PART 2
TITLE: Stranger before my
eyes
AUTHOR: M & S Shipper
SPOILERS: Everything is
fair game up to the end of season 7, excluding requiem.
RATING: R (Mostly for
Language)
CATEGORY: Romance
ARCHIVE: Yes please, just
let me know where, so I can visit.
DISCLAIMER: Any remotely
interesting characters aren't mine and remain the property of Chris Carter, Fox
and ten thirteen. No copyright infringement intended, only meant as a small
shrine to a show that has become so much more than just a show.
SUMMARY: Mulder has
changed and Scully is afraid of the man he's become.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Scullys Apartment
Georgetown
8pm April 28th
Knock, Knock.
"Coming."
Her voice was faint and
breathless coming from a far off room. Patiently, I studied my shoes, rocking
slowly back and forth on the balls of my feet, hands in pockets. What was she
doing in there?
"Sometime within this
reticulian calendar would be preferred Scully." Just as I'd finished my
reticulian comment, one of Scully's elderly neighbours turned and looked me up
and down.
"How are you doing
there mam, My partner in there still doesn't believe reticulians are grey, what
are your thoughts on the matter." I turned and leaned against the door
waiting for a reply.
There was only silence as
the woman scurried away.
"Still undecided hmm…
yeah me too."
Without warning the door I
had been leaning on suddenly gave way and I found myself tumbling into Scully's
apartment.
"Very suave Mulder,
I'm impressed." Graciously she beckoned me inside, making no effort to
conceal her amusement. "Did you remember the movies?'
"Don't need to, I
checked the guide before I came over, Baywatch is on." Her laugh trailed
behind her as she headed into the kitchen, not one of my best jokes, but hey,
not a bad save considering I had forgotten the videos.
Without hesitation I
plopped myself down onto her lounge, enjoying the feel of being back here after
so long. Everything was so neat and tidy here, compared to my place, but that
had nothing to do with its attraction. Everywhere I looked I saw reflections of
my partner. Her taste, her belongings but more importantly, the woman herself.
I turned myself around so
I could see what she was up to. There was great smell coming from that
direction, pasta I think. I could see her stirring something on the hot-plate.
"Mmm smells
great." I said coming up behind her, the lounge-room had been entirely too
far away. "What are you making?"
"Don't get excited,
just Pasta with a Napolitana Sauce, and it's ready, so do you want to pour some
drinks?"
"Sounds wonderful to
me. What would you like?"
"Red wine, there's a
bottle in there." In the midst of draining the pasta she indicated with
her elbow a cupboard just by her head. It was one of the first times I had
really seen her in a flap, and it was endearing. Her hair had lost its usual
shape from the steam and now began to hang across her eyes. Having no hands
free she blew the occasional puff of air upward to clear her view.
Holding the bottle and two
glasses in the one hand, I reached forward and tucked the wayward strand behind
her ear. It was only meant to be an innocent gesture, but I felt the tension
flare up immediately. She flushed further than I thought she was able to and
stuttered out a quick thank you, before continuing with dinner.
Once I'd steadied my hands
I poured out the drinks.
- - - - - - - -- - - - - -
- - - - - - - - -
"Dinner was fantastic
Scully. I could really get used to that kind of home cooking."
It was about the third
time he had commented on the meal, he was definitely nervous. I, on the other
hand, felt a great deal better, which I am sure has nothing to do with the two
glasses of wine I virtually sculled throughout dinner. The incident in the
kitchen had put me off balance by the intensity of the moment, and we hadn't
even kissed. Not that we were going to but imagine what would happen if we did!
Mentally, I shook myself
away from that line of thinking. The wiping of dishes was a great way to take
my mind off things and I was showing a rare diligence tonight. This new found
enthusiasm had nothing to do with the fact that Mulder was sitting on my lounge
eagerly awaiting my return. I knew he was getting impatient because he kept
glancing around to see what I was doing.
"Sccuuulleeee."
Now he was using his whiny voice, and worse still I was finding it far more
charming than usual.
"All right, I'm
coming."
My small lounge positioned
us very closely. Choosing a spot to settle was far more difficult than I'd
anticipated. I didn't want to sit to close, but hugging the armrest would also
be wrong. Without warning a whole range of fantasies began running though my
mind, and they were making me nervous. They started off mildly, about making a
home, family and children with Mulder, right through to the x rated thoughts
that usually came much later at night. In the end I sat in the perfect centre
of the cushion but perched on the edge so only half my cheeks fit on.
"Are you OK? You look
kind of tense. Do you want me to give you a massage?"
"NO! " I'd
answered way to quickly. He laughed before getting up and moving around behind
me. Oh shit! I had to stop him now. "I said no Mulder."
"Come on Scully I'm a
good masseuse." He intended to show me just how good and began kneading on
my shoulders. At first I resisted his touch, bringing my shoulders up to my
ears but soon it felt more natural and I relaxed. The stroking was firm but
gentle at the same time. He was actually quite good at this and I felt the
tension ebbing away. My neck became a little rubbery and I felt it loll
slightly forward, content.
"There you go, let
Mulder's Magic hands ease away the days troubles." His voice had lowered
by decibels and sounded far thicker than normal. Probably just the
concentration I kept telling myself.
"Well, I guess that's
only fair considering you're the one who made me so tense."
"Me? Scully I'm
crushed" he continued on before almost whispering in the sexiest voice
I've ever heard "lay down for me, I can do your lower back."
"I don't think that's
a good idea…" My voice lacked conviction and before I knew it he was
gently turning me around, and applying pressure on my shoulders for me to lay
down. I complied what real harm was it going to do.
His hands worked slowly
and methodically. Starting at my shoulders, he worked his way down my spine,
paying particular attention, as promised, to my lower back. While his thumbs
rotated around and around I could feel his elbows occasionally brushing against
my buttocks. Did he have any idea what he was doing to me?
I was in such a stupor that
I hardly noticed him untucking the shirt from my pants, but there was no
mistaking his gentle hands working their way up under the fabric. His hands
were so warm, and their slightly rough texture against my smooth skin sent
small shivers out in all directions. The crispness of the air alerted me to the
fact my top was being rolled all the way up, his hands languidly following
behind.
Hearing his breathing
become more ragged, I actually started to imagine that this was turning him on
as much as it was me. It was all I could do to stop myself from moaning at his
touch. Then I heard that deep throaty voice against my ear.
"Scully, are you
feeling the same way….."
The shrill chirp of my
phone cut him off mid sentence. In a stupor I half stumbled off the lounge,
trying at the same time to resurrect my top. I managed to grab it after several
rings and pressed the answer button.
"Hello,…" My
breathing was laboured and my voice surprisingly low . "Hey mum, I'm fine,
how are you……" I turned around to find Mulder putting on his coat. I
raised my eyebrows in a 'What the hell are you doing Mulder' motion.
He mouthed his reply to
me. "Getting late, I'll see you later."
With a casual wave he
strode out the door. I have never seen someone make such a quick getaway. I sighed
at how wonderful, if short, the evening had been. What was it with Mulder, how
long had it taken before I was wrapped around his little finger again.
After a few minutes a
voice broke my thoughts.
"Hello?…..Sweetie,
are you there?'
"Yes mum, I'm here."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Basement
FBI Building
7.30am April 29th
If there had been a line
set down in the past, last night I had definitely crossed it. In the cold
reality of the morning, what had felt so natural last night felt foolish and
sleazy today. The poor girl was tired and I'd virtually groped her. What was
the matter with me?
I headed off to work, for
once glad that Scully no longer worked on the X files. There was no way I could
ever face her today, in a few days perhaps she will have forgotten some of the
details. Yes, I would give her a couple of days and she would come around.
The elevator came to a
halt with a slight jerk before releasing the doors. I sauntered out, not in any
real hurry, nothing much was going on at the moment. Since the incident in the
hall with Scully a month ago, I had, under orders, turned down many potential
cases. It was time to stop following the wishes of my enemies and start to
fight again.
I rounded the corner to my
office, once again brimming with determination, when suddenly I saw her. All of
a sudden it felt as though someone had winded me, and my mouth dropped open.
Scully was sitting at my desk, looking through some files. Oh god, there was no
escape now. Once I'd managed to close my mouth I continued into the room.
"Scully? What are you
doing here?"
"Hello partner."
Her smile was wide, and I couldn't figure out if it was genuine happiness or
mocking me.
"Are you back, for
good?" It was too good to be true. Scully was back and her smile was
genuine, she wanted to be here. Now I was smiling too, it was infectious.
"Yep, I was going to
tell you last night but you left in such a hurry, why was that?"
"Too much wine I
think, made me sleepy." Inwardly cursing myself at this ludicrous excuse
I'd come up with, I searched her eyes for what she had made of my lie.
"Too bad, I was just
starting to enjoy myself." She was leaning across the desk, her hands
planted on the desk's surface, arms squeezing her breasts together. Is she
doing that unconsciously? Ok, I'm sure that's not just my imagination, she's
flirting with me. Scully is coming on to me.
Hell, who was I to argue
with a woman who knew what she wanted. I was just about to set up a time and a
place to pick up where we left off when she broke her gaze and changed the
conversation to some of the case files she'd been looking at. Her words still
hung in the air though, filled with promise. I was not forgetting them.
The phone rang, and before
I even thought about picking it up Scully had hoisted the receiver to her ear,
answering with her usual:
"Scully." There
was a long pause, before she replaced the receiver and continued looking
through the case file. I looked at her puzzled.
"Who was that?"
"Wrong number."
"Oh, ok then."
But something in her tone and manner made me think there was more to it than
that. I didn't wan to get in a fight right now though, maybe I'd bring it up
later.
"So lets get some
work done shall we, obviously you haven't done any paperwork since I've been
gone."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -
Scully's Apartment
Georgetown
6.24pm April 29th
In a half second my calm
and relaxed state of mind turned to pure panic. I had to get inside now! My
keys were in my bag, I could hear them, but retrieving them at this point was
almost futile. In a frenzy I managed to locate them, and with shaking hands
find the one to fit my door. Putting that same key into the lock proved more
difficult than I first anticipated, as the faster I tried to do it the more I
missed my goal. On the verge of swearing and physically assaulting the door, it
finally went in.
Of course, the mechanism
was far stiffer than usual but with an added heave of my shoulder it opened
after a few seconds, and I was right behind it. Hurriedly I crossed the
threshold, haphazardly throwing my coat and bag onto the couch. In one motion I
virtually dove for the phone, just hitting the answer button, before I lost the
call.
"Scully here.
Hello…" There was only silence though, followed by a click as the other
party ended the call.
"Damn you." I
didn't like hang up calls at the best of times, but today they were really
getting to me. The one that Mulder had seen had been the last of several in the
morning before he had even arrived. Usually I'd put it down to kids playing
games, even fellow agents trying to get to us, but today was different. They
had been made to the office, my mobile and now my home phone. There was nothing
random about this.
In the corner of my eye I
saw a flashing red light, informing me I had 21 new messages. My breath caught
in my throat as I felt cold shivers of fear reach deep into my bones. I knew
who it was, but I still had to play them. My finger hovered above the play
button for quite a while before I drew in enough courage to press it down.
The first ten were hang
ups, as were the final ten, it was call eleven I was not prepared for. There
was silence for a minute or so, before a computer modified voice came through
the speaker.
"Scully, no-one can
save you now, we're watching you, always." My eyes grew wide in terror,
then filled with tears that spilled over immediately. My mind overloaded with
images of those who had done harm to me in the past, and I cringed at what may
be coming in the future.
My breathing was out of control
as I felt sobs overtake me. Gasping for breath, I realised I was having some
kind of panic attack and needed to calm down. I forced myself to sit down and
concentrate on trying not to gulp back air. Slowly I felt my breathing return
to a regular pattern and I lay back on the couch exhausted.
My logical mind began to
kick in now. A phone call is not that bad. There is no one here and it's
probably just a scare tactic that won't escalate any further. I hoped.
The idea of telling Mulder
flittered through my mind yet again, but I came to the same conclusion I had
earlier. If he knew, he may go off the deep end, like he did before, and shut
me out again. This time the damage may never be repaired and the idea of
risking our partnership again, is unthinkable. I will not do that.
The phone range again.
There was no way I was
picking up this time. Let the machine do it, right now I'd had about all I
could handle. My ears pricked up as my usual message ended, I couldn't help but
listen.
There was silence for a few
moments. No, not again. Then a voice came over the speaker. The robotic tone
caught my attention right away.
"You're home Dana,
better pick up your coat, wouldn't want to get it all creased now, would
you?" Oh god, someone was watching me. I searched the room swiftly looking
for something, anything unusual and then I found it, a small camera. In moments
it was crushed on the floor. That was the end of my patience, fear had turned
to rage, as I strode to the phone and picked up the hand set.
"Who in the hell do
you think you are?" But the line had already gone dead. "Damn
You!" I slammed down the receiver with a grunt of frustration.
Then the phone rang again.
Still boiling over with rage I swept up the phone before it had time for a
second ring.
"What the hell do you
want?" That's it, I was taking control back, and I was feeling better
already.
"Scully, is that
you?" The voice was meek but unmistakably Mulder.
"I'm sorry Mulder,
it's been one of those days."
"Obviously!"
There was a hint of mocking in his voice, which while probably justified after
my warm reception, I was not ready to tolerate now.
"What do you
want?" He went quiet all of a sudden as if still contemplating what he was
going to say.
"I only……um…… wanted
to see if …..you'd have dinner with me tomorrow night?" The last of his
words tumbled out quickly followed by a sigh of relief at the end of his
sentence.
I was shocked to say the
least. Completely thrown off balance with just a few words. Nothing was
mentioned about a case or some other excuse to meet. This was just Mulder
asking me out. Me.
A small voice in my head
reminded me to answer him, for he may not ask again, so I did. I was not going
to listen to reason, it had done me no favours in my love life to date. No,
today, I was going to follow my heart.
"Sure, I'd love
to."
"Great, I'll pick you
up at eight." His voice was lighter and happier than I'd ever heard it,
and I felt myself being swept along with it, daring to imagine he may feel the
same way I did.
"See you then."
And he was gone. Probably afraid I'd change my mind or ask too many questions
about his intentions. That made me laugh again, out loud, it felt nice after
the stress of the day.
I hung up the phone and
then decided against it, leaving it off the hook. Nothing was going to spoil
the wonderful mood I was in now.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -
End of Part 2
Please read and review. I
love feedback of any kind, good or bad, but preferably constructive.
Look out for part 3,
coming soon.
