Lectures, Lunches, Dinners, Dances and Bullets: Progression of a Romance

Sara B. 01/06

Dana Scully walked into the lecture hall half an hour before it was scheduled to start; she’d bargained hard for her seat and she was not losing it because she was late.  The lecture was to start at nine and no one was allowed to enter once it had.  She knew she had to hustle when Paul Dilkins called out to her for one of his famous five minute consults that took three hours. 

Looking around the room, Dana saw she wasn’t the only one not chancing missing the lecture, the hall was nearly filled.  Special Agent Fox Mulder was the darling of Behavior Science and one of, if not the best, profilers Quantico ever produced.  He rarely gave lectures, one a year maybe, more like one every eighteen months.  Tickets were hard to come by and were mostly reserved for the students with psychological backgrounds but Dana had pulled in a few favors and was able to finagle a ticket.

Agent Mulder had been sidelined during his last case by a bullet to the right shoulder.  He’d been out for a few weeks and now he was working toward recovery and re-qualification for field duty.  Reggie Perdue, Mulder’s partner and Dana’s ticket source, told her about the case.  It had been pretty horrifying and if Mulder hadn’t jumped in front of the killer’s latest victim, he would have been killed.  Reggie also told her that considering the torture the kid had been put through, death might not have been the worst thing.  Dana had been disgusted until she pulled the M.E.’s reports on the three earlier victims.  All were boys, nine years of age with blond hair.  All had been tortured both mentally and physically for four months before they died.  All three had been sexually traumatized.  The surviving victim had been with the bastard for three months and nineteen days.

Dana spotted Reggie talking to a tall dark haired man at the side of the stage and he waved her over. 

~x~

“Dana, you made it!  I saw Dilkins outside looking for you; I take it he didn’t find you?”

“I’m here aren’t I?”  Both she and Reggie chuckled.

“That you are.”  The man he’d been talking with cleared his throat.  “Hey, man, I’m sorry.  Dana Scully, let me introduce you to Fox Mulder.”

They exchanged handshakes and Dana commented, “the legend in the flesh.  It’s nice to meet you, Agent Mulder.”  Mulder eyes widened at her comment.

“Just Mulder and it’s nice to meet you too, Agent . . .”

Reggie interrupted, “Doctor.”

“Excuse me, Dr. Scully.”  He thought for a second.  “Not the D. Scully that I’ve seen on several pathology reports?” 

“Dana here is the one that figured out how that bastard killed those girls up there in Milford.”  Reggie told Mulder.

“You’re good, um, I mean,” Mulder stumbled.

Dana smiled slightly, “Thank you, Mulder.”  She looked up at the clock and added, “I’d better get to my seat.  It really was nice meeting you; I’ll talk to you later, Reggie.” 

“Would you like to meet us for lunch after the lecture?”  Reggie called after her and she responded with a nod and a wave.

Reggie turned back to Mulder.  “Great girl and really smart; might even be able give you a run for the money.”

~x~

The lecture was mesmerizing and the audience held on Mulder’s every word.  One thing you learn at the FBI is you don’t argue with results and Mulder got results.  His methods were unorthodox and it was doubtful that one in twenty completely understood everything he told them but it was clear that he was well respected.  The young aspiring agents were taking notes and a few of the more enterprising recorded the lecture. 

Dana was as much interested in the audience as the lecture.  The women seemed to be more impressed with the man than the message and the men were impressed with the women’s reaction to the man.  It was all quite enlightening and extremely entertaining.

Mulder ended his lecture with a question and answer period.  Q&A was limited to five questions or thirty minutes.  Thirty minutes came and went and the questions kept coming.  The audience wasn’t letting up and Mulder kept answering.  Dana could see the slight bowing of his shoulder and his easy smile had taken on a slight grimace.  Mulder’s wound was bothering him and he was becoming fatigued.  She looked over to Reggie and gave him a look and nodded toward Mulder.  Reggie picked up her signal and walked to his friend.  Mulder looked quite grateful for the interruption.

Dana was gathering her things when Mulder called her name through the microphone.  The looks from the women still lingering in the hall were not lost on her as she made her way to the stage.

“I think you just ruined my reputation, Mulder, and have made us into water cooler gossip.”  She tilted her head and nudged it back toward the auditorium.  Mulder followed her movement and smiled.

“Oh well, are you ready for lunch?”  Amusement laced his words.  Mulder placed his right hand at the back of her waist.  Dana looked to him and he gave her a look that said ‘go with it.’

They had just cleared the door when one of the women stage whispered “the Ice Queen melts,” the other women in the group giggled. 

Mulder felt Dana’s body stiffen and halted their movement.  He turned toward the group.  They were all young recruits and Mulder decided they were in need of a little education in humility.  He walked back to them and gave them his most winning smile.   “Recruits, I must remember to memo Recruit Training just how impressed I am with the level of the new class of recruits.”  His smile notched up a level and he turned around then stopped.  “And if any on you are under the impression that was a compliment, you are sorely mistaken.”

~x~

Reggie and Mulder drove in their car and Dana took hers.  Mulder asked Reggie about the little redhead and he saw that Mulder was really interested in Dana.  This took him back a little because she was nothing like the women that Mulder dated.  Not that he dated that much because Paterson just kept him too busy.  His last long term relationship was that bitch on heels Diana Fowley who was like every woman Reggie had ever seen Mulder with: tall, dark, ample chest, ambitious and very smart.  She also unceremoniously dumped his sorry ass like every other one.  One minute they were planning a wedding then she was hopping a plane to Germany and Mulder refused to talk about it. 

Reggie told Mulder about Dana’s many accomplishments both in and out of the bureau.  “Dana grew up in a Navy family.  Before she went to Med School she got her degree in Physics.  Her senior thesis was a reinterpretation of Einstein that caused quite a stir in academia.  While she was still in Med School she did a paper on some condition, you’ll have to ask her about the name.  She found some ‘thing’,” Reggie gave Mulder a ‘I have no idea what it was’ look, “that no one else had noticed and it got to the right people because now they are researching a treatment based on her findings.  It was right after that the FBI went after her. 

“You seem to know a lot about her.”

“Yeah, I was one of the ones who interviewed her.  You remember when you were temporarily partnered with that Ben Collins or Coal. . .”

“It was Connors and I may never forgive you for it.”

“Connors right, right.  Hey, don’t blame me; I had nothing to do with that.”  Mulder huffed.  “I talked with her for quite some time.  She’s a really great person.  We’ve kept in touch and I always pull her in on the really tough autopsies.”

“So why didn’t you share the wealth?”

They were stopped at a light and Dana’s car was behind them.  Reggie turned to Mulder and gave him a quizzical look.  “Are you asking professionally or personally?”

Mulder never blushed, but Reggie had the feeling that if he did Mulder’s cheeks would be crimson.  “Never mind, I think I know the answer but we’ll ignore it for now.  Professionally, I don’t know why I never said anything.  I would ask, she’d give me the facts and you didn’t care where the info came from you just ran with it. 

“Personally, she isn’t your type, Mulder, so I never even thought to mention her.  She was seeing one of the other instructors for a while but that’s over now.”  The light changed and they started to move.  Mulder gave him that ‘give me details’ look Reggie knew so well.  “Do you remember Jack Willis, taught firearms?”  Mulder nodded.  “Once she graduated he was on her like white on rice. It happened so quickly that they made her take her firearms qualifications over.  She’s a damned good shot, better than me and she could beat you with a blindfold, not like that is much of a problem.”  Reggie paused for a second then looked at his friend.  “Are you really interested in her?”

Mulder thought for a moment before answering.  “I can’t explain it exactly but when you introduced us I felt something.  Like we were supposed to be friends, maybe something more.  I’ve never felt connected to anyone like that.  I can’t explain it.”

Reggie chuckled.  “If I’ve learned anything from working with you, it is to listen to those feelings of yours.  I’ll see what I can do.”  He pulled out his cell and called his wife, Renee’.  “Hey babe, no nothings wrong just call me back in about fifteen minutes and don’t pay attention to anything I say.”  He paused. “Love you too.”

Turning back to Mulder he said, “I’ve got your back, man.” 

The partners were laughing as they got out of the car and met Dana at the door to Thomasina’s, a small diner far enough away from Quantico to ensure they wouldn’t be bothered by anyone from the FBI.  They got seated and a phone rang, Reggie reached for his as Scully said, “it’s mine.  Scully,” she listened for a moment and rolled her eyes.  “Paul, I’m sorry I guess I didn’t hear you call me but I really wanted to attend the lecture.”  She mouthed Paul Dilkins to Reggie and he gave her an appropriate sympathetic look.  “No, Paul, I won’t be back today and I have plans all weekend so I can’t go over your case for you.”  She was listening and the two men could see her frustration growing.  “No, I can’t have dinner with you I,” she stopped not knowing what to say. 

Mulder whispered in her ear, “Say you are having dinner with me.”

Dana mouthed thanks.  “Paul, I’m having dinner with Fox Mulder.  I’ll look at the case Monday.”  She paused again.  “I’m sorry, I guess you’re going to have to work it yourself.”  Dana hung up and shook her head.

Reggie chimed in, “that guy hasn’t done his own work in years.”

“Yeah I know, he likes to pick my brains then makes it look like he did all the work.”  She turned to Mulder.  “Thanks for saving me I just couldn’t think of what to say.  I hate lying to him but. . .”

“You didn’t lie to him; we are having dinner together tonight.”  It was said with such certainty that she didn’t even question it. 

Reggie’s phone rang and he made a show of how his wife wasn’t feeling well and he had to leave.  He turned to Dana and asked, “could you drive Mulder home Dana?  Thanks.”  He was out the door before she could answer.

“Why do I have this feeling that if I were to call her, Renee’ would have no clue about all that?”

Mulder just smiled and she knew she was right.  “So, Scully, where would you like to have dinner?”

“Don’t you think we should order lunch before we start talking about dinner?”  Mulder just laughed and looked back at the menu.

~x~

Lunch was easy and by the time they started the drive home they both felt like old friends.  Scully needed to run a few errands and Mulder assured her he didn’t have anything else to do. 

They decided to stop by Mulder’s apartment so he could change then go to Dana’s before going out for dinner.  Mulder stopped in front of his apartment door and hesitated before putting the key in the slot.  Scully looked at him questioningly then said, “I have two brothers, one wears boxers and one wears briefs so the site of a pair of men’s underwear doesn’t unnerve me.  And I don’t have a problem with a raised toilet seat unless it is the middle of the night and I fall in.”

Mulder’s apartment was a typical bachelor’s home.  Sparse furnishings, dishes in the sink, books and files on every surface and a few pieces of discarded clothes here and there; messy but not dirty.  Dana chose to ignore Mulder as he hastily moved the VHS tape cover that was sitting on his battered coffee table.  She’d seen the title, “Babes in Toyland” but, judging from the cover, she doubted it was anything like the 1950’s musical.

Mulder changed into a pair of black jeans and a gray pullover.  They had decided to go casual for the evening.

Mulder followed her in his car and when they got to Dana Scully’s apartment.  Mulder was surprised at how close they lived to each other; only about eight miles separated their homes but with D.C. traffic it took about thirty minutes to drive the short distance.

Dana opened her door and led Mulder into her living room.  “Make yourself comfortable while I change.”

Ten minutes later Dana walked out in a pair of slacks and a pale blue sweater that clung to her nicely.  “Mulder, how would you like to just get something delivered and eat here?”  Mulder was thrilled because he’d been trying to figure out how to suggest just that.  He wanted to spend time just getting to know her.

~x~

Mulder was at his desk when Reggie arrived.  “So, how was lunch?”  He asked before he even had a chance to sit down. 

“Lunch was fine, dinner was better, breakfast was darn right special.”  Mulder replied without looking up but Reggie saw the smile creeping over his lips.

“Breakfast?” 

“It isn’t what that sounds like.  We had lunch then she drove me to my place and I changed then I followed her to her place.  We decided to order in.  We got so involved in our conversation that it got late.  Really late, two thirty late.  I stayed in her guest room.”

“Breakfast,” Reggie repeated.

“I woke to the aroma of coffee, bacon and waffles.  Reggie, she was standing in her kitchen in a robe with her hair tousled, no make up and bunny slippers, all I can say is she took my breath away.  And the girl makes a mean Belgian waffle.”

“I don’t believe it.  Fox ‘they’ve got to be eye level’ Mulder taken with Dana ‘I stood on a box to make the FBI height requirement’ Scully?”

“You should see how short she is without shoes.  She’s everything I ‘never’ wanted in a woman, and more.“   Mulder stood up and walked over to Reggie’s desk.  “Do you know how we spent Saturday?”

“You spent the whole day together?  You are moving fast!”

Mulder chuckled.  “I’ll say it again, it wasn’t like that.  We cleaned my apartment.  Hey, did you know I have a bed?”  Reggie’s brow rose as he played into Mulder’s joke.  “Scully found it.  That pile in the bedroom wasn’t as big as I thought; there was a bed under all that stuff.”  Mulder leaned in and whispered in Reggie’s ear.  “Then we did one of the most intimate things I have ever done with a woman.”

“On that new found bed?”  Reggie asked, gearing himself up for details.

“We did our laundry together at her place.”  Reggie gave him his, that was cruel man.  “Reg, I lived with Diana for three years and we never mingled our dainties.”

“Yeah, but I’m a married man and we married men live vicariously through our single friend’s conquests.  And you, my friend, have not been living up to the bargain.”

Mulder walked back to his desk.  “Well, I might have to do something about that.”

~x~

Scully walked into her office and hadn’t even gotten her jacket off when Paul walked in.  He was just about covering his anger.  She knew he was most likely desperate for her input on his case.  He tossed the file on her desk.  She opened it and immediately sat back.  “What the hell?”  She pulled her magnifying glass from the drawer and looked at the photos again.

~x~

“Mulder,” he answered.

“Mulder, it’s me, Scully.”

“Missed me?”  He teased; he looked over at Reggie and saw that his partner’s interest was piqued.

“Mulder, would you look at some pictures for me if I faxed them to you?”

“Sure, here’s the number 555-7849.  Scully, you sound a little strange, did something happen?”  He was really concerned by the sound of her voice.

“Paul Dilkins caught me as I got to my office.  He had some pictures of a body that came in.  It’s the one he wanted me to look at last Friday.”  She took a deep breath.  “Are they coming through?”

“Yeah, just now.  What the hell?  Scully, what is this?”

“I don’t know but it’s on the table in bay 3.  Are you and Reggie coming?”

“I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

~x~

Mulder and Reggie walked into Dana Scully’s office while she was on the phone. 

“Yes sir, I understand but I cannot confirm or deny

that this is some health crisis.”

She paused, listening and she motioned for her guests to sit.  Reggie noticed the look that passed between the other two.  “Yes, I have begun the autopsy but I had to stop to take this call.”  She had to pull the earpiece away from her ear because the other man was yelling.  “No, sir, I assure you that I was not being flippant.  I just stated the fact.  Sir, I have two agents here that I need to consult with.”  She smiled at Mulder.  “Thank you, sir.  I will fax you my findings.”

Dana hung up the phone and expelled her breath.  “Thank God you two got here.  Mulder, Reggie, I have a six-foot body in the autopsy bay that by all that I can find out is an over sized fluke worm.”

“What?”  Reggie nearly yelled. 

“There were a series of deaths at a New Jersey water treatment plant, the Harold Tiner Reclamation Center.  Each of the victims worked at the plant except the first one and he was a honey dipper driver.”

“Honey dipper, what is that?”  Mulder asked.

“That is what they call those trucks that clean out sewers and out houses.  I have no idea who first coined the phrase.  The driver dumped his load at the same place.”  Dana rubbed her eyes, “They put some traps in place and they found what I sent you the photos of. Unfortunately it was shot when it tried to escape as they tried to transport it.  Follow me and you can see it.”

Mulder noticed how stressed Dana was.  “Reggie, would you go ahead, I’d like to talk with Scully for a minute?”  He waited for the door to close then he moved to her and started kneading her shoulders.  “They circling the wagons?”

“Yeah, I’ve been fielding calls from the Director’s office, the Department of Justice, the Department of Health, The New Jersey Governor’s office and even the White House.  Mulder, I have no idea what to tell them.”

“Tell them the truth and let them fabricate the lies.”  Mulder turned her around to look at him.   “Tonight you are going to go home and shower.  Then put on something comfortable but not too comfortable.”  He winked at her.  “You are going to let me buy you dinner and we are going to relax.  Oh, and let your hair dry that curly way it looked over the weekend.”

“Are you coming on to me, Agent Mulder?”  She joked.

“If you have to ask I think I need to practice more.”

“Thank you, we better get going or Reggie will think something happened.”

“He’s more likely to think, on second thought you might not like what he might be thinking.”

“Told him you stayed over did you?”  She teased.

“Yes, but I told him the truth, as much as it damaged by carefree bachelor rating.  He told me that I’m not living up to my part of the bargain of being the single man friend of a married man.  Not giving him enough to fantasize about.”  His voice had taken on a sultry quality to tease her.

“Oh, really?  Well, I guess we’ll have to work on that.”  She was out the door before he could give a come back.

Mulder met up with her at the autopsy bay doors.  Gone was the flirty twosome from the office replaced by their professional personas.

Tim, the technician pulled back the sheet to reveal the ‘creature’ that the waste treatment personnel found.

The skin was mottled gray and wrinkled, its mouth was circular with layers of razor sharp teeth and it had no legs.  “It must have crawled or slithered.”  Reggie suggested.

Scully picked up a folder and handed it to Mulder.  Inside were pictures of the victims.  “See the wound on each of them?”  Scully asked and Mulder and Reggie said yes.  She picked up another picture and handed it to Reggie.  “That is a photo of a fluke worm’s bite.”  Her eyes went skyward.  “If you make allowances for the size difference they are identical. 

“Scully, are you saying what I think you’re saying?  That this thing has some how grown from a worm that is a couple inches to this?”

Dana nodded.  “But there’s more.  Fluke worms are hermaphrodites and they use a host to plant their offspring.”

Reggie broke in, “that’s crazy!  You think that thing procreated and that’s what killed these men?”

“I can’t see any other explanation.  Reggie, Mulder, we know of five victims of this thing.  So that could mean that there might be five children out there, maybe more.”

“Damnit, Dana, how could this have happened?”  Reggie was nearly yelling.

“I don’t know.  I can only tell you that evolution on this scale is unheard of.  My best guess would be radiation mutation, but it would have to be a strong dose.”

Mulder walked back to the table and looked at the creature.  “Chernobyl maybe?”

Dana thought for a moment, “maybe.  But how would it have gotten here?”

“A ship possibly,” Reggie offered.

~x~

Dana immerged from her bedroom and Mulder gave her an appreciative once over.  “Tired?”

“Oh, yeah.  After dealing with the bureaucrats from the alphabet agencies all week I just need something to help me unwind.”  She grabbed her coat and they headed out.

“Well, at least they’ve located five of those mutants and they are now being ‘examined’ and they have protocols in place to look for more.  I heard today that they don’t think any of them had reached the maturity to reproduce,”  Mulder added.

“Let’s hope they are right.”  She turned to him and touched his chest and gave him a smile that signaled that no more ‘shop talk’ would be tolerated.

Mulder took her to a small Italian restaurant that he liked.  It wasn’t very busy so they were able to just relax.

After dinner they headed back to Dana’s.  She put on coffee and he put some music.  Mulder just played whatever she had in the CD player and the speakers came to life with some cool jazz.  The music seemed to fit their mood so he just left it and sat on the couch.

Dana walked in and took his hand for him to stand.  She pulled him into a loose embrace and they were dancing.  Slowly, closely, swaying to the dulcet tones of the quartet.

“They’re good, who are they?”  Mulder asked quietly as if he feared interrupting the musicians.

“You’ve never heard of them, they are called 3C’s and a B.  It’s my brother’s group, Charles, as in Charles Scully, Carl, Craig and Brian.  They are all professors at Central Michigan.  They do some shows between college sessions and are quite popular.”

The song ended but they remained dancing and the next song started.  “This one is sort of haunted and serious but underneath there is a happiness.  It reminds me of you actually.”  Mulder commented.

Dana pushed back and looked into Mulder’s eyes.  “You didn’t read the label did you?”  Mulder shook his head and wondered why she seemed a little skeptical.  Suddenly she laughed.  “Leave it to you.  That song is ‘Dana’ and Charles claims I inspired it.”  Mulder pulled her back and the dance continued.

~x~

Dana woke to the ringing of her phone.  A quick glance at the clock told her it was 3:27 am.  There was only one person who called at these ungodly hours.  “Mulder, this better be good.”

“Dana, it’s Reggie.”  This got her attention and she was immediately alert.

“Reggie, what’s wrong with Mulder?”

“Dana, Mulder’s in surgery.  He was shot, twice.  Doesn’t look good, I think you need to get here as soon as you can.”

“Where are you?”

“Northern California.  AD Skinner is coming out here and he said that if you could get to the airport by 4:30 you can hitch a ride.”

“I’m there, if you hear anything. . .”

“I will, I’ll get a message to you no matter what.”

“Have you called his mom and dad?”

“He told me only to call you.”

Scully ran to the ICU waiting room.  Reggie grabbed her and hugged her tightly.  Mulder and Reggie had been working on a serial child killer case.  Mulder wouldn’t tell her the details so she knew it had to be bad.  He’d called every night and she had the feeling it was his way to reconnect with the ‘real’ world. 

Skinner and the team he brought with him told her that Mulder and Reggie cracked the case.  The plan to apprehend the suspect was simple enough until a rookie cop interfered and bragged to his girlfriend at the local Denny’s about the big case he was on.  The perp was ready for them.  One agent was killed three others wounded; two seriously.  One of those was Mulder.

Reggie let her go and they sat.  “He’s out of surgery and the doctor said he did pretty good.  They will let you see him when they get him settled.”  Dana couldn’t stop the tears from escaping.  “Dana, I had to tell them that you and Mulder are married.”  He turned to Skinner.  “It was the only way they would let her in.”

Just then a nurse came in.  “Agent Purdue is this Mrs. Mulder?”  He nodded.  “You’re husband is doing remarkably well, considering.  We’ve settled him in so follow me and I’ll take you to him.”

She was awakened by a movement in the bed. “Mulder,” she whispered.  It took a moment for his eyes to focus but when they did he smiled.  It was the best sight she’d ever had. 

“How?”  He managed. 

Dana wasn’t sure what he was asking so she chanced answering all the questions.  “You were shot twice, bad, five hours of surgery.  The doctors say you are doing really well.  It happened three days ago.  They caught the guy.  His latest victim is safe; he didn’t touch her.”

Mulder smiled and got enough spit in his mouth to talk.  “How did you get here?”

Dana smiled and nodded.  “Reg called me as they took you to surgery and AD Skinner got me a seat on the FBI jet.  It was all very posh.”  She blushed slightly and held up her left hand to show a ring on her finger.  “Reggie told them I was your wife and he went to a pawn shop and bought me this.”

Mulder laughed but realized his mistake as the pain hit.  “I have better taste than that tacky thing.”

“I don’t care what it looks like, it got me in here and they let me stay.”  She stood and leaned over him.  “You will never do that again, you will never get hurt.  Do you understand me?”  She didn’t wait for a reply.  “I have plans, Mulder, big ones.  They involve you.”  She leaned down even closer and whispered.  “Some of those plans will escalate your studliness quotient to new levels.”  She kissed him.  It was their first kiss and it was under less than perfect conditions but it was the most meaningful kiss either had experienced.  “Does that give you any ideas?”

“Scully, just one question?”

“Yes?”

“Marry me?”

“Mulder, you are too easy,” she waited a beat, “yes.”

End

Lectures Part 2