From: Chloe Subject: X-Files Fanfic Submission Date sent: Fri, 6 Feb 1998 15:03:42 -0600 Title - Mandatory Vacation (1/1) Author - Chloe Wildner E-Mail - agentchloe@geocities.com Rating - G Category - S- Story Spoilers - None Keywords - Mulder/Scully UST Summary - Scully is forced on a mandatory vacation to *rest* and laments Mulder's absence from her life. This is eventually remedied:) Author's Note: This is on my web page as an interactional story entitled "Salute to Fate". Please visit my page for other stories, but it won't serve much purpose to read this story in interactional form. Scully paced through her living room. It had been three days and *he* hadn't called her once. She had been home on vacation for three days and *he* had not called her! Three whole days she had been on mandatory vacation to "rest", and *he* had not called her. Skinner felt that she was not well enough to work and had forced her to take a vacation, and yet *he* had not called her! Scully forced herself to stop pacing and sat down on the couch. So he hadn't called. So what else was new! He never called unless there was an some "important" case. Still, she said to herself, that was because there was *always* some important case. She would have thought he would have found something to call her about in three days time! Suddenly, she heard a phone ringing. It's her cell phone. What *had* she done with that thing? She hadn't needed it in three days. She ran from room to room, desperately searching for it. "Please don't hang up, please don't hang up, please...." Ahh! There it was - on her bedroom dresser. "Hello?" "Hi, I'm a representative from the Delaware Company of..." "No thanks!" Scully quickly cut off the call and dumped the phone back on the dresser. She threw herself down onto her bed. What is wrong with me? she thought. I don't need him. I am an independent woman. I am a doctor and an FBI agent. I can do just fine on my own. I can go to a movie, read a book, visit a museum. Why, if he ever calls, I'll just tell him I'm busy! "Brring!!" Scully was up with the phone in her hands before it finished its first ring. "Hello?" "Hi, it's me." It was Mulder. "Look, I know it's your vacation, but I have a case I want you to look into. Will you meet me in the park?" "Sure, I'll be there in a few minutes, bye!" "Hey, wait, hold on. Don't you want to know what it's about?" "What? Oh, right, yeah, sure." There was an evident pause on the other end of the line. "There's a death. It was ruled strangulation, but there's some marks I'm not sure of that I want you to take a look at." "Okay, but why are we meeting at the park?" "Oh, that's where the body was found, and I figure it's an easy meeting place." "Okay, see you in a few." *************************************** There he is, standing in the middle of the grass - but he's wearing jeans. That's slightly bizarre. Ah, he's spotted me. "Hey, Scully." "Hey, Mulder. So...?" "Come here. The body was found......right here." He pointed to an area that was currently spread with a blanket and complete with a picnic basket. "Oh, no, someone's having a picnic right there! Shouldn't there be a police line or something? How long ago was the death?" Mulder laughed. "No, Scully, it's our picnic. I thought you might need to get out and have some fun." "Do we have time for that? Won't someone be expecting us at the morgue?" Mulder reached over and grabbed her hands. "There is no death. There is no case. I've practically been on vacation myself." A smile played around Scully's mouth. "Oh." Mulder smiled back and squeezed her hands. Then he dropped them to get her a drink. "Thanks," Scully said, taking the drink and sitting down. "Did you make all this?" Mulder laughed. "No, we've been catered." He sat down too. "Mmmm...okay, give me a sandwich then." He threw it to her. "So, what have you been up to?" "Well," Scully unwrapped the sandwich, "basically I've been trying not to be bored while 'resting.'" "Hmmm, I've been trying not to be bored while 'working.'" Scully laughed. She let her purse slip off her shoulder as she reached for another drink. The purse was quickly snatched away. "Hey, hold on!" Scully turned and spotted her pocketbook - in the mouth of a rottweiler. She jumped up. "Come back here!" Mulder ran and caught up with the dog, tackling him. Scully immediately ran up to grab her purse. "Where's your owner, huh?" Mulder took hold of the dog's collar and stood up. "Do you think he's part of a scam?" Scully put her hands on her hips and looked around the area a little. "If he is, the mastermind isn't coming out." "Who says this dog isn't the mastermind? Maybe he's an alien in disguise." Scully smiled wryly. "Are you suggesting that he's trying to steal state secrets from my purse?" "Go with it, Scully." Scully rolled her eyes and motioned towards the dog. "Let him go." Mulder let go of the rottweiler's collar, and he sprinted away. Then Mulder walked over to Scully. "Sorry about that." "Oh, it was nothing." "So, what do you want to do now?" "I'm not hungry anymore," Scully replied, "but do you want to go for a walk?" "I'd love to." Mulder put a hand on her shoulder and led her back to the blanket. "Let me just put this stuff away first." Scully helped him put the blanket and basket in his car. Then Mulder linked his arms with hers and led her back to the park. When they found themselves safely strolling, Scully turned to him. "So what has Skinner been giving you to keep you busy?" Mulder sniffed out a laugh. "Nothing." Then he continued. Some paperwork, and he asked me to look at a lot of cases that I'm sure he already guessed were pointless. Mostly I've been doing some reading and refiling." Scully smiled. "Sounds like fun." "Ah, it's good to have some time, but yeah, I can't wait 'til you're back." "Oh, I see. You just miss the work." "No, I've missed you too." Scully smiled at him. "But don't let that go to your head." She rolled her eyes and broke away from his arm. Then she looked around. "Oh, we made it back to our cars." "You ready to go home?" he asked. "Yeah, I guess." "I'll see you home...if that's okay." "We took separate cars." "So I'll follow you." "Alright. If you want." Mulder and Scully arrived at her door. Scully turned the key in the lock, opened the door, and then turned around to face Mulder. "Thanks for seeing me home." "No problem." "I had a really great time." "Sorry it didn't go as I planned." Scully looked up at him. "What? The pocketbook incident? That was nothing. Think about what I usually end up doing with you." Mulder gave her a closed-mouth smile, then the two just stood there staring at eachother and fidgeting a little. Finally, Mulder let out a nervous laugh. "God, this feels like a date!" Scully gasped out a laugh of her own. "You want to come in?" "Ooo! She's invited me in!" Scully rolled her eyes and stepped aside for Mulder to pass. "Do you want anything?" Mulder gave her his lop-sided grin. "Like what?" "Mulder...." "No, nothing, thanks." "Well, if you think of anything, help yourself. Sit down. I'm going to check my messages." Mulder wandered around a bit, and then grabbed a seat on the couch. Scully entered a moment later. "Argh!" Scully exclaimed and plopped down on the couch next to Mulder. "What is it?" "My mom called." "What did she say?" "'I'll call back.'" Scully caught his eyes. "Don't get me wrong. I love my mom. It's just that everytime I talk to her she manages to drive me crazy!" "Scully, don't take this the wrong way, but you look really tired. You're supposed to rest on this vacation!" She groaned. "Oh, I try, but I can't rest when I'm doing nothing; I find it *more* stressful. That's why this was so nice. Thanks." "Oh, no need to thank me. I enjoyed it too much." Mulder and Scully stared at eachother and smiled. She watched his eyes as he pushed a strand of her hair out of her face. His eyes changed and the smiles were wiped from both of their faces. He ran his hand through her hair one more time. "Scully?" "Yes?" "Brring!" She should've left the phone off the hook. "Hello?...No, I'm quite happy with my long distance company, thanks." She hung up the phone in exasperation and quickly turned back to Mulder. "What were you saying?" Mulder looked deep into her eyes and then stood up. "I have to be going. Lots of work to do." Mulder had already found his way to the door. She scrambled after him. "Okay, I guess I'll see you Monday." "I guess." "Bye, Mulder." "See you, Scully." She watched him leave, then entered her apartment, closed the door, and slid to the ground. "I hate sales calls." ~The End ************************************************* Thanks for reading! Hoped you liked it! Feedback welcome at agentchloe@geocities.com Read more of my stuff at http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/1306 ~Agent Chloe Wildner, aka Jillian