believe I've perished. If you can die from too much 
pleasure, I've been gone for a while."

Marsh pushed yourself up on the bed until she was lying alongside 
Scully, slipping one arm under Scully's shoulders and guiding her head 
onto her chest. "I can't think of enough words to tell you how wonderful 
you are. I hope I've been able to show you."

Scully tightened her grip around the whip slender form, brushing her 
lips lightly over the soft, full breast beneath her cheek. She couldn't 
seem to stop smiling. "What you've shown me goes beyond description. 
Unfortunately, you've melted most of my synapses, and I'm incapable of 
intelligent conversation. This has been the most incredible 24 hours of 
my life."

Marsh's squinted at the clock on the bedside table. "Actually, it's been 
a bit more than that. It's almost 5 o'clock in the afternoon."

Scully's eyes widened in amazement. "Have we actually been making love 
for almost a day?"

"Just about," Marsh laughed, bending to kiss the top of Scully's head.

Scully couldn't begin to absorb that fact. She had never made such a 
rapid, intense connection with anyone before. She certainly had never 
given herself physically so completely, even after she had been with 
someone for a while. If she thought about it now, her world would tilt, 
and she was much too happy--simply happy--to begin questioning what had 
happened so soon. "Is this your idea of a date? You spend hours 
ravishing a poor unsuspecting female, never feeding them so they are too 
weak to resist?"

Marsh couldn't imagine anyone less likely to be described as weak and 
unsuspecting. She responded with a chuckle, "That was my plan. Not too 
subtle I guess."

Scully rolled over onto her stomach so they were face-to-face. She 
kissed her, a soft but assertively possessive kiss. When she pulled 
back, her eyes were slightly hazy. "Who needs subtle?" she said in a 
low, husky voice. *I'm beginning to think I could survive on your kisses 
alone*

Marsh ran her hands up Scully's sides until her palms cupped her 
breasts, thumbs just grazing her nipples. Scully sighed, her lips 
parting slightly, her eyes losing focus. "Marsh," Scully whispered, 
"stop. Have mercy. I can't resist you. Please, please--I need you to 
_feed_ me!"

Marsh grinned, raising her head so she could grasp one nipple between 
her teeth. She bit lightly for an instant, then rolled out from under 
Scully. "Your every wish is my command."

"You sadist!" Scully exclaimed. "You know you just made me wet all over 
again, don't you!"

Marsh placed one hand lightly over her heart, raising her eyebrows in 
mock surprise. "I meant no such thing."

*God, I hope you did, or else I'm in real trouble* Scully bounded off 
the bed, grasped Marsh by the shoulders, and forcefully turned her 
towards the bathroom. "_Shower_! _Food_! _Now_!"

**********

7:10 p.m. Saturday evening

"Is this okay?" Marsh asked. She had seen Scully's surprise when they 
entered the restaurant.

"It's fine," Scully said, looking about the small dimly lit restaurant. 
The tables were judiciously placed to allow privacy, and the candles and 
quiet background music added to the intimate atmosphere. Most of the 
couples were women.

"I didn't mean to make assumptions," Marsh said with concern, aware of 
the romantic setting. "I just wanted to have a little more time with you 
some place where we could be comfortable with one another." She'd 
forgotten for a moment that their encounter probably didn't mean the 
same thing to Dana that it had meant to her. Just because _she_ felt 
resurrected did not make this more than a brief interlude for the 
attractive FBI agent.

Scully reached across the small tabletop and took Marsh's left hand 
firmly in her own. "Right now I'd be happy to hold your hand on the 
steps of the Capitol Building. This was probably a better choice."

Marsh smiled faintly, but her eyes were troubled. She studied the fine 
lattice of delicate veins in Dana's hand as she traced light circles 
with her thumb along the palm. There was pain in her face when she 
looked up. "You've never slept with a woman before, have you?"

"No," Scully said, "and that means nothing more than that I never had 
reason to before. I slept with men-- not many-- because it was the 
expected thing to do. It wasn't horrible, but the earth didn't move 
either. Being with you was like finding I could suddenly speak another 
language--a language I was born to speak. The earth did more than move, 
it changed shape entirely. There's no going back from here." Her tone 
suggested she would hear no arguments.

Marsh was already in too deep to pretend it didn't matter. "You mean 
something to me, Dana. Yesterday, last night -- it felt like a 
beginning, and in some crazy way, it felt like something I've been meant 
to do for years. Being with you, waking up with you, making love--I'll 
never be able to forget that. If it was just a one time thing for you, I 
understand, but I need to know."

Scully didn't hesitate. "The only things I've ever really trusted were 
the things I could prove, the _facts_ of my life. These past few years, 
I've come to doubt even those. I look at you, and for an instant, my 
life makes sense. Crazy? Absolutely. But true. You are so many things I 
admire, Marsh -- and in case you haven't noticed, I can't keep my hands 
off you. This is _not_ a one night stand." 

"I'm sorry," Marsh said, knowing she was pushing. "There's no reason you 
should need to answer these questions."

Scully gave Marsh's hand a little shake. She waited as the waitress 
dropped off their menus, then said, "If you need to know, that's reason 
enough."

"Why me?" Marsh asked softly.

Scully searched for words that would make sense to both of them. It 
wasn't the sex, although that had been spectacular, and it wasn't just 
Marsh's kindness or her intelligence or her effortless intimacy. It was 
somehow a combination of all of those things, and something altogether 
indescribable. *Because there's no one else like you in the world* She 
raised Marsh's hand to her lips, pressing a brief kiss to her delicate 
fingers. If there were other people in the restaurant, she was unaware 
of them in that moment. "You touch my soul."

Marsh shuddered, her eyes closing with the impact of Dana's words. When 
she could open them without the threat of tears falling, Dana's eyes 
were searching her face. "You make me dream again," Marsh said, her 
voice breaking.

Marsh's vulnerability was palpable. Scully doubted she could allow her 
own need to be so visible; she wasn't sure she was that brave. "I want 
to hold you so much," Scully whispered.

Marsh's smile was nourishment itself as she nodded towards the 
approaching waitress. "I'll not be accused of seducing a starving woman 
again. Dinner first."

Scully loosened her grip on Marsh's hand, acknowledging the waitress 
with a faint smile, but her mind was filled with images of Marsh Black 
naked in her arms. *I can't imagine why I ever thought I was hungry for 
anything but her*


*********


Monday 8:55 a.m. FBI headquarters, Washington D.C.

Mulder glanced up and tilted his head. There it was again, the strange 
sound that seemed to be emanating from his partner. He leaned back in 
his swivel chair and stared at her. She didn't _look_ any different. 
Scully was searching MedPac for any obscure references to mass thermal 
conflagration. Her beige suit was exquisitely tailored as usual, the 
small gold cross, her only jewelry, glinted on her pale silk blouse, and 
she peered with utter concentration through her wire rim glasses at the 
computer screen. *Maybe I'm imagining things* He shrugged his shoulders 
and reached for his pencil. His hand stopped in mid-air as he heard the 
unmistakable sound of humming.

"All right, who are you and what have you done with Scully?" he 
demanded.

Scully turned in her seat, one arm draped along the back. "Are you 
okay?" she asked, staring at him as if he had lost his mind.

"_ I'm_ fine." Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her look this relaxed 
in months. Something was up. "Did something happen over the weekend?" 
*Damn! She's blushing*

"No!" Scully croaked. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Not a 
thing." She turned back to the computer, hoping he would let it go.

"Sculleeeeeee---" he called in a light annoying sing-song tone. "You're 
lyiiiiiiiiing."

Mercifully, the phone rang before Scully was forced to reply. Mulder 
gave her a look that said he wasn't done with her yet as he picked up 
the receiver. "Mulder."

She tried to read the expression on his face, but he merely replaced the 
phone with a shrug and announced, "Skinner wants to see us."

She wasn't prepared for what they found when they entered AD Skinner's 
office. She resorted to the expression she usually reserved for defense 
attorneys and chauvinistic local police chiefs--one of complete 
indifference. She hoped it was working, because her insides were 
quaking.

Skinner nodded for his two agents to join him and his visitor. "I'm sure 
you both remember Dr. Black?"

Mulder murmured hello as he took the seat between the surgeon and his 
partner. She looked different in her navy pin-striped suit than she had 
in the rumpled scrubs he remembered from the hospital. Her layered black 
hair looked slightly less wind blown, and she had lost the fatigue lines 
that had creased her otherwise flawless skin, but it was something more 
than that. She had a self possessed, confident air that suggested she 
had done this before, and Mulder remembered her easy familiarity with 
Skinner at the hospital. There was more to Dr. Black than there 
appeared, and Mulder was instantly suspicious. His partner, he noted, 
hadn't even said _hello_.

"I asked Dr. Black to come in because I got a strange report from 
Memorial this morning," Skinner said by way of introduction. He looked 
toward Marsh. "Maybe you can fill them in."

She shifted in her chair slightly so she could face Mulder and Scully. 
She smiled at them both, her eyes lingering for just a fraction of a 
second on Scully. She averted her eyes before she lost her 
concentration. She hadn't seen her for 24 hours, and it felt like 
forever. Just being in the same room with her made her heart race. "I 
was contacted yesterday by the hospital administrator on call--she was 
concerned because a large number of patients were being discharged under 
unusual circumstances. It turns out that all of the patients were 
victims of the fire at Ruskin Dam. All of their medical records, x-rays, 
lab reports--everything is gone."

Scully risked a quick glance as Marsh spoke. *She's even more beautiful 
than I remember* She hadn't expected to see Marsh again so soon, and 
certainly not in Skinner's office. When they parted Sunday morning, they 
had not made any firm plans. Marsh had kissed her, caressing Scully's 
cheek gently. She looked into Scully's eyes and whispered softly, "Call 
me." Scully knew then that Marsh was leaving the future up to her. It 
was like her to give Scully time to adjust to everything that had 
happened. *Focus, Scully!* She considered the information. "There must 
have been some kind of transfer request?" Scully questioned, grateful 
that her voice was steady.

Marsh shook her head. "I was in the operating room when I got the call. 
By the time I got out, most of the patients were gone. The medical 
transport personnel didn't seem to have any specific information, and 
wouldn't release their transport destination. I'm afraid I don't know 
much more."

"Dr. Black has agreed to notify us if there is further contact," Skinner 
informed them.

*Contact? What does he mean by _contact_, and what does it have to do 
with Marsh!* Scully glanced quickly from Marsh to Skinner. Their 
expressions revealed nothing. She was used to this from Skinner, as he 
was a master at concealing his feelings. She hated being distanced from 
Marsh. It was the first time she experienced it, and it was 
frighteningly lonely. *My god, if I feel this way after only one 
weekend!*

Mulder had been unusually quiet during the entire briefing. "I'm sure 
anything Dr. Black can tell us would be helpful," he said rather 
sharply.

Skinner gave him an appraising glance. "Right then. Agent Scully, if you 
would stay for a moment."

Marsh and Mulder stood, clearly having been dismissed. Marsh dared one 
last glance at Dana and to her surprise, Dana put out her hand. As Marsh 
returned the handshake, Scully rubbed her thumb in small soft circles 
over Marsh's knuckles. Marsh caught her breath swiftly as the unexpected 
touch electrified her senses. Her eyelids fluttered for an instant as 
she grew wet with arousal. She caught herself before the moan arising 
from her belly could escape.

"I'll talk to _you_ again, Dr. Black," Scully said, her voice low and 
husky, her eyes fixed on Marsh. She sensed Marsh's response and her own 
body stirred. *You are insane, Scully! Mulder and Skinner are two feet 
away!*

"Yes." Marsh responded thickly. She hoped she looked more in control 
than she felt as she followed Mulder from the room.

Skinner waited until the door closed behind them before motioning to 
Scully to sit once again. He leaned back, choosing his words carefully. 
"How well do you know Dr. Black, Agent Scully?"

"Sir?" Scully asked, her expression carefully neutral.

"I'm assuming that you know she's a former agent. You probably also know 
she still functions in an unofficial capacity. Unofficial, but 
nevertheless important." He stared at her impassively, waiting for her 
response.

"Yes, sir?" Scully replied. She had enough experience with interrogation 
not to volunteer information. *Why are we discussing her? She can't be 
involved in this, can she?* Fear raced through her veins at the thought.

"Most of what she does for the bureau is confidential. It wouldn't be in 
our best interest--or hers--to call attention to her activities."

*He's talking about covert operations* Scully's anxiety made her short 
on patience. Usually it was Mulder who played these word games with 
Skinner. "I'm not sure I'm following, sir."

Skinner removed his glasses and polished them with the perfectly folded, 
pristine white handkerchief he removed from his back pocket. He took his 
time replacing them. "I don't know what happened to you and the others 
at Ruskin Dam, Agent Scully. I don't think anyone does. What I do know 
is that there are forces involved that we can't identify, let alone 
control. If someone is watching you, then Dr. Black may also come under 
scrutiny."

*He already knows about us!* After the shock, Scully's first reaction 
was anger. "Who were you following--me or her?"

Skinner came around the front of his desk and hiked one hip up on the 
edge. His granite countenance softened infinitesimally. "I don't know. 
It didn't come from this office. I'm just the unofficial messenger."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, Agent Scully," Skinner said pointedly, "we're not having this 
conversation."

"Is she in any danger?" Scully asked, her voice steady but her throat 
terribly dry.

Skinner glanced away, grimacing slightly. "Probably no more than you 
are."

*Yes, but that is part of _my_ job* Scully squared her shoulders, 
meeting Skinner's gaze fully. "I appreciate the information, sir."

"Just remember--the survivors disappeared because _someone_ thought they 
would reveal _something_ about what went on here, and possibly in 
Russia, too. We don't know who those _someones_ might be, but they're 
powerful enough to make people disappear. Be alert, Agent Scully," 
Skinner warned. He stood and Scully took it to mean their meeting was 
over. She was half way to the door when his voice stopped her.

"One more thing, Agent Scully," he called softly, almost as an 
afterthought.

Scully turned. "Sir?"

"Sixteen years ago a federal agent by the name of Karen Summers was 
killed in the line of duty. Marshall Black didn't just resign, she 
turned in her gun and her badge, and she drove her Porsche into the 
Potomac." He saw her flinch, and knew what he thought he had detected 
between them was true. He shrugged, adding, "Maybe it was an accident." 
He didn't want to know.

Scully struggled to hide her sudden nausea. The idea of Marsh in such 
anguish was physically painful. Her voice was harsh when she asked, "Why 
are you telling me this?"

"I like her."

Something hard glinted in Scully's eyes as she stared back. "So do I."

*********

10:30 a.m.

"So Scully," Mulder asked when she rejoined him in their basement 
office, "what do you think that was all about?"

"I think Skinner wants us to go on a fishing expedition," she said 
caustically. She was beginning to wonder if everyone around her had a 
hidden agenda. Everyone except Mulder.

"You think Dr. Black is the hook or the lure?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Scully snapped. She couldn't get the 
image of Marsh going off a bridge into the dark swirling waters of the 
Potomac out of her mind. She knew what kind of pain it took to bring 
someone to that point, she just didn't want to think about the 
loneliness that must have accompanied it. In her darkest moments, Mulder 
and her mother had been there for her to hold on to. Without them... 
*God, how much she must have suffered!*

"Come on, Scully! Who is she? How do we know we can trust her?" Mulder 
said vehemently. "We don't know who she's _really_ working for!"

Scully tried to control her temper. Mulder had been suspicious of every 
one since Michael Kritschgau convinced him that most of what he had 
discovered over the last five years had been an elaborate ruse. 
Perpetrated by whom for what purpose neither of them understood. She 
wasn't sure what to believe any longer, but one thing she still trusted 
was her own experience. Marshall Black was not the enemy.

"You know who she is, Mulder. You told me yourself. She used to be an 
agent, and now she does some work for the bureau as a consultant."

"What kind of work does a doctor do undercover, Scully? Pretty 
convenient to have one on the payroll if you want to do a little 
behind-the-scenes experimentation!"

"In case you haven't noticed, Mulder, Marsh Black is a respected trauma 
surgeon at a prestigious  hospital. And she hardly made her involvement 
with the bureau a secret. Has it ever occurred to you that she probably 
spends her time patching up agents injured during _unofficial_ 
engagements?" Scully countered, her eyes flashing as she slowly lost the 
battle with her temper.

Mulder was used to Scully's natural skepticism, and most of the time he 
depended on it to keep his own thinking sharp. It was one of the things 
he enjoyed most about their partnership. Sometimes, though, she bordered 
on just plain stubborn. "Why are you defending her?"

"I'm not _defending_her!!"

"Yes, you are," Mulder said softly, watching her with new interest. She 
wasn't just defending her, she was protecting her. He had never seen 
Scully quite so agitated either. 

"Just trust me on this, will you, Mulder?" Scully responded 
emphatically.

"What happened this weekend, Scully?" Mulder persisted in the low tone 
he used when talking to witnesses. The voice that said _You can trust 
me, tell me your secrets_.

Scully started to protest, then she took a good look at him. His 
expression was completely open, expectant, nonjudgmental. He simply 
wanted to understand--because for him _understanding_ was the only goal. 
He was frequently disappointed, but she had never known him to reject 
the truth. She valued his friendship, and respected herself, too much to 
lie about this. He was her partner.

"I slept with her this weekend."

Time stopped. There was no sound. Mulder didn't blink or change 
expression in any way. He did sit down. He reached for a pencil, turning 
it end over end between his fingers. His eyes met hers straight on. 
"Jesus, Scully."

She grinned a little ruefully. "Yeah."

"I didn't know--"

"Neither did I."

"You okay with it?" Mulder asked. Friend to friend.

"Yes." No hesitation.

Carefully, he said, "You don't know much about her." Still suspicious.

"I know enough." Certain.

"How much does she know?"

*About what? The abduction, the cancer, Emily??* Again the slightly 
proud, slightly sheepish grin. "We didn't do a whole lot of talking."

Mulder was glad he was sitting. "Dana--" He cleared his throat. "I trust 
your judgement, you know that, right?"

"I know, Mulder." She believed it.

"If it's the real thing, I'm for it. Just be careful, okay?"

"Of what?" Scully asked softly, making him say it.

"You could get hurt. She could break your heart." Thinking of Phoebe, of 
Diana.

"She won't."

Her blue eyes were clear, calm, and absolutely sure. He had to trust 
her; she was his partner.


*********


Later that day 5:10 pm

"Hey Scully! There's a couple of messages for you," the bureau 
dispatcher called as she and Mulder walked through the warren of desks 
and busy agents toward the stairs to their office. He waved a handful of 
pink message slips in her direction.

"Why don't you go ahead, Scully," Mulder said. "We're not going to get 
anything else done today. We can go back to the hospital first thing in 
the morning and finish the questioning."

His tone implied he didn't think they'd find anything, and she agreed 
with him. No one at Memorial Hospital knew anything about the fate of 
the missing patients. She had barely been able to keep her mind on the 
repetitive fruitless interviews they were conducting. Instead she had 
been looking everywhere for Marshall Black, her disappointment growing 
with each passing moment. Ever since that morning, all she wanted was to 
see Marsh and assure herself that she was safe.

"Scully?" Mulder queried.

Scully jumped, realizing he was watching her, waiting for an answer. She 
looked around the room, disoriented for a moment. "Yes, sure. Good 
idea," she said hastily.

"Wool gathering, Dr. Scully? Or just a little x-rated reminiscence?" 
Mulder added with a smirk.

Scully colored, snapping, "Cut it out, Mulder."

He leaned close, smiling evilly, "Ooooo-- but Scully, I finally have a 
chance to get back at you for all those rude remarks about my videos."

Scully lowered her voice, but her tone was scathing. "I would hardly put 
Marshall Black and your videos in the same category!"

Mulder raised his eyebrows, his smile growing. "Now there's an idea I 
hadn't thought of."

"If it weren't so hard to break in a new partner, I'd be forced to shoot 
you," Scully seethed, although she was struggling not to smile. She was 
grateful she did not have to hide something so important from the one 
person she was closest to.

Mulder relented, giving her a little shove in the direction of the 
dispatcher. "Go on, get your messages and get out of here. I'm sure 
there's one or two things you'd rather be doing."

Scully blushed again, answering, "You're not going to quit, are you?"

Mulder simply grinned and walked away.

Scully leafed through her messages on her way to her car. Her heart 
tripped when she saw the familiar name, and she immediately reached for 
her cell phone. She waited impatiently through the interminable number 
of connections until she heard the deep, sonorous voice. "Marsh? It's 
Dana," she said, unable to disguise her excitement.

"I meant to wait for you to call me, but I couldn't. I need to see you. 
I need to talk you," Marsh replied seriously.

Scully was instantly concerned. "Has something happened? Has someone 
tried to question you about the missing patients?"

"I'm all right. Can we meet somewhere private?"

"Name the place," Scully said, all business. Something was definitely 
not right, and she wasn't going to be happy until she could see Marsh.

"My place in 45 minutes?" Marsh suggested.

"I'll be there," Scully assured her.

**********

Marsh held the door open so Scully could proceed her into the apartment. 
Scully turned just as Marsh reached for her. She lifted her arms to 
encircle Marsh's neck as Marsh slipped her hands under Scully's suit 
jacket. Scully pressed close to the taller woman as their lips met, 
closing her eyes as the sweet sensation of want washed through her. She 
opened her mouth, seeking the strong demanding tongue, eager for the 
joining. Scully moaned into Marsh's mouth and pushed Marsh back against 
the door, her skirt riding up as she straddled Marsh's thigh, her hips 
slowly rocking against the firm muscles. Her moans became short cries as 
her clit twitched with pre-orgasmic spasms. *Oh god, Dana, slow 
down--you _can't_ come already!*

Marsh tugged Scully's blouse from the waist band of her skirt, hungry 
for her skin. She hesitated for just a second when she encountered the 
holster clipped to the back. The feel of the heavy weapon in the leather 
sheath catapulted her back to another time and another woman in her 
arms. For an instant the old pain pierced her anew. Then she heard 
Dana's voice, and felt Dana moving against her, and she knew exactly 
what she wanted. She wanted Dana Scully, and she wanted her now. She 
growled as she slid her hands under the flimsy bra, grasping the hard 
nipples at the same time as she clamped her teeth onto Dana's earlobe. 
Her head threatened to explode when Dana jerked against her, her fingers 
digging into Marsh's upper arms.

"Marsh-- Marsh--" Scully gasped, "I'm going to come--"

"Yeah," Marsh groaned in her ear. Marsh pushed one hand up under 
Scully's skirt, pulling clothing aside until she could slide inside of 
her, her palm cupping her swollen flesh, her thumb riding over the top 
of her clitoris. Her vision clouded, her arm pumping upward as Dana 
ground against her. She tightened her hold around Dana's slim waist when 
the smooth muscles inside closed around her fingers. "Oh, yesss," Marsh 
rasped, "do it now."

Scully sobbed in a breath as her whole body stiffened, her entire 
consciousness focused on the nearly unbearable pressure in her clit. 
Then Marsh thumbed across it hard and she was screaming and bucking and 
coming and sobbing...

Marsh braced her back against the door, trying to hold them both up, but 
the best she could manage was to slide to the floor with Dana in her 
arms, still coming into her hand. "Oh god, oh god, oh god.." Marsh 
moaned, her chest so tight she could barely breathe. She would die from 
wanting her.

They ended up in a tangle of body parts, Dana lying between Marsh's 
legs, curled up on her lap. Marsh rested her chin on the top of Scully's 
head, trying to catch her breath. The room was dimly lit by the light 
from the street lamps outside. They hadn't even touched a light switch 
or said _hello_ before they had fallen on one another. All she wanted to 
do now was hold her. She had been so frightened all day.

Scully stirred, shifting enough to let Marsh slide her hand from inside 
her. "Ohh.." she gasped, feeling the loss. "I miss you already," she 
murmured, "how can that be?"

Marsh shook her head against the silken red hair. "I don't know. I've 
been walking around since you left yesterday wet from wanting you. I'm 
so swollen it hurts. I wanted to make myself come, just to ease the 
pressure, but I knew it would only make me lonely. It's crazy - I've 
never been like this before."

Scully smiled, pleased. "And how are we now, Dr. Black?" she said 
teasingly, lightly stroking Marsh's stomach below the bottom of her 
shirt and the top of her trousers.

Marsh tilted Dana's chin to kiss her. "_We_ are just fine, thank you, 
Dr. Scully. I think you might have come for both of us."

Scully leaned against Marsh's shoulder so she could watch her face. She 
worked the zipper down on the silk slacks, reaching under the fabric 
beneath. She smiled again as Marsh lifted her hips to give her room. "Uh 
huh," she murmured as she found her wet and ready. Marsh's eyes began 
closing as Scully rolled her clitoris between her fingers. "Look at me, 
Marsh," she whispered, her heart nearly stopping as she watched the 
elegant planes of Marsh's face dissolve with need. *I don't think I can 
bear it, she's so beautiful* Scully bit her lip to silence her own moans 
as she pulsed in time with Marsh. "Not until I say," she gasped.

Marsh tried hard to focus, searching Dana's face for an anchor. She 
found it in her fathomless blue eyes, a strength and certainty so 
profound, she let herself fall into them. "Tell me when," she cried 
softly, rigid with the effort of containing her imminent orgasm. "Ohh--I 
can't hold it!-- God--hurry!"

"Ohh--almost--uh-uh-uh..," Scully intoned to the rhythm of their bucking 
hips, "oh yes, oh yes -- now, Marsh--come with me -- 
_noooowww_oh,oh,..ooooooohhhhhh." Her vision dimmed as she exploded but 
she kept her eyes on Marsh, watching the reflection of her own orgasm in 
Marsh's face.

"Dana..." Marsh murmured, her neck arching with the gripping spasms, her 
tone a benediction. Scully grasped her face with both hands, pulling her 
down into a kiss. They were wed for what seemed like an eternity in the 
swirling kaleidoscope of their twin climaxes. Finally their pounding 
hearts stilled, their harsh gasps subsided, and they rested in peaceful 
communion.

Scully stirred first, unable to ignore the questions clamoring in her 
mind any longer. "Marsh--what's going on? Why were you in Skinner's 
office this morning? Why did you need to see me?"

Marsh stood, offering a hand to help Scully up. "Come on, let's change 
and find something to eat. I'll tell you then."

Scully wanted answers immediately, but she reminded herself that Marsh 
was neither a suspect nor a colleague. She couldn't deal with her in the 
same way she conducted her professional relationships--she was, after 
all, her--*why not say it, Dana. Lover--she's your lover* She took 
Marsh's hand, pulling herself up and sliding her arm around Marsh's 
waist. She leaned against her slightly, not wanting her too far away. 
"Okay, food first."

A half an hour later she was standing in Marsh's well equipped galley 
kitchen watching Marsh put together a passable dinner from odds and ends 
she found in the refrigerator. She sipped her glass of red wine and 
watched Marsh's hands as she worked. Her fingers were long and supple, 
sure surgeon's fingers. She thought in amazement that just a few moments 
ago those hands had owned her body, inside and out. It was like nothing 
she had ever experienced, and it was the most natural thing in her life. 
Scully went to her where she stood working at the counter and pressed 
against her back, wrapping her arms around her waist. She laid her cheek 
against Marsh's shoulder, breathing in the faint smells of her shampoo 
and the aftermath of their love making. "Talk to me, Marsh. I'm worried, 
and I have to know what's going on."

Marsh carefully placed the chopping knife on the counter, turning in the 
circle of Scully's arms until they were face-to-face. Her expression was 
serious, but her eyes were tender. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry 
you. I called Skinner this morning when I couldn't sort out by myself 
exactly what happened to a dozen of my patients. He asked me to come in 
to review what information I had on them. I didn't realize he would call 
you. I'm sorry if that was awkward for you."

"It was only awkward because it was hard to concentrate with you so 
close, and me wanting to kiss you so badly," Scully said with a small 
smile. "I would prefer a warning next time so I don't disgrace myself."

"Well, you got back at me with that _handshake_," Marsh replied 
ruefully. "I'd been thinking about you non-stop for 24 hours. When you 
touched me like that, I almost came on the spot."

Scully placed her fingers lightly against Marsh's lips. "Don't talk 
about it, don't even think about it. If you do, we're going to end up 
making love right here on the floor."

Marsh took a deep breath, afraid of what she was going to discover. 
"When the bureau calls me, it's usually because they need a doctor with 
high level clearance. Most of the time I don't know the circumstances, 
and I've learned not to ask for explanations. This time is different. 
This time whatever is going on involves you. I need to know why."

"I'm not sure I know myself," Scully replied. "What I've been able to 
remember doesn't make much sense."

"Your partner seemed very interested in the x-rays of the patients from 
the fire," Marsh continued. "They've all disappeared, except one set. 
Yours had been pulled from the general circulation, which isn't uncommon 
when we admit a law enforcement agent. I looked at them today."

Scully's stomach churned. *So soon? Couldn't we have just a little time 
to be happy--without all of this?* She searched Marsh's worried eyes and 
knew it was already too late. Her past was upon them, and would be part 
of any future they might have. "And that's why you called me," she 
sighed.

Wordlessly, Marsh turned her around. She lifted the thick, soft hair at 
the base of Dana's neck. She ran her finger lightly over the inch long 
vertical scar. The choking fear she had experienced when she first 
looked at Dana's x-rays and saw the foreign object returned. She 
clenched her jaw, forcing herself to ask, "What is it?"

Scully leaned back against her, grasping Marsh's hands were they lay 
encircling her waist. She closed her eyes, envisioning the small 
metallic chip which was lodged adjacent to her spinal cord. "I don't 
know. I _ do_ know it saved my life." Marsh's arms tightened around her.

"How?" Marsh questioned, her voice tight.

"Six months ago I nearly died of cancer. That chip somehow induced a 
remission."

*oh Jesus, please--please don't let me lose her* Marsh closed eyes as 
the panic escalated, bending her forehead to rest against Scully's hair. 
She struggled to keep her voice even. "And now?" 

Scully flinched. There it was, the question that haunted her waking 
moments and invaded the landscape of her dreams. She didn't talk about 
it with Mulder; she didn't talk about it with her mother; she didn't 
talk about it with her priest. She had to talk about it now, because 
this woman had held nothing of herself back--she had allowed Dana to see 
her vulnerability, and her fear, and her need. Marsh had trusted Scully 
with her body, and her secrets. It was time. "There's no sign of it--so 
far. I can't predict the likelihood of recurrence because no one has 
ever seen anything quite like it."

Marsh wanted to curse, to rage against the injustice, to rail against 
the incomprehensibility of such a thing. She didn't. Instead she kissed 
the top of Scully's head, then turned Scully to face her. She lifted 
Dana's face in both hands, aching inside at the pain in her eyes. "I 
wish I could have been there for you. I'm here now."

Scully pressed a kiss to Marsh's palm. "It's not fair to you, Marsh. 
I've gotten used to living day to day--but you shouldn't have to."

Marsh clasped both of Scully's hands, bringing them to her lips. "If 
you're in my life every day, I wouldn't ask for more."

*How can I ask her to live with this?* Scully pressed her forehead to 
Marsh's chest. Her voice was shaking as she said, "I want you so much, I 
don't think I can be rational."

Marsh laughed gently, stroking her back tenderly. "Who wants a rational 
lover? Since I seem to be crazy about you, it seems only right."

Scully nuzzled her face against the soft curve of Marsh's breast, 
brushing her lips over her nipple. "Crazy doesn't begin to describe it," 
she murmured softly. She was afraid to even _think_ the words she wanted 
to say.


********* 


Tuesday 4:55 am

This time Marsh awoke alone. She lay for a moment listening for some 
sound, some movement, to tell her Dana was still there. She expected her 
to be gone, expected her to be a dream. There was only silence. She 
stepped into her sweats and pulled a tee shirt from the pile on the 
floor. Their clothes had suffered somewhat in their eagerness to undress 
one another the night before. She crossed softly to the top of the 
spiral staircase, and looked down into the room below. Marsh released 
the breath she hadn't been aware of holding. Dana was there--by the 
window; she was not a dream.

"Bad dreams?" Marsh asked as she settled beside Scully on the sofa.

Scully turned so that she could lean back into Marsh's arms. "Not 
exactly." Her voice was quiet, sad somehow. "I was thinking about us."

*Here it comes* Marsh swallowed the sawdust in her throat. "Feeling 
guilty?" she asked lightly.

Scully turned in surprise. "God, no. Is that what you think is going to 
happen? That I'm suddenly going to have second thoughts, and walk out of 
here?" There was more than a hint of anger in her tone. "Just what is it 
you think I've been doing, Marsh? Amusing myself with a little 
recreational sex?" She stared at Marsh, suddenly uncertain. "Or have I 
been reading _you_ wrong? Maybe you're the one who isn't serious."

"Hey, hey--slow down," Marsh pleaded. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said 
that. It's just that I've been too happy _not_ to worry. Sounds crazy, 
doesn't it? You are the most amazing thing to ever happen in my life, 
and I can't quite believe it. I couldn't be more serious about you, or 
more certain of what I want. I want you--every way, every day."

Scully knew it was true, she had felt it in Marsh's touch. She sighed, 
reaching for Marsh's hand. "I'm sorry, too. I can't bear the thought of 
anything, or anyone, hurting you. I'm afraid that being with me might 
put you in danger."

"Why?" Marsh asked, less frightened by the prospect of harm than of 
losing her.

"Skinner so much as warned me this morning not to see you," Scully 
admitted. "One of us is being followed, and I suspect it's me. It 
wouldn't be the first time."

Marsh laughed grimly. "So much for the privacy act. Did you tell him to 
stuff it?"

It was Scully's turn to laugh. "I'd like to keep my job a little longer. 
I also got the sense it wasn't coming from him. No matter where it's 
coming from though, it's a problem. I don't want to jeopardize your 
position with the bureau or the hospital."

"So what are you suggesting?" Marsh asked sharply. "That we not see each 
other?"

"No!--I don't know, Marsh. I can't even bear to think about not seeing 
you for a day! I just don't want you hurt!"

"Believe me, nothing could hurt me as much as not being able to see 
you," Marsh insisted. She looked at Scully closely. Her unhappiness was 
apparent. "There's something else, isn't there?"

Scully debated not answering. In the end, she chose honesty, because 
without it they had nothing. "Skinner told me what happened when Karen 
Summers died."

"Walter was quite talkative this morning, wasn't he?" Marsh said 
bitterly. She stood up suddenly and walked to the window, her hands 
clenched at her sides. "What difference does it make now?"

Scully wanted to go to her, but she knew she was the cause of her pain. 
"Marsh," she said softly, "my job is pretty safe, but it's not without 
risk. And then--" She took a deep breath, steeling herself for her next 
words. "What if my cancer returns?"

Marsh's back was rigid, her voice harsh. "I was just a green recruit, 
and she was a seasoned field agent. I couldn't believe she'd even talk 
to me, and when she asked me out, I fell hard. I was very young, and she 
was my first lover. Did Walter bother to tell you the whole story? Did 
he tell you that I was there when she went down? Did he tell you she was 
wearing her vest, but the shot caught her in the throat? Did he tell you 
I was out of my mind with grief when I went off that bridge? I don't 
even remember getting into the car!!"

"Marsh, don't," Scully pleaded. The anguish in Marsh's voice was 
breaking her heart. "You don't have to do this."

Marsh turned, her jaw tight. "But I do, don't I? You want to know what 
will happen to me if you die. That's it, isn't it? That's really what 
you're asking me."

Scully couldn't stand it any longer. She went to her, wrapping her arms 
around her waist, laying her head against her chest. "I don't want to be 
the cause of your pain. I would never forgive myself."

Marsh tightened her arms around Scully. "Then believe this--nothing 
would ever hurt me as much as not spending whatever time we have 
together."

"I have to believe it," Scully whispered, "because there's no way I can 
do without you."

"You won't have to," Marsh replied, "I'm here for you as long as you 
want me."

**********

7:48 a.m.

"Come on, come on," Scully muttered under her breath while trying to 
maneuver through rush hour traffic in the center of the nation's 
capital. "If I show up late for work, Mulder will never let me forget 
it."

She would have had plenty of time if it hadn't been for the shower. It 
seemed reasonable at the time for her to jump in while Marsh was 
showering for work. She hadn't counted on losing herself in the beauty 
of Marsh's body as rivulets of water streamed over it. She hadn't meant 
to do anything more than catch the tiny droplets that cascaded from 
Marsh's nipple on her tongue. But then she had pulled the tight pink nub 
into her mouth, and Marsh had moaned and trapped Scully's thigh between 
her legs. Marsh was hot and wet where she rubbed against her, and 
suddenly Scully was throbbing. Then she had backed Marsh up against the 
rear of the shower, and she was kneeling, the water beating on her back, 
so she could part the silky hair between Marsh's taut thighs with her 
tongue. Marsh's clitoris was already hard and standing out, waiting for 
her mouth. Marsh began to whimper as she sucked her, clutching Scully's 
shoulders for support. Her own clit pounded insistently in time with 
Marsh's, and she touched herself without thinking. Then she couldn't 
stop, and she was rubbing herself as she circled Marsh with her tongue, 
both of them moaning, their bodies quivering, the escalating pressure 
nearly unbearable. Marsh went off first, her head banging back against 
the glass enclosure, her legs rigid with strain. When Marsh started 
spasming between her lips, Scully's hips bucked in response, and she 
came into her hand. Marsh ended up on the floor with Scully more or less 
on top of her, and both of them nearly drowning. It was the best shower 
Scully ever had.

Scully smiled at the memory and the flush of arousal that accompanied 
it. Just as she pulled into the underground parking facility, her cell 
phone rang. She slammed into a parking space, reaching for her trench 
coat with one hand and her phone with the other. "Scully," she said.

"Scully, it's me," Mulder said. "Don't bother coming downstairs, Skinner 
wants us in his office _now_."

"Okay," Scully replied, crossing toward the elevator. "What's going on?"

"No idea," he said. "See you in a minute."

As it was, they both arrived outside AD Skinner's door at the same time. 
Miraculously, Mulder carried two cups of coffee and handed one 
wordlessly to Scully.

"Bless you," Scully whispered as she followed him into Skinner's office. 
She took her customary seat next to Mulder across from Skinner's desk. 
Skinner looked humorless as usual, his jacket off and his shirt sleeves 
already rolled up. He had probably been at work since six a.m.

He regarded them both intently for a moment, then leaned back in his 
leather chair with a grimace. "Marshall Black is missing. She had a 
seven a.m. surgery scheduled and didn't show up. The--"

"That's impossible!" Scully interrupted, half rising from her chair. She 
was having a hard time focusing on Skinner; there seemed to be something 
wrong with her vision. She shook her head, trying in vain to clear it, 
repeating urgently, "That's impossible. There must be a mistake."

Mulder reached a steadying hand to her arm. "Scully," he said in a 
cautious tone, "let's hear the rest of it."

She turned on him, her azure eyes flashing fire. "I just left her two 
hours ago, Mulder! She was fine!"

*Jesus Scully, get a grip. This is no time to be making announcements 
like that* She obviously didn't know what she was saying, or she 
wouldn't be exposing herself this way in front of Skinner. Mulder 
thought frantically, trying to formulate a plausible explanation for 
Scully's statement. 

Before Mulder could speak, Skinner leaned forward, saying, "I don't care 
_why_ you were interviewing Dr. Black at 6 o'clock in the morning, Agent 
Scully. What can you tell me that might help us locate her?"

Scully looked at him helplessly, her mind blank. *This can't be 
happening! She's all right. She _has_ to be. Good God, don't let me lose 
her now!*

"Scully," Mulder whispered urgently, forcing her to focus on him. *Come 
_on_, Scully, you can do this* 

She stared at her partner, at the face she knew so well, and her mind 
began to function. She was a federal agent, she was a professional, and 
if Marsh needed anything from her now, it was her thinking like one.

"She left her house at 6:05 a.m., driving her Porsche. She was 
wearing--," For an instant, her voice failed her. She cleared her throat 
and continued, "She was wearing blue flannel slacks, a light blue 
blazer, and a white turtleneck. I don't think she had an over coat." 
Scully looked at Skinner, her eyes filled with pain. *She kissed me 
goodbye. She said she'd call me between her cases to talk about dinner* 
With effort, Scully asked quietly, "Have you found her car?"

"Yes," he said, biting off the word. "It's in her marked slot in the 
hospital garage. She was due in the OR at seven, and apparently it's 
unheard of for her to be late. When she wasn't there by seven-fifteen 
security checked the garage, saw her car, and became suspicious. A 
heads-up security chief remembered the missing patients and thought 
there might be a connection. That's the only reason we were notified so 
quickly."

Scully fought back the bile rising in her throat. She would _not_ fall 
apart! "Was there any sign of a struggle?" she asked, nearly choking on 
the words. *oh god, Marsh--please, no*

"No," Skinner growled. "We need to jump on this one, people. We must 
assume this is related to the incident at the dam, and the missing 
patients. In all likelihood, someone thinks Black knows something, since 
she is the attending physician of record for all the survivors. We need 
to find her before they discover she doesn't know anything."

He didn't elaborate, and he didn't need to. It was unlikely that Marsh 
would be returned unharmed whether she provided useful information or 
not. There would be no request for ransom. Her best hope was if they 
found her quickly. Her chances of survival beyond tweny-four hours were 
slim.

Mulder stood, addressing Skinner, but speaking for Scully's benefit. 
"Marsh Black _is_ an agent, whether she's active or not. She's smart 
enough to stay alive until we find her. And we _will_ find her."

Skinner gave them both a hard stare. "That's what I expect. So get 
started."

He watched them leave the office, wondering if he was making a mistake 
letting Scully work the case. She was white as a sheet, but she hadn't 
lost her composure, he'd give her that. Still, he hadn't forgotten, 
could never forget, the look on Marsh Black's face the day Karen Summers 
went down. Scully had looked like that just now, and he didn't want 
another agent taking a drive off a bridge. He just hoped Mulder was 
smart enough not to leave her alone.

**********

"Scully--" Mulder said urgently the moment Skinner's door closed behind 
them. "We'll find her."

Scully silenced him with a raised hand. "Don't. Don't tell me lies, 
Mulder. Not now."

Mulder stopped, grasping her by the shoulders, turning her to face him. 
He peered intently into her face, not caring that people passing by were 
staring at them. "Don't give up before we've started, Scully. It's way 
too soon for that."

"I know. It's just when I think of someone taking her ..." *Hurting 
her...* She clenched her hands tightly, her nails biting into her palms. 
She was having trouble feeling anything. The small crescents of pain 
were actually comforting. After a second, she met his gaze. "How in 
God's name did you stand it?"

He wasn't sure whether she meant Samantha's disappearance or her own. 
His answer was still the same. "I got angry. Get angry, Scully."

She forced herself to think, turning from him and starting toward the 
stairs to the parking garage. "It doesn't make any sense, Mulder. Why 
would anyone risk this, when she couldn't possibly have any useful 
information?"

Mulder hurried to keep pace, grateful to see some color returning to her 
deathly pale cheeks. "When has any of it made sense, Scully? Five years 
of smoke and mirrors, truth and lies. Maybe there's something _we're _ 
missing. Maybe there _was_ something on the x-rays, or in the lab tests, 
or in the physical examinations. There has to be some reason why the 
patients were all removed, and there has to be some kind of common bond. 
They were all at Ruskin Dam for a reason. Marsh is the only one who's 
had intimate access to all of them."

"She would have told me," Scully insisted.

"Maybe she hasn't figured the link out, but someone is afraid she will," 
he said as gently as he knew how. He could name half a dozen people who 
had disappeared or met untimely deaths because of what they _might_ have 
known. He knew Scully could, too.

She refused to consider that possibility. Shaking her head, she pulled 
open the driver's side of her bureau car with enough force to shake the 
entire frame. 

"You sure you want to drive?" Mulder asked. She might be functioning 
again, but her hands were shaking, and she looked shell-shocked.

Scully looked at him over the hood of the car, her eyes smoldering. 
"Three hours ago I was making love to her, Mulder. Now I may never see 
her again. Yes, I want to drive. I want to shoot someone--is that angry 
enough?"

Mulder nodded seriously, opening the passenger side door. "It's a good 
start."

**********

Five hours later they sat slumped over cups of lukewarm, over-brewed 
coffee in the hospital cafeteria. Scully stared unseeing into the muddy 
liquid. Mulder stared anxiously at her. 

"We still have to interview all the employees who were changing shifts 
about the time Marsh would have arrived at the hospital. We're going to 
have a lot of people to wake-up," Mulder said, trying to sound 
enthusiastic. They were down to their last possibilities, and they both 
knew it. No one they had talked to thus far had seen Marsh drive in or 
had noticed anything the slightest bit out of the ordinary. Without a 
witness, they would have absolutely no hope of finding her.

Scully mustered every remnant of her shattered will power and tried to 
concentrate. As each hour had passed, hope dissipated, leaving behind a 
strange lassitude. It was not unlike the emptiness she had felt upon 
awakening at Ruskin Dam. It was a little bit like dying, only there was 
no promise of peace. Marsh was not here to call her back.

She looked at Mulder, her blue eyes so wounded it tore his heart. "Can't 
you contact someone, Mulder? There has to be someone who knows more than 
we do -- about the implanted chips, the abductions, about whoever or 
what ever is behind it all."

"Oh, Scully," he murmured sadly. "Anyone who might have helped us is 
dead. And I don't know any longer if anything they told us could be 
believed."

"There's _ got _ to be something we can do," Scully said frantically. 
She had to move, or she feared she might surrender to the relentless 
despair that pounded at the defenses of her mind. If she contemplated 
the reality of Marsh being gone from her life, of never hearing her 
voice again, or looking into her eyes, or feeling the comfort of her 
presence, she wasn't sure how she would survive it. She knew with 
absolute certainty what desolation accompanied Marsh on that near fatal 
ride so long ago. With everything she had endured, nothing had prepared 
her for the loss of someone who had touched her so deeply and so 
intimately. For the first time in her life, she had felt completely 
known. To have experienced it, no matter how briefly, would make living 
without it unbearable. She looked at Mulder, and saw his caring, and 
drew strength from his presence. She said with determination, "Let's get 
that list of night shift employees who have parking stickers for that 
lot. Then let's start waking people up."

"You've got it, partner," Mulder said with relief. The way she looked 
had been starting to scare him. He'd seen her lose her father, and her 
sister, and very nearly her own life. He'd seen her emotionally battered 
and physically beaten, but he had never seen her eyes so empty. He 
didn't need to understand how to know that Marshall Black had touched a 
place in Scully where no one else had ever been. He'd give anything he 
had to see that she didn't lose that.


**********


2 a.m. The next morning

Eight hours ago they had gotten a break. Their questioning had turned up 
a nurse who reported leaving early that morning and seeing a white van 
with its motor running in the parking garage. She thought at the time it 
was odd, because there was still an hour until change of shift and it 
was much too early for visitors. That was the only reason she had paid 
any attention to it. She couldn't remember it having any distinguishing 
logos, but she had recalled a portion of the license plate. With that 
information, they were able to notify all the local authorities to look 
for anything resembling it. It had given them their first bit of hope. 

Since then nothing.

Scully glanced across the room at Mulder. He was slumped in his chair, 
his neck at an awkward angle, asleep. There was nothing more they could 
do. There had never really been any hope of finding her. It was 
strange-- now that she accepted Marsh was gone, the despair had been 
replaced by an eerie calm. It was as if the pain had engulfed her 
completely, separating her from the rest of the world, insulating her in 
a separate reality. Methodically, she straightened her notes and 
gathered her things.

Mulder looked up to see her at the door. "Where are you going, Scully?" 
he asked softly.

"Out for a walk," she said hollowly, reaching for the door knob.

"I'll come with you," he said, rising. He didn't think there was any 
point in mentioning it was the middle of the night in downtown 
Washington D.C., and hardly a safe place for a stroll.

"No, Mulder," Scully said, still not looking at him. "I don't want any 
company just now."

"Scully," he protested, crossing the room to stand beside her. She 
looked up at him then, and he nearly gasped at the desolation in her 
face. *Oh Jesus, what is she thinking!*

Their eyes met and held, neither able to hide the truth, neither needing 
to speak. They had always been able to communicate their deepest 
emotions without words.

*This time you don't understand, Mulder. You can't help me*

*I can't let you go, Scully*

The ringing of the phone shattered the surreal silence like glass.

Scully watched Mulder's face as he listened, aware that she had stopped 
breathing. He looked at her, triumphant. Sensation began to return to 
her body as her heart thudded painfully. *Please god -- let us find her*

Then Mulder was slamming down the phone, rushing toward her. "DC police 
just found a white van partially submerged in the river. They're pulling 
it out now. Come on Scully, it's got to be her."

**********

They were forced to a halt behind a pile up of police cars and other 
emergency vehicles. Scully was out of the car before Mulder brought it 
to a stop. She ran, badge extended in front of her, toward the vehicle 
being winched out of the river. A burly police sergeant attempted to 
block her path.

"Federal agent," Scully shouted, shouldering past him. She got her first 
clear view of the white van, and her heart plummeted. With the exception 
of the double rear doors, the entire vehicle was submerged. It didn't 
look like anyone inside could have survived.

"Hey! Are you crazy, lady?" an officer shouted as Scully waded into the 
water.

"Let her go," Mulder said, grasping the officer's arm to restrain him. 
He watched as Scully pushed her way to the front of the vehicle and 
peered through the half exposed windshield. He held his breath, not 
knowing what to hope for. If Marsh weren't in the vehicle, they were 
back were they started from with nothing to go on. If she were inside, 
she was very likely dead.

Scully knew immediately the cab was empty. She stared inside for an 
extra second just to convince herself that Marsh was not there. The rear 
half of the van was windowless, and separated from the cab by some kind 
of partition. She was in water nearly to her waist, but she didn't feel 
the cold. Her chest burned with every breath, but she pushed her way 
insistently through the throng of men crowding around the rear of the 
vehicle, which was now balanced precariously on the bank of the river.

"For God sake, get this thing open," Scully commanded in a tone that 
could make a room full of agents come to attention. "If she's in there, 
she doesn't have much time." *Just let her be inside. Let her be alive*

Two men forced a jack between the door handles and popped the lock. The 
doors were difficult to swing open with the van angled so steeply 
downward. Scully tried to get closer, frantic for a look inside.

Suddenly Mulder was beside her. "I'm taller, Scully. Let me get in 
there." He managed to block her view as he helped the others pull the 
door open. If someone had put a bullet through Marshall Black's head, he 
didn't want Scully to see what was inside that van. He almost couldn't 
believe it when they finally got the doors opened.

"Jesus Christ," one of the policemen uttered.

Scully took a deep breath, steeling herself for the answer she feared 
would come. "Is she alive, Mulder?"

"Can't tell," he grunted as they lifted Marsh's body up out of the 
vehicle.

Scully was beside her the instant they transferred her onto a backboard. 
She motioned the EMT's away. She registered the blood on Marsh's face 
and around the cord binding her hands. *Oh Marsh, what have they done to 
you?* She pressed two fingers to the carotid artery in Marsh's neck. 
*She's cold* For a moment, her fears were realized. She didn't feel 
anything. Then, a faint but steady pulse rippled beneath her fingers. 
She closed her eyes, biting down on her lip so hard she drew blood. When 
she looked up, no one could see the tears. "She's alive. Get her into 
the ambulance _now_! You can start support measures while we transport." 

The last thing Mulder saw as the ambulance doors swung closed was 
Scully, kneeling on the floor beside the stretcher, cradling Marsh's 
body, her head bowed. He wondered if she was praying.

**********

Memorial Hospital 5 a.m.

Skinner found Mulder standing in the hall, peering through the glass of 
the intensive care unit. He glanced in, but the curtains were pulled 
around the bed.

"What the hell happened?" he asked roughly. His level of concern was 
reflected in the fact that he was unshaven, and had appeared in public 
in corduroys and an unpressed shirt.

"Someone got sloppy," Mulder said flatly, "and Marshall Black is one 
brave woman."

Skinner clenched his jaw, in no mood for Mulder's obliquity. "Would you 
like to explain that, Agent Mulder? And where is Scully?"

"She's inside with Marsh," Mulder said, gesturing toward the closed 
curtains. "Whoever was behind this, they don't have very good help. He 
was obviously supposed to kill Marsh and dispose of her body and the 
van. My guess is he was in a hurry. They apparently had her drugged to 
the point of unconsciousness, so he didn't bother to finish the job. He 
simply dumped the van the first chance he got. Didn't even bother to 
wait until it sunk--which it didn't." 

Skinner waited. He generally knew when Mulder was holding back. He 
usually didn't tolerate it, but there was something in Mulder's face 
that gave him pause. He'd seen him look this way before, when Scully had 
been ill, like he was trying to find someplace to put his pain.

When Mulder continued, his voice was hard. "She must have been awake 
enough to realize what was happening, but too weak to get out. The van 
was nose down into the river and nearly filled with water. They had her 
wrists tied with electrical cord, and she managed to hook the cord 
around the inside handle of the door. She was literally hanging by her 
wrists with her head barely above the water. She was pretty torn up."

Skinner's eyes narrowed, and a muscle bulged in his jaw. "And how is she 
now?"

"Still hasn't regained consciousness."

"Why don't you and Scully go home," Skinner suggested. "I'll post some 
men, although I doubt anyone will make an attempt here. They were done 
with her, and if she was drugged, she probably won't remember much of 
it. She's not a threat any longer."

"I think both Agent Scully and myself would prefer to be here to 
question her when she wakes up," Mulder said, hoping Skinner would 
accept his flimsy excuse. *There's no way Scully is leaving, and I'm not 
trusting her back to anyone else*

Skinner wasn't buying it, but he doubted he would get either of them to 
leave. "Right," he said curtly. "Call me with any news."

Mulder pulled a chair over next to the door and made himself 
comfortable. It wouldn't be the first time he sat vigil outside a 
hospital room for Scully.

**********

7:30 a.m.

Her head felt twice its size and filled with sawdust. Her shoulders 
ached and her wrists burned like hell. She couldn't remember much after 
pulling into the parking lot. There were men, and lights, and she 
remembered thinking how much she wanted to tell Dana she was sorry for 
leaving her. She turned her head and opened her eyes. Scully was there, 
hastily brushing tears from her cheeks. *God, I'm glad you're here. I 
never thought I would see you again* She swallowed the dust in her 
throat. "Didn't they teach you that FBI agents aren't supposed to cry?" 
Marsh asked softly.

Scully leaned forward to brush her lips gently across Marsh's. "They 
were only talking about being tortured or shot. I don't think they were 
talking about almost losing the love of your life."

Marsh wanted to touch her so badly. She tried to raise her arm, and 
winced at the laser-like pain the small movement evoked.

Scully gently wrapped her fingers around Marsh's below the bandages. 
"You're banged up and bruised pretty badly, and you've got severe 
contusions on your forearms. Your wrists are lacerated--the nerves and 
tendons seem to be intact. Your hands should be fine."

"Screw my hands," Marsh said with surprising strength, more concerned 
about the dark circles around Dana's eyes and the perceptible tremor in 
her body. "Are you all right?"

"Now that you're back, I am," Scully said, brushing her fingers through 
Marsh's hair tenderly. *God, I was so scared. If we hadn't found you--*
 
Marsh was struggling to stay awake, but she was losing the battle.
"I told you I wasn't going anywhere," Marsh murmured faintly as she 
drifted off. Her last words were barely audible. "Don't you know I love 
you?"

Scully smiled tenderly at the sleeping woman. The last 24 hours had felt 
like an eternity. An eternity in which she had come face-to-face with 
her own vulnerability. Marsh had entered her life with a force and 
passion that she could not resist, that she had no desire to resist. 
Marsh had exposed a need only she could fill. Scully knew with absolute 
certainty that without Marsh her life would be forever diminished. 
Whatever shape the future took, they would forge it together.

She laid her cheek against Marsh's bruised and battered hand. As she 
closed her eyes, she whispered softly, "And I love you, too, Dr. Black."
 
Scully slept, while outside the door Mulder kept watch.

End