Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Even if you’re right, you’ll have a much better chance of finding Cole if you work up a profile and try and surmise his next move,” Scully told Mulder over the phone. Mulder’s theory about Augustus Cole being able to alter reality through consciously invading people’s unconscious and projecting telepathic images, convincing their bodies that they had experienced a physical trauma was, of course, ludicrous. And yet she had no other explanation for how a man’s body showed all the secondary and none of the primary physiological responses to having been in a fire. But she wasn’t about to tell Mulder that.

“Alright. I’ll sharpen my pencils and I’ll see you later,” Mulder said, surprising her in how quickly he acquiesced to her suggestion. “Oh, I’ll be right there, Krycek.”

“Where are you going?”

“We’re going to check out another member of the squad, see if he can tell us something about Cole.”

“Sounds like your new partner’s working out.” It was out of her mouth before she realised she had even thought it.

“He’s alright. He could use a little more seasoning and some, uh, wardrobe advice but he’s a lot more open to extreme possibilities than -”

“Than I was?” she challenged.

“Than I assumed he would be,” Mulder clarified and she could hear the slight smile in his voice. She appreciated the fact that he didn’t resent her skepticism.

“Must be nice not having someone question your every move. Poking holes in all your theories,” she teased, knowing she could.

“Oh, oh yeah, i-i-it’s great. I, I’m surprised I put up with you for so long.”

Scully chuffed out a small laugh. Then she remembered that she was no longer his partner, not officially anyway. And maybe never would be again. And maybe he would actually be happier with a partner who was willing to indulge him in his extreme theories. The thought of him working closely with someone else made her stomach drop and that was not a reaction she wanted to analyse too closely. She sighed. “You better go. I’ll, uh, read over this report again and see what I can come up with.”

“OK,” he replied softly before disconnecting the call.

Scully smiled sadly before hanging up the phone, contemplating what her relationship with Mulder would be going forward. With The X-Files closed down and them each reassigned to different divisions, she had been worried about him and refused to let him shut her out. After his little trip to Puerto Rico, he had come back reinvigorated and committed to his cause. He had told her that he still had himself, he still had his work and he still had her. She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, how much that had warmed her heart. And when he was contemplating leaving the bureau to pursue his work in the paranormal somehow, he had said that the only reason he could think of to stay at the FBI was to work with her - something that ‘they’ would never allow. But he had stayed. And they had continued to find ways to work together. He had called her into his investigations at every opportunity - he somehow made sure that she was always the one to perform any autopsies he needed, called her to run his ideas past her and ask her opinion, he even wrote his reports to her personally while in the field. They had stayed connected and getting a phone call at Quantico from ‘George Hale’ was often the highlight of her week.

But now there was Alex Krycek. And maybe Mulder wouldn’t need her anymore.

“Agent Scully?” the lab assistant knocked lightly on her office door. “They’re ready for you in the autopsy bay.”

“Thanks, I’ll be right there.”

She made sure to shut down her computer and put Mulder’s file in a locked drawer before she left. She locked the door behind her, pushing all thoughts of Mulder and Krycek out of her head.

Chapter Text

Several days later, Scully sat on the bench by the Tidal Basin, watching the reflected lights from the Washington Monument dance on the gentle ripples. She had come to think of it as ‘their spot’ now that they no longer had the basement office. They often met here to talk, ostensibly about a case Mulder was working on but often they just enjoyed being in each other’s company. Well, she enjoyed his company at least. They hadn’t actually made plans to meet this evening since Mulder wasn’t working on a case that required her assistance - he was back to transcribing hours of surveillance tapes that consisted mostly of sleazy creeps ranking strippers and strip clubs in the tristate area. Although apparently he was now more actively involved in the case and still working alongside Krycek. He didn’t need her medical or scientific expertise for that. But coming to the bench made her feel closer to him, connected. And maybe, just maybe, he would be there too. She didn’t want him to know, didn’t want to admit even to herself, how much she missed him.

She’d always been such a solitary person. She had her big, busy family but ever since she was a very little girl she had needed time and space to retreat into herself. And then when she had studied medicine, she found that working crazy hours and being, often, almost entirely self-reliant in her job suited her just fine. Similarly, working at Quantico she had enjoyed interacting with her students but what she had really loved was the time she spent alone either planning her lessons or dissecting corpses. So she had been nervous when she was assigned to The X-Files. Not just because she would suddenly be a field agent. And not because of Mulder’s ‘spooky’ reputation. And not even because her FBI colleagues and associates whispered about it being the beginning of the end of her career. But because she was afraid she had forgotten how to work with others. Properly, cooperatively work with another person to achieve a shared goal. She really didn’t know if she was going to be any good at being someone’s partner. And she hated not being good at something.

But then she had met Mulder. He had challenged her straight away. But not in that condescending way she was so used to in medicine and the FBI. She had felt that, while he was wary of her, he wanted her to surpass his expectations. And she believed she had. And they worked well together. From the start there was a connection, a sympatico, where they just clicked. That itself was unexplainable. She immediately got the sense from Mulder (and the rumours) that he was also a loner who didn’t necessarily play well with others. And their beliefs and opinions were all but polar opposites. But she respected him and she believed - no, she *knew* - he respected her. And the fact that they were both people who were used to working independently meant that they respected that aspect of each other as well. Except for when Mulder forgot about the concept of personal space and hovered over and around her. But she didn’t mind that too much. Who was she kidding? She would never admit it aloud but she loved when he stood too close or reached around her in a completely unnecessary way or touched her back or her arm or her hand. He was a tall, strong man and could have been imposing and intimidating but she found he had a gentle and reassuring presence. Plus he smelt good.

And now she was back at Quantico, essentially working alone again. And while she thought she would slip back into the role easily enough, she found herself feeling bored most days. She missed the thrill of the chase, the challenge of the investigation. She missed having someone to bounce ideas off, disagree with, argue with. She missed working as part of a team. She missed working with Mulder.

But she couldn’t just call him. Not without a valid, work related reason. Not when she wasn’t concerned for his health or well-being. Not just because she wanted to hear his voice, see his smile, have him look at her with those soulful green eyes. She shook her head, willing such thoughts to disappear.

What the hell am I doing? she thought to herself. This is ridiculous and pathetic. Not to mention freezing. I’m going home.

Just as she stood to go, she saw a man jogging towards her. He was wearing a Knicks t-shirt and was Mulder’s height. As she was squinting, trying to determine if it was her former partner, the man stopped and jogged on the spot, turning to look in the direction he had just come from. She saw another, slower man run up to him. At this she dismissed the idea that it could be Mulder because she knew he ran alone. He had invited her to go for a run with him once, on their very first case together, but she had declined. He told her not long after that he was glad she had said no because he really enjoyed running alone. It was his meditative for him. It was the only time he could really get out of his own head - when he was pushing his body to its absolute limit. He found that other people interrupted this process, either by slowing him down or talking or just being there. Besides, he preferred to run in Alexandria near his apartment, rather than near work.

The second man had nearly caught up to the first so he resumed running towards her. She sighed, shaking her head at herself for the pleasant anticipation she felt when she thought it might be Mulder, and turned to leave.

“Scully?” she heard from behind her and her breath caught. “Hey Scully, is that you?”

She turned around and Mulder jogged up to her, smiling widely. “I thought that was you. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, um, I’m just, uh -” Scully floundered for something to say. She hadn’t actually expected to see him. And she could hardly tell him the truth - that she liked coming there because it made her feel closer to him.

“Hey Mulder!” Scully was saved from having to invent a reason for being there by Mulder’s jogging partner. Her intense gratitude to the man soured somewhat when she recognised him, though.

“I thought we were going to - oh hi,” Krycek broke off when he saw her and she nodded at him.

The three stood awkwardly for a moment before Scully realised Mulder would probably repeat his question if he wasn’t distracted. “So you two are running buddies now too?” she asked and nearly winced at how accusatory it sounded. And how whiny.

Mulder shook his head. “Nah, not really. This is the first time. I was telling Krycek that they’ve closed down my usual running track for resurfacing or something and he offered to show me where he runs. Or, rather, goes for a relaxed jog,” Mulder added, looking at the other man.

Scully looked at him properly too. His face was very flushed, he was sweating profusely, and he was still trying to catch his breath.

“Hey! I’m a good runner. I’m fast. You’re just the freaking Flash. I bet you could outrun a damn horse!”

Mulder caught Scully’s eye and gave her a wry smile and she knew immediately that he had outrun Krycek on purpose. He was fast and was very fit but she knew that if it had been her on the run with him, he would have adjusted his pace. At least, that’s what she interpreted his look as meaning.

Scully stood for a moment, letting her eyes roam over Mulder in critical doctor mode. He looked good. It seemed as though he had been eating and sleeping well, or as well as Mulder ever did either of those things. He was clean shaven and his eyes were bright. All in all it seemed like he was in good shape. Scully was surprised to find herself somewhat disappointed by that fact. As worried as she’d been about him over the last couple of months, a part of her had liked that he needed her to look after him. It had given her a role in his life. Now it appeared he might not need that from her anymore and the idea saddened her. She might be relegated to his go-to autopsy doctor and nothing more.

She gave her head a slight shake, returning her consciousness to the present.

“I better let you guys go. Wouldn’t want your heart rate to drop,” she smiled at Mulder and she hoped it didn’t look as weak and forced as it felt.

“Uh, yeah, sure. I guess so.” Mulder stood still for a moment, watching her but she couldn’t read his expression. “It was good to see you, Scully.”

“You too, Mulder.”

“C’mon Krycek! At least *try* to keep up this time!” Mulder gave Scully a wink as he took off at what she knew was a leisurely pace for him.

“Uh, OK. Um, bye,” Krycek said to Scully as he took off after Mulder. Scully gave him a small, half-hearted wave. She had practically forgotten he was actually standing there. Sometimes the whole world fell away when she was with Mulder and it was as if they were tethered to each other and separated from everything else. She sighed softly, realising that that would probably not be the case for very much longer.

Chapter Text

Scully was reviewing her latest autopsy result when she heard the soft knock on her office door.

“Come in,” she called, not looking up. One of her students from her morning class had said she might drop by to discuss an interesting article she had read in ‘Nature’ and wanted Scully’s opinion on.

“No slicing and dicing for you this afternoon, Dr Scully?” a warm familiar voice asked.

“Mulder,” Scully said, looking up and trying to suppress the smile she felt tugging at her lips.
“Not today. Just catching up on some paperwork.”

Mulder made a dismissive sound. She frowned at him. “What?”

“‘Catching up on paperwork’ Scully? ‘Catching up’ implies being behind. You are never behind in your paperwork. I swear you sometimes had your field reports completed before we even closed the case.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being expeditious, Mulder.”

“Nothing wrong at all,” Mulder agreed.

They looked at each other for a moment, enjoying the comfortable camaraderie.

“So, do you have a case? Is there an autopsy you want me to do? As we’ve established, I have time this afternoon.”

“What? Oh. No. No case,” Mulder said and she thought she saw a flash of something in his eyes. Disappointment, maybe? “Um, no. Someone in the bullpen needed some evidence dropped off here for analysis but had his kid’s school concert or football final or dentist appointment or something.” Mulder shrugged. “So I volunteered to bring it over. Thought I’d pop in and say hi. So, um, hi.” He waved awkwardly at her.

Scully cocked her head at him. “That’s very considerate of you,” she said, suspiciously.

“You sound surprised. I’m considerate.”

Scully raised her eyebrow.

“What, you don’t consider me considerate?”

“It’s not the first adjective that springs to mind, no. And certainly not towards a random agent for an undefined reason from a bullpen full of people that you barely tolerate.”

“Ah well. I like visiting Quantico. It’s where all the best agents are.” He grinned and waggled his eyebrows at her.

This time she was unable to quash her smile so she ducked her head, hoping her hair would hide it from his view.

“What do you want, Mulder?” she asked, raising her head.

He held up his hands in surrender. “Nothing. Honestly. I have no ulterior motive.”

She squinted her eyes at him and finally nodded, taking him at his word. Maybe he missed her a little bit too. Maybe she hadn’t been entirely replaced. Yet.

“OK, then. Hi,” she said, mimicking his awkward wave from before.

Mulder perched on the edge of her desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest. She mirrored his action, leaning back in her chair. They regarded each other for a moment and Mulder smiled at her.

Starting to feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny, Scully shifted in her seat and started moving around papers on her desk. “Are you going to keep running with Krycek?” she asked as casually as she could.

“Nah. I might switch to swimming while my old route is out of commission. You could join me.” He raised his eyebrows at her suggestively. “We can race. I promise to give you a head start.”

“Who says I need a head start?”

Mulder just looked her up and down and then looked down the length of his own body before catching her eye and raising his eyebrows.

“Just cause you’re all lanky doesn’t mean you’ve got the advantage. I’m nimble. Plus I was raised by a Navy captain - I spent 85% of my childhood in the water.” She stared him down with the same intensity she used when debunking his more outrageous theories.

Mulder grinned at her and nodded, his eyes shining with mischief and something else she couldn’t quite decipher.

“Have you had lunch yet? Wanna grab a bite?” Mulder asked her eventually.

“Sure,” she replied casually. “Though I have to warn you, the options here are extremely limited. There’s the cafeteria and the, uh, other end of the cafeteria. Neither alternative is great,” she said as she stood and retrieved her jacket.

“Scully, have you met me? Do they have coffee? Do they have anything that is deemed edible?”

“Well, that’s debatable but by your standards, probably.” She let herself smile at him this time, enjoying their return to easy banter.

She felt her belly flip and her heart race a little as he placed his hand on its customary spot at the small of her back to guide her out of her office. As she was locking the door, his cell phone rang.

“Mulder,” he answered.

Scully was close enough to him to hear the person on the other end.

“It’s Krycek,” she heard and she was irrationally pleased to hear him say his own name, rather than her customary phone greeting to Mulder, ‘Mulder, it’s me.’

“What’s up, Krycek?”

“Where are you?”

“Why?”

“We’ve got a break in the case. We’ve been looking for you. We need to go *now*.”

“Oh. Right.”

Mulder was able to maintain an impassive expression most of the time but over the last year, Scully had learned to read his micro-expressions and she was pretty sure she saw frustration and regret flit across his face.

“OK. I’ll meet you there. Give me a minute and I’ll call you back to find out where we’re going.” He hung up without waiting for a response. “I’ll have to take a raincheck on lunch,” he said to her.

Scully worked hard to keep her own disappointment from her face. “Of course. Though we really should find somewhere else to go that’s not the Quantico cafeteria. I think you could open an X-File investigating how they’ve managed to ruin even jell-o. We’ve probably both just narrowly avoided food poisoning.” She smiled, turning to unlock her office door.

“Maybe we could meet for a drink at Casey’s then.”

“Sure,” she replied, keeping her response as non-committal as his suggestion.

“Tonight?”

She turned to look at him, surprised. “Sounds like you might have your hands full tonight.” She gestured with her head to the phone in his hand.

“Nah. It’ll be another storm in a teacup. I’ll see you there at six?”

“See you there.”

Mulder grinned widely at her for a moment and then he was gone, his long legs allowing him to disappear down the corridor in a matter of seconds.

Chapter Text

Scully arrived at Casey’s at 6:05 and was surprised to see the bar so busy on a Wednesday evening. She quickly realised that most patrons belonged to one large, rowdy group of men. She then realised that she recognised a lot of those men, including her former partner and his current one. Scully’s heart dropped. She had been looking forward to spending time with Mulder, especially after missing out today. She realised after he left, though, that while she was pleased he had come to “just say hi” she found she was disappointed that there wasn’t an interesting case to work on as well. She missed the intellectual challenge of The X-Files. She missed trying to find the rational in the irrational, the science in the fiction.

Bracing herself, she headed over to the crowd. She wondered if Mulder knew his colleagues were going to be here as well. It certainly wasn’t like Mulder to play well with others. But maybe working in the bullpen was changing him. Maybe working with Krycek was changing him. Or maybe this was who he really was and it was his sojourn into the basement that had changed him. Afterall, he had once been the golden boy of Bureau, the rising star of the VCU - she hadn’t known him then, maybe he really was ‘one of the boys’. She found it difficult to believe, though as she watched the group she found that everyone seemed to be crowded around Mulder. He wasn’t just part of the group, he was the centre of it. Scully studied the body language of the men, checking to make sure her former partner wasn’t in the middle of some adolescent regression into schoolyard bullying. But there was no jeering or mocking. And was Mulder was… smiling? It wasn’t quite a genuine smile and he did look vaguely uncomfortable but he wasn’t upset or angry. Scully sighed, realising that maybe she did not know Mulder as well as she thought she had. She was considering actually just leaving, surely Mulder wouldn’t notice if she wasn’t there. And she could always call with an excuse. As she turned to leave, she bumped into a hassled-looking waitress with a tray full of empty glasses, knocking a couple to the floor. The sound of glass smashing brought everyone’s attention to them, including Mulder’s.

“Hey Scully!” he called, extricating himself from the throng surrounding him and heading over to her.

So much for a quick and quiet escape. She would stay for one drink and then excuse herself. It was a work night after all.

“You seem to be the man of the hour,” she said as he approached, nodding her head towards the group of men.

“Not really.”

Another man came up to him, seemingly on his way back from the bathroom. “Mulder! Mulder! Hey man, let me buy you a drink!”

“Thanks, Stanford, but I’m fine.”

Scully raised her eyebrows at him and his face coloured slightly. He opened his mouth and was about to say something when a hand clapped him on the back.

“Did he tell you about how he single-handedly took down the entire cartel today?” Krycek asked, smiling proudly.

Scully felt stung - You don’t get to be proud of Mulder. You haven’t earned that yet. She surprised herself at the viciousness and possessiveness of her thought.

“He has not told me anything,” Scully answered, looking directly at Mulder.

“It was not single-handedly and it was not the entire cartel,” Mulder said dismissively, reaching his arm around Scully’s shoulders to guide her to the bar through the crowd. Scully felt her heart rate drop and her breathing regulate almost immediately. She hadn’t realised how anxious she was feeling until his touch calmed her. She hated that physical contact with him had such a strong effect on her. She hated it more that she didn’t get to experience it much anymore. “Let’s get you a drink.”

She looked at him from the corner of her eye while he navigated her through the growing crowd. “Mulder? What happened today? What did you do?”

He sighed. “Not that much. Really. I’d listened to that many conversations about strippers that I knew exactly what each guy liked, from their favourite girl to their favourite table and private rooms. All that chatter that we had dismissed turned out to be crucial in arresting each man simultaneously before any of them could tip each other off and make a run for it.” He shrugged, then raised his eyebrows at her. “Plus I got to witness the difference between a lap dance and a table dance first hand.”

“He also knew about the secret back exit so it was because of him that we were not only able to get the crew, but we actually arrested the guy in charge,” Krycek added. She hadn’t even realised that he had come with them to the bar.

Mulder ignored Krycek. “Beer? Wine? Long Island Iced Tea?” he asked Scully.

“You know, Mulder, I think I might head out. Let you enjoy the night with your team.” She patted him on the arm as she turned to leave.

Mulder grabbed her hand and turned her back to him, frowning. “My team?”

Scully gestured at the men getting louder and more obnoxious around them. “Your team. It’s nice, Mulder, that they’re appreciating your skills and your work.”

Mulder took her by the elbow and hurried her over to a relatively quiet corner. “They’re not my team, Scully. None of them have said more than a handful of words to me before today. Certainly no more than they had to. They like me now because I made their jobs easier. It’s got nothing to do with *me*. I’m only here now because I had arranged to meet you.” He looked into her eyes intently.

“Mulder, you don’t have to -”

“Scully, I’m doing anything except telling you the truth.”

She allowed herself a small smile then and she saw his face relax.

“Hey Mulder, nice work today. You the man!” a balding man shouted as he passed them.

Mulder grimaced. “I’m pretty sure that guy spat in my coffee yesterday when I turned around to get creamer.”

Scully laughed and let herself relax a little. While she wanted Mulder to have friends and be accepted by his peers, she was relieved that she hadn’t misread him over the last few months and he really was the Mulder she knew.

Mulder looked around with mild disgust. “You wanna get out of here? Maybe grab a bite instead?”

Scully opened her mouth to respond but before she could, suddenly Krycek was there again, by her side.

“Hey Mulder, I was thinking about that case you were telling me about. The three murders every three months - what did you call them? The Trinity Killers?”

Mulder nodded. Scully looked up between the two men.

“What case?” she asked, trying desperately to sound only mildly curious.

“He hasn’t told you about it?” Krycek asked.

“It’s not really a case,” Mulder told her, shaking his head. “It’s just something that I’ve been keeping an eye on.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because they’re vampires,” Krycek said.

Scully’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. “Vampires? Really?” she repeated.

“Mirrors smashed, drinking of human blood, plus the religious aspect,” Krycek told her while Mulder stood looking uncomfortable.

“What religious aspect?”

“Mulder thinks it’s a distortion of the Holy Trinity. You know the father, the son, the holy ghost?”

“I’m familiar with the concept, yes,” Scully replied snarkily and saw Mulder hide a smile.

Krycek continued, oblivious, turning his attention back to Mulder. “So I was thinking that these vampires -”

Scully turned away from Krycek to look at Mulder. “Vampires? Really, Mulder?”

“This surprises you?” he asked.

“I mean, I guess. It seems a bit ridiculous, even for you. Vampires! Like Dracula? With coffins and bats and everything?”

Mulder grinned widely at her. “Actually, Scully. I don’t think they’re vampires.”

“You don’t?” both Scully and Krycek asked.

Mulder smiled at them both, clearly enjoying the moment. Then his eyes shifted behind them and he started to walk off. Scully tracked his eyeline and saw that a booth had become available in a back corner. She followed him and didn’t wait to see what Krycek would do.

Mulder got to the booth and slid in, Scully following suit opposite him.

“So tell me about this case.” Scully tried not to let the hurt she felt seep out into her outward demeanour. The fact that Mulder had a case he was ‘keeping an eye on’ and hadn’t told her about was crushing. Made all the worse by the fact that Krycek seemed to have intimate knowledge of it.

Krycek slid into the booth next to Mulder and answered her. “There’s been six deaths so far, three months apart. Each victim was completely drained of blood with bite marks.”

“Where were the bite marks?” Scully asked Mulder.

“On the exterior jugular and the median cubital veins,” he replied and she raised her eyebrows in approval at his use of the correct medical terms and he smiled back.

“But you don’t think they’re vampires?” she prompted.

“Do you?” he asked, teasing.

“Of course not! But it does sound like you’ve got enough ‘evidence’ there to jump to that conclusion.”

“And what about the smashed mirrors?” Krycek asked.

“I think,” Mulder said, glancing briefly at Krycek but returning his gaze back to Scully almost immediately. “That they think they’re vampires. They believe they have to drink human blood to survive. But I don’t think they actually do. The pattern in which they kill - three people every three months - and who they kill suggest an obsessive, delusional state of mind.”

“Who do they kill?”

“People representing the father, the son, and the holy ghost. There was a literal father who also owned ‘Ellis and Sons Clothiers’, a Korean woman with the last name Sun, and then a Jesuit theologian to represent the Holy Spirit. Three months later they killed a priest, the only son in a family of six children, and an owner of a new age bookshop called ‘The Holy Spirit’.”

Scully frowned at him. “A Korean woman with the name ‘Sun’ to represent the concept of Jesus in the holy trinity?”

Mulder shrugged. “It’s a bit of a stretch, I know. But they believe it to have significance. Cultists and serial killers aren’t necessarily known for their logic, Scully.”

“But the bite marks?” Krycek said.

“Needle punctures meant to emulate fangs,” Scully said.

“They might even have filed down their own incisors to create fangs,” Mulder agreed. “They’re not pretending to be vampires. They are thoroughly engulfed in the delusion and believe it to be true.”

Scully couldn’t help but to stare at Mulder, her mouth ever so slightly agape.

He laughed self-consciously. “What?”

“I’m just… I’m surprised… you really don’t think it’s vampires? Or something supernatural?”

“Scully, despite what people may think, I don’t just automatically jump to the most bizarre or arcane conclusion.”

Scully was fairly certain her eyebrows had left her forehead and were heading into the stratosphere given how high she raised them.

“I don’t! See, Scully the thing is -”

“Hey Spooky!” an agent called out as he and a few others wandered up to their booth. “Sorry, I mean Mulder,” the agent corrected when his friend jabbed him not-so-subtly in the ribs. “We were wondering, did you, you know?” The man raised his eyebrows.

Mulder looked at Krycek and then Scully, frowning. “I do not know. Did I what?”

“Today, that stripper who was flirting with you. Then you disappeared for a bit. So did you, you know?”

Mulder practically spat out the beer he was sipping. “She was a witness! *Is* a witness! I was questioning her! What the fuck are you guys implying?!?”

Mulder had stood up and was towering over the other men. Scully could see his fist clenching at his side and his jaw twitching. She wanted to reach out to calm him but she was hemmed in by the misogynist field trip.

“Hey Mulder. No judgement!” said the first agent, clearly unable to read the room. “If I had the opportunity to hit that, I would take it. She’s a professional after all. She would have skills.”

“Mulder,” she called out, trying to keep her voice calming whilst being able to be heard over the chatter in the bar.

Mulder didn’t react but one of the other agents heard her. “Hey Bukowski, maybe now isn’t the, uh, time or place,” he said, nodding his head towards Scully.

“Oh right. Sorry, man. Didn’t mean to get in trouble with the old lady,” Bukowski said, raising his hands in surrender. “I’m sure everything was on the up and up. Very professional.” He winked at Mulder as he and his friends turned to leave.

Mulder took a step towards them and Scully was genuinely unsure what he was going to do. She tried to scramble out of the booth to get to him but she was too slow. Krycek stood up and put his hand on Mulder’s shoulder. “They’re not worth it, Mulder. Leave it alone. Let’s go get some air.”

Mulder didn’t respond but he stormed out of the bar without even glancing at Scully. Krycek nodded at her as he went after him.

Scully sat where she was, at a loss as to what to do. Her instinct, as always, was to go after Mulder. But she wasn’t sure if that was her place anymore. Krycek was there. Krycek seemed to always be there. Maybe she needed to start letting go and moving on. The X-Files were closed and Mulder had a new partner.

Chapter Text

Scully sat for a few moments before realising she was sulking. She was a grown woman who was actually sulking because she felt left out. And as she realised that, she came to another conclusion. She didn’t know Krycek. Mulder didn’t even really know him. And if her time with Mulder had taught her anything it was that trust had to be earned, it couldn’t be blindly given away. Whether or not she was Mulder’s official FBI partner was inconsequential. He was her friend and she was his. She trusted him and she knew he could trust her. He needed someone, now and always, who had his back and even if it could no longer be her in the field, she could still be there for him. She pushed herself out of the booth and went to find him outside.

She couldn’t see either of the men on the street out front so she wandered down to the side street by the bar. Mulder was pacing and attacking trash cans. Krycek was speaking to him but Scully couldn’t hear what he was saying. As Mulder went to kick yet another trash can, Krycek grabbed his bicep to try and restrain him. Mulder shook free of his hold and spun to face him. Scully held her breath for a moment, waiting to see if Mulder would hit him. He didn’t but he shoved past him to resume his pacing.

Scully walked up to him and gently took his hand in hers. He didn’t pull away or push her off. He stopped pacing and looked at her hand touching his.

“Mulder,” she said softly, concentrating on projecting calm.

Mulder took a deep breath and ran his free hand through his hair. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them he nodded at Scully. She let go of his hand and he slumped against the wall.

“Scully, I’m sorry you had to hear that. Those assholes are just so…” Mulder trailed off, clearly unable to think of an appropriately insulting description

“Mulder, I'm a woman who is also a doctor, a scientist, and an FBI agent. I’ve heard a lot worse, believe me. And you know I know you would never be unprofessional, right?”

Mulder raised his eyebrows at her.

“Well, not in the way those creeps were implying,” she amended with a small smile.

“We could probably report them,” Krycek piped up, once again startling her with his presence. “To OPR or the ASAC or something,” he finished lamely.

Mulder and Scully simultaneously turned to stare at him with matching looks of dismissive incredulity.

“I was just trying to help,” he said, defensively.

“Thanks Krycek. I shouldn’t let them get to me like that. I thought I had a thicker skin. It’s just…” he glanced ever so briefly at Scully as he trailed off. “Anyway, thanks for your support today, Krycek. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Krycek, not really trying to hide his annoyance at being dismissed like a school boy, reminded him, “I drove us here, Mulder. How were you planning on getting home?”

“Oh, um -”

“I’ll drive you, Mulder. Besides, I want to hear more about these not-vampires.”

Mulder waved at Krycek and put his hand on Scully’s shoulder as they walked out of the alley, leaving Krycek standing alone.

Chapter Text

“So you really don’t think it’s vampires?” she asked him again as they made their way through the light evening traffic to Alexandria.

“Nope. I’m actually not even sure I believe in vampires at all.”

Scully risked taking her eyes off the road to shoot him a skeptical glare.

“No really. I haven’t ever seen any substantial evidence to suggest they exist outside myth and fiction. Well, not yet anyway,” he grinned at her.

“So why did you tell Krycek about the case?” she asked, silently adding And not me?

“Oh, he was bugging me to tell him about X-Files cases and what I’m working on now and how I was going to investigate the next case without being caught. I obviously didn’t want to give him any real information so this was the easiest thing to talk about to get him to shut up.”

She felt Mulder’s eyes on her while she navigated the road but didn’t risk turning to look at him.

“I didn’t tell you about the Trinity Killings, Scully, because I didn’t need to.”

“Of course you didn’t need to, Mulder,” Scully said dismissively, trying to disguise the hurt in her voice by going up an octave.

“No, I mean I didn’t need to because I could hear your voice when I read the file. I saw all the rational arguments as to why it wasn’t vampire attacks. I’m keeping an eye on the case because it’s still interesting from a psychological perspective and I’m fascinated by it. And I probably would have told you about it over lunch or dinner or drinks if we ever managed to get there.”

Scully nodded, not looking at him. She turned into Hegel Place and pulled into a spot out the front of his building.

“Mulder, we’re not partners anymore. You don’t have to tell me about the cases you’re looking into.”

“Scully, as far as I’m concerned we’ll always be partners. I will always need your scientific and medical knowledge. You are the only pathologist I trust to do the work I need. But more than that, I trust *you*, I need *your* perspective. Not because you’re a doctor or a scientist. But because you’re Scully. You look at things from all different angles, you consider everything, and you’re not afraid to express your opinion. I’ve said to you before, Scully, that you may not always - or you know, ever - agree with me but at least you respect the journey. I want you to know that that goes both ways. I always respect the journey with you. And the FBI can send me to Albuquerque or Alaska or you to Hawaii and I will always call you for your take on things. I have become a much better investigator since you were assigned to work with me. I question more, I consider more, I take more time,” Mulder paused here at the look of disbelief on Scully's face. “I know! Imagine what I was like before you!” He chuckled softly before becoming serious again. “The thing is Scully, I don’t care what the FBI says. You’re my partner.”

Scully felt her face break out into a genuine smile. “I feel the same way. Partners. Always.”

Scully reached out over the console and squeezed Mulder’s hand and he squeezed back. Scully stared into his mossy eyes and felt their connection restored. She believed in that moment that nothing could break them. Then she dropped his hand and he turned to get out of the car.

Before closing the passenger door, he bent down and asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to join me for a swim tomorrow, Scully? I just bought a very fetching pair of red Speedos.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

“Tempting, but I think I’ll pass. Goodnight Mulder.”

“Goodnight partner.”