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Walking The Line Book I - The Collector's Edition
by XF-Stew
<xfstew@yahoo.com>

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

Title: Walking The Line, Part 1
Author: XF-Stew
Classification: SR
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Quagmire, Jose Chung's From Outer Space
Keywords: Mulder/Scully friendship, Scully/Other (Slash)
Summary: Scully meets a nice Naval Officer.
The inevitable disclaimer: The characters of Dana Scully and Fox Mulder do not belong to me, they are regulars on a television show called the X-Files. Perhaps you've heard of it? Anyway, they were created by this guy named Chris Carter and they belong to him. He's the one making all the money from them, not me. I am borrowing them without permission for non-commercial use. However, I'm fairly certain Mr. Carter himself wouldn't be caught dead using them this way! Heh, heh, heh...
Also, lyrics from the song "Frying Pan" were written by Victoria Williams and performed by Evan Dando on a CD titled "Sweet Relief." These lyrics were also used without permission.
Note from the author: This takes place somewhere near the beginning of the fourth season, and you may notice it is set in December. However, it doesn't follow the timeline of the show with perfect accuracy. I've only set it when I did because I love the holiday season. I say it's fourth season because there are references to Quagmire and Jose Chung, both third season episodes.
This story, to quote our former president George Bush, is a "kinder, gentler" X-Files. The reader may note the almost complete absence of angst, which was done on purpose because its author was wading in a sea of angst while in the midst of writing her next "Trinity" story (which, in case you care, is called "Visions," has angst-galore, and will hopefully be coming out before Christmas). This is something I came up with as a break from those angst-driven stories, and is just a sappy romance...of a different sort.
**I live for feedback on my stories and would love some on this one. It's my first foray into any type of romantic story, and my first foray into (gulp) slash. Send any comments to: xfstew@yahoo.com
Special Thanks go to Mary Colleen, my faithful beta reader. Without her help, this story would have been a sad little mess. Thanks Mary, you're the best!

---

WALKING THE LINE
a story by xf-stew
xfstew@yahoo.com

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

Georgetown University Library
December 16
Saturday, 11:15 am

Scully removed her glasses, but resisted the temptation to rub her eyes. One thing she always envied about men was their freedom to rub tired and itchy eyes. She, of course, would ruin her mascara and eyeliner, even though she wore very little of it.

She squeezed her eyes shut to allow them a moment of relief, then looked over at the sleeping woman again. Yep, she was still zonked out.

She'd seen the woman there the night before as well, wearing the crisp, neat dark blues of a Naval Officer's dress uniform. At first, it was the uniform that caught her eye, later it was the woman herself. She was tall, much taller than Scully herself. Scully guessed the woman was in her mid-twenties. She moved about the stacks with and easy, athletic grace and had lovely olive complexion. Scully guessed by her features that she was of Mediterranean descent, probably Italian. Her hair was dark brown, all one length, and fell only a couple of inches below her ears. It had a wave to it that gave it rich body, and when the woman ran her hand through it, which she did quite often, it obeyed her every command, falling back neatly off her face and over the crown of her head.

Scully didn't know why the woman had interested her so, except maybe for the Naval uniform, which vaguely reminded her of Ahab. There was something about her, though, something Scully couldn't identify, something that made her glance over in the woman's direction many times throughout the night.

The woman was totally engrossed in her work, thick stacks of law books dotted the table around her. She'd taken copious notes all evening, and Scully noticed that she was left-handed, a minute detail that didn't really matter, just added to the woman's mystique. Yes, the woman had been there for hours on Friday night, and apparently was still here on Saturday morning, wearing the same uniform, though the jacket was unbuttoned and the dress tie hung down out the sides of her collar.

Of course, the biggest giveaway was the fact that she was face-down in the middle of a hardcover book.

Scully herself had come, gone, and come back to the Law Library. Although the monograph she was working on had nothing to do with law, she'd just recently discovered this place, and found that she enjoyed the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of it.

She'd been there for five hours last night, and the Naval officer set down her attache case and began gathering her books around 7:30. Scully had come back on the stroke of eight this morning, anxious to finish her paper and have it off her back. She was nearly there, only now needing to compile the bibliography, which she could do at home anytime over the course of the weekend.

She stood and stretched, glad that she'd dressed comfortably in jeans and a huge, baggy sweatshirt. It felt great to wear running shoes after a week in heels. She got so tired of wearing skirts, jackets, and pumps that some days she thought she was going to go postal right there in the basement office.

Gathering her papers to take with her, Scully prepared to leave. She crossed the room, but something stopped her. She couldn't get the woman out of her mind. On impulse, she looked back at the sleeping officer, then turned and quietly walked up to her. She gently tapped the woman on the shoulder.

Her head still down, the woman cleared her throat. Scully saw one eye pop open, then the woman shook her head a little and lifted it from the book. She blinked the sleepiness from her eyes and looked up at Scully. She had dark chocolate eyes and an easy, if tired, smile.

"You caught me napping," she admitted as she rubbed an eye. With the other one she gazed at the strikingly attractive red-haired woman standing in front of her. Her ears began to ring a little and she felt momentarily light-headed. Piercing chips of blue ice were planted in the redhead's eyes. They were startlingly beautiful.

Scully jealously watched to woman give her eye a good polish with the heel of her hand. Though the gesture was one Scully wouldn't normally approve of, on this woman it seemed completely natural, a part of her personal charm.

<Apparently *she* doesn't care about eye make-up> Scully thought, then realized that the woman wore none. She had thick, dark lashes that were quite beautiful without it. Scully hadn't realized her breath had caught in her throat until she tried to speak. Nothing came out. She was startled by her own reaction, unsure of what it was about this woman that had triggered it.

She cleared her own throat, "Sorry to wake you," she apologized, "but I've noticed you sleeping here for a couple of hours. I didn't want you to miss any sort of deadline."

The woman blinked and lifted the left side of her mouth, forming a lopsided smile, "Oh no. I finished my *real* work last night around three. But I got caught up in my personal obsession and must have nodded off."

She moved her hand from the pages of the book for Scully to see it. Glancing down at the page, she blinked at it. Her mouth opened just slightly. It was an old hardcover edition of 'Moby Dick'.

The woman had a smooth, pleasant voice. "I think I've read it at least three times, but it never seems to get old. It's like listening to one of your favorite songs, you want to hear it again and again."

Scully swallowed and gave her a little smile, "It's one of my favorites too."

This time the woman's odd smile was big enough to give Scully a glimpse of brilliant white teeth. "A fellow lover of the classics, that's wonderful. A kindred spirit in the night...or maybe I should say the morning. Thank you for waking me. I should leave anyway. I think they're beginning to hate me in this place."

"Why is that? Do you often make a habit of sleeping here?"

The woman's smile turned wry, "Unfortunately, yes. The other day, in fact, one of the janitors flat out said to me, *this ain't no Howard Johnson's ma'am.*"

Scully chuckled softly, remembering she was in a library. "I should introduce myself. I'm Dana Scully."

The woman stuck out her hand and pumped Scully's fist up and down three times, then released it. "I'm Anne Kazmerowski, but everyone just calls me Kaz. It's the curse of having a long and complicated name. And working in a male-dominated profession, I guess."

"I know what you mean, I work for the Bureau. The only person who uses my first name is my mother. To everyone else, I'm Scully."

"Well, Scully, can I thank you by offering a cup of coffee? Personally, I'm dying for a hit of caffeine."

On any other occasion, Scully would have refused a morning of small talk with a complete stranger, but something inside her was secretly pleased by the offer of prolonged contact with Anne Kazmerowski. She was friendly and radiated a personal warmth that charmed Scully instantly.

She found herself instantly accepting, "Sure."

Kaz rose and closed the book, then gathered her papers and put them in her attache case. She looked down at her wrinkled jacket and skirt, brushed them out a little, then waved a hand in the air, dismissing them. She followed Scully out of the library.

"So, Scully," she said as the walked in the crisp air of early December, "are you a gourmet coffee drinker or do you prefer the old-fashioned cup of joe?"

"Ill take a cup of joe anyday."

Kaz put a hand to her chest, "A woman after my own heart. I know a great place just down the street. They've got great breakfasts too, if you're interested. I'm starving myself."

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

They took up a booth at Sam-N-Ed's Diner and instantly got their coffee fix. Scully noticed that Kaz drank it black, like any *good Navy man.*

"So, uh, Kaz, I see that you're a Lieutenant Commander."

Kaz's thick eyebrows went up in surprise, "You know your stripes, huh?"

Scully nodded as she sipped hot coffee, "My father was a Captain."

Kaz noticed the past tense. "M-m-m. Interesting. Career Navy?"

"Oh yes." Scully replied, and began a list of all the places she had lived growing up.

"It must have been tough, moving the way you did."

Scully shrugged, "Sometimes, but I had two brothers and a sister. We kept each other company until we made temporary friends with all the other brats on the base."

"So your family is close?" Kaz asked, already signaling for a refill.

The waiter came by and dropped her a nod and a greeting, she was apparently a frequent customer at the diner. They gave him their orders and he scurried off.

"We were," Scully answered after he left, "but nowadays, I don't see my brothers too often. They're both in the Navy as well. They're often at sea."

"And your sister?"

The minute the sentence left her mouth, Anne Kazmerowski regretted it. She instantly saw the drop of her new acquaintance's face and wanted to kick herself. <Nice going, dipshit> She chided mentally.

Scully's heart felt like a heavy stone in her chest as she replied, "My sister Melissa, well, she died about a year ago."

"I'm very sorry to hear that." Kaz said with real empathy.

Scully waved her apology away, even now too distressed to talk about it. She changed the subject, "Tell me, what do you do in the service, Kaz?"

Kaz, realizing she needed to lighten the mood as well as point the conversation in a different direction, smiled a little and downed half her fresh cup of coffee before saying, "Guys like you dad and brothers probably wouldn't consider me *real Navy.* I'm rarely at sea. I'm with the JAG Corps here in DC. I'm a lawyer. I did the whole ROTC bit and everything."

Scully's eyes widened a little. It made sense, with the law books she'd poured through all last night, but she looked fairly young to be a lawyer. She studied the woman's fresh, open face, careful not to dwell too long on her rich brown eyes. The eyes made her feel...well, she didn't know exactly how they made her feel, but she found it prudent not to look into them for too long.

Luckily, their food arrived, giving Scully a chance to break away from those eyes and gather rational thoughts. She felt altogether off-kilter today, as though she were doing much more than having breakfast with a new acquaintance. What that was, however, she did not know. All she did know was that Anne Kazmerowski intriuged her like few people did. She'd known the woman less than an hour, but felt drawn to her in some new and indefinable way.

"How old are you, Kaz?"

The woman laughed, a pleasant sound, and said, "I'm 27, why do you ask?"

"You just have a young face, I guess. Are you new to the JAG Corps?"

Kaz shook her head, but smiled as she swallowed a forkful of eggs, "I get that a lot. Many of the guys underestimate me in court, thinking I'm a fish. But actually, this is my third year. I'm almost done with my required stint in the Corps. I haven't decided whether to stay with it or not."

"I see. And you're stationed here in DC for now. Where are you originally from?"

"San Francisco, born and raised. My family lived in the Haight-Ashbury district when it was losing its appeal for the acid freaks. We loved it, though. In high school I used to go to all the old beat poet hangs, sometimes even with my dad, who loved that kind of stuff too. The art, the sounds, the sea air on the coast...it's all so different than here."

She looked a little wistful to Scully, who said, "Sounds like you miss it."

Kaz thought about it as she finished off her second cup of coffee. "I miss the atmosphere, but my life is here now."

Scully's next question was tentative, "And your father, he's not around anymore?"

Kaz shook her head, "He died two years ago. It was hard. He and I were always close. It seemed like my dad understood me better than anyone else I knew. Kind of a weird concept, but it held true in my case." She toyed with the rim of her coffee cup for a moment before asking the reciprocal question, afraid it might bring up as strong a reaction as before. She steeled her nerve and asked it, "I noticed you used the past tense in speaking of your father, the Captain, as well."

Scully chanced a look into the woman's eyes. They were warm and caring, sympathetic in the mutual loss of loved ones. She looked out the window of the diner as she replied, "He died three years ago, a coronary. It was about this same time of year."

"I'm sorry." Kaz said in a quiet voice, yet encouraging her to continue, realizing it was something she didn't speak of often.

"It's all right. I looked up to my father like no one else. I think, in many ways, I worshipped the ground he walked on. Perhaps it was because I often went for long periods without seeing him...no...that's not it. I simply loved and respected him. I was his little darling, his youngest daughter, and we had a lot of special times together when he was at home." There was a warm glow of nostalgia in Scully's cheeks as she spoke. "In fact, I get my love of Melville from him. When I was a girl he used to read to me from 'Moby Dick' before I went to sleep at nights. Seeing you with that book this morning, wearing that uniform, it gave me a little bit of deja vu."

Kaz smiled kindly across the table at her, "I see your father was a man of fine tastes too. I take it he was in love with the sea?"

"The sea and his family. Those were his two loves in life."

"He sounds like a fine man."

Scully nodded, struggling to keep the emotion from her face. "He was."

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Kaz allowed her breakfast companion time to gather her thoughts once again, which Scully promptly did.

"Earlier you said you might not stay with the Navy. Are you thinking of private practice?" Scully asked, finishing her breakfast. She knew that the bigtime money of a private practice or admittance into a large firm was the number one reason law students went through ROTC and served their time in the JAG Corps.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure I want to practice at all anymore."

Scully was caught off-guard by the statement. People just didn't go through the agony of law school only to practice for three years. Ever the perceptive one, Kaz noticed her surprise.

"Don't get me wrong," she explained, "I like the Navy. I enjoy the people and the work. The guys are great, it's not that. It's just that the military, well, it doesn't always allow its members the personal freedoms that ordinary people enjoy. And private practice doesn't interest me as much as I once thought it would. I sometimes think of the ACLU, because I'm in love with constitutional law, something most lawyers are not enamored of, but although I'm politically very liberal, I don't think I'm quite enough of a bleeding-heart for those folks. Besides, they aren't really high on former JAG officers, even if you did go to Berkeley."

"So what do you want to do?" Scully asked, genuinely interested in the young woman's future.

Kaz swallowed her last bite of toast. What direction should she go with this? The woman sitting across from her was intelligent, interesting, and extremely attractive. For some reason, she felt she and Scully had formed some sort of bond over the course of the morning. She couldn't explain why she felt so drawn to the FBI agent, but knew she wanted to get to know this woman better.

"Do you really want to know?" She asked.

"Sure." Scully replied.

Kaz thought about it for a moment, then said, "It would be easier to show you. Want to take a walk?"

"Where?"

"My place. It's only about a mile from here, and the walk is really nice."

"You live around here?" Scully asked, again caught off-guard. The neighborhood was one of the most exclusive and expensive in the DC area.

Kaz cocked her head as she tried to explain, "It's not like that. Mine is one of the smaller places in Georgetown, but it suits me, and I bought at a good time."

She took the bill and rose to take care of it. Scully stopped her, wanting to pay her share, but Kaz shook her head.

"Call it a thank you for the wake-up call."

The disheveled officer left a generous tip for the friendly waiter and left the diner with Scully in tow. They walked through the posh neighborhoods, admiring and commenting on the character of the fine homes they passed along the way.

Scully could hold her question no longer, "So how can a Lieutenant Commander in the JAG Corps afford to live in one of the oldest and finest neighborhoods in DC?"

Kaz gave her a crooked smile and replied, "My dad left me some money when he died. He said he wanted me to buy a house with it, so I bought one he would have really liked. Of course, I like it too."

"What did you dad do for a living?" <Own Texas?>

"He played third base for the San Francisco Giants for twelve years. After that, he and a buddy opened a small chain of sporting goods stores in the Bay Area."

Scully thought of the name again. Kazmerowski. Not being a baseball fan, it meant little to her, but Mulder would surely know it. She made a mental note to mention it to him on Monday. She knew he would be suitably impressed that she had met a professional athlete's daughter.

"Sporting goods, huh?"

"Yep." Kaz said with a leaning smile, "I worked in the store for two years, summers and weekends. If you need advice on which baseball bat or jock strap to buy, I'm your girl."

"I'll remember that." Scully said wryly as she started to chuckle.

"Don't laugh," The tall Naval Officer warned, "I bought my first car with money I earned selling jock straps."

The small redhead at her side snorted laughter, making Kaz's heart warm and set her ears ringing all over again.

Kaz patted her pockets, beginning the search for her keys. She turned up a walkway and they approached a picturesque little stone and brick house. Scully was in some kind of minor awe. Though small, the cozy-looking house was magnificent. Ivy climbed lazily over the brick front and up to the second story windows. It was easily over a hundred years old, and probably well over it.

Suddenly, though, a thought entered Scully's mind. What was she doing here? Why had she so blithely accepted the interesting young woman's invitation? And most of all, what was it about Anne Kazmerowski that made her accept it? For Scully knew that there was some quality to Kaz, some kind of charisma or grace or even mysteriousness, that drew her to this door. She'd enjoyed their easy, conversation in the diner. She rarely talked about her father, but for some reason had felt comfortable discussing him with Kaz. She felt as though she'd known the young woman for much longer than just for the morning.

Kaz unlocked the door and they stepped inside. She offered to take Scully's coat, hanging it on one of a row of wooden pegs by the door. She dropped her attache case on a small table and motioned for Scully to do the same.

"Come on," she said with a smile and a jerk of her head, beginning to climb the stairs to the second story.

Scully wanted to explore the old, grand house, but obediently followed Kaz up the stairs and into a room painted gun metal gray. It was a curious color, but just right for its contents.

It was a studio of sorts, on various easels held painted canvasses in different stages of completion. Kaz, however, by-passed these and led Scully to the corner of the room, where lay a stack of colored-pencil drawings mounted on page-sized poster board. As Scully flipped through them she realized they told a story. Most were set in dense woods, some by a river, a few in the mountains. They all had a young boy in a dirty plaid shirt and jeans encountering some type of natural obstacle, impediment, or danger.

"You see," Kaz explained with obvious excitement, "they go with this story I'm working on about a young boy who lives through a plane crash in the Rockies. He must survive in the wilderness until he is rescued. It's a young adult book, probably geared to boys around twelve or so. There aren't many books out there that young boys *want* to read, and I love action stories, plus they make great scenes for the illustrations."

Scully was amazed by the intricate detail of each illustration. The artwork was spectacular, and she told Kaz as much.

"Thanks," Kaz said, suddenly a little shy, as though afraid she'd been showing off, arrogant. She wanted to kick herself again for getting too carried away by her own excitement, forgetting how she looked to those around her. "I, um, well, I mean it's just a hobby. I don't usually go around showing this stuff to people I meet at the library. You know, when I think about it, I don't know if I've ever have met anyone at a library before."

"Me neither."

Kaz smiled, her midnight eyes sparkling just a bit. The sight of it made a little shiver run down Scully's spine. She wanted to chalk it up to a sudden draft, but something in the back of her mind told her that wasn't the case. She followed Kaz out of the room and down the stairs.

As they entered the living room, Kaz checked her watch, two o'clock. She turned to Scully, "Am I keeping you from things you have to do today, Scully?"

This, they both realized, was the perfect 'out', for Scully, a chance for her to leave if she wanted. Scully considered it for only a split-second before deciding that she wanted to spend more time with Anne Kazmerowski.

"Nope. I pretty much finished my monograph this morning so that I could relax for the rest of the weekend."

"Well, then, do you like Hitchcock?"

Scully's jaw almost--almost--dropped. She'd been planning to finish her paper this morning in order to make it back home in time for 'Notorious,' one of her favorite Alfred Hitchcock films. After meeting Kaz, however, she'd forgotten all about it. Apparently, Kaz hadn't, and the lawyer had the same taste in films.

"I love Hitchcock," she replied with a smile, "and 'Notorious' is one of my favorites. It's on in a few minutes, isn't it?"

Kaz grinned, "Sure is, two-thirty, want to stay and enjoy it together?"

"I'd like that."

Kaz offered Scully something to drink, then went into the kitchen to pour iced tea for her guest. She caught her reflection in a window and wanted to die. She only now realized she was wearing a very wrinkled blue dress uniform. Her tie hung around her unbuttoned collar, and her usually immaculate jacket was a mess. What a first impression!

She handed Scully, who was seated on the couch, a glass of tea and said, "You'll have to pardon my appearance, Scully. I don't normally treat my uniform with this kind of disrespect. Do you mind if I clean up a little before the show starts?"

"That's no problem," Scully replied, "I was wondering how long it would take you to realize you were still wearing that."

Her lopsided smile was shy and self-depreciating, "Yeah, I got a little excited about showing you my stuff. Personal egotism, I guess. Kind of forgot I was still in the monkey suit."

"It's nice." Scully remarked with sincerity.

Kaz wasn't sure how to take that, but she was hopeful as she thanked her guest. On her way up the stairs she called back to Scully, "Feel free to look around the place if you like. I'll be back in a flash."

Scully watched her rush up the steps, two at a time. She seemed a bundle of boundless energy. It was refreshing to a person who, when she wasn't looking for mutants, killers, and freaks of nature, spent her days in a windowless basement in the corner of the Hoover Building.

Feeling relaxed despite the unfamiliarity of her surroundings, Scully took Kaz's offer to look around to heart, and explored every room as she thought through this strange day. The first thing she noticed about the rooms were that each was painted a different color, and Scully quickly came to associate every one by it's tone. It wasn't the 'laundry room' anymore, it was the 'blue room', the studio became the 'gray room', and the guest room was the 'peach room.' Scully wondered what color the upstairs bathroom was, and was particularly interested in what color Kaz's own bedroom was. She didn't venture into those rooms though, not wanting to create an embarrassing situation and catch Kaz unaware.

In the downstairs office, or 'green room' Scully saw a large workstation with a fairly-new PC system, a wall full of law books, and another small bookshelf that held not books but pictures in silver frames and miscellaneous momentos. She approached it to see a tall, tanned, dark-blonde man in a baseball uniform that read 'Giants' across the chest. In front of him, facing the camera, stood a young Anne Kazmerowski in summer shorts and a T-shirt, a baseball glove on her right hand and a Tootsie Roll pop nestled in one cheek. It was a cute little picture, and Scully could see why Kaz would frame it.

There was another picture of her father, her mother, and herself on the shelf. Now Scully could see where the Italian features came from. Though 'Kazmerowski' was most probably a Polish name, Anne's coloring was Mediterranean. Her mother was a classic Italian woman, dark and petite with jet-black hair; even in something as lifeless as a photograph, the woman looked like hell on wheels.

She turned to gaze through mini-blinds and out into the sunny skies of the bright, crisp December day. She'd put it off long enough, now she had to think about just what it was she was doing. Always priding herself on being so logical, rational, and sane, Dana Scully realized that she was impulsively spending the day with a bright, young, attractive woman she barely knew.

But was that true? Did she barely know Kaz? She knew she felt something towards her, but couldn't identify the emotion. Was it merely Kaz's personal charisma and charm? She certainly was an interesting person, someone Scully wanted to know more about. And that sparkle in her eyes...

All Scully knew for sure right now was that she enjoyed being here with the energetic, artistic Navy lawyer. Kaz was a great conversationalist, sensitive as well, and seemed sincerely interested in listening to what she had to say. Was the gleam in the woman's eye and the almost-constant smile on her face only an indication of an artistic nature and easy-going, friendly personality, or was there more to it than that?

A voice from behind startled her, making her jump a little. Scully turned to see Kaz leaning against the doorframe, tanned arms crossed in front of her. Her hair looked darker now, still damp from only a half-hearted drying job. She wore a plain white T-shirt and light blue jeans. In deference to the coolness of the hardwood floors beneath them, she wore Birkenstock sandals on her feet, reminding Scully that she was, indeed, a California girl at heart.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you. So, what do you think of the place?"

Scully smiled at her, "This is great, Kaz. I really like the color schemes."

Shoving her hands into pockets of her jeans, she modestly said, "Well, I had some free time, thought I'd get a little creative with the place."

"It's great, and the architecture of the place is something else."

"Yeah, it was built in the 1830's. It's really quite historic, but has been redone many times. I like that about it though. A blend of the old and the new. The bathrooms are great, the original clawfoot tub is still in the one upstairs, but the previous owners added a separate shower."

Scully smiled playfully at her, "And what color is *that* room?"

Kaz's lopsided, bashful grin was endearing. It gave Scully another chill while showing her Kaz's youth and good-nature, "It's pink, of all things. I'm thinking of changing it to plum. I've really been into plum lately. I can't believe I didn't use it originally."

Scully looked seriously at her, "Can I ask you a question, Kaz?"

The officer shrugged, "Of course."

"How did a talented artist like you, a person who's 'hobby' is writing children's books, who paints every room of her house a different color, end up in the JAG Corps? Most lawyers I know are extremely...well, extremely uncreative. How did you decide on your career?"

Kaz's smile was a little self-deprecatory, she shrugged and gave Scully the short version, "I excelled in school, graduated a year early from high school, and did very well in college. I majored in history as an undergrad and one of my professors encouraged me to apply to Law School at Cal. Somehow, I got in, and fell in love with constitutional law. For some reason, I naively thought that's what being a lawyer was all about, gallantly protecting the civil rights of the common man. That's what I am, you know, a civil rights attorney, something there's really not a huge call for. So I made some adjustments, and right now, I'm in a spot I really like."

The redhead raised an eyebrow, then pursed her lips and said, "Earlier, you said something about not staying with the Navy, what, in particular, are your reasons for possibly leaving it?"

Kaz looked up, once again meeting Scully's blue-green eyes with her own dark chocolate ones. She swallowed, and it was a moment before she could speak. Scully's eyes were entrancing, beautiful, like cold fire. She had to pull her gaze away in order to answer the question.

"As you know, being in the armed forces is different than being a regular member of mainstream society. It's a subculture, there's probably one somewhat similar to it in the Bureau. There's pressure to fit in with what the majority does, or wants, or desires. I've never been big on following the crowd, I've always been an independent thinker, which makes it, in some minds, highly ironic that I went ROTC and joined the Navy. I dance to my own drummer quite often, to borrow a phrase from Emerson.

"Like I said before, I really like the Navy and *love* the people I work with. The guys in the office are great, and I feel really close to them. I think they've accepted me even though I'm a woman. Hell, I can drink the pansies under the table." She smiled, probably at memories of nights in bars with her male co-workers. "But sometimes it gets hard when you have your own principles. I know that's a little vague, but it's the best I can do."

"That's okay," Scully replied, "I think I understand what you mean."

She thought back to days and nights, hell, more like weeks and months, of frustration over the dead-ends, the half-truths, and the long trails of disinformation she and Mulder ran into during their investigations. It was hard when you knew there were people in your own organization, or else organizations close to yours, who were following a different agenda, who wanted you to follow their lead or accept the consequences. She thought of Melissa. Those were pretty difficult consequences to accept.

She snapped out of her reverie in time to hear Kaz say to her:

"You ready for the flick? I threw in some popcorn, should be ready by now."

Scully followed Kaz, and her nose, to the kitchen, where they refilled their tea glasses and took a bowl of air-popped popcorn to the living room to watch the movie. They sat on opposite sides of the couch with the bowl in the middle. Kaz kicked off her Birks to sit cross-legged, and Scully snuck sidelong glances at her at odd times throughout the show.

She didn't notice that Anne Kazmerowski did the same thing to her.

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

5:05 pm

When the movie ended, Kaz flipped idly through the stations as they talked. Finally, she flipped the machine off and turned to Scully. She still sat cross-legged, and Scully wondered how she did that without her legs falling asleep.

They discussed Hitchcock films, agreeing that 'Notorious' was one of the top three, but Scully claimed that the other two were 'The Man Who Knew Too Much,' and 'Spellbound.' Kaz disagreed, telling her companion that the best ones were 'Rear Window,' and then either 'North By Northwest,' or 'The Trouble With Harry.' The argument ensued for over twenty minutes before they called a friendly truce.

Kaz got up from the couch, "Would you like another drink, Scully? I have more iced tea if you'd like, but I think I'm going to have a glass of wine. Would you care for one?"

Scully nodded, and followed her to the kitchen. It was a modern room with a large island in the middle. The room's walls were a muted rust color, but the dark paint was offset by the liberal use of white tile. It was a nice, cozy place, a tasteful and very comfortable kitchen. From this room, Kaz opened a door leading to a basement cellar and motioned for Scully to join her. The wonders never ceased. In addition to extensive dry goods storage, the room held an extremely well-stocked wine cellar.

Kaz caught Scully's pursed-lip look and decided an explanation was in order. "I'm not some crooked Navy lawyer who took a big payoff or something, Scully. I know what you're thinking, and I'll be straight with you. My father left me a considerable sum of money, enough to keep me comfortable for the rest of my life."

"And he wanted you to buy a house. Did he want you to keep a good wine cellar as well?"

Kaz threw back her head and laughed. "He wasn't specific on that point, but wine's always been a very important beverage in my family. My mother's quite Italian, you see, and--"

"Ah, yes," Scully said, interrupting briefly, "I've been meaning to ask you about her."

"She was born here in America, but her parents are from the 'Old Country', as they call it. She and my dad divorced when I was a teenager. I gotta tell you outright, my mother is weird. She'd outgoing and abrasive and intrusive and doesn't really care if she'd butting into anyone else's business. Luckily for me, I inherited my father's more easy-going personality. What about you?"

Scully's brows lifted at the deft change of direction. "You mean, am I like one parent or the other?"

"Yeah."

"I'm a female version of my father, or so says my mother. It's hard for a person to tell, but I know I'm not like my mother in many ways. She's very maternal, very happy to have spent her life as a wife and mother."

"And you don't have the same ambitions?"

Scully's pursed lips curled into a wry smile, "I'm a career girl."

Kaz covered her mouth to hide a laugh at the choice of words.

"Wait," Scully said quickly, "maybe that didn't come out right. I mean that my career *at the Bureau* is very important to me. It's not everything, but it's the best I have right now. I'm a little more independent than my mother is."

They stopped their conversation to choose a bottle. Kaz allowed her guest to choose, assuring Scully that anything was okay with her. It was her cellar, she didn't put anything down here that she didn't like.

Scully chose a Merlot. Kaz nodded at her good taste and brought the bottle up. They opened it and allowed it to breathe before pouring two glasses. The hostess then went to the refrigerator and pulled out a small pan of lasagna, as yet uncooked.

Shaking her head at the younger woman, Scully said, "I take it this means I'm staying for dinner. Do you always have a lasagna on hand just in case you have company?"

Kaz turned on the oven as she replied, "Yes, you are. I decided. And I usually put together dinners for a couple of nights all at once. I never know when I'll have time to cook, and I try not to eat fast food. I got hooked on it once, but I'm desperately trying to kick the habit." She smirked at Scully, "This was supposed to be my dinner last night, but I had a minor relapse. Luckily, the closest thing was a Subway and not a Burger King. I have this thing about a big, fat Whopper with cheese."

It certainly didn't show. In fact, Kaz looked extremely trim. She had a medium to large build, and was far from a waif, but every inch of her body looked as though it were roped with muscle. Solid was the word that came to mind to describe this woman. One thing Scully knew for sure was that she wouldn't want to mess with Anne Kazmerowski in a dark alley.

After the oven heated up, Kaz popped the baking dish in. She refilled their wine glasses and took them to the living room. Scully sat on the couch while Kaz went over to fiddle with the stereo system.

"You mind some music, Scully?"

"Depends on what's playing."

"Well, I only listen to gangsta rap." Kaz said seriously.

Scully almost choked on her wine, and had a small coughing fit. Kaz came over and patted her on the back a little to help her out.

"Easy there, partner, I'm just kidding. Guess my poker face is a little too effective. I'm not really a Snoop Doggy Dogg fan."

"Thank God," Scully murmured in a choked voice, her face flushed from her attack.

The music started up and Kaz smiled gently, "To tell you the truth, I'm a jazz freak. This is a little John Coltrane."

Kaz was still patting her on the back, though Scully was over her coughing jag. As if suddenly realizing this, she quickly removed her hand and lifted her glass of wine to take a sip.

"So," she asked, "what do you do with the Bureau, Scully? Or shouldn't I ask? Is it one of those *I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you* bits?"

Scully chuckled softly, "I'm an agent in one of the divisions."

Kaz's round soft eyes got a little bigger, "Oh, so I should be calling you Special Agent Scully right?"

Scully lifted a brow sarcastically, "Only if you want me calling you Lieutenant Commander Kazmerowski."

"No, no, no," Kaz said with a little laugh and a shake of her head, "I don't subject people I like to that."

"And you like me enough to let me get away without the formality?"

Kaz's eyes glittered again, "Yes," she replied evenly, "I like you very much."

They chatted for awhile longer, discussing their families and their childhoods until the timer went off in the kitchen. Kaz trotted Scully back in, prepared a quick salad as the dish cooled, and warmed some garlic bread.

"You're amazing," Scully said with a shake of her head, "it looks like you're just wandering around in here, and all of a sudden you have this great-smelling dinner all whipped up and ready to go. You're really something, you know that."

"Aw shucks, Scully, you're embarrassing me. So I like to cook, where's the crime?" She smiled over at the redhead to let her know she was just playing, then quickly set the table. "And if you think all of that is something, you haven't seen anything yet."

Intrigued by this comment, Scully followed her, wineglass in hand, to a small, stone-colored dining room. When they had the table all ready to go, however, Kaz went to the far wall and flipped off the lights. Scully just now realized it was fully dark outside, and momentarily the room was pitch black. Then Kaz hit another switch, and the room was lit by only a small string of green and red Christmas lights which lined the window. The effect added a festive ambiance to the room and shadowed their faces in a kaleidoscope of red and green hues.

Kaz gave Scully her lopsided grin, and Scully couldn't help but give the young woman a wide smile of her own. It really was a great effect.

"So, Kaz, do you eat here in the semi-darkness every night?"

To Scully's surprise, she nodded, "I like it--but then, I have a thing about Christmas lights. I have to force myself to take them down each year. There's something about all those tiny lights making so many people so happy, just by being themselves. By being simple and beautiful." Abruptly, she shook her head, "Sorry, I get really weird sometimes. The weekends are my time to forget about the Navy and being a lawyer and all of that stuff, I guess I get carried away by my own bizarre thoughts sometimes."

Scully sipped from her glass, "They're not bizarre, at least, not the ones I've heard so far. I think that perspective is quite interesting. I must admit I've never heard it before, but I like to hear your views...they're rather refreshing after a week in b.s. central."

They sat down to eat and continued the long-running conversation they'd been having all day.

"What section of the Bureau do you work in, Scully? Vice? Violent Crimes? White Collar? What?"

Uh-oh. The dreaded question. Even after three years, she still hadn't come up with a good explanation of her job. But out of respect for Kaz, she tried to wade through it.

"I work in a small, special section. Few people know it even exists."

Kaz gave her a look of mock intimidation, "Hey, remember, I told you I didn't need to know if you're gonna have to shoot me afterwards."

Scully gave a small smile, "No, it's nothing covert, but it is a little obscure and...a little strange."

Taking a bit bite of salad, Kaz said, "Strange is good, I like strange."

"Well, then, you're gonna love this. I work in a division called the X-Files. It's a catchall for unexplained cases, UFO sightings, reports of alien abductions, and other miscellaneous phenomena."

"You mean when Farmer Fred says he saw a flying saucer, you go and check it out? Gee, I didn't know we did stuff like that."

Scully's face grew a little pinched, "Well, it's kind of the 'pet project' of my partner. He used to work Violent Crimes. He was their star profiler, but his success allowed him to pursue his own interests, and he became fascinated with this room down in the basement of the Hoover Building that was filled with these unexplained cases. He wanted to re-open the X-Files Division, and his reputation for excellence made it possible."

She left out Mulder's reputation as being *Spooky,* and omitted mention of the sister he believed was abducted by aliens as well. Best to let Kaz start out respecting Mulder, not mocking him with the quick-wit she'd displayed all afternoon.

She continued, "A year or so later I was assigned to assist Mulder in investigation of the X-Files, and no, we don't just run out to interview Farmer Fred when he says he saw a UFO. We deal with all types of cases, and, for the most part, there has to be a substantiated reason we're investigating."

"For the most part?"

Scully smirked and chuckled a little, "Well, sometimes Mulder drags me out to some strange places. I remember this one time in particular, we went out to Georgia to investigate missing persons, chewed up body parts and reported sightings of Big Blue."

"Excuse me?"

"A mythical creature--at least in southeast Georgia--somewhat similar to the Loch Ness Monster."

"And did you find Big Blue?"

Scully sighed, "Unfortunately for Mulder, no. He really had his hopes up about that one, but it turned out to be the work of a hungry alligator who had recently lost his food source, so he got adventurous and sampled the local cuisine."

Kaz got a big kick out of that, and nearly choked on a piece of garlic bread. "Great story."

"Yeah," Scully said a little sadly, "the only bad part was that the alligator ate my dog for an hors d'ouevre before moving up the food chain."

The smile disappeared from Anne Kazmerowski's face, "Oh Scully, that's terrible. I'm so sorry."

Scully shrugged and took a bite of lasagna. It was delicious. Scully could get used to eating like this. She herself had a penchant for fast food, thanks to Mulder, though her weakness was for Quarter Pounders with cheese.

"It was a long time ago," she said, "water under the bridge."

Kaz turned the conversation to travel, and listened to Scully discuss the trip she took to Europe a couple of years ago. She was content to listen to Dana Scully talk, for she found the small redhead's voice to be extremely pleasant, even soothing. Scully was petite and compact, but had an aura of strength that drew Kaz to her. She was obviously intelligent, a medical doctor *and* an FBI agent. Plus she was easy to talk to, yet Kaz had the distinct feeling many other people didn't find her to be that way.

After dinner, Kaz went to the cellar to fetch another bottle of wine, and Scully looked at her watch. It couldn't be nine o'clock already, could it? She stood and looked out the window, her reflection framed by the small red and green lights surrounding her face. She took a good look at herself as well as the quiet Georgetown neighborhood. She really should leave. In fact, she wasn't really sure why she was still here in the house of a woman she'd just met this morning. No, this was not like rational, sensible Dana Scully at all.

Yet, she really didn't want to go. She'd thoroughly enjoyed her day with Kaz and was afraid that when she left, she would never see the young Naval officer again. The day seemed to have flown by, and now the thought that it was nearing its end saddened her more than a little. She had a foreign, expectant feeling in the pit of her stomach, and knew it had been put there by Kaz. Still, the question remained, should she leave?

She heard footsteps on the stairs and saw Kaz emerge with a fresh bottle of Merlot. She saw the look on Scully's face and said, "Not having second thoughts about opening another, are you?"

It took Scully only a split second to make up her mind, "Nope," she said, and followed the tall, dark-haired woman into the kitchen.

They took refilled glasses into the living room once more, and Kaz once again turned out the lights, replacing the plain, white lamplight with the soft glow of multi-colored Christmas lights.

"Got to take advantage of the season," she explained with a smile.

She switched CD's in the player and announced to Scully that this new one was the great Charlie Parker.

"I know." Scully said.

Kaz's eyes glittered once again in the dim light as she gave Scully her lopsided grin, "I see you have good taste in music too."

"My father loved jazz, he and my mother had a big record collection. I guess my mother still has them up in the attic somewhere."

"It's great stuff, but people seem to either love it or despise it. Me," Kaz said, sipping her wine, "I think it's sent straight from heaven."

Scully took a substantial drink of her own, "I like it too. Very soothing, and yet full of extremely powerful emotions."

Kaz's eyes, jet black in the spotty light, widened, "That sounds like one of the bizarre things I say. Maybe we are kindred spirits, Scully."

"Speaking of kindred spirits, do you have a special someone hanging around?" Scully asked her.

"You mean, am I romantically involved with anyone? No, I'm not."

"Oh. Between relationships?"

Kaz shrugged and took a much larger drink of her wine, not sure how she felt about Scully's question. A part of her was uncomfortable with the conversation, but another part was relieved it had finally come up. At least now they were getting down to it.

"Well," Kaz replied, "I haven't been seriously involved with someone in over a year. In fact, I really don't date much."

"That surprises me, Kaz."

"Why?" Kaz asked with genuine interest.

Scully thought about it for only a moment, "Well, you're young, intelligent, attractive. You're a talented artist and a woman with a good career. Face it, you're a great catch."

"So why isn't there a ring on my finger, is that what you want to know?" Kaz smiled gently and took another long sip before answering, "Maybe I'm *too* self-sufficient. In the past, none of my relationships lasted very long. I'd meet a guy, we'd go out for awhile, and he would *always* want me to do things with him. I don't really have much leisure time, and when I have it I like to decide what I want to do with it. Take today for example. Do you think that if I was involved with someone, I could ever have gotten away with falling asleep on Friday night in the Georgetown Law Library, then spending my entire Saturday with the person who woke me up?"

She smiled warmly at Scully as she waited for the inevitable answer.

After she got it, Kaz continued, "I know this is typically the thing you hear from the guy in a relationship, not from a woman, but for me, it's true. I like to do my own thing, and they don't seem understand that. It's fine for them, but when the shoe is on the other foot..." she shrugged, "But then, maybe I just haven't found a person I'd choose over a day drawing pictures upstairs in my studio. Someday, though."

Scully smiled and lifted her glass, "To someday."

Kaz returned her smile and clinked her glass to Scully's, "To someday."

They drank from their glasses, eyes meeting over the rims.

"Well, Scully," Anne Kazmerowski said, "I just bore my soul to you. Now it's your turn."

Scully instantly blushed, glad that the dim glow of the Christmas lights covered it. Her face was growing warm from the wine. She set the empty wine glass on an end table.

Running a hand through her hair, Scully said, "There's really not much to bare."

Kaz snorted in disbelief, "You don't think I'm going to believe that, do you?"

"Actually, I haven't had a serious relationship in over three years, and I rarely date."

"What? Are you married to your work or something, Dr. Special Agent?"

Scully shook a finger at the younger woman, "Don't mock me, Lieutenant Commander."

"Then why the lack of a social life, Scully?"

"It really is hard with my work. Mulder and I travel quite a bit, we never know if we're coming home at night, or flying to North Dakota in the afternoon."

"So what's the story with this guy Mulder?"

Scully snorted this time, "Mulder?" she queried, thinking she'd misheard, "You mean my partner, Mulder?"

"No, I mean my neighbor Mulder."

Scully's brow furrowed, "You have a neighbor named Mulder?"

Kaz covered a laugh with the back of her hand, "No, dippy, I'm giving you a hard time. My, you're an easy target after a few glasses of wine."

"That's not true." Scully protested.

"Oh, you mean you're this gullible every day."

Scully laughed, then said, "Actually, I'm know for my lack of gullibility. I kind of have a reputation as being a skeptic."

"Good for you. Like they used to say in the Haight: question authority--dude."

"They said 'dude' back in the Haight?"

"Well, when I was in high school they did, but I'm guessing they didn't back in the 60's. Back to the subject though, you're ducking my question. What about Mulder? Is he a potential Mr. Right."

"Mulder isn't even Mr. Maybe. Mulder and I, though really great as partners, are like oil and water as far as personalities go."

"Opposites attract right?"

"In this case, they've attracted themselves into the best friendship I've ever had in my life. In fact, at random times throughout the day I've thought about what to tell Mulder about my weekend, and about you."

Kaz sipped the last of her wine and set the glass on an end table behind her. He propped her head on a fist against the back of the couch and asked, "What would you tell him?"

"Oh, definitely about your father. Mulder will love it that I met you. He has this inexplicable adulation for professional sports figures. And I have to tell him about how I met you. You should have seen yourself doing that faceplant in the book."

"Not one of my better moments, I must admit. I guess I didn't make a great first impression, drooling all over the pages of Melville."

Scully slapped her playfully on the arm, "You weren't drooling, and when I think about it, I'm glad I met you that way. I'll never forget it, that's for sure."

Kaz covered her eyes with a hand, "What a way to distinguish myself!"

"It was kind of cute."

Suddenly, Kaz sobered, "Cute?"

Scully knew she was walking a new, unfamiliar line, yet she didn't back away from it. There was something between them. It was undeniable. She could barely look Kaz in the eyes at this point, she was deathly afraid the sight of those beautiful browns would make her leave a small puddle on the couch.

Her voice involuntarily dropped just a little as she replied, "Yeah...cute."

Kaz smiled, but it was a different smile than those she'd been liberally bestowing all day. The woman turned her head and looked out across the room, toward the windows and the tiny multi-colored lights lining them. She took a deep breath, steeling her nerve. She hadn't done anything like this in a long time. But nobody else, man or woman, had ever made her feel the way she felt today with Dana Scully. She had to test that feeling, regardless of the consequences.

Scully noticed the change in her demeanor, but said nothing.

Finally, after a long moment of silence, the first between the women all day, Kaz turned back to her and said, "Scully, can I ask you a question?"

Scully felt her heart leap into her throat. Was that fear? Anticipation? The unknown? The look on Kaz's face and the sudden seriousness of her tone made Scully extremely nervous about the question. Had she misinterpreted? Was this not the situation she'd thought it was?

Her throat was dry; she had to swallow before answering, "Okay."

Kaz's face was deadly serious, but Scully didn't know that Kaz's heart was beating just as fast as her own. The Naval officer was just as anxious, just as nervous, had just as much of a ringing in her ears.

"Scully, can I kiss you?"

Scully's mouth opened to answer, but nothing came out. She snapped it shut and looked Kaz directly in the eyes. Warm dark chocolate met ice blue, and each caught the glimmer in the other's. She managed a small nod, inwardly sighing with relief, and yet scared beyond belief. Kaz let out the breath she'd been holding since the question had left her mouth.

Their eyes still locked, Kaz glided closer to Scully. She leaned over very slowly, allowing Scully every chance to change her mind. When she got to the point of no return, she moved in quicker, anticipation overcoming everything else.

Scully felt soft lips gently touch her own. They reached out to brush her lips, then pulled back. As they once more touched hers, Scully leaned forward just a bit, a subtle cue not to leave again. She felt Kaz's arms move around her waist, gently settling on her hips for a moment before moving up to feel her back. Scully's own arms imitated the gesture, and she discovered that she was right, Kaz's back was hard and strong beneath her T-shirt.

Kaz's lips grew hungrier, and Scully, relishing the new, soft sensations, opened her mouth to admit an exploring tongue. As their mouths locked and their tongues touched for the first time, Scully saw fireworks behind her closed eyelids and felt the wetness she'd been fighting invade her lower regions.

Their tongues danced and dueled, stroking and exploring the newness of the other as hands began to do the same. After a few long, luxurious minutes of this exploration, Kaz leaned forward, tilting Scully backwards on the couch. She lay back in the soft pillows as Kaz settled by her side, her hand now hesitant on top of the sweatshirt before mustering the courage to slide under it, feeling the soft, bare skin of Scully's stomach.

Scully was momentarily startled by the bold movement, just now realizing what she was doing. <I'm making out with a woman. And it feels so good, so soft, so right.> She relaxed her body and let herself go with the exquisite sensations. She could think later, but for now she needed to hold and feel and kiss the woman beside her.

Kaz grew even bolder now, and placed a knee between Scully's legs, gently bringing it into contact with Scully's warm center through her jeans. The moan she felt rumbling out of Scully's throat and into her own sent shocking currents of heat, need, and desire racing through Kaz's body. She returned the moan instinctively as she traced the line of Scully's teeth with her tongue.

Scully began to reciprocate the aggressive gestures now. She brought a hand between them and set it on Kaz's breast. The swell of it fit perfectly into Scully's small hand, and she rubbed a thumb across the nipple, wanting to feel one other than her own (and on a live body) for the first time. The nipple quickly grew taut and erect beneath the thin fabric of the T-shirt and casual sports bra Kaz wore.

Scully felt a warm hand on her own breast, but this one was directly on the bare skin. She broke the kiss out of a need for air. Kaz peppered her face with light kisses as she kneaded one breast, then the other, with what Scully assumed were experienced fingers.

Catching her breath, Scully lifted the hair off of Kaz's face and tucked it behind her ears, then bent forward to resume the kiss. Kaz, however, kissed her only briefly before moving her mouth close to Scully's ear.

"Stay the night," she whispered, her voice heavily laden with desire.

"Yes," Scully instantly replied in a voice that matched her partner's.

Kaz kissed her once again, then found Scully's arms and gently coaxed her to her feet. "Let's go upstairs."

Scully said nothing, but simply nodded into the taller woman's shoulder as they made their way to the stairway, stopping occasionally for kisses, caresses, and soft words whispered by Kaz into Scully's ear. As for herself, Scully wasn't sure her Jell-O-like legs were going to make it to the upstairs bedroom, and she wasn't entirely sure she knew what was going to happen once they were there. Although she was a very willing participant in this, she had never done this sort of thing before. It was taboo, something that simply wasn't talked about, wasn't done.

But one look at Anne Kazmerowski, passed out from exhaustion in the Georgetown Law Library, seemed to have changed all of that, however.

Kaz supported her as they walked up the stairs. She was familiar with the house even in the dark, and quickly navigated the twists and turns until they reached their goal. She laid Scully down on the bed and looked into her eyes as she knelt over her, seeking permission. Scully reached up, hooked an arm around her head, and pulled her down for a hungry kiss.

She straddled Scully's body as their tongues met once more. Careful not to put too much weight on the smaller woman, she laid down so that their bodies, although still fully clothed, lay against each other.

Kaz reveled in the feeling of Scully's soft mouth, her sensitive fingers, and her warm, greedy tongue. Scully had quickly taken control of this kiss, discovering every inch of Kaz's willing mouth. Her lips were so sensuous. Kaz had been immediately drawn to them, outlined as they had been in bright red lipstick, a lipstick she was now tasting between deep kisses.

She now forced herself to pull away. "Scully," she gasped, "I need you naked."

The reply was husky and sensual, "Then make me that way."

<Oh God,> Kaz thought, moaning inside her head as another tide of warm wetness flowed between her legs.

She lifted the sweatshirt, laying feathery kisses on Scully's midriff as she moved the shirt higher and higher. She pulled it over the gorgeous mass of red hair and off Scully's body. Even in the pale moonlight, she could sense the creamy smoothness of Scully's fair skin. She wanted to taste it all, to kiss every inch, to lick it, to own it, even if only for a moment. She reached between beautiful round breasts to find a small clasp and released it, allowing the milky white breasts the freedom they deserved.

She disposed of the bra and sweatshirt, piling them in the corner, then, still straddling Scully, lifted her own shirt by the bottom seam and pulled it over her head. She ran a hand over her head, taming her dark hair, and leaned back down. Scully understood what she wanted and reached out a slightly tentative hand. She snaked it underneath the loose elastic of the sports bra and pulled it up and off.

Kaz made no movement for a moment, but simply locked eyes with Dana Scully. Then she slowly lowered her torso until their nipples grazed each other. She watched Scully's mouth form a perfect 'O', and heard the low groan in her throat. She lowered herself a bit more, pressing the sensitive nipples against each other, and setting off exquisite sparks in each of the women. Kaz looked on as Scully's eyes slipped closed and she bit her lip. Kaz captured the lip between her own and gently pulled on it. She sucked it into her mouth and carefully nibbled on it as she pressed her hips into Scully's.

Scully brought her hands up to caress Kaz's bare back. The skin was smooth and silky beneath her fingers. This was so very different from any other sexual encounter she'd ever had. Not that those hadn't been very good or very satisfying, but it had never felt anything like this. The softness, the gentleness, the feel of the touches were so intense. This was full of tenderness, giving, and emotion. With most the men she'd been with, there had been a sense of rushing. They had to get there fast, be there now. With Kaz, the slow foreplay of their encounter was exquisitely powerful. Scully had never felt anything like it before in her life.

Now, Kaz was kissing her neck as she worked with one hand on the buttons of Scully's jeans. The sweet sensation on one of her most sensitive areas instantly brought up another comparison. No whisker burn. Kaz's face was as soft as her own, and the absence of this roughness combined with the silkiness of Kaz's lips nearly sent Scully's pent-up sexual energies brimming over.

Scully sent her own hands to Kaz's belt and deftly unbuckled it, then unbuttoned the jeans and pushed them off of Kaz's narrow hips. Scully just now realized as she reached far down that Kaz was rather wedge-shaped, with broad shoulders and a strong back that tapered to narrow hips and legs. Cupping Kaz's ass, Scully realized the woman barely had one. But she made do with what she had, and ran her hands over it again and again, kneading the flesh until she heard a soft exhalation against her neck and a voice in her ear.

"Oh, Scully--"

Kaz now worked harder to rid the redhead of her jeans, both of them growing anxious and needy. Scully wasn't sure what she was so anxious for, but knew that after this, it would be tremendous.

In seconds, they lay naked on the bed. Kaz hastily pulled back the sheets, something she'd neglected before, and felt a soft hand on her shoulder. The touch sent shivers through every nerve, every pore of her body.

"Kaz," Scully said, now kneeling back on her legs.

A soft kiss on Scully's lips, then, "Yes?"

"I've...I've never done this before."

Kaz touched her forehead to Scully's as they knelt side by side. "Good," she said, and reached out to kiss Scully once more.

"But--"

Kaz put a finger to Scully's magnificent, sexy red lips. "Don't worry about it. You only do what comes natural for you. Nothing more, okay?"

Scully nodded, then took Kaz's finger into her mouth. Anne Kazmerowski almost lost it right then and there, with the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen in her life doing nothing more than sucking on her finger.

She decided to give a little of the torture back, wanting--no, needing, to feel Scully writhing under her touch. She leaned in and ran a hand through the red tresses she'd been entranced by all day, loving the thickness, the softness, the texture of it. She moved it back off of Scully's neck, and once again dipped her head in. This time, she kissed her way to Scully's ear, then licked delicately at the sensitive spot behind it. Kaz felt a tremor run through Scully's body and smiled to herself. She nibbled at Scully's earlobe as her free hand ran the length of Scully's back, teasing the flesh into goosebumps. She felt her finger being pulled at even harder, Scully's warm tongue just at the tip.

Now needing to do what she'd been wanting to do for the last eleven hours or so, she removed her finger from Scully's mouth and trailed her left hand down Scully's body. She felt another tremor run through her partner, and felt the weakening in Scully's legs. She laid Scully back on the bed, then moved herself down to catch a bobbing nipple with her mouth.

Scully instantly moaned at the sensation of Kaz's mouth on her breast. It had been so long--far too long--since she'd felt that particular sensation. And yet, this was something completely new, because it was the same, yet different. Kaz wasn't just nuzzling her breast, she was *loving* it, worshipping it, bestowing upon it everything she had to give. And as she moved on to the next one, Scully felt the same power, the same reverie, begin all over again.

With the powerful sensations in her aching nipples, Scully almost forgot about the fingers moving ever so slowly down her stomach. She quickly remembered them, however, when Kaz parted her lower lips and felt the heavy evidence of Scully's desire. Kaz rubbed it gently over the entire area before entering Scully with two fingers, slow at first, then began to pump them in a careful, measured rhythm. Her thumb went to Scully's clitoris, and Kaz heard a sharp gasp from above her.

She lifted her head from the almost irresistible breasts to peek at Scully's face. Her heart once again leapt as she saw the intense beauty intermingled with pleasure. Scully's eyes were closed, but her mouth was open and her breath was quickening in her chest.

She lowered her eyes once more and half-kissed, half-licked her way down Scully's flat stomach.

Suddenly, she felt Scully's body tense and heard a voice above her, "No, Kaz, you--you don't have to...no."

She didn't hesitate, but continued her progress downward as she replied, "Yes, Scully. I want to, I need to."

There were no more protests as Kaz replaced her pumping fingers with her mouth. Hearing the beautiful redhead moan loudly at the sensation, she thrust her tongue deep inside of Scully, tasting her and smelling her and wanting all she could get of her. She drove her tongue in and out as she rode the thrusts Scully began to give. She heard the excited cries and pants from above her and was, at that moment, the happiest person in the world.

She continued to tongue-fuck Scully until she felt, through Scully's own compact body, the climax begin to build. She moved deftly up and planted her mouth on Scully's engorged clit, kissing it carefully at first, then beginning to stroke it with the flat of her tongue and suck it with her entire mouth.

Scully thought she was going to die. Kaz's mouth was like magic, she'd never felt anything better. She was barely aware of her gasps and cries, and lost all senses except that of touch, which she was feeling quite liberally right now. Her hips bucked involuntarily, pushing her up into Kaz's face. Kaz didn't seem to mind, though, and afterwards worked even harder to make Scully come.

It was like a freight train, the express, rushing through town hard and with intense power behind it. Scully was vaguely aware of screaming Kaz's name repeatedly and of clutching the dark, soft hair of her lover's head, which lay between Scully's legs.

The orgasm went on and on, Scully going wild with pleasures she hadn't felt in so long, but Kaz kept at it, and before the first climax ended, another began, making her scream again.

"Oh my God!" She panted, "Oh, K-a-a-z-z-z-z!"

As Scully came down from her second orgasm, Kaz lapped lazily at the juices surrounding her lover's hole, wanting to devour every drop. When she finished, she snaked back up into Scully's waiting arms, and they held each other for a moment. Then Kaz turned to face her and bent forward to kiss her partner, allowing Scully to taste herself on Kaz's lips and in her mouth.

Of all Scully's former lovers (not that there'd been many), not one had ever done this for her with such passion and enthusiasm. And none had gone immediately to her mouth after. She wasn't sure about doing it until it was too late, and Kaz's hot tongue was in her mouth, seeking out her own. It was wonderful, though, this taste of her own self, and the giving of it was so sensual. Scully found herself thoroughly searching all throughout Kaz's mouth for more, and they shared the secret substance together.

After a few long minutes of deep, passionate kisses, Scully leaned over close to her new lover's ear, "What do you want me to do?"

Kaz looked at her with glimmering obsidian eyes that radiated happiness, "You don't have to do anything, Scully."

"But I want to."

Kaz grinned in the moonlight, bright slivers reflecting off her straight white teeth, "Then do whatever you feel like doing."

Scully gave her a smile and kissed her once more, this time climbing on top of Kaz's powerful, yet entirely feminine body. She kissed her way down to Kaz's breasts and cupped them once more, enjoying the feel of the soft flesh in her palms. Then, after only a moments hesitation, she bent down and cautiously licked a nipple.

Kaz laughed throatily from above her, "You see, it won't hurt you."

Scully's return laugh was playful. "Let's see if I can't shut you up for awhile."

"Oh," Kaz said innocently, "my talking bothers you?"

"If you haven't noticed," Scully replied in mock-seriousness, "I'm trying to concentrate on a job here. I'm kinda new to it and was a little out of it during my training session."

That brought a hearty laugh from Kaz, who seemed to enjoy the bedroom banter. Scully did shut her up, however, when she enclosed her mouth around a nipple and suckled on it, using her tongue to brush the tip. The laugh Kaz had turned into a long, low moan.

Scully reached a tentative hand out to stroke Kaz's sides, teasing the flesh into goosebumps and occasionally tickling her. Kaz was sensitive, every axion and neuron seemed to be firing tonight, for everywhere Scully touched on the woman seemed to evoke a strong response.

Still very hesitant, but growing braver by the second, Scully let her hand drift down between Kaz's legs. She played her fingers gingerly over the small patch of hair there, then stroked the inside of Kaz's thighs. She felt the muscles jump with anticipation beneath her fingers. Finally, summoning up the courage, she parted Kaz's lips and entered her with a single finger. She slid it in and almost out a few times before adding another. Kaz thrust her hips up toward Scully's hand, and Scully left the security of Kaz's breasts to explore this new, unfamiliar territory. Of course, it wasn't totally unfamiliar, but Scully had never tried to please any woman but herself before, and found the challenge rather intimidating. She wanted to please Kaz, didn't want to be a let down for her. Most of all, she was afraid a bad performance would lead to rejection, something she was fairly sure she didn't want. She knew she couldn't do what Kaz had done to her, but she felt, for now, that she could do this.

Scully moved down and watched her fingers pump in and out between Kaz's spread legs. She remembered when Kaz did this for her, and moved her thumb to massage Kaz's aching clit. The reaction was instantaneous. Kaz sighed and murmured her assent to this maneuver. Her hips began to move in rhythm to Scully's fingers. Taking this as a signal, Scully increased the pace.

Kaz moaned beneath her and groped, finding Scully's arm, then her free hand. Kaz brought it to her mouth and kissed it, then held it tightly between her breasts as her own orgasm came close.

Although it took all her willpower, she opened her eyes to meet Scully's. Scully read the message in them. They thanked her, and they showed Scully the intense feelings she was already harboring for her. Then the chocolate eyes closed and Kaz's face contorted as she hit the top. She let out a cry and bit her lip as tremors and spasms shook her. She contracted around Scully's fingers and cried out her name into the stillness of the room.

When Scully felt the race was over, she slowed her fingers, then slipped them out. Kaz felt their absence immediately, but quickly reached down to pull Scully up to her. She squeezed Scully to her chest for a moment before kissing her once more.

Scully pulled away after several minutes of deep soul kissing to ask, "Was that okay?"

Kaz once again captured Scully's lips. She sought out her tongue and stroked it briefly before leaving to say, "That was wonderful, Scully."

Scully broke out into a full-fledged smile, a rare sight, though Kaz didn't know it yet, and kissed her on the top of the nose. She felt her eyelids growing heavy, and settled into Kaz's arms for a little rest. However, after a long day of nervousness and anticipation, they both fell quickly into deep, contented sleep.

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

Sunday, December 17
9:15 am

Scully woke up to the sound of a phone ringing faintly from down the hall. It took her a moment to realize that this wasn't right; she wasn't at home, wasn't wearing her pyjamas, and wasn't alone.

Anne Kazmerowski slept close to her side, her breath slow and regular. She had an arm draped over Scully's stomach and her head sat nestled up against Scully's shoulder. Scully's mind quickly ran through the events of the previous night, re-filling her in on recent developments. She was just about to settle in for some hard thinking about them when she realized that the phone was *her* phone. It was the high-pitched trilling of her cellular, and she remembered how Kaz had hung her jacket up in the hallway right below the stairs.

She disentangled herself, careful not to wake the sleeping woman beside her, and searched for her clothes. She spotted her sweatshirt and threw it over her head, then raced down the stairs and to her phone.

"Scully," she said quietly into the instrument.

Mulder's monotone carried through the airwaves and into her ear, "Yeah Scully, it's me. I thought we were going to meet for breakfast this morning?"

"Um, breakfast?"

"Remember, we talked about it on Friday? I came by to pick you up, but you're not home."

"Yes I am, Mulder," she teased, "I'm standing right on the other side of the door. I just don't want to answer it because I'm practically naked and just had some of the best sex of my life." The first part was a joke, but the second was absolute truth.

"B-u-u-u-l-l-l-shit." Mulder said in disbelief, "Stop pulling my leg, Scully. Besides, if you were on the other side of the door I'd be able to hear you through it."

"Nothing gets past you, does it, detective-boy?"

Mulder was silent on the other end for a moment, considering her uncharacteristic joviality. "Gee, Scully, I'm starting to doubt my doubts now. You're in an awfully good mood this morning."

Scully heard the creaking of the stairs behind her and turned to see Kaz in a gray Navy T-shirt and mesh shorts. She smiled just a little nervously at Scully and passed her, heading to the kitchen. She gave Scully an affectionate touch on the shoulder as she passed, and Scully shot her a little wave in return, following her into the kitchen, a move that apparently pleased her.

"No, you were right, Mulder, I'm not there. I'm in Georgetown. I spent the evening with a friend and, um, well, I had a little bit too much to drink and crashed on the couch." She gave Kaz a little wink before continuing, "I forgot all about breakfast, I'm sorry."

"I didn't know you had a friend who lived in Georgetown."

Scully looked at Kaz as she talked. Their eyes met and a sense of warmth passed between them.

"It's no one you know, Mulder. I met her just recently."

Kaz slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. They'd met recently, all right.

"What?" Scully asked, aware that he'd been speaking, but having missed his last question.

He repeated his query, "Who is this person? What does she do? Who signs her paychecks?"

Scully rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to give you her bio here over the phone, Mister Paranoia."

"I just want to make sure you're safe, Scully. Don't want you mixing with *the wrong crowd* if you know what I mean."

"I know exactly what you mean, Mulder, but sometimes I swear you're worse than an older brother. I can take care of myself, especially when it comes to selecting the few friends that I do have. Got it, big guy?"

"Sure thing, little woman."

They both smiled into their phones at the long-standing inside joke. Still, though, he wouldn't give it up.

"Listen, Scully. I was thinking maybe both you and your friend would like to come out to eat. We can make it brunch instead of breakfast."

"Well, I'll ask, but you've got to promise me one thing."

"Name it."

"You won't rush her name out to your hacker buddies I love so much. If I see evidence of a background check, you'll be very, very sorry."

"What you going to do, shoot me?"

"I've already done that, Mulder. The thrill is gone. I'll get more creative for this one; delicate parts of you anatomy may be involved."

"Ouch, Scully, you really know how to threaten a guy, don't you. I promise, okay, now will you ask her already?"

"Hold on," she instructed.

She covered the receiver and turned to Kaz. She kissed her quickly on the cheek, a move that elicited a beautiful smile full of white teeth and gleaming brown eyes.

"It's my partner," she explained, "I forgot I was supposed to meet him for breakfast, and now he wants us both to come. You game, or would it make you too uncomfortable?"

"I'm game if you are." Kaz replied immediately. "I'd like to meet him too, considering how important he is to you. Besides, I've never met a UFO-chaser before--well, present company excluded."

Scully lifted the phone and uncovered the mouthpiece. "Okay, Mulder, she'd willing to brave it. One thing, though."

"What's that?"

"You're paying!"

He tried whining, "Just because I eat three times as much as you doesn't mean you shouldn't pay one out of every four times."

It didn't work. Her voice was all business as she ignored his remark, "We'll meet you, what time and where?"

"If you're in Georgetown, I'll come out there. I know a great little diner near the campus."

Scully glanced over at Kaz, who was draining a glass of orange juice, "Let me guess, Sam-N-Ed's?"

The surprise was evident in his voice, "Hey, how did you know that was my favorite place?"

Scully smiled across the room at Kaz, "Mulder, I think you and my friend are going to get along just fine."

"How about 11:00?"

"Sounds great, see you then."

She hung up and set the phone down on the island. She felt Kaz's approach and let her come up from behind. Kaz encircled her waist with strong arms and set her chin on Scully's shoulder. Scully leaned back into the embrace. The feeling of warm envelopment in Kaz's arms made Scully never want to leave.

"You know what, Scully?" Kaz asked quietly into the redhead's ear.

"What's that?"

"I think I found someone I like better than I like drawing pictures."

Remembering their conversation from the night before, this meant a lot to Scully. She turned in Kaz's embrace and gave her a soft, gentle kiss. They brushed their lips together, touching just a little more each time until they opened their mouths in unison and let their tongues do the talking. Now more familiar with each other, they did the little things that got the best responses from their partner.

Scully broke off to kiss the base of Kaz's throat, the spot her mouth was naturally on a line with. Kaz responded by pressing her lips to Scully's forehead, and they held each other for a moment longer.

"Kaz," Scully said in a low voice, "we can't do this. We have to meet Mulder soon."

Kaz glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the wall, "It's only 9:40, I think maybe if we shower *together,* both our needs may be met."

Scully chuckled at that ingenious thought and grabbed Kaz's hand, entwining their fingers, "Lead on," she called, and followed Kaz to the upstairs bathroom.

Kaz stopped at a linen closet, pulled out two thick towels, and carried them with her into the rose-colored bathroom. Her left hand was still held fast by Scully's right, and a sudden rush of warmth spread through her merely by way of this almost superficial contact.

She set the towels on a rack hanging just outside the new, large, modern shower stall and turned on the water, testing it with one hand before spinning back to face Scully.

"It takes awhile for the water to heat up in these old houses."

Scully, feeling her own heat rise with the water, stood on tiptoe as she leaned in and came close to Kaz's ear, "I'm sure we can find a way to occupy ourselves until it does."

She reluctantly released Kaz's hand and moved both arms to the bottom edge of her baggy, hanging sweatshirt. Kaz swallowed hard as she watched Scully lift the article very slowly, pull it over her head, and throw it into a corner of the small room.

Kaz hadn't fully realized that she wore nothing underneath.

"Oh, Scully," she said, barely audible over the shower, "you're so beautiful."

Scully felt herself blush and lowered her eyes in sudden modesty, but Kaz quickly stepped up and lifted her chin with two fingers.

"No, don't be embarrassed. It's true. You're the most beautiful woman I think I've ever seen."

She kissed Scully's trembling lips with care and felt small, warm hands go around her waist.

Scully pulled back to ask, "Have you seen many, Kaz?"

Kaz met her eyes to see the real question in them, which was: have you been with a lot of women?

She shook her head, "I'm not exactly experienced in this sort of thing either, Scully. Once, when I was in law school at Cal, I had a...a relationship with a woman."

"Was it serious?"

Kaz vacillated, still unsure herself, "Sort of. But I was so caught up in the taboo concept I didn't let myself have a moment's peace. She could feel it, she knew I was having trouble with it. But then, of course she did, she was the one I was alternatingly loving and pushing away. It wasn't until a year after we wisely split that I came to better terms with this side of myself. Now I realize that people must follow their own instincts. In order to be happy, we choose our kinds of love...but I haven't been with a woman since then."

"So you don't have religious issues with this?" Scully asked, getting the feeling that Kaz, like herself, was Catholic.

"No. I haven't been close to the Church since I learned to think for myself, way back in high school. Of course, that gives my whacked-out Catholic mother one more thing to harp on me about, but she lives all the way out in Tucson, and I do screen my calls."

Scully hid a smile with the back of her hand.

Kaz tilted her companion's chin up once more, "So how are *you* doing with this, Scully?"

Scully searched her eyes for a long moment, then had to look away to form coherent thoughts. When she turned back, she saw the soft sparkle of empathy and concern in Kaz's dark, expressive eyes.

"I'm doing surprisingly well considering that 24 hours ago, nothing like this had ever remotely even crossed my mind."

"Not even a little crush on a friend, maybe as a kid?"

Scully shook her head, "Not that I'm aware of. Maybe, if I look back, I'll see it there, but I honestly don't think so. But yesterday, or Friday night, when I saw you in the library--I knew I felt, what? I guess I just felt *different* about you. You strolled in wearing that snazzy dress uniform. It was the way you walked, your hair, your beautiful dark skin, the spark of intelligence on your face...I felt my eyes automatically pulled toward you all night."

Kaz leaned forward, kissing her lightly once more before saying, "I have to admit I noticed nothing beyond my books and the brief I had to finish that night. Saturday morning, though, when you woke me, I looked up and thought I was staring into the face of an angel."

Her words made Scully blush all anew, an easy thing to do since she was standing here, naked and exposed in a bathroom.

"Promise me something, Scully."

Scully looked up at Kaz's serious tone.

Kaz met her eyes once more and was touched by the liquid ice within them, "Promise me that you'll let me know when you need to talk about this. And I know you will. Maybe not now, but at some point you'll want to, and we need to do it together."

Scully had absolutely no desire to talk about this right now, however, for she was having too good of a time enjoying the wild sensations that passed through her body under Kaz's gentle touch. She hadn't felt these sensations in a long, long time, and they'd never been as intense as they were at this moment. She could feel the heavy steam filling up the room, obscuring the walls and framing Kaz's dark face. All she wanted right now was to rip off Kaz's clothes and feel the soft bare skin with her eager fingertips.

Filing the tall, dark officer's words away, she nodded and stood on tiptoe to capture Kaz's full lips between her own. Kaz bent down to her, allowing Scully total control. Scully tugged ineffectually at the T-shirt, and Kaz broke the kiss to allow herself to be disrobed. The job was quickly done and they stepped into the hot shower.

Kaz grinned wickedly down at Scully and grabbed for the soap. She worked up a lather with her hands and began to spread it over her own body. Scully watched, open-mouthed, as Kaz's hands slid easily over her breasts and down her flat stomach.

She leaned very close and said right into Scully's ear, "Do me a favor, will you, Scully. Wash my back?"

She pulled away and their eyes met once more. Scully reached out a trembling, shaky hand and took the soap from Kaz. She turned the tall woman around so that the spray hit Kaz in the front.

Before starting, though, Scully embraced Kaz from behind, feeling Kaz's tight ass against her stomach as she laid sharp quick kisses all over the soft skin of Kaz's back. She heard a little sound over the noise of the shower and realized it was a groan of anticipation and pleasure from her wet companion.

Scully smiled against the bare skin beneath her cheek, then reached around to run soapy hands over Kaz's breasts and stomach, letting her touch be light and sensual. It seemed to be highly effective, and soon Kaz was leaning heavily against one tiled wall, her legs growing too shaky to stand.

It gave Scully an idea, and she followed Kaz, stepping behind her and pinning her to the wall. Scully coaxed her legs further apart and brought the soap down past her ass and to her warm, pulsing core. Kaz gasped as she felt the bar on her inner thigh. Scully worked up a generous handful before dropping the bar into a tray. From behind, Scully touched Kaz with a soapy hand, massaging it into the crevices and folds she found between Kaz's strong, wiry legs.

Although the soap was slowly washing away, Scully continued to caress Kaz, exploring her hole with two fingers as she brought a hand in front of them to search for the bundle of nerves that would drive Kaz wild. She found it, and Kaz came loudly and almost instantly.

A smooth, provocative voice rang out in the small room, "Oh, Scully! God! S-s-c-c-u-l-l-e-e-e-e!"

Scully leaned heavily, using all her force to hold Kaz upright against the tile wall. When Kaz's legs again grew firmer, she backed off and Kaz turned with another wicked grin.

"I think it's my turn," she said, reaching for the soap.

Scully nearly melted when it touched her. Kaz's hands slid gracefully over her skin. They glided over her shoulders and back, over her breasts, and down her stomach. They went to her hips and then down her thighs. Kaz began to kneel, stopping once to claim a nipple and suckle momentarily before moving on. She ended up on an eye-level with the small tuft of dark auburn hair at the juncture of Scully's thighs.

For now, though, she ignored it to work the soap over Scully's legs, down to her knees, ankles, and feet. Scully now was the one who felt weak. Kaz sensed it and led her toward the back wall of the large shower stall, where she was able to prop herself up.

Kaz took the bar and meticulously cleansed Scully's firm ass, then moved down to part Scully's lips with her tongue. She waited, wanting to heighten the anticipation before moving forward to place her eager mouth on Scully's clit. Scully's legs instantly turned to Jell-O and Kaz had to hold her up by her slippery hips, a precarious position, but one that increased the sexual excitement for them both.

Kaz felt fingers in her wet hair, and gentle pressure on the back of her head. She smiled as she ate her new lover, as happy to be giving as to be receiving.

Taking a daring chance given Scully's state, Kaz slid a hand around and drove two fingers into Scully's warm, wet pussy. All she wanted at this moment was to make Scully scream and buck and come hard.

Scully felt the pressure build. The excitement of the scene made her more than ready, and she realized that Kaz had come very quickly too. She let herself go under the onslaught of sensation in her most sensitive of places. Her fingers were buried deep in Kaz's thick, wet hair and her head was lolling as she closed her eyes and let out a series of sharp, hoarse pants. Her climax came rushing at her.

She was on the edge, and she screamed out, making Kaz work even harder. The tip of Kaz's tongue was flying over Scully's clit again and again as her fingers pumped into and out of the soft glove inside her lover.

"Oh Kaz! Oh Kaz, don't stop! Oh G-A-A-W-W-D-D-D!"

Scully began to slide down the wall as she bucked and twitched under Kaz's mouth and hands. The large, strong officer tightened her hold and continued her work, loving the taste of the sweet woman she was pleasuring.

Kaz once again drew the orgasm out as long as she could, riding the storm of Scully's thrusting and thrashings as she slowed the pace of her hand, but kept a fast, steady rhythm with her tongue. She sucked the nub between her lips and rolled it there, eliciting another scream.

When it was at last over Kaz again bent to receive all she could of Scully's essential juices, then shared them once more with the petite redhead, who was little more than a puddle in the back of the shower stall.

Kaz held Scully close and leaned against the wall as she came down. She reached for the shampoo with one hand and washed Scully's hair with loving care as the agent recovered, then quickly washed her own. She gave them each another quick once over with the soap, all-business this time, and stood Scully in front of the nozzle for a good rinsing. She rinsed herself after and turned off the water.

They dried themselves and went to Kaz's room, which Scully now realized was the 'teal room.' Wrapped in a towel, Kaz threw open the door to one of two large closets and encouraged Scully to take a look.

"You're welcome to anything you think'll fit." Kaz told her.

"What's in this other closet?' Scully asked, tapping the door.

Kaz held a hand over her eyes and groaned, "Ugg, lots and lots of uniforms."

Scully opened it and peered inside. Neatly arranged by color hung over twenty-five Naval uniforms. Whites, Khakis, and dark dress blues with crisp white shirts by their side. The sight gave Scully an eerie sense of deja vu. It was so like Ahab's closet, which the young Scully children used to covertly peek into when their mother was out shopping and their father away at sea. She closed the door with a secret smile and turned back to the other one.

They outfitted Scully in a plain white T-shirt, a bra that fit fairly well, jeans that were huge, but when rolled and belted looked halfway decent, and a big, soft, gray US Navy sweatshirt. Scully rolled the sleeves, but still swam in the garment. It appealed to her, however, and she pictured in her mind how it would look on Kaz, hanging from those wide shoulders and tucked in at her narrow waist. Scully couldn't think about the image too long, else she'd ruin the borrowed panties she'd just put on.

Inwardly, Scully thought, <There's another first. I'm wearing another person's underwear. Seems kinda minor in comparison to the other firsts of the weekend, though.>

As for herself, Kaz selected light blue jeans and a black T-shirt. Scully was ready to make a remark about how the only things Kaz seemed to have in her closet were jeans and T-shirts, when Kaz yanked out a forest green fleece pullover. It was a henley with a metal zipper but no collar. It was an outdoorsy kind of shirt, and Kaz wore it zipped only halfway, but she looked absolutely beautiful in it. Not in a traditional sense, Scully reminded herself, aware that Kaz would never achieve supermodel status with her strong build and wide shoulders. But Anne Kazmerowski was an attractive woman made beautiful by her athletic poise, natural grace, and enthusiastic spirit, which was palpable. She glided when she walked, and Scully suddenly longed to see her run, anticipating that the movement would be absolutely gazelle-like.

The overshirt Kaz wore clung to her in all the right places. Its fleece looked so soft and inviting that Scully couldn't resist but to up and lay her head against it, her arms wrapping themselves loosely around Kaz's waist.

Kaz held her for a moment, then said, "We've got to bust a move, Scully. We're meeting Mulder at 1300, right?"

Scully chuckled against her chest, "Yep, 1300 on the dot, sailor."

"Sorry," Kaz said, running a hand over Scully's damp hair, "I'm never around anyone who uses regular time. Well, I should say I never *used* to be."

Scully tilted her face up for a quick kiss, then Kaz went back to the bathroom to get ready, leaving Scully momentarily alone in the bedroom. The radio was on, and as Scully looked at herself in the mirror a new song began to play.

It was slow and soft and the man singing was accompanied by only an acoustic guitar. She listened to the words as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

     "One laugh in the middle of a struggle.
     A diamond at the bottom of a puddle.
     Did you ever stare at the moon till you saw double?
     I hear you walk away from trouble.

     Good love there ain't no denying.
     I say bad love, somebody's trying.
     Did you ever walk someplace just to take the time?
     Or take the fast road and get going?

     And then the rules break, there's no mistake,
     These are precious times. You and I, we walk the line.
     We walk the line."

<Rather prophetic,> she thought as she comtemplated current events, <I'm walking the line right now, aren't I?>

But the question she really was asking herself was: is this the line I want to walk? She thought about yesterday, meeting this new and exciting woman. This woman who made her feel different than any woman, or any man, she'd ever known. She was walking a new line now, one she'd never considered setting foot on. Yet, surprisingly enough, she didn't feel bad, didn't feel guilty about what she had done last night, or just now. She felt only an incredible sense of happiness and fulfillment. Wasn't she supposed to be angst-ridden over the 'sin' she'd just committed? The priests would scream "Yes!" And yet she didn't feel that. She felt as though a new door had opened, giving her entrance to something she'd been missing all her life.

When Kaz had taken the bold step and kissed her last night, she'd finally experienced something entirely different from anything she'd experienced before, and it felt so good, so right, and so natural. She knew this would prove to be a difficult line to walk, but with Kaz by her side, she knew they both could make it.

Kaz rushed back into the room, "Scul--"

She stopped, reading Scully's introspective posture. <This is it,> she thought, <this is when she realizes that this was all a big mistake and runs out of here. Please, don't let her cry,> she prayed, <please, don't let her hate me.>

Scully turned to see Kaz standing in the doorway, her eyes sad and worried, her arms hanging limpy at her sides. She smiled at the tall, dark woman and walked up to her, placing a kiss on her cheek. They stood face to face, and Scully watched a slow smile spread over Kaz's young, unlined face as she realized she was not being rejected.

In a low whisper, Kaz said, "I thought maybe you had changed your mind about this. I thought you were going to run screaming out the door."

Scully put her hands on Kaz's hips, facing her squarely as she shook her head, "I don't think I could leave, Kaz, even if I wanted to...and believe me, I don't want to."

"Oh good." Kaz replied with relief, bending down to place a soft kiss on Scully's red lips.

Scully wanted more, much more, but knew that time was an issue, so she gave Kaz a brief squeeze and went to the bathroom to get ready for their meeting with Mulder.

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

Sam-N-Ed's Diner
11:02 am

They had walked the mile to the diner, once more commenting on the unique architecture of the surrounding homes, and walked into the diner glad to be out of the chilly December air. Removing coats and mittens, Kaz turned to Scully and saw her scanning the patrons. She saw the redhead's eyes light on someone across the long, dark room. Kaz followed her gaze to see a tall, handsome man slide out of a booth and cross the restaurant to meet them.

"Morning Scully, long time no see," the man said in a monotone. However, the voice was deep and pleasant and Kaz found that she liked it.

They followed him back to the table and immediately received steaming cups of coffee from Kaz's favorite waiter, who gave her a friendly nod but left her to converse with her tablemates.

Scully and Kaz sat across from Mulder, and Scully instantly introduced her new friend, "Fox Mulder, this is Anne Kazmerowski. Kaz, this is Mulder."

Kaz nodded, "It's nice to meet you, Mulder. I've heard good things about you."

"Sure you did," he said with a playful smirk at Scully before turning back to the tall, attractive woman with the deep brown eyes and beautiful, full-bodied hair, "It's nice to meet you too, Anne--or do you prefer Kaz?"

"Either is fine, but I have a tendency to forget my own first name sometimes, since it rarely gets used."

"Kaz it is then," the man said with a gentle smile, "but I have to put a disclaimer on anything Scully has told you about me. I swear, all the charges have been dropped, they couldn't prove a thing."

Kaz gave him her lopsided little grin but said nothing.

Mulder continued after sipping from his cup, "Which brings me to point number two. Scully hasn't told me a thing about you, except that you live here in Georgetown."

Scully clicked her tongue and shook her head at him, "Fine Mulder. You want the lowdown?"

He smirked again, "Of course I do."

Scully smiled over at Kaz, then said, "Here's something that'll make you quake in your paranoid little boots. Kaz is a government employee."

"O-o-h Scully, I'm all a-tingle. Half the people in this city are government employees. Could you be a little more specific?"

Kaz sipped her black coffee and listened to the agents' banter. They certainly seemed to have a great rapport, and Kaz loved to hear Scully talk, so she stayed mute and enjoyed the developing scene.

"Kaz is in the JAG Corps. She's a lawyer with the Navy."

"You certainly love those Navy-types, don't you, Scully?" Mulder teased.

Kaz caught the quick glance Scully threw her out of the corner of her blue eye as she smiled, "I sure do, Mulder, and you're going to love this. Her father played...was it third base?" Kaz nodded, and Scully went on, "Third base for the San Francisco Giants."

Mulder's deep-set eyes grew wider and gleamed with excitement, "Your name is Kazmerowski? Not Tommy Kazmerowski. No way!"

Kaz chuckled and nodded modestly, watching the man's glee grow.

"Tommy Kaz is your dad. I can't believe it! Why didn't you tell me that before, Scully? Tommy Kaz was one of the best third basemen in the game! He hit over .320 for five straight seasons and won three gold gloves. He's in the freaking Hall Of Fame for crying out loud. Why didn't you tell me all this before?"

"Well, I didn't know it was going to get you all hot and bothered, Mulder."

"Wow, Tommy Kaz. He was one of my favorite players when I was a kid. How is he doing?"

Kaz calmly said, "I'm afraid he had a heart attack and passed away about two years ago."

Mulder sobered at once, "I'm sorry."

Kaz smiled softly at him, accepting his condolences, "It's all right. For years he'd been telling me that he had lived a full life and would die with no regrets."

The waiter came and they ordered. They continued to make small talk until it arrived. Kaz watched with something resembling awe as Mulder put away a huge stack of pancakes, five sausage links, two strips of bacon, and three eggs. Scully laughed out loud when she caught the look on her friend's face.

"My God, man," Kaz said to him as he continued to chew long after the women had finished, "did you bring your hollow leg along with you today or what?"

Mulder washed down his mouthful with a long swallow of coffee, "Tell me, Scully, do you pick your friends based solely on their ability to give me shit?"

Scully laughed and reached for Kaz's hand under the table. It was warm and soft and their fingers automatically entwined as Scully answered, "Nope, but it's definitely a fringe benefit."

Kaz looked over at Scully and their eyes locked. They smiled softly at each other, then forced themselves to look away.

Mulder asked Kaz about her background, and all three spent a few minutes discussing their respective educational histories.

Kaz then withdrew her hand from Scully's as she excused herself to use the restroom. Mulder watched her leave, now finally finished eating.

"She's very nice." Mulder said when she was out of earshot.

Scully nodded, "Yes, she is."

"How did you come to know her, Scully?"

"Why?"

"Because you don't meet very many people that I don't meet at the same time. I just didn't know you hung out at places where you'd meet JAG lawyers. Is she someone you met through one of your brothers?"

"N-o-o-o." Scully said slowly wondering how much to tell him.

She had always been pretty honest with Mulder, after all, he was her closest friend as well as her partner. It hadn't always been that way. At first, he was grudging and somewhat hostile about her presence, but as time went on they found that they worked well together. Over the past year they had grown closer and closer as friends, sharing much of their personal lives as well as their professional ones.

If Kaz had been a man, she'd have told Mulder about the events of the previous day already, but this was different. She knew already she had strong feelings for Kaz, this was no one-night stand, and it certainly didn't feel like a passing fancy. But was she ready to shock Mulder to the core? And what if things went sour with Kaz? Would she simply want to forget this strange interlude, chalk it up to temporary insanity and never want anyone to know about it? She certainly didn't want most people in her life to know about it; her mother for instance. But Mulder? She shared everything with Mulder now.

"So how did you meet?" Mulder repeated.

In her newly-found state of happiness, Scully wasn't even sure if she was thinking straight. She made a snap decision to answer all of Mulder's questions truthfully.

"I met her in the Georgetown Law Library. I go there sometimes to work on papers. It's quiet and peaceful and has some great stained-glass windows."

Mulder looked just a bit confused, "You met her in a library? Scully--you don't meet people in libraries."

"Just because you've never met anyone in a library doesn't mean that other people don't."

"People read in libraries, Scully. They do research. They write their papers, like you."

"Can you drop it, Mulder? It happened, what's the big deal?"

Mulder looked seriously at her from across the rim of his coffee cup. He set it down carefully and said, "It's just that I get the impression that woman has more than a friendly interest in you."

Scully pursed her lips thoughtfully. She remembered her vow and said, "You're right, Mulder, she does...and I have more than a friendly interest in her as well."

The silence stretched between them. Scully scanned Mulder's eyes, searching for some reaction. There was nothing but his stony poker-face, the one he usually reserved for unusually bizarre cases. He picked up his cup and took another sip, then set it down and circled the rim with a finger for a moment.

"Mulder?" She said, needing a response.

He looked up and met her eyes, "That was brutally honest, Scully."

"I know it was, Mulder, and I'm sorry. I should have been more tactful. I shouldn't have said something like that here, under these conditions."

"No, Scully, don't apologize." He lowered his voice so that only she could hear him, "I approve of your choice. To quote your favorite little troll, she's hot. I just never knew you dated women as well as men."

She leaned over the table and matched her voice to his, "I never have before, Mulder. This is the first time."

That one shocked him only a little more, "For how long?"

Scully bit her lip momentarily and kept her eyes on the restroom, watching for Kaz's return. "Not long."

Knowing Scully as well as he did, the answer spoke volumes. "Scully..."

"Okay, Mulder. I've been honest with you so far, you might as well know the rest. After work on Friday I went to the library to work on my monograph. I saw her then and felt the attraction. Of course, I didn't recognize it as that then. The next morning I went back to finish, and she was still there, sleeping with her head in a book. I woke her up and she asked if I wanted to get a cup of coffee. The rest is history, so to speak."

"Wow."

"Ha! You said a mouthful, big guy."

"It's...it's just so unlike you, Scully."

Scully caught Kaz's emergence from the bathroom and said, "I know. I've never done anything like this ever before, but something happened between us Mulder. I can't deny it and I can't explain it, but she's made a very powerful impact on me."

"An X-File, huh?"

She gave him a skeptical look of disapproval, "I don't think I'd go that far, but make nice, here she comes."

Kaz approached the table and scanned their faces, "O-o-h, the hushed voices routine. Is this official FBI business, or can anyone join this conversation?"

Scully smiled and patted the seat beside her, "We could tell you, but then we'd have to kill you."

Kaz laughed as her words from yesterday were tossed playfully back at her. "I thought you said you didn't work the cloak and dagger routine, Scully."

"*I* don't, that's Mulder's forte. Breaking into restricted zones by cover of night, dressed all in black and with greasepaint on your face, right Mulder?"

He shrugged, "Trespassing on restricted property is just a hobby."

"Well don't quit your dayjob." Scully advised, "You need the money to pay for your bail."

Kaz smiled at the pair and grabbed a napkin out of the dispenser. She pulled a pen out of her pocket and looked over at Mulder for a minute, studying his face. Then she bent to the paper. The agents watched the pen, guided by her graceful left hand, fly over the paper for a couple of minutes. Gradually, an image emerged. A small body dressed all in expertly shaded black held a small, ineffectual pocketknife in one hand. The figure had a huge, disproportionate head with dark, unruly hair, deep-set eyes under bushy brows, and an exaggerated pouty lower lip that was curled up into a trademark smirk. It was a wonderful caricature of Mulder, and Kaz detailed it by drawing a barb-wire fence around him complete with an askew sign that read *NO TRESSPASSING, THIS MEANS YOU!*

Mulder and Scully laughed freely at the picture, and Kaz smiled modestly. She pushed the picture across the table.

To Mulder, she said, "For you."

"Thank you, Kaz. This is great. I didn't know art classes were a pre-requisite for law school."

She grinned at him and her bright teeth sparkled, "You have your hobby and I have mine."

Mulder checked his watch, surprised to find that it was ten after one. "Well, ladies, I have to run. The 'Skins are on at two and I'm watching the game with some friends."

Scully gave him a disapproving look, "My favorite friends?"

He smirked, "Of course. I'll give Frohike your love."

Her voice dripped sarcasm, "Yes, be sure to do that."

Mulder laid some bills on the table and picked up the check. They followed him to the counter as he waited to pay.

"Thank you for breakfast, Mulder." Kaz said to him, "It was a real pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you again."

Mulder smiled at her and gave her a brief hug, which shocked the pants off of his petite partner, "I hope to see a lot of you, Kaz. Good luck at the Navy Yard."

"And good luck to you, too. I hope you find an alien one of these days."

Mulder stuck his tongue out at Scully for a quick second before turning back to Kaz, "At least someone wishes me luck in my lonely quest. She always wants to burst my bubble."

Scully crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. In lecture mode, she said, "Mulder, a zipper on an alien is a dead giveaway for a hoax."

Kaz got a thoughtful look on her face, "Zipper on an alien, huh? That sounds familiar. I know, I read about it in this book by Jose Chung. I don't remember the title, but--"

She was cut off by groans from both FBI Agents. She looked from one to the other in puzzlement.

Scully put a hand on her arm, "Don't get us started on Jose Chung."

They said their good-byes and left the restaurant. On the sidewalk, Kaz turned to Scully. "I really liked your partner, Scully. He's got a great sense of humor."

"That's Mulder, all right, just a big bundle of chuckles."

"Well, Scully," Kaz said, exhaling loudly and running a hand through her hair, "as much as I want to deny it, this weekend is slipping away from us. Do you want to get your car while we're here?"

"I suppose I should."

Kaz could tell by the tone of her voice that Scully was equally disappointed that this revelatory weekend was in its last day as well.

Kaz touched her shoulder to Scully's as they walked, "Don't be sad, Scully, we still have a few more hours. That is, if you'd like to spend them with me."

Scully smiled brilliantly up at her, "There's no one else I'd rather spend them with."

Kaz grinned back at her and asked, "Where is your car?"

Scully pointed to a blue Taurus just up the street.

The young officer turned to her and said, "Beat you there," before sprinting up the deserted street with a merry laugh.

It took Scully only a moment to register that she was, one, in a race, and, two, already losing. "Hey! Wait up!" She yelled as she tried valiantly to catch up with Kaz.

It was a lost cause, however. The Naval Officer's long legs took her farther with every step, and Scully slowed to a jog in order to watch Kaz run. She had been right, it was beautiful. Scully felt her heart expand as Kaz stopped by the car, leaned against it, and crossed her arms over her chest to wait for her smaller companion.

"Cheater!" Scully grumbled with mock indignation as she reached the car.

Kaz shrugged, "If you're not cheating, you're not trying."

Scully unlocked the car and they drove the short distance. She grabbed Kaz's hand and held it as she drove. When they reached the house, Kaz gave her a quick kiss before exiting the car. They walked up the front porch steps and Kaz patted her pockets in search of her keys. She finally found them and unlocked the door.

Scully closed the door behind her and removed her jacket, hanging it on a peg beside the door. Kaz did the same, then turned back to Scully. The redhead was instantly in her arms, holding her tight for a moment before stepping up on tip-toes to kiss her long and deep. Kaz walked them back to the living room couch and sat with Scully across her lap.

Kaz broke the kiss and touched her forehead to Scully's. "You know who we have to thank for all of this, Scully?"

"Who?"

"Herman Melville. If I hadn't taken that header into a copy of 'Moby Dick', we might never have met."

Scully laughed out loud. This wasn't the first time 'Moby Dick' had made an impact on her life.

"You know what they say, Kaz. You can always count on the classics."

She leaned in and kissed Kaz again, so glad that she'd finally met a nice Naval Officer, just like her mom always wanted her to. Of course, Kaz probably wasn't what Margaret Scully had in mind when she'd said that to her young daugter so many years ago. But Scully had never met anyone who'd made such an impression on her as had Anne Kazmerowski, her friend and now, her lover.

~~~~~~~~~~~
THE END
~~~~~~~~~~~

 

---

 

Title: Walking The Line, Part 2: Home For The Holidays
Author: xf-stew
Rating: NC-17
Classification: SR
Spoilers: Third Season
Keywords: Mulder/Scully friendship Scully/Other (slash)
Summary: Scully asks her new friend, Anne Kazmerowski, to join her at the Scully family mountain cabin for holiday fun with Mulder and Mrs. Scully. However, Maggie doesn't know about her daughter's new relationship.
**disclaimer: Characters not mine, except Kaz. Don't sue. No money anyway.
Lyrics from Lenny Kravitz's "Heaven Help" and "All I Ever Wanted" are also used without permission, but Lenny's cool, he won't sue.

---

WALKING THE LINE, PART 2: Home For The Holidays
by xf-stew
xfstew@yahoo.com

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

J. Edgar Hoover Building
Basement Office
Thursday, December 21
5:05 p.m.

Dana Scully let out a frustrated little growl as she stared at the thick stack of paperwork piled high on the table she sat at. Why did everybody and their brother decide that the holiday season was the best time for annual reports, questionnaires, reviews, and departmental inventories to be done? In addition to the already substantial number of triplicate forms she and Mulder had to complete following each case, suddenly their paperwork load had doubled just at the time of year when everyone wanted some time off.

Including Scully. Other than for a brief lunch on Tuesday, she hadn't seen Anne Kazmerowski since last weekend. It had also been, of course, their first weekend, and a weekend she'd never forget. Scully met Kaz in the Georgetown Law Library last Saturday morning and after an entire day of getting to know the curious, intriguing, and beautiful young woman, Scully ended up spending the night with her. Literally.

It had mainly been work that kept them apart for the following four days, but they'd called each other every night since, speaking for hours on any of a thousand random topics. They discussed French Impressionists, classic literature, and the national economy as well telling more personal stories about themselves and their families. One night they debated hot political issues, and on this evening Scully had been reminded of Kaz's easygoing, California upbringing and her Berkeley education. Considering these things, she wasn't too surprised to hear her friend immediately spout radical left-wing rhetoric. Scully smiled at the irony. She was fairly certain Anne Kazmerowski was the most liberal-minded officer in the United States Navy. She herself had always been a staunch Republican, which made for an evening of interesting and heated conversation. Both immensely enjoyed their nightly phone conversations, feeling that they were growing much closer despite the miles between them.

On each of these nights, Scully brought the phone to bed with her, wanting Kaz's sweet, low voice to be the last thing she heard before falling asleep. They talked until they drifted off, only hanging up when one quit answering the other's sleepy questions.

However, the lack of actual physical contact with her new companion had Scully more than a little frustrated. Both had busy schedules, with Kaz sometimes working until after seven or eight at night, but they had vowed to make time to spend with each other. Of course, that vow had been made last Sunday, long before the avalanche of extra paperwork came drifting into the office and somehow seemed to settle itself in front ot Scully.

<Not in front of Mulder,> she thought, tapping a pen pensively against her teeth. <I don't even have a freaking desk, and still the paperwork seems to congregate in my direction.>

She glanced once again at her watch. Five-fifteen now, and Mulder was nowhere to be seen. They hadn't discussed her relationship with Kaz, and Scully was beginning to think that Mulder wanted to forget the whole thing, never thinking of it again. She had waited for him to bring it up, not wanting to make him uncomfortable by doing so herself. She was surprised by the lack of discussion, though. Mulder didn't hold many social prejudices, including homophobia. <But then,> she thought, <I suppose it's different when it's you best friend your talking about, not Joe Blow off the streets.> Maybe they'd have a chance to talk about it over the weekend.

Tomorrow night, Friday, she and Mulder were driving up to the Scully family's woodland cabin, where they spent every Christmas for the past ten years. Bill Jr. had his own family, and they were stationed in San Diego, so they wouldn't be able to make it, but this year Charlie was lucky enough to be in port, and would be joining she and her mother.

And Mulder. Although it probably upset Mrs. Mulder, he rarely made the effort to join her in Massachusetts for the holidays, and had accompanied Scully to the cabin for the last two years.

This year, however, Scully would have preferred to come up on Sunday, Christmas Eve, allowing herself a day with Kaz, but they'd made these plans months ago, and she certainly couldn't change them now without raising a couple of eyebrows she didn't particularly want raised.

Today, though, she'd planned to spend the evening, and most probably the night, with Kaz. She was anxious to get out of the office, but the paperwork was holding her up.

Mulder strolled in about a quarter of six with a smile and an armful of Chinese food. Scully tried not to shoot him and evil glare as he crossed to his desk.

"How's it going, Scully? Sorry it took me so long."

"Mulder, you left three hours ago and I thought you said you had a meeting with Skinner. The last time I checked, there were no Chinese take-out places between here and his office."

"Settle down, Scully," he said, "I figured since we've got a night full of paperwork, I might as well get us some dinner."

The irritation rising in her voice, she said, "If you'd been here three hours ago we might have it done by now."

She tossed her pen on the makeshift desk, took off her glasses, and pinched the bridge of her nose as she shut her eyes. Her head was beginning to ache from tension.

"What's wrong?" Mulder asked her.

She shook her head, "Nothing. I just wasn't expecting to have to spend so much time on this crap." She gestured at the papers and forms on the drafting table.

"Did you have plans?" he asked with genuine interest, concern, and maybe a little remorse.

She looked away and nodded.

He sat down in his chair and wheeled it close to her. Softly, he said, "With Kaz?"

At her nod, Mulder looked at the thick stacks of paperwork on her table, one pile finished and the other still to go. He glanced over at his desk, which held no completed forms.

"Scully, I'm sorry. I've avoided this all day, procrastinating and putting it off and hoping you'd do it. Now here I am, expecting you to work on it half the night as well. I should have been more considerate. I should have asked if you had anything to do tonight."

"It's okay, Mulder," she replied, the note of defeat still in her voice, "stuff like this happens."

"No, it's not okay. You should go. We've already worked late all this week, and I putzed around all day to get out of this, so I should be the one to stay and do my share. I'll get most of them done, and we can finish them tomorrow before we go."

"No Mulder, I'll stay."

"You don't understand, Scully. I don't want you to stay. I want you to go see your friend. You deserve it."

Scully had promised herself not to do this, but figured this was enough of an opening for her. "Okay, Mulder, I'll go, but before I do I want to talk to you about something."

He wheeled himself to the door and shut it tight, then came back, "About Kaz?"

"Yes. I want to know if you're okay with this. You haven't said anything about it all week, so I--"

"I didn't think you wanted me to."

Scully's brows furrowed, "Huh? Why would you think that?"

"Because it's personal. It's something you're just coming to grips with yourself, right?"

Scully thought about that for a minute, then nodded. She still couldn't explain her sudden and unmistakable attraction to Anne Kazmerowski, an attraction she'd never felt for a member of her own sex before. In fact, she wasn't sure she'd ever felt this powerfully about any member of either sex. She felt the ache of Kaz's absence grow more painful with each passing day. She was almost desperate to see Kaz tonight, and wasn't sure what another delay of their reunion would do to her.

Even so, though, she did feel conflicting emotions inside. Some told her that she was a sinner, a freak of nature for what she was doing, something unnatural. Another side told her to be true to herself above all things, and the truth inside her was as clear as a bell. She simply ne