From: lmock@gpu2.srv.ualberta.ca (Loret Mock) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: New & Short: Ridicule Date: 31 Jan 1996 00:33:26 GMT I am sure that there are going to be alot of these types of stories posted, but here's one more! A post "Syzygy" story. Ummm, realistic language, but nothing we havn't heard before. All comments: The good, the bad, the ugly, to lmock@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca The X-Files and the characters of Mulder and Scully are the property of the Brilliant Chris Carter, Fox Broadcasting and Ten Thirteen Productions. No Copyright infringement intended. Ridicule By Loret Mock LGW#6 Scully had barely stopped the car before Mulder released the trunk lock. She sat in stony silence as he exited the car to retrieve his things. As soon as he slammed the trunk lid down she sped off in a squeal of tires, the events of the last few days replayed like a bad movie through her head. Luck smiled on her as she managed to make it home without being stopped for speeding or some other traffic violation. She decided against picking her dog up from the neighbour who looked after him while she was out of town. The late hour and the mood she was in was a lethal combination. Once inside, the door to her apartment was slammed with enough force to shake the walls. She stalked directly to her bedroom and dumped her things on the bed, kicked off her shoes, and walked to the kitchen. Then to the bathroom. She washed her face. Back to the kitchen. Back to the bedroom. She was pacing like a caged animal. She was so upset and tense after the drive back to Washington in the same car with Mulder, that she needed to do something with her frustrations. She made up her mind to go for a run. Either that or start throwing things. She quickly changed and raked her hair into a ponytail. Placing her keys, gun and badge into a pack at her waist she set out. She had briefly considered taking her walkman with her, but it was late, and it was better to be aware of her surroundings than lost in the music. She stretched quickly, then set out, her pace slow at first, but as her mind started it's relentless replay once again she began to run faster. She was so angry with him; she couldn't count the amount of times that she wanted to use him as a practice dummy. Ever since the case involving Lucy Householder, he had been sniping at her, and it *hurt*. And RIDICULING her in front of Detective White... Scully stopped, breathing hard. She suddenly wanted to be at home, and started walking in that direction. She thought of all his wild and unbelieveable theories, and couldn't understand how some of them even made sense to him! And what was with this sudden fascination he had with the female population? First *Bambi*, now this Detective White. It seemed that he couldn't stay focused when a... *mildly* attractive woman was in the room anymore! Scully knew that everyone had bad days, but the two of them had been having a bad month, or longer. She started running again. Scully had reached her building steps again, and gripped the bannister, resting her head on her arms trying to catch her breath. Her body ached from the exertion of a long day, and an unnecessary late night sprint. She trudged up the steps, thanking the *cosmos* that it was Friday--actually Saturday morning--and she didn't have to go to work. A shower and bed sounded like a wonderful idea. She unzipped her pouch as she reached her door, and was just fitting the key into the lock when the door swung open. She shot backwards so fast she landed against the opposite wall with a thump, almost knocking the wind out of herself. Her gun was drawn and cocked before it registered who was standing in her doorway. "What the hell are you doing here?" She shouted, overlapping with Mulder's own loudly voiced query. "Where the hell have you been?" Scully snapped her mouth shut on her retort, reminding herself once again that it was around 5 a.m. on a Saturday, and her neighbours might not like another rude awakening from the vicinity of her apartment. Mulder stared at her taking in her damp hair curling around her face, and jogging attire, answering his own question. It was obvious where she had been. Out for a jog. Now he had a new question. "Are you crazy? What were you thinking going running at this time of night by yourself!" Scully uncocked her gun, and let it fall to her side as she pushed past Mulder and removed her keys from the lock. Ignoring his latest rant, she looked at him tiredly, "Go home, Mulder." The latest burst of adrenalin left her feeling absolutely drained of energy. Unfortunately for Scully, Mulder was still spitting mad. He had expected her to call and let him know that she had gotten home alright, as she always made him do. And he had waited, and waited. Then he called and there was no answer. He worried, and drove over to check. When he arrived, he saw the car. He knocked on the door. When she didn't answer, he let himself in, and checked to see if maybe she had gone to sleep. She wasn't there, and he was just beginning to panic when he heard her key in the lock. Then he betrayed his cool exterior and freaked out on her. "I didn't think it would be too much trouble for you to call and say 'Mulder, I'm home', then hang up," he said acidly. Scully glared at him, "I don't want to talk to you, and I sure as hell don't want to see you until Monday! Go home!" "What's your problem?" "MY problem?! *I* wasn't the one putting *you* down, and humiliating *you* every chance I got." "Oh, please," Mulder threw up his hands in disgust. "I have never seen you act more unprofessional in the entire time we've been working together. I can't work like this. I *won't* work like this." The color drained out of Mulder's face. Scully didn't notice, she was going to let him have it. "I don't care if you were having a shitty week or whatever it was that was making you act this way, but from now on, you had better leave the unprofessional attitude at home!" "Or what? You'll leave me?" His voice was dangerously low. Scully looked at him like he had sprouted another head. "I'm not threatening you, Mulder," Scully said in her normal voice. "I just don't appreciate the way you've been treating me like so much baggage that's hindering your investigation, instead of treating me like your partner. You seem to have taken steps backward to when you thought I was there to spy on you. You *hurt* me with all your nasty comments. I don't make fun of your theories, I just try to make you see them in a scientific logical way." "Scully..." "I'm not finished. When you were in Massachusetts, investigating with Dr. *Bambi*," Scully could never say that name without sarcasm, "it never occurred to you once, when you hung up on me, that I might worry about you. Think, that you might be in trouble and need help. I am not at your beck and call, then when you do phone me back--in the middle of the night--I drive out to the middle of nowhere, just to get *shit* on!" Mulder let out a short bark of laughter; as the image of Scully covered in manure swam in front of his eyes. Scully turned her back to him to hide suspiciously bright eyes; he didn't care, probably didn't realize what he was doing. "Go home Mulder, before I say something I regret. I'm over tired, and I just can't deal with this anymore right now." Mulder frowned, walked up behind her, and put his hands on her shoulders; feeling her tense beneath them. "I'm sorry, Scully, I guess I was lashing out at the only person that I knew would take it--and give it right back." He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Do you forgive me, or do I have to get on my knees and beg." She shivered and closed her eyes. Mulder felt her relax, and knew that *this* fight was over. "I guess that when people work together so closely; tensions mount. I'm sorry for some of the shots I took at you." She opened her eyes; a gleam of mischief in them, "you're the least macho man I know." _________________________________________________ "Mulder, are you sure it wasn't a girlie scream?" - Scully War of the Corprophages _________________________________________________