Date: 04 Mar 97 20:22:44 EST From: Kathleen McNee <71022.1045@CompuServe.COM> Subject: [XFF] What's Important (NC-17 Sk/S) 1/10 by D. Street Okay to forward to a.t.x.c. and okay to archive. Spoiler warning: Don't think so. Rating: NC-17 Classifications: S (Story), R (Romance) Skinner/Scully Summary: The following is a romance story between Skinner and Scully, wherein Skinner must deal with a man he helped put away years ago, now escaped and out for revenge. As Skinner, Scully and Mulder deal with him, Skinner comes to some decisions about his life. Hi Ho, Everyone! I'm posting this story, "What's Important," on behalf of the author, who is not on-line. It's a relationship story between Skinner and Scully. You can send all comments to me and I'll forward them on. The e-mail address is listed below. Enjoy! -Kathy I would appreciate any comments or criticism. Thank you. Please e-mail to: 71022.1045@compuserve.com The characters and situations of the television program "The X-Files" are the creations and property of Chris Carter, Fox Broadcasting and Ten-Thirteen Productions, and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit will be made. ********************************************************************** What's Important by D. Street comments to 71022.1045@compuserve.com Part 1/10 FBI BUILDING CORRIDOR 10:30 AM - FRIDAY Dana Scully hummed to herself as she walked down the corridor in the FBI building toward Assistant Director Skinner's office. She was in a splendid mood that had little to do with the weather and everything to do with the two hours she'd spent making love that morning to said AD. If only they could be more open about their relationship. Mulder knew, of course, as did Dana's mother, but they'd kept it a secret from everyone else, fearing that the Bureau's reaction to the news would be to reassign Skinner, Scully or both of them. She focused on the present as her partner, Fox Mulder, came hurrying down the hallway to meet her. "Mulder--" she began, but the young agent took her arm and swung her around, propelling her toward the elevators. "Scully! I've been looking for you. Let's go down to the office." "Mulder! What's wrong with you?" She studied her partner as they neared the bank of shining elevators. "Nothing. I need to discuss something with you and I don't want to do it here." "We've got time, Mulder." She gave him a quizzical smile. "It's only 10:30. I have to pick up my phone--" "Later, Scully, I--" He was cut off as the elevator doors slid open and Agent Fuller stepped out. "Agent Mulder, I've been looking for you." He extended a file. "Here's the preliminary report on the bombing this morning." He paused, obviously unhappy with the situation. "I was told to report directly to you." "And only to me." Mulder agreed. "Thanks, Fuller. We'll call you if we've got any questions." He pulled gently on his partner's arm. "Come on, Scully." Dana watched him with growing curiosity. True, Agent Roger Fuller wasn't her favorite person either... not after his performance when Skinner had been in the hospital from a gunshot wound to the stomach... but Mulder usually didn't brush anyone off who was trying to help him with a case. Maybe that was it. And why was her partner interested in a bombing? Did they have a new case? She allowed herself to be shepherded into the elevator. As the door started to close, Fuller held out a hand to stop them. Beside her, Scully felt Mulder tense. What the hell was going on? "It was a fairly simple bomb." The agent was saying. "Wired to his ignition. The minute the AD turned the key... boom." "AD Skinner?" Scully felt the blood drain from her face. Fuller nodded. "He was killed at his apartment building this morning. Car bomb. Must have died instantly." Mulder reached out to tap the man's hand. "Thanks, Fuller. Keep on it." A bit puzzled at Mulder's weirder than usual behavior, Fuller nodded and pulled his hand back, allowing the steel door to close. Mulder turned to look at Scully. She stood frozen, eyes fixed straight ahead. "Scully? You okay?" He leaned over to peer into her face. Green eyes looked up, into his concerned gaze. She felt numb. A small part of her brain told her she was in shock, but it was drowned out by the numbness. The dead sense of not feeling. "Skinner? He didn't mean that... that a bomb..." She stumbled to a halt. The elevator doors slid open and Mulder guided her down the short corridor to their office. He shut the door and urged Scully to sit on the edge of his desk. "It happened this morning. I tried to reach you, but your phone was off and you'd already left." He explained quietly, watching for a reaction. "I left it in Walter's car," she murmured, shock still numbing her senses. "Last night... I was on the way up to get it from him when you found me." She looked at him, eyes dull. "What happened? How can you be sure?" "Somebody called the cops when they heard the explosion." Mulder explained. "When they finally figured out who's car it was, they called us. The director gave me the case, since Skinner was our boss." He cringed at the pass tense, but Scully didn't seem to notice. "What does the report say?" She swallowed hard, forcing her clinical side to the front. It was the only way she was going to get through this until she could go home and loss control in private. "Scully," Mulder began, but her voice cut him off sharply. "Read it to me." With a sigh, he flipped open the manila folder and began to read. "It happened at about 8:00 this morning. The bomb was attached to the ignition of his car so that when he turned the key it exploded. The body's downstairs and Henderson's doing the autopsy." He didn't add that there wasn't much of a body to autopsy. "No--" She pushed off the desk, but Mulder stopped her with a look. "No Scully. You're not doing the autopsy. Don't be stupid." "Mulder, you don't know for sure it was Walter." She shook slightly. "I don't want anybody else to touch him. I've got to--" "No, Scully." Mulder put a hand on her shoulder. "But it might not..." She bit her lip. "Who else could it have been?" He asked gently. "When did you see him last?" She cleared her throat, eyes on the folder in Mulder's hands. "About 7:00 this morning. I wanted to run to my place to pick up a few things for the weekend." She sniffed and ran a hand through her red hair. Mulder wished she'd cry, or scream, or anything, but he knew she had a lot of denial to go through before that happened. "When I left he was getting dressed. He usually left around 8:00..." Her jaw clenched. "Mulder he can't be dead. I just saw him! We made love this morning in his bed!" She met his gaze, fists clenched, eyes wide. "He can't be dead!" She turned away from him and began to pace. Tears ran down her cheeks, but Scully wasn't aware of them, only of the desperation that exploded inside her and the paralyzing fear that followed in its wake. Mulder crossed the room in two strides and pulled her to him, holding her tightly. "It's okay, go ahead and cry," he whispered, stroking her hair. "You're okay." His tenderness was more than her shaky control could stand. Scully buried her face against his chest and held on. Memories of the morning's playful loving ran through her mind's eye, the sight of him waiting for her last night, dressed in black slacks and the white silk shirt she'd given him for his birthday, his long, black wool coat hanging open. "Scully?" Mulder's voice brought her back to the present. "Come back to me, partner," he said firmly, pulling back to look into her face. "Hang on." She stepped back, wiping at her eyes. Gratefully, she took Mulder's handkerchief. "I'm okay. What else?" She nodded to the report he still held. Mulder flipped through the pages. "Not much. No trace evidence. The lab's going over what's left of the car." "Who's in charge?" She asked. "I am." He eyed her warily. He usually didn't have to repeat something to Scully. She looked like she was about to pass out. "The director called me this morning. He said to keep it low key. Doesn't want the word out yet." "I can imagine." She sniffed again and blew her nose. "Okay, let's get some answers." "Scully, you know I have the highest respect for you as an agent and I wouldn't want anybody else out there with me..." "But you think I'm too emotionally involved to be effective." She finished it for him. "Can you honestly tell me that your relationship with Skinner won't cloud your judgment? And," He switched tacts. "If you start investigating this case, everybody in the Bureau will know the two of you were more than co-workers, just by watching you." She looked at him for a long moment, then spoke, her voice quiet and calm. "What will they think if I don't work on this case?" She cocked her head. "Don't you think it will look stranger for me to let you go off and investigate the murder of our direct superior while I sit here and sift through X-Files?" She glanced at the floor, then back to him. "And what difference does it make now?" She had him and Mulder knew it. With a heavy sigh of defeat, he nodded. "Okay. But if it gets to be too much, remember I'm here for you, Scully." He reached out to stroke her cheek. "I'll always be here for you if you need me." She swallowed another bout of tears and nodded, quickly turning away. If he'd just stop being so dammed supportive! "Let's get started," she whispered and picked up her purse. DANA SCULLY'S APARTMENT 2:15 PM - FRIDAY The two agents returned to Scully's apartment after searching Skinner's parking garage. They had little more to go on than they'd left with that morning. "I just want to change out of these filthy clothes, Mulder." Scully unlocked the door and let them inside. "I'll just be a minute." "Take your time," he told her, heading for the kitchen. "I'll wash up in here." Scully went down the hall to her bedroom, brushing dust off her slacks. 'If I'd known I was going to be crawling around in grime all morning, I'd have worn jeans.' Setting the thought to words, she pulled a pair of jeans out of her closet and tossed them on the bed. As Scully turned to the closet for a blouse, her eyes fell on an evening gown that hung on the door. A coldness washed through her and she wrapped her arms around herself. The shimmering green gown was for the Bureau's annual spring ball. She and Walter had shopped most of Saturday until they found a dress they both agreed on. Scully reached out to touch the shimmering silk, fingertips running over its glittering bodice. "Oh, God!" she whispered, fingers raking through her hair. "He can't be dead, not now... it's not possible!" Tears flowed unnoticed as she stared at the gown, her shoulders shaking as the sobs took a firmer hold. She didn't hear Mulder call her name; didn't sense his presence until he took her shoulders and turned her to him. "Scully... " "Oh, Mulder, he just can't be dead!" She choked, going into his arms. Mulder held her tightly, riding out the emotional storm as it shook her small frame, murmuring soothing words until finally the shaking stopped. Mulder rubbed her back with a palm, then ruffled her hair gently. "Okay?" he asked. Scully nodded and pulled away. She plucked a tissue from the bed table and dried her face. "Sorry." "Nothing to be sorry about," Mulder told her. "I'm surprised it took this long." She glanced at him sharply. He shrugged. "You've lost someone you love, Scully. It's natural to grieve... to feel hurt and angry. If you don't let it out, you'll pay for it later." He hesitated. "I doubt you're over the emotional hump... let it happen, Scully. Don't push the grief down." She gestured to the dress that hung on the closet door. "It was just... we bought it this weekend for the ball." She trailed off. "You want to take the rest of the day off?" Mulder asked her. "We could... I don't know... go to the zoo." Scully laughed, residual tears sliding down her cheeks. She stepped forward and hugged her partner. "Mulder, I love you." She stepped back and swiped at her tears. "I think I need to work on this case." Mulder nodded. "Okay. Get changed and we'll head over to the Bureau impound to check out the car." "Okay." Mulder went back to the living room to wait for his partner while Scully stripped out of her soiled clothes and took a hot, cleansing shower. End part 1/10 - continued in part 2 Part 2/10 F.B.I BUILDING CORRIDOR 5:45 PM - FRIDAY After going over the remains of Skinner's car, the partners returned to the Bureau to check on the autopsy report. "No prints, no clues. Nothing." Scully almost spat. "Mulder, there's a decided lack of evidence here." "The bomb was pretty destructive." He reasoned. "Maybe we'll find out something from the autopsy." Scully tensed, but said nothing. She had to hang onto her control if she was going to help with this investigation. Mulder was right, the fact that she and Skinner had practically been living together was coloring her view of the case. It was amazing how close they'd become in the three months they'd been dating. "But there should be some sign of him, Mulder." She persisted. "Pieces from his wallet or his glasses or--" Scully broke off, eyes bright. She looked away. "Scully, we sifted through everything." Mulder reminded gently. "I know." She whispered. "Mulder!" The agent glanced up, groaning inwardly at the sight of Fuller hurrying down the hall toward them. A look of excitement bathed the round face. Not now! He couldn't blame the man for spilling the news to Scully that morning... as far as he, or anyone else knew, Skinner was their superior and nothing more. Still, if it happened again, Mulder thought, he might just have to deck him. "Mulder!" Agent Fuller bore down on them, another file in hand. "We've got an interesting development." The partners stopped, waiting for the older man to reach them. "Henderson just finished the autopsy and found something very interesting." The agent was fairly bursting with excitement. Mulder reached for the file with a puzzled frown. As his fingers closed on a corner of it, his cell phone rang. "What's so interesting?" Scully nodded to the folder. She steeled herself. Mulder had been right... she never could have performed the autopsy herself. She didn't even want to touch the folder. "Well," Fuller began, "I really should report these findings to Agent Mulder. He's the agent in charge." Scully pinned him with her best no-nonsense glare. She realized that Fuller held some animosity toward her since she'd been placed in charge of the investigation when Skinner had been shot. It wasn't her fault that he'd gotten so bent out of shape because she was giving him orders. If he'd been more on top of things, she would have been less firm about it. And he might have been more kindly reflected in her report. "I'm Agent Mulder's partner," Scully ground out slowly. "We're investigating this case together. What did you find?" Mulder only half-listened to the exchange as he pulled his phone out of a pocket and flipped it open. "Mulder." 'Don't say anything and for God's sake, don't faint, Mulder. I'm not dead." Had Scully and Fuller been less involved in their tactical fencing, they would have seen Mulder's face go white. "Uh... where are you?" Mulder asked. It was Skinner's voice, no mistaking that. 'I'm at Scully's. I didn't think it was safe to go back to my apartment. Is she with you?" "Uh... yeah." Mulder's eyes flickered to the file in his fingers. Fuller kept a firm grip on the other end. Convulsively, Mulder's pinched tighter and tugged. Fuller tucked back. Scully looked from one man to the other, brow furrowed. 'Bring Scully and whatever information you've got on the bombing to her apartment. And keep this to yourself, Mulder. Until we find out who's responsible.' "Uh... right." Mulder hung up and replaced the phone in his coat pocket. "Uh, Scully, let's go." "What?" She stared. "We haven't heard what Agent Fuller's found out." "We'll read it in the car, Scully." Shaking off the last of his shock at hearing Skinner's voice, Mulder took her arm. "Thanks, Fuller." He yanked the file out of the other man's hand. "New lead. Come on, Scully." He smiled at Fuller and urged Scully into an opening elevator. "We'll keep you informed." He stopped. "Oh, keep anything you've learned to yourself, okay?" She watched the doors close before she turned to confront her partner. "Mulder, have you gone nuts?" She demanded. "I'm the one that's supposed to be overcome with grief... what's your excuse?" "Um, I'll tell you in the car." He repeated, propelling her out as the doors slid open. Scully waited until they were in the Taurus and Mulder had pulled out into traffic. "All right. Where are we going?" "Your place." "My place." Scully repeated, gazing out the windshield. "Mulder, if you don't tell me why you're acting like such a jerk, I'm going to hurt you. Badly." Mulder chewed his lip, trying to think of a delicate way to break the news to her. At least he was driving. "Now Mulder. I've lost a lot today, I'd hate to lose my partner, too." "Scully, that phone call I got." He stopped. "I'm waiting, Mulder." He plunged ahead. "It was Skinner." "It... what?" She turned to stare at him. Then, in a voice that was barely audible. "Don't do this to me, Mulder." "I wouldn't. You know that, Scully. I'm a lot of things, but cruel isn't one of them." A tear crept down her cheek. "It wasn't him in the car, Scully," Mulder said gently. "That's probably what Fuller was going to tell us. The autopsy would have shown it was somebody else." "He's at my apartment?" "He's waitin' for ya, Scully." Mulder smiled, stealing a look at his friend. "Hey, Scully." "Yeah?" "You're killing that poor, innocent file." "What?" She looked in her lap where she clutched the manila folder, crushing it. Nervously she smoothed it out, her voice a cross between laughing and crying. "I knew he wasn't dead, Mulder. I knew it!" "Yeah, you did," Mulder agreed, smiling to himself as he turned down Scully's street. End part 2/10 - continued in part 3 part 3/10 DANA SCULLY'S APARTMENT 6:30 PM - FRIDAY With trembling fingers, Dana let them into her apartment. At first glance, it appeared to be deserted. Just as she'd left it. For a horrified moment, Scully feared that she'd dreamed the conversation in the car... that grief had pushed her over the edge and she'd hallucinated the whole thing. "Scully." Mulder nudged her, nodding to the door to her bedroom where Walter Skinner stood. "I thought I'd keep out of sight until I knew who it was." The next moment Dana was in his arms, face buried against the blue sweater he wore. "Good thing I keep some clothes here," he joked, but the words were thick with emotion. "My suit was a little rumpled by the time I finally got here." "We thought you were dead." Scully breathed. "We've been out all day searching for some clue to what happened." His hold on her tightened and Walter kissed the top of her head, one hand gently stroking the red hair. He raised his eyes to meet Mulder's. When her trembling stopped, Skinner pulled back enough to look into her face. He smiled tenderly, brushing tears from her cheeks with his palms. "I'm sorry that I worried you." He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "As soon as I was able to, I tried to call, but you'd gone and I didn't want to leave a message." She sniffed. "And my cell phone is... was, in your car." "Right." Skinner stroked the side of her face. "I heard about it on the car radio and by the time I circled back..." The two lovers stood gazing at each other until Mulder cleared his throat. They broke apart, looking sheepish. Mulder grinned. "Ah, young love." "Shut-up, Mulder," Skinner said, but he was smiling. "Okay, what we need to find out is who did this and why." Mulder sat down on the sofa, case files open in front of him. "Who was in your car?" Scully touched Skinner's arm. He sighed. "My mechanic. He brought me a loaner and was going to take my car in for servicing." Skinner shrugged regretfully. "I guess he picked the wrong day." "No." Scully shook her head firmly. "I'm sorry for him, but no." Skinner saw the residual fear in her and wanted desperately to change the subject. From long experience, he knew the best way to distract her was to get her involved with the investigation. He gave her a quick hug, then turned to business. "All right." He sat beside Mulder on the couch. "What have we got?" "Not much." The agent shoved files across to him. "Scully and I spent the afternoon going over the car and garage ourselves. We didn't find much." Walter nodded. "Well, whoever did it, knew their business. The question is," he looked up at his friends, "who have I pissed off enough to want me dead?" "That could be a list." Mulder grinned. Skinner snorted. "Thanks." "What are you going to do?" Scully asked him. "Hide out here until we solve the case?" Walter nodded. "I've talked to the director. He's going to postpone appointing my replacement until the case is cleared up. Then, when we find out who's responsible, it'll be business as usual." "Whatever that is," Mulder said. Scully rolled her eyes at him and he grinned back at her. "I'm not entirely surprised by what happened," Walter admitted. "For the last week I've been pretty sure someone was shadowing me." "What?" Scully sat forward in her armchair, her gaze accusing. "You never said anything to me." "I didn't want to worry you," he explained, earning an irritated look. One of their major contentions was his tendency to be over- protective. "Dammit, Dana, you worry enough about Mulder, without worrying about me, too." Mulder tried to break the sudden tension. "Scully, I didn't know you cared." "I let you do your job without interfering--" Skinner went on, as if his agent hadn't spoken. "Most of the time," she interrupted. Walter made a face. "At least allow me the luxury of protecting you at home." "We're a couple, Walter," she said, as if to a child. "That's what it means to be a couple. You share things and worry about each other. And try to help each other." "I know that," he replied in the same tone. Mulder thought fleetingly about taking an unnecessary bathroom break, then decided to try and divert the approaching storm. "What made you think you were being followed?" he asked Skinner. "What?" The AD rubbed a palm across the back of his neck. "Oh, I wasn't sure... " He lifted his gaze to Scully's. "That's another reason I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily. I thought I saw someone hanging around my car a couple of times and I thought someone might have been following me." He spread his hands. "But then I decided I was just being paranoid about meeting you. We were so worried that someone would see us..." He trailed off, shrugging apologetically. "I guess I wasn't imagining it." "I guess not," she agreed. "There is one thing here..." Mulder leafed through one of the folders until he found the item he was looking for. "Fuller dug up this bit of information, let's see... Jacob Saunders, been in prison for bombing murders for the last ten--" "Saunders," Walter said sharply. "I helped put him away." He looked at the younger man. "When I was a field agent. I was instrumental in busting him and I testified at his trial." "According to this, your testimony was the major factor in his conviction." "Don't tell me... he's out," Skinner guessed. "Two weeks ago. Escaped while doing community road service. They haven't been able to locate him." "Great." The AD sucked air through his teeth, a gesture Scully knew showed his level of frustration. She rose and went to him. "Do you think Saunders is capable of exacting this kind of revenge?" Walter sighed. "I'm sure of it. Ten years ago he planted a bomb in his boss' office after he was fired... and then rigged his own bed so that when his wife lay down..." He stopped as Dana's fingers closed around his wrist. Mulder looked up from the case file. "It says here that the information about Saunders' escape was reported to the Bureau two days after it happened." He met Skinner's eyes. "Since you were the agent in charge of the case, it should have gone to your office." "I never heard about it." He made a disgusted sound. "Which means that someone stopped it." Scully frowned. "Why? Who?" "Passive conspiracy." Mulder rose, hands in his pockets. "Somebody figured if Skinner wasn't on the alert, Saunders just might do something." "Or," Skinner amended, "somebody might have helped him along." Scully shivered. "Who wants you dead enough to do that?" Her eyes searched her lover's face. "Cancerman?" "Maybe. Or any number of others." He put a hand on hers, still holding his wrist. "I've made enemies helping the X-Files." He hurried on before she could speak. "I'm not sorry... the Bureau needs you and the X-Files. I've done some fence walking in the past, but at some point, I realized that if I didn't help you all that I could, I wasn't going to sleep very well at night." Mulder was startled at the pride and love that shown from his partner's eyes as she listened to her lover. He felt a twinge of envy and didn't like himself very much for it. "My concern now is that if it is Saunders and he knows he killed the wrong man, he may come after me again." Skinner looked to Dana. "I think it would be better if we didn't see each other until this is over." "If he's been following you," she pointed out, "He already knows about me. He knows we're seeing each other. We haven't been that careful." The older man nodded. He'd thought of that, but had hoped that Dana hadn't. "I still think--" Mulder interrupted him. "Listen, the first thing we need to do is find out if this Saunders is really the one who tried to off you. Because if he isn't, then we've got bigger trouble than a revenge killing." "What do you suggest?" The AD turned calm eyes to his agent. He didn't like taking orders and he didn't like having someone else in charge of his actions, but he also knew that Mulder was the best one to call the shots. Both he and Scully were too close to the situation to think clearly. Mulder's brows rose fractionally at the man's easy acquiesce. "You need to be someplace out of sight and you need to stay there. We'll keep in touch by cell phone and keep you updated, but you need to stay out of sight. If somebody else is involved in this, it's better if they think they succeeded the first time." Skinner nodded. At the very least, it looked like someone at the FBI had gotten the news of Saunders escape and not passed it on. At worst, they could be using his old enemy as a pawn in a much larger game to eliminate him and shut down the X-Files once and for all. Skinner took his cell phone from his pocket. Mulder frowned. "Who are you calling?" "The director." Walter dialed a private number and waited. Then, "Yes, sir. I've gone over everything and I believe the attempt was made either by Jacob Saunders, a murderer I helped put away, or by someone using Saunders as a scapegoat." 'Why do you think that someone may be using him?' The director asked, settling back in his desk chair. "Because word of his escape was sent to the Bureau... I just never received it." 'Nor did I,' his superior said. 'Let me check into this, Walter. Call me when you've made some progress.' "Yes, sir." 'Where are you now?" Skinner's eyes flickered from one agent to the other. 'Are you at Agent Scully's?' End Part 3/10 - continued in part 4 part 4/10 Skinner's eyes flickered from one agent to the other. 'Are you at Agent Scully's?' Skinner's surprise was evident. "Yes, sir. May I ask how you knew that?" He heard the smile in the older man's voice, even through the phone. 'I doubt it's general gossip, Walter, but I didn't get where I am without being an observant judge of people. The last time I was in your office with Agents Mulder and Scully, I could have cut the sexual tension with a knife.' Again Skinner heard the man chuckle. 'Now, unless there's something about your sexual orientation I'm not aware of--' "No, sir." Skinner broke in. "You're right. I had planned to mention it to you at some time..." He trailed off, at a loss for words. When had he intended to make his relationship with Scully public? 'We'll deal with that later. Right now, where are you planning to stay? There?" "No, sir. I'll be leaving soon to find a motel." 'That's probably a good idea. Keep me updated, and be careful, Walter. Remember that someone has already tried to kill you once. If they find out they failed, they'll try again.' "Yes, sir. Thank you." Skinner pocketed the phone. "He thinks I should stay out of sight somewhere." He glanced at the two agents. "Any suggestions?" Mulder noted a slight flush around his boss' ears and suspected the man had just been busted about his relationship with the feminine half the X-Files division. He fought down a smile and got back to the business at hand. "Any of our places are out," he decided, pacing the floor now. "What about a motel in Virginia somewhere?" Skinner wrinkled his nose. "What about my mother's house?" Scully asked quietly. "No one would think to look there and Mom would love having you." "Scully," Walter turned to face her, features drawn in concern. "I don't want to involve Maggie in this business. It's bad enough her only daughter is partnered with an FBI agent and dating an assistant director. Let's not put her in physical danger too." Scully looked to Mulder for support. "Actually," he reasoned. "It's a good idea. Scully's right. Even if they know about the two of you, they probably won't think of looking for you at her mom's." Walter was silent, brooding. He instinctively didn't like the idea. He never liked involving innocents in Bureau matters, and Margaret Scully had already suffered so much at the hands of the X-Files' enemies. Finally he shook his head, jaw set. Before he spoke, Scully knew he wasn't buying their idea. "I'll take the motel... not in Virginia... I'll find a place in DC. But keep in touch by mobile. I want to know what's happening." "I want to know where you're at," Scully insisted, her jaw equally set. Mulder watched the two of them. It probably was never dull, anyway. "All right," Skinner finally conceded. "Let me grab what clothes I have here and I'll take off. I shouldn't go home." "Sir." Mulder crossed to him. "I think it might be a good idea for one of us to keep in contact with you." He studied his boss. "Physical contact." He stopped, realizing what he'd said as Skinner's eyes widened and Scully's exclamation of "Mulder!" was heard. He shifted from one foot to another and started again. "What I mean, is, I don't want you to be alone for large amounts of time." He smiled. "In-person contact is what I meant." Skinner lowered his eyes, fighting the laugh that threatened. "I think I can take care of myself, Mulder." "Sir," the agent persisted. "It was sheer luck that you're not dead now." He nailed his superior with an almost pleading gaze. "Please sir, let one of us stay with you at least part of the time. We'll keep in touch by cell phone... that will also make it less noticeable that Scully and I are communicating with you so regularly by phone. They'll just assume we're talking to each other." "Whoever 'they' are." Skinner nodded thoughtfully. "All right. I'll let you know when I find a place." He turned to look at Scully, who still watched him. "Uh, Mulder...." Mulder grinned. "Yes, sir. I'll be down in the car, Scully." With a wave he was gone, closing and locking the apartment door behind him. Skinner reached out a hand to her. "Dana, I'm sorry. After last night, I thought maybe we could tell everyone and let them do their worst. Now..." He trailed off, shaking his head. Dana took his hand, fingers tightening around his. When she spoke, her voice betrayed none of the anxiousness in her heart. "Walter... none of this is about 'us', it's about 'you'. Whether or not we're a couple, publicly, isn't going to affect that." "That's because no one knows," Skinner insisted, pulling her to him. His arms went around her and he held on, molding her body to his own. "If they really wanted to hurt me, they'd go through you. I couldn't bear that." Dana heard the fear in his voice and held him tighter. "We can't be afraid of everything," she told him. "I live that way with Mulder doing my job." She leaned back, looking up into his face. "Don't make me live that way with you, too." "Do I have that choice?" Walter asked softly, leaning down to take her lips in a kiss. When they parted, Scully stepped back, eyes on his. "We all have choices. Please don't shut me out." Skinner nodded. "Just be careful." Scully smiled. "I take it the director has figured out our little secret?" Walter snorted. "In his words, he didn't get to where he is without being an observant judge of people." "No, I guess not." She considered. "I'm glad. It could make the difference if we have a fight about you retaining control of the X-Files." "It always comes back to that, doesn't it?" he murmured, a little sadly. "The X-Files." She shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. "I'd better go. Mulder will be accusing us of 'doing the wild thing' while he wastes away in the car." "All right. I'm going to pack my things and find a motel." Walter reached out to touch her cheek. "I'll let you know where I am." "Okay." Reluctantly Scully turned away from him and left her apartment. Skinner stood in the center of the room for a long time, then went to the bedroom to pack his things. In the hallway, Scully walked slowly toward the elevator. They'd have to talk about where she stood... squarely between Walter and the X-Files... and Mulder. She'd heard the sadness in his voice just then and she knew that sooner or later they were going to have to face the inevitable conflict. End of part 4/10 - continued in part 5 part 5/10 2:30 PM - SATURDAY "How you want to handle this?" Agent Fuller looked at Mulder, his breath forming soft clouds in the chilly afternoon air. "Sneak attack." Mulder clicked his walkie-talkie. "I'm going in... everybody stay alert." With a glance at Scully he rose from his crouch. Signaling Fuller to follow, he and Scully moved quickly across the lawn to the front door of the small house that was surrounded by FBI agents. An hour before, Mulder had received an anonymous e-mail tip that Saunders was staying in the isolated cottage. Now Mulder and Scully, with a team of agents, descended on the house. "Mulder," Scully's voice was low enough that Fuller couldn't hear. "What if he's not in there? That e-mail message was awfully convenient." He leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Then we look somewhere else." Mulder paused momentarily, then kicked in the door, gun drawn. "F.B.I.!" The room was empty. Slowly he moved into the house, Scully backing in with him, gun drawn. Fuller followed at a distance. Mulder moved into the bedroom, through to the bath and back to the living area. With a frustrated sigh, he lowered his weapon. "He's not here, Scully." His partner dropped her gun into the pocket of her trenchcoat. "Dammit, Mulder! We have to find him before he finds Skinner!" "I know," he agreed quietly, glancing at Fuller, who hovered nearby. At least she hadn't called him Walter. Mulder spoke into the transmitter. "Okay, false alarm. Everybody go home." He looked at Fuller. "Thanks, Fuller. We'll let you know if we find anything." "I'll help you search--" "It's all right," Scully almost snapped. Too many emotions were bombarding her at once, demanding attention; she didn't need Fuller too. "Where the hell do you get off taking charge of every case you're on?" Fuller advanced on the redhead. "You think you're such a damned hot-shot--" "That's enough, Fuller." Mulder moved to stand beside Scully. "No, it's not." Fuller glared. "She's been a pain in my ass since Skinner got shot in that cafe." He turned back to Scully. "Ever since you've been riding me and usurping my authority." "If you did your job, no one would have to 'ride' you," Scully said calmly. "If I hadn't insisted you post a guard, AD Skinner would be dead." She stopped. Mulder's tone was deceptively friendly. "Go on, Fuller." He said. "We'll search the place and write up a report." "No, dammit." The older man stood his ground. "She thinks she's in charge of every--" "The fact is," Mulder said softly, "I'm in charge of this case and that comes from the director. That means I get to give the orders. Now, go back to the bureau and file your report. We'll be back as soon as we go over things here." He thought Fuller was going to protest further, but the agent turned on his heel and left, literally slamming the door shut behind him. "Great, Scully muttered. "Ignore him, Scully. He just can't stand a strong woman." "Right." She glanced around the room. "Well, let's see if we can find anything." They searched the small house, finally ending up in the kitchen. "Hey, Scully, look at this." She joined her partner at the sink. The basin was littered with twisted lengths of multi-colored wire. She reached out to pick one up. "Bomb wire you think?" She looked up at him. Mulder shrugged. "Looks like it to me. Notice they're all shaped like crescent moons. Like doodling." She squinted at the bits of wire. "Maybe. Let's show them to Walter. It could be an MO he can identify." She bagged several of the moon-shaped pieces. "Yeah. Maybe." Mulder followed her outside and to their car. SKINNER'S MOTEL 5:30 PM - SATURDAY "It's Saunders." Skinner sighed. "He always twisted the leftover wire like this." Walter tossed the piece he was holding onto the motel coffee table. "So, what does that get us?" He looked inquiringly at his two agents. "Not much," Mulder admitted. "Now we know it's probably Saunders that's after you. We still don't know if he's acting on his own or for someone else." "Or who tipped us to his hiding place," Scully put in. "Great." Dana reached across to squeeze his hand. She was alarmed by the dejection in his voice. "We'll find him," she assured. Skinner met her gaze and smiled. "I know." "Well," Mulder stood. "I'm going to stop off... check on a couple of things, then I'm going home." Scully hid a smile. She knew Mulder wanted to check on Frohike's progress, but that he didn't want their boss to know about their involvement at the moment. "I'll see you at the office in the morning," Scully told him. "Just remember," Mulder waggled his eyebrows. "You're being watched." With that he left the motel, making sure the door was locked behind him. "What the hell did he mean by that crack?" Skinner demanded. "Mulder thought it would be a good idea to have someone keeping an eye on you," Scully told him. "Agents Montigo and Thomas are outside, keeping separate surveillance." Walter shot to his feet, striding to the window. "I don't need a babysitter!" "Walter." Scully rose and went to stand beside him. "Mulder's doing his job. He's in charge of the case and that means making sure nothing happens to you until we find out who's doing this." She laid a hand on his arm. "You'd do the same thing if the positions were reversed. You know you would." Skinner lost some of his anger as he realized she was right. "I guess I just don't like being protected." He turned back to her. "Now you know how it feels," Dana told him. "I don't--" "What about not telling me that you thought you were being followed?" "I wasn't sure," he reminded her. "Walter. It's in both of us... all three of us... to protect the people we care about. At some point you became someone Mulder cares about." She smiled slightly. "Don't ask me how, the way the two of you go at it sometimes, but you have." "Well. There are worse things, I guess, than having Mulder like me." Skinner glanced around, then returned to the couch. He patted the cushion beside him and Dana settled against his side. He put his arm around her shoulders. "We need to talk about it." He said quietly. She didn't pretend she didn't know what he was talking about. End part 5/10 - continued in part 6 part 6/10 (NC-17 part) "Well. There are worse things, I guess, than having Mulder like me." Skinner glanced around, then returned to the couch. He patted the cushion beside him and Dana settled against his side. He put his arm around her shoulders. "We need to talk about it." He said quietly. She didn't pretend she didn't know what he was talking about. "If it came down to a choice... what would you do?" Skinner turned to look at her. "Would you stand with Mulder and the X-Files... or with me?" "I hope I never have to make that choice," she said softly, running her fingers across his hand. "If I do, it will probably depend on the circumstances." Walter heaved a heavy sigh. "And you'll undoubtedly side with Mulder." He hurried on, before she could comment. "I'm not jealous of what the two of you have... not anymore. Envious, yes, but I realize it's a different kind of love than what we have." Scully nodded, waiting. "It's just that sometimes I feel like I don't have a chance. Between your dedication to the X-Files and your bond with Mulder..." He trailed off. It sounded petty when he said it out loud. Suddenly he wished he hadn't brought the subject up. "I'm sorry that it bothers you." Scully settled more securely against him. "All I can tell you is that I'll take it day by day. I hope I never have to choose between you and my job... at this point I don't see why I should have to. But, I promise you, if it comes to that, we'll talk about it. And nothing is going to change what I feel for you." Walter stroked her cheek. "I'm glad. I feel the same way. It's difficult trying to separate treating you like an agent during work and like the woman I'm in love with at night." He smiled gamely. "But I'm willing to keep trying if you are." He leaned forward and kissed her gently. "The question now," Scully said, a sultry tone in her voice. "...is whether or not we want Agents Montigo and Thomas to know about us." She smoothed fingertips along his jawline. "And why would they know anything about us, Agent Scully?" he asked, a hand snaking around her waist, pulling her nearer. "If I spend the night, they're bound to wonder why, what with FBI surveillance, you need a special agent guarding you?" "I'll show you," Skinner said, easing her onto her back on the sofa and stretching out on top of her. "It's early. You can always leave if you feel the need for secrecy." "That's true, I could," she murmured, eyes closing as Walter ran his fingers through her hair, massaging the base of her skull. "Ummmm. That feels good." "Just wait," Skinner promised, kicking off his shoes. "It gets better." Scully smiled. "Then by all means..." The rest was cut off by Walter's lips as they closed over hers, taking her breath. Dana moaned into his mouth, tongue brushing his, trying to devour him. All the anxiety and fear that she'd kept bottled up inside since Walter's reappearance surfaced in an almost desperate need to possess and be possessed. Skinner felt the tension in her body and moved his hands along her sides, trying to work out some of the stress. He knew she'd been frightened and never really had the chance to deal with his death... let alone his 'rebirth'. Tonight he wanted to assure her that he was real and that he was there for her. That he would always be there for her, whenever she needed him. Scully slid her hands under his sweater, body stretching beneath him like a cat's, evoking a moan from her lover. Skinner had been about to suggest they move to the bed, but now he was loath to let Dana go even for the space of time that would take. His mouth covered every inch of her, hungrily laving the creamy skin, inhaling the scent of her; something he knew he had very nearly lost forever. The shock of it drove him higher, his need to become one with the woman beneath him growing even stronger. Dana moaned again, turning her head away from the questing mouth, tugging on the bulky sweater until she got it off him. Skinner shifted his body, leaning on an elbow to the side of Scully. "This isn't going to work," he said sadly. Breathing hard, she looked at him, eyes wide with passion. The tip of her tongue glided over reddened lips, raising Skinner's temperature further. "Why not?" she asked. "You don't really care if they think we're--" "I don't give a damn what they think," Skinner told her, sliding to his knees on the floor. "But that couch isn't wide enough for what I've got in mind." Dana smiled, bottom lip catching between her teeth. "And what might that be?" Brown eyes smoldered as he looked at her, touching her soul. Dana gasped at the tightening in her stomach. No one had ever been able to do what Walter Skinner could do to her with just a look, not to mention a touch. She shivered as he gently pulled her to the thick pile carpeting. Dana giggled. "You want to do it on the floor?" "Why not?" Skinner reaching around her to unzip her dress. "You have anything on under that?" "Of course." She tried to sound indignant, and failed. He pushed material off her shoulders, revealing a lacy bra. "Oh, my favorite." "A good agent is always prepared," Dana reminded him. Skinner eased her onto her back and yanked the dress down and off her. "And matching panties... very nice, Agent Scully." "Thank you, sir. I'm glad you appreciate it." "I should," he said dryly, finger tracing a path from breast to the top of said panties. "I picked them out." "So you did." Scully smiled, eyes closing as he flattened a palm against her stomach, fingers slipping beneath the filigree lace. "You've still got clothes on," Scully pointed out. "And do you plan on doing something about that?" Skinner asked, his attention still on her panties. Dana reached out to slowly unbutton the trousers he wore, her hand slipping inside, feeling his heat. Rising to her knees, Scully pushed both slacks and underwear off his hips. "Lay down," she whispered, wetting her lips as she pushed against his chest. Skinner obliged and she lay on top of him, her lace-covered crotch rubbing his groin. The man groaned, hands closing around her arms. "Scully, the bed. I'm too old for this." She laughed. "That'll be the day. You're capable of some very athletic moves, if memory serves me correctly." "I'll get rug burn," he protested, putting on his best pleading look. "Oh, all right," she agreed in mock exasperation. Dana carefully disengaged his glasses and laid them on the coffee table. Then she stood up and held a hand down to Skinner. The AD stood and scooped her up, striding across to the king sized bed. He dumped Scully into the middle, dropping beside her, his big hands pulling her to him in a kiss. Everywhere he touched her, Dana burned. It felt as though her flesh was on fire as he stroked her. Skinner unhooked the bra and cast it aside, then covered a breast with his hand. He smiled as Dana moaned as his fingers kneaded the soft mound. He leaned over her and took it in his mouth, tongue laving the tip, lips sucking while his other hand played with its mate. Scully cried out, arching against his mouth, her frustration building. But Skinner wasn't to be hurried. He left the breast, tongue trailing along her collarbone and up, under her chin. "Walter!" Dana clung to his neck, legs wrapped around his waist. "Always in such a hurry," Walter reprimanded with a chuckle. "And women say men don't want to take time." "Shut up and do it!" she commanded, gasping as his tongue found her ear, his cool breath sending shivers down her back. "Walter!" "Yes, my love?" he murmured, gently disengaging her legs. He moved lower, his mouth bathing her smooth skin until he once more encountered the lace underwear. Ever so slowly he slipped it down, over her hips and off. Legs hanging over the bed, Skinner settled himself across her legs, parting them with one hand. "No! Walter, it's been too long--" The sentence was lost as she screamed with the pleasure his fingers brought. "My God, get up here!" Scully lost the last of her control as a burst of white heat seared her core. Taking pity on her, Skinner moved to cover the smaller body with his own, his erection hard against her belly. Both were breathing hard as he claimed her mouth again, fingers tangling in her silky hair. Scully groaned, moving under him in an attempt to get him inside. She panted as Walter released her mouth. "I want you inside me now." She gripped his shoulders. "Please!" Feeling his own control slipping, Skinner complied, slowly easing inside her warmth. He was still for a moment, gazing down into limpid pools of green, cloudy with passion. Walter rose above her then, plunging again and again until both of them lost themselves in each other, their cries mingling until they lay near senseless on the rumpled bedspread. When he could speak, Skinner raised his head to smooth red hair from his lover's eyes. "Okay?" He was surprised to find his voice shook a little. Scully propped her head on one hand and smiled. "I don't think we should wait that long again." She grinned at him. "Next time it might kill me." "It might kill us both." Walter stroked her back. "Don't leave. It doesn't matter who sees you here. After this is over, I'm going to the director and make it public." "Are you sure?" Scully's brow furrowed. "Yes." He drew her to him, rolling onto his back, and kissed her. When he released her, they were both breathless. "I love you, Dana. That's the only thing that matters. That's what's important." She traced her fingertip along his face. "You're right. But I still should go. I'm supposed to spend the night at mom's." "Is anything wrong?" "No." Dana sat up, a palm resting on his chest. "Her car's in the shop and she needs a ride." "Okay." He squeezed her hand and sat up. "I'll let you go this time, but tomorrow--" She giggled and slid off the bed, away from his grasping hands. "Stop it! I'll never get out of here in time." Scully laughed. "Want to take a shower?" Skinner suggested brightly. "No," Dana said firmly, pulling on her clothes. "I'll see you tomorrow." The man sighed, resigned to his fate. "All right, but you're a cruel woman, Dana Scully." "Poor baby." She came back to the bed and kissed his lips quickly. "Good night." "Well, at least I'll sleep tonight," Skinner admitted. "I feel like melted butter." Scully flashed him a self-satisfied smile. "Good." End part 6/10 - continued in part 7 part 7/10 SKINNER'S MOTEL 11:55 PM - SATURDAY Skinner fumbled for his cell phone, cursing as he banged his fingers against the strange headboard. By the time he'd turned on the light and found his phone, he remembered where he was. "Yes?" he barked. He had a moment of fear that it wouldn't be one of his two agents, but that fear dissipated when he heard the female voice, strung with tension. "Walter?" Skinner sat up in bed. "Maggie? What's wrong?" "Have you seen Dana? I tried both your apartments, and her cell phone. Finally I tried yours. Is Dana with you?" "No. No, I haven't seen her since earlier tonight. What's happened?" He gripped the little phone tighter. "I just got a phone call from a man... he said he's got Dana and he'll kill her unless you come to the Pierpoint dock at 3:00 am." Skinner glanced at his watch; a few minutes before midnight. "All right, Maggie, don't worry. I'll bring her back." "Walter, what's going on?" "It's all right. Go back to bed and sleep if you can. I'll call you when it's over. One of us will. I promise you, I'll bring her back." "I know you will." He was struck by the faith in the woman's voice. She really believed he'd rescue her daughter. He smiled slightly. It must run in the Scully women. Lucky for him. "Go on back to bed now, Maggie," he repeated. "I'll call you when it's over." "All right. Thank you, Walter." After he'd disconnected the call, Skinner sat thinking for a long time, then he dialed another number. "Mulder," came the sleepy reply. "We've got trouble," Skinner told him, and briefly related his call from Scully's mother. "Okay. You want me to go with you?" The agent asked, half expecting the answer to be no. He was already off the couch, buttoning his shirt. "Yeah. If anything happens to me, I want you there for Scully. I want you to get her out of there, Mulder, no matter what happens to me." "Right." "I'll pick you up at the bus stop by your place in twenty minutes." "I'll be there." Skinner got up and dressed, not pausing to think about what he was about to do or the possible outcome. Why couldn't he have a normal life with the woman he loved? Why did he either screw up his relationships or his job? Two days ago, all he'd wanted to do was escort Dana to the FBI ball and thumb his nose at anyone who objected. Now he might never... No, he wasn't going to think about that. Shaking his head at the unfairness of life in general and his life in particular, Walter dressed and, holstering his gun and grabbing his cell phone, hurried to meet Mulder. *** At 2:30 Skinner drove his car toward the docks, Mulder in the seat beside him. They'd driven much of the way in silence, and Mulder decided a little conversation was in order. After deciding on a plan of action, the AD had clammed up, thinking God only knew what kind of morbid thoughts. Time to draw him out. Relax him a little. "So," he began. "How did it happen?" Skinner blinked back to the present and spared the man a look. "What? I don't know how... Maggie just said--" "No, I meant when did you figure out you were head over heels in love with my partner?" He grinned suddenly. "Not that I mind. I'm just curious." "I'll bet," Walter said sourly. "Hey, just trying to make conversation. If you get there in a depression, you're going to screw up and one or both of you is going to wind up dead. Then where will I be?" He heard the other man sigh, and smiled. Guilt. Worked every time. "What do you want to know about my personal life?" he said with more than a trace of sarcasm. "Now, be nice," Mulder said. "I'm just curious about how long it took you to figure it out. I know it took Scully awhile." Skinner shrugged. "It was a gradual thing. We met accidentally in the park for lunch a couple of times and then I found myself hoping she'd be there... and being disappointed when she wasn't." Mulder nodded. He remembered Scully oh so casually timing her sack lunches in the park several months before. "And then, one by one, I gave her more pieces of my life." He stopped, searching for the right words. "I mean, little things like giving her the password for my computer in case anything ever happened and she needed it, and then I showed her where I kept a spare key to my apartment..." He trailed off. "She's my beneficiary--" "Yeah, that's when I sat up and took notice," Mulder remarked. Skinner glanced at him. "When?" "When I found out she was the one on your 'call in case of emergency' card. What the hell were you thinking, Walter? Gossip buzzed for weeks after that got out." "I don't see anything strange about it," Skinner bristled. "Oh, no, certainly not when you have a wife and, I assume, friends..." "You assume wrong," Walter said shortly. "Sharon had neither known or cared what happened to me for a long time, and I don't have a lot of friends." He swallowed. "Scully had become a friend. Before either of us knew it, we'd become more than friends." "I knew it," Mulder announced smugly. "When?" The voice was quiet. As if he wasn't surprised. "After you got out of the hospital. When you came down to see Scully and she was at the cemetery. After that I just watched the two of you together. During some of our meetings I thought you were both going to pass out from the sexual tension." He smiled sweetly at his companion. "I am a trained psychologist, you know." "Yes, I know," Skinner said dryly. "Anyway, I brought it up to Scully and she denied it." Skinner stole a glance at his companion. "I don't think either of us realized it until recently." "Yeah, well, I'm amazed the gossip mills haven't been working overtime. The only thing that saves you is that most of your meetings with her are behind closed doors." They rode in silence for a while longer until Skinner spoke. "You know, last night I lay in that motel bed thinking about what was really important." Mulder waited. "You and Scully are important. The X-Files is important." "And?" Mulder prompted. A smile tugged at the corner of the AD's mouth. "All right, she's important to me. More important than anything else. Is that what you wanted to hear?" "Yep." Mulder folded his arms, satisfied. "So when are you going to do something about it?" "Like what?" Skinner asked, suspicious. "Like start going out in public... admit to people that you're involved. Tell the director--" "He knows." Mulder whistled softly. "I thought that conversation sounded a little suspicious." "I worked with him in the field." Mulder looked at him in surprise. "He was my AD when I was in violent crimes." Skinner smiled. "I always knew he'd make director some day." "And he figured it out." Walter nodded. "He got me thinking, and one of the things I decided was that if I get Scully back and make it through this... 'situation'..." It was almost a snarl. "Then I don't give a damn who knows about us. Life's too short to sneak around and risk losing the best thing that's ever happened to me." Mulder hooted. "I agree with the sentiment, but boy! Have you got it bad." Skinner tried his best AD glare, but finally chuckled. "Yeah, well." Mulder cast a sidelong glance at his companion, then spoke. "What if you have to choose some day? Between Scully and the X-Files. Or me?" End part 7/10 - continued in part 8 part 8/10 Mulder cast a sidelong glance at his companion, then spoke. "What if you have to choose some day? Between Scully and the X-Files. Or me?" Skinner's eyes narrowed as he studied the road. "Did you bug my motel room, Mulder?" "Why?" "Because I'm having an incredible feeling of Deja Vu. Scully asked me exactly the same thing last night." He paused. "Reversed." Mulder shrugged. "We've been partners a long time--" "Don't tell me you think alike, Mulder, I don't think I could bear that right now." They rode in silence for a while, then Mulder asked. "Well?" "I don't know what I'd do, all right? Every day I walk a line between my personal life and my profession. Maybe that's why I've avoided having a personal life for so long. Even when I was married. Every time the two of you go out a little piece of me dies until you come back alive and unharmed. And when something happens to you or Dana... or when you're out of communication..." Skinner's jaw clenched as he fought to control his emotions. "Every time she's out on a case, I worry about her until she's safely back with me again." He glanced at Mulder, eyes snapping with anger. "*Every time!*" "I know how you must feel--" "Do you?" Skinner asked. "At least you're with her, Mulder. At least you know if she's all right." His lips were set in a grim line. "I've never been very good at waiting." "Yeah." Then Mulder sat forward in his seat. "That's the pier, up ahead." Skinner slowed the car and stopped, leaving the headlights on. A dark figure broke from the shadows and came toward them. "Stay here," Skinner instructed, taking his gun from its holster and slipping it into the pocket of his overcoat. "If anything happens... anything... I want your first priority to be getting her out of here alive." He met Mulder's eyes with an uncompromising stare. "Understood?" The agent nodded. "But don't rush out and get yourself killed, okay?" He tried a smile. "I've seen how she is when you're dead." Mulder was surprised to hear a gentle chuckle as the AD opened the door and got out. He walked slowly toward the man, a tall, dark figure illuminated by the headlights. "I'm here, Saunders," Skinner said in a loud, clear voice. "Let her go." "Not until you're dead." "What guarantee do I have that you won't kill her then?" "None." The man giggled, sending a chill down Walter's spine. "No deal. I want her in the car, driving away from here. Then you get your chance at me." "Can't do it." He laughed. "I've had my chance with you, Agent Skinner. I've rigged your lady friend to a bomb in that bait house." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "The minute you try and get her loose, it blows." He grinned. "And if you wait until the 30 minutes lapse... it blows." He shrugged. "Either way, I win." From the car Mulder couldn't hear what Saunders was saying, but he saw his friend stiffen, drawing to his full height at something the bomber said. Mulder was just reaching for the door handle when Saunders broke and ran, diving into the water from the pier, Skinner racing after him. "Saunders! You can't do this!" Skinner fired at the man, but he kept swimming. Wounded or not, they'd lost him. "Where's Scully?" Mulder ran up to him, gun drawn. "In there." Walter ran for the bait shack, reholstering his gun. Mulder barely avoided running into Skinner when the man stopped dead a few feet inside. Mulder stood beside him, frozen at the sight greeting them. Dana Scully was tied to a wooden chair in the center of the room, gagged and terrified. Both men hurried to stand in front of the contraption. "Is it a bomb?" Mulder asked softly, eyes roaming over the complex wires and mechanisms that covered his partner. "Yes." Skinner moved closer. "Don't touch her. Don't touch anything." "Don't worry," Mulder vowed. "You okay, Scully?" She nodded almost imperceptibly, eyes wide with fear. "It's all right, baby. I'm here." Skinner licked his lips, eyes following the various multi-colored wires that ran from a large metal buckle that circled Scully's waist. "It's all right now." She swallowed hard, but Mulder thought some of the raw terror left the green eyes at Skinner's assurance. She followed every movement, gaze fixed on her lover. "Can we take the gag off her?" Mulder made no move to do so. "No." Walter chewed his bottom lip, eyeing the thick wire that held the towel in place. "It's wired too. We've got to defuse the thing." "I hope that's a royal we because I have no idea how to defuse a bomb." "I did a lot of studying when I was hunting down Saunders. Even did a stint with the DC bomb squad." Mulder glanced at his boss sharply. A surprise a minute. Walter reached out to pat Scully's bare knee. She wore jogging shorts and an oversized USMC t-shirt. "Just try and relax sweetheart, it's going to be fine, but it's going to take me a while." Dear God, she had to be all right. He couldn't lose her, not before he had the chance to tell her how he felt... to tell her how important she'd become to his life. Again the barest nod from Scully. "It's a multi-way switch," Skinner said, more to himself than Mulder. Taking off his coat, he half-lay on the floor so he could see the intricate wiring under Scully's chair. "The trick is to follow each wire to it's origin and then pull it. Looks like there's four different ways to set it off." "Can you disconnect them all?" Mulder crouched beside him. Skinner looked at him, then back to the mass of colored wires without comment. Mulder glanced up at Scully and gave her an encouraging smile. Her eyes were round and liquid green. He wished he could do something more to comfort her, but he'd never been much good at conning her and the truth was, at this moment he didn't know if their chances were good or not. Skinner seemed sure of himself, but then, the man could be putting up a front for Scully. "I need a pocket knife, Mulder." Skinner glanced up at him and Mulder fumbled in his trousers pocket, quickly handing over his knife. Skinner pulled out the longest blade and lay down on his side. "I need to jam the mercury switch in order to defuse it." His tongue played across his lips as the AD lightly separated the wiring. "Do you know how long we've got?" Mulder asked him. "Saunders said half an hour." He sat up, eyes following the wiring to the buckle at Scully's middle. Skinner felt sweat beading on his skin from the pressure. He forced himself to relax. He had to stay steady if he was going to save Scully. "All right, everything comes home on to this switchpad." He pointed to the large steel buckle. "If I can secure that, the main bomb that's around her waist will be dead." "Can you?" Walter drew a breath. "Yes." Mulder watched, every muscle tensed, as Skinner took a wire between his thumb and forefinger, lightly following it to the base under Scully's chair. "Can I do anything?" Mulder whispered, not wanting to startle either of them into movement. "No." One by one he followed the colored wires to their base and gave a swift, precise pull. When he was finished, Skinner sat back and pulled off his glasses. "Is that it?" Mulder was on his knees. "No. But it's the biggest one." Walter pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the sweat from his face. He hoped he didn't look as scared as he felt inside. He looked up into Scully's face and smiled. "We're more than half way there, Dana. It's going to be okay." She nodded, eyes showing more confidence now and less fear. She trusted him, Mulder realized, the way she trusted her partner, and Scully gave her trust only slightly easier than Mulder did. The X-Files had taught her that. Her faith was contagious. They'd make it. Skinner knew what he was doing and they were all going to make it. "All right." Skinner got to his knees and replaced the wirerims. He knelt beside the chair and pointed to a thick trio of colored wires. "There's three rainbows going from under here to bands on her legs." Mulder looked at the metal shackles that held Dana's legs together at the ankles. "So where'd you pick up all this technical jargon? How long ago was that stint with the DC cops?" Skinner smiled slightly. "You'd be surprised what you remember when you have to." He pointed. "You see them? Side by side." Skinner followed each wire to it's origin and pulled first one, then the second and finally the last. "Okay, she should be free." Mulder stood up, but let Skinner go to her, much as he longed to himself. The AD had earned the right. As he reached out to undo the buckle, Scully shouted from behind the gag. "What?" Walter froze, searching her face for some hint. Scully shook her head, trying to say something. "Is there one I've missed?" he asked her, touching her face with his fingertips. "A wire Saunders hid?" End part 8/10 - continued in part 9 part 9/10 "Is there one I've missed?" he asked her, touching her face with his fingertips. "A wire Saunders hid?" She nodded, sitting up straighter in the chair. Mulder noticed Walter's hand shook as he reached out to touch her through the t-shirt. "Here?" He asked. She made a negative sound and he moved his fingers lower. "I've got it." He half-turned. "Mulder, hand me the knife." "Here." "I'm going to have to slit the shirt, Dana." He held her gaze, fingers on her cheek again, calming her. "I'll be careful, but I can't get to it through your shirt." She nodded and he carefully slit the grey material until he could hold the thick white cable. "All right, here it is." Holding his breath, Skinner cut the wire and sat back on his heels. "There. That's the end of it." Mulder was surprised to feel his limbs were weak from the tension that was released at Skinner's words. "You're sure? What about the gag?" "No. It was hooked to the main pad." He pushed the release of the buckle and it fell away with a clatter, as did the ankle straps. Scully fell into his arms, face against his neck, sobbing through the gag. "Here, it's okay. Let me get this off you." Walter pulled off the gag and grabbed her in a crushing hug. "All right, let's get out of here. I don't think I got Saunders." As they moved outside, Skinner put his coat around Scully's shoulders and held her close against his side. Mulder walked at her other side, gun drawn. "No!" The scream came from behind their car, away from the dock. "You can't escape! I won't let you!" "Get down!" Skinner shoved Dana behind a row of barrels that stood nearby and crouched beside her. She curled into herself, finally reaching the end of her endurance. Mulder took up position at the far end. "Saunders, it's over!" Skinner shouted into the darkness. "She's free... give it up while you still can." "No!" Walter ducked as a bullet bit the ground near him. "It's not over yet, Agent Skinner!" Saunder's laugh made Mulder shiver. "Did you think I didn't have a back-up plan? In case you were able to defuse it?" Again the manic laugh floated at them from the darkness. "I remember how you studied... how you worked to find me the first time. I knew it was possible you'd be able to free her. That you'd remember." Skinner saw him then, hiding behind the front fender of the car. "It's no use, Saunders!" He rose slightly and took aim. The bullet dug up the dirt in front of the car. Saunders moved from behind the car, partially illuminated by the glow of the headlights. Skinner fired again and missed. Mulder tried from his vantage, but the man ducked out of sight. "Shoot him, Mulder!" Scully's voice was high with tension. "I'm tryin', Scully," the agent told her. Then Saunders stood up and Skinner saw him reach into his pocket and pull out something small and dark. Realization flooded him and he turned to Scully, hauling her to her feet and propelling her toward the edge of the dock. "Mulder! Into the water!" "What?" Mulder turned to see Skinner shoving Dana toward the edge. "He's got another bomb set! Dive!" Needing no more prodding, Mulder holstered his gun and dove. On the dock, Skinner moved to block Scully from Saunder's sights and pushed her into the murky water. As he turned to follow her, a bullet caught him in the back of the left shoulder, slamming him forward and down where the sharp cold engulfed him. Mulder felt Scully enter the water and reached out, grabbing hold of her and moving them both toward the surface. As he drew his first breath, the dock exploded and the sky lit up with red and orange flames. "What was that?" Scully clung to him as they bobbed in the water. "Skinner was right... Saunders had set a second bomb. Probably in those barrels." "Where is he?" Scully voice rose in panic. "Mulder, where is he!" "Come on, let's get to shore and we'll find him." Mulder hoped he sounded more certain of that fact than he felt. He wanted to dive for their friend now, but feared if he let go of Scully, she'd drown. They swam a few yards to where the shore met the water. Mulder pulled Scully out with him and they lay, exhausted and shaking, on the pebbly ground. "Walter--" she gasped, struggling to draw enough breath into her lungs. "I'll look for him," Mulder told her, starting to get up. "I'll dive around where we went in." "He'll drown!" "He was right behind you," Mulder insisted. "He had to be." "Keep it down!" Relief shot through Mulder as the AD swam out of the darkness. "Thank God," he breathed, moving to help the other man out of the water. "I thought I was going to have to dive for your sorry butt." Skinner fell to the ground beside them. "Thanks a lot." He glanced from one to the other. "You both okay?" "Yeah." Mulder reached out to push wet hair from Scully's face. "You okay, Scully?" She gave a brave smile and nodded, shivering. "I'm freezing. How are we getting out of here?" "I've got to go back and take care of Saunders," Walter told them. "One way or another. It has to end here... tonight." "We'll go with you," Mulder told him. "We need to get back to the car anyway. He may have been killed in the explosion." "Maybe. I've got to make sure." "Let's go." Mulder heaved himself to his feet and turned to help Scully up. Skinner nodded, too exhausted to argue. He was glad for the darkness that hid his bloodied shoulder. If he could just stay on his feet long enough to finish this. "You lost your glasses," Scully said, teeth chattering. "It's all right. There's another pair in the car in my bag." The three moved cautiously through the night until they were within sight of their abandoned car. The headlights were still on and Mulder heard the engine start. "Hey!" He reached out to touch his friend's arm. "He's leaving!" "Dammit!" Skinner swore, moving quickly forward. "Walter!" Scully screamed, but he kept after the car, reaching the driver's side and yanking it open. Mulder ran to help, followed by Scully. Driven by anger and the need to act quickly before his strength gave out, Skinner hauled the startled bomber out of the car and cold- cocked him with a blow to the chin. "Geez," Mulder said, awed. "Remind me never to really piss you off." Skinner leaned against the roof of the car, forehead pillowed on his arm, fighting off the darkness that clouded his vision. "Hey, what's--" In the interior light, Mulder caught sight of a dark smear on his hand. Looking more closely he realized it was blood. "Hey, how bad is it?" he demanded, fear rising once more. If they lost Skinner after all this... "What?" Scully was beside them in an instant, her hand on Walter's. "What happened?" "My shoulder. It's not serious..." Was all Skinner got out before he crumpled to the ground. Mulder caught him as he went down and Scully quickly examined his shoulder. "He's been shot," she announced. "We've got to get him to a hospital." The agents maneuvered Skinner into the back seat. "Damn, Scully! Couldn't you fall in love with somebody *lighter*?" Mulder took a good look at his friend's pallor as he lay unconscious in the harsh light of the car. "Is it serious?" "I don't think the bullet hit anything vital, but he's lost a lot of blood and with the cold water, he could easily die of shock." Both agents climbed into the front seat. "Saunders," Mulder said, getting out of the car again. "Mulder!" "Scully, if we don't take him with us, all of this will be for nothing and Skinner will be right back where he started." Mulder grabbed the keys from the ignition and opened the trunk. Then he hauled Saunders to his feet and unceremoniously dumped him inside and slammed it shut. He slid behind the wheel and jammed the pedal to the floor. The car leapt forward and Mulder headed for the nearest emergency hospital. End part 9/10 - continued in part 10 part 10/10 DANA SCULLY'S APARTMENT 6:00 PM - THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY Fox Mulder lounged on the sofa in Scully's living room, trying for the umpteenth time to loosen the collar of his tux. "Why do I have to wear a tux, Scully?" he whined. "Because," she said, coming into the room. "It's a ball. Ball means you have to dress up, Mulder." She gazed at him fondly. He looked like a little boy going to a wedding. "Wow, Scully." Mulder stood, appreciatively surveying his partner. "You look beautiful." "Thanks." She pivoted in front of him, green silk billowing around her. "You think he'll like it?" She looked over her shoulder. "Unless he's gone blind," Mulder said solemnly. "I'm going to finish up. Walter should be here soon." "Okay." Mulder went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He was about to extract a beer when the doorbell rang. "Ah, the plot thickens." He grinned, going to let Skinner in. "Mulder." The AD nodded to his agent as he crossed the threshold. Mulder had to admit that he made an impressive sight in his tuxedo, even with his left arm in a sling. A small bouquet of roses was clutched in the other hand. "Nervous?" Mulder wiggled his eyebrows at the older man. "What?" His eyes narrowed. "Why do you ask?" Mulder nodded to the flowers. "You're killing those roses." "Oh." He held them out. "Sorry." "For me?" Fox grinned and ducked as the AD punched at his shoulder. "What are you two up to out here?" Scully asked, coming around the corner. Skinner's universe stopped at the sight of her. Her copper- colored hair and green eyes were set off to perfection by the emerald green, floor length gown, and he stood, mesmerized. "Walter?" Scully cocked her head. "You okay?" His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Finally Mulder nudged him in his good arm. "Scully. You're... beautiful," he finally managed. "I'm going to get a complex about what I usually look like if you two don't stop it." But she was smiling. She'd hoped to have an effect on Walter... and this was better than she had expected. Mulder held up the bouquet. "He brought you roses... I'll put 'em in a vase while you two... whatever." He beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen. She came up to her lover, running a finger down the satin lapels of his jacket. "You look very handsome in that, AD Skinner." He swallowed hard. "And you look ravishing, Agent Scully." He leaned over her, tilting her chin up for a kiss, just as Mulder reentered the room. "Okay! Flowers in water, we should be going." Scully fought back a laugh as she felt Skinner jump, guiltily pulling away from her. Mulder regarded them with amusement. "It's okay... she's your date." Walter sighed. "It's going to take some doing to get over...." "Sneaking around?" The agent supplied helpfully. "No sneaking after tonight, boys and girls. We're gonna make a splash." There was a twinkle in Walter's brown eyes. "Well then, let's do it!" "Hey," Mulder spoke softly, when Scully went to get her coat. "I don't have to go with you guys. It was nice of you to offer to drive me, but--" "No, Mulder, it's important. To me and to Scully. I'm making a big statement tonight and you're part of that statement." He smiled slightly. "If we're going to give them a show, I say let's do it right." "You're the boss." Mulder pulled on his overcoat and turned as Scully joined them. "Okay you two, let's go." She turned out the lights and followed them out into the hallway, locking the door. "It should be quite an evening." Walter put a hand on her back, guiding her down the hallway, Mulder a few steps ahead of her. He could have swore he'd heard a trace of excitement in her voice just then. He shook his head; you'd think they were off to investigate an X-File. *** Skinner gave his keys to the attendant and helped Scully from the passenger seat. Mulder came around the car to join them. "Well," Walter said, taking a deep breath. "Shall we?" As they neared the doors to the ballroom, Mulder tapped his companion on the shoulder. "Let me go in first." Skinner's brow furrowed. "Why?" "The sight of Spooky Mulder in a tux should be enough to catch their attention." He winked. "We want them all to see your entrance." Skinner sucked air through his teeth in exasperation as his agent sauntered through the huge double doors. "Get used to it," Scully whispered up at him. "He gets very silly when he's in a good mood." "And how often is he in a good mood?" Skinner wondered. "Not often." She smiled. "Shall we go in?" "By all means." Walter squared his shoulders and followed Mulder's path. He could have sworn the noise level went down several points when he appeared in the doorway with Scully. Most of the room was looking at them, and he felt his ears flush. Damn. "Let's find our table," he said, smiling down at her, but his voice betrayed his embarrassment. "You're not sorry we came are you?" Scully laid a hand on his, smiling up into soft brown eyes. "Of course not." He sighed. "Well, as I said before, if we're going to give them a show..." Before she realized what was happening, Walter tilted her chin up and kissed her lips. Not hungrily, not dispassionately... but the message was clear. "Well, that should have done it." Scully cleared her throat. "I'd say so." Skinner took her arm and led her across the floor to the director's table. "Good evening Walter. I take it you're healing satisfactorily?" The director lit a cigar, nodding to his injured shoulder. "Yes, sir. The sling comes off Monday." "Good." He turned a penetrating gaze on Dana. "I'm glad to see you, Agent Scully. You look lovely." She felt herself blush. "Thank you, sir. It's a beautiful party." "Yes; made even more so by your presence." He turned to Skinner. "Your taste is admirable, Walter. I hope that it won't interfere with your work." "It won't, sir. I promise you." Satisfied, at least for the moment, the older man let his gaze drift to Mulder, who stood by the bar, talking to one of the other agents. "I think we should invite your partner to sit with us, Agent Scully." He smiled slightly. "For appearances sake, if nothing else." She fought down a grin. *Appearances, indeed.* "Yes, sir. I'll just get him." She rose and moved the short distance to the bar where Fuller had joined Mulder and Agent Thomas. "Well, well, if it isn't the hot-shot." He saluted her with a half-empty glass of vodka. "At least now I see why you were so bent about Skinner getting shot." His laugh raised Mulder's temper several degrees. He felt Scully's hand on his wrist. "Mulder, come sit with us." She turned to the bar. "Two Scotch on the rocks, please." Dana realized that Fuller was more than slightly drunk and held her breath, hoping they could get their drinks and leave before Mulder decked him. "And," Fuller continued to Thomas, though his voice was purposely pitched so the X-File agents could hear, "It also explains why she gets put in charge of every case she's on." He leered at Scully's low-cut dress. "Little candy for the AD, Dana? Or is Spooky sharing--" Mulder felt his temper flare but he didn't try to check it. Fuller had maligned his partner once too many times and he was going to pay for it right now. The agent took a step forward, his right arm pulling back for a punch, but he never delivered it. Mulder felt someone press against his back and then a fist came over his shoulder and connected with Fuller's jaw. The agent stumbled against the bar, then slid slowly down, until he was sitting on the floor. No one made a move to help him. "Walter," Scully breathed. Mulder glanced at his boss. "Didn't see you come up, sir." "Obviously Fuller didn't, either." Skinner rubbed his knuckles. "Sorry to spoil your fun, Mulder, but rank hath its privileges." He regarded Fuller's inert form. "I may have to investigate an appointment in Alaska for Agent Fuller. Obviously he feels his full potential isn't being realized here in D.C." Scully picked up their drinks, forgotten during Fuller's antics, and handed one to her date. "Here's to... everything." She grinned up at him. They clinked glasses and Skinner turned to touch the rim of his glass to Mulder's. "To everything," he repeated. Skinner glanced at Fuller, who was climbing unsteadily to his feet, considerably more sober than a few minutes before. "Mulder, we'll meet you back at the director's table. I think it's time I danced with Dana." "I think it's past time, sir. I can't wait to hear the gossip tomorrow." "Well, keep us posted." With a quick salute, Skinner slipped out of his sling and took his lover in his arms and led her onto the dance floor. He noticed that it became considerably less populated once they began to move to the music. He pulled Scully closer, burying his nose in her silky hair. "This is what's important, Dana," he whispered, palm on her back, fingers lightly touching bare skin. "No matter what happens, this is what's important." "Ummm, you're right," she agreed. Closing her eyes, Dana let herself be lost in the music and the closeness of her companion. She felt that it would be all right after all. With support from the director and Mulder to run interference, they might be able to have a relatively normal relationship, despite their jobs. And even if the winds changed, she knew in her heart that this man was hers. Nothing was going to change that. She was the vital half of two very important wholes and both men were equally important to her in different ways. As Skinner led her around the dance floor, Scully felt a light kiss on the top of her head. She leaned back enough to smile at him. "How long do you think we should stay?" she murmured, reaching up to trace a finger along his jaw. "Until Mulder's ready to leave," Skinner told her. "We'll take him home and then... well... " Scully laughed at the flush that spread across his neck. "You know, you're so cute when you blush... your ears get really red." "All right, that's enough," he said sternly. "I think I'll give Mulder a chance with you. I could use a drink." "Well, don't drink too much," Dana warned, "You're going to need all your faculties tonight." She touched his shoulder. "You're already disabled." Walter snorted."Don't bet on it." End part 10/10 - The End!