From: dscully@atl.mindspring.com (D. K. Scully) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Between the Scenes: Quagmire Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 03:10:44 GMT Greetings and salutations, all! I hope that things are going well as we go into our first week of XF reruns. (Me, I'm still on a high from the Voyager ep, Resolutions, so don't mind me... ) This piece is something which I started the night of "Quagmire," which is based in my home state of Georgia.... If CC would have done his homework, he would have seen there is no lake called Heuverman's Lake (that *I* am aware of; my aunt has a cabin on *Blue Ridge Lake*), and that Blue Ridge has an elevation of close to 4,500 feet above sea level, not too terribly far from the highest point in GA (8,000+ feet). That and the fact that, if M & S had to wear coats down here...it was *cold*! Needless to say, I had to jump in on the nitpickers on this episode. I didn't really nitpick in this story...just kinda filled in the gaps of what MIGHT have happened. This story is dedicated to the Lone GunWomen who make life very interesting...and to June, who didn't nitpick the "Jersey Devil," and should have! DISCLAIMER: The characters of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are full property of Chris Carter and 10-13 Productions. Infringement is intended, but not for profit...merely for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. The characters of myself, Vanessa, and my dear, sweet, loveable cousin, Lt. Mark Cochran, are used with permission. Well...let's just hope Mark doesn't read this! :) NOTE: Mark was actually a police officer in a town a little farther south of Blue Ridge...but he was perfect for the part! Between the Scenes: Quagmire A short written by Heather DeLong "You ready to go?" Looking up, I saw the towering figure of Special Agent Fox Mulder hovering over me, already showered and dressed, wearing his rain jacket. I glanced over at the clock. "Mulder, you have *got* to be kidding! It's five o'clock in the morning!" "Better chance of seeing Big Blue," he said with a grin. "I'm telling you, Mulder, ther is *no* Big Blue," I insist, yawning. "I've been here every year for almost 20 years, and I have *never* heard about Big Blue." "You just don't know the right people. " He grinned again. At this point, I felt like slapping the grin off of his face, but was too lazy; it was warm beneath my covers. A thought came to mind. "Where's Dana?" "Still asleep." "Still asleep? *She's* still asleep?" I echo. "You wake *me* up before you wake your own *partner*? Damn it, Mulder, if I had a gun..." "Well, you don't. I took it out of the nightstand. Besides, you're familiar with the area. Scully's not." "*Fine*," I said, resigning myself to my fate. There was no way he was going to let be go back to sleep...even for thirty minutes. "Go wake Dana. We're not going anywhere without her." "What are you going to do?" I tossed him a glare to cut diamonds. "*I'm* not going *anywhere* in my pajamas, Mulder! Get outta here!" Grabbing my spare pillow, I launched it at him, glancing his arm as he ducked into the hallway. "So much for a quiet weekend in the country," I mumbled. With this, I headed for the shower. ************** "I'm sorry about your carpet, Heather," Scully said as we drove down Route 33. "I guess I didn't hear Queequeg scratching at the door last night." "I guess not," I said, gritting my teeth in an attempt to control my anger. The fuzzball with eyes and teeth gave a yip from the back seat. Yeah, Aunt Linda was gonna *love* this! "Where are we going?" "Bait and tackle shop on the dge of the lake. If there's anything going on within a twenty-mile radius, the owner will know about it," I answered. "Has *he* seen Big Blue?" Mulder's expression was deadpan. "I'm telling you, Mulder, there ---" " -- Is *no* such thing as Big Blue!" Scully finished for me. "Do you guys even believe in UFOs?" Via the rearview mirror, Dana and I exchanged glances. Queequeg yipped. ***************** "I've got to run down to Ellijay for a while," I started as I crossed the living room. I stepped over the newspapers I had laid out for the furball. "You guys going to be all right?" Scully looked up from her notebook computer, giving a slight smile. "We should be," she answered, looking to the couch where Mulder lay. He switched channels three times on the satellite as we watched. "If I can get the remote away from the Big Kahuna here." I smiled. "Good luck. I drew a map to the marina and left a number for the rental agency. You'll need them if you decide to go out today." "Thanks, Heatherm" Scully said. We looked to Mulder, awaiting a response. There was none. Sighing and shrugging, I scowled down at Queequeg. "And *you*, you little tribble with teeth, use the newspaper or I'm gonna shave ya!" To this, Queequeg gave a whimper. "I thought so." I said. "Bye!" ****************** Nine-thirty that night found me in Dahlonega, visiting with my friend, Vanessa, who was a student at North Georgia College. "...So the execs haven't decided on 'Strange Luck" or 'UFO Chasers,'" Vanessa told me, "but 'Forever Knight' is history." She took a bite of her dill pickle. "I heard from some of the Lone Gunwomen that Mulder and Scully were staying with you at your Aunt Linda's. "Yeah. Great idea Aunt Linda had. So far, I've been awakened at 5 a m by Mulder; the carpet has been beset upon by Scully's dog; and the satellite dish is going to short out if Mulder keeps switching satellites as fast as he has been!" Vanessa gave an impish grin. "Having fun?" she asked. "Oh, go to Hell!" I growled, then grinned. ***************** "Heather?" "Whatever you want, Mulder, it can wait until dawn." I knew better than to look at the clock this time. "Scully's notebook just crashed. Do you have a recovery diskette?" "In the leather notebook sachel, outside zipper section," I mumbled. "How did it crash?" "I was on the Net." "Doing *what*?" "Downloading." "I don't wanna know. The McAfee disk is in the same zipper section. You might wanna use it, too." "Thanks." "Hey, Mulder?" "Yeah?" "Do you *ever* sleep?" "Sleep? What's that?" I rolled over onto my opposite side, pulling the quilt over my ear. "I thought so..." ***************** That night found the first quiet moments since their arrival, and I sat on the couch, determined to finish my latest Tom Clancy novel, _Debt of Honor_. Settling in, I tucked my feet under a pillow, opened to my bookmark, and began to read. *scratchscratchscratchscratchscratch* Frowning, I looked up at the door. //Prolly the neighbor's dog again,// I thought, then turned back to my book. *scratchscratchscratchscratchscratch* Sighing, I tossed my book aside and headed for the door. There, in a pitiful, red, fuzzy heap was Queequeg, whimpering in pain and shock; something had managed to chew his right ear to pieces. It flopped, unmoving, as he perked his left ear up in hope. Now, I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong. As much as the fuzzball had done to me, I couldn't stand to see it in so much pain. <> Grabbing my coat, I slipped into my loafers, scooped up the muddy furball, and headed for Doctor Orr's veternary clinic. "Be glad the Jeep has vinyl seats, Tribble," I muttered. A moment later, we were on the road. ********************* Early the next morning, with Queequeg in a drugged sleep in the passenger's seat, I pulled the Jeep to a halt on the gravel driveway before my aunt's cabin. Parked in front of the garage door was a Blue Ridge Police squad car, and the rental, both half-covered in mud from the lake. Switching off the lights and engine, I hurried into the house, Queequeg under my arm. "Dana? Mulder?" I called, entering from the kitchen. There, I placed the tribble into his make- shift bed. I then made my way into the living room. Seated on the couch, wrapped in the standard, blue wool blankets offered by the local rescue teams, were my federal houseguests. Their hair was wet and toussled, their feet, ankles, and clothes covered in mud. Standing opposite them, my cousin, Lt. Mike Cochran, his feet also covered in mud. His mother was going to kill him first...then me. "What happened?" I asked. A gleam in Mulder's eyes. "We got caught making out by the lake," he said. He gave mischievous grin. "We had a run in with an aligator," Scully answered. She looked tired and worn, the skin below her blue eyes puffy. "Turns out *it* was causing all the attacks." She tossed a glance to Mulder. "*Not* Big Blue." "We tried to tell him..." I started, letting my voice trail off. I turned to Mike, directing his attention to his feet. "*Ahem*." He looked up slowly. "I'm gonna wish Big Blue had gotten a hold of me by the time Mom gets through with me," he said. I merely smiled sweetly. "Queequeg!" Scully exclaimed. She had seen him enter over my shoulder. Rising from the couch, she crossed to the kitchen door where the drugged pooch stood...tracking more mud across the room. Deciding not to fixate on the mud, I looked to Mulder and my cousin. "Any idea how the aligator got here? We *are* almost 5,000 feet above sea level...*and* it's thirty five degrees outside." "We're still checking into that," Mike answered. "We should have an answer to that by the end of the day tomorrow. He tossed a glance to Scully, then leant in conspiratorally to me. "Ever notice how the owners match the dogs?" Mulder burst out laughing. ************* J. Edgar Hoover Building 1:15 pm Scully entered the office, flipping through the stack of mail directed to the X-Files Division. A card from the Gunmen, mentioning a few upcoming UFO seminars; a sealed envelope for Mulder from Oxford; a picture postcard for the both of them from her mother, vacationing in the Carribean. Flipping past the postcard, she found a plain white envelope, postmarked "Blue Ridge, Georgia." Hearing the door open behind her, she glanced up, seeing Mulder enter, fresh from his lunch hour. "New mail?" he asked, removing his trenchcoat. Scully sat aside all the mail, save the one posted from Blue Ridge. "Yeah. There's a ltter for you from Oxford in there," she answered absently. She tore open the enveolpe. Inside, she found the following note and one slip of printed paper: Dana: At least you wore sensible shoes this time! Heather Looking closer at the other slip of paper, she realized what it was. She gave a smile. "What?" Mulder crossed the office to read over her shoulder. Reading the slips of paper himself,he gave a laugh... ...it was a bill for carpet and upholstery cleaning. THE END