The two FBI agents had been sat in the Assistant Directors office for forty-five minutes, listening to him drone through the meeting agenda. Mulder twitched intermittently at Walter Skinners remarks, while Dana Scully sat nonplused. She often wondered why she bothered to attend these meetings, they never seemed to involve her participation, this time however, she was thankful for the distraction.
"Item number six on the agenda." Skinner added "Motel rooms."
The statement got Scully's attention immediately, she had been wondering how long it would take for someone to pick up on the fact that they had now on four separate occasions shared the same motel room. Twice when Mulder had been sick, once when there had only been one vacant motel room and the last had been when a cow had fallen through the roof of Mulder's assigned room. 'Yeah, I don't have a strange life.' She mused. She visibly stiffened in her chair waiting the interrogation.
"Pay per view." Skinner stated blankly.
"I'll pay for them." Mulder said hurriedly cutting Skinner off in mid sentence.
Scully looked to her partner with a raised brow, relieved that this was not regarding shared rooms but intrigued that he participated in his 'personal interests' while on assignment.
"What?" Mulder raised his hands in mock surrender "There's not much else on at three in the morning." He defended himself.
She once again relaxed in her chair as the AD proceeded.
"Item number seven...Sunflower seeds?" Skinner exhaled.
"Mulder! Please don't tell me you put in a claim for seeds?" Scully stated confused.
"No." Mulder replied "Mind you that isn't a bad idea, they do help me concentrate and keep my focus." Mulder looked to his boss who now let out an exaggerated sigh.
"The rentals department has been complaining about the amount of empty sunflower seed hulls left in your vehicles." Skinner continued ignoring his subordinate's last statement.
Mulder shrugged his shoulders as he replied in a deadpanned voice "Not me sir, must be my partner!"
"What?.." Scully shrieked in surprise unable to suppress her smile.
Skinner merely shook his head at the repartee his two agents had built up over the years. "Regardless... please be more aware of the needs of other departments... Item number eight... back to expense reports."
Skinner was feeling physically drained from this meeting and his agents weren't looking much better. He removed his glasses and adopted a more comfortable posture. Mulder and Scully both relaxed seeing their supervisors body language soften.
"How about we come to an agreement?" Skinner enquired, seeing his agents intrigue he continued "Agent Scully's expense reports are always on time and correct. How about you deal with all the expense reports from now on?" he asked looking Scully straight in the eyes in a pleading manner.
"Sure." She replied without hesitation "The girls from upstairs normally just send them back to me anyway, it would save me time." She noted her partner's smug look and shot him an icy glare that most men would have frozen under.
"Great...less paperwork for me." Mulder replied happily, melting her.
AD Skinner closed the file in front of him, with a contented sigh knowing there was no need to discuss the rest of the agenda if Scully would take the task under her control. He extended the file to her over the desk with a muted 'thank you'. Scully stretched over the desk and grasped the file with both hands exposing her purple wrists.
"Agent Scully!" Skinner gasped in shock "What happened to your wrists?"
Her eyes went wide at the exposed bruises as she tried to formulate an explanation. "I...ummm...I..." unable to come up with anything tangible she replied "It's nothing."
Mulder and Skinner exchanged a worried look before returning their attention to Scully. "Really, it's nothing." She added pleased that she had two handsome men so concerned about her. Mulder's gaze returned to her wrist, she didn't see it but she sensed it as she adjusted her sleeves subtly to hide the markings, he stiffened suddenly in his chair realizing where the bruises had come from.
"Okay." Skinner stated resigned to the fact she did not wish to divulge the information to him but knowing Mulder would get to the bottom of it. "Right, that will be all then."
Scully stood seeing Mulder's gaze still intent on her wrists as though he could see straight through her suit jacket. "Mulder?" She woke him from his trance, just enough for him to stand before she stepped towards the door, he placed his hand at her lower back instinctively needing to feel some contact. 'God, did I do that?' he though guiltily.
"Agent Scully," Skinner said hesitantly "Might I have a private word?" she faltered in her step as she turned around.
"Sure." Turning back to her concerned partner she added "I'll see you in the office." He still looked shell shocked and chanced another look at her wrists before leaving.
Scully returned to her chair and seated herself once more before being beckoned to. Skinner walked around his desk and perched himself on its corner in front of her somewhat awkwardly.
"Dana." He started looking downwards, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips unbidden, suddenly realizing that this was unofficial. "Kimberly told me you called her this morning?" he questioned her without lifting his gaze.
"Yes Sir." She answered unwilling to make this awkward moment any easier for him, she was enjoying watching him squirm, he was a strong and handsome man but seeing his vulnerability made him seem even more appealing 'Kim's a lucky girl.' She thought absently.
"Was there anything unusual about the call?" he said as he removed his glasses.
"Nope." She replied innocently and he let out a sigh of relief before she added "It might have been strange if you hadn't have been there." His head whipped up to meet her gaze with such force that she was sure he was a prime candidate for whiplash.
"I...ummm...I..." Skinner tried to state.
Scully smiled inwardly as he repeated the exact phase she has used mere minutes before. "Well you have been there every night for the past three weeks?"
"Ummm."
"Did you think I wouldn't notice your car parked out the front of my apartment block?" she stated softly as a rhetorical question and continued "I am an FBI agent, trained to notice these things." She was unable to mask her amusement but decided to let him stop squirming. "Relax Walter." She said using his first name to confirm that this was a personal conversation in her opinion. "I've know about you and Kim for months now."
"You have?" he relaxed realizing he could trust her with this piece of information.
"Of course, I think even Mulder knows, mind you he does spend too much time at my place." She smiled before adding "platonic of course. I think you and Kim are good for each other. She's great and she definitely has a calming effect on you."
"She does." He confirmed.
"That and our chewing outs have been a little less severe of late." She smiled as she noticed the blushed twinge at his ears.
"It's not me you know? Who wants to keep it quiet." Walter added to which Scully lifted her brow without having to voice her question he continued. "She is not my subordinate you understand, she has her own boss in the secretarial department and although it is not against policy to have a relationship with your assigned 'boss' it is frowned upon."
"I see." Dana said knowingly, she had in the past had plenty of frowned upon relationships.
"She is worried that they might try and transfer her, so am I for that matter. She may be my woman but she is also the best secretary I have ever had." He smiled, he had gone through the secretarial department quickly before being assigned Kim.
"They wouldn't do that, you're an AD, and I have seen your wrath, not pretty." She smiled at him and he returned the gesture knowingly. "Will that be all Sir?" Scully asked returning to her professional self.
"That will be all Agent Scully." Skinner replied matching her professionalism before adding "Thank you."
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