TITLE: "Let's Try That Again" (1/1) BY: Ten E-MAIL ADDRESS: kristena@ocean.com.au CATEGORY: V, slight mention of a (straightforward) case, hopefully a bit of H, definite MSR RATING: PG SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully find themselves playing out the Great Conversation In The Car from "Tooms" again, only this time it is several years on. What has changed and what has stayed the same? TIMESPAN/SPOILER WARNING: "Tooms", can be set down in any season afterward, really. THANKS: To Vickie and Debbie for beta-reading. DISCLAIMER: The X-Files and the characters of Mulder and Scully belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting, and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended, no profit will be gained. The X-Files: "Let's Try That Again" by Ten, August 1997 He was on another long solo stakeout crusade. Keeping an eye on an old haunt he was sure Munroe would come back to. A man he'd put away while in Violent Crimes. Munroe had served some time, then appealed and gotten out. To everyone he was the soul of good behaviour. But Mulder knew he was behind a new wave of drug deals. No one could make him believe the guy was now just a seller of fresh food at the local market, who boasted that his tomatoes were second to none. He was supposed to stay away from Munroe. And he was - but only to get him to relax his guard. Make it appear he'd given up, when really the surveillance was continuing indirectly. Mulder was sure this place was the key. A warehouse off the beaten track. It had to be Munroe's centre of operations. And eventually he would come back and Mulder would witness all he needed. Scully had been unable to join him at first because Skinner had put her onto an autopsy - Forensics was short- staffed. Then she couldn't relieve him because he asked her to chase down some information and try to talk sense into the Bureau to get more people on the case. Skinner didn't believe there was any case. He had ordered them off it days ago. Mulder saw the taxi pull up behind his car. He stiffened - was it Munroe? No, it was the sight that always made his life worthwhile. She came and sat in the passenger seat, holding a bag. Scully sniffed at the air and saw a pine-scented air freshener already in place. She smiled. The passenger seat had been kept clear of rubbish for her. "Did you have any luck with the info or requisitions?" he asked. "No, *I* didn't. In the meeting Skinner refused our requests and laid the law down again. He wanted to know where you were. I covered. Then he walked in when I was getting the info you wanted off the microfiche. He blew up." /Damn, now we're *both* in trouble! I was hoping it would all fall on me if it came to that./ "I'm sitting here until I get my evidence, or they arrest me. We have nothing to sway Skinner with. No sign of any activity." He sighed, gesturing at the building. "I was so sure there would be something, sometime... I can't get a good view into the warehouse, but the goods will be in there or soon brought there to hold." Scully watched him with concern. She had something important to tell him, but wanted Mulder to let out his frustration. So she did not interrupt. "I sat through talk-back shows and a heap of bad music. I'll be singing the top fifty in my sleep in all of the voices while debating the relative merits of salamanders as pets. Had to take a brief walk by necessity, so that's probably when something happened. I doubt it though; and as far as I can tell, there was no one in there when I arrived, and I didn't hear any vehicles when I ducked out. It's pretty quiet around here. Did you bring a sandwich?" "It's cheese and tomato." "Ha ha." "Mulder, you know what Article 30, paragraph 8.7 says." "Proper surveillance requires two pairs of agents, one pair relieving the other after twelve hours." "And you still haven't learned." "Well, if you can stay for a few hours, I'll stretch out on the back seat." "You *definitely* still haven't learned." "After what happened that time, I certainly have! I don't want to leave you alone here. I'll get rest, you'll know exactly where I am, we'll all be happy." "This is not about being happy," Scully said, watching him closely. Memories were flooding her and she compared them to now, about how deep her feelings had become. This is about us, she wanted to tell him. Show him! He sighed tiredly and put the sandwich down on the dashboard. "Where's your car? Why the taxi?" "There was no point bringing it because I'm going to drive you home. Now." "Why? What's happened?" At last she could give him the news. "Word about your little case got around the bullpen. When Agents Foster and Gredly were heading home they saw a man that looked like Munroe. They watched him, joking about Spooky, then they realised he was behaving suspiciously. It *was* Munroe, and they caught him with thousands of dollars worth of drugs he was about to unload." Her partner gaped at her. "A note in his pocket does indicate he was going to head over here. They got him because of your warnings. Skinner got the call just as he was reaming me out about the microfiche and they're arranging a search warrant for here as we speak. Agents should arrive by the half hour. The case is over, Mulder. You did it." That was good, but he still felt reflective and depressed. Scully had been in hot water over him again. Why did she stay with him? Why did she keep putting herself on the line? It didn't matter that it had worked out this time. "They're still out to put an end to the X- Files, Scully. This might be a rare commendation on my mangled record, but that won't help any and I don't care about that. I do care that you have official reprimands on your career file because of me." "Fox, I -" She hesitated deliberately. It was only the second time she had dared to call him that. She needed to say it. But did he want to hear it? He didn't correct her. He didn't correct her! "Yes, Dana?" he asked quietly. And she knew. The corner they had not quite turned before had now been navigated. It was time. She gazed at him, trying to fill her eyes with all she felt, all he made her feel. "I still wouldn't put myself on the line for anybody but you. And I don't care what that does to my record." The car was very hot, but if he was going to reach anywhere, it certainly wouldn't be for the window button. He could see all the emotion in her face and it blew him away. He had his answer. The time was right. The last time they'd been in this situation, his feelings were just as strong for her, but everything happened so fast after she called him by his first name. He had panicked and slowed them down. Well, the air between them remained so charged it was a surprise the carseats hadn't melted. Now - now there was no slowing, but he didn't know what to say. Wait - yes he did! "If there's an iced tea in that bag -" "There is." " - it could be love," he whispered in a tone that made her shiver, made her know there was no "could be" about it. "It is," she answered, giving a beautiful smile. "Must be fate." They leaned forward, reaching out for each other, his hands in her hair, hers tracing his face as they kissed. Even though other Agents had captured Munroe, Mulder was glad they had. His stakeout was over and he could enjoy this completely. Their feelings and contact opened up the universe to them, all the love and wonder it contained, but isolated them together, sealing their bond. They surfaced after a while, Mulder letting lose a shaky breath. His expression was so happy and amazed and his hands were still on her face as if to assure they had just kissed. "You're not delirious," Scully assured him, grinning. "Now get out of there and get in the passenger seat. Let's go home." "And get some sleep?" "Eventually." "Hmmm. Better save this sandwich for breakfast then. I only had one bite." "Ready to go home, Fox?" "Wouldn't miss it for the world!" THE END.