Scully makes a narrow escape

Scully lay on the rooftop, her heart pounding, heaving a sigh of relief. That had been close. Too close. If she hadn't gotten the trapdoor open, and managed to haul herself up the short ladder just in time, she would have been caught. Thank God for all that FBI fitness training! If she wasn't an FBI agent, she'd be standing in front of two teenagers right now, wearing nothing but her bra and panties, covering herself with her hands as they stared, wide-eyed, and began to laugh...

Of course, she wasn't out of the woods yet.

She'd hoped the trapdoor would lead to an attic. A place where she could hide out, in relative comfort, secure in the knowledge that nobody was likely to walk in, and plan her next move. But instead, it turned out to lead directly to the flat roof of the building.

She lay prone on the roof, listening to the sounds of the street below. It seemed like plenty more people were headed towards the laundry. She'd gotten out just in time. As long as she didn't stand up, or even sit, she was pretty sure she couldn't be seen from the street.

But she couldn't stay here forever. What if it started to rain? What if someone came over in a helicopter?

There were shops to her left and right. Scully couldn't remember what they were, exactly. She'd been too focused on the coin laundry. So much for FBI observational skills. She'd have to do better next time. But, with any luck, they'd have similar trapdoors in the ceilings. And they might be empty. She could let herself down into one of those, and hope they had some clothes.

Or she could slip down behind the laundry. She had no way of knowing exactly what was there, but at least it was insulated from the main street. It might be nice to get her feet back on the ground again. Even though nobody could see her, she felt terribly exposed up there in the open. If she raised her head even slightly she could see across the rooftops in every direction, and she was pretty sure that meant she could also be seen be anyone else who happened to be up there.

She wanted to get off the rooftop as quickly as possible. And she wanted some clothes. And she wanted to go back home and forget this whole humiliating day ever happened. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she recalled that little dance she'd done with the sheriff, crawling around on the floor in her underwear, just barely managing to stay out of sight. Probably the most embarrassing moment of her career, and she had no desire to beat the record.