TITLE: "OF TWO MINDS" BY: X-Phan E-MAIL ADDRESS: xphan1013@yahoo.com RATING: NC-17 for descriptions of sex CLASSIFICATION: TR, Adventure/Romance, X-file TIMEFRAME/SPOILER WARNING: As always, set before the last 2 seasons, during the "status quo" time before "the baby", Doggett, Mulder's abduction etc... but no serious spoilers. KEYWORDS: MSR, what else is there? SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully investigate a little too closely into their latest X-File and end up becoming part of it, but maybe their dark cloud has a silver lining. ARCHIVE INFO: Can be archived anywhere as long as my name, address and disclaimer stay intact. FEEDBACK: Please email me with any comments, reviews, constructive criticism, etc... INSPIRATION: The X-Men, Cyclops and Jean Grey, explained in the endnote. DEDICATION: To my number one fan, she knows who she is. Writers live for feedback, so maybe one day I can learn German and return the favor. DISCLAIMER: The X-Files and the characters of Mulder and Scully belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting, and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended, no profit will be gained. ___________________________________________________________ The X-Files: "Of Two Minds" by X-Phan *********************** "Friendship is one mind in two bodies." -- Mencius Chinese Confucian philosopher *********************** FBI Headquarters Tuesday 8:32 AM "By the look on your face Mulder, I'd say we have a new case and judging by the excitement in your eyes, you believe we are about to find incontrovertible evidence of the existence of extra-terrestrials. Am I pretty close?" He grinned at her. "Sometimes, Scully, I swear you can read my mind." "Let's just say you're well known as being a slave to your passions." "I guess you have me pegged. So how does chasing lights in the sky and autopsying a possible abductee sound to you?" "It sounds suspiciously like a normal day in the life of Special Agent Dana Scully. So tell me about the case." Mulder picked up a file and handed it to her, while reciting it's highlights from memory. "In the last two weeks, a small town in Ohio has been disturbed by lights in the sky every night. They have been reported to move very quickly and abruptly and to settle over a public park near the edge of town for a short time before disappearing. Just about the same time this began, two people disappeared from the vicinity of the park without a trace and haven't been seen since. Another couple disappeared just over a week ago. They were found unconscious in the park three days ago in bad shape. The male, twenty-two years old, died on the way to the hospital of some kind of massive neural trauma. The female, twenty- one, suffers from a similar condition. She lived but is not much more than a vegetable now. As you can see in the pictures, both have what appears to be some sort of surgical scar above the right temple. Before you ask, there have been no reports of military test flights or weather balloons anywhere near the area of the sightings and serial killers who don't actually kill their victims are almost unheard of." "So given the limited amount of information we have you've already jumped to the conclusion that the victims were abducted by aliens, experimented on, and dropped off when they were finished with them. You've ignored a more logical and certainly more likely explanation. What if it's not a serial killer but just some nut that thinks he's an aspiring brain surgeon? And a light show as proof of alien abduction, come on Mulder, that would mean there are aliens at every Fourth of July picnic and rock concert in America." "You know Scully, you're probably right." She was shocked. "I am?" "Any sufficiently advanced form of life would most likely appreciate rock music. I'll have to keep an eye out for little gray men the next time Aerosmith plays in D.C." "You scared me Mulder, for a second there I thought you had come to your senses, or worse than that, if you started agreeing with me it might mean that I had lost MY mind." "It wouldn't be so bad Scully. I could have the padded cell next to yours. We could wear matching straightjackets and play chess with our teeth." Mulder was grinning wider by the end of his rant. Scully rewarded him with a laugh. "You know that sounds like a pretty good plan. If I lose my mind it's a date Mulder, and by the way, I'd kick your ass at chess." "My my, saving my ass, kicking my ass, it seems to me, Agent Scully that you've developed quite an obsession with my ass." She gave him the warning eyebrow but replied anyway. "It just that I've grown accustomed to having it around, kind of like an old worn out pair of jeans that I know I should throw away but I can't seem to bring myself to do it." "Without further investigation into that analogy I think I'll take my compliment and run away before it can be mangled any further." "Good idea. Now when do we leave?" "I'll take care of the plane tickets and pick you up at your place at ten. We have to hurry if we're going to catch the next flight." Mulder was only ten minutes late picking his partner up. She was patiently waiting at the curb outside her building. He jumped out of the car. "Sorry I'm late, let me grab your bag." She just smirked. "Actually you arrived right when I expected you. I guess I've been on Mulder-time for so long I don't even recognize the difference." They made it to the airport and just barely caught their flight. As usual Scully sat in her seat engrossed in the new X-File to take her mind off flying and Mulder closed his eyes and slouched in his seat anticipating his favorite part of flying. Scully had long since stopped noticing if he fell asleep on her shoulder and when Mulder realized this he began getting a lot sleepier on their plane trips. Only once in a while he actually slept but most often he faked it and just enjoyed being close to her. A couple of times after long cases she also fell asleep and rested her head on his. Those were the best times. Mulder had by now accepted that he would never have her. It was something of a relief not to worry about it anymore and it made his outlook on life so much simpler. He just took what he could get everyday and convinced himself to be happy with that. The chance to be Scully's best friend was already a wonderful gift and he would never be ungrateful for it as long as he lived. By the same token he couldn't stop himself from such small indulgences as lying on her shoulder when the opportunity arose. His conscience reminding him he was taking advantage of their friendship but it had not yet been able to convince him when compared with the smell of her hair. Of course he had to be careful she didn't find out or she very well might perform an autopsy on him, while he was still alive. Threat of disembowelment put out of his mind, Mulder, over the course of a few minutes, began to lean to the side and droop toward his favorite headrest. Finally he came to rest on the soft shoulder pad of a black power suit. Scully tilted her head toward him and smiled before returning to the case file in her hands. Upon arrival she nudged him a little. "Mulder we're here." Complete with yawn and stretch, his performance in the field of pretending to wake up from a deep sleep was worthy of an Academy Award. They got off the plane, collected their bags, and rented a car to take them the hour drive to their final destination. When they arrived, the small town had two whole motels to pick from. "What do you say Scully, let's throw caution to the wind, spare no expense, and pick the one that doesn't look like the cockroaches are an essential part of the ambience." "Go for it, you wild man." She deadpanned. They checked in and got a couple of rooms. "Usual game plan Mulder? Start with the sheriff, then see the victims, then interview witnesses." "Guess so. You know Scully, just once I'd like to deal with an actual chief of police, someone who doesn't feel the need to wear a cowboy hat and act like this is still the Wild West." "Someday we'll find one. When aliens start giving anal probes to people in cities like New York and Chicago, we'll be there to investigate. For now though the Reticulans only seem to be interested in the rectums of drunken hicks and yokels who live out in the boonies which are always patrolled by cowboy sheriffs." "If I didn't know you better, Scully, I'd say you were mocking me." "Certainly not," she pretended to be shocked. "I was just pointing out the interesting coincidence that no one who claims to be abducted by extraterrestrials ever seems to be remotely credible." "Don't you see that's the genius of their plan? They only take those who wouldn't be believed if they told people what happened to them." "That doesn't explain these geniuses' obsession with the human anus." "Wouldn't you be curious if you didn't have one? Besides, it could be a smoke screen. After all the tests are finished, they ensure no one will ever believe their victim by sticking something in his butt just for effect. Either that or they're shooting alien porno." "This from the expert himself. Your collection is probably extensive enough to include things from other solar systems." "You're welcome to check that hypothesis out for yourself." "Thanks, I'll pass." "You sure? You might like 'Babes from Boob-ilon IV'." Scully rolled her eyes and have him her best exasperated- groan. Dropping off their suitcases in their rooms, Mulder and Scully headed out to see what the local sheriff had to say about the town's recent events. Mulder was pleased he at least wasn't wearing a cowboy hat when they met him. "Hello Sheriff, we spoke on the phone. I'm Agent Mulder and this is my partner Agent Scully." "Hello Agent Mulder, Agent Scully. You must be here to see how the investigation is going into the attack on those kids. It's a damn shame what happened, they're my neighbor's nephew and his girlfriend. We all want to find out who did this to them and put them away. On the phone you said you would be able to do the autopsy on John so I didn't call someone to drive down. Can't very well have the mortician do it and it'd just take longer to get some doctor to come here. We just don't have any murders in my town... until now that is." "Thank you sheriff, my partner's a pathologist and she'll be performing the autopsy. What can you tell us about the case so far?" The sheriff went to his desk and opened the folders on it. "The truth is I wasn't sure there was a case until John and Sarah went missing. The first two, Rob and Tammy, were a pretty hot item around town and although they disappeared, we just thought they had ran off and eloped so I wasn't too worried. You know how young folks can be. When it happened again I knew there was something wrong. We combed the park and surrounding area and didn't ind anything. People been saying those lights have something to do with what's going on but I think we need to be looking for a drifter or some nut that got loose from an asylum. Anyway three days ago we found John and Sarah in the park. Didn't look like they'd been beaten or tortured or anything but something's been done to 'em cause he's dead and she's got something wrong in the head. Her eyes open but she doesn't see nothing if you know what I mean. I just don't know how they got there. There aren't any footprints or tire tracks where they were found in the middle of the park and there should be since the ground's been pretty damp. We've been patrolling, looking for strangers or anything suspicious and keeping people away from the park, but I'm not sure what else to do with no evidence and no leads. You're welcome to take a look at what we've got, witnesses' statements and such, but it isn't much help." Scully spoke up. "We'll certainly look at what you've collected so far, but first could you take us to see Sarah, I'd like to find out exactly what her condition is before I start on the autopsy." "Sure I'll give you directions to the hospital, just don't expect her to be able to answer questions." Mulder and Scully got in their car to head to the hospital. "Well Mulder he didn't have a hat and he seems reasonable enough, though I wouldn't share your theory with him just yet." "You're right about that, but did you see that Colt 45 he was carrying, it would put Wyatt Earp to shame. What is he trying to prove?" "You of all people should know what a man's gun is an extension of. Hey Mulder, do you still carry that tiny little Barretta on you?" She smirked. "Hey it's not that little and I haven't had any complaints from people I've used it on yet." He shot back. "I'm sorry Mulder. I'm sure it's an very adequate gun." "You're just jealous because I've never let you try it out." He knew he had won the round when he saw her eyes widen a just a little and she replied with a noncommittal, "Whatever". They continued on to the hospital to see the only surviving victim and found just what had been described in the report. Scully examined her chart before they went in her room. "The medical report says that other than the scar on her temple, there were no external injuries or indications she was assaulted, sexually or other wise." "What about an implant?" "We can check her neck, but there isn't anything in the x- rays. Isn't that the most common indication people use to claim they were abducted by aliens? Without that we're back to lights in the sky as evidence." "It's still possible she was abducted. Maybe they were finished with her and didn't put one in because they didn't need to be able to find her again." "Let's see her first before jumping to anymore conclusions." Sarah Burroughs was lying in a hospital bed staring at the ceiling. The only signs she was alive were involuntary blinking and shallow breathing. The agents were watching the monitors around her beep as a doctor came in. "Can I help you folks?" Scully took the lead. "We're with the FBI investigating what happened to Sarah and her boyfriend. Can you tell us more about her condition?" "Sure, anything to stop who did this. Some kind of surgery or experiment was done on her, affecting her cerebral cortex destroying much of its normal functions. All that's left appear to be involuntary muscle actions, her heart still beats and she is still breathing but that's all. Those functions are controlled by another part of the brain that hasn't yet gotten the message that the rest isn't working. She isn't quite brain dead by the normal definition. There is a slight brain wave, but it's so abnormal and distorted as to be barely recognizable as such. There isn't enough brain matter functioning normally for her to have any kind of thought process left. The swelling of the affected area was so severe when she was brought in I'm surprised she survived up until now, but there's really nothing keeping her alive. I assume at some point she will just stop breathing." "Do you have any idea what might have been done to her or how?" "Not really, there is the scar on her head near the vicinity of the affected brain but I'm not sure how or what was done. The neural pathways in her brain were seemingly overtaxed until they self-destructed. Information in the brain is carried and stored by electrical impulses. It was as if electrodes were used to put a great deal of current into her head and short-circuited everything. However that didn't happen, it wasn't voltage or current that did the damage like in an electrocution, this was different. That was the closest analogy I could think of because I've never seen anything exactly like this." "Thank you doctor, there's just one thing we'd like to check. Could you show us the back of her neck?" He nodded and lifted her slack body up to a sitting position. Scully brushed aside her hair. There was nothing there, no scar and no chip. "Thank you again for your help, I'm on my way now to do an autopsy on the other victim who did die. If I find anything that might help Sarah we'll contact you right away." "I appreciate that." Mulder drove Scully to the morgue. As soon as she pulled out the bone saw he decided to interview a few witnesses and beat a hasty retreat, telling her to call him when she was done. The sum total of the next couple of hours for Mulder was that he confirmed the definitely possibility that one or both of the couples may or may not have been in or around the area of the park when they disappeared. When Scully called, he stopped by the morgue, picked her up and found a diner as they had missed lunch. When they got their drinks Mulder informed her of his unsuccessful interviews. He waited until after he was finished his cheeseburger to ask about her findings. "From the neck down he was perfectly healthy. The extensive damage to his brain was the cause of death. There were no implants that I could find, nor was there any indication as to what caused the damage. There was a great deal of intra-cranial swelling, but there was no tissue that was singed, fried, or otherwise electrocuted in the conventional sense. I can't come up with anything better than Sarah's doctor's 'short circuit' comparison. I didn't even find evidence of neuro-surgery inside the head in the form of scar tissue that would be definitely be there if someone or something had cut him open and operated on his brain." "Seems like we're at a dead end, no leads and no evidence to prove any theory. Guess it's about time for some good old fashioned police work." "Please don't say it Mulder, not that." "Yup, a good old fashioned all night stake-out of the park." Scully moaned but not the good kind. "Well if you don't like stake-outs, you could wear a nighty and call it a pajama party." She moaned louder and covered her face with her hands. "Come on it'll be fun, a couple of bottles of iced tea, some sunflower seeds, and my company. What more could a women ask for?" Mulder was by this time grinning from ear to ear at the prospect of a night of teasing Scully and already picturing her in that nighty. "We better go back to the motel and get some rest. I want to be there before dark." With a resigned sigh she pulled herself out of the booth and followed her partner. "So what color Mulder?" "Huh?" "What color is the nighty I'm wearing in your head?" "Not sure, is 'transparent' a color?" He seemed genuinely curious. This time she groaned, the exact sound of another round going to Mulder. It's not that she wasn't incredibly intelligent and a better than even match for him at most things, but in a battle of wits Mulder drove a Sherman Tank. A few minutes after his alarm woke him Mulder knocked on Scully's door. She opened it and was dressed more casually for the long night in pants and a sweater. "Hey Mulder, I'm almost ready." "Nice sweater, though I was hoping for something a little more see-through." She should have kept her mouth shut but didn't. "One more comment about that and you'll be able to see- through the hole I blow in your head." She realized her poor choice of words as soon as she said them and practically screamed as he was opening his mouth to respond. "No! I take it back, not one word about me blowing your head." Still the damage was done and he just smiled. Who needs a tank against an opponent who shoots herself in the foot? Grumbling to herself, Scully grabbed her jacket and was out the door leaving her partner chuckling and staring at her retreating rear end. After picking up a few snacks at a convenience store, Mulder and Scully drove into the park and found a spot not too far from the entrance where they could keep an eye out for anything unusual. At dusk Mulder got his camera ready to get some photographic evidence of the lights that had been appearing regularly in the sky. Almost right on cue as the sky became completely dark, the lights appeared. Mulder grabbed his camera but they had already moved away. A second later the bright lights reappeared high above their car. Sticking his head out the window to get a better look, Mulder is blinded as they instantaneously descend illuminating the area with dazzling radiance. Mulder yelled out. "Shit, I think we got too close." Then his camera dropped to the ground. xxxxx Cleveland General Hospital Friday 10:46AM Mulder awoke to one of the more unpleasant headaches of his life, the IV in his arm bringing a cocktail of painkillers and anti-inflammatories helped very little. His moan of discomfort got the attention of his boss who was sitting across the room reading a five-month-old magazine. He jumped from his seat and came over to the bed. "Mulder are you all right? Do you know who I am?" By now his eyes were open and he was taking in his surroundings. "Head hurts... Mr. Clean." "I'll take that to mean you're still you." "What happened? Where's Scully?" He said the second part louder. "In a hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. I had you two choppered here when they found you unconscious in the park yesterday. Scully is across the hall, we found her in the same condition as you. The doctors say you both should recover but she hasn't woken up yet." "Recover from what?" "I was hoping you would tell me. You were investigating it. What ever the disturbance was in the park, it disappeared after you two were found and hasn't yet returned." "Don't know, bright light, then foggy." Mulder put his hand up to the side of his head where it stung a little. There was a small bandage over it. "There was a cut on your temple like the others, they don't know from what or what exactly was done to you." "At least my brains aren't scrambled like the others." Mulder then touched the back of his neck to find only smooth skin and no implant scar, much to his relief. He sat up slowly so as not to get light headed. "Take me to see her." "Hold on, let me get a wheel chair." Skinner came back with one moments later and helped Mulder into it. Skinner transferred his IV to the hook on the chair and wheeled it out of the room and across the hall. Scully was still unconscious in her bed wearing a bandage identical to Mulder's. Skinner pushed him over to the bed. "I'll give you some time," he said before leaving. Mulder touched her warm cheek then brought his hand down and picked up hers. "Come on Scully, wake up. Come back to me." He brushed his lips against her hand and put it back down but didn't let go. After a few minutes he put his head down on the edge of her bed to rest his eyes. He awoke from his light sleep when he heard her call his name. S {Mulder} He looked up but she still seemed to be asleep. Mulder squeezed her hand. "Wake up Scully, please be alright." S {Alright} She repeated. He heard her again and this time he had been watching her intently. Her lips hadn't moved and she was still unconscious. "Wake up Scully, you're scaring me." He saw her eyes blink open and immediately wince at the pain of a headache similar to his. S {Hurts} "I know it hurts, Scully, I heard you. What's going on?" "Mulder?" "I'm here." M {I'll always be here for you.} "I'm so glad you're awake, you had me worried there for a while. I kept having visions of the blank stare Sarah Burroughs had in her eyes." M {I just want to take you in my arms and make everything go away.} "...don't mind a hug. I'm glad you're okay too." Mulder carefully got up and slid next to her in the bed, gently pulling her against him and wrapping his arms around her tiny frame. M {You heard me didn't you? What I was just thinking.} "What?" He backed away so she could see his face. M {You can hear me, can't you?} Her eyes went wide. "What's going on?" "They took us Scully, they did something, and then dropped us off two days later. I think I'm getting an idea as to what they did. I heard you say my name and then repeat what I had said, but you didn't move your lips. Just the same it was your voice I heard. I think it was in my head. I believe, Scully, that I can hear your thoughts and you can hear mine. I bet they succeeded with us where they failed with the others." "That's..." M {Not possible, and yet here we are. Remember this, my sister used to tease me with it? I will not eat them on the docks. I will not eat them with a fox. I will not eat green eggs and ham. I will not eat them...} "...Sam I am. I heard you. Oh my goodness Mulder. What did they do to us?" "It's okay. Skinner said the doctors think we're going to be fine. We'll find out more when he comes back." She still looked a little frightened so Mulder pulled her once again to his chest. She took a deep breath and hugged him back. "How can you not be bothered by this? How can you be so calm?" She asked. S {I'm scared.} "I was scared. When you didn't wake up, when I didn't know if you were still you in there I was terrified that something had happened to your wonderful mind. Now I'm just relieved. The rest doesn't matter. Truth be told it's kind of amusing, almost as cool as... oh say being a vampire or something." "Huh?" "Think about it. It's like having your very own closed circuit cable TV show, The Scully-Channel, all Scully all the time. It's free and maybe if I'm really lucky, late at night there will be some adult programming on. How often would you say you have dirty dreams? I'll want to mark my calendar." She chuckled. "Leave it to you to find the pornographic side of everything." S {Thank you for making me feel better.} M {It's my joy in life.} They stayed like that for a few minutes before separating a few inches. M {How's the headache?} S {Getting better I think. This is strange. I hear you and at the same time I don't. Does it uh... work on anyone else or just me.} "Don't know, haven't tried." Just then their first guinea pig knocked on the door. Mulder slid himself back into his wheelchair. "Come in," she said. Skinner walked in. "Agent Scully I'm glad to see you're awake and feeling okay I hope." "Yes sir, aside from a headache I seem to be fine." "Good, you mother will be glad to hear it, ever since she found out you two had disappeared, she's been calling me almost every hour and recently she's been threatening to fly out here if I don't tell her everything I know." He smiled a little. "I'm sure you've been very understanding. Thank you sir." "I'll inform the doctor you're awake. I know he'll want to talk to you." He left them alone again. S {Get anything from him?} M {Nope} S {Me neither.} M {Guess it's an exclusive club, just you and me babe.} S {Guess so.} A gray haired man in a lab coat knocked on the door and came in carrying some papers. "Agent Mulder, Agent Scully, I'm Dr. Mullen, I see you've regained consciousness, excellent. We were worried there for a while. The brain inflammation was quite serious when you two were brought in. I see the medication has helped and you both should be perfectly healthy very soon. So what exactly caused this condition? Your supervisor only mentioned you were conducting an investigation. I was curious..." Scully saw where this was going and cut him off. "I'm afraid that's classified. If you could give us the results of any tests you ran that would be appreciated." "Alright, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Like I was saying we weren't able to ascertain what exactly happened to you, but we performed scans on both of you. Take a look at these brain waves." He handed each of them a printout with a waveform on it. "The brain waves show some slight irregularities, but that's not what I wanted to show you." He took them back then held them one above the other. "Notice anything?" Scully's eyebrows went up. "They're identical." "Almost perfectly. There's less than a two percent deviation. I've never seen anything quite like it. Identical twins sometimes share some similarities but nothing like this and I take it you two are unrelated." Scully took the papers from him, studying them closer. M {This probably goes a long way toward explaining things.} The doctor continued, "I don't see how such thing could be a naturally occurring statistical anomaly so I was hoping to conduct further..." Scully cut him off again. "Are these the only copies you have of these scans?" "Yes but..." "Then I'll be holding on to them. We are grateful for all your help but this may be a matter of national security and I will have to insist your report on this be limited to: The agents were brought in with signs of intra-cranial swelling of undetermined origin, were treated and fully recovered. If you have a problem with this you may take it up with our superior who is waiting outside. I'm sure you've met him by now." By the look on his face, the doctor had run into protective- mode Skinner and he shook his head to indicate that won't be necessary. "If everything checks out okay we'd like to be discharged by tonight." "I'll see what I can do," he said as he retreated from the room. "What was that all about?" "I think it would be best if we keep our little secret. Besides, I get the distinct impression I've been poked and prodded enough in the last few days to last me a lifetime." "Good point." They were then silent for a few minutes. "So, uh, what do we do now?" "We could travel the country hustling bridge and pinochle tournaments." "After that," she deadpanned. "Don't you think this kind of changes our relationship? Think about it, not to be able to have a private thought. We're close and everything but that's a pretty daunting idea." Mulder winced at the mention of their relationship and she didn't need to read his mind to hear his fear. S {No, Mulder. I'm not going to leave you. You really have to stop jumping to the worst possible conclusion about everything. I was just thinking maybe there's something we can do to reverse it or block it. Trust me, if I haven't let your dirty mind chase me away by now, it never will.} M {I know I have to work on that jumping to conclusions Thing. But anyway, since we don't even know what was done I'm not letting anyone grab a scalpel and take a hack at trying to undo it. As far as blocking it, I'm afraid I can't say the same about myself, but if you started wearing a tinfoil hat you might lose some of your credibility.} S {I know you're right. I'm just a little concerned. You are my best friend and there are some things about me I'd rather keep private. Everyone has secrets and that's not a bad thing. I just don't like the idea of something so personal as my own thoughts being out of my control.} M {I know Scully. I'll make a deal with you. If you try to keep your fantasizing about my ass to a minimum, I'll do the same.} S {I would appreciate not to hear you fantasizing about your own ass.} M {Do me a favor Scully and picture yourself in that cute little hospital gown with your bum hanging out.} Scully concentrated. "Yuck, I said picture yourself. At least now I have proof of your preoccupation with my ass." It was her turn to smile. That one was close but the judges gave the round to Scully. Just then Skinner once again interrupted their battle of wits. "I met the doctor in the hall and he told me you would be discharged this evening. I wanted to let you both know I took the liberty of having you're suitcases from the motel brought here. I'm not sending you back there and as far as I'm concerned the X-File portion of this case is over. As I informed Agent Mulder the disturbances in the vicinity of the park have ceased and I believe local law enforcement can continue the missing persons investigation on their own." "I have a feeling that there won't be any more abductions and that the search for the perpetrator won't yield any results," replied Mulder. "I understand. You can submit your report Monday. If either of you need anything I'll be at my hotel catching up on some sleep. You have my cell phone number." "Thank you sir." Skinner nodded and left. S {I just want to go home and go to sleep, forget about yet another procedure done on me without my knowledge. I guess by now I should be getting used to it.} M {I'm sorry.} S {It's not your fault Mulder, but even if it was, I still would forgive you.} M {Thanks.} "Well I guess I'll get back to my room and let you rest." Mulder slowly stood up from the chair. "At least the dizziness is gone." He collected his IV bag and as he was walking out of the room Scully whistled to remind him to hold his gown closed. He didn't need to turn around to see her grin. He made his way to the bathroom at the end of the hall. Mulder was almost finished when he was rudely interrupted. S {So that's what it's like to pee standing up. I never imagined aiming took so much concentration.} M {Hey, get lost. New rule, no listening in when the other person is in the bathroom.} S {Oh quit whining, I'm a doctor and besides I can barely hear you anyway. How far away are you, it's like you're just whispering.} M {Down the hall a little ways, maybe sixty feet, apparently the range on the antennas in our heads isn't very long.} S {It's probably a 'line of sight' thing. If whatever transmissions we're sending out are some kind of electromagnetic wave, which I'm assuming they are, then the signal would be attenuated somewhat by air but mostly by reflection and refraction when encountering surfaces like doors and walls.} M {You sure do know how to make a physics lesson sound sexy, but if you'll excuse me, a man needs his privacy while he's trying to tinkle.} S {Please accept my humble apologies for distracting you, I'll just let you get back to the matter at hand.} M {That's it, I'm visiting you in the shower. We'll just see how you like it.} S {I believe you're forgetting about the new rule you yourself just established, and I quote, "No listening in when the other person is in the bathroom."} M {Then what is it you're doing?} S {It's a good idea, but I hadn't yet agreed to it untillllll... right now.} M {You'd make a good lawyer, you know that, Scully? Scully? That's better, for once in your life you've finally listened to me, woman. I'm glad you didn't hear that cause I'd be in a lot of trouble if you did.} When he received no response Mulder finished up in the bathroom and went back to his room to take a nap. Several hours later he woke up to the nurse delivering a tray of hospital quasi-food. M {This green Jell-o reminds me a little too much of alien goo.} S {You're awake? Thank goodness. Geez Mulder, you have some pretty vivid dreams, I never thought you felt that way about Krycek and I knew you watched a lot of porn but your tastes are a bit... unsettling.} M {How long have you been waiting to say that?} S {About half an hour.} M {Revenge for the 'woman' crack?} S {I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about and Regardless, revenge would be beneath me.} Scully was a hair away from taking her second round in a row when she stepped in it again. M {Scully my dear, even in high heels, very little is beneath you.} S {Damnit damnit damnit I had you. If I had just kept my mouth shut.} M {Coulda woulda shouda, but didn't.} S {You know what Mulder? Stick that Jell-o up your ass.} M {Oooo Scully and I thought you didn't share my kinky fantasies.} S {Just the ones involving stapling your mouth shut and since that will no longer have any affect, where's my gun? It's time for some improvised brain surgery. For your sake Mulder your tinfoil hat better be thick enough to stop bullets.} M {Hollow point or full metal jacket?} S {Magnesium-tipped armor-piercing.} M {Guess I'm gonna need a new hat.} S {And a new head. Ha I win.} M {Alright, alright, you win, but only because I felt sorry for you and gave up. I wouldn't want you to become frustrated and stop coming back for more.} S {It'll be a cold day in hell when I walk away from a challenge.} M {That's my girl, uhhh woman, hmmm... partner ok?} S {Much better and yes the lime Jell-o resembles ectoplasm. You're about to say I'm turning you on, but I'm afraid it really is just the thought of ectoplasm.} M {Don't worry you're in there somewhere too.} S {Covered in ectoplasm no doubt.} M {Oh baby, say it just one more time.} S {Hmpf, verbal sparring was one thing, but mental sparring? I can't believe I'm going to have a headache for the next forty years.} M {Yeah but you love him anyway.} S {That remains to be seen.} M {So what time are we getting out of here?} S {A couple of hours, they want to do one last X-ray to make sure the swelling is down enough to discontinue medication, but we seem to have healed pretty fast.} M {Good.} S {Damn I have to pee.} M {What's stopping you?} S {Nothing, I'll just wait until I get home.} Mulder picked at his meal and channel surfed until it was his turn to be taken for X-rays. They showed that Mulder and Scully were fit enough to be discharged that night. Grateful, they put their own clothes back on and got on the first plane back to D.C. They spent the trip shooting images back and forth between them. When the picture of Skinner in a pink lace nighty came up, Scully barely contained her chuckle considering her boss was sitting next to her. He kept glancing over and finding his agents smiling, but since they didn't offer to explain, he didn't ask. When they landed, Skinner still worried, refused to let them drive, so he offered to take Mulder's car, drop them off and then take a cab home from Mulder's place. At Scully's building, she grabbed her things, thanked them and practically sprinted up to her apartment. "What was that all about?" Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "I think she has to use the little girl's room." When he didn't elaborate, Skinner continued on toward Mulder's place. When Skinner left Mulder flopped down on the couch to relax in front of the TV with some just this side of week-old pizza. He was finally alone with his thoughts. M {Scully hello, can you hear me? No, good had to make sure. This is more effort than I thought, having to be careful my mind doesn't drift over into dangerous territory around her. It also poses a problem for my plan of never letting her find out how I feel, because someday, probably sooner than later, we'll be sitting in out office doing paperwork and I'll glance at her and something will pop into my head to the effect of 'Wow, is she beautiful. I sure do love her,' and the shit will hit the fan. Best-case scenario, she'll be pissed I wasn't honest with her and I'll look like a coward for not telling her myself before she heard it from my unconscious mind. This is quite a problem indeed. Unfortunately the only way out of it I can see is to head this off at the pass and minimize exposure by telling her the truth and reassuring her it won't change anything etc... so she won't pity me or worse feel she has to leave. I wonder when the focus of my life became not losing Scully. That's all that seems to matter anymore, it's been that way for so long it's hard to remember anything else. Man I miss her already, it was nice having her kicking around inside my head, there's nobody better to debate with and just feeling her presence helps keep the loneliness away. I'll feel better after I get this off my chest anyway, no more secrets and nothing to hide since it would be impossible anyway. I better go now before all this courage disappears in the night.} His decision made, Mulder gets up and heads out the door on his way to Scully's apartment. Arriving at her building he got out of his car and began to feel she was close. He made his way up almost to her door before he heard her again. S {Yeah Mom, I'm fine Mom. I appreciate your concern but I'm a big girl now even though you will never see me like that. I'm over thirty years old but I still need my mother to baby-sit me.} She was obviously deep in conversation with her mother trying to prevent a precautionary visit. If Maggie only knew what she was thinking when her daughter was speaking to her she would no doubt have disapproved of Scully's sarcasm. Mulder was the only one who appreciated it, because it was another weapon she wielded masterfully during their battles of wit. He knocked on her door both literally and mentally. M {Knock, knock, it's me.} S {Mulder?} M {Know any other 'me's?} S {Let yourself in. I'm on the phone with my mother.} M {I noticed. So is she coming to stay with you for a week?} S {I'm trying to prevent that very thing right now.} He unlocked the door and walked in to hear the last of her conversation with Maggie. "I'll be fine Mom. Look, Mulder just walked in. He'll make sure nothing happens to me. I'll see you Sunday, yeah, bye." "You're lucky to have mother that cares so much." "Hmmmmm, I know and I'm grateful, it's just that I'm a little too tired to have to, you know, put on a good show for her about how happy and healthy I am." "I understand." M {You don't have to do that for me, do you?} S {There was a time I did, but we're past that now, I not afraid to be myself with you.} M {Wow that may be one of the best compliments I've ever received.} S {You're welcome.} "So to what exactly do I own the honor of your visit. Miss me already?" "Yeah sure that too, but there was something important I wanted to talk to you about." "Sounds serious, let's go sit on the couch." They sat down and Scully stared at Mulder curiously waiting for him to explain further. S {So what's up?} "I have to get this out quickly before my train of thought starts to get away from me and this blows up in my face. Okay here goes; you know you're the most important person in the world to me right? It's been that way for a while. Anyway, seeing as how it is going to be impossible to keep secrets from each other, especially big ones, well, I want you to hear this from me and not my subconscious. Scully I..." M {...love you. Damn, I promised myself you would hear it out loud.} "You love me?" "Yeah, and sorry not the platonic kind, not completely, I guess it's kinda both. But what I wanted to tell you is I don't expect anything from you and that although I had to tell you, we don't have to let it change anything, because it would kill me if you left over this." S {Wow really? You love me as in romantically?} M {Yup, so uh... how do you feel about this? It's not the end of the world right?} "Wow." "You said that already. This can't be all that much of a shock; I mean I've flirted with you every single day for years. You must have suspected something." "That's just it, it was all teasing and jokes. I thought if you were serious about any of it you would have made a move years ago, but you just continued on as if we were nothing more than friends." "They say there's some truth to every joke. I guess I figured the best place to hide my attraction was in plain sight. It quickly became more than attraction though and by then it was too late to stop, teasing you is so much fun." "Since we're being honest I enjoy it too. Anyway, guess what? I have a secret of my own." S {I love you too.} "Really? Romantically or platonically?" "Same as you." M {Wow.} S {Yeah wow.} "I never knew or for that matter even suspected, of course I dreamed you loved me back, but... say it out loud." "I love you Mulder. For two people who can read each other as well as we can, we definitely got our signals crossed on this one." "Thank goodness for brain frying aliens." "So what now?" "Can I have a hug?" "Definitely." They launched themselves across the couch and into each other's arms. After a few minutes of crushing each other Scully chuckled. S {In the spirit of total honesty, I made a promise to myself a long time ago that if you didn't make a move I would seduce you and hope for the best. As you can guess I never got up the courage to do it.} M {I had a dream about that, more than one actually.} S {How do they end?} M {Sappy, as in marriage, nice house, big yellow dog on our front porch where we swing when we're in our eighties.} S {That sounds nice. Wonderful in fact. Is it what you want?} M {Is it what you want? I just want you to be happy, Scully.} S {As long as I'm with you I'll be satisfied with anything. I can't believe how quickly I got used to hearing your thoughts and missed it when you were gone. If it was anyone else it would be uncomfortable and even disturbing, but with you Mulder, it's kind of comforting having you so close. It's such an intimate thing to be connected like this, but not unwelcome, especially now that I know how you feel.} "Never doubt I love you more than anything in the world." "I won't anymore. This is it Mulder, I belong to you and you belong to me. It's going to be forever. I know it." "I'll take that to mean you want to pursue a real relationship regardless of the risks, our jobs, our enemies..." "Can never keep us apart again. None of that can compare to this. Our lives, more than most, are full of risks and finally we have a chance at happiness, it's worth anything, everything." "Are you sure this isn't a dream. I've been waiting to hear that for so long I can hardly believe it's real." "I could pinch you but I have a better idea." She knelt beside him on the sofa so she was even with his face and pulled him in for a long tender kiss. Mulder drew her closer and wove his hand into her hair. Turning around on the couch he leaned back so she fell on top of him, never breaking contact. M {Mmmmm better than I imagined, you're so soft and taste so good. I could do this forever.} S {Un huh.} He ran his hands up and down her back while she did the same to his chest and arms. Finally breaking the kiss she gently bit his lip and kissed down his chin and cheek. Scully burrowed her face into Mulder's neck, closed her eyes, and purred. M {I like that sound.} S {I like being so utterly content.} They stayed like that for a while, not doing anything but listening to each other's heartbeat. S {I hate to sound like a tease and I want to keep going but, I don't think I'm up for it right now. It's been a long few days and I think I could fall asleep right here.} M {Please Scully don't feel like you have to do anything. I'm enjoying myself just fine right now, there's no rush.} S {I knew you'd say that and I will make it up to you tomorrow. I still don't want you to leave though, stay here and sleep with me.} M {Only if you promise I can hold you in my arms all night.} S {Deal and wow am I the luckiest woman on earth.} M {If you think so, who am I to disagree?} Scully grudgingly got up then pulled Mulder behind her toward the bedroom. She opened her top drawer and grabbed something out before scurrying to the bathroom with a grin on her face. M {What?} S {You'll see. Get undressed and get in bed.} Mulder stripped down to a t-shirt and boxers then got under the covers. A minute later Scully came sauntering back in an emerald green silk nighty. It was low cut with spaghetti straps and only came down to mid thigh. Simple, elegant, and beautiful, it was perfect on Scully. "Oh boy." "I'll take that to mean you like it. I was going to need something to seduce you with. Now I know this would have worked." "Oh yeah, but it wouldn't have been the lingerie." "I think I could get used to all these compliments." "You deserve every one." "Yeah that's the stuff." Scully slipped under the covers and into Mulder's awaiting arms. They once again kissed as Scully reached down to tug on Mulder's shirt. S {Don't need this.} She pulled it over his head and they settled back down against the pillows. She threw a leg over his and rested her head on his bare shoulder. Then Scully skimmed her nails up and down his chest just grazing his skin. "Better stop that." S {I'll think about it.} As promised she was wrapped up in Mulder's arms and she began to doze off. "Love you Scully." S {Love you too.} By the time he bent down to kiss the top of her head she was already asleep. All around him he could smell her, warm and comforting and uniquely Scully. He still couldn't believe he was actually in Scully's bed with her lying on top of him no less. She had described herself as at peace, that's exactly what Mulder was thinking, as if everything had fallen into place and all was right with the world. When he was with her it was all true. This was worth anything he had ever suffered and sacrificed. This was what was worth fighting for. M {I wonder what brought us here, what gave us this opportunity. I refuse to believe this is all because of some extra-terrestrial experiment, they have destroyed too many lives for me to accept they could be responsible for anything good. What does that leave, chance; I wonder what the odds would be in Vegas for two people to disappear and return with the ability to read each other's mind. This is too special for chance. If I asked you, my love, you might say it was a gift, a miracle that brought us together. However, the person who believes in everything doesn't believe in your God even though you do. Maybe I should consider this a reward for you and I'm just along for the ride. Perhaps Someone has seen all you've fought for and all you've lost and wants you to find the happiness you deserve. I don't' know... but still... in case anyone out there is listening, I promise to love her and take care of her for the rest of my life. Maybe that's my reward.} Mulder stayed awake as long as he could, just watching her sleep. He dared not envision what tomorrow might bring lest he wake to find none of it had happened. Eventually his eyes closed and he joined her, but not before thinking one last thing. M {Thank you.} Saturday 10:24 AM Scully's warm and slightly furry pillow stirred under her causing her to awaken. The identity pillow immediately brought a smile to her lips as she remembered where it had come from. She slowly lifted her head up to look at his face in the morning light. He was peaceful while asleep. She knew this not from his expression but the calm thoughts she could feel emanating from Mulder. There were no more secrets between them so there was no reason not to find out what he was dreaming about. She laid her head back down and closed her eyes in concentration. She tried to focus on the faint voices in her mind. As she tuned everything else out they became clearer. She could hear laughing, Mulder laughing and another voice, hers. A picture began to form in her mind's eye; it started as bright light, sunlight, it was somewhere outdoors. She was looking up at the sky. More began to come into focus. Sounds of nature, clouds, a few trees, grass, she was in a field. She heard the laughter again and then whispering. Following the sound she was all of a sudden looking down on two people. They were lying together on a blanket next to a large picnic basket worthy of Yogi Bear. She and Mulder in lover's embrace, they were completely absorbed in one another. He bent down and whispered in her ear then kissed it. Her dream self shook with melodious laughter. It was so carefree and beautiful, just as he must imagine it to be. 'I love to hear that,' he said to her. They smiled at each other and kissed unhurriedly like they had forever to spend right there and she believed it. It was such a touching moment it brought Scully to tears, breaking her concentration and their connection. Mulder awoke when he felt the droplets hit his chest and the sniffing of his partner. M {Scully? What's wrong?} She looked up at him with red eyes and a tear streaked face and gave him the most breathtaking smile he had ever seen. S {Nothing, I'm wonderful. It's just... I'm overwhelmed. It was so beautiful.} M {What?} S {Your dream, us, together. I saw it.} M {I don't remember. Tell me.} She climbed up higher on him and pressed her lips to his like she had seen. He reached up and wiped her tears with his thumbs. S {I could hear laughter in my mind so I concentrated on it. I began to see what you were dreaming about. I saw us in a field lying on a blanket. A picnic on a perfect day, you said something to make me laugh and it sounded so wonderful, like music. You said how much you love to hear it. Then you kissed me and it was so moving I started to cry. That's when it all disappeared and you woke up.} M {I wish I could remember.} S {Concentrate on me and I'll try to show you.} They looked into each other's eyes and he began to see in his mind all she had described. S {I guess you're a romantic at heart.} M {When it comes to you I am. How would you like to go on a picnic in the near future?} S {I think I would like that very much. In the dream, is it a real place?} M {I think so, it looked like this field near my house when I was younger. I went there a lot, because it was always quiet and I could look up at the stars at night.} S {You'll have to show me someday.} M {Deal.} They kissed again then Scully sat up on the bed. "Now, you're going to make us breakfast while I take a shower. We're going to need our strength for... later." She said in her sexiest voice. "Why, what might we be doing later?" She brought to mind a very dirty picture. "Uh Scully, I think you give me too much credit. I'm only human, I hope you're not going to be disappointed." "We'll just have to wait and see. Now get that fabulous ass of yours into the kitchen. I'm hungry." "When did we become so demanding?" "When WE realized we had YOU wrapped around OUR little finger." She smiled and leered at the same time. "When you're right, you're right." Scully hopped off the bed and headed for the bathroom. As Mulder turned to get up a balled up green silk nighty hit him in the side of the head, but when he turned to look she was already gone. He made his way to the kitchen to see what he could make. M {Scrambled eggs and toast okay?} S {Sounds great.} Mulder was stirring the eggs when he heard humming. It slowly got louder and he stopped to listen. M {Do you take requests?} S {What? Oh sorry I forgot I had an audience.} M {No no don't stop, I was just wondering if I might hear something from Three Dog Night.} S {Even though I can't carry a tune in a paper bag?} M {Especially since you can't carry a tune in a paper bag. You try so hard and you're so cute when you're murdering a song. It's one of your most endearing qualities. Also because you never let anyone hear you sing, I feel special if you let me.} S {Stop there before I start crying again. I'm almost finished, I'll be right out.} Scully came out of the bathroom wrapped in just her bathrobe and with her wavy wet hair clinging to the side of her face. M {Forget the eggs, you look good enough to eat.} S {But I'm hungry for food at the moment and besides anticipation is half the fun.} M {Says the woman who has never been pleasured by Fox William Mulder. You'll change your tune, they all do.} S {A lesser woman might fall for your obvious ploy, but you've met your match in Dana Katherine Scully.} M {I hope so.} She sauntered past him to the table and waited to be served. Not to disappoint, Mulder placed their breakfast on the table complete with coffee and tall glasses of orange juice. "Wouldn't want you to get dehydrated." Scully reached for the juice and let her loose robe fall off her shoulder, exposing some creamy skin. She took a big gulp pretending to be oblivious to her show. She looked very pleased with herself. Mulder went over in his head in great detail exactly what he would do to that shoulder and certain other tasty body parts in close proximity. He knew his message was received when her eyes dilated and her breathing quickened. Mulder then ignored her and concentrated on eating his meal with an impassive expression. She squirmed for a second but did the same. Occasionally one or the other would look up and grin devilishly. Mulder could have sworn he heard a growl. As soon as he finished he rose from his seat. "I'll be in the shower." "Make it a quick one," she cooed. This time he growled. He was showered in record time and was at the bathroom sink when he realized he didn't have anything to shave with. M {Scully, got a razor I can use? My shaving kit is at my place.} S {No, I like your stubble, just get out here.} M {My, aren't we impatient? What happened to anticipation being half the fun?} S {My anticipation is dripping down my thighs and in a few more minutes I won't need you anymore so if you're interested in joining the party I suggest you visit me in the bedroom.} Mulder made it as fast as a man in a towel can run. Upon arrival he found Scully leaning on her side in bed with the sheet pulled up just over her breasts. "Naked under there?" "Yup." "And you're sure you aren't sleepy or hungry or anything." Mulder teased. "Oh I'm hungry all right." S {So what are you still doing over there?} M {Savoring the moment. You only get one shot at the first time and this is a pretty big deal.} "In that case would you like me to say something memorable like: Come ravish me you sexy man? Show me what it feels like to be a woman." "No, too over the top. Now there's all this pressure to perform, besides that's not something the Scully I know would say." By now Mulder had moved to the edge of the bed and was looking down and appreciating the view. "What has the world come to when a naked woman has to say anything to get some attention?" "I blame the internet." Mulder managed to get out before falling on top of Scully, pinning her to the bed, and thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She moaned in approval and grabbed the back of his head so he couldn't change his mind. Amid their groping and fondling Scully managed to free him of his towel so she could get a better grip on his ass. M {I'm going to have a permanent imprint of a little hand on that cheek. What will the guys in the locker room think?} S {Good cause it's mine and you should tell them the truth, that you're a kept man who gets a spanking when he's out of line.} M {Then they'd all want to come over and have you spank them.} S {Don't worry, I'll always make time for your ass.} Mulder lost his train of thought for a moment when she stuck her tongue in his ear. M {Oh yeah. Your mouth is so hot.} S {It's nice having immediate feedback on what you're doing. For instance when I bite down here...} M {Mmmmmmmm} S {You tell me exactly how much you like it without conscious effort.} M {I like everything you do. Except covering up that incredible body with a sheet.} Mulder wrestled it out from in between them so he could finally see all of her. What he saw was worthy of complimenting out loud. "Wow Scully, you are breathtaking. You're perfect, just perfect." "If it were anybody else I'd know they were lying but you really do think so don't you?" "Everyone thinks so, ask Frohike, it's just that you appear unobtainable to mere mortals like us, out of our league. I can't wait to tell the guys about all the dirty things you're going to let me do to you." "If I get just one knowing look from that filthy little man you will never do any of them again, I mean to anyone." "Someone's going to notice. It's going to be hard to wipe the smile off my face and you'll be glowing like a firefly when I'm done with you." "You talk good game but I'm not screaming yet." M {You will.} They continued touching and tasting each other, exploring territory previously only dreamed about. Her soft breasts deserved at least a few minutes of undivided attention, which Mulder made sure to give them. He softly squeezed her pliant flesh and sucked the nipples to full erection. She whimpered when he scraped his stubbled chin between them. Most of all Mulder enjoyed licking the soft skin of her neck and hearing her moan for him. While brushing his face Scully's hand got a little too close to his mouth giving him the opportunity to grab hold and suck on her fingers one by one. She gave him her trademark eyebrow and Mulder just smiled and kept on sucking. M {I love your hands and fingers, so delicate and strong, caring and lethal all at the same time. The perfect symbols of your extraordinary nature and multifaceted identity.} No response was necessary; she just smiled back at him with all the love she saw in his eyes. Mulder threaded his fingers with hers and leaned over her. "Tell me how you want me to make love to you." "I don't think I've ever been asked before, I guess I want to go slow and savor the first time until we can't stand it anymore, just let go, let our passion take over." "I think we can do that." He kissed her again until they couldn't breathe. "Please," she whispered, "I want you inside me now." Mulder used a few fingers to make sure she was wet enough. He needn't have worried; she was more than ready. Still he had to tease her a little more to make it last longer. Sliding one then two fingers inside her as far as they could go he massaged her slick walls. She bucked her hips to get more stimulation by he had already withdrawn his fingers and was busy licking them clean. Finally Mulder positioned himself at her entrance and they watched each other's eyes as he slowly pushed all the way inside. S {Wow.} M {Yeah.} S {It's amazing, I can feel how good it is to have you in me and also I swear I can feel what it's like for you too.} M {I know, I can hear what you're thinking but I can sense your emotions too. Like they're right on the surface and all I have to do is reach out and touch them. This connection may run deeper than we thought, who knows what we will discover over time.} S {I probably should be terrified of losing myself in you, but I just can't seem to care. I'm not scared; I want it all, to be completely enmeshed within each other until we're barely individuals anymore, symbiotic, incomplete without the other. We've already come so far down this path there's no reason not to keep going.} "Ready, Scully?" "For anything, Mulder." He basked in the love and devotion radiating from her. Its intensity was dizzying. He still had to concentrate on the matter at hand. Slowly he withdrew from her and slid back inside, wanting to melt in her searing heat. Mulder continued his slow pace as promised, fighting the urge to give in to more animal instincts. Her resolve was weaker and she moaned and pulled at him silently begging him to let go. Mulder wasn't ready yet. He adjusted the strength of his thrusts accordingly but didn't go any faster. Not until he was totally lost in her would he give in. That point was rapidly approaching for both of them. Feeling your own pleasure is one thing but actually feeling another's is more than anyone can take for long. Scully's nails dug into his back and her muscular legs squeezed his waist trying to bring more of him into herself. Mulder clenched his teeth hoping for a few more seconds of control, but it all disappeared in a rush of passion. He found himself crashing into her with all the force she could take. Seconds later they cried out each other's name, both climaxing in the same instant as they most often would from now on. The momentary flash of ecstasy was so blinding it took each a minute to realize which of the two they were, because for a second it had been impossible to tell. Coming back to his senses, Mulder rolled them over so she was lying on top of him. He could feel her smiling and indeed glowing in satisfaction. Still embedded inside her there was no need to move or do anything but put his arms around his beautiful Scully and stay like that forever. M {Told ya you'd scream, Scully.} S {You did too.} M {Yeah but I have an excuse, I was making love to the most wonderful woman in the world.} S {I love you too Mulder.} The End ___________________________________________________________ All done for now. The inspiration for this story came from the Marvel Comic X-Men, Cyclops and Jean Grey share a similar psychic link and I thought this connection would be an interesting twist to Mulder and Scully's already close relationship. Please don't anyone sue me for borrowing an idea. It seems to me that this M & S universe would be a good basis for a series. I'll consider it if I get some feedback to that effect. Any and all ideas for a sequel would be appreciated. As always, if you liked it and have comments or criticism, send them to xphan1013@yahoo.com.