Beneath the Surface, by Jennifer Arthur

Disclaimer: The characters included within belong to the Fox
Network, the creative people over at 1013, Chris Carter, David
Duchovny, and Gillian Anderson. No infringement is
intended.

Classification: Story; MSR; A little ScullyAngst
Rating: NC-17 for violence and sexual situations

Time line: Season 5
Spoilers: The End

Archive: Gossamer: Yes.  Anywhere else: Yes, as long as my name
stays attached.  If you have the time, please drop me a line so I
can see my name in lights.  Also, you can find this and my other
works on my website, which is beautifully maintained by Kat:
http://members.aol.com/crispianx/jen.html

Feedback: Will be answered quickly and gratefully.
XFileLuv@aol.com

Summary:  The X-Files are closed, but Mulder and Scully find
a way to work together.  What transpires when Scully suspects
that Diana Fowley's motives are less than honorable?

This story was written directly after the Season 5 finale and does
not fit in with the events of the movie.

Dedication: This story is dedicated to Jill, who
mistakenly believes that I can handle writing plot.  Jill, this
will teach that smarmy friend of yours to say stupid
things like, "I think that Diana Fowley would make a good
love interest for Mulder!"

Acknowledgements: I'd like to thank several people:
Lisa, without whom this fic wouldn't exist--literally and
figuratively; Amanda, whose editing work goes above and
beyond the call of duty; my Primal Screamers (and Honoraries),
who continue to amuse and inspire me; and my husband, who
loves me unconditionally.

**********************

Beneath the Surface, by Jennifer Arthur
1/9

The business had been doing well so far.  The small space that
constituted their office was spacious enough for the two of
them to each have a desk, with room left over for other
requisite office supplies: a copier, fax machine, filing cabinets,
and a lone palm plant that, between the two of them, barely
managed to survive.

The initial start-up costs had been covered by the profit made
from the dissolution of some of Scully's assets.  She had
moved quickly after the destruction of the X-Files office, and
was glad for the effort that she had taken since joining the FBI
to invest her money carefully.  They had agreed that she
would cover the cost of supplies, and Mulder would use his
inheritance from his father to pay the lease until the company
was self-sufficient.  At that point, all profits would be split
fifty-fifty.

Their private investigation enterprise became a reality within
weeks of the FBI's receipt of the resignations of Special
Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.  After the destruction of
their work and the ensuing news of reassignment, Mulder and
Scully determined over pasta and Chianti that they would no
longer be Their pawns.  They would forego their government
credentials in favor of working for themselves.  Their
attorneys had been put to work the next morning, and within
two weeks, all of the paperwork had been filed and they were
moving into their modest downtown office.

This particular morning had been spent taking on new clients.
Unfortunately, the majority of the cases thus far had involved
tedious investigative work, mainly consisting of following
suspected adulterous spouses and researching insurance fraud.
If it paid the bills, however, they took it on.  Both former
agents realized that this venture was merely a way to bide their
time.  Once the dust settled and they were on their feet
financially, they would resume the search that they had only
temporarily abandoned.

As they had anticipated, no leads were found as to the nature
of the FBI basement fire.  They had spent the night of the fire
at Scully's apartment, entwined in each other's arms under the
heavy quilt on her bed.  They'd slept fitfully, both in mild
shock, neither one willing to lose immediate contact with the
other.  No words were spoken over the coffee that Scully
made the next morning, and after returning to the Hoover
Building, only to determine that nothing could be salvaged,
they had each gone to their respective apartments for showers
and sleep.  Two days later Mulder invited Scully out to dinner
to ask her to become his partner again.

And while the notion was never given voice, the
understanding was there.  When the time came, they would
resume the quest that now belonged to both of them.

************************************

Mulder rushed through the office door, a stack of files tucked
under his arm and a skinny latte in each hand.

"Sorry I'm late," he offered, as he deposited Scully's morning
fix from the corner coffee shop on her desk.  "They're
releasing Diana from the hospital today, and I offered to help
her get squared away."

=Lovely,= Scully thought, as she yanked the lid off of her
styrofoam cup.  Help her get squared away?  What exactly does
that entail in your world, Mulder?

"What help does she need?"  Dana knew that Mulder had been
visiting Diana Fowley during her recovery period.  What she'd
tried not to think about, however, was what would happen
when Agent Fowley was no longer confined to a bed.  Would
she launch an all out attack to get back into bed, only this time
not in a hospital, and with Fox Mulder in it to keep her
company?

"Nothing much.  Just get her things together; help with
paperwork....  I'm picking her up when I'm done here at the
office.  I'll take her to her place and help her get settled in."
With an air of nonchalance that Scully found annoying, he
asked, "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

*****************************

"Mulder, I'm ready for lunch.  How does Max's sound?"

"Sounds good."

Once at their favorite lunch spot, Scully surprised Mulder by
ordering a Max's Special burger, with a side of fries.  True to
her enigmatic nature, she then proceeded to order a diet soda
to drink.

"Hungry, Scully?" he asked, a slight teasing sound in his
voice.

"For what specifically, Mulder?"

He choked a little on his turkey club, and washed it down with
a gulp of his water.

Momentarily pleased with herself, she chalked one up on her
mental scoreboard.  The night of the fire that had been spent
in bed together was still vivid in her mind.  It had been strictly
platonic, as there was nothing sexual about watching your job, or
in Mulder's case, your life's work burn to the ground.  They had each
merely wanted the comfort and contact of the other.

But something had shifted that evening for Scully.  Due either to the
nature of the events of the night and her subsequent vulnerability or to
the simple fact that she had slept in her partner's arms, she'd become
hyper-aware of his presence--and of her repressed feelings toward him.
And since then, she'd found herself more and more comfortable lightly
pushing his buttons to see if perhaps her feelings were reciprocated.

However, she quickly cast those thoughts aside and broached the
subject of the case that she had taken on that morning.  This
could be their biggest case yet, outside of their FBI work, and
it was the first time in weeks that she had actually felt the
stirrings of work-related excitement.

"Mulder, this woman who called me this morning.... This
could be a major opportunity for us.  Her husband is not only a
senator; he also has international ties around the world.  Anna
Lawrence has spoken her fears to no one but me; she's afraid
to go into details over the phone.  She's paranoid that every
room in her home is bugged."

Biting off the tip of a french fry, she went on.  "When she
called from the pay phone earlier today, she said that if her
husband even =sensed= her doubts or her disloyalty... Well,
she's afraid of the consequences.  I'm meeting with her at 4:30,
while she gets her nails done."

His eyes met hers as he brushed his napkin over his mouth.

"You're right, this could be our first big case.  But it could also
be a setup.  Just be careful."

"Always."

He reached across the table and grabbed her hand.  "No,
Scully, I mean it.  The timing is a little coincidental.  I want
you to call me if anything seems strange.  We don't work for
the FBI any longer; we are no longer a phone call away from
backup.  It's just you and me, now more than ever."  He held
her gaze as his thumb trailed over her knuckles.

"I know that, Mulder."  After giving his fingers a soft squeeze,
she broke contact by reaching for the check and putting a $20 bill
down.

"May I have a receipt for that?" she asked the waitress, as she
attempted to push out of her mind the memory of Mulder's
eyes and hand on her, as well as the impact of his words.

They returned to the office in silence.

********************************

The meeting had been short.  Mrs. Lawrence had been able to
meet with Scully only briefly in the lobby of her styling salon.
The details, however, seemed viable, and the woman's motive
simple: she feared for the life of herself and her twin six-year-
old daughters.  She felt that the information on the disk that
she'd given to Scully might help her get out from under the
suffocating life that she lived.  She'd risked copying the
information from her husband's laptop in order that she might
soon be able to flee the hell that she and her children were
enduring.

Scully decided to stop by Mulder's apartment to brief him on
her meeting.  He'd made her promise before they'd left the
office to call as soon as she was finished, but since she had to
pass his place on the way from the salon to her home, she
figured that stopping by would even better.

She was wrong.

Mulder opened the door after the second knock and invited her
in.   Unfortunately, he wasn't alone.

"Agent Fowley, good to see that you're doing better," Scully
managed, trying not to show her displeasure.

"You're looking well yourself, Dana."

"Scully, Diana is anxious to get out and about, so we decided
we'd go out and grab a bite to eat," Mulder explained, still
holding the door open.

So this is how it's going to be, thought Scully.  She'd sensed
a positive shift in her relationship with Mulder lately, but now
that Diana was back in his life she feared that the steps taken
forward might be lost.

"Do you want to join us?  How did the meeting go?  Does the
case look good?"  His line of questioning only irked Scully
further.  Here he was standing with his ex-partner (and ex-
lover, although he'd not admitted it to Scully yet), assuming
that Scully wouldn't be bothered at all to have dinner with the
two of them.

Diana didn't waste any time interjecting her own opinion.  "Fox,
I'm sure that Dana has had a long day and her business meeting
has left her exhausted.  She probably doesn't want to be bored
with two old friends and partners getting reacquainted."  With a
sharp look toward Scully, she added, "Would you, Dana?"

Mulder was still looking at Scully expectantly, but she replied,
"Actually, Mulder, she's right.  I'll pass on dinner, and the
details of the case can wait until tomorrow."  With a slightly
icy tone, she finished.  "The two of you have an enjoyable
evening together."

There was no mistaking the purr of Diana Fowley's voice
when she answered, "Oh, we will."

Scully gave the agent one last look from the doorway.  On
Diana's face was clearly a triumphant smirk, one that Scully
would have happily slapped off, if given the opportunity.
However, there was something else showing on the woman's
visage.  An aura that set off an alarm off in Scully, one that
radiated pure evil.

***************************

I am not going to put Mulder or myself through this, Scully
decided over her Chinese tofu and vegetables.

The thought of Diana Fowley and Mulder casually deciding to
go out to dinner together rattled her, but she made the choice
that she would get past it.

She and Mulder were partners, no longer just in the
investigative realm, but also in business.  As a grown woman,
she knew that she must respect his choices, and she refused to
allow herself to dwell on this petty jealousy any longer.  And,
as in the past, she would not allow her feelings for him to
jeopardize their working relationship.

Having reached that conclusion, albeit reluctantly, she now
faced an even greater hurdle.

What to do about the nagging suspicion she had about Agent
Fowley's motives toward Mulder.

Scully had initially blamed her ill feelings regarding the
woman on professional and personal jealousy.  That, coupled
with the fact that she resented Mulder for holding back this
part of his past from her, made it perfectly sensible that she
not like Diana Fowley.

However, what she had seen today chilled her.  Diana Fowley
was most definitely dangerous and harboring an ulterior
motive.  Perhaps bagging Fox Mulder was all just part of a
bigger plan.  Or, worse yet, maybe harming him was her
ultimate goal.

Scully remained slightly perplexed by Mulder's actions
regarding Fowley.  He'd visited her regularly during her
hospital stay, and yet he never seemed to stay longer than
etiquette would deem the appropriate amount of time.  But,
Scully had witnessed the two of them holding hands, and there
was an unmistakable bond that they shared.

If Mulder wanted to be with Diana Fowley, Scully would not
stand in their way.  She would rise above her own sense of
loss and allow them their happiness, if it was what he truly
wanted.  But she would not step aside until she was
thoroughly convinced that his former partner had only the
best intentions.

Pulling on her Keds, Scully headed out the door to see what
the Lone Gunmen could help her dig up on the woman who
was, at that very moment, most likely sipping coffee over
dessert with Fox Mulder.

***********************************

End 1/9


See disclaimer, etc., in Part 1

*************************

Beneath the Surface, by Jennifer Arthur
2/9

The twelve hours that the Gunmen claimed they needed had
since passed.  They were able to find nothing on Agent
Fowley that might indicate the true nature of her return to the
DC area.  The guys had promised Scully that they would keep
looking, but their initial results found that Diana Fowley's
Bureau record was nothing less than exemplary.  Scully felt
slightly guilty for working with the Gunmen behind Mulder's
back, but she'd long ago learned to trust her investigative
instinct, so she tried to push the feelings aside.

"Scully."  Mulder pulled her out of her thoughts.  "I'm going to
go over these phone records again.  There's a connection in
here somewhere.  Senator Lawrence certainly has some
interesting friends, and he definitely doesn't mind staying up
all hours of the night in order to phone them."

"Good.  Mrs. Lawrence is working on getting another zip disk
of some of his personal files.  She thinks she can have them to
us in the next couple of days.  Hopefully, the information,
paired with phone records, will put us on to some better
leads."

While the work on this case was tedious and mundane, both
agents had dedicated themselves to the task.  Compared to
their work on the X-Files, the job was dull, to say the least.
However, it did hold the promise of resolution, which would
offer closure often denied them while working for the FBI.

Scully sighed.  "Mulder, I'm going to take this paperwork
home with me.  Let's call it a day."  She hadn't slept much the
night before, and between the Lawrence case and her covert
research on Diana Fowley, her mind was begging for a slight
reprieve.

"Scully, you look worn out today.  I wish that you could've
joined us last night, you seem as if you could use some down
time.  And I'd like it if you and Diana got to know each other a
little better.  I think you'd like her."

Go to hell, Mulder, Scully thought.  Instead of speaking those
words, though, she asked, "What do you know of Agent
Fowley's return to the States?  More specifically, her return to
DC?"

"Not too much, really.  I only know that she requested the
transfer citing personal reasons.  I assume that anyone living
that far away from home would eventually have the desire to
return."  Looking her in the eyes, he asked, "Why, is there
something on your mind?"

"Nothing, Mulder.  I was just curious."  Letting it go at that,
she stuffed her folders into her briefcase and said, "Come on,
let's go.  I'll let you walk me to my car."

**********************************

The red rose was in dire need of water.

Scully looked up and down the hallway, looking for any sign
of the individual who had left it.  Seeing no one, she picked it
up and carried it into her apartment.

After depositing her keys and briefcase on her couch and
locking the door, she carried the wilting bud into the kitchen.
As she unwrapped the flower, a piece of paper fluttered to the
floor.

'Meet me at the park around the corner at 10 tonight.  I have
information that you seek.  Come alone.'

Scully felt her color rise.  What was this all about?  Who had
left the flower, and what information did this person have?
And in regards to what?  Most importantly, Scully wondered if
this was some sort of game.  Perhaps she should call Mulder
and fill him in, let him know what was going on, just to be
safe.

No, she dismissed that idea.  The note said to come alone, and
Mulder would adamantly insist on joining her.  She couldn't
risk losing valuable knowledge if he made a rash move and
scared off the informant.

She made her decision.  She would go alone.

****************************

The park was dark by 10:00, and the springtime air was cool.

Scully felt the weight of her Sig underneath her jacket, its
presence reassuring.  She sat on the lone bench nestled in
between two huge lilac bushes, both of them fragrant and in
full bloom.

Her senses were on full alert, and she sprang to her feet a
millisecond after hearing one of the bushes rustle.

"Who's there?" she demanded, her hand instinctively reaching
for her gun.

"Agent Scully, I'm not going to hurt you.  I've risked
everything to come here."

The voice sounded oddly familiar to Dana, and it took her
eyes a moment to adjust to the figure standing before her in
the darkness.

Agent Pendrell.

"Oh my God," she whispered, her hands falling to her sides.
Holstering her gun, she said, "I thought you were dead."

"Officially, I am.  But, as you well know by now, very few
things are what they seem."

Scully moved toward him, and he pulled her further into the
shadows of the bushes.

"I have to say, I'm happy to see you," he said, his hand still
wrapped around her elbow.  "I'm aware of what's been going
on in your life; the X-Files closing, the business that you've
started with your partner.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I've
been keeping tabs on you and your work."

Scully looked into his eyes, and saw open affection for her on
his face.

"Agent Pendrell, what is this about?  What's your position, and
why have you called me here?  You said that you had some
information that I need..."

"I'm no longer a Special Agent with the FBI, Dana.  My
position is one that is not openly acknowledged by any
government agency, and that's all I can tell you on that topic."
He allowed his hand to fall from her elbow to her hand.  "I'm
aware of the Lawrence case that you've taken on."

Seeing her quizzical look, he continued.  "Regarding the case,
all that I have to offer is that you should continue on the path
that you've started.  With the trust that Anna Lawrence has
placed in you and the data that she is able to supply,
you'll find answers that men who have been following the
Senator for the past two years have been unable to locate."

The moon was now high overhead, and Scully saw intensity
on Pendrell's face.  His handsome features glowed with a
maturity that Scully had never seen before.  She wondered
what he had witnessed since his "death" that would cause this
change.

"Brian, I certainly appreciate you risking what you have to
come here tonight.  I hope that I haven't put you in any
danger."

"There's more that I need to tell you, Dana.  Agent Fowley...
Her motives are not what they appear to be."

"And you know this how...?"

"You won't find anything, regardless of where you look and
who you ask to help you.  I can lead you to a database,
however, that will give you all that you need to prove her
guilt."

"Her guilt?  What is she guilty of, exactly?"

"Let's just say that her sudden reappearance in Fox Mulder's
life and the closing of the X-Files are not unrelated.  She is
working for the very men who have been your enemies for the
past six years.  Dana, she may have loved Mulder at one time,
but for whatever reason, her mission is now to make sure that
his work does not go on, even outside of the X-Files."

Scully pressed on.  "What do you have for me?  How can I get
this information?"

"I have an address for you, an abandoned marina on the river.
Once there, you will find the mainframe for the computer.
Inside, you will find a file with the code that I've written
down.  It should supply you with the data that you need.  What
you do with it is your own choice."

He handed her a neatly folded piece of paper.  Inside she
found both an address and a file number, as well as an alarm
code to the building.

Looking back up to him, Scully said, "I'm not quite sure how
to thank you.  How can I reach you if I need to?"

His fingers closed around hers.  "Seeing you here tonight is
thanks enough.  And you can't reach me.  But I'll be in touch
again.  I promise."

Scully put the folded paper in her jacket pocket, and reached
both of her hands up to Pendrell's face.  She pulled it towards
her own, and placed a warm, chaste kiss on his lips.

"Thank you, Brian."

Glancing cautiously around the park, she walked away,
leaving him standing alone behind the lilac bush.

**********************************

End 2/9

****Note: I used "Brian" as Pendy's first name in honor of the
always witty and entertaining CiCi Lean.

See disclaimer, etc., in Part 1.

***********************

Beneath the Surface, by Jennifer Arthur
3/9

A quick stop at home to change into black jeans, a long-
sleeved black t-shirt, and black boots, and Scully was on her
way to the address that Pendrell had given her.

The marina was deserted, and the only building on the lot was
dilapidated.  She hid her car behind the dumpster, pulled her
flashlight out, and made her way around the old gray building.

Scully found the alarm pad and carefully punched in the code.
Holding her breath, she pushed the Enter key.

Bingo.

The door, which appeared to be on its last hinge, silently slid
open to allow her entry.

As she stepped inside, Scully noted the empty room.  Damn.
There seemed to be nothing but open space previously used
for boat storage.

She made her way across the floor to a small office in the
corner.  She pushed the door open, finding only more empty
space.  Undaunted, she pulled the filing cabinet away from the
wall, as well as the desk.  It was under the desk that she found
the trap door.

The passageway was small, but Scully had no problem making
her way down.  What she found was no surprise to her.
An entire catacomb of underground office space.  Filing
cabinets lined the walls, and a huge computer system sat
before her, its lights blinking and beckoning for her to
discover its deepest secrets.

Sitting before the screen and keyboard, Scully once again
pulled the slip of paper from her jeans pocket.  Typing in the
necessary passwords, she was quickly taken deep into the
mainframe.

The file code caused several beeps and blips from the system,
but soon the computer was asking her for a disk.  She slipped
one of three zip disks she had brought with her into the drive,
and watched quietly as the machine began to download
information that she would later decipher.  Right now, she
wanted nothing more than to get the files and get the hell out
of here.

Just as the last of the information was downloading, Scully
heard a scuffling noise above her.

Shit.  Shitshitshit.

She willed the system to finish its job.  Once done, she
quickly pulled out the disk.  Pocketing it, she closed out the
computer program and moved to the stairs of the passageway.
She knew that her cover would be blown if whoever was
upstairs made it to the office and noticed the desk out of place.

After a few moments, however, it grew silent.  She had to
chance her getaway now, in case her visitor came back with
guests.

The passage was dark, and she quietly pushed the trap door
open.  No sight of anyone in the office.  Scully heaved her
compact body out of the door, and silently pushed the desk
back to its original position.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the office door and peered
out over the expanse of the building.  Again, nothing.  She
made her way along the wall, and made it to the main
entryway with no interruptions.  Obviously, whoever had been
there had not been tipped off to her presence, and had left.
Probably a guard of some sort, surveying the premises.

Apparently not a very astute one, she thought to herself.  Not
that she was complaining.

Once in her car, she made one last visual sweep of the
grounds, and with her lights off, pulled out from behind the
dumpster and drove cautiously out of the marina.

From behind an overgrown tree, a lone figure watched Dana
Scully depart.

*****************************

Scully drove straight to the Gunmen.  They didn't seem the
least bit surprised to see her.  As a matter of fact, they happily
informed her that she had been spending more time with them
lately than Mulder.

"Gentlemen," she began, "I believe Mulder's life to be in danger,
and I'm willing to risk whatever it takes in order to prove it."
Taking a deep breath, she informed them, "I have been told that you
will find information on these disks implicating Diana Fowley
in a plan to discredit and perhaps even destroy Mulder.  I need
to access this information and determine what I am going to
do with it before she has her opportunity."

The three Gunmen exchanged dubious glances amongst each
other.

"Agent Scully," Byers said, "Diana Fowley was =with= Mulder
when he found the X-Files.  If anything, she would have a
vested interest in seeing the X-Files reopened and thriving."

"What makes you so suspicious of her, if I may ask?" Frohike
chimed in.

"As Mulder would say, 'Just call it a hunch.'  Are you gonna
help me here, guys?  I can find someone else to decode the
information.  It will take me more time, which I can't
really afford right now, but I can do it."

Again, the three friends shared looks, silently coming to a
unanimous agreement.

"We'll help you," Langley offered.  "No matter what you need
from us."  To his friends, he said, "Let's get started."

*****************************

Dead on her feet, Scully fell into a fitful sleep around 2 a.m.
She dreamt of deceit and betrayal, and woke several times out
of various nightmares.

Finally, at 5:30, she decided to just get out of bed and begin
her day.  With the coffee brewing, she stepped into the
shower, letting the steam and heat cascade over her tired and
aching back.

What am I going to do with the information I found, she
pondered.  Confront Agent Fowley?  Demand that she leave
Fox Mulder's life in exchange for silence regarding her
involvement?

Or should she be turned over to the authorities?

And what if I don't find anything at all, she thought further.
What if nothing exists on Diana Fowley, nothing that points to
any guilt whatsoever?  Or, worse yet, what if she =is= guilty,
but no trace of evidence can be found?

Heavy with thought, Scully made her way to the office,
looking more tired, she'd determined, than the day before.

As usual, Mulder was his normal exuberant self.

"G'morning, Partner!  Have a restful evening?"  He plunked
her coffee down in front of her, removing the plastic lid with a
small flourish.

"Mulder, =must= you be so damn cheerful this early in the
day?"

"Aw, come on, Scully.  It's a beautiful day outside, the coffee
is hot... And things are looking good on this case.  I'm meeting
Anna Lawrence over lunch.  She has some information that
she thinks we'll find useful.

"I have to say, I think that we are on the verge of something
big here.  It's starting to look as if Senator Lawrence might be
involved in some high-stakes sales of some sort.  Based upon
his position and his connections, I'm betting on the traffic of
chemical weapons.  We'll know more after my meeting."

"I'm going to order lunch in, I think," she replied.  "I need to
follow up on some phone calls and get caught up on some of
my own paperwork."

Mulder nodded his head, looking intently at his partner.
"Scully, I hope you don't think that I'm prying, but you really
do look tired again today.  You're not going to break my heart
and tell me that you're staying out all night with another guy,
are you?" he asked in a joking manner, but with a serious
undertone.

Scully was slightly taken aback by his innuendo, but played it off.
"No, Mulder.  Just haven't been sleeping well, I guess.  And
trust me, when I start staying up all night with a guy, you'll be
the first to know," she added, with an arched eyebrow that made
the corner of his mouth turn up in a smile.

Just then, the phone on Scully's desk rang.  It was Byers on the
other end of the line, informing her that he had bad news.

***************************

End 3/9

See disclaimer, etc. in Part 1.

*********************

Beneath the Surface, by Jennifer Arthur
4/9

True to form, the Gunmen refused to give any information out
over the phone.  So Scully found herself once again knocking
on their door.

"What do you have for me, guys?  You said that you had bad
news."

"Actually," Frohike began, "we have both good and bad
news."

"The good news is," Langley continued, "there is a veritable
=feast= of information on the disks that you brought us.  We
are talking times, dates, bank account numbers... There is even
an overview of the mission of this particular 'employee.'"

"And you think that there is a good chance that said 'employee'
is Diana Fowley?" she inquired.

Byers pulled a hard copy of a memo from the desk and handed
it to Scully.  "You tell us."

'Dear Friend,

Your mission is to return to the Subject. The Subject is to
cease work on his current project, and must not pursue his
interests outside of the FBI. The Partnership must be
destroyed.  Employ any means necessary.  You will see to it
that the Subject's attention is diverted until further notice.

Terms of payment to be discussed at a later time.'

Scully read the memo twice, its intent clear.  Mulder's work on
the X-Files was to be terminated, and the two of them were to
be separated.  And what better way for Diana Fowley to
redirect Mulder's attention than by working her way back into
his life, as well as into his bed?

Was he stupid enough to fall for this?  Scully didn't think so.
But if he were still in love with Fowley, his judgement would
surely be clouded.

"This is clearly Diana Fowley.  She must've been shot by
someone in opposition to this plan.  Is her name in the file
anywhere?"

"That's the bad news.  You were able to download the majority
of the files, but somehow the very end of the last file was cut
off.  The part that listed the names of those involved."

"Damn it!"  Scully realized that she must have cut the
download short when she'd heard the noise coming from
above her in the underground facility.

She had no other choice but to return to the facility and
retrieve the remaining data.

*********************************

Scully's cell phone rang just as she was starting the car engine.

"Scully," she answered.

"Hey, Scully, it's me.  Where are you?"

"I'm in my car," she told him, not ready to give away that fact
that she was spending her free time hanging out with the
Gunmen, conducting research on his ex-lover.

"How soon can you get to my place?  I have pizza on the way
and we need to discuss the latest information on this case.  My
meeting proved to be quite informative today."

Scully cursed inwardly.  The trip to the marina would have to
wait.

"Give me ten minutes.  Do I need to bring something to drink?
Your refrigerator contents frighten me."

"No need.  In honor of your presence this evening, I picked up
some Pellegrino."

Wonders will never cease, Scully decided.

********************************

The pizza was just arriving when she got to Mulder's place.

"Here, Mulder, you pay, I'll give the tip."

He eyed her suspiciously, and she said, "Your tipping habits
are less than desirable.  For someone with a genius IQ, you
certainly have plenty of difficulty figuring out twenty
percent."

With a chuckle, Mulder closed the door and put the pizza on
the table.  "Well, maybe someday you can teach me the finer
points of tipping, Scully."

She arched her eyebrow teasingly, "I'm sure that I could teach
you a =lot= of things."

Once again, she'd managed to catch him off guard.  He turned
slowly toward her, and asked, "Ooo, is that a promise?"

With a snicker, she walked into the kitchen to get the water
out of the refrigerator.  "So, what did you find out from Anna
Lawrence tonight?"

Sitting down on the couch and putting slices of pizza on two
separate plates, he said, "I'm convinced now that the Senator
has an American contact working for him in the Middle East.
The information that we have points to chemical weapons.
He's been dealing with these countries in exchange for large
amounts of money.  The cash is being deposited into various
bank accounts, none of which are easily traceable."

Scully sat down next to him.  Taking the proffered plate, she
continued with his train of thought.  "But things started
heating up, so he needed someone to act as a liaison, someone
who would be willing to help diffuse the direct contact
between himself and his buyers, in exchange for part of the
profit."

"Exactly.  Most likely an American, someone with whom his
correspondence would seem less suspicious."

They ate in silence for a few moments.  Scully had worked
through lunch, and hadn't realized how hungry she was until
the smell of the pizza had wafted from the box.

"The key," she continued, "is to find the liaison.  Once we find
that missing link, we should be able to expose the senator's
treason."

"All that Mrs. Lawrence could tell me today was that she
knew it was a female.  Initially, she'd assumed that her
husband was having an affair.  But the more she dug around,
the more she realized that what he was involved in was much
deeper, and consequently, much more dangerous than
adultery."

He looked in the box on the table.  "Do you want that last
piece?" he asked, his hand poised over the vegetable laden
slice.

"No thanks, it's all yours," she said, as she relaxed against the
back of his couch, her stomach finally content.

"All that we can do now is wait," Mulder pointed out,
devouring the last of his dinner.  "Mrs. Lawrence has nothing
else to offer us.  I've pulled in some favors, and I have Danny
working on the phone records.  Hopefully, he should have
some answers soon."

He closed the empty cardboard box, and got up to put it in the
trash.  Scully followed him into the kitchen.

"Mulder, how is Diana feeling?"

"She's doing much better.  The doctors tell her that she is
nearly 100 percent.  She's been following all of the medical
guidelines, and she's bounced back quickly.  Still no leads on
the shooter, though."

Scully nodded her head thoughtfully.   She wondered if this
would be the time to bring up her suspicions and let Mulder in
on her findings.  She considered whether or not she should
bring up the issue with her partner at all.

No, she decided, better to wait until she had more information
on Fowley and her ties.  There was no need to alienate Mulder
unnecessarily, based solely upon conjecture.

She decided to let it go for now.  Soon she would have the
remaining information from the database at the marina.  She
hated doing this behind Mulder's back; she felt as if it was a
step backward from the honest communication that they had
been striving for.

However, if Diana Fowley was indeed innocent, Scully
couldn't be responsible for placing doubts about her integrity
in Mulder's mind.  She'd only appear petty and jealous, and
she had vowed not to stand in between the two of them.  As
much as it hurt her to do so, she had to stick by her decision.

"I'm glad she's feeling better."  With a sigh, she added, "I
guess I'd better get going."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and wait with me for
Danny's call?  He thought it would most likely be sometime
tonight.... I'm sure we can find something on TV to watch."

He seemed to genuinely want her to stay, to have her there
for the remainder of the evening.  These were the moments that
made Scully wonder what exactly the depth of his feelings were
for her.  Sometimes their relationship was so damn frustrating,
she concluded.

Rather than risk making a mistake, she decided not to put herself
in a position in which she might be tempted to test the fates.
Better to know more about Fowley and her role in Mulder's life
before she made time to sit side by side with him on the couch with
the television turned down low in front of them.

"No, I need to wrap up a few things.  But call me if you hear
anything."

"Will do."

"Thanks for the pizza, Mulder.  If I don't hear from you
tonight, then I'll see you at the office in the morning."

"I'll be there, Scully, skinny latte in hand."

With that, she left his apartment, and headed toward the
marina.

************************************

End 4/9

See disclaimer, etc., in Part 1.

*****************************

Beneath the Surface, by Jennifer Arthur
5/9

Still in her navy suit from work, Scully pulled her black boots
out of the trunk.  Quickly pulling her pumps off, she replaced
them with the sturdier footwear.  Her clothing was both
comfortable and dark enough to wear on her trip to the
underground facility, so she didn't bother taking the time to
change.  She fingered the slip of paper that she'd slipped into
her jacket pocket.  Luckily, she'd had the forethought to stash
the information that Pendrell had given her in her briefcase.

As before, the marina was deserted.  It really was the perfect
cover-up, she realized.  Abandoned riverfront property existed
all around the region.  Anyone who was curious would just
assume that the owner was sitting on the property until the day
it could be sold for a huge profit.

Leaving the car behind the dumpster, Scully retraced her steps
from her previous visit.  Once inside, she went directly to the
office, and pulled the desk away from the hidden door.

The underground area looked as if it had not been touched,
and Scully wondered how often this site was actually used.  It
was obviously not the heart of the mainframe, and she
questioned whether there were other satellite locations such as
this.

She needed less time during this visit to download, since she
knew exactly what she needed and where to look.  Confident
that she had what she'd come for, she unbuttoned her suit
jacket and placed the disk in her inside pocket.

Once up to the main level again, the desk was replaced and
Scully made her way to the entrance.  Her heart was pounding
wildly; she knew that she was so close to finding the answers
she needed.  There was still time to get this disk to the
Gunmen, and by the early morning, the data would be
deciphered and she could go to Mulder with her findings.

Scully pulled the door closed behind her.  Just as she watched
the alarm button turn from green to red, she heard it.  The
sound of movement behind her.

She reached for her gun behind her as she spun around, but
before she could unholster it, the words hit her.

"Don't bother, bitch."

Scully dropped her hand as she turned all the way around.  In
the light of the moon, she saw Diana Fowley standing before
her, with a Sig pointed directly at her head.

"I'm so sorry that it had to come to this, =Dana.="  Fowley's
voice dripped sarcasm.  "I'd really hoped we could become
friends."

"Would that be before or after you destroyed my partner's
life?" Scully asked, her voice flat.

"Well, it certainly has been more difficult than I'd anticipated.
They told me that the two of you were close, but I had no idea.
I'd venture to guess that you yourself are unaware of the
depth of Mulder's feelings for you.  Pity you won't live
long enough to find out."  Diana reached under Scully's
jacket, and pulled her gun from its holster.

"Out onto the pier, Dana," Fowley ordered.  "There's no need
to make this look like an accident; there will be no way to
trace your death to me.  But I do need to make sure that you
are not discovered for some time.  No one will ever think to
look for you here, so by the time your body is found--if it
ever is--I will be comfortably situated back in Fox's life,
and you will be but a mere memory to him."  She pushed
Scully ahead of her, directing her toward one of the long
wooden piers.

"Why are you doing this, Diana?  Your name is on the disk,
right?  So, you can have the disk, and I'll have no proof.  You
can move on, out of Mulder's life, and no one will ever be the
wiser."  Scully walked out onto the landing, her mind
assessing the situation.  If she could just catch Fowley off-
guard, she could seize the gun from her...

Fowley snickered.  "Nice try, but I'm familiar with your
record.  The former Agent Scully would =never= stand for
such injustices going unpunished.  You'd continue your hunt
for me, in the same manner that I'm sure you intend to resume
your quest for "the truth" at Mulder's side.  Besides, my
involvement goes deeper than you can imagine, and I can't risk
having you betray my intentions.  I can avoid all of those
situations by simply removing you from the picture right
now."

As the two women neared the end of the pier, Fowley's plan
became clear to Scully.  On the edge of the wooden platform
was a short rope tied into a small noose.  The other end
was attached to a huge concrete block.  It would be light
enough to be lifted off of the dock and thrown in, but
heavy enough to drag Scully's slight weight to the bottom of
the marina.  She estimated the depth of the water to be 8 to 12
feet at the end of the wharf, easily deep enough for her to
drown in once her body was dragged to the bottom by the
cement.

"Why?" Scully queried.  "Why now?"

"Dana, you've underestimated the power of the Consortium.
Their control reaches into every part of our society, as well as
internationally.  They can't afford to have Fox Mulder and
Dana Scully snooping around anymore.  It was not their intent
to kill either of you, only to separate and dissuade you.  That's
where I came back in.  I simply intended to take my portion of
that power, to get what I have earned.  In the process, I'd be
aiding The Project."

Before Fowley continued, she prodded Scully to begin
walking again.  "Unfortunately for you, you couldn't let it go.
You had to stick your nose where it doesn't belong, and you've
threatened my cover.  I'm killing you for my own reasons, not
because I'm getting paid to."

Scully's heart constricted with the thought of Mulder and the betrayal
that he was going to suffer at the hand of Fowley.  She needed to know.

"Did you at =any= time love Mulder?  Or has this been a game
from the beginning?"

"Love is such a meaningless emotion, Dana.  When I met Fox,
I was young and naive about the concept of power.  I
=thought= I loved him.  I realize now that it was merely lust.  I
mean, my God, that man is simply =amazing= in the
bedroom."  She stepped closer to Scully, digging the gun
sharply into her back.  "Oh, but then again, I guess you
wouldn't know that, would you?"

Scully took a deep breath in an attempt to refocus her attention
away from her feelings for Mulder and back to getting out
of this predicament.  But then, perhaps she could combine the two...

"How do you what our relationship entails?  We share something
that you could never understand," Scully spat out, her voice full of
the rage of a jilted lover.  She knew that she needed to play this up,
but she didn't want to push too hard and make Fowley suspicious.

"Mulder and I are partners on a level that you can't possibly
comprehend, Diana.  If you think that he's going to forget about
me easily, you are mistaken."

"Dana, spare me the Romeo and Juliet routine.  Admit it.
You can't stand the fact that I've possessed Fox Mulder mind, body,
and soul and you've never so much as kissed those perfect lips.  It's
eating you up inside."

Scully hitched her shoulders slightly before going on.  "Mulder
respects me on a level which transcends sexuality.  You've done
nothing more than use and manipulate him from the beginning.  I
respect his work and his journey, even when I've disagreed with
his methods.  He's not a stupid man, Fowley, he will figure this out.
And in the process, he will figure you out."

"Perhaps he will.  But not until after you are long dead, my friend.
And regardless of how intelligent he is, Fox is still nothing but a
mere man.  Men are not always wise when it comes to matters of the
heart, now are they?"

Scully made a show of wrapping her arms around her stomach before
Diana continued.

"When he discovered the X-Files, he just assumed
that I would stay with him, be his partner in work, as well as
in love."  Fowley let out a deep sigh.  "How foolish he was.
And I thought that =I= was naive!  I had higher ambitions than
sitting in the basement for the rest of my life.  I disassociated
myself from Spooky Mulder so fast that I'm sure his head
didn't stop spinning for months.  Based upon my move, the
Consortium wasted no time in beginning their courtship of
me."

Diana nudged Scully in the back again with the gun.  "Pick up
the noose end of the rope, and put it around your hands.  There
is no way you'll be able to pull out of the rope."  She paused as
Scully slowly bent down to grasp the rope.  "This is quite
tragic, isn't it?  But rest assured, I'll be there to comfort Mulder
and help him pick up the pieces.  He won't be alone during his
time of grief.  I'll help him get over his =feelings= for you, and
I'll make a small fortune in the process.  Fucking that perfect
body again will merely be the icing on my cake."

Scully's rage threatened to surface, but she knew she had to
play possum for just a moment longer.

With a loud sniffle, Scully proceeded.  "All that I ask of you,
Diana, is one small favor."  When Diana did not protest, Scully
continued, the small noose of the rope dangling from the tips of
her fingers, her voice low and soft.  "Don't hurt him too deeply.
Leave him some form of dignity when you're through with him.  He
deserves that much, at the very least."

"Ah, unrequited love."  Fowley had leaned closer to take in
Scully's softly spoken words.  "The two of you really are
meant for each--"

Fowley's sentence was cut off by the sudden pressure of
Scully's hand wrapping around her wrist.  The rope had
slipped from her fingers, and Scully took her opportunity
when Fowley leaned in closer to her.  While Diana was busy
mocking her, Scully had pivoted on her foot and grabbed hold
of Fowley's shooting hand.

Diana held onto the Sig as Scully rushed her.  The women fell
to the dock, the wood creaking loudly beneath them.

"You little bitch!" Fowley yelled.  "Don't even =think= about
it!"

"Fuck you," Scully ground out between clenched teeth.  If she
could just get the gun out of Fowley's hand and into her own...

Scully kept Fowley's body covered with hers, and raising her
fist in the air, she brought it down onto the wrist of the hand
holding the gun.  Fowley's fingers sprang open, releasing the
weapon.

Still holding Diana's body down on the wharf, Scully watched
as the Sig bounced off the rotting wood and plunked into the
river.

*****************

End 5/9

See disclaimer in Part 1.

***************************

Beneath the Surface, by Jennifer Arthur
6/9

Shit.  So much for the gun.

Diana found leverage, and rolled herself over on top of Scully.
She wrapped her hands around Scully's throat and said, "I
thought you were an intelligent woman."  Her fingers
tightened around Scully's windpipe, and Scully gulped for air.
"Apparently, I was wrong."

Scully's hands were on top of Diana's, but she removed both of
them to grab onto the pilings on each side of their bodies.
Pulling with her arms, she used the strength of her upper body
to push Fowley off.  They both scrambled to their feet, but
Scully was faster.  With her foot, she delivered a blow to
Diana's midsection, causing her to double over.

Scully took advantage of Fowley's position and grabbed her
arm.  She turned Diana away, bending her arm up behind her
back.  "If you knew so much about me, =Diana,= you'd know
that I would never go down without a struggle."  Scully
twisted Fowley's arm tighter, causing the agent to gasp in pain.

"And you'd also know," Scully went on, "that I'd =never
settle for a woman of your ilk taking my place in Mulder's
life."  Pushing Fowley forward, Scully said, "Let's go, Agent
Fowley."

However, Fowley resisted, and their bodies swayed slightly.
Diana brought the heel of her boot down on Scully's instep,
causing them to lose their balance.  She pushed Scully up
against a wooden pole behind them, where a rusty nail
punctured her back.  Scully heard the unmistakable =crack= of
Fowley's arm being snapped in between their bodies.

Diana moved forward, away from Scully, stumbling to the
left, toward the end of the pier.

Scully felt the blood from her injured back soaking her blouse.
"Forget about escaping, Diana.  You're hurt.... I heard your
arm break.  I know it's got to be bad.  Just come with me, and
we'll head back into town.  Let's end this."

Fowley backed down the wharf, holding her arm to her side.
"I'll see you in hell, first."

As Scully moved toward Diana, her stance was defensive.
"Let's go get that arm set.  My cell phone is in the car, we can
get you some help right away."  Scully ignored the pain from
her own wound, as she had no intention of letting Fowley
know that she was impaired.

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?  Sure, I'll just let
you drive me to the nearest hospital, let the doctors set my
arm, and we can act as if none of this ever happened.  Is that
what you have in mind?  I don't think so!"

Fowley lunged at Scully, intending to drive the shoulder of her
uninjured arm into the smaller woman's chest and shove her into
the water. Dana was prepared, though, and met Diana full on,
with a fist to the chin.  Scully watched as the agent stumbled
backward, further on down the landing.

She then watched with horror as Fowley tripped over the concrete
block tied to the rope.  Her feet tangled in the rope, and
she finally lost her balance, falling over the edge of the pier.

Scully began running toward the edge, pulling her jacket off.
In the split second that it took her to throw her suit coat down,
she realized what else had happened.

The noose on the rope in which Fowley's feet had been
entangled had slipped over her ankle, and her body weight had
pulled the cement block over the pier.  Not only had she fallen
into several feel of water, she was now being dragged down to
the bottom by fifty pounds of concrete.  Scully didn't doubt
that the noose had been pulled too tight for escape.

She pulled her boots off, and by the moon's reflection on the
water, she looked for the bubbles rising to the surface.  Once
she saw them, she dove in, using her arms to feel around in the
murky river for Diana.

She'd gone about 9 feet when her arm struck the agent's back.
She was hunched over, grappling with the rope around her
ankle.  Scully knew that if she could pull Diana's body
downward, they could most likely get enough slack to pull her
ankle out of the noose.

As Dana moved to position herself below Fowley, she tried
desperately not to think about the fact that if things had gone
according to Diana's plan, =she= would be the one now being
held at the bottom of the river.  Only no one would be there
attempting to help her free herself.

She made her way down Diana's body, and yanked her
downward by her unattached leg.  Instead of working with her,
though, Diana threaded her fingers through Scully's hair and
held her down.  Scully felt her feet sticking in the slimy mud
of the riverbed.

She knows she's not going to make it, Scully's mind screamed,
and she's going to take me with her.

Scully could feel her oxygen running out.  She had two
choices.  Spend what was left of her energy releasing Fowley
from the rope, or spend it on freeing herself from Fowley's
clenching fingers.

Visions of her past, with her family and with Mulder, raced
through her mind.  Self-preservation beat out ethics in a
heartbeat, and Scully reached up to Fowley's broken arm and
pulled as hard as she could.  Diana was already slipping into
unconsciousness, and the pain caused her to let go of Scully.

Pushing off the bottom of the river, Scully angled herself away
from Fowley's reach.  She broke the surface of the water, still
next to the pier.  Gasping, she gulped in large amounts of air,
feeling the pain in her lungs as they filled.  Scully knew that
she had lost a large amount of blood, and her hands were
shaking as she pulled her body along the pilings, up towards
the shore.

She managed to pull her torso onto the shoreline before her
world turned black.

***********************

End 6/9

See disclaimer, etc., in Part 1.

*******************************

Beneath the Surface, by Jennifer Arthur
7/9

She felt hands tugging at her arms, pulling her legs and feet
out of the water.

So dark.... Too cold.... Need to open my eyes, her foggy mind
was telling her.

"She'll be alright.  Someone get a blanket.  We only need an
hour."

Who is that talking?  She didn't recognize the voice.

Mulder!  Her mind was calling his name, but her eyes and
mouth would not cooperate.

She let the darkness claim her once again.

********************************

She awoke in a hospital bed, one of the transient types found
in the ER.  After her initial disorientation wore off, she was
able to sit up and take in her surroundings.  She was still in her
navy pants, but her blouse had been replaced by a green
surgical scrub top.

The curtain was drawn around the bed, and she determined
that she was well enough to stand.

Pulling back the curtain, she saw her former boss deep in
conversation with what looked to be a doctor.

"Sir?" she asked.  She had never given up the title of respect
for him.

"Scully."  He rushed towards her, and taking her by the elbow,
led her back to the bed.  "You shouldn't be up just yet, you
need to take it easy."

Her brow furrowed, she inquired, "How did I get here?  And
what are you doing here?"

The doctor came up behind them, and Skinner gave him a look
over his shoulder before leaning in closer to Scully.

"I received an anonymous phone call early this morning,
stating that you were in need of assistance.  I was given the
address of the marina, where I found you on the ground,
wrapped in a blanket, unconscious.  I called the authorities,
and you were brought here immediately.  What do you
remember, Scully?"

"Oh my God!" she said under her breath, the realization of the
previous night's events dawning on her.  "Fowley!" she
exclaimed, pushing herself off the bed.

"Scully," Skinner put his hands on her shoulders, pinning her
back to the bed.  "Agent Fowley is dead.  I came here to the
hospital with you, but the local authorities stayed behind.
They found Agent Fowley's car, and began combing the area.
They found her body shortly before sunrise."

Scully buried her head in her hands, and stated, "I need to talk
to Mulder."

Skinner stood up straighter, glancing once again at the doctor
standing behind him.  "He's on his way.  I called him once we
arrived at the hospital; he should be here anytime.  I suggest
that you rest until he arrives."

He walked out, leaving Scully and the doctor alone.  The
physician began going over the details of her injuries and
prognosis.

"Whoever called your friend there took the time to
superficially dress your wound and made sure to guard against
shock.  You are actually lucky.  Things could be much worse.
As it stands, your back wound will heal without surgery, and
the amount of blood you lost was relatively minimal.  You're
free to leave anytime.  Just be certain to change your dressings
after bathing, drink plenty of fluids, and get some rest.  Take
ibuprofen or Tylenol for any pain."

"Thank you," she said, dismissing him.

He walked away, drawing the curtain behind him.

Scully sighed.  This doesn't look good, she thought.  She'd
need the information on the disk to prove-- Damn!  The disk.

She was jolted out of her reverie by the sound of a familiar
panic-stricken voice coming from the Emergency Room.

"WHERE IS SHE?"

Skinner's calming voice answered, "Mulder, if you'll just relax
for a moment--"

"Don't give me that 'relax' shit!  Where is she?"

Scully stood and pulled the curtain aside.

He reached her in four long strides, blatantly wrapping his
arms around her in front of everyone in the room.

"Scully," he murmured into her hair, burying his face in it.

She hesitantly brought her arms up around his waist, ignoring
the pain in her back.

"I'm fine, Mulder."  After a moment, she added, "But we have
a problem."

He pulled away from her, taking the warmth he'd infused into
her body with him.

"What problem?"

She walked up to Skinner, with Mulder right on her heels.
"There was a disk in my suit jacket.  The inside pocket.  I need
it.  There is a very good chance that it contains information on
Diana Fowley.  Information that she was willing to kill me
for."

Skinner looked at Scully incredulously.  "Scully, are you
aware of what you are suggesting?"

"Sadly, sir, yes I am.  Do you know where the disk is?  And
the abandoned marina.... Was it searched?  It was a satellite
location for a mainframe.  It held a computer system that had
access to important information, most of which is being held
by reliable sources at the moment.  I had returned for the rest
of the data, and was on my way out when Fowley confronted
me."

Skinner looked intently at her.  "There was no evidence found
at that site.  The building was searched thoroughly, and no suit
jacket, let alone a disk, was found."

She took a step backward, right into Mulder.  He placed his
hands on her shoulders as she said, "Those bastards.  They did
it again.  They cleaned the place out, and they took the disk."

She said nothing more, just stood there looking past Skinner
with Mulder's hands still on her.

After a long silence, she said flatly, "I'm ready to leave,
Mulder."

********************************

End 7/9

See disclaimer, etc., in Part 1.

****************************

Beneath the Surface, by Jennifer Arthur
8/9

Dana was anxious to get home.  She was wound tightly; her
emotions were still on edge from the events of the early
morning. On top of that, she felt like shit; her hair was matted
to the side of her head, and she was covered in mud from the
riverbed.

As she finished the last of the obligatory paperwork, she
approached Mulder and Skinner, who were talking quietly.
"Let's go, Mulder.  You can drop me off at my apartment, if
you don't mind."  To Skinner, she added, "Thank you for
everything, Sir."

The car ride to her apartment was made in silence, both
partners lost in thought.  Scully didn't come out of her reverie
until Mulder stopped the car and got out.  She pulled the door
handle and he met her there, closing the car door behind her.

Wordlessly, he followed her into her home.

"I'm going to take a bath, Mulder.  Can you stick around?  I
need help with the bandages on my back."

"Sure.  Can I make you some coffee?"

She took a moment to think as she walked toward the
bedroom.  "Actually, Mulder, I'd like a glass of wine."

"Scully... It's 8:30 a.m."

"I've been up for the past 24 hours, and I've had a hell of a
night.  I want a glass of wine."  The look she gave him told
him that the discussion was over.

Mulder headed toward the kitchen, while Scully gathered up
her effects from the bedroom.  Once in the bathroom, she left
the door open a crack, and she heard him ask over the running
water, "Hey, Scully?  Do you want the Pomerol or the
Margeaux?"

"Open the Margeaux," she called, easing her aching body into
the mounds of steaming bubbles.  She could hear him
searching for the corkscrew as she began washing.

"How did you get this bottle?  I've heard it's practically
impossible to keep them on the shelves these days."  When she
didn't reply after a few minutes, she heard a soft tapping on
the door.

"Scully?"  He eased the door open.  Her head was leaning
against the back of the tub; her hair was slicked back and she
had her eyes closed.

"Scully, here's your wine," he tentatively stated.  She didn't
speak, nor did she open her eyes.  The only sign that she was
still awake was the hand she raised for the globe-shaped glass.

He placed it in her hand, and took the opportunity to admire
her clean face and wet hair.  Her tresses were darkened from
the water, and he almost never got to see her devoid of
makeup.  When she opened her eyes to bring the glass to her
lips, she caught him staring.

Embarrassed, he moved to the foot of the tub and knelt down.
He rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, submerged his hand
into the bubbles, and pulled her foot out.  Without speaking,
he asked the question and she answered.

He began at the heel of her foot, his fingers making small but
strong circular movements toward her toes.  When he reached
her instep, he heard her let out a contented sigh, and she
brought the wine goblet to her lips once again.

"Scully, Skinner told me about Diana," he offered quietly, his
fingers still moving.  He felt her foot tense under his
ministrations, and looked up to see her eyeing him.

"Mulder, I'm sorry.  I wanted to tell you myself."  She paused,
and he felt her foot relax.  "There are things about her that I
learned, things that you don't know about.... Things that would
have ended up hurting you in the long run."

Still massaging her foot, he continued.  "I know what you
were searching for, Scully."  She looked at him, surprise
etched in her features.  "When the Gunmen didn't hear from
you, Frohike called me.  He tried to be as obtuse as possible,
but his concern for you won out.  I was able to coax the
information out of him."

He watched as she took another sip of her wine.  He carefully
placed her foot back into the water, and sat back on his heels,
watching as the Beaujolais made its way down her throat.  Her
hand came down, the wineglass dangling from her fingers
over the side of the tub.

Letting her head fall back, she sighed, "I needed the proof on
that disk, Mulder.  I didn't want to come to you with my
suspicions until I was certain."  Meeting his eyes, she said,
"I know that you love her, Mulder.  I didn't want to hurt you
unnecessarily.  I'm sorry to do this to you."

"Scully... What happened out there?" he inquired, reaching
back into the tub to bring her other foot out.

"Diana found out what I was doing.  She either followed me,
or the underground structure was monitored.  She confronted
me and admitted to her part in an elaborate scheme to break up
our partnership and direct your attention away from anything
related to the X-Files.  She knew that I had information that
could incriminate her, and she wanted me dead and out of her
way."

His hands felt wonderful on her feet, and she enjoyed the
sensation as she watched him absorb this information.

"Scully, there's something else that you need to know."  She
drained her wineglass, and handed it to Mulder, who set it next
to him on the tile floor.

"Danny called me while you were... While you were with
Diana."  He took a deep breath.  "He completed the trace on
the phone records.  The phone calls between Senator
Lawrence and his contact in the Middle East were traced to
Diana Fowley."

Both of Scully's eyebrows rose in unison, her face a mask of
incredulity.  "So, it seems that Agent Fowley was quite a busy
woman," she commented.

"That's the way it looks.  It also looks as if there won't be any
inquiries into the situation.  We would have prosecuted her
even without the information you had on the disk.  As it
stands, her work with the Consortium will never be uncovered,
but we have plenty of proof to arrest the senator and to
incriminate Diana."

"Again, Mulder, all I can say is that I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he assured her, placing her foot back on the bottom
of the tub.  He let his arms rest on the rim, water dripping
from his now empty hands.  "We solved our first big case.
Skinner is going to personally oversee the arrest of Senator
Lawrence.  He has the necessary information, and he assured
me that we would receive the credit.  He also promised me
that Mrs. Lawrence and her daughters will be treated well."

He stuck the tip of his finger into the now dissolving bubbles
and swirled it around.  "On top of that, you exposed Diana.
Despite the fact that it can never be proven, without your
perseverance, we'd never know about her involvement
with the Consortium and their plans for us."

She nodded once, silently accepting his compliment.

"There is one thing that you were mistaken about, though," he
continued.

"Oh?  What's that?"

He looked from his finger to her.  "I don't love Diana.  I may
have years ago, but then someone else walked into my life and
taught me the meaning of true commitment, and the type of
honest love that accompanies it."

She held his gaze for a long moment, and then simply said,
"Do you mind helping me with my back?"

Caught off guard, he replied, "Sure, no problem."  He got up
and set the wineglass on the sink basin, and when he turned
toward the tub again, Scully had drawn her legs up and was
leaning forward.  Her head was resting on the tops of her
knees, and her back was exposed.

He knelt down again, this time at the side of the tub.  He
carefully pulled away the tape that held the wet bandages in
place.  He tossed all of it into the small bathroom trashcan,
and was able to get a better look at the wound on her back.

"Scully, that looks pretty bad.  I'm going to wash it and you
need to make sure that it's good and dry before we dress it
again."

He soaked her sponge with the soapy water, and he carefully
squeezed it out over her.  He saturated the sponge several
more times, allowing the water to trickle down over her
shoulders and back.

Her breasts were pushed against her thighs, but she could feel
them responding to his attention.

Jesus, she absently thought to herself.  Mulder is in my
bathroom with me while I'm in a tub full of bubbles, washing
my back.  Fantasy number 574 fulfilled.

After several minutes, she noted that he was no longer
sponging her back.  She turned her head to look at him.

The first thing she noticed was the sponge in his hand,
hanging loosely at his side.

The second thing she noticed was the outline of his erection
through his pleated suit pants.

She allowed her eyes to linger on the bulge for just a moment,
before she brought her eyes up to meet his.

Letting the sponge fall to the floor, he said, "You should
probably get out, Scully.  The water is cooling, and we need to
get that injury bandaged."  He got up off his knees, and turned
toward the towel rack.

"Here, I'll just give you the towel, and I'll meet you in the--"

He turned back around, towel in hand, to see Scully standing
in the tub.   The only thing covering her body were thin traces
of bubbles.

"--living room."

What am I doing? part of her mind demanded.  It must be the
wine and the stress.

No, another part told her.  Stop making excuses.  There is
nothing that can come between the two of you now.  You both
know it.

She watched him swallow slowly, and walk to her.  He
extended his hand to help her out of the tub, and she noticed
with slight amusement that he was trying desperately to try
and pretend that his partner, who happened to be responsible
for giving him a raging hard-on, wasn't standing before him.
Absolutely and totally naked.

"Here's your towel, Scully."  He extended his hand, offering
the thick white towel.

"If you don't mind, I think it'd be easier if you did it for me.  I
don't want to break the skin on my back again."

"Of course," he replied, his voice thick and his color rising.

As she stood on the bath mat, Scully watched Mulder dry her
body with attempted clinical detachment.  She could almost
imagine what was going through his mind, how he must be
trying desperately to act as professionally as possible under
the circumstances.

He fumbled slightly, she noted, when he ran the towel over her
wiry pubic hair, and again when he covered each of her
breasts.  He patted her carefully, making sure that each portion
of her body was dry, except for her back.  There, he used extra
caution, making sure not to touch the actual wound.

"Okay, there you go Scully.  All dry."

He moved to hang the towel on the rack, and she asked,
"Mulder, think you could help me put my nightgown on?  It's
behind you, on the other rack."

He moved toward her again, peach satin in hand, and she
watched his throat bob as she lifted her arms above her head in
preparation to don the gown.  It fell to mid-thigh, was held up
by thin spaghetti straps, and had matching panties.

However, as Mulder reached for the panties and held them out
for her to step into, she said with quiet resolve, "I don't
think I'll be needing those."

**************************

End 8/9

See disclaimer, etc., in Part 1.

******************

Beneath the Surface, by Jennifer Arthur
9/9

Scully watched the part in Mulder's hair disappear as his head
fell forward.  This must be what he sees of me so often, her
mind randomly interjected.

His hands went lax and landed on his bent knees, the flimsy
piece of peach silk dangling from his fingers before falling
onto the bath rug.

He took a deep, shuddering breath, and Scully desperately
hoped that he could not see her knees trembling.

His eyes still cast downward, he asked, "What's going on here,
Scully?  Is this what I think it is?"

She gently touched his cheek, beckoning him to look at her.
When he did, she put forth her own question.

"Is this what you want?"

Without taking his eyes from hers, he stood and placed his
hand so that his fingers wrapped lightly around her neck.  As
his thumbs gently stroked the line of her jaw, he replied, his
voice barely above a whisper.  "Yes."

Despite his dilated pupils and the flush of his cheeks, Scully
could tell that he was uncertain.  He looked as if he feared she
might change her mind any second.

She stood up on her toes and reached behind his head, pulling
him down to her until their lips were barely touching.   She
looked at him briefly once more, before purposefully closing
her eyes and pressing her lips tentatively against his.

She could feel their hearts beating, the rhythms out of sync.
She pulled his body closer to hers as he deepened the kiss by
sliding his tongue over her teeth and into her mouth.  They
stood in front of the now bubble-less water, sharing their first
intimate kiss.

Mulder pulled away first.  With his hands still holding her
head, he bent to place a chaste kiss on the mole above her lip,
now obvious without the makeup she used to deliberately
cover it.

He murmured her name as his lips hovered over hers.  Oh
God, she thought, that Did He or Didn't He Smoke One Too
Many Joints in Grad School voice....

She moved her hands around his waist, pulling his erection
into her belly, causing a low moan to escape him.

"Mulder...Bedroom...." She punctuated each word with a kiss.

"Mmmmphf," he retorted, easing his tongue back into her
mouth.

Still joined, Scully began moving back out the bathroom door,
leading Mulder.  So intent were they on their early
explorations of each other's bodies that they were near the
kitchen before Mulder realized they had overshot the
bedroom.

"Scully," he panted, breaking contact.  "We missed our exit, I
think."

Undaunted, she replied, "So we'll improvise."

This comment elicited a mischievous grin from him, until she
reached down and ran her hand slowly up and down his
length.

His breath caught in his throat, and he grabbed her wrist and
brought it to his lips.  Against her pulse, he whispered, "Better
be careful, Scully.  I can be rather creative."

She watched, mesmerized, as his tongue darted out and
touched the throbbing skin covering her pulsating blood.

"So can I," she replied, pulling him with her.

She moved into the kitchen, stopping to pull one of the solid
oak chairs out from the table.  She flipped it around, so that it
sat sideways next to the large table.

"Sit," she instructed her partner.

Mulder sat in the chair unceremoniously, and Scully moved
behind him to begin unknotting his tie.  As she started to
unbutton his shirt, a realization hit her.  This is it.  No turning
back.

Are you ready for this, she silently asked herself.  Are you
ready to make the commitment to Mulder, one that will take
much energy and will last a lifetime?  As she finished with the
last button, she concluded that yes, regardless of how difficult
it might be, she was ready to commit.  Though she might not
be ready to say the words, in her heart she knew that she
needed this man.  Loved him.

She spread her fingers wide and ran them down Mulder's chest
and across his abdomen.  He gently grasped her hand to pull
her around to face him, and she lifted her leg over both of his
to straddle him.  She leaned in to kiss him, but he cut her off.

"Scully," he began, looking at her seriously.  "There's so much
to talk about, so many questions formed over the years that I
think are ready be answered now."

Scully leaned in to press her lips lightly against his before
replying.  "Mulder, I understand you wanting to express
yourself.  But I'm not one who can easily verbalize her
feelings and emotions."  She gave him another kiss before
pulling back and meeting his gaze.  "I'd much rather show
you."

His pupils dilated with her implication.  The slight nod of his
head quickly turned into a shake, however.

"I don't want to hurt you."

She gave him a quizzical look, and he said with a sheepish
grin, "Your back, I mean.  I don't want to disturb your
wound."

"Why don't you let me worry about that."  With a twitch of her
eyebrow, she added, "Besides, I was actually planning on
being quite sore when we're finished."

"Oooooohgod," he moaned.

She plunged her tongue into his mouth, forcing his head back,
which only served to give her greater access.  As their tongues
glided across each other, she pulled him forward slightly to get
his shirt off.  "Don't let that get too far away," he said.  "I think
I can find good use for that tie later."

She snickered as she began making her way down his jaw
toward his torso.  She planted wet kisses across his chest, and
reveled in the sound of his sharp intake of breath as she
sucked his nipple into her mouth and let it drag across her
teeth as she released it.

Scully slid further off of his lap until she was on her knees
before him.  She licked a little trail down to his navel as she
began working the buckle on his belt.  When it was undone,
she sat up on her knees and watched his face as she slowly
undid his zipper.  His eyes were almost totally black, with
only hints of gold and green visible, and she was intoxicated
by the way that he was watching her.

He lifted his hips a little off the chair as she pulled his dark
gray wool trousers from his hips and threw them to the side.
He continued to watch her intensely as she dragged her hand
across his erection over the silk of his boxers.  She could feel
the heat radiating from his body as she outlined him, running
her fingers lightly up and down his length.

Mulder's hands, still grasping the seat of the chair, pushed his
body up once again as Scully slid the burgundy boxers over
his trim hips and thighs.  She noticed his legs quivering
slightly and saw her own hand shaking as she moved toward
him to run her tongue from the base of his cock to the tip.

God, she thought to herself.  We're as nervous as a couple of
teenagers.  But it's been a long time coming, she knew, and
she wanted it to be worth the wait.

She raised herself higher on her knees and gently took the very
tip of him into her mouth. His head fell back and he emitted a
load groan as she began taking more of him into the heat of
her mouth.

Her hand joined in the ministrations, alternating with her
mouth to create a rhythm that seemed to be driving him crazy.
She could tell it was taking all of his self control to keep his
hips from thrusting himself more deeply into her parted lips.
Pleased with herself, she took her mouth off of him
completely with a soft =pop= but continued pumping him with
her hand.  When she began delicately running her tongue over
the ridges his engorged head, he blurted out, "Jesus, Scully,
stop!"

She lessened the force of her hand and looked up at him.  "I've
got =some= control, but I'm only human.  I'm not going to last
much longer if you keep going like that."

He pulled one of his hands away from their tight grip on the
chair and touched her shoulder.  He pulled her onto her feet
and she straddled him again, but rather than letting her sit on
him, he pulled her to his chest and placed her head on his
shoulder.  He held her for moment before she wrapped her
arms tightly around his neck.

Mulder let his hands wander down Scully's sides and felt the
rasp of her nightgown as he made his way down her hips.  He
pulled the gown up until he could place his hands directly on
her ass, which he began to caress.

"Scully, you have the greatest ass.  I've wanted to do this for
the longest time."

She smiled into his shoulder.  "I've caught you staring at my
ass plenty of times."

"When," he asked, shocked that he'd been busted.

"Mulder, I've seen you do it hundreds of times.  You do it so
often anymore that you aren't even aware of it."

"I think it's become a habit which is now only going to get
worse," he replied, slowly moving his fingers down the curve
of her rear until he reached her center.

He gently began rubbing his finger around the opening of her
vagina, spreading the wetness he found there in small circles.
Scully arched her back to give him better access, at which
point he slowly inserted his finger into her.  He felt her
breathing quicken as he repeated the action several times.

He murmured in her ear, "I want you, Scully."

She pulled away from him to kiss him, causing his hands to
move back up to her hips.  "I want you too, Mulder," she
stated in between kisses.

He stopped her and brought his hands to her face.  "No, I
=want= you.  All of you.  Everything that you have to offer."

She stared into his eyes, imagining that she could read his
soul.

"Me too," she whispered, her voice full of emotion.

Mulder pulled the nightgown up and over Scully's head and let
it flutter to the floor.  He drew his hands across her shoulders
and down over her breasts, brushing his palms over her
nipples in the process.  He continued down over her ribs and
hips, and as she used her feet for leverage, he grabbed his
erection and placed it at the apex of her legs.

Scully carefully began to lower herself onto him, stopping
halfway to pull herself back up and begin the descent again.
As soon as her pelvic bone rested fully against his, the
sensation of being totally filled by Mulder hit her.  She
grabbed his shoulders quickly to steady herself as she let
out a sharp gasp.  He held her for an instant as her heart
rate attempted to regulate itself.

He let a long, slow groan.  "Jesus, Scully.... You feel =so
incredible.  I could honestly die a happy man right now."

Taking a deep breath, she said, "You can't die now, Mulder.
I'm not finished with you yet."

With that, she began rocking her hips.  She settled on a
rhythm, letting the throbbing between her legs set the cadence.

Mulder began toying with her nipples with one hand, and he
slid the other between their bodies to reach her clitoris.
Scully's eyes snapped shut and her rhythm faltered when he
swirled the tip of his index finger around her.  White sparks
appeared behind her eyelids from his light touch.

"Stay with me, Scully," Mulder coaxed.

She nodded her head and began moving her hips again, but her
eyes remained closed.

Mulder continued to gather the wetness from their joined
bodies and rub it over her engorged sex.  When he finally
settled on one spot, the most sensitive area at the tip of her clit,
Scully could feel her body begin to build tension.

With his other hand still caressing and pinching her nipples,
Mulder commanded her to open her eyes.

"Scully, I want to see you, I want to watch you come."

Scully wasn't sure she had the capacity to do anything at this
point short of obeying her body's immediate need for release.
Nonetheless, she somehow found the ability to open her eyes
and found herself staring once again into the depths of
Mulder's soul.

He leaned forward to plant several kisses on her lips, but she
was breathing so hard and so lost in other sensations that she
simply couldn't respond.  He sat back and quietly said, "You
are so beautiful, Scully.  You have no idea.... I want you to
come for me...."

Her eyes shut once again with a small whimper, and as her
orgasm overcame her, her head fell back.  She began gasping
and moaning, digging the tips of her nails into the flesh of
Mulder's shoulders.  Every nerve in her body was on fire; not
a single one was being spared.

Mulder's hands on her hips helped her to keep moving.
Exhausted, she placed one hand on the oak table next to her
and kept the other on his shoulder for balance as he took over
keeping the rhythm.  They both had their feet planted firmly
on the hardwood floor and it only took another moment of
them grinding wildly for Mulder to join her in climax.

She looked up in time to see his face grimace in ecstasy, and
thought that of all the things she'd seen over the years, this
was probably the most wondrous site yet.

As the intensity of his orgasm subsided, Mulder sat forward on
the chair and pulled Scully toward him.  She pulled her feet up
from the floor and brought her knees tight around his waist.
He held her again as he had earlier, her head on his shoulder
and his arms wrapped tightly around her.

Scully turned her head inward and caught his earlobe between
her teeth.  She suckled it gently, then whispered his name.

"Scully, I don't want you to speak right now.  Don't say a
word, ok?  I'm going to say something, and I don't want you to
reply.  At least not right now."

He waited for the sensation of her head nodding against his
shoulder before he went on.  "I just want you to know that
what happened today... I mean, what just happened between
the two of us.... I guess I--I just need for you to know that I
love you."

Scully felt her face crumble not only because of his admission,
but also because of the honestly behind his words.  How long
had she desired to hear this?  How much energy had she spent
worrying that Diana Fowley would come between them, afraid
that not only would they never have the chance to become
lovers but that she might lose his friendship, as well?  And
here she was unable to say the three damn little words.  She
loved him.  She had just admitted it to herself before she'd
made the decision to make love to him.  So why couldn't she
just say it?  Just blurt it out like any other normal woman in
love?

But Mulder knew it would be difficult for her, she'd even told
him as much.  Just in case he hadn't picked up on her inability
to express herself over the past six years.

That's why he didn't want a reply at the moment.  He knew
that she would tell him, but in her own time.  And she realized
that she loved him even more for not wanting her to feel
pressured into admitting her feelings just because he needed
to.

He must have felt her body tense as silent tears ran down her
face.  He pulled her to face him and said, "Scully, no tears
now.  We've had enough sorrow in our lives, let's try to enjoy
a little happiness for a change."

Fresh tears fell as she admitted, "I'm not sad, Mulder."

"Good.  Because my ass is killing me, and I need to get up."

Scully chuckled before standing up.  He stood as well, and
held her face in his hands.  He bent down to kiss each of her
streaked cheeks and said, "C'mon, let's go bandage your back."

He followed her into the bathroom, where he dressed her
wound.  Scully stood with her face to the mirror and when he
was finished he stood behind her.  Looking at her reflection,
he stated, "I love your freckles and your beauty mark.  You
should go without makeup more often."

"Mulder," she said as a warning.

"No, I'm serious.  And I think that the way your hair dries
naturally is very sexy.  I like the waves."

He reached around and began testing the weight of her breasts
with his hands, both of them watching her nipples
immediately harden from the attention.

"Hey Scully, I just thought of something.  I wonder what our
company's policy is on fraternization among employees."

She laughed and said, "Mulder, we =own= the company.  We
=make= the policies."

He leered at her reflection and said, "I know, that's my point."

With a sigh she glanced away from the mirror to the now cold
water in the tub.  "I guess I should clean up in here.  Would
you mind going to get my nightgown from the kitchen?"

"Yes, actually, I would.  It's one of my twisted fantasies to
watch Dana Scully clean the bathroom totally naked."

"Mulder, why do I have the feeling that you have =many
twisted fantasies?" she asked with a wry grin.

"Because you know me so well?"  He watched the reflection
of his hands trail over her breasts again and then said
excitedly, "Oooo, wait right here, Scully.  Don't move.  I'll be
right back."

Scully continued to look at herself in the mirror.  Yes, she
reaffirmed; I'm ready for this.  As difficult as the road will be
at times, I am ready for the joys and the trials of a life with
Fox Mulder.

He suddenly reappeared behind her.  His eyes glinted in the
looking glass as he walked up behind her and dragged his silk
tie across her full breasts.

Oh yes, she thought, I am definitely ready.



THE END

*********************************

Thank you for sticking with me this far, folks!  Thanks again to
my editors, and special thanks to Nic Perry for giving it the
pre-posting once over.

Hey, it ain't gonna win any awards, but as I like to say, at least
it's =mine=!!!!!

I'd love to hear what you think.  Email me at
XFileLuv@aol.com.