Title: Tuesday
Author: DM
E-mail:  [email protected]
Feedback: is treasured and always replied to.
Rating: PG
Category: V, R
Key words: Mulder/Scully Romance
Spoilers: Monday, Arcadia
Disclaimer: Not mine; they belong to 1013 Productions, FOX, and most importantly, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.
Summary: �Marry me, Scully,� he asks again, �make me the happiest undercover agent in Washington.�
Notes: This is the seventh vignette in a series that follows Mulder and Scully through the episodes in Season 6, beginning with Rain King. They�re more or less a series of stand-alone stories, the MSR having already been established in the first two installments. If you would like to read the series, it goes as follows:
�Kroner�
�Georgetown�
�One Simple Kiss�
�We All Make Mistakes�
�Personal�
�Peanuts�
�Tuesday�
They may all be found here: http://www.geocities.com/dmldr42/fanfiction.html
All of my other stories may be found at my website: http://www.geocities.com/dmldr42

I dedicate this one to Carol A. Thank you so much for everything! Love you!


Tuesday
By DM

�Agents, Assistant Director Skinner will see you now,� Kimberly smiles at my partner and I can�t help but notice how her eyes seem to greatly appreciate what she sees. Is this a new development, or am I simply more aware of these things now that Mulder and I have. . . made things personal?

Mulder doesn�t seem to notice the attention and I�m almost embarrassed to admit how much that pleases me.

We take our usual seats, and Skinner asks for our report on the robbery yesterday. I�m not sure when Mulder found the time to write it, but I left the responsibility to him, seeing as my understanding of the incident still remains unclear. Even after Mulder�s explanation in our office just a few minutes earlier.

The look on Skinner�s face tells me he�s not pleased with Mulder�s conclusion.

�I�ve seen the movie, Agent Mulder. I didn�t much care for it then, and I certainly don�t care for it now.�

Mulder doesn�t reply and glances in my direction for what I interpret is a gentle plea for the slightest bit of validation.

I know I can�t scientifically explain what allowed my partner to know that Bernard Oates was in possession of a bomb yesterday, but I can offer my support.

�It defies explanation, Sir, but I think we�ve both seen enough over the years to know that Agent Mulder�s theories are correct more often than not.�

A quick glance to the right allows me to see a smile flirt with the corner of Mulder�s mouth. I know he wasn�t expecting me to say what I did.

Skinner obviously isn�t convinced, though, because he barely hesitates before continuing, �so, you�re buying this too, Agent Scully? I have to say, I�m disappointed in your lack of judgment.�

I�m agitated at this, and I spare no sarcasm in my retort. �What other explanation might you suggest, then, Sir?�

Mulder lets out a deep breath and I have to agree. I don�t quite care for where this meeting is headed.

Skinner opens his mouth but thinks better just as he�s about to speak.

He stands up instead and gathers some papers from his desk. �I�m sorry, Agents. I�ve been here for the past 24 hours and I�m ready to go home.� He offers a weak smile, then grabs his jacket from the back of his desk chair. �Unfortunately, I have meetings scheduled from now until three, first of which is with the Section Chief regarding this fascinating tale,� he gestures towards Mulder�s report, �that vaguely resembles a Bill Murray flick.� He puts on his jacket and turns his attention back to my partner and me. � What matters is that Oates� accomplice-- victim, whatever you prefer, was the only casualty in what had the potential to be a fatal disaster.�

I�m a bit put off by the sudden turn in Skinner�s attitude as we rise to leave. I assume we�ve been dismissed, as he�s almost out the door himself.

�Oh,� he turns to us, halting our exit. �You�ve been assigned a new case, an X-File.� He walks back to his desk and hands Mulder a file.

And that�s it. Meeting over. One spur of the moment X-File behind us, and one awaiting our attention elsewhere.

Only problem is, Mulder won�t tell me where our first catch back on the X-Files is taking us. The tilt of his lips as he quickly peruses the file tells me I�m not going to be pleased with the details of our new assignment.

He tells me he has to make a quick stop on the thirteenth floor before joining me down in the basement. I eye him warily, but let him get away with it because I�ve learned it�s useless to get in the way when he has something up his sleeve.

He�s gone 45 minutes and I�m starting to grow impatient when he suddenly walks through the door with an almost wicked grin pasted across his face.

He shuts and locks the door behind him, and with a devilish sparkle in his eyes, closes the distance between us. Before I�m able to move, I�m in his arms and his breath is warm on my lips.

My body is screaming to give into the intense desire I have to finish what he�s started, but the sensible portion of my brain is fighting desperately to resist him.

�Do you remember what we talked about, Scully?� His lips brush against mine as he moves them to speak. �Keeping our personal life out of our work,� he reminds me.

�Yes,� I breathe, losing what little control I have left. �We decided it wasn�t professional.�

�Unless,� he prompts.

�I don�t recall there being any exceptions.�

Against all better judgment, my eyes slip closed as I submit to my partner. Our lips meet and the room feels as though it�s whirling around us.

After several long, delicious moments, he leans back enough to speak, �marry me?�

My breath literally catches in my throat and I pull away quickly, making myself dizzy in the process. He can�t possibly be serious.

�Mulder. . . I-�

He begins to laugh and I can�t say I appreciate his reaction in light of what�s just transpired.

�I should be offended, but luckily for you, I was aiming for such a response.�

I feel confused, embarrassed, disheveled. And he�s sitting there laughing at me. Sometimes I really don�t understand what makes the man say and do the things that he does.

He reaches into his pocket and produces a small box. �We said that the only acceptable situation to display our budding romance would be undercover.� He opens the box and a diamond ring glitters from within its velvet cocoon. �Marry me, Scully,� he asks again, �make me the happiest undercover agent in Washington.�

So help me, but the man knows how to smooth over just about any situation. I�m not quite as upset as I was a moment ago, but that doesn�t mean I�ll be letting him off the hook quite so easily.

�If I recall, Mulder, that wasn�t quite how the agreement went.�

�Yes it was,� he sounds so sure of himself that I�m going to enjoy this all the more.

�No, Mulder, I�m quite sure we agreed that our personal relationship would be set aside during any and all investigations assigned by the Bureau.�

�But the assignment-�

�The assignment might call for some role playing, yes. But, surely you�ll agree that we need to keep a healthy distance between business and pleasure. . . regardless of the circumstances.�

�You can�t be serious, Scully.�

�Oh, I�m very serious, Mulder.� I smile up at him and can�t help but be pleased with how dramatically I�ve turned this entire situation around. Even though he must sense that I plan on softening my resolve. . .  with the right kind of persuasion, that is. �Let�s get going, partner.�

�Yeah,� he snaps the ring box closed, that wicked grin painting his face again. �Let�s get going. . .  Mrs. Petrie.�

�Mrs. Petrie?� Uh, oh. �Mulder? What are you leaving out?�

His smile widens, �I�ll tell you on the plane. . . Laura.� He starts towards the door.

�Mulder. . .� I warn, my new-found, victorious glee disappearing fast. I walk quickly to catch up with him.

�The name�s Rob.�

We reach the elevator and, as I stand there, I feel a slow burn rising. I need to get this out. Now. I place my hands on my hips, knowing the impact my body language tends to have on Mulder. I want him to know just how displeased I am with his childish sense of humor. �Rob and Laura Petrie? You�re a sick man, Mulder.�

�That�s what they tell me.� The door slides open and he goes inside, waiting for me to join him. �Coming, honey?� he adds in a saccharine monotone.

I remain where I stand, absorbing his attitude. �The X-Files are ours again, Mulder. I thought you�d be taking this a little bit more seriously.�

�I am,� he smiles and I stand there waiting for him to be honest.

Finally, he sighs, �A routine missing person�s case in suburbia isn�t exactly an X-File, Scully. It�s a job for the local PD.�

�Skinner doesn�t seem to think so.�

�Yeah, well, he must be right then.� His gaze falls away from my eyes.

�Mulder-�

�Look, Scully, we both know we�re being monitored. It�s a joke, why not play along?�

�Because that�s not who you are.�

�No, it�s who I have to be.� He pushes a button and the doors begin to shut. �I�ll pick you up in the morning.�

�No, Mulder,� I say to the closed door. �It�s who you choose to be.�

I stand there for another moment before pushing the elevator button, experiencing that old, familiar flood of annoyance at having just been ditched.

�Welcome back to the X-Files, Agent Scully,� I mutter to myself as I step inside.

End.
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