As expected, Dana Scully had only a fractured arm and a bump on the head to show for her ordeal. By the the next Friday afternoon, she was almost completely healed and excited to spend some quality time with her mother, and her partner, who never turned down a chance to spend the weekend with his favorite Scully girls, even if he vastly preferred the daughter to the mother.
He had even left early to pick up some last minute things from the store for her mother. But, about ten minutes before she was due to leave, the phone in her office rang.
"Scully."
"Scully, it's Skinner. I know Mulder's already out of the office, but I just need a little more information to finish up this case file you two turned in this afternoon."
Scully sighed, wanting to get on the road, but also wanting to avoid paperwork hanging over her head for what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend.
So, when her mother called 30 minutes later to see if she was on the road yet, Scully was just finishing up the last of the paperwork with Skinner.
"Sorry, Sir. I turned my ringer on because I thought I was leaving. It's just my mother. I will call her back."
"Just your mother nothing, Agent Scully. Answer your phone. By the time you're done talking, I will be done with this report."
Scully shrugged and flipped open her cell phone. "No Mom, I'm sorry, I'm still at work. Just finishing up some paperwork with Assistant Director Skinner."
Scully could have sworn that her mother perked up at her boss' name. "Dana dear, it's almost dinner time. Why don't you invite Walter to come and eat with us? That would be a treat."
Skinner could hear both sides of the conversation and was torn between being pleased that Maggie Scully thought his company was a "treat" and interfering with a private family meal.
However, just as he was about to beg off with an excuse that he had already eaten, his stomach grumbled loudly. Scully looked up at him and grinned. He answered her smile with a defeated shrug. "We'll be there in an hour Mom."
**************************************************
Maggie was just finishing up pot roast when Scully and Skinner walked through the door.
Skinner was immediately struck by how pretty and relaxed Maggie looked when she was in her element, rather than in a hospital room.
He was amused when he saw Mulder standing at the counter, wearing an apron, dutifully mashing potatoes.
"Welcome to the Scully Home for wayward FBI Agents, Assistant Director." Maggie and Scully laughed at Mulder's antics.
*He sure seems to be at home here.* Skinner mused.
Truthfully, he already felt more comfortable here in Maggie Sully's cozy kitchen than he did in most places.
Maggie paused on her way to the dining room with a platter of pot roast to kiss Walter on the cheek. "Thank you so much for coming Walter."
Skinner felt heat from her lips linger on his cheek. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
Blessedly, Maggie had only paused for a moment and was now well into the dining room, setting the food on the table. Scully and Mulder however, had seen the exchange and the flush on his face and were casting bemused glances in his direction. Skinner cleared his throat and turned to follow Maggie into the dining room.
Dinner was a riotous affair with more food and laughter than Walter had experienced in a long time. For the first time in just as long, Walter forgot about Cancerman and paperwork and work stress. Everything was lost in the warm atmosphere of Maggie Scully's dining room.
"Wow, Mom, you really out did yourself tonight." Scully put down her napkin on the table with a groan. Skinner and Mulder echoed her assessment and added their thanks.
Maggie smiled at her daughter mischievously, "Does that mean you and Fox volunteer to clean up?" Scully grinned, aware that she'd just been dupped by her own mother. "Sure Mom, Mulder and I will clean up."
Mulder gave Skinner a good natured punch on the shoulder as he walked by. "Enjoy it while it lasts, Sir. The second dinner she cooks for you is when she puts you to work."
"Fox, nonsense, Walter is company. We're going to drink coffee on the porch while you two slave away in the kitchen."Maggie laughed and went to prepare a tray of coffee. **************************************************
The night was warm for so early in spring and the older couple sat in companionable silence on the big swing on the front porch, drinking their coffee.
Skinner inclined his head back toward the house. "I feel a little bad, making them clean up all on their own."
"Don't." Maggie replied, "I started a load of the cooking dishes before we sat down to eat. All the have to do are the plates, silverware and serving dishes. Besides," she smiled at him conspiratorialy, "they're probably making out more than washing anyway."
Skinner, who had just taken a drink of his coffee, choked a little. "Excuse me?" Maggie realized her mistake immediately, "You didn't know." She felt the muscles in Skinner's body tense. "No, I didn't, but I can't say that I'm suprised." Maggie nodded, understanding. "I was suprised it took them as long as it did."
Skinner looked at her, his eyes pleading, "Please don't tell them I know. I don't want to damage my relationship with them. Trust is too important in our line of work. They need to be able to tel me in their own time." Maggie nodded her assent. "I won't say anything." "Thank you." Skinner smiled gratefully, feeling glad that he could add one more person to the small group of people he could count on.
The two sat in silence, contemplating each other and the younger couple in the house. As luck would have it, it wasn't long before Skinner was officially "in the know" about the new developments in his two agents' personal lives. He had taken the coffee cups that he and Maggie had emptied back into the house and headed to the kitchen with them.
***************************************************
"Mulder, I am warning you, do NOT touch me with those soapy hands!" Scully put up her own hands, warding off her partner's, which had just moments before been submerged in the soapy water.
"Which hands?" Mulder took a step toward her. "These hands?" Quick as a flash, Mulder wiped a soapy finger on Scully's nose.
"Mulder!" Scully squealed and giggled. Mulder undone by Scully's giggles, grabbed both of her hands with his and pressed her against the counter with a kiss. Neither of them thought about the soap anymore.
Lost in their kiss, they did not hear Skinner enter the house and move toward the kitchen to rise out the mugs.
"Ahem." Skinner cleared his throat loudly, trying to bring attention to his presence. The two agents jerked back away from each other.
"Sir!" They exclaimed in stereo. They both jabbered excuses, reasons, justifications, all jumbled together and none making any sense.
"I don't have a problem with this, but I don't want to see a single hint of it at work. Understood?" Skinner glowered at them with his best AD frown.
"Yes sir." Scully answered and Mulder looked so grateful Skinner thought he might faint.
Placing the mugs on the counter, Skinner turned and walked back out to the porch. Maggie was still outside, leaning against the railing and staring out into the dark yard. Skinner moved to stand beside her, bracing both arms on the rail.
"You were right." He told her glumly.
"About Dana and Fox?" Skinner heard Maggie's silver laughter sweep over him. She placed a hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Oh Walter, at least now, the air is clear." Skinner grunted but didn't comment.
Then, instead of letting her hand drop back to the porch rail, Maggie did something that surprised them both. She snaked her arm around the one that he had braced against the rail and the two stood, arm in arm, enjoying each other's nearness.
****************************************************
For the rest of the weekend, Skinner could not get the events of his dinner at Maggie Scully's house out of his mind.
If he was honest with himself, he was jealous of the relationship that Mulder and Scully had. They had long been able to confide in each other, watch each others backs and share frustrations and emotions of cases and other stresses of the work. And now, they were building a life together.
There wouldn't be any secrets or stony silences in their relationship like there had been with him and Sharon. Maybe there hadn't needed to be with Sharon either. Skinner wasn't sure anymore.
But primarily, he couldn't shake how he **felt** during his evening with Maggie. She had made him feel so at home, more at home than he felt in his own home in fact.
*Maggie*
The memory of her arm wrapped affectionetly around his made his mind whirl.
*What a woman. Bill Scully was a lucky bastard, coming home to her for 30+ years.*
He allowed himself to imagine for a few seconds what life would be like if Maggie Scully was there to meet *him* at the door every night. With a woman like her backing him up, he might just survive the ravages of the X-Files after all.
Skinner shook his head hard. He had no right thinking about Maggie like that. She was a kind woman who had invited him for dinner. With her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend. Nothing more than that.
*Snap out of it Walter.*
****************************************************
Maggie had allowed herself the night off finishing the kitchen clean up. Fox and Dana had done a reasonable job the previous night, but, as she predicted, they had been very distracted and hadn't completed the job.
Tidying up the kitchen, Maggie spied the coffee mugs that Walter had abandoned on the counter. Her mind drifted to her new friend. Her feelings toward Dana and Fox's boss confused her. He was kind, dispite the occasional complaint she had heard from her daughter about Walter being hard and uncompromising. He obviously cared about them, his reaction to catching them kissing in the kitchen was evidence of that. She felt very comfortable with him, which was unusual with men she didn't know well. She had touched him multiple times the previous evening and none of those times felt forced or akward.
She decided that she liked Walter Skinner. A lot. After finishing the kitchen, Maggie made her way down the hall where she caught sight of the last portrait that contained her entire family. As her eyes passed over the image of her late husband she felt a wave of guilt pass through her.
She still missed Bill so much and the love that they had for each other had left her scoffing at those who married a second time for 'companionship', but truth be told, she wasn't looking forward to going to bed alone every night for the rest of her life.
*Oh Maggie, you old fool. You act like he would be interested in you anyway.*
Maybe she liked him a bit too much. Shaking her head, she decided to try not to think about Walter Skinner any more.
