Title: Spirit of the Law

Author: Andrea

Rating: PG

Category: MSR, V, Mulder POV

Disclaimer: They belong to CC, not me, but we all knew 
that.

Spoilers: Through season 6, just to be safe


Notes: Thanks to Jemirah for looking at this and talking
me into to posting it. It was a very early work and I wrote
it before I knew what the rules and regs actually said, so
please bear with me.


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


Mulder was startled out of the first sound sleep he'd had in 
weeks. He blinked rapidly, his eyes adjusting to the darkness in
his motel room. He still wasn't sure what had woken him.

Then he heard it again. A scream, and it was coming from Scully's 
room. He leapt from his bed and bolted to their adjoining door.

As he burst through it, he realized he didn't have his gun, and 
he hoped to God he wouldn't need it. He wasn't about to go
back to get it.

The room was dark and Scully was in her bed. She screamed again. 
It was not a sound that he had heard often. It sent icy fingers 
up and down his spine.

He knelt down beside the bed. Now that his eyes had adjusted to 
the light he could see her eyes moving rapidly under her almost 
transparent lids. Her breathing was rapid and shallow.

He knew he needed to wake her up, but he wasn't sure how.

How did she do it?

His mind raced. When they were on the road and he woke from one 
of his nightmares, Scully would be sitting on the bed beside him.

She would be smiling and talking to him gently, in a calm, quiet 
voice, soothing him.

She never startled him. The nightmare always faded as he 
recognized her voice.

"Scully, you need to wake up." No response.

He fought back the overwhelming urge to touch her, to hold her, 
to make it all better.

"Scully, you're safe. It's just a dream. I'm here to protect you. 
No one can hurt you."

He noticed her breathing had slowed.

"You're safe, Scully. I'm here with you. I won't let anyone hurt
you. Please wake up."

The rapid movement under her eyelids had slowed now, too.

"It's okay, Scully. I'm here with you. It's just a bad dream."

Her eyelids fluttered open. She looked confused.

"You were having a bad dream. You were screaming."

"I was?" She was still groggy.

He nodded, "You were. Are you okay?" He was still concerned.

"I'm a little cold," she told him.

'Wow!' he thought to himself. She hadn't said 'I'm fine'.

He reached out to touch the hand that was clutching the edge of 
the bedspread.

"No shit, Scully! Your hand is like ice."

He got up, walked to the other side of the bed and climbed into 
bed with her.

"Mulder, what are you doing?"

"Warming you up. Roll over so we can spoon."

"It still hasn't rained sleeping bags, you know, Mulder."

"My intentions are honorable, Scully, now tell me about your
dream."

"I've had it before, but not recently. I first had it when I 
thought you had died in that railcar in New Mexico."

"I thought you had a premonitory dream," he recalled her vision.

"After the nightmare," she clarified.

"What's the nightmare about?"

She sighed, "They have taken you and I can't find you."

Mulder shuddered involuntarily, "Sounds familiar."

"Samantha," Scully said. It was a statement, not a question.

"And you, it varies."

"You never said."

"I think that's the pot calling the kettle black, miss."

"Touche," she admitted.

"What triggers your dream, Scully?"

"I dunno, I haven't figured it out yet."

"I know, it's weird. You would think after all these years I
would know what triggers mine, but I don't. When I have really 
bad days, thinking about Sam, that's when I expect to have it, 
but I don't. I have it when I least expect."

"Your subconscious dredges it up for you, won't let you forget."

"I guess, but then why is it you in the dream instead of Samantha 
sometimes?"

"I really don't know, Mulder. You were the psychology major."

He chuckled.

"That's true, but dreams are the least understood part of the 
psyche, Scully, you know that. Just when you think you've got 
them figured out, they throw in another twist."

They were quiet for a few minutes. Scully broke the silence.

"I'm warm now, Mulder. Thank you for warming me up and helping me
to relax."

"You're welcome."

They were silent again. Again Scully spoke first.

"Mulder."

"What?"

"You should go back to your own room now. I really appreciate how 
you helped me tonight, but you know as well as I do that you 
should go."

"I don't want to. I really like being close to you like this."

"Mulder," she said, more emphatically.

"Can I ask you one question first?"

She sighed, "Yes, Mulder, I like how this feels, too."

He sighed contentedly.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that, Scully," he
began.

"But?"

"That wasn't my question."

"Oh. What was your question, Mulder?"

"Can you recite the bureau's policy on male and female agents 
consorting?"

"Not verbatim, Mulder, but you and I both know what it says."

"Tell me."

"Mulder!"

"Please, just the gist of it, please."

She sighed again.

"Male and female agents should not consort in hotel/motel rooms
while on bureau business. Male/female agent pairs who begin an 
intimate relationship shall request reassignment immediately, do
you want me to go on?"

"No, do you think we are adhering to that rule, Scully?"

"Well, I'm trying my damnedest."

He laughed.

"You are trying your damnedest to adhere to the letter of the 
law, but what about the spirit of the law, Scully?"

"I'm not following you?"

"Why is that regulation in place?" 

"You know why, Mulder."

"Pretend I don't. Explain it to me."

She sighed again.

"Fine. The regulation is in place to prevent you from putting 
yourself at undue risk to protect your partner, so your judgement
isn't clouded, so you keep your priorities straight."

"So?"

"So, what?"

"Are we adhering to the spirit of the law?"

She didn't answer him.

"Well?"

"I'm thinking!"

While he waited, Mulder began to caress her arm lightly, starting 
at the shoulder, finishing at her fingers and back again.

"That's not helping," she said softly.

"Sorry."

He absentmindedly began to play with the hair she had tucked 
behind her ear, tracing its path along her neck with his finger.

"Mulder!"

"What's the matter, Scully, you are usually far quicker with your
answers."

"You keep distracting me!"

"You mean like this?" and he let his lips follow path the same 
his finger had just taken.

She moaned loudly and pushed her hips back against him.

"I think you just answered my question," he said as he rolled her
onto her back.

He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. She returned his kiss 
hungrily.

She pulled out of the kiss, breathing heavily.

"I think you're right, Mulder."

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that, 
Scully."

end