From: shinkai@mlode.com (Susan Shinkai)
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 19:24:53 -0700
Subject: New Story:The IM Files #21: Corporophages and Conjunctions

Title: THE IM FILES #21 - COPORAPHAGES AND CONJUNCTIONS
Author: Shinkai
E-mail Address: shinkai@mlode.com
Rating: R+
Classification: SR
Spoilers: Revelations, War of the Coporaphages, Syzygy
Keywords: Scully/Mulder romance, alternate reality
Summary:  Mulder and Scully deal with their separation as they work on
three different cases that puts them at odds both personally and
professional. 21th installment in the IM Series.

Intro: To understand the Mulder and Scully in this story, you must
have read "Meeting the Invisible Man" and at least the IM Files
History page at my website.
Http://www.mlode.com/~shinkai/fanfic/xffanfic.htm

Thanks all those who have encouraged the continuation of this series.

Disclaimer: The characters and situations depicted in this story are
not the legal property of the author or her agents. This use is not
intended to be an infringement on the rights of the legal owners. Use
and distribution of this story is for not-for-profit entertainment
purposes only.
___________________________________________________________

CONNECTIONS, COPORAPHAGES AND CONJUNCTIONS

PART 1 - TOGETHER BUT SEPARATE

    Agent Fox Mulder sat alone under the critical eye of AD Skinner.
He and Scully had been called to the office for a 'review' regarding
the events surrounding their involvement in the death of a Japanese
diplomat and the reported hijacking of a train.  Scully had already
been dismissed from the office and left with great reluctance, wanting
to stay to defend Mulder's actions.  But Mulder insisted she leave, as
he had private words for Skinner in return.

   Skinner began slowly and purposefully. "Agent Mulder, I hope you
realize how far you went this time.  The only thing saving your ass is
that the official story says nothing happened. But I know better. Just
because you're not required to offical answer for your actions, it
doesn't change the fact that you nearly set off an international
incident and endangered thousands of lives with your little stunt."

    Mulder scoffed.  "It was all a lie! That was no hemorragic fever
victim on that train! Just a secret they couldn't allow to survive."

    "But you didn't know that for a fact.  Even after Agent Scully
gave you a rational explanation, you chose to disregard her as well."
Skinner clinched his teeth and slammed his hand on his desk. "Damn it,
Mulder!  If you're willing to risk the lives of thousands just to
prove your point, I'm not sure your cause is any more noble than
theirs."

    "Why are you arguing with me when I was right?" Mulder challenged.

     "How do you know you were right?" Skinner answered rudely.  "You
were beaten senseless before you had any real proof of anything.  We
can't even prove that box car existed, let alone that it blew up."

     Mulder continued to argue defensively. "So this is why you wanted
to talk to me? To tell me to back down?"

     "No, Mulder. Just to tell you to be careful." Skinner warned
forcefully. "Until you have proof, you're nothing but a raving lunatic
as far as the Bureau is concern.  As long as there exists some
plausible alternative explanation, your theories are science fiction.
You should pay attention to what Scully has to say. When the proof is
enough to convince her, you'll have a fighting chance."

     Realizing Skinner was really trying to help, Mulder relinquished
his anger. "I know that, Sir. That's why she's committed to staying
with the X-Files." Then he sighed and confessed, "About Agent Scully
and I? I should tell you - we're seeking a legal separation."

    "I'm sorry to hear that." Skinner replied automatically.

    Mulder smirked and shook his head then prepared to leave. "I bet
you are." he mumbled under his breath.

      An equal bitterness flashed across Skinner's face as he rapidly
moved from behind his desk to block Mulder's path. "Look, in case you
forgot, I was the one that looked the other way when I found out about
your secret marriage.  Hell, I made it possible for you to continue
working together even after that fact was made public. And as for you'
re infantile jealousy, give it a rest." He reached into his desk and
pulled out a small envelope, from which he took out a gold ring.
Showing the ring to Mulder, he continued, "See this. It's my wedding
ring. My wife and I have been separated for months and she's filing
for divorce despite my protest. She says I'm spending too much time
chasing down your problems, that I've become obsessed with the X-Files
myself. So don't tell me about sacrifice."

     Mulder was a little stunned. Skinner had never revealed anything
about his private life before and to suddenly blurt out his troubles
was totally of character. As such, Mulder wasn't quite sure how to
react. He weakly offered, "Uh?I hope it works out."

    Skinner grunted in frustration over his marriage and with his
quarrel with Mulder, but was just as unsure of what to say.  "I hope
it works out for you and Scully, as well.  You're dismissed, Agent
Mulder."  Skinner returned to his desk and gripped the ring tightly in
his fist, afraid to lose it and all it stood for.  Mulder recognized
the frustration and the fear, and gazed at the wedding ring on his own
finger.  In a subtle gesture of sympathy, Mulder removed his ring and
held it protectively in his fist so that Skinner could clearly see.
The men nodded to each other in silence then Mulder slipped out the
door.
__________________________________

     Mulder joined Scully as she waited in the AD's outer office.  She
noticed that he had removed his wedding ring and looked at him
expectantly but he offered nothing except a gentle hand guiding her
out of into the hall. Mulder said nothing until they reached their
basement office.  "I told Skinner about our separation and he
understands." Mulder said quietly at last.

    Scully raised her eye brows as if she was surprised. "I'm glad
Skinner understands, Mulder, because I still don't understand.  You
say you want a divorce, agreed to a separation, then you spend every
night at my place, in my bed, like nothing has changed. What exactly
does separation mean to you?"

    Mulder looked wounded by her words. "I thought you wanted me to
stay."

    "I do Mulder, but what do you want?" she replied sincerely. "You
believe our martial relationship interferes with our ability to see
the truth, that our commitments hold us back. I don't agree but I was
willing to try. But you're not willing to give up the amenities of a
domestic life. You're not sleeping with me because you love me, but
because you can't face sleeping alone."

    "Are you kicking me out?" Mulder asked sounding even more hurt and
bewildered.

    "Mulder, how can I find my own truth, if you're there telling me
what to believe?" Scully finally said.

     Mulder nodded sadly. "I'm sorry. You're right. I just love you so
much, it's not easy to let you go." He reached out to hug her and she
sighed with resignation and joined his embrace.

     "I love you too. But we have to learn to concentrate on our own
perspectives and not spend so much energy arguing would who's right.
That means we have to be apart, at least according to your theory."
She gave him a kiss and whispered. "Come on, smile. When was the last
time you won an argument?"

    He kissed her back and half-smiled back.  "How come when I win, I
still feel like a loser?"
________________________________

      That night Mulder and Scully went home to separate apartments.
They had been separated before but always because of a temporary
situation that made it impossible to be together. This time it was
totally different because they both knew the situation could become
permanent. Scully had already told her mother, who was sadden by the
news but supportive of what ever decision her daughter made. This
night, Scully told her brother, Bill, Jr. before he heard it second
hand and started blaming Mulder for hurting her again.  Upon learning
they might divorce, Bill was ecstatic and invited her to come visit,
alone. Scully politely declined and reminded Bill that Mulder was
still her partner and that she was just as dedicated to her work as
before.  Bill grumbled that at least it was a start and wished his
sister well.  Mulder spent a long lonely night trying to remember why
he had made this decision to separate in the first place.

     As time went by, the distance between their personal lives became
greater and emptier even as the X-Files held them together in purpose
and passion.  An uneasy tension developed in their relationship which
occasionally snapped back to reveal raw emotions of mutual desire
which were as deeply ingrained as their mutual love.
__________________________________

     Mulder and Scully's next case tested their new relationship
immediately and put them at odds with one another and their beliefs.
Their trial separation became a great rift as Scully's long held
religious assumptions clashed with Mulder's skepticism over
theological dogma.  A young boy who exhibited spontaneous wounds
corresponding to the wounds of Christ's crucifixion became the target
of a killer who sought out and murdered those claiming to be
stigmatic.  While it was clear the previous victims were fakes, Scully
was convinced this boy was touched by the divine hand and took it upon
herself to protect him as an agent of God, instead of an agent of the
federal government.

     She willfully broke policy and badgered Mulder over his refusal
to accept her beliefs after so many years of listening to his ranting.
He held that his ideas came from collected evidence and accounts of
unexplained events which could be correlated and verified, while pious
'legends' were nothing more that stories made up of hearsay to dictate
the behavior of the masses.  Scully drew a much simpler conclusion –
Mulder refused to accept her proof and her ideas because they weren't
his own.  She called him an egocentric hypocrite who only saw what he
wanted to see.  He argued back that she had described herself
perfectly. Even after the case was over, they argued bitterly over
what obligations they had to each other. They finally resolved the
issue by agreeing to disagree and focusing on the end result of the
case at hand, regardless of their own beliefs concerning the cause.
Scully finally agreed that their separation helped her to accept
Mulder's lack of faith as 'just Mulder' instead of as a personal
attack on her. _________________________________

     Scully found home life without Mulder lonely but manageable.  To
keep her company, she reclaimed the small dog left for her by Clyde
Bruckman.  Mulder disliked the little creature after sharing a home
with it for only 5 days so Scully had given it to her mother. But now
with Mulder gone and the dog there to keep her company, it was a sad
reminder that Mulder was not coming home soon. The upside of the
separation was that she looked forward to working with him everyday,
just to be with him again and share his world. There was no chance to
take for granted the time they spent together. Despite all the falling
outs, Mulder remained an important part of her life and she continued
to love him as she always had. She tried not to think about what he
did after he went home alone. She was all too familiar with his
passionate nature and without her as the object of his attention, she
was sure he sought to release that passion in other ways.

    Mulder did indeed find himself sexually and emotionally
frustrated.  He dragged out his old video collection and his 900
numbers but found more satisfaction in his vivid memories of Scully
and him together in an erotic embrace.  He knew in his heart he could
never truly separate any aspect of his life from her. The parting was
for her sake, so she could see beyond his desire and needs, and find
the memories she needed. It could take a very long time but Mulder
planned on waiting as long as necessary, hoping that once they saw the
same truths, they could join their lives together again.
________________________________________
________________________________________


PART TWO - THE WAR OF THE RATIONALS

     Mulder found the weekend to be the most difficult time to be
alone. No distraction held his attention for very long, so he usually
buried himself in his work. Unfortunately, on this particular weekend,
his apartment complex was being fumigated and going to Scully's was
out of the question. So, he made a few calls to the regional UFO
networks and discovered reports of bright lights in the sky near
Grover's Mill. He quickly packed up a few essential supplies – Geiger
counter, stop watches, unexposed photo plates, etc. – and jumped in
his car in search of nothing more than a distraction. Any real search
had to have Scully along, just to keep him honest.

    Parked just outside the town of Grover's Mill, Mulder watched the
night skies and thought about what might be out there - aliens, secret
military aircraft, flying liver-eating mutant fluke worms, and so
forth. All he saw, however, were big bugs that had the nerve to land
on his windshield. He tried to clear the bugs with a flick of the
wiper blades and as he studied the bug entrails smeared across the
glass, he concluded that he had reached a new low in boredom.

   Mulder finally broke down and called Scully.  She began the
conversation hesitantly but couldn't find it in her heart to hang up.
She knew they were ignoring their agreement to separate their personal
lives but the truth was, she missed him. After all they were just
talking. She must have forgotten that words and ideas were Mulder's
greatest weapons.

     As Mulder explained why he was sitting alone in his car parked
along a rural road in Massachusetts in the middle of the night, Scully
began to realize why she had fallen in love with him so many years
ago.  He argued about the possibility of life on other planets and the
supreme arrogance of mankind to assume we stood alone at the peak of
evolution. His passion for the truth and his battle against the
mundane was a catalyst that unleashed her own imagination and vehement
opinions.  Stimulated by his belief, she argued that the evolution of
life just on Earth was so improbable that life any where else would be
"down right anti-Darwinian."

      But instead of telling her she was wrong or narrow minded,
Mulder just replied in a low sexy voice, "Scully, what are you
wearing?"  To Mulder, a good argument with Scully was the ultimate
form of flirting.

      Scully smiled to herself thinking of ways to answer his question
in such a manner that he'd find it hard to not think about her all
night. But there was still the issue of their separation. No, she had
to play it straight and keep him from distracting her. Instead of
flirting, she gave him some final advice to be careful about what he
looked for because he might not like what he finds.

  Refusing to surrender the moment, Mulder teased, " Isn't that what
Doctor Zaius said to Charlton Heston at the end of "Planet of the
Apes?"

    "And look what happened." she came back quickly. She paused for a
moment and cleared her throat. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but did you
just compare me to a power hungry orangutan?"

    "Actually, I was comparing myself to Charlton Heston." Mulder
replied. But Scully wasn't in the mood to play his games and Mulder
had to say good bye, even more frustrated then when he called. To make
matters worst, the local law enforcement stopped to question his
suspicious nocturnal behavior, assuming he was making some drug deal.
Sheriff Frass was satisfied with Mulder's FBI ID but became unnerved
when Mulder mentioned casually that some bugs landing on his
windshield.

     Apparently local rumors of killer cockroaches were circulating
after two people died and were found covered with roaches. Frass took
Mulder's presence as a sign of involvement by the federal government.
Mulder insisted he was there in a totally unofficial capacity but when
the Sheriff received the report of another death, Mulder went along to
check it out. <Scully was right? I don't think I like what I'm finding
here. > Mulder thought to himself as he considered how bored he had to
be to chase roaches.

     The latest victim turned out to be an exterminator in the home of
Dr. Jeff Eckerle, an alternative fuel researcher. Mulder quickly
learned that the area was home to several research facilities and that
the two previous reports of 'roach attacks' came from scientists of
equal repute. Anxious to believe this was a real X-File, Mulder called
Scully back to ask her to join him in Miller's Grove. "It appears that
cockroaches are mortally attacking people." Mulder told her seriously.

  Scully sat and stared silently at her phone for a moment, wishing
she hadn't been eating dinner at that particular moment. She replied
flatly, " I'm not going to ask you if you just said what I think you
just said because I know it's what you just said."

     Mulder explained the odd circumstances and hoped that the eye
witness reports of 'real' scientists might intrigue her.
Unfortunately for him, all it did was ruin her appetite and prompt her
to suspect that the victim had suffered from an allergic reaction to
an insect bite.  Mulder recalled Skinner's advice and chose to
investigate her theory before jumping to any conclusion.  But then the
Sheriff received another call.

      This time a young man died from wounds inflicted while trying to
remove roaches which had burrowed into his skin. The witnesses were
less reliable but Mulder called Scully again, hoping that the mystery
would engage her curiosity. He was a little alarmed to hear her
talking to someone else in her apartment, especial since she was
whispering comments like, "will you just settle down", "you're getting
me all wet" and "let go of my shirt."

     Mulder asked nervously, " Am I calling at a bad time?"

     Exasperated Scull answered, "You might say that.  I'm tying to
give Quequeg a bath."

     Mulder sighed with relief. "The dog! You're talking to the dog."

    "Of course, I'm talking to the dog. And why I kept the ridiculous
name you gave the poor thing, I'll never know." Scully had allowed
Mulder to name the dog in hopes that he would be more willing to
accept it as their pet but instead, he took the opportunity to display
his dry sense of rumor.  Since Scully's pet name to her father was
'Starbuck' from "Moby Dick", Mulder chose to name the dog Quequeg,
after the cannibal that sailed with Ahab

    Mulder chuckled and replied, "Poor thing? He's the one getting
bathed by a gorgeous red-head while I'm investigating death and
roaches." When he explained the latest death, Scully quickly asked if
the victim had been using drugs. From the looks of the make shift lab
and the 'stoned' condition of the witnesses, Mulder was fairly certain
that they were cooking up some 'good shit'. Scully explained that
certain drug induced delusions manifested as insects on or in the
skin.  Mulder sighed and confessed that her explanation sounded
rational.

     Scully smiled to herself and teased, "Maybe you were right about
the separation.  If I were there, we'd still be arguing."

     Mulder whispered back, "Well, if I were there instead of here,
I'd be the one getting the bath instead of that mangy dog."

    "I don't think I have enough flea dip to cover you." Scully
retorted then added "Or would you just like some roach repellant?"

     Mulder smiled and answered, "Actually, I'm trying to figure out
what attracts them to people, dead people in particular. Think about,
Scully? dead bodies are basically nothing more than decomposing
organic material, waste products of life."

    Scully thought for a moment. "Actually, Mulder I would rather NOT
think about it.  I'm a doctor, remember? If I reduce human life and
the human body to nothing but 'organic material' I run the risk of
losing respect for the life of the individual?their soul, if you
will?at which point my autopsies become nothing more than a
desecration of the flesh."

    Mulder grinned and replied, "Gee, Scully I never realized those
autopsies were such a religious experience.  And here I thought you
were nothing but a pillar of practical purpose."

    Scully laughed. "Mulder, if I were practical, I would have hung up
on you after the line about killer cockroaches. And if you insist on
being a part of this investigation, feel free to call me if you need
me. Just be careful of what you step in. Good night, Mulder."

    Mulder hung up and suddenly felt a burning desire to challenge
Scully's smugness. She always had an answer, a come back, to his ideas
yet she acted as if she was condescending to his need to be with her,
without acknowledging her own desire to be together. Still, her
intellectual teasing was tremendous turn-on and he found it hard to
concentrate on the case at hand. When he and the Sheriff tried to
catch a stray cockroach at the scene, Mulder over-reacted and crushed
it in his hand. He was prepared to forget the whole case until he
realized the 'roach' was just an empty exoskeleton but that it's
fragments were sharp enough to slice though his skin like tiny knives.

     The medical examiner who had accompanied Mulder and the Sheriff
to both scenes to assess the victims took Mulder to the hospital to
study his wound more closely.  Mulder was anxious to prove that
exoskeleton was metallic but the examiner remained vague.  In fact he
was more concerned about what Mulder knew about this cockroach threat.
When Mulder replied honestly that he really had no idea what was going
on, the medical examiner took offense and assumed yet another
government cover-up was in play. Retiring to the restroom in disgust,
the ME left Mulder with the Sheriff who had his own ideas about what
was going on.

      Sheriff Frass told Mulder about someone claiming to be a federal
agricultural agent conducting secret experiments nearby.  He was
certain that a new strain of killer cockroach had been developed and
that it had escaped.  Mulder felt silly advising the sheriff not
spread unfounded rumors when suddenly they heard a scream.  Someone
had found the ME, dead in the restroom, covered with roaches. Mulder
felt even more silly trying to catch the last remaining insect - a
task he failed at once again. Even without the roach as evidence,
Mulder was sure that five roach related deaths were enough to flag
down Scully's skepticism.

    But Scully was expecting his call. "Who died now?" she said as she
answered the phone without even a 'hello.' Mulder described the latest
death and suggested she help out since the ME was now dead. True to
form, she rattled off a list of postmortem signs and diagnosed a brain
aneurysm rupture brought on by forceful straining while sitting on the
toilet.  Mulder heard the overtones of self-assuredness as she
offered, "If you still want me to come down there and give you a hand
on this case, if suppose I could set aside my plans for the evening. "

     Mulder, determined to prove to her that he didn't need her to
sort out fact from fiction, declined her offer. "No, I think I need to
do some more background checks before I can sort things out here. It
wouldn't be the first time I've witnessed a bizarre anomalous
mutation."

     "Just remember that giant fluke creature - you can't arrest
nature. " Scully remarked then hung up abruptly.

     Mulder thought to himself, < But nature might be getting some
'un-natural' influences from people I can arrest. > He decided to
check out the facility that the Sheriff had told him about.  As he
approached the compound, it seemed harmless enough. No signs of heavy
industry or chemical testing. As if she had an invisible link to his
conscious mind, Scully called him just as he prepared to break into
the main building on the facility.

     "Just couldn't stop thinking about me." Mulder teased as he
shifted the phone so he could pick the lock.

     "You're the one whose been calling me all night." she replied
indignantly. "Actually, I couldn't stop thinking about cockroaches.
You were second on the list."  She paused for effect then added, "I
know how much you hate insects so I did a little background work for
you, partner."

    "Hey, Scully, did you ever stop to think how honest insects are?"
Mulder pondered as he fussed with the lock.

     "Excuse me?" Scully asked.

      "Yeah?honest." Mulder continued. "No deceptions, no
conspiracies, no lies, no pride. Just life and death."

      Scully retorted, "No love, no passion, no dreams, no choices.
Just the single-minded pursuit of a predetermined destiny."  She
thought for a moment and asked, "Is that the real reason you hate
insects? Because they achieve by design what you've struggled to find
your whole life - your destiny?"

    Mulder popped the lock and smiled as he answered, "No, they just
give me the creeps. Hey, did you ever notice how a preying mantis face
is shaped like an alien head?"

     Scully sighed and teased, "The more time we spend apart, the more
I realize that separation wasn't such a bad idea after all."  After
listening to him groan with rejection, she finally related what her
research revealed. Several cases were recorded of exotic species of
roaches which behaved oddly and caused a disruption in the natural
eco-system when introduced into the US.  She theorized that a species
of roaches which were attracted to people may have been accidentally
imported into he region. But since there were no previous reports of
roaches attacking human, Mulder remained suspicious and told Scully
about the USDA facility conducting covert experiments.

     Scully recognized the excitement in his voice and knew what he
had in mind. She warned him that this case didn't warrant breaking and
entering but of course she was already too late.  Sighing in
disappointment but not surprised, Scully gave up on trying to explain
to Mulder the basics of due process and asked, "So what do you see?"

    Mulder described the building as a deserted typical middle class
home. "Nice kitchen, modern appliances, moving walls..." The remark
caught Scully off-guard until Mulder explained. "Cockroaches! They're
everywhere. I'm surrounded." His flashlight suddenly flickered and he
swore at the failing light.

     Scully heard the edge of panic in his voice. "Are you all right?
What happened?"

     Mulder was stunned as the room light came on and the roaches
scattered.  But the person flicking the switch drew his attention even
more than the mysterious behavior of the insects.  He stared at the
attractive young woman at the light switch, acutely aware of her lithe
figure and large brown eyes.  He was just as aware of his own level of
arousal which had escalated as he spoke to Scully but was suddenly
answered by this stranger. Before he said anything he would regret
later, he told Scully, "I'm OK. I got to go." Then he hung up quickly
before she could argue.

     The young woman harshly asked what he was doing trespassing on
government property and he replied as he flashed his badge, "I'm a
federal agent."

     "So am I." she responded showing a badge of her own.

      Mulder approached with a smile and extended his ID towards her.
"I'll show you mine, if you show me yours." The young woman tried to
hide her amusement at his remark as they exchanged ID wallets. Mulder
looked at her card which read, "Dr. Bambi Berenbaum, Ph.D., USDA
Agriculture Research Service". He stared at the card for a moment then
gazed at her and said, "Bambi? Your name is Bambi?"

      Dr. Berenbaum smiled sweetly, as if she'd been asked that
question many times before. "Both my parents were naturalist." She
glanced at his ID then echoed to him, "Fox? Your name in Fox?"

       Mulder frowned and shrugged, "Both my parents had a sense of
humor."

      Dr. Berenbaum smiled again and said sympathetically, "It's not
so bad. Actually it would be cute if you weren't breaking and
entering." Her smile faded noticeably.

      Mulder cleared his throat and tried to regain is his composure
as he said seriously, "Dr. Berenbaum, I'm going to have to ask you a
few questions."

      "For instance?" she challenged. She crossed her arms defiantly
in a gesture far too reminiscent of Scully as he found his defenses
slipping and his libido slid through.

     "What's a pretty woman like you doing in a place like this?"
Mulder replied with a subtle grin. Whatever masculine charms Mulder
had bottled up since being married to Scully came floating back to the
surface and Dr. Berenbaum apparently was its first victim. She
abandoned her defensive stance and began to tell Mulder all about her
research at the facility.

      Five minutes into the conversation, it was clear to Mulder that
no evil plots were brewing in these labs.  The secrecy was merely
discretion to avoid public protest of purposeful infesting a house
with roaches just down the street from their own homes. Dr.
Berenbaum's enthusiasm as an entomologist reminded Mulder of his own
obsession while her candor and openness brought back fond memories of
his days at Oxford when he first meet Scully.

     His euphoria was slightly deflated when she showed him her 'pet
project' which debunked many UFO stories.  She proposed that UFO
sighting were actually insect swarms passing through an electrical
field, creating an illuminating discharge. Her argument as so complete
and precise, Mulder recalled his heated debates with Scully back in
England and he lapsed back into an almost enchanted state. Then she
said something that snapped him back to reality.

  As she studied her samples, Dr. Berenbaum remarked, "Everything
about insects is fascinating. They are truly remarkable creatures. So
beautiful, and so honest."

     "Honest?" Mulder croaked. Her remark echoed his comments to
Scully almost exactly and he felt a strange sense of arousal at the
connection.

  "Eat, sleep, defecate, procreate. That's all they do. That's all we
do, but at least insects don't kid themselves that it's anything more
than that." she replied. Noticing Mulder shifting in his seat, she
asked, "Does my scientific detachment disturb you?"

    Mulder's perfect memory seemed to be on hold as he couldn't recall
how Scully had responded to the argument earlier. Instead he just
smiled and nodded while making some condensing remark.  Just then his
phone rang, and he knew he'd been busted.

     "Mulder, don't hang up or I'll lock Quequeg in your apartment as
soon as the bug bombs clear." Scully threatened immediately. She heard
him sigh heavily then she said, "I found out something that might be
of use to you.  I checked the medical literature and found several
cases of insects, including roaches, crawling into nasal,
oral-pharyngeal and auditory passages, causing primary injury from
bites or burrowing with secondary damage from infection or wounds
inflicted while trying to extract embedded larvae." If Scully had been
with him she would have seen the pale look that covered his face at
the thought of insects crawling inside his body.  "Mulder?   Are you
still there? Did you hear me? Those are the only 'attacks' I could
find. Mulder?"

     Mulder's sudden silence was evident to Dr. Berenbaum as well, so
she asked him, "Agent Mulder? Fox? Are you OK?"

     Scully heard the distinctly feminine voice in the background and
became slightly suspicious of Mulder's motives.  Scully's voice took
on a more cautious tone as she asked, "Mulder, would you care to
explain exactly what you are investigating?"

     Mulder thought quickly and instead of trying to explain why he
was flirting with an entomologist who believed UFO were insect swarms
he replied, "Not now." He hung up then shut off the phone and began to
wonder why he felt so guilty.

     Before he could answer himself, Dr. Berenbaum touched his hand
and asked, "Is everything all right, Agent Mulder? You look like
you're in shock."

     Mulder broke out of his reflection and replied, "That was my
partner. Agent Scully believes these roaches are an exotic species
that is actually attracted to people."

      Dr. Berenbaum nodded thoughtfully.  "It's possible. Insect
species are so diverse even the most extreme possibilities can be
manifested." Mulder nervously chewed on his lower lip and nodded in
return.  "In fact, there have been cases of beetles entering the ears
or nose of a person but?"

    "Yeah, so I heard." Mulder mumbled as he tried to smile hide his
repulsion at the thought. She remained close to him as he
self-consciously remarked, "Uh?I?actually, I've always found insects
to be very interesting."

   "Really?" Dr. Berenbaum replied as she flashed a big smile. "Would
you like to look over my abstracts on intensified reproductive
responses related to environmental stress?"

     Mulder swallowed hard as he became acutely aware of his own
intensified response to one particular stress.  <Is this how a
liberated entomologist makes a pass at a guy or have I just been away
from Scully too long?> he thought to himself as he pondered his next
move.  For a moment, he considered the fact that he and Scully had
agreed to a separation without specific restrictions.  He wasn't
thinking of actually doing anything except some more innocent teasing
to release the tension.  But what if Bambi had something more in mind?
Was he wary enough to stop before things got too serious? How would
Scully react if he did get carried away?  More than anyone, Scully
understood that his sexual response to other women didn't diminish his
love for her. Or was that just a rationalization on his part?

    Mulder finally decided he'd better not tempt fate just yet. "You
know?I, I really should check in with my partner. She hates to be left
out these investigations."

    Dr. Berenbaum blinked with surprise as she stepped away from
Mulder. "She? Agent Scully is a woman?"

     Mulder grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. Agent Dana Scully. Uh?well,
actually, she's the scientist. A medical doctor to be specific, with
an undergraduate degree in physics."

    Dr. Berenbaum looked slightly jealous. "Dr. Agent Dana Scully? And
she's your partner?" Mulder nodded. "Well then, why don't you come
back after you've had a chance to discuss things with your partner.
I'll show you the way out." Mulder sighed heavily then followed her
without another word.

______________________________

     Scully sat staring at her phone, wondering what Mulder was really
up to.  One minute he's flirting with her the next he's hanging up
without explanation. She tried to recall if he had ever behaved like
this before.  She remembered that once, shortly after they became
friends in England, she called his home and a young woman answered.
Mulder quickly took the phone and asked Scully to call back in ten
minutes, which she did. Mulder answered on the first ring and acted
like his usual charming self and no mention of the strange woman was
ever made by either of them.

    Back in the present, Scully felt an odd sense of anxiety over her
marriage. How much of their lives were they separating? It was almost
as if she had to re-live the moments that brought her and Mulder
together in the first place. Then she wondered if maybe this time they
could become lovers first instead of making vows in the aftermath of
tragedy.  No rapes, no gunshot wounds, no black ops units - just a man
and a woman in love. It was almost worth the pain and risk of
separation to bring their relationship back in focus.  She hoped that
whatever Mulder had found in that USDA site wasn't a prelude to
another distracting disaster as she set the cordless phone next to her
pillow and tried to sleep.
_______________________________

    Mulder took a motel room for the night but couldn't get any rest.
Along with the other guests including Dr. Eckerle who witnessed the
death of the exterminator, Mulder was warned to avoid any insects and
report unusual behavior.  After tossing and turning with images of
bugs crawling in his hair and nose, he tried thinking of something
more pleasant.  Instead he conjured thoughts of Scully and Bambi
performing a brutal vivisection on him, studying his anatomy with
frightening scientific detachment. He felt an unmistakably erotic
thrill at the thought of these two intelligent, beautiful and intense
women systematically tearing his body apart. But then the bizarre
fantasy was invaded by more images of roaches pouring out of his body
cavities.

      Sex, mutilations, and insects did not mix well with Mulder and
he found himself wracked with guilt and nausea.  He finally broke down
and called Scully, who answered on the first ring. Just hearing her
voice eased his discomfort like a miracle cure. He acted as if he
called her just to bring her up to date on his 'case'.  Scully seemed
relieved that he avoided any mishaps and listened as he reported that
the USDA lab was legitimate and that the research entomologist agreed
with her theory of exotic roaches.  Mulder admitted that Dr. Berenbaum
didn't have any suggestions for catching these roaches but that she
knew just about everything else about insects.

     "She?" Scully asked with mild surprise.  Mulder brushed off her
concern and tried to distract her with some insect trivia he learned
from the entomologist, about the dung beetles and pyramids of Egypt.
But Scully came back with her own trivia. "Did you know the inventor
of the flush toilet was named Thomas Crapper?"

     Mulder laughed and replied, "Is that your subtle way of telling
me I'm full of crap?"

     "No, it's just a caution that your best intentions can still give
you a bad name." She smiled at her own cleverness as she heard him
laugh again. "So does that mean you'll be dropping this 'killer
cockroach' theory?" Scully asked, hoping he didn't do anymore
investigation without her there to keep him honest and out of trouble.
Mulder remained silent as he tried to think to a way to say 'no' but
his silence was enough to get the message across.  "But Mulder, you
hate insects." Scully challenged.

     "I dislike insects. I do not hate them." Mulder argued.

     "Then why did you smash the window in our flat in Oxford trying
to get rid of a fly?" she retorted. "If I remember correctly, it took
five stitches to close the gash in your arm after that incident."

     "It was only four and I DID get rid of the fly." Mulder answered.
"OK so I hate bugs but there's still some unusual circumstances around
here I'd like to investigate." Mulder remarked vaguely.

     "This isn't about those reports of colored lights in the sky?"
Scully teased.

  Without thinking, Mulder remarked, "Actually, Bambi has this theory
I've never come across..."

     Scully stopped laughing. "Who?"

     Mulder realized 'Dr. Bambi' sounded more like a character in one
of his videos than an USDA researcher, so he tried to shrug off
Scully's reaction once again. "Yeah, Doctor Berenbaum. Anyway, her
theory is...

      Ignoring his reaction as he ignored her, Scully asked, "Her name
is Bambi?"

     "Yeah. Both her parents were naturalists." Mulder explained then
continued. "Her theory is that UFOs are actually nocturnal insect
swarms passing through electrical
air fields?"

    The words went passing through Scully as she gaped at the phone
and repeated with disbelief, "Her name is Bambi?"

    Mulder realized there was no good way out of this situation.
"Look, what's the big deal?  After all, my name is Fox."

    "Maybe that's why I'm worried." Scully replied seriously.

     Mulder shifted nervously and sighed, "Dana, can I confess
something to you?"

     <This definitely does not sound good.> Scully thought to herself.
< I have to stay calm. Don't over react. He wants to be honest with
you. Let him.>   She took a deep uncertain breath and answered, "Yeah,
sure, OK."

     "Dr. Berenbaum?Bambi?is a very attractive and intelligent woman
but she's totally obsessed with insects. I was flirting with her,
pretending I was actually interested in dung beetles." Mulder admitted
humbly.

      "That's it?" Scully replied with a tone very close to
disappointment.

      "What do you mean 'that's it'? I confess thoughts of infidelity
and you're not the least bit upset?" Mulder growled.

      In a metered controlled voice, Scully offered, "Of course I'm a
little upset - we are married.  But it's only natural to assume that
with the separation of our personal lives, we'll eventually seek our
own social circles.  I have my mother, and my friends like Ellen and
Janice? and you have people like Bambi."

     Scully wanted Mulder to believe this wasn't a big deal to her.
Logically, she knew they were both adults and that they had mutually
agreed to this separation.  Although they hadn't set any ground rules,
she trusted that they each accepted the responsibility for their own
actions.  And if Mulder chose to behave like an oversexed adolescent,
she shouldn't respond by becoming insecure and jealous, as it wasn't
meant as an attack on her. At least that's what her logical half said.

     Her emotional half, however, wanted to scream at Mulder for even
looking at another woman, let alone one named 'Bambi'. Weren't they
under enough stress already? Why did he always side-step his
responsibility and make her the one who had to clean up the mess? By
confessing to her, it became her job to forgive or punish him. And as
for that entomologist, Scully was prepared to smash a few windows
herself to let 'Bambi' know Mulder was a married.

      Mulder knew Scully too well to accept her logic at face value.
She was doing exactly the type of thing that led him to suggest
divorce in the first place. Scully was blocking her emotions and
intuition with her logic to protect herself and their relationship.
Although his attraction to Dr. Berenbaum was real, and quite mutual he
thought, Mulder decided to use it to shake up Scully a little.

       Mulder spoke in a more confident voice. "Well, you know, I was
thinking?my aversion to insects is really irrational, like my fear of
fire.  And just like that fear, it's a weakness I should learn to
overcome."  He could hear Scully starting to grind her teeth, no doubt
due to the memory of their encounter with Phoebe Green. Mulder smiled
to himself and continued. "Maybe I should spend more time with Dr.
Berenbaum. The more familiar I become with insects, and with her, the
less anxious I'll feel.  Bambi did invite me to stop by her lab
anything, day or night."

     Before Scully had a chance to think of a logical reason not to
become totally enraged, she heard a muffled scream from the phone.
Alarmed, she asked, "What was that?"

    Mulder grabbed his gun, made a dash for the door and said quickly,
"I got to go."

   Before she could protest, the line went dead again. This was no
longer just a matter of his fidelity.  There appeared to be a real
risk and, as his partner, she was obligated to back him up.  That was
how she justified it to herself, as she tried to find Grover's Mill on
the map.

    A few minutes later Mulder called Scully again to report that
another man was found dead with roaches all over his body.  But
instead of another wild theory, Mulder suggested that the man simply
died of fright after seeing roaches in his room.  Mulder had received
the autopsy reports of the other victims and Scully had nailed the
cause in each case. But by now Scully had packed a bag and was ready
to head to Grover's Mill, regardless of how unlikely it was that
killer roaches were the culprits.

     "Come on, Scully. Admit it. You don't want me seeing Bambi
again." Mulder chided.

     Scully said firmly, "Mulder I don't care if you want to chase
after Dr. Berenbeetle?"

     "Berenbaum." Mulder corrected. "Dr. Bambi Berenbaum."

     "?Whatever. Something strange going on up there and you don't
have the background to make a proper assessment." Scully replied,
exasperated.

     "It's a long drive, Scully.  You really don't need?" Before he
could finish, she hung up on him this time.  Mulder smirked to himself
thinking about how furious Scully would be by time she arrived.  He
was convinced she needed a totally honest emotional outburst to break
through her restrictive logic. He only hoped he could withstand the
aftershocks. As he congratulated himself on truly pissing off Scully,
he noticed a roach trap with an intact insect within. Carefully
picking it up, he wondered if there really were killer roaches. Then
he wondered if there would be a killer-Scully if she caught him
consulting with Dr. Berenbaum.

      Mulder arrived at the USDA labs in the pre-dawn hours and used
the security code Dr. Berenbaum gave him to enter through the gate.
He was surprised to see the entomologist standing in the doorway to
her lab talking with a man.  He reminded Mulder of a slightly older
version of Agent Pendrell - very bookish and innocent looking - but
with a much more athletic physique. The man shook hands with Dr.
Berenbaum enthusiastically then brushed by Mulder as he headed to his
car, fumbling with the many pockets in his jacket looking for his
keys.   Dr. Berenbaum smiled at Mulder and motioned for him to come
in.

     Just about the time Mulder began to wonder what some man was
doing coming out of her lab in the early morning hours, the researcher
explained, "That's Dr. Remmington Glock, a molecular biologist from
another facility nearby. He came to check on me after he heard about
the roach related deaths."  Mulder refrained from making any comments
about the unlikely name but did ask why he came at such an odd time to
see her.  "Dr. Glock is totally dedicated to his work. He wasn't even
aware of what's going on in this community until a co-worker offered
him a can of insect repellant. He came over as soon as he realized
people might suspect I was involved."

    "How thoughtful." growled Mulder as he watched the biologist drive
way at unsafe speeds.  He felt a slight bruise to his male ego but
then remembered why he was there. Dr. Berenbaum studied his specimen
only to be shocked by what she saw.  Roaches were commonly identified
by their genitalia but this one exhibited a grossly enlarged organ.
Mulder felt a bit silly looking at the underside of a roach until he
saw for himself the unusual design which looked more like a printed
circuit board than an insect's body. There really was an X-Files here.

     Dr. Berenbaum told Mulder about a scientist doing research on
robots which mimicked insect behavior.  Mulder felt another twinge of
his ego when he listened to the awe in her voice as she spoke but when
she mentioned that this scientist worked in Grover's Mill, Mulder
grabbed his specimen and left to question this Dr. Ivanov.

     In the meantime, Scully arrived at a small convenience store on
the outskirts of town. She wasn't exactly sure what town she had
arrived at but the chaos in the store and the people yelling about
killer roaches carrying the Ebola virus was a tip off.  All she wanted
was a map, so she could find Mulder and settle this whole bug/Bambi
business but the crowd was growing uglier by the second.

      Feed-up with the mass hysteria which she had no doubt was fueled
by Mulder's investigation, Scully shouted as she held up her badge,
"All right, listen up!" The confidence in her voice stilled the mob. "
I'm Agent Dana Scully from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I am
assuring you that you are not in any danger. Everything is going to be
okay if you just calm down, and start acting rationally. Now, where
the hell are those road maps?"

    Before anyone could answer or argue, a pair of feuding consumers
knocked over a display of Choco Dropping candy which fell, sending
chocolate covered pellets rolling across the floor. The resemblance to
roaches was minimal but it was enough to send the crowd into a full
fledged panic as they scattered like?like roaches in the light. Scully
stood alone in the ruined store, asking herself if Mulder was really
worth all of this. Munching on salvaged Choco Droppings and trying to
decipher the map, she finally called Mulder back.

     When Mulder answered he was once again with Dr. Berenbaum, after
returning from the robotics lab. Dr. Ivanov had suggested to Mulder
that robotic insects from other worlds might be sent to explore our
planet and that anyone who believed in big eyed, gray skinned alien
visitors was brain washed by too much science fiction. Mulder wasn't
prepared to argue since Ivanov's entire project was funded by NASA to
study the concept of robot explorers. Only he always expected to be
the visitor, not the home team. No only was Dr. Ivanov perplexed by
the mechanical/electronic beetle, he was devastated by the fact that
its design was beyond his comprehension. As Mulder left to doctor
ponder the future, he managed to catch another roach at the robotic
lab and bring it back to Dr. Berenbaum for closer examination.  It
proved to be a common roach, genitalia and all.  As he explained this
to Scully, she grew even more impatient.

     "Mulder, this town is insane." Scully said bluntly.

     "Scully, there's definitely something strange happening." Mulder
replied, defending his actions to his skeptical partner,  as he
nervously eyed Dr. Berenbaum hanging on the accuracy of his every
word. He felt the same sense of arousal he felt as he imagined himself
being surgically dismembered by these woman.

      "I would qualify looking at insect sex organs as something
strange." She replied bluntly then added in a cold tone, "But as far
as the presence of suspicious circumstances, you are correct, Agent
Mulder." As usual, she did a thorough background check before jumping
into this case and discovered that Dr. Eckerle, the paranoid
alternative fuel researcher, was actually importing dung samples to
use as a source of methane.  "Now, maybe you can confirm this with
your Dr. Bambi but I think that cockroaches are dung-eaters. Some of
them may have been shipped accidentally in some of the samples. This
fuel research facility could be ground zero for the infestation."

     Mulder knew she was right. Once again her logic made sense and
kept her from seeing the extreme possibilities. Just as bad, Dr.
Berenbaum seemed to be disappointed in Mulder's lack of intellectual
prowess in his battle of wit with Scully. Mulder reached into his own
sense of the extreme and replied, "Scully, if an alien civilization
were technologically advanced enough to build and send artificially
intelligent robotic probes to the farthest reaches of space, might
they not have also been able to perfect the extraction of methane fuel
from manure? An abundant and replenishing energy source filled on a
planet with dung-producing creatures?"  Mulder smiled at Dr. Berenbaum
who seemed impressed by his come-back.

     < No, he's not worth all this insanity. > Scully thought to
herself briefly. "Mulder, I think you've been in this town too long."

     "Where's Eckerle's research facility located?" Mulder asked
abruptly.  After she gave him the address he said, "Meet us there."
He gestured to Dr. Berenbaum to get into the car.

     "Are you sure you want me? Your entomologist should be able to
fulfill your present needs." Scully commented sarcastically.

     Mulder sighed and said seriously, "Not only do I need an armed
back up, but I can't trust anyone else to verify my findings." He
swallowed hard and confessed, "I need you, Scully.   Everyone else
sees what they want to see - an FBI agent, a good looking man, a nut
case, a bug chaser. You see the real me - your invisible man."

     The words evoked within her the familiar and unmistakable love
for the one man who made her believe in the fantastic. She finally
decided that he was worth all the trouble he brought into her life,
personal and professional, then promised she'd be there as soon as
possible.

      Mulder and Dr. Berenbaum arrived at Alt Fuel and waited for
Scully, until they heard high pitched screams and gunshots from within
the building.  Mulder drew his weapon and headed for the door as he
told Dr. Berenbaum to stay under cover. She seemed impressed by his
bravery and cautioned him to be careful especially since the strange
cockroach was still a mystery. Oddly enough, Mulder didn't even notice
her reaction to him, as he focused on his stealth approach.

      When Scully arrived moments later, she saw the pretty woman
sitting in Mulder's car and said, "Let me guess?Bambi."

      "Fox told me to wait out here." Dr. Berenbaum answered
innocently. She watched as Scully got out of her car then asked if she
should go in as well.

      Scully shook her head, mumbling, "Fox? indeed." Then she drew
her weapon, checked the clip and declared solemnly, "This is no place
for an entomologist." then headed inside.

      Dr. Berenbaum wondered what Scully meant by her parting remark.
It was true that she wasn't a trained FBI agent but she knew her way
around a research facility. And surely Fox would protect her.  She
paused to think about the handsome but odd agent.
He was far more intelligent and insightfully than any other law
enforcement agent she'd ever met but his intentions beyond his
investigation were unclear.  One minute he'd go out of his way to
impress her then the next he'd shy away.  Perhaps it had something to
do with his partner.  Dr. Berenbaum had always prided herself in her
expertise within her field of study but this  'Dr. Agent Dana Scully'
apparently excelled in multiple pursuits which made her the perfect
companion to a man of diverse talents such as Fox. It was a shame
really. She'd always wanted to go out with a man named 'Fox'.

     Scully entered the building and called for her partner but got no
response. There was no reason to believe he'd met with foul play so
she continued to walk through the maze like facility.  As she looked
for Mulder, it occurred to her how often his hunches were right, not
just concerning their cases but concerning their relationship.  He
knew when the time was right to be apart and when to set aside their
differences.  And this time, he had been right about her reasons for
driving all night just to follow him into an odorous dung processing
roach haven. She was jealous, not just of Dr. Bambi but of his ability
to see beyond the hard evidence she relied on so heavily. Scully felt
an urgent desire to tell him he had won another argument.

     In another part of the facility, Mulder had been trying to calm
down the frantic and paranoid Dr. Eckerle who was convinced the
cockroaches were after him. He thought they followed him from his home
then to the motel so he came to the plant to hide, but the roaches
were there too.  The chirping of the many roaches that had been
attracted by the dung was driving him even crazier, as he waved a gun
at Mulder.  Mulder tried to warn him about the danger of firing a
weapon in a plant full of methane gas but the researcher seemed more
intent on keeping Mulder at bay. He accused Mulder of being 'one of
them.'   Mulder replied nervously, "I assure you, I'm just as human as
you are... if not more so?even if my wife thinks I'm just above the
insects in emotional evolution."

    "You're married?" Dr. Eckerle asked, momentarily distracted.

    "Actually, my wife and I are separated but I was hoping to get
back together with her?which won't happen if you blow us both up."
Mulder moved slowly closer, positioning himself to grab the gun.

     "I saw you on the security camera with a young woman outside."
the doctor babbled, relaxing his stance.

     Mulder shook his head. "That's Dr. Berenbaum, an entomologist?"
Suddenly Mulder found himself staring down the wrong end of a handgun.

     "You are on of them!" Dr. Eckerle shouted.  Mulder tried to say
something in his defense when his cell phone rang. The sound was too
much like the sound of the roaches chirping and the nervous researcher
opened fire. The first shot missed Mulder but struck a pipe and
flammable gas escaped into the room.  Mulder was ducking under cover
and running for the exit as he heard the second shot set off a small
explosion.

    Mulder reached the top of the stairs just as Scully came from
below, holding her cell phone in one hand and her gun in the other.
"MULDER! What happened? I heard gunshots."

    Mulder shouted angrily. "You happened!" Turning to see if Eckerle
was behind him, which he was, Mulder pointed to Scully and the cell
phone and growled, "That's my wife!"

    The doctor suddenly made the connection then turned to look at the
flames behind him. "Oh, dear!" he mumbled numbly as Mulder grabbed him
and threw him down the stairs.

    Scully and barely caught him, when Mulder came flying down the
stairs yelling, "This whole place could blow!"  The three made it
outside just as Dr. Berenbaum started to get out of car.  Mulder
yelled for her to get under cover as he, Scully and Eckerle ducked
behind the car.  Dr. Berenbaum jumped back in and covered her head
just as the plant exploded, sending dung samples raining over the
unfortunate trio.

    Mulder, Scully and Eckerle stood up to view the damage.  The
facility was a giant fire ball and they were covered in manure.
Eckerle looked at his plant, then at himself, then at the agents.
Sighing heavily he said to Mulder, "Maybe you should reconsider about
getting together with your wife again. You seem to be a volatile
mixture."

     Scully rolled her eyes at the remark and replied, "Consider it an
unstable compound, with dynamic potential."

     Mulder just stood there, regarding their condition and just said,
"Crap!"
_______________________________

      Daylight and rain came to the Alt Fuel site, along with several
fire trucks.  The remains of the plant smoldered as Dr. Eckerle
apologized to the Sheriff and anyone else who cared to listen, as he
was being placed under arrest for reckless endangerment.  Mulder and
Scully, sharing an umbrella and still splattered with dung, listened
to the Sheriff rattle off the details of the night's ordeal - fires,
fights, bug spray poisonings, auto accidents and general chaos - all
because people thought killer cockroaches invaded the city. Luckily,
things were quieting down and no roach reports had been received in
the last few hours. The Sheriff finished by advising the agents to get
some rest. "You looked pooped." he grinned as he walked off.

      Dr. Berenbaum, who managed to avoid getting even a smudge of
manure on her, seemed unfazed by the whole thing. She'd spent a
lifetime watching people run away from insects and this was just an
extreme example. Her only theory was that perhaps this new species of
roach had entered it's final molt and flew off back to where it came
from.  Scully just rolled her eyes again then glanced at Mulder as if
to say, "This is your expert?" Dr. Berenbaum missed Scully's reaction
as she became distracted when Dr. Ivanov arrived to speak to Mulder to
ask to see the 'robotic beetle' sample.

    Mulder sadly handled him the desiccated remains but the doctor
look at them with his own sense of wonder.  When Mulder asked what he
hoped to find, Dr. Berenbaum answered for the robotic specialist.
"His destiny." the entomologist declared.

    Dr. Ivanov smiled at her and said, "Isn't that what Dr. Zaius said
to Zira at the end of 'the Planet of the Apes'?" Dr. Berenbaum said it
her favorite movie and the robotic specialist replied, "Mine too. I
love science fiction."  The two researchers exchanged smiles as they
found common ground and instant friendship. Collaboration was
definitely in their future. They left without another word to Mulder
or Scully, engrossed in each other's theories.

    Scully noticed the rejected look on Mulder's face and teased,
"Smart is sexy."

     Mulder grumbled, "I don't know. Some times being smart is just a
pain in the ass.  Look what it got me into." He gestured at the brown
substance smeared on his clothing.

     Scully pouted and regarded her own condition as she replied, "No,
Mulder this comes from not knowing when to quit."

     Mulder smirked and announced, "I never thought I'd say this but
Scully, you smell bad." He started to wander way taking the umbrella
with him, when Dr. Glock, brushed by him again, poking a larger
umbrella into Mulder's face.

     Dr. Glock approached Scully, apparently oblivious to the smell.
"Pardon me but can you tell me where I could find a Dr. Scully? I was
told by Dr. Berenbaum that she would be here."

    Scully wrinkled her brow, unaccustomed to being referred to as
'doctor' instead of 'agent'. "Dr. Dana Scully?" The young man nodded.
"Well, I suppose that would be me but I'm not sure...."

     He took her hand and shook it vigorously. "I'm Dr. Remmington
Glock, molecular biologist on the Prometheus Project."

     Scully's face flashed with instant respect. "I've read about the
project - regenerating necrotic tissue within damaged organs to make
them suitable for transplantation - but I had no idea it was actually
under way."

    "We've just begun with the preliminary phases. That's why I wanted
to meet you."  The young man spoke with so much enthusiasm that Scully
became very self-conscious. "I read your abstracts on those bizarre
cases you've consultant on.  The pyromaniac who apparently healed
spontaneously from third degree burns. The escaped convict who
exhibited aging regression. The giant fluke worm with primate
morphology. Amazing medical and biological phenomena!"

    Scully pursed her lips and sighed, "And all dead, I'm afraid, with
no unclassified pathology on record."

     "That's why I want to speak to you personally." He continued
excitedly. "Dr. Scully, you have a unique background, both in your
education and in practical experience. Have you ever considered
changing to the area of research? This project is partly Federally
funded so there shouldn't be any issues of conflict of interest."
Scully opened her mouth but the researcher kept talking. "Even if you
don't want to make a commitment, can I at least show you what I have
to offer. I want your input, your unique perspective."

    By now Mulder stood directly behind Dr. Glock, sizing him up as a
rival for Scully's professional alliance. Except for Glock's umbrella
which continued to poke at Mulder, the researcher ignored him until
the agent finally spoke up. "Excuse me but I worked on those cases as
well."

    Turning to Mulder, Dr. Glock spoke without a break. "But you're
not a scientist.  You can observe things, make theories, even test
you're theories but you rely on anecdotal information. Dr. Scully
keeps detailed, reliable records - data we can analyze. I want to
propose a collaboration with her so we can eventually reproduce the
fantastic events you've only been a witness to."

    Mulder grew red in the face and barked, "All right. I've had about
enough of this. Come on, Scully. Let's go."

   Scully frowned at her partner.  "I have my own car here. I'll meet
you at the SO to file a report after I've cleaned up.  That is, if Dr.
Glock has facilities I can use nearby."

    The doctor beamed with anticipation and offered to drive her to
his place to clean up and review his research. Scully surprised Mulder
and herself when she accepted, leaving Mulder standing alone,
shit-faced.

    Mulder and Scully reunited four hours later, as they waited in the
sheriff's office.  Although he was clean and deodorized, Mulder's mood
remained crappy.  His plan to make Scully jealous backfired in the
worst possible way.  Just like his conversations with Bambi, Dr.
Glock's offer was perfectly professional despite any innuendoes Mulder
read into it. His mood remained dark as Scully refused to say anything
about what transpired while she was alone with the good looking
scientist.

      As the wait dragged on, Mulder mumbled, "Remmington Glock? What
kind of names is that?"

     "His dad was an MP in the Army." Scully answered casually.
"Actually, Remmington was at the Naval academy, studying to be an
Engineer when he got side tracked by biology."

     Mulder slammed his hand on the desk. "Fine! You did it. I'm just
as jealous of him as you were of Bambi. Can we stop this now?"

     Scully looked at the floor thoughtfully then glanced out the
door.  With no one watching, she leaned over and kissed Mulder on the
lips. He jerked his head back with surprise and gazed at her,
perplexed.  "Mulder, I didn't leave with Dr. Glock to make you
jealous. I went because he was right. I do have something unique to
offer to a research project of that magnitude. Mulder, you were right.
I have been trying so hard to keep us together that I've been denying
to myself what I know to be true. Instead of rationalizing my
behavior, I need to accept my feelings. And when Dr. Glock said those
things about me, I felt proud of my accomplishments. So even though I
knew you would be mad, I went anyway."

     Mulder sat back in his chair and pressed his hands to his
forehead. "I hate it when I'm wrong but sometimes I hate it even more
when I'm right."

     "If it's any consolation, he did make a pass at me." Scully
offered. "He's a very nice man and he is quite handsome."

     "And he speaks your language." Mulder moaned. "Don't forget
Scully, I was the one who first told you 'Smart is sexy' back in
England."

     Scully wrapped her arm around him and gave him another kiss. "And
you were right, Mr. Smart Guy."

     Mulder felt the warmth of her touch and remembered how much her
friendship meant to him before they were married. The long walks and
debates, the many nights of mutual discovery, the innocent teasing and
gentle touches.  They never had a traditional 'courtship' period. When
she became pregnant after her rape, he married her without a second
thought.  He even let people believe he was the one responsible so she
wouldn't have to relive the horrible incident. In the years after
their divorce, he came to know just how deeply he loved her and when
they were re-united, he knew they would never be separated again. It
was a simplistic belief but it still held true. Vows, promises, and
duties may change and fade, but the love remained.  And now he could
express it, like a man courting a woman he loved more than life
itself.

     Returning her kiss, Mulder proclaimed in a whisper, "I love you."

     Scully just smiled and said, "I know."

     Mulder smiled with a big grin. "Isn't that what Princess Liea
said to Hans Solo at the end of 'The Empire Strikes Back'?  Right
before he gets frozen, she gets kidnapped, and Luke gets his hand cut
off?"

     Scully sighed, "Well, that does sound like us. Disaster around
every corner.  But to be honest, I'm not much of a science fiction
fan."

      Mulder shrugged. "You liked 'War of the World' and 'The
Invisible Man' didn't you?"

     Scully pulled him close again and whispered, "I love the
Invisible Man."

      He grinned and said, "I know."

     Sheriff Frass walked in and saw the two agents lost in each
other's kiss. He cleared his throat to get their attention but they
didn't hear him at all. Instead of interrupting them, he closed the
door and told his deputy, "Don't bother them 'til they're ready.
They've been bugged enough for one day."

_________________________________________
_________________________________________

PART THREE - WORLDS COME TOGETHER AS THINGS FALL APART

      For days after they returned from Grover's Mill, Mulder and
Scully managed the separation well, except for a few critical points.
They agreed that it was normal to be jealous of anyone who might be a
threat to their relationship but at the same time they decided that
going out with 'other people' was acceptable under certain conditions.
Unfortunately, they couldn't agree on the conditions, so the argument
continued.

     Scully felt like she was negotiating terms so that he could
behave like a single man again. In actuality, Mulder didn't want
another woman. He just wanted the freedom to pretend like he did,
especially when he felt a little horny.  Just to release the tension.
On the other hand, Mulder felt as if Scully wanted to replace him as
her best friend when all she wanted was someone else who understood
her rigid way thinking. Just so she didn't have to apologize for her
actions.

     This was the unsettled state of affairs they were in when they
received a request for assistance from a Detective Angela White from
the small town of Comity.  Her investigation of three teenage deaths
had come to a stand still but several elements seemed strange enough
to ask for help from someone who specialized in 'strange'.

    From the moment Mulder and Scully arrived in Comity, they were at
odds with one another. They argued over the driving directions, which
room to take at the motel and whether or not to wait for Detective
White at the Sheriff office. So after three wrong turns and two
separate rooms, they agreed it was best to start as soon as possible
on this case so they could leave before things between them got any
worst. They found Detective White at the funeral home where the
service for the latest victim was being held.

     The chapel was packed with concern citizens, as Mulder, Scully,
and White stood in the back and discussed the case. White explained
that the popular belief was that Satanic cultist were responsible for
the death. Scully immediately raised her skepticism despite White's
concerns. Mulder merely offered, "If you detect a hint of skepticism
or incredulity in agent Scully's voice, that's because of the
overwhelming evidence gathered by the FBI debunking virtually all
claims of ritual abuse by satanic cults." When White asked Mulder his
assessment, he shrugged and replied, "Don't ask me."

    Scully shot him a rude glance, knowing he was making her look
dogmatic and bureaucratic in front of the Detective White.  She also
couldn't help but notice the sly smile Mulder gave the blond detective
as he implied that he was more open minded.  Even more irritating to
Scully was his manner, as he feigned humility and acted as if he
wasn't deliberately provoking her.

    Determined to prove her point, Scully asked what evidence White
had collected that indicated cult activity.  White cited the testimony
of two girls who claimed to have witnessed a Satanic ritual.  Being a
small town, White knew the girls and vouched for their credibility,
not just because of their reputation but because of the horrific
details of the ritual. "Let me guess?" Scully smirked and recited the
common elements popular lore use to describe such rituals.  "They told
you about a wild beast entering in on a black mass, the drinking of
blood, the sacrifice of an infant? or a blonde virgin." She noticed a
grin of amusement on Mulder's face, as if he had caught her peeking at
his private files.

     Detective White seemed surprised that the agents treated the
report as a routine occurrence, even more so because Scully's
description of the ritual matched the girls'.  White began to wonder
if calling in these agents was such a good idea.  Of course, Mulder
hadn't said much so far and he was supposed to be the expert, not
Scully. <Maybe I just need to get him alone, away from Agent Scully's
argument.> she thought to herself.   But then she heard a disturbance
outside the chapel, and excused herself to check on it.

    Mulder realized there was something odd going on in this town,
even if it didn't involve Satanic cults.  He knew Scully made a good
point about mass hysteria and rumors but also knew that every panic
had a basis in a real fear. His job was to find the origin of the
fear. In the mean time, he found it amusing that Scully seemed to have
lost her legendary cool.  It was good sign that their separation was
getting to her as well. He couldn't help but tease Scully as Detective
White walked away. "You don't suppose she's a virgin, do you?"

     "I doubt she's even a blonde." Scully replied in a huff.

     Mulder grinned. "And you expect people to believe that's your
real hair color?" Scully scowled back then watched as Detective White
argued with the man who burst in on the ceremony. He was ranting and
raving about stopping the Devil from taking over their town.  Mulder
leaned over to Scully and whispered, "You know, many popular legends
portray the Devil's familiars as fiery red-heads."

    Scully turned to him and snapped, "If you're trying to imply
something about my disposition, I'd appreciate if you take your
opinion and?"  Just then the casket burst into flames and people went
running from the room in a panic.

    Mulder raised an eyebrow at Scully. "I get the message." he
answered dryly. Scully gave him the evil eye but said nothing as they
approached the casket to inspect the damage.  When they were within
ear shot of Detective White, Mulder remarked "Maybe we're just
imagining that." Then he nodded at White and continued, "But if you
want my humble, albeit unsubstantiated opinion, I don't think we
should dismiss any possibilities at this point." He walked out leaving
Scully behind. As she went to follow him, she noticed the two teenage
girls still sitting in the otherwise empty room.  She could have sworn
they were laughing at them. Or perhaps she was just imagining it.

     The two girls, Margie Kleinjan and Terri Roberts, were the same
girls who had reported the ritual to Detective White.  Interviewing
them separately, they told exactly the same story, almost to the
letter. This made Scully even more skeptical.  She tried to explain to
White the principles of hysteria, and pointed out the lack of any
other corroborating evidence.

  Mulder 'helped' by adding, "If you detect a hint of impatience in
Agent Scully's voice, that's because the FBI's study also found that
in most cases, witnesses were often prompted in their statements by
rumors that were being circulated and that there was, in fact, nothing
to support them."

   Detective White frowned at Scully and her negativity, but
recognized Mulder's remarks as his way of condescending to the
'official FBI' position.  So she challenged him by asking him to
explain, in official terms, the burning coffin at the service.

     Mulder shrugged and smiled again. "Don't ask me." he replied
again then gestured towards Scully.  Scully resented the fact that he
dumped the burden of proof in her lap before she even had a chance to
examine the evidence. She grabbed the case file from his hand and
stomped out of the office. He shrugged again and remarked to White, "I
guess she's in a rush to do the autopsy before the nonexistent
Satanists come to reclaim the body."

       Detective White wrinkled her forehead at his odd comment then
realized they were alone.  "Pardon me for asking?but do I detect some
tension between you and Agent Scully?"

    "I'd love to address that question. But if I don't follow her to
Medical Examiner's office, she's going to hunt me down and shoot me."
Mulder continued to grin as he physically nudged Detective White to
one side. "Excuse me.  By the way, if want to know why that coffin
burst into flames, I'd advise to view the evidence yourself.  I have a
feeling Agent Scully's report may exclude certain extreme
possibilities."  With that remark, Mulder left to join Scully.

    White sighed with resignation and followed Mulder. "But seriously,
Agent Mulder? what do you think is going on here?  Could it be demonic
possession or is it just some elaborate prank?"

    Mulder mumbled in response, "No, I just think she's pissed off at
me about the directions."
______________________

    Mulder and White looked on as Scully examined the body of the ill
fated victim. Scully claimed that the fire could have been
theoretically caused by the embalming fluid reacting violently to some
kind of catalyst.  Mulder glanced over at White, and quietly shook his
head, negating Scully's conclusion.  Scully caught his expression out
of the corner of her eye and pushed him forcefully aside and began her
detailed examine.

      It was about then that Mulder spotted a pattern in the burn
marks that resembled the head of a horned beast.  Scully scrutinized
the 'V' mark and dismissed his conclusion. But White moved closer to
Mulder until she was pressed up against him, studying it from the same
angle as him. She saw the horned beast as well.

      "Are you sure you're not looking at your reflection on the
table?" Scully commented under her breath.   White realized she had
positioned herself snugly against Mulder's front side and he appeared
to be taking full advantage of her accidentally presence.  Her face
reddened and she quickly excused herself.

     "Uh? I assume if you need anything else, you'll call me." White
said with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. She turned even
redder when she realized the innuendoes which would be read into her
offer.

      Mulder was way ahead of her and grinned at her then said, "I'll
keep that in mind."
Scully pulled back the cover on the victim sharply, throwing ashen
remains all over Mulder's clothes. He threw her a rude look and
growled,  "If it's no bother? if it's not too big a deal, maybe you
can get me a few photographs of that thing which bears absolutely no
resemblance to a horned beast."

     Scully snapped on her surgical gloves and replied, "Sure, fine,
whatever."

      Mulder prepared to storm out but paused and sighed heavily. He
turned and looked at Scully poking at the body as if she had some
score to settle with it. "Hey, Scully?" he asked softly. The tone in
his voice took the harshness off her expression as she looked up at
him. "What would you expect to see if the embalming fluid was the
cause of the fire?"

     "Well, I don't know for sure but I would expect to find the point
of origin near the surface of the skin but areas of intensity around
the vascular organs." she replied seriously. "What, Mulder? What are
you thinking?"

    He stared at the floor for a moment then gazed at her. "I'm
thinking about non-existent killer cockroaches and about how you
figured out how those people died. I shouldn't presume to understand
circumstances until I consider the mundane as well as the extreme."

     Scully pursed her lips and sighed. "And I shouldn't forget that
just because I can explain the cause of death, you have the uncanny
ability to relate the cause of death to events preceding it. Remember,
we never did figure out where the metallic roaches came from."  She
started back into her routine examine and suggested, "Why don't we
just stick to what we do best? I'll come up with a logical explanation
based on the data and you can devise your own theory based on more
esoteric investigative methods.  Then we'll try to fit them together."

     Mulder grinned sadly. "Like us?"

     "Just like us." she echoed with a nod.  Mulder touched her
shoulder and smiled again then left her alone with her work. She knew
they were both trying to soften the pangs of separation by projecting
their feelings for one another on to their work but she also was
acutely aware on the widening rift between them. Words came from her
mouth like poison darts armed by a previously buried hostility towards
Mulder and his world.  Was this the true nature of her personality?
Once the commitment to their love was gone, was the nothing but
resentment for the lingering emotions that trapped her none the less?
Or was she just plain tired of always being the responsible one?

      Scully completed the examine and asked the clerk to take the
report and photos to Mulder who was in the Sheriff's Office reviewing
the previous deaths for other phenomena. She attached a note saying
she would meet him back at the motel.  It was a short walk and she
wanted some more time alone to think.  As she walked, she began to
entertain new and novels ideas about how she might be able to
contribute to the X-Files while decreasing the codependence with
Mulder. She felt a weird sense of excitement, almost erotic in effect,
just at the thought of allowing more possibilities into their
relationship as well as their partnership.  Once in her room, she
slipped into something more comfortable, stretched out on the bed and
made a phone call.

     "Skinner." answered the gruff voice on the other end of the phone
line.

      "I'm sorry to be calling you at home so late, Sir, but there's
something I needed to ask you." Scully said in a suggestive tone.

      "Agent Scully? Is that you?" Skinner asked perplexed by the
unfamiliar tone.  "Is there a problem?"

    "You could say that, Sir.  It's Agent Mulder. Working with him is
not as, uh? satisfying as it used to be." Her voice approached a
sultry whisper.

      Skinner nervous cleared his throat and replied, "I'm not sure I
understand. Are you asking for a re-assignment, off the X-Files?  But
I thought?"

     "No, Sir, I don't want to leave the X-Files. I was just thinking
that maybe I should spend less time with Agent Mulder and work
directly under you." She put the emphasis on 'under you'.  "It might
relieve some of the pressure you're up against when it comes to
justifying the unconventional techniques used by Agent Mulder if I
could demonstrate the effectiveness to you first hand."

     Skinner took a deep breath to compose himself. It sounded like
Scully was actually coming on to him, thinly veiled as a professional
proposition. He had no intention of flirting back but the temptation
was certainly there.  After all, nothing too serious could happen over
the phone.  Maybe she really was getting tired of playing second
fiddle to Mulder's grandstanding.  What harm would it be to boost her
ego a bit?  < No, it's not right! I know she loves Mulder just as much
as I love Sharon. Damn! Separation is hell!> he finally told himself.
"Look? I'm not a field agent anymore?"

    "I could come to your office and show you what I have. Then you
can handle me, and my evidence as you see fit." Her voice was
definitely deeper and more deliberate.

     There was no question in Skinner's mind that he had to end this
conversation soon before what she said started to make sense. "I think
you'd better discuss this idea with Agent Mulder."

     "He's not here." she pouted.

     "Find him!" barked Skinner. "I'll talk to you BOTH when you get
back if you're still available? uh, I mean interested." He hung up
quickly and considered taking a cold shower before his imagination got
the better of him.

     Scully toyed with the phone, disappointed that Skinner didn't
seem as thrilled by her ideas as she was. So she called Mulder's room
but he didn't answer.  She tried his cell phone but it apparently was
left off. She paced anxiously around the room for a few minutes then
made another call.  After listening to the greeting as someone
answered, she said, "Turn off the tape recorder, Frohike.  Unless you
want Fox to know what I'm about to whisper to you." She heard a loud
click in the background.
_______________________________

     While Scully vented her frustration with phone games, Mulder took
a more direct approach.   He called upon Detective White personally,
only to find a cat scratching at her door. As he picked it up he
suddenly had an inspired thought.  Just then, White opened the door
and asked what he was doing with her cat. He suggested that the lone
cat might be prey for the 'Satanic cults' and recommended that she
keep it inside.  When she sarcastically made reference to Scully's
debunking of such things, he offered kindly, "I'd like to apologize
for my partner's rude behavior, she tends to be rather rigid? but, but
rigid in a wonderful way, not like she was today. Personally, I'd like
to try to keep a more open mind."

    White crossed her arms and pursed her lips as she looked Mulder
over.  There was something about him that was subtly alluring,
mysterious and almost sexy. And he really seemed to have an interest
in this case - an interest that wasn't shared by his partner. She
studied him again and decided that he was definitely sexy, at which
point she asked why he came to her place so late.

    With a mischievous grin Mulder replied, "I was hoping you could
help me solve the mystery of the horny beast." Then he moved closer
and added, "You know? the one Agent Scully decided to ignore." There
was a sneer in his voice as he said Scully's name. Since she ditched
him to return to motel alone, he figured she didn't want to have
anything to do with his horny beast, personally or professional.

     White wasn't sure how to react to Mulder. It was obvious that
there was something going on between him and Scully, and she did not
want to get caught in the middle. But she couldn't help but glance
downward to see if there was more than one horny beast to deal with.

      It took Mulder a few moments to realize what she was doing. Once
he did, he became acutely aware of his level of arousal, sparked as
much by his anger at Scully as his attraction to White. But now that
she showed an interest, he felt suddenly exposed. Mulder picked up the
cat again and holding it in front of him, he stroked it nervously. He
shrugged and said, "I guess I'm a bit, uh, anxious. I feel like I'm
sneaking around behind Dana's back."

    "By coming here to see me?" White asked, still perplexed his odd
behavior. "This is about the case, isn't it?"

     "You oblivious feel differently about this case than she does.
And I assume you keep asking my opinion to see if it's more in line
with your thoughts."  Mulder admitted.

     Without warning, she grabbed his hand and pulled it towards her
and said exasperated, "I just want someone to tell me what to do!
Agent Scully just wants to close this case and go home. I sense you
want something more."

     Mulder's imagination drifted dangerously away from the case until
the cat suddenly hissed and leapt from his hold.  Suddenly he recalled
the thought that the animal had inspired earlier.  Confidence
returning to his voice, he asked, "Are there any witches in this
town?"  White gave him another look of bewilderment so he restated his
question. "You know?fortune tellers, spirit medium?anyone who might be
linked to Satanism."

   "Just Madam Zirinka. She's an astrologer but I already checked her
out.  She can't be a suspect." White replied.

    Mulder grabbed her coat and tossed it to her, as he gestured for
her to follow him to the car. "I'm not looking for a suspect. I need
to consult with an expert."

    Zirinka was reluctant to speak to White, since she had already
been questioned once. As Mulder showed her the photo of the 'horny
beast', Zirinka scrutinized the indefinite markings and gave him a
suspicious glance.  "This is a trick, right?  You're trying to entrap
me. " She shot White a nasty stare even though Mulder insisted he was
just looking for information.

     Mulder tried to persuade the reluctant astrologer, as he
confessed. "Look, I know what it's like to be misunderstood and
ignored only to be persecuted and maligned when trouble appears."

    Zirinka studied his expression and slowly nodded. "You have an
honest face. I Think you do understand.  You're all right.  And you?"
She pointed at White. "?You just watch your step.  I know a good
lawyer. Spread any more rumors and I'm slap the whole Sheriff
Department with a suit for restrain of trade." Zirinka explained to
Mulder that thanks to this investigation, several people had labeled
her a Satanist.  "The truth is, I'm just a number cruncher, trying to
make an honest living."

    White frowned but Mulder took the astrologer's practical attitude
as a sign that Zirinka was a real numerologist. When he asked what her
opinion of recent events were, she replied bluntly, "I think the whole
town's lost it's marbles." She explained that a rare planetary
alignment of Mercury, Mars and Uranus was approaching, exerting
extreme influences.  When Mulder asked what exactly was being
influenced, Zirinka hand him her card and said, "Office hours are nine
to five, all major credit cards accepted."  Mulder opened his mouth to
argue, but Zirinka spoke quickly, "Unless you have a court order, you
can't order me to provide services without compensation equal to usual
and customary charges." Turning to Mulder she added, "Listen, I gave
you the basic information about the conjunction for free because I
like your eyes but don't push your luck. Good looks don't pay the
rent."

      "Well, that was a waste of thing." White sighed as they left
Zirinka's empty-handed.

     "Maybe not." Mulder pondered as he flicked the corner of the
astrologer's business card.  "Have you seen any increase of other
disturbances, especially ones violent or sexual in nature."

     White shrugged. "It's hard to say. There has been an increase in
domestic squabbles but nothing we can't handle.  I think some unrest
had to be expected under the circumstances."

     "I want to see your figures." Mulder said anxiously. As he
realized how that sounded he re-stated request. "Your case load from
the last month. I want to see if there's any pattern. It might gives
us a clue to what Zirinka was talking about."

     "Don't tell me you believed her." White remarked.

     Mulder smiled, "I thought you said you liked to be open minded? I
don't want two skeptical partners. Be careful or you'll end up acting
just like Dana."

     White cleared her throat, conscious once again of Mulder and
Scully apparent relationship. "Uh, don't you mean Agent Scully?"

     Mulder grinned and mumbled, "Sure, fine, whatever."
______________________________

     The following day Mulder and Scully got off to a late start.
Mulder overslept and Scully had to get the key from the motel manager
to get into his room to wake him.  Scully threw his clothes at him as
she scolded him over his irresponsible behavior. He didn't respond
except to get dressed and growl under his breath.

     When they arrived at the Sheriff's Office, they were informed of
another freak death. A boy at the high school was caught under the
bleachers during a power outage then was crushed has the motor
retracted the seats.  Mulder asked the dispatcher if there were any
other reports of power outages.

      "Actually, we haven't had any calls since you and Agent White
left this morning around 3AM."  the dispatched reported.  Mulder
rolled his eyes expecting Scully to make a snide remark.

    "So that's were you were last night while I was trying to get some
help from DC." Scully commented as she frowned and folded her arms
across her chest.

    "You seemed to have made up your mind already about this case, so
I was following some leads with Detective White." Mulder growled
defensively.

    Scully stamped her foot and tightened her jaw as she replied, "I
realized we're separated and that we haven't settled the issue of
outside affairs?" Mulder tried to rebut her insinuation but she
silenced him with an ice cold stare.  "We're still partners. Even if
we have different opinions, I didn't expect you to ditch me."

     "You ditched me!" Mulder protested. "I was busy working on these
files and I get a second-hand message that you took off. You didn't
even wait to see what I thought about your conclusions."

     "That's because, as usual, I expected you to go flying off the
handle about how I'm so obsessed by little things?like the physical
evidence and common sense. And all that garbage about a horned
beast?." Scully furiously slammed her fist on the table beside her.

     Just as angry Mulder replied, "That's right! And guess what? The
mascot of the school where this boy died today?it's a goat-a horned
beast."

     "And what do you call that bulge in your trousers that appears
whenever we argue? Or is that suppose to be your mascot?" Scully
sneered.

      "I didn't ditch you!" Mulder snapped.

      Scully turned away from him and mumbled "Sure, fine?"

     Just then Detective White approached them and announced that they
had even more trouble.   A mob was tearing up a field looking for
evidence of a mass grave.  Mulder and Scully shot each other mean
stares but followed White out to the site.  Bob, the man who had
caused the commotion at the funeral, led the rabid band of vigilantes.
Someone had received an anonymous call leading them to this field.
Bob ranted and raved that the field belonged to a perverted child
molester even though Bob had know the man for years and had always
gotten along.

    White was at a loss over the behavior of her neighbors. Bob was
the high school principal and was usually soft spoken and rational.
Scully cited that this was a classic case of rumor panic. As she
rambled off facts and figure, Mulder turned away in disgust over her
lack of imagination.  Just as she got to the part about a total lack
of hard evidence, someone yelled out that they found bones.

      Mulder, White and Scully rushed over the spot were the bones
were uncovered.  Keeping back the crowd, both Mulder and Scully
approached for a closer look.  They simultaneously donned protective
gloves then stopped to challenge each other with hard icy stares.
Mulder backed away and said, "No, be my guest. I know how you like to
snap on the latex."

     Scully finished putting on the glove, adding an extra loud snap
to the final fitting. "Thank you." she replied sarcastically. "At
least I have enough control to put them on without help." Mulder fumed
but stayed silent. She lifted out a leather satchel that contained the
bone. She viewed the small bones trying to gage their origins.

     But the mob drew their own conclusion. Shouting that the bones
belonged to a baby, the crowd grew more agitated as they pressed
closer.  Scully read off the initials RWG attached to a tag on the bag
and moments later the mob went to hang 'the baby killer' - Dr. Richard
William Godfrey, local pediatrician. Scully hung her head down and
sighed, then glanced up at Mulder. He seemed to be totally ignoring
her and looking up into the sky.

     Pointing to a spot on the horizon, Mulder asked, "Is that where
Mercury will rise tonight?"

     White grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the car to head off
the mob, while Scully shook the bag of bones and whispered to herself,
"Horny beasts, blonde virgins, Mercury rising?this isn't an X-File;
it's the plot for a low budget Sci-Fi movie."
_______________________________

     Mulder and White found the mob surrounding Dr. Godfrey's home,
banging on doors and windows.  Mulder managed to keep the crowd under
control by convincing Bob that they needed to cover the back door so
White could approach from the front to arrest him.
White and Mulder entered and found the red faced doctor half dressed
in his bathroom.  He was red faced not only because of the
embarrassment but because of the rouge on his cheeks.  Dr. Godfrey was
a transvestite.

    Mulder allowed him to dress more appropriately before taking him
in.  The doctor babbled on that he only started dressing like this in
the last week or so, and insisted that he wasn't some kind of pervert.
As Mulder escorted him to the car, White joined them and whispered
into Mulder's ear, "I was very impressed by the way you handled that
mob?so dominant, so forceful."  As they headed for the Sheriff's
Office, Mulder found himself fully aroused, and hoped to God that it
was because of Detective White and not because of Doctor Godfrey.
__________________________________

    Slowly the facts came to light.  It was the doctor's bag they
found but he had sold it to Terri Roberts nearly a year ago. Scully
barged into the interrogation, to report that the bone were not those
of a child but of a 14 year old Lhasa Apso name 'Mr. Tippy.' She held
up the dog collar as evidence just as Terri Roberts entered and burst
into tears, tenderly taking the collar from Scully.  From out of the
blue Mulder suddenly announced, "This may not be the time to mention
it, but someone is wearing my favorite perfume." The shock value was
enough to calm the chaos, as everyone stared at him with confusion on
their faces. All except Dr. Godfrey, who looked more horrified than
confused.

      Scully led Mulder out of the room and began scolding him once
again. "I am not going to be humiliated by you, in front of you, or by
having to bring a teenage girl in, on her birthday of all days, to
identify the bones of her dead dog, Mr. Tippy!"  Mulder seem too
distracted to even notice her words as he sniffed around her head. "I
find your conduct and comportment in this investigation not just
alarming, but highly objectionable."  Shoving him back, Scully asked
harshly "What are you doing?!"

     Not sensing the smell from Scully, Mulder lost interest and
mumbled, "It must be Detective White."

    It took every ounce of will power Scully had to keep from slapping
him.  "If that's the reason we're still here, I assume the conditions
of our separation have been settled." she snapped sharply.

     Mulder looked at her like he was in a daze. "Uh? What are you
talking about?"

     "You want your freedom? Fine. You want me to stay on the X-Files?
No problem. But if you think I'm going to stay here so you can get
your cheap thrills, watching me get jealous over that?that?that
detective, think again."

      A worried expression crossed Mulder's face as he realized what
Scully was saying. Trying to sound assertive Mulder said, "We came
here because of three unexplained deaths.  Now there's four. Detective
White is just trying to solve them, and she could use our help."

     "Well, you two seem to have a certain?simpatico. And since you
don't see any validity in my theories, I'm going back to Washington in
the morning." Scully turned and stormed way.

     "But Dana?" Mulder pleaded as he followed her.

     Scully turned and shoved him against the wall.  "Don't you 'Dana'
me! Your pathetic whining may have worked when we were married but the
rules have all changed, Fox. And I intend to explain these new rules
to several people when I get back to Washington, especially AD
Skinner." She stomped off again but he just sighed and slumped against
the wall.

     Doctor Godfrey was preparing to leave but stopped by Mulder and
placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, as he remarked,  "Women can
tear you apart sometimes."

    Mulder nodded in vigorous agreement then took a sniff of the air.
He smelled the perfume again and popped his head up then found himself
staring into the gaze of the kindly pediatrician. Nervously Mulder
slipped away from him as he stammered, "Uh?I have to go talk to, uh,
Detective Scully?I mean, Agent Dana?I, I?never mind."
____________________________

    Scully walked back to the motel in a huff.  She looked back and
saw the rental car turning the corner, so she ducked into a liquor
store.  The clerk gave her an odd look as she peered out the window
waiting for the car to pass. "Can I help you, Ma'am.?" The clerk
offered.

     She realized where she was and self-consciously approached the
counter, as she started to apologize. "No, I'm sorry. I was just
trying to avoid?" Suddenly she let out a sigh and dropped her last bit
of common sense. "Oh what the hell!" she exclaimed and bought one pack
of filtered cigarettes, two packs of breath mints, and three packs of
extra-durable condoms.

    A few minutes later, a very frustrated and alone Mulder entered
the same liquor store. He asked about Scully and the clerk told him
she had been there and bought a few items. When Mulder heard what she
bought, he grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels.  When he realized he only
had a few dollars in his wallet, he traded the bottle for generic
vodka and frozen orange juice.

     Back at the motel, Mulder tried banging on Scully's door until
the management told him to shut up before he called the cops.  Mulder
yelled back, "That's how I got into this mess in the first place!"
then went back to his room to sulk.  He made a make-shift screwdriver
by scrapping the frozen OJ into the vodka, then tried to watch TV.
Every channel had the same movie - an old Keystone Cops chase.  He
tried drinking some more hoping that would improve his opinion of the
movie, when he heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was Scully he
the ran to the door with excitement, ready to throw his arms around
her. But instead, it was Detective White and she walked right passed
his out stretched arms.

       White showed him a box she found on her front step. It
contained the collar from her cat.  "If they're not Satanist, who are
they?" she cried, clutching the collar.

       Mulder fought off the fuzzy haze that was overtaking him, and
embraced the distraught detective to comfort her.  Then he started
sniffing at her like he had with Scully.  And just like Scully, White
pushed him away.  Mulder acted innocent but it was clear he had been
drinking. White gave him a cross look as she studied the vodka orange
slush, then took a drink her.

     Out of the blue, White stripped off her jacket and flipped off
her shoes and said, "I don't feel like going home. Do you mind if I
stay here?"

     Mulder knew something was wrong but he couldn't figure out what.
A blonde woman wanted to spend the night with him. What was the
problem with that? Then it hit him - Scully was a red-headed. He
offered to get her another room but White knocked the phone from his
hand then pushed him down on the bed and positioned herself over his b
ody.  "Maybe we can solve the mystery of the horny beast." she purred
sensuously.

      To his surprise, Mulder was not the least bit sexually excited
despite his 'position'.  Perhaps it was because of the alcohol.  Or
perhaps it was because he knew Scully would kill him if she saw him
like this.  As if on cue, Scully burst into the room.

    "Mulder, you're phone's off the hook and?" Scully froze in
mid-stride as she looked upon Mulder, practically mounted by White.
His mouth hung open but his brain was unable to find a reasonable
explanation.  White looked just as ashamed and lifted her body to
move.   Suddenly Scully pushed White back on top of Mulder. He yelped
at the abrupt force, crushing into his crotch.

     Scully roared at the bewildered pair, "Go ahead. Don't let me
stop you."  Mulder gasped with shock but White didn't need anymore
coaxing as she started to unbutton his shirt.

     "Scully!  Dana! What the hell are you doing?" Mulder shouted
trying to push off White.

     Scully kneeled on the bed beside him and unexpected pinned his
arms down. White panted in anticipation as she slowly bared Mulder's
chest.  Scully smiled with approval and whispered to him, "I'm just
giving you what you want. Freedom from your emotional ties to me.  You
wanted to me to see extreme possibilities. How's this?" Scully snapped
her handcuff on one of his wrists and clicked it to the head board.
White got the idea and used her cuffs on his other wrist.

      Mulder closed his eyes and whimpered helpless as the powerful
erotic sensation of these two woman seducing him took hold of his
body.  Scully directed White to his most sensitive areas and together
they teased him until he thought he might die from pleasure. Although
he still had his pants on, he had become fully aroused and struggled
to thrust his hips towards either one.  But both allowed him only the
slightest stroking touch before distracting him with a bite to the
neck or a hot breath in his ear.

      White fingered the zipper on his pants and Scully tucked one of
the condoms into his waist band, to keep it in easy reach.  By now he
was thrashing wildly and crying out obscene requests. He could no
longer make out the words Scully and White said to each other, and he
no longer cared. His mind was on fire, excited not only by Scully but
by a world of new possibilities.  Then all as once his euphoria was
ended as both women stopped their ministrations. Both his wrists were
released and a cold wash cloth slapped across his face.

     "There's another dead teenager. A girl suffered fatal wounds from
a mirror breaking." Scully said seriously.

      "Another bizarre accident.  And once again Terri and Margi are
the primary witnesses. Today is their shared birthday and this happen
at their party. " White continued, as she hopped off the bed and
straightened her clothes.

     Mulder sat up, panting and dazed. He could hear gears grinding in
his head as he tried to shift into work mode. In the meantime, he
didn't care if the two woman saw him rubbing his throbbing erection.
"When did she die?" he growled.

     "Just about now."  Scully said. "Detective White got a page while
you were?incapacitated."  Scully and White seemed to be grinning at
each other.

      Mulder groaned as he moved off the bed and got dressed then they
all went outside.  Mulder grumbled to Scully, "I wasn't doing
anything. She started it then you? It's all your fault."

     "Thank you, Mulder. That's the nicest thing you've said to me in
days." Scully replied as she walked around to the driver's side of the
car. Mulder protested immediately so Scully replied, "Why do you
always have to drive? Because you're the guy? Because you're the big
macho-man?"

     The tone of her voice taunted him, knowing he had been so
completely in her hands just a few minutes ago. "No. I was just never
sure your little feet could reach the pedals." he shot back. He
snatched the keys from Detective White and rudely asked her to go with
Scully. "After all, you two seem to enjoy working together." he
grouched as he got into White's car.

      Scully shouted to Mulder, "Where are you going?"

      "To get some answers. Just do what you do best - gather the
evidence. And I'll do what I do best. I'm following my hunches."
Mulder sped off without another word.
______________________________________

     Mulder returned to Madam Zirinka and offered to pay twice the
going rate for immediate assistance.  It was offer she couldn't
refuse, once she cleared his credit card.  She explained the planetary
conjunction happened every 84 years but that this year was
particularly bad, and that thing would be out of balance everywhere,
especially around Comity.  She called the area a 'Cosmic G spot', a
high intensity meridian, ground zero for all the influences which came
together at the precise moment of the conjunction on Jan 12th, which
happened to be today. Everyone would be affected to a different degree
but in general people reverted to baser instincts, logic and reason
went into the toilet, and relationships sucked.  When she said that
significant dates would be a factor, Mulder asked what if today was
his birthday.

     "I'd say 'happy birthday' unless, of course you where born in
1979, in which case I'd call the police." Zirinka replied bluntly.
"You'd have a Jupiter-Uranus opposition, forming what's called a grand
square, where all the planets align into a cross. All the energy of
the cosmos would be focused on you. Even a big macho-man like you
wouldn't be able to control the power and temptations."

     Mulder nodded knowingly then asked, "What sign would I be if I
where born today?"

     "That would make you a Capricorn." she replied matter-of-factly.

     Mulder grinned slightly. "The ram. A horny beast." he observed.

     Zirinka raised an eyebrow as if she had figured that out a long
time ago. "Well, how about that?"

      As he signed the credit slip, Mulder received a call from a
distressed Margie Kleinjan who calmed to know who was responsible for
all the deaths. Mulder left immediately to meet her and take her
statement.  Zirinka called out to him, "If you give me your birth
date, I'll tell you your chances of getting out of this alive. Half
price just because I like you!"

    "Can you factor in a guardian angel who happens to hate me right
now?" Mulder replied as he jumped into the car and wondered what
Scully had found on her own.
____________________________

      Scully and White raced towards the scene of the latest death,
with Scully at the wheel.  White shifted nervously as she eyed the
speedometer clocking 50 mph on a residential street.  Scully just made
'humph' sounds each time she looked at White, then finally said, "He's
married, you know."  White gave her a blank look. "To me. Mulder is
married to me." White sink in her seat expecting an outburst of epic
proportions.  "But we're separated for reasons I really don't want to
get into.  So he wants to play playboy of the western world. Fine. I'm
adult enough to handle this.  Only he's not. As soon as he gets an
erection, his mind shuts off. He'd screw a goat if he was horny
enough." Scully rambled on angrily. "He has no self control.  That's
why I did what I did back there, to give him what he wants - wild sex
and no responsibilities, free of commitments and expectations.  Just
his hormones and his gonads, forget his brain." Scully sighed and her
voice lost the hard edge. "But he has such a magnificent brain. He's
brilliant even if he is eccentric and so smug about it all the time.
And he's clever, and funny, and imaginative. And his heart is so
caring, so sympathetic. He's so dedicated to his purpose and noble to
a fault. I guess that's why I still love him." As if she realized she
was thinking out loud, she glared at White and roughly said, "But why
am I telling you?"

      White shrugged and said, "Because he's not here to listen.
Agent Scully, to be honest, he did nothing to encourage me. I went to
him. And I'm not wearing any perfume. Can't you believe that he was
perfectly innocent in all this?"

     "When pigs fly..." Scully grumbled. Then suddenly a bird thumped
against the windshield.  Several more hit, like oversized insects, as
she stopped the car.

       "?Or when birds don't." White replied as she looked out at the
dead birds littering the street.

       Just then they saw an armed mob approaching, like in another
scene from Scully's cheap Sci-Fi movie. They were out hunting
Satanists.  White and Scully ordered them to put down the weapons and
go home but the mob became even more restless.  Before the
confrontation exploded, Terri Roberts came running towards them,
hysterically screaming that she knew who killed everyone.
___________________________________

     Mulder came to Margie at the house of a friend and found yet
another dead teenager. She sobbed a story of how her best friend,
Terri, had become possessed and evil, and did all these horrible
things. Mulder asked why she didn't tell anyone sooner. Margie cried,
"Because best friends are suppose to stick together, right?"

     Mulder nodded thoughtful.  She was right - best friends are
supposed to stick together. He called Scully's cell phone "Hi, it's
me."

     Her voice was unexpectedly tender as she asked where he was.  He
explained that another death had occurred as she explained that
someone had come forth with new evidence.  It seems Terri implicated
Margie in the murders. It didn't take long to realize that both girls
told identical stories once again but this time they accused each
other.

     Scully stepped away from the mob and sighed, "So I've got your
suspect and you have mine. Why does that make sense to me that this
point?"

   Mulder replied seriously. "Because we're partners and best
friends?"

   "?And best friends are supposed to stick together, right?" Scully
responded with a slight smile.  They agreed to meet at the Sheriff
Office and take formal statements from both the girls to try to
resolve the whole issue. When Mulder hinted that this wasn't about
cults but cosmic forces, Scully rolled her eyes at the familiar banter
between them.  Their debates usually managed to distill the truth and
cement their relationship so she just sighed wistfully, "Sure, fine,
whatever you want."

    The moment both Terri and Margie were placed in the same room,
their mutual hatred of each other manifested itself violently as the
squad room erupted into a battlefield. Lights flickered, bulbs
exploded, objects flew across the room, weapons discharged. Mulder
recognized the Keystone cops movie playing on a TV set on the desk and
recalled how Scully forced him to focus on his feeling for her by
joining his seduction. Realizing that they needed to 're-focus' Terri
and Margie, he nodded at Scully then grabbed Margie, dragged her down
the hall and threw her into a closet.  Terri charged after them and
seemed bent on destroying her former friend. Scully came from behind
and grabbed Terri, then Mulder helped to throw her in with Margie then
slammed the door shut.

    Mulder and Scully were just catching their breath when Bob and his
armed mob showed up. Together, the agents shouted. "Put that gun
down!"  Like a lynching party, they demanded to bring the guilty girl
to justice themselves.  Detective White stepped up and echoed the
sentiment of the mob and ordered the agents to open the door.  Mulder
glanced at the clock as it clicked passed midnight then looked at
Scully, still defiant of the crowd. He gave her a subtle nodded so she
let White open the door herself.  There they saw curled in the corner,
crying in fear and confusion, huddled in each others arms, Terri and
Margie looking as innocent as the day they were born.
______________________________

     The mob dispersed soon afterwards convinced that it was Satan
that possessed the girls and that Mulder had exorcised the demon. He
was the expert after all. The families of the victims and the
Sheriff's Office agreed to classify the deaths as accidental, and the
case was closed. Detective White formally said good bye to the agents
as they left the Sheriff's Office.

     Shaking Scully's hand White said, "You two are quite a team. It
would be a shame if you split up because of a misunderstanding."

    Scully gave her a tight lipped smile. "Oh, there wasn't any
misunderstanding. It's an issue of accepting our individuality."

     Mulder stood beside Scully and placed his arm around her waist,
as he added, "And it's an issue of accepting our partnership.  When
all hell breaks loose there's no one I trust more."

     White shook his hand and sighed, "With any luck, it will be at
least 84 years before hell breaks loose again around Comity."
________________________________

     Scully drove as they left the small town. Mulder sat silently
along side her and refrained from making any comments about the speed
she was driving which was in excess of 70 mph. As they approached an
intersection, he warned her to slow down because they needed to make a
left. She blasted through without even letting up on the gas.  "You
just ran a stop sign back there." he pointed out cautiously.

     "Shut up, Mulder. I'm driving." she answered cold faced.

      He slumped in his seat and mumbled, "Sure, fine, whatever."  To
his surprise, a few moments later she pulled off into an open field
and shut off the car. Sitting up he looked around and saw a definite
grin on her face. "Scully, why are we stopping here?"

     "According to Zirinka, this is the closest spot that is shielded
from the negative cosmic influences.  It has something to do with sun
signs but, as you know I don't believe in such things." Scully stated
plainly still smiling. She took out a small vial of his favorite
perfume and dabbed it behind her ears.

      Mulder cleared his throat and nervously turned to face her. "Are
you conducting an experiment to validate her claim?"

      "Let's just say I'm being a little less rigid in my thinking."
She slid closer to him and planted a kiss on his lips. He broke into a
big smile and pulled her even closer, returning the kiss with more
passion.

      He inhaled the scent of the perfume mixed with Scully's essences
and murmured with approval.  "And the mystery of the horny beast?"

     Sliding across his body Scully said seductively, "That's no
mystery. It just happens under certain conditions?like this." She
writhed against him stimulating every nerve in his body as he tried to
pull at her clothing.  She pushed away his hands to his sides and
became still again to let him relax. He sighed with disappointment but
held her close.

     She snuggled into his embrace and wondered out loud, "I suppose
that scientifically speaking, cosmic forces are always at work on our
lives. Gravity, radiation, radio waves.  They affect everything from
our moods to our diurnal cycles. And I suppose that certain factors
can amplify the affect. But if that were the case, why did everything
sudden stop just after midnight? Cosmic forces don't go by Eastern
Standard Time."

     Mulder gently nuzzled her ear and whispered, "Agent Scully, you
of all people should recognized the effect of personal temperament on
behavior. There's the issue of self-fulfilling prophecy. There's also
the issue of control." Scully lifted her head and gave him a sharp
look. He laughed lightly and said, "Terri and Margie felt omnipotent
with the power they suddenly had.  But when they came into conflict
they couldn't keep it under control, so much to the point that you and
I were able to over power and imprison them. Totally out of control
and frighten, they turned to each other for help.  They rediscovered
the honest essence of their bond of friendship and that gave them the
strength to take back their lives, just as the cosmic forces began to
wane."

     Scully loved it when he talked logically, even if the basic
premise was non-sense. Her hands began to wander over his body and he
moaned with approval. "So Agent Mulder," she whispered softly, "Are
you suggesting that the greatest control over our lives comes from
surrendering to our truest feelings?"

      Mulder closed his eyes and whispered back, "Not control,
empowerment. Not surrender, just trust."  With those words he let
himself trust his best friend, who knew life was a series of joinings
and separations, conflicts and conjunctions.  And they both
understood, that in the rare moments when all things came together,
one must seize the joy and celebrate the union of souls


END
_________________________________

OK the fun and games are over. The next one will be filled with angst
and darkness. But enjoy the coziness for now. I stuck these two
stories together because the similar elements but they really are two
separate stories.

Speaking of separation, just in case you don't believe married people
can be separated and still work together, while still fooling around
occasionally - this situation is occurring in real life with some
people I know.

Please send all comment and queries to shinkai@mlode.com or visit my
website at http://www.mlode.com/~shinkai/fanfic/xffanfic.htm

STORY NOTES:

CORPOROPHAGES:
-I added more coincidences like Scully talking about Mulder finding
his destiny, and quotes form 'Star Wars'
-I added the bit about Bambi being jealous of Scully. Why not? I am.
-In case you didn't realize it, "War of the Corporophages" was a take
off on "War of the Worlds", specifically the Halloween radio
performance that people thought was real. But the original "War of the
Worlds" was written by H. G. Wells, who also wrote the "Invisible
Man".  Scully's reflections on starting their relationship all over,
alludes to the fact that when they first met she was reading "War of
the Worlds"
-I assumed that after living together for so long, Scully would be
aware of Mulder's hatred of insects.  The smashing window incident was
something that happened to me when I as fairly young, but I still hate
flies.
-Mulder has mixed feeling about approaching Bambi. He does find her
attractive but still feels guilty and problem he remedies in his
fantasy by putting Scully in with her, a dream which takes form in the
next part of the story.
-I saw no reason to kill off Dr. Erkerle. So I let him live as at
least a partial scapegoat.
-Remmington Glock came from combining the names of a shotgun and a
handgun in my closet.  Take that as a warning not to surprise me in my
home.

CONJUCTIONS:
-I hope you realized that the conjunction affected Mulder and Scully
causing such nastiness between them.
-Why was Scully flirting with Skinner and Frohike? Equal rights for
Scully! Cosmic forces should do more than make her a bitch.
-A nit pick about the original episode was how the cosmic influence
ended precisely after midnight. My explanation gives the original a
shaky leg to stand on and makes a perfect point about friendships and
trust, that relates to M/S
-Don't ask me how I realized that someone born on Jan 12th would be
Capricorn, the horned beast.  Just dumb luck.
-A few cheap shots at Scully-the-red-head possibly dying her hair.
Sorry, Gillian lovers.
-Notice as they get more emotional, they call each over Dana and Fox.
-In case you didn't get it, Dr. Godfrey was wearing Mulder's favorite
perfume. And apparently he wanted Mulder to know.