SCENE 9

Mulder followed Scully and Steed in Steed's silver convertible Aston Martin. He felt that the rental was a popular enough car that Scully wouldn't catch on he was following them. His stomach had tightened when he'd seen what he thought he'd seen and now he gripped the steering wheel intensely. If Steed did anything to her…

He flipped open his cell phone, making up his mind to call the F.B.I. headquarters. He talked to a female agent and had her put a trace on Steed's cell phone. He also asked for phone records from the past week and the agent said she would call him back as soon as she got them.

They began heading towards the marina and Mulder parked inconspicuously several spots away from them. Steed was acting quite the gentleman. He walked around the car and opened the door for Scully, offering her a hand as he helped her out of the car.

The marina was decorated festively with large Japanese lanternshanging. Mulder almost smacked his head into one as he walked onto the edge of the dock so he could see Scully and Steed as they got onto his yacht. He squinted, trying to see what side of the boat they were going on.

Suddenly his cell phone chirped making him jump.

He tried to pull it out of his jeans pocket and dropped it on the ground. He cursed and picked it up.

"Yeah, Mulder."

"Mulder, it's Agent Stephens again. Look, Mulder, we checked that guy, Steed's phone records and he apparently called another room in the hotel a few nights ago."

"Yeah?"

Agent Stephens continued, "Yeah, it was to Room 306."

Mulder's eyes widened. "306? Are you sure?"

"Hold on, let me check," there was a rustling of papers. "Yes, that's right."

"And this was how many days ago?" Mulder asked feeling his heart quicken a pace.

"It was two days ago."

"Ok, thanks." Mulder hung up the phone slowly and walked back towards the car. Room 306 was the room they'd found the dead woman in and she was most definitely checked in at that time. Steed had made the call to her room two days ago. And two days later she was found dead.

What kind of monster was this guy? Mulder wondered as his eyes nervously watched the yacht. Scully and him had been on the yacht for almost 15 minutes now.

And 15 minutes was long enough.

He jumped out of the car and was about to shut the door when he suddenly saw Steed walking Scully off the yacht.

Mulder spun around on the gravel, tripping and almost falling on his butt when he steadied himself on the car door. He had been more worried about Scully's reaction seeing him spy on her on her date than her safety. How silly was that.

Still he chose to slip back in the car quietly.

Everything appeared normal except for the fact that they were leaving so soon. Steed opened the door for Scully and she got in his Aston Martin. Mulder tailed them back to the hotel where Steed chose to drop her off in front of instead of walking her to her room. Probably figured Mulder was still hanging out there.

Mulder smiled smugly with satisfaction.

He watched Steed drive off and waited a few minutes before he headed upstairs.

When he opened the hotel door he saw Scully in her nightgown curled up in the bed even though it was only 8:30.

She opened her eyes when he came in.

"Hey." She said sleepily turning over.

"Hey."

"Where'd you go?" She asked him.

"I uh went out for pizza."

"Oh, where is it?"

"Um…I ate it all." Mulder said quickly.

"Oh, darn. I'm hungry."

"I thought you were having dinner with Steed?" he asked walking over towards the bed.

"Hm? Oh um I wasn't feeling well so he took me home."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mulder said sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.

She looked paler than usual and her hair hung limply across her face.

"I feel so exhausted," she said speaking with the tiredness even in her voice.

Mulder gently brushed the hair out of her face and ran his thumb down her jawline.

Scully closed her eyes at his touch, "Mm, feels good."

"Can I get you anything?" He asked feeling more concerned. He wasn't sure whether to bring up what he'd found out about Steed.

"Hm? No, mm just keep doing that." She replied, leaning her face into his touch.

Mulder smiled at her reaction.

"Anything else I can do for you?" he grinned mischievously at her.

"Yeah…come here," Scully crooked a finger at him and he leaned closer.

Her voice whispering, she asked, "Can you keep walking around here shirtless?" She then giggled at him.

Mulder raised an eyebrow at her. "And how much have we had to drink tonight?" This was definitely not normal behavior for her. He wondered if Steed had tried to get her intoxicated.

"Hmm…a lot!" she laughed. "But no, seriously Mulder," she put on a pout. "You should keep doing that."

Mulder laughed, "Um ok, I'll try to remember that."

"Oh and one more thing?"

"What's that?" He asked.

She crooked her finger at him again signaling him to lean closer.

He leaned forward thinking she was going to request something silly again.

Instead she put her hands on his face and pulled him down towards her. Her lips touched his in a soft soothing kiss and Mulder couldn't help but respond to her. He kissed her back tenderly and then she was letting him go.

"Thanks." She said without explanation.

"For what?" He asked her but she had laid her head back on the pillow and fallen asleep.

Mulder sat up thinking for a moment. He placed a call to the F.B.I. walking into the bathroom so as not to disturb Scully's sleep. Watching her from the doorway, he asked to speak to Assistant Director Skinner. While he waited to be put through he watched how sound she slept. It was unusual for her to fall asleep just like that. Even if she had been drinking. He put a hand to his mouth, wondering what the kiss exactly had meant. They were friends sure, but they'd both be kidding themselves if their relationship didn't run deeper than that. You don't spend as much time together as they did and go through as many life-conquering obstacles without strengthening a deeper kind of bond.

He was placed through and explained the situation to Skinner including the information he'd found out about Steed's phone call to the dead woman's room. Skinner asked him to find Steed immediately and question him and he'd meanwhile work on getting a search warrant.

Mulder changed into his suit and with one last look at Scully sleeping he slipped quietly out of the room.

He headed towards Steed's room hoping he'd find him in. Who knew what this guy could be up to.

*****

Meanwhile Scully slept peacefully as an intruder came into the room. She mumbled in her sleep, one syllable clear, "Mm..Mulder?.."

Her intruder smiled.

"Unfortunately not." He said.

Scully's eyes opened up. They widened when she saw it was Steed.

She tried to get out a scream but he covered her mouth and she suddenly felt herself losing consciousness.

*****

Mulder leaned impatiently against Steed's hotel door. He had already knocked three times with no answer.

Suddenly panic struck him and he whirled about almost knocking down a couple heading towards their room.

"Watch it Buddy!" the guy called out but Mulder didn't hear him.

He raced back to their Scully and his hotel room ignoring the elevator and taking the stairs up three at a time. He burst into the hotel room. His fears were fully realized when he saw the empty bed in front of him.

He called out anyways.

"Scully? Scully!"

He was only gone for those few minutes. Steed could still be close by.

Mulder felt sickened, that creep, that utter creep. Taking Scully, even touching her. He was going to pay.

He moved quickly to the window, scanning below for any signs of movement. A few passerbys, some drunks, and wait! He saw the silver Aston Martin pulling out of the hotel's parking garage.

Mulder raced downstairs to grab their rental car hoping that they were headed to the one place he knew of.

The yacht.

Steed didn't know Mulder had followed them. As far as Steed knew, Mulder was still sitting clueless in their hotel room.

He raced through downtown Miami towards the harbor breaking every traffic violation there was in the process. He slowed down once he got to the marina, not wanting to alert Steed of his presence just yet. He parked and drew out his weapon as he approached the yacht.

Lights were on around the yacht but no signs of movement just yet.

He stealthily moved around the yacht, peaking in windows and then he found an entrance through a kitchen. No one was around.

He slipped down the carpeted hallway, his gun aimed and ready.

Backing away from a doorway he realized he'd found a bedroom.

He saw Scully laying on the bed, passed out, still in her nightgown and her shimmering red hair splayed out around her head.

Cold steel pressed itself to his temple.

"Welcome to my yacht, Agent Mulder," an icy British voice said behind him.

Steed pushed him into the room.

"Drop your weapon."

Mulder obeyed and slowly dropped it to the floor.

Steed led him around the right side of the bed.

All of a sudden Scully woke up.

She looked at the scene before her.

"Mulder!" she gasped seeing Steed's gun pressed to his head. She jumped up from the bed, stumbling slightly, as if to try to attack Steed.

Steed swiftly moved over to her and pushed her down on the bed.

"Stay put, I need your energy. Not some tired useless body."

Mulder stared him down. He was in fact an aura zapper.

As if to seal the deal, Steed let his true face show for a moment. His gleaming X-ray face appeared. Scully tried to scoot away from him in fear realizing what he truly was.

This time Steed shoved her hard.

Scully cried out as her head smacked the headboard.

Mulder couldn't stand it anymore and he reached for his second weapon strapped to his ankle.

Steed turned realizing what he was doing and grabbed Scully close to him, pointing the gun at her head.

"You might want to hand me that second weapon, agent."

Mulder thought quickly, he had a close-range shot. Five or six feet at most. Scully was standing closely to Steed. If he missed…he dismissed the thought.

As he rose, he swung his weapon in an arc from his lower leg to straight out in front of him and aimed steadily. He quickly fired catching Steed in the lower neck.

Steed's head shot back and he released Scully as he fell to the floor with a thud.

Mulder raced over quickly.

"Are you okay?" He asked Scully breathlessly.

She nodded as she stared down at Steed.

Mulder checked Steed's pulse and breathed a sigh of relief. He straightened up, putting away his weapon in its holster.

Scully looked up at him, her green eyes moist. "I didn't even know…"

Mulder looked at her. They held each other's gaze without needing words between them. They could easily communicate this way. In fact they often did.

He pulled her in close to him and she buried her face into the crook of his arm. Her eyes let loose the tears behind them. He held her for a moment and then said, "Let's get out of here."

He led her outside.

****

The two of them sat on the back of the ambulance once the local police and paramedics arrived. Mulder had his arm around Scully. He pulled back for a moment.

"How's your head?" He asked softly as he brushed aside her hair from her face.

"It feels ok, thanks," Scully replied holding an ice pack to the back of her head.

"Hey Scully…"

"Yeah?"

"There are some marks here."

Scully's voice sharpened, "Where? What kind of marks."

Mulder was examining the back of her neck. His finger ran down Scully's skin and she inadvertently shivered.

"Two holes, just like on our murder victim."

Scully drew in a quick breath, "That's why I've been so tired."

"Yeah and why you acted like you drank a bottle of 40 oz. Vodka by yourself last night and why you were all over me."

Scully looked at him, "What?!"

Mulder chuckled. He didn't think she remembered the kiss she gave him. It was probably better this way.

"Nothing," he replied hiding a smile.

Scully shuddered, "I don't like the feeling that he left his mark on me."

"Don't worry, it'll heal, I promise." He bent down and kissed her lightly on the neck. "And if anyone ever does that to your neck again, there'll be more hell to pay."

"Mulder, I don't think I've ever heard you sound like that before." Scully said watching him with a slightly impressed look.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it's sort of uh…um…" Scully trailed.

"Sexy?" Mulder offered.

"You are so full of it! But yes, the term fits…"

Mulder grinned, "You think I'm sexy."

"I do not…that's not what I said."

"Yeah you do, you totally do," he teased her.

Scully shook her head, "Honestly…"

They both watched the crowd of police and bystanders surrounding the parking lot of the marina for a moment.

"Mulder?"

"Uh huh."

"Thanks for spying on me and my date," She said with a knowing smile as she looked straight ahead and patted his right leg.

Mulder stopped and looked at her piecing it together. "Wait! You do remember last night. That's what the…'thank you' was for…last night."

Scully turned to face him, "Gotcha."

Their eyes met each other's and suddenly Scully felt herself leaning on the hand she still had on Mulder's leg. Mulder was leaning down towards her as well.

Scully's heart pounded. How many times had they been here before?

Mulder was looking at her with such an intense dark hunger in his eyes. She had never seen that before. Did she want this? Her best friend, her life, her other half?

Mulder seemed to sense her apprehension and his intense look in his eyes seemed to tone down and instead his features softened and he leaned the rest of the way to meet her lips with his in a gentle kiss.

Scully felt instantly warmed by his touch. He felt so real, so right. She parted her lips slightly and felt herself kissing him back.

They had shared a similar kiss one New Year's Eve at midnight. The world hadn't ended. In fact, Scully had looked forward to the chance to do it again. And it seemed so did Mulder.

How much had they had gone through? It seemed eternal lifetimes had passed between them in just 7 years of working together. They had saved each other numerous times and tonight Mulder had saved her from death yet again. Mulder had told her once he loved her while in the hospital after an ordeal in the Bermuda Triangle. Scully realized that all this time she loved him too.

She put her hands up to his face feeling his familiar skin and abruptly her hands were in his hair as she intensified the kiss with more. He eagerly followed her pursuit as he pulled her tightly close to him wrapping his muscular arms around her. He kissed her as if she were going to slip between his fingers.

"Ahem…um agents," a voice coughed in front of them.

Mulder continued kissing Scully waving a hand at whoever was talking to them.

Scully pulled away laughing, "Mulder!"

It was the Chief of Miami Police, Mulder's good buddy.

Scully looked away sheepishly. Mulder grinned, a little embarrassed himself, as he wiped his mouth.

"We're about ready to pack it up here. Good work, both of you." The Chief stuck out a hand and shook Mulder's and Scully's. He walked off.

Mulder and Scully looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Hey, you don't have any shoes," Mulder realized as he looked down at her feet.

"Yeah, I was kind of kidnapped out of bed."

Without warning Mulder scooped her up in his arms and started carrying her to the car.

"Wah!" Scully cried out in surprise but in no way did she mind the gesture. She laid her head on his sturdy shoulder. He skillfully opened the passenger car door for her and laid her inside.

"Hey Mulder," Scully said looking up at him from the seat.

"Yeah?" He said still leaning down towards her.

"I have one thing to ask of you before we leave Miami."

"What's that?"

"Can we please go to the beach?"

Mulder smiled, "Yeah. No more corpses, morgues, or evil boyfriends are in the way now. And you can finally relax."

"Well, that's part of the reason…" Scully said with a smirk.

"And what's the other part?"

"You'll be shirtless again!" Scully giggled at him.

Mulder shook his head, "Oh boy."

He shut her door and got in on the driver's side starting the car up.

"You do think I'm sexy," he said aloud.

Scully slugged him in the arm. "Maybe…just maybe."

THE END