From: juliettt@aol.com (Juliettt)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW STORY!! "Conversation in the Hallway"--Short Short
Date: 31 May 1995 18:57:56 -0400


NEW STORY: "A Conversation in the Hallway"--an M&S bonding short short

Okay, I've gotta say it--this is my very first fan-fic post, and it's
short.  A slice, really. Hopefully I'll have some longer stuff out before
too long (we get through hiatus any way we can, folks).  Direct comments,
flames, etc. to Juliettt@aol.com.  DISCLAIMER: Mulder and Scully belong to
the revered Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen Productions and are used
lovingly but without permission.  The FBI belongs to--who knows?  This
story, however, belongs to me (who else would claim it?).  Yadda, yadda,
yadda.  Here goes . . . <deep breath>. . . .

==========================================================
"A Conversation in the Hallway"
by Juliettt

	"Well, you know what they're starting to call us, Scully. . . ."

	"No, what?"

	"'Spooky and Skulls.'"

	She smiled faintly.  "Well, actually, I prefer 'Skulls and
Spooky,' myself--has a better ring to it."  She chuckled softly at his
look of surprise.  "Oh, come on, Mulder--it's nothing I haven't heard
before.  Do you seriously think I got out of Quantico without my share of
nicknames?"

	He lifted an eyebrow.  "Oh?  Care to enlighten me, Scully?"

	"Well, Skulls was one, obviously.  And Skullwoman, Skullsy--the
usual."

	"Hmmm . . . not too bad."  He glanced at her as she hesitated. 
"What, Scully?"

	She shook her head, a look of pain momentarily clouding her eyes.
"Nothing--"

	"Oh, come on, Scully--I showed you mine, now it's your turn. . .
."  He started to wiggle his eyebrows at her but stopped when she didn't
respond.  

              "They hurt you, didn't they."  It was not a question.

	She shrugged.  "Just--some names hit a nerve, I guess."  She
glanced up at him but he was staring ahead, his face impassive.  She
closed her eyes.  His nickname--"Spooky"--had really hurt him.  She knew
that.  And he had shared that with her. <Time to 'fess up, Dana,> she
thought.  <Maybe you can prove to yourself that they were wrong.  Maybe if
you tell him. . . .>

	"'Ice'."

	"Hmm?"  He swung to look down at her quizzically.

	"That's what they called me at Quantico.  'Skulls' was an
immediate reaction to my name.  But within six months I was 'Ice."  From
'The Ice Maiden.' . . ."  Her voice trailed off, her eyes full of memories
and hurt.  "Mainly because I could do an autopsy without losing my lunch. 
But also because I . . ." she paused.  "Because I turned down every guy in
my class who asked me out.  After awhile they quit asking."  She fiddled
with her i.d. tag.  "I didn't want to get distracted--the Academy was hard
enough.  There were only three women in my class.  And I was the youngest.
 *And* the smallest.  They expected me to fail--all of them, I think." 
Her eyes blazed at the memory.

	"But you didn't."

	"No, I didn't."  Her voice was quiet but proud, her chin lifted
defiantly.	

	"And now just look at you.  Partner to the FBI's Least Wanted."

	She turned to face him.  "Doesn't that ever bother you, Mulder?"

	He seemed uncomfortable.  "Well, yeah--it used to.  But now . . ."
he shrugged philosophically.  "At least they leave me alone."

	Scully nodded and started down the hallway again but was
restrained by a hand on her arm. 

	"But being left alone and being lonely are very different things,
Scully. . . ."  She turned slowly.  His eyes were unfathomable.  "I'm not
lonely now--not really alone."  He turned slightly, his face away from
her.  "When you were--gone--I had a lot of people around then," he said,
sotto voce.  "But I--*felt* alone."  She saw the tension in his shoulders
and reached out to pat his arm, then thought better of it.  "Then you came
back and they let us work together again--the happiest day of my life,
Scully."  She could hear the sincerity in his voice although he wouldn't
look at her.  "I missed you, Scully," he said simply.  Friendship,
respect, trust--they were all there in his words and his tone.  "And I'll
never really be alone as long as I've got you."

	"Babe."

	He swung to look down at her in surprise.  Teasing in her
eyes--and affection.  He grinned at her, his teeth flashing in the dim
hallway as they walked on.

	"I got you to walk with me . . ."

	"I got you to talk with me . . ."

	"I got you to hold my hand . . ."

	"I got you to understand . . ."

	"Dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum . . . ."

	"I got you, babe. . . ."

	And then the other people in the hallway wondered why Spooky and
Skulls were laughing.

				30-30-30
Juliettt@mail.aol.com