Date sent:        Sat, 04 Apr 1998 18:42:21 -0800
From:             xf-stew <xf-stew@geocities.com>
Subject:          *NC-17* Walking The Line IV: Trials (1/13)


Title: WALKING THE LINE IV: TRIALS
Author: xf-stew
Rating: NC-17
Classification: SAR
Keywords: Scully/Other (Slash)
Spoilers: **MAJOR SPOILER ALERT**  This story very closely follows the
events of "Tunguska" and "Terma."  If you have not seen these episodes,
this story will spoil nearly every aspect of the plot for you.  And if
you haven't seen them, this story may not make a lot of sense to you
either.  Just a warning.
Summary: "Tunguska" and "Terma" told only half the story.  This is the
rest of it.  

Disclaimer:  I didn't make anyone you see on T.V.  So there.  

Note:  Those who follow the series will remember that it is set in the
fourth season, and you may also realize that the episodes of "Tunguska"
and "Terma" took place in November or December of that season.  I hope
you will allow me a little leeway to play with the timeline and set the
events of the episodes within my WTL universe.  

Special thanks go to Mary Colleen for editing, beta-reading, and being
patient with me over the course of the three months it took me to write
this. 

And thanks go also to Patti, who knows how much she means to me. 
Without you, this story would not exist.  Your 'input' was invaluable,
Patti. <g>  
Thank you so much for everything.  You're wonderful.

Archive anywhere you please, just keep my name attached.

Feedback welcome at: xf-stew@geocities.com


Walking The Line IV: Trials
by xf-stew (xf-stew@geocities.com)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anne Kazmerowski's House
Sunday, Feb 28.
5:35 p.m.

Commander Anne Kazmerowski sat on a stool in front of a large easel in
her studio.  She wore an old, ratty shirt, a pair of paint-stained
sweatpants, and her black baseball cap, the one she liked to wear when
she was working up here.  A small radio was churning out wild,
fast-paced jazz though the volume was turned low, and Kaz occasionally
tapped her foot or hummed along as she mixed colors on her palatte and
dabbed blue-green oil paint on the canvas in front of her.  

Suddenly, she heard a stampede of footsteps and hard nails loudly
clicking on the hardwood floor.  She didn't even look up form her work,
but continued as she spoke to the new arrival.

"So, what do you think you're going to do up here, huh?...Did you miss
me that bad, baby?  Yes, I know you did...now--hey wait...stop that!"

Now she did turn, and her voice rose to hint at discipline as she
continued, "Listen girl, if I've told you once I've told you a zillion
times, you can't run in here.  Just don't do it--better yet, don't even
think about it...hey.  Hey!"

There was a loud crash as one of the easels off to her right crashed
mightily to the ground.

"Dang it, Brandy!" Kaz shouted as she hopped off her stool and grabbed
the adolescent boxer's collar, pulling her into the room's only open
space, which was near the open doorway.

Kaz knelt, coming face-to-face with the excitable young dog.  "Now
Brandy, don't you want to show me how good you can be?  Aren't you my
good puppy?  Didn't I toss you that spit soaked tennis ball out in the
park for forty-five minutes?  Remember that?  It couldn't even have been
an hour ago."

The dog looked ashamed for perhaps a millisecond, then wagged its
stub-tail like mad and licked Kaz's face with wild abandon.  Kaz closed
her eyes and squinted under the onslaught.  She soon began to laugh and
grabbed Brandy's smooth head to rub it as canine saliva coated her
face.  She didn't care, though.  Brandy's kisses were given with love,
and she accepted them in that spirit, then laid her own kiss on the
dog's head as she scratched the energetic pup on the back and ribs.

Brandy had been her mother's late Christmas present.  She arrived at
Kaz's front door (with an escort and a leash--of course), two days after
the unfortunate affair at Quantico's Marine Combat Development Center. 
That had been the case she'd worked with Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. 
Though it had been tough to work with the person she were involved with,
Kaz had enjoyed seeing another side of her friend and lover.  She felt,
in the end, that it had brought them even closer together.  However,
she'd needed two weeks to physically recover from injuries she received
during the investigation.  Brandy's arrival helped her though the lonely
days alone in the old house.

Brandy rolled onto her back, encouraging Kaz to rub her belly.  Kaz
obliged, talking to the dog almost non-stop, as was her habit.  She
didn't care that the pup couldn't respond, she loved animals and enjoyed
their companionship.  The dog had definitely been the best gift her
peculiar, badgering mother had ever given her.  Rose even had the
foresight to get a dog who was a little older and didn't need house
training.  Of course, the back yard was slowly being torn to shreds by
the extremely excitable Brandy, but she was a great dog...in Kaz's
opinion, at least.

Suddenly, Brandy flipped and was on her feet, her ears up and listening
intently.

"What?" Kaz asked her, grinning, "Is the Scullster here?  Go get her,
Brandy.  Go say hi...go on."

At her words, the dog gave her face one last lick and bounded down the
stairs.  Kaz followed, now hearing the key turn in the lock.  As it
opened, a bright smile lit up Kaz's face, just as it did every time she
laid eyes on Dana Scully.

In Scully's left hand was a brown bag full of small white boxes that
smelled divine, especially to Brandy, who accosted the small, red-haired
FBI agent as soon as she closed the door.  The big dog jumped up,
balancing its paws on Scully's shoulders and licking her face.

Scully's squint was not so kind as Kaz's had been.  In fact, Scully
looked more than a little disgusted.  She liked dogs in general, and
Queequeq had been a good companion as well as pet, but Queegs was a tiny
little Pomeranian, not a hulking brute like Brandy.  This was no dog, it
was a force of nature.

"Argh!  Brandy!  Down Brandy, down girl.  Kaz, call her off, will you?"

Kaz laughed from the stairwell, "She's just telling you she loves you. 
You never complain when I lick your face.  It's the same thing."

"It's not even remotely close to the same thing."

Kaz relented and spoke to the dog, "Down Brandy.  Come here, girl."

The happy-go-lucky boxer instantly obeyed, coming over to Kaz, who bent
to scratch Brandy behind her ears and kiss the top of her head.

Scully wiped her face with the sleeve of the black Armani suit she'd
been forced to wear today.  She'd been called into a special meeting,
even though it was a Sunday,

For a moment she tried to brush the saliva off her sleeve, then gave it
up.  Hell, the suit had to go to the dry cleaners anyway.  Why not give
them a little something to take out?  She looked down at Kaz and her
dog.  Despite the annoyance of Brandy's exuberance, Scully couldn't help
but smile at the two of them.  Although she'd had the dog for only a
short time, Scully knew Kaz had once again fallen in love at first
sight.

She carried the bag of Chinese food into the kitchen, setting her
briefcase down with it, then returned to the entranceway, where Kaz
immediately stood, choosing her over the dog.

Kaz bent to touch Dana Scully's luscious bow-lips with her own.  They
were soft and ripe, as always, and as always, Kaz was not satisfied by
only the first touch.  She went back for more.

Scully's hands moved up around her neck, sliding into her thick, dark
hair.  When Scully opened her mouth and pushed out with her tongue, Kaz
saw sparks shimmering before her closed eyes.

The dog, Brandy, came up behind Kaz, whimpering a little for attention,
but Kaz pushed gently back with her foot, nicely telling Brandy to get
lost.  She had more pressing concerns.

Her mouth still locked to Scully's, Kaz deftly unbuttoned the
well-dressed agent's jacket and slipped a hand inside to cup her breast
through a thin blue shirt.  Scully's moan reverberated through both
their bodies.

With one more light kiss, Scully broke off, looking up at Kaz with
somewhat glassy eyes.  "We can't get too carried away, Kaz.  I have to
catch the ten o'clock shuttle to New York."

"But Scully, it's Sunday...and you've already been gone all day." She
lowered her voice a notch, "All work and no play makes Scully sexually
frustrated."

A wide, beautiful smile played across Scully's face for a moment.  She
leaned her head against Kaz's shoulder and rubbed her face against the
soft, old flannel shirt.

"I know, but I still have to go."

Disappointment lurked just behind Kaz's youthful, unlined face, but she
did her best to hide it.  Both women hated to spend even one night
apart.  But travel was a necessary part of Dana Scully's job, and Kaz
understood.  It left her pleasantly surprised to hear a key turning in
the lock in the early morning hours.  On these occasions, Scully would
undress and crawl quickly into bed, snuggling close to her, ready for an
early morning love-making session. 

"What's in New York?" Kaz asked, moving her hands down to Scully's hips.

"I'm really not sure.  Mulder got some kind of tip from an informant and
called me just now.  Told me we were taking the 10:00 shuttle to JFK.  I
didn't see him much today...he was off doing 'Spooky' things, I guess."

Kaz smiled.  Scully never used to joke about Mulder's nickname, but Kaz
had turned the name into a private joke between the three of them,
laughing at those who laughed at him.  At first, Mulder hadn't enjoyed
her playful use of this dreaded nickname, but after awhile he took his
cue and took the name for his own, mocking those who used it behind his
back.

Kaz glanced down at her watch, 6:10 p.m. "Well, we've got about three
hours till you need to go.  What do you want to do?"

"Eat," Scully replied with widening eyes. "I'm starving."

They put the dog outside for now.  Both knew if they wouldn't get much
of the food if the dog was around, and what they did get they'd have to
fight tooth and nail for.

"I've got an idea, Scully," Kaz told her with a little smile that Scully
immediately recognized. "Let's eat in the living room.  Bring the grub,
will you?"

*****

Kaz spread an old blanket on the floor, "Indoor picnic," she yelled to
Scully, who was in the kitchen.

"What do you want to drink?" Scully called as she opened the
refrigerator door.

"I think there's some white zin in there."

"Wine with Chinese?"

"Scully...I'd drink wine if it was hamburgers.  Jeez, don't you know
about my alcoholic tendencies by now?"

This was another old joke between them.  Despite her Polish surname,
Anne Kazmerowski was Italian to the bone.  She'd been drinking wine with
meals since she was five, and couldn't break the habit now.  Kaz was
addicted to the beverage, and just last weekend had drug Scully out to a
fancy wine-tasting party one of her Georgetown neighbors had thrown. 
One very good thing that had come of their working together on the
Deakins case had been its excuse for the pair to claim a public
friendship and gave them a cover story for how they met.

Scully came back in carrying the bag and two glasses of zinfandel.

Kaz arched an eyebrow, imitating Scully's ever-present skeptical look,
"Wine with Chinese?"

Scully set everything down on the coffee table before playfully smacking
Kaz in the arm.  Kaz pretended to be hurt before reaching to pull Scully
down.

"Come here, Scullster.  I want to do something."

Uh-oh.  When Kaz said that, it usually meant she'd end up a puddle of
burning desire within mere minutes.  But this time, Kaz quickly stood
and moved away from her.  Scully watched as she flipped out the lights
and plugged in the small colored strings she *still* kept around her
windows, even though Christmas was two months past.  Kaz then moved to
the stereo and popped in a disc.  Soon soft, light jazz was playing.

Kaz plopped down beside her again, still dressed in her painting grubs
and hat.  To Scully, Kaz was the only one in the world who could wear
these ratty old things and still look damned sexy.  Of course, the
round, silver-rimmed glasses she wore didn't hurt.  The combination sent
a shiver of anticipation down Scully's spine.

"Whaddya bring for us?" Kaz said, leaning over to touch Scully's
shoulder.

"A little of everything.  All your favorites."

"You're my favorite," Kaz told her with a little smile.

Scully smirked as she peeked into the bag, "Well then, I brought that
too, didn't I?"

"Yes," Kaz replied, "you certainly did."

They emptied the bag onto the coffee table and opened the boxes. 
Dumping out napkins and two pairs of wooden chopsticks, Kaz quickly made
a grab for them.  Scully held out her hand for a pair but Kaz grinned
evilly and shook her head.

"Nope.  You don't get any."

Scully gave her a somewhat annoyed look, "Kaz, I'm starving."

"I'll feed you, Scullster," Kaz announced, pulling the wrapper off the
sticks.

<Oh God,> Scully thought, <So this is what she's up to.  She's going to
drive me insane.  Oh Lord.>

She felt the ring in her ears already.  Was it hot in here?  She took
off her jacket and tossed it on the couch, leaving her in the pale blue
shirt.  She swallowed hard and sipped her wine, then said,

"Okay."

At that, Kaz turned so that they faced each other, sitting cross-legged
on the floor.  She picked up a box of chicken chow mien, using her left
hand to set it carefully into her right palm.  Kaz picked up the
chopsticks and deftly lifted a mouthful, then raised it to her own
mouth.  She opened up, but just before placing it inside, stopped.  She
looked at Scully's wistful expression and smiled, then held the food
just in front of Scully's red lips.  They parted and closed over the
wooden sticks.  Scully closed her eyes, savoring the taste as she slowly
pulled the food off the chopsticks and into her mouth.  

She chewed it slowly, sensuously, and when she opened her eyes again Kaz
was staring raptly at her.  The dark brown eyes were fixed on her mouth
as she swallowed.  She watched Kaz lick her own lips and swallow.

Scully smiled inwardly, she'd turned the tables, all right.  Kaz's hand
was a little shakier as she reached into the box again, and Scully saw
the white box teeter precariously in Kaz's unsteady right hand.  She
quickly grabbed it as it started to fall, then looked up into large
brown Kaz's eyes once more.  They had suddenly turned sad.

"Let me hold it," she said gently, leaning over to kiss Kaz's cheek.

Kaz was not appeased, and seemed almost embarrassed to have had this
happen in Scully's presence.  Her eyes darted away from Scully's, but
the agent reached out to cup her chin and pull them back.

"Hey," she said reassuringly, "it's okay.  I like to see you trembling
with desire for me.  It boosts my ego."

At this, a weak smile came to Kaz's face, and she tentatively leaned
forward to kiss Scully briefly.  She took the chopsticks once again and
continued to feed both Scully and herself, alternating between them,
feeling more confident with each bite.  After five or six more bites,
Scully picked up a new container, this one of sweet and sour pork.  She
watched Kaz easily pick up a large piece and hold it out to her.

Scully bit into half the piece, but pulled it from the chopsticks so
that it hung partially out of her mouth.  Instantly sensing what she
wanted, Kaz leaned forward and bit off the other half.  Their faces were
mere inches apart as they slowly ate.  Kaz speared another piece, this
time taking it between her own lips before allowing Scully the other
half.  

As Scully's mouth approached, a shiver of anticipation ran through Kaz's
body, and when Scully's lips closed around the food, they came into
contact with her own.  Lightning bolts danced in front of the officer's
closed eyes.

Kaz swallowed her mouthful quickly, needing less of the meal and more of
Scully.  Her companion seemed to feel the same way, for the box went
slamming down on the coffee table and Scully's mouth was hot and open
and pressed hard against her own before she knew it.  Scully's warm,
eager tongue was exploring her mouth once again, never seeming to tire
of the search.

She was pushed back onto the blanket as Scully straddled her, throwing
her hat aside and laying wet kisses on her neck.  Kaz's hands went under
Scully's thin blue shirt to caress the bare skin beneath.  She pulled
the shirt up and off, Scully's red hair flew out to cover her face as
their lips and mouths met once again.

Kaz ran her hand through Scully's auburn hair, pulling it off her face
and tucking it behind her ears, "I thought you were starving, Scully. 
Don't you want to save this for dessert?"

In a low, husky, bedroom voice that drove Kaz wild, Scully said, "I want
my dessert now."

With that, sat on Kaz's hips to pull off the old, paint-stained shirt. 
She quickly unfastened Kaz's bra and discarded it before letting her
partner reach up to remove her own.  As soon as Scully's torso was bare,
Kaz sat up, meeting Scully face-to-face, their nipples pressed tightly
together as their mouths eagerly sought each other once again.  Their
passion grew with each passing moment, wanting--needing more.

Panting, Scully broke away from Kaz's mouth.  Her head fell back,
exposing her neck.  Kaz took advantage of the invitation and kissed her
way down Scully's throat, to the hollow, and further.  She leaned them
both back, laying Scully flat before claiming a nipple with her mouth. 
Scully gasped, holding Kaz's head to her breast and grinding up against
Kaz's narrow hips.

Kaz brought her thigh up to caress Scully through her pants, the
movement eliciting a heavy moan from the petite doctor.  After spending
adequate time worshipping each of Scully's perfect breasts, she moved
down, licking and kissing Scully's soft, flat stomach and bringing her
hands to Scully's belt.

Abruptly, Kaz's magnificent tongue disappeared and she lifted her head. 
Cool air washed over Scully's stomach, damp from Kaz's wet kisses.  She
groaned at the loss of contact and was about to protest when Kaz began
to chuckle.

"If I didn't know otherwise, I'd swear you slept with this thing on your
hip."

Opening her lazy eyes, she saw Kaz holding her black Sig Sauer.  She let
her head fall back with a soft thud.  "Oh yeah.  Sometimes I forget I'm
wearing it."

Kaz knelt over her once more, "On you, it looks beautiful.  The contrast
of cold metal with the liquid fire within your body."

Scully opened her eyes and stared into Kaz's above her.  They alternated
between her bare flesh and the large gun Kaz held in her hand.  The
agile artist flipped the gun into the air, catching the barrel.  She
lowered it slowly and ran the smoothness of the butt against Scully's
skin--first along her arm, then up to her shoulder.  Down it went, cold
as it kissed the hollow if her neck and trailed between her breasts.

Seemingly mesmerized, Kaz continued, "It's dark coolness; your light,
flaming hair.  The white shine of light reflecting off the barrel; the
blue heat of your clear, sparkling eyes."

The butt of the gun traced a cold path down Scully's stomach.  It lit a
blaze inside her body that burned just beneath the skin, but carried all
the way to her soul.

Kaz's hand reached for the button of her trousers.  They came loose, and
Scully lifted her hips to allow removal.  The fire burned even in her
ears, which rang with white noise.

No...wait.  That wasn't right.  It wasn't just in her ears.

It was her cellphone.

She heard Kaz's disappointed sigh and added her own, only now realizing
exactly what had happened.  Kaz reached for Scully's jacket, pulled out
the phone, and handed it to her.

"Scully," she said into the instrument.

"Scully, it's me," Fox Mulder said into her ear. "We've had a change of
plans.  You're on the eight o'clock shuttle to New York.  Seems they
need to fit you with specialized gear since you're a woman, but they
want you on this detail.  Word got around that you're a crack-shot, and
they okayed you for the team."

"What team?  Mulder, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I don't have time to explain, and you don't have time to listen.  We're
going in with a Special Forces entourage.  I got as tip and we're making
a raid tonight up in Queens."

"Mulder--you and I are not *on* the SWAT team."

Ignoring her statement, he went on, "I have some things to finish here,
but I'll meet you at the 59th street office at midnight."

Click.

She was left with the sound of a dial tone in her ear.  Christ, he
pissed her off sometimes.  First, he basically tells her to forget about
getting laid tonight, next tells her she needs 'special equipment' so
she can join the SWAT team for a day, and finishes by saying she can
meet him in Queens.  Of all the armpits of the nation...Queens?"

She hung up and looked at Kaz, who was sitting cross-legged beside her. 
Kaz's pert young breasts were bare and very tempting, but Scully make
her eyes move away from them and up to Kaz's face.

"I have to catch an earlier flight.  I'm sorry, Kaz." She felt the
pleasant pressure within her fade and added, "Very sorry."

"That's okay," Kaz replied, trying not to sound disappointed, "I'm
getting used to this, I suppose.  I--I just worry when you're away,
that's all.  Especially when you mention words like 'SWAT team.'"

Scully sat up and pulled Kaz into her arms, laying the dark head between
her breasts and stroking Kaz's soft hair. "I know you do, honey.  Just
remember, though--I've got you to come back to.  With incentive like
that... We're going to grow old together, Kaz.  We'll be gray-haired and
sitting in our rocking chairs, laughing about times like these."

"Talk about coitus interruptus, huh?"

Scully felt Kaz smiled against her chest and released the larger woman. 
Kaz kissed her briefly on the forehead before tossing her bra and blue
shirt at her.  The younger woman put her own shirt back on as well.

They stood to get Scully ready for her trip.  Much of her stuff was over
here now; Kaz had cleared out a closet for her clothes.  Though she
still made frequent trips to her apartment, Scully preferred the cozy
house, and spent many of her nights here.

She kissed Kaz in the stairwell, patted Brandy on the head, and took off
for the airport in a rush.

Kaz closed the door behind her with a loud sigh, "Well Brandy, I guess
you get to sleep with me after all.  I hope you're not offended, but
you're definitely my second choice.  Just don't tell Scullster you drool
on her pillow, okay girl?"

She bent down to let the dog nuzzle her face.  Kaz stroked the soft,
short hair of Brandy's back absently, her mind still on the amazing
auburn-haired woman who'd just left.  The ache of Scully's absence was
already in her belly.  She didn't think it would be leaving anytime
soon.

"I love her so much," she told the dog. "Say a prayer for her, will you
Brandy?  Join me in a prayer to keep her safe."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Special Forces Mobile Unit #23
Flushing, Queens
Monday, March 1
3:07 a.m.

"We can't go in too soon.  We've got to be patient, It'll happen,"
Mulder said as he stood, dressed in black, by the console checking
intercome frequencies.

Scully leaned against the reinforced wall of the mobile unit.  She was
similarly dressed and carried a semi-automatic weapon which she'd grown
familiar with over the last couple of hours.

"What makes you so sure?"

"I received a series of receipts over the past few weeks; for detonation
cord, for racing and diesel fuel, for eighty bags of ammonium nitrate. 
Purchased in case in three different states under three different
signatures."

"Well," she asked, "what makes you so sure that it's here, that it's
tonight?"

"Last night I received two new receipts.  One for first and last on a
storage space at this address and one to rent a two-ton truck
yesterday.  Both purchased with the same signature.  We could be looking
at the next Oklahoma City."

Scully was somewhat upset that he hadn't deemed to share this
information with her sooner., but decided this was neither the time nor
the place to discuss the matter. "Well, so who do you think is leaking
them.  And why would they leak them to you?"

A team member standing at the communications console looked over at the
pair of agents, "We've got traffic."

They quickly grabbed their Kevlar vests and flak helmets before joining
the rest of the team.  Scully strapped the huge helmet to her small head
and fastened the chin strap, wondering for about the thousandth time
just what the hell they were doing.  She was nervous as hell about this
Commando mission.

<Why am I doing this?  Why is he doing this.  Hell, that's a stupid
question.  He's doing it because he's completely obsessed...and what
does that say about you?> she asked herself, but never got a chance to
answer.

They moved out.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The squeal of accelerating tires carried over the rattle of diminishing
gunfire.  A white step van roared past them.  Mulder and Scully sprang
to their feet to pursue it.  As it pulled further and further away,
Scully stopped, raised her weapon, and fired.

It was a direct hit, taking out the left rear tire.  The van careened,
smashing into a parked car and screeching to a stop.

"Cover the driver's side," Mulder instructed as they approached,
cautious, weapons still raised.  

She did as he suggested, and slowly moved to the left side of the
truck.  As she approached the window she saw a large bloodstain coating
the inside of it.  Bits of bone and brain were mixed with the thick red
blood.  She immediately knew the man inside had not survived.

"Driver's dead," she told Mulder, joining him.

"I counted two men," he replied.  Then, sensing motion in the side
mirror, yelled to the man inside, "Get out of the truck!"

A .25 caliber pistol with a silencer attached to the barrel came flying
out the window and landed with a thud on the damp dirt before their
feet.

"Let me see you hands," Mulder shouted, a little nervous, in her
estimation.  "Hands in the air."

The man exited the vehicle.  When he did, both Mulder's and Scully's
faces registered their surprise.

<No,> she thought. <It can't be.  He's...I thought he was--dead.>

"You son-of-a-bitch," Mulder said flatly, as though stating the obvious.

He shot forward and rammed the but of his weapon into the man's stomach,
causing him to sink to the hard ground.

"Mulder--" Scully called with a hint of warning.

The man looked up at Mulder with anger and annoyance in his eyes, "I
handed you this bus, Mulder!"

"Oh come on, Krycek," Mulder said cynically.

"Who do you think sent you those receipts?"  Alex Krycek replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
END OF PART ONE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Walking The Line IV: Trials
by xf-stew (xf-stew@geocities.com)
**disclaimed in part one**
PART TWO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Washington Navy Yard
Room B-17
1:25 p.m.

The phone rang in Kaz's office.  She took a sip from her soda to wash
down her turkey sandwich and picked it up.

"Kazmerowski."

"It's me."

"Hey Scully, what's up?" she said easily, but inwardly sighed with
relief, glad that her companion was safe.  The SWAT team comment had
worried her more than she wanted to admit.

"I'm still in New York.  We've been interviewing a suspect all night and
into the morning."

"Things went well then, I take it."

"As well as can be expected," Scully replied in her cool, no-nonsense
tone. "I'm going to catch a few hours sleep, then we're driving back to
Washington.  I don't know what time I'll be in though."

"No problem.  I know the drill.  You take care, and good luck."

"Thanks, bye."

They hung up.  Kaz smiled into her empty office.  Things were fine. 
Scully was okay and on her way back to Washington.  Kaz picked up a
dart, took aim, and fired.

The metal-tipped projectile flew from her hand and landed smack in the
middle of the target.  It stuck out of Benito Mussolini's right eye, and
Kaz smiled all anew.

"Bull's Eye," she whispered into the empty room, and turned back to the
law books on her desk.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Scully hung up her phone and turned back to the two men in the
incongruously flowery hotel room.  They'd been there for hours,
questioning Krycek, trying to pry information out of him as they killed
time, waiting for the courier's flight to arrive.  They were still in
New York, but would drive to DC in the evening.  She was exhausted,
needing to take her turn at sleep.  She'd given Mulder the first nap
while she watched Krycek.  He was awake now, and she realized she was
hungry as well as tired.

"Checking in with your boyfriend, Scully?  Isn't that sweet," said a
mocking voice from behind her.

"Shut up, Krycek," Mulder spat and smacked the handcuffed man hard with
the back of his hand.

Undaunted, the raggedy renegade sat upright in the bed he was cuffed to
and retorted, "You two really are naive, you know that?  With your
holier-than-thou quest for 'the truth.'  It's no wonder you never find
the answers, no wonder you're stuck down in the basement.  If you two
really knew how to get things done, you'd realize there is no justice,
only punishment.  And there's only one way to punish them...exposure."

Utterly disregarding his remarks, Scully faced the man once more,
"You're wasting our time.  What do you have for us, Krycek?"

"Impatient, Agent Scully?  What, you want to get back to your
boyfriend?"

Another sharp slap rang out, and Krycek muffled a shout of pain.

"You're gonna have an awfully sore hand tomorrow, Mulder.  All that
slapping me around is gonna come back and bite you in the ass someday."

Mulder snorted in his face, "I'll take my chances."

Scully tried her best to ignore them as she laid down on the bed nearest
the door and tried to catch a few hours sleep.  Hearing Kaz's smooth,
reassuring voice on the other end of the phone had soothed her somewhat,
allowed a little of the tension to drain, but Mulder and Krycek's
schoolyard arguments were destined to keep her from anything more than a
light doze.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anne Kazmerowski's House
11:45 p.m.

Scully quietly entered the house, took off her coat, and headed
immediately upstairs.  She entered the bedroom and let her eyes adjust
to the darkness.  Kaz lay sleeping under the covers, the hulking dog
beside her.  Thankfully, Brandy was on the outside of the covers, though
her head was precariously close to Scully's pillow.

The dog poked her head up at Scully's entrance and looked at her with
those big, sad eyes that boxers have, regardless of their temperament. 
Scully's sat gently beside the dog, trying not to disturb the sleeping
young woman.  She scratched the dog's head as she thought back through
the events of the evening.

Krycek was leading them on a wild goose chase, of that she was growing
fairly certain.  Nothing he said could be trusted, yet this afternoon
Mulder seemed to be soaking in every one of the man's words, accepting
them as gospel, blindly following any possible lead on his sacred quest
for some modern grail.

Not that he didn't spend a good percentage of the afternoon beating the
hell out of the guy as well.  This was another thing that bothered her. 
True, Mulder had reason to hate Alex Krycek, but she'd rarely seen him
resort to physical violence with a suspect.  Occasionally yes, in
extreme situations.  This, however, was not a life and death type
matter.  No twelve year old girl was being held in a pit somewhere. 
Mulder was just on edge, and something about Krycek was pushing him over
the brink.

Kaz stirred restlessly beside her, turning over and making a sleepy, yet
odd little noise as she did so.  She settled again, this time facing
Scully and the dog.

Scully looked at her unlined, beautiful face.  In sleep, she looked even
younger than her 27 years.  Kaz's presence in Scully's life had been
almost cathartic.  The brilliant, exuberant, sensitive Navy lawyer had
re-opened a vault of emotions and feelings Scully had long ago shut the
door on.  This new relationship had revitalized her, given her hope when
she had almost given up on it.  

However, it also made her question herself and her actions in ways she
hadn't in quite a while.  Now that she had something--someone--to live
for, she found herself doing some hard thinking about all the senseless
risks she and her partner took.  Fox Mulder had proven time and time
again that he had a single-minded purpose in his life: to find the
truth.

And what was this ubiquitous 'truth?'  For there were many truths out
there.  The truth about Samantha?  The truth about the governmental
conspiracy ongoing in our country and abroad?  The truth about his
belief in extra-terrestrial life and the plan to colonize the Earth?  

To him, they were all intertwined, all parts of the same truth.  To
her...what were they?  For the quest for these truths had consumed her
life as much as they had consumed his.  But now--now that she had Kaz...

The beautiful young woman shifted again, rolling onto her back with a
small sigh and interrupting Scully's thoughts.

"Hey," Scully called to her. "Hey Kaz."

The tall, dark officer opened her eyes and turned her head.  Scully
watched a soft smile grow on her sleepy face.

"Scullster, you're back."

"I sure am," she agreed, returning the smile. "You made noises in your
sleep.  Were you dreaming?"

Kaz shook her head, her face turning more serious, "No. I just don't
sleep very well when you're away."

Scully smiled gently, "I'm here now."

"And I'm glad.  Did you find what you were looking for?"

Scully snorted, "Hell if I know.  We intercepted a chunk of rock at the
airport.  Chased a guy through Dulles to get it."

"O-o-h," Kaz responded, propping her head on an elbow as she turned
toward Scully.  "Did you read it its rights?  Slap your cuffs on it?"

She clucked her tongue, "Don't mock my work," she said jokingly, "or
I'll slap my cuffs on you one of these nights."

Kaz waggled her eyebrows up and down, "Sounds like fun, how about
tomorrow night?"

Scully grabbed a pillow and smacked her with it, "You're incorrigible."

"What can I say?  You bring out the best in me, Scullster."

"Quit calling me that," Scully said lightly, already feeling the last 24
hours ebbing away.  Kaz had that effect on her.

The sleepy brunette reached out to hold her hand, "You're cold,
Scullster.  Give the puppy a nudge and hop in.  I had her warm it up for
you."

Scully stood and quickly removed her clothes, just now feeling the chill
in her bones.  She found a pair of her silk pajama bottoms and pulled
them on before crawling into bed with Kaz.  Brandy moved to her dog bed
in the corner, reluctantly giving up her warm spot.

Kaz immediately moved in close, snuggling up and spooning Scully,
enveloping her in a human blanket of warmth.  

<She's always so warm, inside and out,> Scully thought as Kaz scooted up
to set her chin on top of Scully's head.

Kaz was getting braver about using her damaged right hand, and now
rubbed it up and down Scully's arm, generating even more heat.  Soon
Scully's cold shivers slowed, then stopped altogether.  She sighed at
the sense of rightness she felt.  If she had to pick a place where she
felt completely comfortable and at peace, it would be here, in this bed
with Kaz's arms wrapped protectively around her.

"Are you tired?" Kaz whispered into the stillness of the night.

"Exhausted," Scully replied, "but still wound up."

"Tell me about your case, then.  Talk to me until you fall asleep."

"Well," Scully started, unsure of where to begin, "we found a man last
night, a dangerous man, one we thought was dead.  He's a renegade, tried
to play both sides against the middle and lost.  He told us he had vital
information that could blow the Consortium wide open."

"Cancer Man and his pals, right?"

"Yes.  The man we found, Alex Krycek, gave us a lead.  We intercepted a
courier at Dulles, just wanted a look at the contents of the pouch he
was carrying.  He bolted, but ended up ditching the pouch.  It contained
the rock I told you about.  I figure it's some sick joke on Krycek's
part, running us around like a couple of stupid lap dogs."

"What are you going to do?" Kaz asked quietly.

"We're taking the rock to the lab at NASA Goddard tomorrow morning to
have it analyzed.  Mulder's idea of course, not mine."

"What do you think of all this?"

"I think Alex Krycek is a desperate man, willing to do anything to save
his life.  I'm trying to reserve judgment until we get the rock
analyzed, but right now, I think Krycek's yanking Mulder's chain."

Kaz's voice was soft, but concerned, "Which isn't very hard to do, is
it?"

Scully thought about that for a moment, "It's becoming easier and easier
lately.  I'm worried about him, Kaz.  You should have seen him with
Krycek.  He's like a man possessed, smacking the guy around like he
was.  You wouldn't have recognized him as the same, mild-mannered man we
spent Christmas with at my mother's."

Kaz said nothing, but thought about Scully's words and the tone in which
they were spoken.  It took a lot to shake the unflappable Dana Scully,
but Kaz detected a note of apprehension in the low, measured voice.

Scully turned in Kaz's arms and held her close, "You talk to me now,
Kaz.  Tell me a story or something.  I want to hear your voice while I
fall asleep."

Kaz thought for a moment, then recited a poem by Wordsworth, one of her
favorites, and one she knew by heart.  One that always made her feel
light and warm and alive.  She recited it very slowly and very softly to
Scully:

     "I wandered lonely as a cloud
     That floats on high over vales and hills,
     When all at once I saw a crowd.
     A host, of golden daffodils;
     Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
     Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

     Continuous as the stars that shine
     And twinkle on the milky way,
     They stretched in never-ending line
     Along the margin of a bay;
     Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
     Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

     The waves beside them danced; but they
     Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
     A poet could not but be gay,
     In such a jocund company:
     I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
     What wealth the show to me had brought:

     For oft, when on my couch I lie
     In vacant or in pensive mood,
     They flash upon that inward eye
     Which is the bliss of solitude;
     And then my heart with pleasure fills,
     And dances with the daffodils.

She stopped speaking and listened, attuning her body to the one she
held.  Scully's breathing had become deep and regular.

Kaz kissed the top of Scully's scorching auburn hair and pressed her
cheek to it.  She closed her eyes and gave a silent prayer of thanks. 
She knew that God watched all from above, and although she (like Scully)
had been raised a strict Catholic, she didn't believe in a vengeful,
harsh God.  She knew in her heart this could not be so, for God was kind
and loving an wanted His people to be happy.  Kaz knew He or She had
meant for she and Scully to be together; for something that felt this
right could not possibly be wrong.  

And nothing under heaven felt as right as Dana Scully sleeping in her
arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday, March 2
6:15 a.m.

Out of breath and sweaty from her morning run, Kaz unlocked the door and
entered the house with Brandy trailing behind on a leash.  She released
the dog from her chain.  Brandy immediately headed for her water bowl,
and wet slurping sounds soon came from the kitchen.  Kaz took her hat
off and wiped her brow with the sleeve of her shirt as she caught her
breath.

The phone suddenly rang, startling her.  She quickly ran to get it, not
wanting the noise to wake Scully, who had chosen to sleep this morning
instead of run.  Kaz knew her overworked companion was exhausted from
the previous day; she wanted Scully to catch up on some of the rest
she'd missed.

"Hello," she said quietly into the phone.

"Kaz, is that you?  This is Mulder--is Scully there?  Her cellphone is
turned off and I--"

"Yes Mulder, she's here, but she's sleeping."

"I need to talk to her," he said, dismissing the 'let her sleep' hint in
Kaz's tone.

Something about his voice told Kaz this wasn't an emergency, but was
more of a 'I have nothing better to do' call.

"At six-fifteen in the morning you need to talk to her?"

Irritation was clear in his voice as he replied, "Yes.  I need to make
sure she knows we're meeting Dr. Sacks at NASA Goddard this morning."

"She knows," Kaz told him. "She said something about it last night--"

"Will you just let me talk to her?" he interrupted impatiently.

Her voice took on a harder edge, one he had come to recognize as her
no-nonsense, 'Commander-voice.'  "Don't speak to me like that, Mulder. 
And when did you become her talking appointment book?  Give her a little
credit.  She's not going to forget about your little meeting."

She stopped speaking as she heard the creak of footsteps on the stairs. 
Scully entered the hallway in her bathrobe and yawned, then said, "Is
that Mulder?"

Kaz nodded and with the slightest note of sarcasm, spoke into the phone,
"Well, you got your wish, Mulder.  Here she is."

She handed the phone to Scully, who said, "Mulder, it's me.  What's
going on?"

Kaz stood beside her, hands on hips, listening to Scully's end for a
second as she calmed down.

"Yes.  I know...8:30...I'll pick you up at eight, okay?"

Pause.  

"You took him where?  To Skinner's!  Mulder, that's nuts." Scully's
usually calm voice was a little thick, but still incredulous.

Kaz watched Scully's sleepy eyes roll, then the agent covered them with
a small, fair hand.

"Do you think he's safe?" she said into the phone.

Kaz turned away, running a hand through her damp hair.  She turned away
and shook her head, unsure of why the phone call had bothered her.  She
chided herself for acting like a mother hen about Scully getting her
rest, but his dismissive tone had touched a nerve.  And what was this
business of 'reminding' Scully about the appointment?  Dana Scully was
one of he most intelligent and organized people she had ever known.  Why
was he patronizing her, treating her like some second-banana, a Gilligan
to his Skipper, a Tonto to his Lone Ranger?  It pissed Kaz off, but she
tried to calm herself.  It really wasn't her business anyway, and Scully
was definitely a woman who could take care of herself.

She touched Scully on the shoulder as she passed and went up stairs to
take a shower, hoping to wash her own irritation with Fox Mulder away. 
Reaching one hand into the shower, she spun the hot water dial and
peeled off her sweaty running gear as she waited for the water to heat. 
When it was ready, she stepped in, luxuriating in the hot water, letting
it run over her head, down her shoulders and back, all over.  She closed
her eyes and felt some of the early morning anger dissipating.  

Kaz was rarely angry, or even upset.  She was an easy-going person who
was in love with the woman of her dreams.  She smiled as she picked up
the bar of soap.  Feeling the rush of cold air and her favorite presence
beside her, she opened her eyes.

"Sorry I was rude to Mulder," she said to Scully, who was as gloriously
naked as she was.

Scully stood on tiptoe a little to kiss her on the cheek, "It's okay, he
can be a pain in the butt sometimes.  It's the case.  He's wound a
little too tight on this one.  He did something kind of...not
smart...last night."

"What's that?" Kaz asked, turning Scully around and running her soapy
hands all over the smooth skin of Scully's back.

"You have to promise you're not going to laugh--but he took Krycek to
our boss's house.  The AD handcuffed Krycek to his balcony and made him
sit out there all night."

Kaz chuckled, "You're kidding."

"I could not be kidding you less," she replied. "Stop laughing."

Kaz did as told, but continued to run her hands over Scully's body.  At
first, she was business-like and making a genuine effort, but her
touches began to lighten and linger.  Then, she wrapped her arms around
Scully from behind and pulled her close, laying her chin on Scully's
shoulder.

"Kaz," Scully warned, feeling her body respond a little too well,
"remember the rules."

After the first few mornings they spent together, they had found it
necessary to create a few 'rules' regarding mutual showers.  The first
and foremost one was that they didn't start anything on work days.

The tall, dark woman let her hands fall away and backed off, "Sorry,
Sculls.  I just love to touch you, and it feels like it's been so long. 
It's my fault, I couldn't help myself."

Scully turned to face her, "Don't apologize.  I love your hands on me. 
I'd like nothing more than to stay here until we both turn into prunes. 
But we can't."

"I understand.  Can I wash your hair, though?  I promise to be good."

Scully's look was skeptical.  Kaz loved to wash her hair, and did it
almost every morning, but was it a good idea today?

"You promise, huh?"

Kaz grinned and aimed the faucet at Scully's head, "I promise."

Soon she was whistling as she worked shampoo through Scully's enchanting
auburn hair.  Kaz made sure to keep her touch steady and deliberate
instead of light and sensual.  Scully was right, they had no time for
intimacy.  Still, it was a hard task, keeping her mind on the washing
and off the beautiful, exhilarating, satisfying body beneath her hands.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7:45 a.m.

At the door, Scully went through her morning ritual of fussing over Kaz;
adjusting her sleeves, straightening her lapels, pulling her sweater or
jacket down a little.  Today, the Commander was wearing Scully's
favorite, the dress blues, for a court appearance.  Kaz wasn't trying
the case, but was getting her first taste of being on the witness
stand.  She was a witness for the prosecution in a case she had looked
into last week.  Since military justice moved much swifter than in the
public court system, the hearing was this morning.

Scully's breath never failed to catch in her throat at the sight of her
beautiful companion in this uniform.  It was the way she'd first seen
Kaz, back in the Georgetown Law Library so long ago.  

Not so long, really; for it had only been a little over a month ago. 
But to Dana Scully, it had been a lifetime.  She felt as though her life
had just begun on that day, the day she'd tapped this bedraggled-looking
young officer on the shoulder, waking her from the nap she was taking. 
Kaz's head was laying in the middle of a book, and she'd looked so
peaceful, so beautiful.

She remembered the look on Kaz's face later that night as the exquisite
young woman bit her lip, looked her straight in the face, and said,
"Scully, can I kiss you?"

Thoughts of that first night brought a smile to her face once more.  The
feel of Kaz's soft lips, her gentle hands, the gleam in her rich brown
eyes...

Out of necessity, she pulled her mind back to the present and finished
her fussing and straightening.  Kaz bent down to kiss her, pulling on
Scully's lips just a little before tenderly releasing them.

When Kaz pulled away, Scully's eyes were still closed.  She reached out
to touch a porcelain cheek.  Scully leaned into her palm.

"I have to go Scully, the hearing starts at eight.  I'll be in my office
after that, though.  Call me if you can."

Scully opened her reluctant eyes, "You know I will.  Anymore, I can't
even go eight hours without hearing your voice."

Pulling her in for a hug, Kaz ran a hand over Scully's hair and inhaled
her clean, fresh scent, "I love you, Scully.  You and me...there's
nothing better."

Scully squeezed her tight for a minute, then broke away, "You'd better
go.  If you don't leave now, neither of us will be making our eight
o'clocks."

Kaz thought the idea was very appealing.  She wanted nothing more than
to spend the entire day in bed doing secret and satisfying deeds with
Dana Scully.  But instead, she kissed Scully's cheek chastely, put on
her coat and hat, picked up her case, and left.

Watching the tall, broad-shouldered officer walk out to her red vintage
Mustang, Scully smiled to herself, replaying Kaz's last words in her
mind:

<"You and me...there's nothing better.">

It was so true.  The words had gone straight to her heart.  She was so
deeply in love with Kaz, the thought of an entire day without hearing
Kaz's voice, without sharing some little thing with her.

Every minute they were not together, Scully felt as if a part of herself
was missing.

She forced herself away from these thoughts and picked her trench coat
up off its peg.  She went to the back porch, making sure Brandy had food
and water for the day, patted the excitable dog for a moment, then went
back in to grab her things and left to pick up Mulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
END OF PART TWO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Walking The Line IV: Trials
by xf-stew (xf-stew@geocities.com)
**disclaimed in part one**
PART THREE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Washington Navy Yard
Room B-17
12:35 p.m.   

B-r-r-i-n-g-g-g

Kaz fumbled for her keys, they slipped from her right hand, she swore
like an enlisted man, and picked them up with her left...

B-r-r-i-n-g-g-g

...finally found the right one and jabbed it into the lock. 

B-r-r-i-n-g-g-g

...she dropped her briefcase on the chair and snatched up the phone,
"Commander Kazmerowski."

Scully's unmistakable voice greeted her through the earpiece, "Kaz, it's
me."

"Hey Scully.  How was NASA G.?"

"I'm up here right now.  A lot of strange things have been going on."

Kaz lifted an eyebrow.  When Scully said 'strange things' it meant
really, really strange things.

"Go on--" she prodded.

"We spoke to a Doctor Eugene Sacks up here, and he believes the fragment
of rock we recovered may contain the remains of fossilized alien
bacteria."

"Oh."

"Oh?" Scully repeated incredulously, "All you can say is 'oh?'"

"Scully, I'm not exactly up on my fossilized alien bacteria research. 
But I'm taking it I should be impressed, no?"

"Sacks is speculating the rock may be from Mars.  He's estimating it's
over four billion years old."

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.  I'm officially impressed now."

"My problem is that something happened to Dr. Sacks.  He had an accident
while taking a core sample from our Martian rock and he's in some sort
of catatonic coma state now.  Agent Pendrell and I are going in there to
take a look at him."

Kaz frowned, her natural instincts concerning Scully's safety kicking
in. "Is that going to be dangerous?  You don't know what's in that
rock.  Maybe the bacteria isn't dead--or fossils--or whatever."

"There's no danger, Kaz," Scully reassured her. "We're going to be in
full decontamination gear.  Level four suits, which are the top of the
line."

"Like in 'Outbreak'?"

Scully chuckled, "Yes, just like in 'Outbreak.'"

"But Rene Russo got a puncture wound through her suit and got infected. 
She almost died."

"That was a movie, Kaz.  I'm going to be fine."

Kaz didn't say anything, but her heart was pounding hard in her chest. 
She didn't like the idea of Scully being exposed to anything--period.

"It'll be fine, Kaz."

"Okay," Kaz replied in a smaller voice.  "So...uh, did you call just to
worry me?"

"Actually no.  I called to ask you a favor.  Mulder's been a virtual
non-entity this afternoon.  I have no idea where the hell he is, but he
called and asked if I'd get an address for him.  I guess I didn't sound
as if I was busy enough out here.  Do you think you could run it down
for me?"

"Sure.  What's the name?'

"Marita Covarrubias."

"Covva--what?"

Scully chuckled, "Kazma--what?"

Dryly, Kaz replied, "Ha-ha, very funny.  Spell it for me, will you?"

Scully did so, and Kaz wrote the name on one of her notepads.  She
noticed the stress in her companion's voice and knew it had been a long
day for Special Agent Scully.

"I'll get back to you as soon as I can," she told Scully, then said,
"Would you like to go to dinner tonight?" 

"Oh Kaz," Scully replied with a hint of anxious relief, "dinner sounds
great.  Let's go someplace nice."

"Enrico's?  In Georgetown?"

Scully almost sighed into the phone, "I'd love it.  You don't mind?"

With the prospect of dinner out together, Scully's voice had become
considerably lighter.  Kaz recognized it, and knew her dinner offer had
been perfect.  She wouldn't dream of objecting.  

Though Kaz wasn't big on eating out and felt uncomfortable having to
keep up appearances in public, she knew Scully loved fine dining, so she
took her beautiful companion to dinner as often as Scully desired.

"Of course not.  I'd love to go to Enrico's, especially with you," she
told Scully.

"You're the best, Kaz.  I'll meet you, hopefully around six."

Kaz agreed with a smile.  Hanging up the phone, she picked up the pad
and tore off the note.  She walked out of the office, down the hall, and
into Hardy Williams' cubicle.

"Hey Hardy, want to show me how you work your magic?"

Williams, a young, lean black man of Kaz's same height, smiled at her
and offered her his guest chair, "What kind of magic are you talking
about, Kaz--and would Tonya approve?"

Kaz grinned and slapped him on the back.  Tonya was Hardy's wife, and
one of the nicest, most pleasant people she knew.  Kaz liked the
Williams family, and occasionally baby-sat for them when they needed a
break from 10-month-old Terrence, their first born.

"I don't think Tonya would be interested in this kind of magic, old
boy.  I need to find an address for this chick." She handed him the
note.  "Dazzle me, my man."

Williams frowned down at the note, "Corva--  Conga--  Kaz, what the hell
kind of name is this?"

Kaz chuckled at the joke, and tried to distract herself.  She was
worried about Scully.  The words 'level four' and 'decontamination suit'
had her more than a little nervous.  As Hardy finished with the address,
she laid a hand on his arm and said,

"Hardy, do you think you could get a little information about this
Covva-whatsis lady?  I don't even know if she's important, but it's a
favor for a friend in another department."

"No problem Kaz, I'll get you everything I can."

She smiled, "Thanks Hardy, you're the best.  I need to run an errand,
but I'll come by for the stuff before the end of the day."

"No sweat," he replied with an easy smile. "Just remember me on National
Paralegals Day."

"I'll bring you some flowers and a box of chocolates, how about that,
old boy?"

Williams chuckled, "Hey, you know what I like, Kaz.  See you."

She waved a goodbye and went back to her office.  Restless, unable to
sit still or concentrate, Kaz picked up her coat and hat and headed out
to her car.  She paused for only a moment before turning the key and
revving up the engine.  She couldn't help herself, she had to be there.  

Once she made it out of midtown traffic, Commander Kaz headed out to
Greenbelt, Maryland--home of NASA Goddard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
2:13 p.m.

Still in full dress uniform, Kaz stood on the outside of the isolation
glass, one arm propped on the other and folded across her chest.  She
nervously chewed on her thumbnail as her eyes remained intently fixed on
only one thing:  the short red-haired woman inside the chamber.  

On the other side of the glass, Scully wore a blue decontamination suit,
as did her associate, a round-eyed, bookish man with dark red hair and
freckles.  He had "lab nerd" written all over his face.

Kaz, of course, was oblivious to this fact, for the only thing in her
mind was the safety of the two investigators.  She heard their voices
through the intercom system as they discussed the possibilities of Dr.
Sacks' illness.  Then, suddenly, Scully looked up and locked eyes with
her.

She felt a little guilty, afraid Scully might be upset by her presence,
by her instinctive need to make sure Scully was safe.  Kaz knew
perfectly well how capable Dana Scully was of taking care of
herself...but this...well, biological toxins were something completely
different, and rather disturbing, in Kaz's mind.

Instead, Scully nodded at her and turned one corner of her mouth up into
a tiny smile before continuing the examination.  Relief washed over
Kaz.  The minute smile was Scully's professional way of saying
everything was kosher.  She was even more relieved, however, when Scully
and Agent Pendrell walked out of the Plexiglas lab chamber, through a
spray-down room, into a drying room, and into the changing area.  The
entire process took over ten minutes, but once they had finished they
began removing their heavy headgear.

Scully motioned for her to come inside, and she stepped through the
sliding door.

"Good afternoon, Kaz," Scully said in greeting, still the consummate
professional, but with a hint of personal warmth.

"Hello Scully."

Since the case they'd jointly worked out at Quantico, Scully and Kaz had
decided they could be more familiar with each other, even in front of
colleagues like Pendrell.  There were no rules or regulations saying two
single women could not be friends.

Scully began to pull duct tape off her wrists as she motioned to the man
beside her, "Commander Anne Kazmerowski, this is Agent Brian Pendrell. 
Pendrell, Commander Kaz, as we call her."

Pendrell waved his gloved hand in lieu of a shake and grinned
self-consciously at her, "It's nice to meet you, Commander."

"Thank you, Agent Pendrell, and please, call me Kaz." She shifted her
gaze to include both of them, "Were you able to reach any conclusions?'

Scully yanked futilely at the tape, "It's too early to tell.  We'll
definitely need some time on this one.  I've never seen anything like
it, and I've seen a few strange things in my time."

Kaz chuckled and nodded, then stepped forward to help her remove the
tape.  Holding Scully's wrist with one hand, she unwound it with the
other.  As she was doing so, Scully glanced over to see Pendrell's eyes
on the two of them.

It gave her pause.  Did something about this look suspicious?  Then, she
realized Pendrell's eyes were not questioning or judgmental, but
appreciative and a little yearning.  Pendrell was checking them out. 
She hid a smile behind Kaz's shoulder.

Abruptly, she heard her name over the loudspeaker, "Special Agent Dana
Scully, please report to Dr. Johnstone's office.  Agent Scully to Dr.
Johnstone's."

"Johnstone is head of the department," Scully explained to Kaz. "I'm
sure he's eager for a run-down of our preliminary findings.  Excuse me,
will you?"

She exited through the sliding Plexiglas, leaving Kaz and Pendrell
alone.  

Unwinding the tape around his boots, Pendrell mustered his courage and
spoke to the second most graceful, most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. 
"So, uh, Kaz...are you a friend of Da--Agent Scully's?"

She bit back a grin, "Yes, I like to consider myself her friend."
<Understatement of the year,> she added to herself.

"So, um...do you...do you ever see her socially?"

A small smile crossed her face for the briefest of moments before she
pulled the mask of professionalism over it. "Well yes, Agent Pendrell.
We've spent some free time together.  In fact, Scully was kind enough to
invite me to spend Christmas with her family.  A special gesture,
considering I have no family of my own in the area."

The idea of Dana Scully as Good Samaritan seemed to please him greatly. 
He smiled to himself as he worked at the tape on his wrists.  With the
restriction of the gloves, he was having the same trouble Scully had,
and Kaz stepped up to help him.

They stood virtually eye-to-eye and only a mere foot apart as Kaz pried
the edges of the duct tape off with what Pendrell noticed were
nicely-manicured nails.  She was so close he could smell her perfume. 
It was light and sweet.

<God, she's really pretty.  Not like Dana is, but so tall and
graceful...and her eyes.  Not ocean-blue like Dana's, but brown as
iodine.  They're beautiful in their own way.>

"Did you want to ask me a question, Agent Pendrell?" Kaz asked, the
knowing little grin back on her face.

"Huh?"

She looked up and into his eyes.  He nearly blushed and tried to think
of other things; the complex logorhythms housed in the functions of the
microprocessor chip he'd been devising with his buddies; the Krebs
Cycle; a Quarter Pounder with cheese--anything to get his mind off the
woman in front of him.  She was clouding his thoughts, distracting him. 
She was fascinating...and disturbing.  Innocent and kind, yet somehow
dangerous.

"I asked if you had something you wanted to ask me.  You seemed to be
leading up to a question.  A question about Scully, maybe?"

"Yes, yes, yes," he repeated, stepping away now that she had unwound the
tape.  He pulled the gloves off his hands, "I just...well, I'm a little
embarrassed to ask someone like Agent Mulder this, and I figure since
you're a woman-friend of hers..."

Kaz nearly lost it as the irony sunk in, but bit back her wry smile and
said, "Yes?"

Pendrell's face reddened just a little more as he pulled off the
remainder of the decon suit.  He now stood before her in his slacks and
undershirt.

Buttoning his dress shirt, he mustered the courage to go on, "Well
I...well, I just wanted to get Dana something for her birthday.  It's
next month you know."

"Yes," she agreed with a nod, "I know."

"Well, I wanted to get her something, but it has to be just right, if
you know what I mean, Commander."

Kaz's smile turned soft and her heart suddenly went out to the man.  He
had a crush on Scully.  A harmless little office crush.  She wasn't
upset or jealous, she felt kind of bad for this brave little guy who had
summoned up the guts to ask her this question.  He'd asked her--a total
stranger--but one he thought may be a 'woman-friend' of Dana Scully's.

And of course, the poor guy had no idea...

In a gentle voice, very unlike her standard military tone, she replied,
"I know exactly what you mean, Agent Pendrell."  She felt a little bad,
getting his hopes up like this, but she couldn't bring herself to make
up a lie about a mysterious boyfriend and burst his balloon either.  

Her eyes were soft and warm as she said, "Sc--er, Dana has a small
collection of glass figurines.  She keeps them on a shelf in an old
china cabinet her grandmother gave her.  The figurines are just little
trinkets, but they mean a lot to her.  The other day she told me she'd
been looking for a certain piece; an angel with a little halo over it's
head.  I was going to look for the piece myself, but I believe...coming
from you...it would be a memorable gift, something just right, no?"

Pendrell's face lit up as wheels began to turn in his head.  Kaz
couldn't help but return his smile.  Although the 'lab nerd' lacked more
than a few social skills, he had a kind face and heart of gold.  

And the fact that he cared for Scully...well, that put it over the top
for Kaz.  <What the hell?> she thought with an inward shrug. <It's a
harmless little office crush.  And he's sweet...>

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of Kaz's cellphone.  She
answered it and was told Captain Martin was looking for her.  After
pocketing the phone she pulled out a pad of legal paper and wrote a
quick note in her flawless script:

     "Glad you're okay.  Yes--I'm overprotective.  See you tonight.
      Enrico's at 7:00 
      Love--A.K."

Pendrell was adjusting his tie as Kaz opened the locker where Scully's
jacket hung and set the note under her phone, which sat on the shelf
above.

She turned back to Pendrell, "It was nice to meet you, Agent Pendrell. 
Unfortunately, I must go back to the Yard.  Will you give Agent Scully
my apologies?"

"Sure and, er, thanks for the tip Commander.  You don't know how much it
means to me."

Kaz smiled softly, "I think I do, Pendrell old man.  She's very special,
isn't she?"

She didn't wait for his answer, but glided easily out of the room, her
gait poised and graceful.  He smiled at the retreating form of the tall,
classy naval officer.  

This year--he'd vowed--this year he was going to ask Dana Scully to
dinner, he was going to ask her out on a date.  It had been his one and
only New Year's Resolution.  he gave a little prayer of thanks for the
pretty young woman who'd just left.  She'd definitely given him a leg up
on the competition.  That was for sure.

And wow!  The Commander was almost as stunning and beautiful as Dana
herself.  Not that she was really his type.  She was far too tall and
with an Italian nose and too dark of hair.  Still though, she was the
first friend of Dana's he'd ever met.  Had he expected anything less
than for her to be a knock-out as well?

Pendrell whistled as he straightened his tie again and winked at himself
in the mirror.  Oh yes, he was a handsome devil.  And tonight he was
going shopping for Dana Scully...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
END OF PART THREE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Walking The Line IV: Trials
by xf-stew (xf-stew@geocities.com)
**disclaimed in part one**
PART FOUR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Enrico's
6:32 p.m.

Scully's eyes scanned the patrons of this upscale Georgetown
restaurant.  Couples, small groups, an occasional all-male or all-female
party...but few singles.  She wandered toward the bar and spotted Kaz
sitting calmly on a stool.

Her breath caught.  Her heart hammered in her chest.  A high-pitched
buzzing in her ears was accompanied by a flush she could feel spreading
across her face and down her neck.

<God, she's beautiful,> she thought as she watched Kaz, who hadn't
spotted her yet.

The tall brunette wore a simple, black, sleeveless cocktail dress.  The
neckline was low and rounded and Scully could see the silver chain she'd
given Kaz for Christmas.  It sat around her slim, feminine neck, as it
had every moment since Scully had put it there in the mountains of
Virginia, some three weeks ago.  

The chain matched her sparkling diamond earrings and the frames of her
silver, wire-rimmed glasses...the ones she was wearing much more
lately.  Dark hose and pumps completed the ensemble, and Scully watched
her tuck a lock of soft black hair behind her ear with fascination.

Scully had never seen her friend and lover in this way before.  She had
no idea Kaz even knew how to put herself together like this.  In her
experience, Kaz wore her regulation Navy uniforms or extremely casual
clothes (sweatpants and t-shirts came most readily to mind).  The sight
of Kaz in evening wear, looking so graceful and stunning and beautiful;
it was almost too much.

She watched Kaz lift a crystal glass half-full of ice and amber liquid
to take a small sip before turning back to a set of papers she had on
the counter.  Uncapping a green highlighter, she ran it over a few
lines.

Then, as if sensing intent eyes watching her, Kaz looked up and directly
at Scully.  The sight of her instant and easy, peaceful smile warmed
Scully even more and elicited a slight throbbing in her lower regions.

Kaz stood and greeted Scully with a peck on the cheek.  The officer
figured it was innocuous enough to give her friend a small kiss, she'd
seen women meet each other in this fashion plenty of times over the
years.

Offering Scully a stool beside her, Kaz sat again, trying not to stare
at Scully's breathtaking outfit.  She swallowed hard as her eyes ran
over every inch of the long-sleeved velvet dress Scully wore.  It was a
beautiful burgundy color that set Scully's enchanting red hair aflame. 
Kaz's hands twitched, wanting to touch it, to touch *her*.

The gold cross, as always, sat against the milky-white skin of Scully's
chest, its delicate chain touching Scully's neck in places Kaz longed to
touch herself.  Scully's enchanting, fiery hair was swept up off her
neck and piled intricately on top of her head in a manner far too
complicated for Kaz to even contemplate.  She merely stared at it,
swirled and looped and curled as it was to perfection.

"Close your mouth Kaz," Scully told her with a small smile, "you're
attracting flies."

Kaz's mouth snapped shut, but her dark eyes were still faraway as they
took in the sight before her.  She closed them and took off her glasses,
setting them down on the stack of papers.  When she opened them again,
she appeared more composed.

Giving Scully her lopsided grin, Kaz said, "Catching flies, huh? 
Nothing like a little pathology humor before dinner, don't you think,
Dr. Scully?"

Scully didn't answer, but touched one of the papers in front of Kaz, "It
looks like I'm not the only workaholic here."

"Actually," Kaz said, picking up her glasses and setting them on her
face once again, "these are related to you.  I checked into this person
you asked me to get the address for.  She's--"

Scully shook her head, "No Kaz,  It's not my business.  He chose not to
tell me.  I just needed the address.  I'd be betraying his trust by
looking into her behind his back."

Kaz pursed her lips, then said, "*You'd* be betraying *him?*  I don't
see it that way at all.  Yes, it's true, I don't exactly have a partner,
but I tell Hardy pretty much everything, Scully.  I don't keep secrets
from him or make cryptic comments or ask him to look up people without
explaining the significance of who they are.  He helped me on this one
and I told him, quite honestly, that I didn't know who the hell this
lady was.  The point I'm trying to make is that I give him the
professional courtesy he deserves, and he's only my assistant.  *You're*
Mulder's partner."

"You don't understand, Kaz. You don't know him like I do.  This is the
way he is sometimes.  Don't worry.  I'm sure he'll call soon to tell me
what's going on."

Kaz removed her glasses once more.  She almost rubbed an eye, but
remembered where she was and the fact that she'd worn eye make-up, a
rare thing, but something she'd do for Scully in a heartbeat.  She
picked up her glass of Chivas and took a healthy slug of it.

"So you got decontamination suit duty while he gets Upper West Side
duty?"

Scully's expression dropped into a look of mild disapproval as she said,
"I'm a scientist, Kaz.  I don't think any sane person trusts Mulder in a
decon suit.  This is just how it works.  It's not a fairness issue."

"You're right," Kaz agreed, signaling the bartender for Scully. "It's a
safety issue.  He knew you were chilling with your lab buddy in the
decon suit out at NASA G, but you have absolutely no idea where he is
right now, do you?"

Scully's face was neutral, "I can only assume he's driving up to New
York, probably with Krycek in tow."

The bartender came by.  Scully asked for gin and tonic while Kaz ordered
another whiskey.  She discreetly took Scully's hand for a moment and
squeezed it, wanting to give reassurance and wanting Scully to know that
she was worried about the situation as well.  

The electric touch of their hands, however, sent chills down each
woman's spine.  Kaz saw the flush in Scully's cheeks and quickly
released her hand.

"I'm just concerned, Scully.  That's all.  Something's not right here,
and you can tell me to butt out right now, but..." she trailed off,
unsure of how to finish the sentence.

The drinks arrived, and Scully turned her attention to her glass.  She
trailed her finger over the rim of it.  Should she tell Kaz she'd been
having the same concerns, the same fears?  Should she tell her about the
conversation in the office that day, the one in which she'd almost
blurted out how she couldn't follow him on these blind quests for
intangibles when she now *had* a life?  Kaz meant so much to her...but
so did Mulder.  They were the two most important people in her life, but
it was all becoming so hard.  She felt as though loyalty to one meant
betraying the other.

"Kaz--" she began weakly, looking up and into the deep brown depths of
Kaz's eyes.

They danced and sparkled, reflecting the showy lights of the bar behind
them.  As Scully stared into them, she felt a melting inside herself,
and no more words found their way past her lips.

Kaz gazed back at her, tentatively reaching out an olive hand to feel
the crushed velvet of Scully's sleeve.  She ran it lightly over the
material.  Kaz watched Scully's eyes slip shut and knew the fire was
racing through the fabric of the dress, then into and under Scully's
fair skin.  The sight of her companion's arousal, just from this small
touch in a public place, made Kaz's own head spin with need.

Just then, a smooth, low voice came over the intercom system, "Scully,
party of two.  Scully party, your table is ready."

Kaz quickly removed her hand and busied herself collecting papers.  <My
God,> she said to herself, <What are you doing?  You idiot.  You're
deliberately turning her on in a restaurant two miles from your house! 
All your rich neighbors are probably here eating escargot and caviar and
shit like that.  Are you *trying* to instigate a national public
scandal?  Sitting here seducing your female lover in front of everyone
in Washington.  Sometimes Kaz, you're a fucking retard.>

She packed the stuff in her case and turned back to Scully, who was
still sitting on her stool, not moving, cheeks flushed.

"I'm sorry Scully.  Our table is ready, let's go."

Distantly, Scully remarked, "You used my name."

"They stumble over mine, and yours is so nice.  Come on," she said,
trying to pull Scully back to reality. "We can go to our table."

Scully shook her head a little, amazed at what had just happened--and
the danger of it.  She picked up her drink and followed Kaz deep into
the dark recesses of the restaurant.  They sat at a dimly-lit table
relatively far from the other customers.  As Scully looked around, she
realized Kaz must have requested this spot, hence the wait.  

She understood Kaz's caution, especially here in Georgetown.  Scully
also knew that Anne Kazmerowski hated to pretend.  If they each had one
wish, Scully was fairly certain they'd both wish for the same thing: to
be able to publicly declare their love for each other with no negative
repercussions.  

Scully sympathized, knowing Kaz hated having to be dishonest about their
relationship--but was caught in the middle of a difficult predicament. 
Her career in the Navy was at stake, and although Kaz claimed not to
care much about that, Scully knew she did.  Add in the fact that her
name was fairly recognizable to anyone who followed the world of
professional athletics and...well, the press coverage following her
discharge for homosexuality would surely go national.

Still, with the deep bond the women shared, they couldn't go to a nice,
candle-lit, romantic restaurant and not feel something for each other. 
At least, Scully knew she couldn't.  After years of repressing herself
sexually in favor of her dangerous and erratic job, she had found Kaz. 
And she wasn't about to miss out on having a life because of other
people's hang ups.

The maitre d' showed them to their table and politely handed each a menu
before excusing himself.

"How is your mother?" Kaz asked as they perused the menus.

"She's well.  I talked to her a couple of days ago, and she always asks
about you.  I think you charmed her, Kaz."  Scully smiled to herself,
knowing that Kaz charmed everyone.

"She's a special lady.  You're very lucky to have her, Scully," Kaz
replied, her eyes a little shiny.

"She wants us to come over for dinner, maybe Sunday, if we're free."

"I'd love that," Kaz told her, closing the menu and reaching under the
long tablecloth for Scully's hand.  She found it and Scully immediately
gave hers a squeeze.

The waiter came for their orders; Scully decided on chicken marsala
while Kaz opted for the linguini.  They selected a wine, and the waiter
left them to talk.

"Linguini again?" Scully asked, "You had that last time we went out."

Kaz shrugged and looked out at the other diners.  The long tablecloth
covered their linked hands, but she still didn't feel completely
comfortable.  And on top of it, Scully's strong blue eyes were boring
into her.

"Kaz?  Are you turning vegan on me?"  Despite the lame joke, there was
an underlying hint in Scully's voice that Kaz picked up on immediately.

The tall brunette forced a smile to her face as she reached with her
free hand for her glass.  She drained half the whiskey in it before
meeting Scully's eyes.  Her expression was serious, but her eyes were
still gentle.

"Linguini is easy for me to eat, so is salad and pasta, and that's why I
eat them when we're out.  Please don't push me on this, Scully.  It's
something I don't like to discuss.  Not here.  Here, all I want to do is
stare at you in that amazing red dress."  She lowered her voice a notch,
"You're so beautiful, and tonight especially so.  You do know how
beautiful you are, don't you?"

Scully lowered her eyes and blushed, but gently squeezed Kaz's hand in
appreciation.  They made small talk for awhile, discussing the book deal
Kaz had in the works for the illustrated story she'd been working on,
then the spoke of Captain Martin's impending nuptials, to which they'd
both been invited.  They'd go separately, of course, with Mulder
escorting Scully and Kaz most likely dragging her buddy Nobbs along.  

Midway through the meal, the conversation turned back to Mulder.

"But why is he so obsessed with this case, Scully?  I don't think I
understand the significance."

"He's obsessed with every case.  It's just the way he is."

"Does he correlate the discovery of fossilized bacteria with the
existence of sentient extra-terrestrial life?  That seems like quite a
leap to me."

Scully pursed her lips, thinking, not wanting to pick a side in this
debate, although she sided with Kaz.  Bacteria and intelligent alien
lifeforms were worlds apart in her mind.

Kaz sipped her wine thoughtfully, "It's not that I don't get into my
work, or you either, for that matter.  It's just that this morning he
sounded so...what?...Strung out.  That's the word.  He sounded
completely over the edge."

Scully thought about that one as she ate, but as time passed they both
let the subject die, preferring to focus on themselves instead.  Scully
still couldn't get over Kaz in the sexy black dress.  The smooth lines
of her olive skin dropping down to that low neckline; her firm, toned
arms; her shapely legs; her ripe, sensual mouth.  And those eyes.  It
all came back to those big, dark chocolate eyes that sparkled behind
thick black lashes.  Those eyes made Scully tremble just a little, and
she took a sip of her wine, trying to steady the tremor that ran through
her body.

Kaz was enchanted by her table mate as well.  In particular, it was the
hair swept up off of Scully's slim neck.  That bare neck longed, she
felt, to be kissed, to be touched and caressed and, quite possibly,
licked.  One small, soft tendril of auburn hair rested against the
milky-white skin of Scully's neck.  It curled at the end and looked very
fine.  'Baby hair,' she's heard it called before.  That lock of hair
held Kaz captivated until the waiter came around with the dessert tray.

Scully was about to decline, knowing Kaz would like to escape the
restaurant for the safety and comfort of home, but instead, Kaz looked
at her with wide, questioning eyes.

"Would you like to share something?"

Blinking the surprise from her eyes, Scully nodded.  Kaz waved at the
tray, encouraging Scully to select a dessert, and soon they had a large
bowl of chocolate mousse between them.

Kaz picked up a spoon and lazily began to swirl the whipped chocolate. 
Scully saw the dangerous little smirk on her face, the gleam in Kaz's
eyes.  She swallowed.

"Kaz...what are you doing?"

Under the table, Kaz slipped her hand from Scully's.  She set it on
Scully's knee.  Locking eyes across the small table, she slid her hand
beneath the exquisite dark red velvet and gently caressed Scully's leg
through the sheer hose she wore.

Dana Scully struggled to remain composed.  She willed the flush from her
burning cheeks and tried to think about desiccated corpses instead of
the pleasant rush of hot liquid that now flowed freely between her
legs.  She tried not to think of all the magnificent things she knew Kaz
could do with her mouth and with her hands.  She tried to think of the
Chaco Chicken plant where the animals ate mashed up pieces of their
cousins and even closer relatives, instead of the tempting mouthful of
mousse Kaz was holding in front of her lips.

But it was impossible.  She opened her mouth to accept the spoonful of
rich chocolate.  It was divine, made even more so by Kaz's tender
feeding of it.  Scully's head was spinning wildly, making her glad Kaz's
hand couldn't reach far past her knee, for who know what might happen
if...

As Kaz lifted the spoon to her own mouth, her hand disappeared from
Scully's leg.  The redhead relaxed, disappointed by the loss of contact,
but relieved as well.  

She nearly gasped, however, when Kaz's stocking-clad foot slowly,
sensuously ran up her calf, over her knee, and eventually to her thigh. 
Kaz's eyes were clear and innocent as she offered Scully another bite of
mousse.

Scully's strained voice was barely above a whisper, "You're so evil."

Her words were met by a sparkling gleam of white teeth as Kaz's foot
traveled closer and closer, rubbing Scully's inner thighs, making her
hot, wet, needy.

Scully couldn't think, couldn't reason.  Somewhere, distantly, in the
back of her mind, bells were going off like mad, telling her this was
crazy--too outrageous even for Kaz.  But the alarms were overshadowed by
the fire in her belly and the tingling, the hunger between her legs.

She accepted the chocolate and pulled it off the spoon, finally letting
her eyes slip shut, savoring the rich blend as Kaz's foot finally came
into contact with her center.  Even through her hose and panties, the
touch felt so intimate, so wildly erotic, she almost moaned.  

Instead, she swallowed the sweet, light chocolate in her mouth and
casually reached for her glass of water.  She met Kaz's eyes across the
table as she took a sip.  The edges of Kaz's mouth turned up, but she
gave no other outward indication of what she was doing.  Taking a cue
from Scully, she reached for her wine.  Her eyes were still locked on
Scully's as she sipped.  

All the while, her toe was tracing slow circles over Scully's clit.  She
watched Scully shift in her seat just a bit, tilt her head slightly
back, clear her throat, and let out a long breath.  Kaz smiled wickedly,
just long enough for Scully to see it, then put her casual mask back on
and took another sip of her wine.

Scully's ears rang, the heat inside them was incredible.  She felt as if
her face were on fire, and knew she must be hopelessly flushed.  Still,
she tried not to draw attention, couldn't let the other diners know what
her table mate was doing to her.  But the incredible pressure, the
sensation against her clit...oh God...she was throbbing, her climax
building blindingly fast, and she struggled, fought not to thrust
against the increasing pressure on her wet, aching bud.

Kaz wore a bored expression as she lifted the spoon, looked casually off
across the room, and took another bite of the dessert.  She swallowed
with a satisfied nod, letting Scully know how good it was, and licked
her lips before smiling across the table.

Scully's eyes were riveted on the woman across the table.  Her
temperature was high and increasing with every passing second.  Kaz's
toe pushed between her lips, teasing, before moving back up to finish
her off.  The feeling, the sensation was mind-blowing.  Scully's breath
was shallow as she tried to return Kaz's smile, but failed miserably as
the passion overtook her and she flew over the edge.

"A-a-h-h-h..." she cried softly and bit her lip, her eyes closing of
their own accord as she sat back in her chair.

Kaz calmly handed her napkin across the table.  Scully made a grab at it
and immediately held it to her face to hide a tortured grimace of
pleasure and pain as her body was wracked with spasms.  Every muscle
contracted, squeezed and released; every nerve sent wave after wave of
orgasmic pleasure rippling through her.  She bit the napkin to hold back
a scream.

In the midst of her climax, the waiter stopped at their table.  Kaz
looked up at him with a pleasant smile and tented her hands in front of
her.

"Can I get you ladies anything else?"  Then he frowned, sensing things
were not right with the small red-haired woman in the striking velvet
dress, "Are you all right, ma'am?"

Scully removed the napkin and tried to speak, but Kaz suddenly increased
her torturous pressure, drawing the orgasm out until Scully thought she
might simply die.  All that escaped her mouth was a small, strangled
noise.

Waving a hand, Kaz easily replied, "She'll be okay, she just needs a
second.  Something went down...well, you know, it went down the wrong
way.  Could we possibly get our check, sir?  I do believe we're ready to
take off."

Within sixty seconds, the check was on the table.  Kaz removed her foot,
caressing Scully's smooth thighs once more before slipping her shoe back
on and picking up the check.

Scully hastily grabbed her water glass and swallowed the remainder.  Kaz
chuckled as she reached into her purse and pulled out her MasterCard.

"So, Scully," she said, "did you enjoy the dessert?  I figured since you
didn't get any the other night, maybe I'd let you have it tonight."

Under her breath, Scully whispered, "Jesus Christ."

"Tsk-tsk," Kaz chided as the waiter came to take the folded leather
wallet containing their bill and Kaz's card, "Taking the Lord's name in
vain.  You, a good Catholic girl who should know better than that."

Scully suddenly sprayed nervous yet relieved laughter at the irony of
Kaz's words, and the dark brunette in the stunning black dress smirked
knowingly.  

"I can't believe you, Kaz.  You've got a hell of a lot of nerve doing
something like that here."

"I just wanted to make the evening memorable," Kaz replied innocently

The waiter came back with her card and two mints.  Kaz popped one in her
mouth, picked up her purse, and held out a hand to Scully, helping her
up. 

As Scully stood, she intentionally leaned in close to Kaz's ear, "And
the evening's not over yet, sailor.  You're going to get yours."

Kaz let out a long, slow breath, then spun on her heel and made tracks
to the coatroom, ready to get out of Enrico's as soon as possible. 
Scully followed with a sly, knowing smile on her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upper West Side
New York City
Wednesday, March 3
12:38 a.m.

Impatiently, he knocked on the door.  Nothing.  He quickly knocked again
and heard a low, feminine, unmistakable voice from behind it.

"Who is it?"

"Fox Mulder."

She pulled the door open, but he could see it was still held by its
security chain.  The small blonde woman wore a sheer white bathrobe, but
her kept hair and careful make-up lent proof she hadn't been sleeping. 
She did, however, appear startled by his presence.

"What are you doing here?" Marita Covarrubias asked him.

"I need your help," he explained with a hint of urgency as he ran
through a short synopsis of the events that led him to this door.

Mulder had quickly come to trust this woman.  He saw her as a valuable
informant and ally in his search, his quest for the truth.  Admittedly,
he didn't know much about her, but after the photos she'd shown him, the
pictures of ten girls out in a field.  All of them identical to his
missing sister, Samantha.  

He'd come to a snap judgment on this issue, feeling she was a person he
could depend on.  He didn't know why, and maybe it had something to do
with his emotional state during their initial meeting, but he felt he
could trust this eerie woman with the strange sibilance in her voice.

A sense of weary relief washed over him as she unlatched the chain and
let him inside the apartment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
END OF PART FOUR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Walking The Line IV: Trials
by xf-stew (xf-stew@geocities.com)
**disclaimed in part one**
PART FIVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anne Kazmerowski's House
12:45 a.m.

Scully drifted out of sleep and slowly rubbed her cheek against Kaz's
stomach.  The Navy lawyer lay on her back, delightfully naked and
sleeping peacefully with one hand resting on Scully's arm.  Somehow,
Scully ended up perpendicular to Kaz so that their bodies formed a "T." 
Scully let her head rise and fall with Kaz, listening to the slow,
steady rhythm of her lover's oblivious respiration.  She realized that
every breath, every movement Kaz made increased Scully's hunger for her.

Anne Kazmerowski was like a drug, and Scully was most definitely
addicted.  It wasn't as though they hadn't made love for over two hours
after returning home from dinner.  They had, and it had been tender and
wonderful.  Still, the fact remained: Scully just couldn't get enough of
this lean, beautiful body.  

She couldn't be close enough to the person who inhabited it, for it was
Kaz herself whom Scully craved.

She reached out with her tongue to lick the underside of Kaz's breast,
tasting the tang of sweet perspiration they'd worked up from their
earlier encounter.  Inching closer, Scully ran her tongue all the way
around this slight crevice.

The sleeping woman moaned very softly and shifted her head on the
pillow.  Her body was coming to life though her mind was still at rest. 
Kaz needed very little sleep at nights, and often only stayed down for a
few hours.   Once she did fall asleep, however, she was like a log. 
Especially when she was as comfortable and as relaxed as when she was
with Scully.

And this was exactly how Scully wanted her.

Rolling slowly onto her stomach, Scully licked her lips, her mouth just
inches above Kaz's breast.  Gently--lovingly--she kissed the nipple
once, twice, and yet again.  She watched it tighten and looked up to see
Kaz's face contort just a little, then resettle.

Scully lowered her head once again, this time covering the sensitive
nipple with her entire mouth, laving it with her tongue, flicking the
tip just a little and gently nipping with her teeth.

Kaz made a noise deep in her throat, somewhere between a gasp and a
moan.  Out of the corner of her eye, Scully saw Kaz's strong left hand
grip the bedsheets tight.  She rolled the other nipple between her
fingers.  By now, she knew exactly what Kaz liked, and did her best to
arouse the young officer with simple, light touches.  She tongued the
nipple again, kissing it as she would kiss Kaz's sweet, yearning mouth. 
Scully heard and felt the sharp intake of breath as Kaz quickly drew in
air and clutched once more at the sheets.

It was time to move on.

She snaked her body down and ran her hands slowly over the tops of Kaz's
thighs.  Kaz lifted an arm and laid it across her forehead. 
Instinctively, she used it to pull the hair off her face and exhaled
heavily as her body began to writhe beneath the sensual touch she was
being subjected to.  Her eyes remained tightly shut, however, and Scully
doubted she was fully conscious.

It was perfect.  Kaz was perfect.  And making Kaz come to life just like
this would be perfect.

She slowly guided Kaz's legs apart, bent them at the knees.  Kaz's hips
were already grinding down against the sheets a little.  Scully looked
at up her partner as she ran her fingers lightly over Kaz's inner
thighs.

She'd never known a woman could be so beautiful.  It was enough to make
her cry.  The sight of Kaz, eyes closed, innocent yet so aroused,
heart-breakingly lovely and inviting...it took Scully's breath away once
more.  

Kaz's scent was heavy, intoxicating.  Scully inhaled deeply, breathing
in all of it that she could get.  It was a mixture of sexual excitement,
a hint of sweet perfume, and the sandalwood lotion Kaz always wore. 
Combined they made up Kaz's essence, her own unique scent.  It was a
scent that drove Scully wild with passion and need.

Scully lowered her mouth to sample that essence.  She tenderly brushed
each of Kaz's outer lips before parting them and laying small, delicate
kisses inside.

"Oh God--Scully..." Kaz moaned, coming to the realization that this was
no erotic dream.  It was real.

Kaz's hands drifted down to tangle in Scully's thick red hair as she
spread her legs further.  Scully looped her arms around Kaz's thighs as
she kissed her intimately, darting her tongue inside to taste Kaz's
flavor; then flicking up to the hot, swollen bundle of nerves.

"A-a-h-h-h-h...oh yeah, Scully.  That's good...oh God--that's good."

Scully loved it when Kaz talked to her.  The tender voice made her ears
ring and drove her even further.  She was drunk on Kaz's heavy juices. 
Her mouth, her hands, her whole body needed to make Kaz scream, to make
her come hard and long and loud.  She heard Kaz's breath grow shallow
and felt the hands in her hair, caressing her, urging her on.  She
readily complied, and sucked harder on Kaz's throbbing clit before
laving it all over again with her tongue.  Her hands slid down under
Kaz's ass to squeeze it and caress it as she ate her.

Kaz bucked up hard into her face but Scully hung on, worked harder; now
frantically alternating between Kaz's wet hole and her insatiable bud. 
Kaz went wild, her back arching, her head tossing from side to side, her
hands tightening their hold on the flaming head of auburn hair between
her legs.

It was then that Scully wet the tip of her finger inside her lover's hot
center and pressed it against the small, puckered opening down below.

The orgasm was instantaneous.  Kaz cried out into the semi-darkness as
her mind floated away and her body shuddered with pleasure.  Scully
peered up as she continued to circle Kaz's clit with the flat of her
tongue.  

Kaz's face was enchanting.  That was the only way she could describe
it.  The contorted mixture of pleasure and fulfillment was the most
beautiful thing she'd ever seen.  Even in the moonlight that trickled in
from the far-off window, Scully could see the flush of excitement and
complete gratification in Kaz's body as she moaned once again.

As it ended, Scully kissed her way back up Kaz's body, finally making it
into the strong, smooth arms.  Kaz wrapped them tight around her and
held Scully to chest, pressing their damp foreheads together.  Her dark
eyes were still closed, and they shared their mutual breathlessness.

When Kaz had recovered sufficiently, Scully touched Kaz's full lips with
her own.  Kaz pulled her even closer and sought her tongue.  As they
met, each woman saw a shower of sparks before her eyes.  Kaz delved
deeply, hungry to taste herself in Scully's ripe mouth.  Scully let her
probe, explore, delve.  

She loved this kind of sharing, enjoying it nearly as much as the act
itself.  It was something Kaz had taught her, and something she'd never
done with anyone else.  It was intimately special to her because of this
fact.  

After a few minutes, their kisses grew shallower, less needy, and more
tender.  Kaz ran her hand through Scully's hair, smoothing it back. 
Scully's own ran over Kaz's back.  She loved the feel of this dark,
silky skin.  She never got enough of it.

"Scully, that was...oh God, I can't even say.  Thank you."

Kissing her lightly once more, Scully said, "Don't thank me.  I did it
for me as much as for you."

Kaz leaned in to touch the silken lips again, "I love you so much,
Scully.  You know that, don't you?"

"I had a feeling," Scully replied with the softest of smiles. 

They kissed tenderly once more as they settled into each other's arms
and slowly fell back to sleep, their faces close, their bodies tangled
together, their hearts content in their mutual happiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Washington Navy Yard
10:26 a.m.

Commander Kazmerowski strolled down the hallway to her office in her
standard white uniform covered by a regulation blue sweater.  She
carried her briefcase in one hand and her hat crooked under her elbow.

A familiar voice from behind her made her turn, "Well, if it ain't The
Brick.  How you doing, Annie?"

Kaz smirked sardonically at her smooth-talking colleague, "I'm hanging
in there, Nobbs.  What are you doing with your bad self now that I'm not
around to bother?"

The velvet-skinned black man gave her a wide, bright smile and put an
arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer as they walked.

"Hell Annie, I'd go miles out of my way to bother you.  Take today for
example, I walked all the way to the other end of the Yard to bother
you."

"Don't I know it..." She replied with laid-on sarcasm before giving him
a small smile.

He removed his arm from her shoulders and hooked her elbow, linking
their arms as he patted her affectionately.  She looked at him,
unwittingly giving him a classic 'Scully-look' full of skepticism and
expectancy.  He was about to ask her a favor and was blatantly buttering
her up with this gentlemanly show.

"What do you want, Nobbs?"

He put on an offended expression, but it went only skin deep, "Nothing,
baby.  Can't I walk my favorite lady down the hall without her being
suspicious?"

"No--and I'm not even on your top ten list of favorite ladies.  Try to
jog your memory a little and it'll come back to you: I'm the one who
didn't put out, remember?"

He patted her arm one more time, "We could change all of that, now
couldn't we?  Just think of it Annie...you, me, a bottle of tequila, a
vibrating bed..."

"Sounds wonderful...and *so* romantic.  Tell me Nobbs, do I get to lick
the salt off of your bare chest?"

The Lieutenant Commander's grin grew wider, "Ooh--you're my kind of
girl, Kaz-baby."

She smirked a little as they approached her office door, "I seriously
doubt that, old boy."

She disengaged her arm from his and patted her pockets, searching for
keys.  Finally finding them in her right pocket, she prayed to God she
wouldn't drop them in front of Nobbs.  

Hunting for the right one, she turned away from him and toward the lock,
nodding at another of his suggestive remarks and dimly aware of the
unmistakable clicking of high-heeled shoes on tile.  It reminded her of
someone, but she was engrossed in keeping her keys in her one-handed
grasp.  She was pretty sure she was going to make it.  In fact, she'd
been trying to use that hand more lately...

"Hello Kaz," came an all-too-familiar voice from behind them.

The keys slid futilely from Kaz's hand and fell to the floor with a loud
jangle.  She turned her wide eyes up to see Dana Scully standing behind
her, hands in the pockets of her tan trench coat, a serious expression
on her face.  Kaz blinked rapidly, trying to recover from the shock of
seeing Scully here.  It was certainly unexpected, and not a Scully-like
thing to do.

To the innocent bystander, and most certainly to Lt. Comm. Nobbs, the
red-haired woman appeared to be a calm, cool, well-dressed
professional.  But Kaz, who knew her more intimately than anyone ever
had, immediately saw that she was unusually tense.  'Stressed out' was
the phrase that came most readily to mind.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise," she said, putting on a show for
Nobbs' benefit.  "Scully, this is Lieutenant Commander Franklin Nobbs. 
Nobbs, this is a friend of mine, Special Agent Dana Scully.  She's with
the Bureau."

Kaz watched as her co-worker and favorite drinking buddy shook hands
with the love of her life.  It made her a little sad that she couldn't
share her new-found happiness with Nobbs, but such was life in the US
Navy.

"So, what brings you to my branch of the paper jungle, Scully?" Kaz
asked, reaching for her keys again.

"I need a little advice."

Kaz got the key in the lock this time and managed to turn the knob,
"Don't wear white shoes after Labor Day," she joked.

Nobbs snorted a little laugh, "Avoid running with scissors," he added.

Not even cracking a ghost of a smile, Scully added, "Legal advice."

The kidding smirk on Kaz's face faded as she locked eyes with the
auburn-haired FBI agent.  Something was most definitely wrong.  

Turning to Nobbs, she said, "Will you excuse us please?  I'll come over
for a visit soon, I promise."

He nodded, noting the serious mood of the pair, "I'm gone.  Catch you
later, Kaz."

She followed him to the door and shut it before offering Scully a
chair.  She sat in its companion instead of behind her desk.  Crossing
the shapely legs beneath her white skirt, Kaz leaned forward, propping
her chin on one hand.

"What's wrong, Sculls?"

Reaching into her coat pocket, Scully withdrew the letter of summons
she'd received via Walter Skinner and handed it to Kaz, who read it with
a thoughtful frown.

"The Sub-Committee on Intelligence and Terrorism?  You're being called
in to a congressional hearing?" The Commander met her lover's icy blue
eyes, "What's going on here, Scully?"

"We've stepped into a pile of shit, that's my guess."

Kaz turned back to the subpoena, "This names you, Mulder, and your AD. 
Does this have to do with the man found dead outside an Alexandria
high-rise?"

Scully blinked, "How did you know about that?"

"I'm not an idiot, Scully.  You said Mulder took this man Krycek to your
boss's house.  I read about the unidentified dead man in the paper this
morning.  I *am* an investigator now, you know.  I'm honing my skills."

Scully took a deep breath and pursed her lips thoughtfully.  Kaz was
definitely getting the hang of the investigation racket down quick.  She
was startled all over again when Kaz continued.

"And I take it this has something to do with the biohazardous toxin
contained in the Mars rock?"

Reluctantly, she nodded.  

Kaz watched Scully fidget a little, bite her lip, look down at her
hands.  She looked over toward her office windows to make sure the
shades were pulled before reaching out and hooking two of Scully's
fingers with her own, calming and reassuring this incredibly strong and
independent woman.  She was fairly certain Scully didn't really need it,
but she wanted to give as much as she could.

Little did Kaz realize that this was exactly why the agent had come by. 
Though Dana Scully internalized almost all of her feelings, stayed
impossibly stoic in the face of everything that crossed her path, she
needed to see Kaz now, needed the tall, dark officer's reassurance and
support.  She was coming to rely on Kaz's soothing presence and easy
demeanor more and more.  It lent her strength, something she needed
badly right now.  

And for once--she admitted this need to herself.

"Then I'm sure all the sub-committee wants from you is your testimony on
the issue of the diplomatic pouch.  These diplomatic affairs are always
touchy, and if the man was attempting to transport a lethal toxin onto
US soil, it's going to stir plenty of questions.  That would explain the
Sub-Committee on Intelligence and Terrorism.  You, Scully, were doing
your job; upholding your oath to protect the citizens of this country. 
The contents of this pouch put the citizens of the United States at
risk.  I believe your investigation to this point has been proper and
justified.  I'm sure the senators see it this way as well.  This summons
is most likely calling for a formal deposition."

She waited for a reply, but none was forthcoming.  Scully didn't seem
appeased by her reassuring explanation.  She took the next step.

"What else can I do to help you, Scully?" Kaz asked her with gentle
eyes.

Scully gathered herself and focused on the other issue that had brought
her here.  Kaz kept herself up on current politics to the point of
nearly being an expert.  Scully was fairly certain that if she ever
chose to leave the Navy, Kaz could get a position in the political arena
in an instant--though Scully seriously doubted she'd ever take such
action.  Coming to Kaz with this question easier and less conspicuous
than researching the topic herself through the Bureau's mainframe.

"What do you know about Senator Sorenson?" she asked.

Kaz looked off thoughtfully for a second before nodding and meeting
Scully's eyes once again, "Sorenson's from North Dakota, I think he's
about two years into his third term.  He's well-known as an
arch-conservative.  Personally, I believe he has a spotty voting record
for a man of his 'so-called' political stance.  On more than a few
occasions, he's splintered; supported issues, bills, or charges that
were completely against everything he supposedly stands for.  It's
rather subtle, and I'm constantly surprised he hasn't been publicly
called out for it.  But then," she shrugged, "who knows what goes on
behind closed doors?  Especially between politicians and members of the
press."

Scully thought about that for a long time.  Kaz didn't press her for
more information, didn't flood her with questions.  She let Scully
quietly think it through.  After a few minutes, the petite G-woman
stood, preparing to leave.

Kaz stood with her, releasing her link on Scully's fingers.  The agent
looked up at her and suddenly leaned in to kiss her cheek.  Kaz smiled
at her and reached for Scully's hands once again, holding them by their
sides.

"Good luck, Scully.  Remember, I'm always here if you need me."

"I know you are.  I'll see you tonight, okay?"

"Tonight," Kaz agreed with a nod, then bent to return Scully's peck on
the cheek, "At my house again?  Don't you ever miss your apartment?"

Shrugging, she replied, "Not really.  I feel like my life is with you,
and your house is special.  Special to me...special to us."

Kaz was deeply touched, "You don't know how much it means for me to hear
you say that.  You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Dana
Scully.  Now go out there and kick Sorenson's ass."

Scully smiled up at her.  Kaz always did this; took a situation that was
tearing her apart inside and built her back up, made her feel like she
could bring down any Goliath set into her path.  She hugged Kaz tightly
before turning and reluctantly leaving the office.  

Anne Kazmerowski watched her go.  She nibbled on her lower lip for a
moment and frowned.  Her reassurances to Scully had been just that,
reassurances.  She wasn't a fan of Senator Albert Sorenson, and didn't
like the fact that Dana Scully and Fox Mulder had been called onto his
carpet.  

She stood and circled around to her desk.  Flipping on her computer, she
picked up the phone and punched in a memorized extension.

"Hardy, it's Kaz.  Can you come to my office for a few minutes.  I need
your help accessing something.  Do you know how to access congressional
records?  Yes, recent issues and voting breakdowns by individual..."  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anne Kazmerowski's House
6:45 p.m.

Scully unlocked the front door of the dark, silent house and let herself
in.  She was a little surprised Kaz wasn't home yet, but not extremely
so.  The Commander's job was sometimes just as unpredictable as her
own.  She went upstairs to take off her pantsuit and replace it with
jeans and a baggy white sweatshirt, then headed back down to let Brandy
in.

The light brown and white boxer trotted eagerly into the kitchen, her
stub tail wagging and her tongue eager to lick Scully's hand.  Scully
bent down to allow a few 'kisses' from the big dog and scratched
Brandy's ears as she talked.

"Hey there, Brandy old girl.  How was your day?  I bet it was a hell of
a lot better than mine."  She stood and found a bottle of opened
burgundy in a cupboard.  

Pouring herself a glass, she spoke to the dog again, "What are we going
to do, huh girl?  What are we gonna tell your momma?"  She raised her
glass thoughtfully and sipped, then looked back down into the excitable
young puppy's big dark eyes, "You're momma--she's a smart one, Brandy. 
She's no fool, and I'm so in love with her.  I just don't want her to
get mixed up in this swill.  You understand, don't you girl?  You know
how important she is to me...to both of us."

The dog came forward to lick her hand once again.  Scully smiled down at
the big beast, then heard the garage door open on its automatic chain
and the purr of the old Mustang's smooth engine echoing through the
acoustic tile room.  Brandy immediately turned and ran to the hall,
leaving Scully alone, but with an amused look on her face.

The dog and Kaz had most definitely formed a bond.  Although she had
only been a part of the young officer's life for a short time, Brandy
was extremely protective of Kaz, sometimes even misinterpreting a few of
their more playful moments, thinking Scully was attacking her beloved
owner and becoming agitated.

Strolling into the hallway, Scully heard the knob turn.  Kaz's voice
rang out in the hallway as Brandy greeted her affectionately.

"Hey!  Here's my baby, what's shaking, Brandy?  Where's the Scullster?"

"Hello Kaz," Scully said, leaning against a door frame.

Kaz tossed her hat onto a small table in the hallway and dropped her
attach‚ case next to it.  She wore her long jacket over a pair of gray
sweatpants and matching shirt emblazoned with 'Property of USN' across
the chest.  On her feet were black Adidas athletic shoes.  She shook out
her somewhat damp hair for a moment and ran a hand through it, tucking
stray strands behind her ears as she smiled at the vision of beauty that
stood at the end of the hallway.

"Was it causal day at the Navy Yard?" Scully asked her with a smirk.

Returning it, Kaz approached and took of her jacket, tossing it on a
nearby chair, "I was working at my desk *all* afternoon and was dying
for a little exercise.  As soon as the clock tolled five I was out of
there and headed for the weight room."

Scully leaned forward to kiss her fresh, clean cheek.  The tall brunette
smelled of Ivory soap and her sandalwood lotion.

"Am I not relieving enough of your pent-up sexual energy?" she joked,
recalling one of their earlier discussions regarding Kaz's exercise
fixation.

Kaz chuckled and set her hands on Scully's hips, "You sure as hell are,
but I still need to work out occasionally.  Besides, Nobbs was
complaining that I don't spend as much 'quality time' with him as I used
to, so we lifted together."

"Tell me more about your friend Nobbs," Scully prodded, her right hand
playing with the silver chain around Kaz's neck.

Pursing her lips for a moment, the officer said, "He's twenty-nine, from
Texas, of all places, and probably my closest friend at the Yard.  A
couple of years ago we dated, but never slept together.  Still, we
stayed friends, since we get along great, but that romantic pull just
wasn't there.  At least, I know it wasn't there for me, and he seemed to
take it in stride too."  

She looked down into Scully's eyes as she said this, gauging her lover's
reaction.  It was the first time she'd specifically mentioned a former
boyfriend, and Scully never had.  Realizing her friend was interested,
but not upset in the least, Kaz continued:

"He thinks I'm seeing someone, and I think he's a little miffed that I
won't admit it and give him the details."

"Why does he think you're seeing someone?"

Smirking, Kaz rolled her eyes, "He tells me I come to work with a 'just
been fucked' look on my face."

Scully drew her lips in, biting them to hold back a laugh, but failed. 
She snorted, tittered, and finally gave in, expelling an uncontrolled
gale of laughter.  Kaz couldn't help but join her, for the rare sound of
Dana Scully's laughter was music to her ears.

As Scully calmed, she asked, "And what did you tell him?"

"I just gave him a mysterious little smile and said nothing.  Sometimes
silence is more of a torture than any snappy retort, and that's
particularly true in Nobbs' case."

"So you two went out once, it didn't work, but he *still* teases you
with endless sexual innuendoes?"

Kaz cocked her head to one side, "Like I said, we're good friends, and
it's an old, running joke between us.  I don't mind, it keeps the
conversation lively.  I guess...well, I guess I take them as
compliments.  Even though we didn't last as a couple, he still finds me
attractive.  That's always a nice thing to hear."

Scully slid her hands around Kaz's back, "He's not the only one who
finds you attractive, Kaz."

Kaz smiled sheepishly and looked down at the floor, but Scully reached
out to tilt her chin up.

"Honey, you're beautiful," she said, and lifted her head more to brush
Kaz's lips with her own.  

As they touched, Kaz closed her eyes, staying passive and reveling in
the sweet sensations.  Scully kissed her top lip, her bottom one, then
both together.  Kaz melted under the gentle onslaught and opened her
mouth, admitting an exploratory tongue which sought her own and stroked
it tenderly.  She raised her hands to cup Scully's face, growing more
aggressive and kissing Scully's ripe, full mouth deeply and thoroughly.

After several long minutes they broke apart, and Kaz pulled Scully in
against her neck, keeping the agent close and setting silky lips against
her temple.  Scully loved how well they fit together in this upright
embrace.

Softly, the tall Italian asked, "How was your meeting with the
Scarecrow?"

"Scarecrow?"

"Sorenson.  With that thin face and pinched nose, he kind of looks like
the Scarecrow from 'Wizard Of Oz.'"

Scully couldn't help but chuckle again at that.  The image of Senator
Sorenson in yellow greasepaint, a ratty old straw-filled hat, and
patched-up jeans struck her as funny.  Her head shook against Kaz's
shoulder as she turned her face in to kiss the sensitive skin of her
lover's neck.

"I'll try not to picture that image when I go before the committee day
after next."

She felt Kaz's head nod as if the lawyer had expected this. "I had a
feeling they weren't just going to depo you.  Sorenson *would* haul you
in front of the entire Sub-Committee.  In my opinion, he's kind of a
bastard."

Scully shrugged within the embrace, feeling more confident now than she
had that morning.  She'd formulated something of a game plan, had
thought through all the angles, and had taken into heavy consideration
what Kaz told her earlier.

"How did it go?" Kaz asked, running a hand over her hair.

She pulled back slightly and tucked one more strand of soft, damp hair
behind Kaz's ear, "Very brief.  He threatened Skinner with perjury, got
upset because Mulder wasn't there, and let us go.  Said he'd see us in
two days before the panel."

Kaz's brows knitted, "Mulder wasn't there, huh?  That takes some balls."

Scully willed her body not to tense within Kaz's arms as she replied,
"He's out in the field."

The officer's thick eyebrows lifted, "He *will* be back for the hearing
though, right?"

"I'm hoping so," Scully said truthfully.

Kaz frowned just a little at this vague answer, but didn't press.  This
was Scully's business, not her own.  She was merely a side-player; one
who'd already stuck her nose in further than she'd been asked to.  She
couldn't help herself though.  She was as addicted to Dana Scully as
Mulder was to lights in the sky, and helping her companion was
second-nature.

Looking into Scully's clear blue eyes, she said, "I did do a little more
research on Sorenson.  I don't know if it will help, but I have a few
things for you."

She walked back to her attach‚ case and pulled out a thick handful of
papers.  Scully's eyes widened at the sight.  Following Kaz to the
dining room table, they sat.

"These are Sorenson's voting records on certain issues I ascertained
might be tangential to this inquiry.  I highlighted the ones of
particular interest.  The ones that don't seem to jive with a man of his
particular brand of politics."

Scully opened and shut her mouth a few times before anything came out,
"Kaz, you didn't need to--"

"I think I did," Kaz interrupted. "Look over these while I call for
pizza."

"Pizza?" Scully asked her fitness-freak girlfriend.

"Yep, and I'll get you a beer.  It's gonna be a long night, Scullster."

Scully flipped through a few of the pages on the stack, stopping to read
some of the passages highlighted in green.  Kaz was right.  It was going
to be a long night.  A night filled with legal talk and maybe a little
bit of courtroom strategy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, March 4
2:21 p.m.

"Damnit!" Walter Skinner barked, slamming the phone's receiver back into
its cradle for perhaps the tenth time that day.
  
Where the hell was she?  Had she pulled a disappearing act similar to
that of her partner?  For a few seconds, he considered the possibility
that his two most brilliant and most troublesome agents had just left
him holding a rather smelly bag.

He tossed that idea in the trash can.  Dana Scully wasn't one to shirk
her responsibility.  She'd never leave him to fend for himself when
*she* had been one of the people who'd gotten him into this mess.  No,
it wasn't Agent Scully he was worried about.

It was Fox Mulder.

Mulder was the one who unwisely brought Alex Krycek into his home. 
Mulder was the one who'd retrieved the known felon and almost certain
murderer--but hadn't turned him into the proper authorities.  And Mulder
was the one who was ignoring a congressional summons and was MIA right
now.

<"In the field,"> Scully had said, which meant anywhere.  

And that was all she was saying.  

One thing Walter Skinner knew quite well by now was that when Dr. Scully
decided to keep her mouth shut, it stayed shut.  There was no point in
trying to open it.  As frustrating as this was to him, it was a fact,
plain and simple.

He picked up the phone one more time and hit redial.  She still wasn't
answering her cellphone.  He called her apartment on the off-chance
she'd be there, but only heard her terse voice again on the answering
machine.

"Damnit," he mumbled, hanging up once more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
END OF PART FIVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~