From: Cathey Date: 6 Jan 2002 16:49:23 -0800 Subject: [all-xf] New: Complications (1 of 1) by Cathey Scully Source: atxc Title: Complications Author: Cathey Scully Rating: PG-13 Category: R, A, S Keywords: Scully/Other (but not really), Mulder/Scully UST then Mulder/Scully romance Spoilers: Pilot Summary: When she was partnered with Spooky Mulder, the last thing Scully had intended to do was to fall in love with him. Archive: If you'd like. Just tell me where so Mulder and I can visit. Feedback: Please! CatheyScully@the-pentagon.com or Scully@ga.prestige.net Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, and Ethan aren't mine. Don't sue me, Chris. Notes: Thought this up in the car while mentally watching the Pilot. ~ ~ ~ Of all the things that she'd expected to happen when she was partnered with Mulder, falling in love with him was not one of them. Sure he was smart, intriguing, slightly mysterious, and definitely cocky, but falling in love with him? How could she manage that? Was it even love she felt? Or was it just attraction? Attraction she didn't need to be feeling. Maybe it was the way he treated her. Like an equal. Not like a little girl who had no idea what she was doing, and not like the Ice Queen. It had been a long time since anyone had treated her like she knew what she wanted. At the same time though, he also held her at a length that made her realized that despite his arrogant demeanor, Fox Mulder really was a caring, yet lonely man. Maybe it was the way he challenged her. Forced her to use her brain once in a while, instead of just reciting lessons over and over. Maybe it was the way he joked, putting her more at ease with him than she'd been with a man in a long time. Then there was Ethan. Her fianc. Or soon to be, if Ethan got his way. She'd seen the ring hidden in plain sight in her bedroom before she left for Oregon on her very first case out in the field. They'd been together for almost two years, right after she'd started at the Bureau. He'd supported her career, for a time. That is, until her first case out in the field. He'd begun treating her like she was, well a girl. He treated her like a girl who was incapable of carrying the badge and the gun that she did. She supposed she loved him. When they weren't arguing over her career, he was very kind, very loving. He made her smile. Ethan could be romantic, but he could also be a chauvinistic pig. Her family adored him, but did she? She used to get this feeling in her gut when she looked at him, and looked at the prospect of them being together. Now she didn't feel that. She wasn't sure when the relationship stopped being great for her. It had happened before she met Mulder, obviously, since Ethan was so insistent that she not take her new assignment almost a week before meeting 'the FBI's Most Unwanted.' It could have been after the first time she heard about his 'indiscretions' with his female coworkers down at the news studio where he worked. She got past that though. Did she? Or did she just resign herself to taking Ethan back when he showed up with flowers in his hand and apologies coming out the wazoo? Mulder was so different from Ethan. Where Ethan was a bright personality with moderately good looks, Mulder was dark and handsome. Most days Ethan only was interested in her body, and the pleasure he could derive from her. Mulder on the other hand seemed generally interested in what she had to say, when she said it. Not that she was offering her body to him on a daily basis, but he seemed like the type of guy who would want more than sex in a relationship. That's all she had become with Ethan. The real question was, if she was so unhappy in this relationship with Ethan, why didn't she just end it? She knew it was because of her parents. They loved Ethan, and they trusted him to protect her. They were so disappointed when she decided to switch careers and join the FBI, that she didn't want to disappoint them further by letting go of the thing they were happy with in her life. But how long could she pretend to love Ethan, simply for their happiness? Dana sighed and slapped the off button on her alarm. She couldn't repress the shudder she felt as Ethan curled around her back. His lips sought the back of her neck and she pulled away quickly. "Where ya going?" He mumbled sleepily. She cracked a small smile and looked down at him. Suddenly another image fluttered over Ethan's. Instead of being blond and slim, the man in her bed had dark hair and a muscular build. She shook the picture out of her consciousness and bent down, brushing her lips over his. "Gotta shower and get ready to leave. Mulder's picking me up at 8." She murmured. Ethan's eyes shot open at the mention of the other man's name. "Another case? Danes, we talked about this remember?" "Sorry Ethan. Short of quitting, what do you want me to do?" She clucked her tongue mock sympathetically. "I wouldn't mind that." Ethan grumbled. "Well I would." She snapped. "Sorry. I'll, we'll discuss this when I get back." Dana concluded, kissing him on the head and moving to the shower. She was putting the finishing touches on her make-up when Ethan entered the bedroom and announced that Mulder was waiting. She stuck her head out and told Mulder to make himself at home; she'd be out in a minute. She heard some sarcastic remark from him and smiled to herself. "Dana, are you sure you have to go?" Ethan asked from her bed. "Yes I have to go." She replied exasperated. "It's my job." "It shouldn't be. Dana, don't go." "We are not having this conversation." She grimaced and lifted her laptop bag to her shoulder, preparing to leave the bedroom. Ethan stood and grabbed her arm. "Ethan let go of me." "Not until you listen to me. Dana, this job, it's driving us apart. I don't like knowing that my girlfriend is going across the country with another man for the second time in three weeks." "No Ethan, you're driving us apart. Mulder has nothing to do with your own problems with keeping your hands off the anchors at the station." She hissed. "I accepted it when you're called to the station at all hours of the night. I even accepted it when I caught you with your assistant. I moved past it and somehow managed to give you another chance. So you better damn well accept my profession, and my partner." She snatched her arm away. "Dana you go now, and it's over." "Then it's over Ethan. I'll come by to get my stuff from your place when we get back, and I want you gone by the time I get home." Dana shot back and slammed the door behind her. "Hey." She smiled brightly at Mulder. "I'm ready to go." She grabbed her suitcase and led him to the door. "Where are we off to today? I don't remember." "Ahh only the best for you Scully, Kansas." He grinned at her and she shook her head back at him. Once they were in the car, Mulder stopped and turned to her. "I'm sorry." "For what Mulder?" She asked. "About, well, Ethan." He fumbled over the right thing to say. "Don't be. It was a long time in coming. I'm just glad I don't have to pretend the enjoy his company anymore." Scully grinned over at Mulder as he pulled away from the curb and drove them to the airport. When they got to Kansas, they went straight to the crime scenes and met with the local cops. Scully really had no time to think about what had transpired between her and Ethan that morning, until she and Mulder arrived at their hotel. They went their separate ways and Scully convinced herself to take a warm bath while Mulder did who knows what. As she ran a shower sponge over her arms, Dana thought about everything. Thank god Ethan hadn't proposed. That would have made things more complicated. As it was it wouldn't be easy to tell her parents that the man they not so secretly wanted as their son-in-law was nothing more than another one of Dana Scully's bad choices. Maybe they wouldn't object to Mulder if she brought him to dinner with her next time she visited. Scully stopped that thought before she could even start it. She wouldn't get into a relationship with Mulder. Not right now. It would make her seem on the rebound, and could do serious damage to her reputation in the bureau, if anyone found out that she was sleeping with her partner. Oh who was she kidding? Her reputation was shot already, from just working with Mulder. How could sleeping with him make it worse? "Hey Scully, I think I've got something. Let me in." Mulder pounded on her door, making her jump in the lukewarm bath water. She stood and toweled dry quickly. She threw on some sweats and went to let Mulder in. "Sorry. I was in the bath." "I can tell." Mulder grinned, pointing to the towel she still wore in her hair, turban style. She smiled a bit subconsciously and pulled the towel from her hair, letting the wet strands fall down her shoulders. "What do you have?" She asked, crossing her arms, all business. Mulder glanced at her quickly before turning to the note pad in his hand and explaining what he'd come up with. He stopped when she snickered softly. "What?" "Mulder, that's, that's crazy." "What's so crazy about it?" Mulder stared at her. Scully dropped her head to avoid his scrutiny. "Okay. Fine, it makes sense in a twisted way. Go on." "Thank you." Mulder threw himself down on her bed and went on with his speech. Scully settled cross-legged next to him. She found herself tuning him out as she studied him. He really was attractive. Some people might say that his nose was a little too large, but she though it brought out the character in his face. Then came his eyes. Mulder had really beautiful, expressive eyes. Scully let her eyes wander to his lips. Mulder had full lips that she surmised would feel like velvet beneath hers. "Scully. Earth to Scully." Mulder snapped his fingers in front of her face. She shook herself out of her musings. "Sorry, what did you say?" "I just asked how you were doing." "I'm fine." "So where were you just now? Come on Scully. I spilled my deep dark secrets last time, it's your turn now." Mulder teased. "Just wondering how I'm ever going to tell my mother that Ethan and I broke up," Scully lied. "She already was picking out wedding invitations." Mulder chuckled. "He seemed like a nice guy." "He was. When he wanted to be. You know, I think you and he have a lot in common." Scully laughed as Mulder pouted, making her insides flutter. "Ah Scully you wound me." "I'll do more than that." "Ooo, I'm intrigued." Mulder grinned. She pushed at his shoulder. "Buy me dinner, and maybe I'll tell you." "Meet me in ten minutes." Mulder sat up and walked over to the door. Scully smiled as he left. Maybe he felt the same way about her. That could be why he was so curious about her break-up with Ethan and how she was coping. Or maybe he was just trying to be her friend. "Maybes aren't going to get you anywhere, Dana Katherine." She murmured to herself, dragging something nice to wear from her suitcase. ~ * ~ "So Scully, what's the occasion?" Mulder asked, smirking across the table at her. Scully raised her Diet Coke jokingly. "To moving on." "I second that." "Oh really? Who are you working on getting over, Mulder?" "Long story. Tell me about you and Ethan?" "Why are you so interested? I didn't think Ethan was your type." She teased. "I don't really want to go into it. All I really care about is the fact that I wasn't happy anymore, and I'm glad it's over." "Than I am too." Scully raised an eyebrow and Mulder amended. "An unhappy partner makes for sloppy investigations." "Oh." Scully tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. Dinner progressed without incident, and Scully found out that behind his tough guy shell, Mulder really was a great guy. He was funny, sexy, and focused solely on her. They didn't talk much about their past, just mostly about themselves and the case. Mulder led Scully back to her room with his palm flat against her back. She leaned into his touch, wishing she could get the chance to feel it everywhere. They stopped and she turned to face Mulder. "Thanks for dinner Mulder." "You're welcome Scully." "I'll, um see you tomorrow. Okay?" "Okay." Mulder whispered, letting her turn and unlock the door. She knew he was still standing there and so she turned around to face him. Mulder's eyes had taken on a brilliant green and she found herself swallowing reflexively. "Scully, would you, you wouldn't hit me if I kissed you?" "Why don't you try and find out." She was surprised at the throaty whisper that escaped her lips. Suddenly, Mulder's lips were upon hers, sliding like hot silk over her own slightly chapped lips. Involuntarily her hand came up to his cheek and he pulled away. "I'm sorry. That was out of line." He murmured. "Mulder, shh." Scully ran her thumb down his cheek. "Do that again, and I'll let you off the hook." "Scully, we shouldn't. You just got out of a relationship. It would look bad for us to jump into something." "I know. We'll talk about this more when we get home. Okay?" "Hey, just cause we shouldn't doesn't mean we won't." Mulder grinned mischievously. "Didn't you learn that about ole Spooky?" "Right Mulder." Scully straightened, regaining her senses. She gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "Goodnight." "Night Scully." Scully entered her hotel room and sighed, resting her head against the cool door. What the hell was she doing? Getting involved with her partner was a bad, bad idea. Yes she'd met Ethan while working, and sure, she'd gotten involved with Daniel when he was her teacher, but Mulder was her partner. She was getting paid to work with him, not sleep with him. Nothing said she couldn't be friends with him. Maybe a friend was what she needed. Maybe a friend was what he needed. Anything else could follow in time, right? She could imagine the incredible teasing her sister would subject her to. 'Dana's fallen in love with her part-ner, Dana's fallen in love with her part-ner.' Melissa's voice sing-songed in her head. Scully shook her head, deciding that sleep was really what she needed. She'd work everything out in the morning. ~ ~ ~ "Morning sunshine." "Mulder?" She asked groggily. "What time is it?" She sat up and rubbed her still sleepy eyes. She glanced at the clock and grimaced. Shit, it read 8:15. She'd overslept. "It's time to get up." Mulder was smirking into the phone, she could feel it. "You slept through your wake up call." "Then I guess it wasn't very effective, now was it?" "Guess not. Look, I'll grab some breakfast for you and swing the car over. We're going to be late." "Thanks." Scully hung up and scrambled to get dressed. She was sipping her coffee on the way back to the police station, when she realized that Mulder had gotten her favorite, and doctored it exactly how she liked it. "Mulder, how'd you know how to fix my coffee?" She asked. "I saw it in my head." He joked. "Spooky." She grinned. "That's me. Actually Scully, you're the only person to use the sugar and the cream in my pitiful excuse for a break room, so it was a logical assumption." "Well, thanks. I'm a lot meaner without my coffee." "I know, I've seen it before." He teased. ^ ^ ^ Scully crossed her arms over her chest and sent a frosty glare towards Mulder. He was back to being irrational. "Mulder, will you stop and listen to reason for a moment. There is no evidence that he did this." "That why I'm suggesting his apparition did it. Ghosts and spirits rarely leave fingerprints." "I'd go for that, if they existed." Scully put special emphasis on the last phrase. "Come on Scully, just think about it. You know you want to believe me." "Mulder, I will admit that this case is strange. But there is absolutely no evidence to support this insane theory that Brian Price had anything to do with the mutilation of cows on farms that are 20 miles away from his home." "That's why I'm saying astral projection or something related to it!" Mulder insisted. "Look Scully, made for TV movies aside, what do you really know about apparitions and astral projection?" "Not a lot." She admitted grudgingly. "Sit down then." Scully lowered herself into the chair next to him as he began to give her back story. When he finished she found herself grinning. "What?" "At least you're not saying it was aliens." "Ahh Scully you caught me. That was my next guess." "Right." Scully sighed. "Okay, if and only if you're right, we should go back out to the crime scenes, and maybe then bring Mr. Price in for questioning." "Scully we have significant suspicion to be able to talk to him now." "You have significant suspicion, Mulder. Those of us who are sane need more to go on than a hunch. " "Ouch Scully. That hurts." "You're a big boy. You'll survive." She patted his knee and stood. "I'm going to go talk to the chief. Tell him what we're doing." "I'll meet you in the car." Mulder sat in the car, messing with the radio, mentally kicking himself for his actions the night before. He could not, would not get involved with Scully, no matter how strongly he was attracted to her. That was what They wanted. They wanted him to get involved with her. They wanted him to do something stupid enough to give the FBI leverage to shut down The X-Files and keep him from finding Samantha. That was their entire reason for partnering him with Scully. If she wasn't the spy he'd originally thought she was, she would be his undoing in other ways. She was beautiful though. And smart. She hadn't laughed in his face when he told her about Samantha. She seemed to enjoy his presence, even if she did think he was a little weird. Everyone thought he was weird, but Scully was the only person who didn't seem to mean it maliciously when she told him he was nuts. She sounded almost affectionate when she said it. "Whatcha thinking about?" Scully broke into his reverie. He tore his eyes from the straight, flat seemingly endless road and glanced at her. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." "I never believe you. So what's the difference?" She laughed. "Thank you Scully. That's comforting." "No really. Tell me." She demanded. At his silence she spoke. "Mulder if it's pertinent to the case, you need to tell me." "It's personal Scully. Leave it." "Okay." She consented. After much arguing, they found sufficient evidence to arrest Brian Price, who like Mulder had hypothesized, mutilated the cows. However his means were not supernatural. Using a harness and a pulley system Brian committed the crimes. Mulder and Scully closed the case and went home. Dana sighed, and shifted her bag as she fitted her key into the lock and entered her apartment. All she really wanted to do was take a shower and curl up in bed, and try to work out what she was going to do about Mulder. Then she saw Ethan. He was seated on her couch and there was a bouquet of flowers on the coffee table. "Ethan, go home." "Dana, please. Give me another chance. I feel like an absolute ass for how I acted on Tuesday." "Ethan, no. We're over. Go home. But first, give me your key." "Come on Dana. Be reasonable. I love you." "No you don't. You love the sex, and you love the control you get. I'm tired of it Ethan." "It's about him isn't it? Are you sleeping with him?" "Ethan, Mulder has nothing to do with the fact that I can't pretend that I want to be in this relationship anymore. You use me Ethan. You use me to get stories for the news, and your use me for sex. I won't do it anymore. Get out." "Dana." "Just go Ethan." "Fine. I brought your stuff back." "Thank you." "Here's your key." He handed it to her and bent, kissing her forehead. "You're sure about this?" "Yes. Goodbye Ethan." Dana turned and followed him to the door, shutting it behind him. She took a deep breath and looked around her apartment. It was hers again, just hers. No dirty socks on the floor, or light windbreakers thrown on the couch. As she moved into the bedroom and took in its newfound neatness, a smile spread over her face. It faded when she realized, now came telling her mother. She checked her messages and scowled when she heard her mother's voice. 'Dana, it's mom. Your father and I wanted to invite you and Ethan to dinner next Friday. We were hoping Ethan could bring another tape like he did last time. Well, call us soon honey. Love you.' "I'll call you later mom, you can wait." She mumbled to the empty room. The machine beeped and moved on to the next message. 'Hey Scully. It's me. I know we just got back and all, but I think I've got a new case for us. Can I come over so we can get a head start on the reports?' Dana picked up the phone and called Mulder, telling him that if he was coming over, he was bringing dinner. He laughed and said he'd be there in an hour. Scully quickly went to get ready, cursing herself for being so excited that her partner was coming over. Mulder got there, and they ate dinner in companionable silence only talking when one of them would ask to steal a bite of the other's Thai order. After their food was eaten, Scully opened up some wine. Mulder sighed. The evening was shaping up to be what he had envisioned; he didn't know whether that was good or bad. Scully was smiling and leaning into him, looking incredibly beautiful, even as she talked about how much of a jerk Ethan was. He turned toward her and leaned in, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Scully jumped as the phone rang. She reached out and grabbed it, apologizing to Mulder with her eyes. "Hello? Hi mom. Yes, I got your message. I'll be there, but Ethan won't. Well, we broke up. Yes I know you loved him, mom, but I didn't. Look, I'm working. I'll call you tomorrow mom. Night. Love you too, bye." Scully hung up, running a hand through her hair. "Was it really that hard?" Mulder asked, leaning back against her couch, wondering why it felt so much homier than his own. "That was just my mother. My father will be ten times worse. So, should we get working?" "Yeah." Mulder sighed, both relieved and disappointed at the same time. He and Scully started working, and were mostly done when Scully stopped. "What's wrong?" he asked. Scully didn't answer; she simply pulled his face between her hands and kissed him. He responded in kind and one kiss turned into thousands before she was pulling away and standing, tugging on his hands. "You know that I want this, right?" She asked. "This isn't about Ethan, or needing companionship from an anonymous source. This is about me. About me wanting you." "I know." Mulder spoke, his voice low. "I feel the same way." She smiled and led him to the bedroom to begin a beautiful future together. ~ * ~ The man smiled in the dark and took a long drag on his cigarette. Things were going exactly as he'd planned. He put away the surveillance equipment and moved toward the door. "Sir, this complication, should we take care of it?" "This is no complication. This is what we wanted. His focus will shift; his priorities, and soon he won't care about the Truth. And we'll be able to continue as before." "Yes sir, whatever you say sir." He nodded and dropped his cigarette, stomping it out before leaving the room. END!! -- Cathey Ratty and Bo-- All our sites: http://www.expage.com/rattyandbo Scully: I came here today, four years later, to report on the illegitimacy of Agent Mulder's work. That it is my scientific opinion . . . that he became, over the course of these years, a victim. A victim of his own false hopes, and of his belief in the biggest of lies. Mulder: Well just find yourself a man with a spotless genetic makeup and a really high tolerance for being second-guessed and start pumping out the little uber-Scullys. (he rubs her back and smiles) Scully: What about your family? bunysliper: It's a sad, pathetic thing. Doggett likes Scully, but it's so obviously onesided bunysliper: and it's one sided because.... bunysliper: say it with me now... ILoveKrycekIsHot: SCULLY LOVES MULDER!!! bunysliper: SCULLY LOVES MULDER!!!!!