From: "Angela D. Troiani" <adtroi@planetx.bloomu.edu>
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 00:42:52 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: NEW- Hear Me Roar by Angie T. (1/2)


This was inspired by one of the suggestions  CiCi posted  in the "10 Over
Baked Plots" thread.  I simply had to sit down and write it.

Many thanks to my two beta editors.  You know who you are!

You may archive this where you like as long as my name remains attached
and you let me know the address.

Disclaimer: They belong to 1013 Productions and the Big Guy who runs the
joint.  I'll give 'em back when I am done.

Keywords: None 
Spoilers: None
Category: S
Rating:  PG-13 (for violence)


Hear Me Roar!
By Angie T.
docshok@sunlink.net or
adtroi@planetx.bloomu.edu


    Dana Scully sighed as she opened the car door, juggling the dry
cleaning and the shopping bag  and somehow managing to get everything in
the car without dropping anything.  Eight days out of town and now she
barely had time to do all her errands since getting a call from
you-know-who telling her they were booked on another flight.

    "We've got a hot one here, Scully!"  Mulder had crowed over the phone.
She could hear the grin in his voice.  Lord, how she wanted to wipe that
grin off of his face!

    "What now?"  She had held her breath, not really wanting to know the
answer.

    "An honest to God Elvis Sighting!!"

    "You are kidding, right?"  She hoped he was, anyway.

    "Yeah, I am.  Actually, it's a missing person.  A 17 year old girl
is missing and her mother thinks the boogie man took her.  Her father
thinks it has more to do with the James Dean look-alike she has been
dating.  Doesn't look like anything too serious."

    After settling the details of the flight, Scully had been left trying
to do a week's worth of errands in two hours.  She had just barely
enough time to get home and pack the suits she had just had cleaned.
Mulder would be picking her up, so at least she wouldn't have to worry
about rush hour traffic to the airport on her own.

    She tried to relax a bit on the ride home.  With the radio cranked
and the window down enough to allow a warm breeze over her face, she was
almost able to forget the past week.  Almost. But thoughts of the coming
case and the flying involved began to worm their way into her head and
she was feeling more than a little irritated by the time she pulled into
the parking lot of her apartment building.

    The sun was beginning to go down and the street light had not
clicked on yet.  Dana concentrated on making sure she wasn't
accidentally dragging her dry cleaning on the sidewalk and juggled the
bag containing the new shoes with her keys as she tried to get her
apartment key out.

    She should have known better.  That was her first thought.  Stupid
idiot! To walk in shadows, not paying attention to her surroundings.  To
let herself be distracted by her burdens.   These thoughts rang through
her head, even as the arm came around her throat and the hand clamped on
her mouth.

    Dana's packages and purse fell in a confusion of crinkling paper and
plastic.  She clawed at the arm but was unable to get a grip on her
attacker.  Her vision began to dim as she fought just to breathe.  She
felt herself being dragged backward then flung onto the ground.  The
impact stunned her long enough for the man to cover her body with his own
and trap her wrists in one of his hands. 

    Scully thought quickly.  She knew that if she didn't move at the right
time, she was going to be raped by this foul-smelling animal who was
panting in her ear.  

    While his body covered hers, he couldn't undress her enough to
accomplish his goal.  Sooner or later he had to move off her enough to
do so.  That would be her chance.  So, how was she to use that fact?
She decided to pretending to be no threat at all would be her best chance.

   As her attacker lay on top of her, he began to rock, enjoying
the sensation of power he got from rubbing himself against her as she
acted dazed and helpless.  Seeing that she wasn't fighting, he chuckled
softly.

    "Oh, you like that don't you?  You'll like what I got for you even
more, sweetie."  His breath was hot on her face, smelling of whiskey and
cigarettes.  He levered himself up to one side, putting all his weight
one one leg as he worked at his belt buckle.

    Dana waited, peering from under her lashes,  until he looked down to
unbutton his jeans.  Then she acted, bringing a knee up to his groin as
she pulled her wrists out from under his hand.  Since all of his weight
was on that one hand and one leg, it was fairly easy for her to knock
him flat on his back.

    This gave Dana  her first look at him.  A scruffy looking man, in
his late twenties, slight build. Her mind took in the basics but the
light was too poor for anything more.  She instinctively reached for her
gun, then remembered it was in her purse-- no doubt lying on the ground
by her door, with everything else.

    The man was rising from the ground, swearing.  Dana eyed him
warily.  She knew she couldn't outrun him, he was at least Mulder's
height.  The knee blow to the groin didn't strike him near enough to the
genitals to do more than surprise him, so she couldn't count on that to
slow him down.

    "Stop!  Stay right there!"

    "Or what, sweetheart??" The man moved as he spoke and attempted to
grab her.

    "Or this, dearie!"  She said sarcastically as her elbow impacted
with his midsection and her three-inch heel found a resting place on his
left foot. Without waiting for him to recover,  she laid him flat with a
roundhouse that would have made Bill Scully proud of his baby sister.

    As he lay there, stunned and curled in the fetal position, she took
a quick look around.  They were behind the dumpsters her apartment
building kept, right around the corner from the front door.  No wonder
no one had intervened.  A quick look around netted her a length of cord
form a broken lamp.

    As she rolled him over on his stomach, he groaned.  She used the
cord to tie his hands behind  his back as she began the litany familiar
to criminals and television watchers everywhere in the US.

      "You have the right to remain silent, slimeball.  If you choose to
give up that right, and I really hope you do, anything you say can and
will be used against you in a court of law.  Assuming that I let you
live that long.  You have the right to an attorney, assuming you can dig
one up to defend a lowlife like you.  If you cannot afford an attorney,
one will be provided for you.  Do you understand these these rights as I
have explained them to you or do I need to put them in words of one
syllable or less?"

    "I understand... Please, don't hurt me!"  In the manner common to
bullies everywhere, he seemed to shrink very small when presented with
any threat.

    She hauled him up and hustled him around to the front of the
building.  Locating her purse, she used her cell phone to call the
police.  When her prisoner heard her identify herself as a federal
agent, he moaned.

    "Aw, hell!  I'm screwed!!  A freakin' fed!  I hadda pick a freakin'
fed!"  He seemed about ready to cry.

    The local police arrived quickly, arresting the man formally and
frisking him before cuffing him and taking him away.  The officer in
charge took a quick statement, agreeing to allow Scully to make a more
detailed statement at a later time.

    Looking at her watch as the last officer left, she realized she only
had 5 minutes before Mulder was due to arrive.  She picked up her dry
cleaning (now rumpled and dusty), her shopping bag (contents spilled)
and her purse, then headed inside.

**************

   Mulder was feeling very smug.  Here he was, only 5 minutes late!
Scully wasn't waiting outside, which was unusual but considering that
she hadn't had much notice, he wasn't too worried.  He found a parking
space and headed up the sidewalk.

    Mulder knocked on the door, rocking a bit on his toes in his
enthusiasm for the new case.  He smiled approvingly as he saw the
peephole darken, showing that she was checking before she opened the
door.

    "Hey Scully, I got us --" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw that
her bags weren't packed and she was still in her "civilian" clothes.
"You're not ready??" He asked in disbelief.  "The flight leaves in an
hour!  We have--"

    She interrupted him. "I am not going.  You will have to go and I
will catch a later flight and  meet you there."

    "What do you mean you're not going?"  He was stunned.  How could she
leave him hanging like this?  She knew he relied on her.

    "Mulder, I can't go.  I just got off the phone with Skinner.  I need
to go downtown to give a statement before I go.  Now you can either wait
and we can fly out together, or you can go on ahead and I will meet you
there."

    "A statement?"

    "Yes, a statement."

    Mulder was confused now.  A statement for what?

    "There was a... disturbance here earlier.  I had to call the locals
in.  Since I arrested him, they need me to give a statement."

    "A disturbance.  Normally, they could wait a few days for the
arresting officer's report.  As long as the complainant give their
statement, you should be able to wait."  Suddenly it hit him.  "You...
you're the complainant aren't you?"

    She sighed and refused to look at him.  "Yes."

    "My God, Scully, what happened?  Are you alright?"  In two strides,
he was at her side with his hands gripping her arms.

    "Yes, I'm fine!"  She moved back and pulled his hands off her.  "And
if you don't mind, I have been manhandled enough for one day, thank
you."  

    "What did he do to you?  I'll kill the son of a bitch, I swear I
will.  I --"  His ranting was cut off by the look on Scully's face.  She
looked mad.   But she was glaring at him.  What had HE done?

    "Out."  She bit the word off, teeth clenched Skinner-tight.

    "What?"  Now he was really confused.  Why was she mad at him?
Whatever happened to her must have shaken her more than he thought.

    "Shut up and get out!"

    "Scully, whatever happened, we can get through this.  I'm here for
you.  If you need--"
He was amazed when she interrupted her again.

    "Mulder, what I need is a partner who can accept the fact that I am
an adult.  Not only that, but I am an adult who was trained to take care
of herself.  An adult who can kick ass if she needs to.  Now, I don't
have a problem asking for help when I really need it.  But I resent the
hell out of the fact that you rush in to do it when I don't  need it.  I
had enough of that growing up with two overprotective brothers."  She
seemed to grow several inches as she spoke, her presence filling the
room.  Mulder took an involuntary step back.

    "Now.  If you want to continue this nonsense, you can find yourself
a big, macho, male partner.  I have had it!"

    "Scully, I know you can take care of yourself, I just--"

    "You just thought that I would be ever so grateful that you were
willing to go kick this guy's ass for me.  Well, I think the guy has had
all the ass-kicking he can take for one day.  And if I think he needs it
again, I am more than capable of doing it myself.  Or don't you believe
that?"

    "Of course I believe it.  It's just that--"

    "What?  It's just that I am short?  Or that I am female?  Or that I
am fragile? "

    "Well, no, but it hasn't been that long since --"

    "Mulder."

    "Yeah?"

    "Shut up."  The look on her face erased any doubt about her
sincerity.

    Mulder suddenly remembered that Scully was armed.  He also
remembered that she had actually used her weapon on him once before.
Maybe discretion  was the better part of valor.

    "Um, tell you what, Scully.  How about I just um, go home and change
the flight to tomorrow night.  Um, I'll call you, ok?  I'll just... I'll
call you and uh, you can do what you need to do, okay?"  Mulder backed
slowly and cautiously to the door and let himself out as Scully glowered
at him from where she stood.



End Part 1




For disclaimer, rating, etc see part one.  




*********************

    "Mulder, it's me.  Meet me at the gym in one hour."

    "What?  Well, ok, should I --"

    "Just meet me there."

    "Ok.  One hour."

    "Oh, and Mulder?'

    "Yeah?"

    "Wear something loose fitting.  Not those black jeans of yours."

    He stared at the phone numbly as she hung up.  What was with her?
He could count on one hand the number of sentences she had let him
finish in the last 24 hours.  Now this cryptic summons had him
unbalanced.  He just didn't know what to expect from her next.

    When he got to the gym, he found Scully stretching.  Leaning against
the wall nearby was the Assistant Director, Walter Skinner.  Mulder was
more than a little surprised to see him there, but tried to look
unfazed.

    "Morning, sir.  Morning, Scully."  His eyes flicked back and forth
between them. "Can I ask what is going on here?"

    "Agent Mulder, what is going on here is that your partner feels that
her competency has been questioned.  A good partnership is founded on
the assumption that each partner is capable of backing the other up."
Mulder nodded his understanding of the AD's words.

    "Agent Scully was more than able to defend herself yesterday.  I was
told that, as he was being led away, her attacker was begging the locals
to keep her away from him. Yet for some reason, she feels that you need
a demonstration of her ability to do her job. "

    "A demonstration?  I don't understand."

    "The two of you are going to spar, Agent Mulder.  You will do so until
there is a mutual respect and understanding.  If Agent Scully wins, she
will take over as head of the X-Files Division for one month.  That means
that she will decide which cases to investigate and what means you use to
do so.  If at any point, Agent Scully feels you are patronizing her, she
will have the option of choosing a new partner.  I would suggest that you
not try to throw the fight." 

    "I don't understand. What is the point behind this?"

    Skinner's reply was cryptic.  "Mulder, rumor has it you are an
intelligent man. Figure it out for yourself.  I suggest you try your
hardest to win." 

    They spent a few minutes determining the ground rules and equipping
themselves for safety.  Once both had inserted mouth guards, they waited
for Skinner's signal.

    They circled each other, each waiting for an opening.  Scully snaked a
bare foot out to snag one of Mulder's ankles, causing him to fall to the
mats with a crash that echoed loudly through the gym.  As soon as his back
hit the mat, she was on him, mimicking a blow to the throat and solar
plexus. 

    "Scully's point!"  Skinner's voice called.

    Mulder got up and waited for the signal to begin again.  This time
he seemed to move a little more carefully.  He feinted to his left then
moved to the right, pulling her toward him in much the same hold her
attacker had.  She reacted just as she had the day before, an elbow to
the stomach and a heel to the instep.  When Mulder reacted to the blow,
she used the arm around her shoulders to throw him over her hip and to
the mats.  This time she climbed on his back and pulled an arm behind
him to disable him.

    "Point to Scully!"

    Mulder got up, a little more grim and much more determined.  As they
circled again, he dredged his mind for ideas, trying to remember the
classes at the academy.  Inspiration struck and he faked moving into a
position that would be easily countered.  As Scully moved to block it,
he used a shoulder throw  to put her on the mat and pin her.

    "Point to Mulder."  Skinner's voice was expressionless as ever, but
Mulder somehow got the impression he was amused by this.

    Sweat beaded on Mulder's forehead as he and Scully faced each other
again.  Both were breathing heavily and Scully's hair clung damply to
her face.  Each of them focused solely on the other, watching for the
minute movements that would warn them of the other's next action.

    While one part of his brain was concentrating on the sparring, a
little part of his mind was trying to decipher the reason behind this.
He just wanted to protect Scully.  To see that nothing horrible happened
to her again.  Why was that wrong?

    He got a hold on her right arm only to have her break free and
attempt to trip him again.  Both regained their footing and began the
dance once more.  His body wrestled with his partner as his mind
wrestled with his confusion.

    He managed to sweep her feet from beneath her.  Her petite form
slammed to the mat and he was sure he had her as he moved in to mime the
disabling blows.  When he got within arm's reach of her, he suddenly
found himself flying over her head and landing on the mat himself.  He
barely made it to his feet in time to avoid losing another point to
her.  With difficulty, he managed to knock her to the floor and pin her.

    "Point to Mulder!"

    He let her up and watched her gasping for breath even as he struggled
for it himself.  Skinner's beeper went off just then and he excused
himself to use the phone.  The partners eyed each other as they waited for
him.

    "Truce?"  Mulder  panted, wiping away the sweat dripping into his
eyes.

    "That depends."  Scully panted back.  "Have you figured out what this
is about yet?"

    "I haven't the faintest.  But could we please talk about this
instead? "  His eyes pleaded with her and she relented.

    "I guess we can take a break before we go for the tie breaker."

    "Why do you feel the need to fight me, Scully?  I don't want to hurt
you."

    "Mulder, do I have to kick your ass on the mat again?  Because,
obviously, I can do so if I try.  Matter of fact, I was trying very hard
not to hurt you.  So how do you think I would do against someone I
wasn't pulling my punches on?"

    Mulder winced. "I guess I wouldn't want to be the one to find out."

    "Mulder, when we are out in the field, I want you to keep your mind
on what you are doing, not worrying about what is happening to me.
Obviously, I can hold my own.  If I get in over my head, I will call
you.  I have in the past, haven't I?  And I have pulled your sorry
backside out of the fire a few times as well."

    Mulder gave her a rueful grin and nodded.  "Yeah, you have."

    "Look.  If you can't do your thing and trust me enough to do mine,
we have no business being partnered.  One of us is going to get killed.
So either you stop hovering over me, trying to surround me in bubblewrap
or I am going to have to find a new partner.  One who respects me
enough to let me do my job.  Understood?"

    "I understand.  And you're right.  It's just... I don't know what I
would do without you, Scully.   You are my anchor right now."

    A moment of silence hung between them like spun glass, stretching
thin.  She broke it finally by sighing and saying softly, "I know.  I
just need you to show me the respect you say you feel.  Think you can
treat me like 'one of the guys'? "

    He laughed softly and punched her in the shoulder.  "Sure thing.
Let's go get a beer.  I know this club where the waitresses wear...
OW!"  He rubbed his shoulder and  concluded. "Well, maybe we should just
get lunch."


End Part 2 and story

feedback to docshok@sunlink.net or adtroi@planetx.bloomu.edu
(pretty please?? please?? with sugar on top??)