From majick@webquest.com Wed May 21 14:41:30 1997
Subject: No More Demons 1/3
From: PDaza <majick@webquest.com>
--------
>Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 03:11:04 +0800
To: majick@webquest.com
From: PDaza <majick@webquest.com
Subject: No More Demons 1/3
CONTENT WARNING: Feel good story about Mulder and Scully,
leading to possible romance.
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Kindly forward to the MSR FanFic Archive
CLASSIFICATION: R, H, a little A
SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully discover a method to keep the
nightmares away
DISCLAIMER: All characters are property of his royal highness,
Chris Carter and Fox. And maybe to David Duchovny
and Gillian Anderson.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXX
NO MORE DEMONS 1/3
Special Agent Fox Mulder's Apartment
2 AM
The afghan was soaked with sweat. So was the sofa.
As Mulder writhed in his sleep, throw pillows flew to the floor or
over the backrest. His head shook from side to side, his feet kicking as
he battled with invisible monsters, or aliens, depending how well you knew
him. Had it not been for his foot making contact and overturning his
coffee table, the nightmare would have continued long into the night. The
crash that jolted him back to consciousness was the best thing that could
have happened to him.
Slowly, Mulder sat up, burying his face in his hands, as he did
thousands of times before, after his episodes. He forced his mind to clear,
pushing the visions out of his head, taking deep breaths as he stood to
wash his face.
He winced as he saw his shirt soaked in sweat, his tie rumpled
almost as badly as his slacks.
He headed for the bathroom, stripping his clothes away, leaving a
trail behind him as he reached the sink. Clad only in his boxers, he
stooped, let the water run, and splashed his face, arms and chest several
times, willing his heated body to cool down.
That done, he dried himself with a fluffy towel and headed for the
kitchen.
<Guess I'll be going to work a little earlier than usual, he thought.
Opening the fridge, he retrieved a pitcher of iced tea and smiled
to himself, remembering it was Scully who had mixed it for him just the
other day. She'd come over to finish up some paperwork with him, and was
dismayed at the contents of his refrigerator. A single can of Diet Coke,
some junk food and a burger. "What happens when you drink the Coke,
Mulder? You planning to drink from the tap? Remember the last time that
happened?"
He merely shrugged his shoulders and dove into the paperwork,
unaware she had started boiling some water and washing out a pitcher from
his dusty cupboards. She mixed a pitcher of iced tea, plunked some ice
cubes into a glass and served him, telling him there was more in the fridge
if he wanted. Mulder had taken the glass from her, surprised at his
partner's thoughtfulness, but said nothing, afraid a wisecrack would keep
her from repeating the favor.
It was just what he needed to relax a little bit, as he raised the
pitcher to his lips and drank gratefully. <Scully...what would I do without
you? the single thought raised a multitude of other questions in Mulder's
head. It wasn't just the iced tea. <It's everything.
<It's the way she keeps me sane. The way she checks up on me. The
way she listens, the way she speaks. The way she nurses me back to health.
The way she argues with me. The way she defends me. The way she pulls me
back down to earth. Her strength. Her independence. Her fascination with
science. The way she risks her life for a no-good pathetic excuse for a
partner like me. The way her passion for life shows in her eyes. Christ,
those beautiful eyes. And her voice. Always calm, soothing me. How many
times over the last five years did her voice, and only her voice, bring me
out of the dense fog I always find myself in?
Mulder sat himself on the sofa, pitcher of iced tea still in hand,
as he mulled his recent thoughts over and over.
<I don't deserve her. What did I do to deserve her? he asked
himself. An angry voice in his head shouted Nothing!! and Mulder squeezed
his eyes shut as his photographic memory chose that same instant to give
him glimpses of all that he had put his partner through. Duanne Barry.
Donnie Pfaster. Melissa's funeral. Nosebleeds. Cancer treatment.
Leonard Betts.
Tears started flowing freely even as he fought them back. <I've
hurt her so much. So so so much. She's lost so much. Because of me. Me
dammit, ME!
The ranting continued even as another part of his consciousness slowly
started thinking as well. Of how lonely he was, of how lonely Scully was
because of him. No social life, no time to look for a man and have kids
with. He knew Scully wanted a family, and being in such close proximity
with her, being a doctor, he was well aware of how much time she would have
left to be able to bear children. Although he couldn't help her in that
department, maybe he and Scully could ease a little of the loneliness away.
He dressed mechanically. Jeans, T-shirt, socks, hiking boots.
Watch. Cellphone. Wallet. Gun. Car keys. And another set of keys he
tucked into his pocket.
He drove to Scully's apartment at 3:30 am, half-wishing to see a
car parked beside hers signaling she had company, but the relief he felt
when there was none was just as blissful as the time she had hurled herself
into his arms half-naked so long ago.
He got out, still somewhat dazed, not really thinking straight,
just allowing his body to move trance-like without an argument from his
logical brain.
He fished through his pockets, searching for the key marked
"SCULLY" and opened the door to her apartment. Her bedroom light was still
on. For this, he was a little thankful. <If she's still awake, we can keep
each other company, or she can tell me to go home. Whichever, at least I
got to check on her, see her. Hear her voice.
Silently making his way to her room, he paused at the door and
opened it a crack. She was lying down in bed, eyes closed, an X-File on
her chest, glasses dangling precariously from her fingers over the bed. He
gently took them from her hand, eliciting a soft snuffle, and placed them
on her bedside table. He carefully raised her arm a bit, to remove the
files and joined them with her glasses. He stared at her for long moments,
loving the way her hair spilled across the white sheets, how her skin was
aglow even in sleep, devoid of any make-up. He could smell her bath gel
and shampoo, and he luxuriated in it, as his mind relaxed at the familiar
and womanly scent of her.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, he removed his hiking boots and lay
on his side, observing her a long time, before extending an arm to shut the
bedside lamp.
"Scully," he whispered.
He felt her rouse and move a tiny bit, in the direction of his voice.
"Mulder? What' wrong?" she asked, her voice full of concern.
"Nothing. I just got lonely at my apartment. Do you mind if I
stay here?"
Under more normal circumstances, Scully would have gotten up, took
some sheets out and made the sofa for him. He often slept over at her
apartment, and Mulder knew the drill by heart.
But tonight, something about his voice, and most probably because
she was only half-awake, made her reach behind to seek out his arm and
place it around her while she muttered "Course not, Mulder. G'night."
Mulder had to scoot closer to her as she pulled his arm to surround her.
His sigh of relief she hadn't thrown him out of bed was so loud he thought
for sure she'd wake up again, but didn't. This new turn of events was
unexpected, but in Mulder's state of mind, greatly welcomed.
These are the moments, he thought. These are the moments that I
live for. He buried his face into her hair and inhaled deeply, and was
incredibly touched when she moved backward to get closer to him. His arm
tightened around her as a tear fell from his eye.
For the first time since he was 12 years old, Fox Mulder's dreams
were devoid of nightmares.
At 6 AM sharp, Scully's consciousness burrowed itself out of sleep.
She felt more refreshed than usual for some reason, and a little voice
inside her said, "Scully?" but it wasn't her voice. It was Mulder's. Then
the little voice said, "Nothing. I just got lonely at my apartment. Do
you mind if I stay here?" and last night's surprise visit from her partner
became clear.
It was then that she realized she was lying on his chest, his arm
around her shoulders, one of her legs sprawled over his. Her left arm was
snaked under his shirt, laying warmly between his pectoral muscles. She
could feel his warm and steady breath gently ruffle her hair.
She tried to estimate around what time he'd come to her apartment,
putting it around the vicinity of maybe 4 am. One of the last things she
remembered was looking at her clock at 3:45, before she fell asleep a few
minutes later. Some minutes after that, Mulder had cautiously asked her if
he could sleep beside her.
Had Mulder and Scully not been partners for five years, risked each
other's life for the other, seen each other at their physical and emotional
worst or spent long hours talking about life and consciousness, nothing
would have stopped Scully from jumping out of bed and rebuking Mulder for
his unprofessional behavior.
But they HAD been partners for five years. And they HAD been
through all of that.
A realization dawned on Scully at that moment. Mulder had slept 2
full hours without waking up from a nightmare. She was a fairly light
sleeper, more so when it came to her partner's sleeping habits, especially
because it was her self-imposed duty to gently rouse him or talk to him
soothingly on the occasions she was witness to his nightmares
This morning was a rare moment.
It would probably also be one of the last for a long, long time.
A part of her could have inflated her ego, and told herself it was because
of her that he was sleeping so peacefully, that being near her strength
helped him fight away the terror, but another part told her it was merely
coincidental Mulder happened to decide he wanted a slumber party on that
single solitary night the demons in his mind decided to give him a break.
She tried to extricate herself from his grasp without waking him
with no success. His grip around her shoulders tightened, and a hand flew
to cover hers that was on his chest, squeezing it, trapping it against him.
Scully sighed and gave it up. It was a Saturday morning, she didn't have
anywhere to go, neither did Mulder. The earliest appointment she had was
to meet her mother for some coffee at 2:30 at a nearby cafe, and there
wasn't a chance in the world she was going to sleep that long.
Instead, she relished this quiet time she had with Mulder. How he
had sounded last night, like a lost boy. He must have had the nightmare of
all nightmares last night, she thought. He usually called to talk about
it, but something prompted him to come over instead and ask for some of her
security. She remembered vaguely how he had spooned himself around her,
and how he folded his arms around her, afraid she would leave him.
Her hands toyed absently with his chest hair, caressing him
soothingly, trying to relax him even more, if that was possible. She
wanted him to make the most of this rare occasion.
She smiled as he murmured, "Are you cold, Scully?" Even in his
sleep he was still protective of her. Just for kicks she answered "Yes."
and was surprised as he reached over, eyes still closed, and pulled a
blanket over them. "Better?" he asked.
She answered by snuggling up closer to him, and she loved the way
his lips curved into a happy smile when she did.
Studying his face, Scully noted just how physically attractive
Mulder was. <I wonder why I've never raped him? she thought jokingly to
herself. That jaw...those long lashes...those eyes...his soft hair.
Everything was attractive about him, and what was more attractive was that
he didn't give a damn. As far as she could tell, Mulder's vanity stretched
as far as an expensive jar of gel in his bathroom, and expensive colognes
which he didn't even buy himself. Gifts from his mother and her mother for
Christmas and his birthdays. She giggled remembering what her mother said
when she gave Dana the cologne to wrap. "It's Giorgio Armani. So Fox can
smell as good as he looks."
<He sure does mom. It was the last thought on her mind before she
fell asleep again.
Special Agent Dana Scully's Apartment
2:03 PM
Mulder woke up with a very unfamiliar feeling all over his body.
He was totally relaxed, totally refreshed, totally at peace. He had
forgotten that what he was feeling was what normal people all over the
world felt after a good night's sleep. Even more unfamiliar however, was
the soft, white and warm body curled around him. It was his partner, Dana
Scully. They were both fully dressed, he in his jeans, T-shirt and socks.
Scully in her pajama top and bottom, but it was undoubtedly the most erotic
sight Mulder ever had the pleasure of waking up to. Her hand was under his
shirt, laying across his chest, her face tucked into his neck, breathing
steadily and deeply.
He turned his head to get a better look at her beautiful face,
wanting to communicate to her telepathically his thanks for this miracle of
sleep she had given him. He raised his arm without waking her to check his
watch. It was past 2 PM.
<10 hours...I can't believe I actually slept 10 whole hours. He
was still shaking his head in amazement when Scully woke up, looked into
his face and smiled lazily. "G'morning, Mulder." Her eyes closed again as
she settled back down into his neck.
"Actually Scully, it's 2 PM."
He felt her tense right before bolting up into a sitting position.
But her hand, being where it was under Mulder's shirt, practically pulled
him up right behind her. He gave a yelp as he sat up too, afraid he'd have
to go home shirtless if she ripped this one.
"MY MOTHER!!" she yelled.
"What about your mother?"
"I have half an hour to meet her!"
Scully jumped out of bed and bolted for the bathroom, leaving
Mulder in bed, sheets around his waist, scratching lazily at his hair when
his toilet kit came hurtling out of the bathroom to hit him smack on the
head. "OW!"
"Shave and brush your teeth in the kitchen, Mulder. You're coming
with me!"
Mulder wanted ask her what the big deal was. It was half an hour,
and if he knew his partner and Mrs.Scully as much as he liked giving
himself credit for, they'd be meeting for coffee at the nearby mall, only 5
minutes away. Half an hour was a lot of time, he wanted to tell Scully,
but decided against it, thinking the least he could do for last night was
be extra nice to her today.
He padded to the kitchen, then took his shirt off not wanting it to
get wet in the process of shaving and brushing. Toilet kit in hand, he
placed it beside the sink. He took out the razor and shaving cream, and
paid extra attention to his stubble, wanting his jaw extra smooth today for
Scully and Mrs. Scully.
He realized why Scully wanted him there. If she was late, she'd
use him as a buffer, because Mulder knew that Scully knew that Mrs.Scully
had a soft spot for him. Her eyes always lit up when she saw him, and he
noticed they'd sparkle like Christmas lights every time he demonstrated
un-partnerlike behavior towards her daughter. Pulling out her chair for
her, whispering into her hear, touching the small of her back. Exchanged
looks of silent communication. They never failed to put lights into
Mrs.Scully's eyes.
He brushed his teeth next, humming softly to himself as he heard
the sounds of Scully's shower going full blast. He chewed on his
toothbrush as he rummaged around his toilet kit for the tiny bottle of
Giorgio Armani he had bought specifically for the kit, after Mrs.Scully had
given him the first smell of it from her Christmas gift to him.
He washed his mouth out, wiping it with a nearby paper towel, and
sprayed a little of the cologne on his neck, chest and stomach. He wet his
hair a little, then took a small brush out, successfully taming his
sleep-tousled hair.
Scully was only half-way through with her shower, mentally pulling
out the clothes she would wear to meet with her mother when her thoughts
drifted to Mulder.
Last night was a revelation of sorts. Some good, some bad. The
good thing was that although Mulder was very much a man, the fact he had
not taken advantage of her sexually during the course of the night
re-enforced Scully's hypothesis that Mulder and she had a silent agreement
to keep their partnership at a professional level.
<Waitaminute, she suddenly thought. That can be interpreted as bad
too.
Her attraction to Mulder was strong. It had been from the first
time she had ever laid eyes on him, even before venturing for the first
time to the X-Files office. It had been at Quantico. Scully was on her
way to class when she spotted Mulder, tall, handsome and intense, speaking
with a teacher she later learned was his mentor. Mulder had been visiting
the professor, just a few months after his graduation from the academy, to
return some books he had borrowed. He stood out not only because of his
good looks, but because some of the older students were talking about him.
His brilliance, how he was the favored student in his batch, and how his
instincts in criminal psychology were downright...spooky.
She tried picturing herself the way Mulder probably saw her.
Independent, strong-willed. But was he attracted to her physically? She
shook her head in disgust for thinking this way. In the five years she and
him had worked together, the boundaries of professionalism were always
strong and sure. Unquestionably, they loved each other. Cared for each
other more deeply than most married couples did.
A sharp rap on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Hey Scully, "
Mulder called. "It's 2:20."
She grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her before bolting out the
door, shooing Mulder out of her bedroom but not before she saw the way his
gaze traveled appreciatively over her body. He grinned before he shut the
door to let her dress in peace.
END OF PART 1/3
_______________________________________________________________
"What a piece of work is man. How noble in reason. How
infinite in faculty. In form and moving how express and
admirable. In action how like an angel. In apprehension,
how like a god."
--William Shakespeare
"I want to believe."
--Fox Mulder, The X-Files
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From majick@webquest.com Wed May 21 14:41:46 1997
Subject: No More Demons 2/3
From: PDaza <majick@webquest.com
--------
TITLE: No More Demons
AUTHOR: P.Daza
EMAIL ADDRESS: majick@webquest.com
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Kindly forward to the MSR FanFic Archive
SPOILER WARNING: None
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNING: Feel good story about Mulder and Scully, leading to
possible romance.
CLASSIFICATION: R, H, a little A
SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully discover a method to keep the nightmares away
DISCLAIMER: All characters are property of his royal highness, Chris Carter
and Fox. And maybe to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
No More Demons 2/3
Scully slipped her underwear on, then pulled out a pair of jeans.
She shoved her legs into them, while hopping towards her cabinet to pull
out a white T-shirt. Slipping it over her head, she looked like Mr.Bean's
female counterpart as her hands blindly felt their way around, looking for
her hairbrush. That done, a little lipstick was applied and she whooshed
out the door to see Mulder on her sofa, playing with the remote as he
watched TV. She passed the back of the sofa, grabbed his T-shirt by the
neck and hauled him up.
They made a dash for her car, Scully falling behind as Mulder
opened the door for her. What the..., she thought. Mulder opening my
door?! He grinned, as though knowing what she was thinking and suddenly
laughed out loud.
Scully stopped in her tracks to see what he was laughing about.
Her eyes widened as she took in what he was wearing, then widened even more
when she realized what SHE was wearing.
"Your mother's going to think we're the Federal Branch of the
Bobsie Twins." he chuckled. "C'mon Scully...I know what you're thinking,
and there's no time for you to change."
He rounded the car and got into the driver's seat and drove off,
still laughing at what kind of a picture they must make.
The silence in the car after he stopped was not uncomfortable for
Scully, although it was for Mulder, who was trying to think up words to say
thank you for last night.
They arrived at the mall, Mulder smoothly pulling into the parking
lot. He and Scully got out, and walked briskly to the cafe, where a very
poised and collected Mrs. Scully sat, drinking coffee, a magazine in her
lap.
"Hi mom." Scully greeted, kissing her on the cheek. "Sorry we're late."
Mrs.Scully looked up at her daughter. "We?" It was only then did
she see Mulder, just as he was about to give her a kiss as well. "Hello,
Mrs.Scully."
Both Mulder and Scully noticed her mother's mouth break out into a
grin as she reached up to touch Mulder's cheek. "Hello, Fox. Nice to see
you and you're wearing that cologne I gave you for Christmas, aren't you?"
she asked.
"I sure am Mrs.Scully." he grinned, as he pulled a chair out for
her daughter, who was silently congratulating herself for bringing Mulder
as a diversion.
Margaret Scully was no fool. She knew, as only a mother would
know, something had happened to her daughter and Fox last night. They both
looked well-rested, and the usual dark circles under Fox's eyes were
absent. They were also exchanging more silent looks between them than
usual, and her eagle eye caught Fox's hand in the act of brushing along
Dana's neck after she settled in her seat.
Fox pulled a chair out for himself, and it took a lot of restraint
on Margaret's part not to laugh when she noticed they were wearing
identical outfits. White shirt, jeans and boots. Although Fox's were tan,
Dana's were dark brown, but the resemblance was obvious. They look like
the Federal branch of the Bobsie Twins, she thought.
Her eyes twinkled in glee when she saw him reach out to grab a menu
from a passing waiter and hand it to Dana. As Dana opened the menu, Fox
leaned back into his chair, then pulled it closer to Dana. He read over
her shoulder, his chin mere inches from the curve of her shoulder and asked
into her ear, "What're you having, Scully?"
Her daughter turned to look at him, his face close to hers and
didn't pull back. A psychic who could read auras would have probably
jumped back to see Margaret's aura light up with delight.
"Something heavy, I guess. We woke up pretty late, Mul - " Scully
suddenly broke off, her eyes widening as she realized what she had let
slip. An awkward silence filled the table, Mulder's eyes darting from
mother to daughter, waiting for what Scully had just said to sink into
Margaret's mind. He didn't have to wait very long.
Margaret's eyes widened a teeny bit. "Did you sleep over at Foxs',
Dana?" she asked sweetly.
Mulder couldn't wait for Scully to try to get out of this one.
"Um, no, mom. Mulder slept over at my place."
Margaret leaned back into her chair and eyed the couple before her.
She hardly knew what to say, nothing was coming to mind. She looked at
her daughter, who was looking at her menu with great interest, then at Fox.
When his face broke out into the hugest grin she had ever seen in the
several years that she had known him, Margaret Scully knew everything was
going to work out perfectly.
The rest of the afternoon, Mulder accompanied mother and daughter
around the mall window-shopping and picking out little trinkets here and
there. He acted almost like a dutiful son-in-law, carrying their bags for
them, opening doors, offering to run into shops to ask for prices.
Mulder went through the routine willingly. He promised himself he
would spend the whole day being as nice to Scully as he possibly could,
refusing to listen to the persistent voice that prodded him to ask her
about the latest case they were working on. I'm not going to let shoptalk
ruin this day, he promised. Scully relishes this time she spends with her
mom, and the last thing I want to do is take even that away from her.
When Margaret and Dana walked into a lingerie shop however, Mulder
decided it was pushing the envelope a little too far. He excused himself
from the exercise, blushing a little bit, and settled himself on a bench
right outside the shop. His feet were surrounded with shopping bags, and
it was only then that he remembered he hated shopping malls. That's
because you shop alone, Mulder, he told himself. Never with people you
enjoy being with, and certainly never with Scully.
Inside, Dana braced herself for the question she knew her mother
was dying to ask. When Margaret perused a rack full of lingerie instead,
Dana didn't think she could stand anymore. "Ask me already, mom!"
Margaret Scully looked at her daughter curiously. "What about dear?"
Dana was on the verge of throwing her hands up in the air. But
instead, she stared at her mother trying to decipher whether or not she was
genuinely wondering what she was talking about, or was baiting her for the
sake of baiting her.
"About what dear?" she repeated.
"Never mind mom."
Outside, Mulder was getting a tad impatient. A little girl whose
mother was busy examining luggage on display had walked over to him, an ice
cream cone in hand. Maybe four or five years old with her blond hair in
pigtails, she thrust the melting mess at him asking, "Wan somma my ice
kweam, mifter?" He had politely said no thanks, hoping she would go back
to mom. She sat down beside him instead, nearly crushing some of the
packages of the Scullys before Mulder managed to scoop them out of the way.
"Are you here wiff your famiwee, mifter?" she asked, licking first
her ice cream, then the cone, then the trail on her wrist.
"Err..no."
"Then who're ya wiff?"
"A friend. And her mother."
"Oh..."
He hoped that would be the end of that, but he was sadly mistaken.
She inched her way nearer, gazing at him as though he was the first glimpse
of masculinity she had ever seen in her life. It was then that Mulder
decided to give her a taste of her own medicine.
He stared right back at her, pushing his face closer to hers. Her
eyes widened in surprise, but to Mulder's amazement, she didn't go running
back to her mother screaming. Instead, she stared right back, holding his
gaze unwaveringly, ice cream momentarily forgotten, dripping to the floor.
He gave her the same look he'd given the Stupendous Yappi out in the
hallway after Yappi had told him how skeptics like himself made him sick.
The little girl creased her eyebrows a little more, giving him a
run for his money.
When Dana and her mother emerged from the shop to find Mulder and
his new friend in the stare down, both of them smiled in amusement. It
amazed her that in the last fourteen hours, there were things about Mulder
she was discovering that she never knew, or never noticed.
She had seen him with children before, preferring to keep his
distance. But they always responded to him positively whenever he made
first contact. Children felt a bond towards Mulder, perhaps sensing the
lost child in him. Others were intimidated by his demeanor, but others,
like this blond little girl, were drawn to him nonetheless.
"You blinked." Mulder suddenly said, a look of triumph on his face.
"Oh izzat what we were pwaying?" she asked.
He grinned and leaned back into the chair, and was startled to see
he had an audience. Mrs.Scully and Dana smiled at the child, as she smiled
back and scampered off to her mother who had finally taken notice her
daughter was missing and was looking to her left and right, in the general
vicinity of her knees.
"I can't leave you for two minutes without getting picked up by
some blond, can I, Mulder?" Scully asked.
Mulder rose to his feet, gathering the packages. "It was just
puppy love, Scully." The grin he tossed her made her heart do a very
un-Scully like pitty-pat. "At least on my part."
"Fox," Mrs. Scully said. "Come to dinner tonight at my house with
Dana?"
"Sure, Mrs.Scully. What time do you want me over?" he asked.
"Around 7:30 will be perfect."
"I'll be there at 7:30 sharp then, Mrs.Scully."
Dana let out a little 'wumppf'. "Don't count on it mom."
Mulder tossed Scully a dirty look. She stuck her chin out at him,
daring him silently to contradict her, her brain already recalling how many
times and on what specific instances he was late for appointments.
Margaret could only smile at the picture they made. Her tiny
daughter, poised for battle against Fox's towering frame. She's not afraid
of him, but he's not afraid of her either, she thought, and wondered what
kind of arguments they had, and how they possibly decided who had won.
Margaret and Dana had the occasional spat as mothers and daughters
do. She had also heard Dana argue with her father, brothers and sister.
She had spoken to Fox often enough to realize he was a man of
superior intelligence. She figured if she ever eavesdropped on an argument
between the two of them, she'd need a dictionary, encyclopedia and
thesaurus in hand to keep up with them.
Now, however, it was Fox who backed down. That much was obvious.
His features visibly softened and he took a small step back while Dana
tossed him a smirk.
After parking Mrs.Scully's half of the shopping bags in her car,
the trio said their good-byes. Mrs.Scully wanted to go home with enough
time for a nap before she started dinner, and Mulder needed a change of
clothes. Mrs.Scully smiled knowingly but said nothing.
Opening her car door for her, Mulder was surprised when Mrs.Scully
opened her window, reached out and cupped his cheek. "You look wonderful
when you've had a good night's sleep, Fox." And with that, she was off,
leaving Mulder and Scully in the parking lot, watching her car disappear
into traffic.
Turning to the red-headed woman beside him, Mulder put his arm
around her shoulder and hauled her to his side. His eyes shut for a
moment, working up the courage to say what he needed her to know. "And
it's all thanks to you, Scully."
Scully stared at her partner, his gesture completely taking her by
surprise. It was not Mulder behavior, but then again, neither was last
night. She put her arm around his waist and hugged him back. "You're
welcome, Mulder. You know I'm always here for you."
He pulled back, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I'll be sure to
remember that, Scully."
After retrieving his car from Scully's house, Mulder headed back to
his apartment. Suddenly, he wasn't afraid of going home to it anymore. It
was still dark, it was still a pigsty, but he felt at peace with himself
and the knowledge he was no longer lonely. And hadn't been for the last
five years.
Scully walked into her apartment, heading straight for the kitchen.
Although she and Mulder had eaten a lot for their late lunch, she heard her
stomach demanding a little more nourishment. She caught a glimpse of
Mulder's toilet kit, already picturing what she would find. His razor,
shaving cream, cologne and brush would be out, making a little mess beside
her otherwise spotless kitchen sink.
It seemed Mulder had a lot of surprises for Scully today. The
toilet kit was zipped shut, no evidence of anything left on the counter,
not even a little dollop of toothpaste in the sink.
Scully smiled to herself. Even if Mulder could really be a pain in
the ass sometimes, well, most of the time, what with his theories,
self-centeredness and megalomaniacal nature, he could also be sweet and
protective when he wanted to be. Like early this morning and this
afternoon with her mother.
Her mother. Yet another complicated piece of the puzzle. Margaret
Scully never directly blamed Dana or her job for Melissa's death, but
Scully knew the thought had crossed her mind. Nor could her mother blame
Mulder, after she saw what Scully's 3-month disappearance did to him.
Scully knew her mother and Mulder saw each other several times
during this bleak period in their lives and whether or not Mulder wanted to
admit it, he had given someone else, besides Scully, a glimpse of his soul.
Heck, he even let Mrs.Scully call him Fox, in spite of Scully's insistence
she call him Mulder like everyone else.
She took out a bag of pretzels, ripped the bag open and started
munching, as she headed for the TV.
Plopping herself down on the couch, she fumbled with the remote and
flicked it on, channel surfing, hoping something would catch her attention.
She grimaced as the infomercial of the Stupendous Yappi came on,
remembering Queequeg and missed the little monster. She flipped the
channels again, finally giving up and decided to change her clothes then
head for Mulder's instead. At least he has an extensive video collection,
she thought. Even if a lot of them aren't really my taste.
Mulder stepped out of the shower, toweling himself off. He'd
decided to buy a cake and some wine before going over to Mrs.Scully's. It
was only 5:30 PM, a lot of time of time on his hands to get there even
before 7:30.
He pulled out a black pair of jeans, then a T-shirt before deciding
it was too casual for dinner with Mrs.Scully even if was over at her house
and therefore casual. He had just taken it off when the doorbell rang,
sprinting to answer it, wanting to get rid of anyone who might distract him
from getting to Mrs.Scully's on time.
If it's Frohike, he thought, I'm shoving my video collection into
his arms and telling him to amscray.
He opened the door wide, surprised to see Scully there. "Wasn't I
going to pick you up, Scully?" he asked.
"I got bored at home, Mulder." She breezed past him, distinctly
smelling his freshly-showered scent. "Am I hallucinating, or are you
almost ready for dinner at my mother's?"
Mulder followed her to his sofa, sitting beside her, ignoring that
he was half-naked. Scully had seen him stark-raving naked before, albeit
he was unconscious on each occasion. "Actually, I was planning to get out
early to pick up a cake and some wine, Scully."
Scully's eyes widened in mock amusement. "You're just full of
surprises today, aren't you, Mulder?"
"Yeah...me and Mighty Mouse." he deadpanned. "Let me finish
dressing up, and we can go Scully. Help me pick out something your mom
will like."
"Are we talking cake and wine or clothes, Mulder?"
His eyes narrowed as he gave Scully what he believed to be his most
seductive look. "Sure Scully...and you can pick my boxers out too."
He caught the throw pillow she threw at him with ease, and
sauntered into his bedroom.
Less than a minute later, Mulder walked out buttoning a silk,
long-sleeved white shirt. His hair was tamed to perfection once again, the
faint smell of cologne trailing right behind him.
Scully stood, eyeing him with approval as he opened the door for
her. She inhaled deeply, but not obviously, luxuriating in his scent.
Mulder always smelled clean for some reason, unlike other men. She
wondered how he managed to do that.
In the car, he asked her what kind of cake her mother liked.
"Carrot cake. There's a little cake shop near her house she likes.
It's got that homemade taste."
"Okay. But what about the wine?"
"You don't drink, Mulder. And mom will most likely have her own
anyway."
"I'm open to suggestions. Flowers?"
"Mm-hm. There's a nice flower shop about two stalls down from the
cake shop. Mom like tulips."
"Okay. Just give me directions."
After paying for the cake, Mulder and Scully headed to the flower
shop. He bought a dozen tulips, of all colors, even as Scully kept
muttering 'overkill'.
Mrs.Scully greeted them at the door, her arms around both of them.
Mulder had to stoop low for Mrs.Scully to be able to reach for him, while
she accepted their kisses.
"Mulder bought you carrot cake and flowers, mom."
"Oh how sweet of you, Fox." she said, taking the flowers from him.
"You can put the cake in the fridge for the meantime."
Mulder stood silently in the middle of the living room for a few
seconds, his olfactory senses reeling in heavenly delight as the smells
from the kitchen reached his nostrils. He couldn't recall when the last
time he had a home-made dinner. There was Christmas dinner with his
mother, but a meal prepared by the old and stuffy maid didn't really
qualify.
He watched as Mrs.Scully walked into the kitchen, smiling to
herself as she smelled the tulips he had given her. It felt good that she
genuinely appreciated his gesture, and it wasn't just a front so as not to
hurt his feelings.
END OF PART 2/3
_______________________________________________________________
"What a piece of work is man. How noble in reason. How
infinite in faculty. In form and moving how express and
admirable. In action how like an angel. In apprehension,
how like a god."
--William Shakespeare
"I want to believe."
--Fox Mulder, The X-Files
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From majick@webquest.com Wed May 21 14:42:19 1997
Subject: No More Demons 3/3
From: PDaza <majick@webquest.com
--------
TITLE: No More Demons
AUTHOR: P.Daza
EMAIL ADDRESS: majick@webquest.com
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Kindly forward to the MSR FanFic Archive
SPOILER WARNING: None
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNING: Feel good story about Mulder and Scully, leading to
possible romance.
CLASSIFICATION: R, H, a little A
SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully discover a method to keep the nightmares away
DISCLAIMER: All characters are property of his royal highness, Chris Carter
and Fox. And maybe to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
No More Demons 3/3
"Mulder? Help me set the table, will you?"
"Sure, Scully."
He obediently followed her into the kitchen, reaching for the
plates she couldn't reach, and brought them to the table. She laid down
the cutlery, and motioned him to get the glasses. That done, he and Scully
checked on Margaret, who was just spooning some stew into a serving bowl
which Mulder brought to the table too. Scully brought the salad and bread
over, Margaret brought out a bottle of wine. Scully gave Mulder an
I-told-you-so look. They were both surprised when she brought out a
pitcher of iced tea. "I know you don't drink, Fox. Will iced tea be
okay?"
Mulder grinned. "It must be love."
Scully laughed, all the more to see her mother's confused
expression. "That's perfect, mom. Good thing it wasn't rootbeer."
They sat down at the table, Margaret serving Fox some salad before
her daughter, who had her hands full.
Mulder felt like a kid surrounded by female grown-ups. One was dumping
salad onto his plate, the other was filling up his glass with iced tea. He
looked on helplessly as mother and daughter started updating each other
about the other Scully siblings, while Margaret kept piling on the
lettuce. He coughed a little bit, hoping that would do it.
Margaret looked down at Mulder. "Oh Fox...is that too much for you?"
"No, Mrs.Scully. It's just right."
Scully passed him the salad dressing and resumed catching-up with
her mother.
It amazed Mulder how both women at the table could do two things
simultaneously without breaking a rhythm. Dishes and drinks were passed,
but the talking kept going.
Mulder poured the salad dressing and cut his leafy greens, and ate
while watching the two women with interest. Mrs.Scully had brown, curly
hair. She had a perennial look of peace around her and her movements were
small but graceful. Her voice was always gentle, and she always looked
people in the eye. Mulder assumed it was from her mother that Scully
inherited this inner peace.
Margaret watched Fox through the corner of her eye, making sure her
houseguest was comfortable and had enough to eat. It was always a pleasure
cooking for men, most of them had ravenous appetites and Fox was no
exception. He didn't expel sighs of pleasure after every bite, but judging
from the way he reached out to fill his plate every two minutes or whisper
to Dana to pass something, it was obvious Fox though highly of her
gastronomical talents. She silently congratulated herself for teaching
Dana everything she knew in the kitchen. It would definitely come in
handy.
After dinner, Mulder and Scully commandeered Margaretís couch to watch some
television. They had already cleaned up the dishes, Margaret and Scully
washed, Mulder dried and replaced the cutlery, dishes and glasses back into
the shelves and drawers.
Margaret noted the way Dana and Foxís hands would touch every time she
passed him a wet plate, and that neither noticed the small, tactful gestures
as usually uncommon. Although Margaret and Dana were talking the whole time
and Fox merely listened, commenting only from time to time, she noticed that
he and her daughter looked at each other, a silent look, asking if the other
was okay.
She had ordered them to the couch while she brewed some tea, and was pleased
to see that Fox had chivalrously retrieved Danaís legs, taken her shoes off
and deposited both her feet into his lap as he flipped through channels.
Margaret held her breath momentarily, as Dana looked as if she was about to
protest. But the smile Fox had given her effectively silenced her.
If Margaret hadnít decided to check on her laundry only a few minutes after
that, she would have danced naked under a full moon in thanks for what her
daughter and Fox talked about.
Mulder was rubbing Scullyís feet soothingly, squeezing the muscles and
rubbing her ankles. She sighed happily, although her eyes were trained to
the TV. She did however, look at Mulder after she caught him staring at her
through the corner of her eye.
"What, Mulder?" she asked.
He lowered his head momentarily, then looked at her with obvious
embarrassment. "IíveÖIíve been trying to think of how to say thank you
properly for last night, Scully."
She smiled at him, finally figuring out what all his good behavior was for.
"Should I bring it up every chance I get to be treated like a princess all
the time?"
He used his index finger to poke the center of her foot.
"Hey!" she yelped, yanking her leg out of his lap.
He caught her ankle and brought it back to his lap. "Thatíll teach you to
pick on me."
She smiled again. "Why donít you just say, "Thanks for last night, Scully?"
Scully, in her wildest dreams, never expected him to do what he did next.
Both his hands clasped her knees tightly as he hauled her to him,
practically planting her on his lap. One arm snaked around her shoulders,
the other completing the circle so that she was in his arms. He pressed his
forehead to the side of her face, closed his eyes and reverently said,
"Dana, thanks for last night."
His tender touch, his soft words, made Scully feel like his best friend more
than ever. There was a rush of sexual awareness, but she forced it deep
down. Her eyes closed too, as she pressed herself closer into his embrace.
"Youíre welcome Mulder. I enjoyed it too."
Mulderís eyes opened slowly, millions of thoughts running in his head. How,
till now, he had never realized how much he truly cared for this woman. And
how, although he never said it allowed or even acknowledged it in his mind,
Dana Scully was the only woman he truly, irrevocably loved.
When Margaret Scully walked in on the two, she couldnít decide what to do.
Turn around and leave them be, or walk by casually and pretend it was a
normal, everyday occurrence. She decided on the latter and breezed by them,
laundry basket in her arms.
Mulder and Scully jerked apart guiltily, like a couple of teenagers caught
in the act of necking in their parentsí living room. Mulder shot up to his
feet, smoothed his hair back into place and held out his arms. "Let me help
you with that, Mrs. Scully."
Margaret allowed Fox to take the basket from her, a small smile playing on
her lips as she glanced at her daughter who gave her a sweet, happy smile.
She directed Fox to the laundry room, where he placed the basket on an open
shelf. She pitied how he couldnít look her in the eye, and instead looked
down, his feet shuffling beneath him. She crossed her arms over her chest
and smiled. "Youíre absolved, Fox. No need to look like a guilty little
schoolboy."
He smiled lazily and gave her a loud kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Mrs. Scully."
He strode swiftly back to the couch, pulled Scully back to his side and
swiped the remote from her.
"Did she give you the third degree?" asked Scully, a small smile playing on
her lips.
"Nope. Your mother likes me Scully."
"I know."
They watched TV well into the night. Margaret came into the room only to
say goodnight. Mulder and Scully stood, Scully hugging her mom and
promising to lock up right after the show when she and Mulder would leave.
Mulder thanked her for the wonderful dinner and iced tea and Margaret cupped
his cheek in her hand again for the second time that day and wished them
both safe trips home. She disappeared into her bedroom, happy for her
daughter and happy for Fox.
They left Mrs. Scullyís house at 2AM. Theyíd fallen asleep together on the
couch at around midnight, Mulder waking up to the sound of gunfire from the
TV. <Thatís the second time Iíve slept without a nightmare. Itís the woman
in my arms that drives the demons away, he thought. He watched her a few
more minutes, her hand clutching the front of his shirt, her mouth open just
a tiny bit. He wondered briefly what would happen if he slipped his tongue
into it, and shook his head, warning himself to keep such thoughts at bay.
His arm, still around her, tightened to rouse her. When it didnít work, he
raised his hands to her cheek, and caressed it gently. Her eyes opened
slowly and he smiled at her.
Scully looked into his hazel eyes and melted. <In the five years Iíve known
you, MulderÖI never saw this side of you. And now that Iíve seen it, IÖ
"We better get moving, Scully." he said, but his arm remained around her,
his fingers still caressing her cheek.
Scully reluctantly pulled away and stood up to shut the TV, re-fold the
blanket she and Mulder had used and closed the windows.
Mulder watched her silently and her small, efficient movements. He smiled
at her as she opened the door for him and they got into his car, Scully
covering her mouth as she let out a yawn.
"Iíd invite you to spend the night at my place Scully, but there isnít
enough room for both of us on the couch." he joked.
"Thatís all right Mulder. Letís just stick to using my bed, okay?"
<Damn, Mulder thought.< I sure hope that was an invitation.
It was.
Mulder and Scully developed a pattern after that memorable week-end.
If something reminded Scully of her mortality because of her cancer, or a
case involving women or children had disturbed her in some way, it was a
sure fire bet Mulder would be over at her house in the wee hours of the
morning to sleep beside her.
The same went for Mulder. Something would remind him of Samantha, or a
flashback of the worst times in his life would wake him in the middle of the
night and heíd go over to Scullyís, slip into her bed, hug her close and
fall asleep. Their demons were afraid of showing up when the other was
present for some reason.
Scully knew instinctively when Mulder would come over. He would know, just
as she would, and she always left her bedroom light on.
The second time it happened, Scully had woken up to see Mulder sitting on
the floor, at the foot of the bed, his jacket wrapped around him asleep.
She stood and took his hand, Mulder had woken up, gave her his patented
puppy-dog look and let her lead him into bed. Not a single word passed
between either of them. He just pulled the covers back, let Scully slip in
and followed her under the sheets. Both of them were asleep in a matter of
seconds.
It happened about once, maybe twice a month, and they had formed a routine
for when it did. They would sleep, Scullyís alarm would go off. She would
wake Mulder up either by gently jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow or
reaching behind her to pull on whatever was closest. Ear, nose or hair.
Scully would have the bathroom first, while Mulder made the bed and set the
table. Sheíd come out, fix breakfast while he showered, and eat together.
Depending on whether or not he had a ready suit in her closet, he would
either go home to change before meeting her at work, or would change at her
house in the living room.
Once, Mulder had come over after Scully performed an autopsy on a woman who
had been kidnapped and raped more than a dozen times in the four days her
captor had imprisoned her. It was by no means an X-File, but Skinner had
requested Mulder to look into it when the Violent Crimes Section had come to
a dead end. Mulder read the file, Scully had done the autopsy and given
Mulder her theories on the perpetrator and together created a profile so
precise the kidnapper/rapist was caught within 6 hours.
Scully was badly shaken at the extent of the womanís injuries, and hadnít
wanted Mulder to be there for the autopsy but he insisted. When Scully
opened up the body bag to reveal a woman roughly the same age as Samantha
would have been with the same long, curly dark brown hair, he had understood
why.
That same night, he came earlier than usual for their ritual, drenched from
the rain outside with a big box of pizza under his trench coat, and three
videotapes in his hand. The rain had soaked through his clothes, and it was
the first and only time he had slept beside her in nothing more than boxers.
Sleep eventually came to both of them that night, but it had been difficult.
They were both painfully aware of Mulderís nakedness, but both of them were
afraid to speak up about it, fearing that raising the topic would open a
floodgate of many unwanted questions that demanded immediate answers.
Mulder had woken up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and
extricating his arm from around Scully incited a snuffle of protest from
her. For reasons Mulder still could not fathom, he had kissed her cheek
like a new husband and promised her heíd be back in a minute. She settled
back into the covers and went back to sleep. The tender moment burned into
Mulderís memory, and he felt his heart wrench itself into knots. And he
stared at Scully. <What is thisÖwhat am I feelingÖ
He came back to bed 52 seconds later as promised, observing how the rain had
strengthened during the night. It was colder than usual, and he enveloped
Scully into his arms to keep her warm. He stayed awake for a few more
minutes, relishing the sound of the rain beating on the roof and the
beautiful woman he loved in his arms asleep, before pulling the covers under
her chin and falling asleep again.
His dreams that night were filled with images of making love to his partner,
his best friend, his confidant, the woman he loved more than he did himself
or anyone, but couldnít have.
Unknown to him, Scullyís had taken a similar turn as well.
If either he or Scully had woken up after that in the next several hours,
both of them would have been very embarrassed to discover that Mulderís
hands had taken liberties from his dreams to carry over to reality, but so
had Scullyís. It was probably for the best that they had woken up in a
non-compromising position.
On regular nights, when Mulder didnít come over, he and Scully would call
each other as soon as they thought the other was home.
Both of them thought persistently about the habit they had formed,
convincing themselves that although it was odd for two FBI agents who were,
granted, partners, both needed the therapy for healing. Scully once had a
good laugh alone in the shower thinking of how Mulder or she would have
coped if his or her partner had been the same sex.
What they had been through over the last five years, the near-death
experiences, emotional roller-coasters, saving each othersí lives and
countless nights worrying about the other had taken its toll. Both of them
silently conceded that they had earned the right to at least sleep
peacefully just a few times out of the month, and if peace would come only
when the other was there, then so be it.
It was a silent understanding between the two of them not to talk about the
lines they were stepping over. But both of them cherished each minute they
were together, sleeping in each otherís arms. Perhaps they felt that so
long as they didnít have sex, their partnership and working relationship
could continue as it had been for the last five years.
And so continued their ritual. There were still times when Fox Mulder and
Dana Scully were visited by their demons. A man enveloped in cigarette
smoke. A room filled with devices poking and prodding. Unseen forces
taking away a loved one. A psychopath with fetishes for death. A female
vampire. The mind controller.
So many demons, so many shapes and sizes.
Two strong yet vulnerable people. Each taking refuge in the other's arms.
As long as Fox Mulder had Dana Scully and Dana Scully had Fox Mulder, the
demons were kept at bay. In the realm of reality, forces could harm them
but in the realm of sleep, nothing could keep them apart.
THE END
-----------------------------------------
This is my first attempt at writing fiction. Please be merciful. All
violent reactions will be taken to heart and should I be damaged
psychologically for life, violent flamers will foot the bill for therapy. :)
_______________________________________________________________
"What a piece of work is man. How noble in reason. How
infinite in faculty. In form and moving how express and
admirable. In action how like an angel. In apprehension,
how like a god."
--William Shakespeare
"I want to believe."
--Fox Mulder, The X-Files
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx