Fallare August 20, 1999 (2 months later) Scully's face beamed with joy. A whole week off with Mulder. She'd surprise him. Maybe he'd even take a few days off so they could have a nice long romantic weekend together. The only thing was, she had to get Mulder off of the "chastity" kick. They both knew that this thing, whatever it was they had, was for forever, no going back. Maybe he was scared of losing her that much. She certainly understood that. Well, time together was time together, no matter how they spent it. This would be the best week she'd had in a long time, a very long time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The summer sun was scorching Dana's pale skin as she made her way toward Fox Mulder's apartment building. She'd only been here once before. Mulder preferred to come "home" to DC, for their time together. Well, if she could get him to take off a few days, they could make "home" anywhere they damn well pleased, for a few days anyway. She began her journey up the steps of the typically southwestern styled building until she came to the third level. She thought noting that all of the units had odd numbers.... She followed the trail of numbers as they descended down the corridor. <311, 309, 307, 305, 303...301...Finally. > She rang the bell, anticipation rising in her chest. Then she heard the keys rattling. she thought as a smile crept up the corners of her mouth. In an instant the door flew open harshly and Scully's mouth just as suddenly dropped to the floor. "What are *you* doing here?" The brunette woman said with disgust. "If I remember correctly, you haven't been Fox's partner for months." She continued rubbing the towel she been holding in her shower wet hair, exaggerating every movement. Scully could both hear and feel heart thumping wildly in her chest. Shit, she felt her eyes beginning to water. She gripped the strap of her overnight bag with a sweaty palm and tried to quell her emotions. "I... um... don't tell him I was here," Scully mumbled hastily, before she turned and rushed down the corridor from wence she came. Never noticing what fell from the edge of her tight stuffed carry on. Apparently neither did the woman standing in Fox Mulder's doorway. "It was nice seeing you again... Scully, " sarcastic venom dripped off of every syllable. "Sorry you couldn't stay." Smiling wickedly, Diana Fowley softly closed the door behind her. "That was certainly worth seeing." Momentarily glancing at her watch she realized it was after 7. "Damn!" she swore, as she hurried to get dressed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Same Time~ across town Mulder stepped out of the coolness of the mini market and into the blanketing dry heat. Ice cream bars and sunflower seeds, just what he needed to take his mind off of the scorching sun *and* missing Scully. Suddenly he felt a strange pang in his heart. He didn't know how or why it was squeezing him just so, but he knew that something was wrong, very very wrong. He hoped to God it wasn't Scully. Hurriedly he reached for his cel, snugly secured in his back pocket. He pounded away at its keys. "The cellular number you are trying to reach is not available please try your call again later." "Damn!" So, he called her house... nothing. Nevertheless, he jumped into the driver's seat of his car and sped off toward his apartment. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Mulder's Apartment No messages. Nothing from Scully. Still no answer on her cell phone, nothing but her machine when he tried reaching her at home again. Mulder decided he was jumping to conclusions, she was more than likely working late with that creep Fogerly or visiting her mother. Nevertheless, the nagging feeling inside kept at him. Not to mention the unbearable heat of the Texas summer night. Moving from his position on his black leather couch, his only friend in this town he thought wryly. He moved to the front door, perhaps there would be a breeze to lend him partial solace from at least one of his plaguing ailments. Opening the door he took the necessary two steps to the railing and leaned over. he sighed. He looked down into the courtyard. He dropped his head onto his resting forearms. Peeking out to his left, he noticed something that had fallen behind a cactus plant the stood in the corner of the walkway. He straightened, then bent down on one knee, reaching for the mysterious leather bound object. Gripping it between his fingers his suspicions were confirmed. That gnawing feeling that had subsided but never completely dissipated reappeared ten fold! He brushed his thumb across the engraved initials... DKS... "Scully?" he whispered. Gripping the book tightly in his hand, he dashed into his apartment and resumed his frantic phone calling... and still nothing. Little did he know that Dana Katherine Scully's plane was just beginning to touch down at Dulles International Airport. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 hours later Beep:: Scully, please I know I've called you a lot today, but I'm a little worried. I found out from your Mother that you were coming here today. I just hope that you decided to change your mind... and are on assignment or something. This is really scaring me, Scully. I know you were here I found your date book here. Please... I just.... :: Beeep Dana closed her eyes unable to restrain the tears from cascading down her cheeks. Her head was pounding, her chest achy, she kicked off her shoes and padded off towards the bathroom. She would attempt to wash away the sadness of her soul amidst a few white bubbles and the soothing warmth of aromatic water. Her attempts would be in vain, she knew, but there was nothing left to do. Nothing left for her, but to sit and soak and fight the intense misery that grasped tightly at her heart. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unknown Location "Agent Fowley, I'm very disappointed in you." "Why are you disappointed? I've done everything you asked. The surveillance is in place, I went through all of his things, found some of his research. What more can you expect?" "I expected you to be discreet. I expected you *not* to get caught." "Agent Scully doesn't suspect a thing. From the look I saw on her face she assumed I was having an affair with Fox. She's too proud to mention anything. She wouldn't want to embarrass herself." "What makes you so sure of that?" Diana folded her arms across her chest, trying to think of a way to rationalize of her previous statement. The man in her presence took another drag on his Morely. Then cut her off just as she was going to speak. "Agent Fowley are you aware that Mulder is in love with this woman?" Fowley froze at the utterance of such a suggestion... A newly formed smile took up residence on the fowl agent's face. "Don't worry I'll take care of the situation." "I expect it to be taken care of." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11:36 AM ... the next morning... Dana Scully awoke strangely content and relaxed. Something was soothing her previously wracked nerves with a comfort she'd only felt when.... At sudden realization her eyes sprung open at the feel of a large warm hand buried amongst the strands of her hair. She moved away from the soothing hand turning her body around to face whoever it was attached to. Her suspicions were confirmed. Mulder. What the hell was he doing here? Asleep in her bed? Then she heard him mumble in his sleep, "Mmmm... Scully?" his hand reached for the lost warmth of her. Slowly he opened his eyes, smiling softly at the image of her face. But that smile quickly disappeared when he saw the expression she wore. "Scully, what's wrong?" he reached his hand up to touch the side of her face. She quickly moved out of his reach, before he could do so. "I've got a better question for you, Mulder. What are you doing here?" "I... you... did you come to my apartment yesterday?" She chose not to speak. "What happened Scully? Why did you leave?" She rose to her feet and walked into the living room. He was tight on her trail. He gently stopped her journey toward her sofa with a soft hand on her shoulder. "What?! Mulder! What do you expect me to say?! Congratulations?! " her face was flushed her eyes were read, brimming over with tears. "Congratulations? What? Scully I..." he was baffled and utterly confused. "I thought... I thought you..." . "You thought what?" he asked gently. "I thought you loved me." She looked at him with such betrayal in her eyes, he felt as if the wind hand been knocked out of him. Turning on her heels she made her way to her previous destination, settling herself into the soft cushions beneath her. She clutched a nearby pillow to her chest as if her life depended on it. As if it would quell the pain she felt inside so deeply. Mulder sat on top of the coffee directly across from her, and spoke softly to her, "Scully, I love you with every thing that I am, and everything that I have. You know that. What happened yesterday ... tell me, Scully." "Why are you doing this Mulder? So you can have your cake and eat it too?" "What? Scully I..." he reached for her, but she swatted his hand away. "Cut the crap, Mulder, I saw her." "Saw her? Saw who?" "Di... oh God, Mulder do you expect me to fall for this?!! This Mr. Innocent act you're trying to pull is not going to work! Just get the hell out of my house!" By now, Scully had risen to her feet and was making her way toward the front door. "Scully, I really have no clue as to what you are talking about! And I am not leaving until I get some answers out of you." Scully turned back to face him, fury and frustration etched across her face, "I don't understand you, Mulder. I thought you'd know better by now, than trust her. Of all the women in this world you had pick Fowley. Just please leave, me alone!" the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. "Fowl...What? Diana was at my apartment yesterday? I swear Scully I haven't seen the woman in well over six months." She fell silent once more. "Please Scully, you've got to believe me..." he grasped her hand and kneeled before her, this time she did not pull away. "Scully you have to understand... I love you so much... I could never... I couldn't Scully, you are my whole world, nothing else matters to me... don't you know that... you have to know that! Please... believe... me...." the last sentence was uttered between sobs of desperation. And then he felt it, the sweetest sensation in the world. Her forgiving fingers brushing through his hair. He let out a great sigh as he grabbed for her waist, wrapping his arms around her middle. "I believe you," she whispered. She felt a quiet hush take over her senses. And all of a sudden that pain and sadness was replaced by a new, yet familiar feeling... How could she have not known? How could she have ever doubted him? She knew the answer to that question far too well... that Fowley woman was her weak spot. She was the one person who could make her feelings of self doubt take over her mind when it came to Mulder. Who knows why the woman was in his apartment, for that matter in his shower! But she trusted him implictedly. That much she was sure of. She was suddenly thrust from her reverie from a startling hand moving her shirt up over her abdomen. Before she could question his actions, she felt Mulder's soft lips on her stomach planting a trail of soft kisses below her belly button. He felt her chuckle and smiled up at her still red eyes. "I love you." "I know," she hugged him closer to her for a moment before dropping to her knees. He took her face in his hands and began dropping more sweet little kisses every place he could find. "Don't... ever...leave...me...Scully...I'd...die...with...without... you..."he said between pecks. "Never, Mulder... I love you, so much..." and their kiss was desperately sweet and loving. Mulder pulled her to her feet, hugging her close to him. Needing to feel her soft body warm against his. She felt so good, he wanted to keep her safe in the shelter of his arms for all time. She nuzzled her face into his neck and he lost it.. she was so soft so beautiful, so sweet and loving. He picked her up off of the floor, gathering her into his arms. "You are so beautiful, Scully. I want to make love to you." he sounded so sincere, so vulnerable. She touched her forehead to his, nodding in kind. "I thought I'd have to wait forever to hear those words from you." His chuckled response was followed by another long, deep kiss. When he finally broke contact he whispered, "Forever is a long time, Scully." And, with that he carried her off to her bed room, and the sweetness of their love erupted in a fiery passion that neither one of them knew could ever exist. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ END OF "Fallare" Stay tuned for more of this Distance series!