The famous Mosquito-Bite scene! The power goes out as Scully is late-night typing yet again, so she decides to take a bath instead (nice motel to have available such large candles!). As she is undressing she notices in the mirror two marks on her lower back alarmingly similar to the ones on the dead teenager's bodies and (who wouldn't?) goes directly to Mulder's room. Mulder opens the door (dressed in khaki slacks, T-shirt and an unbuttoned blue denim shirt they *really* need to pull out of wardrobe for the man!) holding a candle and sees Scully dressed only in her burgandy robe, hair wet from the rain. A look of surprise passes over his face and he invites her in.

"I need you to look at something," Scully tells him. Mulder is standing behind her, still holding the candle, as she pauses and then unties the robe, letting it fall down over her shoulders and expose her oyster-colored bra and panties. Mulder stands silent for a moment, not really sure what it is she wants him to do, but Scully half-twists, looking Mulder in the eye, then looking down anxiously down at the marks. He understands and his gaze follows.

"What are they?" Scully asks him. He brings the candle closer to look at her lower back. We see his face in the hollow of her waist as he crouches down to examine her, and his fingers lightly press upon the marks.

"Mulder, what are they?" this time more urgent and frightened.

He stands up again and says smiling "Mosquito bites."

"Are you sure?" Scully half twists to check them again herself.

"Yeah- I got eaten up alive myself out there!" She ties the robe back up and turning around throws her arms around him in relief, knocking him slightly off balance with the force of it, her face buried in his shoulder. Mulder quickly regains his balance, surprised at her relief, and puts his hand comfortingly on her back (darn the candle in his other hand!). He (unintentionally?) takes in the smell of her hair, in which his nose has become unwittingly buried, and the sensation seems to surprise him, as he lifts his head jerkily and pats Scully's back. She finally begins to regain her composure and steps away from him.

"Are you okay?" Scully mutters an unconvincing 'yes' and Mulder looks at her with concern.

"You're shaking."

"I need to sit down." He nods, guiding her slowly into the desk chair and sitting himself down in the one opposite, watching her carefully. The next scene shows Scully still in her robe lying on her side under a blanket on the motel bed, with Mulder sitting on the floor against the bed. It is still raining and the power is still out; he is explaining to her about Samantha's disappearance, but the only thing I can think of is how they got from the desk to the bed!!

By Rebecca Foster

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