From: ephemeral@ephemeralfic.org Date: 3 Mar 2002 02:33:32 -0000 Subject: Maggie\'s conspiracy by Mary Source: direct Reply To: fwerle@hotmail.com From: Mary Date: February 2002 Title: Maggie's Conspiracy Author: Mary Category: MSR Spoilers: None Rating: G Summary: It's Maggie's birthday but the surprise is not for her. Disclaimer: Fox Mulder and Dana Scully belong to CC. Notes: As usual, thanks Mimic for your wonderful beta treatment. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Maggie Scully's House September 24th Saturday There was only one thing Maggie Scully wished for her birthday; to get Dana and Fox together. After all these years she couldn't believe how dense these people still were. Everybody was aware of how special their relationship was. But only Maggie was able to sense the one thing that had them blind to their feelings. Fear. Pure and raw fear of losing each other. She knew though that while betting on the safe side they were both missing the best things that were yet to come in a relationship. Today she was determined to make them face that fear and hoped they came to their senses once and for all. She picked up the phone to call her daughter. "Hi, Dana. I just wanted to make sure you were coming." She kept her fingers crossed. "Hi, Mom. Yes, I'm coming." Scully sighed and as if sensing her mother's next question she added. "And yes, Mulder is coming too." On the other side of the phone a relieved Maggie Scully smiled. "Good, then. I'll be waiting for you." "Mom? Do I need to bring anything?" "No, Dear. Just Fox. I've got everything else covered." After a hasty goodbye, she hung up. Same day 7:00 p.m. The birthday party was in full motion when Maggie's most awaited guests arrived. Not that she wasn't glad to have her family and friends around. "Hi, Mom. Happy Birthday!" Scully walked in and handed her mom a big box wrapped in blue. "Thank you, Dear. You shouldn't have bothered." She took the box from her daughter and greeted Mulder. "Good to see you, Fox. Come in." "Thanks, Maggie. And happy birthday." He gave her a beautiful bunch of flowers. She thanked him and kissed his cheek, which made him blush. "Go ahead, Fox. Make yourself comfortable. I'm sure Dana can help you with that." She winked at him and went to the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase. "Scully, what did she mean you can make me feel comfortable?" He leered at her but she just rolled her eyes. "I haven't got the slightest idea." They left their coats in one of the bedrooms and headed back to the living room to greet the family and friends, both unaware of the fact that they were holding hands. "Hi, Tara. Bill." Scully looked at Bill daring him to say anything about Mulder. Fortunately, Bill decided to keep to himself and sulk alone; if only for his mother's sake. "Hey, Mulder....Look how big little Mathew has got." She was holding the three-year-old while Mulder ruffled his hair. "Hi, Mathew." "Aunt Day, is he your boyfriend?" 'Good timing, grandson.' Maggie silently congratulated him and butted in. "Of course not, honey! They just work together. Like your daddy and Captain Rush. Nothing else." Maggie saw a flash of something akin to disappointment in both of them. She took Mathew from her daughter, put him on the floor and went on prodding. "Now, let me introduce you to a wonderful man. Kevin..." She literally dragged the man from where he stood chatting with a lovely blonde girl and turned him round to face her daughter. From the other side of the room Bill Scully glowed. "Dana, I'd like to introduce you to Dr Kevin MacDonald. Kevin, this is my daughter Dana. She is also a doctor. And a brilliant one. I'm sure you'll find you have so many things in common. And he's really handsome." She whispered the last part pushing Kevin even closer to Dana. "Huh...Mom, I..." Maggie didn't pay any attention to her daughter. Instead, she took Mulder by the elbow and dragged him to the other side of the room. Mulder, meanwhile, was watching Scully with a puppy look, which was reciprocal. "Fox, let me introduce you to Stephanie. She's doing a major in astronomy. I know you'll enjoy talking to her. I'm gonna leave you two alone." With that, she disappeared into the crowd. She didn't want Dana to find her 'cause she knew her daughter would instantly call her bluff. "What do you specialize in, Dana?" Kevin was eager to know. "Dead bodies." She deadpanned. After five minutes talking she was already bored. 'Why am I unable to hold an interesting conversation with anybody any more? Easy, Dana. Mulder is the best person to talk to. No one can measure up to him.' She wistfully glanced across the room and noticed her partner doing the same. They both winked at the same time and giggled. "Mmmm...Fox, are you all right?" asked Stephanie. "Sorry, it's just...I remembered something funny. That's all." Before she had the chance to ask him what it was, he offered to get her a drink and walked toward the table at the back of the room. He was pouring Stephanie a glass of punch when he realized Scully hadn't had anything to drink yet. So he poured her a glass of juice. "Excuse me." He simply handed her the glass and went back to 'his corner' without realizing he had rested his hand on the small of Scully's back. It'd been a gossamer touch but it didn't go unnoticed by his partner. 'Oh, Mulder. You are the most attentive and caring man in the world. Even if it sometimes smothers me.' She smiled at him and he smiled in return. Only twenty minutes had passed but for Mulder and Scully it was an eternity. Just when Scully was about to go upstairs to check on her mom, Maggie turned up and started herding everyone to the dining room. "Dinner's ready, everyone. If you'll just follow me into the dining room..." Unconsciously, Mulder and Scully drifted toward each other with the intention of sitting together. But, once more, Maggie's celerity beat them. "Oh. I'm sorry, Fox. But the seats are already arranged. This is your seat." She emphasized the word This and with a strength she didn't know she had she sat him down with Stephanie on his left. Scully was shocked. Never had she seen her mom so overtly playing matchmaker. Anyway, she was certain she wouldn't be feeling like this if her mother had set her up with Mulder instead of Blondie. "Honey, close your mouth or else you're gonna catch flies." Maggie whispered in Scully's ear while sitting her and Kevin down in front of Mulder and Stephanie. Soulfully, Dana raised her eyes to look at her partner and realized Mulder's thoughts were running along the same lines. "Have you heard about quarks, Fox? I find them so fascinating." Stephanie kept on jabbering. 'Why can't this woman just shut up?! What have I done to piss Mrs Scully off? Better not go there.' Mulder mused. "So...Dana, have you heard about the latest advance project of the Bagot Laboratories? They've created this amazing pill to help women lose weight..." Kevin went on rambling. 'Mulder's bimbo girl could take some. It'll definitely do her good to lose some fat.' Scully snorted. Mulder was watching how Scully was shamelessly checking Stephanie out. 'Jealous, Scully?' Mulder wondered. As if on cue, she directed her eyes at him and they engaged in one of their silent conversations. From the head of the table Maggie observed them. 'Don't be ridiculous, Mulder! Why would I be jealous of her?' Mulder surreptitiously lowered his eyes toward Stephanie's voluptuous bosom. 'You're a pig!' 'Don't worry. I like your boobs.' He was openly staring at her chest now. 'Mulder, stop that!' She could feel the telltale color on her cheeks. 'Ah! You're so cute when you blush.' He grinned and received a kick under the table. At the same time he thought he could feel a hand squeezing his thigh. His eyes instantly turned to Stephanie. 'Nah, She couldn't have done that.' When he turned to look at Scully he found octopus Kevin trying to put his arm around Scully's shoulder but she deftly dodged him. 'Oh, you don't want to do that again doctor, or I'll...' He could have sworn he could hear his partner's voice in his head. 'Don't worry. I can take care of myself.' After seeing Kevin try to make several passes at Scully, Mulder could take it no longer. And neither could she for that matter. She tossed her napkin on the table, stood up and excused herself, stomping upstairs. Mulder found her in her old bedroom lying on the bed, watching the stars through the window. He gently sat down by her side. She knew it was him without even turning. "Mulder, what's wrong with my mom?" "I don't know, Scully. Maybe it's the old age." She slapped his arm for that comment. "My mom is not old, so that you know." He lay on the bed so that they could be at eye level. "Really, Mulder, why would she behave like that?" She took his right hand in hers and began playing with his fingers. "Honestly, I don't know. Maybe she thought we were alone and it was time to set us up. C'me on, Scully. I'm sure she did it with good intentions." "I don't doubt her intentions, Mulder. I'm doubting her judgement. That guy must be one of the most boring people I've ever met." "At least you don't have to bear Astro Steph going on about quarks, quirks, black holes and so on. I bet she has a black hole in her head." His quip made Scully laugh and he felt proud of being the one to have done that. He rested his hand on her cheek and began caressing her. "Hey! We could hook them up." They both shared a smile. They were staring at each other with a certain longing. It was as if they were creating love without even moving. Suddenly Scully closed her eyes and inhaled. Mulder felt this was going to be a crucial moment in their relationship. "Mulder, I..." Someone came in unannounced. "Dana!" Bill was speechless. Although he would have liked to have a private conversation with his sister, he knew it was not the right time or place. "Bill, please, next time could you just knock?!" She was shooting daggers at him. "You should be downstairs. Mom's gonna blow out the candles." He turned round and left without noticing Maggie watching from the landing. 'I swear, Son. Sometimes you're even denser than your sister. Damn! Now I'll have to work harder.' When everyone was gathered round the table, they sang happy birthday to Maggie. As soon as the candles were blown out, she cut two big pieces of cake, put them on two plates and deposited them, unceremoniously, in Mulder's hands. "Could you do me a favor, Fox? Go give this to Stephanie." She winked at him and he had no other option than do as she'd instructed. "Ah, Stephanie?" He handed her a piece of pie. "Thank you, Fox. You've been so kind." She kissed him on the cheek. When he looked up he saw Scully watching the exchange with a sad expression. He felt guilty about the whole thing. He started to walk toward her when he noticed Maggie put two plates in her daughter's hands. Scully , who had not been paying any attention, almost dropped both plates if not for Kevin's quick reaction. "Hey, Dana. I knew you were dying to bring me some but there was no need to hurry." He took a plate from her and stooped to whisper in her ear. "Don't worry. All women get nervous trying to please me." He gave her a leer and sat down to enjoy his dessert. Scully was dumbfounded, her eyes were as big as flying saucers and she was gaping at Mulder, who had been watching the whole scene. On seeing her expression he barged toward Kevin but she forestalled his advance putting her palm on his chest. "I'm fine." She noticed his hurt expression. However, it turned to anger in a matter of seconds. 'Damnit! Why can't you trust me?' 'I trust you!' She tried to get her message across. 'Not with your heart.' He turned around and went back to Stephanie. Maggie saw how things had turned, not favorably unfortunately. But she wouldn't give up. She reached the entertainment center and turned it stereo on. Soon a soft ballad filled the air. "Martin, will you dance with me?" Maggie asked her cousin. "My pleasure." They began slow dancing and little by little they got near the corner where Fox and Stephanie were chatting (well mostly Stephanie was doing the talk). All of a sudden Maggie pretended to trip over Stephanie's foot, who in turn spilled part of her drink on his shirt. "Oh, I'm so sorry, dear! I was so into this beautiful ballad I was not paying attention enough." "That's all right Mrs Scully. Oh, Foxy! I'm so clumsy. I'm really sorry. Did I ruin your shirt?" She took some paper napkins from the table to wipe out the stain, rubbing more forcefully than necessary. "It's ok, Stephanie. It's only juice. It'll come out." He tried to pry her hands away but she was persistent. "Ahhh...If you excuse me, I'm gonna try to wipe this out in the bathroom." "Let me help you." "No! I mean...It's all right." He rushed out of the room, all the time checking Scully out of the corner of his eye. She was about to follow him when her mother stepped in front of her. "Dana, can I have a word with you?" She didn't wait for a reply. She just took her daughter's elbow and led her to the kitchen. "Mom, what the he..." "Honey, don't you think they make such a good couple?" "Who?!" Scully began pacing around. "Well, Fox and Stephanie, of course. I mean, they have so many things in common and she is so sweet toward him." "Mom, she's not..." "And Fox needs someone in his life..." Maggie started pouring coffee in her china set but checked her daughter's expression from time to time. "He already has someone in his life!" "I know, sweetie. But I mean, emotionally. It would be good for him to have someone at home waiting for him, someone to talk to, share his secrets, have fun. Someone to share his life with." 'But I want to be the one he shares his life with.' She thought sadly. "Anyway, it would be good for you too. That way, you wouldn't have to spend so many weekends with him and you could have some fun too." "But I do have fun with Mulder!" Her daughter's forlorn expression almost broke her. Almost. "You'd also have more time to meet someone." Before Scully had the time to reply she took two coffee cups and walked out of the kitchen. "But I don't want to meet anybody else." Scully whispered. Meanwhile, Maggie shoved the cups into Bill's hands and excused herself. "Ma! This is hot!" "I'm sorry, Son. I'll be right back!" She was climbing upstairs to find Fox when she bumped into him. "Oh! I'm sorry, Fox. I was so distracted thinking about Dana and Kevin..." "Oh." Mulder felt a knot forming in his throat. "Don't you think they make a nice couple? I mean, they seem to have so many things in common. And it would do Dana good to have fun during her personal time. Now, don't get me wrong but..." "No, I..." "I know she likes to work with you but she loves medicine so much. Who knows? She might get to work at Kevin's clinic one day." "She might?" He didn't like what he was feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Don't say anything to Dana but Kevin dropped me a hint that he's thinking about offering her a good position at the clinic. I've heard it's one of the best in the country." By now, his throat was totally dry. "And I think it would also be good for you. She would stop pestering you with her problems and habits." "But, Mrs Scully, she doesn't..." "No, no, no, Fox. I know my daughter. Don't try to defend her. She should let you have fun, enjoy life. Maybe Stephanie is the right one for you. Or you could meet somebody else." She finished talking with an almost conspiratorial tone, winked at him once more and went downstairs. "But I don't want to meet anybody else." He whispered. When he returned to the living room, he found Scully sitting alone in a chair by the window. What Mrs Scully had told him had got him thinking and now he was determined to have a serious conversation with Scully. No one was going to stop him this time. Or so he thought. When Stephanie and Kevin noticed Dana and Fox within arm's reach, they stood up and got ready for their last move. "Scully, I need to talk to you." She stood up and took his hand. "Mulder, I want to be the one you share your life with." She blurted out, her voice quivering and tears in her eyes that refused to be shed. "Foxy? It's getting a bit stuffy in here. Why don't we step out and..." Stephanie had her hand on his chest. In a fit of jealousy Scully grabbed the woman's hand and shoved it back. Suddenly the silence in the group was overwhelming. Scully felt so ashamed of her actions that she hid her face in Mulder's chest. No sooner had she done that than she felt his arms holding her tightly against him. She could no longer contain herself and hugged him back. "Ah, Dana, are you all right? Maybe we could..." Kevin made the mistake of raising his hand to stroke her back when, in a flash, a strong hand clenched his wrist in a vise-like grip. Only one word came from both Mulder and Scully's mouth. "No." A firm but soft answer. "Foxy, c'me on. Let's..." "NO!" This time their answer was louder and made everyone in the room turn their heads toward them. When Maggie saw her daughter in her partner's arms she left out a soft 'Finally' and thanked God. Changing her expression she reached her daughter's side. "Dana, are you all right? Fox, why don't you take her home? She looks a little bit pale don't you think?" If anyone had asked Fox Mulder, he would have sworn Maggie Scully smiled at him. "Yeah, I think I better." Maggie handed them their coats while she ushered them out. "Ahhh...Mrs Scully, would you say goodb..." "Sure, sure. I'll tell them you said goodbye and personally kiss each and every one of them. Now, go. Take my daughter home." She was about to close the door when, as an afterthought, she added. "And Fox, don't you dare leave her alone." He felt she was serious. "No, Ma'am." Maggie didn't lock the door until she was sure they had driven off. In that moment she closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "Ma! Why did you let Dana go? Kevin was about to ask her out!" "Do me a favor, Bill. Shut up." Stephanie and Kevin were the last ones to leave. "I just wanted to thank you for everything you did tonight." "Don't you think we went a little too far?" Stephanie asked. "Nonsense! I think I got my birthday wish." They all shared a laugh. Maggie said goodbye to them at the door but before closing it she remembered. "Oh! I almost forgot! Say thank you to Father McCue for me and tell him I'll raise my donation for the theater club!" THE END I hope you've enjoyed it. Hey! If I get ten requests I'm writing a sequel. What do you say?