Title: Unbreak My Heart - Turnabout
Author: Melpomene
Email:
Rating: R
Spoilers: Season 3
Keywords: M/O, MSR, S/O, Angst
Summary: What happens when you fall in
love with someone who doesn't love you back.
Author's Notes: Thank you so much to everyone
who supported me recently when I came close to
not finishing this story. I appreciate it more
than I can say. I hope you all enjoy this next
chapter.
Part 5 - Turnabout
Mulder checked the clock for the twentieth
time that morning--8:45. Five minutes later than
it had been five minutes ago. Scully was due back
to work that morning and he could hardly stand to
wait. Today, he would find out if Scully was
staying in the partnership.
He checked the clock again. 8:50.
It had been a long four weeks. He'd been suspended
from work for the first two because of his actions
in the Tilley case. He'd gladly served his time,
wracked with guilt over how Scully had been almost
killed.
His relationship with Ronni had spiraled down to
a series of meaningless sexual encounters. Maybe
that was all it had ever been and he'd just been
fooling himself that it was more. He'd come close
to breaking it off the previous Friday but
Ronni had begged him to give the relationship
another chance.
She argued that he'd hurt her feelings by calling
out Scully's name when he came. According to Ronni,
there was no worse insult to a woman then to have a
man make love to her and think about another woman.
Ronni had actually cried, which was something Mulder
had never seen and it had struck his old chord of
guilt. He'd agreed to try again, though he wasn't
sure that was the right thing.
God, he wished Scully would get there. Good news
or bad, he couldn't stand the waiting. Finally,
he heard the sound of high heels tapping their way
closer and closer in the hall outside.
"Good morning," Scully said from the doorway. She
looked more beautiful than he remembered, her hair
shinier and brighter, her skin creamier and her
lips fuller and riper. How could he have worked
with this woman for years and not noticed these
things?
Scully was wearing a trim navy suit and white
blouse. He didn't remember her waist being that
tiny. His hands could probably span it and
hardly leave her breathless. God, he wished he
could leave her breathless.
But Scully looked as calm and cool as a tall
glass of ice water. She looked relaxed and
happy. Maybe that damn Joe was leaving her
breathless.
"I made coffee," he said.
"Oh, good. I could use a cup," she replied as
she walked to the area in the back of the room
where the coffee pot was set up. She smiled to
herself, Mulder seemed as nervous as she was.
She had hardly slept the night before,
anticipating that she'd see Mulder again.
She brought her cup back to her desk, and watched
Mulder fidget in his chair. He cleared his throat.
"Scully, I...uh...I wanted to apologize about...
well, that night at your apartment."
"No Mulder," she began, shaking her head. "I'm
the one who should be apologizing. You've been
perfectly clear that you were never physically
attracted to me. Forcing myself on you..."
"You didn't."
"I most definitely did. I crossed the line and
my only defense was that I'd been through a
traumatic experience and was on a lot of
medication."
"I was just surprised by it, that's all. Scully...
I don't want this to come between us." Mulder
swallowed hard, glancing down at his feet.
"Skinner said you weren't sure if you could stay
in the partnership."
"I thought long and hard about that, Mulder."
She looked down at her hands, trying to compose
herself. She had so much to say, and things
could be made so much worse than they already
were if she said it wrong.
Mulder watched her, so afraid that she was
going to cut him loose. He wanted to beg her
to stay, to tell her that he was only now
realizing what a beautiful and desirable woman
she was--but he didn't have the guts to say
it. Not after the way he'd treated her.
"And what did you decide?" he asked, his voice
cracking a little bit.
"I'm staying," she answered firmly. "But Mulder--
some things have to change."
"Anything, Scully. Just tell me what you want."
She almost laughed at that. If Mulder got in a
panic over a little kiss, what would he say if
she told him she wanted him to make love to her?
Well, maybe she wasn't sure about that anymore
anyway. She'd spent so much time wishing Mulder
would look her way, and he'd never even given her
a glance. Now, someone thought she was pretty
and sexy. Joe Clancey saw her as a desirable
woman. That didn't stop her from wanting Mulder,
but it sure eased the ache.
Joe was a great kisser and he hadn't looked at her
after like she was the creature from the Black
Lagoon. No sir. After kissing her, he kissed her
some more and then looked at her as if she was the
most incredible woman he'd ever seen.
Maybe if she hadn't met Joe, she wouldn't be able
to stay in a partnership with someone she had feelings
for. But Joe's admiration gave her the confidence to
stay and to also speak her mind.
"I don't know how to say this without sounding
jealous of Agent Alain. I'm not...I mean, I have
no reason to be. She's the woman you've chosen to
be with and she comes first in your private life.
I know that. But Mulder, I have to come first
at work. If you can't keep your personal and
professional lives separate, I can't work with you.
I won't ever be put in danger like that again.
Understood?"
"Absolutely. I can't begin to tell you how sorry
I am about what happened Scully. I don't know if
you can ever forgive me--hell, I don't know if I
can ever forgive myself."
"Mulder," she said gently. "I don't blame you.
If you hadn't stepped out of the room, there might
have been two hostages instead of one and who knows
how long it would have been before backup got there."
His eyes remained trained on the floor. He could
barely breath as she spoke. She touched his hand
to get his attention and he looked up at her.
"But the phone did ring, and you let yourself be
distracted. You let your guard down as you dealt
with your girlfriend and I was almost killed.
That can't happen again."
"It won't. Ever. I promise."
He spoke with sincerity, and she believed he meant
it. The true test would be if he could keep his
promise when Ronni was around.
Over the next few days, Scully had wrangled with
the knowledge that Ronni was probably cheating
on Mulder. Should she tell him and risk hurting
him deeply? Would he even believe her, or would
he think Scully was just being jealous? Though
she sincerely didn't think so, there was also the
possibility that she was wrong about Ronni's
infidelity. Scully still wasn't sure what to do.
Mulder was on his best behavior, but Scully had seen
that before and found it to be only temporary. She
hoped that this time, he would be able to keep his
life separated properly.
Scully's biggest concern with coming back to work
had been spending time with a man who didn't love her
back. Watching Mulder at work--pacing the room while
trying to figure out a tough case, reviewing slides as
he'd been the first time she ever saw him, scratching
away at a legal pad as he covered it with case notes--
she did feel a painful tug on her heart.
But somehow, knowing that Joe Clancey thought she was
beautiful and sexy, went a long way toward making work
bearable. Mulder may not find her sexy--may never
look her way--but that didn't mean she was an ugly
drone. Not anymore.
Joe had been in New York for a few days to meet with
network news people. He was hoping to find something
news related to do while he completed his physical
therapy. Scully knew Joe hoped to get back to work in
the field as soon as possible. She'd miss him, but
no one understood the need to work more than Scully.
Mulder hadn't asked her about Joe. Scully was glad
about that--relieved in a way that there had been no
phone calls at work, no lunches out for either her or
Mulder. It allowed them to spend a little time
together and heal their work relationship.
A few days after coming back to work, Scully was
checking on some test results just before quitting
time. She'd been hoping that Mulder wouldn't mind
shelving the work until the morning as Joe was calling
her that night from New York.
It had been a good long time since Scully had seen
Ronni, and she'd hoped to extend that lucky streak but
her good luck was about to end. Ronni stood in the
doorway of the office, her strong perfume wafting over
the air. The other woman had stopped down in the
basement to collect her boy-toy.
"Why Agent Scully, you look so much better," Ronni Alain
purred. "You're so slim now." Trust the woman to
remind everyone in the room that she's looked so
much worse in the past.
"Why thank you," Scully said, ironically. She crossed
to her desk and opened the drawer to get her purse.
"So, what's Joe Clancey like?" Ronni asked, covetously.
"I'll bet he's fascinating."
"He is," Scully answered, cautiously.
"Joe Clancey," Mulder said, thoughtfully. He'd thought
the guy was familiar when he saw Scully with him, but
he hadn't been able to place him. Now, it came back
to him. "The foreign correspondent?"
"Yes darling, that's him. Isn't it exciting! Our little
Agent Scully has found herself a real celebrity."
"I'll be on my way," Scully said as she gathered up her
belongings. "Have a good night, Mulder...Agent Alain."
Mulder watched her rush out of the room. He wondered
if she had a date with Joe Clancey. She hadn't mentioned
the man since the night Mulder and Ronni had run into
them. He hoped his partner wasn't setting herself up for
a fall. A guy like Joe Clancey could bring a lot of
heartache.
He wondered if his partner was in love with this guy.
Men like Joe Clancey never settled down. What was
Scully thinking? She was never going to have a life
with a guy who travelled the world, always living on
the edge. Who the hell knew--maybe Clancey was one of
"them." A guy shows an interest in Scully out of the
blue--who knew where he came from anyway?
The last few days had been an excruciating rollercoaster
ride. He'd gone from seeing his partner as "one of the
guys" to being hyper aware of her as a desirable woman.
He'd become fascinated with her every graceful movement
--the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, or tapped her
fingernail against the table when she was deep in thought.
He found himself standing close to her, just to smell
the clean scent of her soap and cologne. If he thought
she wouldn't break his arm, he'd have put his hand on
the small of her back when they walked out of the room
together.
His date with Ronni went the way their dates always
seemed to go these days--boring conversation followed
by wild, but for him unsatisfying sex. Devouring him
sexually, Ronni was even more predatory in bed than
she'd ever been. It was Mulder who was changing. Afterwards,
he felt increasingly uncomfortable with the emptiness
of the experience.
The next morning, Mulder arrived to find Scully
already at work. The scent of coffee filled the air
and his partner was humming offkey as she typed.
"Hi Mulder," she greeted him. "Coffee's on."
"Somebody's in a good mood," he said.
"I guess I am," she answered. Joe was flying back
today. He'd called her last night and invited her
to dinner. She and Joe hadn't gone beyond kissing
and touching each other since they started going out.
Scully was wondering if tonight would be the night
things would change--the night they started making
love.
Apparently the news in New York had been good--he'd
be consulting on some news stories in Washington.
Granted, it was mild fare in comparison to what Joe
was used to, but for the stir-crazy reporter, it was
better than nothing.
"Hot date last night?" Mulder asked, sounding a
little crankier than usual.
"No actually. I had an early night. You?"
"Don't ask," he replied, annoyed. Damn it,
the scratches on his back hurt. Ronni had
been rough, raking her nails down his back and
leaving him raw and sore. "So, why weren't you
out with that reporter guy?"
"Joe?" she asked. "He's been out of town. He's coming
home today, though."
"Scully...how much do you know about this Joe guy?"
"What do you mean 'how much do I know about him?' All
I had to do was watch the 6:00 o'clock news to know
all about him."
"I know all about that. What I mean is..."
"You want to know his intentions? Mulder, you're
not my father. I can take care of myself."
"I know you can take care of yourself. But I just
don't want you to get hurt. Joe Clancey's not the
type to settle down."
"Since when are you an expert in Joe Clancey, or in
settling down for that matter? And who said that's
what I want?" she replied, laughing. "I'm not looking
for a lifetime committment, Mulder. It was just nice..."
She drifted off, shaking her head. She didn't owe
Mulder any explanations. Not after the way he'd
treated her.
"What was nice?" His voice was soft and gentle.
"It was nice to have someone think I'm sexy. Don't take
this the wrong way, Mulder, but working with you
just about destroyed my self-confidence."
"Scully, what on earth did I ever say or do to hurt
you?" Mulder asked, obviously upset.
"You didn't," she said gently, laying her hand on his
arm. "You've always treated me as an equal and that's
meant a lot to me. But, I'm clearly not your type,
Mulder."
"Scully--" he protested, fumbling for something to say.
What could he say--I never thought you were my type until
someone else wanted you? It was true--he'd written her
off as a sexual being until he saw her walk into that
restaurant in her clingy blue dress. On the arm of another
man.
"You can't change what attracts you, Mulder. I'm not
trying to make you feel guilty. But, well...after a
while, I started to feel invisible...as a women, that
is. With the hours we work, I had no time for a social
life, and the man I spent 90% of my time with saw me
as one of the guys."
At his look of shock, she shook her head. "I'm not
complaining--really. You've always been a perfect
gentleman to me. It's just that when I met Joe, I
realized how nice it was to have a man look at me and
see a woman and not one of the guys."
"Scully, I never knew...you felt that way."
"Honestly, it didn't bother me in the beginning.
But after you started seeing Ronni, I realized that
I wanted a man to look at me the way you looked at her."
"Scully, I don't know how to ask you this, so I'm
just going to ask. This guy came into your life
suddenly and wham bam--you're dating him. How do
you know he isn't...well...one of them?"
Her eyes flashed anger and the hands at her sides closed
up into fists. How dare he? It was okay for him to
go from zero to sixty with Ronni after one case, but
dumpy old Scully meets a nice man and it's a set up.
"What are you saying Mulder? No one except "one of them"
could possibly be interested in poor pathetic ugly Scully?"
Her voice got a little louder and shriller than she
liked but she was so angry.
"That's not what I meant," he said defensively. "I
just don't want you to get hurt."
"That's rich, Mulder. You're concerned about me getting
hurt. I wish you'd been a little more concerned about
that over the last few months."
The phone on Mulder's desk rang, and for a minute,
she thought he wasn't going to answer it--his eyes
seemed locked on hers. Finally, he broke away and
picked up th phone.
"Yes. Okay...yes...four o'clock...yes, sir."
"Skinner wants to see the report from the Crandall case
at four o'clock. Scully..."
"Then we'd better get to work on that report, Mulder,"
she said through clenched teeth.
It had taken all her energy to be as honest as she'd
been and now to have him insult her. She came so close
to telling him about Ronni and her reputation and her
lunchtime trysts. Maybe it was a good thing the phone
rang. No matter how angry she was, hurting Mulder on
purpose wasn't something she wanted to do.
They worked on the report, each of them sneaking looks
at the other. Mulder was miserable. He certainly
had put his foot in his mouth over Joe--hard to
believe a size 13 foot could make it, but then again
his mouth was way too big for his own good.
At four o'clock, they went up to Skinner and presented
their report. Their boss looked the report over,
asking questions from time to time. He was checking
more than just their work--he was reviewing them as
a team. The events at the Tilley farm had seriously
damaged the best partnership he'd ever seen and he
wasn't about to let that go.
Skinner thought there was still a lot of tension
between his two agents. Too much maybe for them to
work effectively. He'd have to watch them carefully
for the next few weeks.
The meeting ended and Mulder and Scully returned to
their office. It was after 5:00 o'clock, so Scully
grabbed her purse.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said.
Mulder opened his mouth to speak, but he'd probably
only screw things up further, so he just waved
goodnight as she left. How did he get in such a
mess anyway?
He'd fallen in love with his partner, who now wanted
nothing to do with him and had found someone else.
Mulder was stuck dating a sexual vampire who was
bleeding him dry. How could he put things right
again?
He knew Scully was going to get hurt by this Joe
Clancey guy--he just knew it. Joe would romance her
and then leave her when his wounds were healed and he
got sent to another danger zone to report the news.
And then Scully would be heartbroken and Mulder
didn't think he could stand that.
Meanwhile, Scully was getting ready for her date.
Joe was due to come over for dinner. She knew he'd
be really tired after flying to New York, so she'd
offered to cook dinner at her apartment.
The steaks were marinating, the salad was fixed and
dessert had been picked up on the way home from work.
Well, with a little luck, dessert would wait until
morning.
Tonight was the night, Scully thought. Tonight she
was ready to take things to the next step with Joe.
They'd kissed and made out like teenagers, but she'd
held off on taking their relationship further because
she was still unsure. Her conversation with Mulder
today had irritated her enough to throw caution to
the winds.
Scully took a quick shower, paying special attention
to shaving her legs and underarms. It wouldn't be
very sexy to have bandaids on her legs tonight. After
she dried off, she applied her favorite scented body
cream.
She put on silky slacks and a lacy sleeveless top
that clung to her every curve. Strappy sandals completed
the look. She smiled at her reflection in the full
length mirror. A few weeks ago, she never would have
worn such a sexy outfit. She would have felt ridiculous--
like an ugly little duck masquerading as a beautiful
swan. Thanks to Joe, she knew she was that swan.
The doorbell rang and after peaking through the spy-hole,
she smiled and answered the door.
"Hope you're hungry," she said as Joe walked into the
apartment. He handed her a large bouquet of roses.
"I'm starving, and not just for dinner. God, you look
absolutely amazing."
He took her in his arms and kissed her, her mouth opening
under his like a little baby birds. With one hand full
of roses, Scully still managed to curve the other hand
around Joe's neck. His hands were on her, touching her,
cupping her bottom as he fed on her lips. The both ended
up laughing and gasping for air.
"I missed you," she said, as she led him into the kitchen.
She brought the bouquet to her nose and inhaled the
flower's heady fragrance. "These are just beautiful, Joe."
"They pale in comparison to you," he said, laughing. "I
can't believe how cheesy that line sounded."
Scully laughed too, but secretly she loved when Joe said
stuff like that, no matter how cliched or cheesy it might
sound. It had been far too long since anyone complimented
her and she wasn't about to give it up anytime soon.
"Sounded fine to me," she said, sliding her arms around his
waist. "I should probably get dinner started."
"I could wait," he said, sliding his hands under her top.
Her breath caught at the feel of a man's hand on her
bare skin. God, she'd almost forgot what that felt like.
"I thought you were starved," she said, her head swimming
as he cupped her breast through the lacy fabric of her
bra.
"I believe I said I was starving, but not just for dinner,"
her replied. "One of my appetites is far outweighing
the other."
He pulled her closer to him, so she could feel the evidence
of his appetite poking hard and hot against her tummy.
"Come on," she said, laughing and taking his hand. "I
wouldn't want you to go hungry."
"Wait, wait," he said, scooping her up in his arms. "I
wanted to do this since I first met you."
"Joe!" Scully cried out as Joe carried her in the direction
of the bedroom. "I'm too heavy--you'll hurt your leg."
"Nonsense," he said, laughing. "You don't weigh anything
at all. Now, prepare to be ravished, wench."
Continued in part 6...
Author: Melpomene
Email:
Rating: R
Spoilers: Season 3
Keywords: M/O, MSR, S/O, Angst
Summary: What happens when you fall in
love with someone who doesn't love you back.
Author's Notes: Thank you so much to everyone
who supported me recently when I came close to
not finishing this story. I appreciate it more
than I can say. I hope you all enjoy this next
chapter.
Part 5 - Turnabout
Mulder checked the clock for the twentieth
time that morning--8:45. Five minutes later than
it had been five minutes ago. Scully was due back
to work that morning and he could hardly stand to
wait. Today, he would find out if Scully was
staying in the partnership.
He checked the clock again. 8:50.
It had been a long four weeks. He'd been suspended
from work for the first two because of his actions
in the Tilley case. He'd gladly served his time,
wracked with guilt over how Scully had been almost
killed.
His relationship with Ronni had spiraled down to
a series of meaningless sexual encounters. Maybe
that was all it had ever been and he'd just been
fooling himself that it was more. He'd come close
to breaking it off the previous Friday but
Ronni had begged him to give the relationship
another chance.
She argued that he'd hurt her feelings by calling
out Scully's name when he came. According to Ronni,
there was no worse insult to a woman then to have a
man make love to her and think about another woman.
Ronni had actually cried, which was something Mulder
had never seen and it had struck his old chord of
guilt. He'd agreed to try again, though he wasn't
sure that was the right thing.
God, he wished Scully would get there. Good news
or bad, he couldn't stand the waiting. Finally,
he heard the sound of high heels tapping their way
closer and closer in the hall outside.
"Good morning," Scully said from the doorway. She
looked more beautiful than he remembered, her hair
shinier and brighter, her skin creamier and her
lips fuller and riper. How could he have worked
with this woman for years and not noticed these
things?
Scully was wearing a trim navy suit and white
blouse. He didn't remember her waist being that
tiny. His hands could probably span it and
hardly leave her breathless. God, he wished he
could leave her breathless.
But Scully looked as calm and cool as a tall
glass of ice water. She looked relaxed and
happy. Maybe that damn Joe was leaving her
breathless.
"I made coffee," he said.
"Oh, good. I could use a cup," she replied as
she walked to the area in the back of the room
where the coffee pot was set up. She smiled to
herself, Mulder seemed as nervous as she was.
She had hardly slept the night before,
anticipating that she'd see Mulder again.
She brought her cup back to her desk, and watched
Mulder fidget in his chair. He cleared his throat.
"Scully, I...uh...I wanted to apologize about...
well, that night at your apartment."
"No Mulder," she began, shaking her head. "I'm
the one who should be apologizing. You've been
perfectly clear that you were never physically
attracted to me. Forcing myself on you..."
"You didn't."
"I most definitely did. I crossed the line and
my only defense was that I'd been through a
traumatic experience and was on a lot of
medication."
"I was just surprised by it, that's all. Scully...
I don't want this to come between us." Mulder
swallowed hard, glancing down at his feet.
"Skinner said you weren't sure if you could stay
in the partnership."
"I thought long and hard about that, Mulder."
She looked down at her hands, trying to compose
herself. She had so much to say, and things
could be made so much worse than they already
were if she said it wrong.
Mulder watched her, so afraid that she was
going to cut him loose. He wanted to beg her
to stay, to tell her that he was only now
realizing what a beautiful and desirable woman
she was--but he didn't have the guts to say
it. Not after the way he'd treated her.
"And what did you decide?" he asked, his voice
cracking a little bit.
"I'm staying," she answered firmly. "But Mulder--
some things have to change."
"Anything, Scully. Just tell me what you want."
She almost laughed at that. If Mulder got in a
panic over a little kiss, what would he say if
she told him she wanted him to make love to her?
Well, maybe she wasn't sure about that anymore
anyway. She'd spent so much time wishing Mulder
would look her way, and he'd never even given her
a glance. Now, someone thought she was pretty
and sexy. Joe Clancey saw her as a desirable
woman. That didn't stop her from wanting Mulder,
but it sure eased the ache.
Joe was a great kisser and he hadn't looked at her
after like she was the creature from the Black
Lagoon. No sir. After kissing her, he kissed her
some more and then looked at her as if she was the
most incredible woman he'd ever seen.
Maybe if she hadn't met Joe, she wouldn't be able
to stay in a partnership with someone she had feelings
for. But Joe's admiration gave her the confidence to
stay and to also speak her mind.
"I don't know how to say this without sounding
jealous of Agent Alain. I'm not...I mean, I have
no reason to be. She's the woman you've chosen to
be with and she comes first in your private life.
I know that. But Mulder, I have to come first
at work. If you can't keep your personal and
professional lives separate, I can't work with you.
I won't ever be put in danger like that again.
Understood?"
"Absolutely. I can't begin to tell you how sorry
I am about what happened Scully. I don't know if
you can ever forgive me--hell, I don't know if I
can ever forgive myself."
"Mulder," she said gently. "I don't blame you.
If you hadn't stepped out of the room, there might
have been two hostages instead of one and who knows
how long it would have been before backup got there."
His eyes remained trained on the floor. He could
barely breath as she spoke. She touched his hand
to get his attention and he looked up at her.
"But the phone did ring, and you let yourself be
distracted. You let your guard down as you dealt
with your girlfriend and I was almost killed.
That can't happen again."
"It won't. Ever. I promise."
He spoke with sincerity, and she believed he meant
it. The true test would be if he could keep his
promise when Ronni was around.
Over the next few days, Scully had wrangled with
the knowledge that Ronni was probably cheating
on Mulder. Should she tell him and risk hurting
him deeply? Would he even believe her, or would
he think Scully was just being jealous? Though
she sincerely didn't think so, there was also the
possibility that she was wrong about Ronni's
infidelity. Scully still wasn't sure what to do.
Mulder was on his best behavior, but Scully had seen
that before and found it to be only temporary. She
hoped that this time, he would be able to keep his
life separated properly.
Scully's biggest concern with coming back to work
had been spending time with a man who didn't love her
back. Watching Mulder at work--pacing the room while
trying to figure out a tough case, reviewing slides as
he'd been the first time she ever saw him, scratching
away at a legal pad as he covered it with case notes--
she did feel a painful tug on her heart.
But somehow, knowing that Joe Clancey thought she was
beautiful and sexy, went a long way toward making work
bearable. Mulder may not find her sexy--may never
look her way--but that didn't mean she was an ugly
drone. Not anymore.
Joe had been in New York for a few days to meet with
network news people. He was hoping to find something
news related to do while he completed his physical
therapy. Scully knew Joe hoped to get back to work in
the field as soon as possible. She'd miss him, but
no one understood the need to work more than Scully.
Mulder hadn't asked her about Joe. Scully was glad
about that--relieved in a way that there had been no
phone calls at work, no lunches out for either her or
Mulder. It allowed them to spend a little time
together and heal their work relationship.
A few days after coming back to work, Scully was
checking on some test results just before quitting
time. She'd been hoping that Mulder wouldn't mind
shelving the work until the morning as Joe was calling
her that night from New York.
It had been a good long time since Scully had seen
Ronni, and she'd hoped to extend that lucky streak but
her good luck was about to end. Ronni stood in the
doorway of the office, her strong perfume wafting over
the air. The other woman had stopped down in the
basement to collect her boy-toy.
"Why Agent Scully, you look so much better," Ronni Alain
purred. "You're so slim now." Trust the woman to
remind everyone in the room that she's looked so
much worse in the past.
"Why thank you," Scully said, ironically. She crossed
to her desk and opened the drawer to get her purse.
"So, what's Joe Clancey like?" Ronni asked, covetously.
"I'll bet he's fascinating."
"He is," Scully answered, cautiously.
"Joe Clancey," Mulder said, thoughtfully. He'd thought
the guy was familiar when he saw Scully with him, but
he hadn't been able to place him. Now, it came back
to him. "The foreign correspondent?"
"Yes darling, that's him. Isn't it exciting! Our little
Agent Scully has found herself a real celebrity."
"I'll be on my way," Scully said as she gathered up her
belongings. "Have a good night, Mulder...Agent Alain."
Mulder watched her rush out of the room. He wondered
if she had a date with Joe Clancey. She hadn't mentioned
the man since the night Mulder and Ronni had run into
them. He hoped his partner wasn't setting herself up for
a fall. A guy like Joe Clancey could bring a lot of
heartache.
He wondered if his partner was in love with this guy.
Men like Joe Clancey never settled down. What was
Scully thinking? She was never going to have a life
with a guy who travelled the world, always living on
the edge. Who the hell knew--maybe Clancey was one of
"them." A guy shows an interest in Scully out of the
blue--who knew where he came from anyway?
The last few days had been an excruciating rollercoaster
ride. He'd gone from seeing his partner as "one of the
guys" to being hyper aware of her as a desirable woman.
He'd become fascinated with her every graceful movement
--the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, or tapped her
fingernail against the table when she was deep in thought.
He found himself standing close to her, just to smell
the clean scent of her soap and cologne. If he thought
she wouldn't break his arm, he'd have put his hand on
the small of her back when they walked out of the room
together.
His date with Ronni went the way their dates always
seemed to go these days--boring conversation followed
by wild, but for him unsatisfying sex. Devouring him
sexually, Ronni was even more predatory in bed than
she'd ever been. It was Mulder who was changing. Afterwards,
he felt increasingly uncomfortable with the emptiness
of the experience.
The next morning, Mulder arrived to find Scully
already at work. The scent of coffee filled the air
and his partner was humming offkey as she typed.
"Hi Mulder," she greeted him. "Coffee's on."
"Somebody's in a good mood," he said.
"I guess I am," she answered. Joe was flying back
today. He'd called her last night and invited her
to dinner. She and Joe hadn't gone beyond kissing
and touching each other since they started going out.
Scully was wondering if tonight would be the night
things would change--the night they started making
love.
Apparently the news in New York had been good--he'd
be consulting on some news stories in Washington.
Granted, it was mild fare in comparison to what Joe
was used to, but for the stir-crazy reporter, it was
better than nothing.
"Hot date last night?" Mulder asked, sounding a
little crankier than usual.
"No actually. I had an early night. You?"
"Don't ask," he replied, annoyed. Damn it,
the scratches on his back hurt. Ronni had
been rough, raking her nails down his back and
leaving him raw and sore. "So, why weren't you
out with that reporter guy?"
"Joe?" she asked. "He's been out of town. He's coming
home today, though."
"Scully...how much do you know about this Joe guy?"
"What do you mean 'how much do I know about him?' All
I had to do was watch the 6:00 o'clock news to know
all about him."
"I know all about that. What I mean is..."
"You want to know his intentions? Mulder, you're
not my father. I can take care of myself."
"I know you can take care of yourself. But I just
don't want you to get hurt. Joe Clancey's not the
type to settle down."
"Since when are you an expert in Joe Clancey, or in
settling down for that matter? And who said that's
what I want?" she replied, laughing. "I'm not looking
for a lifetime committment, Mulder. It was just nice..."
She drifted off, shaking her head. She didn't owe
Mulder any explanations. Not after the way he'd
treated her.
"What was nice?" His voice was soft and gentle.
"It was nice to have someone think I'm sexy. Don't take
this the wrong way, Mulder, but working with you
just about destroyed my self-confidence."
"Scully, what on earth did I ever say or do to hurt
you?" Mulder asked, obviously upset.
"You didn't," she said gently, laying her hand on his
arm. "You've always treated me as an equal and that's
meant a lot to me. But, I'm clearly not your type,
Mulder."
"Scully--" he protested, fumbling for something to say.
What could he say--I never thought you were my type until
someone else wanted you? It was true--he'd written her
off as a sexual being until he saw her walk into that
restaurant in her clingy blue dress. On the arm of another
man.
"You can't change what attracts you, Mulder. I'm not
trying to make you feel guilty. But, well...after a
while, I started to feel invisible...as a women, that
is. With the hours we work, I had no time for a social
life, and the man I spent 90% of my time with saw me
as one of the guys."
At his look of shock, she shook her head. "I'm not
complaining--really. You've always been a perfect
gentleman to me. It's just that when I met Joe, I
realized how nice it was to have a man look at me and
see a woman and not one of the guys."
"Scully, I never knew...you felt that way."
"Honestly, it didn't bother me in the beginning.
But after you started seeing Ronni, I realized that
I wanted a man to look at me the way you looked at her."
"Scully, I don't know how to ask you this, so I'm
just going to ask. This guy came into your life
suddenly and wham bam--you're dating him. How do
you know he isn't...well...one of them?"
Her eyes flashed anger and the hands at her sides closed
up into fists. How dare he? It was okay for him to
go from zero to sixty with Ronni after one case, but
dumpy old Scully meets a nice man and it's a set up.
"What are you saying Mulder? No one except "one of them"
could possibly be interested in poor pathetic ugly Scully?"
Her voice got a little louder and shriller than she
liked but she was so angry.
"That's not what I meant," he said defensively. "I
just don't want you to get hurt."
"That's rich, Mulder. You're concerned about me getting
hurt. I wish you'd been a little more concerned about
that over the last few months."
The phone on Mulder's desk rang, and for a minute,
she thought he wasn't going to answer it--his eyes
seemed locked on hers. Finally, he broke away and
picked up th phone.
"Yes. Okay...yes...four o'clock...yes, sir."
"Skinner wants to see the report from the Crandall case
at four o'clock. Scully..."
"Then we'd better get to work on that report, Mulder,"
she said through clenched teeth.
It had taken all her energy to be as honest as she'd
been and now to have him insult her. She came so close
to telling him about Ronni and her reputation and her
lunchtime trysts. Maybe it was a good thing the phone
rang. No matter how angry she was, hurting Mulder on
purpose wasn't something she wanted to do.
They worked on the report, each of them sneaking looks
at the other. Mulder was miserable. He certainly
had put his foot in his mouth over Joe--hard to
believe a size 13 foot could make it, but then again
his mouth was way too big for his own good.
At four o'clock, they went up to Skinner and presented
their report. Their boss looked the report over,
asking questions from time to time. He was checking
more than just their work--he was reviewing them as
a team. The events at the Tilley farm had seriously
damaged the best partnership he'd ever seen and he
wasn't about to let that go.
Skinner thought there was still a lot of tension
between his two agents. Too much maybe for them to
work effectively. He'd have to watch them carefully
for the next few weeks.
The meeting ended and Mulder and Scully returned to
their office. It was after 5:00 o'clock, so Scully
grabbed her purse.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said.
Mulder opened his mouth to speak, but he'd probably
only screw things up further, so he just waved
goodnight as she left. How did he get in such a
mess anyway?
He'd fallen in love with his partner, who now wanted
nothing to do with him and had found someone else.
Mulder was stuck dating a sexual vampire who was
bleeding him dry. How could he put things right
again?
He knew Scully was going to get hurt by this Joe
Clancey guy--he just knew it. Joe would romance her
and then leave her when his wounds were healed and he
got sent to another danger zone to report the news.
And then Scully would be heartbroken and Mulder
didn't think he could stand that.
Meanwhile, Scully was getting ready for her date.
Joe was due to come over for dinner. She knew he'd
be really tired after flying to New York, so she'd
offered to cook dinner at her apartment.
The steaks were marinating, the salad was fixed and
dessert had been picked up on the way home from work.
Well, with a little luck, dessert would wait until
morning.
Tonight was the night, Scully thought. Tonight she
was ready to take things to the next step with Joe.
They'd kissed and made out like teenagers, but she'd
held off on taking their relationship further because
she was still unsure. Her conversation with Mulder
today had irritated her enough to throw caution to
the winds.
Scully took a quick shower, paying special attention
to shaving her legs and underarms. It wouldn't be
very sexy to have bandaids on her legs tonight. After
she dried off, she applied her favorite scented body
cream.
She put on silky slacks and a lacy sleeveless top
that clung to her every curve. Strappy sandals completed
the look. She smiled at her reflection in the full
length mirror. A few weeks ago, she never would have
worn such a sexy outfit. She would have felt ridiculous--
like an ugly little duck masquerading as a beautiful
swan. Thanks to Joe, she knew she was that swan.
The doorbell rang and after peaking through the spy-hole,
she smiled and answered the door.
"Hope you're hungry," she said as Joe walked into the
apartment. He handed her a large bouquet of roses.
"I'm starving, and not just for dinner. God, you look
absolutely amazing."
He took her in his arms and kissed her, her mouth opening
under his like a little baby birds. With one hand full
of roses, Scully still managed to curve the other hand
around Joe's neck. His hands were on her, touching her,
cupping her bottom as he fed on her lips. The both ended
up laughing and gasping for air.
"I missed you," she said, as she led him into the kitchen.
She brought the bouquet to her nose and inhaled the
flower's heady fragrance. "These are just beautiful, Joe."
"They pale in comparison to you," he said, laughing. "I
can't believe how cheesy that line sounded."
Scully laughed too, but secretly she loved when Joe said
stuff like that, no matter how cliched or cheesy it might
sound. It had been far too long since anyone complimented
her and she wasn't about to give it up anytime soon.
"Sounded fine to me," she said, sliding her arms around his
waist. "I should probably get dinner started."
"I could wait," he said, sliding his hands under her top.
Her breath caught at the feel of a man's hand on her
bare skin. God, she'd almost forgot what that felt like.
"I thought you were starved," she said, her head swimming
as he cupped her breast through the lacy fabric of her
bra.
"I believe I said I was starving, but not just for dinner,"
her replied. "One of my appetites is far outweighing
the other."
He pulled her closer to him, so she could feel the evidence
of his appetite poking hard and hot against her tummy.
"Come on," she said, laughing and taking his hand. "I
wouldn't want you to go hungry."
"Wait, wait," he said, scooping her up in his arms. "I
wanted to do this since I first met you."
"Joe!" Scully cried out as Joe carried her in the direction
of the bedroom. "I'm too heavy--you'll hurt your leg."
"Nonsense," he said, laughing. "You don't weigh anything
at all. Now, prepare to be ravished, wench."
Continued in part 6...