Barren Souls Part 3 of 7 The days following Scully's release passed by very slowly at first. She thought about Anne every day, each time playing "what if" scenarios in her head. She constantly wondered what Anne was doing... what she was feeling... if she was thinking about her too. Sometimes she still could feel the cold chill of Anne's hands from when she had said goodbye to her. Scully thought seriously about calling her, but just when she thought she had worked up enough nerve to pick up the phone, she would falter, not knowing what to say. Should she just be casual? - "Hi, how are you?"... or funny? - "Sorry I acted like a love-struck school-girl,"... remorseful? - "Sorry I didn't say goodbye or anything,"... or honest? - "Sorry I wasn't brave enough to dip a toe in the water,"... she had no idea. As the days turned into weeks, Scully began the process of convincing herself that it was nothing. That it was just some sort of hormonal surge, or a PMS flare-up or something. Hell, maybe she had just imagined the whole thing? Pushing it all aside only made her moody and depressed, but she kept telling herself that it was *necessary*, that she *had* to forget about the calm, alluring doctor with the hypnotic eyes. She *had* to pour herself into her work and just close the door on the whole incident. A few more weeks passed... ******************************************** She didn't really want to go on a date. She *hated* blind- dates, and she didn't trust the 'he's a nice guy' instincts of her brother, Bill, and his wife. The only reason she was even going out with this guy is because Bill insisted. He was friends with the guy, and, unbeknownst to Scully until last week, he had planned this little 'fix-up' some time ago. Bill said he 'thought she needed to go out and have a good time' - Yeah, right... Scully knew he just wanted to get her away from Mulder. She had argued strenuously at the time, telling Bill "my idea of 'having a good time' does not include going on blind dates with some loser-friend of yours!" She did NOT care to *date* at all, but Bill just wouldn't let up. She soon gave-in to his pressuring; afterall, she couldn't very well tell him that she wasn't *sure* that she was even interested in men. So, she decided to play along and even tried to convince herself that it *was* a good idea for her to go out with someone. Who knows, he could be a great guy, and she could have a wonderful time...? yeah, *right*... She knew the real reason she had agreed to this date. She knew damn well that she was doing this to find out if she was attracted to men anymore - to prove to herself that she was *not* gay, and that her fading memories of Anne Lehman were just that - memories. Everything was fine until she realized that the hospital where Anne worked was a mere 2 blocks from the restaurant. She nearly turned around and went home - she really didn't want to be here now. Even as the maitre d' was seating her, she felt like bolting. Still... here she was... sitting alone in a restaurant waiting for some jerk she didn't even know. Scully thought to herself as she sipped her glass of wine. Nearly an hour had passed, and the loser hadn't shown up yet. Scully was nearly fuming with humiliation. she thought to herself as she polished-off her third glass of wine. She watched people come in and out the doors of the restaurant all evening as she sat and waited. At the moment, a group of four people were entering, laughing and talking loudly. She watched as the two men and two women stood and talked while waiting for a table. She had just recognized the face of one man from the hospital emergency room when one of the women turned around, showing her profile to Scully - it was Anne. Scully nearly gasped out loud as a rush of exhilaration swept through her body... she was certain her face was as red as a fire siren. Anne looked exactly the same... still tall and lanky, still pushing the stray curls of hair behind her ears, still bestowing that gentle smile on everyone. She was dressed in a baggy turtleneck sweater and black pants with a long leather coat over top. Scully watched as she took her coat off, smiling and laughing lightly at something one of the men said. She looked very relaxed and at ease. Was she here on a date with one of the guys? Scully wondered...It looked like they all were from the hospital... Scully suddenly realized she was in full view of them, so she turned her body sideways a bit and sat with her hand propped up to her face, hoping to hide her face. She wanted to leave. She wanted to jump up and run straight out the door... but she couldn't ... they were standing there... Anne would surely see her. Scully thought as the maitre d' motioned for them to come toward Scully. They stopped and sat down at a table between Scully and the doorway. Scully thought, she clenched her teeth and lowered her eyes, pretending to find the linen tablecloth extremely interesting. Anne sat back in her chair as the waiter made off with their orders. It felt good to sit and relax with some friends. She hadn't been out like this in a long time... it was so unusual for her to socialize with people from work... but these were her friends - her *real* friends, and she could relax and have fun with them. She was just taking a long sip of her chilled wine when she spotted the red-haired woman at a nearby table. She looked familiar... Anne squinted a little, trying to make out her identity, but the woman kept rubbing the bridge of her nose and putting her fingers over her eyes. When she finally dropped her hand away, Anne immediately recognized her. <...It's her... oh my god...> Anne said to herself as her mouth dropped open slightly. <...It's Dana...> she thought, as she fought to keep her shock under control. She looked different... her hair is pulled up... she was dressed-up... but it's definitely her. Anne thought as she narrowed her gaze. <...God, she looks good...> "... Hello? ...Earth to Anne...?!" one of the male doctors said as he waved his hand in front of Anne's eyes, interrupting her voyeurism. Anne's head snapped around to look at her friends. "What, what?" she stammered. The others chuckled at her. "Are we boring you, Anne?" her friend teased. Anne smiled sheepishly. "No, no... I just, uhm... I thought I saw someone I knew," she said, trying to act casual. The others continued their conversation as Anne listened only partially... she sipped from her glass again while facing her friends, but her eyes glanced across the room again to Dana Scully. For a split second, Scully and Anne locked eyes, but Scully quickly averted her gaze to the other side of the room. Anne knew Scully had seen her - the red flush that scalded Scully's cheeks was a dead giveaway. Anne mused to herself with an inward smile. She sat for a moment, completely tuning-out her friends while she thought about what to do. Should she try to make eye contact with her and simply wave 'hello'? Should she approach her? Should she pretend not to see her and ignore her? As she watched, Scully spoke quickly to the waiter then started to gather her belongings, as though she were getting ready to leave. Anne knew in a flash that she had to go say hello to her. "Would you all excuse me for a minute?" Anne said to her friends as she got up and started walking toward Scully's table. Scully was gathering her purse and did not see Anne coming to stand at her table. She turned around and gasped out loud, shocked to see Anne standing right beside her. They both let out nervous laughs. "Hello Dana," Anne said with a smile. Scully smiled hesitantly back at her. "Anne, hello! ...you surprised me a little!" she said with another nervous, breathy chuckle. "You didn't know I was here?" Anne asked with a smirk. "Uhh... well, y-yes... I did see you come in... but you were talking with your, uhm... 'date', and... I didn't want to be rude and interrupt." Scully said, trying to sound casual and not stammer too much. Anne just smiled at her. "I'm not here on a date, and you could have interrupted." Anne replied. Scully didn't know what to say, so she just raised her brows and tried hard to subdue the smile that was threatening to overtake her face. Anne grinned back at her. "Are you here alone?" she asked. Scully shifted her jaw and pressed her tongue to her cheek, knowing she couldn't lie about her embarrassing situation. "Uhm... actually... I was supposed to meet someone here, but... it appears that I've been *stood-up*," she said with indignance. "Ohhhh... bummer." Anne said with a small grin. "Mmm, well, actually this might be a *good* thing. I don't want anything to do with a guy who stiffs you on the first date." Anne's brows shot up... she thought to herself... Scully continued babbling, knowing that she was talking way too much, but unable to control it, "...I really don't know why I'm here - I *knew* this was a bad idea, and I wasn't even interested anyway...," Scully rambled on nervously, not noticing Anne's rapid blinking. Anne thought frantically. "...So... I guess I'll just go home and drown my sorrows in a nice bowl of ice cream." Scully said with a grin and an eyelash flutter, added for effect. Anne forced a grin and nodded in empathy. "Well, that would be a total waste of a perfectly nice outfit and hairdo," Anne said, motioning to Scully's hair, which she had neatly pulled back and piled on top of her head. Scully laughed very nervously, her cheeks reddening once again. Anne smiled at her. "How's the, uhm...," Anne said, pointing and motioning to her own hands and forearms, wanting to know how Scully's wounds were healing. "Oh, they're fine, fine... they've healed really well, thank you," Scully said with a bit too much nodding. "Good, good," Anne said, nodding back. Scully forced another smile and took a gulp of her wine, her nervousness increasing steadily. "So, uhm...," Anne started, clearing her throat and steeling her nerve, "Have you, uh, eaten dinner, or...," she said, making a slight motion to Scully's empty table. Scully looked at her barren plate then back at Anne. "Uhm... no...," she replied with a jittery blink of her eyes. "Well... we could have dinner together," Anne blurted out, obviously taking Scully by surprise. Sensing her apprehension, Anne added, "That is, if you'd like to." She looked hopefully at Scully. Scully stammered in return, "Ohh, no... no - you're here with your friends... I wouldn't want you to do that...," she said, trying to look like she meant it. "No, its no big deal - I eat with them every week. I'd rather dine with someone more interesting," Anne half-lied as she smiled and made a wave-off motion in the direction of her friends. Scully couldn't contain the smile that spread across her face. "Well then... that'd be great." She said with a nod. Anne smiled back, telling herself not to get her hopes up - it was just a casual dinner... nothing more. "Great... let me just go tell them that I'm *ditching them*." Anne said, widening her eyes exaggeratedly. Scully laughed lightly at the expression as Anne turned to go to her friends. As Scully watched Anne talk to her friends, she began to feel the fears and questions about herself come surging back to the surface. she yelled internally, she thought angrily. she thought as she cursed her conscience for playing games with her emotions. Anne returned to the table. "Ahh... it's always such a pleasure to ditch a group of boring friends," she said mischievously. Scully raised her brows at her, making Anne laugh as she sat down. "I'm just kidding, they don't mind." She said with a hand- wave. Scully laughed a little and took a big swig of her wine. Anne sipped from her glass as well, watching Scully carefully - she seemed really nervous. As Anne put her glass down, she said quietly, "You don't go out much, do you Dana?" Scully swallowed her drink hard, nearly choking on it. Anne couldn't help but grin at her. "Uhm... well, no, actually I don't get much opportunity." Scully said a little sheepishly as she absent-mindedly fingered the tendrils of hair that hung down at her temples. "Uh-huh," Anne smirked, "You've got 'I DO NOT DATE' written alllll over you!" Anne teased. Scully laughed, slightly embarrassed by her transparency. "Soooo... who set up this *blind date* for you?" Anne asked playfully. Scully smiled self-consciously. "Uhmm... my brother did," she answered with a grin and a brow-raise. "Ohhhhhhhh," Anne said with wide eyes, making Scully laugh lightly as her face reddened. "Suckerrrrr!" Anne said lowly with a chuckle. Scully smiled and rolled her eyes, "I know, I know," she said with a head shake. "I can't believe you got sucked into a date orchestrated by a *brother * - shame on you Dr. Scully!" Anne said with a wag of her finger. Scully laughed again, making Anne smile broadly. "Let's just say that I *obviously* had a momentary lapse of judgement when I agreed to it, alright?" Scully said. "Oh *yeahhh*, okay." Anne said with a smile as she raised her glass in a 'cheers' motion, making Scully laugh harder. Anne liked Dana's toothy smile and hearty laugh; it was quite unlike her demeanor of the last time they had met. She knew that the somber FBI persona didn't fit... she knew there was more to Dana Scully than meets the eye. Anne watched as Scully calmed down and took a drink from her glass. Her eyes zeroed in on the rosebud lips as they touched the rim of the glass. She imagined the cool liquid slipping down her throat as she watched Scully swallow it. Anne knew she was staring at Scully way too much, but she couldn't help it. She was once again finding herself totally captivated by this beautiful woman. Anne looked at Scully thoughtfully, "You don't laugh much either... do you?" Anne asked seriously. Scully's smile faded as she absorbed Anne's question. She licked her lips and looked at her glass of wine, tapping it a little nervously. She quirked her mouth in a half-smile and regarded Anne suspiciously. "How is it that you seem to know so much about me?" she asked Anne with furrowed brows. "I dunno... maybe I'm just intuitive," Anne said, shrugging nonchalantly. Scully quirked her brows, "*Intuitive*, huh?" Scully asked incredulously. Anne merely smiled and shrugged again. Scully was not at all comfortable with Anne's obvious study of her, plus, she couldn't figure out exactly how she reached these conclusions about her. Was she really that transparent? Or did Anne know these things because she could *relate* to Scully? "Hey, let's order something to eat, I'm *starving*," Anne interrupted, wanting to break the awkwardness. She didn't want to ruin the evening by being overly nosey, so she told herself to cool it. As the waiter came over to the table, Scully watched Anne as she gave her order. She watched the flicker of her intense blue eyes ...the gentle movement of her slender finger as they touched her chin... the way her lips moved as she spoke and smiled... every move she made seemed to enthrall Scully. Anne turned and looked right at her, momentarily hypnotizing Scully with the deep liquid beauty of her eyes. Scully quickly snapped her head to the waiter's attention and ordered her meal, although after he left, she didn't have the slightest idea what she had ordered. The two women sat and chatted politely, acting as though they were business associates or neighbors, or something. They discussed their families, their childhoods, their medical schooling, their jobs, the case that brought them together ... all the normal things that you discuss with someone you're catching-up with or getting to know. They both tried to be comfortable, which was difficult at first, but became easier as the evening wore on. Anne was surprisingly easy-going and funny, not at all like the cool, reserved persona that Scully knew before. Scully could feel herself letting go of her precious guard more and more as they laughed and joked. Anne prodded gently about personal things, but for some reason, Scully didn't mind. She was inquiring and asked a lot of questions... Scully thought she'd make a wonderful newspaper reporter. Anne also returned the favor by answering Scully's questions as well, so it was an even give-and-take... it made both of them feel increasingly trusting of one another. It was nice to be able to talk to someone - another woman - about things, and they said so. It was nice to know that she understood your point of view much moreso than a man - or, much moreso than *Mulder*, in particular, Scully thought. They continued to talk as they ate their meals. Anne dined very politely, and Scully had to grin at the way she dissected everything - just like a true doctor. Scully decided that she either had good breeding or good upbringing, judging from her mannerisms -- the way she 'properly' sat, drank, cut her food, and even chewed. Although she seemed to be quite down-to-earth and relaxed, everything about her was poised and composed - she wasn't slovenly about anything. Scully mused. She wondered if there was anything that ruffled the feathers of the dignified young doctor. "So, Dana... what's the deal with this partner of yours?" Anne asked. Scully looked at her confused. "What about him?" she asked. "Well, y'know - is it hard working side-by-side with a guy all the time?" Anne asked, trying to sound casual. "Well... sometimes... but only because Mulder is the biggest pain in the ass to ever walk the planet." Scully deadpanned, making Anne laugh out loud. "He's an attractive guy," Anne said with a slight eyebrow raise. Scully looked at her a bit confused, she wondered. "Want me to set up a *blind date* for you with him??" Scully said sarcastically. Anne just smiled and shook her head. "No, thanks. I guess I'm just wondering if... if its been *difficult* working so *closely* with an intelligent, attractive guy like that." Anne said. Scully thought she knew what Anne was asking, and why. "If you're inferring that we must want to get in each other's pants all the time - just because we're male and female - then you are mistaken, Anne," Scully shot back, a little annoyed at the question. Anne instantly regretted asking it. She reached over and touched Scully's wrist gently. "No, no, Dana... that's not what I meant, forgive me." She said apologetically. Scully put her fork down and stared hard at Anne, a little hurt by her question. Anne's hand was soft and warm against her skin, and Anne was certain that she could feel Scully's pulse throbbing under her fingers. Anne withdrew her hand and looked up at the ceiling, then down at Scully again. "What I'm trying to say, in a *horrendous* way, is... I just wondered if, like me, you've run into *problems* with *male* co-workers hitting on you, or, if you've had to put up with ridiculous rumors and stuff... y'know?" she asked, hoping that Dana would understand and not be angry with her. Scully drew a deep breath and blinked long. "Oh...," Scully said, a little embarrassed by her outburst. "I'm sorry, I thought you were assuming...," she motioned with her hand as Anne just shook her head and smiled. "Uhm... well, yes, actually, I've had to put up with my share of male-chauvinist pigs - and just plain old *pigs* too; however, I'm glad to say that Mulder has never been one of them." Scully said. Anne made a surprised face. "He and I have a very good working relationship, but... I dunno... we are partners, and nothing more. He respects that as much as I do... besides, he's totally devoted to his job and his own personal 'pursuits'...," Scully laughed a little and continued, "You think *I* don't have a personal life?? I'm telling you, this guy's idea of a 'blind date' is picking up the latest X-rated video and taking it home to watch for the evening." Scully finished sarcastically, making Anne laugh hard. "Ohhh nooo!" Anne said as she laughed. Scully nodded and laughed with her. Anne thanked her lucky stars that she avoided disaster with her prying. She wanted desperately to know if Scully was interested romantically in her partner, but she cursed herself for going about it so recklessly. Anne just couldn't shake the feeling that Scully was only interested in men. Anne thought to herself. Still... Anne remembered the hospital, and the last time she saw Scully... there *was* something between them then... she hadn't imagined that whole thing. Anne thought. she reminded herself. "So, Anne... mind if I pry now?" Scully asked with one eyebrow arched. Anne just smirked, knowing what was coming. She opened her hands in front of her and smirked at Scully again, inviting the challenge. Scully smirked back. She could tell Anne enjoyed having the upper hand in questioning her... now she wanted to turn the tables a bit... Anne's eyes seemed to glint at her in challenge. "How long have you been divorced?" Scully asked bluntly. Anne pursed her lips and looked skyward for a moment. "Mmm... It's been almost 3 years now." Anne answered. "How long had you been married before that?" Scully asked again. "Uhm, about 3 years, I guess." Anne said casually. "Was he a jerk, or a good guy?" Scully asked, cocking her head slightly. Anne shrugged slightly, pausing to think. "He was a pretty good guy... it wasn't really his fault." Anne said, anticipating Scully's thought process. Scully smiled slightly. "Then what happened?" asked Scully. Anne smiled wistfully and raised her brows. "Well... lots of things...," she said, looking down at the table. She looked back up, only to see Scully looking at her expectantly. Anne laughed lightly. "You want details, eh?" she asked with a smile. Scully grinned and nodded her head. Anne rolled her eyes. "Alright... it's difficult to explain, really," Anne began. "That's alright," Scully said, propping her chin on her hand. "I don't know why we got married, to be honest... we should have seen that it would be a rough road ahead." Anne said. "Why rough?" Scully asked. "Well... I had a hectic schedule... he worked long hours too... we hardly ever saw each other... but, we got married anyway." continued Anne. Scully listened carefully, observing Anne's every move. She felt herself becoming entranced... she watched Anne's lips move as she spoke, her fingers as she gestured, her eyelashes as she blinked... everything seemed to fascinate her. She felt very strange; as if she wasn't Dana Scully sitting here, but someone else... someone she didn't even know, for she had never felt the strange thoughts and feelings that coursed through her mind and body now. It was almost as if she were floating above herself, watching as this 'person' named Dana Scully sat and talked with Anne. She couldn't describe it... she had never experienced such a feeling before in her life... she felt totally and utterly *connected* to Anne, like there was some kind of gravitational pull between them. She wasn't even paying attention to what Anne was saying, she was too busy just *watching* her. She reluctantly pulled herself out of her reverie and listened to Anne. "It didn't take me long to realize that we shouldn't have gotten married. I wasn't 100% certain in the first place, but I just figured, 'well, it's the *proper* thing to do,' you know? You date seriously for awhile, and then you're *supposed* to get married, right? How stupid is *that*?!" Anne said with a grin as she looked at Scully with wide eyes. Scully merely smiled back at her as Anne took a swig of her wine. "So, did it not work because you were apart too much, or because you didn't really *want* to be married?" Scully asked, pretending as though she had heard every word. One corner of Anne's mouth lifted. "Both, I guess." She said with a shrug. "Truth is, I didn't really mind being alone - that never bothered me." Anne said. "But... the more we were apart, the more I drifted away from him emotionally. When we *were* together... I just felt like he was... just my roommate or something." Anne said, crinkling her brows together. "So... no hot sex, huh?" Scully asked bluntly. Anne laughed and shook her head as a flush crept up her face. Scully laughed, shocked at her own rudeness. "Uhh, nooo - I'm afraid not!" Anne said with a laugh. Scully laughed too. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be so rude! It's the wine, I swear!" Scully said, putting her hands up. "No, no! It's alright, I don't mind..." Anne said, trying to control her giggling and taking another drink from her glass. "Actually, the sex was okay - I mean, that was never the problem," said Anne. "But... the less we were together, the more disinterested I became. It got to the point where I couldn't give two shits if we slept together or not... absence definitely did *not* make *my* heart grow fonder." Anne said jokingly. Scully laughed quietly. "Everything just sort-of... died... y'know? I totally lost interest... I became engrossed in my job, and... I just... kind-of... 'resigned' myself to being alone... y'know?" Anne said, looking at Scully with a small, sad smile. Scully smiled knowingly. "I dunno... I don't want to say, 'oh it was a big mistake,' because I don't think it really was. I did love the guy... it just...," Anne looked skyward for a moment, "It just was never a really *passionate* or *intense* type of romance, y'know? I mean... I was just... *comfortable*... that's all," Anne said with a shrug as she looked at Scully. Scully looked back at her thoughtfully, "Did you *ever* have a passionate or intense relationship with anyone?" Scully asked. Anne pursed her lips and chewed the side of her cheek, pausing for a few seconds. "Once," she replied succinctly, quickly taking a sip from her glass. Scully raised her brows, "...and?" she said expectantly. Anne shrugged. "*And*... it didn't work out, obviously." Anne said, trying to brush it off. Scully pushed her lips out and nodded, catching the drift that Anne didn't wish to discuss it. "Ooookay," Scully said with a grin. Anne smiled in return. "I'm sorry... it's rather... *complicated*... that's all," Anne said apologetically. Scully waved her hand. "No problem, I understand." Scully said. The two women sat in silence for a few moments, Scully feeling like she'd crossed some imaginary line that she didn't know existed. She wanted to apologize, but she didn't know what for. Anne wanted to explain her hesitancy, but she didn't how or where to begin. Surely this was not the time nor place to be dropping bombs. Scully pondered for a moment... maybe Anne wasn't gay? Maybe all the 'stuff' that happened between them was just that - 'stuff'. She had been married, albeit not too happily, but she *was* married. Perhaps it *was* the wine, but Scully felt confused all over again. Anne looked at her watch nervously, "God - look how late it is! Have we really been sitting here yapping for 3 hours?!" Anne exclaimed. Scully checked her watch as well, "Wow, it is late. I guess we should go before we get booted out of here," she said with some dejection. "Yeah, I guess so. I have to go compete with all the bar- flies for a cab too," Anne said, wrinkling her nose. Scully gave her a surprised look. "You're taking a cab home??" she asked. Anne shrugged, "Well, yeah - I walked here from work, and I don't really feel like walking the whole way home in the pouring rain," she said, pointing outside. "God... didn't it rain the last time we went 'out'?" Scully said with a smile. "Yes, I believe it did," Anne said, remembering back to their first meeting. "Well, you're not taking a cab home - I can drive you home, no problem." Scully said assuredly. "Oh no, no, thank you, but you don't have to do that - it'd be really out of your way," Anne said frowning, trying to discourage Scully, but Scully interrupted, "It is *NOT* out of my way, and I'm taking you - no arguments!" Scully asserted with a glare, tapping her finger gently into Anne's chest. Anne's eyes widened - at least now she knew that when Dana Scully meant business, she would *not* be trifled with... she may be petite, but she certainly was commanding. Anne made a face and saluted Scully. "Yes Ma'am, Agent Scully Ma'am! Thank you very much, Ma'am!" Anne said in a mock soldier-like stance. Scully smirked and made a face at her, "Very funny, but you're saluting with the wrong hand, smart-ass," Scully said with superiority as she walked away, leaving Anne laughing behind her. They gathered their coats and walked out the doors into the wet, frigid night. The chilly air hit them right in the face and they both grimaced and grumbled, pulling their coats tightly around their necks and bodies. Scully pointed to her car, and they quickly dashed to it, shivering and laughing as they jumped inside. Anne explained where she lived to Scully, and they soon headed off. Scully was quite surprised when they pulled up to a large, old warehouse. She peered through the windshield and said incredulously, "*This* is where you *live*?" Anne smiled and laughed at her. "Looks can be deceiving," Anne said with a grin. "...Yeeaahh, rrrright," Scully said, still staring at the imposing old building. Anne chewed on the inside of her cheek for a second, pondering whether or not she should invite Scully to come in. She wanted to... but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea. She didn't want to jeopardize things by having it seem like she was trying to rush into anything. Besides, Scully may not want to come in anyway. After she'd finished the little battle inside her head, Anne let out a deep breath and looked up to find Scully looking at her, a polite but expectant smile on her face. "Uhmm...," Anne said nervously as she darted her eyes around. "Would you, uhmm... like to come in and... see the inside?" she asked, sounding like such a nervous teenager that Scully nearly giggled. ...Finally, Scully knew what ruffled Anne Lehman's calm plumage... She knew she shouldn't go inside and hang out... it really was late, and she didn't want to seem over-anxious or worse, easy and sleazy... but... she didn't want it to look like she was totally turning down the offer either... what to do... what to do... Scully looked at Anne biting the edge of her lip and gave her a small smile as she tried to answer casually, "Yeah, sure, but just for a little while - then I really *must* be going." Anne answered her with a wide grin and hopped out of the car while Scully blew out a huge breath and muttered under her breath, "I must be crazy," as she too hopped out of the car and followed Anne. ********************************************************* end part 3