Title: In Amor, Vis Vires; WIP, 7 of 8



Author: Andrea



Rating: PG



Category: MSR, S, MT, Scully POV



Disclaimer: Whatever, sue me.



Notes: Thanks to Aly and Dan for beta reading.

A special thanks to Lari for her medical expertise, as well.



Archiving: I'd be honoured, but I'd also like

to know.



Spoilers: Through season six



Feedback: Yes, please! ardywyn@hotmail.com



If you are missing the first six chapters you can find them

on my webpage:  http://members.rogers.com/faloona4/amorindex.html



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



At first I didn't realize why I was sitting bolt upright in

bed, heart pounding in my chest. Then I saw the vacant spot

beside me. I called Mulder's name but he didn't answer. Assuming

he'd gotten up to go to the bathroom and now needed my help, I

quickly got out of bed.



When I stepped out of the bedroom, I knew immediately that

something was wrong -- there was no light coming from the

bathroom. It was then I heard a faint moan coming from the

direction of the living room. I didn't stop to wonder why Mulder

had gone there, I simply started running toward the noise I'd

heard.



I gasped in horror when I saw Mulder flat on his back in front

of the door. His head was turned toward the door and I could see

him struggling to breathe. He must have had the wind knocked out

of him when he fell. When I shifted my gaze to see what he was

looking at, my stomach fell and my heart began to flutter. The

doorknob was moving.



When I looked back down, Mulder was looking up at me, eyes wide

with fear. After putting a finger to my lips, I tiptoed to the

living room to find out if I could see anything through the

window. Taking a quick peek I managed to see a dark form hovering

on the doorstep. I waited a few seconds and then looked again.



"It's a man," I whispered to Mulder. "He's short and he's still

standing on the porch."



The next time I stole a look out of the window our prowler

looked briefly in my direction, but didn't see me in the window.

My heart was still beating wildly. If this man tried to break in

I was almost powerless to stop him. The only thing in the house

I had that could pass for a weapon was a butcher's knife and

that was in the kitchen.



"He's wearing glasses and a dark watch cap -- all of his clothes

are black," I reported to Mulder.



During my next quick glance I caught him looking at his watch.

I wondered if he was waiting for an accomplice. I hoped so, that

would buy me some time. I couldn't see any weapons, but he did

have a backpack slung over his shoulder.



"He's really seedy looking, Mulder. His shoulders are sort of

rounded and he looks like he hasn't shaved in a week or two."



With that account of our unwanted guest, Mulder's brow furrowed.

At the same time something struck me, making take a closer look.

This time our visitor was hitching up his jeans in an all too

familiar fashion.



"Frohike!" Mulder and I realized at the same time.



"What the hell is he doing here?" I whispered harshly.



"What the hell were they thinking?" Mulder was shaking his head.



"Well, let me check you out and get you back to bed. Then I'm

going to kill him."



"Now, Scully," Mulder interjected. "That's not fair. I want to

help."



"This isn't funny, Mulder," I clenched my teeth as I helped

Mulder get to his feet. "All of the trouble they went to --

for what? You might as well have stayed in D.C."



Mulder only grunted in response, he was busy trying to

straighten up.



"Are you hurt?" I started to panic. All we needed was for Mulder

to have reopened his internal injury. If he had, I was going to

make sure Frohike's death was a long and painful affair.



"I think I mostly hurt my pride and maybe my tailbone," he

grimaced as he moved his other leg.



"No pain around your incision?" I poked at his abdomen.



"No, it feels okay."



"Can you make it back on your own?"



"Yeah, I think so -- let James Bond in. I want to hear what he

has to say for himself."



"When you're back in bed. You need to be off your feet. A fall

like that could have done some serious damage," I reprimanded

him.



"I feel fine, Scully," he brushed off my concerns.



"I'll decide when your fine," I began to escort him back to the

bedroom. "I can't believe you'd put your health in jeopardy like

this. Why didn't you wake me?"



When I saw the look of remorse on Mulder's face, I realized I

must have sounded harsh.



"I guess I wasn't thinking," he looked at the floor.



"I'm sorry if I snapped at you, Mulder," I told him gently, "But

I worry about you. I have to, you never do. I know it's part of

your nature to react, to be curious, to investigate at any cost,

but until I think you're up to it, would you please leave the

investigating to me?" I was helping him back into the bed.



"I'll try," he agreed as he laid down. It was the best he could

give me; I understood that. I'd have to make sure I reminded him

often. Promises like that tended to slip his mind.



"I'll bring Frohike in here before I dress him down," I gave

Mulder a quick kiss before I left. The look of relief on his

face made me smile to myself. I'd have to remember to explain

to him that it would take a lot more than him acting like an

idiot to put our relationship at risk. Otherwise we wouldn't

have lasted more than a couple of hours. I tried not to worry

about how long we might have together now thanks to Frohike as

I walked back to the front door.



"I thought I heard some noise in there," Frohike grinned when

I opened the door.



"Maybe because we heard someone prowling around," I stood back

to let him in.



"I didn't mean to wake you," he apologized. "I got here sooner

than I planned. Maybe I should have stayed in London overnight,"

Frohike speculated as he followed me.



"Maybe," I agreed as I led him into the bedroom.



"Mulder!" Frohike's exuberance made almost me smile in spite of

myself. "You are looking far healthier than the last time I saw

you."



"Let's hope I stay this way," Mulder said curtly.



"What's up? You look much better." Apparently it still hadn't

occurred to Frohike that coming here might have been a bad idea.



"You tell me. What was so important that you'd risk our safety

by coming here?"



I was sitting at the foot of the bed watching Frohike's

reaction. From the look of astonishment on his face, it was

obvious he'd been expecting a warmer welcome.



"Hey man, what you take me for? I was careful. I know a thing or

two about not being followed, even if I'm not a Fed. First Byers

and Langly came with me to Baltimore. Once we were there we

split up; Byers doubled back to D.C., Langly caught a flight to

New York and I stayed in Baltimore for a day and then headed

down to Atlanta. From there I flew to Paris and then I took a

train here. I made sure no one was following me," Frohike

explained with an air of disdain.



"Did you buy tickets for more than one destination each time?"

Mulder inquired.



"Uh -- no. Why?"



"How do you know your picture wasn't sent to someone who was

waiting for you at each terminus?"



"Come on," Frohike sighed. "Do you know how many people would

have to be involved to be able to pull that off?"



"You're right," Mulder's voice was hard. "It would have to be

a global conspiracy."



Frohike looked at me and then back at Mulder; realization

evident on his face.



"I thought the cancer man and his buddies were all crispy

critters."



"Only a few of the American members of the consortium were in

that hangar. The body count was so high because of their family

members. The consortium's tentacles have wormed their way into

every corner of the world, Frohike. I thought you knew that. And

we don't know what happened to Spender. He told Scully he was

dying, but I doubt it. He's like a cockroach -- he keeps mutating

and getting stronger."



Mulder's mention of Spender made me shudder involuntarily. It

was something we never talked about; we'd agreed to disagree.

I'd never seen Mulder angrier than when I'd told him that given

the same circumstances, I'd go with Spender again.



"I was careful, I swear," Frohike was anxious to convince Mulder.



"I'm sure you thought you were," Mulder began to sound more

resigned than angry. "I'm assuming there is more to this visit

than inquiring about my health."



"Yeah, the shit really hit the fan when you left. That woman, the

one who contacted you about this case --"



"Michelle Heath," I interjected.



"Yeah, we saw on the news that she was dead -- apparent suicide; she

*jumped* off a building."



"Shit," Mulder hissed.



"The reporter said she'd been depressed about the death of her

infant," Frohike nodded slowly.



"Her family would've bought that." The thoroughness of these men

terrified me.



"Then when Byers went to feed Mulder's fish, he found the

apartment ransacked. Then we checked your place," he looked over

at me sympathetically.



"Great," I rolled my eyes.



"We cleaned up both places as best we could. While we were at

your place your mother showed up."



"My mother? Oh my God, Mulder. They wouldn't do anything to my

mother, would they?"



"If she doesn't know anything, she'll be fine, Scully," he tried

to assure me.



I looked sharply at Frohike.



"Hey, that's exactly what we told her. She was safer not knowing

anything."



"And no one came after you?" I was suspicious.



"Skinner did, but we told him nothing. His face turns an

interesting shade of red when he's pissed."



"If no one else came after you it makes me even more sure you

were followed," Mulder chewed on his lip.



"I dunno," Frohike shrugged. "I think the whole thing's been

sanitized. That address Scully gave us is empty now -- spic and

span."



"They just moved," Mulder's tone was matter-of-fact.



"Yeah, but there won't be any evidence to link any of this

to them. So maybe they'll ignore you. That's what they've done

in the past," Frohike reminded him.



"Or maybe that's what they wanted you to think, so you'd do

this," I interjected.



"You've been spending too much time with Mulder," Frohike

laughed. "You're staring to sound just as paranoid as he is."



"With good reason, Frohike," Mulder's voice was tight. "If

sanitizing was going to be enough to make them happy, they

would've done that rather than risking coming to the hospital

to finish me off."



"They might have chosen a clean-up once they couldn't find you,"

Frohike was grasping at straws.



"Mmm," Mulder conceded nothing.



"Well talking about it isn't going to change anything." The

tension in the room was starting to give me a headache.

"It's 3 a.m. and Mulder needs his rest."



Mulder started to protest, but it only took a glance from me to

quiet him. Our exchange didn't escape Frohike's attention and

he gave Mulder a quick wink.



"Don't argue with Dr. Scully," he chuckled.



"If you're just figuring that out now, Frohike, you're a little

late to the party," Mulder smiled for the first time since

Frohike's arrival.



Frohike's shoulders relaxed in obvious relief. It was plain to

me that Mulder hadn't relaxed, but having a jumpy gunmen around

wouldn't solve anything. If Frohike realized that Mulder was

appeasing him, he made no indication.



"You can sleep on the couch," I told Frohike as I led him out

of the bedroom. "But you'll have to use a rolled up blanket for

a pillow -- we don't have any spares."



"No problem. I just need to use the little boys' room first," he

informed me a little hesitantly.



"The little boys' room?" I couldn't help laughing.



"I was trying to be polite," he was more embarrassed.



"'I need to use the bathroom' or 'where's the bathroom?' doesn't

usually offend me, Frohike," I tried to suppress my smile.



"Yeah, but it's better than Langly's 'I need to drain the

lizard'," he chuckled.



"Yup, you got me there," I laughed with him.



While Frohike used the little boys' room, I made up the couch for

him.



"Is there another bedroom upstairs?" he wondered when he joined

me in the living room.



"No."



The look of amazement on his face almost made me laugh again. I

could feel his eyes following me as I left the living and

returned to the bedroom. For the first time since we got to the

cottage, I closed the bedroom door behind me.



Mulder sighed and shook his head. "Now what?"



"All we can do is wait and see. If they followed him, there's

no point in running now."



"You may have noticed waiting and seeing isn't my forte."



"I know, and on top of that we have no way to defend ourselves."



"We could hope Frohike was right and they'd assumed victory when

we disappeared."



"Do you really believe that, Mulder?"



"I said we could hope," he pointed out.



"I think you should sleep now, Mulder. I'll stay up now and catch

a few hours when you get up."



"Are you going to sing?" Mulder grinned.



"I don't think so," I reached over him to turn off the light.



"It works really well to keep the bad guys away, though."



"Go to sleep, Mulder."



"But I like that song, especially the second verse," he lowered

his voice.



"I'm not singing, Mulder. Is there anything else I can do to shut

you up?"



"A goodnight kiss might work." Even in the dark I could tell he

was still grinning.



As I leaned over to kiss him, I realized he was trying to

calm me down, as he had done with Frohike.



"I love you, Mulder," I whispered just before our lips touched.



His hand slid into my hair to deepen the kiss. First his tongue

slid over mine, then he pulled back slightly to nip at my lips.

If he was trying to make sure I'd stay awake, he was doing a good

job. The throbbing he'd created between my legs was sure to keep

me vigilant until he woke up.



"If you start to feel sleepy, wake me. Okay?"



"I'll be fine, Mulder. I only fall asleep when I know you're

awake." My track record of dozing off must have been on his

mind.



I was afraid that our new worries might keep him awake, but by

running my fingers lightly through his hair I soon had him

snoring. Watching him sleep was a far more pleasant experience

than it had been the previous week. I spent the time trying to

think of any other options we might have. All I could come up

with was going home. With Mulder mostly recovered and assuming he

hadn't re-injured himself, we'd be able to protect ourselves

better there. In England, without weapons, we were sitting

ducks. Frohike may not have led anyone to us, but we couldn't

live not being sure.



I made a decision quickly. As soon as Mulder was up, we'd

leave. Even if we couldn't get a flight right away, an airport

would be a safer place to wait than a cottage in the middle of

nowhere.



A glance out of the window told me morning was approaching. The

black of night was giving way to the grayness of dawn. I hadn't

heard any more sounds except Mulder's soft snoring. I had almost

convinced myself that Frohike was right and he hadn't been

followed when the stillness of the burgeoning dawn was shattered.


end chapter 7

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