Dana closed her desk drawer and left the office . " Sheila , I 'm heading home to change . If he calls , I 'm on my way . " She drove quickly and expertly to her house , pulling into the curved driveway . The gardener had been there . The yard was expertly edged and the grass a velvety green . Philippe had mowed on an angle today and she smiled at the slight pattern it had left . Occasionally her fingers itched to work in the flowers , but Daniel didn 't like it . It was a waste of her time and talent in his mind , besides Philippe was an expert . She pressed the button to open her side of the three car garage and slipped her little car in with ease . She hurried into the kitchen . " Pilar ? " She called as she paused to glance through the stack of mail arranged on the counter . Dana moved on to the front of the house and stairs . She didn 't feel so much disapproved of by Pilar , as unnecessary , a mere accessory . Well , Pilar had been here longer than she had , and she ran the house extremely well . A task Dana had neither the time nor desire to do . She hurried to the master suite and into the large walk - in closet . Even the beautiful room didn 't soothe her tonight . Usually the pale sage of the walls and the warmth of the floral bedspread that covered the four poster bed drew a smile from her . The comforter was plush and the desire to sink into its depths pulled at her . She had decorated this room herself , others had decorated the rest of the house , but this was hers . Her ladies ' desk in the corner was messy with her notes , and there were a couple of books on the small sofa in the sitting area , but Daniel had finally quit bitching about it . If the House Beautiful people wanted another picture spread , she 'd shove things in the closet . Until then this was a room to be used . She spared a glance at the sofa ; it matched the deep burgundy in the comforter and was molded to her body . She 's spent many evenings lounging there with books and journals . Damn , she wanted to throw on her pajamas and maybe relax with a glass of wine . At least put on a comfortable pair of slacks or her sweats , but no way . He 'd expect leg and cleavage for this dinner . Again she sighed , but pulled out a little black dress that would go well with the new necklace he had bought her out of the blue last week . Diamonds with two beautiful sapphires . They looked cold to her , but he said regal . Whatever . Did she have time to put her hair up ? " Thank you . " She tucked a curl behind her ear . No time for more than a quick comb through , but her natural curl would have to pick up the slack . She stopped and really looked at the woman . The compliment seemed sincere . Dana smiled at her . " I hope we won 't be late . " She took the most direct route , but as she neared the city , traffic began to back up . Her little car was good at this kind of thing and she loved it . She 'd bought it herself after they 'd gotten married though he had laughed at her . She hadn 't cared , it was sporty and fast and just all of the things she couldn 't be . She took a quick turn and tried to make up the time . Just a few blocks up , she saw even more congestion and construction barriers and sighed . She came to a stop and looked around , then down at her watch again . She might make dinner , but no way cocktails . She reached for her purse , she could call home and ask Pilar to try to get a message to Daniel . Before she could reach her phone , the car door was jerked open . Panic made her clumsy as she tried to scramble away . She didn 't realize she was screaming until the voice of the man now in possession of her car cut through her terror . " Shut up ! " She glanced back and saw the gun again pointed at her . She froze . She felt other hands grab her from behind and shove her out of the way , but she heard the gunshot at the same time and tensed , anticipating the pain . Instead , blood blossomed over this new man 's left arm , staining the white fabric of his dress shirt . He didn 't make a sound , turning and firing his gun at the man in her car . The two shots sounded simultaneous . Dana saw the man in her car blown back and out of sight . Her rescuer fell into her and she saw the blood now coming from his head . She couldn 't hold him , but softened his fall to the sidewalk . Her fingers were carefully exploring his scalp . She breathed again when she realized his wound was only a scrape . The bullet had been that close , but this wound wasn 't his problem . His arm was bleeding badly by now , the artery might be nicked . FBI ? What the hell had she stumbled into ? She wanted him conscious , the head was only scraped , but she wanted to make sure he was okay . They flickered , then opened a crack , trying to focus on her face . She smiled . " That 's good , Mr . Mulder . I 'm Dana , the woman you saved . Do you remember ? " " Okay , I 'll ride with you . " She rose and dusted off her knees , feeling the shreds of her stockings . For the first time she noted her clothing . No wonder the agent had hesitated when she 'd announced she was a doctor . The dinner ! Damn . Well , it was definitely too late now . She had no car and she was no longer presentable for a party . She turned to Wilkins , " I 'll be at the hospital . " Things had finally calmed down . Her rescuer was being moved from recovery . Her fast work at the site had saved his arm , and she had personally observed the surgery . The man had saved her life , and she was going to make sure he had the best care . She 'd been unable to reach Pilar . The housekeeper had probably gone out for the evening since everyone else was away . She 'd left a message with very little detail and pushed it from her mind . Now they were wheeling him into a room on the surgical floor and she was beside his bed . Her dress was hanging in a locker , ruined from his blood , but she didn 't care . It was just a thing , this man had saved her and she had , in turn saved him . That stupid dress was unimportant . " Soon . " She took his right hand in hers and he squeezed it lightly , before falling back to sleep . Instead of leaving , she found herself settling into the chair beside his bed . The nurse woke her at 6 a . m . when she came to take his vitals . Dana found herself embarrassed to still be there , but it just showed how tired she was . She really did need to check in at home . This wasn 't the first time she 'd slept at the hospital , but Daniel was no doubt upset with her . She 'd take a quick shower and put on fresh greens , then head over to her office . By then Daniel would be awake . Before she could move , the man in the bed squeezed her hand . She hadn 't realized he was still holding it . " Dana ? You 're still here ? " She couldn 't help but smile at him . He had the sleepy tousled look of a lover with those bedroom eyes . She pulled herself up straight . Where the hell had that thought come from ? His smile dimmed at the look on her face . " Oh Dr . Waterston , there you are . " He heard a nurse in the hall , " Your husband called up looking for you . He needs you to meet him at . . . " The smile faded from his face as the words sank in . ' Your husband ' . Of course she was married , look at her . He hadn 't noted a ring , but . . . He felt like the day had suddenly become overcast . She tapped on the door and entered . Her smile disappeared when he just looked at her . " Mr . Mulder ? Is there something . . . are you okay ? " She blinked , " You don 't sound it . Is there a problem ? " She looked around the room , there was no evidence that anyone had been here , no flowers , nothing . Where was the man 's wife , family , friends ? " They get in the way when I perform surgery . " She spoke with no emotion . " I 'm sorry if you feel I misrepresented myself . " Her anger was growing and her voice grew icy . He drew back , not sure how to react to her anger . She turned away from him , back toward the door . " Dana , wait , I . . . I 'm - " Dana looked up at the older man . " Daniel , this is Special Agent Fox Mulder , the man that saved my life . " She turned to look at Mulder , " Dr . Daniel Waterston , my husband . " Daniel moved forward , his hand out . He shook Mulder 's hand , " My deepest gratitude Mr . Mulder . I was planning to look you up later today . Of course , if Dana had been on time , none of this would have happened and you wouldn 't be lying here injured . I am sorry about that . " This was her husband ? Father maybe , was he actually scolding her ? " Uh , it 's not that big a deal . I 'm happy things turned out like they did . " " That 's very generous of you Mr . Mulder . I 'm sorry , but we need to run . Thank you again . Dana ? " He took her elbow and moved her toward the door . " We need to get to our meeting , Mr . Mulder . I wouldn 't want the others to get a wrong impression . " Daniel looked down at her , his brow furrowed at her words , but then he dismissed them as he had dismissed her trauma earlier . Mulder closed his eyes . He 'd screwed up big time . The orderly stopped to open the door , and turned to roll Mulder back inside . " I 've got it man . " Mulder said and rose from the chair . " Thanks for the ride , but I 'm fine . " Mulder turned toward the bed and stopped at the sight of her , sitting in the corner . " Dana ? " He moved to her side . " Dana , look , I 'm sorry about earlier . I was out of line and I . . . Are you , are you okay ? " " Physical therapy . I should be out of here tomorrow . " He couldn 't interpret the look that crossed her face . " I 'm doing really well . " He wasn 't sure what to say , but he wanted her to stay . Okay , she was married , but . . . for some reason he felt drawn to her . She sat there a few minutes , though they both felt awkward . Finally she rose . " I need to get home . " " It 's just Mulder , please . I . . . I should be thanking you . " He watched as she let herself out of his room , and managed not to call her back . Why the hell did he suddenly feel abandoned ? She took her tray over to the table and pulled out the journal . She really needed to read this article . She couldn 't seem to get anything done lately , not since that night . It had been two weeks since he 'd been discharged . Daniel was becoming annoyed at her continued discomposure . She took a deep breath , picked up the little plastic spoon and turned to the article . Suddenly she felt a presence beside her and looked up . " Desk duty . Why are you here so late ? " No need to mention that he 'd hunted for her before finding her here . He wasn 't sure why he 'd done that , but he wanted , no , he felt like he needed to see her . " Oh , Daniel 's out of town , so I gave Pilar the evening off . I thought I 'd grab dinner here . It 's just easier . " He leaned back in the chair and looked at her for a minute . Then he scooted his chair closer to her to speak quietly . " You know , there are some tribes that believe that if you save a person 's life you own part of them . Well , I saved yours and you saved mine , so if they 're right , I can 't let you eat like that . " Shaking her head , she let him take her hand . He picked up her tray and dumped it , then led her to his car . He opened the door to let her in . " Don 't worry , I 'll bring you back for your car . " He said , then he seated himself . " Probably not a bad idea . I messed it up pretty bad inside . " He pulled into traffic and glanced over at her . " You don 't really mind me kidnapping you , do you ? " " Now you know . " But her eyes were smiling . He nodded , watching her . For just an instant she wondered if this was a good idea , but he looked away and pulled out into traffic . " Yep . Don 't let appearances deceive you , this is the best pizza in town . Trust me . " He moved around the car to open her door . He led her inside and on to a booth near the back . The older red leatherette seats were split and Mulder took the side of the booth with the most duct tape . The vinyl top of the table was scarred and initials overlapped each other . Once they were alone again , she looked over at him . " Can you tell me what really happened that night ? I mean , I went in to make a statement , but I didn 't know much . Agent Wilkins didn 't want to answer any of my questions . " " Well , the case is over now . The man I shot died . " He looked around to make sure no one was paying them any attention . " You stumbled into a ransom drop that went bad . He spotted us and ran . He 'd taken a ten year old girl . " He 'd been right , it was some of the best pizza she 'd ever had , and though he out ate her two pieces to one , she was full . She was laughing when she caught sight of her watch . " It is not nine o ' clock . Mulder , it can 't be that late . " " Good . " He took her hand to help her from the booth . When they returned to the hospital , he drove her to where her rental car was parked , then walked her to the car . " Thank you , Mulder . " She nodded and slipped her key in the ignition . When she turned it , the car sputtered and then died . She tried again and the same thing happened . Mulder opened the door . " Has it been giving you problems ? " " It did this morning , but I finally got it started . " She tried a third time and it turned over . " There , it 's okay . " He followed her out of town and eventually into an older neighborhood with manicured lawns and very large houses . She turned into a circular driveway and he turned in after her . The garage door opened and she pulled in . He stopped in the driveway just behind her . She got out of the car and walked back to him . He got out to meet her . " You should get that car checked out tomorrow ; have them give you another one . " " I 'd appreciate it . " She smiled and opened the door for him . He took his keys and followed her into the house . They entered into the kitchen and he looked around . " Big isn 't it ? " She was watching him . " Practically , but I 'll try not to get you lost . " She found some pie in the refrigerator and they shared the rest of it over the coffee . When they were through , he followed her out into the house . " Well , it 's not you . " He glanced around at the ultra formal setting . The feeling of museum was strong and he could visualize velvet ropes . " Are you going to make any changes ? " She shook her head , " Not down here . I made changes to my bedroom , but I don 't spend much time in the rest of the house . I 'm at the hospital a lot . " She shrugged , " and it 's more important to Daniel than it is to me . " She turned to look at the room herself . " I guess I don 't see it anymore . It 's so stiff and formal to me . And the colors are . . . uncomfortable . " She blinked at that , suddenly realizing she was alone in her house with essentially a stranger . He felt the change immediately . " Well , I need to get going . Thanks for the coffee and pie . " He stared at her intently for a moment . She didn 't fit here , but it was what she had chosen . Why was he even thinking that ? He barely knew her , but it was a feeling , a strong one . He 'd learned not to ignore that . Later he would wonder at the impulse , but he didn 't hesitate , leaning down and brushing a kiss across her lips . She didn 't pull away or slap him . She just looked stunned . " Good night . " He moved to his car and got in , looking over at her one more time . Her fingers were lightly touching her lips . He felt his groin tighten at the gesture . He better get the hell out of here . Dana stretched her neck as she hurried back to the office . She was so grateful that the meeting had been canceled . Maybe Daniel hadn 't left yet and they could have dinner . She was feeling guilty . They hadn 't spent any time together in ages and she hadn 't tried to remedy the situation . Good , the light was still on in his office . She opened the door and stepped inside . It took a couple of heartbeats for the sight in front of her to sink into her brain . Chloe , their newest resident , was there . She was on his lap , straddling him in his chair and his hands cupped her bare breasts . As the door opened , Daniel lifted his head from her throat . " Dana ? " She fumbled with her keys , finally letting herself into her small red car . She sped out into the street , not bothering to check for traffic . She lucked out , no car was coming . She took the first left and drove . She had no idea how far she had driven when she finally stopped at a light . She was shaking . She needed some place to stay . Her purse was in her hand and she pulled out her wallet . How much cash did she have ? She pulled out her money and a card dropped into her lap . Special Agent Fox Mulder . The number on the back was his home number , he 'd told her that . Without thought she dialed . It rang twice before she realized what she was doing . She pressed end and let the phone drop into the passenger 's seat . Dana looked around then , but didn 't recognize the neighborhood . She jerked when the phone rang . She answered it before she could stop herself . " He - hello ? " " Okay , " he thought quickly . " There 's a movie theater about three blocks down . I want you to drive there and park . Lock the doors and stay in your car . I 'll be there in a few minutes . Dana ? Do you hear me ? " She was staring into space , but even with the colored lights of the marquee , he could see that her eyes were red . She didn 't see him , so he carefully tapped on her window . She slowly turned , as though not really connecting the sound with the fact that someone stood there . The sight of him seemed to penetrate the fog she was in and she jerked the door opened . Her arms went around him as she buried her face in his neck and sobbed . " I alienated my family , I rearranged my whole life . " His arms encircled her , though he had no idea what that meant or what was going on with her . After a few minutes , he led her around the car and seated her , buckling her in himself . Then he took the driver 's side , shoving the seat all the way back . They still hadn 't really spoken , but he made the decision to take her to his place . It was close and he could keep an eye on her . Whatever was wrong had devastated her . His car could stay here ; it was a lot less likely to be stolen than hers . She was in her fog again . He didn 't bother her . When he parked the car , she didn 't even notice . Damn , what had put this woman into this kind of shock ? She 'd been shot at and been cool enough to save his life . She blinked at him and allowed him to help her out of the car . It was when she stepped inside of his apartment that she finally seemed aware . " Where are we ? " Her eyes followed him as he left her side and hurried into his kitchen . When he returned he sat on the coffee table in front of her and handed her a glass . " It 's just water . Go ahead and drink it . " His heart clutched at the defeat in her voice . " No , it 's not . " He moved to the couch , putting his arm around her . " Let me help . " " He 's great . He 's just great . " Finally sarcasm graced her tone . " He was in his office and , and Chloe was in his lap . " " I didn 't break up his marriage . They were already separated when . . . when I met him . " Suddenly it was desperately important for him to know that . " I was raised Catholic ; I never thought I 'd be someone 's second wife . " He sighed , but met her eyes . " When I saw him , saw his , his age , I did a background check on him . I 'm sorry , I had no right , but . . . " his shoulders slumped . " He just didn 't look like what I envisioned for you . " " You and everyone else . " She closed her eyes then and he was quiet . After a few minutes she straightened up . " I should get out of your way . " " You 're not in my way . I think you should stay here tonight . " She looked up at him . " I 'm not coming on to you , you 'll be safe here . " " You won 't be , I mean , I usually sleep on the couch . I 'm going to turn the bed down , get you some towels . Just for tonight , you need some time , get your head straight . " Tears welled up again , but she nodded . When he left her , she rose and wandered over to his fish tank , brushing the damp from her cheeks . She watched the fish move around for a minute , then turned to his desk . She picked up the framed picture of the girl . She resembled him , his daughter ? She put it back down and looked at the stack of videos beside his TV . She had one in her hand when he returned . Her eyebrow was raised ; the title of the video had caused her to think about Daniel again . He immediately regretted his flippant remark . " Dana , I 'm sorry . " " Maybe , or maybe I 'm just lonely . Why don 't you go on to bed ? You must be exhausted . " He thought for a minute that she was going to argue , but instead she closed her mouth and turned toward his bedroom . " Damn . " He breathed when the bedroom door closed . He woke and looked around the room . It was dark , but something . . . he spotted her in the desk chair . " Dana , are you okay ? Do you need - " She rose and for some reason he did as well . She had changed out of her suit . She was wearing a t - shirt of his . It came down nearly to her knees . He hadn 't realized how small she was physically . When he 'd been with her , she 'd taken up so much space in his mind . He wanted this , despite the wrongness of it . He met her lips and her arms went around his neck . She pressed her body against his and his arousal grew . She ground herself against him and he groaned into her mouth . Wrong , very wrong . This was the last thing she needed . He forced himself to move back and held her from him . " Dana . " He gasped the word . When he got his breath back , he rested his forehead against hers . " If you 're trying to find out if you 're a desirable woman , you are . " " No . I 'm not tired . I don 't sleep a lot . I just thought you . . . Come here . " He took her hand and led her to the couch . " How did you meet him ? " " No , I mean . . . " She shifted on the couch , " I was his resident three years ago . He searched me out , selected me . I knew he and his wife were separated , but I didn 't ask why . It was none of my business and , and I didn 't realize where we were going in a relationship . We had coffee and worked late . We didn 't date , not until after he got a divorce . " She sighed . " A friend tried to tell me , my family , my brother was incensed . " He nodded slightly . " I wouldn 't , I refused to . . . to sleep with him until he was divorced . Now it 's me getting a divorce . " " He 's lied to me , he 's betrayed me . I can 't be married to him . " She slumped against the arm of the couch . Dana woke and looked around the room . Where was she ? She heard the shower in the next room . Mulder . She was at his apartment , but she 'd been on the couch with him . . . He 'd been good to her , and a gentleman . She 'd thrown herself at him and he had caught her and put her back on her feet . She rose from the bed and moved into the kitchen . She found the coffee and started it brewing . She turned when she heard him enter . He was dressed for work . It was a new look as far as she was concerned and her eyes scanned him . Mulder nodded , " Okay , but don 't worry about finding an apartment . I have to go out of town this afternoon on a case . You 're welcome to stay here . " " Do you know how hard it is to find a reliable fish - sitter these days ? No , really I 'd feel better if you were here . With what I 'll be doing , it will be a bright spot , thinking of you here . " She nodded , then left to get dressed . She dropped him back at the theatre . He had her stay in the car , but she lowered her window . " Dana , you look after yourself . I 'll check on you tonight . " By the end of the day , she was exhausted and stunned . There were checks in her purse for more money than she had ever imagined . She had been studious about taking only half of any account that had both of their names , closing only those in her name alone . All penalties had come out of the funds she had removed . She 'd also canceled every credit card with her name on it . Mulder had been right to check by social security number rather than name . She would see her attorney tomorrow , the appointment was made , but for now she wanted to find a bank Daniel didn 't use and set up her own accounts . She pushed into the final bank just before five , and had to enjoy the look on the woman 's face when she pulled out the cashiers checks . With a new checking account and savings account set up , and a warning that she was extremely over the limit of what was insured , she could only think that her feet hurt . She wanted to go to Mulder 's apartment and put them up . " I didn 't know either , he blurted it out when he came in this morning . Dana , he 's devastated . He wants you to come home . He was frantic . " She found she wasn 't surprised , maybe disappointed , but Sheila had been with him longer . Maybe she honestly thought it was okay for him to have other women . Dana sat on the couch , staring into space until the ring of the phone caused her to jump . " Yes . I can afford to pay you rent now . " " That 's good to know . I 'm afraid fish sitting isn 't that lucrative , at least in DC . ' Course you do have that other skill to fall back on . " " I guess so . I 'm going to go see Dr . Kuhn tomorrow . " She hesitated , " I hope he can help me get back on track . " She woke after a good night 's sleep , again wearing his tshirt . She would have to buy some clothes today , but at least she could afford them . Her meeting with her attorney , Patricia Bryant , was first thing that morning . She wanted nothing from Daniel but to be left alone . No alimony and any debt in her name to be covered by her percentage in the practice . Her only stipulation was that papers be filed immediately . " Dana , I 'll do what you say , but you 're letting him off too easy . " " Patty , I just want out . I , I 've learned things over the last few days that I didn 't . . . Please , just do this my way . " " If you mean I 've faced up to what an idiot I 've been , yes . I don 't know if you heard , but I was car jacked a few weeks ago . I was nearly killed . He was actually angry with me for missing a fund raiser . He said if I had been on time , I wouldn 't have been involved . " " Yes . It was me , I didn 't even want to call him . I didn 't ask for his support and he didn 't come to the hospital to check on me . We 're not married . We live in the same house while he sees other women . And I didn 't even know . I was so stupid that it didn 't occur to me . " " You were more than generous . With this paperwork , I know his attorney won 't kick up a fuss . Were you aware of all of the accounts ? " " I don 't want them , or the house . Listen to me , Patty , that stuff is his . I was only comfortable in my room . I really don 't want anything from him but to be left alone . " " Dana , give me a couple of days . I 'll make it happen . Don 't go for some quickie divorce that could be contested later . Okay ? Promise me ? " Dana hesitated , she wasn 't really , but Mulder 's face had appeared in her mind . Patty took in the heightened color and her brow cocked . " Dana ? " " No , no Patty , I 'm not . There is a man who came to my rescue when I fell apart , but I barely know him . There 's nothing between us . " Dana pulled into the garage and sat for a moment . She had to do this , but she didn 't want to . After a moment she opened the car door and stepped out . She drew herself up and walked to the door . Pilar turned to look at her when she stepped into the kitchen . " It 's just Dana . " They eyed each other , but this time Dana didn 't back down . After a moment , Pilar inclined her head in agreement . " I 'm here to get my clothes . I won 't be long . " " I , I assumed you were just one of them , one of his play things . I was surprised when he married you , but I knew you were not stupid . Now I see that you really cared for him and he used you . He does not deserve a woman like you and he doesn 't appreciate you . You have done the right thing , looked after yourself . " Pilar looked around the room . " You love these things . They mean something to you , not just possessions to show off . " She surveyed the room once more , then nodded to herself . " I will have these things picked up and stored for you . When you are settled , I 'll have them delivered . " " No , this room is yours . I will take care of everything . I can give you the information , or , if you trust me , I can handle it all . " " Thank you . He will learn nothing from me . " At that Pilar turned her back to Dana and got back to work . Dana just stared at her , then finally began packing again herself . She heard the key in the lock and turned . He entered and immediately stopped , sniffing at the aroma . His head swiveled toward the kitchen , looking for her . He nodded . She looked at him , really looked . He was tired , that was obvious , but he looked so beaten . Her eyes followed him as he walked away . " No , I just found I couldn 't fish sit without sustenance . " She pulled the wine bottle out and expertly opened it . She poured them each a glass . " Come on , let 's sit . " " No . I just want to sit here with you . I 've imagined this for days . " He gave her a sheepish smile , " It kept me sane . " She leaned toward him , surprising him . What was she . . . she reached out and caught a drop of water from his hair . " I 'm glad you 're home . I can listen when you 're ready . " " No . I profiled him from the evidence available , but they 're just realizing it 's serial . I 'll still be working the case , but we have to wait for him to resurface or . . . " " What can he do ? I 'm sure he doesn 't want the publicity . And I don 't think anyone knows about Karen . His pride - " " His pride might be the problem . You left him . If that 's a first for him , he could react unexpectedly . I think you should plan to stay here a while longer . " " I . . . I don 't sleep a lot . When I wake up it 's easier to just flip on the TV if I 'm already here . " " Dinner should be ready now . Come on . " She rose and tugged him to his feet . He tossed the salad , while she dished up the lasagna , then they sat at his table . " I 'm not surprised . " She said dryly . " And I didn 't throw anything away . It 's very neatly stacked beside the desk . " He gave her a small smile then , " The order doesn 't matter . It 's just some stuff I work on in my spare time . " He took a large bite of lasagna . His smile widened . " You definitely remembered how to cook . " " Thanks . " She ducked her head and took a bite herself , then nodded . " It 's Mom 's recipe . I 'm glad I got it right . " He was already home ; she could hear him in the kitchen , but apparently he hadn 't heard her . She hung her coat on the coat rack and turned as she heard the knock on the door . Since she was right there , she answered it . " We need to talk . " He stepped around her and into the apartment , his back to the kitchen . Dana didn 't see Mulder , but knew he was listening . " Let . Her . Go . " The voice carried all of the authority of the US Government and Daniel turned to see who had spoken . The gun pointed at him caused his face to blanch and he dropped her arm as though scalded . " What ? You can 't - " Daniel blustered , until he saw the handcuffs in the younger man 's hands . " Who are you ? " But he obeyed as he spoke . Daniel 's eyes widened . " Surely you 're not going to press charges . I 've never hit you before . Tell him ! I 'm just under a lot of pressure . Tell him , tell him you 're not going to press charges . " " Yeah , right . " Mulder picked up the phone and dialed . He identified himself and asked for them to dispatch a car . If possible Daniel grew even more pale . " Just a minute . " Mulder moved with her to the far side of the room . " Dana , I 'm sorry , but we might need this . " He withdrew a Polaroid camera from his desk . " You can 't do this . I 'm well known . I just wanted the money back . " Daniel 's voice was taking on a whining property Dana hadn 't heard before . " Child support ? " Dana looked up at Mulder . His face was hard and his eyes cold as he watched Waterston . " What child support ? " She turned then to look at Daniel . " You were hiding money so that you . . . you bastard ! " " Don 't talk to me Daniel . Have your attorney call mine . I don 't want to see you again . " She left the room . Mulder stood calmly , watching the man , but offering nothing . Mulder was concerned at her listlessness . He didn 't want to push , but he knew that the bomb he had dropped in his fury had hurt her . She felt even more betrayed by the man that she had called husband and he was responsible for that . Their relationship hadn 't changed , not in ways that were easily defined anyway . He still slept on the couch , but they had become friends . He was puzzled that she had accepted his invitation to stay as well as why she wanted to . Yes , he wanted her company , and to be honest more , but it felt . . . deeper somehow . He shook his head , " I took the day . Don 't worry ; I have years worth of leave stored up . I 'd rather use it this way than anything else I can think of . " She shook her head quickly , " Thank you . " She said softly and felt his hand gently touch her back to lead her to the car . At the office she found her steps lagging and his hand felt warm on her back . In the lobby she squeezed his hand , surprising herself again at how quickly she 'd come to rely on this man . She straightened her shoulders and let Pat lead her into the room . It was obvious the attorneys had met before . The details that Dana had demanded were already outlined and drawn up . When Daniel started to protest once again , Pat opened a separate file and pushed it toward him . Dana leaned forward and saw the pictures of herself that Mulder had taken that fateful night . " I see you brought Mr . Mulder with you . I 'd like him to join us . I think he 'd be interested in this . " Daniel rose and opened the door . He beckoned to Mulder , who stood and moved toward the door rapidly . Both attorneys looked puzzled ; Pat was obviously annoyed . " Daniel , what are you - " Dana spoke without thinking . It was the first time she had addressed him directly . " Is everything - " Mulder looked over at Dana . Dana looked completely puzzled . Mulder took a seat beside her , and kept quiet . He 'd certainly had no intention of being part of this , except as support . " Since Mr . Mulder seems to be so anxious to investigate me , I thought I would return the favor . Dana , this man that you have turned to has a few secrets of his own . Are you aware that he is considered a joke around the Bureau ? " Daniel seemed to be enjoying himself . " Yes , he 's called ' Spooky ' Mulder by his peers . He can 't seem to keep a partner , but maybe that 's because they can 't trust him . You see , he was never completely cleared in the disappearance of his sister years ago . But he had a wonderful explanation . He claims she was abducted by aliens . " Daniel sent a cruel smile toward Dana , " Yes . " He nodded . " Convenient for not finding a body , isn 't it ? " Pat stepped in at that point , " I don 't see that this has anything to do with the proceedings today . I believe everything regarding the divorce and settlement has been agreed to and signed . I 'm sorry , but I have other appointments . " She rose from her seat , as did Daniel 's attorney . Daniel looked angered that he had been interrupted , especially by a mere woman , but his attorney took hold of his arm and led him toward the door . Only Dana and Mulder remained in the room . He wouldn 't look over at her . She reached for his hand . He didn 't pull away , but he didn 't respond either . " Mulder ? Why didn 't you defend yourself ? " " I am a joke ; I am ' Spooky ' Mulder . " Finally he looked over at her . " Guess you 'll be anxious to find that place of your own now . " The lobby was empty . Daniel and his attorney were gone ; Pat was no where in sight . That was fine with Dana ; she needed to be alone with Mulder . They needed to talk . She saw him close his eyes for an instant , then he slipped the key in the ignition and pulled into traffic . They were silent on the ride . She was overflowing with questions , but they needed to be somewhere stable , comfortable . " Tell me the truth . You 're not a joke . Mulder , I 've cleaned this apartment . I didn 't purposely look through your papers , but I saw that drawer over there . " She gestured toward the desk . " You have a drawer full of commendations . It looks like you 're more of a star at the Bureau than a joke . " He pulled them away and let his own hands cup her cheeks . His eyes searched her face . " I , I 've never been important to anyone before . " He looked hopeless for a moment , then stood and removed his coat and tie , and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt . Finally he returned to the couch and moved closer to her , tucking her against him , where she couldn 't see his face . He rested his chin on her hair . He sighed and she pulled his arms around her . His voice finally trailed off . She had realized early in the tale that this wasn 't something he talked about easily . She hadn 't interrupted with questions or details of physics . He needed to talk and for some reason he was comfortable enough with her to let it pour from him . His voice was raspy now , hoarse and low . Dana was aware she was inappropriately aroused by the sound of him , or maybe by the trust he was displaying . Whatever . His arms loosened their grip of her as though releasing her from him and she felt cold . Without realizing she wiped a tear from her cheek . Dana looked into his eyes . This explained so many things she hadn 't realized needed explaining about their ' relationship ' . He was an abused child and expected nothing better for himself . Did he even know what he had revealed to her ? " Be realistic . Twelve , Mulder . You were a child . There is no way you could have done more . The same is true of the divorce . Your parents did not leave each other because of you . The divorce was their decision , I know I haven 't met them , but I have met you . You 're a caring , loving man who feels things deeply . You 're smarter than the others at the Bureau . They can 't catch up with you , so they call you ' Spooky ' to hide their fear of you . They know you can run rings around them and they resent it . " She realized she was staring - totally focused - on that lush lower lip . Oh hell , she 'd been deprived a long time too . She leaned in and kissed it . It wasn 't their first kiss , though it had been some time . But they were both shaken by the jolt they felt . Tears welled up again in her eyes at the hopeless longing on his face . Instead he retreated again . " You , uh , you hungry ? " He accepted her withdrawal without surprise . He 'd been indulging in a fantasy here . She wasn 't even officially divorced yet . But it had been good to talk to her . He hid his sigh , " What would you like ? " He actually found a small smile at that . " Yeah , let 's go . " It was a place he 'd never thought of as ' theirs ' , but whenever he did go there for lunch now , he thought of her . Of course that could be said about just about everywhere he went now . Why the hell had he allowed himself to depend on her ? People didn 't stay in his life and now that she knew the truth about him . . . well he had some good memories . He ate , but it had the tasteless quality of a last meal to him . Mostly he watched her . She didn 't meet his eyes , but that didn 't surprise him . He 'd been honest with her , more honest than he 'd been with anyone , ever . He was actually surprised she was still sitting in front of him . They had both ordered a beer with their pizza but over half of his was still in the bottle . He wasn 't in the mood for alcohol . There were too many nights when he 'd seen the effects of it first hand . He let her into the apartment , then watched as she made her way to the bedroom . She didn 't offer to join him for TV or to continue talking and he wasn 't really surprised . She probably wanted to pack . Mulder sank onto the couch and let his head fall back against the back of the couch . He could hear the water running as she got ready for bed . He was going to miss having her here , but he hadn 't really thought anything long term could develop . Now that she knew about him . . . he sighed and leaned forward . He buried his face in his hands and didn 't hear the door open . Dana stopped to observe him . He looked like she had felt that night she had caught Daniel . He had held her head above water that night and they had barely known each other . Now it was her turn . He looked up startled . His eyes grew wide , when he realized she was dressed in his t - shirt again . She 'd been wearing her pajamas since that first night . His lips parted , but no sound emerged . " I consider myself divorced . The time of day that the judge signs the papers is not important . I feel completely separated from that part of my life . " His eyes lightened , but he still made no move . She tugged him to his feet and slipped her arms around his waist . His breath caught and he buried his face in her hair . His hands molded her body to him . She turned her face up to his and he took possession of her lips . " D - Dana . " She had hold of his hand again and moved them toward the bedroom . The bed had been turned down and candles flickered on several surfaces . He stood there as she turned to him and began unbuttoning the rest of his shirt . She pulled the shirt from his slacks and pushed it down from his shoulders . His breathing was shallow , but he didn 't speak , just watching her . His eyes widened when she unbuckled his belt and slipped it from it 's loops . Then she unbuttoned his slacks and touched his zipper . She looked up , making sure that he wasn 't resisting . She saw that , his arousal was beginning to look painful to her eyes . She rose and looked down at him . No words were spoken , but she reached for the hem of the t - shirt she wore . His hands covered hers and he looked deeply into her eyes . He saw what he needed and gently drew the shirt over her head . " Yes ma ' am . " He released her long enough to shove his shorts down then his arm snaked around her waist and he pulled her down on the bed on top of him . Startled , she laughed out loud and he found himself mesmerized by the sound . That finally brought a smile to his face and he dipped his head to pay homage to her breasts . His tongue laved her nipples , suckling lightly . His hands were tracing her curves , memorizing her body . He moved down her body bringing her to new heights of desire . She gasped as he blew across her rust colored curls . That tongue she had so enjoyed on her breasts was proving it knew how to drive her even crazier . " Mu - Mulder , you don 't - " " Shh . " He nipped her soft inner thigh , then returned to her sex , his fingers joining the play . Her orgasm was unexpected and took over her whole body . She found her fingers were digging into his shoulders to keep from spinning off into space . She 'd never had sex like this , on some level she had known it existed , but god ! Where had he learned to please a woman like this ? He held her against him as she shuddered back to herself . " My god , Mulder . " She rested her head against his chest and looked up to see his smile . She smiled up at him . " I would never leave you in that state . It 's my turn , Mulder . " She pushed him gently down until he was lying on his back . She settled herself on his abdomen , above his cock , letting it rub between the cheeks of her ass . He closed his eyes , trying to maintain some control . She leaned down and kissed his chest , her hand playing with one nipple as she sucked on the other . He bit his lip but a low groan escaped . She smiled and continued her assault on his body , moving down his chest , licking , nipping and kissing . Dana paused , then rose and positioned herself over him . His eyes widened and began to fill herself with him . His hands came to her hips to steady her when she paused . She felt full , stretched , not at all what she was accustomed to . She savored the feeling , then began moving over him . He kept the pace slow at first , realizing this was different for her but they began to move quicker , deeper . She was so tight and hot and so beautiful over him like this . He felt himself begin to slip , his climax building . Her eyes widened at the sensations and to her amazement , felt herself coming again . She watched his face . He looked so young in repose and . . . and happy . They were moving very fast , but it felt right . He 'd been thrown into her life at the right time . He 'd saved her life in more ways than either of them had realized . She didn 't know what to think about all of the things he had told her . She didn 't know what to believe , but he believed and that meant she would have to think about it . She wanted to be there for him as he had been for her . She couldn 't remember the last time she 'd felt so hopeful about the future .