****** *Disclaimer: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder and the X-Files belong to Chris Carter, FBC and 1013. No serious infringements intended. *Comments: Direct them all to lazydark@aol.com *Warning: This does not fit true to my form: it isn't an M/S romance. At least some UST? Maybe. I doubt it. A little M/O romance but relax, it's central to the plot. Mulder and Scully (Scully in particular) are definitely not in character. At this point, I don't care so don't even bother to bring that up. Anything else, I'll listen to even if it's to bitch me out. I wanted to break out of the mold for this one. This is rated R for *bad* language (although it's not that bad). T h e X - F i l e s Kiss of Darkness By Charleyne Hall (lazydark@aol.com) Part One ----- FBI Headquarters Office of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully April 15, 1996 3:45 pm Glasses pushed high on his nose, Fox Mulder checked his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. He tried to concentrate on the work before him but it just wasn't meant to be. He'd long since removed his tie and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt, not caring that it didn't look professional. If his ASAC didn't like it, Mulder would tell him to get the air conditioning fixed. It wasn't the heat of the office that had his thoughts today, however. He was actually looking forward to spending a nice quiet evening with a woman he'd met months ago and had just recently started dating. She was sensitive and kind. More than that, she was beautiful. Mulder had been sunk the minute he laid eyes on her, but he was too afraid to ask for a date. "What's her name?" A voice drifted across the room, tearing him from his reverie and reminding him that he was still at work. His partner, Dana Scully, looked over at him from behind her computer screen. She squinted, smiling enigmatically as she nodded her head. "Huh?" "What's her name, Mulder? You're day dreaming," Scully said. "Oh. It's that obvious, is it?" he asked, shaking his head. He reached up and removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. A trickle of sweat ran down from his forehead, making a trail down his nose and moistening one of his fingers. "It's more than obvious," Scully noted. "It's amusing." "Her name's Pamela. She's a botanist from Annapolis," he confirmed, glancing at Scully to see if he could catch a reaction. Her smile simply spread and she raised an eyebrow. "A botanist eh, Mulder?" she asked and a low toned laugh escaped her lips. Mulder shrugged. "Well, you're not any help to me sitting here and day dreaming so why don't you get out of here?" "Thanks, Scully. I'll do my homework, I promise!" Mulder said as he stood up, closing the file he had opened but hadn't bothered to read. "No problem, Mulder. Have a good weekend," she said and laughed as he eagerly grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and headed for the door. He paused, just before he was about to leave and turned back. He noticed that she'd already gone back to her computer, typing away at one of the reports from the endless piles. "Hey, Scully?" he asked, shifting his jacket over his arm. "Yeah?" She didn't even bother to look up from the computer. "What are you doing tonight?" "I'm doing my laundry," she said, looking up and smiling. "Go on, Mulder, get going before I decide to keep you here for company." He nodded and left her to the silence of the office. Minutes after Mulder left, Scully stopped working on the computer. She sighed, sitting back and glancing at the light blue screen, deciding that she was ready to give up for the day. She was about to gather her coat to leave when she heard a sharp knock at the door. Drawing in a breath, she shook her head and called the person into the office. "Hi, Dana," Nancy McKinnon said as she cautiously entered the office. Scully couldn't help but laughing at her fellow agent. "Hi, Nance. No need to worry, he's not here." "Oh," she replied, relief washing over her face. "What can I help you with?" Scully asked, eyeing her friend and instantly knowing that she wanted to ask her something. "Uh, I've got this case that just was assigned to me and I need a pathologist to do an autopsy. Patterson was scheduled but he's out with a cold." Nancy said, shaking her head. She walked over to where Scully sat behind her desk and held out the file. "This one is really weird, though. I can't figure it out. Sixteen victims, all of whom are male and all of them died of unknown causes. The other autopsies didn't reveal the cause of death and I thought maybe you'd like to take a look, considering your position with the unexplained." A smile crossed McKinnon's face. She knew that Scully sometimes hated the reputation that working with Mulder had given her. "Watch it, Nance, or I'll get Mulder after you," Scully teased, taking the folder from McKinnon. "So you actually think I'll be able to help you?" Scully asked, raising a curious eyebrow as she scanned the file. "Well, I'm hoping maybe you'll find something the others missed," Nancy said, nodding. "Okay, I'll tell you what, I'll take some time out and do it now. You'll have the results on your desk by tomorrow. Sound good?" Scully said, without looking up from the file. "Thanks, Dana. You're the best." "Just keep that in mind the next time I need a hand." Scully looked up and smiled. "I'm happy to help you, Nance," she added and the other agent nodded. "I'll talk to you later." McKinnon said and ducked out of the office before Scully could say another word. As soon as the other woman had left, Scully couldn't help but laugh. She felt sorry for Nancy because she'd been the target of Mulder's interests for weeks. McKinnon's short blond hair and tall height was one of the things that Scully suspected attracted Mulder but she also knew that Nancy refused every one of his requests for a date. Maybe Mulder liked the hard-to-get types. Scully thought. She smiled and gathered up the file. This autopsy would at least give her something to do to occupy what would otherwise be another boring Friday night. She grabbed the keys to their office from her purse and walked to the door, turning out the light and locking the door as she left. ----- Apartment of Fox Mulder 4:22 pm Fox Mulder adjusted his tie. He wanted to look perfect for Pamela Galloway. She was his dream date and all he could think of was her flowing red hair and dark, luscious lips. He wanted so much just to kiss her lips and dwell in her sweetness all night. In fact, he admitted to himself, her lips were almost the best thing about her. They were full and red and perfect. He'd never seen lips like that before. He shook his head, clearing it of those thoughts. He'd only met her a couple of months ago and here he was getting lost in thoughts about her mouth. He smiled, a corny smile that no one had ever seen but himself, and checked his image in the mirror for one last time. Tonight he was going to win her heart, if it was the last thing he did. ----- FBI Headquarters Autopsy Bay 4 5:10 pm Dana Scully sighed looking down at the body before her. It had taken her an hour to do all the preliminary examinations and to weigh everything. She frowned as she pulled the rubber gloves from her fingers. She hadn't been able to find a cause of death either. She'd determined that the man had been dead for approximately two days but little else could be discovered. She hoped that Nancy wasn't looking for a miracle from her, because if that was the case she'd just failed. "Hey, Dana." A voice from behind startled her. It was Nancy, Scully discovered as she turned abruptly, clutching the latex gloves in her left hand. "God, you scared me," Scully cried, throwing a look of mock anger at her friend while desperately trying to regain control of her breathing. "Sorry," Nancy said, laughing. "I just wanted to find out if you found anything. I take it by the scowl you were wearing that you hadn't." "Don't you have a life?" Scully asked, shaking her head and walking away from the other agent to dispose of the gloves. "Don't you?" "Not when I'm busy doing favors for other agents." "Look, let me buy you dinner then. As long as I'm around, you'll always have a life as boring as it may seem," Nancy said and laughed. "Then you can tell me what you didn't find, okay?" "Sounds like a deal. I'm actually starving." "Thought so. I could hear your stomach grumbling down the hallway," Nancy said, leaning on the counter where a stainless steel sink was inset. She leaned forward and gazed at her reflection in the sink, wrinkling her nose. "What's the matter?" Scully asked, noticing the slight scowl on her friend's face. "I'm starting to wonder if I should have taken Mulder up on one of his offers." "Why? My company isn't good enough for you?" Scully asked, trying to sound hurt. "Dana, you're just not... Well, you're not a man," Nancy said and laughed. "Too late now," Scully said. "He's already got a lady friend and by the looks of it, he's long gone." "No matter, I don't think I could stand Spook for too long." Scully couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't often that she put up with an agent calling Mulder 'Spooky', but this was Nancy and she'd been doing it ever since Scully met her at Quantico years ago. The strange thing was that she and McKinnon had been calling him 'Spooky' long before Scully had ever been partnered with him. she thought. "Look, just give me an hour to get cleaned up here and then we'll get out of here. I think I've had enough of this place for one week." Scully nodded toward McKinnon. "Oh, and to answer your question, I'm sorry to say I didn't find a damned thing." ----- TG's Grill 5:30 pm She enveloped him in a tight embrace. They stood in the back alley of a dirty old restaurant that served possibly the best food in DC. His lips found her neck and trailed their way down to her collar bone which was made accessible by the low cut neck line of her blouse. She smiled wickedly and he stopped, looking up at her through hooded eyes. "Come home with me?" he whispered, almost breathlessly. "Is that such a good idea?" she teased. "I don't see why not--" he said but was silenced when her full lips, covered with a deep red lipstick, closed over his mouth. She released him a moment later and he felt a tingling sensation upon his lips. "I can't, I've got to go," she said and before he could reply, she had released him and started away. He watched her for a moment and smiled. She was going to play hard to get. He released a low laugh and called her name, but she kept walking. He took a couple of steps toward her and suddenly stopped. He felt the dizziness hit him like a tsunami washing over an island. He sank to his knees as his thoughts began to cloud over. His heart beat irregular patterns in his chest and suddenly a sharp pain traveled through his body. He went into convulsion and he fell the rest of the way over. He wanted to scream in agony, but he was dead before he even had the chance. She did not turn back. ----- Apartment of Dana Scully Annapolis, MD 7:32 pm Scully heaved a leaden sigh as she walked to the door, peeking through the little hole. She rolled her eyes and yanked the door open. "Mulder, what are you doing here?" she asked, stepping away and allowing him to enter her apartment. She allowed her eyes to travel over his appearance taking in the sight of a Fox Mulder that she'd never met before. His brown hair was neatly brushed and his white dress shirt was neatly pressed and tucked into a pair of fitting dress pants. He was wearing a fairly normal tie and his suit jacket was draped over his shoulder casually, hooked by two fingers. He was even wearing his glasses, emphasizing the hazel eyes. He hardly ever wore his glasses outside work. Scully thought, amused. She shook her head and locked her eyes with Mulder's. He sighed and slumped against the wall inside her apartment. She shut the door, waiting for his answer. "Scully, I've been stood up," he said finally. There was an odd sounding calm in his voice and she had to strain not to laugh, he looked so pitiful. "Uh, Mulder, it can't be the first time this has happened..." she said. "You're right, Scully, it's not the first time," he admitted but lapsed into severe silence. He lowered his eyes from her intense gaze and smiled half-heartedly. "Wanna order pizza?" "No thanks, Mulder. I've already eaten." "Are you sure?" "Mulder--" "Okay, okay. I'm sorry, I guess I should just get going," Mulder said as he gazed at her again. He pushed away from the wall and put a hand out to open the door but Scully caught his arm. "Wait, I've got something I want to show you. But, you've got to promise to behave." "I promise," he said, and a grin spread across his features. She let go of his arm and started towards the small living room of her apartment. He followed her like a lost puppy then sat himself on her couch. He sighed, shoved the jacket on the cushion beside him and stretched his arms out on the back. Scully gazed at him for a moment, her hands on her hips. He looked totally bummed out. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Shaking her head, a grin spread across her lips, she walked away from Mulder and went to the kitchen. "Hey, do you want anything to drink?" She called. "No thanks, Scully." "Are you sure? I've got iced tea." "Well, okay." "Good," she said, walking out of the kitchen with a can of rootbeer, iced tea and her file folder containing the autopsy she'd completed earlier that evening. She handed him the iced tea and then the file folder, walking over to her armchair and lowering herself into it. "What is this?" Mulder asked, glancing at Scully as she drew her feet up under her and settled back in the chair. "I believe it's iced tea," she said with a laugh. Mulder considered for a minute, then broke into a grin. "No, I mean the case." "Oh," Scully sighed. "Nancy McKinnon brought that to my attention. It's one of her cases but she got stuck and asked me to take a look at one of the bodies." Scully explained as Mulder read quickly through the file. "You couldn't find a cause of death?" he asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity. "No, I couldn't. That's why I thought you might like to take a look at it," Scully said, staring at him. "It's definitely interesting, that's for sure," Mulder said. She could see he was getting into it. As he read, his eyes flicked over the page and his head bobbed slightly as though he were going through his eidetic memory like a catalogue, comparing other cases. She waited patiently, knowing his routine. Mulder swallowed and reached for his iced tea, not even glancing away from the file. He was completely engrossed. Finally, he looked up and Scully could see that this case had already pushed away his problems momentarily. Had he forgotten his date with Pamela? She didn't think so, but at least it was at the back of his mind. "What does Nancy say about it? Has she written a profile yet?" Mulder asked, glancing at Scully. She could see his hazel eyes dancing. He had some idea floating around up there. "Mulder, McKinnon hasn't written the profile yet. She wanted me to do the autopsy first and she didn't know where to start. The case had been put on hold a few weeks before it was sent to her and the other agents were less than helpful." His lips pressed together for a moment and flattened into a bloodless line. He shook his head and leaned forward, putting the file one the coffee table before him. "Is she going to request our help?" Mulder asked. "I wouldn't bet on it. She asked me to do the autopsy but I don't think she wants anything more than that. She knows this wouldn't hold your interest for very long," Scully said quietly. He cocked his head to the side and looked at her through hooded eyes. "And what makes her think this wouldn't hold my interest? I did work for the VC for years before the X-Files." "Mulder, let's not get into this," Scully felt a smile turning the corners of her mouth. "Besides, I wouldn't want to say something that might incriminate me." Mulder opened his mouth to say something back to her but the shrill ring of his cell phone interrupted him. He shot her an icy glance of mock anger and reached for his coat that was bundled beside him on the couch. Pulling out the phone he identified himself after making the connection and waited patiently for the momentary static to clear. He glanced at Scully again, she had leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She looked so tired and he wondered if she really needed the added stress of the extra autopsy that Nance had asked her to perform. he thought, "Fox?" The voice said and a scowl spread across his features. Pamela. She was probably calling to apologize. "Yes, what's up?" he answered, his voice a little sharper than he had intended. "Where are you, Fox? I've been waiting for almost an hour." Mulder's mouth fell open and he glanced at his watch, then to Scully. "An hour? Where were we supposed to meet?" he asked, bewildered and a little confused. He had been angry but he hadn't suspected that it would dissipate as soon as he heard her almost musical voice. "We were supposed to meet at L'Amour's. Remember?" she asked. He did remember, his eidetic memory wouldn't let him forget, but he had gone there and waited. He shook his head and glanced at Scully again. Her mouth had dropped open and her eyes were still closed. He could see the slow rise and fall of her chest and concluded that she must be asleep. "Yes. I'm sorry, I must've mixed the time up," he apologized, making an excuse. He was still hoping she'd want to try again. "Will you wait for me for a few minutes longer?" "Fox, I'll wait," she said, and he could hear the forgiveness in her voice. He smiled. The file folder drew his attention for a moment. It sat on Scully's coffee table innocently enticing his attention away from the woman on the telephone. He shook his head and closed the file. he thought. "Great. Give me twenty minutes and I'll be there," he replied and hung up. He grabbed his coat and started for the door but he stopped just as he was reaching for the handle. He couldn't leave Scully like that, she'd get a kink in her neck. He shook his head and decided not to worry about it. She'd slept in that very same chair for several of the cases which they had tried to pull all-nighters on. He shrugged into his jacket after adjusting his tie. He opened the door and slipped out into the hallway of the apartment, locking the apartment behind him. ----- FBI Headquarters Office of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully April 18, 1995 9:15 am Dana Scully donned her reading glasses and wrinkled her nose at the new pile of cases that she and Mulder were supposed to weed through. Mulder had gone for a meeting with the Assistant Director, which Scully suspected would not be very pleasant for him. She hadn't heard from him all weekend and he'd even been late coming in this morning. She wondered if he had finally decided to get himself a life. She allowed herself a private smile at that thought. she thought and shook her head. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. She could still feel the kink in her neck from falling asleep in the chair. She wished Mulder had woken her before he left but she supposed that he gone off to meet Pamela after all. As she thought about it, she found that she didn't really care. Of course, there was a small feeling of being left out but that was to be understood. Even in high school when her best friend started to date her first boyfriend, Scully had felt this way. It was something she would easily get used to. A frantic pounding at the door gave Scully an excuse to pull herself away from the cases in front of her. Scully stood up and took a few steps toward the door when it burst open. She jumped back out of instinct, her hand flying to her holster where she kept her gun safely tucked. "You! You--" An angry agent cried, his face so red that Scully thought he would explode. She recognized him as one of the younger pathologists. "You are--" He couldn't finish his sentence. "I'm-- what, Agent Dale?" Scully asked, her racing heart finally slowing enough so that she could think clearly. She dropped her hand away from the holster and crossed her arms across her chest. She stared at him, using her coldest stare on the younger agent. "How could you?" he asked. "Agent Dale, I assure you, I have no idea what you're talking about. Why don't you calm down and *talk* to me?" "S-Skinner said that I've been taken off Agent McKinnon's case and replaced by you. He," the agent stopped, taking a deep breath. Scully noted that he could barely get his anger in check. She wondered if she provoked him if he would hit her. Probably. "He said I've been replaced by you. The problem with that is that you couldn't find any more than I did. I just don't get it!" he threw his hands in the air. "I didn't ask for it," Scully stated blandly. "Oh, sure." "Look, if I'd wanted this case I would have been on it a long time ago. If you'd care to take a look at the piles of cases I *already* have, you'd know that I can't possibly take any more," she shot at him. He balled his fists and started pacing her office in front of her. Scully almost laughed. The younger agent was definitely an interesting sight. she thought. "Beside that fact, even if I did request the case and actually was allowed to take a look at it the Bureau is no place for jealousy. Understand?" she asked, her gaze growing stern, even though she was really just toying with the younger agent and using her authority as a tool. "Dana?" Another voice interrupted. Nancy McKinnon sure had an odd way of popping up on her all the time. Dale spun at the new voice and immediately tried to hide his anger. Scully noted his reaction to Nancy and stored it in her memory to ask Nancy about later. "Brad Dale, how are you?" Nancy asked as she stepped through the open door. Scully wondered how much of their conversation her friend had heard. "I'm fine, thank you," he answered and before Nancy or Dana could say any more, he left the office. "Nice fellow," Scully said. She smiled at Nancy and perched on the edge of her desk, her feet dangling off the floor. She expelled a breath of air and wondered about what Dale had said. Why would Skinner assign her to work with McKinnon? Especially since they both already had partners. Maybe there was more to it than Scully could see on the surface. "I heard some of what he said. It's true, Skinner pulled him off the case and reassigned you. You're going to be my partner for this one, Dana." "Did you request it, Nance?" Scully questioned. "Nope. I didn't ask for you. Skinner wouldn't exactly explain why he was transferring you either. All I know is that Mulder's going to have to work with Dale for a while. As I understand it you guys were just doing paperwork anyway," Nancy explained. Scully pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. It would be good for her to get away from Mulder for a few days, especially now that he was so preoccupied. "So, where do we start?" "Newest crime scene. Another on Friday. The body was discovered in the alley behind TG's Grill. It wasn't forwarded to us until this morning, just got it now. There won't be much left of the scene but at least we can talk to the officers that investigated." "Okay, let's go," Scully said and she made her way to the door. Nancy followed her. "What about Mulder?" "What about him?" "Won't he want to know where you are?" Scully considered the question for a moment and then shook her head as she pulled her top coat off the coat rack. Skinner would explain that she had been transferred and Mulder would draw his own conclusions from there. "Is he my keeper?" Scully asked, striding out the door. ----- Outside TG's Grill 10:23 am Nancy McKinnon walked with her head down, examining the ground of the alley. It had rained last night so there wouldn't any worth while evidence left. She frowned and looked at the blue uniformed Police officer before her. He was fairly tall and well built. His uniform shirt was a little tight across the chest, but she could see, from the muscles that showed through slightly, that he worked out. His brown hair was glistening with sweat even though the day was just a regular, cool spring day. He seemed nervous as he glanced at his partner. The other man was thin and very wiry. He wore a hat to cover his gray-white hair, some of it escaping the edges. He looked as though he was at least twenty years older than the other officer. She swallowed and licked her lips. Taking a deep breath she said, "I'm to understand, from your report, that there was no blood except for the bit that dribbled out of his nose and mouth as a result of the convulsions?" "Yes, ma'am," the cop answered, glancing at his partner. Shaking her head, Nancy bit her bottom lip and looked over her field notes. They weren't much to go on. "Have you got the crime scene photo's that were missing from the case file?" she asked, eyeing the cop. He stared at her for a minute, a dumb expression on his face. "Simple question, yes or no?" "Yes, ma'am," he repeated. Nancy felt her infuriation growing and wondered if Dana was having any better luck at the coroner's office. "Well, thank you for your time," she said, shrugging slightly. She set her jaw and flipped her notebook closed. "Please have those photo's ready by one o'clock this afternoon. I'll be by the station to pick them up." As she walked away she heard the younger officer call her an "FBI Bitch", but she squared her shoulders and fought the urge to turn back to show him just what a bitch she could be. She pulled out her cell phone as soon as she got into her sedan, dialing Scully's number. The call was answered on the third ring. "Scully." "Hi, Dana, it's me." "Nance, come up with anything?" "Yeah, right," she answered and heard the bitterness in her words. "I wouldn't have been able to get that cop to tell me how to unholster my gun to save my life. Complete idiot." She glanced out the window. "Not a bad looking idiot, but an idiot all the same," she added. "Oh, lucky you," Dana said and chuckled. "Well, you'll pleased to hear that this time we've got something a little more concrete. Looks like this victim was allergic to whatever killed him." "Can you identify what killed him, though?" "No, but at least it's a start. I'm fairly certain it's some sort of poison now. The convulsions this guy had were pretty severe." "Alright, well, I'm coming over. You can explain the rest when I get there. I just don't like sitting here with those two buffoons staring at me," Nancy said and heaved a sigh. "Okay, see you soon," Scully said and there was a soft click followed by the dial tone. Nancy glanced once more at the cop and his ancient partner and started the sedan. She definitely didn't want to stick around. Squealing the tires, she sped away from the curb where she had parked. ----- End Part One ----- From: "Char Hall" Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: REP: Kiss Of Darkness 2/3 Date: Fri, 13 Sep 1996 13:28:09 -0700 *Disclaimer: See Part One. T h e X - F i l e s Kiss Of Darkness By Charleyne Hall (lazydark@aol.com) Part Two ----- FBI Headquarters Office of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully Fox Mulder glanced at the empty desk beside him. He couldn't imagine that Scully had been reassigned, even if it was just for one case. He didn't want to deal with breaking in another agent. "Fox Mulder?" Agent Brad Dale asked as he poked his head into the office. Mulder squinted at him and then nodded. he thought. "Welcome to Hell," Mulder said as he gestured to Scully's desk. He saw a flash of anger flare into the agent's eyes but it was quickly masked. He watched as the younger agent gingerly took a seat in Scully's chair as though it would burn him. The agent eyed the picture of Scully's sister and Mulder saw the anger again. "What's the matter? Are you a little sore because Agent Scully stole your case?" Mulder asked. He didn't feel like sparing the agent's feelings. The way he saw it, this kid was a little too high strung for his own good. His question earned a bewildered look from the agent. It quickly mutated into one of anger. This time he didn't hide it. "As a matter of fact, yes. I'm just as competent--" "Whoa, there. Back up. Did you just say you're just as competent?" "Yes, that's what I said," the agent replied. Mulder threw his head back and chuckled heartily. Maybe he could have some fun with this kid. He knew the routine he had tried on Scully when he first met her hadn't worked, but it would surely work on this kid. It was going to be a long wait for Scully's return. Ignoring the kid, Mulder turned his thoughts to Pamela. He'd had a wonderful evening with her on Friday. ----- Residence of Senator Martin 1:15 pm A giggle interrupted the silence of the house, mingling with the heavy breathing of the occupants of the bed. The silk sheets felt cool against his skin, but the hot flesh of the beautiful woman beside him was what made him feel comfortable. "What would your wife say?" she asked in a seductively calm voice. He propped himself up on his elbow and smiled down at her. "I don't care what she'd say. I'd tell her to try you out before she passed judgment," he said and the woman laughed again. She was a strange one, that was for sure. She never allowed him to kiss her lips. He supposed it was all part of the game. Every time he spent a few hours with her he begged her to let him taste her lips, but she always refused. They were so irresistible, though. He wanted to suck on her bottom lip, but she wouldn't allow it. "A kiss today?" he pleaded. "Maybe," she replied, puckering her lips. "Maybe if you're nice," she said and she rolled over, pressing her body against his side. "Just one?" "Well..." she replied, biting on a bright red-coloured lip. "Oh, I don't think so," she replied then scrambled away from him. She crawled out of the bed and stood naked before him. "Have I ever told you you're beautiful?" "Not today, but don't bother. Your wife should be home in about an hour and I plan to be long gone," she said and slowly began to dress. He smiled and pushed himself out of the bed as well. He didn't really want her to leave but he had to get back to the office to complete some things that he had left incomplete. He stood up and pulled his dress shirt off the chair beside the bed. He put it on, leaving it unbuttoned as he reached for his underwear and pants. Just as he finished pulling up the pants and was about to buckle his belt, he felt her arms wrap around his waist. He could feel her hot breath on his neck, just above the collar of his shirt. He knew she was kissing the collar, teasing him slightly. She wouldn't allow her lips to touch his skin. Slowly he turned in her arms, embracing her as she knelt on the bed before him. He crushed his body against hers, swaying slightly. She licked her lips and he couldn't hold off any longer, he swiftly brought his mouth down on hers, surprising her with the kiss. It was the last thing he ever did. ----- Medical Examiner's Office 11:12 am Dana Scully yanked the protective glasses away from her face and disgustedly dropped her scalpel on the tool trolley that she stood beside. She wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips in frustration. She'd been over every part of this poor man's body and she still couldn't find out what had caused him to go into convulsions, aside from the fact that she suspected it to be poison. She was frustrated that her own skills weren't enough to help her with this situation. She also felt a strange compulsion to wrap this case up within a few days. A gut feeling was telling her that this one was important, that something more was behind it all. The way things were going, they wouldn't ever wrap this case up. She was slowly growing aware of that minor factor and the simple thought made her uneasy. She sighed, biting her bottom lip and staring at the wall across from the body, thinking. She remembered the toxicology from the last autopsy and snapped her fingers. Making her way over to the scrub sink counter where she had put her cell phone down, she peeled the latex gloves off her hands, placing them carefully in the disposal bin and picked up the phone. She quickly dialed the number and held the phone to her ear, squinting with thought. "FBI Pathology, Agent Graham here," a sharp and precise voice answered. Scully smiled, envisioning the agent standing impatiently at his desk and waiting for a response. She knew the guy was almost worse than Mulder when it came to being a workaholic. "Agent Graham, Dana Scully. I wonder if you had a chance to process the toxicology that I asked you to put through," she asked politely. "Oh, yeah, I sure did, can you come up and get them?" He asked. His voice had softened when he realized who it was. "Actually, I'm out in the field right now. Can you possibly fax them to me?" "Sure, what's the number?" She smiled at his eagerness to please. She wondered why everyone seemed to be treading softly around her these days. It was almost as though she had the plague or something. Quickly, her smile turned to a scowl. She related the number to the agent and hung up. Her hand crept it's way up to her forehead and she leaned on the counter contemplating. She was tired of so many things. It was almost time she took a month off just to get her life back into order and regain her sanity. A moment later, she spun around to the sound of the doors being thrown open. Nancy McKinnon entered the autopsy room and she did not look happy at all. "Fucking local police," she said, shaking her head. Scully shook her head and stepped away from the counter. "What's the matter with you?" Nancy asked. "Oh, not much. I was just thinking about taking a vacation or something after this case. I'm so burnt out," Scully laughed without much enthusiasm. "Well, I guess you deserve it. I know working with Spook isn't that easy," Nancy acknowledged. "What makes you think it's Mulder I have a problem with?" Scully asked and this time a genuine smile crossed her tired face. Nancy stared at her, then pointed at her chest and mouthed the words, "Who me?" Scully nodded. "Well," Nancy sneered, jokingly. "Then how about I just request a new partner?" "Oh, I don't think that'll be necessary. Besides, with your luck, you'd end up with Mulder and you know working with Spook isn't that easy," Scully mocked. "Especially if he's doting over Pamela all the time." "Is that jealousy at work, Dana?" McKinnon asked. "With a word like 'doting' I have to think it is..." "Hey, watch it! Or I'll--" "You'll what?" Nancy shot her friend a tactful look and patted her gun. "Come on, Dana, I dare you." "Don't tempt me," Scully replied. "Oh, you wound me. You avoid said questions, though. Such is not a healthy pastime." "No, Nance, it's not jealousy. You've seen how Mulder and I have not been getting along. I have to wonder if Skinner's noticed, too, and separated us for that reason," Scully asked, biting her lip and walking towards the autopsy table and looking down at the body. The open cavity looked so grotesque. It wasn't that the insides of a human bothered her, but rather the fact that she couldn't believe the man had once been alive and breathing. She leaned forward and rested both of her hands on the edge of the table, gripping the stainless steel. Nancy appeared across from her, mirroring her position. They stared at each other for a few minutes and an unspoken understanding passed between them. Scully knew Nancy understood that she needed to break out of the mold she'd created for herself while working with Mulder. She seemed to be getting sick of always being second. She hated being called the 'Ice Maiden' or 'Mrs. Spooky' although sometimes it was better than being considered as Mulder's follower. Nancy broke the silence by leaning forward and peering into the cavity. "Eww," she said. "You actually did that to the poor guy?" "Yes." "Well, I suppose it's for the better. So, were you able to prove it was a poison yet?" Nancy asked and watched as Scully's eyes lit up. "Oh shit. I forgot that Agent Graham was going to fax the toxicology to me. Let's get out of here and I'll go up to the fax machine before we leave," Scully said, taking the tape out of the overhead recorder. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Nancy didn't say anything, simply watching as Scully scuttled around the room cleaning up. Working closely with Dana Scully might not be as easy as she had at first thought. ----- Police Offices Washington, DC 1:03 pm They stormed into the police station, two women wearing black topcoats and sporting black leather encased FBI badges. Doris Norman frowned at the agents as they approached her desk. She hated it when FBI agents barged in and demanded to see someone. She glanced over the two and formed an opinion before they even spoke. The shorter auburn haired woman stood behind the taller blond haired one. Both of them seemed to move in such a manner that they expected to be challenged any minute. she thought bitterly and plastered a pleasant smile to her face-- as pleasant as she could muster, considering the circumstances. "Is Sir Galahad here?" the blond asked, a quirky grin plastered to her face. "I'm sorry?" Doris asked, annoyed at the bitch before her. "Oh, that's right. Lemme think. What was his name...?" she asked, glancing at her partner. She pulled out a business card and looked at the name one it. "Oh, right. I'm looking for Brian Letterman. He and I spoke this morning, I believe he has some crime scene photos for me." she thought. Brian had ranted and raved all morning about some bitchy FBI agent that had made a fool of him at the crime scene. To make things worse, he mentioned something about wanting to have rough sex with her to teach her a few lessons. Doris shook her head and directed them to one of the offices down the hall from her desk. She watched as they turned to leave, a flapping of coattails following them. "Bitch," she muttered and turned her attention back to the file folder on her desk. Scully followed Nancy down the hallway. She didn't like the way the receptionist-- if that's what you could call her-- had treated them. Of course, Nancy deserved it for being such a bitch to the woman in the first place. Sir Galahad? Where had she come up with that one? She stopped just behind Nancy when they came to a stop in front of a door that the receptionist had directed them to. Nancy knocked and they soon heard a bellowing voice telling them to come in. Scully noted that the officer was not impressed when he saw who had entered. Nancy flashed a sincere smile and Scully noted that Brian's eyes flashed with a bit of anger. "Have you got our photos?" Nancy asked, not even bothering to introduce Scully. "Yes, ma'am," he answered, coldly. He tossed the file folder on his desk and glared at Nancy who, without being invited, took a seat across from him. Scully remained standing, her arms folded across her chest. Her face was expressionless as she observed her friend's reactions. "Thanks," Nancy said, happily ignoring the obvious discomfort of the officer before her. Nancy opened the folder and looked at the photos, frowning as she realized that they weren't going to be of much help. Scully stepped forward and peered over her friend's shoulder and glanced down at the pictures. She could feel Letterman's eyes on her and for some reason it made her uncomfortable. Nancy flipped to the next picture, studying it. "Not much help, are they?" Letterman asked, addressing Scully. His tone had changed slightly and he now wore a smile. He completely ignored Nancy and Scully finally realized that he'd been talking to her. "Uh, we're not sure yet," she answered. To her surprise, the man stood up and extended his hand. "Brian Letterman," he said, glancing at Nancy. "I don't believe we were introduced." "Dana Scully," Scully said, absently shaking his hand. The young officer was good looking, just as Nancy had said, but she knew he was a jerk. Judging from the way he treated Nancy, he wasn't fond of FBI agents either. she thought and frowned. Abruptly, Nancy pushed back her chair and stood up. She nodded at Scully, then turned to Letterman. "We'll get back to you," she said and was out the door before Scully even had a chance to react. She stood and looked at Brian for a moment, she was surprised when he spoke. "She's nasty," he commented, smiling at Scully. His eyes twinkled in such a way that Scully felt sick to her stomach. "Yeah, it's all part of the job description," Scully replied and walked out of the office. She caught up with Nancy just as she was walking out of the building. "He doesn't like you," she commented. "No shit, Sherlock," Nancy replied and smiled mischievously. "He likes you, though." Scully sighed and decided not to pursue that one. She didn't feel like thinking about it. Instead she asked a question, "Isn't it usually a good policy to keep on acceptable terms with these guys?" "Sure," Nancy said simply. She dug her keys out of her pockets and walked steadily towards their sedan, the folders tucked firmly beneath her arm. Scully followed. Inside the car, Nancy put the keys in the ignition but turned to Scully. "You don't like the way I dealt with him, do you?" "Did I say that?" Scully asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "Well, you know what it's like to be a woman in the law enforcement field. He just pissed me off this morning and the funny thing is that he didn't even really do anything wrong." Nancy explained, sighing. She leaned her head back against the head rest of the seat and closed her eyes. "I can't help it. Working with Dale is the same way. He rides on the waves I create and takes all the credit," she complained. "Don't worry about it, Nance. I understand," Scully said quietly and smiled when her friend nodded, and sat forward again. "Look, let's go get some lunch, then we can take a closer look at that toxicological report." Nancy nodded and reached for the keys. She had no sooner started the car than he phone began to ring. She shook her head and dug the phone out of her coat pocket. "Nancy," she answered. Scully watched as she nodded a few times, closed her eyes and pulled in a deep breath. She didn't let out the breath for several seconds. Finally she nodded a last time, as though the person on the other end would see her, and said, "Thank you. Yes, we'll be right there." Scully questioned Nancy with her eyes. "That was Agent Brown. They just found Senator Martin dead. Looks like our killer," Nancy said. "Well, let's get going," Scully said, reaching into the back seat. She was going to have to take a look at the toxicology report now. She pulled the file out and placed it on her lap while she put her seat belt on. ----- FBI Headquarters Office of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully 2:20 pm Fox Mulder stared at the words until his eyes hurt. He still couldn't seem to focus on work. Too many thoughts of Pamela lingered in his mind. He had been surprised when she wouldn't allow him to kiss her good night, on Friday. She told him that her kisses were to be earned. He smiled as he remembered it. He wondered what he would have to do to earn her kisses. Kisses from those lips. He closed his eyes, oblivious to the young man who sat at Scully's desk, and allowed his thoughts to wander. "Hey, wake up!" Brad Dale shouted and Mulder almost cursed out loud. He opened his eyes and turned to glare at the young man. "Something wrong?" he demanded in a nasty tone. "Yeah, you're daydreaming and we've got work to do." Mulder ignored the kid and glanced at the phone on his desk. He suddenly felt restless. He didn't want to put up with this kid any longer. He groaned and reached for the phone, dialing Scully's cell phone number. "Scully," he heard the sharp reply. "Hey, how's it going?" he asked. "Bored, Mulder?" "Well, yeah. You're out on an exciting case and I get stuck here doing absolutely nothing but filing with a little snot nosed trainee," Mulder replied. "I feel sorry for you," Scully said and he could hear the smile in her voice. She was enjoying the fact that he was stuck in the office with nothing to do but boring reports. "Besides, I'd have thought you'd be too preoccupied with Pamela." "Pamela who?" he asked, smiling. "Forgotten so soon, Mulder?" "Games, Scully. You're playing games," he laughed and shook his head. "How's the case going?" "Fine, Mulder. It's just dandy. We're still not any closer to anything than when we started out. Nancy doesn't know what to put in the profile since we have so little to go--" she paused and there was a loud crashing noise in the background. Mulder recognized the voice of Nancy McKinnon in the background yelling at someone. "Shit. Mulder, I've got to go. They just dropped the camera and the lens shattered," she said. "You're at a crime scene?" Mulder asked, he could imagine Scully nodding. "Yeah, Senator Martin's house. He's dead. Gotta run," she said and hung up. Mulder pulled the phone from his ear and stared at it for a few minutes. He was aware that Dale was still staring at him. He slowly turned to the agent, fixing him with a patented 'Spooky' glare. ----- Residence of Senator Martin 2:25 pm Dana Scully was just putting her cell phone away when Nancy McKinnon started to ask questions. The Senator's wife stood in the center of the room just staring blankly ahead. Her eyes were free of tears and her face was red. Scully assumed, judging by the sloppy way he was dressed, that the Senator had been having an affair. She understood the reaction of his wife in that case. Scully knew that she'd be rather upset if it had been her husband that was killed by his girlfriend. Scully felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Nancy shaking her head. "Look at it this way, we've at least learned that the killer is female," Nancy said. "Well, I guess it's a start. Is that enough to start the profile?" Scully asked, even though she knew the profile should have been written long ago. Given the fact that Nancy had only been on the case a matter of weeks and that the other agents had 'misplaced' the evidence, she didn't say anything to her friend about the profile. "I think so. I should have written after I found out those idiots lost it," Nancy stated. Then a frown creased her face, drawing the rest of her face into a sour expression. "I just didn't know where to start. I've never had a case like this before." "No worries, Nance," Scully said and shrugged free of her friend's grip to walk closer to the body. Police officers were bustling busily around, examining the scene, taking photos with the cracked camera and doing various other things. Some of them had taken to questioning the Senator's wife. The body was slumped backwards on the bed. His eyes were open and he looked as though he had experienced some form of extreme pain before he died. Scully put on a pair of latex gloves and began to examine the body. As far as she could tell, there were no prominent puncture wounds. She wouldn't really be able to determine anything until she had completed the autopsy but she doubted that it would turn anything up either. "Anything?" Nancy asked from somewhere behind her. "Nance, I can't see anything that sticks out. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he just died," Scully replied. "Damn," Nancy said, coming over to stand next to Scully. She crossed her arms across her chest and shook her head. "I guess this one's ours then. I was hoping it wouldn't be. The killer is escalating. She's gone from one every month to three this week alone." "I don't know what to tell you, Nance," Scully said. She really had no idea what to do next. An odd thought crept into her mind, "What did the toxicology report say?" Nancy asked. Scully took a moment to answer, still lost in thought about what Mulder would do next. "Uh, I didn't get to read that far. I got distracted. I've got it right here," Scully said, finally. She moved away from the body to the spot by the door where she'd dropped her brief case. "Let's take a look," Nancy said, following. Scully pulled the file out and flipped it open. She immediately went to the page that listed specific results. She frowned. "What does that mean?" asked Nancy, pointing at the unfamiliar word. "I'm not sure what it means. I've never heard of that substance before," Scully flipped to the next page of the report. The technician had explained his findings in great detail, just as she suspected. "Apparently he's never seen it before either. My guess is that's the substance that killed our boys." "Do you think? The quantities are so minuscule that you'd think it unlikely." "Believe me, I'm beginning to think *nothing* is unlikely," Scully said as she grabbed her brief case. "Come on, we're of no use here. I'll have them send the body over to the Hoover and I'll do the autopsy tomorrow." "Where are we going?" Nancy asked as she followed Scully out the door. "You're going to write that profile and I'm going home to try and figure this out. We've got to have something to attack by tomorrow." "Are you going to ask Mulder about it?" Nancy asked innocently. Scully stopped in the middle of the hallway and slowly turned to face her friend. "Do I run to Mulder all the time when I'm stuck?" Scully asked, sarcastically. "No, I'm not going to ask him but I will if worse comes to worse. This is his cup of tea, you know." With that she began to walk again. "Touche," McKinnon whispered. ----- Apartment of Dana Scully Annapolis, MD 5:48 pm Dana Scully yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. She sat on the floor with her back against the couch, files spread out before her on the coffee table. She was beat. She'd been going over the field notes of the previous investigators (what they hadn't lost) and medical reports and even the toxicological reports. Nothing had yet to pop up at her. She was beginning to wonder if she should ask Mulder for help, although from her earlier discussion with him, he didn't seem that interested. She looked back at her own notebook. She and McKinnon had at least discovered a possible cause of death. The unknown substance appeared to be a poison that was derived from a very rare form of plant, which would explain why they hadn't detected it in the first place. It also explained the allergic reaction of the second man Scully had performed an autopsy on. She had to admit that she'd never dealt a poison that killed so quickly and efficiently while causing such excruciating pain as she assumed the victims felt. Scully hadn't even been able to discover how the poison had been administered. If the person had swallowed it, there would have been traces in the stomach lining. Injection would have left a puncture wound. She thought of other methods but discarded them as unlikely. It was a puzzle that had her mind working in overdrive for almost three hours straight. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she was human and in severe need of food. Skipping lunch probably hadn't been that great of an idea. Closing the little black notebook and putting all the files back in her briefcase, Scully put it by the door. Then she walked to her bedroom and changed out of her jogging suit and into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. She'd decided she was going to go out and grab some Chinese food for dinner and take it over to the office where she hoped the new environment might inspire a new train of thought for her. ----- CK Chinese Food Washington, DC 6:22 pm Scully stared at her image in the mirror. It was the visage of someone who hadn't had enough sleep and too much coffee. She tried to smile but the effort was lost when she thought about the hell she would face at work tomorrow. More stupid police officers, more snotty receptionists and more dead ends. Another woman stepped up to the mirrors beside Scully. Scully glanced at her and immediately noticed the bright colour of lipstick on her full lips. She frowned and was about to walk out of the rest room, when she felt compelled to ask the woman what kind of lipstick she was wearing. "It's called Poisonfruit Passion," the woman answered with a smile. Scully nodded. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice when the woman left. she thought to herself, pushing away from the counter of sinks that was in front of the mirrors. She looked down once more and noticed that the woman had left her tube of lipstick behind. Scully picked it up and looked at it. It was the most brilliant red she'd ever seen. In fact, she'd never seen that shade of red before in her life. She shook her head and pocketed the tube. Scully walked out of the bathroom and noticed that the line up for the take out restaurant had grown significantly. She scanned the crowd, trying to decide if it was too busy to even bother with Chinese tonight. She was lost in thought and didn't notice the figure that had come up behind her, just watching. Two hands pressed down on her shoulders and out of instinct she tensed. The gasp that escaped her lips was almost loud enough for the other customers to hear and draw attention to her. "Scully," the too familiar voice said. "Mulder, you asshole!" she cried, turning around quickly as he let her shoulders go. "You scared me." "Sorry, I just wanted to know if you'd like to join us for dinner," he said and a large smile was plastered to his face. "Us?" She asked before realizing he meant Pamela and himself. "Yeah, I brought Pam to our favorite Chinese place," he said and his grin spread. She and Mulder used to come here often to get Chinese when they had been spending hours on end on a case that just couldn't be solved. Sometimes it just became habit to come here. She shouldn't have been surprised to run into him there. "Sure," she said. Scully was a little weary about interrupting but her own curiosity about Pamela got the better of her. Mulder nodded and he put a hand on her back, directing her into the restaurant part of CK's. She followed behind him, winding between the tables. She spotted the woman she had seen in the bathroom and soon realized that they were headed towards her. Scully was amazed. Mulder certainly had done something for himself this time. Pamela was gorgeous, more so than Scully had noticed in the bathroom, probably because she had been so preoccupied with the case. Scully smiled as Mulder introduced her as his partner and best friend. Pamela nodded and gestured for Scully to take a seat. She seemed delighted to have another person at the table. Scully almost laughed at that thought. She regarded Pamela carefully. Her red hair caught the dim light in the Chinese restaurant and shone brilliantly. It was shoulder length and straight. "Pleased to meet you, Dana. I've heard so much about you," Pamela said when Scully was seated across from her. Scully looked at Mulder, her eyebrow raised. He shrugged and reached for Pamela's hand. "Just what has Mulder been telling you about me?" Scully asked, still glaring at Mulder. "That you're the most interesting partner he's ever had. He told me that you're constantly keeping him on his toes, always challenging his beliefs. He's told me enough to make me want to meet you," Pamela explained, her smile growing. It radiated warmth across the table and Scully just couldn't help but smile. This woman was definitely someone that could have a lot of people in a trance just by speaking in soft tones. She was immediately likable. Scully took a deep breath, unsure of what to say. She hadn't heard enough about Pamela to even be able to say anything along those lines. She was at a loss for words. Pamela must've noticed her struggle for words because she asked Scully about her newest case. The questions were simple and she sounded genuinely interested. "We're basically backed into a corner," Scully explained, without giving out too much confidential information. "We have no leads, no evidence and no suspect. I'm beginning to wonder if we should just mark this one unsolved and shove it in the basement." "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Scully," Mulder warned. "I might just pick it up in a couple of weeks and demand that we be assigned to it." "Oh yeah?" Scully asked, eyebrows raised. Mulder nodded. "Yeah." "Fine," Scully said and turned attention back to Pam as though Mulder hadn't said a word. "So, I hear you're a botanist?" Scully asked. "Yes, to an extent." Pamela answered and went on to explain some of the things she did in her government funded botanical gardens. Scully wasn't really interested in hearing about how much Pamela fed certain plants every day but she listened politely, asking appropriate questions. Mulder seemed relieved that they were getting along. Heaven forbid that his best friend might hate his girlfriend. The conversation lasted for the better part of an hour, but Scully ate little. She was still too caught up in her thoughts of the case to really enjoy herself. Pamela was delightful and polite. Mulder remained quiet, probably trying to discern Scully's reaction to his girlfriend. Eventually, Scully excused herself. She really wanted to get back to the office and look over the Senator's body. She gave some lame excuse about needing sleep and bowed out graciously. On the way to her car, Scully remembered the lipstick that Pamela had left in the bathroom. By that time, she didn't feel like running back in to return it. She decided just to hand it to Mulder when he came in to work the next day. ----- End Part Two ----- From: "Char Hall" Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: REP: Kiss Of Darkness 3/3 Date: Fri, 13 Sep 1996 13:29:27 -0700 *Disclaimer: See Part One. T h e X - F i l e s Kiss Of Darkness by Charleyne Hall (lazydark@aol.com) Part Three ----- FBI Headquarters Autopsy Bay 4 8:02 pm Scully walked slowly into the autopsy room to find that she wasn't the only one to be working late. Nancy McKinnon stood across the room staring at the bags of clothing that had once been on the bodies. "Did you get the profile done?" Scully asked, a smile touching the corners of her mouth. She couldn't believe that Nancy showed up more places than not. She seemed to be everywhere. Scully thought as Nancy spun around, a look of total confusion on her face. She relaxed when she saw Scully and allowed herself to frown. "No, I didn't. I couldn't think. I came here to see if there was anything that might give me an idea. I'm assuming you got sick of searching too, huh?" Nancy said, holding up the bag of clothing that belonged to the Senator. She walked, clutching the bag in her hand, towards the table where the Senator's body was enshrouded by a white sheet. "I'm fed up with this." "Nance, it's okay. We've only been on this case for a day--" "You've only been on it for a day!" Nancy declared, wheeling to face Scully. "You're not much help either. No offense, Dana." She tossed the Senator's clothes on the instrument trolley beside the autopsy table. "What did you want for one day's work?" Scully asked, her voice monotone. Nancy sighed deeply and her frown caused her forehead to crease. Her expression was pained and she looked remorseful. She shrugged and said, "I'm sorry, Dana. I'm just frustrated because I can't write this fucking profile. Not to mention the fact that this case is bullshit." "Maybe you should just go and get some sleep, Nance," Scully said and reached forward to grasp her friend's hand. "I understand what you're saying. You're pushing yourself far too hard for this case. It's not going to be solved in a couple of days, especially if we're tired and on edge. "If you can't write the profile, take a break and do it when you can." Nancy closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Scully let go of her hand and patted her shoulder. "If you want, you can stick around while I do the autopsy on this one or you can do home and get some rest..." "I'll stick around for a little while. I'm interested in seeing what you don't come up with this time," Nancy said with a weak smile. "That's more like it," Scully said. "Now, excuse me while I continue to be useless." She smiled when Nancy glared at her before laughing. At least she'd been able to handle McKinnon's stress without causing any harm to their friendship. Scully knew she wasn't being much help and that Nancy hadn't meant any harm by her words, but it still hurt to know that she wasn't getting anywhere. It caused her to think back to why Skinner had transferred her. She was continually puzzled by that fact. Perhaps he had decided that this challenge would be a welcomed test of her skills. To that end, Scully decided she would have to ask him next time she had a chance. Scully nodded at McKinnon before disappearing into the change room to grab a pair of green scrubs. When she emerged, she wore a hair net, gloves and glasses. She had an extra cassette in her hand, which she immediately slipped into overhead recorder. McKinnon watched as Scully walked around the body, taking measurements and talking to the recording device. Now and then she would have to stop to answer one of Nancy's questions but she didn't mind. It was just like teaching back at Quantico. She often had to stop to allow for one of the students to catch up. She also knew that sometimes she became so engrossed in the work that she was oblivious to the other people in the room. Nancy's questions reminded her that she wasn't alone and that small reminder kept her from getting completely lost in her work. "I'm going to start cutting now, are you sure you want to stick around?" Scully asked, eyeing her friend. "Sure, why the hell not," Nancy said and shrugged. Scully smiled and walked over to the instrument cart. She examined all of the available tools and made sure that nothing was missing. Tweezers, bone cutters and scalpels. she thought. She picked up the evidence bag which held the Senator's clothes, with the intention of moving it. She turned it over in her hands. She shrugged and was about to put it down when something caught her eye. A smear of red on the exposed collar of the folded shirt. Scully frowned and held up the bag for a better look. "Oh my God," she said, her eyes widening with realization. Her breathing turned irregular and she looked at Nancy. She gingerly opened the evidence bag and pulled out the garment, allowing it to unfold. She dropped the bag and the remaining clothes back onto the trolley. "What is it, Dana?" Nancy asked, eyeing the clothing. Scully pointed to the red smear. "It's lipstick." "So?" "Nancy, forget about the profile. I think I know who the killer is," Scully said. She threw a glance at Nancy again, then ran for the change room. "Dana, you're crazy. You can't possibly know who the killer is," Nancy began, following her. Before Nancy reached the change room door, Scully emerged holding her shoulder holster in her hand and something else. She handed the other item to Nancy. "Nance, I've got to go. There's no time to explain," Scully said. She ran for the door, while clumsily strapping her gun over the green scrubs. "Dana! Wait!" Nancy screamed but Scully was already running down the corridor. Scully stopped for just a moment, long enough to shout directions at her friend. "Just take that to the lab and have it tested along with the substance on the shirt. I'll call you," Scully said and disappeared. Nancy looked down at the item Scully had handed her. It was a tube of the brightest red lipstick she had ever seen. It matched the colour of the smear on the Senator's shirt. "Oh shit, Dana, what are you up to?" Nancy mumbled as she ran for the stairs. ----- Fox Mulder's Apartment 9:21 pm Fox Mulder smiled at Pamela Galloway as he handed her a glass of cold iced tea. She reciprocated and her eyes twinkled. Mulder's mind raced and he couldn't think properly. He sat down beside her on the couch, clutching his own iced tea. "So, what do you think of Scully?" he finally asked. He was curious to hear Pamela's opinion of his best friend, but he wasn't sure why he needed to know. Perhaps it was because he wanted, more than anything, for them to like each other. He hadn't detected any detachment on Scully's end and for that he was thankful. "She's a brilliant woman. She's much more interesting than I had originally thought and that is saying a lot," Pamela said, her smile widening. "I bet she's an excellent investigator." Mulder nodded in agreement. He grinned, a silly boyish grin. He felt alive again, now that he had finally someone who held his interest and liked Scully despite her sometimes abrasive demeanor. She also hadn't been herself earlier. She was way too engrossed in the case. He could see it in her eyes when she answered the questions that Pamela threw out. He could also tell that the case was beginning to worry her and it'd only been the first day. "She is an excellent investigator," Mulder echoed. Moving closer to Pamela, he set his drink on the coffee table and reached forward, taking a handful of her feathery red hair. He smiled and brought it to his nose, smelling the wonderful strawberry scent. Pamela, setting her drink aside as well, shifted positions so Mulder could get closer to her. She reached up and put a hand on his cheek. "My wonderful Mulder," she whispered, close to his ear but not allowing her lips to touch his skin. "Kiss me?" Mulder asked, remembering how she had refused to kiss him previously. He laughed when she shook her head, realizing that it was all part of her game. Perhaps she just wanted to make him wait as long as she possibly could. "Not yet," she said and laughed. It was a musical sound in his ears and he felt the temperature of the room rising. "My kisses have to be earned. Rewards for good deeds, Fox," she explained. He laughed as she gently pulled his shirt out from where it had been tucked into his jeans. She slid her hands up under the shirt, gliding them over his chest and back. He moaned and leaned forward, causing Pam to move back. He loomed over her, his smile never fading. ----- 9:29 pm Scully honked her horn, beeping at some asshole who had pulled out in front of her. It was times like this that she wished she had a flashing light to stick on her roof. She swerved into the oncoming traffic lane and passed the jerk, cutting back into her respective lane just as another car came barreling towards her. Her thoughts were a swirl. She still couldn't believe that Pamela had been behind this all. She thought she understood why she'd been assigned to the case. She focused on her driving, deciding she wouldn't be any help to Mulder if she crashed her car. She hoped that he had not brought Pamela home. That would certainly complicate things. Her stomach clenched when she realized that it was more likely he did have her with him. Scully chewed on her bottom lip. She was less than five minutes away from Mulder's apartment. Maybe she was overreacting, but something, deep within her, was telling her that Mulder was in danger. One kiss from Pamela could be fatal. Scully thought, scolding herself for not putting it all together immediately. Absently, Scully reached into her pocket for her cell phone. She cursed. It wasn't there. She was still wearing her autopsy scrubs. she thought, mentally kicking herself for her own stupidity. Now she had no way of contacting Mulder or getting ahold of Nancy to find out the results of the tests. Not that it mattered, Scully had only seen that shade of red once and that was on Pamela's lips. It was unmistakable and it also explained a lot of things. She hazarded to guess that the lipstick contained the lethal plant derivative. Pamela was a botanist for a government funded garden, it only made sense. The pieces of the puzzle slowly fell together and Scully felt even more pressure to get to Mulder before it was too late. "There's got to be an antidote," Scully thought out loud. Pamela wouldn't have been able to wear the lipstick without some sort of protection from the poison. Scully tried to find all the explanations. Why had Pamela been careless and left her lipstick? Had she done it purposely? No wonder the woman seemed so interested in her case. Scully slammed on the brakes as she neared Mulder's apartment. She felt the car swerve to a stop in the middle of the road. Unbuckling her seat belt in haste, Scully pawed at the door and jumped out onto the street. A car blared its horn and she heard the squealing of tires on the pavement. She scrambled off the street, narrowly missed by the car. Quickly she drew her weapon and bolted for Mulder's building. ----- FBI Headquarters Forensics Department 9:29 pm Nancy McKinnon stood impatiently beside Brent Graham as he examined a sample of the lipstick under his microscope. "Well? What is it?" Nancy asked, growing steadily impatient. "It's the same substance that I found on the collar and in the bloodwork of the last victim you had me test. Where did you get this?" he asked, gazing at McKinnon. "I don't know," Nancy said, beginning to pace around the office. She felt horrible not knowing where Dana was and although Dana had promised to call, Nancy knew she hadn't taken her cell phone. "Partners don't ditch each other," Nancy said. "What?" the agent asked and Nancy realized she'd spoken out loud. "Nothing, never mind," she said. She grabbed the remaining tube of lipstick and thanked the agent, storming out of the office. "Jesus fucking Christ. Where the hell are you, Dana?" ----- Fox Mulder's Apartment 9:45 pm Mulder smiled as he stroked Pamela's hair. She was now laying atop him, her head rested on his bare chest. His shirt was unbuttoned and hanging loosely from his body as he lie on the couch. She still wore her clothing although her blouse was a little disheveled. Mulder wanted to revel in her touch but it was really her kisses that he longed for. "Fox," her voice rose to his ears and reminded him once again of the musical nature of it. "Hmm?" "I want to make love to you," Pamela said and Mulder couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm game," he said. The words sounded childish to his ears but he had long since learned that playing games was one thing that Pamela did very well. She grinned and shifted her weight off of him. She straddled his legs and put her hands on his chest, sitting halfway up. Instead of allowing him to work on the buttons of her shirt, she grasped his fingers and entwined hers with them. She pushed his hands back over his head so that they hung on the arm of the couch. He grinned as she slowly brought her face down towards his. The door slammed open, suddenly. A flurry of auburn hair attached to a very upset, gun wielding Scully, entered his apartment. Pamela's eyes widened and Mulder jumped. Pam's head jerked up and both of them glared at Scully as she stood in the doorway, her gun trained on Pamela. Mulder was too stunned to speak immediately so he simply watched as Scully came in and kicked the door shut behind her. "Hands in the air!" Scully cried and Mulder began to laugh. He felt ridiculous. He was half undressed, a woman laying on top of him and his partner had gone crazy and was pointing a gun at his girlfriend. "Scully, what the fuck are you doing here?" he demanded as the last of his laughter died down, replaced by a very uncontrolled form of anger. It wasn't every day that he was getting ready to make love to a woman, only to have Scully burst in on them. He found he didn't like the idea that much. "Mulder, it's the lipstick. Whatever you do, don't kiss her!" Scully cried as she slowly advanced towards the couch. It was then that Mulder tore his eyes from his wild-eyed partner and took a moment to glance at Pamela. There was a secret smile on her lips and her eyes had hardened until they looked like smoldering coals on a dying fire. Her lips puckered and she kissed the air above him. "Mine are kisses of darkness, Fox," she said, slowly reaching behind her. Dana Scully had no idea where Pamela had pulled the knife from, but before she even had a chance to react, the metal was buried in the flesh of Mulder's stomach. Scully squeezed the trigger on her gun. Her shot was too well placed to miss. Before Pamela could pull the knife out of Mulder's stomach to do any more damage, she pitched forward, blood trickling down the side of her head where the bullet had made a nice round hole. She fell on Mulder, driving the knife that much farther into his stomach. He screamed. Scully dropped her gun on the floor and ran to the couch, struggling to pull Pamela's body off of Mulder. She successfully dragged the body away, only to find that the knife was buried in Mulder's stomach to the hilt. Mulder's eyes opened and he managed a smile, somehow finding some sort of twisted humour in the events that had just unfolded. "Foiled again," he choked. "Scully, I never have had much luck--" He broke off, gagging. "Shh, Mulder. Stop talking. You're only making things worse," Scully said. She looked around the apartment for something to press against his wound to at least staunch the flow of blood. She spotted his New York Knicks T-shirt thrown over the back of a chair and got up quickly to grab it. Returning to Mulder's side, she wrapped the shirt around the handle of the knife and held it firmly in place. She pursed her lips and watched as Mulder's face twisted into a grotesque expression of pain. His eyes were glassy and his lips white. He began to cough and a small trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. "Damn!" Scully cried. He was worse off than she originally thought. His internal bleeding was more severe than she had hoped. She looked over to the coat rack behind his door and spotted his overcoat. She got up again, heading for the door. She wanted his cell phone. Steps away from it, Scully jumped when someone banged on the door. "Fox Mulder, open this door!" Scully recognized the voice as Nancy McKinnon's. She went to the door and opened it hurriedly. Nancy stumbled in and her eyes fell on Scully in surprise. "Dana?" Nancy asked, looking over her friend's shoulder and taking in the scene that had recently been played out in the living room of Mulder's apartment. "What's going on?" "Call an ambulance," Scully commanded, returning to Mulder's side. Nancy did as she was told, but as soon as she had placed the call she began asking questions. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?" Nancy asked, annoyed that Scully had ditched her. "I couldn't, Nance. I had to get here as fast as possible--" "You could have been hurt! Dana Katherine Scully, who the hell do you think you are? Superwoman? Do you think you can take on the world?" "God, you sound like Mulder," Scully noted, angrily. "I... Agree..." Mulder said, his voice thick and raspy. "Will you stop talking, please?" Scully cried, turning her annoyance towards Mulder. "I don't need two people on my back about it. You, my friend, would have been dead if I'd taken time to fill Nancy in on the fine details," Scully said, referring to Mulder. Nancy and Mulder remained silent -- Mulder more so out of pain than anything. Nancy, on the other hand was trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Finally, giving up she shrugged and said, "How did you know?" Scully explained about meeting Pamela in the bathroom and taking the lipstick with intentions of returning it. She'd had no idea at the time that it would end up being the crucial evidence of the whole charade. "There's more, isn't there?" Nancy asked, as she looked at Pamela's body. Her red hair was a deeper shade than it had been before. "This can't be just a coincidence." "I believe there's more to it, but I don't think there's any point in pursuing it further, Nance. Close the book on this one and let it go," Scully said. Nancy began to frown but Scully continued, "What's done is done." "Alright, Dana," Nancy said. ----- FBI Headquarters Office of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully April 20, 1995 8:15 am She'd been sitting at the computer for almost twenty minutes just staring at the report that simply would not allow itself to be written. Aside from Skinner's unexpected commendation on the fact that she had helped to solve the case in little over a day, Dana had been served with a request for a mandatory meeting with the board of directors. It seemed they found her conduct unacceptable in the respect of solving the case. They weren't convinced that she had been telling the truth about the methods by which she came across the archived evidence. She felt that the meeting was unfair and uncalled for, but Skinner assured her that they just wanted to go over her statement and the events which lead up to the death of Pamela Galloway. She knew that Mulder would not be at the meeting to offer a statement of his own, in her defense, but at least they would have a written statement from him. He would tell them that she followed all procedures, even though they both knew it was a lie. She had acted without concrete evidence. What if the lipstick hadn't been the poison? If Pamela hadn't stabbed Mulder, would Scully have shot her anyway? Those were the questions she had seen flashing in his eyes when he looked at her from his hospital bed, the next morning. To top things off, she still had no idea why Skinner had partnered her with Nancy McKinnon. She suspected that he might have had an idea about the shady work that Pamela had been doing for the government, but she couldn't come up with any concrete evidence. A raid of the botanical gardens where Pamela worked, brought no explanation of the poison or of an antidote, however, Scully suspected that any evidence had been erased before the team even set foot on the premises. All in all, Pamela Galloway's work and the subsequent creation of a deadly poison were never revealed and the case had been sealed. All that was left was Scully's incomplete report and her misconduct hearing. Nancy McKinnon had been reassigned to a new partner, now that she was a respected agent within the Bureau and for that, at least, Scully could be happy. She was glad that her friend wouldn't have that slimy Brad Dale following her around and riding on her coattails anymore. Nancy was a fine agent who had a lot of things going her way and Scully couldn't stand to see her career put on hold. The knock on the door was so quiet that Scully almost didn't hear it the first time. Tearing herself from her thoughts, she put a false smile on her face and asked the person to enter. It was Nancy McKinnon. Scully's false facade quickly became a real, full blown smile as her friend entered the quiet office and sat down in front of Scully's desk. "Hey, Nance, how's it going?" Scully asked, raising an eyebrow. She removed her reading glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose, tossing the glasses carelessly on the desk. "I heard about that meeting they slapped you with," Nancy began. She took a deep breath and continued, "I want you to know that I spoke to Skinner and gave him my take on the situation." "Nancy, that was kind of you but entirely unnecessary. I'm fairly certain it's just a bunch of bullshit that was brought about by the shadow government that lurks within these walls." Scully grinned and extended her arms to indicate the entire room. "I told him if you were being reprimanded, that I was going to be too." "Nancy McKinnon, what have you done?" Scully asked, looking at her friend with concern. "You didn't go and get yourself mixed up in my mess, did you?" "No ma'am," Nancy said, throwing her friend a smile. "But I did, however, manage to get you out of your bind. Skinner decided that it was unfair to analyze either of us and therefore neither of us is going to have a mandatory meeting. He called it off and asked if I would come down and break the horrible news to you." "Really? That easily, huh?" Scully said, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "It can't have been that easy." "It probably wasn't, but he knows that all you did was do what you and Mulder are so used to. I think he knows that you didn't follow procedure, but he also made it clear that you were too used to it from working with Mulder. Second nature, I think he called it," Nancy explained and when Scully opened her eyes, her friend was smiling radiantly. "Well, it's nice to hear. Thank you," Scully said quietly, reflecting back on the words. "You're welcome. Now, on a lighter note, I want to know if you'd like to come to the theater with me?" Nancy said and when Scully questioned her with her eyes, Nancy laughed and explained, "Remember way back when I promised I'd get you a life?" "Ah, listen, I'd love to but how about another time? I've got a few things to take care of first," Scully said. Nancy nodded and thanked Scully for her help on the case. Scully nodded and watched as her friend excited the office quietly. Scully sat for only a moment after the agent left. She did indeed have something to do. ----- Washington Memorial Hospital Private Patient Wing 9:12 am She shifted the flowers in her arm and pushed on the hospital room door. She quietly entered and discovered that he was still sleeping. She regarded his ghostly pale face and felt the relief flooding over her once again. He was going to live another day, probably just so he could bug her about being 'Mrs. Spooky' again. The smile on her lips was one of remembrance and thankfulness. She gazed at her best friend and walked quietly to the bedside table, carefully laying the flowers there so that he would see them immediately when he awoke. Planting a soft kiss on his forehead, she escaped back to the hallway of the quiet hospital, unnoticed by anyone. When Fox Mulder opened his eyes, he thought he had imagined the soft kiss that had been planted on his forehead. He would have chalked it up to be a strange dream if he hadn't noticed the flowers on the bedside table. Four yellow roses and one red, neatly trimmed and arranged in a small paper enfolding. The card attached, he could read from where he lay. F, Yellow roses are said to be a symbol of friendship. Four. One for each year we have known each other. The fifth, is a symbol of my trust which is placed Solely in you, Your friend forever, D. ----- The End -- __________________________________________________________________________ XAngst Anonymous Member T h e Smart Young X-Phile #276 - - Lone Gunwoman #41 \ / Melissketeer X Skinner Chick Extreme Possibilities Member / \ EMXC Mysterious & Suspicious Founder - - -Riley- X-Files Fan Fic Lover F i l e s Co-Founder Anti-Spellin' Brigade (tm) _________________________________________________________________________ Visit the M&S homepage http://www.lexcorp.com/x-files Charctavius of the New Triumverate