A/N: Hey. Look. I'm alive =) I know it's been like a month since I updated,
and I'm sorry. It won't stop. (Hehehe. I got caught up in a "The Ring"
line. I love that movie.) Anyhoo. I'll spare yew all a long list of excuses
and just say that school, and the month of October, were killers. I finally
got a nice, four-day weekend and I was able to sit down and write this up.
From here on, it'll be smooth sailing cuz we only have a chapter to go. And
I had the end of the story thought up even before I typed the first
sentence =)
I seemed to lose a lot of yew lovely reviewers last cycle. Hope this time's different. Enjoy the fic and once again, sorry for the wait! Luv ya guys!
~~~~~~
9:45 AM
Scully watched absentmindedly as her partner strolled the icy streets with childish fascination; stopping every few moments to point at a crystallized tree branch or a frozen puddle of water only to be ushered on by Scully.
Everyone was seemingly at home sleeping in, and the streets, ghostly silent, were crowded with parked cars. It had taken them over 10 minutes and a dozen drives around the same two blocks to finally find a space to stop the car. And still, it was the farthest possible location from Mulder's building entrance.
After what seemed like hours, Mulder halted before his building doors; not quiet registering he lived there but knowing something seemed awfully familiar and called for a stop.
Scully was lost in her thoughts and nearly ran into her partner. She was surprised that he'd recognized his home. Hopefully it was a sign that the alcohol was shimmer down.
"It's the alien headquarters Scully!"
Or, maybe not.
"Actually, Mulder. It's your apartment building. But I guess that's a close enough guess."
Before he could open his mouth and question her choice of words, Scully opened the heavy door and motioned him in, only to follow.
They walked the halls and rode the elevator in silence, despite of the small episode Mulder pulled in refusing to enter the lift because it was "an alien transporting machine."
Coming up to apartment 42, Scully dug into her coat pocket and produced her house keys. After a moment of shuffling through them, she cursed.
"Damn it. I took off your key last night to move it to a new keychain." She looked to her partner for understanding but found him snoozing against the wall.
"Wonderful."
With a snort, Scully reached forward and sank her hands into Mulder's jacket pockets, but found them both empty. Next, she carefully checked his shirt pocket as well as his pants, all with no luck.
"Oh for god's sake."
She glanced at her watch and decided it was late enough to knock on the landlord's door and ask for a spare key. Nudging Mulder awake, she led him back to the elevator, this time trouble free, and down to the first floor.
After five knocks, four rings, and a mouthful of curses aimed at them from within the ground floor apartment, an elderly, nearly bald man flung the door open.
"I'm sorry for the early wake up call, Mister-"
"Who the hell are you?" The man glared at Scully.
"My name is Dana Scully and I'm here to drop off my friend. He lives in-"
"I know you!" The landlord pushed past Scully and poked Mulder square in the chest as if to emphasize his point. "Apartment 42. You're that blasted FBI agent. In and out at all hours of the night, waking the whole damn building and then bringing all types of psychopaths into our peaceful area. I've had my eye on you, sonny. Ever since you moved your ass in here. I knew you were trouble."
Mulder had hardly kept his balance, but thanks to the wall behind him was still standing straight. Once the old man was seemingly done, it was Mulder's turn.
"Oh yea, grandpa? Well, you... you... you smell like poop!"
The landlord swore under his breath and waved at the air in front of his face, trying to defer the reek of alcohol before turning to a slightly amused Scully.
"What the hell've you folks been up to lady? Barging in here on a holiday morning when we're trying to get a good rest, oozing of drugs and whatnot?"
"As I said, I'm sorry for bothering you, but," Scully had to stop and inhale to keep her anger in check. She'd had enough arguing with her elders for a few years. "Mulder has lost his house key and I left my spare at home. Do you think you can kindly give us yours and we'll leave you alone."
She prayed to god this didn't have to be spread any thinner. She just wanted to drop Mulder into his apartment door and go home. She needed a bath and about a day of sleep.
The landlord, whose name she had not yet caught but really couldn't care less about now, seemed to struggle with the option before muttering under his breath about "people these days" and disappearing into his home.
"Sure showed him!" Mulder reported proudly once he and Scully were alone in the hallway. His partner merely sighed and remained silent.
Another minute or so later and the elderly man creaked the door open and dangled a lone key midair.
"Here's the blasted key. Now scat. Just drop it in my mailbox when ya get the chance."
Scully smiled and took the key.
"Thank you very much and sorry again, Mister-" But before she could weasel a name out of him the door was slammed in her face.
"Lovely guy." She turned to Mulder who was staring off into space.
"Come on Mulder. We got the key."
~~~~~~
A soft click signaled the successful opening of the lock and Scully found the will to push the door open. A wave of cold air chilled her to the bone and she stared dead on at an open window at the far end of Mulder's untidy living room.
She hugged her coat tightly against her body and walked into the dark apartment, fighting with the light switch for a moment before the room was basked in light. Stepping over a handful of scatter papers and books she reached the window and pushed it close.
Looking behind her she found Mulder standing cluelessly in the hallway.
"Come on in Mulder."
He seemed to ponder the offer for a second before strolling in and swinging the door shut behind him.
"Who the heck lives in this pig hole?" He asked in pure innocence after scanning the apartment.
"That would be you, Porky." Scully suppressed a tired laugh and hardly caught herself in a yawn.
Mulder seemed unfazed by the discovery and instead started off exploring the rooms. Scully, meanwhile, had only enough energy to walk over to the couch and collapse on it. Her eyelids lagged and she finally gave in and shut them.
After a few minutes, she could feel Mulder's presence once again in the living room. She didn't bother opening her eyes though. After all, there was no way for Mulder to get into trouble in his own apartment.
A step. Another step. A crash. And the sound of water lapping onto the floor proved her wrong.
"Scully! Look at the fishies!"
~~~~~~
A/N: Hehe. Well, this is it. The final chapter will be out in 2 weeks max. This baby's gonna be done by Thanksgiving if it kills me =) Please review people. Ya know how I just love love love those.
Oh, and before I forget. I have started to write about 5 other works. I seem to be popping up with ideas each week. Look for some of my other stories to start coming out this following week alright?
And again. sorry, for the dozenth time, for making ya'll wait so long for this chapter. You folks are great! Til next time! -DKers
I seemed to lose a lot of yew lovely reviewers last cycle. Hope this time's different. Enjoy the fic and once again, sorry for the wait! Luv ya guys!
~~~~~~
9:45 AM
Scully watched absentmindedly as her partner strolled the icy streets with childish fascination; stopping every few moments to point at a crystallized tree branch or a frozen puddle of water only to be ushered on by Scully.
Everyone was seemingly at home sleeping in, and the streets, ghostly silent, were crowded with parked cars. It had taken them over 10 minutes and a dozen drives around the same two blocks to finally find a space to stop the car. And still, it was the farthest possible location from Mulder's building entrance.
After what seemed like hours, Mulder halted before his building doors; not quiet registering he lived there but knowing something seemed awfully familiar and called for a stop.
Scully was lost in her thoughts and nearly ran into her partner. She was surprised that he'd recognized his home. Hopefully it was a sign that the alcohol was shimmer down.
"It's the alien headquarters Scully!"
Or, maybe not.
"Actually, Mulder. It's your apartment building. But I guess that's a close enough guess."
Before he could open his mouth and question her choice of words, Scully opened the heavy door and motioned him in, only to follow.
They walked the halls and rode the elevator in silence, despite of the small episode Mulder pulled in refusing to enter the lift because it was "an alien transporting machine."
Coming up to apartment 42, Scully dug into her coat pocket and produced her house keys. After a moment of shuffling through them, she cursed.
"Damn it. I took off your key last night to move it to a new keychain." She looked to her partner for understanding but found him snoozing against the wall.
"Wonderful."
With a snort, Scully reached forward and sank her hands into Mulder's jacket pockets, but found them both empty. Next, she carefully checked his shirt pocket as well as his pants, all with no luck.
"Oh for god's sake."
She glanced at her watch and decided it was late enough to knock on the landlord's door and ask for a spare key. Nudging Mulder awake, she led him back to the elevator, this time trouble free, and down to the first floor.
After five knocks, four rings, and a mouthful of curses aimed at them from within the ground floor apartment, an elderly, nearly bald man flung the door open.
"I'm sorry for the early wake up call, Mister-"
"Who the hell are you?" The man glared at Scully.
"My name is Dana Scully and I'm here to drop off my friend. He lives in-"
"I know you!" The landlord pushed past Scully and poked Mulder square in the chest as if to emphasize his point. "Apartment 42. You're that blasted FBI agent. In and out at all hours of the night, waking the whole damn building and then bringing all types of psychopaths into our peaceful area. I've had my eye on you, sonny. Ever since you moved your ass in here. I knew you were trouble."
Mulder had hardly kept his balance, but thanks to the wall behind him was still standing straight. Once the old man was seemingly done, it was Mulder's turn.
"Oh yea, grandpa? Well, you... you... you smell like poop!"
The landlord swore under his breath and waved at the air in front of his face, trying to defer the reek of alcohol before turning to a slightly amused Scully.
"What the hell've you folks been up to lady? Barging in here on a holiday morning when we're trying to get a good rest, oozing of drugs and whatnot?"
"As I said, I'm sorry for bothering you, but," Scully had to stop and inhale to keep her anger in check. She'd had enough arguing with her elders for a few years. "Mulder has lost his house key and I left my spare at home. Do you think you can kindly give us yours and we'll leave you alone."
She prayed to god this didn't have to be spread any thinner. She just wanted to drop Mulder into his apartment door and go home. She needed a bath and about a day of sleep.
The landlord, whose name she had not yet caught but really couldn't care less about now, seemed to struggle with the option before muttering under his breath about "people these days" and disappearing into his home.
"Sure showed him!" Mulder reported proudly once he and Scully were alone in the hallway. His partner merely sighed and remained silent.
Another minute or so later and the elderly man creaked the door open and dangled a lone key midair.
"Here's the blasted key. Now scat. Just drop it in my mailbox when ya get the chance."
Scully smiled and took the key.
"Thank you very much and sorry again, Mister-" But before she could weasel a name out of him the door was slammed in her face.
"Lovely guy." She turned to Mulder who was staring off into space.
"Come on Mulder. We got the key."
~~~~~~
A soft click signaled the successful opening of the lock and Scully found the will to push the door open. A wave of cold air chilled her to the bone and she stared dead on at an open window at the far end of Mulder's untidy living room.
She hugged her coat tightly against her body and walked into the dark apartment, fighting with the light switch for a moment before the room was basked in light. Stepping over a handful of scatter papers and books she reached the window and pushed it close.
Looking behind her she found Mulder standing cluelessly in the hallway.
"Come on in Mulder."
He seemed to ponder the offer for a second before strolling in and swinging the door shut behind him.
"Who the heck lives in this pig hole?" He asked in pure innocence after scanning the apartment.
"That would be you, Porky." Scully suppressed a tired laugh and hardly caught herself in a yawn.
Mulder seemed unfazed by the discovery and instead started off exploring the rooms. Scully, meanwhile, had only enough energy to walk over to the couch and collapse on it. Her eyelids lagged and she finally gave in and shut them.
After a few minutes, she could feel Mulder's presence once again in the living room. She didn't bother opening her eyes though. After all, there was no way for Mulder to get into trouble in his own apartment.
A step. Another step. A crash. And the sound of water lapping onto the floor proved her wrong.
"Scully! Look at the fishies!"
~~~~~~
A/N: Hehe. Well, this is it. The final chapter will be out in 2 weeks max. This baby's gonna be done by Thanksgiving if it kills me =) Please review people. Ya know how I just love love love those.
Oh, and before I forget. I have started to write about 5 other works. I seem to be popping up with ideas each week. Look for some of my other stories to start coming out this following week alright?
And again. sorry, for the dozenth time, for making ya'll wait so long for this chapter. You folks are great! Til next time! -DKers