Raspberry and Lace - Part 7/10 Summary and disclaimers in Part 1 ***** "Check." Mulder groaned as he watched Reyes move her man, knocking one of his off the board. He had often considered himself a fair chess player, but Reyes had beaten him nine times out of ten so far, and looked to be going for win number ten. The worst part was, it had been his idea to play. With a sigh, he rested his chin in the palm of his hand and stared at the board. Where to? Where to? The ringing of his cell phone brought a bright smile to his face. "Saved by the bell," he announced to the other agent as he answered it. "Scully, you have the best timing in the world, you know that?" Silence greeted him. "Hello?" Still, nothing. He watched as Monica's eyebrows rose in question, and shrugged in answer. Slowly, he hung up. "Wrong number?" "Yeah, right." Monica stood and wandered to the front window of the luxurious sitting room. The day had warmed up nicely, but in order to keep up the appearances of a couple on a romantic interlude, they had stayed inside. Mulder knew Monica was starting to go stir-crazy. "Something's about to happen, Mulder," she said softly. Mulder didn't question how she knew this. Instead, he asked, "Good or bad?" The young woman shook her head slightly. "I don't know. But I usually get feelings about bad things, not good." She turned to him with a smile. "Which really sucks, you know?" Mulder smiled back at her, but quickly turned serious. "Maybe we should give the others a call and give them a heads up." "And make them worry for nothing?" She shook her head again. "I don't see how they have anything to fear. There's no way Wallace knows where Charlie is, even if he does know she's not here." Mulder sighed. This was true. While he and Monica were keeping in contact with the local law, Scully and Charlie were at Doggett's house without any official knowledge. Not even Skinner knew where they were, though he had probably guessed the situation when both Doggett and Scully had called in sick the last two days, and Mulder and Reyes had requested official control of the Wallace case. However, Mulder also knew that Doggett had given the Sheriff here in Bartow a call yesterday; just making sure Mulder had indeed invloved them on the case. Scully had admitted it to him just this morning. Anyone with a brain could put one and one together. But, Mulder was confident Charlie was safe. "He's here," Mulder mumbled. When Reyes didn't respond, he looked up to find her grinning at him. "What?" "Nothing. I just like your style, Agent Mulder." He gave her a half-laugh and stood. "You know, I got my reputation barely out of the Academy. How did you get so far without me ever hearing of you?" She shrugged. "You were in the spotlight a lot more than me. I also worked legitimate cases, not X-Files. That helped." She looked down. "I was told by a fellow agent once that I would make a great 'Mrs. Spooky'." She glanced at him. "But that title has been held by someone else for the last several years." "Not that she wanted it," Mulder groused, reminded yet again that Scully's life and career could have been so much better had she never met him. "Oh, I think she's secretly proud of it," Monica said. "And she's more than earned it this last year, I think." Mulder had gone through several of the case files that had been opened during his absence, amazed at how many had been solved using giant leaps of logic... from Scully. Doggett had once commented that Scully had tried to be Mulder on more than one occasion. Mulder couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of pride that she had indeed managed to think like him once in a while. But more than that, he was relieved that she seemed to finally believe in the unbelievable. "She still argues with me," he said softly, not even meaning to speak aloud. "Of course she does," Monica said. "You can change a leopard's attitude...but you can't change her spots." "Wouldn't want to," Mulder concurred. "She wouldn't be as beautiful without them." "Exactly." "I can see why she likes you, Agent Reyes." "She likes me?" Mulder nodded, hiding a grin. "She told you that?" He nodded again, and reached for the glass of juice sitting on the table. "Hmmm..." Monica said. "Too bad she likes you better." Mulder almost choked on the juice he had been about to swallow, spitting it back into the glass instead. He looked at Monica, his eyes wide. She was laughing. "I'm kidding! Geez! Just because I'm a single woman not currently dating, everyone seems to think I'm something I'm not. That's *my* reputation, Agent Mulder." "So, you're not...?" "A lesbian?" she finished for him. "No. Not unless your average lesbian has to keep cool her attraction to her fellow male agents." "Like who?" "I'm not telling you!" "Oh, come on! I'm very good at keeping secrets! Do I know him?" "Mulder!" Monica was getting exasperated now. "Forget I said anything!" "No way! You can't expect me to just forget about what you said. What kind of agent would I be if I couldn't--" A knock on the front door stopped their playful banter, and Monica immediately headed for the foyer to answer it. "Saved by the knock!" When Mulder reached the foyer, Monica had already admitted Connie. The woman looked worried. "Connie?" Mulder began. "What is it?" "I think I saw Wallace." "Where?" Monica asked. "He and Bobby Wagner were talking to each other behind Harvey's gas station," she said. "At least, I think it was him." "Who's Bobby Wagner?" Monica continued. "The town loud mouth. That's what he is." She grimaced. "I don't know for sure, but I think Bobby knows that Charlie is out of town, that you guys are here to trap Wallace." She shook her head wildly. "God knows how! But that man can ferret out the biggest secrets from anybody. Even someone from the Sheriff's Department." "Shit." Mulder's voice was sharp. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. It wasn't long before the connecting line was ringing. "Scully." "Wallace may be headed your way." "What?!" "I can't explain how right now, just be aware that he may have figured out where Charlie is." He heard her sigh heavily. "I'll let them know. What are you going to do?" "Get some straight answers here," he said. "I'm not convinced he's left yet." "All right," she responded. He heard the unspoken 'be careful' in her voice. "Call me when you know for sure." "Deal. And Scully?" "Yes?" He paused, unable to say what he really wanted to. "Stay close to Doggett." She was silent for a moment as well, and he hoped she had heard his own unspoken words. 'Be careful.' 'Don't take any chances.' 'I love you.' "Talk to you soon, Mulder." "Right." With that, he hung up. ***** Mulder lifted his arm up and pressed the button on his watch that illuminated the dial. 12:33 AM. He dropped his arms down in frustration. He should have taken first watch since he couldn't get to sleep. He was exhausted, but his mind wouldn't relax, and he needed to get up a little after two to take over the watch from Monica. To make matters worse, tomorrow was Friday, and Charlie had guests coming early in the morning. He and Monica needed to be ready. Connie was coming in to handle the check-in, and a neighbor would be coming in to cook dinner later, but Mulder felt he should make himself visible. And Monica was going to continue to impersonate Charlie... for the weekend, at least. If Wallace didn't make his move by Monday, Mulder didn't know what they would do. But first, he needed to get some sleep. His body needed rest. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes, and his mind drifted to its favorite subject. Scully. If she was here he would be able to sleep. He had always slept easier when she was with him. Except when.... His mind darted without warning to its second favorite subject. And happily began to combine it with the other. Scully. And sex. He had several fantasies that combined his two favorite subjects. But even his fantasies couldn't compete with the memory of the real thing... >>>July 2000 Mulder's Apartment "I just find it hard to believe." "What part?" "The part where I go away for two days and your whole life changes." He knew he was being a bit dramatic, but he had sensed the change in his partner from the moment they had found each other on the grounds of the hospital earlier this evening. She seemed more relaxed, more apt to smile. And when they had arrived at his place, she had talked. She opened up to him in a way she never had before. He was fascinated. "Mmmm. I didn't say my whole life changed," she argued lazily. "You speaking to God. God speaking back." He had no trouble believing it; if anyone had a right to an in-depth discussion with God, it was Scully. Again, she shook her head. "Mmmm... And I didn't say that God spoke back. I said that I had some kind of vision." Scully? Admitting to having a vision? "Well, for you, that's like saying you're having David Crosby's baby." He expected her to laugh. Or at least elbow him in the ribs, which she often did when they were alone and he said something completely out of place. But she stayed silent. For a second, Mulder worried that he had offended her; simply the mention of babies was something he usually avoided, especially after their failure with the IVF several months ago. He looked at her. She didn't look upset; she did look deep in thought. "What is it?" How many times had he wanted to ask Scully what she was thinking? Tons. How many times had he actually asked? Very few. How many times did she answer when he did ask? With something other than 'I'm fine'? "I once considered spending my whole life with this man." He wasn't surprised by her words. Hell, she had just told him she'd had an affair with a married man; she would never have even considered that had she not loved that man very much. "What I would have missed." He wanted to smile. Was she admitting she was grateful that she hadn't stayed with Daniel? Was she admitting she was glad she was here, with him? "I don't think you can know," he said in reply. If she had stayed with Daniel, she might have lead just as interesting a life. She might have even still befriended him. Or so he hoped. "I mean, how many different lives would we be leading if we made different choices." Maybe, they never would have met. Or worse, met, but only for a brief moment. "We...we don't know." "What if there was only one choice, and all the other ones were wrong? And there were signs along the way to pay attention to." Mulder felt his mind swirl at her words. He realized she had vocalized what he had been thinking; that the right choices, the ones that Fate picked for them, would mean they would always end up here. On his couch. In his apartment. "Mmmm..." he rumbled. "And the choices would lead to this very moment. One wrong turn and we wouldn't be sitting here together." That was a scary thought. "Well, that says a lot. It says a lot, a lot, a lot." He turned to her with a smile on his face. "It's probably more than we should be getting into at this late hour." She wasn't listening. She had fallen asleep... ...Scully hadn't meant to fall asleep on her partner. But the past couple of days had taken their toll on her, and the tea, combined with the relaxing atmosphere of Mulder's apartment and the soothing sound of his voice, had lulled her into a deep slumber. She was startled awake nearly four hours later. She woke lying on Mulder's couch, the blanket that he often used tucked about her body. It was dark in the room, and quiet, but she immediately sensed she wasn't alone. Lifting her head, she stared at the shadow of a man sitting silently across from her. "Mulder?" As if in response to her query, a bright flash of lightning illuminated the room. And the man watching her sleep. She felt her heart speed up and her breathing quicken as the sound of thunder rumbled in reply. Though it had been brief, the flash of light had given her a clear view of her observer, and the look in his eyes had been terrifying. And exhilarating. She pushed herself off the couch, throwing the blanket up and around her shoulders. The air in the room was almost cold. Spring was here, but the nights were still chilly, especially when storms moved in, and Mulder had the window open. She stood and walked to stand next to his desk and look out the window, trying to act casual as she peered out into the oncoming storm. Another flash of lightning caused her to jump. But as nerve-wracking as the powerful charges of electricity were, they were not nearly as frightening as the storm she had seen in Mulder's eyes. Why had he been watching her sleep? And why had he looked at her that way? Maybe she had imagined it. Maybe he was really asleep. Maybe he wasn't even in the room! She was about to turn and see if her eyes had deceived her when she felt him come up behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, and stood looking past her out the window, not making a sound. It wasn't a sexual gesture by any means. Then why did she suddenly feel a burst of sensual energy? And was is coming from him? Or her? Or both of them? "Looks like it might be a bad one," she said, her voice shaky. He didn't respond. Not verbally, anyway. Slowly, as if he was afraid of scaring her, he brought his arms around her body, pulling her back against him. She felt surrounded by him. His scent. His strength. His power. Willingly, she sank back into him, letting her eyes fall closed. The storm grew in intensity, but Scully didn't even notice it anymore. She was floating. Soaring on a peaceful cloud of security and familiarity. Happy she had made the right choice. Her head fell back against his shoulder, and she felt his breath on her neck as he lowered his head to look at her. "Scully?" She shivered at the sound of his whisper. "Hmmmm?" In answer, he placed an open mouthed kiss on the side of her neck. Scully's eyes flew open and her body tensed. She felt the heat of his tongue as it swept along the tendon, and then the gentle pressure of his teeth as he bit down lightly. She groaned uncontrollably and her eyes drifted shut again as his tongue continued its exploration upward to her ear. By the time he reached her earlobe, she was undeniably aroused. The dampness she felt between her legs was becoming downright wet, and her knees were literally becoming weak. In response, Mulder's arms tightening around her, and one hand strayed up from her waist to cup her breast. The overtly sexual touch of his hand sent a sharp jolt of surprise through her, and she pushed away from him, dropping the blanket and turning to face him, her back to the window, her butt up against his desk. "Mulder!" she gasped. There was no anger in her voice. Only surprise, with a slight undertone of arousal. He had let her go immediately when she had pushed away from him, and he now stood there with his arms loose at his sides. With the help of another flash of lightning, she was able to read his expression. There was no regret on his face, and his eyes still held the intense desire she had seen upon waking from the couch. They also held a question. A question only Scully could answer. She swallowed heavily, trying to slow her breathing. She should go. She should grab her shoes and leave. The storm outside broke and rain began to pour down. Scratch that plan, Scully thought. She was not about to run away, especially into a rain storm. "Scully?" With that one word, her name, he seemed to be asking her more than one question. If she left, she could pretend this interlude had never happened. And she knew he would do the same; but he didn't want her to leave. And she didn't want to leave, either. But she should. She didn't want to change to balance of their relationship. She didn't want to lose any of the respect or trust she shared with him. 'Don't be ridiculous, Scully. He would never think less of you if...' If what? If she let him fuck her? She shivered and closed her eyes, but his next words brought them open again. "It's your choice." Despite the storm raging behind her, despite the intensity of the man in front of her, Scully felt a sudden wave of peace settle over her. With a smile, she looked over at her best friend. "And I've made it," she whispered. A look of relief passed over his face, though the intensity didn't diminish, and he moved forward again, using his body to pin her against the desk. "Good choice," he whispered back, then lowered his head... .....Mulder hadn't planned this seduction. He had settled Scully on his couch hours ago, planning on leaving her there and going into his bedroom to read. But his mind kept drifting to their conversation, and the freedom both seemed to feel now that their demons seemed to be vanquished. The coming storm outside had grabbed his attention and he had turned off his light in order to see the lightning better. A wildness seemed to fill him, and he had fallen into one of his favorite Scully fantasies. Unzipping his jeans, he had begun to touch himself, only to remember that the object of his daydream was in the next room. Never had he allowed himself to pleasure himself with her so close. With a groan, he had adjusted himself and left the bedroom, both relieved and depressed to see her still asleep. Carefully, he lowered himself into the chair across from her and watched her sleep. God, she was beautiful. She had always been pretty, and despite her uptight clothing, he had known she was sexy from the start, even before her visit to him in her underwear in Oregon. But the longer he knew her, the more lovely she became. Everything about her. Her hair, which he knew for a fact was natural; he was no angel, he had looked down during their shower together at Ft. Marlene (and so had she). Her profile, which reminded him of the ancient portraits of Roman Goddesses. Her body was like those of the mythical women, as well. Voluptuous. Not skinny, but slim, and curvy in all the right places. Why had he ever thought tall, leggy women were sexy? Just watching her had sent arousal pulsing through him. He had clenched his fists in an effort not to touch himself again, but he couldn't stop his mind from its almost pornographic thoughts. Then, she woke up. Now, he had her pinned up against his desk and was kissing her. Finally kissing her. And she was kissing him back. Her arms had wrapped themselves around his neck and she was pressing her body tightly against his. Recklessly, he reached down and grabbed her buttocks, squeezing them firmly before lifting her onto the desk. Something, a picture he thought, fell off onto the floor, but neither of them stopped to see what it was. Without taking his lips from hers, he pulled back a bit so he could slide her skirt up her nylon clad legs, curving his hands under her rear and grabbing the tops of her panty hose. With a sharp tug, he pulled them down, unwittingly taking her panties with them. She let go of him for a moment to brace herself on the desk, lifting her hips and allowing him to pull the underwear all the way off. Once the offending material had cleared her feet, he threw it over his shoulder and stepped into her. She parted her legs for him, and he found that his arousal was perfectly even with her now bared center. Even through the denim of his jeans, he could feel her heat and moisture. Instinctively, he jerked his hips into her. She gasped into his mouth, which had yet to leave hers, and brought her knees up to grip his hips. Her hands were sliding up and down his bare back, inching closer and closer to where his jeans began every time they swept down. Her fingers felt as electrically charged as the lightning that still flashed behind her. With a groan, he left her lips and began to kiss her throat, sliding his hands under her sweater to the silky skin underneath. Swiftly, he pulled the garment upward, taking his mouth from her only long enough to pull it over her head. It followed the same route her nylons and panties had flown. He shoved her back slightly, her elbow hitting the computer as he did so. Her sharp intake of breath caused him to pull back, and some of the blood that had abandoned his brain for regions farther south traveled back upward. What the hell was he doing?! "Too fast," he whispered. "No!" Her voice was strong. "Please, don't stop!" She added an exclamation point to her words by thrusting her hips up into him. "Please!" With a growl, he brought his hand down to his fly and undid it, shoving the jeans and boxers down just enough to allow his penis to spring free. With the same hand, he reached between her legs to her center, amazed at how wet and aroused she was. Holding her tightly around the waist with one arm, he used his free hand to help position himself at her opening, then pushed into her with one stroke of his hips. She shouted out an incoherent word, and he stilled. She was so damn tight, he knew it had to be uncomfortable. "Scully?" he said through clenched teeth, his face buried in her neck. He felt her chest heave a couple of times as she breathed deep, then she tightened her arms around his shoulders. "I'm fine." He pulled back his head to look at her, startled and a little dismayed by her words. When he met her eyes, she smiled. Her smile went straight to his heart. "I love you, Scully," he whispered. Her smile faded and her eyes grew round. Then she squeezed his hips with her thighs. "Prove it." It had been a long time indeed since Mulder had done this, and he had always figured his first time 'back in the saddle' would be over almost before it began. But with her challenge floating in the air between them, he was determined to last long enough to see her go over the edge first. It wasn't easy, especially with her moans and whimpers urging him on, but he managed. He even tested his coordination by freeing her breasts from her bra and bending down to catch a tight, rosy nipple in his mouth. At his urgent suckling, her hips increased their tempo, and he eagerly matched it. Another object, most likely his coffee cup full of dried-up pens, fell off the dangerously rocking desk. The thought crossed his mind that he wouldn't care if the computer fell, as long as the desk itself stood up to the abuse. Harder, faster, deeper. She had thrown her head back in ecstasy and was moaning his name uncontrollably. He abandoned her breasts and straightened, watching her in fascination as he thrust harder. He felt her internal muscles begin to spasm and he continued the almost violent pumping. Her body stiffened and her moans turned into startled shrieks. "Oh, God! Mulder! Oh, my God!" Though he was more than ready to let loose himself, he held off, reveling in the feel of tremor after tremor coursing through her. Finally, he could not hold off any longer. With a roar, he poured himself into her, knowing as he did so, that part of him would be in her forever... ***** End 7/10