The X-Files--Aberrant Excursion

The X-Files
"Aberrant Excursion"
by Orianna

* Notes: Las Vegas is from memory, please forgive any errors. Oh, it kind of jumps around a bit in time, so pay attention to the Location/Date thingys.

X x X

Washington D.C.
August 7th...2:25am

A sudden noise jarred Dana Scully from a peaceful sleep. Her eyes were open instantly, her body tense with the years of FBI training. In one fluid movement she rose from her bed, right hand gripping her gun. She listened for the sound that had roused her.

There it was again, coming from the bathroom. Silently, Scully crept over to that side of the room. Steam was coming out from under the bottom of the door and she could hear water dripping from the faucet. Her heart pounding, she pushed open the door and shouted into the dimly lit room, "Don't move!"

A man whirled around, grasping at the towel around his waist.

Keeping her voice steady, Scully commanded, "Get your hands up." He hesitated, and she stressed, "Now!" Obediently, he raised his hands. The towel fell to the ground. With flaming cheeks, she reconsidered, "Get the towel." Gesturing with her gun, she ordered him into the bedroom and flicked on the light with her left hand.

Shock, mingled with relief, flooded her body as she recognized the trespasser. With a sigh, she re-engaged the safety on her gun and threw it on the bed. "Mulder, what the heck are you doing in my bathroom at..." she glanced at the digital clock on her night stand, "...two thirty in the morning?"

Fox Mulder blinked and looked slowly around the room. "This is your apartment," he stated, a dazed look on his face.

Scully cast him an odd look. "That's right. And you don't have any clothes on. Why?"

Mulder stepped around her, to the foot of the bed. He knelt and picked up a pair of dark slacks. Showing them to her, he answered, "Because my clothes are down here. "He quickly gathered the rest of his clothes and stood, taking a moment to verify that all were there. "Um, this isn't mine," he said, slightly embarrassed. A lacy bra dangled from his hand.

Scully immediately snatched it. "What is going on Mulder?" she demanded.

"I really wish I knew!" He ran his fingers through his damp hair, and thought furiously. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Scully frowned, rubbing her forehead. "Lunch. You bought me lunch at some horrible little place in New Mexico." She looked up at her partner with panic in her eyes. "Mulder, I can't remember anything after we left that place!"

Washington D.C.
August 5th...9:05am

"Dang it, Scully!" Mulder slammed a fistful of paperwork onto the desk. "Every time we start to get somewhere, it turns into a dead-end. Mr. Jacobs suddenly claims he didn't see anything Friday night, his daughter isn't missing, she's just visiting her mother in Wyoming."

Scully shot her partner a sympathetic look and set her purse down. "What about eyewitnesses in the nearby community?"

"Convenient amnesia. Tell me something, is it me? Am I so desperate for the truth that I actually scare these people into silence?"

Scully thought about it for a moment before replying, "No, Mulder. It's just that they think you're an extraterrestrial hybrid who will perform ghastly experiments on them if they tell you anything that might possibly help you."

"Gee, thanks, Scully," Mulder couldn't help but chuckle. A quick knock at the door startled them both, and a balding man walked in.

"Assistant Director Skinner," Scully greeted him, rising from her seat.

"You were saying something about experimental hybrids, Scully?" Mulder whispered mischievously in his partner's ear, as their supervisor approached.

Scully shot him a silencing look, but the A.D. hadn't heard. "I need you guys to go to Albuquerque," he said, and briefly outlined their newest case.

Albuquerque, New Mexico
2:45pm

"Geeze, Scully," Mulder complained, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "They don't need us here."

Scully agreed. "I think it's obvious who the suspect is." She motioned to the detective in charge of the case. "Someone's tampered with the evidence, to make it look like something not-of-this-earth was responsible," she explained, showing the detective.

"Good work," he dismissed the two agents. "Tell Skinner I owe him one for sending you out here."

Fifteen minutes later, Mulder and Scully sat in a deserted cafe. A thin layer of dust covered everything in the small restaurant, and the food was unappetizing. Pushing the grease-sodden hamburger away, Mulder perked up. "Hey, Scully," he said, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

She noticed his expression, and instantly replied, "No, Mulder. We are not going to take a side trip to Area 51, I don't care how close it is."

He pouted indignantly. "I wasn't even going to suggest it."

An old, tired looking waitress brought two milkshakes to the table and set them down. "On the house," she said flatly.

"Oh," Scully tried to smile. "Thank you." The waitress disappeared, and Scully tentatively spooned some of the milkshake into her mouth. "Mmm," she looked at the glass in surprise. "This is good! Try some," she told Mulder.

"No, thanks."

"No, really. It's great!" She took a big spoonful and held it out to Mulder. He raised his eyebrows, but opened his mouth obediently. "See?"

"You're right," he said, and began eating his own.

After a few minutes of silence, Scully asked, "All right, then. What?"

"What?" Mulder looked up from his milkshake, which he had almost finished. He had the most delicious tingling sensation all over his body, and as he looked at his partner, it intensified.

"What did you want, a minute ago?"

"Oh," he grinned, his original idea becoming an even more enticing prospect. "Let's go to Vegas."

Scully groaned. She was getting a headache. "Mulder..."

"It's only a few hours away," he pleaded.

Sighing, Scully avoided his puppy dog gaze. It made her stomach do flip-flops, or was it her heart? She stood and paid for their meal, the waitress giving her a knowing glance. Annoyed, Scully brushed past Mulder, walking toward the door. He hurried ahead of her, to hold it open for her.

"Please?" he said as she unlocked the car, and she couldn't help but look at him. The instant she did, she knew she couldn't resist his request, no matter how impractical it was.

"All right, Mulder," she gave in.

Yipping with joy, Mulder hugged her swiftly. "Thank you, Scully."

Conflicting emotions surged through her, as he kissed her lightly. To cover her uncertainty, she frowned at him. "Will you just get in the car? It's too hot out here."

Somewhere in Nevada
9:32pm

It was dark, the road barely visible as they drove. Mulder had his face turned to the night sky, searching as always for UFO's. "Hey," he glanced at Scully, who was driving. "I just saw a shooting star."

Scully peered out the window, knowing it was too late, but wanting to see it too. "Did you make a wish?"

Mulder smiled softly. "Yeah."

"Only thirty miles to go," Scully spotted a sign. "Remind me to call Skinner when we get to the motel?"

"Sure," Mulder nodded amicably. "Scully, do you want to get married?"

"Eventually, I suppose," Scully glanced sideways at her partner. "Mom keeps introducing me to 'eligible bachelors'. I think she's planning to disinherit me if I don't provide her with at least a couple redheaded grandchildren before she's committed to the geriatric wing."

"No, that's not what I meant," Mulder shook his head impatiently. "Do you want to get married...to me, tonight?"

The car screeched to a halt on the deserted highway. Gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned white, Scully contemplated his question with a detached numbness. "Are you serious," she finally asked, twisting in her seat to face him.

With a deliberateness that almost scared her, Mulder replied, "Yes."

Scully swallowed hard. A myriad of butterflies danced in her abdomen, resultant of the look in Mulder's eyes that was urging her to answer. Not quite believing herself as she spoke, she gave him an affirmative response, then started the car back up. There was no discussion the rest of the way to Las Vegas--both were content in each other's silence.

They pulled into the parking lot of a small twenty-four hour wedding chapel, just inside the city limits. A pair of neon wedding bells towered over the front entrance.

"Wait, Mulder," Scully put her hand on his arm as he started to get out of the car. He looked at her, a strange mixture of fear and resignation on his face.

"I--I don't have anything to wear."

Relief poured over his features, and he laughed. "You want to wait till morning? We could go shopping first thing, then stop here on the way out."

She smiled gratefully. "Do you have a motel preference, Mulder?"

"Yeah," he nodded as she drove further into town. "Excalibur."

"Okay," Scully said, humoring him. "That's only, what...as much per night as we make in a day?"

"Would you rather stay there?" he pointed at a seedy no-tell motel. A trio of women wearing nothing but a few inches of sequins and leather waved and called seductively. "Besides, I have a savings account," he added defensively. "I was going to get a life-size replica of Darth Vader, but this is better. Excalibur's got a great buffet."

Las Vegas, Nevada
10:30pm

"Will that be one room, sir, or two?" The desk clerk winked at Mulder.

"Two," Mulder stated firmly, hooking his arm around Scully's waist. It felt unreal to be here, with her, engaged. It was something that he hadn't even let himself dream about, yet it was happening.

Scully watched Mulder pay for the rooms, smiling at his public embrace. She felt detached from reality, as if watching herself with him from a distance, but at the same time, completely in control.

"It's still early," Mulder said after they deposited their meager luggage in their rooms. "Come on."

Scully, though tired, willingly let herself be dragged down to the expansive lobby. Lights glittered everywhere, visitor's voices mingled with the enticing sounds of the slot machines and gambling vendors, creating a spellbinding effect. Knowing that the casino was designed to lure people in, Scully remained objective, but still felt the dizzying pull.

Mulder tugged on her arm gently. "I think the restaurants are up there," he showed her the escalators leading to the second level.

"Surely there's an elevator?"

"Sorry," he grinned, not the least bit apologetic. "If I got over it, so can you. And you weren't even the one crawling for your life underneath the darned thing."

"True," she conceded, but held his hand tightly as they ascended, and tried not to envision a trail of blood and bile on the moving steps.

Las Vegas, Nevada
12:30am

"What is this, Mulder?" Scully eyed the two long lines of people that stood waiting on the lowest level
of the Excalibur's casino.

"You'll like it," he promised, pulling her into one of the lines. "Ever been on Star Tours?"

Scully nodded. "Missy and I went to California the summer before--" Her eyes filled with sadness, and she quickly looked down. She focused on a spot low on the wall, willing the memories to subside. Mulder slipped his arm around her waist, and finally she looked at him, glad of his support. "You were telling me about this...whatever this is you're dragging me on?"

"It's fun," he said. "Like Star Tours, only without the annoying robots. And there's no out-of-control spaceship."

"Oh," Scully feigned understanding, with a smile. She stared at him for a moment, enjoying the chance to observe him this relaxed. A tingle danced in her stomach when he openly stared back.
"Why no spaceship?" she asked, trying to dispel the blush that was working its way up her cheeks.

Shrugging lightly, Mulder handed the ticket-seller the proscribed amount of cash. "Because we're in the wrong line for the spaceship. I think this one's a simulated roller coaster. We can go on the other one next, if you want."

The ride was exhilarating, just as Mulder had sworn, but Scully decided against trying the other one. "It's almost one," she informed her partner, reluctant to end the day that had been so strange, but feeling the effects of driving across the desert for hours. "We really ought to go to bed."

"Okay," Mulder adopted a grin that made Scully glare at him.

The elevator ride was short, and as they parted in front of their respective rooms, Scully gripped Mulder's hand. "I want you to promise me something," she said softly, but with a serious gleam in her eyes.

"Anything," Mulder vowed. She could ask for his life, and at that very moment he would give it.

"Don't go jogging," she requested. "Not here, not tonight, not in the morning. Promise?"

Not understanding, but completely willing, he nodded. Touching her cheek gently, he smiled. "Good night."

The hotel room was decorated gaudily, but not without taste, Mulder decided. Suddenly exhausted, he threw himself on the bed. Through the wall, he could hear bath water running. Irritated at first, he pulled a pillow over his head, then realized it was Scully's room. A smile crossed his lips as he fell asleep.

Las Vegas, Nevada
August 6th...11:29am

Sunlight streamed through the still-open curtains when he opened his eyes. Surprised, he sat up and fumbled for his watch. "Aww geez," he muttered, noting the mid-morning hour. Stretching luxuriously, he rolled out of bed.

By the time Scully knocked on Mulder's door, she had an anxious knot in her stomach. What if he changed his mind? What if he had just been joking around? What if-- Interrupting her train of pessimistic thoughts, a muffled voice from behind the door called out, "Who is it?"

"Mulder?" she said hesitatingly. "It's me, Scully."

"Hang on," the indistinct but familiar voice commanded.

Nervously, Mulder pulled the door open, and stopped breathing. Scully stood there, smiling uncertainly, the most stunning sight he'd ever laid eyes on. The ivory satin dress she wore set his mind reeling, and his heart racing. The neckline curved gently, suspended by thin straps that disappeared behind her shoulders. The glossy fabric skimmed her waist and hips elegantly, and the skirt was short, revealing an appreciative length of her legs. For a moment, he couldn't speak.

"You don't like it," Scully tried to decipher his reaction. Was he upset that she'd gone shopping while he was still sleeping? Was he trying to find the words to back out?

"No," he breathed. "I mean, yes! I mean, you look nice!" That has got to be the understatement of the year, he thought to himself. "Where's your gun?"

"My gun?" Scully repeated, confused by the apparent subject change. Then she realized that it was obvious she didn't have her shoulder holster on. "It's in my purse," she told him.

"Good." He opened the door all the way, gesturing for her to come in. "I'll just be a second."

A bit more than a second later, they had checked out and were heading toward the small wedding chapel they'd stopped at the night before. Mulder was driving, and when he spotted a mall, he pulled in.

"Why are we stopping?" Scully asked, scrutinizing the parking lot for a reason. None was apparent.

"I just have to run in," Mulder explained. "I'll be right back, I swear."

Sighing tolerantly, Scully watched him amble briskly into the nearest entrance. True to his word, he returned within a few minutes. He looked good this morning, Scully thought as he approached the car. His eyes didn't hold the haunted vestiges of nightmares that she'd become accustomed to seeing, and he wore a smile that belied his tormented history.

"What do you think," Mulder asked, skillfully tying his new acquisition around his neck. "Does it match the suit?"

He wore the same black suit that he'd left the hotel in, but his tie...Scully bit her lip and tried not to laugh. "What can I say, Mulder," she couldn't contain a giggle. "It's you."

"And you hate it?" he looked in the rearview mirror, suddenly feeling doubtful of the tie's appeal. "I could take it back--"

"No," she said firmly, placing her hand over his, arresting his attempt to pull the tie off. "Don't."

"Okay," he agreed easily, meeting her gaze and losing himself in the pale blue of her eyes.

"We should go," she reminded him. "Skinner wasn't too happy about the timing of our vacation. The sooner we get back to D.C., the less likely he'll be to declare us AWOL."

Washington D.C.
10:13pm

The drive back to Albuquerque to return the rented car was monotonous, but neither grew bored. Somehow, the inexpensive gold band that now circled each Special Agent's left ring finger, filled them both with a contentedness and peace that had been absent from their lives for quite a while. Mulder classified it as purely psychological, while Scully refused to contemplate it, lest it disappear with too much reasoning.

A tailwind shortened the flight home, and it wasn't long before they entered the parking garage where Mulder's car was waiting. "Did I ever tell you how nervous these places make me?" Mulder commented, while he unlocked the car door.

"What, parking garages?" Scully looked around, noting both the abundant shadows and the cover the multitude of cars provided. "You're right, Mulder. It is kinda creepy in here. You never know who could be lurking..." she stopped in mid-sentance, as a man came out of the elevator and began walking toward them. "Mulder, look," she said quietly.

Mulder's eyes went wide, fierce with rage. He pulled his gun out, aiming it at the man's head, and undid the safety. Stunned, the man held both hands in the air.

"Well, if it isn't Ratboy," Mulder sneered. He grabbed the man with one hand and pushed him face down against the trunk of the car.

Grunting in protest, the man offered no resistance. "Please don't shoot! My wallet's in my pocket, the car keys are in my jacket."

Scully kept her own gun trained on the man, while Mulder did a quick body search. "I don't want your wallet, Krycek."

The man turned his head to look at Mulder, a confused look in his eyes. "My name's not Krycek."

"Shut up," Mulder yelled, forcing the man's face back against the trunk. "I'm sick and tired of your lies!"

"Um, Mulder," Scully said softly. Mulder turned his head and caught Scully's glance. An eternity passed by in an instant, and a warm tingle settled in Scully's stomach when she realized that Mulder's smile was just for her. Forcing herself back to the present situation, she stepped closer to the rear of the car. "His hand," she indicated.

Mulder lowered his gun, letting Scully cover him, and examined the man's left arm. "It's real," he said in disgust. Relieved, Scully slipped her own gun back into it's holster.

"Our mistake," Mulder apologized, helping the man stand back up. He studied the man for a second, and decided that he did bear enough resemblance to the rogue agent to have warranted being apprehended. "Stay away from the Hoover Building," advised Mulder, as the man walked quickly away.

"Let's go home, Mulder," Scully sighed.

"Your place, or mine?" he quipped back.

Scully grimaced, then realized it was a valid question. To aid the decision, she asked, "When did you last change your sheets?"

"Uh..." Mulder thought frantically, getting in the car. He so infrequently slept in his bed, that it was difficult for him to remember.

Noting his hesitation, Scully stated firmly, "We'll go to mine. You haven't met Phoebe yet, anyway."

"Phoebe?" Mulder almost hated to ask.

"The guy upstairs has one of those huge snakes that tends to eat mice and rats whole," Scully explained with a slight smile. "He asked me to watch a few of his feeder rats while he's out of town. I guess the snake doesn't need looking after."

"And you named one of them Phoebe?" Mulder almost laughed.

"The other two are Bambi and White," she admitted guiltily.

Mulder grinned. "And what happens when you have to give them back?"

Raising her eyebrows in delight, Scully told him, "They get what they deserve."

"Remind me never to divorce you, FBI woman," Mulder instructed solemnly.

Washington D.C.
August 7th...2:45am

Mulder shuddered lightly, remembering the food at the diner in New Mexico. "That was gross. They ought to be cited for deceiving the public."

"Whatever that stuff was they served, it shouldn't be called food," Scully agreed, then she paused in thought. "It's not uncommon for stress to cause short-term memory loss. Perhaps the strain of too many cases within a short time span, combined with poor nutrition and jet lag..."

"Check your watch," Mulder requested, scanning the room for his own.

Frowning slightly, Scully retrieved hers from the nightstand and handed it to Mulder. "I knew it!" he exclaimed, thrusting the watches in Scully's face. Both read 12:37. "Two missing hours, Scully!"

"Mulder," Scully said, amused. "What time is it right now in New Mexico?"

He calculated the time zone difference, then looked at her with an almost disappointed expression. "Oh. I guess we forgot to set our watches. But that still doesn't explain why I'm in your apartment."

"Or why our clothes are on the floor," Scully observed, suppressing a yawn. "But I'm sure there is a logical explanation. I'm just too tired to search for it tonight." She slumped over on the bed, pulling a pillow under her head and burying her face.

"Right, you should get some sleep. I'll just...get dressed." Mulder quietly slipped into the bathroom. When he came out a minute later, Scully looked asleep. Walking softly, he picked up his shoes and moved toward the door. A muffled sound made him stop and glance back at the bed. "What'd you say?"

Scully lifted her head slightly from the pillow so he could hear her. "Get up in four hours. Too tired to drive. Go to sleep."

It took him a moment to decipher what she meant, and he just stood there for another few moments before remembering, "Your couch is too short, Scully."

"Sorry," she mumbled, and rolled over to the other side of the bed without opening her eyes.

"Um, okay," Mulder was apprehensive about accepting the apparent invitation. Cautiously, he eased himself onto the bed, staying as close to the edge as he could without falling off. He was positive that he would be unable to sleep in such proximity to Scully, but exhaustion proved him wrong.

Washington D.C.
9:45 am

"There you two are," Skinner spotted the agents in the hallway of the Hoover Building. He did not look pleased. "Have a good time?"

Mulder and Scully stopped, glancing uneasily at each other, then at their supervisor. "Where, sir?" Scully finally spoke.

The A.D. looked at them and spoke dryly, "Albuquerque. New Mexico. The desert. Your case. You decided to take a day off and watch for UFO's or something?"

"Of course, sir," Mulder confirmed. "The locals didn't need our help after all."

"Did you find any?"

"Any what?"

"UFO's?"

Mulder thought for a second. It would explain a lot, especially the memory loss. But before he could say so, Scully spoke. "Not this time, sir."

Skinner shrugged. "The car rental agency complained about the extra miles you put on the car. Care to explain?"

"Not this time, sir," Mulder echoed Scully's previous words.

"Have it your way, Agent Mulder. But next time you run off to get married, please file a report."

MARRIED? Mulder mouthed at Scully, while the A.D. turned to go into his office. Scully lifted her eyebrows, indicating that she was in the dark as much as him.

"One more thing," Skinner looked over his shoulder. "Nice tie."

Mulder lifted his tie, glancing at for the first time. "Uh, thanks. It's new." He lightly placed his hand against Scully's back and led her to the elevator. "Scully, I think we need to talk."

--end--