Chapter 2: Reflections
Mulder’s Apartment
9:46 PM
“Elizabeth?” Mulder called, as he came into the apartment. Scully followed him inside. Her face was pasty and her eyes seemed haunted. Elizabeth walked cheerfully into the room. Her eyes flashed when they saw Scully but her smile held.
“Fox.” She acknowledged and kissed him deeply. Scully looked away; partly embarrassed, partly jealous. Mulder pulled back and shot an embarrassed glance at Scully. She smiled feebly at him.
“Scully, this is Elizabeth Szabo. Elizabeth this is my partner, Dana Scully.” The two women smiled weakly at each other.
“We’ve met.” Scully remarked dryly.
“Only briefly.” Elizabeth replied.
“You didn’t tell me she’d been here.” Mulder said gently.
“I’m sorry, honey. I must have forgotten.” Mulder’s brow creased. <Why would she lie?> He forced a smile.
“Scully’s staying here tonight.” He informed her and Elizabeth responded with a cheerful smile.
“Sleeping on the couch I take it.” She teased. “I’d suggest that we form a threesome,” Mulder bit his lip and Scully’s eyebrows rose. “But I’d sooner not share him. You understand.”
“Right.” Scully acknowledged past tight lips.
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11:21 PM
Scully lay on the couch wide awake. She shifted uncomfortably. <How does Mulder regularly sleep like this?> She pulled the blankets tighter around her, although she didn’t need the extra warmth that they provided. The fluorescent light from the fish tank gave the room a greenish cast which didn’t help to calm Scully’s fractured nerves. She didn’t believe that this was happening to her. Since her rational mind stopped her from believing in any kind of spiritual manifestation she was forced to believe that the only explanation was that she was losing her sanity. Some people would say that was not surprising after three years with Mulder but Scully was only using the humour to pretend that she wasn’t scared. Over the last few years she’d witnessed a lot of strange things but Mulder was the one who usually saw things like this. <Except for that time after Dad died..> Her mind supplied and she forced the thought of it away. She *didn’t* believe in this.
[*Come into the bathroom*]
The words were whispered in her head. Scully sat up in shock.
[*Come into the bathroom*] The low female voice said again.
Scully lay back down and closed her eyes. <This is just some kind of hallucination> She insisted.
[*Please*] The voice said.
Scully screwed up her eyes. <No.> She replied.
[*Please*] The voice called again.
“What do you want from me?” Scully whispered plaintively out loud.
[*Please*]
She could not take it anymore. She stood up and went to the bathroom.
She watched her feet all the way and it took all her courage to look at the mirror. The woman standing there was the image of Elizabeth. Scully stared at her in shock.
“Are you real? Or am I imagining you?” Scully was forced to ask. The woman smiled weakly.
“I don’t know how real I am.” She replied. “Are you real?”
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11:21 PM
Mulder lay flat on his back staring at the ceiling. He hadn’t looked at his bedroom ceiling much. He knew the ceiling of the front room quite well, all the dents and lines. He was tracing the lines and mapping them into his mind – more useless information – when he felt a hand on his stomach. He turned to face Elizabeth and put his hand over hers, stopping it’s motion.
“Not tonight.” He said quietly. She smiled seductively at him.
“You don’t mean that.”
“Come on. Scully’s in the other room.” Mulder complained. The smile grew wider, as the hand moved lower.
“You’re telling me that the thought *doesn’t* turn you on?” She asked slyly. “Are you saying that it doesn’t make to as you horny as hell to think that she’s in the other room and can hear everything that goes on in here?” Mulder set his expression because he didn’t want her to see that she was right. “Maybe a threesome *would* be fun, since I’m sharing you with her anyway.”
“What’s with you tonight?” He asked in mock-concern, trying to move away and conceal the fact that he *was* getting turned on.
“Would you like to make love to both of us at once Mulder?” She smiled and moved her hand again. Her eyes locked with his. Her face seemed to fade out and Scully’s face faded in. It should have horrified him, but it didn’t. “Kiss me Mulder.” The image of Scully ordered. He couldn’t resist. He kissed her. All clothing disappeared as if by magic. It felt like a million hands were touching him. He gave himself up to the ecstatic sensations. Clawed fingers ripped at him, but even the pain was a pleasure.
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Scully heard gasps and moans coming from Mulder’s bedroom and reached the logical assumption. She bit her lip hard enough to cause it to bleed.
“No.” The woman in the mirror exclaimed, sounding as if she were in pain. “Mulder!”
“What is it?” Scully demanded.
“Mulder’s in danger.”
“That’s not what Mulder’s in.” Scully commented wryly.
“I could only reach you.” The woman said and Scully stepped close to the mirror.
“Why me? Who are you?” She asked desperately.
“Elizabeth.” She replied sadly. Scully’s expression was sceptical. The woman smiled wryly, then brightened. “Ring Alex, ring my brother.” She told her adamantly.
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Scully couldn’t find any phone number for an Alex Szabo in any of Mulder’s address books. She sure wasn’t going to ask the woman in the mirror. She still wasn’t convinced that she wasn’t imagining her. The action in the bedroom hadn’t quietened down either and Scully wanted to scream to blot it out. Instead she tried to concentrate on how she could find the number for Alex Szabo. The conclusion she reached did not give her any pleasure. She’d have to ring Phoebe Green. She’d slipped the card Phoebe had given her into her organiser during the L’ively case and Scully didn’t like to throw it away, even though she wanted to talk to Phoebe again about as much as she wanted to have Frohike’s children. Scully did a quick mental calculation of the time difference as she dug out the card and then rang the number.
“Hello, Phoebe Green speaking.” The posh English voice said on the end of the line.
“Hi.” Scully said a little nervously. “I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Dana Scully.”
“Fox’s little partner.” The patronising voice replied. Scully rolled her eyes.
“Yeah that’s me!” She answered sarcastically.
“What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering if you knew how I could get in touch with a man named Alex Szabo.”
“Alex?” She questioned. “I haven’t seen him for years, darling. What did you want him for?”
“I just wanted to ask him something about his sister.”
“Oh yes, Bethy. She was a lovely little thing – used to follow Fox around like a puppy – or is that a bad choice of words?” Phoebe laughed at her own joke. Scully gave a perfunctory laugh. “It was such a shame what happened to her.” Phoebe continued.
“Why? *What* happened to her?” Scully asked, suddenly very interested.
“She died, darling.” The cut-glass accent replied without emotion and Scully stiffened. “About six months ago. Apparently she was involved with some kind of cult, except the leader turned about to be a homicidal lunatic. Aren’t they always?” Phoebe laughed but Scully just stared in horror in the direction of the bedroom. The sound of sexual activity was loud in the quiet of the apartment. <If Elizabeth’s dead, then who is Mulder in bed with?>
“I’m sorry? What did you say?” Phoebe asked down the line and Scully realised that she’d spoken her thoughts aloud.
“Nothing.” She answered too quickly. “Look it’s been great talking to you but I’ve gotta run. Bye.” She slammed the phone down before Phoebe could say another word.
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“This isn’t working.” Elizabeth/Scully’s voice wavered in the air all around him. Then the sensations were gone and Mulder was alone. A blast of heat enveloped him. The room was instantly ablaze. The fire was between him and the door. He froze in blind panic. The flames licked higher around the door frame. They ran hungrily towards the bed. Mulder felt sure that he would die in this room. “I always knew there was a good reason for sleeping on the couch.” He muttered humourlessly, staring transfixed at the flames.
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A scream from the bathroom sent Scully flying in there. The figure was still standing behind the glass of the mirror but she was pressed up against it, as if trying to get out.
“Dana!” She called in desperation. “Mulder’s in danger. Fire!” She told her urgently. “It’s not real but he doesn’t know. He’s trapped. If he thinks he’s dying then he’ll really die.”
Scully nodded urgently and ran to the bedroom door. It wouldn’t open.
“Mulder!” She yelled, clawing desperately at the door. “Mulder!”