Dreams & Nightmares (NC-17 S/S) by D. Street
Part 1 of 7

Spoiler warning:    Some references to the third season
                    episode, "Avatar."

Rating:   NC-17

Classifications: S (Story), R (Romance) Skinner/Scully

Summary:  This is a Skinner/Scully relationship story where
          Skinner experiences nightmares where Scully is in
          danger and Mulder attempts to help him work through
          them. 

     I would appreciate any comments or criticism. Thank you.
Please e-mail to: 71022.1045@compuserve.com

     The characters and situations of the television program
"The X-Files" are the creations and property of Chris Carter,
Fox Broadcasting and Ten-Thirteen Productions, and have been
used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended
and no profit will be made.

*********************************************************

DREAMS & NIGHTMARES
by D. Street

Part 1 of 7

WALTER SKINNER'S HOME - PM

     Walter Skinner woke drenched in sweat, gasping for
breath, fingers clenching damp bedsheets. 
     "Dammit!" He cursed himself and his screwed up
subconscious. "When is this going to end!?" 
     Walter lay on his back, staring into the darkness of his
bedroom, listening to the gentle 'tick' of the bedside clock.
He rolled onto his side and read the illuminated hands; 2:00
am. With a sigh he closed his eyes, but sleep wouldn't come.
An overpowering sense of loneliness swept over him, permeating
every fiber. It wasn't a stranger, this feeling, he'd felt it
in varying degrees for most of his adult life. What frightened
him now was the intense depth of that lonely emptiness and how
it was beginning to affect him. 
     It was two weeks since he'd been cleared of the false
murder charges and things had returned to normal. Sharon
Skinner's funeral had been Saturday, and he no longer had to
decide whether or not he wanted a divorce. 
      Skinner flopped onto his other side and squeezed his
eyes shut. He had to get some unbroken sleep or he'd be
useless tomorrow. Today. He thought about his ex-wife and was
surprised to feel no regret. He'd had a surge of affection and
a desire to make things the way they used to be, but after it
was over and his adrenaline had reverted, Skinner had realized
that he no longer cared enough to make the marriage work... if
he ever had. He was sorry she was dead, but that was all. 
     A sudden, driving urge to cry invaded him and Skinner
shoved it down brutally. 
     "Jesus, maybe I've got some chemical imbalance all of a
sudden." 
     But he knew it wasn't anything medically simple... he
needed to deal with the things that were happening in his
life; and the things that had been happening for the last year
or so. The problem was, he wasn't sure he wanted to face those
demons. He desperately wanted to forget the emotions and fears
that tore at him and get back to life as AD for the Federal
Bureau of Investigation. He wanted to erect the wall that had
so successfully shielded him from those around him and
isolated him from hurt. Prevented him from becoming too
involved and therefore rejected for what he was. The wall that
left him alone but safe. 
     The sun peeked over the horizon as Walter slipped back
into a troubled sleep, pillow wet from tears he hadn't known
he was shedding. 

WALTER SKINNER'S OFFICE - AM

     Dana Scully leaned over Skinner's shoulder, pointing out
the results of her latest autopsy. 
     "You see, sir? It's really nothing out of the ordinary.
I think we can close the case on this one." 
     Skinner nodded. "Yes, I don't see anything unusual." He
took off his glasses and rubbed tired eyes. "Good work, Agent
Scully." Walter held the bridge of his nose for a moment,
wishing the headache he'd had since the day before would
vanish. 
     "Sir?" Scully lightly touched his shoulder. She could
feel his muscles bunch beneath her hand. "Are you all right?" 
     Replacing the wirerims, Skinner smiled up at her. "Yes,
of course. Just a little tired." 
     He closed the file and pushed it across his desk. The
truth was, his sleep-deprived mind was beginning to wander.
Scully's close proximity was giving his body ideas and he
doubted he could safely stand without revealing the nature of
the fantasy he'd been having while his agent had related her
findings. It had always been difficult to conceal his feelings
for the pretty FBI agent, but lately, with his guard down due
to lack of rest, Skinner was finding it damned near
impossible. 
     He pulled the folder back and flipped it open. He'd
really better review it before she left, in case he had any
questions. 
     "Just let me go over this once more and we'll be done."
he told her. 
     Dana nodded, going to sit in her accustomed chair.
     As she watch him, head bowed slightly over the case file,
Scully noticed again how tired and... she searched for a
word... ragged, the AD looked. His broad shoulders slumped and
the usually impassive face was drawn and pale. 
     'I wonder if he's ill?' she mused, studying him closely.
'Or maybe he's just tired... Mulder's been giving him grief
over that last case. Maybe he's having trouble with his
superiors.' She tended to forget that Skinner, too, had people
he was forced to answer to. People who didn't always
appreciate the fight he put up for the X-Files and its agents.
      She made a mental note to speak with her partner.
Skinner really was on their side and there was no sense in
beating his head against the wall just because he wanted them
to do things by the book. 
     Scully settled back in the chair, letting her eyes wander
over the man before her. During the last few months, she'd
admitted to herself that she found Skinner attractive. Very
attractive. More than just his good looks, she admired his
strength and conviction and the fact that he trusted his
agents to get the job done and generally didn't interfere,
even when he feared for their safety. And yet, she had
admitted to herself, he was always there to back them up if
they needed it. That was something rare and Dana found herself
becoming more and more fond of Walter Skinner. Despite the
fact that he was her direct superior. 
     "Well, this looks fine."
     Dana snapped out of her reverie as he closed the file. 
     "I think we're through for now, Agent Scully." He smiled
at her. 
     She stood. "Thank you, sir."
     "Scully--"
     She turned back. "Yes, sir?"
     Skinner hesitated a moment, then shook his head, waving
her to the door. "Nothing. Dismissed." 
     Scully left, closing the door softly. She'd speak to
Mulder. Maybe he had an idea about what was bothering their
boss.

FBI BUILDING - AFTERNOON

     Fox Mulder stepped out of the elevator and strode down
the long corridor to the AD's office. Usually he dreaded these
meetings with their superior; primarily because Skinner
usually ended up taking his reports apart and demanding that
Mulder put them back together. Today, however, Mulder was
anxious to speak with Skinner. He wasn't sure why, but ever
since the AD had reclaimed his position at the Bureau, Mulder
had had an uneasy feeling that the man needed help. And now
Scully had told him that she thought something was bothering
their boss. She'd suggested that perhaps Mulder could glean
what the problem was. Personally, he didn't think he was going
to be able to get beyond the safety wall the AD shielded
himself behind. Mulder gave himself a mental shake. The day
Walter Skinner needed help was the day that Fox Mulder got a
commendation from the Director. 
     He turned a corner and pulled open the door to Skinner's
outer office. 
     "Morning, Sara." Mulder smiled at Skinner's assistant.
"He in?" 
     The young woman nodded. She hesitated, about to say
something, than changed her mind. 
     "I'll buzz him."
     "Is anything wrong?" 
     Mulder frowned. Sara Morgan was a bright, happy young
woman in her thirties that for a reason Mulder had never been
able to determine, felt protective of Skinner, frequently
worrying about his tendency to throw himself into his work at
the expense of his own well-being. 
     "No more repercussions about the murder case?" he
prodded. 
     "Oh, no." She shook her blonde head. "I don't know, and
I probably shouldn't say anything to you about it..." She made
an annoyed sound. "It's just that the last week he's come in
looking like death warmed over and he's argumentative and hard
to get along with--" She stopped at Mulder's look. "Come on,
Agent Mulder, he's not that bad." 
     Fox grinned. "I know. I'm kidding. Hey! I was on his side
in this thing." 
     She smiled at him. "I know. I'm just a little worried. He
looks like he hasn't slept in weeks... I mean, he should be
improving, not degenerating! It's over, right? They're not
after him any more?" 
     Mulder shrugged. "Not so far as I know." He glanced at
the door. "Well, I'll see what I can find out. Maybe it's just
catching up with him." 
     Sara smiled her thanks and reached for the intercom, but
Mulder reached out a hand to stop her. 
     "Let me knock."
     Sara nodded and watched the young agent knock softly on
her boss' door and then slip inside. Well, if anybody could
find out what was bothering Mr. Skinner, it was Mulder. She
grinned. And maybe he'd stir up a little excitement around
here. 
     Mulder knocked softly then, getting no response, turned
the knob and pushed open the door. He smiled slightly and
slipped into the office, softly closing the door behind him. 
     Skinner lay stretched out on the couch, tie undone, shoes
neatly on the floor... sound asleep. 
     Mulder stood beside the sofa for a long time, watching
his boss. He looked so much younger and so vulnerable in
sleep. Fox leaned down to gently remove the perennial wirerims
and lay them on the end table. Turning, he headed for the
door, intending to tell Sara to hold all the ADs calls until
he woke. From what the pretty assistant had said, he figured
Skinner could use all the sleep he could get. 
     As he reached for the doorknob, he heard a groan and
stepped back to the couch. 
     An unsettled look had replaced the peaceful one and
Skinner tossed on the narrow sofa, one arm folded over his
eyes. 
     "No... leave me alone. I don't know what you want!"
     Curious, Mulder knelt beside him, head cocked as he
watched the conflict flicker across Skinner's mobile face. 
     "No, no, let me off of here! I can't help her... just
go!" 
     Mulder watched, his alarm growing as Skinner began to
pant, chest heaving as his fear grew, his tall form twisting
on the couch. Mulder reached out a hand, laying it firmly on
his boss' arm. 
     "Sir... wake up."
     "Got to get out of here." 
     A desperate moan of pain escaped the pale lips and Mulder
gently shook him. The AD suddenly grabbed the edge of the
sofa, as if to keep from falling. He shouted, body tensing. 
     "Skinner." He bit his lip, watching the nightmare take a
firmer hold on the man. "Walter, wake up!" 
     Skinner's eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright,
fingers clutching the sofa cushions. His chest heaved as he
took in his surroundings. 
     "Sir?" Mulder spoke softly, not wanting to upset him any
more than the nightmare already had. 
     Skinner turned to look at him, taking a moment to
register the agent's presence. 
     "Mulder."
     He swallowed hard, licking dry lips. "What... what are
you doing here?" 
     "Our meeting, sir?" he gently prodded. "I was going to
leave, but you seemed to be having some difficulty..." 
     He let it trail off, giving Skinner the option of
ignoring the situation. Mulder half-expected the AD to revert
to norm and ream him for invading his privacy. Instead the
older man swung his legs over the side, lowering his head into
trembling hands. 
     "I think I'm going insane, Mulder." He whispered.
     Fox sat beside him on the couch. "Sir?"
     Skinner shook his head, raising his eyes to gaze unseeing
out the window. 
     "I'm been having terrifying nightmares, ever since
Sharon--" He swallowed. "Ever since the frame-up was
resolved." 
     "You were having dreams about the old woman long before
that," Mulder pointed out. 
     "True," Walter conceded, rising a bit unsteadily to his
feet and moving across the room. "But they've been
different... more violent, and, and... they're not about me." 
     Mulder stayed where he was to give the AD space. The
psychologist in him was fascinated and wanted to hear more
about the man's dreams... the friend and agent in him was
concerned for Skinner's mental well-being. They might not be
bosom buddies, but the AD was a good man and one of their few
allies. Mulder had discovered, while working to clear their
boss of murder, that he actually *liked* Skinner as well. That
had been one of the bigger revelations of his life. He focused
his attention as Walter began to speak again. 
     "I'm afraid to fall asleep. Every time I do, I end up
dreaming the same thing over and over, and each time it goes
a little bit further, until I was up drenched with sweat and
screaming." 
     He turned to regard Mulder, expecting disgust or perhaps
a typical wisecrack. What he saw was compassion and interest.
Bolstered by that and a desperate need to tell someone about
the dreams, Skinner took a breath. 
     "I just don't know what to do any more." He glanced
quickly at Mulder, then back to the bustling street below his
window. "That's why I called you up here... I thought
maybe...." He sighed. "I don't know what I thought." 
     The broad shoulders slumped as he stood with his back to
the younger man, hands in his pockets, eyes hooded as he gazed
at the street below. 
     "So you tried to take a nap here, in a secure
environment, in the daylight, and you still had the dream?"
Mulder ventured, watching his companion. 
     Skinner nodded, turning to face Mulder.
     "You want to tell me about them? How they start, what
frightens you about them?" 
     Skinner met his gaze and Mulder saw something he didn't
think he'd ever seen in Walter Skinner's face before; real
fear. Even during the murder investigation, he's seen
dejection, surrender and a lost helplessness that had seemed
so uncharacteristic; but never had Mulder detected the least
bit of naked fear in the man... not like he was seeing now. 
     "You feel helpless because you don't have control of this
part of you," Fox began, leaning forward, elbows on his knees.
"You can't control them and previous experience tells you that
you have to listen to them because they might be telling you
something." He cocked his head slightly. "Am I right?" 
     Skinner nodded.
     Fox leaned back against the sofa cushions, ankle crossed
over his knee. This was the crucial part; if Skinner clamed up
on him now, they'd never be able to help him, and Mulder
thought this was one time the AD needed, really needed, help. 
     "I've had a lot of experience with dreams. Why don't you
just tell me what you remember and see what happens?" 
     Walter snorted. "I remember everything. Vividly." Making
a decision, the AD began to pace in front of his desk. "They
always start the same way." He glanced at Mulder, who nodded,
then resumed his narration. "Bright lights, sterile walls and
floors, doctors..." He frowned, trying to bring the visions
into focus. "Everything is moving... I think I'm on a train." 
     Mulder started, but remained silent.
     "At first I think they're going to operate on me... kill
me, but they don't. I get up and go into another room." 
     When Skinner was silent for several minutes, Mulder
spoke. 
     "Is the old woman there?"
     Walter nodded. "At first, but I can't understand what
she's trying to tell me. It frustrates me, but I can't
understand. Then she changes into someone else... someone
middle-aged and not ugly. Not beautiful, but kind and caring."
Skinner chewed his lip. "She takes my hand and we go into a
small room and it lurches sharply and we both fall to the
floor..." He looked at Mulder. "And then I wake up. Just now,
that was the farthest it's ever gone." 
     Mulder digested what he'd heard. "It's possible that
something's wrong and 'someone' is trying to tell you what it
is." 
     He rose and began to pace, himself.
     "All right. We know that you have a history of the old
woman trying to warn you of danger. That started in Vietnam."
He glanced at Skinner. "Right?" 
     The other man nodded.
     "Okay. Maybe she's trying to tell you something now and
for whatever reason, you're not getting it. Maybe when your
wife died, and she spoke through her, she lost some ability to
communicate with you." 
     Walter nodded. He still couldn't believe he'd admitted to
Mulder what had happened in the hospital that night. He barely
believed it himself. But he did believe, because the old
woman's warning had saved Scully's life. And the life of the
hooker. And, he admitted, ultimately his own freedom. He
heaved a heavy sigh. This opening up shit was for the birds.
It had taken all night and most of a bottle of Scotch before
he'd admitted it all to Mulder and now he was doing it again,
and he hated it. 
     "Sir?"
     Mulder's soft voice brought him back to the present.
     "I'm sorry, what did you say?" Skinner spied his glasses
on the table and crossed to retrieve them. When the world was
back in focus, he turned to his agent. 
     "I said, maybe you have a new guardian... one that is
more mobile and able to communicate with you better than the
old woman was." 
     "But why, Mulder?!" Skinner's frustration poured out
through his voice. "What is she trying to tell me? I'm going
crazy!" 
     "Do you feel fear during these dreams?" Mulder
questioned, perching on the edge of the desk. "Is there a
sense of imminent danger?" 
     Skinner nodded, reaching into his memories to analyze the
feelings. 
     "Yes, but not to me. To someone else... someone important
to me." 
     "It probably isn't you ex-wife," Fox decided, "Since
she'd no longer living." 
     Skinner gave him a sad look. "No, it wouldn't be."
     Again, Mulder was struck by the incredible aloneness that
seemed to shroud the AD. 
     "Forgive me for prying, sir," Fox watched the other man
carefully. "Are you currently in a relationship?" 
     Skinner laughed, he couldn't help it. "Mulder, I haven't
been in a relationship for y-- " He stopped. "For a very long
time. I don't think that's it." 
     "Well, then, assuming these dreams are warnings, either
you're in danger or someone close to you. Someone you care
about or feel responsible for?" Mulder suggested. 
     "I don't know." Skinner shook his head. "There's no
one... I mean, no one who--" He stopped. 
     Suddenly his manner changed and Mulder knew they'd gone
as far as they were going to today. A door closed on something
the AD wasn't ready to tell him and the familiar wall was back
in place. 
     "Well, thank you, Agent Mulder. I don't know what can be
done about it, but thank you for listening." He smiled, a
little hesitantly. "It helped." 
     "Any time, sir." Mulder said and meant it. "If you have
one of these dreams tonight, please call me while it's still
fresh in your mind." 
     "Mulder, it's always two or three in the morning when--" 
     "I'm usually awake." The agent said. "I mean it, sir.
Maybe we can doing something." He paused. "I'd like to help." 
     A breath caught in Skinner's throat and he nodded.
Anything to stop the damned things. Even confiding his
emotions to someone. He looked up sharply as a thought
occurred. 
     "Mulder, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to
Agent Scully." He knew Scully was the only one Mulder might be
tempted to share this information with. "I don't think it
would be too good for morale." 
     Mulder refrained from saying that he doubted it would
jade Scully's opinion of him. With a nod, Mulder left the
office, mind swirling with possible explanations to Skinner's
nightmares. What he hadn't told the AD was his fear that he
was going to have to follow one through to its conclusion
before they would be able to find any answers. 
     "How'd it go?" Sara's voice brought him out of his
reverie. 
     "Oh, fine. Look, if he doesn't have anything pressing,
make sure he goes home at a decent hour, would you?" 
     Immediately the woman looked alarmed. "Is he really
okay?" 
     "Yeah. He just needs some sleep." Mulder told her,
shaking his head at that double-edged sword.

Continued in Part 2



From 71022.1045@CompuServe.COM Thu Jan 09 19:31:35 1997
Dreams & Nightmares (NC17) S/S by D. Street
E-mail to 71022.1045@CompuServe.com

Part 2 of 7
Disclaimer in Part 1

WALTER SKINNER'S HOME - 4:00 AM

          It started as the others had; waking on what he now
     somehow knew to be a train. The woman came to him, taking
     his hand, and he followed her into another room. The name
     tag on her uniform read "Owens." He tried to speak, to
     ask her what she was trying to tell him, but no words
     would come. 'Well, Walter, it's a dream, after all,' he
     told himself.
          She led him into a makeshift operating theatre. In
     the center of the room, under a huge overhead light, lay
     the body of a woman on an operating table. The woman
     beside him moved, taking him with her. Walter didn't
     protest and they seemed to glide forward until he stood
     beside the still figure. 
          Terror gripped Skinner as he looked down, into the
     face of the sleeping woman. It was Dana Scully. 
          Dressed in a surgical gown, prepped for an
     operation, Dana lay unconscious, copper colored hair
     fanned across the stark white sheet. 
          Skinner tried to move... to wake her... but he
     couldn't. He was frozen in his nightmare, forced to watch
     the proceedings without interference. 
          Two men dressed in operating scrubs entered and
     approached the table. 
          As he watched in horror, they began their surgery,
     making an incision against Scully's flat stomach, pulling
     apart flesh and muscle. Just below the surface of her
     skin they inserted a thin metal rod the size of a small
     pencil, then closed the wound. The process was repeated
     twice more, one rod implanted in each breast. His heart
     thudded in his chest as the incisions were closed and the
     blood wiped away. Blood everywhere... so much of it. And
     he couldn't move! Then the doctors wheeled the gurney
     away and the lights dimmed. Skinner turned to his
     companion and found himself totally alone. 
          "No!" 
          His scream echoed in his head, reverberating through
     the now-empty train car. 

     "No!"
     Skinner gasped for breath, the fear in his belly a
painful after-effect of the nightmare. He sat straight up in
bed, fists clenching a pillow as his heart raced. Was this
what the woman was trying to tell him? Was Scully going to be
abducted again? Or had the unknown objects been implanted the
first time she disappeared? But she'd been in the hospital for
weeks; surely they would have discovered any foreign
objects... 
     He sat up, running palms over his head, feeling the sweat
that ran down his back and into his eyes. He couldn't ignore
this... and he couldn't tell Mulder. Could he? What would the
agent's response be? Would he be so distraught over the danger
to his partner that he'd tell her about the dreams? And did it
really matter that his own privacy was violated, if it meant
Scully was safe? For one of the few times in his life, Walter
felt at a loss for an executive decision. He needed help. He
reached for the bedside phone. He needed Mulder. 
     As the phone rang, Skinner glanced at the clock; 4 am.
The dream had come later than usual. 
     "'lo?" came the sleepy voice.
     "You told me to call." Skinner reminded him.
     "Sir." 
     Immediately Mulder was awake. Skinner could almost see
him sitting up on the couch, running a hand through his dark
hair. 
     "Another dream?"
     "Yes." He took a breath. "If you're right about this
being an early warning system, Mulder, then we're in trouble."
     "I'll be right over."
     "No--"
     "Yes. We can't do this over the phone."
     The line went dead and Skinner finally replaced the
receiver and climbed out of bed. Might as well get dressed and
make some coffee. It promised to be a long night. 
     Fox Mulder drove toward Skinner's house, wondering what
he was going to find. It must have been a hell of a dream, he
decided, for the AD to break down and call him at four in the
morning. 
     'And what am I going to tell him?' the agent wondered,
'If it is some kind of warning, how do I convince him to take
it? He's so damned stubborn.'
     Deciding to cross that bridge when he came to it, Mulder
pulled into Skinner's driveway and shut off his car. He locked
the car and started up the walk to the heavy oak door. It
opened before he was halfway there. 
     'Oo, not a good sign,' Fox thought, 'He was watching for
me. This must really have him running scared.'
     "Sir." Mulder nodded as his boss stepped aside for him to
enter. 
     He followed the other man into the living room where a
coffee setup waited. 
     "Mulder," Skinner turned to face his agent and Fox noted
how drawn and tired the older man looked. "I'm having a
difficult time with this." 
     Mulder nodded, encouragingly.
     "I mean, with asking you for help... opening up my,
my..." 
     "Emotions?" Mulder suggested.
     "Whatever." Skinner removed his glasses and ran a hand
over his face. "I'm a very private person, Mulder." He
swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "If you could call me
Walter... or at least Skinner." He appealed to Mulder. "'Sir'
just seemed so formal. It shifts everything off kilter." 
     "Uh, sure. Walter." Mulder smiled at him and sat down.
"Coffee?" He indicated the empty cups. 
     Skinner poured and they sat in silence for several
minutes. Finally Mulder spoke. 
     "Tell me about the dream."
     Walter was struck by the gentleness in his agent's voice.
It beckoned him like a safe harbor and he wondered if Scully
felt as comforted as he did at this moment. 
     'No wonder they work so well together.' Skinner thought.
'I'll bet he could evoke security in the face of anything.'
     Carefully, Skinner related his most recent nightmare,
pausing when he reached the part he considered to be crucial. 
     "And?" Mulder prompted.
     "Mulder, this might not mean anything." Skinner began,
reluctant to tell him he'd seen Scully in his dream. "I mean,
--" 
     "What did you say the nurse's name was?" Mulder
interrupted, his mind darting back to the point, making a
connection. "The new one that you've been seeing." 
     "Owens, why?"
     "I don't know... I've heard that name before in context
with a case, I think." Mulder chewed his lip, eyes drifting
inward, through the past. Finally he gave it up for the moment
and focused on the man across from him. 
     "Okay... you were standing over the woman on the
operating table. Did you recognize her?" 
     Skinner nodded. "It was Agent Scully."
     Mulder's jaw dropped. "Scully?"
     Skinner glanced at the floor, then me the other man's
eyes. "Yeah. I can't help what I dreamed, Mulder, it was
Scully." 
     'Dammit, why did I tell him? I should have done this on
my own! He'll tear off and get them both killed and it'll be
my fault! Why can't I understand what's happening to me?'
     "Walter?"
     Skinner looked up then, startled out of his self-
recrimination. 
     Mulder didn't think he'd ever seen the AD look so bad.
His face was ashen and guilt haunted the dark eyes. 
     "What happened then?" Mulder urged softly. He sat forward
on the sofa, eyes fastened on his companion's. 
     Encouraged by the agent's apparent calm, Skinner went on
with his story. 
     "Two men came into the car..."
     "You're convinced now that you were on a train?" Fox
interjected. 
     "Yes. Absolutely certain. Anyway, they... they begin to,
to implant small metal rods in her body." 
     As Mulder watched, Skinner's voice began to tremble and
the hands that held his coffee cup shook slightly. 
     "They inserted one in her stomach and, and two... one in
each breast." 
     Walter sat the cup down, spilling coffee on the rug. He
ran open palms over his cheeks as he stumbled on. 
     "I don't know why, but I know it wasn't to help her. I
think..." He met Mulder's eyes and Fox saw the same fear that
he himself felt reflected in the AD's eyes. "Could I somehow
be seeing the past? Seeing what happened when she was taken?" 
     The naked pain on Skinner's face helped Mulder to shove
his own panic down. 
     "I don't know, Walter. It's poss--" 
     Skinner saw the penny drop as revelation flooded the
agent's face. 
     "What?" he demanded.
     "I just remembered where I've heard Nurse Owens' name."
He said, excited. "When Scully came back... when she was in
the coma. She told me one of the things that brought her back
was a middle-aged nurse who was very kind to her and talked to
her... told her it wasn't her time to die... that she had to
hold on until she could wake up." 
     Mulder rose to pace excitedly in front of Skinner.
     "And that was her name! Nurse Owens! But when Scully
asked about her later, she found out there had never been a
Nurse Owens working at that hospital. And no one else had seen
her... only Scully from her coma." 
     "You're sure?" At Mulder's nod, the AD's mind began to
whirl. "So, maybe Scully's... whatever... guardian angel... is
trying to tell me that something's wrong." He met Mulder's
eyes. "That she's in trouble." 
     "Yeah. But why you?"
     Skinner shook his head. "I don't know, Mulder. Maybe...
maybe because I'm already susceptible to these kind of
dreams." The reality of what he was saying sunk in and he
snorted. "Dammit, Mulder, I can't believe I'm sitting here
talking about guardian angels!" 
     The younger man grinned. "Yeah, weird, isn't it?"
     Skinner shook his head, running a palm over the back of
his neck. "That it is." 
     "Well," Fox said, meeting his friend's gaze. "The next
thing is, do we tell Scully?" 
     "No." He didn't know why, but Skinner was sure of that.
"We have to find a way to make sure she's okay, but I don't
think we should tell her." 
     Mulder studied him curiously. "Why?"
     Skinner shook his head. "I don't know."
     "Okay. Let's go with that for now. Let's trust your
feelings." He shrugged. "We may have to tell her, but for now,
let's try to figure something out." 
     "And if she finds out what we're doing?" Skinner asked
him. 
     Mulder grinned. "Then she'll kill us both."
     The AD reached under his lenses to rub tired eyes.
"Yeah."

FBI BUILDING - AM
X-FILES OFFICE
     "Mulder, did you get a notice for a physical?"
     Mulder glanced up from the report he was finishing.
"What?" 
     Scully held up a piece of paper. "I just got an order to
go in for a mammogram." 
     Mulder frowned. "Who ordered it?"
     Scully squinted at the named scrawled on the bottom of
the request. 
     "Somebody named Figgley." She looked up. "Sound
familiar?" 
     "Uh-huh," Mulder shook his head. "Well, maybe you're
overdue, Scully." He reasoned. "Or they want to check up on
you after all that happened last year." 
     The woman shrugged. "Whatever. It's for tomorrow morning,
so I guess I'll find out then." 
     "Great. I'll see you when I see you."
     Mulder went back to the file, but his thoughts were
racing. 
     'Is this something Skinner's cooked up to get Scully x-
rayed?' He had to admit that it was clever. His partner had no
suspicions about anything out of the ordinary. He looked up as
the phone rang. 
     "Mulder."
     "Agent Mulder," It was Skinner's voice. "Could you come
to my office and bring your current case file with you?" 
     "Yes, sir."
     He hung up the phone and grinned at Scully. 
     "Our master's voice."
     She rolled her eyes and pushed back her chair. "Great." 
     "You're escaping this time. He just wants me."
     Scully laughed up at him. "Great! Maybe I'll get out of
here at a decent hour for once." 
     Mulder pouted. "Fine. Leave me to the lion."
     "All right, I will." She rose and turned off her desk
lamp. "See you after my appointment tomorrow." 
     "Right. Take care, Scully."
     She shot him a glance, but followed him out of the
office. As Mulder took the elevator up to the executive
levels, Scully headed for the parking garage, wondering why
Skinner wanted to see her partner alone.

WALTER SKINNER'S OFFICE
FBI BUILDING - AFTERNOON

     Skinner reached for the intercom as it buzzed.
     "Yes?"
     "Agent Mulder is here, sir."
     "Send him in, Sara."
     Skinner leaned back in his chair as the door opened and
Mulder entered the office, closing the door behind him. 
     "Sir? You wanted to see me?"
     "Yes." The AD paused. "I ordered a medical exam for
Scully today." 
     "Yeah, she told me about it. I wondered if it was you." 
     Skinner's interest quickened. "What did she say?"
     "Not much... she doesn't suspect anything."
     "No. I made up a name," the AD said, thoughtfully. "If
this comes out okay, what next?" 
     Mulder shrugged. "I guess we can assume that whatever
your dream is warning you about hasn't happened yet." 
     "Well, they're going to rush the results through and I'll
let you know." 
     Mulder studied the older man for a long moment. "Want to
meet at the hospital after the tests?" 
     Skinner looked up, surprised.
     "Well," Fox reasoned, "I assume you don't want to go with
Scully, and I know I want to find out what they say." 
     Skinner nodded. "Okay. I'll let you know what time." 
     "Great." Mulder dropped a file folder onto the corner of
the desk. "Our last case." 
     "Report's done?" Skinner's elevated eyebrows showed his
surprise. 
     Mulder grinned. "Thought I'd clear the decks in case some
new x-file happens along." At the AD's strickened look, he
hastily added, "Just kidding. But seriously, I wanted to be
able to concentrate on this." He paused, uncertain about
voicing his concerns. 
     "Out with it, Mulder." Skinner shot him his best AD look.
     The agent shrugged a shoulder. "You can't go without
sleep indefinitely, Walter. Sooner or later this dream is
going to either resolve itself, or kill you. We've got to
figure out what it means before the latter happens." 
     Skinner nodded, eyes on his desktop. He'd thought of
that. 
     "Thank you for the concern... I don't think we're at that
point yet." 
     Looking at the ADs haggard features, Mulder could have
argued. 
     "You're scaring Sara, you know."
     Skinner looked up, surprised. "No, I didn't. I'll try to
reassure her." He grinned. "She's got an over-active maternal
instinct." 
     "You sure that's all it is?" Mulder kidded.
     "I'm sure." Skinner said dryly. "It kicked into high gear
during the OPC thing." 
      "Well try and get some sleep, okay?" At the AD's anxious
look, he added, "I just don't want to have to break in a new
boss this week." 
     "Get out of here." Skinner growled, but a smile pulled at
the corner of his mouth.

WOMEN'S MEDICAL CLINIC - AM

     "Ready?" Dana inquired, pulling the paper smock tighter. 
     The technician entered the waiting room, Scully's file in
hand. 
     "Just about. I have a notation here that you're to have
a sonogram, as well." 
     Scully tensed. "Why?"
     The woman shrugged. "Doesn't say. Just that it's been
ordered along with the mammogram." 
     "Look, I've got to go... a meeting. I hadn't planned on
multiple tests." 
     "But--"
     "I'll rebook for tomorrow and then we'll take care of it,
okay?" She smiled her most convincing smile and picked up her
clothes. 
     With a hesitant nod, the technician made a notation in
Scully's chart and replaced it in the rack, picking up
another. When she disappeared down the hall, Scully grabbed
her chart and opened it. She found the original order from the
Bureau, then replaced her chart and darted for the dressing
room. 
     She hastily donned her street clothes and hurried to her
car. As she drove to work, her mind frantically tried to find
an answer to the question of who had ordered these tests for
her and why. She glanced at the signature on the bottom of the
request... the name meant nothing, although the handwriting
was vaguely familiar. Was this another attempt by Them to put
her out of commission? Did Cancerman or his shadow
organization have something to do with it? But why go through
channels? Why not an accident or another abduction attempt?
She wasn't ill... she couldn't fathom a reason for the
mysterious orders. 
     Deciding that work was out of the question for the
moment, Scully turned her car around, heading for someone she
thought could at least clear up the 'who' for her.

FBI BUILDING - KAREN HOLMES
HAND WRITING EXPERT

     The Bureau's top hand writing analyst sat behind her
desk, studying the medical order than Dana Scully had brought
to her. She frowned, then glanced up at the agent sitting
anxiously across from her. 
     "I don't have to check on this handwriting, Dana," she
finally said. 
     "Yes, you do. It's important that I know who's ordered
these tests for me." 
     "I'm sure it is, but what I meant was, I already know who
issued this request." 
     Scully looked at her, surprised. "You do? Who?"
     Karen rose and went to a file cabinet. She thumbed
through a number of folders, finally selecting one. She
extracted a page of paper and handed it to Scully. 
     "I'd recognize that signature anywhere."
     Dana gasped as she read the name on the form. The
handwriting matched exactly with her medical request papers. 
     "It's your boss, Assistant Director Skinner."

WALTER SKINNER'S OFFICE - AFTERNOON

     Sara Morgan looked up as Special Agent Dana Scully
slammed the outer office door. She'd never seen the petite
agent so angry; not even when the AD raked her partner over
the coals. 
     "Agent Scully, can--"
     "He in?" She jerked her head toward Skinner's office. 
     Mutely, Sara shook her head.
     "He left on personal business."
     "Tell him I want to see him," Scully told her, barely
controlling her anger. "As soon as he gets back." 
     Again Sara nodded, watching as the agent exited her
office, slamming the door behind her.

Continued in Part 3



From 71022.1045@CompuServe.COM Thu Jan 09 19:32:09 1997
Dreams & Nightmares <NC-17) S/S by D. Street
E-mail to 71022,1045@CompuServe.com
Part 3 of 7
Disclaimer in Part 1

WOMEN'S MEDICAL CLINIC - AFTERNOON 

     "What do you mean she didn't take them?" Skinner demanded
in his best AD voice. 
     Dr. Peter Mayberry, an old friend of Skinner's, fixed him
with a patient look. 
     "I mean she came, she left and no tests were administered
by this clinic. I didn't even see her." He picked up Scully's
file. "And furthermore, your request order is missing from her
file. She left, telling the nurse she'd reschedule, but never
did." 
     Mulder took the folder, leafing through its contents.
"You think Scully took the order?" 
     Mayberry shrugged. "The last time the nurse saw it, it
was when Agent Scully was leaving."
     "Did you get her on her cell phone?" Skinner turned to
look at his agent. 
     "No answer." Mulder shrugged, then added. "I did call
your office, however. Sara said Scully was in about an hour
ago looking for you." 
     "Angry?"
     Mulder rolled his eyes. "Apparently that doesn't even
cover it." 
     Skinner heaved a weary sigh. This just got worse and
worse. "Okay, thanks Peter. I'll get back to you if I need any
more help." 
     As the two FBI men turned to leave, Mayberry put a hand
on his friend's arm. 
     "Walter, are you all right?"
     Skinner flared, eyes narrowing. "Of course. These tests
weren't for me." 
     "I know that." The doctor said evenly.
     Mulder marveled at the man's patience.
     "Just call me if there's *anything* I can do. Okay?"
     Skinner nodded and the doctor moved off. As they walked
out of the building together, Mulder said quietly, 
     "You do look a little rough around the edges."
     "Thanks." Walter muttered, pulling out his car keys.
     Mulder grabbed the keys. "Let me drive--"
     "I'm perfectly capable of driving my car," Walter
snapped. 
     "I'm sure you are," Mulder soothed, nevertheless heading
for the driver's side. "But I want you to have a look at
something I found this morning." 
     Mollified, Skinner slid into the passenger seat. The
truth was, he didn't feel alert enough to drive and he still
had a throbbing headache. He picked up a file folder that lay
on the floor at his feet. 
     "This?"
     Mulder nodded. "I think you'll find it interesting."
     Skinner flipped it open folder and froze. Staring up at
him from an 5x7 black and white photo was Nurse Owens...
exactly as he'd seen her in his dreams... complete with white
uniform and name badge. 
     He turned to stare at Fox.
     "Recognize her?" Mulder queried, though he could tell by
the tension emanating from his companion that he'd struck pay
dirt. 
     "This is her, Mulder!" he said excitedly. "This is the
2nd woman in my nightmares!" 
     "I thought it might be." Fox agreed. "Seems she was an
army nurse in Vietnam. She was killed on her last tour." 
     "When?" Skinner barely choked out the question.
     "Same time you were there." Mulder confirmed. "Which
still doesn't explain why she appeared to Scully, but it sure
does suggest a connection with you." 
     Walter was silent. This was obviously an important
clue... but to what? They still didn't know what the dreams
meant, or if Scully was indeed in any danger. 
     "Hey."
     "What?" He turned to look at Mulder.
     "I said," the agent repeated. "Why don't you go home and
try to get some rest? I'll see if I can find Scully and
explain to her what's been going on." He hesitated. "She might
take it better coming from me." 
     "Be my guest," Skinner said with a certain enthusiasm
that made the younger man smile. 
     They pulled up in front of the ADs house and Mulder shut
off the engine. 
     "You gonna be okay?" He studied his friend.
     "Sure. Keep the car and we'll ride in together in the
morning to pick up yours." Skinner suggested. "And call me if
you find her, okay?" 
     "I will." Mulder promised. "Try and rest."
     "Yeah." Walter agreed, without much enthusiasm.
     As the Taurus pulled away from the curb, Skinner made his
way up the walk, to his front door.
                             ***
     Dana Scully fought back tears as she drove toward her
apartment. 
     'Why does this hurt so much?' she demanded. 'It's just
Skinner. He's our boss and we never knew whether we could
trust him or not. Just because we'd decided he was on our
side... it doesn't matter that he's doing this!'
     But it did, and she didn't understand why the truth was
so hard to take. 
     Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, blurring the red
stoplight. 
     When had she become close enough to Skinner that his
betrayal cut her this deeply? When had he moved from the
possible enemy category to a possible friend? She sniffed
loudly and reached for a tissue. Just when they thought they
knew where he stood, just when she was developing some nice,
warm feelings-- Scully stopped, realizing that she did,
indeed, have warm feelings for Skinner. When had that
happened? 
     'You're just distraught.' she told herself firmly.
'You're not thinking clearly.' He'd never let a personal
agenda interfere with the job, anyway; not that there was
anything personal between them. Other than, perhaps, friends. 
     The light turned green and Scully moved the car forward. 
     Now it didn't matter anyway. Why in the hell had he set
those tests up? Did he know something that he wasn't telling
them? She just couldn't believe he was working for Them. He
was a good, decent man. Wasn't he? Could they have been so
wrong? He'd put his life on the line for them so many times...
surely it couldn't be cover. 
     Scully pulled into her parking space and turned off the
car. She wiped her face with a tissue and gathered up her
purse and briefcase. She'd take a hot bath and watch TV.  
     She sat in her car, mind numb, staring at the cement wall
in front of her. She didn't have the energy to go up to her
apartment. To spend the evening alone. Where the hell was
Mulder? 
     She chewed her lip, fresh tears running down her cheeks. 
     'God dammit, Scully! Will you stop crying!' She hated to
cry.  
     She started the car and put her things back on the
passenger seat. Slowly she backed on of the garage, blinking
away the last vestiges wetness and turned the car into
traffic.

WALTER SKINNER'S HOME - LATE AFTERNOON

     Skinner wandered aimlessly through his two-story house,
wishing Mulder would call to say he'd seen Scully and she'd
forgiven them. Him. The agent had called him an hour before,
saying he was going to Scully's apartment to wait for her.
Skinner prayed Mulder found her first because he, himself, was
not ready to die. He had a sudden vision of Scully in front of
him, gun drawn, and shivered. He'd been lucky the last time
she'd had him at gunpoint; this time he might not be as
fortunate. 
     'And you deserve it, you idiot!' He told himself
fiercely. 'You never should have gone behind her back. You
should have told her like you told Mulder. You'd be pissed off
too if they tried something like this on you.'
     Resisting the urge for a whiskey, he picked up his
briefcase and flopped down on the sofa. At least he could
catch up on paperwork while he waited.

MARGARET SCULLY'S HOME - EARLY EVENING

     "Dana, honey, what a nice surprise." Margaret Scully
pulled her daughter inside. "What brings you over in the
middle of the day?" 
     Mrs. Scully eyed her daughter. She could almost feel the
unsettledness in her. 
     "Mom, something's happened and I don't know what to do
about it. I just needed...." She looked at her mother. "I just
didn't want to be alone for awhile." 
     "Dana." Margaret gathered her daughter in her arms and
held her. "What's wrong?" 
     Scully pulled away, shaking her head.
     "I don't know, that's the trouble. Everything was great
and then Skinner starts ordering medical tests for me without
telling me why or that he's the one doing it and then Mulder
disappears and we don't even have a case right now!" 
     Margaret watched her daughter pace before her, hands
gesturing in the air, punctuating each statement. 
     "Why would Mr. Skinner order tests for you?" she
ventured, carefully leading her toward the kitchen. 
     "I don't know!" Dana exclaimed. "That's the problem! And
he's been acting strangely all week and he looks like hell."
Concern marred her brow, dissipating some of her anger. "I
don't know if he's worried about something or sick... or maybe
someone higher up is hassling him about the X-Files again." 
     "Do you think something's happened to Fox?" Margaret
poured them both a mug of coffee and sat down at the kitchen
table with her daughter. 
     "What?" Dana looked up. "Oh, no, I don't think so.
Somehow I think Mulder knows what's happening." She shook her
head. "That's crazy. He wouldn't keep something like this from
me." 
     "Did you have the tests?" her mother asked. "If your boss
thinks its important, perhaps you should find out why." 
     "I'm been trying to, Mom!" Scully told her. "I can't find
him either! He's not at his office, he isn't answering his
cell phone... or maybe he doesn't have it with him." 
     Margaret noticed Dana tendency to cut the AD slack, even
though she was obviously angry with him. 
     "Maybe you should go to his home and talk to him about
it, honey," she suggested, reaching out to squeeze her
daughter's hand. "How would you feel about that?" 
     Scully's eyes were wide as she met her mother's gaze. "I
don't know." It was a whisper. "I just don't know how I feel
about anything right now." 
     Scully surprised herself by admitting an attraction to
the AD... after all, he was a handsome man with a fabulous
body... but that was as far as it went, she told herself
firmly. And it was easy to ignore those feelings when she and
Mulder were out in the field, chasing down EBEs and uncovering
government conspiracies. But whenever they were with the
Assistant Director lately... especially when he was involved
in a discussion with her partner and she had been free to
study him... she'd become more and more aware of his body; the
quiet strength... the muscles that rippled beneath the white
shirts he wore... the gentle eyes that hid behind the ever-
present glasses. 
     When she'd been in his office the other day, it had been
all she could do to relate her autopsy findings without
touching the man.  
     "Dana?" Margaret said softly, pushing a strand of red
hair from her daughter's face. 
     Scully refocused on the present and gave her a tentative
smile.  "I'm just so confused right now. I don't know what I
feel."
     "Then talk to him, Dana," she urged. "I'm sure he's got
an explanation. He seems like a very kind man." 
     Scully smiled slightly. "Yeah. He is." Then her
expression changed back to the anger she'd begun with. "But
dammit, Mom, he has no right to try and manipulate my life! If
there's something wrong with me, I have a right to know about
it. And where does he get off going behind my back if he knows
something about me I don't!" 
     Margaret sighed. "Dana, talk to him."
     "Damn right!" Her daughter stood and headed for the door.
"I'll see you later, Mom. Thanks." 
     "Dana!"
     But she was gone. With a sigh, Margaret Scully sank onto
the kitchen chair and reached for her mug. Briefly she
wondered if she should try and find Fox to warn him that his
partner was on a rampage, but decided against it. She didn't
have enough information to go on. She'd just have to trust her
daughter to make the right decisions.  

Continued in Part 4



From 71022.1045@CompuServe.COM Thu Jan 09 19:32:34 1997
Dreams & Nightmares (NC-17) S/S by D. Street
E-Mail to 71022.1045@CompuServe.com

Part 4 of 7
Disclaimer in Part 1
     
WALTER SKINNER'S HOUSE - EVENING

     He jumped as the doorbell rang. Thinking perhaps Mulder
had returned, Skinner went to the door and swung it open. 
     A veritable tornado stormed past him, into the living
room. 
     "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Scully
stormed. 
     Stunned, Walter stood frozen.
     "What gives you the right to order medical tests for me
without my knowledge. And under a false name!" 
     He breathed a sigh of relief. At least it would be over
now. She'd kill him and they'd be done with it. No more
waiting. 
     "I... uh, it seemed necessary--" he stammered. God, she
really was pissed. 
     "Necessary! For what?" Scully demanded, anger still
burning. "Checking on previous work done by your goons? Or
don't you trust me to go in if there's something wrong with
me?" 
     "Scully... Agent Scully..." 
     "Have you got some new agenda that I don't know about?"
Dana spat. 
     Walter cleared his throat and moved closer, hoping his
height would give him some advantage. It did not. The angry
woman paced in front of him. 
     "I thought we could trust you! I thought you were on our
side." 
     "I am." Skinner insisted. "Scully, please believe me when
I tell you that this has nothing to do with the Bureau or any
other organization. I had only your interests in mind when--" 
     "My interests?" she demanded.
     Skinner cringed. Maybe he should tell her about the
dreams. Maybe she had a right to know. 
     "I just wanted to return your memo." She pulled the
medical order out of her pocket and threw it at him, "And tell
you I won't be making that appointment." 
     "Scully, please, it's important," Walter implored. "I
wouldn't have set it up if it wasn't." 
     "Then tell me why." She dared him, eyes snapping.
     Skinner found himself mesmerized for a moment by those
eyes, losing sight of his place in the argument, frozen by
their beauty. But a second later Scully's departing back
snapped him out of it. 
     "Agent Scully!" 
     She kept going.
     Walter sank onto the sofa, knees weak, surprisingly dazed
by the confrontation. Panic welled in his chest. She knew and
now she'd never trust him again. It was all going to be for
nothing because no matter what he told her now, she'd never
believe him. 
     "Scully, please."
     She stopped, a hand on the doorknob. 
     "Please listen to me."
     She turned slowly, struck by the desperation in his deep
voice. As she turned to face him, Scully didn't think she'd
ever seen him look so beaten... so afraid. Not even during
that business with the dead hooker. 
     "All right," she allowed. "Tell me."
     The relief that flooded his face was almost painful to
watch. She resisted the urge to reached out to him... after
all, she was mad at him. 
     "Several weeks ago I began having disturbing dreams at
night. Every night it would go a little further and I'd wake
up in a panic." 
     Scully waited, not seeing what this had to do with her.
Skinner, by the looks of it, should be going in for medical
treatment. 
     "And?" she prompted.
     He looked up at her and shuddered. Rising he crossed to
the bar and made a drink. Scully noticed his hands were
shaking slightly. Concerned, she followed him. 
     "You want something?" he asked, not looking at her.
     She was about to refuse, then decided that maybe liquor
wasn't a bad idea. "Whatever you have is fine." 
     Nodding, Skinner downed half the whiskey, the poured one
for Dana. He freshened his drink and resumed his story. 
     "Finally, the other night, the dream reached a point
where I was afraid something was going to happen to you... or
had already happened."
     "What?" she demanded.  
     Careful to leave nothing out, Skinner related his dream,
giving her every detail, including the surgery he'd witnessed
and the woman who had led him to her. 
     "That's crazy," she protested.
     "You mean, I'm crazy." Skinner finished the drink and
crossed to the bar for a refill. 
     "No," she said gently, coming up behind him. "But maybe
the X-Files have finally gotten to you. You probably just need
a rest." She stopped. "But prescribing those sorts of tests
without consulting me--" 
     "I know." He punctuated his words with a slash of his
hand. "I know I was wrong. And I was probably wrong to tell
Mulder about it, but he was there and he was so damned....
receptive." 
     Scully smiled. She sure knew that feeling.
     "I'm sorry." He gave her a sad smile and swallowed a
mouthful of whiskey. 
     Scully watched, silently, finishing her drink.
     Walter crossed the room to his briefcase and pulled out
the file Mulder had given him. 
     "Take a look at this... it might help explain what I told
you." 
     Scully took the folder and opened it, starting as she sat
the photo. She raised her eyes to Skinner's but he knew she
didn't see him. The blue pools were cloudy and unfocused, as
if she was looking into the past, at something only she could
see. Which was exactly what she was doing. He stepped forward
as the blood drained from her face and she swayed slightly the
empty tumbler falling to the floor. 
     "Dana!"
     He took her arm and gently led her to the couch, pushing
her into its softness. 
     "Scully? Are you all right?"
     "The ice--" she began, but he brushed it away.
     "It'll melt, don't worry about it. Are you okay?" He
repeated. 
     "You were telling me the truth," she whispered, fingers
clutching at his shirt front. "I remember her when I was
abducted.. she stood beside me while men... doctors... they
cut into me and she was there. And later in the hospital..." 
Tears ran down her cheeks and Skinner drew her to him in a
protective embrace. "I'd forgotten until I saw the picture." 
     "Shhh, shhh, it's okay," he murmured, stroking her hair
as he rocked her. "It's all right now." 
     "But why are you dreaming about her?" Scully wanted to
know, drawing back to look at him. 
     Skinner pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and
handed it over. Grateful she dried her eyes and blew her nose.
     "I don't know why, Scully." He rose and began to pace in
front of her. "I think she's trying to warn me that you're in
some kind of danger." 
     "But why you?" 
     Scully's eyes followed him, noting the fatigue in his
movement, the uncharacteristic heaviness of his step.  He
really was in bad shape, she realized. The broad shoulders
slumped forward and dark blotches smudged his eyes from lack
of sleep. 
     "I don't know why me. Mulder says she died in Vietnam...
she was a nurse there. Maybe there's some connection." He
shrugged, pausing to meet her gaze. "I just don't know." He
swallowed, only willing to set himself up for another tirade
because he cared so very much. "But I think it's important for
you to have those tests as soon as possible." The dark eyes
implored her. "Please, Scully." 
     After a moment, she nodded. "All right. I'll go over in
the morning if I can get an appointment." 
     Walter shed his anxiety like an unwanted skin. "You'll
get in. The doctor who runs the clinic is a friend of mine;
that's why I set you up there in the first place." 
     "Okay." She smiled at him, then her professional self
took over and she rose. "You know you look like Hell, sir."  
     "So I've been told." He gave a half chuckle.
"Repeatedly." 
     Scully stifled a smile. "Yeah, he can be over protective.
It's because he cares." She studied the exhausted figure
before her with clinical detatchment. 
     "I think you should get some rest. Lack of sleep can lead
to a number of more serious conditions." 
     With a sigh, Walter dropped onto the couch and leaned his
head back, eyes closing. Whatever. She'd agreed to have the
tests and she hadn't shot him. He didn't care what happened
after now. 
     Before he realized it, Scully was beside him, fingers on
his pulse. 
     "I really don't think--"
     "Shut up," she told him. "Your heartbeat's way up,
Walter. Have you been sleeping at all?" 
     "Sure. I mean, maybe not a lot, but..."
     "In other words, no." Scully finished for him. "I don't
like the sound of that, either. You need a night of unbroken
sleep." 
     "Scully." Walter laughed, shaking his head. "I'd like to
know how you plan to accomplish that. I haven't slept in over
two weeks. Not through the night, anyway." 
     "Well, the whiskey should help." She smiled. "And maybe
a really bad movie. Mulder swears by 'em." 
     "I don't know." Skinner stood up and walked away from
her. "I'm afraid that one of these nights I'm not going to
wake up from the dreams." 
     "Walter, we've figured it out... I'm going for the tests.
Surely, that should end the dreams." She hesitated. "I promise
I'll wake you before I leave." 
     "No, I--" He stopped. "What?"
     "What, what?" she frowned.
     "Before you leave... in the morning?"
     Scully blushed. "Well, I just thought... I mean, I don't
think you should be alone and, well, I could call Mulder, if
I knew where he was, and--" 
     "No, no," Skinner said quickly. "I'd rather have you
here." 
     She smiled slightly, a blush creeping to her cheeks. "You
would?" 
     He nodded. "Okay, I'll try Mulder's cure; but if I have
one of these nightmares and can't wake up--" 
     "I'll be here." She laid a hand on his arm, eyes locking
with his own. "It'll be okay." 
     Nodding, he crossed to lock the front door and set the
alarm. 
     He returned to find Scully on the couch, reading the
Owens file. She looked up with a smile as he stood uncertainly
in the center of the room. 
     "Come here, this is really interesting."
     Curious, he joined her, leaning over the file, his side
flush with her own. 
     "It says her unit was hit and there were no survivors...
but her body was never recovered." 
     "But she must be dead," Skinner reasoned. "Otherwise how
could she appear first to you and then me?" 
     "I don't know," Scully admitted. "It's just too weird."
She turned her head to look at him, inches away from her. "Why
don't you take a shower and go to bed?" She suggested. "I'll
sit and read for awhile, maybe watch TV." 
     "I thought we were going to watch a movie," he protested.
"Mystery Science Theatre's usually good for a laugh." 
     "Okay." Impulsively Scully leaned forward and kissed him
lightly on the lips. "Thanks for caring." 
     Skinner swallowed hard, every fiber of his being
screaming to take her in his arms and make love to her. 
     "You're welcome." His voice was tight. As he rose, he
leaned forward to kiss the top of her head, silky hair
brushing against his lips. "I'll get the TV schedule." 
     Scully smiled at him, watching as he disappeared down the
hall, into what she assumed was the bedroom. She sagged
against the cushions, letting out a breath. "God, Scully,
after this is over, you're going to have to seriously
reevaluate your feelings for the Assistant Director." 
     "Well, 'Giant Spider Invasion' is on," he offered,
thumbing through the listings. 
     "Gross." Scully made a face.
     "No, really, it's pretty good, if a bit hokey. They
covered a Volkswagon bug with furry legs to make the alien
spider." 
     She sighed, resigned to her fate.
     "Okay, bring on the giant spiders."
     Half-way through what Scully had to admit was classic B-
SciFi, she glanced at her companion. He was leaning closer
than she'd realized and the his body pressed firmly against
her. He was asleep. 
     "Well, good," Scully murmured. "You need it." She
considered moving, but decided not to, for fear of waking the
sleeping man. At least, that's what she told herself. Scully
settled more comfortably on the sofa, molding to the ADs body,
her head on his shoulder. She sighed.  
     'All right, Dana. You're going to have to figure out what
you're going to do about this attraction.' Another voice
argued, 'Why? Just ignore it and it'll go away.' But she knew
it wouldn't... and she wasn't sure she wanted it to. She
turned her head slightly to study Skinner in his sleep. He had
strong, handsome features that stirred her, there was no
denying it. The worst part, she realized with a start, was
that she had somehow let it go beyond that. When had the
respect and fondness for a friend turned into something more? 
     'For that matter, when did I start to think of Walter as
a friend? She started. 'Walter?" 
     Carefully Dana removed his glasses, laying them on the
coffee table. She leaned back against the cushions. 
     'Aside from the fact that he's your immediate superior,'
she pointed out to herself, 'He's recently widowed and
controlling. And,' she added, as a final argument, 'He'd never
be interested in you. And even if he was, it would be much too
dangerous career-wise to get involved. They'd slaughter him if
they found out.'
     Mind churning with unanswered questions, Scully stared at
the television, unseeing, until her eyes closed and she joined
her friend in sleep. 
     Scully dreamed she was on a rollercoaster that had jumped
the tracks. One minute the wind was whistling through her hair
and laughter ran in her ears and the next the giant metal worm
was careening down a grassy hill toward a river. 
     Dana woke up, wondering at the strange dream... but the
jostling continued.  
     'Skinner!'
     Scully turned to face him, alert now, as he jerked in the
grip of a nightmare. A low, agonized moan escaped his lips and
it tore at her. The suffering he'd been through... for her.
And he hadn't even told her. 
     "No... don't hurt her. You can't hurt her..." Anguish
laced his low voice and a sob tore at the end of it. 
     "Walter..." Dana shook him. "Skinner, wake up."
     He jerked awake, eyes wide, one hand gripping her wrist. 
     "Scully?" 
     Awareness seeped back and he relaxed, an apologetic look
on his face. 
     "The same dream?" she asked gently as he released his
hold on her. 
     Skinner nodded. "Just the same all the way." He rose,
running a palm over his scalp. "Scully, I'm going to call
Peter... Dr. Mayberry, and schedule you for this morning." 
     Dana nodded. The look of sheer exhaustion on his face was
more than enough to convince her to do as he asked. She knew
she had to have the tests... while she might not be a
believer, she did know that some people held the ability to
see things that most didn't. Skinner's dreams were too real
and too disturbing to ignore. 
     She watched as he dialed the phone and made an
appointment for her. 
     "He'll see you at ten." Walter told her. "Just let me
catch a shower and I'll run you over." 
     "No." Scully stopped him. "I'm going to go home to shower
and change." She gave him a smile. "I can drive myself." 
     "Scully--"
     "Don't coddle me, Skinner. I'm perfectly capable of
driving myself." 
     "Scully, please, I'm... concerned." 'Scared shitless is
more like it.' His eyes implored her. 
     The stubbornness flashed in the green eyes. "Don't
patronize me, Walter." 
     He swallowed hard, half of him terrified that she
wouldn't let him help and part of him rejoicing at the sound
of his name. 
     "All right. You can get yourself there." He agreed. As
she turned to leave, he added. "Scully." 
     "What?" She turned to look at him. 
     "Don't confuse patronizing with caring." 
     Skinner turned away and headed for the bathroom.
     She stood watching the closed door for a long minute,
then left.

Continued in Part 5



From 71022.1045@CompuServe.COM Thu Jan 09 19:32:58 1997
Dreams & Nightmares (NC-17) S/S by D. Street
E-mail to 71022.1045@CompuServe.com

Part 5 of 7
Disclaimer in Part 1

DANA SCULLY'S APARTMENT - AM

     Scully unlocked the door and went inside her apartment,
closing the door behind her. She stopped dead at the sight of
Fox Mulder stretched out on her sofa, reading the morning
paper. 
     "Well, good morning." She nodded to him as she went to
the kitchen. "Breakfast ready?" 
     "Scully!" Mulder jumped to his feet, trailing after her.
"Where have you been? I've been worried sick. You didn't come
home last night and I was afraid something had happened--" 
     "Mulder." She turned to regard her partner with as little
temper as she could manage. "This is my apartment. If I choose
not to spend a night here, that's my business. I think the
question is why are you here so bright and early." She cocked
her head. "You've been here all night, haven't you?" She
suddenly realized. "That's how you know I was out all night." 
     "Scully." Mulder took a breath. He knew that stubborn
look; badgering her wasn't going to help. "You need to go in
and get the tests done. It's important." 
     "I know, Mulder." She didn't have the heart to lay into
him. She was just too damned tired and confused. "I'm going to
take a shower and change clothes and then I'm going to the
hospital." She added, before he could contribute. "And you're
going to work." 
     "Scully--"
     "Mulder, you have Skinner's car. You've got to take him
in." 
     "How did you know that?"
     "What?" She frowned. 
     "How did you know I have Skinner's car?"
     Dana glanced at the rug, then back to her partner. "I,
uh, stopped at Skinner's house last night to, to find out why
he ordered those tests for me." 
     "And?"
     "He told me about the dreams he's been having."
     Mulder's eyebrows rose. "Really? I'm surprised."
     "Why?" She laid her head to one side. "I asked him why
and he told me." She met his gaze unflinchingly. 
     "And you spent the night there?"
     She glanced away, then back. "On the couch."
     "Instead of coming home you spent the night on Skinner's
sofa?" His look was unbelieving. "Why?" 
     "I didn't want to leave him alone," Scully admitted,
moving past him into the other room. "He was in bad shape,
Mulder. I couldn't just leave him there." 
     Mulder watched her move toward the bedroom, sensing there
was something she wasn't telling him. 
     "Is he okay?" 
     Dana turned back to him. "Yeah. He had a nightmare early
this morning, but I think he'll be okay after I go in for
these tests." 
     Mulder nodded.
     "I'm going to take a shower, okay?" She smiled at him and
disappeared into the bedroom. 
     Mulder walked to the closed door.
     "I already showered. I'm going to pick up Skinner. Call
me when you're done." 
     "Right."
     He heard the shower start and left the apartment.

WALTER SKINNER'S HOME - AM
 
     "Morning."
     Skinner stepped aside to let Mulder enter.
     "You see Scully?" the AD asked, grabbing his trenchcoat. 
     "Yeah. She actually didn't lay into me too badly," he
admitted. 
     Skinner snorted. "No, she'd already done that."
     "Thanks."
     "No problem," Walter said dryly. "Let's get going."
     "To the Bureau?"
     Skinner stopped to look at him.
     "You want to go in? I just assumed..."
     "Yeah, but I thought I could take you to work and grab my
car." 
     "I don't think that will be necessary, Agent Mulder."
     Grinning, Mulder followed Skinner out to the car.
     Looking around him at the half dozen women in varying
stages of pregnancy, Skinner was becoming more and more
uncomfortable. He shifted in his chair, eyeing one woman as
she waddled toward the door to the doctor's office. God, how
did they stand it? He suspected there was a reason women were
the ones who carried the children... he suspected he'd never
make it through the first month. 
     Mulder stifled a grin at his boss' obvious discomfort.
When the nurse had explained to them the nature of the tests
Scully was receiving and how they were administered, Mulder
swore that Skinner's complexion had turned vaguely green. 
     "What are you smiling at, Mulder?" asked the quiet voice.
     "Nothing, sir. I take it you haven't spent a lot of time
in Ob/Gyn waiting rooms?" 
     Skinner crossed one leg over the other and shook his
head. 
     "Sharon and I never had kids." He shrugged. "She didn't
want any and wasn't around enough to feel justified in arguing
with her." 
     "Do you want children, sir?" Fox asked, a curious light
in his eye. 
     Skinner shrugged. "I used to think so. I wouldn't want to
raise one alone, though." 
     "I know Agent Scully wants a family," Mulder offered,
earning a sharp look from Walter. 
     "Scully said that you had another dream last night."
     Skinner nodded. "Same thing. Up to the surgery and then
I woke up." 
     "But this time you weren't alone." Mulder pointed out,
watching the shy smile pull at his companion's mouth. 
     "No. No, I wasn't."
     "Scully can be very... comforting." Fox told him.
     Skinner's head shot up again.
     Abandoning his victim, Mulder picked up a magazine and
began to read.  
     A long thirty minutes later, the two men sat with Scully
in Peter Mayberry's office, looking at the results of the
tests. 
     "You see this area," Mayberry indicated a round grey
area, "And these two spots." He looked at Dana. "I have no
idea what they are." 
     "Well," Scully licked dry lips. "Could it be a tumor or
implants of some sort?" 
     "Not implants I don't think, no. And if they're tumors,
they're the most perfectly symmetrical ones I've ever
encountered." 
     "So what's the answer, Peter?" Skinner cut to the chase,
impatient to do something... have Dana out of danger. Though
he acknowledged that feeling, he refused to follow it to the
next logical conclusion. 
     "I want to take a biopsy," Mayberry told them. "Tomorrow
morning. I'll have it tested while you're on the table, Dana,
and if need be, I'll remove all three areas." 
     "And if it's nothing."
     "It's obviously not nothing." Skinner said, more sharply
than he'd intended, fear making him impatient. 
     "It's okay, Walter." Mulder laid a hand on the other
man's arm. 
     Skinner reached under his lenses and prodded his eyes
with broad fingertips. 
     "I'm sorry. I just have a feeling of urgency about it
that I..." He trailed off, shaking his head. 
     When he opened his eyes, he looked into Scully's green
ones. He relaxed slightly as she smiled at him. 
     Scully turned to Mayberry.
     "Schedule me for tomorrow morning," she told him. "I'll
be here." 
     The doctor nodded, casting a concerned glance at his
friend. 
     "Walter..."
     Skinner waved it away.  "I'm fine, Peter. Just tired." 
     "You want me to prescribe something?" 
     "No." He rose. "I'll be fine." 
     "Come on, Scully, I'll drive you home." Mulder glanced at
Skinner, then took Scully's arm and laid the car keys on the
table in front of their boss. 
     Walter seemed about to say something, then changed his
mind and left the hospital. 
                             ***
     "Mulder, I'm worried about him. He's just like he was
when that hooker was murdered." 
     "No, he's more focused now," Mulder told her. "When he
was framed, he didn't know what the hell was going on. He
didn't know if he'd killed her or not and if not, who was
doing it to him. The problem now is he knows exactly what's
happening and its scaring the piss out of him." 
     Scully regarded him from the passenger seat as her
partner drove through DC traffic. 
     "And what is that, O wise one? I was under the impression
he didn't understand the dreams or why they were plaguing
him." 
     "True." Mulder agreed. "But the thing that's very clear
here is that whyever he's having them, the dreams are telling
him that you're in danger. You. And now the tests are telling
him the same thing and he's pulling up that damned unemotional
wall he was peeking out from behind." 
     "But why me, Mulder? Why is Skinner having dreams about
me?" 
     The ghost of a smile molded the agent's lips as he
watched the traffic ahead. 
     "I don't know, Scully. Could be a number of things."
                             ***
     Walter Skinner drove toward the Hoover building with
shoulders tensed and knuckles white on the steering wheel.
Over and over the doctor's words replayed in his head.  
     'What if they turn out to be cancer... or something
worse. What if it's nothing we've seen before?' He rolled his
eyes in disgust. "I'm starting to sound like Mulder." 
     He reached the Bureau and pulled into the parking garage.
     'What am I going to do if she dies? What if it's too late
and she dies because I wouldn't listen to what the old woman
was trying to tell me?'
     Skinner pulled into his spot and shut off the car.
Suddenly he didn't have the energy to get out of the car, let
alone make his way to his office. The thought of meeting
people's eyes, acknowledging greetings...  
     He leaned his forehead against the smooth plastic of the
wheel and closed his eyes.  
     "Dear God, she's got to be all right. It'll kill Mulder."
He stopped as the ache in his belly forced him to admit that
Mulder wasn't the only one Scully's death would destroy. 
     'Why can't I just admit that I'm attracted to her?' He
berated himself. Then he answered his own question. 'Because
it's become more than an attraction, Walter. Lust you can
handle... God knows you've done without long enough... but
you're in love with that woman and you're too much of a coward
to tell her.'
     Softly, he banged his head against the steering wheel.  
     "Like she'd want to have anything to do with you anyway.
Especially after all this." 
     Wearily he pulled himself out of the car and headed for
the elevator. 
X-FILES OFFICE - AFTERNOON

     ""Mulder, if you don't stop hovering I'm going to
scream," Scully announced, throwing a file onto her desk. 
     "Me?" Mulder asked, the picture of innocence.
     "You." She nailed him with a glare.
     "So sue me." He threw his hands in the air. "I'm worried.
I'm cool, but I'm still worried." 
     Scully drew a noisy breath, eyes on the floor. "Me, too."
     "Why don't you let me take you home, Scully." He
suggested softly. 
     Mulder thought she was about to refuse, but she nodded. 
     "Okay. Let's go."
     Mulder managed to stay almost two hours before Scully
kicked him out. 
     "Look, I can't eat tonight and you need some dinner." She
pointed to the door. "Go and get some." 
     He gave her his best puppy dog look. 
     "Mulder."
     Heeding the warning tone, Fox rose and picked up his
coat. 
     "Okay, Scully."
     Her expression softened. He was only trying to help,
after all. 
     "I just want to take a nice hot bath and maybe watch TV,"
she told him. 
     "You sure?" He studied her.
     "Yeah, I'm sure." She crossed to him and Mulder enfolded
her in his arms, giving her a quick hug. 
     "Let me drive you in the morning, Scully."
     "Okay." Standing on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek.
"Thanks, Mulder." 
     "Scully..."
     "Hum?" She stepped back to look up, into his face.
     "About Skinner..." He stopped.
     "What about him?" 
     But he shook his head. "Never mind. I'll see you in the
morning, Scully." 
     She locked the door after him and slowly went to take her
bath.

Continued in Part 6



From 71022.1045@CompuServe.COM Thu Jan 09 19:33:21 1997
Dreams & Nightmares (NC-17) S/S by D. Street
E-mail to 71022.1045@CompuServe.com

Part 6 of 7
Disclaimer in Part 1

     It was almost eight o'clock when the doorbell buzzed.
     Shaking her head in amused exasperation, Scully got up
and went to answer it. 
     "Mulder, I told you I'm fine--"
     She stopped at the sight of Skinner, dressed in chinos
and a bulky knit sweater, standing in the hallway. 
     "Sorry. Just me." He smiled a little sadly.
     "No.. that's okay... come in." Scully insisted, stepping
aside so he could enter. She closed and locked the door behind
him. "What are you doing here?" 
     "We need... I needed to talk. About what's been
happening." 
     Scully nodded and pointed to the sofa.
     "You want some coffee?" 
     Skinner shook his head. "No. I just need to say some
things to you." 
     Scully realized she was trembling as she sat beside him,
leaving half a cushion's distance between them. 
     "First of all, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you what I
was doing." He paused. "You're right, I should have told you
about the dreams." Skinner stopped again. 'Dammit, why is it
so hard for me to open up? Even to her?'
     "It was hard enough for me to tell Mulder, and he more or
less finessed it out of me." 
     Scully smiled. Yes, that was Mulder. Before you knew it
you were telling him your life story. 
     "I know that you can never return the feelings that have
been developing over the last year or so. That's why I've been
so closed about this whole incident." Skinner rose, pacing in
front of the sofa. "I really tried to fight it... to convince
myself that I was just attracted to you. That was something I
could ignore." 
     "Maybe you shouldn't." Dana suggested, trying to keep the
tremor out of her voice. "Ignore it, I mean." 
     Walter shook his head, eyes fixed on the carpet.
     "No, it was too dangerous to risk on a simple affair.
And," He laughed bitterly, "You had Mulder... why the hell
would you be interested in me? Even at that level?" 
     "Well, I don't have Mulder. Not in that way." Scully cut
in. "Why do you think that because we're close we're sleeping
together?" 
     He heard the cutting edge to her words and took a breath.
'Walter, you're going to screw this up.'  
     "That's not what I meant." He threw her a desperate look
that softened her anger. "It's just so obvious that the two of
you..." He trailed off, not wanting to dig himself in any
deeper. "I just couldn't see why you would want me when you
could have a young, handsome, sensitive man like Fox Mulder."
He sighed. "So I pushed the feelings down until finally I
guess it exploded." 
     "The dreams?" Scully asked, sitting forward on the couch,
watching him. She suspected she was getting an insight into
Walter Skinner that few saw. 
     He nodded. "When I realized that you were in probably
trouble... that there was nothing I could do to help you or
even know for sure what kind of danger it was... " He met her
gaze. "I finally admitted to myself that what I felt for you
was more than just physical attraction." His gaze dropped.
"I'm in love with you, Dana. I'm sorry, but maybe for the
first time in my life I'm really, truly in love." 
     "Why are you sorry?" 
     "Because I can't expect you to risk everything for a
relationship with me," he said softly, still not meeting her
eyes. 
     "You were ready to believe I was risking it for Mulder,"
she pointed out, standing up. 
     Skinner shook his head. "That's different."
     "How?" Scully demanded.
     "Well, because... because it's Mulder," he finished
lamely. 
     Scully crossed to him, a hand on his arm. "Walter, look
at me." 
     Reluctantly he met her eyes.
     "You're a good, decent, handsome man. Mulder and I both
respect you and trust you..." 
     Air whistled between his teeth. "When it's convenient."
He turned away. "I do something he considers to be
questionable and I'm on probation again. Do you know how often
I have to just let the two of you go on blind faith? Hoping
you know what you're doing?" 
     "We're partners... best friends." Scully tried to explain
to him. "We have to trust each other. Our lives depend on it."
She rubbed a palm along his bare arm. "Sometimes we get a
little paranoid... especially Mulder. But he's trusted you
without exception for a lot longer than you apparently think.
He's the one who was absolutely certain you hadn't killed that
prostitute--" She stopped, realizing that the obvious end of
that thought was that she hadn't. And she hadn't, she
admitted. She hadn't thought he was a deliberate murderer, but
seized by a violent dream, Scully had not been able to rule
out the possibility that Skinner had in fact killed the young
woman. 
     "It's okay. That's what makes you such a good team.
Mulder goes on instinct and conviction while you stick to
facts and hard evidence." He looked at her. "That's one of the
things that I love about you. Your ability to see clearly in
the face of all the weirdness that comes your way. You keep
Mulder's feet on the ground, while he opens you to..." He
smiled. "... extreme possibilities." 
     Scully pulled him back, meeting his gaze. The sadness she
saw there was painful and she grasped his arms tightly. 
     "Don't ignore what you're feeling, Walter. Do you think
I'd just let anybody get this close? That I'd let you talk
about how you love me only to shut you down?" 
     "Of course not," Skinner protested.
     "Well, that's what it sounds like," she insisted. "I
won't say I'm in love with you," She hurried on when he
cringed slightly. "because I haven't let myself think that
far. I like and respect you and I consider you to be a
friend." She stood on tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "And I'm
very, very attracted to you. I have been almost from the
moment I saw you." 
     Scully grinned as a flush crept along his cheeks.
     "I don't know who told you you weren't handsome, but they
had no taste, Walter." She hoped it wasn't Sharon Skinner. The
thought of this wonderful man trapped in that kind of
relationship saddened her. "The reason I haven't let myself
study those feelings too closely is that I'm afraid I'll
discover that I love you, too." There, it was out. She'd said
it. 
     Walter's eyes snapped to hold hers. She could see the
disbelief in them and she chuckled. 
     "Not exactly an x-file, but close, huh? If someone had
told me a year ago I'd be lusting after my boss, I'd have
laughed at them." 
     Skinner felt hope lighting him for the first time. "But
not now?" he asked softly, hands on her waist. God, she was
tiny. He was almost afraid of crushing her. 
     "No, not now."
     Scully tilted her head to meet his lips as they descended
to hold hers, hesitantly at first, then with more force as she
responded. He pulled her closer, molding her body against him
while he ravished her mouth. His tongue parted full lips and
he entered, exploring, claiming the moist entrance. Scully
moaned softly as her hands slid under his loose sweater, the
warmth of his skin sending prickles of electricity through
her. 
     Skinner started at the feel of her cool hands on his back
and his lips left her, burning a path along her cheekbone, to
her throat, lightly nipping at the tender skin there. 
     "Walter, let's go to the bedroom," Scully whispered,
tongue flicking out to trace an ear. 
     He stiffened against her, breath hot on her neck.
     "What's wrong?" Scully rubbed her cheek against the
curling hair on his chest. 
     "Nothing."
     "Don't lie to me, Walter. Whatever we make of this, don't
lie to me." 
     He swallowed hard and pulled away far enough to look
down, into her face. 
     "Are you sure about this, Dana?" he asked, eyes begging
her to say yes, but he had to ask. "I don't want this if
you're not sure. I didn't mean that..." He shook his head,
frustrated. "I don't want you to do it for me... not unless
you want me, too." 
     "Do you think I let just any man kiss me like that?" Her
eyes twinkled with devilment. "Believe me, I'm not just doing
this for you." 
     "You're sure?" Skinner bent his head, tongue once more
caressing her throat. 
     "Oh, yes. I'm sure. I just don't want you to get a crick
in your neck." 
     He laughed then. "All right. The bedroom it is."
     Before she could move, he bent and swept her off her feet
and headed for the bedroom. 
     Scully laughed, delighted. "My prince."
     "If you'll let me," he agreed, gently setting her on the
bed. "You know, this bed's awfully small." He frowned at it.
     "Well," she teased, "next time we'll just have to do it
at your place." 
     The look on his face made Dana feel as if she'd just
granted him his greatest wish. 
     "Oh, Walter, who did this to you?" she whispered, pulling
on his hand, urging him down beside her. 
     "Did what?" He smoothed her hair with one hand, marveling
at its softness. 
     "Convinced you that you're not desirable... that no one
could love you?" She traced his lips with a forefinger. 
     He looked away, shaking his head slightly. "I just have
to look in a mirror. No one needed to tell me." 
     "Walter." She turned his face to her, pulling him down
for a kiss. Then she pulled back, giggling. 
     "What?" Her laugh was infectious and he smiled, too.
     "Let's get rid of these before we break them." Carefully
she removed his glasses and set on the bedside table. "That's
all you need it to go into work without them tomorrow." 
     "I have spares." He dipped his head to lave her chin. 
     "Spares?" she asked. 
     "Well, there for a while I was running through them
pretty quickly. When Mulder clobbered me at the Bureau, I
decided I needed several extra pairs." 
     Scully laughed. "It has been a hard couple of months,
hasn't it?" 
     "Let's forget about work," Skinner suggested. "And think
about now." 
     "That sounds fine." Scully murmured, letting herself
drift with the sensations his touch was evoking. 
     Skinner urged her up until her head lay on the pillow and
he lay on his side next to her, propped on one elbow. Slowly
he pulled the T-shirt she wore over her head, pleased to see
she'd been dressed for bed and wore nothing under it. He
kneaded a breast, lips fastening on the nipple, teasing it
erect. When Dana squirmed beside him, he moved to the other,
giving it equal treatment. 
     "Walter..." Scully stretched, pulling away from his
insistent mouth. "You have too many clothes on." 
     Skinner opened his mouth, but before he could speak,
she'd pushed him onto his back and had the sweater over his
head. 
     "Hey!" he protested.
     "What?" Scully's self-satisfied smile bewitched Walter
and it took a second for him to realize that she was turning
the tables. 
     Dana stretched out on top of him, feet splaying his legs,
her mouth intent on his nipple while her nails lightly raked 
down his sides. Skinner jumped at the multiple sensations,
realizing that it had been far too long since he'd been with
someone he cared about. Far too long. 
     She rubbed her body against his, settling between his
legs, urging them farther apart until she could feel his
hardness move against her. Smiling, Dana continued her
assault, tongue moving down his breastbone, tickling across
his stomach, teeth catching at the thick hair that covered his
chest. 
     Skinner's arms went around her and he rolled, putting her
on her back, his body covering her. Rising on his elbows, he
looked down into heavy-lidded green eyes, dark now with
passion. An overpowering wave of desire washed over him and he
bent to take her mouth roughly, tongue demanded entrance, once
hand reaching down to slid the lace panties she wore down and
off of her. As she cupped the back of his neck, Dana met each
thrust of his tongue with her own, taking as much as she gave,
until they were both gasping for breath. 
     'If this is the only time,' Skinner thought, 'If she
decides that she doesn't want me, it's enough to have her
beside me this one night.' 
     "It's all right," Dana whispered, teeth nipping at his
shoulder. 
     "What is?" Skinner pulled back, momentarily distracted. 
     "Whatever you were thinking." She looked at him solemnly.
"I'm not going anywhere, Walter. I wouldn't be here if I
didn't want to explore a relationship with you." She cuffed
him lightly on the ear. "Stop worrying for God sake's and make
love to me." 
     "Yes, ma'am." 
     Walter edged his way down her body, tongue laving creamy
skin, a hand on each breast, thumbs urging the nipples to
attention. Scully shivered beneath him and he intensified his
movements, putting everything he had into pleasuring her.
Large hands held her hips still as he explored her moistness,
tongue flicking, teasing until she arched off the bed, fingers
clutching the coverlet. Grinning, he rolled onto his side,
intending to shed his trousers, but again he was pushed onto
his back and Scully lay over his legs. 
     "Let me do that." Green eyes smoldered and Skinner
shivered, despite the heat that coursed through him. 
     With agonizing slowness she unzipped the tan slacks,
reaching inside to smooth her palm against cotton shorts,
fingers tracing the hardness she found there. Skinner lay
back, lower lip catching between his teeth as he strained to
relax, not to interrupt her as she played with him through the
fabric, driving him toward insanity. 
     "What do we have here?" she murmured, fingers easing
under the elastic of his underwear. "My, you do find me
attractive, don't you, Walter?" She grinned mischievously. 
     "Scully!" It was a roar and she chuckled at his
frustration. 
     "Let's just get you out of these." She slid both garments
off, tossing them to the floor, freeing him. "Now let's
see..." 
     Scully cupped his penis, caressing with feather-like
strokes that had Skinner inching away from the maddening
pleasure. 
     "Hold still!" she admonished, delighting in his
frustration. 
     "Scully, I can't stand this for long," Skinner said
through gritted teeth. "It's been too long. I've, I've wanted
you for too long." 
     "I know, Walter." She kissed the tip and he jumped,
clutching the bedspread. "We've got all night... don't try and
do everything at once." 
     Panting now, Skinner reached for her, but she evaded him,
tongue tickling at the base of his shaft. 
     Sitting up, Skinner grabbed her and rolled with her until
he lay on top again.  
     Beneath him, Scully giggled, playfully tickling his ears.
     "That's not exactly the reaction I was hoping for," the
AD told her. 
     "Well?" she prompted, eyes wide.
     Able to stand it no longer, Walter rose above her and
plunged, filling her. Both gasped as they felt the other
around them, driving the breath from their lungs. 
     When he could, Skinner began to thrust, slowly at first,
then faster as his control weakened. Then, crying Dana's name,
he came, sending her over the same precipice with his name
echoing in his ears. Then he lay still, body still covering
her, arms around her in a loose embrace. 
     When he could move, Skinner rolled onto his back, still
breathing hard. He turned to look at Scully; she was smiling
at him, eyes shining. She reached out to touch his cheek. 
     "This is what you've been fighting?" she asked, drawing
the tip of her tongue over swollen lips. 
     "I'm not sure why," he whispered. "I love you, Dana." 
     She nodded. "I know. I think... I think--"
     He touch her lips with a finger. "Don't push it. We've
got plenty of time to decide. You need to get some sleep." 
     "We both do." 
     Scully moved closer, into the protective circle of his
arms and was asleep almost immediately. Walter sat quietly for
a long time, basking in the afterglow of making love to the
woman he finally had a hope of winning. When he fell asleep,
he was smiling and, for the first time in weeks, he didn't
dream. 

Continued in Part 7



From 71022.1045@CompuServe.COM Thu Jan 09 19:33:50 1997
Dreams & Nightmares (NC-17) S/S by D. Street
E-mail to 71022.1045@CompuServe.com

Part 7 of 7
Disclaimer in Part 1
                             ***
     The next morning Skinner left before Mulder showed up to
take Dana to the hospital. They agreed that for now, they
should keep what had happened just between themselves. 
     The two men sat in the waiting room, speaking little,
both occasionally pacing. 
     Mulder distracted himself from thinking about Scully by
watching his companion. He'd never seen Skinner so freaked
out. Oh, the man tried to hide it, as he did most things, but
he was coiled tighter than a spring and the poor wirerims were
getting a workout; off one minute, on the next. Fox was struck
by how different Skinner looked without them. As he had
believed, particularly of late, they were both a metaphorical
and physical mask for the AD to hide behind. It was far too
easy for Mulder to see the fear for Scully with the lenses
came off. 
     Both men looked up when the door opened and Margaret
Scully entered the otherwise deserted room. 
     "Mrs. Scully." Mulder jumped to his feet. "Scully said
she called you." 
     "Of course she did, Fox." 
     Skinner smiled at the use of his first name. He suspected
Margaret Scully was the only one who got away with that
particular faux pas. 
     "Is there any word?" she asked, allowing Mulder to lead
her to a seat. 
     "Not yet. It's been about three hours." 
     Skinner moved from his spot at the far window to her
side. 
     "Mrs. Scully." He took her hand, squeezing gently. "It
seems we always meet under tragic circumstances." 
     Margaret's eyes met his and she returned the pressure of
his hand. Her conversation with Dana returned to her and she
studied this man who she was willing to bet her daughter was
becoming interested in. Well, he had kind eyes and a good
face... although the dark eyes were shadowed with worry today.
     "It's good to see you again, Mr. Skinner." She smiled up
at him. "Perhaps one day we'll meet under more cheerful
circumstances." 
     "I'd like that." He smiled at her, then moved back to the
window, leaving them alone. 
     "Dana said they didn't know what the shadows on the x-
rays were?" Maggie asked. 
     "No." Mulder shook his head. "They're going to find out
and if it's... anything nasty... they'll remove it." 
     "They're going to remove them anyway." Skinner told them
from across the room. 
     Mulder frowned. "Does Scully know that?"
     "Yes. It was her decision." 
     Margaret studied the broad back, so different in casual
attire than when she'd seen him in the past. Yes, she could
see Dana's attraction. And from the tragic stance he took this
morning, she could see that he was probably a good man.
Despite her daughter's fuming at him for Bureau decisions,
Margaret Scully suspected that the man cut she and Fox more
slack than was good for his own position. 
     "How do you know that?" 
     Mulder rose and went to stand behind Skinner. Maggie
thought the shoulders tensed a bit.
     "She told me, Mulder." The voice was quiet.
     "When?"
     "I spoke with her last night... after you'd left."
Skinner turned to face his agent, eyes unreadable. "I was
concerned." 
     "Oh." The younger man nodded, satisfied. 
     Skinner met Margaret's eyes and she fought a smile as a
slight flush tinged his ears. So, they had passed the stage of
silent attraction. She wondered how much. Not, she decided,
too much as Dana had only two days before been trying to
figure out her own feelings for the man. 
     The door opened once more and Peter Mayberry entered the
room. Immediately, both men were beside him. 
     "Well?" Skinner demanded.
     "It was an interesting procedure," his friend said. Then
he noticed Margaret. "Mrs. Scully?" 
     "Yes." She rose and went to join them. "How is my
daughter?" 
     "She's in recovery and she's fine. If all goes well,
she'll go home tomorrow." 
     "What about the tumors?" Mulder asked. "Is that what it
was?" 
     "No." Mayberry shook his head. "It's the damnedest thing
I've ever seen. I took three perfectly round packets from
Dana's body... as you saw from the x-rays, one from her
abdomen and one from each breast. I had them biopsied and they
contain cancer cells." He heard Maggie's soft intake of
breath, and looked to her. "There's no danger to your
daughter, Mrs. Scully. We got them in time. But the strange
thing is, they're still growing." He looked at Skinner. "It's
my opinion that in another day or two we would have been too
late." 
     "They would have burst and infected Scully's tissue?"
Mulder asked. 
     "Yes. But, there's no need for any further treatment, as
the cancer never came in direct contact with her body." 
     "Can we see her?" Maggie asked, still anxious, despite
the reassurances. Too much had happened to her family in the
last two years... she had to see Dana for herself. 
     "Yes, of course. She's in her room by now." Then to
Skinner. "I'll check on her in the morning and if there've
been no complications, I'll release her around noon." 
     "Fine. Thank you, Peter." The men shook hands and
Mayberry left. 
     "Well, I want to see Dana," Margaret Scully told them.
"Fox?" Then she turned to the AD. "Mr. Skinner?" 
     He smiled and Maggie could almost feel the tension roll
off of him. "Call me Walter, please?" 
     "Of course. Shall we go and see Dana?"
     Together the three made their way to the desk to inquire
about Scully's room. As Skinner got the information, Margaret
watched him. She'd always thought that perhaps Fox Mulder
would catch her daughter's heart, but over the years, she'd
realized that what they had went much deeper than physical
love. On the other hand, she decided, Walter Skinner might be
a very viable choice. 
     Mrs. Scully went in first, with Mulder, at Skinner's
request. He didn't want to tire her and it was more important
for Dana to have her mother and best friend there. 
     After a few minutes, Mulder's head popped around the
door. 
     "She'd like to see you, sir." 
     Skinner nodded, taking Mulder's cue and reverting to
professionalism. 'You're already been unprofessional enough in
this matter, Walter.' 
     Hesitantly he went in, eyes seeking Scully's, searching
them for some sign of her well being. 
     She reached out a hand which he took, a bit self-
consciously. 
     "Thank you. You and your dreams saved my life." Her smile
lit his universe and all the fears and doubts about what he'd
come to feel about Dana Scully evaporated. 
     "I'm just glad you're going to be all right," he said
softly, eyes still lost in hers. He felt a soft pressure on
his hand and returned it. 
     Behind him, Mulder exchanged a glance with Mrs. Scully;
obviously both their suspicions were confirmed. The only
question was whether the couple had admitted their feelings
and if so, how far those feelings went. 
     Dana wrenched her eyes from Skinner's, looking at her
mother. 
     "I'm pretty sleepy, Mom. Why don't the three of you go on
home? I'll be fine." 
     "You sure, Scully?" Mulder stepped closer to the bed,
peering down at the young woman. 
     "I'm sure, Mulder." She smiled fondly up at him. "Go on
home. I'll be out of here tomorrow." 
     "You need a ride?" He quirked a smile at her.
     Scully laid a hand on his. "Yeah. That would be nice." 
     "Great. See you in the morning." He looked at Skinner.
"Providing my boss lets me have the time off, of course." 
      "I'm sure that could be arranged." Skinner told him
solemnly.
                             ***
     The next day Mulder arrived at the hospital and drove
Scully to her apartment. 
     "You don't have to stay, Mulder. I'm just going to sleep
anyway." 
     "I promised Skinner I'd stay with you until he got off
work," her partner explained. "It was kind of an order." He
shrugged. "More or less." 
     "Mostly less, I'll bet." She shook her head. "Okay, if
you want to sit here and read case files while I sleep... go
for it." 
     "Thank you," he said solemnly.
     After making sure that his friend had everything she
needed, Mulder sat down to review his latest x-file; the
packet of cancer cells that had been taken from Scully's body.
He'd 'borrowed' one of the modules, taking it to a lab he knew
where no questions would be asked and the results would remain
confidential. 
     So engrossed in his study, Mulder jumped when there was
a knock on the door. 
     He glanced at his watch and crossed the living room to
let Skinner in. 
     "How is she?" was his first question as he shrugged out
of his trenchcoat. 
     "Asleep. She woke up for lunch and then crashed again." 
     "Well, that's probably the best thing for her." He
glanced at his shoes, then met Mulder's eyes. "Thanks for
staying with her. I mean, I know how important she is to you
and.. but..." 
     "'S'okay." Mulder gave him a smile. "And you're right,
she's the most important person in my life." He held Skinner's
gaze. "I wouldn't stand by while she was hurt. By anybody." 
     Skinner nodded, understanding the warning. Well, he had
no intention of hurting Scully. It was going to be her
decision whether they continued what they'd started the other
night. The only thing he was sure of was that if they did, it
wouldn't just be an affair. It would be a permanent, loving
relationship. He couldn't do any less and Scully deserved all
that he was capable of giving. And probably more. 
     "Call if you need me." Mulder was saying as he gathered
up his gear. He'd decided to keep his findings from both his
friends until he had more to go on. Once the lab results were
back in the morning maybe he'd be able to form a theory. 
     "Goodnight, Mulder."
     Fox turned at the door and grinned at him. "'Night,
Walter." He slipped out, closing the door behind him. 
     Skinner stood, hands on hips, in the middle of the floor.
Now what? TV? A book? He'd brought work with him, but he
wasn't in the mood. 
     'Admit it, Walter. You want to go in and look at her...
see with your own eyes that she's all right.'
     With a sigh of defeat, Skinner went down the hall and
quietly pushed open the bedroom door. Scully lay on her side,
arms curled in front of her, red hair fanned across the blue
pillowcase. 
     "Hi." 
     He started. "I didn't mean to wake you."
     "You didn't. I heard you talking to Mulder." 
     She shifted her head and Skinner could see the moonlight
glinting off her eyes. 
     "Is he gone?"
     "Yes. Are you hungry? I could fix you something."
     'No. Go ahead, though. There's stuff in the freezer." 
     "I ate on the way over."
     "Uh-huh."
     "I did!" he said indignantly. "I don't need a nursemaid,
Agent Scully." 
     "And I don't need a baby-sitter, but that didn't seem to
stop you and Mulder." 
     Skinner was about to protest when he saw her smile. He
crossed to sit on the edge of the bed. 
     "How are you doing?" he asked, reaching out to brush a
lock of hair from her eyes. 
     "Okay. A little sore, but okay."
     "Good. I'm sorry if you're upset with us, but we wanted
to be here for you because we care." 
     "I know," she said softly, tracing circles on the back of
his hand with a finger. "I don't mind." 
     "Good." With all his strength, Skinner managed to stand
up. "Well, you get some more sleep. If you need anything, I'll
be right in the other room." 
     He turned to go, but Scully's grip on his hand tightened.
He looked down into her face, suddenly open and vulnerable. 
     "Don't go. Please, Walter."
     "Scully, we need to talk."
     "About what? About what happened last night? About what
we feel for each other." 
     Walter nodded.
     "I don't want to talk now. I agree that we have to, but
I think that discussion can wait. We already know how we
feel... the only question is are we willing to risk everything
to pursue it?" 
     He knelt by the bed and took her hand in both of his.
     "I'll risk anything, Dana. Anything."
     She caught her breath at the emotion in his voice.
     "Then don't go. Stay with me tonight."
     "Scully--" He frowned, about to object.
     "We don't have to make love, Walter. Just stay with me
and hold me." She bit her lip. "Please?" 
     Walter gathered her to him, holding her gently as she
snuggled against him. Finally he laid her back down and rose. 
     "All right. Let me get undressed."
     "I don't think I have anything that will fit you."
     "I hope not," he said fervently.
     Scully lay in the darkness, thinking about the step
they'd just taken. There was really no turning back now... not
that either of them wanted to, she was sure of that. They'd
have to be careful, and telling Mulder wasn't going to be any
picnic, but they'd face him together and he'd understand
because he cared. And, she believed, he cared about both of
them. 
     She looked up as Skinner came back, clad in his
undershorts, and crawled into bed beside her. He slid an arm
under her shoulders and drew her to him. 
     "Ummm," she murmured, "that's better." Scully closed her
eyes, a hand on Skinner's broad chest. "G'night." 
     He kissed her forehead and settled more firmly against
her. "Good night. Dana." 
     She smiled as she heard the quiet delight in the name.
Yes, it would be okay.
     Skinner lay on his back, mind wandering lazily over the
last few days. The feel of the woman in his arms made him
realize just how close they'd come to losing her and how very
glad he was that they'd gotten to the cancer in time. 
     'I wonder if I'll dream tonight. Maybe I can ask Nurse
Owens if Scully will be all right.
     "You don't have to wait until you're asleep to ask me." 
     Skinner turned his head to see Nurse Owens standing
beside the bed. His heart began to pound and his hold on
Scully tightened. 
     "Who are you and why are you doing this to me?"
     "Walter, I'm not doing anything to you. It's your own
fear that is causing you so much distress. Let the fear go.
Open yourself up to the infinite possibilities." 
     Skinner drew a deep breath and dried to calm down. "Why
me?" he finally asked. 
     "When I was in Viet Nam, a mortar struck out camp. I
found myself outside of my body wandering around looking for
it, but I couldn't find it. I started to see things and
perceive things I never thought possible. I wanted to learn
everything I could. I didn't want to leave this existence.
Then, I came across your unit. You were hovering over you
body. Not sure of what to do next." 
     "I remember. But, but you were old and .... well older
than you appear now." 
     "That is how you perceived me. You were scared and thus
you saw me as old and ugly," she laughed. 
     "Why did you help me come back?"
     "Walter, I saw in you the infinite possibilities of your
life. I could see that some day you could be in a position to
effect the welfare of all mankind. I knew that I had to help
you get your body back so that you could achieve that
destiny." 
     He made a face. "I don't believe in destiny."
     "True, there is no such thing as 'destiny.' We all have
choices to make. But for some people, no matter what choices
they make, the paths that are open to them are limited by
choices they have made in the past. A person who chooses to
live in Alaska will have a difficult time growing oranges in
their back yard." 
     "You're saying that if I make the right choices with my
life, I could effect mankind. But, why are you here and why
could I only see you in my dreams?" 
     "Walter, you gave my life purpose. Before I came upon
you, I was wandering endlessly. I had no where to go. I knew
that someday you would be part of something extraordinary, and
I wanted to be there to witness it." 
     Air hissed between his teeth. "There's nothing
extraordinary about me or my life," he told her shortly. 
     "Isn't there?" she asked, nodding to the woman who slept
beside him. 
     Walter fell silent, then looked at Owens again.
     "But why in my dreams?" he asked.
     "I could only communicate to you in your dreams because
you would not open yourself up any other way. While you slept,
I could talk to you, but even then you didn't listen. It
wasn't until your friend Mulder convinced you did you actually
try to understand." 
     "But, I still don't understand. If you're haunting me,
why did you appear to Dana? Why did you have me dream about
her abduction? 
     "I'm not haunting you, Walter. I am merely following
along the path of you life. Think of me as your guardian
angel." She paused. "You may need one on your current path." 
     Skinner chose to ignore that, in favor of a more
immediate question. "If you're my guardian angel, what about
Dana?" 
     "She's important to you, Walter, therefore, she's
important to me. I couldn't let her die before the two of you
found each other." 
     "Are we destined to be together?"
     "I thought you didn't believe in destiny, Walter." She
smiled down at him. 
     "I don't, but..."
     "Walter, you're together now and she is fine. Staying
that way is entirely up to you both. You each have choices to
make. I can't influence them. I can't even tell you which path
you will take. But, the possibilities are there for you and
Dana to explore. I am merely a bystander."
     Skinner yawned.
     "You need to get some sleep." Nurse Owens tucked him in
and to his surprise, Walter began to drift into sleep. 
     "Sweet Dreams." She turned and walked away.
     "Thank you," Walter murmured. He rubbed his cheek against
the silk of Scully hair and fell asleep. 
     In the corner of Scully's bedroom the rocking chair
slowly began to move back and forth....

The End. For now.