All Characters copyright of TenThirteen Productions and Chris Carter. No infringement intended on any part...I like being poor, really... This story is kinda a sequel to two stories, Downtime and Curiosity... but you don't have to have read them to get this, I think. I will gladly e-mail the two of them to anyone who wants them... anyway, let's rock!!! Just Another Night... by Sheryl Martin sheryl_martin@daystorm.com "Come on Scully; it's strawberry." Mulder ducked another dish towel, still in the kitchen. "Lots of bubbles..." The wet sponge hit him directly in the face, sliding down his football jersey to the floor in a soggy splash. "You are a pervert!" Laughing in spite of herself, Dana retrieved the sponge. "How about a compromise -- movies and popcorn" She offered a dry towel to the dripping Fox. "I still haven't forgiven you for getting us suspended for this week." "Hey, is it my fault Skinner's not that liberal a thinker?" He wiped the water off his face quickly. "I'll go get the necessities -- microwave popcorn, right?" "Yes." She yelled after his retreating form "And no tricks!" The door slammed shut behind him as he headed out of her building. Shaking her head, Scully grabbed up her wallet on the way to the video store. Fox dug in his jean pocket for the keys, precariously balancing the wine, chips, pretzels, and three boxes of popcorn, Swinging the door open, he walked into the living room. The two movies atop the table caught his eye. "Four Wedding and A Funeral? The Shadow? Scully..." His voice took on a plaintive wail. "No Stallone? No Segal?" He took a few steps down the hallway, heading towards the back of the apartment. "Hello? Hello?" Poking his head into the bedroom, Fox waited for an answer. Hearing none, he took the three steps towards her bed, a sly grin on his face. One hand went into his pocket, withdrawing a set of fur-trimmed handcuffs. He had caught Scully with them on at his desk a few days ago, and this was the perfect opportunity to have some fun... Putting a hand on the left headboard post, he gave it a good shake, noting the sturdiness of the polished wood. Reaching out with one cuff, he expertly snapped it around the post. Listening cautiously for her return, Fox experimentally put the other end around his right wrist, setting the soft red fur snugly against his skin. A strong jerk didn't even mark the wood. Grinning wickedly, he reached for his keys, imagining the scenarios he could tease her with, knowing full well she would just throw more stuff at him... where was the key? His stomach dropped. It was on his key ring -- in the front room by the groceries. "Mulder?" He went pale as her voice echoed down the hall. Looking frantically around the room, he slid to one side of the bed, his right hand wrapped around the post over his head. Lying on the floor face down, Fox held his breath as he heard her come into the room, the soft tapping of her steps halting at the foot of the bed. Closing his eyes, he began to pray... "Mulder..." Thanks a lot, God. "What the hell are you doing?" She stared down at him, not knowing to laugh or scream. Rolling over onto his back, he tried to smile calmly. "I was just... it's not what it looks like..." "Those are the ones from your desk, aren't they?" She put a hand to her mouth, beginning to giggle. "You look rather... uncomfortable." The phone rang. "Hello...oh, hi Jackie. Can I call you tomorrow? Mulder's handcuffed himself to my bed." She held the receiver up, letting him hear the riotous laughter. "No, he's fully dressed... I might have a camera around here... right, I'll talk to you tomorrow." Putting the phone down, Scully sat on the edge of the bed. "She says hello." "The key's on my ring in the front hall." He muttered, his face the same colour as his Redskins jersey. Chuckling lightly, she went out of the room. Picking up the handful of keys, Dana paused for a minute, trying to think of a suitable price to extract from him for this stunt. The doorbell rang. Putting the keys in her pocket, she opened the door. "Mom..." Fox heard Margaret Scully's voice in the living room and shook his head. This was not going anything like he had planned. Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching the room. Two sets... "Ah, I remember it being in the bedroom." Dana watched as her mother opened the closet, searching for a garment bag left a few weeks ago. Her eyes met Fox's, crouched at the side of her bed just out of sight. He waved frantically for the keys. Dana tossed them to him, turning back quickly as Mrs. Scully emerged from the closet. "There it is. Now just let me make a fast call to Melissa, and I'll be on my way." Dana watched in horror as she walked around the bed -- to sit down by the phone. Picking it up, she began to dial. A hand touched her foot from under the bed. She looked down, stifling a giggle. Fox lay on his stomach on the floor, sighing at the viciousness of chance. He heard the two women leave the bedroom, and a few minutes later the front door slammed shut. Slithering out from under the bed, he came face-to-face with a hysterical Dana, tears beginning to run down her face as she laughed uncontrollably. Fox joined in, wiping at his eyes. ******************************************************* "This is a silly movie, Scully. No one could do that." Fox lay on the couch, enjoying the second bottle of wine. Sitting on the floor just below him, Dana shook her head. "The ability to cloud men's minds...you don't date much, do you?" She deftly avoided the light slap, reaching for her half-full glass. "Besides, if you could only cloud Skinner's mind when he starts yelling, that's be great." She laid her head back, resting it on his stomach. Her unfocused hazel eyes stared into his. "I'm very glad we don't have to go into work tomorrow." Lurching to her feet, she went to change movies. "Time for something a little lighter." Fox sighed, resigning himself to his fate. Leaning forward, he poured the last of the third bottle into both glasses. Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the company -- but this movie wasn't all that bad. His gaze dropped to the back of her head, to the soft inviting red curls. Taking a deep breath, he gingerly stretched out a hand to gently stroke the back of her neck. "Hmm..." Dana mumbled, her eyes almost closed. "Strange premise...this guy's in love with her for months and just can't bring himself to speak up." She arched her back, taking a last sip of wine. The glass rattled as she put it back down on the floor. "That's nice..." She drifted off to sleep, her face resting comfortably on his chest. Fox tenderly ran his fingers up and down her skin, twirling the red hair around his fingers every now and then. Leaning forward he lightly dropped a kiss into her hair. "Yep, a really strange premise..." He pulled the afghan off the back of the couch, wrapping it around her and up onto his lap. Turning the TV off, Fox laid back, closing his eyes. Maybe this being suspended wasn't so bad after all... The end... ???