London Times Revisited (R)

He smiled as he heard the door open.  “It’s me, Mulder,” she called as though it could be anyone else.  He dried his hands and moved out into the bedroom and on to the main room.  She was in the kitchen emptying a bag.

“You’re spoiling me,” he commented as he watched her put groceries away.

“I’m actually spoiling me,” she responded.  “I’ve been eating here more than at home lately.”

“And I appreciate it, but I really am okay.”

“You’re okay, but not ready for the fat and grease diet.”  She pinned him with a look and he only grinned.  “Have you had a headache today?”  She glanced at his medications on the counter.  He could see her hand twitch to check.

“No, no headache, but if you don’t take the bandage off today, I’m going to do it myself.  I think I’m getting lice.”

“How charming,” she commented as she looked him over with a clinical eye.

“Come on, Scully.  I’ve got to wash my hair, at least what they left me.”

She sighed, but she believed him.  “They left you plenty of hair.  What if I wash it for you, Mulder?  I can keep the incision protected - “

”I’ve always wanted to shower with you, Scully,” he interrupted, waggling his eyebrows.

She didn’t bother to respond.  The eyebrow said it all.  Shaking her head she left him in the kitchen, returning shortly with a towel and some shampoo.

She pointed to a chair and he meekly took the seat.  She carefully removed the gauze.  The incision was healing well but brain surgery, especially the way he had experienced it, was nothing to play around with.

“Okay, come on over to the sink.”  She turned on the water, adjusting the temperature.

“You weren’t kidding?  You’re going to wash my hair?”  He sounded a little uncertain now.

“Yes.  I can check for fleas while I’m at it.  I did it for Queequeg all the time.”

His eyes narrowed but he couldn’t sustain it.  There was something . . . sexy about the thought.  She obviously caught the gleam in his eyes because he saw the color rise slightly in her checks.

“Come on, you’re wasting water.”  He obediently leaned over the sink and she wet his hair, then poured shampoo into her palm.  They hadn’t shaved his head, so parts were long and thick and . . . damn it.

“Scully?”

He drew her back to the task.  “Almost finished,” she said shortly.  She should not be enjoying this.  Regardless of her feelings for him, she had to maintain some distance, they did still work together, or they would when he was cleared to return to work.

“Okay,” she blotted his hair dry, being especially careful around the incision.  “Once it’s dry enough I’ll rebandage - “

“Do you have to?  Couldn’t we let it air out a little?” he asked immediately.

“We’ll see.  I got your t-shirt a little wet.  Why don’t you change while I fix dinner?”

“You are spoiling me.  Thank you.”

His serious voice caught her off guard and she found herself blushing again though he had turned away.

When he returned she had dinner on the table.  “I cheated tonight.  It’s not home cooked, but - “

“But it is home served and the company’s the best.”  He startled her by holding her chair, one of the things she instituted when she’d commandeered his kitchen was that they sit at the table, and they ate while she filled him in on her day and the news around the Bureau.

He was impatient to return to work and she knew it, but she held his health in higher regard than he did and would not back down.

After cleaning up, they moved into the living room.  “Were you on the computer all day?” she asked as he sprawled on the leather, his sock feet on the coffee table.

“Well, I took time out to check on Jill and Katherine.  I like a good cat fight.”

At her look of confusion he grinned, “The Young and the Restless.”  She rolled her eyes.  “Hey, I may not be one, but I’m definitely the other.”

“Oh you’re young enough.  Did you find out anything?”

“About Genoa City?” he teased, “Actually there’s not much out there on the phenomena.  Mind reading hasn’t been documented nearly as well as you’d think.”

“Mulder - “

“I was reading minds, Scully.  It nearly killed me, but I was doing it.”  He took hold of her hand which had clinched when he’d spoken of his affliction.  “Even yours.”  She stiffened and started to rise.  His grip on her hand tightened.  “I know you don’t want to talk about it - “

“Mulder, please - “

“I know you don’t want to talk about it,” he repeated, “but you need to know.  You were there for me.  I could feel you, feel your fear for me, your caring.  I could always feel you.  I knew sometimes you were far away physically, but always with me.”

“There, there were others worried about you.”

He nodded.  “Skinner, I could feel him when he was at the hospital, nearby.  Diana . . .” he shook his head and dropped that line.  “I remember Frohike at least once.”  He put his arm around her pulling her close.  “Stay away from him, Scully.”

She chuckled and leaned against him.

“And there was one other person.  A boy or maybe a young man.  At first I thought it was Gibson.  He was obviously used to what was happening, but it wasn’t him.”

“Someone at the hospital?”

He thought for a moment.  “No.  I don’t know where he was, but he made me think of Oxford.”

“Oxford?”

He nodded, “I can’t explain why.  Maybe since he felt younger I thought about when I was a kid.”

“I’d like to have seen that.”

“I was a stud, Scully.  You missed it.”

She huffed.  “You were with Phoebe then.”

He winced and she felt it.  “I wish you’d have come to England.  Maybe we could go there sometimes.  I could show you the sights.”

“I’ve been to England, thanks.  It was not my favorite country.”

“When were you in England?  You’ve never mentioned that.” He looked down at her.

She shrugged.  “It was a long time ago; the summer after high school.  I went with a school group.  It was one of those ‘if it’s Tuesday this must be Belgium’ kind of tours.”

“The crown jewels weren’t impressive?”

“Wouldn’t know, I never got to see them.”

“You’re kidding.  That’s always where they take the tourists.”

“Oh, it was on the itinerary, I just never made it.  The first night there . . . I was just unlucky.  Someone was targeting tourists or something.  We went to a bar, sorry, a pub, and it was attacked.  I don’t remember what happened, but I was released, unharmed a few days . . . Mulder?”

“What pub?  When?”  She could feel the tension in his body.

“I don’t remember.  What’s wrong?”

“How many days were you missing?”

“What?  Uh, five I think.  Mulder, are you okay?”  She turned, sitting up to face him.

“It was the Kingsley pub.  Summer of ‘82.”

“How would you know that?  Mulder, what’s - “

“I was there.”

She stared at him.  “What?”

His eyes were unfocused now, looking back in time.  “The little red head . . .”

Her mouth fell open and he focused on her.  “What do you remember?”

She swallowed, her brow furrowed.  “Noth-nothing really.  I hadn’t even thought about it in years.”

“Me either.  Scully, did we meet then?  Do you remember me at all?”

“I don’t, and now, Mulder, it’s getting late.  I need to get home.”  She started to rise, but his arm went around her, anchoring her to him.

“Please don’t run away.”

She looked down at her hands; that’s exactly what she had wanted to do.  Run and run fast as memories began to swirl around her.  How the hell could she have completely forgotten that time?  Did she want to remember now?  She would if she stayed around him and for some reason that scared her.

“Scully, please.”

She forced herself to lean back.  “An X-File?”

“Sounds like it.  It would explain a lot.”

She looked up at him then, “Explain what?”

He shook his head, not answering.  “You came into the pub with a crowd.”  Reluctantly she nodded.  “What happened after that?  Why is it so damn fuzzy?”

“We had to have been drugged, probably the whole time.  That’s why we didn’t remember when we woke up . . . or now,” she offered.

“You’re upset,” he took her hands to keep her from wringing them.

“Did I forget you?  Why did I forget that week?  What else - “

“Scully,” he pulled her against him, “don’t.”

“I need to get home.”

“Stay here,” he said softly.

“What?  No, I - “

“You can have the bed.  I’ll sleep out here.  You’re upset.  I don’t want you driving.”  His hand caressed her shoulder.

“I can’t take your bed.  I’m okay.”

“Scully.”  She finally looked up at him.

“I won’t take your bed.  You’re recovering from major surgery.”

“Okay, you take the couch.  Just stay here.  I’ll make sure you’re up in time to head home first.”

“I . . . “

“Please.”  His eyes held her.  She bowed her head, she might as well admit it, she wanted to stay. 

*****

He lay in bed unable to sleep.  He wondered if she was having the same problem.  How the hell had he ‘forgotten’ about a five day gap in his life?  How had he forgotten meeting her, no matter how briefly?  She said she had never remembered what happened during her first abduction, well - maybe second now.  He’d never really believed that but knew better than to press.  It was a little surprising she had agreed to stay here.  Just showed how shaken she was by what she did remember.

They’d have to talk about this eventually.  He heard something in the other room.  If she couldn’t sleep either there was no reason to stay apart.  Mulder rose and pulled the door open.  She was on the couch, asleep, but restless.  Of course she was having bad dreams.  He moved to her, taking a seat on the coffee table.

As though sensing him, her hand came out.  With the shadow of a smile he took it and the tension eased from her face.

Whatever she remembered, or didn’t, they were together.  He’d loved her for a long time.  Whether she could admit it out loud or not, she loved him.  He knew that now.  Oh hell, he rose and lifted her gently, taking a seat on the couch and letting her sleep against him.  Fuck regulations and fraternization and whatever else the Bureau frowned on.  This was his woman and she needed him, maybe as much as he needed her.  He got comfortable on the couch and shortly drifted off with her in his arms.

Her restless movements woke him, or maybe it was his own dream.  She looked up at him and started to draw back.  “Mulder?”

“Sorry.  I was lonely in there.”

She just looked at him and he shrugged but didn’t release her.

“What were you dreaming?” he asked gently.  She shook her head and he cuddled her closer.  “Come on, let me help.”

She sighed.  “A metal room.”

He blinked at that, then nodded.  “Yeah, with a shelf on the wall . . . “ His eyes widened.  “Scully.”

She had closed her eyes now. 

“You had sex with Marcus in the back seat of his car.”

She jerked, pulling away but he didn’t let go.  “I, I never told anyone - “

“You told me, in that room.”

Her eyes were wide and he saw her swallow hard.

“Do you remember?”

“You were . . . you were nude,” she managed to say.  Her color was high now and it was him that closed his eyes as new memories flooded his mind.

“You wore that gauze-y thing once we got it.”   He looked at her now.  “How could I forget . . . “ he growled.

“Mulder?”

“They made me forget this, forget loving you.”

“I remember it now,” she said softly.

He caressed her face watching her, but he didn’t speak.

“It explains a lot of things, Mulder.”  He looked confused.  “We’ve always been . . . close, even when we were just learning each other.  I, I was always drawn to you, even when I didn’t want to be.”

“Didn’t want - “

“We do work together.”

“But it’s more.”

“Of course it’s more, Mulder.”  There was the hint of a smile on her face.  “You did give me my first orgasm.”

His eyes lightened then.  “I did, didn’t I?”

“Why?  Why do that to us?”

Mulder didn’t answer immediately, thinking, remembering.  “The triplets - “

She gasped.  “The bounty hunter!”

Mulder nodded.  “We’ve been on the X-Files for a long time.”  She closed her eyes then and he knew fear.  “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.  Why did they do this?  Why us and what was the purpose?  It makes no sense.  If it was for the two of us to meet . . . “

“They took other people.  I don’t remember all the details, but there has to be a record.  I’ll research it today.  All of the pubs hit were ones I knew, ones I’d been to.”

“With Phoebe?”

He looked down at her.  “Uh, yeah.  What are you thinking?”

She shook her head.  “I don’t know; just thinking out loud.”

“Don’t think, not right now.  It’s still the middle of the night.  Let’s try to get a little more sleep.  Do you want me to go back to the other room?”

She shook her head.  She wouldn’t sleep, but lying here with him felt safer.

“Close your eyes, Scully.  I’ve got you.”

It couldn’t have been long before she felt his lips on her forehead and his hands moving slowly over her back.  She moved against him and her eyes looked down involuntarily and widened.  Good lord, she was pretty sure you could see that from space.

“Scully?”

“We shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“I, I don’t remember.”  She felt his chuckle as his arms tightened around her and his lips found hers.  Clothes were discarded along with inhibitions as they explored and remembered.

When he sank into her body their eyes met and widened.  A circuit completed, they were one entity.  The small part of her that could still think realized now why no other man had ever been right for her.

*****

He was already awake when she stirred.  “Morning.” He smiled down at her.

“Mmm.”

“I know, coffee.  Just a minute, I need you to call in.  Tell them you need to take the day.”

“Mulder, as much as I’d enjoy it, we can’t spend the whole day - “

“Sure we could, but that’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Okay, fill me in.”

“We need to be some place.” 

“Some place?  I need a little more than that.”  She couldn’t help her hand coming up and caressing his stubbled face.

“I, I don’t have a lot more.  Do you have anything really hot on your desk?”

“Uh, no,” she said with a small laugh.  “Like Kersh would give us something ‘hot’.”

“Call in, I’ll make coffee then I’ll explain.”  He kissed her again, then climbed over her to leave the couch.  She admired his body for a moment, then stretched and rose herself.  “Use your cell; you don’t want them to know you’re over here this early.”

She cut her eyes at him in a ‘duh’ manner and he grinned.  Nothing was going to hurt his mood today.  After all these years, he had made love with Scully again.  Part of him wanted to laugh out loud.

“Okay?” he asked when she joined him in the kitchen.

“I left a message.  I don’t take a lot of sick days, so I’m not too worried.  Now, what’s up with you?”  Again she found her glance moving down his body and he did laugh then. 

“Who couldn’t spend the whole day . . . “

“Shut up, Mulder.  What’s going on with you?” she rephrased her question.

“We need to take a trip south.”  She waited for the punch line; it didn’t come.

“Okay,” she said slowly.   “South.  Where south?”

“I’m not entirely sure.  I’m thinking North Carolina.”  He saw the expression on her face.  “Hey, I’m not ditching you.  Come on, field trip.”

“Not Brown Mountain.”  Her face lost a little color at the thought.

“No, not Brown Mountain.”  He assured her quickly and poured two cups of coffee.  He watched her savor hers.  “I’m thinking Durham.  Come on, we need to shower and pack a bag.”

“We need to shower?” She watched him nod rapidly and chuckled.

He got his way, so it was a long shower, but finally he was tossing a couple of days clothing into a bag.  “We’ll stop by your place and get your things then head out.”

“Mulder, you have to tell me where we’re going and why,” she balked at the idea again.

“I, hell I’m not sure.  After last night, after we were together, I don’t know if it was a dream, but I know we need to go to Durham.”

“Just like that?”

“Yes, Scully, just like that.  Trust me?”

She was shaking her head as she took his hand and they headed for her car.  Packing took little time and they were on the road.  She insisted on driving and after a while he shut up about it.  Instead they talked about their memories, bringing details back for one another.  “I cannot believe how calm we were - ”

“Or how horny,” Mulder interjected.

Scully shook her head again.  “What kind of drugs were they using on us?”

“We’ll probably never know.  Was anyone else from your tour group taken?”

“Uh, yes, they were.  A couple of the guys, at least three of the girls.”

“Would you know how to get in touch with them?”

“I’ll look into it.  I didn’t stay in touch with any of them.”

“As I recall you didn’t look too happy to be in their company even then.”

“I wasn’t.  The pub was their idea.  I was tired from the flight and wanted a - “

“Bubble bath.  You haven’t changed that much, Scully.”

She cut her eyes at him, but he was right.  This man knew her and, if she was honest with herself, she knew he had read her mind.  He knew she loved him.  It was a little scary that he knew things she had kept hidden, or tried to, for so long, but honesty should count for something.  This man was in her life and she was better for it.  She hoped he had picked that up as well.

*****