AD Skinner's Outer Office,
Monday, 08.34am
Kimberly looked up at her boss as he exited the office, red faced and gasping for air. With the phone prone to her ear, she covered the receiver and asked "Sir? Are you okay?"
Skinner looked at her wildly before scanning the office. Noticing it's emptiness he walking briskly to the door and clicked the lock firmly into place, before closing the blind then stalking back across the office to his secretary.
"Walter? What's wrong?" Kimberly asked again, the concern more clearly evident in her voice.
Reaching her workstation, Skinner leaned over her desk and pressed the 'terminate call' button on her phone.
"Walter!?" Kim nearly shrieked. "I was on hold for the Director!"
"Oh well... Bad connection." Skinner stated calmly as he skirted his way around her desk and perched on its edge, stretching his legs out in front of him, she gaped at his uncharacteristic behaviour.
"What...?" She started to ask but faltered as Skinner leaned back on his hands and crossed his ankles in a very alluring stance. Raking her eyes over him unconsciously she continued. "What's going on?"
"Them." Skinner stated smugly with a large smile on his face as he nodded in the direction of his office.
"Them?"
"Mulder and Scully." Kimberly looked at him expectantly so he continued. "They are... um... close."
"Really? I would never have guessed." Kim replied sarcastically.
"No... really ... close." Skinner smirked as he stressed the last word.
Kimberly scoffed a laugh and gave him a sincere look. "There have been rumours for years, Walter."
"It's more than rumours. It is so obvious in the way they're acting today." He implored.
"How are they acting?" Kim asked, now intrigued as she pushed her chair back and crossed her legs provocatively in front of her.
Skinner's eyes absently admired her long shapely legs before snapping back to attention. If she noticed, she chose not to acknowledge his slight indiscretion. "He keeps invading her personal space and touching her. She seems completely unaware of it."
"He always does that." Kim smiled as she looked up at him through her long lashes.
"More then normal." Skinner insisted before adding almost stubbornly. "And he has a love bite on his neck."
Kim tilted her head to the side and considered this new piece of information before replying. "That doesn't mean she gave it to him. Agent Scully doesn't really strike me as the love bite type."
"Well they..." Skinner was interrupted abruptly by the shrill of the phone and immediately snatched Kim's wrist in mid air. "Don't even think about it." He stated as he punched the voice mail button on the phone pad with his free hand.
Idly he caressed the soft creamy white skin of her wrist as he played with the clasp of her bracelet, the one he had purchased for her as a birthday gift. It was a simple innocent piece of jewellery, cast in silver with blue topaz stones adorning it.
He remembered how he had been drawn to the more expensive pieces but had deemed them inappropriate at the last moment. She had loved the gift none-the-less. He thought fondly of how she had thrown her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek in thanks before informing him "blue topaz is my birthstone." To which he had simply replied "I know." Neither of them had mentioned that day again but he had often seen her playing with the bracelet whilst her nerves where getting the better of her.
"You know..." Kim stated, breaking his ravine but not his gaze. "... You might be surprised how many men unconsciously touch the women they are attracted to." Skinner's eyes snapped up like a deer caught in headlights. She smiled at him sweetly, noticing the red tinge of his skin as it crept above his shirt collar line. "You might also be surprised how many women like it."
The blush reached his ears as he gently released her wrist from his grasp and slipped a hand none too discreetly into his trouser pocket, mimicking the actions of a boy caught with his hand in a cookie jar.
"Anyway..." he stated as he coughed and straightened, regaining his business like air. "They slipped up."
"How so?"
"She called him G-Man."
"Lots of agents use that endearment."
"And he called her 'Honey'."
"Really?" Kim asked shocked and wide eyed. Skinner smiled triumphantly before Kim cooed "So there's hope." He smirked, catching a double entendre in her words, as he stood and crossed to his office door.
"I just had to take a breather and get that off my chest." Skinner said as explanation to his unusual behaviour then hesitated before he added. "You will be discrete with this information."
"Of course! You shouldn't need to ask me that Walter... but I understand why you did." She replied as she toyed with the clasp of her bracelet.
He looked at the women in front of him and was almost amazed to see her shy and innocent appearance after only moments ago flirting mercilessly with him.
"I didn't need to ask, Kim. I just wanted us both to be assured that this information would not leave this office." At her confused look, he reiterated his words to leave no uncertainty in his statement. "What is private... stays that way. As far as I am concerned, employee personal lives are not the concern of the FBI." Even in his professional demeanour he allowed a shy smile to turn up his lips as the underlying information impacted her subconscious.
A sweet smile played on her lips as the implications of his statement sank in causing her to worry her lower lip lightly. She acknowledged his meaning with a slight nod before he turned back to the office door.
"Why do I feel like I should knock?" he stated rhetorically as he grasped the brass handle of the door, turned it then strode back into his office.
"Mulder, I didn't say that all your ideas are completely implausible... that idea you had about the food chain was..." Scully paused momentarily as she recalled his theory. "The food chain... what if this other alligator or 'whatever', had been reliant on the alligator you killed to be the primary provider, to catch and make the kill? I don't know much about alligators but that could actually be a very plausible possibility."
"Did you hear that Sir? Scully said I was being 'plausible'." Mulder gloated.
Scully looked up at Skinner, having not realised that her boss had re-entered the office.
"No. What she actually said, Mulder, was that not all your theories are implausible." Scully smiled as Skinner gently rebuffed her partner.
"Po-ta-to, Po-tat-to."
"Exactly." Skinner declared before noticing his agents' confusion. "It's why you two work so well as a team. You approach the same thing with two completely different views but still get a case solution... It's why you are the best."
"Th-Thank you Sir." Mulder stuttered confused by his bosses praise.
"Credit when credit is due, Agent Mulder." Skinner stated as he mentally berated himself for not praising their work more frequently; they did after all, have one of the highest case/solve rate ratios in the Bureau. "Will you be available to leave for Georgia in the morning?"
After casting a quick look Scully's way, Mulder agreed for the both of them with a nod of the head. Looking back to Scully, he was somewhat amused to see her jaw hanging slightly. "Water?" Mulder asked handing her a glass.
"Thank you." Scully muttered realising she had yet to recover from her bosses praise.
"Right, the accounts department has made it clear to me that they were... not amused when you sunk a boat investigating this case the last time. So if you do need the use of a boat again, then you need to speak to the Wildlife, Fish and Game Service and borrow one... Other than that, all the normal things apply. I will ask Kimberly to arrange your travel and lodgings. Will the cabins you stayed at previously be acceptable?"
"Yep, that would be good." Mulder replied, relieved by the prospect that he would not have to make their usual arrangements. "We will only require one cabin this time though."
Scully and Skinner both gaped at Mulder.
Realising what he had unintentionally just implied Mulder stammered. "The cabins have two bedrooms." He clarified as Scully continued to gawk at him. "That's within Bureau guidelines isn't it, Sir?"
Skinner was unable to suppress his smirk at the un-
likeliness of the agent in front of him inquiring about policy. It was completely of character. Skinner simply nodded at Mulder. Scully continued to look bewildered at her partner, inadvertently exposing her collarbone to Skinner's scrutiny.
"Looks like you took your licks too, Agent Scully?"
Scully looked at her boss, confused for a moment, before the proverbial light went on. "What?!" she gasped as she simultaneously released the water and file from her grasp in her haste to hide her love bite. "Shit!" she muttered trying to gather the case papers back up.
Skinner almost laughed out loud as the very proper Agent Dana Scully cursed out loud and blushed profusely. Though he had no doubt that she was capable of such things, he had never witnessed them before.
"Relax." Mulder muttered as he got down on his hands and knees and began gathering the papers that had scattered over the floor and placed them neatly on the table next to a very pale looking Scully.
Reaching to the phone Skinner pressed the intercom button "Kimberly, can you bring in some paper towels, please."
Kim appeared almost immediately bearing the required paper towels and smiled as Mulder reached up for them.
"Agent Mulder, allow me." She stated amused to see the agent down on all fours.
"It's alright Kim, I'm already down here... besides I get a nice view from here." Mulder jested.
"Agent Mulder!" Skinner reprimanded.
Mulder looked first to his superior and then to his partner. She seemed oblivious of his comment as she continued to clasp her collar close to her throat. Realisation dawned on him as he noticed that Scully's legs weren't the only ones in his line of sight.
"Kim, I'm sorry. Sometimes words come out my mouth completely bypassing my brain. I didn't mean to offend." Mulder stated as he looked up at her smirking face.
"That's quite alright, Agent Mulder." Kimberly blushed before she exchanged a confused look with the AD at Scully's quiet demeanour. Skinner smirked as he winked at his secretary before mouthing the word 'later'.
"Kimberly, could you arrange travel and lodgings for Agents Mulder and Scully for this Georgia missing person's case? You should find all the information you'll need in the previous case file... they will only require one cabin." Kimberly looked wide eyed at the AD questioning him with a gaze. "That will be all Kimberly." Skinner added with another smirk.
"Yes Sir." Kim replied before exiting the office to eagerly await an update. "Bin?" Mulder asked as he mopped up the last traces of water.
"Right here." Skinner stated as he reached down and passed the waste paper basket to Mulder. He cast a glance at Scully and suddenly felt very guilty about teasing her. She appeared vacant in her expression and had not uttered a syllable since cursing.
Mulder got back to his feet as Skinner decided to draw the meeting to a close. "Okay I think we have covered everything... Any questions let me or Kimberly know, but for now, you are both dismissed."
Scully operated on automatic pilot as Mulder guided her to the office door. Reaching around Scully to open the door Mulder whispered "Look on the bright side Scully, at least we already have a tooth."
"Shut up Mulder." Scully muttered as the door clicked shut behind them.
x
Washington DC,
Basement Office,
Monday, 08.52am
Agents Mulder and Scully entered their basement office cloaked in a veil of silence. Mulder had tried to initiate a conversation in the elevator but had been met with an eerie quietness that had left him feeling chilled to the core. Of course, it hadn't helped that the elevator had been occupied by three other agents at the time, leaving Mulder unable to offer her any kind of physical reassurance.
Mulder clicked the door shut behind him before silently approached Scully. She was stood stationary in the centre of the office, clasping her collar closely to her neck as she appeared to be casually taking in her surroundings. Mulder knew better. In reality she was completely oblivious of her environment and was light years away, hidden in her own mental depths.
Placing comforting hands on her shoulders, he pulled her back to him so that her back was gently resting against his chest. "Okay... let me have it." Mulder sighed.
"Hum?"
Turning her slowly, Mulder hooked a finger under her chin then lifted so she would meet his gaze. Her eyes remained entirely vacant so he enticed her back to him gently with words. "Hey Scully... It's just me and you, back in the office... we are completely alone."
"Ummm?" Scully looked around a little confused to find them back in their own domain.
"There you are." Mulder smiled lovingly.
"Oh Mulder... Two hours? We didn't even keep it quiet for two hours?" Scully whined, exasperated with herself.
"He doesn't know anything for sure... but... we did agree to tell him anyway."
"Yes... but not like that." Scully stated bewildered. "God... I'm mortified... I just sat there... I didn't say anything." Scully muttered as she nuzzled her face into Mulder's chest.
Holding her lightly Mulder offered some much needed support as he tenderly stroked the curve of her lower back with the tips of his fingers. "I don't know... I thought it was kinda funny."
Scully shook her head from side to side as she breathed in his light scent of cologne.
"And I thought that throwing the water everywhere... that was a lovely touch."
Pounding his chest lightly she chastised him. "You are a complete pig ya know." Sighing she tried to regain some composure. "I felt just like I did the first time Ahab saw me with a hickey."
"Well... your mom did say that he treats us just like his kids." Mulder jested humorously.
"Yeh... right." Scully said meeting his gaze and staring him down. "How did it even show? It took me ages to cover that thing with makeup this morning."
"I have no idea." Mulder chuckled trying to maintain an innocent expression.
"Oh and what does 'I took my licks' mean exactly?" Scully asked as she laid her palms on Mulder chest.
"I think you know." Mulder laughed.
"Ummm... I think Skinner did too." Scully arched her brow.
"Oh honey..." Mulder leered as he swooped down, using his mouth to capture Scully's. "You know what that look does to me." He whispered before backing her up against the desk and devouring her mouth hungrily.
"Ummm... Mul...der... Not here... Skin...ner..." Scully began to protest even as she melted into him allowing her hands to begin wondering over the contours of his taut body.
"Skinner knows, Scully." Mulder smirked into her neck as he left a trail of butterfly kisses to her collar bone where he paused to suck delicately.
"Mulder..." she purred as her hand slipped down and caressed his tight butt wantonly through his trousers. "Mulder?" Scully paused her onslaught.
"Ummm..." Mulder murmured as his hand slipped under her blouse and caressed the small of her back directly.
"Are you wearing any underwear?"
"Yes." He coughed uncomfortably.
"You're not, are you?" she breathed heavily.
"I am." Mulder protested. "... Just not shorts."
Running her hands over his ass once more she smiled not feeling any seams. "Or briefs?"
"No."
Smiling coyly she purred. "So what are you wearing, G-man?"
Hiding his face in the crock of her neck he whispered shyly. "A G-string."
"A G-string?" Scully asked shocked.
"What? You can wear them but I can't?" Mulder asked playfully.
"No... I just didn't suspect that you would even own any."
"It was a gag gift and ... I didn't have time to do any washing this weekend, okay?... Can't think why." Mulder teased.
"What was the gag?" Scully asked light-heartedly.
Mulder blushed. "There is a message printed in the pouch."
Smiling Scully cooed. "What does it say?"
"Ummm..." Mulder rolled his eyes before replying timidly. "...FBI Concealed Weapon."
"I wanna see." Scully demanded, giggling, as she reached for his belt buckle.
"What? No. We're at work. Scully?" Mulder squeaked as she popped the top fasten of his trousers.
Scully got down on her knees in front of Mulder and smiled up at him sweetly. "Come on Mulder... you know you wanna show me." She purred as she lowered his zip fasten half way.
"Ahem..."
Mulder and Scully looked up to see a very embarrassed yet stern looking AD Skinner standing in the now open doorway. The partners looked into each other's eyes at a complete loss before both speaking at once.
"Zip." "Bruise." Looking at one another in confusion, Scully continued.
"Agent Mulder's zip was stuck I was just helping him... ummm... un-stick it..." Scully stated from her kneeled position before she looked beseechingly to Mulder for back up.
Following her train of thought Mulder elaborated. "... so that... she could look at the bruise I have on my hip... It's particularly bad and Scully was worried that..." Mulder trailed off hoping Scully would pick up his slack.
"...it may develop into a haematoma... Sometimes with severe contusions such as this one, capillary damage can be so extensive that blood seeps too freely into the surrounding tissue area. The blood can then dry into a hard lump like consistency, a haematoma, that if gone untreated can result in compartment syndrome and/or blood clots that then may require a surgical operation to rectify the situation. If the situation is caught early enough the symptoms can be dramatically reduced with rest, ice, compression and elevation... after seeing the damage on Friday night..." Scully suddenly looked chagrined as she realised that she should have stopped while she was ahead.
Mulder stood holding his trousers up as his mind raced to catch up with his partners elaborate explanation. "... After my altercation with Agent Henderson I went around to Scully's so she could tell me if I had incurred any serious physical damage... she said she would need to check me out again today... ummm... now... because she had some concerns." Mulder finished looking at his boss to see whether he was buying any if their improvised explanation.
"Right..." Skinner affirmed looking coolly at his agents. "...You forgot the file." He declared tossing the file in question onto Mulder's desk. "... and I didn't see anything." He mumbled as he headed to the door shaking his head in amusement.
Stepping outside the door he pulled it firmly closed behind him as he chuckled his mirth. 'Kim will love this little anecdote.' He thought before he heard Mulder's and Scully's voices drifting from within the office.
"Mulder?"
"Yes Scully?"
"I think he knows." She giggled.
"Well in that case, please continue your examination Doctor Scully."
'Oh God.' Skinner thought rolling his eyes and shaking his head once more before heading to the lift as he muttered... "So this is all down to Henderson."
x
Author's notes - Wow... I think I have finally finished.
What did you think? I know, I know... corny last line but can you guys even remember who Henderson was? Lol Sorry you didn't get the Mulder strip tease but I did throw in the G-string for kicks... who knows maybe I will add a little more after a bit of a break.
Thanks to all of you who have stuck with this story and have reviewed it. You have all made me very happy. It's amazing to think that this story was only going to be five chapters long originally.
Big thank you to all the people who have inspired me with this one... you all know who you are. Special thanks to Parmakai66 and Enpauriel for keeping me inspired and motivated.
I hope you all stick with me and enjoy my future stories... Oh yes... there will be more, you can't get rid of me that easily... lol
One last thing... you know its coming but I will say it anyway... please review :)