Title: The Domino Effect-1/15
Author: Waddles52
Summary: An expenses paid trip to Miami to help Skinner with a seminar
doesn't turn out as planned.
Rating: PG 13
Category: MT, MSR, M/S/Sk friendship
Disclaimer: Just for fun. Not for profit. No copyright infringement
intended.
Archives: Probably, but please ask
Feedback: Sure. Waddles52@insightbb.com
Thanks: To Lisa, beta extraordinaire. She helped me shape, form, polish
and get this fic ready for human consumption. Love ya!
Notes: This fic will be presented in several parts; however, it is not a
WIP! It is finished and in the capable hands of my beta. I will hopefully
post every other day until its completion.
Part One-
Scully stood on the balcony of the luxury hotel. The morning sun shining brightly, she took a deep breath of warm, salty sea air and let the sun's warmth bathe her face. It felt wonderful after another night of worry.
"Oh, Mulder," she sighed, thinking about the last few hellish days. This trip had showed such promise, damn it!
Several days earlier, the Hoover Building-
Hands planted on hips, Mulder sighed discontentedly even though a steady stream of warm sunlight poured through the office window. He felt a strange pang of homesickness for his real office, the basement den he shared with Scully. This one was nice but it wasn't what he was used to, not a place he felt at home. The sun was giving him a headache.
"Mulder, I just faxed the last report to Skinner's office," Scully reported as she entered their temporary quarters, which resembled a made over broom closet more than an office. "Now what?"
Mulder shrugged. "I just tried to get down to the basement. No go. I talked to one of the exterminators and they said that it would be at least a week before we could get back in our office."
"It takes that long to get rid of a spider infestation?"
"Evidently, they're being very thorough. According to them, it's a major infestation," Mulder sighed, throwing his pencil down on his desk. "This absolutely sucks. I can't get to the files, my computer or even my Rolodex to look up some phone numbers I need. I even have two packs of seeds down there which are probably toxic by now."
"I'll treat you to some fresh ones during lunch. I guess we've learned to be a bit more cautious when bringing evidence to our office," Scully stated.
"Thank you for taking part of the blame on this one, Scully, but it's all on me. I brought the sample in and let it sit."
"I knew it was there. I should have taken it upstairs and put it in a proper container."
"Well, at this point, it's all water under the bridge anyway. I guess we could take an early lunch," he suggested, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair.
"Mulder, it's only 9:30," Scully protested.
"All right. Brunch?"
A knock on the door startled them both. Kimberly, AD Skinner's assistant, stuck her head in, apologetically.
"Agents, I'm sorry to bother you, but since you don't have a phone yet, AD Skinner sent me to get you. He'd like to see you right away."
Scully reached resignedly for her jacket. "Thank you, Kimberly. Tell him we'll be right there."
Kimberly nodded. "I'll tell him you're on your way, then." She closed the door quietly behind her.
"He's probably going to rake us over the coals for causing the mess in the basement." Mulder held the door open for Scully, then shut it, leaving their quaint, new cubbyhole behind. "Just let me handle it. Don't say a word. Just nod and let me take all of the blame."
"Mulder . . ."
As soon as they reached Skinner's office, Kimberly sent them in.
"Agents, have a seat," he offered.
Mulder and Scully took their usual seats and prepared to be blasted for the spider infestation and anything else that had gone wrong in the FBI that particular day.
"Agents, I want to thank you for sending in the paper work on your last case so promptly. If I'm not mistaken, you don't have anything current."
"That's correct, sir," Mulder answered cautiously, flashing a look at Scully.
"Good. As you probably know, I'm scheduled to conduct a workshop at a joint federal-state law enforcement convention in Miami, Florida in five days."
Mulder and Scully nodded yes.
"I have conducted this workshop in the past, but it has been several years. Truthfully, agents, I could use your help. There have been changes in some laws and procedures in the past five years, and I find that some additional research is needed. At this time, my plate is full until the evening before the conference is scheduled to begin. I could use some help with the research and modernizing the presentation. I would also like to utilize your expertise at the conference itself."
The two agents passed surprised looks between themselves.
"I'd make it worth your while. I've managed to secure single rooms for each of you at the conference site, and there should be ample time for sightseeing, or whatever you wish to do once the workshop is over. Of course, your expenses will be paid, and I think I can even wrangle a couple of extra days off if you're interested."
"Since we're pretty limited right now, what with the basement being off- limits, I think I can speak for both of us and offer our assistance," Mulder answered.
"We'd be glad to help, sir," Scully added.
"Wonderful. You'll need a larger space to work. Kimberly will get you all set up and I'll be down later to see if you have any questions."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The agents settled into their comfortable temporary quarters. They had all of the files open in front of them, looking over the information.
"This is going to be a lot of work," Mulder groaned.
"Just think, though, sunny Florida in the middle of one of the worst DC winters on record. It will be worth it," Scully reminded him.
"You going to bring your swimsuit? The real skimpy one?" Mulder asked hopefully.
"You going to bring yours? The red Speedos?" Scully countered.
"Of course. I never leave home without them." Mulder tried to hide the big grin on his face at the thought of Scully in a swimsuit.
"We'll see."
"I certainly hope so."
"Mulder," Scully laughed. "Let's get to work on these updates. We can talk about our wardrobe later."
"Is that a promise?"
"Mulder . . ."
"Okay, okay. I'm working."
After three days and nights of hard work, Skinner gave his approval and the agents sent everything to Kimberly to be printed. The plan was to have everything delivered to the conference center before their flight left for Florida the next morning. That would give them a full day and a half before the start of the conference to organize the slides, videos, articles and worksheets.
Skinner gave it his seal of approval and thanked them once again, promising to meet with them as soon as he checked in.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Scully was in love. The hotel was exceptional. Her room and all the surroundings were much more than she had dared hope for. It had been 22 degrees and snowing when they left DC, and here in Miami it was 72 with all of the sunshine she could possibly want. Heaven!
Mulder was having similar feelings as he eyed the heated pool from his room. He noticed that the hotel restaurant held the biggest seafood buffet he'd ever seen, and what was this? A mini-bar! He looked it over and grabbed a beer. This all expenses paid thing was great. He settled down on the nice, comfortable bed and turned on the TV. Might as well get comfortable while he waited for the conference materials to be delivered.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"You know, Scully," Mulder said as he placed the last slide in the carousel. "This is moving a lot faster than I figured."
"Yeah," Scully agreed. "We'll probably be able to finish up in another hour easily."
"Yep. Nice of the hotel to let us have the conference room early. The only thing left to do is to make sure Skinner's lecture notes are in order."
"We can do that in the morning. His flight won't get in until late afternoon," Scully suggested.
"I was thinking the same thing. How would you like to visit that seafood buffet in the hotel restaurant for dinner?"
"Well, I'm not really in the mood for seafood, but I suppose I could get something else."
"I'm sure they have a wide variety of menu items. You don't have to get the buffet."
"Sure, Mulder. It will be wonderful to go to a nice restaurant instead of heading for the drive-thru of the closest burger joint. Now, the sooner we get finished here, the quicker we can enjoy our dinner," Scully smiled.
Mulder loved to see her smile. He hoped to see a lot more of it on this assignment. He checked over the slides one more time, then began to put the videos in order, salivating over what he might find on the seafood buffet.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Scully couldn't help but laugh as Mulder made his way back to their table, carefully balancing his heaping, full plates from the buffet. "Good grief, Mulder. That's enough for a small army!" she exclaimed as he sat down and tried to decide what to eat first.
"Nah, Scully, I'm just getting warmed up." With a gleeful look on his face, he stabbed a fried shrimp and stuffed it in his mouth.
She continued to be amused as Mulder cleaned his plate, exclaiming his praise after every delicious bite.
"Scully, these are the best crab cakes I believe I've ever had. You've got to try one." He turned his plate around so that she could easily reach one.
"Just a bite, Mulder," she decided, and scooped up a small bit. She swallowed it and made a face. "I don't much care for the taste. Must be the seasonings."
Mulder looked at her in disbelief. "I'm going back for more."
"Fine. Eat your fill. I think I'll just stick with my Caesar salad."
"Be right back." Mulder grinned like a child at Christmas and took off for another load.
Scully shook her head, making a mental note to stop at the gift shop on the way back for antacids.
After dinner, the partners took a walk around the hotel, inspecting all of the amenities, then decided to work on the lecture notes before turning in for the night. Mulder knocked on the door to Scully's room after he finished a quick shower.
Scully held the door open for him and watched as he padded barefoot across the floor and headed straight for the mini-bar. He looked relaxed and comfortable in his sweats and t-shirt. After rummaging around, he came up with a soft drink and popped the top.
"Mulder, they're charging five dollars a can for those!" she exclaimed.
"So?" he shrugged.
"Don't you think you might be pushing the expenses paid thing a little bit?"
"Nope."
"Whatever," she sighed, rubbing her stomach.
Mulder noticed her discomfort. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing really. My stomach just feels a little off."
"I'm fine. Full, but fine," he patted his stomach contentedly, plopping into a chair. "So, where are the notes? What do you want me to do?"
"Uh, drink your soda. I'll be right back." She quickly made her way to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Mulder heard the faucet come on and thought he heard Scully being sick. He wasn't sure if he should offer to help or just leave her alone for the time being. He settled on the latter, but decided if she wasn't out in a few minutes he'd check on her. He was just about ready to get up and go to the bathroom door when Scully came out looking extremely shaky and pale.
"Are you all right?" he asked, concern in his voice.
"Not exactly. I think it was the crab cake," she moaned, wrapping her arms around her stomach.
"But, you only had one teensy, little bite."
"I know but . . ." she abruptly turned around. "Definitely the crab cake," she muttered as she dove back into the bathroom.
"Well, shit. Why did she have to get sick? She really seemed to be enjoying herself," he muttered, staring after her.
He stationed himself by the bathroom door, ready to offer aid or comfort as soon as she came out. It was then that he began to notice an uncomfortable feeling in his own stomach. "I just ate too much," he told himself. "It couldn't be the crab cakes. Could it?"
End Part 1
Part One-
Scully stood on the balcony of the luxury hotel. The morning sun shining brightly, she took a deep breath of warm, salty sea air and let the sun's warmth bathe her face. It felt wonderful after another night of worry.
"Oh, Mulder," she sighed, thinking about the last few hellish days. This trip had showed such promise, damn it!
Several days earlier, the Hoover Building-
Hands planted on hips, Mulder sighed discontentedly even though a steady stream of warm sunlight poured through the office window. He felt a strange pang of homesickness for his real office, the basement den he shared with Scully. This one was nice but it wasn't what he was used to, not a place he felt at home. The sun was giving him a headache.
"Mulder, I just faxed the last report to Skinner's office," Scully reported as she entered their temporary quarters, which resembled a made over broom closet more than an office. "Now what?"
Mulder shrugged. "I just tried to get down to the basement. No go. I talked to one of the exterminators and they said that it would be at least a week before we could get back in our office."
"It takes that long to get rid of a spider infestation?"
"Evidently, they're being very thorough. According to them, it's a major infestation," Mulder sighed, throwing his pencil down on his desk. "This absolutely sucks. I can't get to the files, my computer or even my Rolodex to look up some phone numbers I need. I even have two packs of seeds down there which are probably toxic by now."
"I'll treat you to some fresh ones during lunch. I guess we've learned to be a bit more cautious when bringing evidence to our office," Scully stated.
"Thank you for taking part of the blame on this one, Scully, but it's all on me. I brought the sample in and let it sit."
"I knew it was there. I should have taken it upstairs and put it in a proper container."
"Well, at this point, it's all water under the bridge anyway. I guess we could take an early lunch," he suggested, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair.
"Mulder, it's only 9:30," Scully protested.
"All right. Brunch?"
A knock on the door startled them both. Kimberly, AD Skinner's assistant, stuck her head in, apologetically.
"Agents, I'm sorry to bother you, but since you don't have a phone yet, AD Skinner sent me to get you. He'd like to see you right away."
Scully reached resignedly for her jacket. "Thank you, Kimberly. Tell him we'll be right there."
Kimberly nodded. "I'll tell him you're on your way, then." She closed the door quietly behind her.
"He's probably going to rake us over the coals for causing the mess in the basement." Mulder held the door open for Scully, then shut it, leaving their quaint, new cubbyhole behind. "Just let me handle it. Don't say a word. Just nod and let me take all of the blame."
"Mulder . . ."
As soon as they reached Skinner's office, Kimberly sent them in.
"Agents, have a seat," he offered.
Mulder and Scully took their usual seats and prepared to be blasted for the spider infestation and anything else that had gone wrong in the FBI that particular day.
"Agents, I want to thank you for sending in the paper work on your last case so promptly. If I'm not mistaken, you don't have anything current."
"That's correct, sir," Mulder answered cautiously, flashing a look at Scully.
"Good. As you probably know, I'm scheduled to conduct a workshop at a joint federal-state law enforcement convention in Miami, Florida in five days."
Mulder and Scully nodded yes.
"I have conducted this workshop in the past, but it has been several years. Truthfully, agents, I could use your help. There have been changes in some laws and procedures in the past five years, and I find that some additional research is needed. At this time, my plate is full until the evening before the conference is scheduled to begin. I could use some help with the research and modernizing the presentation. I would also like to utilize your expertise at the conference itself."
The two agents passed surprised looks between themselves.
"I'd make it worth your while. I've managed to secure single rooms for each of you at the conference site, and there should be ample time for sightseeing, or whatever you wish to do once the workshop is over. Of course, your expenses will be paid, and I think I can even wrangle a couple of extra days off if you're interested."
"Since we're pretty limited right now, what with the basement being off- limits, I think I can speak for both of us and offer our assistance," Mulder answered.
"We'd be glad to help, sir," Scully added.
"Wonderful. You'll need a larger space to work. Kimberly will get you all set up and I'll be down later to see if you have any questions."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The agents settled into their comfortable temporary quarters. They had all of the files open in front of them, looking over the information.
"This is going to be a lot of work," Mulder groaned.
"Just think, though, sunny Florida in the middle of one of the worst DC winters on record. It will be worth it," Scully reminded him.
"You going to bring your swimsuit? The real skimpy one?" Mulder asked hopefully.
"You going to bring yours? The red Speedos?" Scully countered.
"Of course. I never leave home without them." Mulder tried to hide the big grin on his face at the thought of Scully in a swimsuit.
"We'll see."
"I certainly hope so."
"Mulder," Scully laughed. "Let's get to work on these updates. We can talk about our wardrobe later."
"Is that a promise?"
"Mulder . . ."
"Okay, okay. I'm working."
After three days and nights of hard work, Skinner gave his approval and the agents sent everything to Kimberly to be printed. The plan was to have everything delivered to the conference center before their flight left for Florida the next morning. That would give them a full day and a half before the start of the conference to organize the slides, videos, articles and worksheets.
Skinner gave it his seal of approval and thanked them once again, promising to meet with them as soon as he checked in.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Scully was in love. The hotel was exceptional. Her room and all the surroundings were much more than she had dared hope for. It had been 22 degrees and snowing when they left DC, and here in Miami it was 72 with all of the sunshine she could possibly want. Heaven!
Mulder was having similar feelings as he eyed the heated pool from his room. He noticed that the hotel restaurant held the biggest seafood buffet he'd ever seen, and what was this? A mini-bar! He looked it over and grabbed a beer. This all expenses paid thing was great. He settled down on the nice, comfortable bed and turned on the TV. Might as well get comfortable while he waited for the conference materials to be delivered.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"You know, Scully," Mulder said as he placed the last slide in the carousel. "This is moving a lot faster than I figured."
"Yeah," Scully agreed. "We'll probably be able to finish up in another hour easily."
"Yep. Nice of the hotel to let us have the conference room early. The only thing left to do is to make sure Skinner's lecture notes are in order."
"We can do that in the morning. His flight won't get in until late afternoon," Scully suggested.
"I was thinking the same thing. How would you like to visit that seafood buffet in the hotel restaurant for dinner?"
"Well, I'm not really in the mood for seafood, but I suppose I could get something else."
"I'm sure they have a wide variety of menu items. You don't have to get the buffet."
"Sure, Mulder. It will be wonderful to go to a nice restaurant instead of heading for the drive-thru of the closest burger joint. Now, the sooner we get finished here, the quicker we can enjoy our dinner," Scully smiled.
Mulder loved to see her smile. He hoped to see a lot more of it on this assignment. He checked over the slides one more time, then began to put the videos in order, salivating over what he might find on the seafood buffet.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Scully couldn't help but laugh as Mulder made his way back to their table, carefully balancing his heaping, full plates from the buffet. "Good grief, Mulder. That's enough for a small army!" she exclaimed as he sat down and tried to decide what to eat first.
"Nah, Scully, I'm just getting warmed up." With a gleeful look on his face, he stabbed a fried shrimp and stuffed it in his mouth.
She continued to be amused as Mulder cleaned his plate, exclaiming his praise after every delicious bite.
"Scully, these are the best crab cakes I believe I've ever had. You've got to try one." He turned his plate around so that she could easily reach one.
"Just a bite, Mulder," she decided, and scooped up a small bit. She swallowed it and made a face. "I don't much care for the taste. Must be the seasonings."
Mulder looked at her in disbelief. "I'm going back for more."
"Fine. Eat your fill. I think I'll just stick with my Caesar salad."
"Be right back." Mulder grinned like a child at Christmas and took off for another load.
Scully shook her head, making a mental note to stop at the gift shop on the way back for antacids.
After dinner, the partners took a walk around the hotel, inspecting all of the amenities, then decided to work on the lecture notes before turning in for the night. Mulder knocked on the door to Scully's room after he finished a quick shower.
Scully held the door open for him and watched as he padded barefoot across the floor and headed straight for the mini-bar. He looked relaxed and comfortable in his sweats and t-shirt. After rummaging around, he came up with a soft drink and popped the top.
"Mulder, they're charging five dollars a can for those!" she exclaimed.
"So?" he shrugged.
"Don't you think you might be pushing the expenses paid thing a little bit?"
"Nope."
"Whatever," she sighed, rubbing her stomach.
Mulder noticed her discomfort. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing really. My stomach just feels a little off."
"I'm fine. Full, but fine," he patted his stomach contentedly, plopping into a chair. "So, where are the notes? What do you want me to do?"
"Uh, drink your soda. I'll be right back." She quickly made her way to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Mulder heard the faucet come on and thought he heard Scully being sick. He wasn't sure if he should offer to help or just leave her alone for the time being. He settled on the latter, but decided if she wasn't out in a few minutes he'd check on her. He was just about ready to get up and go to the bathroom door when Scully came out looking extremely shaky and pale.
"Are you all right?" he asked, concern in his voice.
"Not exactly. I think it was the crab cake," she moaned, wrapping her arms around her stomach.
"But, you only had one teensy, little bite."
"I know but . . ." she abruptly turned around. "Definitely the crab cake," she muttered as she dove back into the bathroom.
"Well, shit. Why did she have to get sick? She really seemed to be enjoying herself," he muttered, staring after her.
He stationed himself by the bathroom door, ready to offer aid or comfort as soon as she came out. It was then that he began to notice an uncomfortable feeling in his own stomach. "I just ate too much," he told himself. "It couldn't be the crab cakes. Could it?"
End Part 1