Alphabet Soup (A-F)
Oct. 13th, 2009 10:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cortanaGeocities is shutting down which means I get the "joy" off moving everything over here to my LJ...so sorry for you on my f-list, but you get to see a ton of old, X-Files fic. I'll try to space it out so it's not too much...LOL
Author's notes: Yes, I have changed my writing style, hopefully for the better. But, like pictures from the past, you can't ignore bad writings because they show a snapshot of who you were and contrast you to what you are today....
Alphabet Soup
by YappiChick
The breeze gently caressed her frostbitten kissed face. Finally, something in Mulder broke. Most likely his spirit. Dejectedly he said, "Go be a doctor. Go be a doctor while you still can."
To his surprise, words of reassurance weren't forthcoming. Instead, Scully answered, "I am, Mulder."
His head shot up and he studied Scully. He definitely had on his panic face. "Well...good, Scully," he said slowly, trying to recover from such a shock. "I'm glad for you. At least I'll know someone in the hospital the next time I get the crap beat out of me. Maybe you could sneak me some extra lime jello."
"Mulder..." she warned. She knew his sarcasm was a defense mechanism, but she didn't have the energy to fight against him and the evil powers of the world.
"No, really I think it's great. No more Spooky Mulder around to tarnish your image."
She rolled her eyes. Mulder in a pouty mood was not what she wanted to deal with. She knew that he was trying to push her away; she wasn't going to let that happen. Too many times over the course of their partnership, they would turn away from each other in their time of need instead of looking at each other as a source of comfort.
She took his hand and rubbed in gently. "Mulder when I became a doctor, I took an oath that I would heal people. When I became a FBI agent, I took an oath to protect and serve the people. How can I justify my inaction to you, Skinner or anyone else who may die from this virus I had? The answer is inside me and I am not going to throw this opportunity away," she explained, hoping he could see her perspective.
His eyes looked up from a place on the ground into her eyes. There was an absolute certainty there. For the first time since the X-Files had been destroyed, Scully had a purpose. He tried to push aside his feelings of envy, but knew he was unsuccessful.
Fortunately, for both of their sakes, she ignored his childish envy. Instead, she kept talking, trying to keep some kind of line of communication open. "Skinner finally accepted my resignation," she said, changing the subjects. "He fought me tooth and nail before the...Antarctica incident. He wouldn't even look at it. When I came in today, he just took it no questions asked."
She frowned. "You don't think he was coerced into accepting it do you? I mean, we know that people involved with the project were down in Antarctica. They could have easily arrived here before us and 'convinced' to Skinner take it."
Mulder went back to looking in the crowd, trying to keep his anger in check. She was acting more concerned for their boss than his feelings. Couldn't she see how her absence would affect him?
Out loud he said, "I think he thinks what everyone in the Bureau does. That this final escapade finally broke your spirit. No one would willingly stay in a job that demands so much and gives back so little."
She seemed to consider that. He could almost see her playing out the argument in her head. Could her logic agree with the hypothesis he presented her? Her grim smile was all the answer he needed to know she agreed with him.
"This could be used to our advantage then. Maybe I'll have more time to operate without Them slowing me down. I'll take any head start I can get."
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled his hand away from hers. "Just how do you plan on doing this? Pop over to Georgetown and say 'Hey, I was recently infected with an alien virus. But don't worry, my dashingly handsome and brave partner gave me the antidote so I'm now cured. Now I want to do my civic duty and save everyone else'?" he asked, his anger barely in check.
Her shoulders sagged. She knew he would resist what she was trying to do. He expected her to do nothing with the vaccine she had received and be the good little partner and do what he wanted her to do. Now, her anger was building. How could he expect her to ignore this one opportunity to do her part to save the world from a terrifying death?
She took a deep breath. No matter their feelings now, they were both fighting the same war. Like their time on the X-Files, they went about their results in different manners. "Mulder," said Scully, "I don't have all the answers yet. But I do know I'm going to do whatever it takes to find the answers. This is bigger than you, me or the FBI. This is the human race we are talking about and I will not sit by the wayside and watch the world be defeated."
Her hand came up to his cheek. Stubble rubbed against the delicate skin on her palm. "Just because I'm not in the FBI anymore doesn't mean we're not still on the same team." She swallowed. Heartfelt declarations were not her strong suit. "You are my best friend. You make me feel empowered, Mulder. Your intuition and my science are not a force easily destroyed. Together we can make impossible ideas a reality. That's what my time with the X-Files and you have taught me. And I know we are going to be successful in bringing hope to a lot of people."
Instead of being pleased by her determination, he jerked away from her. "I have to go, Scully." He walked away without looking back.
Scully stayed and sighed. Maybe next time, she thought, I'll skip the talking and go straight for the kiss.
Alphabet Soup: B is for Broken
Summary: bro-ken v. To weaken or destroy, as in spirit or health; overwhelm with adversity
Mulder didn't know where he was going exactly other than away from Scully. He had heard enough of her "together we can defeat the bad guys" speech. It sounded like himself before he lost his naivety. He shook his head as he got into the car.
Who was this new and improved Scully? What exactly was in that vial he gave her? And just when did she start making his crusade of saving the world from the powers that be her own?
He didn't know which bothered him more: her conviction that she was doing the right thing, or her determination to be successful, no matter the cost. She was supposed to be the level headed one in this partnership.
Former partnership, his mind corrected.
He found himself driving to the Bureau. Sure, he no longer had the sanctuary of the X-Files office anymore, but it was the one place Scully couldn't follow.
At least not without wearing a visitor's pass. He knew that Scully wouldn't call attention to herself like that. The rumor mill would be working triple time to keep up with the latest development in the Mulder/Scully saga.
When he got there, he took the side entrance in. There was no doubt in his mind that people were still talking about his rescue of Scully. Some of the newer agents thought it was a "hopelessly romantic" gesture which fueled the "are they or aren't they sleeping with each other?" debate. Most agents, especially those in VCU, thought he finally had cracked.
Mulder knew the reality of it though, he just did what he was told. If someone in the Syndicate needed someone to jump through hoops to backstab another member of it, Fox Mulder was their man.
Maybe that's why he was furious. He didn't get the life-alerting enlightenment that Scully did and he was the one who went around the world to save her. Nope, he thought, all I got was a bullet that was a few centimeters of the mark.
Before he could throw himself a full fledged pity party, his cell phone rang. He looked at his watch. An hour. He didn't think Scully would have waited that long to call him.
"Look, Scully, I can't talk right now. I'm in the office."
"Agent Mulder?" was the confused response.
Crap, it was Kim, Skinner's secretary. "Yeah, um, sorry about that. I thought you were someone else," he stammered.
He could hear her smirk over the line. "Obviously. Please hold while I get AD Skinner on the line."
He grimaced as he was put on hold. Surely Kim wouldn't say anything to Skinner. His uneasiness grew the longer he was forced to wait. There had certainly been enough time for her to tell him what he had said.
He stopped himself. Why should Skinner care if he snapped at Scully? It wasn't as if they were working together anymore.
He heard the click over the line. "Agent Mulder, sorry to keep you waiting. I wanted to let you know that your OPR meeting is scheduled for Friday morning at ten."
Mulder frowned. He had known that for a while. He waited for Skinner to get around to the real reason why he called.
Skinner cleared his throat. "I also wondered if you have had a chance to speak with Agent Scully."
Ah, he wants to make sure I know I don't have anyone watching my back anymore, he thought. "Yes, sir. I spoke to her this afternoon."
"Then I assume you know about her decision to leave the FBI."
If the pain in his gut was any indication, the more times he heard it, the worse he felt. "Yes, she happened to bring it up."
"I just wanted to extend my sympathy to you. As I expressed to her earlier, despite being a handful at times, you and Agent Scully were one of the most effective partnerships I've had under my supervision," he said sympathetically.
Mulder hit his head on the keyboard. It was like hearing the eulogy at his and Scully's funeral.
Skinner paused. "Where are you at, Mulder?"
Crap, he was hoping Skinner wouldn't ask that. Maybe that's what Kim had been talking to him about. "Um, I'm at my desk, sir. You know what they say about an idle mind being the devil's playground and all."
If he listened closely, he could almost hear Skinner's jaw clench. "Mulder, you know you're not allowed to work until OPR clears you. It was only out of professional courtesy that they didn't take your badge and gun away. Don't give them an excuse to get rid of you. Go home and stay out of trouble until Friday."
Mulder rolled his eyes. OPR wouldn't know professional courtesy if it came up at bit them in the face. "You know me, sir. I'm the model FBI agent."
"Whatever. I don't want to hear that you have been here at all. Scully's not here to bail you out anymore. Remember that."
Mulder sighed. Scully's absence was the one thing he wanted to forget.
Alphabet Soup: C is for Conversation
Summary: con-ver-sa-tion n. The spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions, and feelings; talk
Scully straightened the cross on her necklace for the second time in a minute. After her failed attempt to reach out and help Mulder understand what and why she was changing the course of her life the afternoon before, she almost called off her plans for today.
Lunch with her mother.
She felt guilty that she dreaded this. Her mother and she were never particularly close when she was growing up, in part due to the close relationship she had with her father. It was only after his passing that she started seeking her mom for support.
After her battle with cancer and the decision to ultimately use Mulder's "miracle" chip, the relationship had become strained. Unresolved issues led to uncomfortable silences. She was lucky if they spoke on the phone once a month. The last time she had seen her was at Bill's house during Christmas. Scully knew from the defeated sighs over the phone after Emily's funeral, her mom thought she had snapped because of the pressure of her job.
Despite the breakdown of communication, Scully had told her about the X-Files office being burnt down and her reassignment to the domestic terrorism unit. Her mom seemed pleased at that announcement until she heard Mulder was still her partner.
Maggie didn't know, however, anything that happened at Dallas or any of the events following the terrible bombing. That, Scully decided, was better left said face to face.
The knock on her door pulled her out of her reverie. She opened the door and saw her mom's sad face and an apple pie in her hand.
"I brought this over for dessert. I know you used to love this." She gave her a watery smile. "But then I realized I don't know what you like anymore."
"Oh Mom," Scully whispered, as she hugged her mom fiercely. Maybe they were both on the same page of trying to bring the peace back between them.
As she pulled away, her mom touched her frostbitten cheeks. "Dana, what happened to you?"
"I'm fine, Mom," she assured her. "That's part of the reason why we need to talk. Let me take this pie to the kitchen and bring out lunch. Then I'll tell you what's been going on."
They sat at her dining room table and she began to tell the watered down version of what had happened. She managed to avoid red flag words such as "aliens," "conspiracy," or any other words that Mulder would have used. As far as her mom knew, she was infected with an unknown virus that could be used possibly as a bio terror weapon.
As for the Antarctica part, she lamely explained that the research facilities were down there to avoid any kind of outbreak in the US.
"And it made me think that if I could survive that then so could many more people. I thought about it and I decided that my ability to help find a vaccine wouldn't be very effective as an FBI agent. So yesterday, I submitted my resignation to the Bureau," she explained.
Her mom frowned. It wasn't the reaction she had been expecting. "What about Fox? Did he just let you quit after all that you have sacrificed for him? Working as your partner in a different department wasn't as interesting?"
The anger. She had wondered when it would show up during this conversation. Apparently, the past few months had allowed Bill to use his influence to convince her mom Mulder was to blame for everything negative in her life.
"Mom, this was a decision I made. Me. Mulder respected my decision to leave and that's what I want you to do. But," she warned, "just because Mulder and I don't work together doesn't mean that I'm going to not be his friend anymore. He has resources at the FBI that I will no longer have available to me. He and I still be working together, just not in the same way."
Her mom looked resigned. "Dana, I know that Fox has become important to you. In fact there are times that I feel that his influence over you has...affected your judgment. I think now that you have finally come to the decision to leave the FBI, for whatever reasons, you need to cut all ties there. Don't you?" she asked softly.
"No, Mom, I don't," she snapped. She paused before speaking again. The point of this meeting was to rebuild bridges, not burn them.
"Mom," she started again, "Mulder's not going anywhere. He will always be a part of my life. I know you think he has put me in harm's way, but he has saved me time and again. He isn't the one who puts me in danger. Risk is the cost of living, Mom. No one is safe from danger. Not me, not Bill, not Charlie." She drew a breath. "I'm going to go back to being a doctor. I'm going to figure out what I was infected with and how to cure it. That's my goal and that's all I can give you. Would you please accept it?"
Maggie looked unconvinced. "I don't know, Dana. This whole thing seems so unlike you. I mean, quitting your job just because you got sick? Why don't you work with the government to come up with a cure, if they are worried about it being used as a bio-terror weapon? I don't see your reasoning for leaving the FBI. But, honestly Dana, nothing you do anymore makes sense. I just wonder if these past few months of being on the field in a more normal capacity hasn't made you restless."
Scully's eyes widened in shock. How was it that still, after all the time she had spent at the Bureau that her ability to make a decision for herself was still being questioned? She pushed down her feelings of hurt and betrayal and said calmly, "I am perfectly capable to make this decision for myself. At this point in my life, this is where I feel like I need to go. I would hope that you would respect me enough to understand that."
Maggie sat quietly for a few seconds before looking at Scully's face. "I think I understand where you are coming from. I'm sure the pressures at the FBI are unbearable. I can only imagine how the stress you have had to endure over the past years have made you do and say things you normally wouldn't do."
Scully closed her eyes and counted to five. Stress doesn't create children that were born to die, give terminal cancer to countless women or send people to the ends of the earth so they could die a horrifying death, she thought. Finally, she conceded in her mind that she was never going to get her mom to see things from her point of view. "Sure, Mom," she said dejectedly.
She smiled as she stood up. "Let me get us some pie and I'll tell you what has been going on with your brothers."
When she left the room, Scully looked at her watch. 1:18. It was going to be a long afternoon.
Alphabet Soup: D is for Disturbance
Summary: dis-tur-bance n. Mental or emotional unbalance or disorder
Staying out of trouble was easier said than done. Especially when I no longer have a cute red headed partner to watch my back, Mulder thought.
He opened the door to his apartment and threw his basketball in the corner of his living room, not caring what it knocked over in its path of destruction. He had spent the day at the gym running and playing ball. He had managed to keep himself so worn out, he didn't have the energy to try sneaking in the office. For once, Skinner would be proud of him.
Without turning on any lights, he walked to his refrigerator and started drinking orange juice out of the carton. He could see Scully standing in the doorframe with her hands on her hips, eyebrow raised, giving him a lecture of how many germs there were left behind on the carton every time he did that.
He returned the carton on the shelf with too much force and thought of the one word he had been avoiding all day.
Scully.
That was the main reason why he had pushed himself so hard today. He had managed to keep himself from completely breaking down by avoiding the issue of her leaving work, and in turn, him. His brain was still trying to come up with a way to convince Scully to come back to the Bureau.
He laughed bitterly. Who was he fooling? He couldn't tell Scully what to do and he knew that. All he wanted was to see her and hear her explain how everything would be fine.
And instead of grabbing her and never letting go, you ignore her, the voice in his head taunted.
He sighed. He looked across the living room to see if by some chance she had left him a message when he noticed a shadow figure sitting on his couch.
Mulder reached for his gun, which of course with his gym clothes on, wasn't there. He flipped on the light and saw Cancer Man sitting calmly on his couch.
"I would think, Fox, that someone who has as many break-ins as much as you, that you would always clear your apartment before taking a drink," the older man greeted dryly.
"What the hell are you doing here?" demanded Mulder.
Cancer Man, as always, looked unfazed by the younger man's anger. "For someone who has made a trip halfway around the world and found proof of your 'aliens,' you seem a little distracted, Fox."
Mulder clinched his jaw. Of all days, today was not the one when he wanted to play mind games. "There's not much evidence when it's halfway across the galaxy. So unless you have E.T. hiding in my bedroom, get the hell out of my apartment."
Cancer Man remained on the couch. "I just wanted to assure you that you have nothing to worry about concerning your meeting with your superiors tomorrow.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a pack of Morleys. "There are some of my associates who feel like the loss of your FBI status might cause you to behave in a more unpredictable behavior than normal."
"Yeah, well too bad they're not on the OPR board."
Cancer Man thinly smiled. "They may not be, but their influence is. It seems AD Jefferson has a terrible gambling problem, AD Steward has a tendency to drink at the office, and AD Cassidy and Skinner have been involved in an, inappropriate, relationship. Everyone has something they want to hide." He paused dramatically before continuing. "Besides, the testimony of Miss Scully would make it difficult to not at least give you another chance to investigate what was really going on in Dallas. At least, not without seeming like the FBI had something to cover up."
"*Miss* Scully?"
He took a cigarette out of the pack. "Well, now that she has submitted her resignation, calling her Agent Scully would be inappropriate."
"I think she would prefer Dr. Scully, actually." The older man smiled slightly at Mulder's defense of his former partner. When he pulled out his lighter to light his cigarette, Mulder pulled it away. "No smoking allowed here. The smell pisses the landlord off."
Cancer Man stood up slowly and took the lighter back. "How *is* Dr. Scully? She has once again managed to baffle us with her actions. We had thought that she would continue to remain as your faithful sidekick as she had done after she was abducted, as you call it."
If his goal was to get under Mulder's skin, it was working. Mulder grabbed him by his lapels. "She wasn't my sidekick. Scully made the work that we did believable and respectable. She kept you and your 'associates' more on your toes than I ever could. But, if she wants to leave the FBI to pursue her goals, I'm not going to stop her."
"My, someone sounds awfully protective of his former partner. Some things never change."
Mulder felt his body tense. "What the hell does that mean?"
"I could swear you had the same protectiveness when it came to Agent Fowley. You defended her decision to leave you too."
Mulder's fist connected with the older man's jaw. "Dana Scully isn't, hasn't or ever will be like Diana. Scully didn't leave me. She's tired of playing your games,” he snarled. "If she wants to go, I will not stand in the way of her getting a normal life. After everything you and your associates have done to her and her family, it's the least I can do."
Cancer Man's eyebrows rose. "Fox, I didn't think you had it in you." He rubbed his jaw carefully. "But haven't you been bothered by the fact that she was so eager to leave? I mean, you are closer to proving the existence of your aliens than you have ever been and she just left the work you have been chasing for years."
Silence was his answer.
Cancer Man walked towards the front door. "Just remember, Fox, who originally assigned Dr. Scully to her position on the X-Files. Are you sure you can really trust her?"
A basketball ball thrown at the front door as he closed it was his answer.
Title: Alphabet Soup: E is for Enduring
Summary: en-dur-ing adj. Lasting; continuing; durable
Scully scrolled down the web page with a frown. Getting a job as a doctor after so many years out of practice was difficult. The only hospital in the area that was hiring for any position she was eligible for was Northeast Georgetown. She refused to work somewhere that the Consortium used as their dumping ground for their unneeded test subjects.
She rubbed her eyes wearily as she closed the web browser. Finding a job was only half of her problem.
She still needed to find a place to do her lab work. Universities or any other publicly funded labs were out. She needed a privately owned lab that allowed researchers to do their work with little questions as possible. Unfortunately, any contacts she may have had in her college days had been lost. Maybe Mulder knew of a lab that one of his MUFON groups ran.
That would assume we were talking to each other, she reminded herself. She had intended on calling him yesterday evening to wish him well at his OPR meeting, but after her mom left, she barely had the mental energy to do her evening chores.
She knew that once Mulder had a direction of where he was going, he would be able to talk to her. She had prayed that he would be able to remain a FBI agent. He needed something familiar to put his back up against while the dynamics of their relationship was changing.
Her phone rang. "Sc--Hello?" It was harder being a regular person than she remembered.
"Scully?"
She smiled. "Hey Mulder."
"I don't remember the last time you answered your phone like that."
"After our first case, Mulder, when you started your habit of late night phone calls."
"Well, it sounds nice," he said softly.
She felt herself blush. How was it that four words could make her feel like she was the most precious woman? "It's part of the new Dr. Scully persona." She paused. "How did your meeting with OPR go?"
"I was thinking about bringing over dinner and sharing all the exciting details with you. I'm prepared to bring over Lucille's as my bribe to you."
"Lucille's? You must be feeling guilty."
"Let it not be said I don't know how to beg for forgiveness."
"You know I can't say no to Lucille's. They have to best ribs in the world."
"Great. I'll see you in five minutes."
"Five minutes? You already got the food?"
"Like you said, I knew you couldn't say no."
She hung up the phone with him. She figured his meeting went well for him to be in such a good mood. It was as if the past two days hadn't happened.
Several minutes later, she opened the door and saw him with a several paper bags in his hands. "Geez, Mulder, were you planning on staying the weekend?"
His eyes twinkled. "Now, Scully, just because we aren't partners anymore doesn't mean I'm going to sleep with you. I'm not that easy."
She left herself open for that one. "Seriously, what's in the bags?"
"Stuff."
Her eyebrow rose. "Fine. All I care about are the bags with the wonderful smells coming out of them. You can keep the rest."
He set one bag on the coffee table and took the others into the dining room. "I know how messy you are with ribs, so I brought you this." He held up a plastic bib.
* * * *
After dinner, they leaned back in their seats. "So they reinstated you and you don't know where you're going to be reassigned?"
"No, I have a meeting with Skinner on Monday."
"I'm surprised. I would have thought they would have put up more of a fight of allowing you back in."
"Well..."
"What aren't you telling me, Mulder?"
"I got a visit from our chain smoking friend last night."
Her eyes widened. "What did he want?"
"To assure me that my job was safe. He wanted to know why you decided to leave and when I wouldn't give him an answer he liked, he pulled his typical mind trick crap at the end."
"What did he say?"
"Oh, you know, the old 'who do you think assigned her to the position of your partner, so how can you really trust her?' spiel."
She reached over the table and took his hand. "He may have been the one pulling the strings to get me on the X-files originally, but I'm the one who came back again and again."
Her squeezed her hand back. "I know, Scully."
She let go of his hand and picked up the plates. "I hope you don't have dessert in that bag out there because I already have that covered."
She came back a minute later with two slices of pie. "Courtesy of my mom."
He looked surprised. "You saw her?"
"She came over yesterday. I thought I should fill her in on what had been going on."
"How did that go?"
"Like one of your cow exsanguinations theories before I have had a cup of coffee."
He winced. "That bad?"
"She thinks doesn't understand my decision to leave the FBI but not you. I just want you to know that it may seem like right now I'm not there for you, but I am. The dynamics of how we work together are changing, that's all," she said, hoping to be able to put aside most of Mulder's fears of abandonment.
He smiled softly. "I know, Scully. I've had a lot of time to think about why you're doing this. And," he swallowed, "I think you're doing the right thing."
Scully didn't say anything. Mulder thought she was right? Rarely would he concede defeat.
He got up; Scully heard him looking through the bag in the other room. He came back holding a gift wrapped box. "Here. I wanted to get you something as a 'thanks for putting up with me when I'm in one of my moods' present. I hope it's not too much."
She took the box and looked at it. It was definitely jewelry. Maybe a necklace, she thought. She carefully ripped the paper and opened the box. She couldn't help the laugh that passed through her lips. "Mulder, I can not believe you got this for me."
Inside was gold chain with a charm of a broken heart and the word "Best" on it.
He put his hand over his heart. "You mean, you don't like it?"
"Mulder, I wore one of these when I was eight years old. Sarah McDonald and I each had a half. Except that time, I got the side the said 'friend'." She smiled at the memory. "I assume you have the other half."
"I sure do, but it's at home. I can't risk the chance that I might lose it while getting my ass kicked by the bad guys," he said with a smile.
She shook her head. "You know, presents from you are always unpredictable."
He looked at her, suddenly serious. "Scully, I don't know what will happen with us as all of this is changing. You are my best friend too. But I want you to know that I'm... interested in seeing how we function outside the parameters that the FBI set up for us. I meant what I said at my apartment. I owe you everything."
She looked away, embarrassed by his sudden kind words. "Mulder-"
He grinned, not wanting her to pull away. "Hey, don't think I haven't noticed you checking me out." He quickly continued on his earlier train of thought. "But I need to know if we are on the same page here. Things are never going to be the same between us and I don't want to create a problem."
She leaned her face close to him. "Oh, I think I am interested." She closed the gap between them and covered her lips with his own.
When they broke apart, he smiled. "I guess so."
She returned his smile. She stood up, pulling him with her. "Go home, Mulder. We both need time to figure out put everything in perspective. The last few days have been a whirlwind. We need to know where we want this to go."
He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Oh, Scully, I *know* where I want this to go."
She shook her head. "Sorry, but you said yourself you weren't going to sleep with me."
"I have a big mouth, don't I?"
"Yes, you do." She smiled softly. "Come over tomorrow. We still have things to talk about. Like why you felt it was necessary to ditch me for a couple of days. Lucille's can only earn you so many forgiveness points."
He sighed. "OK, you win. But, can I have a goodbye kiss before I go?"
She rolled her eyes. "Only because you came bearing gifts."
She leaned forward and kissed him. This kiss was better than the first one, maybe because he was ready for it. His lips were soft and warm. She pulled away after a few seconds. She knew those lips would be trouble.
They leaned their foreheads against each other. "Scully, I need to tell you something really important."
She felt herself panic. She wasn't ready for any confessions of love.
Yet.
"Scully, I," he paused, "can see down your shirt."
She was so surprised by what he didn't say, she nudged him in the chest with a soft laugh.
"I guess that's my cue to go."
She walked him to the door. "Good night, Mulder."
Yep, she thought, a kiss was definitely the right way to go.
Title: Alphabet Soup: F is for Foundation
Summary: foun-da-tion n. the basis or groundwork of anything
Mulder dribbled his basketball on the floor of his apartment. He knew Ms. McMolly, his downstairs neighbor, would be banging on the door in five minutes, but he couldn't help himself; he was bored.
The morning was spent catching up on errands. He made a trip to the dry cleaners, laundromat and grocery store followed by several household chores that included cleaning his apartment from top to bottom. He checked his email, paid his bills, and called the guys to set up a time to meet up for cheese steaks. He ate a late breakfast, which he made from scratch and had even washed the dishes he used.
And it wasn't even noon yet.
Mulder was trying to keep himself from replaying last night's kiss repeatedly. So far, he had been mildly successful. The fact that it was Scully who initiated the kiss was significant to him. She didn't do it out of desperation, like he had earlier in the summer. Instead, it was because she wanted to do it on her own free will.
While part of him still desperately wanted Scully back by his side at work, he was eager to see how the relationship between he and Scully would be. Mulder knew as long as she was with him, work or no, he was a lucky man.
He paused for a few seconds as he thought back to Scully leaning into his personal space. The way those soft, silky lips looked, just a breath's distance from his own. The tightening of his stomach in anticipation of what was going to come. The feeling of her lips finally caressing his own--Mulder pulled himself short.
He knew if he allowed himself, he would swallow her whole: body, heart and soul. On the flip side, he understood her need for space. Nothing was ever easy for them; this change in their relationship would be no different.
Mulder glanced at his watch; only two minutes had passed.
He needed to get his mind off Scully. Quickly. Before he could attempt to make any plans for the rest of his day, his cell phone rang. "Mulder," he answered.
"Mulder, it's me," came the familiar response.
He put down his basketball and leaned against the back of the couch. Maybe thinking about his favorite redhead would be a good thing. "Hey Scully," he said with a faint smile.
"I was wondering if I could meet you over at your place instead you coming by mine."
He wondered why Scully would change plans. Usually if he tried to do it, she would be ticked at him all day. Perhaps she couldn't get her mind off a particular subject either, he hoped.
Out loud he said, "Mi casa es su casa. What time do you want to come over?"
"In about an hour. That should give you enough time to clear off your coffee table."
He looked at his freshly scrubbed apartment. "Oh ye of little faith, I'll have you know I put Cinderella to shame this morning. I don't think this place has ever looked better."
Mulder could imagine her eyebrow going up. "Been busy this morning, have you?"
"I've been trying to," he admitted.
"Oh really? Why would you want to do that? Something on your mind?" she answered with a smile in her voice.
Scully being playful was something Mulder wasn't accustomed to. He wished he saw more of this side of her. Maybe with all the changes between them he would, he thought hopefully. "Yeah, well, I keep on replaying one part of last night over and over."
"I know," she agreed softly. Was it him or did her voice just get more...sexy? "It was unforgettable. I just can't seem to think of anything else."
Mulder reminded himself to breathe. "Yeah," was the only word his brain could come up with to say.
"I mean, Lucille's ribs. They are to die for."
He let out a small laugh of disappointment. "You are a wicked woman, Scully." He paused for a second. "Why did you want to come over so early anyway?"
She paused for a moment, almost as if considering whether or not to tell him. Finally she answered, "My job situation has possibly changed. I thought I should fill you in on what's going on."
His stomach fluttered. Despite the progress he thought he had made, he still didn't like to think about Scully not being his partner anymore. "Ok, sounds good." He hoped he sounded more sincere than he felt.
"It will be all right, Mulder. We're still in this together, remember?"
He didn't trust himself to say anything other than, "Sure, Scully." Mulder heard her take a long, deep breath, a sure sign she was getting ticked at him. "We'll talk when you get here," he said, clicking off the phone before she could say anything else.
An hour. He had a feeling that unlike this morning, the time would pass quickly. It was almost an X-File, he thought wryly.
* * * * *
The knock on his door was soft; it was a complete opposite from what Mulder was expecting. Hell hath no fury like a pissed Scully, he thought. He walked to his door and opened it for her.
She looked at his face. Apparently finding what she was searching for, she continued inside his apartment. "I'm not mad at you, Mulder."
He was still surprised how everyone thought he wore an expressionless face, yet Scully always managed to see past that. "I didn't say you were."
She shot him an "oh please, Mulder" look and walked into his living room. "Mom called me this morning with an offer," she said, getting right to her point. "Father McCue knows another priest, Father Downs, in the area who runs a clinic for people who don't have insurance. Apparently, they are rather short staffed. When Father McCue mentioned me returning back to medicine, Father Downs asked if I would be interested in taking a position there."
"What did you say?"
"That I would have to think about it. I wanted to talk it over with you first."
Mulder couldn't mask the look of surprise on his face. This woman, who had made every decision on her own for years, was looking for his input? He could hardly believe it. "I think you should take it, if you want," he said, knowing it was what she wanted to hear.
"I do. I think it would be a great opportunity. When we are able to mass produce the vaccine, we would be reaching a part of the population that would have no chance of surviving otherwise," she explained.
He noted her determination. There was no "if we get a vaccine", nothing other than success was acceptable to Scully. "If you already knew your answer, why are you asking me?"
She sat on his couch. "Because your opinion matters to me and I want to see where you stand on this whole issue."
It looked like she had more to say. "And?" Mulder prompted.
Scully looked in his eyes and spoke softly, "Ahab told me something when I was young and it stayed with me. He said, 'The person who loves you doesn't have to always agree with you, but they should always respect you.'"
"So, you're wanting to know if I love you?" he asked incredulously.
"No," she said quickly, color flooding her cheeks. "But, I do want to see if this relationship is as important to you as it is to me."
Mulder quickly joined her on the couch. "Scully, I can assure you that there is nothing more important. It's going to take me some time to get use to, but I know we are still fighting the same fight together, just in a different way. And, hell, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you back in the Bureau, but I understand why you needed to leave there too."
She gave him a suspiciously watery smile. "Thanks, Mulder." He put his arm around her. Despite the oddness, it felt good to have her so close. "Those guys won't even know what hit them. Mighty Mulder and Super Scully will win this battle."
She leaned into his shoulder. "It's about time we do."
Author's notes: Yes, I have changed my writing style, hopefully for the better. But, like pictures from the past, you can't ignore bad writings because they show a snapshot of who you were and contrast you to what you are today....
Alphabet Soup
by YappiChick
The breeze gently caressed her frostbitten kissed face. Finally, something in Mulder broke. Most likely his spirit. Dejectedly he said, "Go be a doctor. Go be a doctor while you still can."
To his surprise, words of reassurance weren't forthcoming. Instead, Scully answered, "I am, Mulder."
His head shot up and he studied Scully. He definitely had on his panic face. "Well...good, Scully," he said slowly, trying to recover from such a shock. "I'm glad for you. At least I'll know someone in the hospital the next time I get the crap beat out of me. Maybe you could sneak me some extra lime jello."
"Mulder..." she warned. She knew his sarcasm was a defense mechanism, but she didn't have the energy to fight against him and the evil powers of the world.
"No, really I think it's great. No more Spooky Mulder around to tarnish your image."
She rolled her eyes. Mulder in a pouty mood was not what she wanted to deal with. She knew that he was trying to push her away; she wasn't going to let that happen. Too many times over the course of their partnership, they would turn away from each other in their time of need instead of looking at each other as a source of comfort.
She took his hand and rubbed in gently. "Mulder when I became a doctor, I took an oath that I would heal people. When I became a FBI agent, I took an oath to protect and serve the people. How can I justify my inaction to you, Skinner or anyone else who may die from this virus I had? The answer is inside me and I am not going to throw this opportunity away," she explained, hoping he could see her perspective.
His eyes looked up from a place on the ground into her eyes. There was an absolute certainty there. For the first time since the X-Files had been destroyed, Scully had a purpose. He tried to push aside his feelings of envy, but knew he was unsuccessful.
Fortunately, for both of their sakes, she ignored his childish envy. Instead, she kept talking, trying to keep some kind of line of communication open. "Skinner finally accepted my resignation," she said, changing the subjects. "He fought me tooth and nail before the...Antarctica incident. He wouldn't even look at it. When I came in today, he just took it no questions asked."
She frowned. "You don't think he was coerced into accepting it do you? I mean, we know that people involved with the project were down in Antarctica. They could have easily arrived here before us and 'convinced' to Skinner take it."
Mulder went back to looking in the crowd, trying to keep his anger in check. She was acting more concerned for their boss than his feelings. Couldn't she see how her absence would affect him?
Out loud he said, "I think he thinks what everyone in the Bureau does. That this final escapade finally broke your spirit. No one would willingly stay in a job that demands so much and gives back so little."
She seemed to consider that. He could almost see her playing out the argument in her head. Could her logic agree with the hypothesis he presented her? Her grim smile was all the answer he needed to know she agreed with him.
"This could be used to our advantage then. Maybe I'll have more time to operate without Them slowing me down. I'll take any head start I can get."
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled his hand away from hers. "Just how do you plan on doing this? Pop over to Georgetown and say 'Hey, I was recently infected with an alien virus. But don't worry, my dashingly handsome and brave partner gave me the antidote so I'm now cured. Now I want to do my civic duty and save everyone else'?" he asked, his anger barely in check.
Her shoulders sagged. She knew he would resist what she was trying to do. He expected her to do nothing with the vaccine she had received and be the good little partner and do what he wanted her to do. Now, her anger was building. How could he expect her to ignore this one opportunity to do her part to save the world from a terrifying death?
She took a deep breath. No matter their feelings now, they were both fighting the same war. Like their time on the X-Files, they went about their results in different manners. "Mulder," said Scully, "I don't have all the answers yet. But I do know I'm going to do whatever it takes to find the answers. This is bigger than you, me or the FBI. This is the human race we are talking about and I will not sit by the wayside and watch the world be defeated."
Her hand came up to his cheek. Stubble rubbed against the delicate skin on her palm. "Just because I'm not in the FBI anymore doesn't mean we're not still on the same team." She swallowed. Heartfelt declarations were not her strong suit. "You are my best friend. You make me feel empowered, Mulder. Your intuition and my science are not a force easily destroyed. Together we can make impossible ideas a reality. That's what my time with the X-Files and you have taught me. And I know we are going to be successful in bringing hope to a lot of people."
Instead of being pleased by her determination, he jerked away from her. "I have to go, Scully." He walked away without looking back.
Scully stayed and sighed. Maybe next time, she thought, I'll skip the talking and go straight for the kiss.
Alphabet Soup: B is for Broken
Summary: bro-ken v. To weaken or destroy, as in spirit or health; overwhelm with adversity
Mulder didn't know where he was going exactly other than away from Scully. He had heard enough of her "together we can defeat the bad guys" speech. It sounded like himself before he lost his naivety. He shook his head as he got into the car.
Who was this new and improved Scully? What exactly was in that vial he gave her? And just when did she start making his crusade of saving the world from the powers that be her own?
He didn't know which bothered him more: her conviction that she was doing the right thing, or her determination to be successful, no matter the cost. She was supposed to be the level headed one in this partnership.
Former partnership, his mind corrected.
He found himself driving to the Bureau. Sure, he no longer had the sanctuary of the X-Files office anymore, but it was the one place Scully couldn't follow.
At least not without wearing a visitor's pass. He knew that Scully wouldn't call attention to herself like that. The rumor mill would be working triple time to keep up with the latest development in the Mulder/Scully saga.
When he got there, he took the side entrance in. There was no doubt in his mind that people were still talking about his rescue of Scully. Some of the newer agents thought it was a "hopelessly romantic" gesture which fueled the "are they or aren't they sleeping with each other?" debate. Most agents, especially those in VCU, thought he finally had cracked.
Mulder knew the reality of it though, he just did what he was told. If someone in the Syndicate needed someone to jump through hoops to backstab another member of it, Fox Mulder was their man.
Maybe that's why he was furious. He didn't get the life-alerting enlightenment that Scully did and he was the one who went around the world to save her. Nope, he thought, all I got was a bullet that was a few centimeters of the mark.
Before he could throw himself a full fledged pity party, his cell phone rang. He looked at his watch. An hour. He didn't think Scully would have waited that long to call him.
"Look, Scully, I can't talk right now. I'm in the office."
"Agent Mulder?" was the confused response.
Crap, it was Kim, Skinner's secretary. "Yeah, um, sorry about that. I thought you were someone else," he stammered.
He could hear her smirk over the line. "Obviously. Please hold while I get AD Skinner on the line."
He grimaced as he was put on hold. Surely Kim wouldn't say anything to Skinner. His uneasiness grew the longer he was forced to wait. There had certainly been enough time for her to tell him what he had said.
He stopped himself. Why should Skinner care if he snapped at Scully? It wasn't as if they were working together anymore.
He heard the click over the line. "Agent Mulder, sorry to keep you waiting. I wanted to let you know that your OPR meeting is scheduled for Friday morning at ten."
Mulder frowned. He had known that for a while. He waited for Skinner to get around to the real reason why he called.
Skinner cleared his throat. "I also wondered if you have had a chance to speak with Agent Scully."
Ah, he wants to make sure I know I don't have anyone watching my back anymore, he thought. "Yes, sir. I spoke to her this afternoon."
"Then I assume you know about her decision to leave the FBI."
If the pain in his gut was any indication, the more times he heard it, the worse he felt. "Yes, she happened to bring it up."
"I just wanted to extend my sympathy to you. As I expressed to her earlier, despite being a handful at times, you and Agent Scully were one of the most effective partnerships I've had under my supervision," he said sympathetically.
Mulder hit his head on the keyboard. It was like hearing the eulogy at his and Scully's funeral.
Skinner paused. "Where are you at, Mulder?"
Crap, he was hoping Skinner wouldn't ask that. Maybe that's what Kim had been talking to him about. "Um, I'm at my desk, sir. You know what they say about an idle mind being the devil's playground and all."
If he listened closely, he could almost hear Skinner's jaw clench. "Mulder, you know you're not allowed to work until OPR clears you. It was only out of professional courtesy that they didn't take your badge and gun away. Don't give them an excuse to get rid of you. Go home and stay out of trouble until Friday."
Mulder rolled his eyes. OPR wouldn't know professional courtesy if it came up at bit them in the face. "You know me, sir. I'm the model FBI agent."
"Whatever. I don't want to hear that you have been here at all. Scully's not here to bail you out anymore. Remember that."
Mulder sighed. Scully's absence was the one thing he wanted to forget.
Alphabet Soup: C is for Conversation
Summary: con-ver-sa-tion n. The spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions, and feelings; talk
Scully straightened the cross on her necklace for the second time in a minute. After her failed attempt to reach out and help Mulder understand what and why she was changing the course of her life the afternoon before, she almost called off her plans for today.
Lunch with her mother.
She felt guilty that she dreaded this. Her mother and she were never particularly close when she was growing up, in part due to the close relationship she had with her father. It was only after his passing that she started seeking her mom for support.
After her battle with cancer and the decision to ultimately use Mulder's "miracle" chip, the relationship had become strained. Unresolved issues led to uncomfortable silences. She was lucky if they spoke on the phone once a month. The last time she had seen her was at Bill's house during Christmas. Scully knew from the defeated sighs over the phone after Emily's funeral, her mom thought she had snapped because of the pressure of her job.
Despite the breakdown of communication, Scully had told her about the X-Files office being burnt down and her reassignment to the domestic terrorism unit. Her mom seemed pleased at that announcement until she heard Mulder was still her partner.
Maggie didn't know, however, anything that happened at Dallas or any of the events following the terrible bombing. That, Scully decided, was better left said face to face.
The knock on her door pulled her out of her reverie. She opened the door and saw her mom's sad face and an apple pie in her hand.
"I brought this over for dessert. I know you used to love this." She gave her a watery smile. "But then I realized I don't know what you like anymore."
"Oh Mom," Scully whispered, as she hugged her mom fiercely. Maybe they were both on the same page of trying to bring the peace back between them.
As she pulled away, her mom touched her frostbitten cheeks. "Dana, what happened to you?"
"I'm fine, Mom," she assured her. "That's part of the reason why we need to talk. Let me take this pie to the kitchen and bring out lunch. Then I'll tell you what's been going on."
They sat at her dining room table and she began to tell the watered down version of what had happened. She managed to avoid red flag words such as "aliens," "conspiracy," or any other words that Mulder would have used. As far as her mom knew, she was infected with an unknown virus that could be used possibly as a bio terror weapon.
As for the Antarctica part, she lamely explained that the research facilities were down there to avoid any kind of outbreak in the US.
"And it made me think that if I could survive that then so could many more people. I thought about it and I decided that my ability to help find a vaccine wouldn't be very effective as an FBI agent. So yesterday, I submitted my resignation to the Bureau," she explained.
Her mom frowned. It wasn't the reaction she had been expecting. "What about Fox? Did he just let you quit after all that you have sacrificed for him? Working as your partner in a different department wasn't as interesting?"
The anger. She had wondered when it would show up during this conversation. Apparently, the past few months had allowed Bill to use his influence to convince her mom Mulder was to blame for everything negative in her life.
"Mom, this was a decision I made. Me. Mulder respected my decision to leave and that's what I want you to do. But," she warned, "just because Mulder and I don't work together doesn't mean that I'm going to not be his friend anymore. He has resources at the FBI that I will no longer have available to me. He and I still be working together, just not in the same way."
Her mom looked resigned. "Dana, I know that Fox has become important to you. In fact there are times that I feel that his influence over you has...affected your judgment. I think now that you have finally come to the decision to leave the FBI, for whatever reasons, you need to cut all ties there. Don't you?" she asked softly.
"No, Mom, I don't," she snapped. She paused before speaking again. The point of this meeting was to rebuild bridges, not burn them.
"Mom," she started again, "Mulder's not going anywhere. He will always be a part of my life. I know you think he has put me in harm's way, but he has saved me time and again. He isn't the one who puts me in danger. Risk is the cost of living, Mom. No one is safe from danger. Not me, not Bill, not Charlie." She drew a breath. "I'm going to go back to being a doctor. I'm going to figure out what I was infected with and how to cure it. That's my goal and that's all I can give you. Would you please accept it?"
Maggie looked unconvinced. "I don't know, Dana. This whole thing seems so unlike you. I mean, quitting your job just because you got sick? Why don't you work with the government to come up with a cure, if they are worried about it being used as a bio-terror weapon? I don't see your reasoning for leaving the FBI. But, honestly Dana, nothing you do anymore makes sense. I just wonder if these past few months of being on the field in a more normal capacity hasn't made you restless."
Scully's eyes widened in shock. How was it that still, after all the time she had spent at the Bureau that her ability to make a decision for herself was still being questioned? She pushed down her feelings of hurt and betrayal and said calmly, "I am perfectly capable to make this decision for myself. At this point in my life, this is where I feel like I need to go. I would hope that you would respect me enough to understand that."
Maggie sat quietly for a few seconds before looking at Scully's face. "I think I understand where you are coming from. I'm sure the pressures at the FBI are unbearable. I can only imagine how the stress you have had to endure over the past years have made you do and say things you normally wouldn't do."
Scully closed her eyes and counted to five. Stress doesn't create children that were born to die, give terminal cancer to countless women or send people to the ends of the earth so they could die a horrifying death, she thought. Finally, she conceded in her mind that she was never going to get her mom to see things from her point of view. "Sure, Mom," she said dejectedly.
She smiled as she stood up. "Let me get us some pie and I'll tell you what has been going on with your brothers."
When she left the room, Scully looked at her watch. 1:18. It was going to be a long afternoon.
Alphabet Soup: D is for Disturbance
Summary: dis-tur-bance n. Mental or emotional unbalance or disorder
Staying out of trouble was easier said than done. Especially when I no longer have a cute red headed partner to watch my back, Mulder thought.
He opened the door to his apartment and threw his basketball in the corner of his living room, not caring what it knocked over in its path of destruction. He had spent the day at the gym running and playing ball. He had managed to keep himself so worn out, he didn't have the energy to try sneaking in the office. For once, Skinner would be proud of him.
Without turning on any lights, he walked to his refrigerator and started drinking orange juice out of the carton. He could see Scully standing in the doorframe with her hands on her hips, eyebrow raised, giving him a lecture of how many germs there were left behind on the carton every time he did that.
He returned the carton on the shelf with too much force and thought of the one word he had been avoiding all day.
Scully.
That was the main reason why he had pushed himself so hard today. He had managed to keep himself from completely breaking down by avoiding the issue of her leaving work, and in turn, him. His brain was still trying to come up with a way to convince Scully to come back to the Bureau.
He laughed bitterly. Who was he fooling? He couldn't tell Scully what to do and he knew that. All he wanted was to see her and hear her explain how everything would be fine.
And instead of grabbing her and never letting go, you ignore her, the voice in his head taunted.
He sighed. He looked across the living room to see if by some chance she had left him a message when he noticed a shadow figure sitting on his couch.
Mulder reached for his gun, which of course with his gym clothes on, wasn't there. He flipped on the light and saw Cancer Man sitting calmly on his couch.
"I would think, Fox, that someone who has as many break-ins as much as you, that you would always clear your apartment before taking a drink," the older man greeted dryly.
"What the hell are you doing here?" demanded Mulder.
Cancer Man, as always, looked unfazed by the younger man's anger. "For someone who has made a trip halfway around the world and found proof of your 'aliens,' you seem a little distracted, Fox."
Mulder clinched his jaw. Of all days, today was not the one when he wanted to play mind games. "There's not much evidence when it's halfway across the galaxy. So unless you have E.T. hiding in my bedroom, get the hell out of my apartment."
Cancer Man remained on the couch. "I just wanted to assure you that you have nothing to worry about concerning your meeting with your superiors tomorrow.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a pack of Morleys. "There are some of my associates who feel like the loss of your FBI status might cause you to behave in a more unpredictable behavior than normal."
"Yeah, well too bad they're not on the OPR board."
Cancer Man thinly smiled. "They may not be, but their influence is. It seems AD Jefferson has a terrible gambling problem, AD Steward has a tendency to drink at the office, and AD Cassidy and Skinner have been involved in an, inappropriate, relationship. Everyone has something they want to hide." He paused dramatically before continuing. "Besides, the testimony of Miss Scully would make it difficult to not at least give you another chance to investigate what was really going on in Dallas. At least, not without seeming like the FBI had something to cover up."
"*Miss* Scully?"
He took a cigarette out of the pack. "Well, now that she has submitted her resignation, calling her Agent Scully would be inappropriate."
"I think she would prefer Dr. Scully, actually." The older man smiled slightly at Mulder's defense of his former partner. When he pulled out his lighter to light his cigarette, Mulder pulled it away. "No smoking allowed here. The smell pisses the landlord off."
Cancer Man stood up slowly and took the lighter back. "How *is* Dr. Scully? She has once again managed to baffle us with her actions. We had thought that she would continue to remain as your faithful sidekick as she had done after she was abducted, as you call it."
If his goal was to get under Mulder's skin, it was working. Mulder grabbed him by his lapels. "She wasn't my sidekick. Scully made the work that we did believable and respectable. She kept you and your 'associates' more on your toes than I ever could. But, if she wants to leave the FBI to pursue her goals, I'm not going to stop her."
"My, someone sounds awfully protective of his former partner. Some things never change."
Mulder felt his body tense. "What the hell does that mean?"
"I could swear you had the same protectiveness when it came to Agent Fowley. You defended her decision to leave you too."
Mulder's fist connected with the older man's jaw. "Dana Scully isn't, hasn't or ever will be like Diana. Scully didn't leave me. She's tired of playing your games,” he snarled. "If she wants to go, I will not stand in the way of her getting a normal life. After everything you and your associates have done to her and her family, it's the least I can do."
Cancer Man's eyebrows rose. "Fox, I didn't think you had it in you." He rubbed his jaw carefully. "But haven't you been bothered by the fact that she was so eager to leave? I mean, you are closer to proving the existence of your aliens than you have ever been and she just left the work you have been chasing for years."
Silence was his answer.
Cancer Man walked towards the front door. "Just remember, Fox, who originally assigned Dr. Scully to her position on the X-Files. Are you sure you can really trust her?"
A basketball ball thrown at the front door as he closed it was his answer.
Title: Alphabet Soup: E is for Enduring
Summary: en-dur-ing adj. Lasting; continuing; durable
Scully scrolled down the web page with a frown. Getting a job as a doctor after so many years out of practice was difficult. The only hospital in the area that was hiring for any position she was eligible for was Northeast Georgetown. She refused to work somewhere that the Consortium used as their dumping ground for their unneeded test subjects.
She rubbed her eyes wearily as she closed the web browser. Finding a job was only half of her problem.
She still needed to find a place to do her lab work. Universities or any other publicly funded labs were out. She needed a privately owned lab that allowed researchers to do their work with little questions as possible. Unfortunately, any contacts she may have had in her college days had been lost. Maybe Mulder knew of a lab that one of his MUFON groups ran.
That would assume we were talking to each other, she reminded herself. She had intended on calling him yesterday evening to wish him well at his OPR meeting, but after her mom left, she barely had the mental energy to do her evening chores.
She knew that once Mulder had a direction of where he was going, he would be able to talk to her. She had prayed that he would be able to remain a FBI agent. He needed something familiar to put his back up against while the dynamics of their relationship was changing.
Her phone rang. "Sc--Hello?" It was harder being a regular person than she remembered.
"Scully?"
She smiled. "Hey Mulder."
"I don't remember the last time you answered your phone like that."
"After our first case, Mulder, when you started your habit of late night phone calls."
"Well, it sounds nice," he said softly.
She felt herself blush. How was it that four words could make her feel like she was the most precious woman? "It's part of the new Dr. Scully persona." She paused. "How did your meeting with OPR go?"
"I was thinking about bringing over dinner and sharing all the exciting details with you. I'm prepared to bring over Lucille's as my bribe to you."
"Lucille's? You must be feeling guilty."
"Let it not be said I don't know how to beg for forgiveness."
"You know I can't say no to Lucille's. They have to best ribs in the world."
"Great. I'll see you in five minutes."
"Five minutes? You already got the food?"
"Like you said, I knew you couldn't say no."
She hung up the phone with him. She figured his meeting went well for him to be in such a good mood. It was as if the past two days hadn't happened.
Several minutes later, she opened the door and saw him with a several paper bags in his hands. "Geez, Mulder, were you planning on staying the weekend?"
His eyes twinkled. "Now, Scully, just because we aren't partners anymore doesn't mean I'm going to sleep with you. I'm not that easy."
She left herself open for that one. "Seriously, what's in the bags?"
"Stuff."
Her eyebrow rose. "Fine. All I care about are the bags with the wonderful smells coming out of them. You can keep the rest."
He set one bag on the coffee table and took the others into the dining room. "I know how messy you are with ribs, so I brought you this." He held up a plastic bib.
* * * *
After dinner, they leaned back in their seats. "So they reinstated you and you don't know where you're going to be reassigned?"
"No, I have a meeting with Skinner on Monday."
"I'm surprised. I would have thought they would have put up more of a fight of allowing you back in."
"Well..."
"What aren't you telling me, Mulder?"
"I got a visit from our chain smoking friend last night."
Her eyes widened. "What did he want?"
"To assure me that my job was safe. He wanted to know why you decided to leave and when I wouldn't give him an answer he liked, he pulled his typical mind trick crap at the end."
"What did he say?"
"Oh, you know, the old 'who do you think assigned her to the position of your partner, so how can you really trust her?' spiel."
She reached over the table and took his hand. "He may have been the one pulling the strings to get me on the X-files originally, but I'm the one who came back again and again."
Her squeezed her hand back. "I know, Scully."
She let go of his hand and picked up the plates. "I hope you don't have dessert in that bag out there because I already have that covered."
She came back a minute later with two slices of pie. "Courtesy of my mom."
He looked surprised. "You saw her?"
"She came over yesterday. I thought I should fill her in on what had been going on."
"How did that go?"
"Like one of your cow exsanguinations theories before I have had a cup of coffee."
He winced. "That bad?"
"She thinks doesn't understand my decision to leave the FBI but not you. I just want you to know that it may seem like right now I'm not there for you, but I am. The dynamics of how we work together are changing, that's all," she said, hoping to be able to put aside most of Mulder's fears of abandonment.
He smiled softly. "I know, Scully. I've had a lot of time to think about why you're doing this. And," he swallowed, "I think you're doing the right thing."
Scully didn't say anything. Mulder thought she was right? Rarely would he concede defeat.
He got up; Scully heard him looking through the bag in the other room. He came back holding a gift wrapped box. "Here. I wanted to get you something as a 'thanks for putting up with me when I'm in one of my moods' present. I hope it's not too much."
She took the box and looked at it. It was definitely jewelry. Maybe a necklace, she thought. She carefully ripped the paper and opened the box. She couldn't help the laugh that passed through her lips. "Mulder, I can not believe you got this for me."
Inside was gold chain with a charm of a broken heart and the word "Best" on it.
He put his hand over his heart. "You mean, you don't like it?"
"Mulder, I wore one of these when I was eight years old. Sarah McDonald and I each had a half. Except that time, I got the side the said 'friend'." She smiled at the memory. "I assume you have the other half."
"I sure do, but it's at home. I can't risk the chance that I might lose it while getting my ass kicked by the bad guys," he said with a smile.
She shook her head. "You know, presents from you are always unpredictable."
He looked at her, suddenly serious. "Scully, I don't know what will happen with us as all of this is changing. You are my best friend too. But I want you to know that I'm... interested in seeing how we function outside the parameters that the FBI set up for us. I meant what I said at my apartment. I owe you everything."
She looked away, embarrassed by his sudden kind words. "Mulder-"
He grinned, not wanting her to pull away. "Hey, don't think I haven't noticed you checking me out." He quickly continued on his earlier train of thought. "But I need to know if we are on the same page here. Things are never going to be the same between us and I don't want to create a problem."
She leaned her face close to him. "Oh, I think I am interested." She closed the gap between them and covered her lips with his own.
When they broke apart, he smiled. "I guess so."
She returned his smile. She stood up, pulling him with her. "Go home, Mulder. We both need time to figure out put everything in perspective. The last few days have been a whirlwind. We need to know where we want this to go."
He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Oh, Scully, I *know* where I want this to go."
She shook her head. "Sorry, but you said yourself you weren't going to sleep with me."
"I have a big mouth, don't I?"
"Yes, you do." She smiled softly. "Come over tomorrow. We still have things to talk about. Like why you felt it was necessary to ditch me for a couple of days. Lucille's can only earn you so many forgiveness points."
He sighed. "OK, you win. But, can I have a goodbye kiss before I go?"
She rolled her eyes. "Only because you came bearing gifts."
She leaned forward and kissed him. This kiss was better than the first one, maybe because he was ready for it. His lips were soft and warm. She pulled away after a few seconds. She knew those lips would be trouble.
They leaned their foreheads against each other. "Scully, I need to tell you something really important."
She felt herself panic. She wasn't ready for any confessions of love.
Yet.
"Scully, I," he paused, "can see down your shirt."
She was so surprised by what he didn't say, she nudged him in the chest with a soft laugh.
"I guess that's my cue to go."
She walked him to the door. "Good night, Mulder."
Yep, she thought, a kiss was definitely the right way to go.
Title: Alphabet Soup: F is for Foundation
Summary: foun-da-tion n. the basis or groundwork of anything
Mulder dribbled his basketball on the floor of his apartment. He knew Ms. McMolly, his downstairs neighbor, would be banging on the door in five minutes, but he couldn't help himself; he was bored.
The morning was spent catching up on errands. He made a trip to the dry cleaners, laundromat and grocery store followed by several household chores that included cleaning his apartment from top to bottom. He checked his email, paid his bills, and called the guys to set up a time to meet up for cheese steaks. He ate a late breakfast, which he made from scratch and had even washed the dishes he used.
And it wasn't even noon yet.
Mulder was trying to keep himself from replaying last night's kiss repeatedly. So far, he had been mildly successful. The fact that it was Scully who initiated the kiss was significant to him. She didn't do it out of desperation, like he had earlier in the summer. Instead, it was because she wanted to do it on her own free will.
While part of him still desperately wanted Scully back by his side at work, he was eager to see how the relationship between he and Scully would be. Mulder knew as long as she was with him, work or no, he was a lucky man.
He paused for a few seconds as he thought back to Scully leaning into his personal space. The way those soft, silky lips looked, just a breath's distance from his own. The tightening of his stomach in anticipation of what was going to come. The feeling of her lips finally caressing his own--Mulder pulled himself short.
He knew if he allowed himself, he would swallow her whole: body, heart and soul. On the flip side, he understood her need for space. Nothing was ever easy for them; this change in their relationship would be no different.
Mulder glanced at his watch; only two minutes had passed.
He needed to get his mind off Scully. Quickly. Before he could attempt to make any plans for the rest of his day, his cell phone rang. "Mulder," he answered.
"Mulder, it's me," came the familiar response.
He put down his basketball and leaned against the back of the couch. Maybe thinking about his favorite redhead would be a good thing. "Hey Scully," he said with a faint smile.
"I was wondering if I could meet you over at your place instead you coming by mine."
He wondered why Scully would change plans. Usually if he tried to do it, she would be ticked at him all day. Perhaps she couldn't get her mind off a particular subject either, he hoped.
Out loud he said, "Mi casa es su casa. What time do you want to come over?"
"In about an hour. That should give you enough time to clear off your coffee table."
He looked at his freshly scrubbed apartment. "Oh ye of little faith, I'll have you know I put Cinderella to shame this morning. I don't think this place has ever looked better."
Mulder could imagine her eyebrow going up. "Been busy this morning, have you?"
"I've been trying to," he admitted.
"Oh really? Why would you want to do that? Something on your mind?" she answered with a smile in her voice.
Scully being playful was something Mulder wasn't accustomed to. He wished he saw more of this side of her. Maybe with all the changes between them he would, he thought hopefully. "Yeah, well, I keep on replaying one part of last night over and over."
"I know," she agreed softly. Was it him or did her voice just get more...sexy? "It was unforgettable. I just can't seem to think of anything else."
Mulder reminded himself to breathe. "Yeah," was the only word his brain could come up with to say.
"I mean, Lucille's ribs. They are to die for."
He let out a small laugh of disappointment. "You are a wicked woman, Scully." He paused for a second. "Why did you want to come over so early anyway?"
She paused for a moment, almost as if considering whether or not to tell him. Finally she answered, "My job situation has possibly changed. I thought I should fill you in on what's going on."
His stomach fluttered. Despite the progress he thought he had made, he still didn't like to think about Scully not being his partner anymore. "Ok, sounds good." He hoped he sounded more sincere than he felt.
"It will be all right, Mulder. We're still in this together, remember?"
He didn't trust himself to say anything other than, "Sure, Scully." Mulder heard her take a long, deep breath, a sure sign she was getting ticked at him. "We'll talk when you get here," he said, clicking off the phone before she could say anything else.
An hour. He had a feeling that unlike this morning, the time would pass quickly. It was almost an X-File, he thought wryly.
* * * * *
The knock on his door was soft; it was a complete opposite from what Mulder was expecting. Hell hath no fury like a pissed Scully, he thought. He walked to his door and opened it for her.
She looked at his face. Apparently finding what she was searching for, she continued inside his apartment. "I'm not mad at you, Mulder."
He was still surprised how everyone thought he wore an expressionless face, yet Scully always managed to see past that. "I didn't say you were."
She shot him an "oh please, Mulder" look and walked into his living room. "Mom called me this morning with an offer," she said, getting right to her point. "Father McCue knows another priest, Father Downs, in the area who runs a clinic for people who don't have insurance. Apparently, they are rather short staffed. When Father McCue mentioned me returning back to medicine, Father Downs asked if I would be interested in taking a position there."
"What did you say?"
"That I would have to think about it. I wanted to talk it over with you first."
Mulder couldn't mask the look of surprise on his face. This woman, who had made every decision on her own for years, was looking for his input? He could hardly believe it. "I think you should take it, if you want," he said, knowing it was what she wanted to hear.
"I do. I think it would be a great opportunity. When we are able to mass produce the vaccine, we would be reaching a part of the population that would have no chance of surviving otherwise," she explained.
He noted her determination. There was no "if we get a vaccine", nothing other than success was acceptable to Scully. "If you already knew your answer, why are you asking me?"
She sat on his couch. "Because your opinion matters to me and I want to see where you stand on this whole issue."
It looked like she had more to say. "And?" Mulder prompted.
Scully looked in his eyes and spoke softly, "Ahab told me something when I was young and it stayed with me. He said, 'The person who loves you doesn't have to always agree with you, but they should always respect you.'"
"So, you're wanting to know if I love you?" he asked incredulously.
"No," she said quickly, color flooding her cheeks. "But, I do want to see if this relationship is as important to you as it is to me."
Mulder quickly joined her on the couch. "Scully, I can assure you that there is nothing more important. It's going to take me some time to get use to, but I know we are still fighting the same fight together, just in a different way. And, hell, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you back in the Bureau, but I understand why you needed to leave there too."
She gave him a suspiciously watery smile. "Thanks, Mulder." He put his arm around her. Despite the oddness, it felt good to have her so close. "Those guys won't even know what hit them. Mighty Mulder and Super Scully will win this battle."
She leaned into his shoulder. "It's about time we do."
