Title: Defying Gravity
Author: Dantzi Jean
E-mail: phantom_lass@hotmail.com
Rated: NC-17 for language and adult situations
Summery: When Mulder moves in to protect Scully from a dangerous man, feelings develop between our favorite agents that can no longer be denied
Spoilers: all over the place
Key word: MSR, NC-17 warning
Feedback: I live on the stuff people!
Time line: before "The End", The cancer arc never happened
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Chris Carter, 1013 productions And Fox Network. No infringement intended.
Authors Note: Hi, this is my first fanfic and it's probably really bad but who cares. Enjoy!

Defying Gravity

April 5 7:30 am FBI headquarters

Scully what did you do with my files?"

The sound of the question was almost accusatory as Dana Scully entered the poorly lit
basement office they had shared for five years, to the questioning gaze of her partner,
Fox Mulder, looking at her. Sighing, she brushed a stay lock of her auburn hair behind her
ear and regarded him impatiently.

"I didn’t touch your files. Why?"

"Two of the physic ability cases, we were reviewing for the report Skinner requested, are missing."

Again she sighed impatiently, as she picked up a stack of papers looking for the telltale candy-striping on the folder of an X-file.

"Mulder, you've really got to get organized."

"I am organized. I know where everything is."

"Except your files."

He looked wounded. "Somebody moved them. They were on my desk yesterday afternoon."

"I'm surprised you even know where you desk is. You do know where your desk is don't you Mulder?"

He growled in frustration "Just search, Scully skip the sarcasm."

"Did you ever search of just started going in for reinforcements?"

"Of course I looked."

"Hah!" she said, lifting a mountain of computer papers and various notebooks to reveal the missing files.

"You're amazing Scully, he said with exaggerated awe and admiration. "You must be physic,
I’ve never seen anyone find things as fast as you do."

As Scully walked back to hang her coat up, she turned around to see Mulder staring
at the computer monitor.

"Mulder, what is it?" she asked with a touch of worry in her voice.

Mulder didn't look up when she asked just said, "Come take a look at this."

As she walked over to where he was standing to see what he was talking about.
Printed on the smoky glass filter of his monitor in red crayon was a single word-- STOP.

“What do you think it means?" she asked as he sat down still looking at the monitor.

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"Some sort of practical joke, maybe. But why would anyone do something like this?"

"I don't know Scully,” he said as he walked across the door to examine the door for some kind of forced entry.

"Mulder?" came her voice in a question that stated that he knew something he wasn't telling.

"Scully, maybe this wasn't a random practical joke. We know these men and what they are capable of."

“What are you suggesting this is?”

"I don't know but we should look around to see if anything else has been tampered with."

For two hours Agents Mulder and Scully searched their office. Scully in her usual
there is nothing here' fashion, and Mulder in his 'search for the truth' fashion. In the end both agents found nothing to indicate further tampering.

"There is nothing here, Mulder. It's just a practical joke."

"Maybe it was, Scully. I'm just having one of those days."

Just then, there was a knock at their office door.

"Oh, hi Chuck." Scully said as she went to the door to greet Chuck, the NPS guy who had
a bouquet of flowers and a clipboard in his hand.

"Hi, Agent Scully just sign for these."

Mulder regarded this exchange with curious amusement, and said in his usual teasing tone,
"You guys got something going on I don't know about?"

Chuck who looked up to see Mulder said "Naw. Agent Scully drives by the florist up
the street and asked to have the flowers she throws away."

Mulder looking pleasantly surprised look at his partner of five years. He would never have guessed that she would like flowers on her desk. She never ceased to amaze him. He made a mental note of it in the back of his mind.

"Thanks Chuck, I'll just go put these in water." she scurried out of the office to
go to the ladies' room to fill the vase with water.

"Say don't you guys ever worry bout spending too much time on the computers?" Chuck asked
Mulder as Scully walked out of the room.

Mulder looked up with a questioning look and asks, "Why should we worry?"

"All those X-ray things and stuff. Don't you guys ever read the paper?"

"No, I never really thought about it."

"Well, just watch out you never know what could happen on those things." Chuck warned
as he walked out the room.

Mulder smiled and ironic smile, and people thought he was paranoid. As Scully walked back into the room he asked, "Flowers?"

"Are you going to make something of it?"

"No, just surprised me that's all." Mulder said with a twinkle in his eye. Every time he turned around these days something new about the enigmatic Dr. Scully who was his partner surprised him. Imagine the no-nonsense Agent Scully liked flowers on her desk. It just then occurred to him that he didn't really know his partner at all. What also occurred to him is that he would like to. "Hey Scully, care to have dinner with me tonight?" At her wondering look he felt the need to explain himself "You know hash over the old times and have some fun."

"Sure. I'll pick you up around seven?"

"It's a date." Mulder said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He knew she wasn't going to let that one slip.

"It's not a date, Mulder." She did not want Mulder to know how her heart jumped when
he called it a date. He's your partner, Dana you can't think of him like that, she admonished
herself. She had successfully buried her feelings about her partner for the last five years it would do no good for her to let them out now.

At quitting time, he said "So, I'll see you at seven. Anyplace special you want to go?"

"Sure, how about that new Italian place over on Elm?" she asked as he helped her on with her coat.

"Fine," he replied as he helped her with her coat his eyes were automatically drawn to her hair, the shiny auburn locks that looked liked silk and with the fragrance of her shampoo. X-rated images of her and that fiery hair danced in front of his eyes. Damn. I 've got to stop thinking like this. What a surefire way to ruin a great partnership.

"Thanks." she said, unaware of the images running through his mind.

He was relieved that she didn't notice anything. The coat she wore hid her voluptuous
figure, but it didn’t hide her glorious mouth. What a mouth. Visions of that mouth kissing him and trailing over his body were seriously distracting him. Stop!
He practically screamed at himself. She's your partner!

April 5 7:30 Fusco's Diner

As they sat in the booth of the none-too-fancy restaurant Mulder asked, "Do you ever get lonely,
Scully?" the devil was in him tonight. He thought of all the reasons he didn't want to get involved with this woman in anyway outside of work. Why then was he poking around in non-work places?

"Do you?" she countered, wondering what made him ask a question like that. This was not the Mulder she knew not the one who yelled at the top of his lungs about alien abductions and conspiracies in the middle of the pouring rain.

"Yes, I do," he said the words flatly and truthfully.

"Mulder, are you okay?" she asked with concern in her voice and in her face.

"Fine," he lied. This was bad. This was unthinkable. For five years he had known this woman and worked with her and only seeing her as his partner. Why should this change now?
He no longer saw his partner but just a woman. A woman who was smart and beautiful and
incredibly tempting, with a cornucopia of curves for him to explore.

"Mulder?"

He liked her voice he realized. The smooth soft word that roll off her tongue with such grace.
He'd listened to that voice yell at police officers, at him and turn medical jargon into something
incredibly erotic.

"Relax, Scully, I’m okay."

Scully who had been born with an inquisitive nature was not about to let this pass lightly.
She knew something was wrong, Mulder would tell her in his own time in his own way, he always did. Yet, something changed, something big, she didn't know what but she could see a change coming and that scared her.

Scully insisted on dropping him off at his place. This gave him the opportunity to study
her without her looking. The confines of the car made the awareness of her all the more noticeable, the smell of her perfume drifted to his nose. That smell he would always
associate with her. The shadows highlighted her hair just so making a it a shiny fiery mass
The soft lines of her cheeks and the gentle curves of her breasts were driving him crazy. Just then, all his good intentions flew out the window and he saw himself doing something his mind was still trying to object to. Like a man possessed he reached out his hand and took her gently by the shoulders and drew her across the seat toward him. Nothing mattered except finding out how she tasted. Her foot left the clutch and the car choked to silence. Neither of them noticed.
He heard Scully draw in a short breath before his mouth descended upon hers. With one thrust he pushed his tongue past the barrier of her teeth and lips searching for the heat and promise within.

Her response was as passionate, just as he expected it would be. He has seen her passion and felt it. Just then she deepened the kiss, his hands left her shoulders and plunged into her hair preventing her escape, but she wasn't thinking of escape he could tell. She made this sound deep within her throat, almost like an ecstatic plea, begging for release.

Then like a bucket of cold-water, reason surged within him, reminding him of who he was,
and who she was. Shuddering with reluctance, he tore his mouth from hers and lifted his head. For a while he was incapable of movement or speech, he could only gasp for air. Her eyes were hazy, full of tangled needs they were both feeling.

"'Night Scully," and with those words he left the car. Leaving behind a puzzled Scully.

"Mulder, wait," but it was too late he was already out of the car.

Defying Gravity

April 8 FBI building 7:30 am

In the office the next day, Mulder and Scully acted as if the previous night had never
happened between them. Scully walked in and she saw that Mulder was working on his computer.

"What are you working on?" she asked as she deposited her brief case on the desk.

"Oh, just a report to Skinner. Looks like today is another paper work day."

"Well, I've got an autopsy to do on the last of those homicide victims. So, I'll see you later."

She then walked out of the office her heels clicking as she walked. Mulder watched her
hips sway with the movement of her walking. God, she had a great ass. Oh boy, here we go
again, Mulder Fantasy #87 coming to mind now: Dana Scully in the autopsy bay, him carefully
exposing her soft delicate skin...Damn! I've got to stop thinking this way she's your partner.
She deserves better. But then again Mulder don't you have a shot at happiness
too? He then thought of a plan she could not resist and set it into motion.

Autopsy bay, 12:45 pm

"There seems to be an indication of a sharp object used to sever the optic nerve, the killer
then proceeded to remove the right eye..."

Ahh. The sound of her voice when she is puzzled had such an alluring quality that Mulder
just stood outside and watched her for a moment. He watched as she wrinkled her brow in
concentration, and how her voice deepened when she was working. He noticed her petite
figure standing over a corpse of a victim of the "Eye Murders", which he had named them, for
only the victim's eye was removed and no other cause of death could be determined. He walked
into the room and proceeded towards her.

Scully did not see Mulder outside the door watching her, and she barely saw the body
in front of her. Her mind was on the kiss she and Mulder had shared last night, her reaction
was so that he would have no doubt of her feelings toward him now. When she walked
into the office this morning she had watched Mulder closely of any signs of recognition that
he suspected her true feelings towards him, but he pretended like nothing had happened
and so did she, on the outside. On the inside though she felt that five years of carefully
disguised feelings were exposed and that she along with them were exposed as well.
She then was jogged out of her mental chastising to the sound of footsteps approaching.
The objects of her thought walked up with a wide smile on his face. God I loved that smile.

"Hey, Scully You hungry?"

"Yeah, starved, just let me clean up here."

She was the only woman he knew that could get hungry doing autopsy. She removed her glasses
and her gloves to throw them away. She let her hair down, that shimmering mass of coppery,
red strands that just begged for his touch. He stuck his hands in his pockets to distract himself.
He then led her down to their office. He stepped back to see the reaction on her face.

She stepped into the office to get her coat ready to go out, when she saw what Mulder
had in mind. On the floor of the office was a red and white checkered tablecloth with a
picnic basket in the center, two plates and two wine glasses. "Wow...Mulder," she said
with a mixture of surprise and suspicion in her voice, trying to guess his reasons for doing this.
She always suspected beneath that stern exterior there was a romantic. He just never showed it to you.

"You like?" He asked hopefully.

"Yeah, when did you manage it?"

"I was just thinking that we deserve to treat ourselves from the paperwork for a while.
Have a seat." He said as he motioned to the place across from him on the table cloth.

"What is this about, Mulder?" She asked puzzlement dripping in her voice.

"Ahhh..." he stammered, not quite sure how to drop the bomb on her.

"Mulder?"

He sighed and prepared for the explosion. "I want a date Scully, a real live date.What do you think?"

For a long moment astonishment kept her silent as Mulder tried to gauge her reaction, but
he was never good at reading her thoughts.

"I think that it would be a great way to ruin a great partnership." Especially given the reaction she had to his kiss last night and her treacherous thoughts.

"We're adults, Scully we can handle a date we don't need to get into any heavy stuff right now, just a date."

Her look grew even more suspicious. "Are you loosing your mind?"

He smiled bitterly recalling another time she had called him crazy. " No, contrary to
popular opinion, at this moment I'm very sane. I'm asking you because I've worked with you for
five years and just now realized that I'd like to know you better."

"You know the bureau doesn't approve of this."

That was just like Scully to throw the 'book' up in his face. Always the good little
girl and always playing by the rules. "They don't have to know about it, just a date, Scully."

"I don't think that's a good idea Mulder, things are fine as they are, and you know I'll
never regret working with you, but I just don't think it's a good idea, sorry."

"That's okay, Scully. I know it was a little impertient of me. We still have the work," he said with a little disappointment in his voice, but this was his Scully and she'll never leave. Or will she? HIS Scully? Mulder aren't you being a little territorial? YES, but damnit he felt the need to protect her, ever since she had been taken, he was afraid of losing her for good and there were times he'd come damn close. She was a free woman and free to date anyone she wanted. Just the thought of Scully with another man was enough to start his blood boiling.

After lunch, Mulder went back to work and Scully back to the morgue to finish the autopsy.

At quitting time, Scully poked her head in the office to still see Mulder working.

"Aren't you going home?" she said as she grabbed her coat.

"No, I've got some things to finish up here first," he said not looking at her.

Scully felt an odd silence come over them and she needed something to say to break it.
"Goodnight, Mulder," was all she could manage.

"Bye, Scully."

Mulder watched as she went, he still wondered what made him ask her out today.
While pondering this, he hadn't noticed a man entering the office.

"Uh... is Dana Scully here? The woman said this was her office." The stranger said.

Mulder, startled by the stranger’s voice, looked up shocked to discover a man in a biker
outfit complete with the chains and the boots.

"What?" he asked the stranger not hearing what he said.

"Does Dana Scully work here?"

"Why?" was all Mulder could ask, is he why she had said 'no' to him this afternoon? No, he wasn't Scully's type.

"I was just in the neighborhood and decided to pay her a visit. Is she here?"

"No, she just left." said Mulder not wanting to give up where she went afraid this
man would hurt HIS Scully. Millions of questions about the stranger and why he could
want to talk to Scully went through his mind.

"Oh, okay just tell her I stopped by, will you?"

"Sure," and with that the stranger left, leaving a very confused Mulder in the office.
How the hell would Scully know someone like that?! Quickly his memory scanned all
the men Scully talked about or said she had known, and nobody fitting the stranger’s description
came to his mind.

Scully's apartment 11:21 pm

The phone ringing woke Scully from her peaceful slumber. She drowsily turned on the
light and looked at the clock and then contemptuously at the phone, at this hour it could only be Mulder. Didn't that man ever sleep? She thought as she picked up the receiver. This had better be good.

"Yeah." She answered.

"Scully?"

Scully recognized the concern and fear in her partner's voice and became immediately alarmed.
"Mulder? What is it?"

"I just got a call from the bureau. Our office has been trashed and files have been stolen-"

Scully interrupted with an incredulous "What?!"

"Yeah, everything's destroyed and Scully, and..."

"Yeah?"

"There's a note."

She heard the hesitation in his voice. "Mulder, what does it say?"

"Agent Scully stop disturbing my gravity or I'll have to hurt you please don't make me hurt you."

"Oh, my God, Mulder."

"Yeah, exactly what I thought."

"I'll be right down there," she said as she placed the phone back in its place and hurriedly
dressed. Why would someone want to come after me?

Defying Gravity

Author's note: Ahh. Well that's done now part three of my story this one is going to require the
dreaded word...Research ahhh. Oh, well just gives me another excuse to spend another Saturday
watching X-files... as if we need an excuse. Here's part three enjoy!

Scully walked in to the office "Oh, my God!" Papers were everywhere, the office was unrecognizable, all the files had been pulled out of the filing cabinet, most of the pictures posted were torn down or awry. What the hell happened! She heard Mulder yelling at someone, she didn't care whom.

The minute he saw her he was by her side."Scully, thank God! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What happened here?"

"Someone just came in and trashed the place. Nothing was found no prints or any thing
except the ahhh...note."

Scully barely heard a word he said her gaze was fixed on the office and the terror wreaked in it.
This was deliberate and directed at you. She thought as she let her gaze travel the room.
Mulder was called over by the police officer and she could hear him mutter a "Oh, hell."
and was immediately curious.

"What is it, Mulder?" she asked intrigued what the conversation was about.

"There was a biker here last night asking for you he might be our only lead."

"Biker? What biker?"

"I was hoping you would answer that for me."

"Well, what did he look like? What did he say?"

"He was a biker, ya know the chains, leather, and boots, and he just asked if you worked
here and where you were."

Scully mentally jogged her memory and couldn’t think of anyone that matched the description of the biker.

"Do you know who that man might have been?" Mulder asked apparently seeming to read her mind. Sometimes there was no need for words between them.

"No, no clue. What about this note?"

Mulder handed her a plastic bag with a crumpled-up piece of paper within. In big bright letters it read:

Agent Scully stop disturbing my gravity
or I'll have to hurt you don't make
me hurt you.

As she read the words the threat to her life just seemed to be very real and she'd never
been pursued and that was a frightening thought.

Mulder tried to see her reaction when he handed over the plastic evidence bag with the
letter. For a moment the investigator face showed up, the face he'd seen so often and then her expression changed, it softened, and for a moment fear crossed her features. That made him take notice, she was so strong and powerful that to anyone she met she instantly fooled, and then she belied her appearance with her intelligence and spirit.The two qualities he most admired in her, but now she looked helpless and vulnerable. His chivalrous side took control. He gathered her up in his arms and she took comfort in his strength, but she pulled away with her usual Scully way of putting distance between them.

"I'm fine Mulder." Was her response when he took her by the shoulders and gathered him up
in his arms those powerful arms that cuddled and cradled her as if she were a child. She could easily become addicted to this man. She didn't want to become addicted the logical side of her head was telling her he was infuriating, egotistical, crazy, obsessed, warm, strong, hard. Hard?! She pulled out of the embrace to put distance between them.

"I think you should go in to protective custody until this is straightened out," he said in a matter-of-fact way.

"I think I can take care of myself, Mulder,” she said in a voice that broke no argument,
though Mulder wasn't on to give up easily.

"Scully, you are the practical on here, you need to be in protective custody until this is over."

"I'm not going, Mulder!" she said almost yelling at him. Mulder noticing he wasn't
going to get anywhere with this argument, he said blandly "Well, If you won't go into custody, I'll have to stay with you, two is better odds then one."

At this proclamation her head shot up. Mulder and me living together! Not now, not when he
has just kissed her not more then two days ago, she couldn't stand it.

"I can take care of myself."

"Hey," he said jokingly, trying to lift her humor, "I'm offended." He said with feigned hurt.

"I'm telling you in plain and simple terms, Mulder-there is no way on God's green earth
that you are moving in with me!"

Scully's apartment 6:45 pm

"Mulder, you are *not* moving into my apartment!"

"Don't screech, Scully. It doesn't become you." He said his arms laden with a heavy box,
and Scully had no choice but to back up.

"I'll get even for this, Mulder! I swear I will!"

"I can hardly wait." He said moving past her with a wide grin on his face that Scully
would just love to rip off right now.

With a groan of frustration she went into the house and into her bedroom. She heard him
yell, "It's rude to abandon a guest, Scully." and that just made her angrier. He was treating her like a child who needed protecting from a bad dream, not with the usual professional courtesy and respect and not to mention the friendship that he had come to regard her with. She shouted back at him, "I don't recall inviting you." She heard him utter an oath and put the box down.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath. She was scared shitless and he could tell,
she didn't need him pushing her buttons. He uttered another curse and headed down the hall toward her bedroom, where he assumed she was judging by the direction of her voice. Again
he uttered another curse under his breath as the picture of her took his breath away.
She was standing, her back ramrod and her arms crossed in front of her chest, she was
looking out the window, but was too preoccupied in her own thoughts that she did not hear him
enter the room."Scully?" he whispered afraid he talked any louder he would set
off a nuclear bomb.

"Go away, Mulder," she said through a clenched jaw that he could see plainly.

"No, Scully. I can't and I won't, whether or not you realize it you're scared to death,
and it's okay, but damnit Scully don't shut me out. I can't bare to see you like this."

Scully turned and looked at him and wondrous awe. She looked into those sad deeply
green eyes that held comfort, grief, and something else she could not name. She was touched,
until now she had never considered asking Mulder why he was doing this. "Like what?" She asked still looking into those hypnotic green eyes.

"Like this," he said as he took her wrists in a gentle grip and opened her arms and pulled
her up against him. "Looking like you are all alone and friendless in the world. You're not alone, Scully. You've got me and I'll be here no matter what, I know I can push and prod and order and ride roughshod-"

"You read Regency Romances?"

Startled he looked at her and said, "What does that have to do with anything?"

A secret smile slid up Scully's face. Mulder, Regency Romances? "That is the only
place where anyone rides roughshod over anything these days. Mulder, this is my place and
it was my right to offer the invitation, you just take over and I'm growing tired of it.”

"You do a pretty good job of standing up to me." He reminded her.

Yes, she did she thought, and maybe she was scared. Hell if she was honest with herself
she was scared to death. All that violence was directed at *her*. "Why do you read
Regency Romances, Mulder?"

"I read some of everything. I'm a compulsive reader. Quit trying to change the subject.
We need to get this straightened out. Agent Scully you are a target and that means you are not
leaving my sight until this guy is caught."

She understood now why Mulder was trying to protect her. It wasn't that she needed baby-sitting,
it was that *he* was scared and for her. That thought touched her very heart that Mulder would care that much about her. She then grabbed his waist and put her head on his shoulder and said
"Thank you." For now she understood.

As Scully hugged him, Mulder felt this tender warm spot in his middle. He barely heard her
'Thank You' against the fabric of his shirt. In just a moment he had her face between his
hands and her eyes shouted her gratitude and understanding. "You're Welcome," he
said as he strode out the door leaving Scully to follow in his steps. "This is your last chance to tell me where to roost or I'll set up camp here."He said trying to distance himself from the woman standing across from him.

Smiling, she said, “I'll give you the guest room." he followed he up the stairs thinking what a cute tush she had and that thought made him smile as well.

Scully's apartment 8:00 am

Ahhh. She sighed as she woke up from her restful sleep; it felt good to be able to sleep in. As she heard a clanking sound from the other end of her apartment she thought I’d have to call the landlord. As she walked down the hall she completely forgot that Mulder was staying with her that is until she walked in to the bathroom. What the hell happened in here?! She thought as she looked around the room. Hideous, revolting, eye-jarring orange towels hung beside her
dusty rose ones. Her creams and lotions had been shoved to the other side of the counter to accommodate a mess-literally-of shaving gear. In the dish beside her pink bar of soap was a greasy-looking bar of pumice soap. Mulder didn't use shaving cream she discovered. Beside a
pink-flowered can of her own cream was an old shaving mug and brush, the mug must have had ten years worth of drips on the sides. The shower curtain, which she had always kept drawn to prevent mildew, was now pushed to one side of the enclosure and a towel hung over the side of the tub. Her toothpaste had been used and squeezed from the top and the cap left off, and not until she sat down did she realize that the toilet seat had been left up. Somehow she managed not to loose her temper. She could be a real terror in the morning. She straightened the bathroom, somewhat and headed down the hall to the kitchen to make breakfast.

As she entered the kitchen, she was assaulted by the manly presence that enlivened her kitchen and not until she saw what he was doing that she realized that the heater was not broken, but Mulder was making scrambled eggs on her stove. He did not deter from his cooking to acknowledge her presence, so she assumed she did not notice her.This gave her the opportunity to study him. Clad in only the skimpiest jogging suit she had ever seen, Mulder went after the eggs with a vengeance. His hair, rumpled by the morning wind and he had not yet shaven. She walked to the coffeemaker and poured herself and Mulder a cup, which she set on the table and sat back down.

He then turned to her. "Thanks the smell of it has been driving me crazy but I wanted
to wait for you." he said and without so much as a by-your-leave he downed the coffee in one gulp and went to the machine to get another cup.

"You knew I was here?" The realization made her heart pound. To think that he had known she was staring at him like a...groupie! "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because *you* didn't," his eyes twinkled with amusement, "I know your morning temperament, Scully, If you want to be quiet, I'm not gong to start talking."

So he'd known she was watching, gawking like any teenager. She tried to stand up to keep Mulder from seeing just how flustered she was. She had always prided herself that she could keep her cool in the most intimidating situations, but now it all seemed to go to hell.
In the next moment his hand settled on her shoulder. Her heart started going at break-neck speed when she watched his other hand goes up to her other shoulder. His hand moved gently and lightly over the satin of her pajamas, one of his fingers found her jaw and neckline, the touch was so fleeting that she had to concentrate to feel the movement of his fingers. Slowly, with a gentle pressure he tilted her face to his. Only inches separated them as he bent over her.

"You're lovely, Scully," he said in a husky whisper. "Even first thing in the morning, and that is no small feat."

She felt hypnotized, drugged as she looked into his green eyes. Strange ribbons of sensation seemed to run from his fingertips to the rest of her body and she wanted more, oh so much more. Seeking the warmth he offered she leaned into his hand.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he whispered, and covered her mouth with his. His last rational thought was that no healthy male could have resisted the way her eyes studied him, the passion and heat that surged within him and the way she leaned into him was just irresistible. He promised himself that he would keep it light, just a good-morning salute, but he broke that promise as soon as he made it, and then he quit thinking about anything but the feel of her in his arms, the taste of her, the ways she made his blood race not just in a physical way, but something
that went deeper, something that he could not name.

Sweetheart? Before she could wonder at his choice of endearment, she was lost in his kiss. He may have intended only a gentle salute, but after the first touch of his mouth her lips parted at once with yearning she had not felt in years, and he took her invitation seriously. He kissed her with a passion that she knew only existed within him. His tongue sought hers gently and eagerly, heightening every nerve ending in her mouth.

He delved into her and yet was gentle at the same time, as if expecting her to reject him.
"Ahhh. Dana, my own gradhaichte." he said. The Gaelic word flowed from his mouth like a waterfall and washed over Dana.

Between his urgent kisses she managed a, "What does that mean?" Her voice filled with the passion he had aroused in her, too long dormant.

Mulder barely heard her question, but when his mind had cleared somewhat he realized he had spoken to her in Gaelic, a language his Grandmother would often speak to him. "It means darling, treasured one,” he explained. Just then Mulder's hand slipped down and were roaming her body. Her waist, and thighs, and hips, everywhere he touched fire would appear, making a soft tender spot between her legs flame with need and grow moist. Mulder had had his share of women in the past, and he knew when one was about to surrender herself to him, and Dana Scully was just about over the edge. This was *Scully* for Christ sakes! Of all the stupid things he had done in his life this one took the cake. He could not compromise her in this way!
It was nigh to impossible to let go of so much tempting willing womanhood as his partner, but if he didn't do it now there was no going back. He gently broke the kiss and held her gently, waiting for her to recover.Waiting for *her* to recover, hell waiting for *him* to recover.
Why was he doing this? What the hell had possessed him? Why was he willing to sacrifice the best friendship he ever had, and a great partnership on a base part of his anatomy-one that ceased to rule him years ago?!

The minute he let her go, she was out of his arms and murmured a barely audible, "I need to get dresse,." and walked calmly out of the room as if nothing had happened, though her whole world was spinning on a new axis, and her mind whirring with new possibilities.

Mulder watched her go, a tower of strength, just the way she squared her shoulders was enough to see her pride and courage. He felt the worst sort of asshole for making that towering wall tumble down for just a moment in time.

That afternoon Scully's apartment

"I guess we should go to the office to try and make some sense of this whole thing and figure out who dunnit." Mulder said with resignation.

"Sure, I guess," she said with no feeling in her voice.

"Are you okay, Scully?" he asked with genuine concern for her.He knew she was scared to face the office, but he also knew she was strong and could deal with it.

"I guess, why?"

"You've hardly said a word, and you're not arguing with me and that is not like you, Scully." Remembrances of when Donnie Phaster had terrorized her, swept through his mind and how she behaved during that time was a lot like it was now, silence and strength.

"I'm just trying to mentally prepare myself for it. Do you like it when I argue with you, Mulder?"

"That depends, when it's something small I know it will blow over but when something bothers you like this and you get all quiet on me I get worried."

Scully was touched by this rare show of affection from her partner and his left-handed indication that he cared for her. She managed a light retort, "Well, I almost got mad at you about your
towels and my bathroom this morning."

"What the hell is wrong with my towels?!" he said with mock anger.

"They're *orange*, Mulder."

A martial gleam came into his green eyes then. "So? Orange is a nice, bright color. It reminds me of pumpkins, of autumn and Halloween and..."

"Fine," she said, a little impatience in her voice. "It has it's place but not in a bathroom decorated in maroon and dusty rose, it's an act of visual violence, Mulder, but it's only temporary so that is why I didn't yell, but Mulder, buy your own toothpaste.”

"Ohhh. You noticed." He said hoping she wouldn't.

"How could I not?!" she asked incredulously.

"Alright today I'll go out and buy some white towels as to not offend thine eyes and a tube of toothpaste as not to ruin my lady's temper seeing as how she owns a gun,” he said melodramatically. At this Scully just had to laugh and he along with her. God, her laughter
is magical. He thought. He would give up almost anything if he could hear her laugh, really laugh. They then headed for the office. Their good humor returned and the morning almost forgotten.

After a fruitless day of bagging evidence, looking for prints, and yelling at other officers, Mulder and Scully came up with nothing, and the only lead was the mysterious biker Mulder had seen.

By the time Scully got home she was exhausted, she and Mulder had grabbed some Chinese and she went to bed leaving Mulder sitting placidly on the couch remote in hand. Once she got in bed, however, she tossed and turned for hours contemplating the events of the past couple of days. She conceded defeat and went into the kitchen for some water and to finish typing her notes for her report. She was at the tap when she heard a small sound behind her. She instinctively reached behind her for her weapon, not finding it there she looked around the kitchen for something to use for a weapon, but she was too late.

"Damn it, Scully," he growled hoarsely, "Tell me when you are going to wander around in the middle of the night!"

She was startled by the picture he presented more then by what he had said. There in the middle of her kitchen was Mulder in his boxer/briefs he wore, feet spread apart for balance, and his Smith and Wesson pointed at her head. He was a man ready for battle, it was such a contrast from the 'city-boy in suits' image he usually presented her with, that it made her gasp.
He was still talking to her she realized and she tried to concentrate on what he was saying rather then his physique.

"When I found your bed empty I thought...Never mind what I thought. Hell!" He exclaimed as his hand visibly tightened on the hilt of his gun and Scully could see that he was making an effort to relax.

"Sorry. I couldn't sleep. Why did you check my bed, Mulder?"

"Because I heard noises and went to see if you were okay."

"I'm fine, just restless." she then proceeded to buzz around the kitchen, getting herself a cup of cocao. She stopped in the middle of her ministrations to ask if he wanted a cup.

"Sure." He said still a little shaken. He then set his gun on the table and put his head between his hands and sighed. God, how she had given him a scare tonight! He looked up at her and watched
as she made hot chocolate. She made it the old fashioned way, he discovered, none of the vanilla flavored stuff in the packages. She went about in her usual methodical way of things, never missing a step and making sure everything was just right. She set the cups on the table and sat down not looking up at him, she started going through the mail.He was still watching her. She was wearing her maroon satin pj's and her white terry-cloth robe. Her hair was rumpled by the tossing and turning of restlessness. God she was so beautiful even now in the middle of the night. She was so strong in the face of this danger. Why then was he so afraid? It must come from habit, he thought. All throughout their partnership she was always being taken by some unseen force leaving him to wonder. Now in the face of this new enemy she didn't even flinch. How did she do it? He wondered to himself. How can she stay so damn calm while all they can do is wait
for this person to take *his* Scully away. He was never good at waiting, but now he had someone to wait with and all of a sudden the situation didn't seem so helpless to him. He watched as her hand came to a manila envelope and turn it to see who it was from.

"Huh, no return address," she muttered.

The minute she said that Mulder stood saying, "Don't touch that."

She dropped the envelope surprised as watched as he grabbed a napkin out of the drawer and proceeded to open the envelope.

"My God!" was all Scully could manage when she read the letter.

AGENT SCULLY, YOUR BEAMS
DESTROYED MY GRAVITY SO
THE COMPUTERS CAN TAKE
OVER MY MIND. I STOPPED
THEM. IF YOU START AGAIN
I WILL STOP YOU FOREVER.

"Mulder?"

He made no answer, but looked disturbed and instinctively put his arm around Scully's shoulders.

"What do you make of this?" She asked.

"Well..." he said going back his investigator's frame of mind. "This could be the work of many things, it could be just a red herring, meant to divert us from something bigger or it could be the work of a sick mind in this case- a paranoid schizophrenic."

"I agree, this person definitely seems to be paranoid, which is a common delusion among schizophrenics-thought insertion is also another trait, the thought of someone or something putting thought in his mind gaining fear of these voices that causes him to react to these
fears and trying to destroy them. Also if you ask family members of schizophrenics they say the victim is really quite normal and rational, they live their lives and carry on with life just like you or I. It's the delusion they are under that makes others believe they are insane otherwise they are perfectly sane."

She said in her scientist way of telling him the facts like a textbook that always amazed him, and for some reason never failed to turn him on. Noticing that was still in his underwear and that she was having an effect on him he tried to cover the part of his anatomy that held the tell-tale signs of arousal. "Yes, but aside from that fact, this guy still believes he's hearing voices, or, " he added quickly "He is under the delusion that he's hearing voices that are telling him to act out his fears, and those fears are us or more precisely you since I don't happened to mentioned in the letter."

"I'm fine, Mulder. Really, I am." She said it as if it were a reflex.

But despite her words Mulder knew she feared this guy and so did he. "Well, no matter what I'm not leaving your side, not after this."

"Fine," she said in no mood for an argument. She walked back to her bedroom, leaving Mulder at the table looking after her. "And Mulder if you cook those eggs again tomorrow, I'll kill you.” She said going back to bed.

The Next Morning

Today was Saturday, she loved Saturdays, a day to lie around the house and do nothing. As he had promised Mulder did not make eggs and wake her up with the noise of it. She got up and padded down to the kitchen for some coffee, indeed Mulder was not even awake yet, but at her kitchen table a sleep just as she had left him the night before. He must have fallen asleep after she had gone to bed, she mused. She saw his prone form lying with his head crocked to one
side lying on his arms and his weapon still in his hand. He looked so childlike and peaceful there, just sleeping on her table. She walked over to him and smoothed a stray lock of his brown hair away from his forehead, she was surprised when a slow smile crept its way to his face and then it relax in sleep. Mulder, smiles in his sleep, she thought, and that made him appear even more childlike and that thought was something she never really considered about him. It was all too easy to remember when she had known she loved him; it was that night on the stakeout for Tooms. That night was permanently branded in her mind and heart. Though she knew she could never express her love she loved him anyway. As he had said in that hotel room on their first case together, nothing else mattered to him except finding out the truth. She had seen the passion for the search to find the truth many times and hoped to see many more it was one of the many things she admired in him, the strength and passion that has driven him on this quest was so strong and though she had seen his faith wax and wane but it was always there just underneath the surface. She mused and thought as she made the coffee, lost in reminiscence, she did not notice that Mulder had awakened.

"G'morning," he said, smiling at the picture he had woken up to. There was Scully absently stirring a cup of coffee, apparently lost in thought. She jumped, startled by the voice of the man she thought asleep.

"Hi," she said and smiled back at him.

He stretched and yawned a little. "Mmmm. That smells good,” he said as she placed a cup of coffee in front of him. "So what is on the agenda for today?" He asked.

"Hopefully nothing, though I do have housework to do," she said as she sat there on this morning, she and Mulder--together.

That Afternoon

Mulder did not prove very helpful during the cleaning, but he left her with her concertos and let her work. She then heard the doorbell ring.

"Mulder could you get that?" She yelled.

Mulder never liked cleaning, his idea of it was putting things in stacks and finding them when you needed them, he could never like compulsive neatness or anyone who could. But he put up with Scully's cleaning since she just happened to be a total neat-nick and this was her house.
He rose to answer the door.

"Oh, hi Agent Mulder."

"Hi Daniel, come on in," he said as he ushered a young college student into the apartment.

"Who's this?" she asked. Both men startled by her appearance turned to look where the voice was coming from.

"Dana Scully, meet Daniel Cumberland." Mulder said.

"Hello, Miss Scully."

"Hi, Daniel nice to meet you." She said giving Mulder a look that he should explain himself to her. Mulder catching her look then offered an explanation.

"Daniel here, goes to the college, we met through SCUFOS." Mulder said pointing his thumb toward Daniel.

"SCUFOS?" she asked, wondering what Mulder had gotten himself into now.

"Yeah," answered Daniel. “SCUFOS stands for Student Committee of UFO Sightings, Agent Mulder gave a talk last month and I came to invite him to our next meeting."

"What exactly does this club do?" Scully asked only mildly interested.

"Oh, we swap books, trade stories and do research on UFO's and what they could be, sometimes we have guest speakers who tell us about their UFO experiences or investigations going on. It's really a lot of fun and it can get a little crazy sometime too. " Daniel said smiling.

That smile, Mulder knew was directed solely at Scully. He watched the exchange and for some reason a bubbling resentment he recognized as jealousy came and showed it ugly head. Jealous?! He thought. Wait a minute; this is Scully here, why should I be jealous? Maybe it was the kisses they had shared that had given him this strong sense of possession over her, or maybe something else but there was no denying it.

"I can imagine," she said, knowing the voice was one of experience talking. "And Mulder is a member of this group?"

"Oh, no he's not a member, he's not a student."

"Oh," little by little, in jerky fits and starts her eyes started drifting towards Mulder who seemed to have no expression on his face at all.

"No, he gave a talk last month, on his work on the X-files and the things he's seen." Daniel the turned his attentions back to Mulder.

"You said you'd let me borrow one of those books that Ryvek wrote?"

"Sure," he said giving Scully a quick glance. "They're over here." He went into the bedroom to retrieve the book and came out to see Daniel and Scully in idle conversation. "They are in pretty good shape, so you don't have to worry about handling them, but the pages are starting to get brittle." He said as he and handed the book to Daniel.

"You should really come to this meeting. We're having another speaker-Wilfed Bauer."

"Who is Wilfred Bauer?" Scully asked not recognizing the name.

"He is a renowned multiple abductee." Mulder explained.

"Thanks again for the book, Agent Mulder, I'll take good care of them." Daniel said as he turned to leave. "Nice meeting you Miss Scully."

"Bye Daniel," she said as she walked him to the door. As she turned around she found Mulder leaning against the archway of her living room. He was a very attractive man, she found herself thinking irrelevantly. Broad shoulders, narrow hips, incredibly flat stomach,nice ass. She felt her mouth curve up slightly as she thought just how many of the men in the world had an ass as nice as her partner's, she knew he was good-looking, his underwear she'd seen on rare occasions didn't hide much and the jeans he wore now didn't hide much else.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, but he already had a pretty good idea. There was no mistaking the way her eyes trailed over him or the way they had darkened. And of course he was responding. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans hoping that by cutting of the circulation it would help calm him down a little.

"I think we should go to that SCUFOS meeting."

"Why?'”He didn't want her to think about this now. He wanted her to concentrate on him because as crazy it sounds he wanted her and why now after all this time was an utter mystery to him. He wanted to awaken the arousal and desire she had so long kept control over under that professional exterior. Damn, I've got to get my priorities straight.

"Because if we're both on the lookout, there might be something said at that meeting that will help us find this 'Gravity Man" we're looking for."

"Sure we can go,” he said forcing his mind at the problem at hand.

One week later

Scully awoke during the night with a heart slamming terror. Her room was dark as pitch and silent as a tomb. It was a dream she told herself trying to remain calm, just a dream. She got up to turn the light on to shake off the residual images of her dream, but before she found the switch she stumbled on the chair of her vanity and fell to the ground with a loud thud. “Damn.” She muttered under her breath, and stood up to turn on the switch. At that precise moment the
door slammed open, she jumped in surprise at the unseen intruder and then recognized the familiar form of Fox Mulder in her doorway. He wore nothing except a pair of scandalously low skimpy, skin-tight bikini briefs.

"Are you okay?" he roared holding his gun and checking the room.

"Mulder,” she managed his name, her eyes locked on the lower half of his anatomy. "Mulder, cover yourself."

"Huh?" he looked down at his lap and realized why she had said that. About the only thing she couldn't tell through those briefs was his exact coloring. What was worse he had become a little aroused by her nearness. "Sorry, I heard this thud and thought someone had gotten in here." He explained.

"Oh, no that was just me being clumsy. Go back to bed Mulder." She said from underneath the blankets not wanting to talk any more tonight.

Her voice emerged muffled from beneath the blankets, and just for a split second, Mulder hesitated, but the devil was in him tonight. Unexpected heat and desire for the woman he worked with for five years came up the surface and seemed to explode, it mad every nerve ending in his body sizzle like water on a hot grill.

The next thing Scully knew, one very large, warm, hard male body was under the blankets with her, and pressed hotly to her back from shoulder to calves. The satin of the pj's were no barrier but only seemed to create more of an erotic reaction inside her. "Mulder!" She should hit him, and demand that he go back to his own bed. But every thought of escape went out of her head and silenced the tension in her limbs. One of Mulder's hands slipped under to cup her breast, and the other slid boldly between her legs to cradle her. "Mulder no..." The words escaped her as the last little bit of air in her lungs disappeared. Everything in the world faded except the hand on her breast and the hand on her womanhood. Who the hell was she kidding? She wanted this. The small voice of sanity was a liar. The rest of her knew better. "Mulder," said that liar "I don't think..."

"Shh. Don't think. You need this Scully. Just let me give it to you." He kissed the nape of her neck and gently squeezed everything she had his hands on. "It'll be good, Scully, so good, I swear I'll make it good for you." His husky whispers sent shivers down her spine and his kneading, stroking fingers caused her legs to go numb. From somewhere she found strength for one last protest. "Mulder no..."

"Shhh." He could feel the minute movements of her body as she pressed against his hands and tried to ease herself. To hell with everything. He knew what she needed and what they both had wanted for a long time, regardless of what they told themselves and each other. A shudder of pleasure took him so intense that it shook his very breath out of him. It felt so satisfying so right and so electric to finally have her in his arms. "Just rest easy Scully. Just feel."

Just Feel, as if she was capable of doing anything else. She never imagined a pair of hands could do so much! She was lost in the magic of his touch lightning streaked from the nipple he tugged so gently sparking zigzags of fire to her innermost core. Move? There was only one way she could move faster, deeper, harder into his hands.

He felt her come apart in his hands. She thrust herself into his pleasure-giving hands and then a low, aching groan escaped her. "There, just let it happen for us," and this was when he remembered he didn't have a condom. "Don't move Scully. Ah darlin' don't move!"

Since she really wasn't capable of doing anything else it was easy enough to comply with Mulder's gruff request. For the moment she was content to enjoy the afterglow of what had just passed between them. Mulder changed his hold on her so that her head rested on his out-flung arm and his other hand snaked around her waist.

"Go to sleep, Scully," he said so gently and with tenderness.

"What?" She asked, not understanding his motives for doing this.

"I don't have a condom, Scully. I won't take the risk of putting you in danger like that. I want this to happen, God knows I do, but not like this.

"Sure, I understand," she said with disappointment so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"Do you, Scully?" He asked worried.

"Yes, Mulder. I do understand and thank you for reminding me." She said as she pulled on her robe and stepped out the door leaving Mulder in the agony of unfulfilled desire.After she left, his world seemed empty though it felt as if she were still in the room, her smell, her softness, her possessions surround him.Her light and the magic that is Scully was gone. And he spent a restless night dreaming of red hair and creamy white skin.

Next Morning

Things were not good between Mulder and Scully. Tension sparkled within the small room; it was almost a tangible thing.

The minute Mulder set eyes on Scully, he knew she was not fine with what had happened between them last night. He had been congratulating himself on his superhuman willpower. Every time he opened his mouth to say something, she visible tensed. As if he had done something to her, something she didn't want, something he had forced on her. She's probably thinking that if he had listened to her last night would never have happened, but he was listening, not to her words but to her body and that was what screamed the word ‘YES’ at him and he had taken it seriously, but she'd had time to stew over things and devise plenty of good tortures for him. This really made him mad.

"What day is that SCUFOS meeting?" She asked.

Caught by surprise he answered, "The 31st, I think."

"Oh."

"Damn it, Scully talk to me!" He yelled, letting all the frustration that had gathered during the morning go in one sentence.

"Why?" she asked calmly looking him straight in the eye.

He got up and grabbed his coat and headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked taken aback that he would just get up and leave like that, not that she should be taken aback because he did it all the time but still it hurt when he did.

"I'm going to the drug store to either buy condoms or rat poison, I'll make up my mind when I get there!" He said, as he burst out the door.

My God! How dare he! Condoms and rat poison! In the same breath! She saw him come back into the apartment looking rather sheepishly. She glared at him.

"I ah..forgot my wallet."

"No poison?" she asked barely suppressing a smile.

"No condoms either," he said shrugging. "It's just that, Scully I can't work with you the way things are right now. I can't concentrate because all I've got on my mind is you and I'm going to give myself gray hairs if I keep going on like this."

At these words her heart lurched. It can't be true. She thought it best to hide her feelings, she didn't like being vulnerable and showing Mulder her true feelings would definitely make her feel exposed.

"One of these days, things are going to get out of hand, but it's up to you Scully," and with that he got up and walked out the door.

It was up to *her*? Yes, no, positive, negative, pro, con, all these things were running through her brain, at once and the feeling almost overwhelmed her. Did she want it? Or didn't she? Oh, hell whom was she kidding? Of course she wanted it. She had wanted it for five years she was just too much of a 'play by the rules' girl. It seemed so simple just 'yes' or 'no'.

Mulder walked out wondering what the hell had made him say what he had to her. He somehow managed to find his way to the ally where he had parked his rental and the next thing he knew he was on his way to the local drug store. He was driving himself crazy, his feelings were in a jumble and he couldn't think about anything...except Scully. He pulled into the drug store, and for a moment he was going to leave without getting what he had come for. But he summoned up his courage and walked into the store and bought them. A whole box. The most expensive kind. His hands were shaking all the way back to her apartment.

After the stress of the day Scully decided to take a dip in the tub. Sunk up to her neck in lavender scented water she dipped her head under the surface of the water and felt the tension flow out of
her body as the rivulets of water flowed off her skin. She usually took a bath at the end of the day to relieve the stress that had come when she worked, but today the stress had a different source, her partner. Last night he had taken a few strands of her deepest fantasies and tugged them into reality. He gave her a glimpse of her most romantic imaginings. Damn Him! Damn him for making me want him like this and them making me wait! When she closed her eyes she could remember the feel of his hand kneading her breast. Her thighs clenched, capturing only water between them as she remembered the deep intimate strokes of his fingers. Memory alone
was arousing her. Her breath grew shallow, Her flesh tingled with anticipation and a deep pulsing grew and spread throughout her entire body. She sat up, you idiot what are you doing dreaming about the man when he's right in your living room? All you have to do is say
yes. Frustrated with herself she got out of the tub and scoured it clean. Grabbing one of Mulder's bright big orange towels (because they were so much bigger then her own) she stepped out of the bathroom and headed down to her bedroom to dress for dinner. Mulder, she believed, was in the kitchen cooking dinner.

Actually, he was in her hallway on the way to his own bedroom to put the box he had debated over buying in the bed stand for future usage. He looked up and time stood still. His breath caught in his throat, and his heart began a heavy beating, a primitive mating rhythm.

She froze, and started back towel clutched to her breasts.

He would never in his wildest imaginings have dreamed just how sleek and small and beautiful she was. Full breasts hidden by the towel. The slacks she wore hid her legs but Mulder had a good imagination. But that was nothing compared to the grace of her thighs and calves and the satin sheen of her skin. His mouth went dry as his gaze skimmed over her and then his eyes rose to hers.

She watched him from where she stood as he took another step toward her, and then he took another.

"Scully?" His voice was a low intimate growl. The question was implied. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips one of his favorite quirks of hers.

"Mulder?" He stopped one step from her. He had already told her it was her decision and she knew he was waiting for that one word the word that would change everything for them.

"Scully?"

She looked up into those green eyes, eyes that were now dark and wide with desire. Slowly, she took a step and then suddenly let go of the towel.

Helplessly his eyes followed the downward slide of the orange towel and soaked in every newly bared inch of her form. Full breasts, tips tilted and crowned with delicate pink. A waist so slender he knew he could span his hands across it. Flat, smooth stomach down to the swelling curve of her hips. The copper shadow at the juncture of her thighs, the curls dark and tempting. Long legs that he wanted-- no needed-- to feel around him. Perfection. Every blessed inch of her was perfection She stepped forward a half-step and looked straight into his eyes.

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes."

Still one step away from her, Mulder knew that once he took that last step everything would change. He felt the significance in the decision of that moment. He took the step anyway. She trusted him, completely and wholly. That was what it all was-Trust. Wrapping his arms around, her held her close and let go of an endless ragged breath.

She was here, in his arms, nothing in his life had ever felt so good, so right and so complete. He pressed her cheek against his rapidly pounding heart. They fit so well. His chin sat well atop her head and his arms went perfectly around her small form. Smiling with the joy of the moment he gave the box in his hand to her. Bending,he slipped one arm under her knees.

"Mulder!" she said laughing with mock indignity.

His response was just a wide grin as he set her down on the bed. She had drawn the curtains earlier against the deepening autumn night; he turned around and closed the door. He came back to the bed and leaned over her. "Shhh..." he said laying a single finger on her lips. But that
touch was not to silence her. No. He stroked her lower lip, lightly, awakening tender flesh to an erotic sensation. Bending, he placed his lips where his finger had just been. A questing touch.

Something inside her, a protective wall so old that she didn't even remember erecting it, crumbled and she was not sorry to see it go. In an instant his tongue touched hers and drove everything from her mind. Mulder's tongue found hers in a rough, warm caress. Tilting her
head instinctively, she opened her mouth and deepened the kiss. He made a noise deep within his throat, and eased closer to her, nearly dying of pleasure when she made a feminine version of that same noise within her own throat.

She tasted so sweet, and her fierce passion aroused him like nothing ever could. "Touch me, Dana." He whispered against her mouth.

"Too many clothes." She complained as she began to roughly pull at his shirt.

It nearly killed him to pull away, but he did, yanking his shirt over his head and tossing it to the floor. As soon as he was beside her again, she dove her fingers into the gingery hair on his chest,
which only seemed to inflame him further. He kissed her mouth, her eyes, her cheeks, teasing her earlobe with his teeth. He kissed her fully on the mouth again before reaching for the snap of his jeans. He kicked them to the side and lay down fully beside her and kissed her again-deeply.
He lifted his head and smiled down at her. Marveling in the wonder that she was. Breathless and with glazed eyes that bespoke passion, need and a hundred other things he could not name. But he had to ask to make sure this was going to be good for both of them and that there were going to be no regrets in the morning. "Are you sure you want this, Scully?" he asked hoping that she did, because if she didn't he didn't think he could stand it.

She somehow understood this and said the word that needed saying "Yes," she whispered.

He then hugged her close knowing that she wanted this as much as he did. He made a cocoon for them, their own little world. He slid his legs between hers and tangled them with her limbs so that neither of them knew where each other started and the other stopped. The rough texture of his legs was erotic, erotic against the texture of hers. Her hands seem to wander of their own volition every one of his muscles would flex and relax under her strokes.

"You're beautiful, Dana." he said gruffly running his hands through the soft strands of her hair. "I mean it, and believe me I don't say that often." He didn't give her much chance to respond or answer him, his mouth kept her undivided attention. His hands painted liquid heat over her skin. Incredibly intoxicating, addictive touches, which kept urging her closer and closer until she was twined like ivy around him. His seeking fingers found their way between her legs, and discovered soft, moist, incredibly sensitive skin there.

A simple touch sizzled her nerve endings and drew a moan from the depths of her soul. His hand made wickedly exciting movements and all she could do was lean into his touch.

"Ah, Dana!" He nearly shouted her name, his own passion being fueled by her soft moans and small sounds. The woman was incendiary! If he ever wanted a woman this badly, he couldn't remember it. Had he ever really seen her as just his partner? How could he be so blind? A
groan escaped his mouth as Scully began to strip away his underwear. He had no choice but to allow her, he was too enthralled and caught up in his own desire.

"Mulder?"

"Hmm?" He was watching her with an odd sort of smile on his face. He watched as she studied him, the way she studied everything as if committing every detail to memory.

"You're beautiful," she said simply.

His chest tightened, and he had to feel all of her against him as if to meld them into one being. A soft laugh escaped him as he rolled on top of her. He ran his hands along her silky, ivory white skin.

"What?" she said hearing his laugh.

"You're a wonder, Miss Dana Scully." He said warmly, still smiling and between one breath and the next their eyes met and held. Laughter died. Breath shortened. Nerve endings sparked. Mulder's hands came to clasp her face and urge her mouth toward his. "I always wanted to laugh while I was making love," he whispered. "I'd begun to think it was impossible." She kissed him then fiercely and with all the passion he was reviving in her. He nibbled gently on her lower lip. God he was nearly out of his mind with wanting her, but beyond those feelings of want and desire, their were others there too, shimmering in the wings and every bit as strong, he didn't know what they were but they were there. Propped up on his elbows above her he used his mouth and lips and tongue to drive her to the limits of insanity. As a man, he loved women in all their shapes and sizes. He loved their softness, their curves and their mysteries. He was a breast
man, and was determined to show Scully why. Her breasts were exquisite, and he told her so as he drove her crazy by licking, sucking and nipping. He showed her they were instruments of pleasure for both of them, and not until she was moaning with want and rocking her hips for relief that he gave her time to catch her breath. Sliding up over her a little and waited for her breathing to return to normal before kissing it right out of her again. A maddening kiss
that sent them both to a place where only *they* existed. He realized that he was ready for her and she for him and that if he didn't get that protection on he was never going to get the chance to. He groaned and reluctantly pulled away from her.

In her past experience this had always been an interruption, an unwelcome intrusion to a beautiful moment. It was not. She watched as he opened the packet, watched as he touched himself, she felt a spasm of desire so strong that she reached out and touched him, helping
him protect her.

A gasp escaped him as her fingers closed around him, that she would turn a necessity into a seductive act totally took his breath away and robbed him of his senses.

She needed this man, she was so open and receptive as he moved over her and prepared to enter her secret place. He came slowly, giving her plenty of time to get used to his intrusion. Sweat pouring off his forehead onto the pillow and he felt the need to bury himself inside her. He held back wanting to give her pleasure before taking his own. But he could hold back no longer, he thrust himself in deep and lost himself in oblivion. Her eyes flew open at the sensation, but he was there again kissing her-everywhere.Their moans mingled in the kiss. He felt like a man who
had just come home from a long journey.The passion he had instilled in her caused her to roll her hips causing the desperately needed friction. They drove each other higher and higher until the only coherent thought in either of their minds was of each other. Later that night they lay in each other's arm and a sudden contented sigh escaped Mulder.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Just that, Dana, you make a man think he can defy gravity." He said, tightening his hold on her shoulders.

"You feel like you're flying?" she asked amused.

"I feel like I'm falling, free-falling and there's no parachute."

She looked up at him to read his expression but found that his eyes were closed. His fingers began to stroke her arm as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Scary."

"For a while," he whispered. " For a while we can defy gravity, we can fly." he said and with that he fell asleep.

For a while his words were ringing in her ears as she too fell asleep.

* * * * *

Dana Scully woke up to a terrible autumn morning, but that didn't matter because all the sunshine she needed was next to her, doing a wicked dance with his fingers along the skin of her thigh.

"About time sleepyhead," he said teasingly as he bent down to kiss her, a kiss, which set her on fire. They then heard a grumbling of some kind but were too involved with each other to notice it. As he lifted his head he asked "Was that you?" He asked smiling. They both broke out into full vent laughter. “I guess I should make one of my famous omelets to appease your hunger before you do something rash."

Still laughing she nodded as he pulled on his jeans to go into her kitchen "But Mulder," she said as he was walking out the door.

"Yeah."

"When you get back there will be other hungers to appease," she said seductively.

"I can't wait."

She heard the doorbell chime. Who could that be? She wondered. She heard Mulder answer it, and then there was noise and the banging of furniture and lots of shouting-mostly Mulder. She dressed in a night shirt and headed out to see what was going on.

"Scully!" he yelled.

"What is it Mulder?" She yelled from down the hallway.

"Come here."

She did so and was greeted with her foyer trashed and Mulder holding a man against the wall of her entranceway. It was the biker.

Mulder held the man against the wall with his hands behind him in handcuff fashion. Scully took another look at the stranger who supposedly knew her, and recognized him. "Charles?" she asked incredulously.

Mulder then exploded "I thought you didn't know any bikers!" he said looking at her and no longer at the stranger.

"Hey, buddy do you mind, the lady happens to be my sister." The stranger said at last.

"What are you doing here?" she asked not receiving a visit from her younger brother in 7 years.

"I heard about your stalker and came to see if I could help out."

Scully stared at Mulder who still was left in the dark about the stranger's identity. "Oh, sorry, Mulder," she said "Charles meet Fox Mulder, my partner... Mulder, Charles Scully, my brother."

"Hi." Mulder mumbled to Charles "What's with the outfit?" he asked the stranger, still feeling stupid for the way he acted.

"Charles is a cop-undercover." Scully explained.

Charles turned to his sister, ignoring Mulder completely. "I need a place to hide out, sis."

"Why?" Mulder demanded.

"My cover runs so deep that the cops don't even know I'm a cop, so hiding with a few FBI agents will erase guilty look."

"Well sit down Charles, I was just about to make breakfast." Said Scully indicating to a vacant chair. She noticed Mulder was still watching Charles warily, not fully trusting him yet.

Mulder watched as Charles sat in the chair Scully had pointed to as he sat down himself and watched as she made breakfast. She was so very beautiful this morning, he thought her hair was tousled from the previous night when he had kissed the sanity out of her and she had also done to him. God she was a wonder! Meticulously she cracked the eggs on the side of the counter and put them on a frying pan.

"Over-easy?" she asked as she looked in Mulder's direction, and as she looked she could not help but let escape a knowing smile from her lips.

"Yeah." He said nodding catching her secret look that promised him more wonders that he probably never imagined existed within his enigmatic partner and he gave that look back in full earnest.

Charles did not miss the looks between his sister and her partner and he guessed something was going on here between them. He had heard things about this guy Mulder from Bill and so far they were all negative, but he guessed that was just part of Bill, but now he began to wonder whether or not his big sister was keeping a watch out for herself. He didn't want to see her get hurt and if this guy shatters her feelings there would be no escape from him, who cares if he is an FBI agent, if he hurt her he was going to pay, big time.

That night

Mulder and Scully had filled Charles in on what was going on. Charles just like the brother that he is decided to help them out and play the hero again, just like when they were kids, Scully mused. Mulder again had shown her the true side of heaven on earth with his soft caresses and his fiery hot kisses that seemed to brand a mark on her flesh and just HIM, all of him. She watched him now while he slept, his breathing slowed to regular motion and his heart to a slow
drowsy sleep-filled rhythm. She smiled to herself, only Mulder could make her feel this at ease amidst all this chaos, but would he leave after the chaos had become peace? 'For a while' again came his words. Could she ever face life as normal after all that has happened? Could she ever go back to being the cool sophisticated person that she was before? No, to that last question, she thought. With Mulder, life was too tipsy-turvy to maintain any kind of balance or structure.
She pushed an errant lock of hair off his forehead and kissed him lightly on the mouth. His eyes opened gently and she felt when he deepened the kiss to awaken both of their arousals. She pulled away from him and smiled down at him all her fears temporarily laid to rest as Mulder began to work magic on her breasts and between her legs, She flew higher and higher until there was no rational thought left in her mind.. Just Mulder. After they had again felt the earth-shattering power of their lovemaking they just lie in each other's arms each buried in their
own thoughts.

"Scully?"

"Hmmm?" She asked drowsily and satisfied.

"Tomorrow's the meeting for SCUFOS."

"Okay Mulder," she said as she kissed him and then fell asleep beside him.

The next day
Down Town Washington D.C. Civic Center.
SCUFOS meeting place

"Charles said he'd be here today." Mulder said to Scully as they walked into the room, which housed millions of college students in all manner of colorful costumes with signs saying: "Welcome visitors!" and the like. A classic UFO conference the kind Mulder lived for.

"Yeah, I saw him a while ago,." she said watching Mulder who seemed to her like a kid in a candy store while she was trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

"Chains and leather?" he asked her giving her that look that told her he still did not fully trust him.

She shook her head. "Opera cape and feathers," missing Mulder's look. They politely listened to a three hour speech given by the guest speaker, Wilfred Bauer, Scully was not really listening to this talk, she was watching Mulder who seemed very interested in this little speech this guy was giving, she studied him like a piece of artwork, the long brown hair with he closely shaven cheeks and chin with just enough side-burn to give him that rakish look that she supposed women loved. The too-longish nose that looked as if it had been broken more then once gave the otherwise courtesan look of him an earthier look. His eyes were fathomless polls of green that she felt she could drown in, and as he turned her way to look at her she did that just now, and she saw that he knew she was looking at him, admiring and praising with her eyes and she smiled and he smiled back and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as she felt that squeeze she considered where her hand lay and if she moved it just an inch... She felt sure of Mulder's feelings tonight for some reason she did not know, at that moment she felt that Scarlet O'Hara could have taken lessons from Dana Scully.

The next morning

"Charles?" Scully said to the rumpled form of her brother lying on her balcony chair.

"Huh?" He asked startled out of his sleep.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked as she ushered her brother into her apartment.

"You locked your door so I climbed up the fire escape and camped out on the balcony." he said giving his sister a contemptuous brotherly look.

"Sorry," she said. "Come in and warm yourself."

He did and he gave her a wary look and thought it was about time to have that talk with his sister about her partner. "Hey, sis can we talk."

"Sure," she said curious as to what he might say.

"Are you sure about this guy Mulder?" He asked.

Oh great she thought another one of Bill's sermons on how mistreated she was by Mulder had reached the ears of her younger brother and she said with as much patience as she had with Bill "Charles, Mulder is a good man, and he just wants to make sure that I'm protected, and he would never hurt me, of that I am certain." she said earnestly.

Charles, took that for an answer though it was obviously well rehearsed. "But do you love him?" He asked concerned.

The long pause that was her response said that she thought about that question and was still not sure herself. "I don't know," was all she could say.

"And Dana there's something else I need to talk about with you." He said avoiding that angle of conversation for the present.

"What is it?" She asked noticing his expression, which was somewhat reluctant.

"I think our guy was there yesterday, at the meeting." He said.

Scully stiffened at the sound of his words. "Are you sure?" she asked.

He nodded. "It was right after the meeting let out. I went into the men's room, and while I was in the stall, someone stuck his head into the room and hissed that is wasn't the aliens controlling the gravity, it was the computers and the FBI."

"Did you see the guy?" She interrupted.

"No, by the time I got out of the stall he was gone and no one was in the corridor outside, and he also said something about a meeting on Parker's point on Halloween night."

"What about it?"

"Just that to stop the gravity from being destroyed, you have to perform this ritual on this hill."

Scully sat in quiet meditation for a moment to think about this new development on the case, when she saw Charles' head crane to see something behind her. She turned around and was at least partially prepared for the sight of him. He wore a pair of jogging pants and that was it, his hair stood up in disarray on his head and he had a day's growth of beard on his cheeks. "Hi," she said smiling that smile that was for him alone. Even disheveled and cranky he was pin-up material.

He glowered at her and said, "Hi."

She looked at him and could tell something was wrong,” What is it, Mulder?"

He glowered at her again and then looked at Charles who was dozing in the LaZBoy chair and then turned back to her. "I woke up alone.”

What?! How could he say something like that? And in front of Charles
too! He was going to pay for that answer she walked over tto the toaster
and put two slices in and started making eggs for herself. To hell
with him!

Mulder looked from Dana's rigid back to Charles’ slumbering face and he knew he was being an idiot, but when he woke up to find that she wasn't there he had panicked, and finding her calmly talking with her brother rather then missing, he had felt foolish and feeling foolish, he had acted foolishly. But he had been acting like an idiot since he first noticed that his partner was a gorgeous, voluptuous, sexy, fascinating woman. Or maybe he had been an idiot all along for not noticing. Regardless, he owed the woman an apology, releasing a sigh he walked over to where she was cooking and slipped his arms around her waist, she did not pull away but continued to cook as if he weren't even there. He lowered his voice so that only she could hear him. "I'm sorry."

Still she did not acknowledge his presence and he thought she had not heard him and was prepared to repeat himself when she tersely replied, “ For what?"

He heard her question and thought it best, as they were not alone, to go with a safe answer. "For grumping at you." Her back was still turned and stiff. He watched her business-like way of cracking the egg against the side of the pan as if she wished it were his head.

"Forget it, Mulder."

"I've sunk to that level again, have I?" He asked exhaling heavily.

"You've always been at that level," she said and then added almost but not quite under her breath, "I'm not sure it was too smart of me to let you become anything else."

He heard this statement and felt his heart drop to the floor. Was she having regrets? Did she want what they had together? Should he step back? These and many more questions ran through his mind. As not to show how much her words had hurt him he replied with a sarcastic, "Ouch."

She paid no heed to his comment and then proceeded to tell Mulder what Charles had told her about this 'Gravity Man' and what he might be up to.

"I think we should go to this meeting on Parker's Point." He said after a moment's contemplation when hearing Charles' story.

"Great, I'm playing the pawn, I guess." she said sarcastically.

Mulder shot her an apologetic look but said nothing, Charles grabbed her hand reassuringly, and she gave him a sisterly look and then turned back to Mulder.

"I can hardly wait,” she said under her breath. The rest of the day was spent planning what was going to happen on Parker's Point.

2 days later

The honeymoon is over. She thought as she angrily threw a sock into the laundry basket. Mulder had moved back into the guest bedroom and they had been nothing but polite strangers to each other for the last two days, and she was sick of it! She walked into the kitchen to see Charles and Mulder talking and playing cards. Despite their first meeting, Mulder and Charles had gotten along well together. "Do you guys need anything washed?" She asked them as she passed. Mulder turned around and gave her a bemused look that said he was trying not to laugh. "What?" she asked catching his look.

"Nothing, it's just that I had thought it would be a cold day in hell before Dana Scully would offer to do a man's laundry." He said trying not to smile when she was so obviously mad about something.

"I just offered, Mulder, it has to do with common courtesy not with cold days in hell." she said and stalked down the hall to the basement where the common laundry room that she shared with the rest of her building was.

After she left, Mulder turned his attention back to Charles who was scowling at him. "What?" Mulder asked taking a sip of his iced tea.

"Damn it man, that's no way to handle a woman especially Dana, you should know that." He said appalled at the other man's behavior. His opinion of this man had changed in the short time they had known one another. He was a good man, a little paranoid, but a good man. He and Dana must have been born under the same star. Despite their obvious differing opinions where their work is concerned, Dana and Mulder were made for each other, and Charles approved the match.

"Don't let her hear you say *handle*," Mulder warned Charles, "Nobody *handles* Dana."

Damn right! She thought hearing Mulder's comment as she walked out the door. She heard footsteps on the staircase behind her but ignored them. She was still fuming over the conversation upstairs when she heard a male voice.

"Dana, you're not going anywhere without me."

Mulder's flat declaration brought her spinning around to see that he had followed her down to the basement. "Out? No of course not. Why?"

He glanced down at the jacket she held in her hands. Following his gaze she said, "No I'm just washing it."

"Let's take a walk Dana,” he said motioning to the door behind him. At that moment he realized how much he had wanted to be alone with her and talk to her. The last few days had been a frightening trip back to the time when they were only partners and nothing more.

"Sure."

He took a tentative step toward her, bracing himself for an eruption. It was becoming increasingly difficult to remember why he was trying to keep his distance from her. He felt he had been crowding her, pushing her into an intimacy she wasn't ready for, or she felt was
moving too fast, giving her a chance to breathe, step back, and *what*? Damn it! Her skin looked like flower petals. Which was an incredibly romantic notion for a man who had never had one of those thoughts before.

"You terrify me." The words escaped his lips as if they were forced. She turned to look at him seeing for such a brief moment that she wasn't sure it was even there, vulnerability in the set of his mouth and in his eyes.

She looked down as if admitting defeat of a battle she had only begun to fight with herself and then looked back up at him, "You terrify me, too,” she admitted.

He had closed his eyes and at the sound of her words they flew open and locked with hers in an instant. Did I just hear what I thought I just heard? He lifted a finger to her cheek almost as if it was a reflex to her words and touched her gently as he had often done out of concern or friendship in the past, but now it was different, now he needed to do this, needed to feel her. All of a sudden a flash of desire zigzagged through his body, but he couldn't give into it yet, he needed to talk with her first, straighten things out. "I'll go tell Charles,” he said going back up the stairs and retrieving his own coat. Then grabbing her by the hand they walked outside into
the coldness of the autumn night.

They walked hand in hand out the front door of her building and on to the sidewalk. They said nothing, enjoying the silence they shared with each other. In imes like these, there was no use for words between them. They seemed to be aware of every nuance and emotion of the other. They just walked hand in hand for a block and Mulder in his mind was trying to figure a way of telling her something she needed to know, but he couldn't get the words out. "Dana..." he stumbled out.

"What is it Mulder?" she asked as she stepped away from him and paused on the sidewalk.

"I'm going to say something, but I'm afraid you'll take it the wrong way."

"Try me,” she said folding her arms in front of her chest.

"I have been your partner for five years, dragging you into my personal quest and putting your life at risk, and now that I'm examining my feelings for you and changing them a great deal... Damn it, Dana! I feel like I've been treating you like a just another part of my quest, and I know you deserve better then that!" He practically screamed the last words, out of anger or frustration she couldn't tell but this had been bothering him for a while she could see.

"Is this how you've been seeing me? All these years?" she asked incredulously.

He sighed and let the tension seep out of him and relaxed now that the pressure was off and she knew. "No, not since our first year together, but I haven't been behaving much better since then."

"That's not true Mulder you gave me respect and that was all I required from you. I've always known you were like this. I knew that this crusade of yours was the most important thing to you and I came into this relationship with that knowledge it was my choice and I have no regrets in making that decision."

He had no clue what to say to this. Every word she had spoken was true. In the last few days he had become aware of his behavior toward her but that she had known it all along! He couldn't believe it. Probably for the millionth time since their partnership began, he asked himself why she did it? Why didn't she put in for a transfer? Why did she hold on to their partnership? Why him?

As if reading his mind she said aloud, "And you've been wondering, but afraid to ask why am I doing this?"

He looked amazed that she could read his thoughts like that. "Well..."

She looked at him as though she could not believe what he was saying. "And now you've come up with some notion that I was afraid? That I never wanted to do this? That you forced me somehow?"

He looked at her with a genuine wondering on his face and a little bit of apprehension like the words she was going to say would change his life. "Have I?" he asked her; afraid of what she might say.

"Oh my God, Mulder! I love this work, I followed you because I saw the passion you had for finding the Truth and I admired you for it. How you could even think that you pushed me into this relationship is preposterous! You had the faith that the truth was out there and I followed you and that faith. Now I know that in my life the only man I wanted was y..." It was too late he had already heard her and she wasn't going to get away with that comment. Though she had practically yelled the last words and as angry as she was with him now she couldn't believe she had just said what she did. How could she let 5 years of closely guarded feeling get out of control and make them known like she had? Dana you idiot! She couldn't stand the look of shock that registered in his eyes when she had murmured that one syllable, she couldn't stand it any more, he could gloat but it would be without her. She turned on her heel and ran, she didn't care in what direction she just needed to get away from the question in his eyes, and a question she was afraid to answer.

Did she just say what I think she just said?! Was all he could think when he head her almost say it, the look that was in her eyes was pain and exposal, though he couldn't understand those, he knew that what she had just said was hard for a person like his strong independent Scully to admit. She started to run, he wanted to go after her but paused knowing that she'd be better once she burned some steam. He let her get half a block ahead before he gave chase. She still ran,
"I'm going to get you eventually," he said half a block later. "You're going to pay for that."

"Get lost, Mulder!" She yelled with anger in her voice more directed at her then at him.

"Like hell. What kind of thing is that to say to a man anyway?"

"Shut up!"

"No way, honey. You asked for this one."

"I didn't ask for anything, not from you." a stitch grabbed her side and she nearly moaned aloud.

"Aren't you tiring yet? Do you have any idea what it does to a man to hear something like that? How long, Dana? Since we first met? She didn't answer she just kept running she didn't want to face these questions, her legs burned but she wasn't going to give in, not yet! Damn he hadn't realized how good a runner she was. She must spend as much time jogging as he did. He'd buried the feelings he had for her because she was so obviously so uninterested.

She tried to make one more very quick dash before her legs turned to lead, she halted and bent over taking in deep gulps of breath. “What happened, Mulder? Why after all these years do you question our relationship?"

"I don't know," he admitted standing beside her throwing his head back to get some cool air on his face. "It was like a dam broke loosed over my head, call me crazy."

"You *are* crazy. You can't possibly expect me to believe you."

It always came to this no matter what the subject. She just couldn't believe him. Why not Scully? Why can't you believe me? He asked himself. "Why not?" he asked as he glared at her. "Damn it, Dana! You don't think I kept my hands off of you just because you're my partner did you?"

"It's what you've been telling me for years."

"I lied. Hell you had so many 'No Trespassing' signs all over you that only a moron could have missed them. What made you put up all those signs anyway?"

"I never wanted to be wanted for my body alone, I was sick of that before I was sixteen."

"I guess I can see why,” he admitted.

Suddenly a door behind them opened and light strewed out onto the sidewalk.

"Is everything alright out here?" A man in a red terry cloth bathrobe asked. Scully looked from Mulder, who had his head bent in frustration.

"Everything's fine, sir."

The man looked from Scully to Mulder and gave him a warning look and then nodded and went back inside his house leaving the two again in darkness.

"Dana..."

"Just shut up, Mulder! This is embarrassing!"

"That's why I was going to apologize."

She swiveled her head and peered up at him as if daring him to say it again. "You were?"

"Yes, I was. I'm sorry Dana, I'm never going to be a silk purse,come hell or high water, I'm not tactful and I'll probably going to make you mad in public again-" She shot him a look that said 'No shit.' "-I realize I don't have the kind of polish you want but-"

"No, not here Mulder, I'll get mad again. And leave me out of this I never told you what I want, and you never asked so don't make assumptions."

He stopped with this and he let her lead them back home. She hadn't given up on him yet. Still he knew he was good for more then just arguing with her, infuriating her and making love to her, he just couldn't figure out what at this moment. He liked the relationship this way, right now and he wanted nothing to change it, but what about her? In the mean time, however, making love to her was *all* he wanted to do. World War III could start any minute and that wouldn't deter him. He was going to love this woman until she begged for mercy. Oh Yeah! That intention only survived 30 seconds after they entered the house.

As she pulled off her jacket she put her hand into her pocket to empty the contents of it, when he heard "Mulder?" and became alert to her. He turned to find her looking at a piece of paper in her
hands, she held it out to him, he read it and looked up at her.

"Where did you find this?"

"In my jacket pocket."

He reread the note and looked back up at her. "In your pocket?" It hit him like a hammer blow. The creep had been close enough to put something in her pocket. That close! My God!

AGENT SCULLY I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU BUT IT
LOOKS LIKE I HAVE TO. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO
BUT IT MUST BE DONE. YOU HAVE TO DIE.

Hours later--or at least it seemed to be hours later--Dana stood at the widow in her bedroom and stared down the darkened street. Never had the threat to her seemed more real then it did at this
moment. Mulder had kept her pretty well distracted, she'd been either too mad or weak with desire nearly every minute of this roller coaster ride they were on. Not now though. She felt as though she were being stalked, every minute, she must have been picking up Mulder's paranoia.
The chilling thought was that he had found her that easily. Which meant he could kill her that easily.

The bedroom door behind her opened with a click and she turned around to see Mulder in the doorway. He slowly strode toward her and took her face in his hands. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yes."

The word emerged on a breath that he knew she was lying. With a heavy sigh he released her and wrapped her in his embrace. He needed to hold her like this, he realized. To feel the contentment of her embrace was a need to him now. Only this was no time for content. Aching for her, he gently rocked her from side to side. He would have given anything to make her smile now and make her feel safe. Damn it,hadn't he told himself not to let anyone get this close to him again. He hadn't let any woman get closer then an arm's length away, and in all those years, yet here was Scully, Dana Scully, already curled up in a secret tender spot in his chest. What is she
didn't want to be there? He felt her arms close around his waist. Damn that felt good! Bending, he startled a laugh out of her by sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her to the bed. "Bet you didn't guess I had it in me," he said laughing right along with her.

She caught her breath as his hands came and swept her sweater up and over her head.

"Tomorrow's the meeting on Parker's Point," he said as his fingers trailed upward on the satiny skin of her back. "Maybe we'll get this all settled tomorrow."

"And horses will fly.” she tried to sound dry but at that moment she couldn’t concentrate on anything except the feel of his hands on her skin. "Let's not talk about that now."

"Okay," his mouth was busy elsewhere anyway trailing along the skin of her shoulder and other forbidden places. And that hair, he combed his fingers through it marveling in its texture, color, and everything about it but he couldn't wait much longer as he reached for the hooks of her bra.
"You have the most beautiful, wonderfully gorgeous hair!" he breathed in her ear. Against the palms of his hands he felt her nipples harden.He was hardening, as well. He wanted to go slowly and draw out every precious moment, Dana was impatient, however, flaming beneath his caresses, twisting and tugging until she succeeded in tumbling them both out of the bed. The laugh that left her definitely held a triumphant quality, and made him laugh as well. Finesse was lost as they tore at one another's clothes and Dana issued forth a huge satisfied sigh when, at long last, she was pressed fully against Mulder's nakedness.

He felt so good, everywhere as her hands roamed restlessly, soaking up every new inch of the varying textures of skin and hair. There was nothing soft or delicate about this man, she reveled in the hardness of his body the long thin torso was fully packed with manhood. It was the differences in them that made them so good together, she thought through her hazy pleasure. Just as their differing opinions made their professional relationship so stimulating. Finally, when she could stand no more of the bittersweet torture, she rose effortlessly above him and sheathed him in her satiny softness.

As they both came into full oblivion she knew that she knew the answer to Charles's question, she did love Mulder, but she did not know how long it would last but for now she would treasure these memories, for the long wintry days when things were back normal.

Morning seeped into the room through the crack of the shades and curtains. With wide eyes Scully watched the light enter the room. Today was the day, the day they were going to go up to Parker's Point and hopefully solve this mess. Tonight Mulder wanted to go up and stand on the top of a hill, in the freezing autumn night and wait for aliens, and hope that this 'Gravity Man' would show up and that they would catch him. Unreal. This entire thing was just so unreal.
Unreal included the man lying beside her on the bed. She could hear the slow steady whisper of his breathing, and between the small gaps between their bodies she could feel the heat him. Unreal. But she knew the pain when he left would be real. Very real. So far she had managed to keep the depth of her emotional involvement from him. She still had her pride. She had wanted him for so long, and yet here they were all on the surface like expose nerve endings. For the past five years she had argued with him and countered his points only to learn that he was right all along. She had fought with him simply as an outlet to her feelings. As long as she was
quarrelling with Mulder, she could ignore all the intense, warm, melting, hotter, more dangerous things.

"Mmmm...You’re all tensed up."

The husky whisper in her ear tensed her even more as she felt Mulder roll over and close in on her. He slipped one arm over her and one underneath her, and she found herself wrapped in his long arms. He was so big, so warm, and so hard, so smooth, so...sexy.

"Are you worrying, Dana?"

"A little," she admitted. Her voice was still husky from sleep. When a warm hand swallowed her breast and his fingers began toying with a susceptible nipple, speech became nearly impossible.

"Damn it, Dana. You feel so out-of-sight good to me. All soft and silky. I won't let anything happen to you."

This was too much to bear. She wrenched out of his arms and sat up glowering down at him. The sheet fell to her waist, but she ignored it.

"Damn it, Mulder, I swear you make me madder then anyone could possibly ever know!"

"What the hell did I do?!" He lay on his back and looked back up at her.

"I told you before I don't want anyone taking care of me! I can take care of myself and I don't need anyone else wanting to do it for me!"

He was frowning at her, but he was also thinking faster then he ever had. He wasn't sure how he managed to get her so mad in such a short time, but he had a feeling that it had to do more with what she was thinking about before he woke up. Reaching up she smoothed a lock of her hair behind her ear and continued to glare back at him. He glowered back, but sure did not look intimidated. But then she thought with absurdity how could anyone be intimidated when she was practically shoving her breasts in his face?

"Sorry." she said.

Sorry?! Scully was apologizing? On her own? Without prompting? That was when he spotted the dawning spark of humor in her eye. Well, her rage wasn’t that believable when she was sitting there looking like centerfold of the month. But still they had to get this straight. "I didn't mean that the way you evidently took it, Dana."

She nodded slowly as if already knowing the words he had spoken. "I'm just as capable of taking care of myself as the next person, male or female."

"I know that I’ve seen you in action G-woman," he said nudging her shoulder and trying to lift her mood "But it's just that you bring out all the protective instincts in me." He watched the play
of emotions play over her face and it was as different as the deserts from the highlands of Scotland. Something was tearing at her. Something causing fear and pain and doubt, he cold think of only one possible cause; the gravity man.

"We'll get him Dana, I swear we will."

At eleven, just as Mulder and Scully were getting ready to leave Skinner called. "The crowd is already gathering, when are you and Agent Mulder leaving?"

"Right now, as a matter of fact. Charles went on ahead. He may already be there."

"He is," she heard Skinner say with a touch of dryness. "Agent Allen called in his description."

Scully smiled at this her brother always stood out in a crowd and was never one to fade from memory, and she had told Mulder so one night when he had asked her "Really, Dana can't your brother just wear jeans and a T-shirt."

"My brother, Mulder, has never been like everyone else. And don't put him down," she had said defensively. "He'd be a great help to the bureau on a couple of our cases."

"I know," he had said. "Believe me, I did a background on him. It's the only reason I'm letting him get involved in this."

Scully looked at him shocked into silence that Mulder had the gall to do a check on her brother, she opened her mouth to tell him this but closed it not wanting to instigate an argument. Scully hung up the phone and ran out to the car to the impatient Mulder, and then were on their way to Parker's Point to catch the Gravity Man.

Frozen ground crackled and popped beneath their feet as they crossed the cornrows toward the spot Charles had said this gathering would be. "How many people do you suppose are up here?" she wondered aloud.

"Judging from the cars, a couple hundred, maybe a few more."

"It looks like something from Night of the Living Dead, zombies heading toward a central location where a human sacrifice would take place."

She was still talking when a man stopped Mulder and said,” Live long, et cetera." He swung around to the sound of a man's voice and almost pulled his gun when he saw whom it was. It was Charles with green skin, pointed ears and a light blue velour shirt. He cracked up.

"Not a very flattering response." He remarked straight-faced. "I thought I looked great. After all what should one wear to an alien reception?" He looked at Scully. "I'll be near."

All of a sudden someone from the south end of the hill shouted "Look!" and all eyes raised toward the sky. Scully looked, blinked twice; above the horizon about thirty degrees were six very bright lights. Brighter then Venus by far, and moving in a steady northerly direction. It was impossible to tell if they were six individual lights or a single craft with a diameter about 10 yards in all directions. The formation was flying very tight and steady.

The light began to wink, one by one, in a clockwise pattern that gave a definite image of a spinning craft. The hilltop was incredibly quiet as a hundred or more people stared to the sky in wide-eyed wonderment. Around them cameras flashed, whirred and clicked as people tried to capture of the seemingly unexplainable lights that they thought was the first recorded experience with another life-form.

"I wish I had my camera. It's fantastic. Do you think they'll land?" Daniel said, appearing out of nowhere to Scully's elbow.

"I don't know,” she said ignoring him for the moment to fix her eyes on the lights.

Daniel took his eyes from the sky and looked at her. "You want to stop them, don't you?" Turning from her to the surrounding individuals and yelled "Look out! Look out! She's disturbing the gravity! She's destroying it completely! I told you it's not the aliens destroying
the gravity. Agent Scully is stopping them! She doesn't believe!"

Before she could take in the words he was saying he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her against him and put another hand to her throat.

"Scully!" Mulder yelled and instantly had his gun in his hands and pointed at Daniel. From the angry frustrated lover to the Oxford educated psychologist he turned to Daniel to persuade him to give himself in without hurting anyone.

"Let go of her Daniel."

"No...no..." Sounding wild and lost Daniel backed up a few steps and tightened his arm around Scully even more.

"Let her go, If you hurt her I'll have to kill you Daniel, but if you let her go you can just walk away."

Daniel started babbling something about the gravity and how it didn't matter if he lived or died. Mulder didn’t pay any attention to what he was saying, the muscles in his arms were tight as iron
with his restraint and anger. He started to edge around Daniel taking advantage of his confusion and waited a little for the opportunity. His main concern was to get Scully away from him unharmed. Someone yelled something about Daniel being right and Mulder recognizing
the voice of Charles took the opening and fired a single shot at Daniel all along hoping that he wouldn't move.

The youth let out a howl of pain and let Scully go and she whirled around her gun drawn and fixed on Daniel. Daniel was on the ground clutching his arm in pain. Then agents sporting guns surrounded them and one took Daniel's arm and cuffed him while another read him his
rights.

The eastern sky was just beginning to lighten. Dew covered everything making the world appear new and fresh. She stood at the window and stared at the star-studded sky. She could hardly believe all that had occurred during the last few hours. After the arrest they questioned by what seemed like dozens of agents and officers. Skinner had come to see if they were okay. Charles had been a comfort. Now she had to deal with this. Mulder would go and everything would return to normal. She walked down to the dining room with a heavy sigh. Mulder was nowhere in sight. She sat with her coffee and tried to think of a way to deal with the pain to come.

"It's been some adventure, Scully,” he said as he walked in and sat in the chair next to her.
Some adventure Scully? The sudden piercing pain in her heart, the sinking sensation in her stomach made her wish he would just leave and not say another word. Some adventure. Now he would pack his stuff and walk out of her life just as suddenly as he had walked in. He would say, "it's been fun but now things are going to go back to normal." Yeah, that's what he would say. And then she would kill him.

"Scully?"

"Yes?"

"We need to talk."

She didn't like the sound of this. He said these words then he seemed to get really quiet.

"When did you get tactful?" She demanded after a while.

"What makes you think I'm trying to be tactful?"

"The way you're glaring at the table like it's suppose to do the talking for you. You’ve always been able to tell me anything."

"Some things aren't easy to talk about."

"Well, then say it damn it!" she said growing impatient with him. If he was going to end it with her now get on with it and leave her to herself don't just sit there.

"Look, Scully--"

"Don't you *dare* call me Scully after all--after all--" Speech deserted her as pain overwhelmed her. Scully! How dare he call her that!

Realization of what he had been doing and how she was feeling unlocked some kind of floodgate. In an instant he was around the table, trying to console her. “Dana...darlin'...sweetheart..." Mumbling every endearment her could think of, he took her and held her in his arms and held her close, raining kisses on her small frame and all over her face. How could he do this to her? He didn't mean for either of them to get hurt and now they were both dying inside because--because—Because he wouldn't say what needed to be said. Because he was a cheap, chicken-hearted, yellow-bellied emotional coward! "Damn it, Dana! I love you!"

She stopped at his words but did not look up at him as if not believing she heard what she had just heard.

"Dana. Dana, did you hear me? I love you! But damnit woman, if you don't answer me quick-- Do you hate me? Do you want me to get lost?"

"Oh god, Mulder, Mulder, I love you!"

Relief hit him full force as he held her close and mumbled a thank God into her hair. He swept her up in his arms and still holding each other tight and carried her to the bed for the promise that
she was for the rest of their lives together.

***********************THE END