From: risamy@epix.net (Amy Schatz) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: 12 Steps to Success 1/1 Date: 19 Nov 1995 17:10:19 GMT Well, hello again! Amy, here! This is a short little thing that I wrote after someone made a comment to me about SPELLBOUND. So, Jo from AOL, thank you! And thanks again to Melissa for taking a look at this before I posted it. :) **Disclaimer - Boy, I am getting sick of these things. But, I'm too paranoid not to write it down. So, Mulder and Scully belong to CC, 1013, and FOX. Everybody else in here belong to me. **Please send all comments to: risamy@epix.net I love mail! Now, on to the story. __________________________________________ 12 Steps to Success Mulder sat in the passenger seat of the car, arms crossed over his chest and a pouty expression on his face. Scully, who sat in the driver's seat, looked over at him and sighed. His lips were pursed in that way that she found alternately irresistible and exasperating. Looking at her watch, she sighed again. "Mulder, come on. We're going to be late." He exhaled loudly and his expression didn't change. "I'm not doing this, Scully." She glanced out the window at the city that surrounded them. Washington DC; the nation's capital, and home of the X-Files. They were parked in front of a building that wasn't very attractive architecturally, but it served its purpose of housing offices and businesses. "Mulder, it's not my fault that you lost. You couldn't bluff your way out of a paper bag. Why would you bet everything on two three's, a two, four and five?" He shrugged. "I felt like it. Besides, you were never that good at poker." She smiled and smoothed out her dark suit jacket. "I've been practicing. Now, come on. You lost the bet. You have to keep your end of the deal." Mulder realized that he wasn't going to get out of this. It was just that he found these types of things so ridiculous and useless. He couldn't understand why they were so popular. He rolled his eyes and opened the door. Stepping out, he closed the door and waited for Scully to join him. When she did, he straightened his garish tie, ran a hand through his hair and headed inside. "Let's get this over with," he muttered. Scully suppressed a laugh and followed him inside. This was going to be good. * * * They stood outside of the office as Mulder read the nameplate on the door. Then his eyes strayed to a piece of paper that was taped to the door. On it was a short message. As he read it, Mulder knew that this was going to be a long afternoon. It said: Enter and leave your fears behind. "Just great," he said unhappily as he reached for the doorknob and opened the door. A fairly large, cream colored room was revealed to them. In it sat four women and two men. Mulder hesitated, but stepped forward when Scully nudged him in the ribs. "Get moving, Mulder," she whispered in his ear. He did so and they were met by a middle-aged woman with flowing dark hair. She extended her hand to Scully and smiled warmly. "Agent Scully, so good to see you." Scully grinned and shook the woman's hand. "Yes it is, Dr. Kearns." Scully gestured to Mulder. "This is my partner, Agent Mulder." Dr. Kearns turned to Mulder and extended her hand again. "It's nice to meet you, Agent Mulder." Mulder shook her hand limply and managed to mumble, "Uh- huh." The doctor leaned in closer to Mulder and whispered, "I'm sure we'll be able to help you with your problem, Agent Mulder." He looked at her with almost a sneer and hissed, "I don't *have* a problem!" The doctor looked at him as a parent would a child and patted his hand. "Agent Mulder, why don't we just leave that open for discussion, all right?" Mulder was about to tell the woman who had a problem, when Scully touched his arm. "Agent Mulder will do that." Mulder glared at her but Scully offered no apologies. She simply crossed her arms and looked at the other people in the room. Dr. Kearns looked back at the group of people who sat in a circle, and said, "Why don't you join them, Agent Mulder." Mulder sighed with an air of disgust and walked to an empty chair. He sat down heavily and crossed his legs. Scully looked at him fondly and then returned her gaze to Dr. Kearns. "I'm afraid that he's chosen to be difficult about this whole thing. And when Mulder is difficult, people have been known to run screaming from the room." Dr. Kearns smiled, fully confidant that she could handle this man. After all, she had had some tough patients in the past. "Agent Scully, I'm sure that once he sees that he is not alone, he will realize that this is for the best. I'm sure that I'll be able to help him, and in turn, those people in his life. As we know, people who have problems like this affect the lives of those around them. I have found that this particular problem to be very frustrating." Scully rolled her eyes. "You have no idea. I know that he means well, but recently it has gotten out of control, even by Mulder's standards. I just hope he'll at least try to listen to what you say." Dr. Kearns stole a glance at Mulder. "Does he have an open mind?" Scully hid a smirk. "You could say that." "Well then, I don't see that I won't be able to make some improvements on his behavior. I have to get started now, but you can stay if you like." Scully nodded. "Perhaps for a little while. Just to make sure that he behaves." Scully took a seat near the door. Kearns grinned faintly and walked back to the group. She stood in front of her chair and smiled. "Hello, everyone. I'm glad that we're all here." She sat down and placed a clipboard on her lap. After reviewing it for a while, she turned to the woman next to her. "Now, Alicia, I believe that last time we left off with you. You were talking about your relationship with your daughter. Please continue." As Mulder listened to the woman talk about her daughter and how she worried when she went out on dates or with her friends, he tried to think up some lie that he could tell to get out of this. Maybe he could just say that he understood his problem and that he would try harder to keep it under control. He glanced back at Scully and knew that she would never let him get away with it. For the millionth time that day he asked himself what possessed him to agree to such a bet? What had he been thinking? Had he even *been* thinking? He wasn't so sure. He realized that he did have a slight problem, but he didn't think it was so bad. After all, if someone cared that much about him he wouldn't be complaining. Then he realized that *someone* did care that much. Scully. Well, she was just as bad as he was, so why was he the only one sitting in a circle with three parents, somebody's boyfriend, and a coach? he reminded himself. He came out of his reverie to hear the last of Alicia's drivel. "And I just was so overcome with fear that I told her she had to be home by eight o'clock from now on." Alicia looked up sheepishly, then. "I even told her to look both ways before crossing the street." Dr. Kearns tsked and said, "Oh, Alicia, and you were doing so well." She made a note and then said, "Don't worry, though. Everyone has a slip-up now and then. I'm sure you'll do better next week." Alicia nodded and then returned to her examination of her hands. Mulder was about to go off into another daydream, when he felt everyone staring at him. He stared back and said nothing. Dr. Kearns turned to a new page and said, "Everyone, I would like to announce the presence of a new member today. She looked at Mulder. "Agent Mulder, what's your first name?" In the background, Scully chuckled. Mulder heard her and made a mental note to strangle her later. "I don't have one," he said icily. Dr. Kearns' eyes widened. "Oh, come now, Agent Mulder. Everyone has a first name. What is it?" Mulder's lips set in a grim line of determination. "I'm not telling you. Just call me Mulder." Dr. Kearns raised an eyebrow and made another note. Mulder, in all his paranoid glory, wondered what the hell she was writing about him. "Very well, *Mulder*." She looked at the rest of the group. "Please welcome Mulder to the group, everyone." "Welcome, Mulder!" the others said in unison. "All right, Mulder, as we all know here, the first step to success is to admit your problem. Please rise, say your name, and state your problem." "You have got to be kidding," said Mulder. "We don't kid here, Mulder. Please do as I have asked." Mulder thought. He looked back to Scully, hoping for some mercy, but he was met with solid determination. "Mulder, do it before I come over there and make you do it," Scully said sternly. He sighed and turned back to the group. He didn't even want to imagine what she would do to him if he didn't cooperate. He had lost, after all. He had to do as he promised or he would never hear the end of it. So, in a moment of humility, Special Agent Fox Mulder stood up before the group, Dr. Kearns and Scully, and did as he was asked. As he did, he knew that he would never live it down. "My name is Mulder and I'm an overprotector." THE END!!