From: d4niphile@yahoo.com   
      
   He had met with Ed Jerse, under investigative pretenses of course.   
      
   He hadn't bothered to tell Scully. The real reasons for his little   
   visit wouldn't have sat very well with his pissed off little partner.   
   How could he justify the alpha male urges that had plagued him the   
   moment he found out about her `adventure' in Philadelphia?   
      
   Drunk, inked AND laid all in one night. Talk about trying to relive   
   the college experience.   
      
   She had freely shared a side of herself with a complete stranger,   
   when for four years he had been kept in the dark. He never would have   
   guessed she had it in her. Agent Scully was sensible, rigid and yet   
   wonderfully warm, caring, trustworthy and thoroughly dedicated. She   
   was brave, proud and strong, never rebellious, wild and reckless.   
   Since when did Scully pick up strange men and frequent tattoo   
   parlors?   
      
   The only person who might have been able to shed light on any of   
   this, other than his tight lipped partner, was Ed Jerse.   
      
   Mulder felt sorry for him in a small way. This man normally wasn't a   
   killer. He had just been dealt a pretty crappy hand from the   
   universe. Mulder had enough of his own allergic reactions to the   
   universe to understand Ed's position. It didn't stop him from sizing   
   the guy up. He was, after all, the only man Mulder had known to hit a   
   home run with Scully.   
   His partner may hide a lot from him, but he knew her, he knew her in   
   a way only a profiler could. He knew why Scully had found Ed   
   attractive. He was a big ball of angst wrapped up in a pretty   
   package, a modern day James Dean. She had seen a complicated,   
   slightly dangerous, attractive warm body that she knew would help her   
   forget about her life for a few hours. He'd had his share of one   
   night stands. He recognized her M.O.   
      
   Despite what she had said about this being `her' life, he knew   
   better. HIS life had become hers and that didn't sit well with her.   
   She needed to rebel, she needed to escape and as he had left Ed Jerse   
   behind in the facility he knew she had wanted him to KNOW about her   
   frustration. She wanted him to feel it as surely as she did. She   
   wanted him to be angry and hurt.   
      
   Well he wasn't.   
      
   OK mildly, but mainly he was just sad. The state of their   
   relationship was laughable. As much as they played it cool with each   
   other, there was so much more than friendship and loyalty to the   
   truth at play. She had put herself on the line enough times over the   
   last four years to prove to him that she wasn't the little spy he had   
   first thought. She took her job, her partner and the truth very   
   seriously. She had allowed herself to become drawn in too deeply to   
   ever get out. They only had each other in this terrifying life that   
   they lived. Wouldn't it be natural to stop holding each other at arms   
   length eventually? Did her fear of exposing her emotions drive her to   
   commit such grand gestures of loyalty, trust and more recently,   
   frustration? Did she not realize how obvious she could be about her   
   feelings for him at times? It was there for all to see, why would a   
   woman like Dana Scully allow her body and reputation to be torn apart   
   by shadowy wolves hiding behind something as convenient as a   
   government? It was love. She loved him. He pushed her away, at times   
   he treated her with an air of indifference, he dragged her along like   
   she was his personal on call scientist. Even though he did all of   
   this she had seen past it. Oh sure it frustrated her to the point of   
   doing the wild thing with a tattooed psycho, but she still saw past   
   it. He cared. He cared too much for both of their own good. Since   
   they hit the final nail in the coffin of `her life' and abducted her,   
   he had known `the little spy' was the only person in his life worth   
   anything, and lucky for him she was worth ten times her weight in   
   gold.   
      
   Maybe he had pushed it a little too far this time with the desk. He   
   knew how to play nice. Scully wasn't a flowers and candy type of   
   woman and for that he would be eternally thankful. He would make nice   
   with her this time. After all she WAS the most important person in   
   his life. He did love her, and there were ways other than romantic   
   gestures to prove it to her.   
      
   Time to browse the stationary catalogue.   
      
      
   X   
      
      
   One Week Later:   
      
      
   She was running late. Stupid Mulder. Her car was in the shop and he   
   had offered to pick her up in the morning. Half an hour after he was   
   due to arrive she called to see what the hold up was all about. He   
   had forgotten.   
      
   Forgotten.   
      
   Prick.   
      
   Cool it Dana. Provoking him is not what you want to be doing right   
   now. If he pushed just one of her buttons she would probably let   
   loose a barrage that would simultaneously disgust and impress her   
   father. Something caught her eye as she exited the elevator and made   
   her way down the hall to their office. There was a name plate on the   
   door above Mulder's.   
      
   SPECIAL AGENT DANA SCULLY.   
      
   She stared at it for a long time. Mulder was certainly making a   
   statement. Both of their names stood out boldly against the back drop   
   of the door. Our office, our files, our life.   
   She gave herself a moment to put her game face on. No sense in   
   encouraging him with tender smiles, knowing Mulder he'd find   
   something to say to ruin the moment.   
      
   Sometimes even Dana Scully was wrong.   
      
   She turned the knob and pushed the door open. Mulder sat behind his   
   desk with a smirk. She eyeballed him for a moment, then stepped into   
   the office and closed the door behind her.   
      
   "Good Morning Mulder." She had tried to keep it bland but Mulder   
   could tell from her traitorous eyes that she was pleased.  His smirk   
   turned into a grin. "Sorry I `forgot' to pick you up this morning   
   partner." Her eyebrow rose in response. "I know it didn't tie in with   
   the theme I have running here."   
      
   "What theme would that be Mulder?"   
      
   Time to bring it to a personal level. He gave himself a moment.   
      
   Bring it on.   
      
   "I'm putting you first."   
      
   Her expression was questioning and a little unsure.   
      
   "I've put you first on the door. I've put you first in my will and   
   testament."   
      
   "Mulder-."   
      
   "I've put you first as my emergency contact. I've put you first as my   
   Doctor."   
      
   He paused, allowing it all to sink in, then he continued before she   
   could speak again.   
      
   "I've put you first here." He placed his hand on his chest over his   
   heart.   
      
   Her sharp intake of breath was audible in the quiet room.   
      
   "Although that was more your doing than mine." His smile was tender.   
      
   "Mulder." She started then stopped. Helplessness was written all over   
   her face. She knew there was no way out of this because a way out   
   didn't exist. It was merely meant to be.   
      
   "Mulder I don't know what to say… I… think this is-."   
      
   "Inevitable." He reached out to softly pinch her pointy little   
   chin. "Nothing has changed Scully. You became numero uno a long time   
   ago. This is OUR life, it became our life when they took you. It   
   became entwined when your sister and my father were gunned down in   
   cold blood. You don't have to want it Scully, you just have to   
   acknowledge that this is just the way it is."   
      
   "I do want it. I'm just scared of growing to need it, and having it   
   all ripped away."   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)