Disclaimer: No infringement intended.

A/N: Big thanks to everyone that reviewed my story especially to Chris for all the finishing touches. I hope this chapter cleans up the loose ends for everybody. I had fun writing this! Never fear - Dris and Nester will be hanging out with Mulder and Scully in the future.

Chapter 20

Dubuque Field Office

Tuesday 5:00 pm

The file slapping down on the desk caused Mulder to look up into the eyes of an eager Agent Jasper. His face was lit up like a kid in a candy store.

"The victim is Holly Cross, age 22. She was a senior at the University of Dubuque. She lived alone in a studio apartment two blocks from campus," Jasper stated smugly.

Mulder picked up the file and reviewed the information and the attached photo. "How did you find her?"

Jasper sat down on the desk top. "When there weren't any questionable drop outs at Clarke College, I checked the other two campuses and then made phone contact with each family this morning. The only person I couldn't reach was Ms. Cross. According to University records, she doesn't have any family. So I went to her apartment with the landlord and looked around. It was obvious no one had been there for a while. I found a glass in the sink with a good print on it and ran it through the computer. The positive match with the deceased just came back."

Mulder nodded and put a sunflower seed in his mouth. "What do we know about her?"

"Well, not too much," Jasper replied. "According to her landlord, the apartment and utilities were paid in full until the end of the school year. She had a work study job on campus last semester. The Dean couldn't give me much more information about her…sounds like she flew under the radar …mediocre student, kept to herself, low profile."

"Friends, boyfriends…off campus job?" Mulder questioned and looked up at Jasper.

The young agent shook his head. "That I don't know. I left a message with her work study supervisor. … Professor Harris."

"Any signs at her apartment?"

"Other than being empty for months?" Agent Jasper asked.

"No," Mulder replied with frustration. Newbies, he cursed in his head. "Pay stubs, mail, letters …anything that might be a clue?" Mulder said slowly to conceal his annoyance with the young agent. He looked closely at Agent Jasper and watched the man's face flush with embarrassment and knew the answer before he replied.

"Ah …. I didn't check that," Jasper replied sheepishly.

Mulder pushed back from the desk and stood up. "Well, let's go back," he replied bluntly. He walked to the coat rack and took his coat off the hanger. "Dris," he called across the office. Driscoll was returning to his desk from the washroom and looked up at Mulder.

"I'm going with Jasper to work on this lead," Mulder said.

"Okay," Driscoll fished the keys to the Jeep out of his pocket and tossed them across the room to Mulder. "I'll catch a ride home with Dad."

---

Dubuque Field Office

Tuesday 7:00 pm

Mulder and Jasper made it back to the field office just after seven. Mulder had found what he was looking for at Ms. Cross' apartment. They had confiscated a computer hard drive and found pay stubs and a uniform smock from a restaurant near the mall. Mulder was cataloging the evidence at his desk, and was just about to wrap up when Jasper burst into the bull pen.

"Agent Mulder…I'm glad you're still here. Do you have any experience with hostage negotiations?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yes," Mulder replied reluctantly.

"PD has a jumper out on the railroad bridge. They've been trying to talk her down for the past two hours. They just requested assistance."

Mulder sighed and stood up from the desk. There are a thousand places I'd rather be right now, and talking a jumper down from a railroad bridge isn't one of them, he thought to himself. He picked up the items he was cataloging and walked over to the evidence lockers in the back of the office. After he had secured the items in a locker and placed the evidence sticker over the seal, he walked back to his desk and picked up his coat.

"Are you driving?" Mulder asked the man as he stood in the doorway.

"Yeah, my car is out front," the agent replied as he and Mulder walked quickly toward the door.

They arrived at the river front in a matter of minutes. The railroad bridge spanned the width of the Mississippi River and loomed over the ice covered water a mere thirty feet from the surface. Mulder stepped from the car and was hypnotized by the scene that played out in front of him…the static sounds from the police radios buzzing around him, the murmur of voices, the red lights bouncing off the buildings and the expanse of the mighty icy river. He could hear his heart beating loudly in his ear and the butterflies in his stomach as the sickening memories from the car accident just days ago flashed through his mind.

"Agent Mulder."

He turned his head toward the voice as he felt Jasper gently touch his sleeve.

"Agent Mulder, this is the street commander, Sergeant Gibson."

Mulder redirected his focus and extending his hand to the man in front of him. The sergeant was tall, with salt-n-pepper hair and a weathered face. "Agent Fox Mulder," he said introducing himself. "What can you tell me about the situation?" Mulder asked scanning the scene again.

The sergeant inclined his head to the right, motioning for Mulder to follow him and started walking up a slope to the railroad tracks. "Her name is Carrie Walker. She's a college student at the University of Dubuque. A few of the officers are acquainted with her because she used to work at a convenience store they frequent. Other than that … I can't tell you much. We got the call two hours ago from the railroad tower. I've had a man out there trying to talk to her since we arrived. She hadn't said anything until a few minutes ago and then all hell broke loose."

"What do you mean?" Mulder asked as he followed the Sergeant down the tracks.

The sergeant stopped and turned sideways to look Mulder in the eye. "About five minutes ago her cell phone rang and when she answered it, the officers tried to move on her. The footing out there isn't the greatest and one of the officers tripped. She slipped down off the bridge deck to the under support. She climbed across the girders about twenty five feet down the tracks and then climbed back up on the deck plating." The sergeant pointed his flashlight down the bridge and illuminated the female and a police officer about a quarter way across the bridge.

Mulder stepped around the sergeant to get a better look at what he was up against. The woman was sitting on the bridge decking, her legs dangling over the edge. The officer was about fifteen feet from her, tethered to safety by a rope. A Coast Guard boat circled in the open water below them.

"Hope you aren't afraid of heights," the sergeant chuckled sadistically.

Mulder sighed and bit his lip. Why didn't I have Jasper drop me off at the hospital? "Are the trains stopped?" It was a rhetorical question he blurted out so he could hear himself think. He looked back at the Sergeant and heard the man's answer, but he wasn't listening. He looked over and saw Agent Jasper leaning casually against his fleet sedan. Not a care in the world, Mulder thought as he assessed the situation. So much for my backup.

"….Rescue has rigged a safety line for you that will get close to her. Watch yourself when you're walking … the bridge wasn't designed for pedestrian traffic."

Mulder nodded and walked to the threshold where the Fire Department Rescue team was waiting for him. He removed his leather jacket and pulled on the fire coat the rescue workers handed him. Considering that one of the police officers had tripped and nearly tumbled off the side of the bridge, Mulder was outfitted with a safety helmet and headlamp to keep his hands free. Mulder stood motionlessly as the Rescue personnel attached the safety harness to his torso and gave him instructions on how to traverse the bridge decking. The words 'don't look down' and 'step carefully' repeated like a broken record inside his head. Before Mulder was aware of what he was doing, he had walked up on the trestle and made his way across the decking.

Geez, they weren't kidding about this thing not being pedestrian worthy, Mulder thought as he stepped across the girders. He moved his head sideways to illuminate the decking and sides of the bridge. He vaguely recalled a firefighter saying the bridge was nearly 75 years old. The decking consisted of wooden planks spaced eight to twelve inches apart with the heavy train rails running atop of them. The bridge itself had no side railings. The superstructure was iron with only two thick cables running the length of it for side support.

Mulder was caught up in his thoughts and not focusing on his footing when he stepped into air. He felt his body plunge downward with no support and stumbled forward to catch himself. When he was on solid footing, he hesitated and took several deep breaths. The thick material of the fire jacket was weighing him down and causing him to sweat. He unbuttoned the jacket as the winter air stung his lungs and he looked around at his surroundings. Why am I doing this? he questioned himself silently. Scully wouldn't have let me come out here alone, he thought recalling the inexperience of the young Agent Jasper. After a few minutes, he continued his trek to where the jumper was sitting.

As he approached the jumper, he made a mental note of her appearance. She appeared to be in her early twenties, brown hair and of average stature. She was wearing jeans, a black hooded sweatshirt and gym shoes. She looked vaguely familiar to him, like he had seen her somewhere recently. She was talking in circles to the police officer that was standing about fifteen feet away. As he got closer to the officer, he was cognizant that the two were arguing. Mulder shot the officer a look and held his hand up motioning for the officer to shut up. The man sighed in frustration as Mulder walked five feet closer to her.

Mulder settled himself along the railing just close enough that he could lunge for her if she decided to jump. Let's just hope the rope holds, he thought as he squatted down to get on her level. The area was lit up from the Coast Guard boat below. He smirked as his mind raced through all the possible combinations of introductions. How the hell do you break the ice with a jumper that is sitting on the side of a bridge with no railing? It didn't take long to find out.

"Who the hell are you? I've never seen you before…are you a firefighter or something?" Carrie snapped at Mulder as she eyeballed him carefully.

"No," Mulder replied, his tone conversational. "My name is Fox."

"Your name is Fox? Ra..ight," she quipped at him rolling her eyes. "That sounds like a soap star name. Let me guess … you last name is … Hunt?"

Mulder smiled and replied evenly. "Bzzzz… wrong answer. It's Mulder."

Carrie looked at him again and then turned away rolling her eyes. "You didn't answer my question …. Are you a cop or what?

"I'm a," Mulder paused as he caught himself giving a 'Nester F ..B.. I' response. "I'm a Federal Agent."

"Federal agent? Like in FBI?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Wow … impressive." She bobbed her head and kicked her legs freely from the side of the bridge. She looked over at him after a few seconds. "What do you want?"

"Well, for starters, I'd like to know why you are sitting out here," Mulder replied flatly.

"It's a free country…I can sit where I want," she replied and looked away from him at the frozen river in front of her.

"Well, that's where you are wrong, Carrie," the officer interjected from behind. "You are trespassing on private property. The railroad is going to press charges against you. The only place you'll be sitting tonight is in a jail cell."

Mulder rolled his eyes in response to the Officer's outburst and sighed. What part of shut up wasn't clear? he thought as he looked back at the officer and held his hand up again. He looked down at the decking and tried to regroup.

"Look, Carrie, the way I see it you have two options. Either walk off this bridge with me right now and stay warm and dry … or…."

"Save it, cop!" Carrie interrupted. "I know the drill… wet or dry it's my decision, but ultimately I'll end up in the looney bin with all the other nut jobs …. Do they teach you that crap at Cop School or something? Officer Davis said the same thing to me an hour ago."

"Yes, it's a required course at Cop School called Jumper Tactics 101," Mulder fired back sarcastically. "It covers all the key phrases to use when trying to talk a seemingly normal and intelligent woman off the side of a bridge."

Carrie stared at him quizzically and Mulder caught the end up her lip turn upward into a smile.

"You're a regular comedian aren't you?" Carrie asked him flippantly

Mulder smiled back at her and laughed. "Well, as long as I can get a laugh out of you, then I guess I've served my purpose."

"I'm not laughing," she replied emphasizing each word as she tried to wipe the smile from her face.

"Really," Mulder chuckled. "I guess that's just a nervous twitch on your lip then." He looked down at the decking again and pushed the helmet back on his head. "So what are you doing out here anyway?"

"I'm not going to jump, if that is what you're worried about," she replied kicking her legs out again. "So you can just go back to the station house and eat some donuts with your cop friends."

"I'm on a diet," Mulder snapped back as he adjusted his stance. "If you aren't going to jump, then what's your purpose?"

Carrie was quiet for a minute and the replied in a soft voice. "I'm waiting for someone. They're coming to get me."

"Who?" Mulder began and was cut off by Officer Davis standing behind him.

"Oh for christ's sake… not the alien story again," the officer grumbled. "No one believes that shit, Carrie."

She's an abductee, Mulder realized and turned around to silence the officer for what he hoped was the last time. He turned back to Carrie and asked the question again.

'Who is coming to get you, Carrie?"

"Like I'm going to tell you? You're a cop. You're programmed not to believe," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"You'd be surprised at what I believe," Mulder retorted. "Try me."

"It doesn't matter," she shook her head. "They're going to be here soon, and then I'll have the last laugh."

"How do you know they're coming?" Mulder asked her, trying a different angle.

"I just know," she replied flatly.

"Because they triggered the implant?" Mulder blurted out to catch her attention. Her reaction said it all. She snapped her head toward him and held his stare for a moment. No verbal words were spoken, but a shared understanding existed between them.

After a moment, Carrie pulled out of the trance he had on her and shook her head. "This is a trick," she bit her lip.

"It's not a trick," Mulder replied trying to reassure her. He was gaining her trust and was damn sure not going to lose it. "I can assure you that I'm a believer. I know people who are like you…with similar experiences as you. I can help you get in contact with them for support."

"I've seen others," she replied with a far off look in her eyes. "I've always wondered …." she paused and was silent, obviously reflecting for a moment. "That is how I met Holly…I saw her when I was there. She understands because she's lived it too."

Mulder was quiet as he thought about what she had just said. Did she just say Holly? Oh … the photo ….that's where I know her from. There was a photo of her on the refrigerator at Holly's apartment. What are the chances? "I can have someone call Holly for you. She could come out so you could talk to her…"

"You can't," Carrie replied softly. "She's gone. They took her."

Mulder tilted his head and felt the helmet slip down on his forehead. He pushed the helmet back again and put his knee down on the bridge. His legs felt tingly and his foot was falling asleep. "How do you know she's gone? When was the last time that you saw her?" he asked the woman.

"I haven't seen her since finals last semester. We went to the dam to celebrate and they came for me. When they brought me back, Holly was gone."

"Finals are in December?" Mulder questioned and watch her head nod. "Did you report her as missing to the police?"

"They don't believe … and they don't care," Carrie laughed. "Ask Officer Davis. He thinks I'm a nut job."

Mulder pursed his lips. "Carrie, is Holly's last name Cross?"

Carrie turned her head to look at him. She answered yes in a barely audible whisper.

"Carrie, Holly wasn't abducted. She's …. She's dead," Mulder told her calmly and steeled himself for her response.

The young woman shot him a look of disbelief and he saw tears well up in her eyes. "No, she's not … you don't know, you're lying. They took her…."

"Carrie," he replied firmly. "I'm not lying or trying to deceive you. She was identified today by fingerprints and photographs."

"They planted them … they aren't hers….it's someone else." Carrie pulled her legs to her chest and began to rock back and forth. As she did, the deck boards protested and groaned loudly.

Mulder watched her reaction and started to slowly creep forward. "No. Fingerprints are unique to each individual. I saw the report. I was at her apartment on Grace Street. I saw your picture on the refrigerator." He was quiet for a moment and then added. "I wouldn't lie to you about something like that."

He watched her carefully for another second as he crawled towards her slowly. When he was within arms reach of her, she shot up from where she was sitting and backed up on the decking. He stood quickly and snagged her arm before she fell into the hole between the slats. The glare of the spotlight burned his eyes and blinded his peripheral vision, but he held firm in his stance. He didn't want to find out if the rope was going to hold the two of them.

"Those rat bastards killed her!" she shouted as tears spilled from her eyes.

"All the more reason you need to come with me, rather than stand out here and wait for them to do the same to you!" Mulder replied, keeping his tone conversational and non-threatening.

"If I go with you, the cops will lock me up!" she cried irrationally and pulled back from his hold.

Mulder stood his ground and didn't release his hold on her arm. "Take a minute to think about that, Carrie," he said to her calmly. "What's the alternative? Jumping? The fall to the water won't kill you. The Coast Guard is right there waiting to fish you out. All that will result is you'll be cold, wet and miserable. Either way it won't change what happened to Holly. You can still help her….Help me find 'those rat bastards'."

"Carrie, if you sign yourself in tonight, you can get out tomorrow," Officer Davis added from his position behind Mulder.

Carrie shifted her gaze from Mulder to Officer Davis and contemplated her dilemma for a moment. She turned her face from Mulder and stared down at the deck as the tears fell from her eyes. "I'll go with you," she mumbled and relaxed her arm. "But just you…. I don't trust the cops."

---

Mulder's cell phone rang as he stepped out of the elevator on the third floor of the hospital. He had just come from the psychiatric unit on the second floor after having another conversation with Carrie. He was carrying a folder of X-rays in his hand, and shuffled them into his armpit as he answered the phone.

"Mulder," he answered after he flipped the phone open.

"Agent Mulder? Officer Boscorelli," the male voice answered. "Dispatch gave me a message to call you."

"Yeah, I really appreciated it, I know you aren't at work right now," Mulder commented as he walked slowly toward Scully's room. "I was wondering if you could run the name of Holly Cross through the database and see if there were any calls involving her or Carrie Walker the past six months."

"Who is Holly Cross?" Bosco inquired.

"She's the Jane Doe from the golf course. She was identified today through some good police work and fingerprints," Mulder replied with a smirk on his face. "She worked at a diner called Bob's Burger. Are you familiar with it?"

"Yeah, it's a real dive. We're there about five times a week on disturbance calls," Bosco replied with a chuckle. "We're back on duty at six. Faith and I will check the files right away and let you know what we find."

Mulder closed the phone and made his way down the hallway to Scully's private room. He saw movement at the door and recognized the profile as Tracy Driscoll, Dris's sister.

"Tracy?"

She turned quickly at the sound of his voice. "Mulder, geezus, you scared me."

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly as he embraced his friend. "How long have you been here?"

"I came over about five to sit with her. I made sure she ate something," Tracy replied she fished her car keys out of her pocket. "She's in a lot more pain than she is willing to let on."

"That … is typical Scully," Mulder replied as he stepped around her to the doorway of Scully's room.

"Oh, she is not in there," Tracy added. "They took her down to physical therapy for a whirlpool bath." Tracy arched her eyebrows at him and smiled slyly.

"Really?" Mulder replied.

"Hmmm, hmmmm," she replied and inclined to her head to the right. "I'll walk with you to the elevator. I'm ready to leave anyway … I just tucked Nester in for the night."

Mulder nodded and walked down the corridor with her. They chatted and laughed along the way about Nester's disposition and how Scully put up with him all night. At the elevator he hugged Tracy goodbye and headed down the South wing in search of Physical Therapy. Mulder found the department in short order and entered the room, peering around the corner looking for his partner. He caught the eye of a nurse's aide working by herself in a corner.

"Can I help you sir?" she asked as Mulder approached her.

"I was looking for Agent Scully," he replied.

"Are you family?" she asking cautiously.

"I'm her… partner," he replied slowly and flashed his ID at her. He wanted to yell I'm her lover! at the top of his lungs but he knew better to keep that in check.

"Down the hall, curtain three," she directed him.

Mulder looked around the room and noticed it was empty. "Slow night?" he asked her as he turned toward the hallway.

"She's the last patient tonight," the aide replied. She looked at him quizzically for a minute and then added, "When she's ready to go back to her room, you can push the call button and I'll come back to help her." She winked at him and left the room.

Does it say 'I'm horny' on my forehead or something? Mulder thought as he watched the aide leave the room. He shook his head and made his way down the hall to curtain three.

"Scully?" he called to her quietly and pulled the curtain back. He found her sitting in the swirling tub covered with foamy soap. "Hmmm, I didn't realize they had bubble bath service here."

"Funny, Mulder," she winced as she shifted her body in the tub. "It's medicated soap. Where have you been?"

Her expression did not go unnoticed. "Working on your case," Mulder replied as he sat on the side of the tub. "Agent Jasper got an ID on the body. I'm going to interview a friend tomorrow." The heat radiating from the water warmed the air in the small curtained area. Mulder felt sweat forming on his brow and he stood to remove his leather jacket. He laid it and the file he was carrying on a chair. He eyed Scully sitting in the foaming water and felt his heart beat quicken in his chest and his arousal grow in his jeans. He began to roll up his sleeves and sat down on the side of the tub. .

Scully shifted in the tub, grunting slightly and perplexed expression washed over her face. "Mulder, Jane Doe had friends in the area all this time and no one reported her missing?"

"Shhhh," Mulder shushed her as he slipped his arm into the warm water and worked his hand over to her thigh. Scully grabbed his arm under water and stopped his advances.

"Mulder!" she glared at him. "We are in the physical therapy lab. The aide could walk in any minute."

He wiggled his arm free and smiled. "I sent her away for a while," he replied evenly. His eyes were dilated with desire. "I think she knew that I could relieve your pain and heat you up better than this whirlpool tub." His fingers found their way to her inner thigh, and he gently stroked her delicate skin. He watched her tilt her head back and sigh softly.

"This is dangerous, Mulder," she groaned as her head lolled to the side.

"I'll protect you," he whispered. "I carry a gun."

"Mulder," she moaned softly. "We aren't in a room. Anyone could walk in here."

He laughed at her protests. "Scully, no one will know anything. I'm just sitting here fully clothed and you are taking your prescribed bath."

"Someone could hear us," she said jutting her lip out in a pout.

"Then you'll just need to be quiet," he remarked and looked down at the swirling water.

He found her bud and began to put pressure on it with his thumb. He smiled as he heard her breath catch in her throat and watched the pleasure creep over her face. He worked the pressure points of her center and slid his fingers into her into her core. He felt her muscles contract around him as he rhythmically moved his hand inside of her. Scully's hips rocked in time with his movement and caused the water to slap the sides of the tub. .

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked her softly. He watched her eyelids open and she slowly shook her head. Their eyes locked in a trance. Mulder pushed her legs apart allowing the jet from the whirlpool hit her just below his hand and he watched her eyes roll back as she came to her apex. He listened to her breathing and as her slow breaths became quickened gasps, he pulled his hand away from her mound and trailed his fingers down the inside of her thigh. She moaned in protest.

"Mulder…" she gasped and looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Please." She braced her hand against the side of the tub.

She's close, he smiled and worked his fingers back into her folds, finding her hot center again. He worked the points with his thumb, while thrusting his fingers deep within her and took her over the edge quickly. As her muscles clenched around his fingers and her hips jerked below the surface of the water, he watched her bite her lip and contain her verbal outburst. She took a deep breath and hissed as she exhaled. She tilted her head back against the side of the tub and gasped to control her breathing and the tremors that teased her from below.

Mulder slid his hand out from beneath the water and leaned over to grab a towel hanging on the rack next to the tub. He felt his arousal bulging in his jeans demanding to be satisfied as well. In his rush to make his flight earlier in the day he had decided to go "commando" and until just this second it hadn't bothered him. Now, however, the friction of the coarse jean fabric against the tip of his sensitive erection was teasing him in a manner that made the hairs on his arm stand on end. He adjusted himself as he sat back on the edge of the tub and looked back over at Scully. She had a mischievous grin on her face.

"Now you Mulder," she whispered to him.

"Ugh uh," he replied shaking his head. "Tonight was about you."

She was about to protest when they heard movement from outside the curtain. Instinctively Mulder put his hand on his gun.

"Ms Scully?" It was the female voice of the Physical Therapist. "Are you ready to go back to your room?"

"Yeah, she's ready," Mulder coughed. Mulder bit his lip and looked over at his partner. Saved by the bell, he thought as he reached for his coat and stood up from the tub. He strategically held the coat in front of him, camouflaging his erection. When the therapist pulled back the curtain, Mulder grabbed the file and conveniently excused himself from the room.

It took nearly fifteen minutes and three staff members to get Scully settled back into her bed. Mulder walked into the room as the nurse was squeezing a syringe of pain meds into Scully's IV line. An aide slid the pulse-ox sensor on Scully's index finger and adjusted the monitoring equipment. The therapist was helping Scully get situated on the pillows.

"Okay," the therapist said. "You are all hooked up for the night. I'll see you in the morning." She patted Scully's arm. She left the room as the nurse was finishing up.

"I'm Lizzie and this is Kris," the nurse remarked introducing the aide. "If you need anything, just hit the call button."

Kris looked up at Mulder and stepped away from Scully's bed. "I'll check in on you later, Dana." She looked over at Mulder again as she passed him. "Don't stay all night Agent Mulder. She needs her rest."

Mulder nodded and then made eye contact with the aide. "I promise," he remarked with a chuckle. His answer obviously satisfied Kris because she nodded and then left the room.

When the door closed, Mulder pulled the chair closer to Scully's bed and sat on it. He reached out for her hand and their fingers intertwined with each other.

"So, what about the case?" Scully asked him flatly.

Mulder chuckled at her. "You aren't going to let that go are you?"

"No, Mulder. Nester and I spent hours theorizing over that case and it's just frustrating to have someone else come in and take it over." She gave him a knowing look.

"Even if it's me?" Mulder asked, tilting his head. He saw the disappointed look in her eye and nodded. "Well, you were right about her being a college student. Her name was Holly Cross. She was a senior at the University of Dubuque, lived alone in an off campus apartment. She didn't have any family."

"How did you find the friend? And, why …why didn't anyone report her as missing?" Scully rambled trying to put the clues together in her mind.

"I got lucky," he chuckled. "I helped the PD tonight talk a jumper off the bridge and while I was trying to gain her trust I discovered she was friends with Holly. She didn't know she was missing until just recently," he replied trying to avoid the "abductee" conversation. He knew she would have some choice words to say when she found out this was an X-File.

"She was friends with her and didn't know she was missing?" Scully questioned him. "That doesn't make any sense. If I was missing for more than a day I'm fairly sure that you or Tracy or the Gunmen would notice." She stared at him for a moment. "What aren't you telling me?"

Mulder sighed and stood up from the chair. He walked over to the bureau and picked up the folder of X-Rays. He came back to the bed and sat down on the edge, handing her the file. Scully gave him a perplexed look as she pulled the films from the folder.

"These are neck and shoulder X-Ray's for Carrie Walker … the jumper I talked down tonight … Ms. Cross' friend," Mulder remarked.

"How did you get these?" Scully asked as she scanned the film.

"I asked her to fake a shoulder and neck injury when she got to the ER and she signed the release for me to obtain them." Mulder caught Scully's scolding look and shrugged his shoulders. "I had to resort to creative thinking … since my doctor wasn't available to order them for me." He watched her look at the film of Carrie's head and neck.

"She has an implant," Scully mumbled staring at the film.

"She also has two under her fingernails, although I'm doubtful as to her story of how they got there," Mulder replied evenly.

Scully laid the film on her lap and looked at Mulder. "What does this have to do with the victim?"

Mulder took a deep breath and put the film back in the folder. "Carrie stated that the last time she saw Holly was December 19th when they went out to celebrate after finals. Carrie claims she was 'taken' later that evening and was returned a few weeks ago…"

"She's claiming to be an abductee?" Scully interrupted.

Mulder nodded and bit his lip. He set the file folder on the nightstand by her bed.

"Do you believe her?" Scully questioned.

"Maybe. From what she's told me, the experiences are similar to the other cases we've seen. She told me that she had a compelling urge to go to the bridge tonight …. That 'they' were coming for her."

Scully rolled her eyes as he talked. "Mulder, most people suffering from psychosis are compelled to do something … usually something that causes bodily harm to themselves."

"Naaa.. I don't think she had any intention to jump," he replied as he recalled the conversation from the bridge. "The police opened the door for her in a failed rescue attempt and she stood her ground."

"So that's her excuse for not reporting the victim as missing?" Scully asked him as she rubbed her neck.

"Pretty much. She claims that when she got back and Holly wasn't around, she assumed that she had been taken as well," Mulder replied flatly as he watched her roll her neck. "Does your neck hurt?"

Scully bit her lip and smiled. "Could you rub it for me?"

Mulder smiled and nodded. Scully scooted over on the bed and rolled onto her side. Mulder slid closer to her body and went to work on the knots in her neck. She was tense and he smiled as he heard a soft moan escape from her lips.

"So what else did you and Nester talk about while you were trapped?" Mulder asked her trying to distract Scully from the pain in her feet.

"Hmmm, a variety of things," she mumbled.

"Like?" Mulder prompted her.

"Fantasy football, Tracy, you and me….ouch," Scully yelped as he found a knot in her neck and applied some pressure to it. "Ughhh," Scully moaned as she felt it loosen and took some deep breaths. The medication was starting to kick in and she felt her eyelids getting heavier. "Mulder?"

"Yeah," he answered quietly.

"In case I fall asleep in the next few minutes, I just want you to know …" she paused for a second and rolled back to look him in the eye. "I love you."

Mulder leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. "I never doubted it," he whispered to her and kissed her gently. Cupping her face in his hand he added, "I love you too."

"I know," she smiled. "I got your messages…..all 20 of them."

---

Dubuque Field Office

Wednesday 9:05 a.m.

"…..Can you meet me at the Field Office? Great, I'll wait for you to get here. I have an Agent going to pick her up right now." Mulder snapped the phone closed and walked down the hallway toward the bull pen of the Dubuque office. Agent Driscoll stood at the coffee pot and watched him walk by.

"Where have you been?" Dris asked Mulder as he poured a cup.

"At the hospital. I had breakfast with Scully," Mulder replied as he looked up at Dris. "Pour me a cup while you're over there." He nodded at him. "What do you have on your plate today?"

"Nothing really … I was going to fake an assignment and spend some time with my wife," Dris poured Mulder's coffee and dumped some cream and sugar into it. He picked up the cup and walked over to Mulder's desk. 'Why?"

"I need your help with this case of Scully's and Nester's," Mulder replied as he sipped the steamy brown liquid.

"I thought you were working that with Jasper?" Driscoll questioned as he sat down across from Mulder.

"Yeah," Mulder replied slowly and tapped a pencil on the desk. "He needs to be schooled in the finer points of a homicide investigation by two seasoned pros."

Dris sipped his coffee and eyed Mulder over the edge of the cup. He knew his friend was a little ticked off at Jasper over the golf course incident. It was bureau policy for agents to check in while in the field on assignment. Nester and Scully obviously hadn't because they were trapped in the hole. Jasper knew they had missed their check in, but never reported it to the A.D. Dris knew his father had already read Jasper the riot act, but he could sympathize with Jasper . Nester was a little over-bearing at times and could have intimidated the inexperienced young agent.. Wouldn't want to be a tattle-tale around the older agents, Driscoll thought as he swirled the coffee around in his cup.

"Sure … as long as I'm done by two," Driscoll replied dryly. "Tracy will be out of school by then and can watch the kids while Amy and I spend some QT with each other."

"QT?" Mulder questioned.

"You'll understand soon enough…. Quality Time," Driscoll replied and nodded his head in a knowing manner. He gave Mulder "the look" that implied hot unadulterated sex.

Mulder looked over at his friend and was about to respond when he saw a female agent enter the bullpen area.

"Agent Mulder? There is an Officer Boscorelli here to see you," she stated as she approached his desk.

"Could you show him back?" Mulder asked her. She hesitated for a second and then nodded. In a few minutes, Officer Boscorelli and Officer Yokas walked into the bull pen. Their arrival was met with stares from the other agents in the room. Mulder and Driscoll stood to greet them and offered them a seat.

Boscorelli took in the sights of the office as he shook Mulder's hand. "Nice place," he muttered dryly. "I've never been back here."

"It's not like I thought it would be," added Yokas.

"What did you think it was going to look like?" Driscoll asked as he sat back in his chair.

"I dunno," she replied and looked around. "More prestigious, I guess." She shrugged her shoulders and sat in the chair that Mulder pulled over for her.

"Well, sorry to disappoint," Driscoll said flatly. "Want some coffee?" Yokas nodded and Dris walked over to the coffee maker. He noticed the stares of the other agent, and glanced over his shoulder. "Don't you guys have anything better to do?" he remarked smartly.

Mulder watched the exchange and shook his head. Prima donnas he thought. recalling his conversation with Dris yesterday at the hospital. The Dubuque agents were full of themselves. They were young and inexperienced… a huge reason why their solve ratio was one of the lowest in the bureau. They just need a little guidance, he thought as he looked back to Boscorelli.

"Hey Agent Mulder," Bosco said. "Nice job with that jumper last night. The boys from Third Watch were impressed."

Mulder was about to reply when Driscoll butted in.

"What jumper?"

"Ahh, I assisted the PD with a jumper last night," Mulder said sheepishly. "Which actually turned in our favor because she is … or was friends with the deceased, Holly Cross." Mulder replied and tapped his finger on his lip. He watched Driscoll hand Yokas the coffee and then addressed Bosco. "What did you find out about Ms. Cross?"

"We ran the call log from December. There were five calls to Bob's around Christmas," Bosco said as he dug a log sheet out of his pocket. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and continued. "In all of them, a male customer named Scott Russell was removed from the restaurant for public intoxication and harassment of the wait staff."

"There were two calls on the 23rd involving that same guy," Yokas added. "We went out and spoke to the manager this morning. He stated that Russell was hanging around and kept bugging Cross while she was working….talking about UFO's or something."

Mulder shot Driscoll a look and smirked. Interesting coincidence, he thought as he listened to Yokas.

"The manager said she reported to work on the 24th and another customer started some shit with her….so she quit," Yokas said as she flipped her notebook back over. "That was the last anyone at the restaurant saw or heard from her."

"What do you know about this Russell guy?" Driscoll asked as Mulder flipped open the autopsy report. "Does he have a criminal record?"

"He's a dead beat," Bosco replied. "We've arrested him a dozen or so times for public intox and minor theft. He was recently found guilty of shoplifting at a convenience store up by the college….tried to steal beer right in front of two third watch officers."

Mulder looked over at Boscorelli. "The same convenience store that Carrie Walker worked at?"

"Ahhh …" Bosco flipped through his notebook. "I dunno know….but I can find out." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.

Mulder went back to the file and starting paging through the documents. He could hear Bosco talking in the background and looked up to say something to Driscoll. He caught Jasper walking down the hallway with Ms. Walker.

"Refresh my memory," Driscoll said pulling back Mulder's attention. "Why did it take so long to ID the victim?"

"Cuz the killer bashed her face in with a rock or something," Yokas piped in. "Groundskeeper at the golf course found the body."

"There are groundskeepers on the golf course in the middle of winter?" Dris questioned. "What do they do … shovel the putting greens?"

Yokas laughed. "No, they maintain the sledding hills. In the winter you can sled on the fairways for some of the holes."

"Which ones?" Mulder asked her.

"I dunno, Boz can tell ya. He golfs out there with the guys," Yokas said and inclined her head to the right.

"What?" Boscorelli said as he closed the phone.

"Where are the sled hills?" Yokas asked him.

"Ten and Eleven," he replied and looked at her quizzically. "Why?"

"The victim was found on thirteen?" Mulder asked. 'How close is that?"

"Not very … Ten, eleven and twelve are on the side of the course that borders Kaufman Avenue," Bosco said. He stood and walked to the map on the wall. He pointed to the area in question. "The victim was discovered here," he pointed to the area of the fourteenth tee. It was an arms length apart. "Twelve is a par five hole. That's a hike."

Driscoll had followed the officer to the map and stood there with his arms crossed at his chest. "So ideally there wouldn't be any reason for a maintenance worker to be over in this area in the winter?"

Bosco scoffed and looked from Driscoll to Mulder. "In an ideal world, there wouldn't be any crime or corruption."

Mulder chuckled and swung around in his chair fiddling with a pencil. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Agent Jasper approaching.

"Agent Mulder, I put Ms Walker in the interview room."

"Thanks," Mulder replied.

"I confiscated her cell phone," Jasper added tossing it on the desk. "It rang about twenty times in the time between her discharge and the ride down here."

Mulder sighed and picked up the phone. "That wasn't necessary, Agent," he scowled. "She isn't under arrest."

"Well, she and the guy that keeps calling her should be," Jasper growled. "Talk about attitude." He leaned against the desk.

Boscorelli walked over to the desk. "Dish attitude, get attitude" he said sarcastically. "Takes one to know one."

Driscoll and Mulder looked at each other and started laughing. "Bosco, what did you find out on Russell?" Mulder asked moving the conversation forward in an attempt to deflect the impending argument between him and Agent Jasper.

"I just talked to Officer Davis," Bosco replied, leaning on the back of Yokas' chair. "Russell was arrested at the convenience store where Walker worked."

"Russell?" Agent Jasper questioned. "I don't mean to be rude," Jasper began looking in Boscorelli's direction. "But who is Russell?"

"The guy that was harassing Cross the day before she disappeared," Bosco replied smugly.

"Does he have a nickname?" Jasper asked to no one in particular. "Walker got three phone calls on the way down here from someone she called Rusty."

"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better," Yokas chuckled. "Looks like this Russell guy is a suspect now."

Mulder was still holding onto the phone. He looked at it for a second. then he turned in his chair and handed it back to Jasper. "Run a trace on all the numbers in and out on that phone in the last … ahhh, forty eight hours," Mulder said. "Get names, addresses, and phone numbers."

"Yes sir," Jasper replied as he palmed the phone and walked over to his desk.

"We need more information on this Russell," Driscoll said and looked at the two officers. "Can you two work on that? I mean … are you available to help us out?"

Yokas stood from the chair. "Yeah, we can work on it. We're the area car today so we can take some liberties," she replied looking back at Bosco for confirmation.

Her partner nodded. "Anything else you guys need?" Bosco asked.

Mulder leaned forward into the desk and bit his lip. 'Can you requisition a copy of the autopsy x-rays?" Mulder looked up at the two officers. "Specifically the head and neck."

"That might take awhile," Bosco replied. "I'll make the call now, but I won't be able to get the file until this afternoon."

Mulder steepled his hands against his forehead and closed his eyes. "Okay," he bobbed his head. "Find out what you can about Russell and get back to me as soon as you can."

"Baring we don't get any calls," Boscorelli replied. "We should have something within the hour."

"Thanks," Mulder replied as he stood from the desk. He watched the officers leave the bullpen and then looked over at Driscoll. "Let's go talk to Ms. Walker."

---

Dubuque Field Office

11:30 a.m.

Mulder stood behind Driscoll and watched as he paged through the files stored on the hard drive of Holly's computer. He glanced at his watch and noted the time. They hadn't found anything of significance in thecomputer's memory.

"Agent Mulder," Jasper called as he walked up from the back office. "I've tracked all the numbers on the phone." He handed the report to Mulder.

"And?" Dris replied not taking his eyes off the computer screen.

"And 'Rusty' as she referred to him, is in fact Scott Russell. He has called her multiple times in the past 48 hours, including last night when she was sitting on the bridge," Jasper replied.

Driscoll turned in his chair and looked at Jasper. "Did she make any calls?"

"Yeah, she called him about five times. Called her mom and a couple of other friends," Jasper shrugged.

"Agent Mulder," called the female agent from the front office. "Officer Boscorelli and Officer Yokas are here again. Do you want me to walk them back?"

Mulder turned to look at her. "Yes. Thank you."

Boscorelli and Yokas walked into the bullpen and their arrival was met with stares from the junior agents again.

"Why are these guys so fascinated with us?" Yokas asked as she looked around the room.

Driscoll looked up at her and smiled. "They're mesmerized by your uniform."

"And the fact that we are jointly working a case," Mulder added dryly. "The thought of networking to solve crimes has never occurred to them." Boscorelli handed Mulder the file folder that contained the autopsy x-rays. "Wow, how did you get these so fast?" Mulder flipped open the file and removed one of the films. He held the image up to the light and scanned it quickly. She has the chip, he thought as he located the small white dot at the base of her neck.

"I worked my charm," Boscorelli said and blew on his fingertips.

Yokas rolled her eyes. "He flirted with the clerk."

"Faith, I would hardly call that flirting. Flirting implies that I wanted to date the woman ... which I do not," he implored to her. "I'm taken."

Yokas rolled her eyes again and Driscoll watched her expression carefully. "No domestic squabbles you two…. We fight real crimes over here," Driscoll remarked. "What did you find out about Russell?"

"Well, that's interesting tale," Bosco said as he leaned against a desk. "He's a casual with the city…"

"What's a casual?" interjected Jasper.

Bosco paused a second and looked at him. "A seasonal employee…." Bosco clarified for Jasper. "Anyway ... he was last assigned to the Park and Recreation department. Bunker Hill is a municipal golf course and …."

"That is where Russell worked?" Jasper interjected.

"Yeah … there and a cab company called Lucky 13," Yokas answered.

"Russell was the one who found the body and reported it to the police," Bosco added.

"Well, that is interesting," Mulder said as he slid the x-ray back into the folder. "Thirteen must be his lucky number. What's that ole saying … the suspect always returns to the scene of the crime?"

"You think he did this?" Yokas questioned.

"Yeah, Ms Walker told us that 'Rusty' was bothering Holly for weeks. He claimed to have been taken by aliens and had similar experiences," Dris replied. He leaned back in his chair and stretched.

"Aliens?" Bosco shook his head. "You believe that crap?"

Mulder had walked around the desk as Dris was talking and set the X-ray folder and phone trace log on his desk. He looked over at Bosco after the alien jab.

"Do you believe, Boscorelli?" Mulder asked him.

Bosco shifted uncomfortably. "I'd like to believe that we're not alone in the universe … but that this Russell creep has had an encounter with them? Naaah," Bosco replied, shaking his head. "The only encounter he's had is a drunken stupor watching that TV show ….ALF… on his black and white TV".

The five law enforcement officers shared a laugh at that point. The other agents in the bullpen looked over at group in amazement. Mulder caught the stares and smiled at their startled looks. They're jealous, he laughed. They've never seen cooperation with another department.

"Sounds like we need to bring this guy in for questioning," Driscoll remarked and threw his pen down on the desk.

"Okay, wait a minute," Jasper interrupted. "I don't mean to sound like a moron, but exactly how did we get to this point?"

Bosco laughed and took a seat on a nearby desk. "Have a seat Agent Jasper … let us school you on the finer points of a real police investigation."

Mulder and Dris glanced at each other and smiled. This guy is good, Mulder thought as he sat down at the desk. Jasper is going to be a different agent at the end of the day.

"Make sure you take good notes, because you're going to represent the Bureau when this goes to court," Dris commented.

"You cracked the case when you identified the victim," Mulder started. "And then we got lucky on the bridge last night with the friend, although we would have found her eventually through the clues at the apartment."

"Agent Mulder called me last night and asked that we run the call logs looking for anything on Cross in the last couple of months," Bosco added. "We came up with five calls in December at the restaurant where she worked, all involving Scott Russell."

"We did a background check on Russell and discovered that he worked at the golf course and found the body," Yokas remarked. "He was arrested for shoplifting at the convenience store where Walker used to work."

"You connected him to Walker by eavesdropping on her conversations and confiscating her cell phone," Driscoll added. "While you were tracing the calls, we got Walker to admit that Russell and she were 'friendly' and shared abductee experiences."

"And the phone traces locked him as the suspect," Jasper mumbled as he unconsciously nodded his head.

"Does that clear things up?" Yokas asked him.

"Crystal," Jasper replied voice filled with energy. "Let's go get him!"

"Five Five David."

Bosco sighed and answered central dispatch on his radio. "Go ahead Central."

"Respond to a motor vehicle accident with injuries, corner of 10th and Locust. EMS is enroute."

"10-4 Central." Bosco stood up from the desk. "Looks like the party's over, boys. Good luck with that pickup."

"We can wait," Jasper remarked as he looked at his watch. "We'll go to lunch … call us when you're done." He realized all eyes were on him, and he flushed with embarrassment. "It wouldn't be right to end it without you…considering all your help," he added shrugging his shoulders.

"Sounds like a plan," Yokas said as she walked toward the door.

Driscoll watched the officers leave and then turned back to Jasper. "Now that is how you work a homicide …. Partnering with the local department… using all your resources."

"Maybe you could be a trend setter in the office," Mulder commented as he walked to the coat rack . "In the meantime, I have a lunch date with a redhead."

---

Dubuque Mercy Hospital

Room 307 12:16 p.m.

Mulder could hear laughter coming from Scully's room as he neared her door on the 3W corridor. As he stepped closer to the door way, a miniature Dris came barreling out of the room and made his escape attempt down the hall. Mulder collared him by the scruff of his shirt.

"Hey, Mister, where do you think your going?" Mulder asked him.

"Uncle Molar!" the little boy giggled as Mulder tossed him over his shoulder. .

"I dunno," the child laughed. "I ate all of Aunt Scully's jello." The little boy hiccupped and belched all in the same breath.

"Oh, thanks for sharing," Mulder grimaced at the smell. "You are getting more like your dad everyday." He walked into Scully's room and found Amy, Dris's wife, sitting in the chair by Scully's bed. Her two year old daughter Sydney was sitting on Scully's lap with a tattered book in her hands.

"I found something you lost in the hallway," Mulder commented as he entered the room.

Amy looked up wide eyed. "Dylan Matthew Driscoll, where did you think you were going?"

"I dunno," the little Driscoll said, his voice riddled with giggles. The little boy screamed as Mulder flipped him over to the floor.

"Oh, Mulder, be careful," Amy cautioned. "He's on a sugar high. He'll probably urp in a minute."

"I ate the jello," Dylan laughed again as he sat on the floor.

"The jello, your Happy Meal, some M&M's 's, and my soda," Scully remarked as she scooted Sydney off her lap. "You'll probably need a nap soon. I know I do."

The little girl looked up at Scully and waved her hand at her. "Lovescula," she mumbled with a grin. She turned to Mulder and raised her arms in the universal "pick me up" sign. "Uncamda!" she screeched in his direction.

Mulder stepped over Dylan's head and snatched the little girl off the bed, throwing her up in the air and catching as she fell.

"Uncamda!" she screamed again, a huge smile on her face. Mulder smiled and tossed her up again.

Amy stood from the chair as Mulder fussed with Sydney in the background and started to gather the kids' things. "Okay, we need to go. Dylan get your coat. Scully needs to take a nap."

"Okay mom," he muttered reluctantly. He picked up his coat and walked over to Scully's bed. "Bye, Aunt Scully." Scully leaned over and as he gave her a hug. "Get better…cuz you need to come home and read to me."

"Okay, sweetie," Scully smiled and kissed his forehead. She looked over and watched Mulder help Sydney with her coat. It took a few more minutes, but finally the room was void of the Driscoll entourage.

Mulder sat down on the edge of her bed. "Those kids can make anybody feel better, huh?" Mulder asked her as he saw energy dancing in her eyes.

"Yeah, it's hard to be sad or sore around them," she laughed. "I don't know if I would do so well around them 24 seven though."

"Ahh, you are selling yourself short. You'll make a great mother, Scully," he replied.

"Yeah, well… I guess we'll never know," she replied looking down at the sheets.

"Never say never," Mulder remarked and took her hand in his. "There are other ways, you know." He shifted uncomfortably on the bed and changed the subject.

"I saw your doctor in the hallway on my way up," Mulder commented. "He gave me the update on your progress."

"What did he say?" Scully quizzed him. Did he tell you the same thing he told me? she wondered.

Mulder read her mind and smiled at her. "He said I could take you home this afternoon, after your last physical therapy session."

"Are you, Mulder?" Scully asked him.

"Yeah, I'll take you back to the Inn ……Why?" he asked concerned about the look on her face.

"I'm ready to go home Mulder. Home to D.C.," she replied looking down at the sheets.

Mulder bit his lip and looked at his partner … really looked at her for the first time in days, it seemed. She looked tired. Their trip to the Midwest had been riddled with mishap, and she was right… it was time to go home. "Okay, I'll talk to the AD when I get back to the office. I'm sure he'll understand," Mulder replied.

Scully squeezed his hand. "Thank you." She looked out the window and blinked the tears out of her eyes. "We could spend one last night together before we go back to reality." She turned back to face him.

"This is our reality, and going back to D.C. isn't going to change anything, Scully," Mulder assured her. "We just need to figure out a way to deal with the logistics of it … away from Kirsch's watchful eye." He leaned over to kiss her and their lips met hungrily against each other. Mulder cupped her face in his hand and rubbed the back of her neck with his fingertips. He smiled as he kissed her and heard her gasp against his lips. He slipped his right hand to her breast and started kneading her nipple with his thumb. He pulled back from her lips and had started to trail kisses down her neck when his cell phone rang.

They pulled apart and Scully started to giggle. Mulder fished his cell phone out of his coat pocket.

"Mulder," he answered.

"Sorry to interrupt your lunch," Dris remarked. "Jasper and I are going to go with Boscorelli and Yokas to pick up this guy. So just stay there. I'll call you when we got him or if we need anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Dris answered. "You need some QT with Scully anyway."

"What about Walker?" Mulder asked Dris as Scully ran her hand down the inside of his leg. She made a bee line to his zipper and found him aroused in short order. Mulder felt the heat come over him and watched a sly grin grow on her face.

"I cut her loose," Dris replied. "I told her to stay available and we would be in contact."

"Okay," Mulder replied slowly as Scully rubbed her hand over his erection. "Call me when you find him," He snapped the phone shut and smiled at his partner. "You have a dirty mind," he directed toward Scully.

She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "We have unfinished business from last night."

"No, we don't," he replied as he caught her hand and moved it away from his crotch. "I told you, last night was about you."

"Don't tell me you aren't in the mood, Mulder," Scully replied with arched eyebrows.

Mulder was quiet for a second. As many times as he had lain in a hospital bed and had wild, drug induced fantasies of nailing Scully in his bed right under the nose of the charge nurse, today he was hesitant. His heart was beating in his throat and suddenly he was nervous. The probability that the woman he loved could fulfill two of his deepest fantasies in the course of a single week was overwhelming to him. He locked eyes with her for a moment and made his decision. He stood up from the bed, walked to the door and shut it. He walked back to the bed, turned the TV on and pushed the side rail into place. She eyed him carefully as he walked around the bed on the side next to the window, motioned for her to scoot over, and then crawled onto the bed behind her. Scully started to turn to face him and he stopped her, spooning his body around hers.

"Hmmm, those pain killers must be triggering your horny gene," he whispered into her hair.

"It's not the pain killers, Mulder," She replied.

"What is it then?" he asked, his voice raspy. He snaked his hand under the blanket and between her legs from behind. He listened as her breath caught in her throat and she gasped as he stroked her inner thigh. "Hmmm?"

"It's your scent," she whispered. She gasped again as Mulder nuzzled the back of her neck. It sent chills up her spine.

Mulder pushed a finger inside her slick, hot center and went right for the spot. He stroked it firmly and placed tender kisses on the back of her neck. He watched her grip the side railing of the bed and listened to her gasp for breath. As his arousal demanded attention behind his pants, Mulder felt his reserve slipping away. He wanted to be inside her … needed to be inside her … now! Just a quick dip to tease her a little as he pulled his hand out from beneath the sheet and quickly unzipped his pants. He kicked off his shoes and had his pants scooted down to his knees before Scully could lodge a protest.

"Mulder," she scolded. "This is dangerous."

"That is what you said last night," he chuckled in reply. He slid under the blanket and pressed his warm body against hers. He pushed her leg toward the rail, exposing her core to his body.

"Mulder, that was different, I was supposed to be naked," she protested again and rolled back against him just as he pushed himself inside of her. "Oh," she gasped as she felt his girth invade her center. "Oh, Mulder…"

Mulder's intention was to be inside for her only a minute, but the sensations cascading through his body made it impossible for him to stop. His manipulation of her center had left it silky hot. The moist environment made the angle of penetration smoother and afforded him easier access to thrust inside of her. He ran his hand across her tight stomach and through her lower curls in search of her bud. He fingered it as he pushed inside her, hearing Scully gasp as the feeling rocked her. In this position, she was so tight. and coupled with the pressure he was feeling on the tip of his erection … he climaxed quickly. He pressed into her and grunted as he released. In his one final thrust he felt her open up and follow quickly behind him. She moaned softly, gasping for breath in a desperate attempt to keep it discreet.

Mulder withdrew from her and rolled off the edge of the bed. He pulled his pants to his waist and walked into the bathroom to clean himself. He emerged from the bathroom minutes later and walked back over to her bed. He looked down at her, noticing her closed eyes and her labored breathing, and was suddenly concerned.

"Scully, are you okay?" he asked, sliding the bed rail back down.

She rolled back and looked up at him. "Yes, Mulder," she breathed deeply. "I'm just reveling in the after effects."

"Hmmm," he mused and stroked the side of her face. He pulled the chair over and sat down. "That got a little … out of hand," he remarked.

"Stop. Mulder I know where you are going with this... and it's okay. I got exactly what I wanted …even though I tried to act like I didn't want it," Scully replied and smiled at him. "It's different when you are with the person you love….the person that respects you," she reached for his hand. "I love you."

"I love you too." he replied and squeezed her hand.

Twenty minutes later, his cell phone woke him up with its insistent ringing. Mulder jerked his head up and looked at his watch. He unclipped the phone and flipped it open.

"Mulder," he answered looking over at Scully. She was asleep.

"It's me," Dris said, his tone dejected. "We've looked everywhere for this bum. I think we are going to need Ms. Walker to lure him out so we can nab him."

"You don't want to just wait him out," Mulder asked.

"Bosco did some more digging…. Russell is a runner. Boz thinks the only way we're going to get him is to flush him out," Dris replied.

"Boz?" Mulder questioned him. "We're getting a little friendly aren't we?"

"Don't get jealous," Dris chuckled into the phone. "Just pick Walker up and meet us at the office."

---

Town Clock Plaza

2:30 p.m.

The stage was set. Mulder, Driscoll, and Jasper, along with Officers Boscorelli, Yokas and Davis, were all in place. Carrie had arranged to meet Russell under the Clock Tower in the Plaza. The plaza ran through the center of downtown and was closed off to motor traffic. Shops and businesses lined the walkway in a tranquil park-like atmosphere. The plaza was flanked on both sides by parking garages, one immediately off the east edge of the plaza and one a block away to the west, bordering Locust Street. It wasn't Mulder's first choice, since the area could not be completely secured, but Carrie insisted that it would seem perfectly normal. She had met him there before, and far be it from anyone to mess up the order of things.

Carrie paced nervously under the clock tower and snapped bubbles in her gum. Mulder leaned against the column support and shoved his hands in his coat pocket. Carrie had told Rusty, as she called him, that she had met someone that had similar experiences as they … and wanted to introduce them. They had arranged to meet at 2:30.

Mulder looked at his watch. "Not very prompt, is he?"

Carrie arched her eyebrows and laughed. "He drives a cab, whattya expect?"

Mulder shrugged and scanned the perimeter. Driscoll and Jasper were standing at a park bench in what appeared to be a business type conversation. Officer Boscorelli and Yokas had changed into street clothes and were window shopping a few feet away. Officer Davis was in the territory car assigned to the plaza. He was parked in the alley just down the block. If Russell ran, his avenue of escape was small. Unless he runs into the parking garage, Mulder mused as he scanned the alley and the garage that loomed in front of him. The side wall of the garage stood about five feet. He could probably clear it, if he had any speed to him, he thought. Russell's rap sheet listed him as 5'10 and 160 pounds.

"Remember, Carrie. You need to talk to him on the plaza side of the tower," Mulder reminded her.

"Yeah, I know," Carrie growled. "Is that before or after I slice him for killing Holly?"

Mulder watched her facial expressions and saw the emotion in her eyes. She was trembling slightly, and he was unsure if it was from the temperature or her nerves. "He's just a suspect, Carrie," he chided. He stepped over to her and snagged her elbow. He turned her around and pulled her chin up to meet his gaze. "Take a breath and get a hold of yourself. Don't tip him off …. that isn't going to help anyone."

"He'll get what he deserves," she mumbled and slipped her hand into her coat pocket. She turned her head away from him.

"You don't have that in you," Mulder said calmly and reached out and turned her face back to his again. He knew she was armed in some manner and planned to harm Russell somehow. "Give it to me," he said as he locked his gaze on her.

She stared at him motionlessly, and a tear rolled down her face. "She was my only real friend," she mumbled. She sighed in frustration. "Here," she said and pulled her hand and a pocket knife out of her coat.

Mulder palmed the knife and looked down at it. The blade was five inches and not street legal. The size of it startled him, and he was grateful he had retrieved it from her. She could have done some damage with that, he thought. They didn't need any snags with this operation. "Thank you," he said and reached out to wipe the tear from her face. "I'll be the one kicking the crap out of this guy," he smiled at her.

Carrie stood motionless for a second and then stepped toward him, leaning her head on his chest. Mulder wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her briefly. As she pulled back, she spotted Rusty walking toward her from the street one block over. "He's coming," she whispered. "Behind you." She pulled out of his embrace and moved casually out from under the clock structure. She stepped down two steps and then sat down on the landing.

Mulder stayed under the structure as the man approached. He scanned the perimeter quickly and remained aware of the surroundings. He stowed the knife Carrie had given him in his pant pocket. He watched cautiously as Russell approached Carrie on the steps.

"You dating that guy?" Russell asked her caustically as he walked up to her.

Mulder noticed the man was paper thin and wearing a tattered and dirty Cubs jacket.

"He's just a friend," she replied.

"Looks like he's a lot more than that," Russell replied, glaring at Mulder. "He's a little old for you, ain't he?"

"That's none of your business," Carrie retorted.

Mulder walked down the stairs and stopped one step above Carrie. He noticed her hands were shaking and decided he needed to intervene before she blew it. "My name is Mulder," he said. He walked down the stairs to the bottom and extended his hand to Russell. The man eyed him suspiciously the entire way, but did not shake his hand. Mulder pulled his badge out of his back pocket and flipped it open to Russell. "I'd like to talk to you about your connection to Carrie's friend,Holly Cross."

Russell stood motionless for a second. "What about it? I knew her through Carrie," he retorted and started shifting his weight nervously.

Mulder tilted his head and watched Carrie stand on the stairs next to him. He made eye contact with her before looking back at Russell. "Really? Carrie told me that she met you through Holly. So, which is it?"

"What does it matter? What's this about?" Russell stammered, his voice filled with attitude.

"Are you aware that Holly is missing?" Mulder asked him.

"Yeah. She went away after finals," Russell replied.

"After finals? Or after Christmas?" Carrie blurted out. Mulder shot her a look and she stammered to control her emotions. "Rusty, you told me you saw her after I was taken."

"Wha… what does it matter exactly when I saw her? It was around Christmas," he retorted. The man shoved his hands in his coat pockets.

Mulder observed the movement and looked slowly to his right, giving Dris and Jasper a hand signal to move closer to his location. Bosco and Faith strolled to the edge of the plaza and took up residence on a park bench near the bottom of the stairs,play-acting like lovers.

"I understand that you used to work for the City at Bunker Hill,and reported finding the homicide victim after Christmas." Mulder remarked slowly. "Could you tell me how you happened to come across it?"

"I told the police already. I was working at the sled hills. What's this got to do with Holly and Carrie?"

"Mr. Russell, the body was identified yesterday through fingerprints. There was a positive match with…"

Mulder didn't get a chance to finish his statement as Russell grabbed Carrie by the hair and pushed her forcibly into Mulder, causing them both to stumble backward onto the ground. Carrie hit her head hard on the concrete. Russell took off running up the sidewalk toward the street.

"Five Five David to Central, partner's in foot pursuit with male… white, brown hair, blue Cubs jacket. Heading west on 8th street toward Locust. Possibly drove to this area in a Lucky 13 cab!" screamed Yokas into her radio as Bosco, Driscoll and Jasper took off in pursuit of Russell. Yokas ran over to Carrie as Mulder stood up and chased after the others.

"Five Five Charlie, I've got the cab blocked on Locust. Suspect just entered the parking garage on the Locust Street side."

"Five Five David, respond EMS to the Clock Tower, female with a head laceration," Yokas called.

"Five Five Edward, I've got the rear exit of the garage covered."

"Five Five George, I'm entering the garage at the ninth street entrance."

Boscorelli and the three FBI agents entered the parking garage through the Locust Street entrance and fanned out to search the area. The garage was filled with vehicles from the corporate center in the plaza, a fact that made the search that much more difficult. Mulder was on the fourth level when he spotted Russell squatting between two SUV's on the half level below. Russell was just out of sight from the police car driving the lane toward him.

"I got him between three and four, orange level," Mulder whispered into his microphone. "He's between a blue Explorer and a tan Blazer."

As the squad slowly crept down the lane, Mulder climbed over the safety railing and caught the officer's attention. He motioned for him to stop, and the officer guided the car over to where Mulder was hanging off the safety rail. Mulder stepped onto the hood of the police car and squatted near the windshield, holding the light bar for balance. Mulder pointed toward the tan Blazer and motioned for the officer to proceed. As the car inched in Russell's direction, the man stood and made a break for freedom again. Mulder launched himself off the hood of the car and tackled Russell to the ground as the officer slammed the car into park and bailed out of the unit to assist. After a short struggle on the ground, Mulder and the officer had Russell pinned and cuffed.

"Five Five George, suspect in custody," gasped the officer into his radio. "Nice move there, Agent," he nodded in Mulder's direction.

Mulder nodded and grimaced in pain. He had landed on the same wrist that he had sprained in the car accident and was sure he had re-injured it.

"Are you okay?" the officer asked as he shoved Russell into the back seat of the squad car.

"Yeah," Mulder replied as he slowly stood up and tried to move his fingers. "I just hurt my wrist."

"Five Five George, have EMS meet me at the Locust Street exit."

"I don't need that," Mulder mumbled walking over to the passenger seat of the car.

"Well, you may not ... but it's policy," the officer shrugged and sat back in his seat behind the wheel. The officer fastened his seat belt and put the car in gear. "I didn't know you FBI types got dirty."

Mulder laughed. "You obviously have us confused with the CIA… no sense of humor and extra starch on the shirts."

---

Ninety minutes into the interview, Mulder had a signed confession from Russell admitting to the murder of Holly Cross. While Driscoll, Jasper, Yokas and Boscorelli had gone to execute a search warrant on his apartment, Mulder finally gave into the numbing pain in his wrist and let Officer Davis drive him to the hospital. Once at the hospital, Mulder made his obligatory trip to radiology and was sitting back on his bed in the ER when his cell phone rang. The caller ID told him it was Driscoll.

"Mulder."

"You need to come down here," Dris remarked solemnly. "There been an unexpected development."

"Anything you can tell me on the phone?"

Dris sighed before answering. "I think this falls into that category of unconventional thinking."

Frick, Mulder sighed in frustration. This case just keeps going and going just like the energizer bunny. He scrolled through the directory and dialed Tracy's number. When she answered, he explained the situation to her and then disconnected. He scrolled through the directory again to make one final call.

"Scully."

"Scully, it's me," he replied. He was frustrated, but her voice calmed him. "Did you go to physical therapy?"

"Yes, I just got back," she replied.

"I… ahhh… I hit a snag in the case and it's going to take me longer than I thought," he began. He bit his lip. "Tracy is on her way over to pick you up. I'll see you at the Inn later." He paused a moment. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Mulder," she said, failing to hide her disappointment. "It's work. I understand."

Mulder closed the phone just as the ER doctor came in. "What's my prognosis. Doc?" Mulder asked.

"Well, I just got the fax of your chart from Galena Memorial," he replied and shoved his X-Ray up on the display. "If you weren't trying to break it last week, you certainly accomplished it today." The doctor pointed to the fracture of the radius near his right wrist. "You're lucky that you sought treatment with EMS earlier. The ice and the splint saved you a lot of pain. Ortho is on their way down to cast it. You'll be out of here within the hour." The doctor noted the look of frustration on the Agent's face. "Don't worry … you and Agent Nester will be twins now."

---

Spinster Sister's Inn

Thursday 12:07 a.m.

Mulder ran his hand over his face in exhaustion as he ascended the stairs at the Inn. The discovery in Russell's apartment had lead to a hard nosed interrogation with Russell, a search of an abandoned warehouse by the river, an additional and intense interview with Carrie and an arrest of a second suspect. Police had one remaining arrest warrant in hand and were currently seeking the suspect. Mulder bounced off the railing as he neared the top of the stairs and stumbled over his own feet. He was completely drained and his concentration was off…not to mention he was in pain from his broken wrist.

He opened the door and quietly entered the room. Scully was asleep in the middle of the bed with her back to the door. Mulder made his way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. He stripped out of his work clothes and climbed under the spray, allowing the hot liquid to loosen his tired muscles. He washed himself quickly, careful not to get the cast wet, and stepped out of the shower. After toweling dry, he walked out of the bathroom, donned a pair of pajama pants and climbed into the bed behind the slumbering Scully. She rolled over as soon as their bodies touched.

Mulder watched Scully slowly stir from her slumber without saying a word. She was beautiful like this, and lying next to her seemed so natural to him. On the drive back to the Inn he had felt anxious, but not in a nervous way or a manner that he could understand until just this second. He needed her with him. Not just as his partner for the career path he had chosen for himself, and more than just as his friend … he needed her to compliment his every thought, every movement…to challenge him at every avenue … to share his quest and his life.

Mulder smirked at the thought of it all … how his relationship with her had come full circle. In the beginning she had been assigned to him to debunk his work and he'd been wary of trusting her … for about a day. Now he couldn't image living his life without her. Based on his dating preferences, Scully was far from his type. His previous relationships had been with brunettes, tall and busty …. Diana, Phoebe and countless others that he could barely remember, all sharing one common denominator: heartlessness. They'd convinced him that they shared his beliefs by their similar thinking and passions and he allowed himself to be taken in by it all. Then in the end, they had all hurt him.

"Opposites attract", so the old saying went, and Scully was the complete opposite of any woman he had been attracted to before. With her science and strict rationalism …the way she challenged him on every conclusion and every theory… she had saved him a thousand times over. She kept him honest and reigned in his unconventional thinking, holding him just under the radar of those who wanted to shut him down and get rid of him. She made him whole. She was the missing puzzle piece in his life. A relationship with Scully would be far from anything he considered normal. It would require him to think of someone other than himself…to consider her interests and work her needs into his life … all things he was ready to do, starting today.

Her gentle touch on his cheek brought him out of his thoughts, and he realized that she was staring at him.

"Hey," he said to her softly. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. I was already awake," she replied, still running her finger across the features of his face.

"Oh, okay," he replied slowly. "Is that why you were snoring?"

"I do not snore," she retorted. "What happened to your arm?"

"I broke it tackling our suspect," he said remorsefully as he looked at the cast.

"The case?"

"Solved. Holly Cross's killer is in custody awaiting arrangement tomorrow on charges of murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and sexual assault. Two accomplices are also in custody."

"There were others involved?" she questioned.

"He and two of his buddies were responsible for abducting Carrie Walker as well. They held her captive in a warehouse down by the river. Dris and Jasper discovered the evidence while executing the search warrant on the killer's apartment."

"Geezus," Scully gasped. "Did they admit to a motive?"

"Well, the main suspect, Russell, claimed he was instructed by aliens to abduct Cross and Walker during a five day interval. He and his friends staged Walker's kidnapping, which went off without a hitch. When they attempted to snatch Cross, she resisted, and in an attempt to subdue her, they accidentally took her life."

"Accidentally?" Scully was appalled. "Mulder, I saw the autopsy report. That woman's face and skull were caved in. There was nothing about her murder that was accidental."

"I'm not arguing with you, Scully. I agree, I read the same report," Mulder replied. "Russell and his cohorts aren't exactly the most lucid individuals I've ever encountered. They are extremely paranoid and most certainly suffering from psychosis."

"So Carrie Walker wasn't an abductee." Scully muttered, not really asking a question.

"I still believe she was abducted at some point," Mulder replied as he pushed up on his elbow. He loved bantering with her about work … and it was beginning to turn him on. He felt the rise in his pajamas and glance down to confirm the tent effect. "Unfortunately, she shared her experiences with a sadistic individual who used it against to her for his own benefit."

Scully noticed his arousal as well and leaned forward to brush her lips against him. The contact pulled them together like magnets and it wasn't long before their tongues were probing each others mouths.

Scully pushed him flat against the bed and ran her fingernails down his chest, following behind with soft kisses. She stopped briefly at his nipples and gently nibbled at the tips. She heard Mulder gasp as she raked her teeth over the tender skin, and felt his hand running down the small of her back. She continued downward across the taut muscles of his stomach. When she got to the waistband of his pajamas she pushed back onto her haunches and tugged the pajamas down, exposing his arousal in all of its glory.

Mulder looked down at her as she pulled his pajamas off and reveled at her beauty in the moonlight. God, she's beautiful, he thought as his gaze followed her form, covered scantily by her silk negligee. Her breasts, barely contained in the top of the gown, were plump… her nipples erect and firm. He desperate wanted to touch them, to knead them as he took them into his mouth. But the chance would have to wait, as Scully firmly took hold of him and began to stroke his arousal with her hand. Mulder laid back into the pillow and gasped for breath as he felt the rush overtake him.

Scully smiled at his reaction and leaned over to lick the bottom of the shaft. She loved teasing him and watching his reaction to it. Oddly she had a sensation of déjà vu as she took him into her mouth. She had lived this scene in her dreams on countless nights, but tonight it was real, and perhaps the last time it would happen between them before they returned to reality back in D.C.

She moved rhythmically on his shaft, creating wet hot friction against his skin. She flicked her tongue over the tip and tasted his salty goodness as it seeped from inside. Scully massaged the base of the shaft and the area below carefully and listened as he groaned in pleasure. She felt his hand running though her hair and press her head closer to him as the sensations rippled over him. Scully reached down to finger herself while working her magic on him. She found her center hot and wet and after a few strokes of carefully applied pressure, could not resist the urge to ride him. Scully crawled on her hands and knees as she straddled his torso until she was positioned directly above him.

Mulder ran his thumb across her nipples and smiled as she gasped. He slipped his hands under the negligee and ran his finger tips over her soft skin. The fingers of his right hand went back to kneading her nipple while he ran his left through her lower curls in search of her moist center. He fingered her bud firmly and smiled as he watched her expression define her pleasure and her eyes roll up in her head. Mulder pushed the negligee up and over her head and then leaned forward to take her breast into his mouth. He nibbled her flesh gently with his teeth as he slid his hand to the small of her back and pushed her body down onto his shaft.

They both cried out as he filled her space and thrust against each other in unison. Scully stretched over him and tangled her legs around his as she ran her fingers through his hair. He fed hungrily on her lips and wrapped his arms around her protectively. In one swift movement, Mulder rolled Scully over onto her back and pushed up to lean on his left elbow. He reached down and hooked her left knee with his casted arm and pushed her leg to her chest. He continued to thrust inside her and nuzzled into her neck as he felt himself coming to his apex. He gritted his teeth and slowed his movement slightly.

"Scully, slow down," he whispered in her ear. "Don't move."

"I can't, Mulder," she gasped as her hips bucked against him. "I'm…. ahhh!" she paused and dug her fingernails into his back, pushing him downward onto her.

He resisted her pressure and continued his slow movement, knowing that it was driving her over the edge. He pulled himself out and positioned the tip of his arousal on her bud. She wiggled below him to maneuver it back and he smiled at her attempts. Their mouths found each other again and he probed her lips with his tongue. He cupped her breast in his right hand and kneaded the nipple until it was hard under his fingertips. He curled down to place tender kisses on her breast and took the nipple in his mouth, gently nibbled on it. He heard her urge him to continue in breathless gasps in his ear.

Mulder pushed back to his knees and dipped his head down between her legs. He pushed her legs apart and placed gentle kisses down the inside of her thighs until he reached her flower. He flicked his tongue across her swollen bud and around the folds that surrounded it. He savored her musky flavor on his tongue as he buried his face in her center, reaching his tongue into the depths of her core. He felt her hands pulling gently on his hair and he glanced up into her beckoning eyes.

Mulder slid up into the cradle of her legs and pushed himself forcibly inside of her. He watched as she tilted her head back and cried out in pleasure. He pushed her leg to her chest again and rocked against her with determination, knocking the frame of the headboard into the wall. He felt her core open below him and flood with hot molten lava as he increased his pressure and his frenzied attack on it. Her cries of pleasure sounded like distant applause as his own eruption pounded in his ear.

He dropped his head to the side of hers and took several minutes to control his ragged breathing. Mulder felt his arm shaking and rolled off of Scully onto his back. As he relaxed into the comfort of the pillow and the bed, he felt Scully roll toward him and nestle into the crook of his arm. I could stay like this forever, he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

---

Spinsters Sisters Inn

Thursday 9:30 am

Scully fingered the doily on the top of the dresser as she made one final sweep of the room. She picked up an antique picture off the dresser top and stared hypnotically into the black and white faces looking back at her. She didn't hear the door open or Mulder entering the room.

"Did we leave anything, Scully?" he asked as he barreled through the door. Tracy's waiting in the car."

"Geezus," she gasped as she jumped and looked up at him. His entrance had startled her. "No, I think we got it all." She set the frame back on the dresser and looked around the room blankly.

He noticed the far off look in her eyes and leaned his hand against the door frame. "What are you thinking about?"

She walked around the side of the bed over to the window and stared out it without answering. He walked around the bed and sat on the edge of it behind her. "I was thinking about the magic of this place. How it brought us together and how I don't want to leave it now."

Mulder reached out for her hand and pulled her toward him. "Scully, this place was a catalyst for feelings that were already there. Leaving here isn't going to change how we feel about each other."

"I'm worried about that, Mulder," she said softly, refusing to look him in the eye. "I just think that things are going to be different when we get back to D.C."

"Things are going to be different," he replied. "We left D.C as partners and we'll return as lovers."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" she asked. She ran her tongue over her lip, scared to death that his answer would be no.

Mulder reached out for her chin and turned it so she was forced to look him in the eye. "I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. Without you, I'm lost." He smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "I'm even willing to compromise and get out of the damn car once in awhile." He paused and looked her straight in the eye. "Is that what you want?"

"Probably more than you," she whispered and finally released the breath she'd been holding. She leaned over and kissed him. She turned and walked around the bed and removed her coat from the wardrobe.

"Scully," Mulder called to her. She heard the shuffle of his feet and turned to look back at him.

"What?"

"The Assistant Director made me an offer last night," Mulder said as he tapped his hand on the pillar of the iron footboard.

"What kind of offer?" she asked.

Mulder paused and pursed his lips. "To be the Senior Agent in the Dubuque office, balance the case load between agents, be a mentor, and a liaison between the Sheriff and Police Departments," he replied.

Scully looked at Mulder quizzically. "Isn't that the AD's job?"

"It is," he said with a chuckle. "However since the field offices in the Quad Cities and Dubuque were merged, the AD's priorities are split. The QC office is bigger and has a larger case load, which leaves the Dubuque office without needed supervision."

"And he wants you to manage it?" Scully asked tilting her head. "Do you want that? What did you tell him?"

"I told him that I would think about it," Mulder replied leaning against the wall. "He's obviously given it a lot of thought this week. He said you could transfer with me so we could be together. You could continue your work as an Agent in the field office or apply for the County Coroner position … which interestingly enough hasn't been filled on a full time basis in over a year."

"That's convenient," she replied thoughtfully.

Mulder stepped around the bed and leaned against the footboard. "It's a tempting offer, Scully," he remarked. "We could buy a house here … probably three houses for the price of our apartments in D.C., work on the X-files without Kirsch sticking his nose in our business," he reached out for her hand again and pulled her close to him. "We could get a dog and buy a lawnmower and hang out with my new best friends Boscorelli and Yokas. The Gunmen could even move here too."

Scully rolled her eyes. "Oh, well, when you put it like that," she smirked. "When do you have to give him an answer?"

"When I'm ready," he said as he cupped her head in his hand. "The offer stands for as long as he's AD of the field office….I just need to make the call when we're ready to make the move."

"But it's not going to be today," Scully half stated half asked as she placed her hand on his chest.

"No, and he knows that," Mulder replied quietly. "But it might be tomorrow if Kirsch yells at us when we get back to the house." Mulder smiled and pulled her in for another kiss.

Tracy Driscoll, who was waiting for them in the car, honked the horn, interrupting their quiet moment.

"That's our sign, Mulder," Scully whispered as their lips parted. "It's time to go home."

"Lead the way, G-woman."

The End.