They lay there for a few more minutes in a wonderfully peaceful and serene silence, both totally satisfied and content, with Reyes on her side and all snuggled in, her fingers still pressed so deeply inside of Scully's warm, wet cavity, as Scully's body began to regain most all of its strength and stamina back. All of that lovemaking and those incredibly powerful multiple orgasms had completely worn her out! And she was so surprised by that. But then Reyes had been teasing her with all kinds of foreplay, before finally moving down to her ultimate goal. And it had worn Scully's body completely down to a quivering, shivering bowl of Jell-O, shaking and trembling all over the bed. And she had loved every single minute of it, having that amount of teasing and foreplay all along her chest, breasts and nipples. "Ummm," she moaned, happily content and relaxed, and her body more than satisfied with Reyes' exuberant lovemaking. She then reached down, wrapping an arm around her new lover, and began to run her palm up and down and all along Reyes' back and shoulder-blades.

Reyes opened her eyes and smiled, totally content herself to just lie there, with her fingers pressed so deep and snug tight inside her new lover as well.

Scully smiled in return, leaned in and kissed her, then whispered, "You can come out now. If you want," as she reached down and caressed Reyes' wrist with her fingertips. Her inner muscles had finally begun to relax just enough to let go of Reyes' fingers.

"You want me to?" Reyes whispered.

"Umum. No. Never," Scully whispered back, closing her eyes and gently stroking Reyes' wrist and the back of her hand with her fingertips and nails.

Reyes cocked an eyebrow.

"Umm. God, Monica. You feel so good inside of me," Scully whispered again as she opened her eyes and reached back up, gently kissing Reyes yet again on the lips.

Reyes smiled, then leaned back in and lightly kissed her on the lips as well.

Their eyes locked.

Reyes then began to deepen the kiss a little more as she gazed into Scully's eyes.

"Umm," Scully lightly moaned again into the deepening kiss as Reyes began to lightly wiggle her fingertips, still tucked deep inside her warm, wet cavity. "Mmm," she moaned again into this newest sensation deep inside her warm, wet vaginal walls.

Reyes then began to ever-so-slowly pump, just barely, in and out, and ever-so-slowly pump, in and out, as she lightly flicked her tongue in and out of Scully's mouth, slowly and steadily building the heat, all over again.

"Mmm, baby... What are you...? Ohhh," Scully groaned again as her body began to respond to this newest gentle and easy thrusting of Reyes' fingers and tongue.

Reyes smiled as she continued her gentle and easy onslaught, gazing in Scully's eyes, as she began to build the intensity, just a little, but not too much. She was going to give Scully a quick little dessert, before their spontaneous little session of heatedly-passionate lovemaking was over.

"Mmm... Oh God, baby," Scully groaned again into the deepening kiss as her body began to squirm into the gentle and easy pumping sensations, her breathing and heart rate beginning to skyrocket to the moon all over again.

"Hum?"

"It... But it's... your turn," Scully panted, breaking off the steadily deepening kiss, and wanting to at least be fair about who was receiving the most physical pleasure from their spontaneous little session of lovemaking. And she knew that Reyes had still not actually climaxed herself. She almost had. But she had quickly reined her body back in, focusing in on Scully's wants and needs, while controlling her own.

"Umum. Not finished with you yet," Reyes whispered as she leaned back out just enough for their eyes to focus in on each other.

"But... Oh!.. God, Moni," Scully's body shivered again as it began to rise faster and faster towards the pinnacle, Reyes pumping her fingers faster and faster as her own breathing and heart rate began to skyrocket to the moon and join Scully's, instinctively following Scully's forceful thrusts into her hand. "Oh! Oh! Christ!" Scully yelled out again as she grabbed onto Reyes' shoulders, her body twisting and squirming into the sensations, her hips bucking and gyrating urgently against her hand.

"Mmm... Dana," Reyes groaned herself as she suddenly straddled Scully's upper thigh, planting her own achingly pulsating groin firmly against that gyrating thigh, as Scully's hips and thighs pumped faster and faster, meeting every thrust of her hand and fingers. "Oh... Da..." she gasped again as she felt her own body beginning to rise towards the pinnacle, too, as Scully's bucking thigh gave her everything she needed to ultimately reach the crest herself.

"Mmm, yes... come with me... come with me, baby..." Scully panted as she suddenly reached around and ripped Reyes' pajama top wide open, gaining full access to Reyes' own tightly-beaded nipples and warm, full, heavy breasts, bursting free and thrusting forward from the confines of the pajama top.

"Oh!... Honey?" Reyes gasped, her thoughts temporarily rising from all the heat down below, along her throbbing, pulsating clit, to her bruised-up lower abdomen as Scully began to knead and squeeze her heaving, jutting breasts, rolling and pinching her rock-hard nipples with her fingertips, then taking one of her beautiful, honey-soft breasts into her mouth, sucking and nibbling in rhythm with every little thrust of Reyes' fingers inside her own inner walls, matching Reyes' rhythmperfectly with her own. "Oh God! Dana!" she cried out again as her body arched and her groin pumped even more urgently against Scully's thigh and mound, both of them climbing higher and higher towards a mutual climax.

The front door to Scully's apartment began to open, making hardly any noise at all, especially given the nice, peaceful and serene classical music still playing softy in the background. The intruder glanced around the living room, no one in sight, then glanced over at the kitchen table, no evidence of an early morning breakfast anywhere around, then over at the little coffee-maker by the stove, noticing the freshly-brewed coffee still in the little carafe. ...Well. Somebody's been up for a cup of coffee this morning... the intruder thought, smiling, then quietly walked on into Scully's living room, ever-so-carefully shutting the door behind them, then glanced down the hallway towards Scully's bedroom. The bedroom door was slightly ajar. The intruder carefully walked over to the kitchen table for a moment, quietly set a little brown paper bag down on the table, then stood there for another moment or so, trying to decide the next move. The intruder quickly decided to go ahead and begin to softly, and ever-so-carefully tip-toe down the hallway, in hopes of finding Scully still sound asleep in her bed, and lost into a very deep, deep sleep. The intruder got about a third of the way down the hallway when...

"HALT! FEDERAL AGENT!" suddenly rang out from the bedroom.

...Whoa. Who in the...?... The intruder lightly gasped from the unfamiliar female voice, then leaned up against the wall as closely to that wall as possible, practically hugging that wall, and staying very well-hidden for a moment, trying to quickly decide the next move. ...Who in the hell is that?... the intruder thought again, slightly panicked, for that voice was obviously not Scully's. And the intruder wondered where Scully was, or if Scully was even in the apartment after all. And if Scully were not, then what a huge mistake this could be, not only for the intruder, but for whomever the owner of that unfamiliar female voice was as well.

Reyes quietly began to slide forward and sideways, inch by inch, towards the bedroom door. She could see an unfamiliar shadow along the wall, but no movement. She listened for any unusual sounds. But then the soft, classical music playing in the background was causing a problem, to say the very least. She thought about her holstered and loaded 9mm SIG P226 tucked up underneath one of the cushions on the couch in the living room. ...Damn it. You idiot!... she thought, her concern steadily growing stronger by the second. ...My God! I can't believe... she wanted to chastise herself. But she didn't have the luxury of time at the moment. But she was steadily growing concerned, for she may very well get taken out by her very own weapon. And what were the odds of that?

She continued to soundlessly slide across the floor, little by little, inch by inch, towards the bedroom door, closing the distance between herself and whomever was lurking just down the hallway, and just out-of-sight. She didn't dare glance away, her eyes focused-in and locked-on to the mysterious shadow along the hallway wall. But she could tell from the corner of her eye that Scully had quickly and quietly pulled her pajama bottoms and panties back up and into place, hastily re-buttoned her pajama top, and was now quietly easing herself up off the bed as well.

"FEDERAL AGENT! IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" she yelled again, inching her way closer and closer to the bedroom door.

The shadow moved back a little bit.

...Oh, come on, damn it. I know you're there. Just tell me who you are... she thought as she continued to soundlessly inch her way, closer and closer, holding Scully's loaded weapon steadily at the ready, the safety disengaged and a round already in the chamber, the gun cocked and ready to fire at the slightest of threatening movement towards the bedroom door.

Scully eased completely up off the bed, making no sound at all, as she watched Reyes inch ever-more-closely into the danger zone. ...Damn, Monica!... she thought, controlling her instinct to just full out panic. And if she were not a trained federal agent, trained in controlling such instincts, she would have already panicked by now, watching her incredibly beautiful and highly-trained new lover, impeccably skilled in the "fine art of lovemaking", slide her way, closer and closer, and inch by inch, into the danger zone. But she was a federal agent. And she had another firearm, a Smith & Wesson 1056, fully-loaded with hollow-point rounds, very well-hidden and in the bottom drawer of her wardrobe, sitting beside the bedroom door. But ...Damn it!... she thought. How in the hell could she get to it in time if Reyes got into trouble?

Reyes continued to inch her way closer and closer to the door, then suddenly stopped, Scully vigilantly watching her. The mysterious shadow had begun to move slightly back and forth along the wall, then suddenly towards the bedroom door. ...Oh fuck... she thought as she added a little more pressure on the trigger, then yelled one more warning, "IDENTIFY YOURSELF! NOW!" before firing off a warning shot down the hallway and towards the hidden intruder.

The mysterious shadow immediately stopped its movements.

...Damn it! Come on. Don't make me shoot you. Shit!... she thought again, for Reyes truly did not want to have to shoot off a round. But then again, she would, if she had to. She added just a smidgen of more pressure to the trigger.

"D... Dana?" a shaky little older female's voice suddenly whimpered from the hallway.

Scully furrowed her brow.

Reyes immediately eased off the trigger, waiting for Scully's response.

"Mom?" Scully responded.

...Mom?... Reyes thought, her eyes widening. ...Your mom? Oh my God!... Her heart about jumped out of her chest and into the floor. She took a chance and glanced over at Scully. "Your mom?" she silently mouthed, her eyes wide open.

Scully nodded.

...Oh my God! Dana!... She lowered the loaded weapon down to her side.

"Yes... um... Dana, I..." Margaret Scully whimpered again, her voice still shaky and weak.

"Mom?... Mom... Mother!" Scully suddenly yelled. "What in the hell do you think you're doing!?" she yelled again from the bedroom as she hurriedly headed for the hallway. "What in the...? How many times have I told you not to come in on me when I'm at home, huh? How many?! How many times?!... Damn it!" she yelled again, grabbing her mother by the forearm near the end of the hallway and hastily heading towards the living room, pulling her frightened mother all the way down the hallway with her.

Reyes' arms were trembling as she staggered back over to the bed and sat down on the edge, her whole body shaking like a leaf. ...My God! I almost... Jesus!... She could hardly hold Scully's weapon safely in her hand anymore, much less re-engage the safety. She could hear Scully dressing down her mother in the living room, telling her that under no circumstances should she ever even consider entering the apartment, when she knew that Scully was at home without calling first, for that was the quickest way to get herself shot, if not killed. ...Oh God! Dana! My God! I could have killed your mother! Jesus!... She had tears in her eyes. She laid the gun down on the bed, starring at it. "Oh my God," she whimpered, burying her face in her palms. "God, Dana," she whimpered again, feeling a few tears begin to roll down her cheeks. She could hardly breathe for the waves of emotion churning throughout her system. "Sweet Jesus," she whimpered again. "Ohhh God. Thank you. Thank you, Jesus," she whispered again, saying a quick little prayer, for she truly had almost fired off a warning shot down the hallway and towards Scully's mother. And it could have ricocheted off most anything in the apartment, and actually have hit Scully's mother, wounding her at the very least, if not - God forbid - actually killing her. She continued to sit there on the edge of the bed, trembling from the very idea of what had almost happened. She began to suck in a few deep, controlled breaths, holding the air for a few moments in her lungs, then slowly exhaling, making every effort to regain control of her shivering body and whirling emotions. ...Oh God, Dana. If I had fired? Sweet Jesus... She wiped a couple of stray tears from her eyes then glanced back down at Scully's gun lying on the bed. And was that not the irony? The incident could have evolved into Scully's own weapon being the very weapon used to accidentally shoot and possibly kill her mother. "Whew," she blew out a deep breath, running her fingers through her hair. Her hips bucked, and her legs instinctively squeezed together for a moment, in response to the continual little ache she was feeling between her legs, her groin and insides. ...Holy shit... She smirked. ...God!... And all the moisture that had pooled down there between her legs was most uncomfortable indeed. "Shit," she quietly vocalized. ...Like Niagara Falls down there... she mused, running her hand just to the edge of her wet, hot, slick, aching crotch. "Oh geez," she lightly whimpered again, still a little breathless from all that she had been experiencing for the last several minutes. It was amazing she had not felt that last little gush of hot, slick, wet, river of arousal begin to run down her inner thigh, as she had inched her way towards the bedroom door just moments before. She smirked again, then grinned. She inhaled another deep breath, her nostrils filling with the sweet, musky aroma of sexual arousal still lingering in the air, and all around the bed and bedroom. ...God Dana. Whatever you do, don't bring her in here... she thought, chuckling in spite of herself and the seriousness of the situation. "Umm," she lightly moaned in response to the relentless little ache between her legs. "Whew," she blew out another deep breath. ...Almost baby. Almost... "Umm." She began to wonder how Scully was handling it, trying to cover her forth near orgasm from her mother. "Umm," she moaned again, then inhaled another big deep breath of fresh air, filling her lungs with her own and Scully's sweet, musky scents of sexual arousal intermingled in the air, and calming her soul. After another deep breath or two, she glanced down at her chest. ...Holy shit... Her boobs were practically hanging out all over the place for all the world to see, where Scully had ripped most all of the pajama top buttons loose. She lightly giggled at that, too. ...Now wouldn't that have been a sight?... she thought. ..."Hi, Mom. How you doing? Don't mind me. I'm just having my way with your daughter."... she thought again, then giggled at her musings. She quickly reached down and began to button her pajama top back up. ...Oh my goodness. What next?... she giggled as she began to breathe a little more freely and naturally. Her trembling body had stopped as she had regained most of her composure back.

"Monica?" Scully yelled suddenly from the living room. "Come here. Hurry up!"

...Well, what the fuck? I don't feel like "hurrying up" right this minute, thank you very much. Shit. Besides, I can hardly walk... Reyes thought for more reasons than one. Her groin was still aching like hell from the lack of satisfaction. But then, Scully's was, too. She was sure of it. She smirked again, stifling another giggle. "Oh geez," she lightly sighed, getting up from the bed, picking up Scully's weapon, quickly re-engaging the safety, and then re-holstering the weapon.

"Monica?" Scully's voice rang out yet again.

"I'm coming," Reyes responded, then snorted at what she had just said, having to stifle another giggle. ...The hell I am... she chuckled again as she dropped Scully's holstered weapon back down to the bed, turned and headed for the living room, Scully and Scully's mother waiting for her. ...Oh Lord... Wonder if she heard anything?... Holy Shit!... she thought, shaking her head at the irony of it all.

Margaret Scully glanced up, sitting at the little kitchen table, as Reyes walked into the living room.

Reyes instantly caught her eye and felt so bad all over again. "M... Mrs. Scully, I am so sorry. I... I thought that Dana was in danger. And I..."

"No. Oh no. I should've..."

"Mom? You're lucky. Damn lucky," Scully interrupted, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation to her mother yet again.

"I know. I... I thought you were asleep. And I knocked but..." Margaret shrugged.

Reyes glanced over at the stereo. That CD, her CD, the very CD that was playing, had potentially cost Scully her own mother's life. "Oh God," she groaned, shaking her head, as she walked over to the stereo and immediately turned it off.

"Monica? Don't. Don't do that," Scully said.

Reyes glanced over at her arching an eyebrow. "And why not? I... I almost... God, Dana!" she painfully gasped, burying her face in her palms all over again.

"Hey. No. It's not your fault," Scully responded, hurriedly running over to her, reaching up and clasping her forearms. "Hey now, don't. Monica. Don't," she tried again.

Reyes just continued to stand there, her face all buried up inside her palms. What a way to meet Scully's mother for the first time.

Margaret got up from the little table, feeling dreadfully bad herself over what had just happened, and walked over to her daughter, and then to her daughter's newest friend, Monica Reyes, that she had yet to formally meet. "Um. Agent Reyes? You have nothing to apologize for. I... It was my fault. I should have knocked harder. And... and I should have..." she hesitated as Reyes glanced back up, lowering her palms from her tear-filled eyes down to her mouth and chin. Margaret could see those fresh new tears threatening to roll down Reyes' cheeks. ...Oh no... "Agent Reyes. You did the right thing. You were protecting yourself. And my daughter," she said smiling, her heart instantly warming to this newest friend of her daughter's.

Reyes swallowed hard, then tentatively smiled as she lowered her hands down a little farther.

Margaret warmly smiled again in return.

Reyes then smiled the prettiest shy smile, warming not only Scully's heart for the umpteenth time it seemed, but Scully's mother's heart as well.

...Oh... Margaret smiled the warmest, brightest smile herself in response. ...What a beautiful smile... she thought as she began to scrutinize this newest friend of her daughter's a little more closely. Within an instant, she quickly realized that she liked this person - Special Agent Monica Reyes - her daughter's newest friend already.

"Monica Reyes," Reyes finally said, her tear-filled eyes beginning to dry, as she reached out her hand to formally greet Scully's mother.

Scully and her mother both chuckled as Margaret clasped her hand. "Margaret Scully. Dana's mother," she said.

Reyes smiled again. "Nice to meet you, Dana's mother."

"And you," Margaret said, her interest fully peaked. ...Who is this person that my daughter trusts enough to stay the night?... she wondered. For she had noticed the pillow and crumbled blanket lying on the floor by the couch. And she was very quick to put two-and-two together. This person, Special Agent Monica Reyes, had quite obviously spent the entire night here in Scully's apartment. And that was a very rare thing indeed for her daughter to trust someone enough to let them stay the entire night in her apartment.

Scully just stood there, watching the scene play out, and wondering how much her mother had actually heard, if anything. And how lucky they all were, in so many ways, and for so many reasons.

10:21 AM: After another minute or so of light conversation, Reyes had grabbed her overnight bag from the utility room area and had moved it to Scully's bedroom. She and Scully had both quickly decided that they needed to hurriedly shower up, and get cleaned up and dressed, for several reasons. For one thing, they both reeked of sex. And Reyes would take her shower first, since she knew nothing about this woman, Margaret Scully, and hadn't a clue what to talk to her about. And especially given the extreme circumstances under which they had just met. And, too, Scully needed to fill her mother in, and talk to her more about the situation, and Reyes, and why Reyes had come back with her from Helena, Montana, and why she had ended up staying with her all night in her apartment last night. And all of those other nagging little questions that her mother might have the courage to ask, given enough time and privacy with her daughter. "Oh geez," she sighed for no particular reason, as she pulled her black denim jeans out of the main compartment of her overnight bag, then found another clean shirt.

Suddenly the door to the bedroom opened, then closed, Reyes glancing up with a start.

"Sorry. I should have knocked," Scully said.

Reyes giggled. "Seems the Scully women need to learn how to knock," she teased.

Scully grinned, then rushed over to her, throwing her arms around her and pulling her down into a tight embrace. "Oh Moni. God! I am so sorry. Gosh! I can not believe that my mother... Ugh!" she grunted as they held each other. "I'm so pissed off right now! I could just scream!" she fussed again.

"Shhh. She'll hear you."

"Well, I don't give a rat's ass. Damn it! She..."

"Hey," Reyes responded, leaning out from the tight embrace.

"No. Damn it!" Scully fussed again.

"Hey now. Shhh. Dana, she's your mother. And she loves you."

"Hah! I know that, but... Damn!" Scully fussed again, tightening her hold around her.

"Hey now, shhh, it's okay," Reyes whispered. ...Oh boy... She was glad they had turned the music back on so that, hopefully, Scully's mother couldn't hear Scully's little temper-tantrum she was throwing in the bedroom.

"No it's not. It's... Ugh!" Scully grunted in anger again.

"Dana. Don't," Reyes stated firmly. "Now, honey, don't. She's your mother. And she loves you. She's worried about you, that's all. And she drove all the way down here this morning just to be with you, and be of support. And she brought you all those nice little food items, to restock your cabinets? Now come on, Dana. That was so sweet. She didn't have to do that," she said, stroking Scully's hair and brushing a few little stray strands out of the way. "And Dana, just be glad you have a mother like that, okay? One that loves you, and wants to be with you, and be of support and..."

"Hah! I know... I just... Damn!" Scully fussed again, leaning back out from their tight embrace, and glancing back up making eye contact yet again.

Reyes smiled, brushing another few little stray strands of hair out of her eyes. She loved that fiery-hot little temper of Scully's smoldering around the room.

Scully smiled in spite of herself.

Reyes chuckled, then leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips.

Scully moaned into the sweet and gentle little kiss, her anger already beginning to subside. Reyes was right. Her mother did love her - very much. And the only reason why her mother had taken a chance and entered the apartment at all, without calling her first, was out of concern, and hoping to not awaken her out of a much-needed sleep. Margaret knew that her daughter was suffering through a very difficult time right now. And so, when she had knocked, and Scully had not come to the door, she had assumed that Scully was asleep. And she had also assumed that she could enter the apartment, softly tip-toe down the hallway and check on her for a moment, and then maybe surprise her later, when she had awakened with a nice little freshly-cooked breakfast; something that she had not done for her daughter in a very long time, cook her favorite breakfast. And she loved her youngest daughter, Dana Katherine Scully, so very much. And the whole incident had happened out of love for Scully, from both Scully's mother and from Scully's newly-found friend, Monica Reyes. They both loved her very much, and were trying to comfort her, and protect her from all the pain and sorrow she was feeling right now.

And, too, for a few minutes last night, Reyes had sensed such weirdly bizarre and unexplainable tremors of fear and extreme danger, for both herself and for Scully, that, maybe to some degree, she had over-reacted this morning, due to the fear and danger she had sensed last night. But then maybe not. It was hard to say, for she truly thought that someone had broken into the apartment. And if someone had, then that someone would have been after Scully, and planning to cause Scully severe harm. So she had reacted and protected Scully, as best she could, without actually firing off a warning shot.

Scully leaned back in and wrapped her arms more tightly around Reyes again. She needed to hold onto her and feel her warm, sensuous body aup gainst her for a few moments after those wonderfully magnificent first three orgasms, and virtual fourth, she had almost experienced, had her mother not so inconveniently interrupted them. ...Unbelievable... she thought as she felt another little spasm from her insides. "Ummm. I still cannot believe that she came in on us. As many times as I have told her not to? And how dangerous it can be to do that? Christ. And she knows better. Good God. She knows better, Moni, than to walk in on me like that when... God!" she fussed a little bit again.

Reyes giggled. "Well. At least she didn't make it any farther down the hallway. Good God. Can you imagine?" she said giggling again.

Scully snorted. "Oh my. Oh well. She'd have learned more than she'd have ever wanted to know."

"No shit. Think she suspects?"

"No. Amazingly, I don't think she does."

Reyes leaned out, cocking an eyebrow. "You're kidding. I don't see how in the world she can't suspect something. I mean, God! We reek!" They both giggled again. "And look at your neck, your cheeks," she added, giggling again and grinning from ear-to-ear.

Scully giggled again, too. "Umhum. And your chest. Looks like we ran the marathon together." They both giggled again. "Does your chest always get that flushed?"

Reyes leaned farther out and glanced over in the mirror. "Um. Usually it's worse."

Scully giggled again. "Oh. Bet I can make it worse," she said, leaning up and pulling Reyes' face down for a deep, wet, hot passionate kiss.

"Ummm... Honey?" Reyes panted through the deep, wet, hot passionate kiss. "Your mom's just in the next... Hah!" she gasped, her eyes widening in slight panic.

"Shhh. Quiet," Scully whispered, running her hand even farther down inside the front of Reyes' pajama bottoms and briefs, combing her fingers through Reyes' sweet, dark-chocolate brown pubic fur and just to the edge of her clit.

"Oh... Da..." Reyes panted softly again, as Scully moved her fingertips down a little farther and just to the sides of Reyes' engorged clit, hugging said swollen clit with her fingers. "Oh... God... Hon..." she whimpered again, her breathing suddenly coming in short little gasps.

"Shhh," Scully whispered again. "Quiet. No sound," she barely whispered as she lightly teased Reyes' tingling clit with her middle finger, lightly running the tip across the top.

"Oh... baby," Reyes lightly whimpered again as her hips bucked into the contact.

"Shhh. Quiet."

"Um," Reyes softly whimpered again, then sucked in a deep breath, holding her breath and grabbing onto Scully's shoulders as she buried her face against her neck.

"Shhh. That's it. You can do it," Scully barely whispered, reminding her to keep quiet, while she dipped her middle finger farther down into that nice hot, slick, wet river of Reyes' arousal, just along her opening.

"Umm," Reyes huskily groaned again, trying to mask her groan against Scully's neck, her hips again lightly pumping into Scully's fingers.

"Shhh," Scully barely whispered again. "Oh baby, you're so wet. You're soaked," she whispered again.

"Um," Reyes lightly whimpered again in response, as her insides convulsed, burning with need.

"Oh God. You didn't come earlier, did you?"

"Um," Reyes whimpered again in response, shaking her head into Scully's shoulder and neck.

"Oh baby, God. I am so sorry. I know you need this," Scully barely whispered again, a little breathless herself all of a sudden, at the very idea of Reyes still teetering on the edge of a powerful orgasm, as her own body responded to the nice hot, slick, wet river of Reyes' arousal, wetting her fingertips. "Tonight. Tonight, baby. I'm going to make-love to you. I promise," she barely whispered again into Reyes' ear, as she cupped her crotch with her hand, the heel of her palm adding the much-needed pressure against Reyes' throbbing clit, as she lightly stroked her opening with her middle finger again.

"Um," Reyes whimpered again, trying desperately to keep quiet, in spite of Scully's sweet torture along her pulsating clit and swollen inner lips.

"Shhh. You can wait, can't you? Hum? You can wait," Scully softly whispered again, quite breathless herself. ...Oh God... How she wanted to forget about her mother waiting in just the next room and finish what they had started. She wanted to make-love to Reyes so badly right now, about as desperately as Reyes needed her to.

Reyes' entire body was shivering, her arms tightening, and her legs trembling, just trying to remain vertical, as her chest and breasts struggled to take in another quick breath, without accidentally screaming out Scully's first name, for all of downtown Georgetown to hear, in the process. She lifted her head back up off Scully's shoulder and neck, her eyes darkened black-as-night with arousal, her mouth slightly open, her eyes begging, pleading, with Scully to either "do it" or "stop", one or the other. But quit teasing her and playing with her like this.

Scully cocked an eyebrow in response, then stopped the sweet torture of her hand and fingertips, yet still cupped Reyes' crotch with her palm.

Reyes just stood there, lightly panting and trembling, starring into Scully's eyes, full of need, love, longing and desire. And yet ever so thankful that Scully had stopped her ministrations along her overly-sensitive, pulsating clit and burning, tingling inner labia, for if Scully had not stopped when she did, and had continued on for a few more seconds, Reyes would have completely lost all elements of control over her verbalization, as well as her body. And then there would have been no doubt that Scully's mother would have soon figured it out, that something was happening in the bedroom, something that she may not be too happy to find out about; her daughter quickly fucking her newly-found friend, as her newly-found friend stood there leaned up against her, holding on for dear life.

After a few seconds, Scully gently let go of Reyes' crotch, replacing the lost pressure with her upper thigh, as Reyes' legs instinctively squeezed around Scully's thigh, and her wet, hot, slick and juicy little groin pressed up more securely against Scully's. Scully then reached up and cupped the sides of her face with her hands, starring back into her hooded eyes.

Reyes closed those hooded eyes for a moment, licked her lips, swallowed hard, then reopened them, locking eyes with Scully yet again.

"Baby. I am so sorry," Scully whispered, her heart aching and quite frustrated indeed with the situation.

Reyes snickered a little bit, then smiled, not saying anything. What was there to say? Her insides were on fire, frustrated with desire, convulsing and burning with need. But there was not a damn thing either one of them could do about it at the moment.

"Tonight. Tonight, baby, I promise. I'll make it up to you, okay?" Scully whispered again, pulling Reyes' soft, velvety lips down to meet her own, kissing her deeply for a moment. "Can you wait? Hum? Can you? Until tonight?" she whispered softly again through the deep kiss.

Reyes nodded. She didn't have any other choice but to "wait, until tonight" now, did she?

"Oh God, Moni, I want to make-love to you so bad. You know that, don't you?" Scully whispered again.

Reyes nodded, swallowing hard and nibbling on her lower lip.

Scully smiled at the sweet little expression, then leaned back up and kissed her deeply yet again on the lips, then broke it off, whispering, "Go get your shower, okay?"

Reyes nodded again, still holding onto her, to keep from falling to the floor, her legs were still so weak.

Scully smiled as she continued to hold onto her, too, and help support her weight. For she was obviously not ready for Scully to let go of her quite yet. She wrapped her arms more securely around her as Reyes leaned her head back down along her shoulder.

Suddenly, Reyes felt a warm, wet little stray tear roll down her cheek. She quickly reached up and wiped the little stray tear away. Scully had no idea of the severity of need she had created with her quick little tease between Reyes' legs. Reyes' engorged clit was tingling and throbbing so much it almost hurt. And her insides were aching, pulsating and constricting so fitfully it did hurt. And her heavy, hampered heart hurt even more. She quickly reached up and wiped another little stray tear away, so that Scully would never know just how much heartache she was actually feeling. She swallowed hard, then began to breathe a little more deeply, forcing the ache and hurt away deep down inside of her soul.

"Umm," Scully softy moaned, for no apparent reason, except in response to holding Reyes more securely in her arms for another minute or so. She began to run her palms all along Reyes' well-muscled back. "Umm," she lightly moaned again as she turned her head and planted a couple of little kisses along Reyes' neck and shoulder.

Reyes continued to just hold on and rest her cheek along Scully's shoulder.

Scully knew that she had pushed Reyes almost to her limits again with her mischievous little teases and games of seduction. But she enjoyed pushing someone to their limits. That's how she controlled them and controlled the situation. But she owed Reyes big time tonight, for Reyes had given her what she had needed just minutes before. And she had been in the process of giving her what she needed again, for the fourth time in a row, as a nice, sweet little dessert to their spontaneous little session of heatedly-passionate lovemaking. And Reyes had satisfied Scully's achingly powerful need better than she could have ever imagined or hoped for. Reyes was an incredible lover, the best she'd had in a long time. And so she would make damn sure that tonight she would make it up to her, and make it worth Reyes' wait, and make-love to her tonight like there were no tomorrows.

"Um," Reyes finally let out a light little sigh, as she rubbed her cheek along Scully's shoulder, still holding on.

Scully smiled, quickly kissing her on the crown. "You gonna be okay?" she whispered.

Reyes nodded into her shoulder. She had no other choice but to "be okay" now, did she?

Scully chuckled at her cute little nod and lack of verbalization, not understanding at all the full magnitude of painful emotion Reyes was actually feeling. "You know what?" she whispered again.

Reyes shook her head.

"You were incredible."

Reyes smirked, then chuckled.

"Ummm. No. Actually. More like utterly out of this world," she said, teasing her yet again as she corrected herself.

...Utterly out of this world?... Really?... Reyes thought, then giggled. ...Oh wow!... She liked that. She liked hearing that a lot - hearing that she had so successfully satisfied Scully's sexual needs.

Scully giggled, too, as Reyes tightened her hold around her for a moment, then rose back up off her shoulder and locked eyes with her yet again. They just stood there, watching each other for a few seconds before Scully finally whispered, "Baby, I've got to go back out there."

Reyes nodded. "I know."

Finally, she had verbally responded, as she had regained enough control of her emotions, her body, and her spinning out-of-control libido, to do so.

Scully smiled again, squeezing her real tight for a moment.

Reyes smiled, too, leaning down and kissing her, then scooping her up in her arms, leaving Scully's little bare feet dangling in the air.

Scully quietly giggled again in response as Reyes swung her around in the air for a moment in her arms, kissing her on the lips, and then the side of her neck, before setting her back down on the ground.

"I um... I didn't hurt you did I?... There at the end?" she suddenly asked, out of the blue.

"What?" Scully said, wrinkling her brow, amazed at that question. "What are you talking about?"

"I um... Well, I had to pull out so fast and I... Normally, I would never do that," she shrugged.

"Oh... Oh God, no," Scully replied, quickly understanding Reyes' concerns about how tightly her inner walls had been clamped down on Reyes' fingers all over again, just before they were so frustratingly interrupted.

And Reyes did have to quickly pull out, long before Scully's body was ready for her to pull out. And it had been very uncomfortable indeed. But the situation had merited it, an unknown intruder, uninvitedly entering the apartment, lurking around in the living room, then quietly tip-toeing down the hallway towards the bedroom, causing Reyes to suddenly need to pull out and protect Scully, long before Scully's body was ready to give up the sweet invasion.

"Oh baby. You didn't have much of a choice now, did you? But, no. You didn't hurt me. I'm fine. But... thanks for asking," Scully reassured her.

Reyes' smiled again, slight embarrassment showing in her expression.

"Oh God. You are so sweet," Scully whispered, leaning up and kissing her yet again hastily on the lips. "Baby, I don't think you could ever hurt me," she whispered again.

Reyes smiled, locking eyes with her. Well, she would never intentionally hurt her, that was for sure.

They stood there for a few moments more, watching each other.

"Ummm. God, I wish..." Scully hesitated. She couldn't finish her statement, as she gazed into Reyes' dark, smoldering black-as-night, and still highly-aroused eyes. ...Ummm... The look Reyes was giving her with those dark, smoldering, chocolate-brown, turned black-as-night eyes was driving her nuts! ...Um, um, um... God! Don't look at me like that... she mused. She loved her mother. And it had been really nice of her mother to drive all the way down from Annapolis, Maryland this morning to surprise her. But ...Damn!... How she wanted to finish what they had started this morning and finish making-love to Reyes, too. ...Son of a bitch!... Oh well. They were both just going to have to get over it and deal with the situation at hand. She tightened her hold around Reyes again, for just a moment, then hesitantly let go.

Reyes smiled in return, understanding the situation and just hoping that they could pull it off and Scully's mother never find out or suspect anything out of the ordinary.

10:45 AM: Scully was down the hallway taking her shower, and leaving her mother and newly-found lover in the kitchen to fend for themselves for a little while, until she could rejoin them. She had confidence that Reyes could handle herself while alone with her mother. But Reyes was not so confident as she took another sip of her freshly-brewed coffee, watching Dana's mother a little more closely, and trying to get a feel for how much Margaret may suspect about what had been happening back there in the bedroom when she had first entered the apartment undetected. ...Hum... Well. It appeared that Scully was right. From what Reyes could perceive, her mother was either totally oblivious, or totally accepting, and didn't give a shit one way or the other with what they had been doing just moments before Reyes had yelled out to her in warning. But then she was a devout Catholic. And most devout Catholics would not be too accepting of two women making-love to each other, even if they were in-love with each other.

"How was the couch?" Margaret asked suddenly.

"Hum?" Reyes responded, licking her lips.

"The couch. I see Dana had you sleeping on the couch last night."

"Oh. Um. Yes. Yes ma'am. It was fine. No problem," Reyes quickly responded, covering her surprise at the question, as she glanced over at the couch herself. "Oh geez. I need to straighten it up a little bit, too, don't I?" she said as she hastily got up and retrieved the crumbled blanket up off the floor. "Honestly, I'm not usually so messy," she said, glancing back over at Margaret.

Margaret chuckled at Reyes' seeming embarrassment over the crumbled blanket lying all over the floor in a big disorderly heap.

Reyes had slung it off into the floor last night as she hurriedly ran down the hallway to awaken and comfort Scully from her second nightmare. And she had forgotten all about it, until Margaret had noticed and said something.

Margaret got up from the little table as well. "Here. Let me help you," she said as she offered to help Reyes fold the full-sized blanket back up into a nice orderly fashion.

Reyes didn't argue as together they folded the blanket back up, then placed it on the first cushion along the couch. Reyes then picked up the pillow, fluffed it a little bit, and then laid it back down on top of the blanket. They both smiled at each other, then headed back to the little kitchen table.

"Thank you, Mrs. Scu..."

"No. I want you to call me 'Maggie'. I insist."

"But... Mrs. Scu..."

"No. Call me 'Maggie'."

They had been discussing this possibility for a couple of minutes or so already, and were still playfully arguing about it.

"But... Margaret," Reyes tried to argue again. She just didn't feel comfortable even calling her by her first name, much less by her nickname, having only just met her. She just felt like it would be too disrespectful to do that.

"Monica, now don't tell me you're as stubborn as my daughter," Margaret teased.

Reyes giggled as she sat back down at the little kitchen table.

Margaret smiled, too, as she sat back down opposite her, then said, "So, you know my daughter quite well then."

...Holy shit!... Reyes thought, stifling a giggle on that statement as she smiled again. ...Oh yeah. I'd say I know her quite well, indeed, after about an hour ago... "Um. Yes, I... I've seen that... determined mindset," she said.

"Determined mindset?" Margaret commented, smiling again. She liked that. That was a very nice way of describing her daughter's occasional stubborn streak and bull-headedness.

"Um. Yes ma'am. She can be quite the determined woman when she makes her mind up about something," Reyes said, then suddenly coughed, "ach, ach," a little bit at her own remark, as she patted her chest and thought about how determined Scully had been about an hour ago or so. For Scully had managed to get what she had wanted out of her after all; a nice heatedly-passionate little mid-morning fuck, with her sneaky little tantalizingly-enticing disrobing of her firm little creamy-white breasts earlier this morning. ...Oh yes, indeedy. She can be quite the determined woman, when she makes her mind up about something... "Ach, ach," she coughed again. ...Or someone... she thought again, as her cheeks threatened to turn a nice little shade of pink. ...Holy shit... she mused as she quickly glanced away to anything else in the room but Scully's mother sitting just in front of her. ...Where are my cigs? Shit! I need a cigarette. Bad! Shit!...

Margaret chuckled again as she took another sip of her coffee. "Oh my, yes, she is. Sometimes to a fault. But, she gets it honest."

Reyes glanced back over at her. "And how's that?" she asked, smiling herself.

"Oh. I bet if you could ask her father, he'd say it came from me."

Reyes laughed.

"But if you ask me, I'd say it came from him."

Reyes laughed again. "So, you're saying she's got a double-dose?"

Margaret laughed, too, as she nodded and took another sip of her coffee.

"Hum. Well..." Reyes commented. "Being determined or strong-minded is not necessarily a bad thing. She's one good federal agent, I know that. One of the best I've ever worked with."

Margaret smiled at that, too. She knew her daughter was good at her job. But it was nice to hear someone else say so as well.

They sat silently for a few moments, then suddenly, out of the blue, Margaret asked, "So... how many did she have last night?"

...What?...Whoa!... Reyes furrowed her brow. ...Umm... How many what?... she thought. She did not like the sound of that probing question at all. "Um. I'm not sure what you're asking me," she casually replied.

"Dana tells me you had to wake her up from a bad dream," Margaret said.

"Oh," Reyes responded calmly cocking an eyebrow in response. ...A bad dream?... Hum... Okay... Don't think so... she thought. Her gut was telling her that Margaret was actually fishing her for information and that Scully had said no such thing to her. She cleared her throat, then took another sip of her coffee, buying herself a few more seconds of time before answering.

Margaret continued to watch her for a few moments. "She did have a bad dream last night, didn't she?"

"Well. What makes you think that? What did she say exactly?" Reyes responded, then casually took another sip of her coffee, not revealing any information at all about Scully or Scully's two terrifying nightmares from the night before.

Margaret glanced back down the hallway for a moment. They could both still hear the water running in the shower. "Well. Actually. She didn't come right out and say that. But, she's my daughter. And I know my daughter. And with everything that's happened I..." she shrugged.

Reyes nodded in response not sure of what to say or do. Should she tell her the truth, if she continued to press the issue? Or somehow weasel out of an answer and leave it up to Scully to tell her. That is if Scully wanted to tell her at all.

"She's had them for years," Margaret continued.

Reyes made eye contact for a moment, as she took another sip of her coffee. "Bad dreams?" she inquired.

"Umhum. Nightmares. Horrible nightmares. They go away for a little while. But if she gets too stressed then, they come back and... Well... I know my daughter. And I know that..." Margaret hesitated trailing off again.

Reyes nodded, licking her lips as she listened, quite concerned with this latest little piece of information about Scully.

Margaret took another sip of her coffee, then made eye contact yet again.

Reyes just sat quietly, listening, as Margaret decided how much further she wanted to go with her probing questions. She took another sip of her coffee as Reyes watched.

"Monica. I know my daughter. And I can see it in her eyes. She's not sleeping," she said again.

Reyes inhaled deeply as she nodded in agreement. That was so very true. Scully had not had a good, restful night's sleep in months since Mulder had been abducted. And here she was pregnant, no less, and in dire need of a restful night's sleep.

"I um... I'm not trying to pry, but... I'm... I'm just concerned, Monica," she said as she glanced back down the hallway for a moment.

"Of course you are," Reyes said softly, reaching across the table and reassuringly resting her palm along Margaret's forearm.

Margaret smiled at the kind gesture as she glanced back up at Reyes.

Reyes smiled with such compassion in her eyes.

...Oh... Reyes had just warmed her heart yet again with that generously warm, compassionate smile. Margaret twisted her lips for a moment. "I... If... Monica... Listen... I know she had a bad dream last night, okay? I know it. And I know that she probably had more than one, so... you won't be telling me anything I don't already know," she tried again.

Reyes chuckled a little bit as she retrieved her hand and took the last sip of her coffee. It appeared that Margaret Scully was about as stubborn and determined as her daughter, Dana Scully, when it came to asking probing questions and trying to solicit more information out of someone than they were willing to give. "More, Mrs. Scu, I mean... Margaret?" she said as she got up from the table to pour herself another cup of coffee.

Margaret shook her head. She still had a few sips yet before she needed another.

...Hum... Reyes thought. The air was beginning to grow rather thick in the room, as she finished pouring herself a second cup, then sat back down at the little table and took another nice hot sip of her freshly-poured coffee.

Margaret swallowed hard, taking another sip of her own coffee as well. ...Hum... she thought. Well, obviously Reyes was not biting on the bait. She was obviously not going to answer her question one way or the other. And she respected that. Actually, she greatly appreciated that, the loyalty that this woman was showing towards her daughter and her daughter's little secrets. And for some strange reason, she felt as if she could trust this woman herself, sitting opposite her, even though she had just met her. And yet this pretty young woman, this nice and friendly young female federal agent, seemed to have a very keen awareness and quite sensitive intuitiveness to her daughter's needs and emotions. At least from the little that she had already observed from her this morning. And especially from the little that her daughter had already shared with her even earlier this morning, while this pretty young woman had taken her shower, washed up, cleaned up and dressed for the day. And, too, her daughter obviously trusted this pretty young woman enough to let her stay in her apartment for the night. And that was rare. So rare, it was almost unheard of for her daughter to do that. For her daughter trusted no one - no one but Mulder. But now that Mulder was gone. ...Hum... She glanced back over at Reyes locking eyes with her yet again.

Reyes smiled that warm, bright smile of hers yet again in response.

...Well... The Lord works in mysterious ways... Margaret thought as Reyes' pretty, warm, bright smile warmed her heart all over again. She smiled in spite of herself, just like her daughter tended to do, every time she saw that beautiful, warm, bright smile, too. "Well..." she finally said breaking into the heavy silence.

Reyes cocked an eyebrow.

"Eight. She was barely eight when they started," she said.

"What? Her dreams?" Reyes asked.

"Umhum." Margaret nodded.

Reyes folded her lips in response.

"They lasted for about two years. Every night."

"Two years? Every night? My God!" Reyes responded as her heart ached at the thought for both Scully and her parents.

Margaret nodded again. "Umhum. Two years... Well... Not quite every night, but every few days at least. Put it this way. It was frequent enough that her father and I had her in to see three different specialists," she said, shaking her head at the memories. "And none of them could tell us anything about what was causing it, only that she had a very active imagination."

"Ohhh... For Godsakes," Reyes said, full of disdain at the very idea. ...Active imagination my ass... she thought, closing her eyes and shaking her head in repulsion at the very suggestion of such a ludicrous analysis. "So. How much does she remember?"

Margaret shook her head again, then glanced back down the hallway. "Nothing," she said.

"Nothing?" Reyes replied, her eyes widening in concern. "No memory at all of... Of what? Her childhood? Or just the dreams, the nightmares?"

Margaret glanced back over at her for a moment. That was a very good question. And she was not sure herself how much Scully remembered about her childhood. "I um... I'm not sure about those two years, but..." she hesitated for a moment. "Her... her father and I, we... we were very concerned for a long time. But then when they stopped, we just..." she shrugged. "But I don't think Dana has any real memory of that."

"Of what? The dreams? Or those two years? Or... both, for that matter," Reyes asked again.

"Hum. I don't know. I'm really not sure about that time in her childhood. But, I do know that she has no memory of the dreams."

"None at all," Reyes repeated, wrinkling her brow and verifying what Margaret had just revealed to her.

"Right. None."

Reyes began to shake her head again, releasing a long, slow, deep breath, quite amazed and very concerned indeed with this latest revelation as well. After all, Scully was 10-years-old when the relentless nightmares had ended for a while. And she should have been old enough to remember something as important as that.

"And, Monica. It still bothers me sometimes, I mean, I'm her mother, and I... I guess I should have... Oh, I don't know," Margaret shrugged mournfully, glancing back down the hallway for a moment, then down at her coffee cup.

Reyes nodded in understanding. It would bother her, too, if she were a mother, and knew that her child had suffered from such horrific dreams. And she had never been able to get to the root of what had caused them. And especially since Scully still occasionally suffered from them. And neither Reyes nor Margaret knew the full magnitude of Scully's relentless suffering of nightly horrific dreams that kept her awake, and kept her from getting the much-needed deep sleep that she so desperately craved, even now, in her adulthood.

"Um... Mrs. Scu, I mean... Margaret."

Margaret glanced back up, then said, "Maggie. Call me 'Maggie'," as she winked.

Reyes wrinkled her brow for a moment, then smiled. "Okay... Maggie," she replied, wondering why it seemed so important to Margaret to have her call her by her nickname. But she would do it, for now at least. "Um... If you don't feel comfortable in answering this then, please, just say so, but... um... Maggie. Do you remember anything changing specifically in Dana's life when the dreams stopped?"

"Oh yes," Margaret sighed, then rested her forehead in her palm. "Yes dear. It was such a difficult time for us back then, and we ended up having to move, because my husband had put in for a promotion. And when it came through, we moved to another state and... Oh, I don't know... Dana seemed to adjust quite well to the move. And then the dreams went away. So we just, we didn't, I guess we... Oh my," she sighed again, as she rested her forehead in her palm.

"So then, when you moved, to another state, that seemed to trigger the change. And the nightmares stopped," Reyes verified.

"Yes. They stopped," Margaret nodded. "And her dad and I, we never could figure it out. What had caused them in the first place. Or what had caused them to stop. But naturally we were elated that she was sleeping normally again. So we never... we just... we never took her to any more doctors, and we... we just... we let it go," she trailed off as she glanced back up at Reyes, still feeling such remorse over a time so long ago, and wondering, even to this day, if that had been the right decision at the time, to just "let it go", given that Scully still suffered from such horrible nightmares when things were not going well for her in her life.

"Of course," Reyes said evenly and yet was still very concerned indeed at all the possibilities bouncing around inside her head. ...Oh God, honey. What happened? Somebody was hurting you, weren't they? Or... Or they were... Oh God!... She could not even allow herself to think of the next possibility. But it would make sense. It would make perfect sense. ...Oh Jesus! I know someone abandoned you. Jesus! I can see it right now, inside my head!... Oh God, Dana... She quickly controlled a shiver along her spine as visions of Scully's last nightmare, and visions from out at the compound, crept back into her thoughts. ...Oh God, baby... Her heart was breaking, as the same visions of a lost, lonely, crying and terrified little girl, screaming for her mother, flooded her thoughts. "Oh God," she groaned softly, as she closed her eyes and rested her forehead in her palm for a moment, regaining control of her extra-sensory abilities as best she could. The very idea that someone may have hurt, or possibly even repeatedly abused, and then ultimately abandoned Scully in some way, was ripping her heart into a million little pieces, as she sat calmly with Scully's mother. And then to have three specialists miss the underlying cause? ...Damn! Damn it! How the hell could they miss that?! Bunch of useless, incompetent, egotistical, floundering fools! Ohhh God!... she thought, anger rising up within her soul. But then it would have been the early 1970's. And the field of Psychology, Psychoanalysis and Psychologists, Child Psychologists, Psychotherapists and the like, was still quite new and going through so many therapeutic changes during those years. ...But, damn! Damn it! How the hell could they miss something like that?! Damn it!... Oh, baby... Her heart ached.

After a few moments, she breathed in a nice, long, deep breath, regaining control of her raging emotions. "Um. So... What about the doctors? Does she remember going to see the counselors?" she asked.

"Hum," Margaret chuckled at the irony. "No."

"No? You're sure?" Reyes asked, immensely concerned indeed at this point, that Scully had so successfully pushed her memories down into some deep, dark, little cranny of a hole, deep down inside of her very soul.

"Yes. I'm afraid so."

...Oh my God! How could she not...? Damn!... "You're sure she doesn't remember going to the doctors? The counselors, or whatever?" Reyes asked again, just to be sure.

Margaret nodded. "And she hates counselors, with a passion," she said.

Reyes smirked. She couldn't help but smile at the irony. ...Well. I don't think she hates this one at least... she mused.

"And I learned along time ago not to press the issue with her," Margaret added, glancing back up and giving Reyes a quick little piece of advice, just in case she ever did try to push the issue of a therapy-visit with Scully herself.

Reyes smiled in understanding.

"And personally, I believe in a good therapist," Margaret said, then began to shake her head. "But my daughter... She keeps things so tightly bottled-up inside and..." she hesitated as her eyes began to water. "Just like this thing with Agent Mulder. She... Monica, I know she hesitated in calling me. And... and I know that..." she hesitated again as her eyes watered up even more, warm gentle tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

"Oh God, Maggie," Reyes instantly responded, getting up from the table, finding the roll of paper towels, and then bringing the roll back over to the little table. She quickly tore off a sheet and handed it to her.

"Thank you," Margaret whimpered through her gentle tears.

Reyes nodded as she rested her palm along her shoulder for a moment.

"Oh Monica. I worry about her so," Margaret said glancing back down the hallway.

Reyes nodded again as she glanced back down the hallway herself. Her heart ached for Scully's mother, too, as she felt Margaret's pain in her own heart.

"She's so determined to be tough and hard. Like steel," Margaret said again. "But she's not, Monica. She's not," she said emphatically. "No matter what she tells you, just remember. She's not nearly as tough and hard as she tries to let on. And it comes out at night..."

"...in her dreams..."

...they both said in unison as Margaret glanced back up, Reyes locking eyes with her once again.

Margaret then nodded as more tears threatened to fall.

"I understand. And I understand, too, that Dana would be very angry with you if she knew what you just told me," Reyes said as she reached up and cupped Margaret's chin with her palm.

Margaret chuckled a little bit as she wiped her eyes with the paper towel and dried her cheeks. Oh yes, Scully would be very angry all right, to say the very least.

Suddenly, they heard the water turn off in the shower.

Reyes cocked an eyebrow.

Margaret smiled in response.

"Don't worry. I'll never let on, okay?" Reyes said as she lowered her palm and clasped Margaret's hand for a moment.

Margaret nodded again, then said, "Thank you. Thank you, Monica. I'm not even sure why I told you. I guess I'm just concerned and... and she won't talk to me about it, about her nightmares. And she knows that I know, but she won't..." she shrugged again. "And now this horrible thing with Agent Mulder. I... I never really understood their friendship, but... Monica? What happened?" she whispered, full of emotion. "Quickly, before she finishes up, tell me, what happened? Did she find him? Was she the one that found him, first?" she asked, silently praying that the Lord had spared her daughter of such a horrible memory, finding her very best friend dead and gone first.

Reyes shook her head. "No. Thank God, she didn't. But... she did see him and... and it was... so very difficult for her," she said as she glanced back down the hallway herself and lowered her voice as well.

Margaret nodded. "Oh, how I wish she would talk to me about this. But she won't talk to me about much of anything that goes on in her life and, who knows? Maybe she'll talk to you," Margaret said as she glanced back down the hallway again, then back up at Reyes. "I know one thing. I know that she needs a friend. And it looks like she's found one in you."

Reyes smiled, her heart tingling with what Scully's mother had just said to her. "I'll do my best," she said in response.

Margaret smiled. "I know you will," she replied, squeezing Reyes' hand with her own. She didn't doubt that one little bit. She was very good at reading people herself. And this pretty, young, female federal agent was very loyal and trustworthy. She could tell just from the little time that she had already spent with her. And her daughter needed someone like that, desperately, in her life, now that her only other true friend, Mulder, was gone.

They both heard the bathroom door open. Scully had finished her shower, walked out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. It appeared she would soon be joining them in the kitchen.

Reyes glanced back over at Margaret, smiled and winked. She then noticed Margaret's empty cup. "Another?" she asked as she let go of Margaret's hand and reached for her cup.

"Yes. I think I'll have another. Thank you," Margaret said as she suddenly realized just who this pretty, young, female federal agent reminded her of. ...Melissa... her oldest daughter, she thought. She glanced down at the table, then rested her forehead inside her palm again. Oh how she missed her other daughter as well. And she wondered how different things would be if it were Melissa here instead of herself, offering to be of some comfort and support to Scully through this horrific time in her life. Maybe Melissa would have been better able to reach Scully right now as she grieved over Mulder. She then glanced back over at Reyes pouring them both a fresh cup of coffee. Reyes had also retrieved Scully's mug and was pouring her a fresh new cup as well. Margaret smiled. ...My, my, are you not the care-giver? Taking care of everybody else. And I wonder who takes care of you?...she thought.

"You know, Maggie. Nothing can replace the love of a mother," Reyes said as she suddenly turned away from the counter, walked back over to the table and handed Margaret her freshly-poured cup of coffee. "And Dana needs you," she whispered softly, glancing back up towards the bedroom for a moment, then turning back towards the counter to get the other two freshly-poured cups of coffee. "Always remember that. No matter how old we get, we always need the love of our mothers."

Reyes' words had startled Margaret as she glanced back up at her.

Reyes smiled as she placed the two full coffee mugs down on the table, then sat back down opposite her. She then winked as she moved Scully's cup next to her own, then took a sip from her own freshly-poured cup of coffee.

Margaret could swear that she had seen a hint of pain and sorrow in Reyes' eyes through that shielding smile and wink.

Scully then padded into the kitchen. "Well. I see you two are getting along okay," she said, relieved and yet already confident that Reyes could handle it.

"Oh yes, dear. Monica and I are getting along just fine, aren't we, dear?" Margaret responded, glancing back over at Reyes, then clasping her hand for a moment.

Scully cocked an eyebrow. Not only was she surprised at hearing her mother call Reyes "Monica" and "dear". But that little clasp of the hand was quite interesting, too, coming from her mother so soon after just meeting Reyes. She smiled, very content indeed, with the knowledge that her mother so openly approved of her new friend, Monica Reyes.

Reyes nodded, winked at Margaret, then glanced back up at Scully. "Dana. Want another cup? I poured you one."

Scully smiled again. "Yeah. Did you put enough Equal in it?"

"Hah," Reyes playfully huffed, cocking an eyebrow and then smirked.

Then they both giggled like two little school girls for a moment.

"Well, did you?" Scully asked again, still chuckling as she took her seat between her mother and Reyes.

"Yes."

"Enough?"

"Hah. I don't know. Taste it and see," Reyes teased.

Scully tasted it. She smiled, then nodded. "Perfect," she said.

Reyes winked again as she quickly curbed her impulse to just lean over the table and kiss her feverishly on the lips for a few seconds.

Margaret just smiled, fascinated at the playful banter between them.