Chapter 2

I got such lovely reviews that I decided I'd best post more for my hungry readers. I love to keep others in suspense, but hate when I'm in suspense...so, I'm still going to post in chapters, but I'll try to post every day or two. You're in for a fun ride with this one, so continue to enjoy. I love your reviews! Thank you so much!!

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"Scully, you've got to be kidding me."

Mulder had reacted the same way when she'd asked him to spend Christmas with her, but he'd already agreed to that. This was his reaction to her revenge plan.

Scully blinked at her partner, tilted her head, and realized for the millionth time how bizarre it really sounded.

"Scully, do you know how weird that is? Its very un-you." Mulder quipped. "Dana Scully gets REVENGE."

Scully smiled, liking that the idea was out of character. Frankly she was sick of being herself to a T. At least this time she wasn't going to have a one night stand and get a tattoo because of it...just going to wreak some havoc upon her oldest brother.

"Mulder..." she got exasperated. "Look, I'm pretty bad at revenge plots. Usually Melissa would think them up and then Charlie and I would help carry them out, but I know that this will really piss Bill off and I just want to make him angry."

"He really hurt you, didn't he?" Mulder asked, looking concerned.

Scully sighed. "He was being a jerk, and he needs to be taught a lesson. So will you help me?"

Mulder caved. "What do you need me to do?"

Scully smiled. "This is the part you'll enjoy. I want us to be a couple when we go to my mom's for the holidays."

Mulder's eyes widened at the prospect, then he laughed. "Yup...that'd put your brother over the edge, considering how much he hates me. Although that seems a little strange for 'revenge.' What exactly did he do to you?"

Scully sighed again before admitting half of the story. "He made a mockery of me in front of a lot of people."

"Uh-huh..." Mulder said, giving her a glance that said he clearly knew there was more.

Scully shut her eyes, not wanting him to probe any deeper.

"C'mon, Scully. I know you better than that. There has to be something more to it. Tell me what happened."

She launched into the fully story, of how Bill had started reaming out the X Files and what not in front of her family.

Mulder was still not convinced, however. "On behalf of the X Files and you, ouch. That was pretty low, but I feel like there's something more. I'm an FBI agent...I was trained to read people, and you're not telling me what really set you off and why you need me to pretend to be your big hunk o' man..."

"Look, Mulder...he doesn't like you, and you know that. I know that you don't care about it, but it bothers me sometimes, to see two people I...." She paused. "It hurts that two people who I love so much could hate each other so much."

Mulder was touched. "Is that what this is about? He said something about me, so you want to get him back by forcing him to spend time with me and accept me as a potential brother-in-law?"

Scully raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't go that far...but, I don't know what I want. I want to make him mad, but yeah...if he could make his peace with you that would be great."

Mulder still wasn't satisfied. "So what'd he say? Did he insult me in front of all your aunts and uncles? Who, by the way, don't know me and never will?"

"Would I be this mad over anything less?" Scully returned. "And why wouldn't they ever get to know you? Some of them might."

"Well, I guess so...with the wedding and all," Mulder teased.

Scully smiled and put her head in her hands, rubbing her forehead, which was aching.

"Right," was her only reply.

She felt Mulder's hand land gently on her left shoulder. He ran it lightly over her aching muscles and down her back.

"Don't worry about a thing, Scully. I'll come with you for Christmas, and show up as your stud muffin. We'll make the best couple since Rob and Laura Petrie." He grinned.

Hearing those names she sat up and looked at him. "At least we've had practice," she laughed.

"You look really tired. How about we skip out early and get something to eat?" Mulder asked her.

"Sounds like a good plan...until we get caught."

"We won't get caught. We're the FBI's most unwanted, remember? No one will check for us down here during the last forty-five minutes of the day."

"Point taken," Scully answered, as she stood up and got her coat.

She glanced around their dark little office. Even with the lights on it was dark. Files covered every square inch of the room; packed in the cabinets and piled on chairs. There was barely room for the two of them. She remembered how much she'd hated this office when she first walked into it. It was, and still is, the epitome of disorganization. Over the last five years it had become such a home to her though.

Mulder flipped the light off and pulled the door shut.

"We'll just hope that they think we're working hard," he said.

"Or hardly working," grinned his partner, as they made their escape.

The two drove together to a little Italian restaurant, and they were seated immediately, since it was still early for dinner.

Scully looked over the menu and found that all she really wanted was a salad, while Mulder went for the lasagna.

"Are you sure you don't want something more, dear?" He asked as the waiter stood by their table jotting down their orders. "We'll be busy later tonight and you might not get a chance to eat again until we get home to our cozy little bed."

Scully eyed him, wondering what on earth he meant. As soon as the waitress had gone, she turned on Mulder. "What the hell was that?"

Mulder sipped his water calmly. "Practice."

Scully smiled, amused that he was taking this so seriously. Or was he? There was always the chance that Mulder was just mocking her altogether. She'd been afraid that he'd have too much fun with her idea...It was interesting though; he seemed to have no trouble falling into the role of boyfriend, or fiance, or whatever it was he pretended they were.

"I'm not used to endearing terms such as 'honey' and 'darling,' since I haven't dated in...." Mulder trailed off. "Let's just leave that at 'awhile.' I want to get this just right and be able to piss Bill off to maximum capacity. Besides, I think it worked. That waitress definitely didn't know that I was only posing as your significant other." He winked.

Scully smiled as she thought of her older brother in a fit of rage over their 'relationship.' She still wasn't sure exactly how this vacation was going to go, but she knew that it'd make Bill mad. Just having Mulder there in general would be enough to set him off, but she was going for maximum rage, just as Mulder was.

Scully briefly entertained the thought of her and Mulder snuggled up on a couch together and Bill storming in. Or them under the mistletoe...

She stopped herself. What was she thinking? She turned her attention back to her partner, who was chatting about his favorite Christmas movies.

The two partners talked through dinner about work and the holidays, and Mulder occasionally kidded about their plans for later, and would she be coming home with him?

The waitress left the check on the table and Scully reached for it.

"No no, no, sweetie, its on me. What kind of a guy would I be to make you pay for our date?" Mulder asked, smiling at his partner.

"I'm sorry, dear, I forgot that you don't believe in letting me pay," Scully answered, giving in to his little game. At least she was getting a free dinner out of it. Hah.

Mulder slipped his arm around the back of her waist as they exited the restaurant, and he opened the passenger side door for her.

Scully got in laughing. "So is this gonna be an all the time thing now? Because I've got to tell you, Mulder, we'll eat out more often."

Mulder smiled and headed back to FBI Headquarters.

They said their goodbyes in the parking lot.

"Thank you for dinner," Scully said, as she got out of the car.

"It was my pleasure," answered Mulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, honey bunches, when we leave for your mom's. Tell her we'll only need one bedroom."

Scully rolled her eyes. "No way would I tell her that...although knowing my mother, she'd be ecstatic rather than angry..." she trailed off, thinking that it wouldn't be the first time they'd shared a room, although they'd never shared a bed.

Mulder looked at her, amused by the idea of her mother's approval. "She looking for a new son-in-law? I guess having Bill for a kid really is that bad..."

Scully laughed. "Trust me, it is. She gets just as sick of him as the rest of us." She sighed, then shivered in the cold. "Good night, Mulder. I'll pick you up tomorrow around eight, okay?"

"Good night, cupcake," he replied, pulling the door shut.

Scully smiled to herself as she started her car. Mulder drove off, and she watched his tail lights disappear. This holiday was going to be extremely interesting...

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