From: Matt McCabe Date: Sun, 14 Mar 1999 22:45:56 -0800 Subject: NEW: The Phantom:Music of the Night 1/1 Author's notes: I know I owe MIB the next part of Sahara. Life suddenly cut into my writing time. This is the second day I have had off in six weeks. As Sahara takes much longer to work on a night, I offer this up in hope that it will temporarily abate the wolves. Finals are next week, which leave me a whole week of spring break to work on stories. This story is the first in a Squidge Sisters series of stories about Lighthouses and Walter Skinner. This first story doesn't have the lighthouse part yet. It will take awhile to get there. Feedback: Yes, I would love it. Email: lor@either.or.com Distribution: Gossamer and SIS please, all others ask. Rated: PG Codes: Scully/Skinner Keywords: Story, Angst Parts: 1/1 Disclaimer: CC and 10-13 own the X files, I am just taking them out for a spin to get this story out of my head. The Phantom of the Opera is owned by the Really Useful Theatre Company, and was produced by Andrew Loyd Webber. *LIGHTHOUSE SERIES * | The Phantom: Music of the Night By Lorre DuFae ********************************** Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation. . . Darkness stirs and wakes imagination. . . Silently the senses abandon their defenses . . .[The Music of the Night] *********************************** "Come on Scully, you are telling me you don't believe in romance?" Mulder chuckled from his place in the driver seat. "No, I don't Mulder. I don't think it ever existed, except in the minds of vulnerable women. Men just don't operate that way." Scully leaned back into her own seat. The stakeout was becoming rather tedious. "God, you must have really been burned by someone." Mulder whispered under his breath. Even though he was shocked at her statement, it was a viewpoint that seemed to agree with her overall stance on life. A knock on the window of the vehicle broke their focus on the conversation. Scully unlocked the back door, and a very wet Walter Skinner slipped into the car. "I've come to relieve you Agent Mulder." Mulder nodded at Skinner, and commented, "You better watch out, Scully is in a rather cynical mood tonight Sir." Scully retaliated by giving Mulder a dirty look as he struggled into his trench coat. "Is that so Agent Scully, pray-tell exactly what you are so cynical about?" Skinner answered, looking at the back of Scully's red head. Scully turned to look at Skinner, wanting to tell Skinner that it was none of his business. "Agent Mulder and I were just discussing my beliefs that romance is dead. That it never existed to begin with." Skinner smirked at the two of them. It sounded like something that Scully would say. Knowing that Mulder was waiting for a response, "~Goodnight~ Agent Mulder," With that dismissal Mulder knew that he should leave. Scully would kill him in the morning for what he had just did. However, it would do her some good to hear another male's side of the situation, and Walter Skinner was just the man to give it to her. ******************* After a few moments of silence in which Skinner slipped into the spot that Mulder had previously occupied. "So Agent Scully you don't believe in romance?" Skinner smirked slightly, as she attempted to hide her irritation with the situation. "No, Sir I don't believe in romance." She replied. "Would it annoy you if I asked you to explain it to me?" Skinner commented as they continued to watch the building for the suspect to arrive. "No, I guess we have all night." Scully replied back, as she drew in a deep breath. "Romance is dead. Let me qualify this by saying that it's not that I don't think love is dead, it's just that romance is only a means by which men attempt to get a woman into bed. For true romance to exist, it would be done just because the guy cares." She stopped realizing just who she was rambling to concerning her love life. Skinner turned and the corner of his surly lips began to curl up. "Your telling me Scully that you don't believe there is one man out there who enjoys courting a woman that he cares about?" "Yes," Scully replied knowing that she was in for it with the twinkle in Walter Skinner's eyes. She continued, not wanting to let him have the upper hand, "You can't tell me that you enjoy spending a half a days wages on flowers that will die in a week?" "Actually Agent Scully you would be surprised at what I enjoy doing? There is a great deal to an individual that the roles that they engage in don't allow them to show." Skinner cryptically remarked. "I apologize Sir. I am just saying that I don't think that there is a man out there that chooses to be romantic, unless it's expected of him." She brushed the hair back up off her face. Skinner opened up the bag that he had brought with him, pulling at a thermos of hot water. "Tea?" He asked choosing to side track her for a moment. He had obviously stepped onto sensitive ground. After pouring both Scully and himself a cup, he came back to the conversation. "Let me ask you something. If there was a man so in love with you, that he honestly enjoyed being romantic, what would you do?" Scully seemed to consider this thoughtfully for a moment. "If I ever found the man, I think I would never let him go." She was glad that the car was dark, and felt even more grateful when she saw the suspect go into the club right across the street. "It's show time." Skinner called for backup, then. After reporting in, he gave one look at Scully, and they both exited the car into the rain. Scully's umbrella shot up. This wouldn't be a two-person operation. They would go into the club, and maintain a visual link with the suspect. Back up would make the arrest. Skinner walked through the door, his hand on the small of her back. Scully shivered for a brief second as the raw power of his strength transmitted from the small of her back outward. She knew what was expected. They slipped from their stakeout roles into ones where they were undercover. Scully's coat came off as Skinner handed to the door man. Skinner smiled at the black dress that Scully wore under her coat just in case she would be the one who followed the suspect in. The big band sounds echoed down the short entrance-way as Scully began to scan the room for the suspect. Her subconscious marveled at the way both her and Skinner worked in tandem. A strong hand grasped her waist and pulled her closer into the strong form that stood behind her. Shocked for a brief second Scully forgot where she was. The stark differences between Mulder's touch and her bosses shot through her like lightning. She felt the husky breath of a strong, powerful man, whisper into her ear, "He's in the corner dancing with the tall blonde. Let's go out onto the floor where we can see him better." Skinner didn't even bother to ask Scully if she could swing dance. He just clasped her hand firmly and pulled her out into the throng of moving couples. Scully, attempting to remain professional, while still remaining undercover followed him and began to stylize with the beat. With one hand she clasped the full skirt of her dress and began strut slightly to the music. Skinner smiled and pulled her quickly into his arms. "You concentrate on not blowing our cover. I will concentrate on keeping an eye on `lover-boy' over there." Scully nodded in response. Relief washing over her that she wouldn't have to remember the steps and watch the man that they were following. Skinner lift his arm slightly, indicating that she should go into a turn. He moved with the casual grace of a well-trained cat. Scully again reminded herself that she was here to watch a suspect, and not to ogle her boss. She neatly came out of the turn, and continued to dance the east coast. Skinner's eyes grazed over her and glanced subtle back over at their prey. He lifted he arm, indicating that he was going to change the steps that they were doing. His arm came up around her, as he pulled her closer so they could Charleston. Scully felt Skinner's firm grasp, and again reminded herself that she was doing this while on duty and not for fun. God Scully missed dancing like this. It had been ages since she had allowed herself to really dance. Sure she had been to a few `modern' clubs, but they didn't satisfy her like swing dancing did. There was something incredibly erotic about the way bodies moved together, then moved apart. She smiled and looked up at him. Remember the part, she reminded herself. "Scully, he's looking this way." Skinner told her, turning her so that she faced the same direction that he did. They continued to Charleston, turning every now and then to keep cover. Absent mindedly his finger brushed back and forth across her fingers as she moved. "There are Agents Simmons and Perlman." Scully told him back, knowing that the music covered their conversation from prying ears. Trying to concentrate on something other than the hard, muscular form before her. "He looks like he is ready to bolt, Agent Scully. He keeps looking towards us as if he knows." Skinner pulled her out of the Charleston, and back into the east coast. The song was coming towards its end. "Please forgive me," He whispered as he dipped her, his face incredibly close to his. Scully looked up into his dark warm brown eyes. She didn't register his intent until his lips connected with hers. She gasped, parts of her realizing that this was only an act, parts of her in shock at his firm lips pressing into hers. As soon as it started, the kiss was done. Skinner pulled her up, and a new song slowly unfurled from the orchestra. "You look like you are about ready to bite my head off." Skinner chuckled softly, "I'm sorry Agent Scully, it distracted him enough for Simmons to make the kill." An ache of emptiness filled Scully as Skinner released her. She covered her turbulent emotions with her famous `I'm fine' look. "It's okay Sir. Things like these happen." She walked away from him, towards the door of the club. She knew that they would have to confer with the other agents before heading home for the evening. Skinner nodded at her as she walked away. This was the nature of their relationship. He followed her out to make his own report. On the way home it hit Scully. Where the hell did he learn to dance like that? She touched her lips as she continued to drive. They still continued to burn from his brief caress. Knowing that nothing could ever become of the kiss, she pushed her attraction out of her mind. She was tired, and the darkness and intimacy of their discussion before had weakened her to the situation. Part of Scully whispered, ~if only~. Then she reminded herself that there was no such thing as romance. ******************************* Several weeks later.... Scully unlocked the door of her apartment, and threw her brief case on the chair beside it. Automatically she locked it, and turned on the light within her apartment. Scully walked into her living room glancing at the mail that she held in her hand. She glanced up as she placed the mail on the table beside her couch. A single red rose lay beside a piece of vellum. Scully bent down to look at the note, not wanting to disturb any fingerprints. Softly, deftly music shall surround you... Feel it, hear it, closing in around you... Scully saw the remote for her CD player near by. She hit the power button and then play. Music softly began to fill the room. Instantly she recognized it, The Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera. Scully continued to read. I want to assure you that I mean no harm. I never forget. -Someone who relates to Eric, the Phantom of the Opera. As the music of the night filled her living room, Scully felt a shiver trail down her back. She didn't know what to think. Someone had violated the security of her home, but. . . Maybe Mulder? ********************** Comments? lor@either.or.com