TITLE: First Bliss, Then Trauma Part 3
AUTHOR: Meghan O'Connor
EMAIL: gyrfalcon@yahoo.com
FEEDBACK: Please! The more I get, the more you get!
RATING: PG-15, occasional F-word
DISCLAIMER: The LGM and anyone else you recognize are 1013's.
However, Rachel Ann MacGregor is all mine.
SPOILERS: The X-Files, all up to the last season finale, and the LGM
series.
CATEGORY: LGM/other
SYNOPSIS: How will Rachel react to seeing Frohike again when she
thought he was gone forever?
NOTES: You gotta read 1 and 2 for it to make sense. But hey, can I
do angst? And Mulder is in deep this time.
Rachel was trying to clean up some of the mess in the shop by the
time they came through the locked access door. She straightened up
as they came closer. An odd broken smile flicked over her
face. "I'm sorry, we're closed. There's been a… death in the
family." Byers and Langly started picking up the pieces and putting
them on shelves for later. Mulder came closer.
"Rachel, there's something we have to tell you." He ran a hand
through his hair nervously and tried to meet her eyes. "Frohike's
not dead."
The temperature in the room dropping was not enough to explain the
sudden frostiness in the air. Her eyes crackled with a cold green
fire. "Excuse me?"
He shifted his weight as he realized Scully was letting him dig his
own grave. "He's not dead. It was all a setup to get that guy, he's
a part of the Consortium. The guys that faked killing Frohike were
on our side, courtesy of Krycek. Strangely enough."
She hadn't moved, her arms still at her side. Mulder felt like a kid
at a Russian circus who just learned the bear wasn't chained after
teasing it. "So why was I there?"
They were all attentive, as his bringing Rachel was never part of the
plan. Why had he put her through this? Mulder looked at the floor
miserably. "I needed someone who would have a realistic reaction to
his shooting. I didn't know you'd do… all this."
"So it was all your idea. You came and got me and involved me in
your plot and made me believe Frohike was murdered before my eyes."
"Yes."
"Look at me." He raised his head as he wondered what she meant. Her
hand resounded against his cheek, leaving a scarlet handprint that he
just knew was going to bruise. He didn't know she could hit that
hard. "Get out." He started apologizing, but went silent as she
slowly raised her fist. "Dana, get him out of here before I put him
in the fucking hospital." Scully started dragging Mulder away.
Rachel reached behind the counter and handed a set of shop keys to
Byers. "Would you lock up after you leave? I'm going upstairs." He
took the keys from her hands, holding it for a moment.
"Rachel, Mel is up there. He's making tea and waiting for you." Her
eyes got wide. "Go on, we'll clean up down here, then go back to the
warehouse." She looked at him for a moment, then swung back to
Mulder.
"Be glad he's alive, Mulder. Right now, I'm just incomprehensibly
furious at you. If you'd really involved him in a case and gotten
him killed… Let's just say wearing a Kevlar wetsuit and helmet and
living in a box wouldn't stop me from making you pay. As it is, I
don't want to see your face for a very long time. Now get the fuck
out." Scully tugged him out the door as Rachel headed for the back
stairwell.
A part of her was terrified as she stood just inside the stairwell,
about to open the door to her kitchen. What if it was all some
horrible joke? What if she was nuts? A strange clinking came
through, and she realized it was the sound of someone stirring a cup
of tea. Her heart pounded rapidly as she reached out and opened the
door. Coming through, she kept her eyes down and shut the door
behind her. A voice she never thought she'd hear again spoke her
name.
"Rachel?"
She turned and lifted her eyes. Oh God. Her knees felt weak for a
moment as she drank in the sight. Frohike stood by her sink, looking
his normal self. His clothes were unbloodied since he'd changed on
the way over so as not to alarm her. From the combat boots to the
fingerless gloves to the thick glasses, the man she adored stood in
her kitchen. She came over and gently placed a hand on his cheek, in
part to prove he was real, and in part because she could. His hand
enveloped hers as he spoke. "Oh Rachel, I'm so sorry. No one knew
Mulder was going to get you into this, and it was too late to stop
it. And I'm sorry I asked you to go that morning, I just didn't want
the guys to bother you, I didn't want you to be ashamed of anything,
I'm so sorry…"
She effectively ended his apology with an emphatic kiss. The kiss
deepened as she put both arms around his neck and his went around her
waist. His mouth was hot and sweet and wet and tasted oh so good.
She'd never take another of these for granted. Breaking off only to
breathe, his grip around her tightened as his lips traveled down her
neck. A deep moan came from her throat as the need to reaffirm life
grew quickly. She drug his head back to hers and devoured him, their
tongues dancing in a heated battle. She broke it off again and
pulled back to look into his eyes. Hazel orbs met leafy green ones,
both glazed with desire and relief. Her voice was rough and husky
with need. "I want you now, Mel. My bed this time."