Chapter Text
Hours passed and Scully finally was going to tell Mulder she had enough of this, but the only reason she didn't is she secretly was liking this whole couple act along with Mulder.
Thad had gone on several more rides within the time, and even then, she thought Mulder was sitting too close to her, but yet again, it was a bench seat style for some rides, and only so much space was there. She knew he had personal space problems anyway, but again, she kept reminding herself she liked it. After all, he was a gentlemen inside, even if he didn't always show it.
They had gone on many rides again, and started to almost forget about the case. They had been there for five hours now, and went at least once on every ride. By now thirty-five people were on their watchlist and Mulder recognized the people they've already passed.
It was now almost sunset already, and they were going to give up and hand it back over to the local law enforcement when the older brother they recognized from the morning, Manuel was crying. He was talking to some security guard, and Mulder noted the absence of his brother so he went to see what was going on.
"What's going on?" He asked, Scully following close behind.
"My brother, he went missing!" He said. THe security guard just nodded and calmly talked into her radio and clearly she was the lowest level of security you could higher.
"I'll help find your brother," Mulder said. "Where was the last place you saw him?"
"I don't know. We were walking a while and then looking back, I didn't see him. I was yelling at him for being ignorant... but he would never have run away!" Scully, with her kind instinct hugged the kid.
"We'll find him safe," she said. She hoped that was true. No other kids from the park had every returned, but this was recent and they were on the case.
Mulder finally took out his badge and flashed it at the security. "Special Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI. I want this whole place shut down, no one comes in or out. Call all local law enforcement and the local bureau division."
"Woah! You two are FBI?" the kid asked them.
"Yes."
"You two are undercover? Damn. You were a convincing couple. I could see it in both your eyes. You weren't faking that affection."
"What do you know about love?" Mulder asked rhetorically. "I'll go on my own, you stay with Scully, my partner."
Mulder started to walk briskly then break into a sprint, looking around, remembering the places where they had people on their "watchlist." It would be hard, and he hoped security came soon. Over the speakers he heard an announcement for all rides to stop, and no one can leave or enter due to a missing child.
He cringed, because now the perpetrator would know people would look for the kid. That's not a good tactic. If he was correct, and it was an owl, nightfall would be coming shortly. He looked around and scanned everywhere. IN the back of his mind, he knew there was a clue. He was trying to bring it out now.
That's when he remembered. Scully and him had passed a tent with owl eyes. He had gotten carried away with winning the Pomeranian.
He made is way to the run down wood building where no had had entered, because the shed looked abandoned. Preparing himself, he pulled out his gun, took a deep breath and then kicked the door open.
Clearing the area, it was pitch black and not much was seen.
"FBI!" He shouted into the darkness, trying to find a light, but when he looked closer, some twenty feet away, he saw nothing but two glowing orange eyes were unmistakably an owl. What was he going to do?
He knew there was no light, so he cautiously made his way to the end.
"Show yourself!" He shouted. He blinked once, and heard a huge whoosh, some sort of air gust that could've only been from wings threw him back. He fumbled for his gun, shooting a couple times before the unknown assailant knocked him out cold.
Half an hour later, and local law enforcement, and FBI were on teh scene, no one had left yet. THey told everyone to gather in one area while they searched, and it was only when Scully was looking with other officers when she heard shots fired. Her and the other agent ran to the shed where they heard the shots.
Walking in, Scully took her strong flashlight and looked around. She only noticed Mulder, alone on the ground and ran over to him. She shined the light in his face and noticed some sort of claw marks near his neck.
"Mulder!" She lightly shook him and he woke up.
"Huh? Scully!" He shot up, but Scully told him to lay back down. "It was an owl! He's headed North if I'm correct! Go to the north entrance!"
"Mulder, did you hit your head?"
"No, Scully!" He got up, and Scully followed, despite him feeling like crap. The adrenaline was too strong and he pushed his way through to the entrance, and saw a man repeatedly looking around, and fumbling his keys to open a door to a staff room.
A half a second pause, and the man started running, Mulder chasing after him. Luckily the guy wasn't the skinniest of people out there so he was gaining on him, and lunged forward, both of them tumbling onto the hard concrete, but Mulder had him.
Scully followed closed behind, and an officer handcuffed him.
"I didn't do anything!" He said.
"They why were you running? What's in that building? Did you attack me?"
Mulder's sudden surge of adrenaline started to wear out, and he felt his neck for claw marks. It was definitely proof of an owl.
"Scully, make sure the evidence team takes a picture of this. That man somehow turned into an owl. I was thinking an old lady this whole time."
"Mulder..."
They got back up when other law enforcement had opened the building and found a whole basement of young kids, including Manuel's brother. Paramedics right away rushed the scene, and it all just shocked Mulder. What evil creature would do this. It kind of reminded him of Samantha for some reason, and it made him sad. He loved seeing Manuel running to hug his younger brother. Even though the last thing they had was an argument, luckily they were reunited.
"Sir, you might want to get that cut checked out," a paramedic said, standing next to him.
"It was an owl," Mulder replied, looking around for Scully. "I saw the glowing eyes."
Just then, Scully walked up, pointing to something in the distance. "Mulder, you were hit with a rake. It wasn't owl claws. I'm sorry. We caught a pedophile who was going to turn these kids into a sex trafficking ring and you helped stop him. It was your instinct still, and all that matters. You saved these kids!"
"Mmhmm." Mulder was unusually quiet, and Scully knew just the thing to cheer him up.
"Hey Rob, what if we wash up then go out for a nice dinner," she said, taking his hand.
"Sure thing, Laura," he replied, taking both her hands and bringing them up to his lips to kiss them.
"You'll probably need to go to a hospital for that cut," the EMT said, interrupting the moment.
"Later," Scully said, and Mulder smiled. She never would've said that in a million years but Scully had already stepped backwards, almost tripping, Mulder moving forward, and catching her, his lips crashing onto hers.
"You're my hero," she said.
"MMmm," he just nodded, kissing some more until he felt his neck sting and pull away.
Scully looked worried for a second. Was it a damn bee?
"My cut just stings," he replied. "No bees this time." Smiling, they walked hand in hand back to their car.
A week later
Mulder sat in the basement, playing with the itchy bandage on his neck from the "rake" scratches, or in reality, the owl marks. He had seen the guy transform into an owl, but Scully said the concussion probably caused that. He saw the owl before he hit his head, but of course he couldn't argue. She might never believe in the paranormal and extraterrestrial, but he knew she believed in him. Scully throwing a newspaper onto his desk. The front page was a picture of them holding hands, the title reading, "Special Agent Mulder saves the day, taking down a child sex trafficking ring."
"It was also you," he replied.
"The press contacted me. I told them it was all you, which it was."
Mulder pinned the front page on the board in the back, along with his picture next to Scully when they were working on the Texas terrorism case. He liked the collection of images of them together.
"Skinner actually wants to throw a party. Can you believe that? I don't think you understand how great you were on this case. It'll be in the main commons upstairs in an hour."
"Skinner throwing a party? Did the Lone Gunman drug him?"
"Funny," she replied, scooting closer to him in the seat.
Mulder got up and sat on his desk, looking down at her. "You know, we don't need to go undercover to be a couple," he said, as he slipped off her coat, Scully allowing him to do that. She started unbuttoning his shirt, her fingers slowly making her way onto his chest.
She stood up, and ended up on the desk with him, many objects falling off, but that didn't matter. Making out in the office, Mulder was sure there were cameras, but he didn't care if anyone was watching. All he knew is that he loved Scully, and she loved him back.