Thank You For Not Smoking

by Bluebonnet





April 26, 2000

Disclaimer: None of this stuff or these people are mine.

Rating: NC-17

Archive: You can put it in the Persuaders archive--it's a Persuaders exclusive

Spoilers: Brand X

Summary: Scully and Skinner cure Mulder of his smoking habit.



"Skinner wants to see us."

"I'll be right there," Mulder told her, waiting until she left the office to stare longingly into the wastebasket at the full package of Morleys. He wanted to retrieve them, but was afraid to do it with Scully nearby. Maybe he could come in over the weekend and do some work. There should be plenty of time to rescue his smokes from the trash before the cleaning crew arrived on Sunday. Besides, he could always pick up more tonight.

He caught up to her just as she was entering the elevator. Scully gave him a suspicious once-over, but said nothing.

Fidgeting nervously on the ride up, Mulder finally shoved his hands in his pockets and faced her.

"Scully," he said in his raspy voice, "you won't mention the fact that I bought a pack of cigarettes to Skinner, will you?" There, he had blurted it out, the fear that had gripped him since he'd shown her the pack, feeling like a small child displaying his contraband.

She looked up at him thoughtfully, reading the concern in his eyes.

"What do you think will happen if I tell him?" she questioned with an evil grin.

He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "You know damn well what happens if you tell him," he muttered just as the elevator stopped. "I get the shit beat out of me, and you get to watch, or maybe even help."

"That's right. So I guess it all depends," she said smoothly, breezing out of the elevator, "on whether or not you've pissed me off lately."

"Yeah. Uh...have I?" he asked anxiously, trotting after her toward Skinner's office.

She smiled sweetly at him as they entered the Assistant Director's outer office and spoke to his secretary. Mulder still hadn't received a reply when they were ushered into the inner office.

"Sit down, agents," Skinner ordered gruffly. Mulder quickly took his seat to the right of Scully, wondering if Skinner was really in a bad mood or if it was just his normal AD demeanor. It was hard to tell sometimes.

"So, Agent Mulder, you seem to be recovering?" Skinner questioned, raising one eyebrow Mulder's way.

"Yes Sir," Mulder told him quickly. "Scully saved my life again, Sir."

"So she did," Skinner agreed. "Scully, have you noticed any lingering effects of the nicotine treatment that I should be aware of?"

Mulder held his breath, waiting to see if Scully would give away his secret, but she just smiled and shook her head.

"No, Sir, he seems to be doing fine," she answered. "His voice will probably return to normal in another week or so."

"What about the cravings?"

Mulder stared at his boss, his face going a bit pale. Did Skinner know?

"The nicotine cravings are natural, after such a large infusion into the body, Sir, but Mulder is dealing with them well."

"Is he?" Skinner challenged, and before Mulder could take a deep breath of much-needed oxygen, the AD threw open his desk drawer and extracted five empty, crumpled Morley packages. "Dealing with it well, are you, Mulder?" he asked, staring directly into the frightened agent's eyes.

"Sir--I--uh--where did you get those?" Mulder demanded, regaining his footing at last.

"Illegal search and seizure," Skinner grinned mirthlessly. "In short, Mulder, I've been going through your trash."

"You what!" demanded Mulder, outraged, but his outrage was nothing to that of his tiny partner, who was just finding her voice after the shock of seeing the cigarette packages.

"Fox Mulder!" she thundered, and Mulder cringed.

"Scully, keep your voice down, someone could hear you!" he hissed.

"Someone is definitely going to hear *you* before I'm finished," she said ominously, rising from her seat and leaning menacingly over the man who cowered into his own chair. "I can't believe you smoked *five packs* of cigarettes! I'm going to--"

"Scully, wait," intervened Skinner smoothly. "This isn't the time or the place."

"There is no time or place!" Mulder flared, suddenly angered by the way these two people seemed to feel the need to control his life. "I'm an adult! I'll smoke if I want to! After all, Scully, *you're* the one who had them pump me full of nicotine!"

By the time Scully's angry gasp had escaped her lips, Skinner was up and standing beside her, towering over Mulder. Mulder huddled further into his seat and buried his face in his hands, wondering when he would ever learn to keep his mouth shut in front of his two lovers.

"I won't kill you for that remark, Mulder, because I'm sure you didn't mean it," Scully said coldly, and Mulder shook his head.

"'M sorry, Scully," he muttered from behind his hands. His face was revealed a moment later when Skinner grasped him by the hair and jerked gently, forcing the agent to meet his eyes.

"I, on the other hand, have yet to decide what I'll do with you about the smoking," Skinner said in a dangerously silky voice, "but I assure you, Fox, you *will* be punished."

"Yes, Sir," Mulder answered in a quavering voice. "Somehow I figured that."

"I'll see you both this evening at eight," Skinner said softly. "Until then, I expect you to remain in the office. Agent Mulder, you're only released for desk duty anyway, so it's a fine chance for you to finish up some of those expense reports you're behind on."

He grinned at Mulder's groan. Mulder hated expense reports, and usually bribed Scully to do them, but lately she'd stood firm in making him do his own share of the work.

"Scully, will you see to it that he doesn't over-exert himself?" Skinner asked as they stood to leave.

"Oh, yes Sir," she smirked, taking Mulder's arm and leading him toward the office door. "It wouldn't do for him to wear himself out...before we get the chance."

Mulder groaned again as the door closed behind them, and Skinner shook his head in exasperation. What was he to do with the boy? Fox continually put himself in danger, and it was up to him and Scully to protect their lover from himself. Mulder had confessed to Skinner long ago that he'd been a smoker in his youth, so Skinner knew how difficult giving up the habit a second time would be. At least, he thought in amusement, it would be difficult without his and Scully's help.

Skinner seated himself behind his desk again, briefly wondering exactly which implement of discipline Mulder deserved for endangering his health so carelessly.

*****

"You could have stood up for me in there!" Mulder raged, pacing furiously back and forth in the confines of their basement office. "You could have been on my side for once!"

"On your side!" she retorted. "Whose side do you think Walter and I are on, Mulder? Do you think we--do what we do because we enjoy hurting you?"

He didn't answer, glaring at her sullenly before going back to his pacing.

"Look, Mulder," she said, trying for a conciliatory tone to bring him out of his mood, "I was standing up for you, until Skinner showed me those empty packages. I must admit, I was shocked."

"He has no right to be going through my trash!" Mulder objected angrily. "I can't believe he would violate my privacy like that."

Scully had had just about enough, both of the pacing and the sulking.

"Nonsense," she said briskly. "If you didn't want to be discovered, why would you show me the pack you bought this morning? I think you knew you deserved to be punished, and this was your way of asking for it."

Mulder stopped and stared again, this time wondering if his partner had lost her mind. She thought he *wanted* to be punished? He shook his head sadly. Scully had definitely gone 'round the bend, if that was the case.

"Now get over here and sit at your desk," she ordered, ignoring his compassionate looks. "You're not supposed to be exerting yourself, and look at you."

He sighed, and obeyed, but in a few moments he was up again, pacing furiously. Scully blew a lock of hair out of her face, looking up in exasperation from the papers she was working on.

"Mulder," she said warningly.

"I'm sorry, Scully, I can't help it," he apologized. "I'm just...jittery. I need...something," he finished lamely.

She smiled quietly at her partner. "I know exactly what you need, Mulder," she said, her voice dripping sympathy.

Scully rose and crossed to his desk, patting the back of the chair invitingly. "Come, sit down."

He looked at her warily for a few seconds, then decided she didn't have a strap or hairbrush at her disposal, so he was probably safe. Mulder sank into the chair and moments later found himself sighing in bliss as she began to massage his back and shoulders. He felt his tension begin to slip away little by little as she worked her way down his arms, even giving his fingers and hands a good massage. Then she placed her hands on his thighs and, kneeling beside his chair, began rubbing all the ache out of his leg muscles. Mulder closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair happily, as Scully continued to work her way slowly down his legs.

He was only dimly aware when she slid open a drawer, and didn't even realize she had snapped on the cuffs until both his ankles were securely locked to a leg of his desk.

"What--hey!" he protested, glaring down at her as she smoothed the legs of his pants down over the metal cuffs.

"Relax, Mulder," she said evenly. "I'm just trying to help you get rid of your fidgets."

Mulder tugged angrily at the ankle cuffs that held him. His eyes roamed thoughtfully over his desk, wondering if it was too heavy, with the weight of the stuff piled on top and in all the drawers, for him to topple over. Scully read his mind, as usual.

"Dump that desk over, Mulder, and you'll be putting it all together again while naked and sporting a very red butt," she threatened, crossing her arms and staring down at him menacingly. "In fact, I'm so angry I might even leave the office door open while you work. Wouldn't that make a sight to see for anyone who happened by?"

Mulder swallowed hard, certain from past experience that Scully did not make idle threats. He would never forget the time she had made him work the entire day in their office wearing nothing but a thong--he'd been terrified that someone might come in, but luckily, the X-files office was not often visited, and the three of them swept it frequently for surveillance devices. Mulder had at least been reasonably certain that no member of the Consortium was watching as he paraded about the office nearly naked, much to Scully's delight. He'd been grateful at the end of the day when she'd let him dress before leaving the office, and later on his butt, still encased in the thong, had paid the price for--what had he done that time? Mulder couldn't even remember--probably broken into some government facility or other. He seemed to always be getting into trouble for that.

Sighing heavily, Mulder risked one last dirty look at his partner before grabbing the nearest file folder and flipping it open. Great. Just great. Now he had to think of creative ways to justify his always-excessive expenses while sitting here chained to his desk like a prisoner.

It was going to be a long day.

*****

Mulder had done well, she reflected as she released his cuffs just before they were ready to leave. He'd only pleaded with her a couple of times to let him loose, and Mulder hated to be confined. The one time Skinner had wandered down to their office asking for some papers--and she knew he was checking up on Mulder, because Skinner certainly had any number of people to fetch for him if necessary--Mulder had thrown her a pleading look and she'd risen to retrieve the papers herself.

"Stay there, Mulder, and finish that report," she'd said sternly, but the look she threw his way told him she would keep the cuffs a secret if she could. If Skinner found out Scully had had to chain him to his desk to keep him seated, it would only increase his impending punishment.

"Yes, Scully," he'd answered meekly, giving her a grateful smile before turning his attention back to his work.

Skinner had stared at him suspiciously for a moment, but after Scully innocently presented him with the requested papers, he'd decided Mulder was probably subdued because he knew he was going to be disciplined that evening, and left the office without investigating further. Mulder heaved a sigh of relief and said a quiet, "Thanks, partner," to Scully when the door closed behind Skinner.

"Don't thank me too soon, Mulder," she said grimly. "I doubt your butt could handle much more than it's already going to get tonight."

He sighed again, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Could you at least let me loose for a minute, so I can visit the restroom?"

"Sure, Mulder," she said generously. "I'll give you five minutes. If you're not back on time, you get an extra stroke with the strap for every second you're late. I'd hurry if I were you."

Mulder had hurried, glancing anxiously at his watch as he re-entered the office just under the five-minute mark. He swore he'd strangle the bastard who had plugged up the toilet in the small restroom down the hall, forcing him to go up to the first floor to relieve himself.

Mulder had slipped back into his chair just as Scully's watch ticked past the time limit, and she smiled at him in satisfaction.

"Too bad you can't be that prompt when your ass doesn't depend on it," she joked as she reattached the cuffs, and Mulder bit back a sarcastic comment. It wouldn't do to piss her off, or she might take a notion to lean him over the desk, take down his pants, and give him a sample of the evening's festivities right here and now.

Twice during the afternoon, the jittery, antsy feeling had gotten to be almost too much for him, and he'd begged his partner to take the cuffs off, but her firm refusal had kept him in his place. Scully supplied him with non-caffeinated soft drinks, for which he glared at her but knew it was in his best interest--surely caffeine would only add to his jitters--and a healthy lunch, which he choked down in spite of the protests from his taste buds. Tofu salad was never going to be his thing, he decided, and refrained from complaining, certain that Scully had only added this last torment in order to torture him needlessly. She could have easily brought him a taco or a slice of pizza.

Mulder gave a heartfelt sigh of relief when the day finally ended and she removed the cuffs, stretching his long legs to get the circulation flowing properly. His relief was short-lived.

"Come on, Mulder," Scully ordered, gathering up her things. "I want to make sure you eat a good dinner before Skinner kills you."

"Great," he muttered under his breath, but followed obediently as she led the way toward the stairs.

As if to make up for the horrible lunch she'd forced on him, Scully took Mulder to their favorite Italian restaurant, and watched while he downed a plate of lasagna hungrily. She kept the conversation light, knowing if she allowed Mulder to dwell on his impending punishment, his appetite would disappear immediately. She could tell he had all but forgotten it when he pushed his empty plate away and gave a satisfied belch.

"'scuse me," he grinned when she shot him a look of mock anger.

"Let's pay our check and go," Scully told him. "We have just enough time to make it to Skinner's place by eight if we leave now."

"Wait a minute, Scully," Mulder stalled. "Don't you want to order dessert? White chocolate cheesecake," he tempted, dangling the dessert menu beneath her nose.

She slapped it away before her taste buds could respond.

"No, Mulder, I don't want to order dessert. However, if you want to call Walter and tell him why we're going to be late, I'll be happy to wait while you eat your cheesecake. Bear in mind that it will probably be the last thing you *ever* eat."

At his dejected look, she patted his hand comfortingly. "Cheer up, Partner," she consoled. "In a couple of hours it will be all over."

"Yeah, right, all over but the screaming," he groused as he threw down enough money to cover the bill and a large tip. Scully smiled. Mulder had a soft spot for teenagers, and their waiter had been no more than eighteen, an eager young man working his way through medical school. He would practically pay a semester's tuition on that tip, she thought jokingly as she followed Mulder out of the restaurant.

"Hold it. Give me the keys, I'm driving," she said as he started for the driver's side of the car.

"Scully--"

"Mulder, if I let you drive, we'll never get there. You know it, and I know it, and Walter knows it, and I am *not* going to stand in front of him on Monday morning explaining why I didn't deliver you on time tonight. Give me the keys."

With a scowl, he slid the keys across the top of the car and waited while she climbed in and adjusted the seat for her height before giving up and sliding into the seat beside her. His brief thought of making a run for it was stupid, he told himself. Even if he managed to escape Scully, sooner or later, Walter would find him and kill him, slowly and methodically.

Scully spoke gently to her partner on the drive to Skinner's house, but Mulder sank down in his seat and stared grimly out the window. Now that his punishment was imminent, he felt his stomach churn, and wondered how long he would hold onto the enormous meal he'd consumed.

Much too soon for Mulder's preference, they parked in Skinner's garage, the interior dimming slowly as the automatic door closed behind them. Mulder stared straight ahead, momentarily paralyzed with fright, until Scully walked around and opened his door. She reached in and took one cold, trembling hand between both of her strong ones, rubbing it briskly until it felt a little warmer. Mulder jerked his hand away from her after a few seconds, climbing out of the car without meeting her eyes, and Scully sighed. He always managed to frighten himself into near catatonia when he was about to be punished, never mind the fact that he brought it all on himself, and also never mind the fact that she and Walter both loved him and would never hurt him.

Mulder seemed content to stand in the garage for the duration of the evening, so she gave a light shove to the small of his back to set him moving. He took two hesitant steps forward before the door to the house was flung open and he froze again.

Skinner stood in the doorway, framed by the light from the kitchen, and Scully sucked in her breath at the sight. He was wearing a tight, muscle-fitting black t-shirt, his arms folded across his broad chest which tapered down into the slim waist encased in equally tight black jeans. Skinner leaned against the door frame, casually waiting for them, and Scully allowed her eyes to roam down to the black boots that completed the ensemble. She had never seen the man look so luscious, and couldn't wait for Mulder's punishment to be over so she could get both of these gorgeous men naked.

"Did you feed him?" Skinner asked as Scully gave the terrified Mulder another light shove, and she nodded.

"He forgot all about this evening, so I was able to get a good meal into him," she reported.

"Good," Skinner smirked. "He'll need his strength."

Mulder felt his mouth go dry. His eyes traveled down Skinner's sexy form to the man's waist, noting with some distress that his lover was wearing a thick black belt in his jeans. Closing his eyes momentarily, Mulder forced himself to breathe.

Between Scully and Skinner, Mulder's reluctant feet finally led him into the kitchen, where Scully eyed his pale face with concern.

"Are you all right, Mulder?" she asked, reaching a hand up to his cheek.

"I'm fine, Scully, only I could use a--water--a glass of water." Mulder nearly bit his tongue in the effort to hold back the word he'd intended to say--"cigarette"--but could tell by Skinner's expression that the big man wasn't fooled.

Scully handed Mulder a glass of water and watched while her partner lifted it to his mouth, spilling a few drops as he clutched at it with both shaking hands. When he had drained the glass, she took it from him and put it in the sink while Walter grasped Mulder firmly by both arms and began propelling him into the den.

"It's going to happen, Fox," Walter's voice drifted back to the kitchen. "You might as well just accept it."

"But Walter, I--"

Scully smiled and shook her head before going to join her two men. Mulder always tried to talk Walter out of punishing him, and Walter always gave him a chance, even though he was never successful. Sometimes Mulder only dug himself in even deeper with his words, a fact which escaped her brilliant partner to this day.

"--wasn't going to keep it up, I swear! I just smoked a few while I was off on sick-leave, and then I was going to quit. Honest!"

Walter shook his head, gazing down at the wide, sincere hazel eyes before him. The boy simply never learned.

"I don't care what your intentions were, Mulder, I only care what you did. What you did was sneak out of your apartment when you were supposed to be confined to your bed--"

Mulder hung his head, biting his lip. He'd hoped Skinner wouldn't realize that little fact.

"--buy cigarettes, which you knew Scully and I wouldn't approve of, smoke them all--five packs in ten days, Mulder!"

"It's not exactly chain-smoking!" Mulder argued mutinously.

"For you, it's chain smoking. And besides, how many you smoked is not the issue. It's the fact that you did it at all, and you knew it was wrong well enough to hide it from Scully and me when we visited you."

"If I hadn't, you'd have punished me then!"

"True," Skinner replied with a grim smile, "but your punishment wouldn't be as severe."

Mulder sighed and studied his shoes. There was no way to win with these two, when would he learn that?

"You're lucky tonight, Fox. Your partner was in a generous mood. I was planning to give you one smack for every cigarette."

Mulder's eyes widened in terror as the implication sunk in.

"Thanks to Scully's kindness, you're only going to receive one stroke for every two you smoked," Skinner continued, reaching for his belt buckle, and Mulder nearly fainted dead away.

"But--Sir--but that's *fifty*!" he sputtered, his eyes glued to the thick leather belt that Skinner now held in his hands.

"Well, I see your nicotine habit hasn't managed to damage your brain so badly you can't do simple math. Yet."

"But Sir--fifty?" Mulder pleaded, not daring to struggle as Scully reached up and began loosening his tie. "You'll kill me!"

"Nonsense," said Skinner as he reached out with his free hand and divested Mulder of his jacket. "We've never killed you yet, have we?"

"There's always a first time," Mulder gasped as Scully began unfastening the buttons on his dress shirt one by one. In spite of his fear, Mulder felt himself growing harder as her hands made their way down his chest and toward his groin.

"Stop that!" she scolded, slapping lightly at his cock. "There'll be none of that for you until much later, Fox."

He muffled another groan as Walter unfastened his pants and slid them down his legs, and waited, trembling as Scully removed his final garment.

They both stepped back and surveyed their beautiful, naked lover hungrily, while Mulder clasped his hands together to keep them from shaking. His eyes widened in fear as Scully took his hand and led him toward the ottoman that was Walter's favorite place to position him for punishment.

"Sir, please," he begged once again as his nude chest was placed comfortably across the ottoman, his knees resting on the floor and his cock and balls scooped carefully out of the way. "Please, I'm sorry, I've learned my lesson, I swear I'll never smoke another cigarette as long as I live."

Mulder's sincere begging, made in that raspy voice, was almost Scully's undoing, but Walter seated himself on Mulder's back, holding his young agent trapped in place.

"Mulder, we only do this because we love you," he said firmly. "Neither of us wants to watch you die of lung cancer. Scully, would you like to begin?" Walter asked solicitously, and Scully nodded, hardening her heart against the heartfelt pleas coming from her helpless partner.

She seated herself on the couch, making certain she was in just the right position to deliver stinging blows to the shapely bottom offered up for her, and raising her hand high, allowed the first smack to fall.

Mulder jerked, but remained silent, thankful that Scully was only using her hand and not Walter's belt. The second blow was much sharper, and earned a yelp from him, and Mulder was reminded as the third smack fell, harder still, that he still had forty-seven to endure.

"Scully please, not so hard!" he begged, but Scully ignored him, increasing the speed with which the blows fell until Mulder was writhing on the ottoman, his hands flailing madly, unable to reach around Walter's large body to protect his burning behind.

He quickly lost count of the smacks as they increased in speed and severity, and by the time Scully stopped, Mulder was already beginning to sob.

"Oh, please, no more," he wept, burying his face in the ottoman, but felt his heart sink at his partner's next words.

"That was only twenty, Mulder. Don't I get twenty-five?" Her clear blue eyes appealed to Walter, and the older man nodded.

Scully quickly landed three hard slaps to the insides of each thigh.

"Hey!" Mulder yelled in protest as the last one fell. "That was one extra!"

"That was for making me have to chain you to your desk today," she replied smugly.

"What?" Walter demanded, at the same time Mulder yelped an outraged, "Scully!"

The spanking momentarily stopped, Mulder worked on catching his breath while his butt wriggled involuntarily, seeking relief from the burning pain that engulfed it. Dimly, he heard Scully explaining to Walter how she'd chained his ankles to the desk that day, but he was too tired and in too much pain to care. And they were only half-finished with him.

"Hey," Mulder called, hoping to gain a little mercy from his two lovers. "If I promise to do you both tonight, can we just forget the rest of the punishment? Or at least put it off until morning?"

"Mulder, how crude!" Scully giggled.

"Sorry, Mulder," Walter replied, running his hands gently over the burning flesh while Mulder struggled uselessly beneath him. "I plan on "doing" you later on, but first I'm going to "do" your ass until you can't sit comfortably for the next few days."

Mulder closed his eyes in anticipation as he heard Walter double the leather belt in his hands. He'd made the acquaintance of that belt on too many occasions, and knew that by the time Walter was finished with him tonight, he'd be in no condition to do anything other than allow his lovers to do as they wished with him. He'd be worn out and in terrible pain.

"Please, Sir," he begged once again, his eyes still clenched tightly shut, "please don't punish me too badly, please I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm--OH SHIT!"

"You know how I feel about profanity, Mulder," Skinner returned, bringing the belt down to lay a second stripe across Mulder's reddened butt.

Mulder's legs thrashed in an attempt to escape, but Walter's weight on his back held him firmly in place.

"Oh please no, please, I can't stand twenty-five..." Mulder sobbed.

"It's only twenty-three now."

"FUCK!"

"Scully, go and get the soap, please."

"No! Please, Sir, I'll behave, I promise," Mulder babbled frantically, but Scully was back with a bar of soap from the bathroom before he even finished his sentence. She lifted his head by the hair and shoved the bar in his mouth, ignoring his tears, and then sat by his head, stroking his hair gently but making certain the soap stayed in place.

Mulder's begging was muffled after that, but occasionally Walter could make out a fervent promise to do better, to never misbehave, to never touch nicotine again as long as he lived. He was certain Mulder wouldn't have much desire to smoke after tonight, but all the same, he planned to reinforce this lesson to the fullest, so Skinner let stroke after stroke of the belt fall on the unprotected flesh of his lover's wriggling bottom.

Finally, when Mulder was sobbing loudly around the soap, and his backside was a painful shade of scarlet, Walter stopped.

"Just five more, Mulder," he said, turning around a little bit so he could get a look at the agent's face. Mulder's head hung down low over the ottoman, his face contorted with painful sobs, the bar of soap held firmly, if unwillingly, between his teeth.

"No...please stop...please," Mulder implored around the soap, but Walter just shook his head regretfully.

"I'm sorry, Mulder, but this is big. You're getting the full fifty."

He ignored Mulder's pathetic sobs, steeling himself to let the last five strokes fall on the young man's thighs which, all in all, hadn't suffered nearly as much as his butt. Mulder's continued screams of pain, coupled with the thrashing of his legs, convinced Walter that this punishment, at least, might be getting through to his hard-headed agent.

As soon as Walter rose from his position on Mulder's back, Scully removed the bar of soap from her partner's mouth.

"Don't you dare spit on the carpet," she warned, seeing him preparing to do just that. "Come into the bathroom and we'll rinse out your mouth."

With Walter on one side and Scully on the other, the two helped Mulder to his feet and led him painfully into the bathroom, where Scully handed him a glass of water. He drew the water gratefully into his mouth, spitting repeatedly into the sink, and gasped when he felt Walter's hands on his backside, soothing it with lotion.

"We really are too soft on you, Mulder," Skinner sighed as he smoothed in the cooling cream.

"Too soft?" Mulder demanded, spitting once again.

"Yes, too soft, smart-mouth," Walter said, giving Mulder a stern look in the bathroom mirror. Mulder gulped and dropped his eyes, going back to rinsing his mouth.

"We should have let you stand in the corner with that soap in your mouth and your butt on display for a while," Scully told him, gently wiping away some water that had dribbled down his chin. "I guess it's a good thing for you that Walter and I are both soft-hearted where you're concerned."

Mulder stared at her for a moment, then back to Walter. Blue eyes and brown ones met his, daring him to disagree.

"Yeah," he said at last. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Fox," Walter answered, giving his right cheek a sharp smack, eliciting a yelp. "Now, let's take him upstairs, Scully. I want to play with him a bit."

"Let's tie him to the bed and play with him!" she crowed, taking Mulder's arm and pulling him toward the stairs.

"I got a new cock ring, just for you, Mulder," Skinner told him with an evil smile as he mounted the stairs behind his two lovers.

"Do you still have that feather, Walter?"

"Yes, do you want to use that on him?"

"Oh yeah!"

Their voices faded out but Mulder's pitiful moan could be heard throughout the house as he was escorted to the bedroom.

"Come on, Scully, please..."

END