Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 15:23:35 GMT Subject: A Book By It's Cover by Regina Smith DISCLAIMER: Okay Mulder and Scully Don't belong to me they belong to CC, 1013, and FOX Networking No fair suing a helpless devotee. Sub disclaimer: My first fan fic be gentle with me. You would hate to harm my soft esteem. I might have to cry and then wouldn't you feel bad? No? Oh well. I tried for pity but since you ain't buying. Play nice or I'll tell your mommy. SUMMARY: To Mulder's bewildement, Scully seems to be turning a new page in her life. ARCHIVE: I'll send to atxc. Anywhere else just keep my name and addy and let me know. FEEDBACK: "Regina Smith" Appreciated and answered. THANKS to Mary Greten of the Beta Readers Circle. SPOILERS: Season 5 (pre-Red and the Black) Syzygy CLASSIFICATION: H with friendship UST going on RATING: PG-13 for slight innuendo COMMENTS: It is SHIPPY just not 'SHIPPY' as some think shippy. If you ain't a shipper (where have you been the last five seasons?) you might still like this hopefully humorous story. WELL ON WITH TONIGHTS SHOW... A Book By Its Cover By Regina Smith Scully's Apartment 11:15 a.m. Scully retrieved her suitcase for yet another business trip. She sighed. If she didn't know better she would think Congress had passed some law that said FBI agents couldn't rent a car that wasn't dark blue. Her hands stilled as she placed two silk blouses on top of her suits. Another "poedunk" town investigating lights in the sky over another field nestled inconveniently beside another forest that just happens to be a half mile from the nearest road. Why was it that no one saw lights say over the town park or the beach. Some place easy to get to in 3 and a half inch heels. Who was she kidding; her own apartment wasn't easy to navigate in the tower's required to make her look like an adult woman instead of just entering puberty. She zipped her suitcase closed her eyes going automatically to the clock beside her bed. 11:21 a.m. Then her phone rang. She arched an eyebrow as she reached for it. Mulder was supposed to pick her up at 11:45 to go to the airport. "Mulder your going to be late." She said crisply into the phone. Not bothering to ask who it was. It was the middle of the work week in the middle of the day. Every one else she knew would be at work. And her Mom had long since given up calling her at home. "I say, I am trying to reach an Agent Scully. Is this she to whom I am speaking?" inquired a slightly familiar English accent. " Oh, I am sorry. This is Agent Scully." She winced as she mentally kicked herself. "Vell Agzent Scully iz diz da vay you Americans answer de phone?" The caller was now speaking in a really bad German accent. Scully's eyebrows crash landed on her nose and her lips pursed. Mulder!!! Well, two can play at that. "Hans is that you?" She lowered her voice to a sexy scold."You are calling awful early today you bad boy you. Did you forget the time change or was last nights phone - Um- call that good?" She gave a little husky chuckle. The line was stone cold silent. No breathing on the other end. She had stunned Mulder. She struggled not to laugh out right but lost the battle when Mulder finally replied. Well almost replied. "Uh--" she heard a strangled choking sound. Then coughing as though he was trying to clear his throat. She broke up. " I do wish I could see your face Mulder." She said as her laughter subsided. " Scully-" "Yeah, Mulder?" She said still trying to control her laughter. " I wanted you-" "Doesn't everybody?" She quipped before she could think and he could finish. Stunned silence once again reigned.... " Yeah -uh well -I " "Mulder?" She had to brake this mood fast. "Yeah, Scully." "What did you call for?" "Huh?" "You. called. me. Why?" She said. Her eyes going to the clock. It was 11:30. Mulder finally pulled himself together. "Oh, yeah. I was calling to let you know that our travel plans have changed." He said. " What? Were not going to Dunksville anymore?" "That was Bunkersville, Scully. And yeah were still going there. I was callin' to tell you to bring a book were going to have a lay over in - Charlotte- For two hours. Before we make our connection to Montana." "And why do we have a two hour layover?" She thought for a moment then added. " And why are we going southeast instead of Northwest on our first leg?" "Because it's us, Mrs. Spooky. I waited around travel for an hour before I finally got impatient and asked Bev if she would get the tickets for me." " Hooboy! you made it an entire hour. I'm impressed." She said thinking about all the times he had jumped the gun and they got into trouble because he had been to impatient to wait. " Uh, Scully are you feeling all right?" "I'm fine, Mulder." She glanced at her watch "When will you be coming for me...I mean when will you be here?" Thankfully Mulder, recovered from their earlier silliness, answered her intended question. "I'm on the belt way as we speak. I should be there in ten minutes. Your exit is next." " Just beep, Mulder. I only have one case this time. I shouldn't need any help." "Sure, Scully." With that he hung up. Not a single word of warning. Just click and a dial tone. Scully smiled to herself. If any one but Mulder did that to her she would have been furious. Replacing the phone in its cradle she glanced at the book that lay beside it. She had bought it in an attempt to try and understand her partner's obsession with night time sky gazing. Her face thoughtful as she fingered the hard cover. The title of the book was 'The Lights in The Sky' by Gray A. Leon. She had gotten it yesterday and had only read the preface last night. Should she take it with her? She began to debate herself. * Well, it might give you some insight on this case after all it is one of those lights-in-the-sky cases.* * What do you mean how would that encourage him?* < Making him think you were starting to believe in the lights...> * But I don't...* *Oh, Yeah now I get it.* < And, I thought you were smart.> *Hey!* *What?* < Are you sure you graduated from college?> * Of course I- Wait what does that have to do with anything?* * You know I am. Your me after all.* < Sometimes, I wonder!> * Knock it off and get to the point.* < Don't have a point.> * Then shut up!* < Well I never...> * I'm sure.* Scully having vanquished her sarcastic self moved to the book case intending to find something to read that was a little more Scully like. Reading the titles "Tale of two cities". Nope read it in school. " Pride and Prejudice". Nope too long. "Sense and Sensibility" Liked the movie better. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Hmmm. She picked it up. I tried to read it a couple of years ago. Sighing, she carried it to the bed and sat it next to the phone with her purse so she wouldn't forget it. As she straightened to leave and make sure her hair was in place, she noticed that the book she had selected was the same size as the new one. * Maybe...*. She picked up both books and then she slipped the dust jacket from the neo-classic and covered the not so neo- classic newer book. < Maybe what?> *Perfect.* She beamed. < What do you mean perfect? Don't tell me your going to take that piece of second rate literature with you.> * All right.. I won't tell you.* She said as she tucked the newly covered book under her arm and hefted her suit case off the bed. Glancing at her clock she realized that Mulder would be pulling up outside any minute. Mulder's Car Somewhere on the Beltway 11:31 After summarly cutting off Scully, Mulder replaced the phone in his coat pocket. His usually clear mind was as clear as a muddy water. The fleeting thought that someone had replaced his partner with a mis-operative clone ran through his head. *What was with his partner, anyway* Determined to explain her deviation from the norm, he decided to play back the events of the last 15 minutes. Unfortunately, his eidetic memory would let him omit nothing..... Mulder flicked an empty seed shell out the window as he zipped through the pre-noon traffic. Mulder flicked an empty seed shell out the window and glanced at the digital clock on the dash board of his rented blue Ford Taurus. 11:15. *I need to call Scully and let her know about the lay over.* He grimaced as he remembered the last time they had a lay over and he had not warned her. It was when they had been on their way to Comity. He winced when ever he remembered that case. Who knew Scully could hold a grudge that long. He had been happy for all of five minutes of that case. It had taken the entire trip home before he realized what had gotten her all upset. *But I finally got it.* < If you say so.> * Well I don't want a repeat of Comity so I'm going to call and let her know she might need something to read.> His right hand fumbled in his pocket for his cell phone but came up empty. * What the-* His hand felt around the seat next to him. No cell phone. *Where did I leave it?* < Try the trench coat pocket.> * Oh, yeah that's right.* He smiled at himself. * In the coat.* his smile faded.* Where is the coat?* < Are you sure your an Oxford grad?> *Of course I'm an Oxfor- Hey what does that have to do with my coat?* < Obviously nothing since you aren't using your finely tuned investigative mind.> * Hey back off. Do you know where the coat is or not?* < Yes.> *Yes?* < Yes.> * So?* < So what?> *So where is the coat?!* < Oh, it's hanging over the passenger seat.> * The passenger sea-* He turned to look at the back of the seat and sure enough there was his coat hanging sloppily over the headrest. Turning back to the road he reached into the pocket and found the phone then with out looking hit the number 1 on speed dial. It only rang a couple times before she picked up. " Mulder your going to be late." Came the self assured voice of his long time partner and friend. * How does she do that he wondered? One of these days she's going to do that and it isn't going to be me.* Then deciding to have a little fun. "I say, I am trying to reach an Agent Scully. Is this she to whom I am speaking?" He said in an English accent. *See, I didn't go to Oxford for nothing.* *Knock it off.* He popped a sunflower seed into his mouth. He had been so involved in his thought's that he forgot which accent he used so he next spoke with a German accent. "Hans is that you?" Mulder's eyebrows drew together. *who's Hans?* his gentler less suspicious self thought. his sadistic self crowed. * What? What did she say?* He rewound the tape recorder in his head and played the end of what she said again. " Your calling awfully early you bad boy." *What the- maybe he misunderstood. What else had she said* "Did you forget the time change or was last nights phone- um- call that good?" He sucked in a deep breath and promptly inhaled his forgotten sunflower seed. Causing him to choke. It didn't sound like his Scully. And had she been about to say something else? It almost sounded like she had changed her mind or choice of words. Her husky little laugh said she meant something else. Her next words barely made it through the haze of his befuddled brain but when they did he breathed a sigh of relief. Did that mean that there was no Hans that she was joking? Wait a minute Scully didn't joke. "Scully-" She was laughing. At him. Scully didn't laugh. "Yeah, Mulder?" " I wanted you-" "Doesn't everyone?" She asked him her merriment evident in the snickering he could hear over the phone line. *Scully doesn't snicker.* " Yeah-uh-well-I-" ...... In front of Scully's apartment. 11:45 am Mulder sighed as he parked in front of Scully's apartment building. He was getting nowhere in his re-play of their odd conversation. He watched as the subject of his ruminations walked down the front steps of her building. Tossing his coat on the back seat, he got out of the car and opened the trunk. " Hey, Scully!" he said as he put her case into the trunk." Did you remember to bring something good to read?" He asked spying the book under her arm. " Yeah, I think you might even like it Mulder." She said raising it so he could read the title on the jacket. "Nah, made me fall asleep in high school. A bit too ordinary for me." " I don't know Mulder. You should never judge a book by it's cover." She said as she fastened her seat belt. end -----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==----- http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp Create Your Own Free Member Forum