From: ANGELA WARD Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 13:24:26 -0800 (PST) Subject: Fanfic Submission Source: direct Title: "The Fake Jake" Author: Angela W. Category: MSR/Crossover/Actual XF-type case (Mulder/Scully married) Rating: NC-17 Summary: A serial killer is on the loose in Los Angeles; a man named Jake - who just happens to bear a startling physical resemblance to Mulder - may hold the clue to the killer's identity. Timespan/Spoilers: I'd put it somewhere between Season Six and Seven in the "real" X-Files universe; in my fanfic world, which is more linear than most, this comes after "Thanksgiving with the Mothers". One small spoiler for the "Dreamland" eps. Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. Characters associated with "The X-Files" are the property of Chris Carter and 1013 Productions. Characters associated with "Red Shoe Diaries" are the property of Zalman King. Archive: Feel free to archive anywhere! Feedback: Feedback of a positive nature, including *constructive* criticism, is welcome. If you just don't like the idea of Mulder and Scully being married, don't read this! Special Agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder stepped int the office of their boss, Assistant F.B.I. Director Walter Skinner. "You said you had a case you wanted us to look into, sir?" Scully asked. "A new X-file?" Mulder inquired. "It's not an X-file, agents. But before you start raving that your talents will be wasted on something so mundane as plain, old-fashioned serial killing, let me assure you there are reasons why we need you two - and only you two - on this case," Skinner replied. "Of course, sir," Scully murmured. "You want me to work up a profile on the killer?" Mulder asked. He was a good - damned good - criminal profiler. Although he preferred investigating paranormal phenomena, an occasional profiling assignment wasn't without a certain amount of allure. "That will be part of your assignment, yes. Especially considering that the original suspect we had under investigation now seems not to be our killer but more like a secondary victim," Skinner replied. "Did you want to give us the case file, sir?" Scully asked. "Let me explain it to you first; that will save time. Then you can read the file on the plane out to Los Angeles," Skinner said. "We're all ears," Mulder answered. For the past eightteen months, there has been a string of killings in the Los Angeles area. All the victims were attractive women in their 20s and 30s; half a dozen victims in all." What else did they have in common?" Mulder inquired. "Well, for one thing, all of them had, within the year prior to their death, experienced either a divorce or the break-up of a long-term, intimate relationship. Most of them were also women who liked to frequent the club scene." "Prostitutes?" Scully asked. "No. One was a college student. The others had legitimate jobs. But they weren't candidates for sainthood, either. Several of them had had mulitiple one-night stands in the months prior to their murders. The most telling thing they had in common was that all of them had left the same club, within a week before their murder, with a man fitting the same general description." "Well, I don't want to jump to conclusions, but it would seem he'd be our prime suspect," Mulder said. "That's what the Los Angeles agents originally assumed. And they found him. A Los Angeles area by the name of Jake. He admitted to having picked up at least five of the six women, and having sex with four of them. But the vehemently denies having killed any of them. In at least two of the cases, he has a solid alibi for the time of the murder. In one case, he was clear on the other side of the country, attending a business conference. "Is it possible he's working with an accomplice?" Scully asked. "It's possible, but the local agents are beginning to doubt it. Whereas Jake first looked like our killer, it now looks like he's the object of somebody else's sick, psycho-sexual fantasies. That's one of the reasons we want you out there, Agent Mulder. We need you to talk to Jake, make a psychological evaluation as to whether or not you think he's capable of these killings. If you think he is, we need you to work up a possible profile for his accomplice. If you think he isn't, we'll need a profile on the type of person who would fixate on Jake and kill any woman he had sex with." "You said he admitted to picking up five of the six women?" Mulder asked. "But only having sex with four of them?" "He positively identified five of the six. The sixth - who was actually the first victim - he couldn't identify. He didn't deny that he might have picked her up; he started frequenting the club a couple of weeks before her murder and even agreed she was the type who appealed to him. But, as he pointed out, one-night stands are inherently forgettable encounters and, over a year later, he couldn't be sure if she were someone he had sex with or not." "Sounds like he's a bit of a sleazebag," Scully commented. "Like the women he picks up, Jake's no candidate for sainthood," Skinner agreed. "But there's no law against multiple sex partners, as long as everybody's agreeable and over the age of consent; and it's out job to enforce the laws, not play morality police. To give the man a little credit, he's agreed to drop the club scene until we apprehend a killer. He said he didn't want to be the cause, even indirectly, of any more deaths." "Why didn't he have sex with the fifth woman?" Mulder inquired. "The one he positively identified as having picked up at the club, but says he didn't have sex with?" Skinner flipped through the file on his desk. "Oh. Yes. That would be the youngest and next-to-last victim. She was a 21-year-old college undergraduate student. Name of Tiffany. A week before she met Jake, or approximately ten days before she was killed, she broke up with the boyfriend she'd been going steady with ever since she was sixteen. According to Jake, after they got back to his place, she decided she wasn't really the one-night-stand type. That's borne out by the interviews with her family and friends; apparently the boyfriend was the only sex partner she'd ever had and going to a club and letting a stranger pick her up was a totally out-of-character act for her." "So this Jake didn't. . .push it?" Scully asked skeptically. "He says not," Skinner replied. "Says he's not the date-rape type. Honestly, agents, there's no reason for him to lie about it. The woman is dead. If he said they'd had consensual sex, she could hardly contradict him. Since he says they didn't, presumably they didn't." "She did go back to his apartment with him, though, right?" Mulder inquired. "Yes." "How long did she stay?" "I don't know. Why?" "Well," Mulder said, "if we're operating under the premise that someone is killing these women because they've had sex with Jake - and if that person is shadowing him or staking out his apartment - it makes sense for her to be a victim only if she stayed long enough for the killer to assume she had sex with Jake." "Well, you can ask him when you see him. Possibly, however, these women signed their death warrants simply by leaving the club with Jake. It would be easier for a non-professional to keep tabs on someone in a crowded club than by hanging around outside a residence," Skinner pointed out. "I'm still not sure exactly why you feel it's so important to have the two of us on this case, sir," Scully said. "I'm not objecting, I just have the feeling there's more going on here than you're telling us." Skinner offered the agents one of his rare, small smiles. "You're right, Agent Scully. There is. Several things. To begin with, Agent Mulder bears a strong physical resemblance to Jake. We were looking for someone who could conceivably, in the low lighting of a club, pass for Jake. The idea is to have an agent go undercover as Jake at the club. One of the L.A. agents went through the academy with you, Mulder, and seemed to think you'd fit the bill. I've got a description here of Jake and the basics are remarkably similar. He's a few years older than you, a few pounds heavier and an inch shorter. But hair color, eye color and overall general appearance seem to be in your favor. Going to the club he frequents, dressed like he dresses, and we can be reasonably hopeful that our killer will assume you ARE Jake." "Where do I fit in?" Scully asked. "As a potential victim. You're the same age as the oldest of the women who were killed. Two of the victims were redheads and all their heights varied between 5'1" and 5'5"," Skinner said. "I don't like the idea of setting Scully up as a potential victim for some madman," Mulder said. "I'm sure you don't," Skinner replied. "But she'll be under surveillance from the time she enters the club until we catch the killer. Or until such time as the bureau determines that we're not going to catch the killer via that method. And there may be a way to speed things up." "How?" Mulder inquired. "Well, these women had all gone to bed - or were presumed to have gone to bed - with Jake once and have been killed within a week or two of doing so. When you assume Jake's identity, Agent Scully can assume the role, not of a casual one-night stand, but as of a woman Jake is getting serious with. That should speed the process up a bit, work the killer into a frenzy. And that's the final reason I felt you two would be the best agents to assign to this case. Asking a pair of male and female partners to assume the lovers is, in most cases, a potential land mine. Some of the women assigned to such cases have objected, perhaps not without merit, that such assignments are tantamount to requiring them to grant sexual favors to their partners. In your case, since you're married to each other, I can't see that either one of you could have reasonable objections." "In other words," Scully said, "if we want special favors from the bureau - such as being allowed to remain partners despite our marriage - then occasionally we may be required to take on assignments that are suitable only for married couples." "That's about the size of it, agents," Skinner agreed. Mulder sighed. He admitted the logic of the A.D.'s arguments, but he still didn't like the idea of setting up Scully as the potential victim of a homicidal maniac. "Give us the file," he muttered. The next morning, in Los Angeles, Mulder and Scully met with Jake in a location of his choosing. It turned out to be a diner that he frequented. The agents agreed that a neutral site was better than meeting at Jake's home or office or at the federal building. Mulder and Scully had been there for several minutes and were each on their second cup of coffee when he walked in. Both agents stared. They'd been told there was a resemblance between Mulder and Jake, but this was uncanny! "Mulder, look! He could be your twin," Scully said. "The word that pops into my mind is 'clone'," Mulder replied. "I'm beginning to wonder if there's more to this case than we've been led to believe." Jake walked slowly over to the back booth where the agents were seated. "A redheaded woman and a man who looks like me," he said. "I guess that makes you two Agents Mulder and Scully." "I'm Mulder, she's Scully." "This is weird," Jake said. "It's almost like looking in a mirror." "That's the main reason I was assigned to this case." Mulder said. "So I can pass for you in a club." "Yeah, the other agents filled me in on the plan. It seems odd to me, but I'm an architect. This cops-and-robbers stuff is beyond me." "You didn't kill those women?" Mulder asked. "And you have no idea who did?" "I've answered this before, several times," Jake replied a bit tersely. "No. To both questions. I feel somewhat guilty anway, though. However inadverdently, I was apparently the catalyst that led to their deaths." "You have no idea why someone would single you out this way?" Mulder asked. "No known enemies?" "Enemies?" Jake asked. "That's such a melodramatic word. I don't think I have any enemies, certainly none that are homicidal maniaces. I mean, I've got business rivals. Other architects I've beat out for lucratives assignments - things like that. But someone with an intense, personal vendetta against me? No. At least not that I'm aware of." "Do you have a brother?" Mulder suddenly asked. "No. Not unless you're wondering if you and I were separated at birth. Because you've got to admit, our resemblance is uncanny." "Why did you ask, Mulder?" Scully inquired. "Just a theory. Right now, I'm operating under the assumption that the killer is obsessed with - and jealous of - Jake's sexual success with women. A younger brother, someone you've always outshone, would be an ideal candidate." "No brothers. One older sister, married and living with her husband and two kids in Santa Barbara." "Anyone like that?" Mulder continued. "A co-worker, a childhood friend, somebody you've stolen a girlfriend from?" "Not that I can think of. I suppose it's possible. I'm successful in my career. I'm successful, at least on a superficial level, with women. So I suppose it's possible that some other men might envy me. But if you're asking for a specific person, someone whose nose I've rubbed in it. . .I can't think of anyone. As for stealing someone else's girlfriend - no. When it comes to love triangles, I always end up losing out. One way or the other," Jake said. "Why do you do it?" Scully asked. "Do what?" Jake responded. "The club scene, the one-night stands. Why not a real relationship, one where you actually get to know the woman as a human being? You're successful, good-looking and intelligent. Do you simply lack the emotional stability to form a truly intimate relationship?" she inquired. "I don't think your pretty partner approves of my lifestyle," Jake said to Mulder. "Whether she approves or not is hardly the issue. You are our only link to a killer. To find out more about him, we have to find out more about you. It is unusual for a man of you age and education to have sexual relationships exclusively in the form of one-night stands," Mulder replied. "You've never done it?" Jake asked. "You're also a well-educated professional, about my age. I'd have to say we're equal on the attractiveness scale, since we look so much alike. Are you saying you've never gone to a club and picked up a woman just to screw her?" Shit, thought Mulder. This is exactly the sort of conversation no man EVER wants to have in front of his wife! "A few times, when I was younger," he muttered. "But not frequently and certainly not recently. I grew up and learned the difference between loving someone and simply looking to get lucky." "Yeah, well, the women I love tend not to love me back. At least, not exclusively," Jake replied. "Yes, you said something a few minutes ago about always losing out when it comes to love triangles," Scully said. "Care to elaborate on that?" "Is this really necessary, agents?" Jake asked. "I'm afraid it is," Mulder replied. "You don't have to answer our questions, of course, at least not without a lawyer present. May I remind you, again, that you are our only link to a serial killer? While it's clear that you could not have personally committed the murders - at least not all of them - the possibility still remains that you know who did. Accessory to murder - before or after the fact - is a serious charge." "I didn't kill anybody and I have no idea who did," Jake repeated. "However, if you really feel this is going to help with your investigation, fine. Ask any intimate, personal questions you want!" "Let's start with the love triangles, since you brought them up," Mulder said. "You made the word plural, so I assume it's happened more than once?" "Twice," Jake answered. "Both within the past five years. Which is why I've pretty much given up on the idea of having an intimate, loving one-on-one relationship with a woman and settle for cheap thrills with anonymous partners." "We'll need a few more details," Scully said, but her voice was gentler than it had been. Jake sighed. "The first time was a woman named Alexis. We were living together, engaged to be married, when she decided to have one last fling with some guy she met at a store. Only thing is, he didn't want to be just a one-night stand. He started stalking her, threatening to tell me that she'd been unfaithful. Alexis. . .was never the most stable person in the world. She'd had an odd upbringing, her mother was a real dragon lady. Finally, Alexis reached the point where she felt trapped. So she took what seemed, to her, to be the only way out of the mess she'd created of her life. She committed suicide. I found her diary afterwards. That's how I pieced together the reason why." "That must have been tough on you," Scully said. "It was hell," Jake agreed. "For several weeks after her death, I was teetering right on the edge of a nervous breakdown. I finally managed to get myself back together, at least as far as the professional side of my life was concerned. I went back to work with a vengance, but for over a year after her death I was completely celibate. I didn't even look at another woman." "Then what happened?" Mulder asked. "Then Kate happened," Jake answered. "I met here here, at this diner. It's always kind of been a hang-out of mine. She used to come by a lot, too, and sometimes we'd get to talking. I'm not trying to be egotistical when I say she picked me up. I'm just stating a fact. I would have been happy simply maintaing a casual acquaintanceship with her, but she pushed me to begin going out with and, eventually, sleeping with her. After a while, the pain of Alexis' betrayal and death did begin to lessen when I was in Kate's company. Unlike the women I pick up in clubs, I actually wanted to get to know her. I told Kate about Alexis, about my career, about my childhood. She told me things about her career and childhood, too. It had reached the point where I was going to suggest we move in together, maybe ask her if she'd like to go up to my sister's place with me one weekend, when I found out that Kate had left out one small detail about her life." "What?" Jake sighed. "She was married. Said she actually considered leaving her husband for me, but in the end decided to dump me, instead, and try to patch up her marriage." "Ouch!" Scully said. She had come into this case with a preconceived notion of Jake as, at best, some sort of slimeball and, at worst, a killer. His first few comments hadn't done much to improve her opinion of him, but she was undergoing a change of heart as he told the stories of his failed loves. This was a man who'd suffered. "Yeah. Ouch," Jake agreed with an ironic smile on his face. "A few months after Kate stopped seeing me, I began. . .doing what I do. After two messy endings to two love affairs in a row, I decided I wasn't cut out for the happily-ever-after type endings. My emotional committments - such as they are - are to my career, my elderly parents, my sister and her family. . .heck, even my dog, I guess. The women I pick up in the clubs are just for sex. I figure it's easier that way. Nobody gets hurt." Mulder nodded. "Okay. But, as I understand it, there was one woman you left the club with but did not have sex with?" "Oh. Yeah. Her name was Tiffany. Ironically enough, I remember her better than the ones I actually did sleep with." "Why didn't you have sex with her?" Scully asked. "Because," Jake said, "once we got back to my place, she decided she didn't want to." "And you were. . .okay with that?" Mulder asked. "You didn't feel like she was being a tease?" Jake sighed. "Look, she was just a mixed-up kid. She was only 21; I'm 39, as you probably know from my file. I didn't realize quite how young and naive she was when I picked her up. Generally speaking, I don't go in for cradle-robbing. She wasn't, really, the kind of girl who frequents bars and goes in for one-night stands. She'd just been dumped by the boyfriend she'd been with ever since they were high school sweethearts; he'd left her for another woman. Being in the bar, coming home with me, was her somewhat pathetic attempt to prove to herself, or to him, or to the world in general, that she wasn't an unattractive loser." "So when she decided she didn't want to have sex with you, she just left?" Mulder asked. "Actually, we talked for a while. I don't expect you to believe this but. . .I felt sort of protective of her. My sister has a teenage daughter and, in a way, Tiffany reminded me of my niece. I wanted to make sure she understood that, whatever pain she might be in, going to a bar and having sex with strangers was not the way to handle it! After a couple of hours, I drove her back to campus and dropped her off right outside the dorm." "A few days after that, she was dead," Scully said. "I know," replied Jake. "Believe me, I had no idea that these women were ending up dead as a result of their encounters with me." "I believe you, Jake," Scully said. " But I think the only way to catch the killer is for you to allow Agent Mulder to take over your life, at least temporarily." "I realize that's the plan that's been decided on. I'm going into my office for a few hours this morning, trying to wrap things up," Jake said. "If you'll let me know where I can contact you, I'll give you the keys and directions to my apartment. Then I'll take my dog and go up to the mountains and lie low for a week or two." "This is where we are," Mulder said, sliding one of his business cards, with their hotel name and room number scribbled on the back, to Jake. "See you this afternoon, then," Jake said. "Where to now, Mulder?" Scully asked. "The local F.B.I. office, for a start," Mulder replied. "I want to know everything about Jake that they know. Then back to our hotel for a while, to work up a profile." As they walked into the Los Angeles federal building, the agents were amazed by its size. Generally speaking, their work took them to remote areas when it didn't keept them at bureau headquarters in Washington. Mulder remembered that this was the third-largest bureau installation in the world; only headquarters and Quantico were larger. The L.A. office handled federal crimes not only in southern California, but in most of the rest of the Mountain and Pacific time zones as well. Eventually, they were ensconced in a meeting room with Agents Landers and Vandergriff. Both these agents were men and, by a strange coincidence, Landers had gone through the academy with Mulder and Vandergriff with Scully, so introductions were brief. "Whew," Landers said. "At first I thought you were Jake, coming in to let me know he'd picked up a new girlfriend. I suggested that you might be able to pass for Jake, Agent Mulder, but even I didn't realize the resemblace was so strong. You two could be brothers." "Yes, Scully and I have met Jake," Mulder replied. "All of us admit the likeness is uncanny." "That makes our job easier," Landers said. "I don't know," Vandergriff drawled. "What we're suggesting is that Spooky Mulder and the Ice Queen pose as a pair of potential lovers, picking each other up in a happening club. Neither of them has done much undercover work. From what I've heard, the only thing that turns Spooky on is little green men. And Agent Scully. . .well, to the best of my knowledge, she just doesn't get turned on." "Just because I didn't get turned on by YOU, and you pathetic attempts to score with me when we went through the academy together, doesn't mean it can't happen," Scully responded. Mulder shot Vandergriff a dirty look, then said "In any case , I presume Scully and I aren't expected to actually copulate on the dance floor. As I understand the assignment, I go to the club alone. A little while later, Scully comes in. We drink, we dance; maybe we smooch a little. I'll have to talk to Jake, find out exactly how friendly he gets with these women in public. You two, or other agents from this office, get to watch that part. Then Scully and I leave. Other agents follow. We return to Jake's place, while the other agents try to determine if we're being followed or are otherwise under surveillance." "That's the plan," Landers agreed shooting a dirty look of his own at his partner. "I just want to make sure Scully is under constant surveillance, everytime she's out in public alone, from the minute she walks into that club until we apprehend the killer o get on the plane back to Washington," Mulder said. "She will be," Landers stated. "We've got six teams of agents assigned to the case. The cover story, Agent Scully, is that you work here in the federal building as a secretary in the HUD offices. One of our female agents, Dorothy Li, recently had her roommate move out and she's agreed to let you sleep over at her place; you two can meet later today, so you can go ahead and bring some of your things over to her place and leave from there when you head for the club. Mulder and Scully glanced at each other. The didn't like the idea of sleeping even in separate rooms, much less separate building on opposite sides of the city. Mulder cleared his throat. "I thought the idea was for Agent Scully and I both to sleep over at Jake's place. We can probably flush the killer out faster if "Jake" seems to be getting serious about this woman." "We'll have to play it by ear," Landers said. "For tonight, at least, that's the plan. Then we figured maybe the two of you could meet for lunch or drinks sometime tomorrow. But we can't have you constantly together; that would sort of defeat the whole purpose. After all, none of the women were killed while they were actually with Jake, or even within a few hours of leaving him. It's a little hard to be absolutely certain, but the time range seems to be anywhere from 18 hours to about six days from the time he's with them to the time of the attack." "I just want to make sure she's covered," Mulder repeated. "Mulder, I'll be fine," Scully said, touching his hand gently. "After all, I'll be on my guard. None of these other women even knew they were targets. I'm armed and trained for this sort of situation. From what I've read, none of the other victims were even particularly athletic." After several more hours at the federal building, including a meeting with Dorothy Li and a few other agents, Scully and Mulder returned to the hotel. Since they were working closely with other agents, they'd gone ahead and taken the precaution of registering in separate rooms with adjoining doors. This arrangement had the added bonus of giving them one room to work in while the other was strewn with their personal items. "So, what do you think?" Scully asked. "Is Jake in league with the killer, or merely a hapless catalyst of events?" "My gut instinct is: hapless catalyst. Someone has fixated on him for some reason. Maybe out of some sort of homoerotic impulse, I don't know," Mulder replied. "Mulder, I've got a question or a theory or something," Scully said slowly. "But you may think it's kind of offbeat." "Don't tell me you think these murders are the result of alien intervention or paranormal phenomena?" Mulder asked. "No, I don't think it's anything like that," she replied. "It's just that. . .I've read the autopsy reports. None of the victims were particularly tall or particularly athletic. I do think you're onto something with the idea of the killer being jealous of Jake, but what if it's not in the sense that you mean?" "I'm listening, Scully." "What if the killer is a woman? A reasonably strong woman, one who was fairly tall and worked out regularly, could have overpowered any of those victims, especially if she caught them by surprise. After all, Jake isn't the one who has been attacked; he wasn't even aware the killings were occurring until a few weeks ago. If the killer was a heterosexual man who was jealous of Jake, it seems it would make more sense for him to kill Jake, not the women. If he was a homosexual man who'd fixated on Jake, you'd think he'd realize that, no matter how many women he killed, it wouldn't change Jake's orientation." "But if it were were a woman?" Mulder asked. "If it's a woman, I'm betting she's someone Jake knows, but has never thought of in a sexual sense. Someone right near his own age, or maybe even a few years older," Scully said. "A woman who can't stand the thought of the man she loves - with what she undoubtedly believes is a pure, unselfish love - picking up what she probably thinks of as 'tramps' and who are younger and better-looking than she is and doing with them what he'd never dream of doing with her." "I'm impressed, Scully," Mulder said. "You may be onto something here. The majority of serial killers are men, but female serial killers, while rare, are not unheard of. So what sort of relationship would you picture this woman having with Jake?" "My first guess would be someone he works with. A co-worker or employee in her late 30s or 40s; maybe never married, maybe divorced. But it could be anyone like that. A woman he grew up with, but always regarded as more like 'one of the guys' then a potential girlfriend. Maybe a friend or sister of one of those women - Alexis or Kate - he was seriously involved with; a woman who might have thought he'd turn to her after his affair with her friend or relative turned sour," Scully suggested. "I definitely think you're onto something here, Scully." "The Fake Jake", Part 2 Disclaimed, summarized, etc. in Part 1. After several more hours of Mulder working up a profile and Scully reading over the autopsies - and a quick trip to the hotel coffee shop for sandwiches at lunch - the agents were interupted by a knock on the door. It was Jake. As Jake shared the information on his life that Mulder would need to know, the agents shared their theory as to who the killer might possibly be. "Does it ring any bells at all?" Mulder asked. "Understand that just because you give us a name, it doesn't mean you're accusing anyone. There may be several women you know who fit the general description." "Go over it again." "A woman aged anywhere from mid-thirties to late forties. Reasonably tall, in fairly good shape. We're not talking Xena, Warrior Princess here necessarily, but definitely not five foot two and 98 pounds, either. Either divorced or never married. Someone you work with, maybe. A woman who was a close friend or sister of either Alexis or Kate. Somebody you grew up with and still talk to occassionally. A neighbor." "I'm sorry, but no. There are only three women in the office where I work; one is an attractive 25-year-old who's recently gotten engaged, the second is about my age and happily married with two children in elementary school, the third is a 60-year-old widowed Grandma. Alexis was an only child and her best friend - her only really close friend - was tiny; she kind of looked like you, actually, Agent Scully - a petite redhead." "How about Kate?" "I never met any of Kate's friends or relations. Our relationship kind of existed in its own little bubble, so to speak. And no, I can't think of any neighbors or childhood friends who fit the description, either." "Why don't you ever pick up tall women?" Mulder asked. "You're nearly six feet yourself, but none of the victims was taller than five five." Jake was silent for a moment. "I guess because Alexis was tall. Five eight. When she wore really high heels, we were the same height. It's. . .easier, somehow, to be with women who don't remind me quite so much of her. That's the same reason I only pick up blondes or redheads. Because Alexis was a brunette." "Okay," Mulder said. "I guess we're about done here. You've give the story at your office?" "Yeah, I'm taking a week or so ff. I may bum around home, I may take off to the mountains for a few days. This way, if someone sees you being "me" around town, it doesn't arouse suspicions." "Since we don't know exactly how the killer tracks you, it's important to play our cards close to our vest," Mulder said. "We DO know there's no kind of bug or tracking device in your home, vehicle or office; the local agents swept all three locations yesterday," Scully said. "I need to know exactly what you do in public with these women," Mulder said. "Do you buy them a drink first or ask them to dance first? Are you all over them or are you relatively restrained? Do you ask them to leave with you within twenty minutes, or do you spend a couple of hours at the club first? What do you wear? Do they stay on 'til morning at your place or leave in the middle of the night?" "Want to know how much foreplay and what positions, too?" snapped Jake. "Listen, Jake, I don't give a damn about your private life!" Mulder replied. "All I want to know is the information I need not to screw up this investigation!" "Fine," Jake said. running a hand through his hair. "You're welcome to wear my clothes, if you want, since you're taking over my life! But if you'd rather choose your own - California Clubbin' Casual. A T-shirt, but a nice one. Dark, solid colors like black, navy blue or dark green. Jeans. Boots. A tweed or leather jacket. My sunglasses. Generally, I ask them to dance first, then after a couple of songs we stop and drink. The drinking and dancing usually go on for two or three hours. I may be a pig, but even I draw the line at saying "Want to go to my place and fuck?" five minutes after I first meet a woman. During the first hour or so, I'm a perfect gentleman. After that, I tend to get a little. . .friendlier, but not so much that it's physically impossible for me to walk out of the club. Generally speaking, they sleep over at my place 'til morning, but a couple of them have left in the middle of the night. I don't get lucky everytime, you know. Sometimes, when I make my suggestion, the woman in question is insulted. One woman even threw a drink in my face. Several others have simply suggested that we trade phone numbers, go out to dinner the next night, get to know each other a little better before we hit the sheets. Since that's not what I'm interested in, I decline such offers and go home alone." "Look, Jake, I know this is embarrassing for you," Scully said. "Agent Mulder and I aren't exactly in an easy situation either; we have to pretend to pick each other up, knowing that three or four other agents will be lurking in the shadows of the club, watching our every move." "You want my advice, you two feel free to take full advantage of my place. I have never met two such uptight individuals! Are we done?" "Yeah, I think so," Mulder replied. "I've got your cell phone number, in case we need to get ahold of you, and you've got mine in case something comes up, right?" "Right," Jake confirmed. "Goodbye, then. You and your dog enjoy the mountains." As soon as Jake had left, Mulder turned to Scully with a smile on his face. "You think we're uptight, Scully?" "Mmm, well, combined we are." "What do you mean?" "Well, when you're up, I'm tight." "Scully!" Mulder said, then laughed. He was surprised that his usually rather reserved wife had come up with such a sexy play on words; and on the spur of the moment, too. Moving toward her, he backed her up until her knees hit the edge of the bed and she fell onto it, smiling up at him. He let himself fall on top of her, grabbing her hands and holding them on either side of her face while he kissed her. Finally, h came up for air and buried his face in her hair, outlining the edge of her ear with his tongue. "Mulder, we have work to do," Scully moaned. He grinned. This was a tone he recognized. On the extremely rare occasions when his wife actually didn't want to do anything sexual with him, her tone was quiet and serious. This was breathy and teasing. It was her I-know-we-shouldn't-but-I-really-want-to-so-go-ahead-and-persuade-me tone. Mulder kissed her again and moved his lower body against hers, so she could feel how turned on he was. He'd finally come up for air again, grinned, and was in the process of removing his tie when there was a knock on the door. "Agents?" it was Jake's voice. "I remembered one more thing you might need to know." "Shit," Mulder muttered in Scully's ear. "You're going to have to deal with him, Dana. I'm going to go to the bathroom and dump a couple of ice cubes down my pants or something." Scully giggled and waited until Mulder had shut the bathroom door before she opened the one leading to the corridor. Jake was surprised at the picture Scully made as she stood in the doorway. A few minutes ago, she had seemed a consumate professional and about as sexy as his grandmother. Now, although she was still fully dressed, her hair was mussed and her lips was swollen. She seemed. . .softer, more womanly. Jake made a quick mental revision of Agent Mulder; obviously he was responsible for his partner's condition. Maybe these two weren't so uptight, after all. Unfortunately, just as Jake was leaving, the local field agents called to discuss the case. By the time the conversation was over, there really wasn't time for indulgence in any marital relations. Mulder took Scully and her suitcases to the federal building, where they met Agent Li in the parking lot, so Scully could go home with her. Then Mulder headed over to the other side of town to begin acting out his role as Jake. Around nine p.m., Mulder arrived at the club. He grinned at one of the cocktail watiresses, sat down at the bar, traded quips with the bartender and ordered a beer. He'd been there only a few minutes when Scully and Li walked in. Damn! Mulder thought. He'd never seen Scully dressed like this before. She was wearing a black skintight mini-dress witha matching jacket, black hose and heels so high he didn't see how she could walk. Within thirty seconds of the time she and Li had walked in, Mulder was asking her to dance. As he led her onto the dance floor and pulled her into his arms, Mulder murmured, "Let me guess. Missy made you buy the dress years ago, but you never had any place to wear it before now." Scully giggled. "Is it that obvious?" "Let's just say, you and your sister had radically different tastes. By this time, I've learned to differentiate between the things you pick out for yourself and the items Missy made you buy. Like the bikini you wore when we were in Hawaii." "Mmm, well, you look great, too, um, 'Jake'. Do I even want to know the last time you were in a club?" "Probably not. Actually, I can't even remember. Know what bums me?" "What?" "That we never got assignments like this befor we were married." Scully giggled again and snuggled tighter against him as the music changed from bouncy pop-rock to a slow, seductive ballad. "Scul-lee," Mulder moaned in her ear. "Mmm?" "This is going to be the longest three hours of my life!" It was. Mulder was on the verge of dragging Scully into a dimly lit corner and having his way with her right there at the club when his watch finally showed it was midnight and he could reasonably ask Scully to go back to Jake's place with him without blowing their cover. Holding hands, Mulder and Scully walked back over to Li. Scully gave a very good impression of being slightly inebriated - or maybe the three glasses of wine she'd downed made it more than just an impression. Li played the part of a concerned friend trying to make sure that Scully knew what she was doing. Eventually, they made it out to the parking lot. Mulder, who'd had only two beers the entire evening and had a body weight nearly twice that of his wife, was still completely sober. They got into a vehicle that Mulder had requisitioned earlier that day. It was the same make, model, color and year as the one Jake drove. The license plates were different, but that couldn't be helped and they could only hope the killer wouldn't notice. "How long 'til we get to your place 'Jake'?" Scully asked with a smile. "Not long. I hope you, uh, like it." When they arrived at Jake's spacious loft apartment, Scully was amazed. The place was large and neat, but it was decorated like a "swinging single" bachelor pad from the 1960s or 70s. "Mulder, is that a mirror over the bed?" she inquired. "Mmmhmm," her husband replied with a grin. "And leopard skin print sheets?" "They're clean. I tossed them in the washing machine and dryer, then remade the bed when I was here for a couple of hours earlier this evening." "You know, for all his good looks, I'm surprised Jake ever gets lucky with ANY woman. I'd think they'd be too busy laughing! I mean, this is like something out of those movies I made you give to Frohike." "You don't like the idea of the mirror?" "I. . .don't know." "We could always turn off the lights. That way, the mirror wouldn't have anything to reflect." "Yeah," Scully agreed. "But. . .maybe. . .we'll see." "Jake's got all kind of, er, *interesting* things around. I could work up a helluva profile on the guy just from sticking my nose in his nightstand drawers and stuff." "Like what?" "Let's see. Enough dirty videos and magazines to put my own premarital collection to shame. He even has a bunch of handwritten letters that women apparently wrote to him, in which they share their most secret or shameful sexual escapades. A bunch of ties and scarves. Three guesses what those are for. Let's see, here's something I thought you might like." "Mulder," Scully's voice came out as a sort of squeak. "What, baby?" "I can't. . .I mean. . .please don't tie me up." "Dana, I would never do that! For one thing, I'd never do anything you don't want me to! For another, that's not my idea of fun; I enjoy your active participation." "What, then?" she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck burying her face in shoulder. Sitting down on the bed, Mulder held her on his lap and stroked her back. "Sweetheart, we don't have to *ANYTHING* if you don't want to. I'd be lying if I said this whole situation isn't turning me on. It is. But I'm not going risk ruining the best thing that's ever happened to me for one night of rollicking sex. Do you want to just turn out the lights and go to sleep?" "No. I want you. I'm just. . .what was it you thought I'd like?" "This. It's some sort of lotion. I remember how much you used to love having me put suntan lotion on you when we were in Hawaii. I just thought you'd like this. But if you don't want to. . ." Scully smiled up at him. "Please. I'd like it. I want to do you, too. Just let me take off my clothes first ." "I want to do that," Mulder said, his voice thick with desire. Scully nodded. She moaned as he tossed off her jacket and let his fingers dance tantalizingly over her breasts. He slid his hands over her shoulders and down her back, unzipping the dress as he went. Then he pulled off her heels and the lacy, thigh high stockings. Unable to resist, he dropped an open-mouthed kiss on her through her panties. When she whimpered, he grinned and undid her bra and slid off the panties. "Now my turn," Scully said with a smile. Mulder kicked off his boots, then let her pull the black T-shirt over his head. She made quick work of his jeans and briefs, pulling them off - along with his socks - in one quick movement. "Mmm," she said, running her hands up and down his chest, his belly, his arms, his thighs, his back - everywhere except where he most wanted her to touch him. "Dana," he growled, guiding her hands to his throbbing arousal. "You weren't kidding when you said this situation was turning you on. Where's that lotion?" "Here. Lie down." Scully flopped onto the bed, then rolled over on her stomach. Mulder began stroking her back with lotion-slick hands, causing her to give out little sighs of pleasure. When his hands moved lower - to her bottom and upper thighs - the sighs became full blown moans. "I want you," she murmured. "In a minute," Mulder said, trying to ignore his own need. "Tonight may have to last us awhile and I don't want to rush things. Roll over." She complied and he rubbed the lotion into her breasts, fondling them until her nipples were tight peaks. Then he moved lower, massaging it into her sides and stomach. Then both feet and back up her legs. She was writhing on the bed by this point, but finally managed to get out, " My turn. I want to put the lotion on you." "Okay," Mulder said, lying down obediently. Scully began working the lotion into his broad shoulders, then down his back, his biceps, his thighs - finally his rear. "You can roll over now," she whispered in his ear. He rolled over and reached for her, but she gently swatted his hands away. "Not yet. I'm still doing lotion on you." "Scul-lee!" he moaned. "Just a little bit more. Here," she said, running a hand down his chest and belly. "And here," she touched his arousal and began stroking him, her hand gliding up and down silkily. Mulder growled and grabbed her. This time she didn't try to resist, only giving a breathy sound somewhere between a gasp and a giggle when he latched onto one nipple with his mouth. He pulled her up along his body for a kiss, then slid her back down. She reached between her legs and guided him into her. Mulder smiled up at his wife. He was enjoying both the view of her face - eyes dilated wide with passion, lips curving up into a loving smile - and the view reflected in the mirror, that gorgeous, sexy ass of hers moving atop him. He moved his hands down her back to her bottom, watching himself in the mirror. He'd never understand why some men had such an aversion to this position. Not only did he not have to worry about hurting his wife when she was the one on top, it gave him complete access to her whole body. It also totally eliminated any worries abut ending the festivties. . .prematurely, so to speak. And with the added bonus of the mirror. . . "Enjoying the view?" Scully murmured in his ear. "Yeah," he admitted. "I'm not saying I'd want our bedroom at home to look like this, but it's kind of fun for one night. Don't you think?" "Oooh, Mulder! I just had the weirdest mental picture flash across my brain. You and me, fully clothed, lying on the bed in your old apartment, drinking wine while we looked up at ourselves reflected in a mirror above your bed. You never had a mirror in there, did you?" He laughed. "Dana, not only was there no mirror, for most of our partnership I couldn't even get on the bed! It was always piled high with papers and books and laundry and stuff. That's why I always slept on the couch. In any case, if we were ever on the bed together drinking wine - fully clothed or not - it's definitely something I would remember!" "Guess it must have been a dream I had once or something." "Pretty tame dream. I mean, the mirror thing is interesting and so is the wine, but fully clothed? I'd think you could do better than that!" "Oh, yes, I can do MUCH better than that," she murmured in his ear, before licking the outer rim and blowing in it. "Oh, yeah! Damn, sweetheart!" After that there were no more words, just gasps and sighs and moans. Then Scully screaming out her pleasure as she rocked back on him, followed a while later by Mulder's own groan of ecstasy as he climaxed. Eventually Mulder shifted Scully's legs, so that she was no longer sprawled on top of him, but was lying beside him with her head pillowed on his shoulder. "I love you," he murmured. "Love you, too," she whispered sleepily. The next morning Mulder awoke early, just as the sunrise was beginning to send rays in through the slatted blinds. He grinned. Sometime during the night, he and Scully had respositioned themselves. She was now lying spooned in his arms, her back to his chest and her luscious little bottom snuggled tight against his cock. And he was up, his erection so stiff it was practically throbbing against her. Mulder allowed himself a moment of smug masculine pride. It had been well after midnight when they'd climaxed last night and it couldn't be any later than seven now. So, twice in less than six hours was what he was looking at. Pretty good for a man only a couple of years shy of forty, he thought. He began kissing Scully's shoulder and neck, while running his fingertips down her breasts, belly and thighs. Scully wasn't sure where her dreams ended and reality began, they merged so effortlessly into each other. She could feel Mulder surrounding her - touching her lightly on the front and kissing her back - not to mention the feel of his arousal. "One for the road, sweetheart?" he asked, his voice tickling her ear. "Mmmhmm. You on top this time." "Okay," he said, flipping her onto her back and kneeling between her legs. "Any particular reason why?" "Yeah," Scully answered sleepily, pushing the sheet down so that his body was exposed. "Maybe you're not the only person in this bed who enjoys a nice rear view of their spouse's, um, assets." "Why Dana Katherine Scully! I'm shocked!" "Right, Mulder. Sure you are." Mulder thrust into her lazily and Scully smiled up at him, first meeting his eyes then letting her glance wander to the reflection of his backside in the mirror. She could both feel it and see it when he began to speed up. "You go ahead and come, lover," she whispered. "Ladies first," he answered back with a grin, then snaked a hand between their bodies to tickle her a bit. Dana gave a long, shuddering sigh as she climaxed and the feel of her internal muscles contracting around him pushed Mulder over the edge as well. After a few minutes of afterglow snuggling, Scully reluctantly pushed herself away from her husband and out of bed. "Guess I'd better go take a quick shower and then hit the road," she said. "Jake told us most of the women were out of here by nine, and it's almost that time now." "Want me to join you?" he asked hopefully. "Mulder, I think I am supposed to be able to WALK out of here," she replied with a smile. "What do you mean, I can't have any further contact with her?" Mulder squawked into his cell phone. "She's my partner!" "Nobody's trying to separate the two of you permanently, Spooky!" Agent Landers replied testily. "It's just that, after further review, the Special Agent in Charge decided we better play it by the book. Jake only spent one night with the victims, then never saw them again. If the killer thinks 'Jake' is getting serious with one of these women he - or she - might not make a move. So, you continue to be Jake and Agent Scully continues to pretend to be a HUD secretary and Agent Li's roommate. As long as the two of you are in Los Angeles, you don't see each other. Feel free to call her on the phone." Scully rolled over and picked up the phone. Between 11 and 11:30. Right around the time he always used to call her. "What is it, Mulder?" she asked. "Did I wake you?" "No, but we talked earlier this evening." "That was business. This is pleasure." "I miss you." "I love you." "I love you, too. I had fun last night," she said. "Me, too. I hate us not being together. It feels weird." "I know. You didn't wake me up, even though it's the middle of the night by Eastern time. I think I've caught your insomnia." "I don't have insomnia anymore, sweetheart. At least, not under normal circumstances," Mulder replied. "Meaning. . .?" "Sleeping in the same bed with you." "They say sex is the ultimate sleeping pill, lover." "It's not that. I mean, oh hell, I suppose the sex helps. It's beyond fantastic. But even on the nights when we can't, or don't, I still sleep better with you than I did before our marriage. It's just. . ." "What?" she whispered huskily. "Knowing you're safe, feeling safe with you. You make me feel protective and protected at the same time, Scully." "I know, Mulder. I feel the same way. I hate sleeping alone now. It's funny, I did it for so mnay years, you'd think itwould have been sleeping with someone that would have been hard to adjust to. But it wasn't. I just. . .don't do very well without you." "Remember why you were assigned to work with me in the first place, Scully? To take care of me, watch out for me. You've certainly gone above and beyond the call of duty on that one, sweetheart!" "I love you. I know it sounds really weird to say this, but I hope I get attacked by that homicidal maniac real soon, so we can quit playing this game and go home." Mulder chuckled. "Have you stopped to think how surreal this whole situation is? I mean, we're married for real, but we generally pretend we have nothing but a professional relationship when we're working with other agents, yet here we are, pretending to be lovers." "I hadn't thought of it like that," she said, then paused for a moment. "Mulder, I think you just gave me a headache." "Well, if you're going to have a headeache, I guess it's better to have it on a night that we're apart." "Oh, I don't know about that. Remember how you cured my headache last month when we were in Mississippi? You were better than the extra-strength Tylenol!" "Scul-lee!" he moaned. "Are you TRYING to make it impossible for me to sleep?" "No, Mulder. I love you. Good night." "Love you, too. Good night, sweetheart." Scully pored over the victim profiles Mulder had faxed to her at the office. As "Jake", he couldn't actually enter the federal building without arousing suspicion, so he was working out of the other man's apartment and communicating with Scully and the other agents by phone an fax. Three of the victims had been found in parking lots. One near the library of the college she attended, one of the office where she worked and one of the apartment complex where she lived. One had been found in the dimly lit, seldom-used rear corridor of a club, albeit a different club than the one she had been at with Jake. Most intriguingly, two of the victims had been found at home. As far as the agents investigating the case could determine, none of the victims had been moved after death. That mean that whoever the killer was, he - or she - had been able to talk their way into the homes of at least two women. The odds of the killer being someone who was already personally known to both those victims were astronomical, so the killer had to be clever. Later that evening, Scully was watching TV while Agent Li was taking a shower. A knock on the door alerted her, and she cross the room steathily, making sure her gun was easily accessible, but out of sight, in the waistband of her jeans underneath the baggy sweatshirt she was wearing. The peephole showed a woman in her 50s, perhaps a few years younger than Scully's own mother. Scully had noticed the woman aroud the apartment complex a time or two in the past few days. Keeping the safety chain in place, Scully opened the door. "Yes?" "I'm so sorry to bother you, dear, but I've just recently moved in and my phone hasn't been connected yet. Would you mind if I came in, just for a moment, to make a quick local call?" "Well, my roommate is the one whose name the phone is under, but I guess it would be okay," Scully said slowly, sliding the chain off the door and backing away a bit. "I just want to wish my daughter a happy birthday. Today's the actual date, although I'll see her on Saturday to have dinner and give her the present I got. Look, this is it, I just bought it today. A necklace. Do you like it?" "It's lovely," Scully agreed, looking at the heavy gold chain. "The phone's right here." As Scully turned her back, the other woman - who was about five seven and towered over the petite agent - whipped the necklace down and wound it around Scully's neck. Scully's startled mind just had time to realize the trap had worked when she began to lose consciousness. A few minutes later, Scully came to with Agent Li leaning over her and pounding on her chest. "I'm. . .okay," Scully rasped out. "Like hell," Li replied. "I've already called for an ambulance and backup. I couldn't chase her - I had to get this chain unwrapped from your throat so you could breathe - but at least we know what the killer looks now. Did you get a good look at her, too?" Scully nodded. Then she whispered, "Mulder. Call him. If he hears from other agents that I was attacked he'll be," she wanted to say "frantic", which was true, but instead substituted "worried". "I'll try to get ahold of him," Li said. "You need to rest." "Speed dial. First button. My cell phone," Scully whispered, before passing out again. When Scully woke up again, she thought she was suffering double vision as the effect of her attack. Because there were not one, but two Mulders in the room with her. The one nearest her leaned over and brushed a light kiss against her cheek. "How ya feelin', Scully?" "I've been better. Of course, I've been worse, too. Why are there two of you?" Mulder laughed. "Look closer, Scully. There's only one ME." Scully shifted her attention from the man sitting next to her on the hospital bed to the one across the room. It took her a moment, but then she began to notice the differences in the two men and realization hit her. "Jake," she said. "Yeah," Jake agreed. "I'm sorry you were attacked. We got a description from Agent Li and I feel like an idiot. Because all those questions about Alexis' relatives and the description of the height and fitness level of the attacker, even the marital status. And I never even came close to making the connection. Although I've got to say, you were off a bit on the age." "Who?" Scully whispered. "Alexis' mother," Jake answered. "At least, we think so," Mulder added. "We had a description from Agent Li and did a composite drawing. It fits, Scully. Alexis was her only child. She and her husband have been divorced for years. She's tall and in remarkably good shape for a woman in her 50s. I was on the right track, I just didn't take it far enough. Blinded by my own sexism and ageism, guess. I've never heard of a post-menopausal woman being a serial killer before." "You're right, I think," Scully whispered. "Before the attack, the woman was talking about her daughter but she had, I don't know, a weird look in her eyes. Get her?" "No, not yet, but now that we know who we're looking for it will just be a matter of time," Mulder replied. "The Fake Jake", Part 3 Disclaimed, summarized, etc. in Part ! After Scully had gone to sleep and Jake had left, Mulder received a call from the local agents. We could really use your help in the field on this one, Mulder," Vandergriff said tersely. "I don't want to leave Scully unguarded," Mulder said. "I know it's a long shot, but the killer just might, possibly, come to the hospital and try to finish the job." "We can assign a rookie to keep an eye on her," suggested Vandergriff. Mulder was silent for a moment. He knew he was paranoid, but they were talking about the most important person in his life. He and Scully had been betrayed before and there weren't many people he trusted with her life. If they were back in D.C., he would have called Skinner, the Lone Gunmen or Scully's mother. However, they were in California and there wasn't. . .wait a minute, he thought to himself. Maybe there was. "Let me call you back in a few minutes, Vandergriff," Mulder said briskly. Then he took a deep breath and made a call to directory assistance. Then another deep breath. Facing down Cancer Man was easy compared to this. Then another phone call. Scully slowly opened her eyes. She focused on the man sitting on the other side of the room, dozing, and was startled. "Bill?" she called out. What was he doing here? She'd expected to find her husband at her bedside, not her older brother. "Hey, Dana," he said, crossing the room with a smile on his face. "How are you feeling?" "Not too bad, really. Where's Mulder? And what are you doing here?" "Your partner is out trying to hunt down the psycho who did this to you. The reason I'm here is because he called me, asked me to come up and keep an eye on you until he came back." "He's not just my partner any more. You know that. Mom's told you. I've told you," Dana said. "I know," Bill muttered. "Say it, Bill!" "Fine. Your husband," the last word was muttered through gritted teeth, "asked me to make sure you were okay." At that moment, a nurse came in and checked on Dana. Her injuries were pretty superficial, really. She'd almost been strangled, but there was no permanent damage. Before the Scully siblings could resume their conversation, the door swung open once again. "Dana! You're okay?" Mulder asked, moving quickly to her side and kissing her cheek. "Compared to a lot of other experiences I've had, I'm doing great," Dana replied. "No thanks to you," Bill said, shooting a malovelent glance at Mulder. "Why is Bill here?" "You know my motto: Trust No One. But when you absolutely HAVE to trust someone, I figure a family member's always a better bet than anyone else," Mulder said. "But you two. . .don't like each other," Dana said. "True," Mulder admitted easily. "But we both love you. Your Mom and Skinner were too far away, but Bill was just down the coast. He was able to get here from San Diego in less than two hours. You know, I always thought the term 'cuss like a sailor' was just a figure of speech until I told him where you were and what I wanted." "Bill!" Scully said, glaring at her older brother. "I'm sorry, Dana, but I'm getting a little tired of hearing that you're in the hospital - again - because of his obsession with chasing little green men. Those damned Z-Files, or whatever the hell he calls them!" Scully let out a weak giggle. "It's X-Files, Bill. But this wasn't one of them." "What do you mean?" Bill asked. "This wasn't an X-File," Mulder said. "We were pulled off our regular duties and sent out here to assist in the search for an utterly human - at least in the biological sense of the word - serial killer. It wasn't an assignment I sought out; on the contrary, I argued against having to take it on. But, while I'm given more leeway than a lot of agents in choosing our cases, we DO have a boss. When he says we have to assist in a case, we have to assist." "One of the main reasons we were selected for this assignment is because I resemble the victims. Right age, right height, relatively attractive to the opposite sex," Dana said. That wasn't the whole reason, of course, but she didn't want to get into details that would give Bill more ammunition to use in his one-man hate crusade against her husband. "Well, I still don't think you should have married him!" Bill snapped. "You know who you sound like, Bill?" Dana asked. "You're probably going to say I sound like Dad." "No. You don't sound anything like Dad," Dana replied. "Who you sound exactly like is Uncle Joe. You're talking about Fox the same way Uncle Joe always used to talk about Dad." "That's not true!" Bill spluttered. "Who the hell is Uncle Joe?" Mulder asked. He'd met a fair number of his wife's relatives in the years they'd worked together before their marriage, and an even larger number in the months since then, but this name wasn't ringing a bell. "He is - was - our mother's oldest brother," Bill replied. "He died about ten years ago; back while I was in medical school," Dana amplified. "The point is, he never wanted his baby sister to marry quote some sailor unquote. He didn't want her to be dragged all over the world and give birth to her four children in three different U.S. states and one foreign country. As far as Uncle Joe was concerned, Mom would have been much better off to have stayed in Baltimore. He thought she should have married her high school sweetheart, got a house in the same neighborhood as him and my grandparents, and spent her life surrounded by her family and childhood friends." "Well, Mom never ended up in the hospital from her association with Dad - not unless you count the four times she went into give birth! She had a wonderful life with him," Bill said. "By her standards, yes," Dana agreed. "But I'm sure it was hard at times. She got pregnant with you on their honeymoon, Bill. For the first ten years of their marriage, she was either pregnant or had a child under the age of three; sometimes both at the same time. They moved five times in those ten years. Dad was at sea six or more months out of every year. In one sense, Uncle Joe was right when he said she would have had an a easier life if she was living in Baltimore, with a husband who came home every evening at five and her extended family available to help out with us kids. Just as, in one sense, YOU'RE right when you say I'd have an easier life if I'd married a doctor or a professor or, hell, probably any man on the face of the planet other than Mulder! But the point is, Mom didn't want 'easy'! She wanted the life she chose, with the man she loved. Just like I want the life I've chosen with the man I love." The room was quiet for a few moments after Dana ended her tirade. Finally, Bill said, "That was some speech, little sister." "I think you need to get some rest before you raise your blood pressure," Mulder said, with a small smile lurking at the corners of his mouth. "It ruined their relationship, you know," Dana murmured, closing her eyes. "Whose?" both men asked simultaneously. "Mom's and Uncle Joe's," Dana said softly. "They'd been close the whole time Mom was growing up, but by the time he died they were barely on speaking terms. She told me once that at some point it ceased to be about Dad and was more an attack on her; as if Uncle Joe thought she was too stupid to make her own decisions about life. Just like," "Okay, Dana, okay!" Bill said. "Point taken. Whether or not I happen to approve of Mulder, he's the man you've chosen to share your life with. And if I want to continue to have a good relationship with you, I've got to. . .well, not LIKE him, maybe, but at least accept him." "Exactly." "Dana, you need to rest," Mulder said softly. "There's just one more thing. I've got to tell both of you, because you both do it." "Do what?" Mulder asked. "Bill, I think it's hard for you to understand my having a career that means as much to me as being a Navy officer does to you. Mom never worked outside the home and Tara - well, I know she had some part-time jobs before Matthew was born, but she never had what I'd actually call a career. I'm not criticizing them. What they do takes a different kind of courage than chasing criminals, but it takes courage nonetheless. A kind of courage I DON'T have." "I know what you do is important to you," Bill said. "The know this. I'm an F.B.I. agent. It's a dangerous job, but it happens to be a job I get a lot of satisfaction out of and a job I'm very good at. Mulder had NOTHING to do with my decision to join the bureau. Hell, I didn't even MEET him until I'd been through Quantico and spent two years as an agent. He did NOT request my help on the X-Files. It was a job I was assigned to do by my superiors. In fact, the first few weeks we worked together, he made it pretty obvious that he resented my presence. Working with a partner - especially a partner who'd never been in the field before and had to be taught things that were already second nature to him - was more of a hindrance than a help, at least in the beginning. Yet you tend to blame him, Bill; Mulder, you tend to blame yourself, for things that have nothing to do with our personal relationship. Misfortunes that befall me because of my career. The career I made an independent decision to pursue." "Dana," Mulder said, "Go. To. Sleep." "Mmmhmm," Dana said. She felt her husband lean down and brush her lips with a soft kiss, then she drifted off into her dreams. Mulder backed away from the bed, then turned to face Bill. "You can go now," he said. "She may be your wife, but she's still my little sister," Bill said quietly. "Sorry. That didn't come out right. I just meant I'll be here. I don't have to go back into the field office. You're welcome to stay, if you want." "Do you know when she'll be released?" "Yeah," Mulder answered. "I stopped by and talked with the doctor on my way in. She should be out tomorrow morning. We'll stay in L.A. for a day or two; she can rest up at the hotel and I'll finish all our paperwork. Then we'll head back to Washington." "I should be heading back, I guess. I've only been home a couple of days. I'd like to spend as much time with Tara and Matthew as possible." "Bill. . .I know I'm not good enough for her. You don't have to tell me that. But I do love her." "I know. It took guts for you to call me, ask me to come up here, knowing the way I feel about you." "Well, I wanted her to be safe. It wouldn't have been hard for the perpetrator to have found out where she was. I could have requested security from the local field office or the LAPD, but they might have slacked off. I knew you wouldn't," Mulder said. "I want to ask you something," Bill said abruptly. "You'll probably say it's none of my business and tell me to take a long walk off a short pier, but it's something I've wondered about for a long time; even more so since you two got married." "Shoot." "How long were you and Dana involved before you got married?" "Depends on how you define the word involved," Mulder said. "You sound like President Clinton," Bill snapped. "How long were you sleeping together? Is that specific enough for you, or do you want me to use explicit four-letter words?" "I'll tell you, but you're probably not going to believe me," Mulder said with a sigh. "Because we weren't. First time was our wedding night." Bill was quiet for a long moment, staring at his brother-in-law. Finally he said, "You're serious." It was half-question, half-comment. "But. . .why?" Bill asked. "I mean, as much as I didn't like you, it was obvious from the first time we met how much you and Dana cared for each other. And you worked closely together for years." "Your brother asked me something similar, back before we were married. Said he could tell I was attracted to her, asked why I never did anything about it." "You going to explain to me, or do I have to call Charles?" Bill asked. Mulder sighed. "At first, during the first year or so, there was the whole issue of sexual harrassment. If I'd made a move and she'd objected, it would have been the end of our partnership; maybe even the end of my career, if she'd complained. Later, when it became obvious how much Dana cared about me, I knew she'd never do anything to hurt me. In a way, that made it harder. Because I figured if I asked, she'd say yes, but that it might be for the wrong reasons. In one sense, Dana's loved me for a long time, but I think it took her a lot longer to actually be IN love with me than it took me to fall for her. So I thought she'd say yes, but not because she wanted me. Only because she wanted to help me out, ease my loneliness. Or maybe to keep me from doing something stupid, like going to a bar and picking up some stranger who might give me a a fatal disease. Eventually, very slowly, I could sense that her feelings were beginning to shift. Then, one evening when we were on a case in Las Vegas. . .well, it's a long story, we'd kind of made a bet, and the upshot of it was she ended up offering to do whatever I wanted that evening. Anything. So I asked her to marry me. Because I figured, while she might be willing to go to bed with me out of pity, not even Dana is loving and generous enought to MARRY a man out of compassion. Bill chuckled. The next afternoon, in the hotel, Mulder asked Scully a question that he had been wondering about since the previous day. "Dana?" "Mmm?" "You remember, yesterday, when you said your Mom and Tara hada kind of courage you don't have?" 'Yeah." "What did you mean by that?" Scully sighed. She didn't exactly mind admitting this to her husband, but it was still a tiny bit embarrassing. "Just. . .I couldn't be without you for months on end. Dad was at sea more than he was ever home and Bill's the same way. Mom managed to cope and so does Tara. I couldn't, Mulder. I go nuts when I'm away from you for just a few days. Everybody thinks I'm brave and strong, but I'm not. Not really. "Of course you are." "No. Or at least, maybe I am, but only when I'm with you. Remember that time, before we were married, when you went on a vacation to Tennessee without me and I went out and got the tattoo? When you came back, you made some remark about not being able to leave me on my own without coming back andn finding out I'd gotten myself into trouble." "I was mad. Jealous. Because you'd gone out on a date with that guy. The remark was uncalled for." "The remark was absolutely true, Mulder! I do tend to do stupid things, self-destructive things, when I'm away from you. I need you with me, all the time. That's why, as much as I hate all the sneaking around and not wearing our rings to work and stuff like that, I'm still not quite ready to go public with our marriage. I'm scared of even being away from you all day long! Even though we'd both still be working for the bureau, I'd be out at Quantico and you'd be back on violent crimes and we'd be away from each other all day and maybe sometimes you'd even have to go out of town without me and. . .I sound absolutely pathetic, don't I? This is what I meant about Mom and Tara being brave in a way that I'm not." "You don't sound pathetic. You sound like a woman who's madly in love with her husband. Which is wonderful, because your husband's madly in love with you." Scully smiled. "C'mere." Mulder grinned back. "I've got to finish up this paperwork. And you need to rest. You just got out of the hospital." "Mulder," Scully said. "Come here. Now." "Yes, Ma'am!" Mulder said with a grin, crossing the room and flopping down beside her on the bed. "You're wearing your glasses," Scully pointed. "You KNOW what your glasses do to me." "Why don't you remind me?" "Why don't you kiss me?"| Mulder complied, leaving his glasses on so that they bumped softly against her nose as their lips met. After a moment or two of kissing, Scully gently disengaged their lips and said, "Take off your clothes." "Damn you're bossy today. 'Come here.' 'Take off your clothes.' Whatever happened to please?" "Oh, you'll get to hear me say please. More than once." Mulder swallowed hard as he got up from the bed and went to make sure the safety chain was on and the door was locked. He loved the breathy, throaty pleading sounds she made during lovemaking. He turned to the bed and began unbuttoning his shirt. Mulder made quick work of his clothes, then said, "You want me to leave my glasses on?" Scully giggled and shook her head. "No. It's too weird, you wearing nothing but your glasses and a hard-on the size of Texas." Mulder took off his glasses, then reached for the oversized T-shirt - one that had originally been his - that Scully was wearing. He quickly stripped it from her, and was surprised to find that she was totally naked beneath it. "Damn, Scully!" he breathed. Fox lowered his mouth to kiss his wife once more. When they came up for breath, gasping, he whispered, "Close your eyes." "Why?" she murmured, even as she did as he asked and let her eyelashes drift against her cheeks. "Because I want you to concentrate on what you're feeling. I don't want you to be distracted by your sense of sight. Blocking off one sense tends to put the others - like taste and touch and smell - on a higher level of awareness. Trust me?" "Always" she replied. "I want to go down on you," he whispered in her ear. He was pleased with the way her body jerked and the little whimper she let out at his suggestion. "Yes," she murmured. "Yes, what?" he asked, teasing her. It took Scully a moment to focus, she was already so far gone. Then she remembered what she had promised him a few minutes earlier. "Yes, please," she replied, drawing out the second word. Mulder began moving his mouth down her body, so slowly it was almost like torture. He lavished each of her breasts with attention, licking, sucking and even nibbling lightly at them. He continued to nip and suck at her belly as he worked his way down her body. When he reached the riot of red curls at the apex of her thighs, he dropped a gentle kiss at the top of them, then scooted down lower on the bed and kissed the arch of her foot. He slowly worked his way up first one of her legs, then the other. "Mul-der!" Scully whimpered. "Pleeease!" Mulder grinned. How could he ever deny this angel anything? He touched his mouth to her center, feeling her jerk then relax under his tongue. She tasted wonderful; he lapped and suckled at her while twirling his tongue within her. Dana could feel her orgasm building fast. She started to whimper. "Fox!" she managed to moan out. Then she was splintering into a thousand pieces, pulsating against him. Mulder kept her tight against him until the last waves had subsided. God, he loved her like this. Her red hair was in wild dissaray, her breasts were peaked and glistening and she wore a look of utter escstasy. Finally, Dana opened her eyes. "Your turn," she murmured. Mulder smiled into her eyes and gently slipped into her wet body. She smiled. "You can go fast if you want," she whispered. "I don't think I'm up to another round." He grinned down at her. "I thought you liked it slow, sweetheart." "I like it however you give it to me, lover." That did it. Mulder prided himself on self-control, but this was just too damned much. He thrust into her quick and hard and came within a minute or two. Rolling off so he could spoon her to his side, he whispered, "I love you." "Love you, too," she managed to murmur before drifting off to sleep. The next morning, the agents stopped briefly at the L.A. federal building before heading to the airport for a noon flight back to Washington. "So, we've got all the loose ends wrapped up?" Mulder asked Landers. "Looks like it," Landers replied. "The woman's confessed to all six killings, but even if she recants we've got her on the attack on Agent Scully. Her lawyer is going to plead mental incompetence, but I don't really care if she's in prison or an asylum. Just so she's off the streets." "Well, you just try not to get freezer burn from your continued partnership with the Ice Queen, Spooky," Vandergriff said. "You've been out of the loop too long, Vandergriff," Scully said quickly, before Mulder could jump in to defend her. "My new, official nickname is "Mrs. Spooky". Ask anybody at headquarters." As they left the building, Mulder laughed. "What's so funny?" Scully inquired. "You and that Ice Queen business. I mean, I understand how got I got tagged "Spooky". But I've never, for one minute, not from the first day we met, understood your nickname," he said. "It was from guys like Vandergriff. Him and half a dozen others who I wouldn't even give the time of day to, much less hop in the sack with." "Do you really have to put up with a lot of that garbage, Scully?" "Not for a long time. I did out at Quantico, both as a recruit and an instructor. But there hasn't been much of it since we became partners. Do you, by any chance, have anything to do with that?" "I plead the Fifth Amendment." "Well, anyway, I remember the first day we met, too. I remember thinking I was going to kill every female agent I'd ever met who told Spooky Mulder stories." "Why just the women?" "Because," Scully said slowly, "you would think one of them would have had the decency to warn me how damned sexy you are!" Mulder laughed again, checked to see that none of the L.A. feds were in the parking lot, and kissed his wife. Author's e-mail address: tapw63@hotmail.com