The Protective Agent ***NOTE: Not written by me*** "Anything happen while I was gone?" Agent Mulder climbed in the passenger door of the rental car. "Nope. This has got to be the most boring stakeout I've ever been on. What are you expecting to see out here, anyway?" Scully looked dismally across the acres of cornfields tht stretched out around them in all directions. They were in central Iowa, investigating the strange disappearances of a couple of high school students. Scully hoped Mulder didn't really believe that aliens had abducted the two teenagers, and she was just about to tell him that when she felt the sudden, overpowering urge to sneeze. Knowing she wouldn't be able to find a tissue in time, she raised her right arm and buried her mouth and nose in the crook of her elbow. "Ahhh-shhhhh!" the sneeze was muffled and fairly delicate, but the force of it caused her head to jerk forward slightly at the force. She glanced quickly over at Mulder, hoping he hadn't noticed, but he was too busy scanning the sky. Scully noticed with dismay that the another sneeze was slowly building. She hadn't been feeling quite herself since she woke up that morning, and when Mulder had left the car to relieve himself a few minutes ago, she had taken some Apsirin for her growing headache. The last thing she needed right now was to be sick, especially with Mulder acting so protective since "the incident" with Duane Barry. Luckily, he seemed so intent on spotting a UFO that Scully thought she could could keep her physical discomfort a secret until they got back to the hotel, where she could take a nice hot bath and crawl into bed. The sneeze was building rapidly now, and Scully once again buried her face in her sleeve. "Ahhhh-shhhhhh!" This sneeze, though muffled by her coat, was louder than the first, and caught Mulder's attention. He looked at her with a slightly amused look on his face as she pretended to be fascinated with the cornfield outside her window. "Bless you, Scully. You know, I think that's the first time I've ever heard you sneeze. Imagine that, weve been partners for more than a year, and I'd never heard you sneeze. I guess you don't sneeze very much, huh?" She shook her head, hoping he'd drop the subject and keep looking out the window. A third sneeze had taken hold immediately after the second, and she was desperately trying to keep it from escaping with Mulder staring so intently at her. She hated sneezing around other people, mostly because she often couldn't stop once she got started. When the feeling got so intense she couldn't stand it, she rubbed the end of her nose gently and sniffed. "Bad idea," she thought, too late. "AHHHH-CHHOOO!" She barely had time to make a loose fist to catch the sneeze that caught her off guard. Now Mulder was staring. "Scully, are you all right?" "I'm fine." "Well, you don't look fine." "I told you, I'm fi... fihh... heehhh... AHHH-CHOOO!!" With that, Mulder pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and held it out to Scully. "You're not fine, you're sick. And I'm taking you back to the hotel. Come on, switch seats, I'm driving." She opened her mouth to aruge, then thought of that hot bath and warm bed she wanted so much. As Mulder got out to walk around to the driver's side, she slid into the passenger's seat and closed her eyes. * * * "Scully? We're here." Scully opened her eyes to the bright neon lights of their motel, and realized she had fallen asleep on the hour long drive back from Mulder's "secret observation place" in the middle of nowhere. She lifted her head groggily off the head rest, and realized she felt even worse than she had before. Mulder had gone around to open her door for her, but she dismissed his offer of a hand to help her out of the car. "I'm fine, Mulder, I--" Even using the car for support, her strength left her and she leaned into his waiting arms. "Whoa, it's okay. I've got you. Can you walk?" Still clutching his left arm, she started to take a step, but the dizziness that overcame her was painfully obvious to Mulder. "Okay, that's a no." She was too weak to protest as he scooped her into his arms and carried her into her hotel room. As Agent Mulder laid his partner gently on the bed in his motel room, he couldn't help think how small and fragile she looked. He thought of the many times this little womean with an incredible spirit had saved his life, or stayed by his side as they waited for death to come and steal them away from this world. But somehow, they had always managed to survive, and whenever he woke up, Scully was always right there, sitting beside his hospital bed, or lying in the one next to his. Now, as much as he hated to see his partner suffer, even from a simple virus, he was grateful for the chance to take care of her, in return for all that she had done for him, simply because he loved her. "Mulder?" There was a trace of panic in her weak and hoarse voice as Scully opened her eyes to find herself in the motel. "What happened, Mulder?" She tried to pull herself into a sitting position, with much difficulty. "Shh, it's okay Scully. I'm right here." He sat on the edge of the bed, handing her a small glass of water. "Here, drink this." He held a small cup of water to her parched, feverish lips and helped her sip some of the cool water. "What happened, Mulder? How did we get back here?" He could tell she was confused, and didn't like not having control over the events in her mind. "I drove you back Scully. You're sick, and you need to rest." He saw the look on her face and quickly said, "Don't try to argue with me, Scully. You look like a ghost, and you fainted when you tried to walk in from the car." He felt her forehead with the back of his hand. "And you're burning up. I'm going to see if I can find a thermometer to take your temperature. Why don't you take your coat off and lie down." He was pleased to see she didn't argue with his request, and he hurried into the bathroom to look for a first aid kit. to be continued....