From: Siobhan Gormley Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 11:08:58 -0400 Subject: New Moviefic: More Than This (aka Heat Wave 3) (1/4) PG by Siobhan Gormley Hey there everybody! Well, finally finished typing this thing, so now off it goes like a lamb to the slaughter for your judgement. Anyhoo, the title comes from the song by The Cure which you will incidentally find on 'X-Files: The Album'. I had the idea for the story before I listened to the song, but it soon became inspirational in my writing of the story, so I decided to make it a part of it. Alright, enough chatter from me, on to the necessary stuff, then to the 'fun' part... Title: More Than This (aka Heat Wave 3) (1/4) Disclaimer: Everything except this story idea belongs to Ten Thirteen Productions and anyone affiliated with them. I don't make any money off of writing this, I just like to play with the characters for a little while and then return them relatively unscathed. Distribution: Gossamer and my page, otherwise, ask first Feedback: If you feel like commenting, send it my way Summary: Mulder and Scully deal with the change in their relationship Spoilers: "X-Files: FTF" Rating: PG (for parts 1, 3, and 4); NC17 (for part 2) Classification: S, R "If I quit now, they win," Scully stated, echoing Mulder's earlier words. This caused a smile to poke at the corners of his mouth, but he didn't allow a full smile to appear. It was as if he was afraid that if he smiled fully, he'd actually give in to hope, something he actually seemed ready to give up on. Scully gave his hand a gentle squeeze. She gazed into his eyes, trying to share her new found hope, and faith, in him and what they were fighting for. Without any further words, they turned to walk towards their cars, their hands still briefly joined. Mulder eased his hand from Scully's, then held out his arm, which she linked with her own. As they walked, Scully contemplated the last while, all the changes she had gone through and the decisions she had made. Nearly dying a third time..was it really #3?...certainly had a way of changing your perspective, she mused. Mulder glanced at the red-head, intrigued by her seemingly amused, yet peaceful, expression. He couldn't believe how close he had come to losing her, for a third time. He never wanted to go through that ever again. The pain was becoming far too much for him to handle. That was one of the reasons he had tried to convince her to leave, like she had originally planned. He couldn't protect her from whatever others may want to do to harm her, but she didn't seem all that concerned by it. True, he knew she was a very capable person and able to take care of herself, but he couldn't stop this urge he had to protect her. Sometimes he ached to just wrap her small form in his embrace and never let go. "You in there, Mulder?" Scully wondered, waving a hand in front of his face. His eyes refocused on her, and he gave her a sheepish smile. "As much as I can be." She smiled, her still-frostbitten face lighting up. "What do you say to a nice home-cooked meal and decent dinner conversation?" Scully asked. "Your mom offering?" he teased, gaining a smack in the arm for his effort. "Very funny. Seriously though, you up for it?" Mulder seemed pensive. "Thanks for the offer, but my fish really need to be fed," he deadpanned. Scully let out a world-weary sigh. "Is that the Mulder version of 'I have to wash my hair tonight'?" "Well, I wanted to let you down easy," he smirked, a gleam of mischief in his eyes. "Are you ever going to give me an entirely straight answer?" Mulder's expression became sincere, but Scully was still on the alert. "Maybe every once in a while, just to surprise you," he replied, nudging her with his linked arm. Scully attempted to hide a smile, but once she saw the return of the gleam in his eyes, she allowed a small one. "Sure, fine, whatever," was her reply. "I think I need to be alone tonight, that's all. You understand, right?" he asked, worried she wouldn't. When he saw her reassuring smile, his worry disappeared. "Yeah, I do," she replied softly. They reached their cars, then reluctantly let go of each other. "Have a good night," Scully said. "You get some rest. Skinner didn't get us this extra time off so you could go tiring yourself out," he scolded. "Aye, aye, Cap'n," Scully joked, saluting. Mulder simply shook his head. Mulder watched Scully get into her car and then drive away, waving as she passed him. Once she was out of sight, Mulder left his car where it was and walked towards his newest haunt, Casey's. **** Scully sat slumped on her couch, dressed in sweats. She flipped through the channels, finding nothing of interest. "'Must See TV' my ass," she snorted as she changed to another station. Finally giving up, she turned off the t.v. "Making fun of this stuff is just no fun without someone else," she commented, letting out a sigh. Scully looked around the living room. There were books, magazines, and reports that needed looking at, but she was in no mood to do anything with them. A sudden wave of cabin fever washed over her, prompting her to get up from the couch and go to her bedroom. "Screw this, I'm going out," she thought aloud. Throwing on some half-way decent jeans and a blouse, Scully locked up her apartment and left to find something interesting to do. **** Mulder sat in a booth, nursing his second drink. He had been thinking over all that had happened lately. New discoveries, new questions, and not just to do with the 'Grand Conspiracy'. He still couldn't believe that he had said all he had to Scully that night she came and told him she was quitting. To some it would seem like his words were a desperate cry for attention, but he had been sincere. Just as sincere as he had been in wanting to kiss her. Mulder rubbed his eyes, the image of her beautiful face pre-kiss seeming to be permanently imprinted there. He sighed, lowering his hands back to the table. He was really pathetic, he thought. He could have been with her tonight, but he had chickened out to spend the night at a bar, alone. Why couldn't he admit to it? Why couldn't he just open up like he had only a short time ago? Why? Because he was afraid now. Before there seemed nothing to lose. She was planning...no, she *was* leaving, and he knew he had to put aside any gut-wrenching feelings and take a chance that she would react positively. Now, despite his urging, she was staying, and the idea of truly being alone with her while they were both healthy and having an honest-to-god conversation scared the crap out of him. He'd rather face down Cancer Man than do that. Mulder leaned his head back against the wooden barrier. Despite his stomach churning fear, he knew that sooner or later he'd have to face her. He couldn't keep avoiding spending time alone with her, she would see through his excuses soon enough. After all, he could only use his fish as an excuse for so long. He chuckled at this thought. "What's so funny, G-man?" the all-too-familiar voice of Dana Scully asked from beside him, snapping Mulder out of his thoughts. Turning to face her, he gave her a chastising look. "You're supposed to be resting," he replied, avoiding her question. "And you're supposed to be home feeding your fish," she countered, taking a seat across from him. "They weren't that hungry," he replied as the waitress approached the booth. Scully placed her order with the waitress, then faced him, giving him a look. "Yeah, well, if you changed your mind you could have called." Scully tried to keep the hurt tone out of her voice, but wasn't succeeding. [Dammit, Dana, you're starting to sound like a whiny child,] she admonished herself. "I...I just made a last minute decision," he lied, "and I did tell you I needed to be alone." Scully felt hit by the reminder. As her drink arrived, she got up. She knew when she wasn't wanted. "I guess I'll leave you alone, since that's what you want." She took the glass from the waitress and began to walk away. Mulder caught her by the arm as she passed him, turning her towards him. The look on his face now made it clear to her that he didn't want her to go. "Scully, sit back down. Please," he said, confirming the sincerity of his expression. She did as he requested, sliding herself in across from him again. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, each watching the other. "Mulder, isn't that the suit you were wearing at work?" Scully queried, breaking the silence. "Uh, yeah, it is," he replied after downing some more of his drink. He could feel his stomach working overtime now, and not in a good way. "Mulder, don't tell me you never went home," she stated, giving him a look that dared him to say otherwise. Mulder couldn't lie to her. "No, I never went home." He waited for some sort of scolding from her, but it didn't come. She simply sighed, then tentatively put her right hand across the table and covered his left. He seemed a bit surprised at her gesture, but didn't pull away. "Mulder, hiding out in a bar is no way to deal with this," she said, her voice heavily laced with compassion. Mulder nearly choked on his drink. [Am I *that* transparent?] he wondered. "You've been through more than most people, emotionally and physically. You don't have to handle this alone. I'm here. I understand." Mulder's stomach finally settled as he listened to her words. "I know. I just...I'll be fine," he replied, using an all-too-often heard phrase. "I'm sure you will," she replied, giving him a smile. She gave his hand a final squeeze before removing her hand to her side of the table. "So, what brings you to Casey's?" he asked, changing the subject. "I was bored and didn't want to do work, so I decided to wander around..." "Not exactly the safe thing to do in D.C.," Mulder commented. "Yeah, well, I'm a big girl," she replied before continuing on her previous train of thought. "So I was wandering and saw Casey's, remembered you mentioning it and decided to take a look." "Figured you could pick up some guy?" he teased. "You know me, gotta have my weekly one-night stand," she countered, her expression mildly flirtatious. Mulder picked up on it immediately and decided to go with it. "So I guess you felt let down, when there weren't any eligible candidates?" he asked, looking around then back again. "Well, there is that guy, you, and that guy," she answered, looking around at the other patrons. Scully couldn't believe where she was going. Sure she had flirted with him countless times before, but this was way more obvious than previous occasions. Hell, who was she kidding. She had been this 'two-by-four-upside-the-head' obvious before and he hadn't figured it out, so why should she worry, right? Just as she finished that thought, Scully glanced at Mulder and noticed his expression of peaked interest. That was when her stomach decided to do flipflops. [Gawd I need another drink,] she thought, deftly avoiding looking at him straight in the eye. "I could do with another drink, how about you?" Scully asked as she raised her left arm to signal the waitress. Mulder caught a hold of her arm part way up, surprising her and causing her to look directly at him. "Scully, I think we need to talk more than we need more drinks," Mulder stated. Scully let her arm drop, and Mulder let go. "Okay then, let's talk," she responded, attempting to hide her nervousness. "Not here. Some place more private." Scully couldn't miss his meaning. He wanted to go to one of their apartments to talk. This realization sent her stomach into overdrive. Despite that, she couldn't deny that her feelings were finally becoming more obvious to him. She knew she had to respond. The waitress then appeared, asking what she could do. "We'd like to pay our bills," Scully said, giving Mulder clear indication that she agreed with his statement. The waitress took out their bills and lay them on the table. The bills were quickly paid, and the former partners left the bar in search of a taxi. Once they had gotten a taxi and were inside it, the driver asked the usual 'Where to?'. They looked at each other momentarily, making their decision without words, then turned to face the driver. "Georgetown," they replied in unison, then Scully gave more detailed instructions. The cabbie gave them a knowing look before turning around and bringing the car back out in to traffic. Mulder sat back in the seat, watching the equally nervous red-head as she mimicked him. Scully looked at him, trying her best to seem calm and composed, like it was any other evening that they had spent together. But by the expression she saw on Mulder's face, it brought it home once again that this was no normal evening. "Penny for your thoughts?" Mulder asked, trying to sound lighthearted. Scully gave him a smile. "Don't know that my thoughts are worth much right now, such as they are," she replied. This statement gained a raised eyebrow from him. "I don't know about that. I've always thought your opinions were worth something." Scully grinned. "Yeah, but you're biased." Mulder gave a half-smile, then moved slightly closer, becoming serious. "Scully, is it me or are we dancing around what we left the bar for?" "You mean if we're avoiding talking seriously...?" she paused, and when she got an affirmative from him, she continued, "...then yes, I suppose we are. Not that that's surprising really." "What, we don't have serious conversations?" Mulder sounded incredulous. "No, no, we do have serious discussions, but as soon as our feelings come in to play we throw out the humor to deal with it. We're not exactly the 'touchy-feely' types, in case you didn't notice." "Speak for yourself," he kidded. Scully simply shook her head at his joking. Neither of them could escape their defense mechanism. Mulder began nibbling on his lower lip, which didn't escape Scully's notice. [Gawd, I'd love to be doing that instead,] ran through her mind. She refocused on Mulder in entirety, realizing that he had moved closer again and that he seemed about to kiss her. Her mind reeled at this, but not in repulsion. Giving her a sense of deja vu, Mulder repeated his intimate actions of the previous week. He caressed her cheek with his right hand, then moved it behind her neck, rubbing it gently. Mulder could hear her breathing rhythm changing as he continued his gentle exploration with his hands. He leaned in to bring his lips to hers, and they were just about to touch when the cab stopped abruptly. "If it isn't bees it's something else," Mulder heard Scully mutter. The cabbie turned, and smiling apologetically said, "We're here." indicating that they had arrived at Scully's. The two of them searched for the money to pay him. Once that was taken care of, the two agents quickly got out of the cab. They stood on the curb, suddenly feeling unsure once again. Should they take this leap in their relationship and move on from being close friends to lovers? Or would it be better just to forget all that almost had happened? Maybe the continuous interruptions were meant to tell them that what they were contemplating wasn't the right way to go after all. End of Part 1 Title: More Than This (aka Heat Wave 3) (2/4) "Scully, it's pretty cold out here. Do you think we could go inside?" Mulder finally said after a chilly breeze blew up. She nodded, heading in first, opening each door until they both were inside the apartment. They looked at each other momentarily, wondering what to say now. Mulder went to approach Scully, and she surprised him by turning towards the kitchen. "I'll make some coffee to warm us up," she said over her shoulder as she entered the kitchen. Taking down the coffee canister, Scully couldn't help noticing her hand shaking slightly. As she put it down, she leaned against the counter and closed her eyes. [This is stupid,] she thought as the shaking didn't seem to subside. [I'm acting like a virginal teenager, and I certainly haven't been that in...oh, *far* too many years.] Her thoughts ceased and her eyes opened as she felt Mulder's presence directly behind her. He didn't touch her, just stood there, oh so achingly close. "We're going to have a hard time talking if we're not in the same room," Mulder joked, bringing a tiny smile to the red-head's face. He moved back slightly when she turned to face him. "Do we really want to just talk?" she wondered aloud. "But I thought...?" Mulder started, but didn't quite know how to finish for fear of offending her. "That I was looking for talk and not much action?" she finished for him. "I will admit, I've most probably given that impression to you, or at least given you mixed signals, but I never intended to. I just...I suppose I was afraid that I wasn't what you wanted and that you might...oh, I don't know, feel obligated to me in some way." "Are you talking pity sex, Scully?" "If you want to put it that way, yes." Scully looked at him, an almost defiant jut to her lower lip. It was obvious she wanted to appear strong in front of him, like she could handle hearing that he didn't really want her. She then felt one of his hands touch her waist, carefully sliding around it while the other reached to her face, gently caressing her cheek. Scully's breath caught slightly in her throat at the contact, and even more so at the look in his eyes. It was the love she had been sure she saw back in his apartment hallway. "Scully, I'd never treat you like that," he replied in that tone and level of voice he reserved for her. Scully bit her lower lip, a trace of uncertainty still on her face. So many things had gone wrong in her life, and she had only recently found her 'path' again. Yes, she knew it was with him, but was it meant to be more than partners, friends? "I know you'd never *intentionally*..." she began. "No, I said I'd never and I meant it," Mulder cut in, reinforcing his position. "Scully, if this isn't what you want, then let me know now. The last thing I want is for *you* to feel obligated." Scully felt her heart skip a beat as a slight frown creased his brow. She reached up and pushed some of his stray hairs back into place. "You wouldn't be here if I didn't want you to be," she replied, giving him his answer. A smile began to creep across his face, which brought one to hers. Mulder then leaned forward, his lips finally meeting hers in their first long-awaited kiss. They started off softly and slowly, their lips working in concert to gain the most contact. As the kiss deepened, their mouths opened and their tongues intermingled. A moan escaped Scully's mouth as they broke apart briefly, but they were soon joined again in another passionate embrace. Scully felt Mulder's hands moving to her waist and pulling out her blouse. It was no time later when she felt his hands slide underneath the blouse and up her back, but more in a searching manner than a caressing one. They pulled apart to catach their breath, and Scully asked, "What are you doing Mulder?" "It has been a while, hasn't it," he teased. "Mulder," she warned. He leaned in to kiss her in an attempt to appease her, but she turned her head, leaving him to kiss her on the cheek. "If you must know, I was checking for, um, 'bugs'." As soon as the last word was uttered, Scully let out a laugh, causing Mulder to look at her in mild irritation. "I don't think it's that funny," he said as she continued to chuckle. "Mulder, you have to admit that there is a touch of the comical to it. Here we are 'making out' in my kitchen and you're making sure there are no bugs on me." Mulder allowed a smile to appear, acquiescing slightly to the silliness. "I suppose it could be seen as funny." "And maybe a bit paranoid?" "You can never be too paranoid," Mulder replied. Scully shook her head at this. Mulder lifted his hand to stop her head shaking, and once he had done that he leaned down once again to kiss her. She stopped his descent with a hand in front of his mouth. "Why don't we go somewhere more comfortable?" "Your wish is my command," he agreed, gaining a mischievous look from her. "Careful, I may just take you up on that." As she guided him to the bedroom, he stated, "Promises, promises." Once in the room, Scully turned around, taking both his hands in hers as she walked backwards to the bed. The back of her legs hit the bed, but their momentum kept them going. Scully found herself falling back and Mulder quickly following, lying flat on top of her. Scully couldn't help herself and started to laugh. Mulder pulled himself up, holding himself above her with his arms. "You know Scully, laughing at a guy doesn't do much much for his, um, confidence," he said, slightly serious. "You know I'm laughing at the situation and not you," she replied, not giving in to his attempt at seriousness by continuing to smile. In an attempt to get him smiling, Scully slid her arms around his back and moved her hands up under his shirt, caressing his back. "Scully, what are you doing?" he asked, sucking in his breath as she hit a sensitive spot. "If you can't figure that out it has been a while for you," she responded, teasing. Mulder lost his expression of semi-seriousness when Scully moved her hands to his chest, fingers fluttering over the skin. Letting out a groan, he fell to his side, then pulled her with him as he rolled onto his back. He could no longer hold back his eagerness as he kissed her hungrily, his hands battling with hers to remove clothing. A couple of mintues later, their clothes were strewn about the bedroom, almost like a tornado had hit. They continued their frantic kissing and touching, adding a gentle rubbing motion of skin on skin. Scully removed her lips from his, nibbling his ear and kissing down his neck, tasting the saltiness. Mulder closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her lips, teeth, and tongue working their way down his body. He knew what he wanted to do, but he didn't want to push, even though the urge to do so was mounting. Once again she hit a sensitive spot, and this time Mulder involuntarily ground his hips into her. Scully looked up, a smile to beat all smiles on her face. She knew exactly what she was doing and she was loving every minute of it. Not that Mulder wasn't enjoying it, just that it was driving him to the brink. "Care for some release of tension?" she asked coyly. "I never realized how cruel you could be," he answered, watching her move up his body. She stopped, straddling him. She moved her hips suggestively over his pelvic region, gaining frustrated moans from him. What felt like hours later, Mulder felt her shift slightly, then her hand reached between them. He shuddered as her hand took a hold of his penis, carefully guiding it to her opening. Mulder watched as she went to allow him entry, then a thought occurred to him. "Scully, do you have any protection?" he gasped out as her fingers caressed him. Scully thought for a moment. "Um, let me check," she said, moving towards her bedside table. A minute later she faced him again, and it was obvious she hadn't found anything. "No luck," she told him as she ran her fingers over his chest. "This just isn't happening," he groaned. Scully leaned over and kissed him, caressing him with her hands. Mulder quickly forgot what he was complaining about as he thrusted up to her. Again he felt her hand guiding him, reminding him why he had stopped them earlier. He felt obligated to provide some sort of protection and thought he had failed her, but she didn't seem the least bit concerned with this. Just as suddenly as he had that last thought, he remembered something. Reluctantly he stopped Scully once again, and she gave him a confused look. "I just remembered where there's one," he stated, hoping she'd understand. She did and she moved off him, allowing him to get up. Scully watched with mild amusement as Mulder frantically searched through his various pockets until he found what he had been looking for. He turned and held the foil packet up with a triumphant look on his face. "Are you going to just stand there or are you going to put that thing on and get back over here?" Scully wondered, giving him a 'come hither' look. Mulder's answer was to rip open the packet and carefully put it on. Once that was done, he rejoined her on the bed, and this time he straddled her. He guided his penis in, then slowly pushed himself forward. As he did this, he lowered his lips to hers once again, revelling in the passion she expressed in her responses to what he did. Soon enough instinct took over and they thrusted towards each other, letting out gasps and moans as they built to a climax. Mulder held back as long as he could, but the feeling of her pelvic muscles clamping around him sent spasms through him and he came soon after. He felt Scully come not long after him as she shuddered and gasped loudly, thrusting up in to him again. They lay there quiet afterwards, gently caressing and kissing. Finally Mulder pulled her into an embrace, cuddling close and pulling the comforter over them. He found himself drifting off to sleep with a smile on his face as he listened to her even breathing. **** Scully awoke to the feeling of lips kissing her upper chest. [Not an unpleasant way to wake up,] she thought. She moved her head to look at him, giving her bedmate an indication that she was awake. Mulder glanced up at her, smiling as he moved to take her left nipple in his lips. Scully let out an audible gasp as he worked his lips, teeth and tongue over the now sensitive peak. He then moved to the other, repeating the licking, nipping, and sucking. As he continued working his mouth down her body, Scully felt a hand gently caress her inner thigh. She shivered at the doubled sensations of pleasure. After a few more minutes of building her up, Mulder pulled away, gaining a groan of displeasure from her. He moved up to face her. "Don't worry, just looking for..." he began, but was cut off by being on the receiving end of a savagely passionate kiss. Scully pushed him onto his back, straddling him and pushing away the covers. She pulled away briefly to catch her breath and said, "Don't go revving this engine and expect it to idle." Mulder gave her an intrigued look. "Car metaphor, Scully?" "What can I say, I was a tomboy after all," she replied, then ended any further possibilities of conversation with another passion-filled kiss. In no time Mulder was ready for her, and Scully took full advantage of that. She stopped kissing him again and slid his member inside her, enjoying the feel of him as she lay on top of him. As she paused in kissing him, the full realization of what was happening hit Mulder. They didn't...there wasn't any protection. But all such thoughts evaporated from his mind as Scully pulled herself up beginning the slow movement of her hips. Up. Down. Right. Left. Repeated over and over. Gradually building in speed. Mulder could barely put together a coherent thought at this moment, but he knew he didn't want this to end, no matter what. He watched her as she moved on top of him, her mouth opening with gasps of pleasure, her red hair a gorgeously messy tangle, her eyes shining with barely expressed passion. He wanted to see that every night. He knew he'd at the very least have it imprinted in his memory, but he'd much prefer the real thing. Finally, the only thing going through his mind (and body) was of the intense wave of feelings: pleasure, release, exhaustion, contentment. Scully lay atop Mulder, regaining her composure. Mulder gently stroked her back and he felt her smile against his chest. Looking up at him through a veil of hair, he could tell she felt as he did. Finally she spoke. "We haven't done much talking, have we?" Mulder couldn't help a grin appearing on his face. "No, talking hasn't been much of a priority. But we never did have to say a lot to each other to get our ideas across." "Yes, I think we made it pretty clear on certain things, that's for sure," she responded, a yawn suddenly escaping from her mouth. "But I'm talking about..." Mulder then yawned involuntarily, and Scully found herself yawning again. "You're making it difficult to talk," she scolded half-heartedly as he embraced her. "We're tired. We'll talk later. Honest." The only response he received was a non-committal 'mm' as Scully cuddled into him. He pulled the sheets around them and finally he drifted off once again. End of Part 2 Title: More Than This (aka Heat Wave 3) (3/4) Scully woke up to the morning light streaming in and an empty bed. She made a face, sure last ngiht wasn't just one of her more intensely real dreams. Once she sat up and saw the state of the room, and her very naked self, she knew there was no way this had been a dream. Getting out of bed, Scully pulled on her grey satin robe, wandering out of the room towards the kitchen. As she passed the bathroom she heard splashing water. "Mulder, you in there?" she inquired. "Yeah. I'll be out in a few minutes," he replied. "Okay. I'm going to make...something," she finished, not quite sure what mealtime it was or what she had in the fridge. Once in the kitchen, she opened up the fridge to find the usual staples, a few leftovers, and one or two dishes of something her mother insisted was extra from her dinner, but Scully knew her mother had gone out of her way to make the food. She glanced at the clock on the microwave and saw it was midmorning. Making a decision, she went back to the bathroom to check with Mulder. "Mulder, I was thinking of an omelette?" she proposed, but got no answer except for sloshing water. She knocked on the door. "Mulder?" she queried, but still received no response. Finally her worry overtook her and she opened the door. He was lying in the tub, eyes closed and seemingly relaxed. Scully flushed in part anger and part embarassment that she had reacted as she had. Although, admittedly, with Mulder around it wasn't an entirely irrational reaction. Standing beside the tub, she couldn't help but admire his physique. Despite all their work keeping them on the road, he obviously still found the time to work out. Not that she hadn't noticed before. Or last night. Or early this morning. She found herself grinning at her thoughts, but she let out a little gasp as she felt a hand touch her arm. She looked down and saw Mulder giving her a look of mischief. "Looking to join me?" "Mulder, this is a one-person tub." "That's debatable," he responded, wiggling his feet that were over the edge. "Of course," he continued, taking a firm grasp of her arm and pulling her towards him, "we could always find out if two can fit." Scully went to protest and pull away, but Mulder grabbed her around the waist and yanked her forward and into the tub. Water splashed everywhere as Scully let out a shout of protest and Mulder laughed. "Mulder, this is *not* funny," she stated, trying to stay indignant as he kept laughing. Soon enough she gave in to his infectious laughter with a smile, then a giggle, and finally full-fledged laughter. "You're a terrible child, you realize that?" she chastised. "But you love every bit of me, admit it. You wouldn't want me any other way," he teased, coaxing a nod of sorts out of her. Scully found herself blushing, so she looked away from her former partner, although it was difficult considering he had her trapped in the tub with him and he could see her from most any angle. She felt his hand gently touch her cheek, turning her face back to his. He gave her a reassuring smile, then pulled himself forward to kiss her softly on the forehead. He lingered momentarily, then pulled back slightly, looking deeply into her eyes. There was nothing to be said as their lips met again in a passionate embrace. Just as Mulder began removing Scully's soaked robe, the sound of the the phone ringing entered their hearing. "The...phone..." Scully gasped out as Mulder's mouth found yet another sensitive spot. "The machine'll get it, right?" Mulder queried between kisses. Scully simply nodded, finding herself suddenly incapable of coherent speech. "Good," he answered, then continued his loving exploration of her body, making her forget everything else. **** Scully closed the door to her apartment, a giddy smile on her face. She couldn't quite believe all that had happened. It seemed like one moment all they had, and would ever have, was their friendship, their partnership. Then everything fell apart and somehow they managed to put pieces back in place and rebuild in a new way. And now they were much more than they had ever been. On one level, Scully felt it would make them stronger, but on another, it scared the hell out of her. The intensity of their feelings for each other was something she had never experienced before. And the thing that scared her the most about it was that she couldn't control it. She was far too accustomed to controlling her feelings. [Time to adjust,] she thought, her expression contemplative. Scully wandered back towards her bedroom, various thoughts bouncing around her brain. As she passed the answering machine, the red, blinking light caught her attention. [This must be from when...] she recalled, a smile reappearing. She stopped and pressed the button to hear the message. "Agent Scully, this is A.D. Skinner," it began, and Scully felt reality shove its way rudely back into her mind. "I have some good news for you. They've decided to reopen the X-Files." Skinner went on to say more, but Scully only heard half of it. The X-Files, reopened? But, they were closed, for good. She was being sent to Utah. She and Mulder were split up. They were... They were together again, there was no question about it. Scully replayed the message to make sure she had heard Skinner right, that this wasn't all part of the dream that seemed to pass for her reality this past day or so. But it was true, she wasn't dreaming, reality really was continuing as 'normal', but luck or fate or whatever you wanted to call it was on their side and allowing them to stay together. Scully felt a sudden elation. She wasn't going to Utah, she was staying in D.C., with Mulder! They were partners again! She picked up the phone, hitting the speed dial with his number on it. As she waited for him to pick up, a thought occurred to her. They were *partners* again. And they both knew very well what rules the FBI had for partners. Scully found herself hanging her head slightly, then placing a hand to her forehead, rubbing it. [This changes everything,] she thought, feeling her heart sink. Finally Mulder's machine picked up, which must mean that he wasn't answering his cell phone and having his calls forwarded to home. After the usual message, it was time to speak, but Scully felt her voice catch before she went to talk. "Mulder, it's me. I have some news. Call me." She turned off the receiver and placed it back on the table beside the machine. She went to her room, falling down on the bed. The smell of sex lingered in every part of the room, giving her an even more painful reminder of what could never be. What felt like moments later, her phone rang. Scully jumped up off her bed and ran into the hall and grabbed the receiver. Nervously, she punched the 'on' button. "Hello?" "Hey Scully, it's me." Scully felt a grin appear. Some things never changed. "Hi Mulder." There was a moment of silence before either of them spoke. "Is there something wrong? You said you had news." "Yeah, there's news," she replied, deciding to avoid his question. "I got a call from Skinner, about us." "Yeah, he called me too, but I didn't really pay attention. Let me guess, he's sending me to Iowa," Mulder interrupted, a tinge of sarcasm colouring his tone. "Uh, no." "He's sending you to Iowa?" he responded, now lightening his tone. "No. He's not sending me anywhere. I'm staying right here as a matter of fact." Again there was a moment of silence. "You're going to stage a sit-in?" he joked. Scully let out an exasperated sigh, even though she knew she was as much to blame for his attitude by not just coming out and telling him. "No, Mulder. No sit-ins, no protests, no chaining myself to doors," she responded, and she heard an intriguing groan from him as she said the last one. She ignored it. "They've reopened the X-Files, Mulder." There, she'd said it. Now hopefully he'd be finished with the joking. "Really?" he asked, incredulous. "Yes, really." "But what about the office, the files?" he quizzed after a pause. "He said he'd explain it all if we both came in tomorrow." "You told him we'd be there, I assume." "I didn't actually talk to him yet. He had left a message when... earlier," she amended, hoping he wouldn't notice. "Mulder, I have a few things to take care of before tomorrow. I'll talk to you then, okay?" she finished before he had a chance to really say anything. "Uh, okay," he replied, sounding like he wanted to say more, but holding back. "Alright. Bye." She turned off the phone soon after he responded, then replaced the receiver on the table. Scully returned to her room feeling suddenly exhausted. She crawled under the covers in the hopes of getting some rest so that she could think things through more clearly later. She had a lot to get straight before the next morning, she thought as she slowly drifted off to sleep. **** Mulder smiled once again at Skinner's secretary, then looked at his watch, wondering where Scully was. He knew she knew she had to come in this morning since she was the one who told him. But she normally beat him to work. And now she was over half an hour late. He was beginning to worry. Just as he thought to ask the secretary to call her, the door to the outer office opened and Scully entered. A relieved smile crossed his face as he watched her walk around him and sit beside him. "I was beginning to worry you'd changed your mind," he joked. "I got caught up with a few things," she replied, not even looking at him. "I tried calling last night, but there was no answer," he commented, trying to get her attention. He did. "Like I told you yesterday, Mulder, I had things to take care of," she replied, trying not to become defensive needlessly. Mulder went to speak, but Skinner chose this moment to come out of his office. "Agents. I'm glad you're both here now. If you'd care to come in," he stated, motioning for them to enter his office, which they did. "Dorothy, please make sure we're not interrupted," Skinner requested before he disappeared inside the office. Sitting down across from them, he began. "I'm sure you're both wondering why the decision to close the X-Files was reversed." "It had occurred to me," Mulder commented. Scully simply nodded. "After you left your meeting with OPR, Agent Scully, we talked about what you had brought up. After a long discussion, we left to allow Special Agent Cassidy to make her final decision. She told me that the case you made and the discussion following helped a great deal in her decision, and that she agreed that there was a need for the X-Files." "Sir, that's all well and good, but what about our office and the files? The office I know could be replaced, but the files?" Scully questioned, echoing Mulder's words from the previous day. "They can be replaced as well, Agent Scully," he answered, getting up from his seat. "If you'll follow me?" Mulder and Scully stood up and followed Skinner as he left his office and headed toward the elevators. They got into the first one that came and Skinner pressed the button for the fourth floor. Mulder and Scully looked at each other with interest, but said nothing. Once at the fourth, the three agents exited and walked toward an empty office. Skinner took out a key and opened the door, letting it swing open. As they entered the room, they all had a good view of the mostly furnished office. It had a similar setup to their old basement office, but with a bit more space. Someone had even managed to find an "I want to believe" poster. The two younger agents turned around almost as one, expressions of surprise, then thanks, once they finally faced Skinner. "Sir, this..thank you," Mulder said, finding expressing words difficult. Skinner tried not to look embarrassed at the young man's thanks. "Yes, well, this is just the beginning," he stated as he walked toward the filing cabinets. The other two gave him a mildly confused look. "The files for instance," he continued, attempting to address their confusion. He opened the first drawer, showing that there were a few folders in there. "I know the original files were lost in the fire a few months back, but I have always had the copies of your reports filed away. It's only what you've done while working under me, but..." "Sir, it's fine. It's definitely more than we would expect," Scully interrupted, giving Skinner a reassuring smile. Skinner gave her a quick smile, then moved away from the cabinet, heading for the door. He stopped at the entrance and turned to talk to them. "I'll leave you two to look around. I'll get a spare key made," he told them as he handed Mulder the key. As he finished saying those last words, he turned and left. Mulder faced Scully, a child-like gleam of happiness in his eyes. Scully couldn't stop a smile appearing on her face. "It's for real, isn't it?" he asked, approaching her. "Looks like it," Scully replied, sitting back against one of the desks. He sat on the other side of her and looked aroudn the room some more. "There's two desks," he commented, a hint of mischief in his eyes. Scully instantly knew what he was referring to and avoided responding by changing the direction of the conversation. "At least we'll have most of the files back." "It's a start." Mulder paused, seeming to decide on something. "Scully, is it just me or are we avoiding talking about what happened two days ago?" She looked down to the floor. "I guess we are." "Are you regretting what happened?" Mulder sounded worried, and Scully's extended pausing before answering didn't help. "Not regret, no," she said carefully, still not looking at him. "Then what?" Mulder's worry grew as she continued to think. "It's just...things have changed now." Mulder finally attempted to get her to look up, which she did, but with a hint of uncertainty on her face. "I think that's a given," he stated, a small smile curving his lips. "Yeah, but our work situation has changed too," she responded. "It...?" he paused, then realized what she was getting at. "You're talking about the fact that you're no longer leaving D.C., right?" Scully nodded and Mulder made a face. "I didn't realize that was a condition of our relationship." "Mulder, it's not a 'condition', it's...well, you know as well as I do what the Bureau has to say about partners fraternizing..." "Oh come on, Scully! We've already broken every rule there has been.." "And we've been immensely lucky." "Let me get this straight. You don't think that it's worth continuing because you don't want to press our luck?" he asked, starting to sound sarcastic. Scully knew he was just becoming defensive, but it didn't stop her from beginning to feel defensive herself. "Mulder, that's not it at all!" "Alright then, tell me what it is. Tell me why you don't want to take a chance on us." Scully, for once, didn't know how to make herself clearer, and her inability to clarify irked Mulder more. He stood up, and as he walked towards the door, she could hear him mumble, "Why do I bother? Might as well tell them to leave the money on the bedside table." Next thing Mulder knew, the door was slammed in his face and he had a very angry Dana Scully in front of him. "How dare you! How dare you presume that because I can't tell you what I'm thinking or feeling means that what happened between us means so little to me!" She paused, trying to regain some composure. "I wish I could make you understand that this is no easier for me than it is for you. I also wish that we could have all we want, Mulder, but we can't. We've both worked too long and hard to lose what we have." "So you don't want things to change, is that it? You don't want more than...this?" he questioned, the hurt evident in his tone as he motioned to the room around them. "Mulder..." Scully said, reaching out to him, but he moved away, opening the door and leaving before she had the chance to say anything more. She watched him go, her shoulders slumping as if she had taken on the weight of the world. There was nothing more she could do, at least for now. End of Part 3 Title: More Than This (aka Heat Wave 3) (4/4) "Gin and tonic," Scully requested as she sat on the bar stool. Here she was, back at Casey's, where it had all started. She wasn't entirely sure why she had come...No, that wasn't true, she did have at least one reason. She had hoped to see Mulder here. It had been a couple of days since she had last been alone with him in the new office. And since then he hadn't talked to her and vice versa, although she had been tempted. She had felt that she wouldn't know exactly what to say, which seemed ironic since they always had more to say to each other over the phone than in person. So she had decided that evening to go out to Casey's. In a way it could be considered neutral ground so that if they did meet up, there would be no feeling of being in the other's 'territory'. The bartender placed the drink in front of her and Scully went to pay, but she stopped her. "It's been covered, by an admirer," she added. Scully sighed. The last thing she wanted was some guy trying to pick her up. "Please inform this 'admirer' that I can pay for my own drinks," Scully stated as she put down her money. The bartender took the money, nodding in understanding. "I'll inform her." Scully couldn't believe that she had heard the bartender correctly, so she turned her head to watch where the woman went. Sure enough, the bartender approached another woman near the end of the bar. Scully turned away quickly, mildly embarrassed. "Breaking hearts everywhere you go, eh Scully?" The red-head turned to see her trying partner standing beside her. She felt a rush of adrenaline as she became nervous at the sight of him. It was actually kind of amusing to her considering that never before had he made her nervous, not even the first time they had met. The remembrance of that initial meeting seemed to calm her, giving her hope that even though there were things they disagreed on, they would always come together stronger in the end. "So, do I have to stand here all night or are you going to invite me to sit down?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Nothing ever stopped you before from doing whatever you wanted, so I'm not about to try now," she teased. He seemed to relax once she had said this, then he sat down on the stool beside her. After a minute, he spoke again. "So, keeping busy?" He felt slightly stupid asking such an obvious 'polite conversation' question, but he hadn't been able to stop it from being uttered. But Scully didn't seem to mind since she answered. "As busy as I can be with preparing to return to work." They sat again briefly without saying a word. "Mulder, is it me or does this seem ridiculous?" Scully finally questioned. "What do you mean?" "Us, sitting here in uncomfortable silence, without anything to say." "Oh, that. Well, I had noticed that. We seem to be doing that a lot lately." Scully sighed. "So what went wrong?" He gave her a half-hearted smile. "I hadn't thought there was anything wrong." Scully looked pensive, chewing the inside of her cheek. "Mulder, do you think we went too far? That we have changed things too much?" "Are you asking if I now regret telling you how I feel and making love to you? Because if that's what you're asking, I have to say no. I didn't right after, and I don't now. No matter what, I think I did right. I think *we* did right," he replied, reaching out and taking her hand as he said the last words. When she didn't say anything, he continued. "Scully, I know this isn't easy for you. You've always been a by-the-book, follow-the-rules type from day one. I'm surprised I haven't driven you 'round the bend." He paused as she smiled. [A good sign,] he thought. "And now here we are having thrown caution to the wind and opened ourselves up to each other. Not something we do every day, so that makes it even more difficult on us, on you. But I've never known us, and especially not you, to back down, to not *try*." Scully went to say something, but Mulder put his hand up. "I know what you're going to say, 'We're partners again, the rules say we can't be involved.' But Scully, we have been, we just never admitted it until recently." Scully gave him a confused look. Mulder took a moment to collect his thoughts, wanting to make sure she would understand. "From our first case together, we built our relationship on trust and respect. Over time, our relationship has grown into something deeper, more intimate, but without the physical element, until a couple of days ago." Mulder ended his explanation, looking hopeful that he had been clear. From the expression on Scully's face, he had been, to a point. "So...you're trying to say what exactly? That since we've had this relationship all along, and now the physical, we should just carry on? Despite any possible reservations or repercussions?" Mulder let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. "Scully, maybe...maybe we should take a break from each other. We seem to be going in circles. I don't want to give up on what we've built, but the very last thing I want is to push you or make you feel you have to go along with what I want." Mulder sat there, waiting to see what she would say, if she would say anything at all. "Maybe...I don't know what to want anymore. I can't deny how I feel or how you feel or what has happened, but I can't just pretend that the rules aren't there, no matter..." Scully took a deep breath, "..no matter how much I love you." She paused, thinking. "But I don't want to lose the specialness of our work partnership. I want to keep that as well, especially now that they've given everything back to us. I think it could work if we keep our personal and professional lives separate because, in the end, this is what it's all about, isn't it? We've allowed the two to mix so much over the last few years that the line between them has virtually disappeared. We do need to step back, but maybe not as far as you think." Mulder couldn't hide his surprise at her words. She was suddenly becoming the champion of their relationship. "Am I making any sense?" she asked, certain she had been babbling incomprehensibly for the last couple of minutes. "Actually, you're making perfect sense. Of course, this is coming from a guy who's already gotten himself tossed into a mental hospital and who's usual topic of conversation is conspiracy theories." Scully let out a little laugh, gaining a few curious glances from the other patrons. Mulder felt his heart lighten, even if she was laughing at his expense. Anything was better than to see her sad, in his opinion. "So Mulder, what do you say? Partners?" Scully held out her right hand. Mulder moved his right from its covering position of her left, and took her proferred right in his, shaking it to 'seal the deal'. "Partners. We'll see about the rest?" "We'll see," she replied, barely hiding the hope she felt for the first time in days. They let go of each other's hands slowly, then turned towards the bar, although they kept each other in view. As the night lingered on and they continued to chat on and off, one thought was in the back of both their minds. They knew that what was to come would be the greatest challenge of both their personal and professional lives. But they were both finally willing to take a chance for something more than what they had, something more than this. The End