Title: Dusty Longings

Author: Christina

Email: christinalynne1227@yahoo.com

Rated: G

Classification: V, MSR

Spoilers: general season 8

Archive: Anywhere, just let me know if possible

Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully and the X-Files belong to CC, 1013, and Fox. No infringement intended.

Summary: Scully misses Mulder while doing some cleaning...

Feedback welcomed and answered at: christinalynne1227@yahoo.com

Author's notes at end.

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Dusty Longings

by Christina

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The time was drawing near. She had read about the nesting instinct, but hadn't really expected it to hit her so hard.

She ran a tight ship, but with a little determination, she found plenty to keep her busy while she counted the days and timed the Braxton-Hicks contractions.

Today it was dust bunnies.

She couldn't find her floor sweeper. She realized she'd left it at Mulder's, before his return, back when she didn't care about dust bunnies so much. She could call Mulder and ask him to drop it by, but she knew she'd just be met with arguments to 'take it easy,' to leave the housework 'to someone else.'

She chuckled at the image of Mulder in an apron, shirt sleeves rolled up, floor sweeper in hand. Not likely.

So impatience got the better of her (as it did most times these days) and she resorted to a dust rag wrapped around the end of a mop handle.

She wondered how wise it was to be wriggling under her bed at nearly 38 weeks pregnant, but she carefully avoided wedging herself underneath.

Lying on her side, she lifted the dust ruffle, grunting with exertion as she swept within the tight confines.

Back and forth she swept, the mop handle bumping her belly gently with each arching swipe. Dust tickled her nose and she sneezed. The baby kicked in return.

Not satisfied with the results, she squeezed out from under the bed, going to the other side. Lowering herself down, she prepared to echo the previous ritual.

This was Mulder's 'side' of the bed. He was making himself more and more at home in her apartment, insinuating himself into all corners, no longer just taking up the couch and taking over the remote.

So she wasn't surprised when she lifted the ruffle and found several of Mulder's belongings.

Her nose wrinkled in mild disgust at a balled-up pair of gym socks. She batted them out with the mop handle; she'd wash them with her laundry later.

She fished out last week's issue of Newsweek, along with an empty, crumpled up bag of sunflower seeds and toenail clippers. Mulder was clipping his toenails in *her* bed? She'd have to have a talk with him about that.

Looking at the things scattered on her bedroom floor, she could almost convince herself that she had a normal life. That she and Mulder were together, with their child on the way, with no threat of alien invasion.

A sudden pang went through her and she stopped, taking a moment to realize the source of her discomfit. She missed Mulder.

She reached for the phone, her fingers dialing his number from muscle memory. He answered on the second ring.

"You busy, Mulder?" she asked.

"Don't tell me you're out of Chunky Monkey already."

"Very funny, Mulder. No, actually, I was wondering if you'd bring my floor sweeper over for me?"

"Scully! You're not supposed to be exerting yourself..."

She smiled into the phone.

END

Author's notes:

Many heartfelt thanks to Triton for the beta services and friendship. You rock, girl!

This was a 500 word challenge given to me by my aforementioned beta. 'Dust bunnies' was the theme; let me know if you enjoyed reading this little fluff piece as much as I did writing it.

Visit my other fanfic: http://www.oocities.org/christinalynne1227