From tthwaite@mail.awinc.com Thu Oct 24 01:01:22 1996 The following story was written a while ago and has undergone several revisions since it was originally posted.Many thanx to Gil for permission to repost the "New and Improved" (I hope) version.The original is on Gossamer and is approx. 16k. The new version is nearly 32k.I don't know why I kept going back and picking at it, but.... *************************************************************** PLEASE DO NOT POST TO ATXC- IT'S ALREADY THERE *************************************************************** Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, and the Lone Gunmen are the property of Chris Carter, Fox Broadcasting and 1013 Productions. They have been borrowed without permission and no infringement of their copyright is intended. Gossamer Axe, Christa Cruitaire, Judith Clairaide and the song lyrics are the property of Gael Baudino and were borrowed from her book 'Gossamer Axe' without permission. No infringement of her copyright is intended either. Rating-R for some description of a sexual situation and the occasional mild profanity. Summary: Scully and Mulder join the Lone Gunmen for a night out on Halloween. Author's Note: Yes, I know Halloween is not on a weekend this year, but I needed it to be for the story. Call it artistic license. (Whoa, my ego is showing-this bit of twisted rambling as ART?) Comments,criticisms and suggestions are welcomed at tthwaite@banff.net. Flames will be used to heat my hot chocolate, although especially humourous or literary ones may be kept for the occasional reality check. On with the story- Halloween (revised) (1/2) by tj thwaites Mulder's Office 5:36 p.m. Saturday Oct. 31,1996 Fox Mulder looked up as Dana Scully lifted her coat from its hook as she prepared to leave to get ready for tonight. "I'll pick you up at 7:30?" Mulder asked. "I'll be ready." Scully replied,a small cryptic smile coming to her face before she turned and walked out the door. Mulder thought as he finished filing the paperwork from their latest case. As he reached for his coat he decided he'd find out the answer to that question soon enough and he had to get ready himself. On the drive home Mulder mentally reviewed tonight's agenda. Byers and Langly had found out that Frohike was a fan of Gossamer Axe, a heavy metal band that was playing at a local club tonight, and had gotten tickets. It was also Frohike's birthday and they had decided to have a party. The event at the club was a Halloween party as well, so everyone would be in costume. That was probably the reason the Lone Gunmen had agreed to a public outing, they could hide their identities and still have a blast. Byers and Langly had also convinced Mulder to talk Scully into coming along as well. After all, if they could get her to dance with Frohike, just once even, it would probably make his whole year. Mulder wondered why Scully had given in so easily when he had explained tonight's activity. He knew she was less than enthusiastic about socializing with the Lone Gunmen, whom she referred to as "the most paranoid group of people" she had ever met. When he'd first told her last week what they were planning, she'd looked thoughtful, then agreed to join them. She'd had that same devious little grin when she said she had the perfect costume to wear. Mulder started to wonder what his partner was planning on doing tonight. ****************************************************************** Scully's apartment 7:25 p.m. Saturday Oct.31 Scully looked at herself in the mirror and laughed out loud. she chuckled to herself, When she'd first met the Lone Gunmen, Frohike's "She's hot" remark had irritated her, as well as Byers referring to her as "the enigmatic Dr. Scully". But over the past couple of years, Frohike's occasional good-naturedly lecherous comments had become amusing rather than irritating. She had to admit, to herself at least, that her lack of much of a social life had made those comments reassuring reminders that she wasn't losing her sex appeal. Ah,vanity. She looked in the mirror again, this time appraising her reflection with a critical eye to every detail. Her black suede boots with two and a half inch stiletto heels contrasted nicely with the zebra striped bandana she'd tied around her left ankle. Her faded jeans were tight enough to look as if they were painted on. The darker blue spot on the left buttock where the pocket used to be standing out as she turned to examine her appearance. She adjusted the handcuffs hooked to her belt loops. After pulling on a belt with chromed studs, she turned again to straighten the length of half inch chromed chain encircling her waist. She smiled again as the logo on the back of the black vest she wore over a sleeveless, and artfully torn, Ozzy Osborne concert T-shirt came into view. "Mrs. Spooky" it read at the top above a rendering of a flying saucer. Below the saucer, it read: "FBIs Most Unwanted". She hoped Mulder appreciated the joke. She turned to face the mirror again to examine her make-up and hairstyle. It was much more make-up than she would consider wearing in public if it wasn't Halloween. Heavily mascaraed eyes looked out amid the black eye-liner that she'd generously applied, giving her face a racoon-like appearance. She touched up the rolling-dice design she'd made on her right cheek. Her auburn hair was back combed so it wreathed her head like a lion's mane. The silver bracelets on her right wrist jingled as she put in her earrings, an ivory skull-and-cross bones in her left lobe and a big gold hoop in the right. she giggled, . She picked up the studded leather bracelet and was putting it on her left wrist when she heard the doorbell ring. She finished fastening the bracelet, picked up the fingerless black leather gloves and her tattered jean jacket and headed for the door. < Time to give Mulder his heart attack,> she said to herself as she looked through the peephole. Mulder stood outside the door dressed as the Phantom of the Opera, black suit, a white silk shirt that actually had *ruffles* at the collar and cuffs, and a black cape with a scarlet lining. He held a half-mask in his hand which would probably conceal most of his face when he put it on. The Gunmen probably expected him to be dressed as an alien of some kind, but she knew the memory of his sister meant that Mulder would *never* wear any type of alien costume. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Mulder's eyes widened in astonishment and she burst out laughing when he checked the number on her door to make sure he had the right apartment. "I wish I could have taken a picture of the look on your face,Mulder" she said when she regained control of her breathing. "Sc-scully?" he stammered, "Is that really you?" "You were expecting Snow White?" she asked, and started laughing again. "Damn, you're going to scare the hell out of Frohike dressed like that!" "I certainly hope so. Come in, Mulder, I just have to grab a couple of things. I'll only be a minute." Scully stepped inside to take her ID, some cash and a credit card out of her purse and put them in her remaining back pocket. She tucked the tiny Model D .32 calibre derringer two-shot pistol she'd bought last year into the inside pocket she'd sewn into the vest, checking herself in the hall mirror to be sure the weight of the gun didn't pull her vest off-center. The gun weighed only 10 ounces, so her vest hung straight. It wasn't much of a hold-out weapon. The barrel was less than two and a half inches long, so it would probably be useless at any range over a dozen meters, but Scully had absorbed enough of Mulder's paranoia over the past four years that she felt uncomfortable if she wasn't armed. And the derringer was the only gun (of four) she had that was small enough to hide in her costume. She removed her apartment key from her key ring and slid it into the pocket of her vest. She added a lipstick to the pocket. She pulled on the jean jacket and turned to Mulder who was still standing in the hallway. He still looked stunned. "Come on Mulder, we don't want to be late," she said as she joined him in the hall and pulled her door closed, locking it behind her. Mulder trailed her down the hall as they went out to his car. he asked himself as he opened the car door for her. He went around to the driver's side, got in and started the car. As he pulled out onto the street, the image of her walking in front of him returned and he glanced across at her sitting next to him. She'd put an amazingly seductive sway into her stride. One intended, obviously with malice aforethought, to reduce every red-blooded male (and, given the nature of the crowd expected at the show tonight, probably some of the women) who saw her into quivering putty. The devious little smile he'd seen earlier had expanded into an evil grin. Scully pulled down the visor and looked into the vanity mirror. She pulled the lipstick out of her vest pocket and started to apply the deep scarlet hue to her lips. When she finished she turned to Mulder. "Do you think it's a bit much?" she asked innocently. The awed, slack-jawed expression on his face had her laughing for most of the ride to the club. ****************************************************************** The Dragon's Nest Nightclub 8:15 Saturday Oct 31,1996 Sherlock Holmes, accompanied by a ninja and a pirate, commandeered a table overlooking the stage and sat down. "Thanks for getting tickets, guys" Frohike, the pirate, said, "But how'd you get them? The show was sold out weeks ago." "You never think that hacking has more pragmatic results than government secrets?" Langly said from within his ninja costume. His eyes,the only part of his body visible, sparkled with laughter. "We may even come up up with another surprise or two before the night is over," Byers chuckled, glancing at Langly. he added to himself hopefully. Byers gestured to a waiter with the pipe he had to accessorize his Sherlock ensemble. The Lone Gunmen ordered drinks and turned to watch the people on the dance floor. Byers and Langly exchanged a hopeful look behind Frohike's back. They were both hoping Mulder would come through and arrive with Scully in tow. And, even more to the point, that Scully would be willing to relax a bit and have some fun with them. ****************************************************************** The Dragon's Nest Nightclub 8:35 Saturday Oct 31,1996 Mulder and Scully made their way through the crowd to a table near the dance floor where the Lone Gunman were sitting. The table had a great view of the stage. Byers, dressed as Sherlock Holmes, was the first to spot them as they neared the table. His sharp intake of breath got Langly's and Frohike's attention. They turned in their seats to see what he was staring at and saw a woman decked out as a hard rocker coming toward them. It wasn't until Mulder stepped up beside her that they recognized this lion-maned redheaded woman with raccoon eyes, rolling dice on her cheek and handcuffs in her belt loops as Dana Scully. Frohike promptly dropped his drink onto the floor. Byers and Langly looked at each other, stunned; this was definitely *not* the same coolly professional Dana Scully they were used to. Scully wrapped her jean jacket over the back of the chair next to Frohike, said she needed a drink and headed toward the bar. Her progress was obvious from the sudden turning of many male heads as she passed by. The Lone Gunmen stared at her as she walked away and didn't notice as Mulder sat down in the remaining chair. When Scully was swallowed by the crowd, they turned to stare at Mulder. "Don't look at me, guys" he said defensively, "I had no idea what she was going to wear tonight. I even thought I had the wrong apartment when she opened her door." "It seems I spoke more truly than I had imagined when I called her 'the enigmatic Dr. Scully' the first time you brought her see us, Mulder," Byers replied thoughtfully, tapping his pipe absentmindedly against his glass. "Did you read what she had on the back of her vest, Mulder?" Langly asked, chuckling. "No, I was too shocked to notice it. What does it say?" "It had the words 'Mrs. Spooky' above a picture of a flying saucer and 'FBIs most unwanted' underneath," Langly managed to say before he started laughing. Frohike was still staring at the place where Scully had disappeared into the crowd when Byers poked him in the shoulder and shouted, "Breathe, Frohike, breathe!" Frohike drew a ragged breath and turned to the others, struggling to talk. "God! When I said she was hot when you first brought her to meet us, Mulder, I didn't realize she was *this* hot!" Scully reappeared at he table carrying two drinks, placed one in front of Mulder and turned to Frohike. "Why *thank you*, Frohike. Are you going to act the swashbuckling pirate and get me drunk?" she breathed in his ear. Frohike blushed. "This outfit is your birthday present, enjoy it" she added as she sat down. Mulder, Byers and Langly exploded into raucous laughter as Frohike's face turned even redder. "That's gotta be your best present ever!" Byers said to Frohike and raised his arm to signal the waiter for their order. "You guys set me up!" Frohike shouted, grinning. "Scully agreed to come tonight with less persuasion than I had anticipated." Mulder replied, a wide smile on his face as he gestured to where his partner sat, beside Frohike. "When Mulder first tried to tell me what was going on, he could barely speak. When he told me that they were planning on something special for your birthday, Frohike, and they wanted me to make an appearance, I had the uncomfortable feeling that they had in mind something like me popping out of a cake wearing only pasties and a G-string," Scully declared, her eyes shining with suppressed laughter. "You thought *what*?" Mulder cried. "A G-string?" Langly quipped. Byers broke out laughing again. "If they'd asked that, would you have?" Frohike asked, a lecherous grin plastered on his face. Mulder, Langly and Byers were shocked to silence by Frohike's remark, afraid Scully would leave, all offended dignity. Scully sat silently for a few seconds, her eyebrow arched disdainfully as she glared at Frohike. Then she grinned impishly and said, "Maybe." The four men stared at Scully, dumbfounded. A few seconds passed, then everyone exploded into laughter again. Several people at neighboring tables turned to scowl at them. They got control of themselves and settled in to enjoy the evening. ****************************************************************** The Dragon's Nest Nightclub 10:45 p.m. Saturday Oct 31,1996 Gossamer Axe was rocking the Nest. Judith Clairaide's steamy vocals and Christa Cruitaire's incredible mastery of her electric guitar had the crowd on their feet. The dance floor was filled with people. Magic hovered in the air. Gossamer Axe launched into the song, Firing Line, that had skyrocketed them to fame eight years ago. The crowd went wild. Scully looked at Frohike as they danced. she thought, She examined her emotions. She realized that she'd responded to Frohike's remarks over the years as a type of flirting and found that she did find him attractive, in a kinky way. The band began a slow rock ballad and she put her arms around his neck and drew him close for a slow dance. She saw the look of surprise that came to the eye that wasn't hidden behind the patch. "I never did thank you for the flowers you brought me in the hospital, did I?" she shouted in his ear to be heard over the music. Frohike just shrugged, his arms around her waist. The words from the ballad seemed to echo in Scully's head: < I do not know how to praise you, O my love, For I am no master poet who can claim the twelve branches. Your hair in my hands was sweet as new milk, Your lips against mine like the rich mead of kings.> "Thank you," she said and kissed him gently. The electric response of her body was immediate. Scully was shocked by the intensity of her reaction. In Frohike's eye she could see his astonishment at her reaction as well. They stared at each other for a second, then kissed again, deeply. The bar around them seemed to disappear. It was just the two of them standing there alone, locked in a passionate embrace. They broke apart after an eternity. "Take me home, Frohike," Scully said, her voice husky. They left the dance floor. Byers and Mulder were not at the table when they grabbed their jackets. Langly looked a question at them from the eye slit of his ninja costume. "We're leaving," Scully said, "Tell Mulder I'll see him at the office on Monday." Frohike and Scully left without another word, arm in arm. Byers and Mulder returned from the bathroom to find Langly staring at the spot where Frohike and Scully had vanished into the crowd. They tried for several seconds to get his attention. "Where are Scully and Frohike? They're not on the dance floor anymore," Mulder demanded. "They just left," Langly said, amazement colouring his voice, "Together." It took several seconds for the implications of that statement to sink in. Then Mulder turned to stare toward the doorway. He couldn't see either one of them. He turned back to Langly. "You've got to be kidding." "I don't believe it either, Mulder. But Scully's face was flushed and Frohike had lipstick on his cheek." The three of them sat silently at the table for several minutes, then they stood, put on their coats and headed for the door. Outside in the parking lot, Langly and Byers looked at each other, then at Mulder. They were concerned about him. They both knew that Mulder had let Scully know more about himself than he usually let anyone know. They had figured that meant that he also cared about *her* more than anyone else. Secretly, they had hoped that Scully reciprocated Mulder's emotional commitment. They never expected her to actually respond to Frohike's blatant lechery. Mulder fumbled with his keys as he tried to unlock his car. Byers put his hand on Mulder's shoulder. "You okay Mulder?" he asked quietly. Mulder opened the car door and got in without a word. He started the car and rolled down the window. He looked up at Byers and Langly in silence for a few seconds, then shrugged. "I'll be fine. After all, Scully's my partner, not my girlfriend." He shifted into drive and pulled away, leaving Byers and Langly standing there. They watched his car as it pulled into the street and then vanished in the traffic. Concerned about Mulder they might be, but there was nothing they could do about the situation. They knew about Samantha's disappearance and how deeply it affected Mulder. Now he seemed to be losing Scully, too. Mulder would never admit it, but they thought he was in love with her. There were times in the past when they thought Scully returned his feelings, even if neither one of them would acknowledge the connection. Langly turned to Byers and said: "Maybe getting Scully to come tonight was a bad idea after all." "I hope that this doesn't irretrievably ruin Mulder and Scully's professional relationship. They are too good a team to have their work on the X-files go down the drain over a personal falling out." They stood in silence for a minute, then said good night to each other and went their separate ways home. ****************************************************************** End part 1 of 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ferret's in his cage,thinking. "You don't believe in an afterlife,Scully?" "I'd settle for a life in this one,Mulder." tanstaafl ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From tthwaite@mail.awinc.com Thu Oct 24 01:01:36 1996 Disclaimers in part 1 Halloween (revised) (2/2) ****************************************************************** Scully's apartment 11:30 p.m. Oct 31,1996 Scully nearly dropped her key in her haste to unlock the door to her apartment. Frohike's irregular breathing behind her seemed to thunder in her ears. She finally turned the key in the lock and opened the door. Jerking the key from the lock, she tossed it at the table in the entrance way. It fell to the floor unheeded as she turned and pulled Frohike forcefully into her apartment and slammed the door. They kissed each other passionately, their lips parting to allow their tongues to explore. Scully moaned slightly as Frohike slid one hand down her back and squeezed her behind. They stumbled toward Scully's bedroom, her tattered jean jacket and vest falling unnoticed to the floor with Frohike's coat joining it almost immediately. Frohike pulled Scully's T-shirt over her head as they passed through the door to the bedroom. The eye patch and pirate's bandana soon landed on the floor nearby. Clothing scattered around the room as they hurriedly undressed each other. Scully pushed Frohike onto the bed, naked except for his socks. She grinned at him when she noticed the hole in the toe of one. He looked up at her, smiling as she straddled him. Reaching up behind her, he unhooked her bra and threw it onto the floor. She leaned over and kissed him, her hands caressing his chest. He ran his hands down her back and slid them into her panties. He squeezed her buttocks with one hand and pushed her panties down to her knees with the other.Scully rolled over and kicked them off. Frohike turned and gently cupped her left breast in his hand. He propped himself on his elbow and looked into her eyes. "You're so beautiful, Dana," he whispered, "I can't believe I'm actually here with you, in your bed." Scully grabbed him by the shoulder to pull him closer. "Don't talk," she breathed in his ear, her hand caressing slowly from his shoulder, down his flank to come to rest on his thigh, "This is not a moment for words. I want you to make love to me." ****************************************************************** Mulder's apartment 11:56 p.m. Oct 31,1996 Fox Mulder sat on the couch in his living room in the dark. He hadn't bothered to turn on the lights when he came in. He stared at the blank screen of his TV, lost in thought. He'd told Byers and Langly that Scully was his partner, not his girlfriend; but sitting alone in the the darkness of his apartment he finally admitted to himself that he *had* fallen in love with Scully. he raged to himself. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. A sob tore itself from his chest. He tried to close his eyes against his tears, but an image of Scully in bed with Frohike jerked them open again. He sat silently, staring at nothing for almost an hour before he rose and headed to his bedroom to try to get some sleep. ****************************************************************** Scully's apartment 12:25 a.m. Sunday Nov 1,1996 Scully and Frohike lay together in Scully's bed, still flushed and slightly sweaty from their recent lovemaking, staring into each other's eyes. Scully sighed contentedly and looked around the room. Their clothes lay scattered about the room, wherever they'd landed after being tossed carelessly off in the two lovers' haste. Frohike turned onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Scully curled up next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe what just happened, Dana. The two of us jumping into bed together like a couple of high school kids on prom night." "I think we both needed this to happen. But now I'm wondering where we go from here. I mean, neither one of us has a lifestyle which is conducive to a stable relationship, do we?" "I know, but you just wore me out. I'm exhausted. Can we decide what comes next in the morning?" "Okay, Frohike. This feels so good right now, talking would spoil it. Good night." Frohike lay awake long after Scully had fallen asleep. he thought, disappointed. He finally dozed off reluctantly admitting to himself that this one special night would have to be the only time they would have together. ****************************************************************** Scully's apartment 10:30 a.m. Nov 1,1996 Dressed in only the flannel shirt she sometimes used as a robe, Scully put the breakfast dishes in the sink. she chuckled to herself. She could get used to someone bringing her breakfast in bed. she sighed. Making love to Frohike last night had been wonderful but Scully knew that the two of them were just too different for a lasting relationship. They'd agreed on that point over breakfast. She rolled up the sleeves of her shirt and filled the sink with hot water. She was adding soap when Frohike came into the kitchen and kissed her gently on the nape of her neck. "I'd better be going now, Dana," he said quietly. She walked with him to the door and held it open. She leaned against the open door and looked at him. "You're sure about this?" she asked. Frohike stood in the hallway, his face peaceful. "You know it's the best for both of us Dana. Last night was a magical, once in a lifetime experience. A long term relationship won't work. I wish we could make it work but it won't." "I know," she sighed, "I knew it last night. But I will always be happy that we had last night together. It *was* magical." "Good bye, Dana. I'll see you when I see you, okay?" "Good bye, Frohike." Frohike was almost to the door at the end of the hall when Scully called his name. "*Frohike*, I never did think to ask you one thing. What's your first name?" Frohike smiled, "Now why would you want to know that useless bit of information?" Then he turned and walked out the door. Scully smiled to herself as she closed the door to her apartment. she thought fondly, shaking her head. She headed back to the kitchen to wash the breakfast dishes. As she plunged her hands in the soapy water she realized that the shirt she had on had once been Mulder's. She'd packed it in her suitcase by mistake during their second case together four years ago in her hurry to get them away from Ellens Air Base and its Naziesque security force. She had never given it back. When had she started wearing it herself? When had it become her 'comfort robe'? And why had she put it on this morning? She remembered looking for it in the clothes hamper while Frohike was in the shower. Her thoughts skittered around her head like quicksilver, impossible to pin down, while she finished the dishes. She'd never even thought once about Mulder last night. Her leaving the club with Frohike like that must have surprised him. She wondered if he might be upset she hadn't even waited a few minutes to say good night. said a tiny voice in the back of her mind. She sucked in a startled breath at the thought. She really had never considered that Mulder might be jealous. She began to pace around the kitchen, staring down at her hands as they toyed with her shirttails. Memory flashed a slide show of images from the past four years. One recurring image was of the look of relief on Mulder's face when he visited her in the hospital after her disappearance. Another image showed the deep concern he'd felt for her when her father died. Scully wondered into her bedroom and lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, as her memory replayed a seemingly endless stream of images of Mulder's face. Of the emotion in his eyes. Scully drew a ragged breath and admitted to herself that Mulder just might *be* jealous of her liaison with Frohike. She also admitted that *she* might love *Mulder* in return. she thought, She lay on the bed, the covers still rumpled from last night's activity, lost in thought for what seemed like hours. She rolled onto her stomach and stared at the phone for several seconds. She reached out and picked up the receiver. Her hand trembled slightly as she started to dial Mulder's number. She stopped dialing after only three digits. she asked herself. Unable to corral her thoughts, she replaced the receiver in the cradle and sat up, still staring at the phone. She shook her head and got up to try to take her mind off her swirling thoughts with her usual Sunday routine of household chores. But her mind kept coming back to Mulder as the day progressed. ****************************************************************** Mulder's apartment 12:48 p.m. Nov 1,1996 Mulder awoke with a vicious hangover. After trying unsuccessfully to get to sleep last night, he'd opened a bottle of whiskey and gotten very drunk. His muscles complained as he straightened up from the uncomfortable position on the couch where he'd passed out sometime after four in the morning. He winced slightly when he saw the empty bottle lying on the floor by his feet. He staggered to the bathroom and washed down a couple of aspirin with several glasses of cold water. He leaned on the sink and studied his bloodshot eyes and haggard face in the mirror. he berated himself, After showering, Mulder returned to the living room and tried to banish thoughts of Dana Scully with sports. But the image of her dressed as she was last night kept overpowering the television. He reached for the phone several times to call her but always held back. He spent the day alone in his apartment, pretending to watch the TV, but his mind constantly returned to his partner. ****************************************************************** Mulder's office 9:13 a.m. Monday Nov 2,1996 Fox Mulder looked up as Dana Scully walked into the office. He wanted to ask her what had happened between her and Frohike, but he could hear her voice in his mind coldly telling him it was none of his damned business. He watched her over the top of the file he was pretending to read as she hung up her coat and poured herself a cup of coffee before coming to sit down at the desk. The look on her face told him she knew that he wanted to ask her about Frohike. She set her cup on the desk and looked Mulder in the eye. "If you really *must* know, what happened Saturday night was a one time deal. Frohike and I decided it had to be that way. I have no regrets that we spent the night together, but it won't be happening again. And after Frohike left, I did some thinking. Uncomfortable thinking. "I realized something yesterday, Mulder. Something important, personal. Something we need to talk about, but not here. I'd rather discuss it somewhere private, say over dinner?" Mulder's jaw dropped open. Mulder thought, stunned. "Oh, stop sitting there gaping and answer me, damnit!" Scully cried, exasperated. A smile spread slowly across Mulder's face as he placed the file on his desk and asked a question of his own. "Are you asking me out on a date, Scully?" Scully was suddenly unsure of herself. Had she been wrong in suspecting that Mulder might have been jealous Saturday night? That he wanted her for himself? She was suddenly afraid she was about to make an incredible fool out of herself and irreversibly damage her working relationship with him. Mulder watched as she squirmed in her chair for a second. He noticed her trying to conceal her nervousness as she took a deep breath. "Yes, Mulder, I am," she said and hoped that she wasn't letting herself in for a *big* disappointment. Mulder's smile grew into a grin. "What did you have in mind?" "Just what I said, dinner. And a long talk," Scully replied, "Then whatever happens, happens." "Dinner and talking," he mused, "Hmmm, that I can do. And as you say, whatever happens then, happens." "Good. So what's on the agenda in the meantime?" "Paperwork," he grinned,handing her the file, "We do have reports to fill out." Scully took the file and turned to her own computer. The End Well, that's it. As always, any comments or critiques are welcome at tthwaite@banff.net. I don't really know if I can come up with a sequel for this (like what happens at dinner), but I will give it some thought. If anyone else out there wants to give it a shot, I have no objections. Hope you enjoyed my twisted ramblings. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ferret's in his cage,thinking. "You don't believe in an afterlife,Scully?" "I'd settle for a life in this one,Mulder." tanstaafl ------------------------------------------------------------------------------