From: tierskmn@wfu.edu (marcia nanc tiersky)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: Comity or Tragedy?
Date: 28 Jan 1996 05:00:40 GMT


This is not an X-File.  It's kind of a relationship story, though not 
the kind I usually write.  This is just a story of what might have 
happened after the fateful trip to Comity.  You have to have seen Syzygy 
to read this story or it won't make any sense at all. (It's marginal on 
that issue even if you have seen Syzygy.) I think its rated PG for a 
swear word or two. Email eagerly accepted at QLTiersky@aol. com or 
Mtiersky@uga.cc.uga.edu.

Disclaimer:  I still don't own Mulder and Scully, no matter how much I 
might wish that I did.  Chris Carter, 1013, and FOX keep a tight leash on 
them.  They didn't say I could borrow them, but they aren't losing any 
money on the deal, so why should they complain?

		COMITY OR TRAGEDY?  


	The car screeched through the intersection, not even slowing for 
the stop sign. "You just ran a stop sign back there, Scully."
	"Shut up, Mulder," she snapped.
	"Sure, fine, whatever," he responded, echoing her attitude for 
the past two days.
	They drove for a long while in silence, Mulder staring out the 
window, wanting to break the silence, but not knowing how.  Scully 
concentrated on the road, trying to enjoy the rare privelege of driving, 
thought she secretly wished she were relaxing in the passenger seat and 
he were doing the work.
	The most amazing thing to her was that she still had no idea what 
had happened in Comity.  "Something cosmic," Mulder had said.  What kind 
of explanation was that?  She wanted to ask, but was unwilling to be the 
first to break the silence.  Mulder was probably sitting there mooning 
over his precious Detective White.
	Mulder weighed the risks of falling asleep and decided against 
it.  He knew that althought she would never admit it, Scully was likely 
to get lost getting to the airport if he didn't stay awake to guide her.  
Assuming, of course, that she would follow her directions.  He sighed.  A 
glance at his watch told him they were only a half hour into their two 
hour trek to the Boston airport.  Why New Hampshire didn't have its own 
major airport was a mystery to him.
	The silence was oppressive.  Scully finally leaned over and 
flipped on the radio.  The sounds of Four Squirrels filled the car.  
Mulder raised an eyebrow at Scully's music selection, but made no 
comment.  He absently began to hum along.  The music shifted to the Gin 
Blossoms.  Before they knew it, both Mulder and Scully were singing along:

Well you can trust me not to think
And not to sleep around
And if you dont expect too much from me
You might not be let down
Cause all I really want is to be with you,
Feeling like I matter too.
If I hadnt blown the whole thing years ago
I might be here with you.
	Although the song continued, the singers in the car were 
silenced.  Regret, Scully thought.  Do I want to look back years from now 
and say that I wrecked the most important relationship of my life over 
nothing? Why was I such a bitch this weekend?
	She's probably thinking I slept with Detective White, Mulder 
thought. How can I really blame her?  I acted like a jerk to her all 
weekend and I did run off to investigate without her.  What the hell was 
I thinking?
	"Mulder"  "Scully"  they spoke at the same time.  Their eyes met, 
for what seemed like the first time in ages.  Then they knew it was going 
to be OK.  "I'm sorry," she said quietly.  "I was unnecessarily rude to 
you and...your friend.  I didn't mean it."
	Mulder smiled in relief.  "I'm sorry too, Scully.  You were 
right. I should not have been downgrading your theories in front of other 
people.  And I shouldn't have ditched you," he admitted sheepishly.  "I 
guess the cosmic G spot got to us, too," he lurched forward as Scully 
practically slammed on the brakes.
	"Sorry," she muttered.  "Cosmic G spot? What are you talking 
about?" the usual scepticism was in her voice, though still tinged with a 
slightly bitter undertone.
	"Before I met up with your suspect, I made a slight detour..."  
Mulder then proceeded to explain the events at the astrologists's place. 
	 Scully listened without comment, though she raised her eyebrow a 
few times, until the end of his story.  Then she gasped, "You paid her 
how much?"
	Mulder shrugged.  "It's taxpayers money," he answered defensively.
	"When they raise my taxes to pay for this escapade, I'm coming 
after you," she warned.  Mulder warmed to hear the usual tone of banter 
in her voice.
	She glanced at the road signs and pulled off at a truck stop.  
	"What's up?" Mulder asked curiously.
	"Oh, I just wanted to get a drink.  Can I get you one?" she offered.
	"No thanks," Mulder responded, following her in to use the facilities.
	They both got back to the car at the same time.  Scully paused, 
then turned to face Mulder.  "Why don't you drive?" she suggested calmly.
	Mulder examined her face with care. "Are you sure?" he asked.  
"I'm willing to let you drive.  I don't need to be the big macho man 
tonight."
	Scully grinned slightly. "My feet are too small to reach the 
pedal," she explained, handing over the keys. "Besides, I prefer to 
critique your driving instead."
	"Oh joy," Mulder muttered, pleased inside.  As he began driving, 
the sounds of Joan Osborne filled the car. He tilted his head to one side 
and listened thoughtfully. "What do you think, Scully?" he asked abruptly.
	"That's a pretty broad question," she observed.  "What are we 
talking about?"
	"Sorry. I was thinking about the song."
	"What about it?" Scully was having trouble following the 
conversation for some reason.
	"Wait, listen," he ordered.

If God had a face, what would it look like?
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like heaven and in Jesus and the Saints
And all the prophets?
What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us?
Just a stranger on the bus trying to make his way home?

	"What are you asking me, Mulder?  I already believe," Scully 
pointed out, hoping this was not going to lead to a rehash of the 
arguments they had had while she was protecting Kevin.  At least she 
thought that's what she was doing.  Sometimes now she wasn't so sure.
	"That's true," Mulder agreed thoughtfully, tearing open the bag 
of sunflower seeds he'd picked up at the rest stop.  "Seed?" he offered.  
Much to his shock, Scully actually accepted one, thought she scrutinized 
it with great care before putting it in her mouth.
	Mulder swallowed a laugh as he saw her trying to decide whether 
she should swallow the shell or find a way to politely spit it out.  He 
was unsurprised when she swallowed it. "I guess I wasn't really looking 
at it from that perspective," he confessed with a sheepish grin.  "But 
let me ask you this, would you want to see an EBE if it meant that you 
had to believe in UFOs and abductions?"
	Scully withheld her initial snappish response to consider the 
question carefully.  "As a scientist, I would have to say that I would 
rather have all the relevant data, so I guess I would want to see proof 
of all those things."  She hesitated, but Mulder waited for her to 
finish.  "But I would prefer that no proof was ever found," she finished.
	Mulder nodded slowly.  "Yeah, I guess I can see that."
	"How about you?  With religion?" she asked curiously.
	Mulder smiled briefly. "I think if I ever got to see God's face I 
would probably land a punch in the middle of it for all the things he's 
let go wrong."
	Scully giggled. "I can see you doing something just that tactful, 
Mulder.  It goes along with your amazing abilities at making friends and 
influencing people."  They laughed together.
	"I don't need to make friends and influence people, Scully.  I 
have you," there was a pause.  "Right?" 
	Scully heard the uncertainty in his voice and knew how badly the 
events of the last few days had shaken him up.  "Right," she answered 
firmly.  "Just keep me away from cosmic G spots and everthing we'll be fine."	
	"OK," Mulder agreed cheerfully.  "Are there any G spots you'd 
like me to steer you towards?" he leered as best he could while still 
focusing on the road.
	"That's OK," Scully demurred.  "I think you've got your hands 
plenty full between Bambi and Detective White," she tried to keep the 
note of jealousy out of her voice, but may not have been entirely successful.
	"Scully," Mulder said quietly.  "I know you don't believe me, but 
there was nothing going on between me and either of those women." 
Scully's silence voiced her thoughts powerfully.  "What you walked in on.."
	"I told you," she interrupted, "I didn't see anything."
	"Let me finish.  I know what you saw," he motioned to silence her 
protest.  "She was being affected by the syzygy.  She was coming on to 
me.  I swear I wasn't encouraging her at all."
	Scully waited a moment to see if he was done talking.  "You want 
me to believe that she came into your room, took off her jacket and 
shoes, knocked you on the bed, pinned you down and kissed you and there 
was nothing you could do about it?"
	"Yes," Mulder responded stubbornly.
	Scully rolled her eyes and was silent a minute. "It doesn't 
matter anyway. What you do on your time is your business."
	The tone in her voice made Mulder frown.  "I suppose that may 
technically be true, but I would like to think that its your business 
too. After all, we're partners."
	"Does that sentiment mean that you would feel free to interefere 
if I were going out with someone?" Scully asked in disapproval.
	"Why?  Got a hot date planned?" Mulder teased.  She didn't 
respond, telling him that she expected more of an answer. "I don't know," 
he admitted.  "I guess if we needed to work I would feel it was OK to 
interfere."
	Scully nodded her acceptance of this compromise, thought she 
sensed that she had made Mulder uneasy with her question. Good.  Let him 
suffer for a while.
	Mulder reached over and turned the radio back up, letting the 
sounds of REM fill the car.  Both stayed silent the rest of the trip, 
wondering what the future would bring.


***Music related disclaimers.  I borrowed some lyrics from the Gin 
Blossoms and Joan Osborne, but since they were mentioned in the story, 
that's probably obvious.  They didn't give me permission to use them, but 
I feel certain they would have, if asked.

--
Marcia Tiersky
University of Georgia
*You may not be who you are.*  --Dana Scully, Ice