Primary Motivation

by Invicta



Classification: Mulder, Skinner, discipline story. Rated PG-13.

Summary: Mulder puts his own life at risk once too often and Skinner is then determined to rein him in for good.

Spoilers: none.

Disclaimer: Mulder, Skinner, Scully and the X files belong to Chris Carter and 1013 Productions, no infringement is meant. I'm not earning any money from this, just having fun!

Author's website: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~esb

Archiving: Sure, anywhere as long as the full header and disclaimer is included.

Copyright (c) Invicta, August 2000. Feedback is very welcome.



PART 1

FBI Headquarters
AD Skinner's office

"You just don't have an adequate explanation for this whole sorry mess, do you, Mulder?" Skinner yelled. Mulder found himself nervously wondering how much of his latest telling off could be heard in the rooms which bordered this office.

"Only a partial one, sir," he said respectfully. He figured that maybe if he didn't totally defend his own actions, which always made his boss mad and never worked anyway, then Skinner would calm down. He didn't.

"WHY - DID - YOU - DO - THIS - STUPID - THING?"

Mulder winced. This one rated a definite 9.25 to 9.5 on the Skinner scale of fury. He covertly glanced at the AD; yeah, all the signs were there. His breathing had quickened, his hands were clenched into fists, his eyes were dark and his expression was thunderous. Mulder could tell that he was in for a close encounter of the worst kind.

"I'm waiting for an explanation, Agent." This time he spoke rather than shouted, to Mulder's relief, although he didn't sound any less pissed off. Mulder plastered an ingratiating smile on his face and hoped he could talk his way out of trouble.

"Sir, Agent Scully wasn't feeling well that day. She had a stomach bug which really took it out of her and she had to rest up. I was at a loose end without Scully, because of course I couldn't continue the investigation without a partner. I knew you'd disapprove of my going solo and I always strive to obey your commands, sir. By the afternoon, Scully was in a really deep sleep. I knew she'd be out for hours and I was bored, so I went for a little walk up the nearest mountain... there's nothing wrong with that. I like to keep fit, sir," he said innocently.

Skinner was having none of it. "Walking to keep fit is commendable, Agent Mulder. The fact that your so-called walk lasted for over four hours and took you all around the very spot where you thought the sand monster was hiding out is not," he said acidly.

Mulder smiled weakly. "You've got it all wrong, sir. It's a beautiful part of the countryside and the mountains are a popular tourist attraction. Lots of other people were around, and like me they'd come up there only to relax. Anyway, as I was continuing to relax, I just happened to hear a loud scuffling noise coming from further up the mountain, behind a dense clump of trees. I looked up and thought I saw the sand monster peering out from between the leaves, so I investigated further. Really, the same thing could have happened to anyone," Mulder claimed virtuously.

"Bullshit!"

Mulder made the mistake of smiling. Then he compounded his error by talking back to his boss. "As it happens, there was some shit near the investigation scene, but I don't think it came out of a bull. I thought probably moose but hey, I'm no animal faeces expert, you could be right."

Skinner sat back in his chair slowly and looked at Mulder. Just looked at him, his face totally expressionless. Mulder squirmed under the constant, wordless scrutiny. In the end his mouth jumped into gear again as he rushed to fill in the uncomfortable silence.

"Sir, I know I shouldn't have gone after the sand creature without backup but I was half way up a tree-covered mountain, with nothing but other mountains to be seen in every direction. I spotted the monster and was worried that someone was in danger so I went after it. Sir, I just had to! Lovatt town is several miles away from the place where the monster was lurking, and I estimated that it would have taken at least 45 minutes for local law enforcement to get to me. They'd have to have followed nearly two miles of forest trail from the nearest road, all of it uphill. And no offence to Lovatt County's finest sir, but from what I saw they spend way too much time in the local Dunkin' Donuts, which probably explains why their average weight is at least 195. It really wouldn't do them any harm to--"

Skinner slammed his closed fist down on the desk forcefully and Mulder instantly stopped speaking, his eyes wide with surprise. It was now crystal clear to him that his boss's anger was much stronger than he'd first thought.

"Sir, it seems I'm not the only one taking actions which could cause myself damage. Have you ever considered taking a course of anger management therapy? You might find it beneficial."

"You're just digging your own grave, Mulder," Skinner snapped. "Wisecracking doesn't impress me, in case you hadn't figured that out by now. I will not tolerate any more of your crap, is that clear?"

"Totally, sir," Mulder replied wearily. Clearly this was one storm which had to be ridden out to the bitter end.

"It had better be. You've pushed me to the absolute limit, Mulder. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd done something to Scully's food, to make sure that she got ill that day and couldn't interfere with your crazy plans!"

Mulder looked shocked, then outraged. "You're accusing me of poisoning my own partner? Where the hell did you get that idea? I would never deliberately do anything to hurt Scully!"

Skinner stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "I know. Please accept my apologies, Agent Mulder. I didn't really mean that."

"Then why did you say it?" Mulder demanded hotly.

"Why did you tell the desk clerk at your motel that Elvis is alive and working as a Toyota car salesman in Bangor, Maine?" Skinner shot back.

Mulder squirmed uneasily in his seat, amazed at the knack Skinner had of finding out things that he really had no business knowing. "Sir, that man was a real big fan of the King and I just wanted to cheer him up. And you know, there have been a number of unconfirmed reports..." Mulder's voice tailed off. Skinner was giving him that look again.

"You spoke out to that desk clerk on impulse and without thinking it through, Mulder. Just as I did when I unfairly accused you of tampering with Scully's food. The difference between us is that I rarely act before using my brain first, whereas you do it all the time. And I have the ability to recognise when I've gone wrong; I wonder if you do. Going off on your own after a creature which had already killed five people was a reckless and ill judged act. It shows a distressing lack of interest in self-preservation on your part. You didn't even call anyone, you just charged in there!"

"I thought someone else was going to die," Mulder said quietly. He sneaked a look at his watch; it was already 18.05. He hoped this lecture would be over some time before midnight; after all it was a Friday, and facing an enraged Skinner was never a good way to kick-start the weekend.

"You didn't think at all," Skinner told him icily. "Now, let me put you in possession of one or two pertinent facts. You and Agent Scully visited Lovatt's police station the previous day, I understand?"

"Yes sir."

"And you talked to an Officer Blass during your visit." Skinner's voice was deceptively calm.

Mulder rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, I remember him all right. He chewed my ear off describing every civic problem Lovatt has ever experienced, right back to when the town was founded in 1814. I almost lost the will to live after he explained in way too much detail about the local sewage processing plant's current personnel shortage. They only pay those guys minimum wage, sir. What do they expect?"

"So after a while you zoned out and didn't pay any attention to what you were being told, did you?"

Mulder looked up, sensing danger. "Officer Blass didn't tell us anything of relevance, sir."

"You wouldn't consider the fact that a helicopter is kept on 24/7 standby by the local authorities for use in mountain rescues to be relevant?"

Mulder's mouth opened but nothing came out. He knew he was in deep shit now - moose shit, presumably.

"The town has a helicopter, Mulder. It's kept within 300 metres of the police station, so they could have been with you on the mountain in about four minutes. Had you listened to everything that Officer Blass said, you would have known that. Scully knew it; she mentioned it to me earlier today and she seemed surprised that you hadn't called the police and requested helicopter backup. Not only would that have got you the help you needed quickly, but you could also have used the helicopter to carry out an safe air search, rather than tracking the creature from ground level."

Mulder decided then that he would poison Scully's food after all when he next got the chance. At the very least he'd hit her with a mega dose of laxatives.

"I should have done that very thing, sir. I'm sorry." He did his best to sound sincere. It usually worked on Scully; too bad she wasn't his boss.

"No, you're not. But you will be," Skinner assured him ominously.

Mulder could feel a smart remark hovering on the tip of his tongue and he only just succeeded in pulling it back. "I did manage to tip the sand creature off the mountain cliff and into the lake where it dissolved in the water, sir. As a few million individual grains of sand it's not going to do much harm from now on, unless someone tries to build a castle out of it of course. All of that must count for something, right?"

Skinner shook his head slowly.

"It doesn't count for anything?" Mulder squawked disbelievingly.

"Not when I compare it to the danger that you put yourself in, Mulder. You did indeed locate and neutralise the killer, so there will be no more fatalities. But you took too much of a risk with your own life while doing so."

"It's my life to risk, isn't it?" Mulder said sulkily.

Skinner's anger surged up again. "NO, IT IS NOT! I expect, no I demand, that you take all reasonable precautions to protect yourself from harm while on and off duty. You repeatedly fail in this and I am VERY displeased with you as a result. You are a grave disappointment to me, Agent Mulder."

Mulder looked down at his hands and noticed that they were clammy with sweat. He was scared of Skinner in this mood, no question about it. But Mulder was determined not to let the AD see how much it hurt to be called a disappointment.

"Sir, I'm sorry that I've let you down. I won't act so foolishly again, I promise." His voice was husky with repressed emotion and Skinner noticed it.

"Mulder, look at me. Do you know why I get so incensed when you do this sort of thing?"

"Because you play a bad cop character in a net RPG and you need the practise?" Mulder joked feebly.

"Guess again," Skinner growled.

"Because it generates a lot of tiresome paperwork, sir?"

"Not even close. I get so angry because I care about you. As a colleague and as a person, I value you. So when you endanger yourself without cause, it upsets me. I am tired of feeling that way. I don't want to lose you, Mulder; I like to keep my friends safe and sound."

Mulder looked away to the window. He wanted to believe this, but after all that shouting it was too much of a reversal to be told out of the blue that Skinner valued him and regarded him as a friend. All the same, he could see that his boss was definitely upset.

"I am very sorry for my actions sir," Mulder said, and this time he meant it.

Skinner nodded gravely. "I accept your apology, Agent Mulder. Now let us move on to discuss the matter of due punishment."

"More background checks, sir?" he asked flatly. "You're well aware of how much I hate doing that work."

"You know the trouble with a punishments like that?" Skinner asked him rhetorically. "The effect of them doesn't last. After a while you get used to it, and anyway you know I need your expertise on the X files, which reassures you that I'll take you off background checks sooner or later."

Mulder looked apprehensive. "Is this your way of telling me that I'm getting fired, sir?"

Skinner smiled maliciously. "Not exactly. This is my way of telling you that if you want to stay employed by the FBI, then things are going to change. And by that I mean radical change. I plan to keep you on a permanently short rein, Agent Mulder," he said with determination.

Mulder sighed. "Just tell me what the punishment is, sir - don't keep me in suspense like this."

"No problem." Skinner got up from his desk and opened the door. "Will you come in, please?"

Two men that Mulder didn't know entered the room and sat down. They were in their early twenties and there was an obvious family resemblance between them. Each man gave Mulder a look which clearly told him that they knew what was going to happen next. They were smirking unpleasantly, and Mulder decided that they were both assholes.

"Agent Fox Mulder, these are Agents Matthew Dean and Simon Webb. As of Monday, they're your new partners."

Mulder looked disbelieving. "Sir, I already have a partner. No offence to these two gentlemen but I don't want to work with anyone else but Scully."

"Tough. I said radical change and I meant it. Dana Scully is being reassigned. She's one of the FBI's best agents but she can't control you. These gentlemen will. They'll work with you but report directly to me. If you give them an order that seems questionable then they'll check it out with me first. You'll take at least one of them everywhere you go while on duty - that's a direct order. As well as doing their job, these Agents will constantly monitor your conduct. If you slip up, even slightly, they'll tell me. And then I'll punish you."

Mulder exploded. "You cannot be serious! This is total crap, sir. I'm not going to tolerate being spied on day and night by two baby-faced yes men who can't have more than a month's experience in investigative work between them. What the hell do they know about the X files?"

"Nothing at all," said Agent Webb cheerfully. "That's why you're going to teach us everything."

"And you'd better do a very good job of it, or I'm afraid I'll need to report you to Assistant Director Skinner," Dean told him primly.

Mulder glared at Agent Dean. "Fuck you and the stroller you rode in on!"

"QUIET!" Skinner bawled.

"But sir, this is... yes, sir," he replied despondently. He just knew that everyone in the Bureau would laugh their socks off when they heard about him being babysat by two damn rookies.

"Agents Dean and Webb may have only completed their training recently, but I think you'll find them more than capable. But I assure you that no attempts at threatening or bribing them to look the other way while you go off and do something stupid will work. Their loyalty is entirely to myself. You now have two very efficient guard dogs, Mulder. I do hope you'll enjoy being closely supervised for the rest of your career," he smirked.

"I just can't believe you're doing this to me," Mulder ground out. "This is unreal!"

"It'll be real enough when we both move into the basement office with you on Monday," Webb said snidely.

"And if you don't give us a proper welcome and first day orientation tour, then you know what'll happen," Dean added, with a meaningful glance at Skinner.

"Yeah, you'll tell tales out of school. So what?"

Agent Dean turned to Skinner. "Isn't he aware of what you'll do to him if he is reported for any misconduct, sir?"

Skinner grinned. "No, Agent Dean, he isn't. I was saving that part until last."

Mulder looked wary. "I thought this was the punishment - working with these two dorks."

"No, Mulder. Agents Dean and Webb are not your punishment, and don't speak so disrespectfully towards them. These men are my way of securing your good behaviour in the future, so that I don't have to worry about you so much. This is your punishment, Mulder." As he spoke, Skinner reached into the desk drawer and pulled out a wooden paddle.

For a moment there was absolute silence in the room as Mulder stared at the paddle with horror and the other three men grinned, openly enjoying his reaction.

"You have to be kidding," Mulder said eventually. "You just have to be!"

"I wish I was," Skinner said ruefully. "But over the past few years I've given you chance after chance to shape up and conduct yourself in a more professional manner. You've wasted every one of them. I want to keep you on with the FBI but I'm running out of ways to save you. Everyone at the top knows how much you screw up, Mulder. If that doesn't change then you're out of here. So I've been wondering what would deter me from stepping out of line again if I were you, and I came up with this. A little healthy pain and humiliation should help to reinforce the lessons that you've learned today, and if it doesn't then you are truly beyond saving. Remove your pants, Agent Mulder."

Mulder looked disgusted. "NO WAY!"

"Do it or I'll fire you on the spot."

Mulder stood up and started backing away. "I'm not afraid of pain, sir. I don't think this is an appropriate punishment for me. It's not enough of a deterrent. Why don't I try and think of something else that I'd really hate instead?"

Skinner, Dean and Webb all smiled and traded knowing looks.

"If this isn't enough of a deterrent, then why are you trying so hard to talk me out of it? Stop wasting my time and get those pants off," Skinner instructed him.

Mulder had gone appreciably whiter. He looked truly scared now. "You have no right to do this. You can't assault me, it isn't legal and it isn't right. With all due respect sir, I think you've gone out of your tiny fucking mind."

Skinner gave him a threatening look. "Mulder, I don't like to be spoken to that way, and you'll soon be finding out exactly how it feels to suffer the consequences for mouthing off at me."

"Because you're gonna spank me?" Mulder said derisively. "Yeah, right. Even with these two preschoolers here to help you, there's no way you can force me to assume the position and let you act out your sicko, perverted, s&m fantasies on me!"

The moment Mulder finished the sentence, he regretted opening his mouth. Skinner's face said it all as the AD stood up and started to walk towards him. Mulder quickly backed away from his boss with the intention of getting out of the door and running for his life, only to find that Agent Dean was blocking his way.

"Going somewhere, Agent Mulder?" Dean said slyly.

"Back off Dean, or I'll scare you so bad that you'll need to change your diaper," Mulder snarled.

"You're not going to scare anyone," Skinner told him authoritatively. "Now take your seat, remain absolutely still and listen to me."

Mulder made a quick assessment of the situation. He was outnumbered three to one, his boss was infuriated with him and Agent Dean, who was over six foot tall and very stocky, was between himself and the door. It seemed best to do as he'd been told and sit down.

"Now, let me make it quite clear to you how this is to work. I have decided that the only way to effectively discipline you is to apply corporal punishment. However, I have no intention of assaulting you or using force. When your spanking takes place, it will be preceded by you approaching the desk, apologising for your actions and asking to be spanked as punishment for them."

Skinner paused, noting the look of astonishment on Mulder's face. When his subordinate remained silent, he continued to speak. "I know what you're thinking; why on Earth would you voluntarily do that? Well, the answer is simple. To keep your job, albeit under much stricter working conditions, and to stay with the X files. It all depends on you now. What's it to be, a spanking or a notice of dismissal?"

"Isn't there some compromise that we could come to?" Mulder asked desperately. He still couldn't accept that his boss would make such outrageous demands of him.

"No."

Mulder gave it some thought, but couldn't see a way out. "I have to stay with the X files, sir," he said in a subdued voice.

"Then take your trousers and underpants off, then lay them neatly over your chair. Agent Webb, lock the door please."

"Yes sir." After turning the lock, Webb pulled up two chairs for himself and Agent Dean to occupy. Both men looked highly excited.

Mulder's mouth dropped open. "But... you did mean that you were going to administer the spanking yourself, didn't you sir?"

"Yes Agent Mulder, I did. I wouldn't entrust a task as important as this to anyone else."

"Then why haven't you asked Agents Dean and Webb to leave the room?"

"Because I want them to watch, of course."

"NOOOOOO!"

"YES. After all, you've known these two fine young men for only a few minutes and you've already insulted them several times, without any cause or provocation. I think they deserve to see you get paid back for your rudeness and bad attitude. And also, in the future you will no doubt cause them as much stress and trouble as you do me, if not more so. I want these Agents to see how I'll punish you from now on when you fuck up. It will give them both a marked incentive to try and catch you out, don't you think?"

Mulder stared across at Agents Dean and Webb. They looked so smug and triumphant, so very pleased to see him brought down. Like Skinner, they didn't give a damn about the shame and fear that he was now experiencing, in fact they wanted him to feel that way. Mulder figured that the AD had every right to find some joy in this, after all he'd put his boss through over the years, but these guys had only just met him. He hated them both with a passion, and knew that it would be pure hell to be in their company and have them track his movements every working day.

"Yes sir," Mulder replied through gritted teeth. "It will definitely do that."

"Then don't keep us all waiting any longer."



PART 2

As slowly as possible, Mulder removed his pants and boxer shorts, careful not to meet anyone's eye. His shirt was long enough to hide his butt while he was stood upright, although he knew that his ass would be on show soon enough.

Skinner rose to his feet and took hold of the paddle. "Come and stand in front of my desk, Mulder. You know what to say."

Mulder had to force the words out. "Sir, I would like to tell you how sorry I am for going after a dangerous suspect without obtaining backup first. Will you... will you please punish me for that by spanking me?"

"With the greatest of pleasure," Skinner replied jauntily. "To rephrase an old saying, this will hurt me an awful lot less than it'll hurt you. Over the desk, Mulder."

Mulder bent forward until his face was resting on the table. He heard the AD come up behind him and gasped as Skinner pushed his shirt all the way up. Now his bottom was fully exposed, to his extreme anger and mortification.

"He's really gonna get it now," Dean said with satisfaction. "I can't wait to tell all of our new co-workers about this on Monday morning... soon I bet everyone in the Bureau will be talking about it!"

"Uh-huh. Nice ass, Mulder," Agent Webb commented appreciatively. "Gotta love those perky buns, oh yeah. By the way, did I tell you that I'm gay?"

Mulder's temper exploded. "Bastards!" he snarled as he started to pull away from the desk, with every intention of punching Webb. But Skinner anticipated this and grabbed hold of Mulder, firmly restraining him.

"Get back down over that desk now."

"No!"

"I won't tell you again, Mulder."

"And I won't put up with being spoken to that way. Sir, he's using this as an opportunity to... to... check me out!"

"So what? I doubt this is the first time that you've been 'checked out', Mulder," Skinner said with amusement. "Anyway, that's only your interpretation of events and right now, you are not exactly thinking straight."

"Nor is he, that's the trouble!" Mulder said wildly. From his prone position, he could not see that Skinner was struggling to repress a laugh.

"Agent Mulder, your opinion is irrelevant. I don't see any problem with Agent Webb's behaviour and it's only my view that counts."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Mulder retorted mutinously. It seemed totally unfair to him that Skinner would allow these two men not only to witness his punishment, but also to comment freely on it. Who the hell did they think they were? Mulder couldn't decide who out of the three men he currently hated the most.

"Do you want to earn yourself a second spanking?" Skinner asked severely.

Mulder immediately stopped trying to get away. "No sir," he replied sullenly.

"Then get back into position. NOW!"

Mulder hastily complied. Once again his ass was bared and he knew that all three men would have a perfect rear view as he was spanked. It made him sick to think of it. If only this could have taken place in private, just him and Skinner, then it would have been so much easier to cope with. But that, he supposed dolefully, was the point; it wasn't supposed to be easy at all.

Skinner noticed that Mulder's body was shaking and decided that it was time to get going. "I'm going to start the spanking now. Feel free to cry or yell out if you need to; this office has very good sound insulation," he said wryly.

Mulder made a vow to himself that he wouldn't make a sound during his paddling, not one. And he definitely wouldn't cry. No, he'd get through it in dignified silence and then he could go home and cry where nobody would see. Then over the weekend he'd make plans to get his revenge on Skinner and these two Sesame Street rejects.

But when the first blow slammed down on his ass, Mulder couldn't prevent himself from gasping with pain. And soon he was making all sorts of noises, as Skinner applied the paddle to his upturned bottom with full force.

"Sir, how long is this gonna last?" Mulder yelped piteously.

"Until your butt is as red as the stop light on a traffic signal. That's when I'll know that this lesson has definitely been driven home to you!"

Mulder was in so much pain, he didn't even realise that Skinner had cracked a joke. All he grasped was that his flogging wasn't going to end any time soon. He tried to push himself away from the desk, but Skinner had one arm firmly pressed down on his back and held him in place without difficulty.

"Don't try and fight it son, because you won't win."

"Sir, that paddle sure packs a killer punch. Can I give him a few strokes with it?" Dean asked eagerly.

"Yeah, I'd really like to do that as well," Dean whooped.

Mulder didn't even bother to protest. He'd decided by then that Skinner was so grateful to the other two men for taking Mulder off his hands that he'd agree to almost any request they made.

"I appreciate the offer, but Mulder is mine and I'll always be the one to discipline him," Skinner said calmly, as he continued to apply the paddle to Mulder's reddened buttocks without the slightest pause. By now his ass felt like it was being chargrilled. The pain was so intense that he was whimpering and sobbing continuously.

"Owwwww! I can't take any more, sir, please!" Mulder begged, now totally unable to hide his distress. "I'm sorry, I won't do it ever again, I'm really sorry..."

Skinner knew that Mulder's remorse was sincere, and that being spanked in front of witnesses was difficult for him to endure. But the AD had been on the receiving end of many other Mulder promises in the past, and most of them had never been kept. So he made himself continue the spanking, in fact he increased the strength of the blows. The top half of Mulder's body was almost still, locked down against the desk by Skinner's strong left arm, while his ass and legs wriggled frantically as he unsuccessfully fought to evade the stinging swats from the paddle. It reminded Skinner of the Irish dancing he'd seen during his recent visit to a performance of Riverdance.

"Yeeowww! No more, no more!" Mulder screamed.

"Yes, more. This is what happens when you don't look after yourself properly, Mulder."

After another twenty strokes had been firmly applied to Mulder's butt, Skinner decided that he would need to bring the spanking to an end fairly soon.

"Sir, please stop, I promise I'll behave from now on. I'll obey every order you give me, sir! OWWWW!"

"Don't make promises that you are never going to keep, Agent Mulder," Skinner said harshly. "I've more chance of winning the lottery three times over than getting you to do everything I say. Agents Dean and Webb, do you think that Mulder's bottom has been paddled enough now?"

Dean grinned. "Well, his buttocks are red, but not bright scarlet red. I think he needs a few more swats."

"I agree sir," Webb chimed in. "I've heard a lot about Agent Mulder's terrible attitude and I'd say he needs a sharp reminder of who's the boss around here."

"Don't listen to them, sir!" Mulder called out desperately. "I know who's the boss, you are... you are sir, and I'm nothing, just a stupid, worthless person... I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry..."

Skinner stopped hitting him immediately. "Mulder, those are not the lessons that you are meant to learn from this. I want you to respect me more and to accept that, as your superior, I have a definite controlling influence over you. But you are not 'nothing', nor are you 'stupid' or 'worthless'. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Mulder sobbed. In fact he was too sore and distressed right then to be able to think clearly. He answered in the affirmative, not because he believed it but because Skinner expected him to, and right then keeping Skinner happy was his top priority.

The AD looked down at Mulder's glowing butt and decided that it was almost time to call a halt.

"I'll give you six more strokes and then we're done." He applied three hard blows to each buttock, making Mulder howl with pain. He sobbed so much that he didn't hear Skinner telling him it was over, nor was he aware that both agents had just been instructed to leave the room.

"Mulder, calm down. I'm done with you now. You can go home."

"Home?" Mulder said confusedly.

"The place where you live," Skinner said patiently. "Your spanking is done."

"I..."

Skinner looked at his most troublesome agent with some compassion. Mulder was a mess. His eyes were red, his face tearstained, his nose was running and he looked totally mortified. Skinner wanted to reach out and comfort him, but didn't feel that he should. Mulder surely wouldn't like it and things were awkward enough between them already. Silently the AD gestured towards Mulder's shorts and pants. He quickly pulled them back on, not thinking about the need to be careful, and whimpered as the material rubbed against his flaming ass cheeks.

"I don't expect to see you in work again until next week, Agent Mulder. Report to my office at 08.00 hours Monday morning to discuss how your section should be operated from now on. Make sure you have plenty of ideas for me to consider, but I don't need a written presentation; we'll just talk them through. Agents Dean and Webb will arrive an hour later, and you'll need to be prepared to show them the ropes."

Mulder glanced around the office, realising for the first time that the other two men were gone. He transferred his gaze back to Skinner. "This was a very hurtful thing that you just did to me," Mulder told him, and both of them knew that he was not just referring to the pain in his backside.

"Extreme problems often require extreme solutions, Mulder. I had no other way to put you in your place; everything else has failed."

Mulder didn't accept that Skinner's analysis of the situation was fair, but he was too sore and weary to argue about it. He just wanted to get away from there as soon as possible. "May I leave now, sir?"

"Yes, you may."

Mulder quickly left the room without looking back.



As he walked down the corridor, Mulder realised that he wouldn't be able to get out of the building without being seen by anyone. He thought about finding a bathroom and cleaning himself up, but what was the point? Dean and Webb would take pleasure in describing every detail of his punishment to anyone who'd listen on Monday. He'd soon be the laughing stock of the FBI. Mulder could not remember a day when he'd left work feeling so bad.

He left his car in the car park and took a taxi to his apartment, knowing that he was in no fit state to drive. The taxi driver drove like he was racing at Daytona, and Mulder tried not to scream as his ass was repeatedly jolted against the seat. Once back home, he removed his clothes and took a shower. From what he could see in the bathroom mirror, his bottom was glowing like a beacon and there was no part of it which hadn't been thoroughly pounded. It was extremely sore too, even when he wasn't moving. Mulder felt so dreadful that he took two sleeping pills and went to bed. All he wanted was to lose consciousness, in the hope that tomorrow would be better than today.



When Mulder woke up, it was the middle of the night - 2.17 am, according to his clock. Two sleeping pills produced a lot less sleep than they used to. He got out of bed carefully, only to find that the throbbing pain in his butt was worse than ever. Mulder knew he shouldn't take any more pills, and he wouldn't get to sleep now unless he had some cream to take the sting out of his soreness. Mulder knew where every 24 hour store in his neighbourhood was located and the closest one was just about within walking distance. He dressed quickly and went out. It was a warm night so he didn't bother taking a coat.

The walk to the store was pleasant, for the night air was cool and fresh. Once he arrived, Mulder discovered that the place actually had customers. Even in the middle of the night, people were busy doing their shopping. The pharmacy department was presided over by a female sales assistant. Mulder wasn't sure what type of ointment he needed, so he approached her to get some advice. The badge she was wearing told him that her name was Olivia and that she was happy to assist. Just what he needed.

"Hi, Olivia. I need some cream to sooth sore skin. Which brand would you recommend?"

"Is it for your own use?"

"Yes it is."

"What's the cause of the soreness?" she asked him briskly.

Mulder went blank. It had never occurred to him that he might have to give some kind of explanation for wanting skin cream. "Does that matter?" he asked casually. "It's just, you know, sore."

The woman scrutinised him with shrewd brown eyes. "I don't want to give you the wrong product for your particular needs. Your skin could be sore for many reasons; maybe because you didn't use enough sunscreen, or you got stung by an insect, or you spilled hot water over yourself, for example."

Mulder nodded to show that he understood the reason for the question. "I, er... I just knocked my arm on the door."

Olivia's expression was one of total disbelief, and Mulder cursed himself for telling the lamest lie ever. It was way below his usual high standards. But, possibly mindful of the fact that it was her job to deal with customers respectfully, she merely went to a shelf and retrieved a tube of cream. It was quite a small tube, Mulder noticed with dismay. The amount of cream it contained wouldn't cover even one buttock. He needed enough to sooth his whole ass and still have some left over for repeat applications.

"This is the best one, in my opinion. It's $5.29. You know, if you need any help with your injury, you could always go to the ER," she told him gently. "I could call you a cab, if you'd like. The hospital's only a few blocks away and the staff there are very efficient."

Mulder's eyes widened when he realised that she'd assumed he was an assault victim. Which he was, of course, but not in that way. "Thanks, but there's no need for that. I'll be fine. Er, ma'am..."

"Yes sir?"

"This isn't big enough. Do you have it in a larger size?"

She gave him that shrewd look again. "Yes, but it costs more than double. This will be fine for treating a small area of skin. It is a small patch of soreness that you have, isn't it, sir?"

Mulder looked into her eyes and realised that this woman, a total stranger, was concerned about him. She obviously believed that he'd gone through some form of violent attack and was concealing the extent of it. He felt uncomfortable with deceiving her, but...

"No, actually it's quite big. I definitely need the larger size."

Mulder watched nervously as Olivia's eyebrows almost made contact with her hair. "You said you'd injured your arm, sir?"

"That's right," Mulder said. He put all of the faked sincerity he could into those two words.

"In that case, how do you explain the fact you have a T shirt on which is two inches of fabric away from being completely sleeveless, but I can't see any sore skin on your arms at all? You don't think I'm stupid, now do you?"

Mulder didn't like being caught out so easily. "Do you always give your customers the third degree like this? I only came in for some soothing cream, dammit! If I'd asked for pills then I could understand it, but this is ridiculous."

"Don't you speak to me like that, young man! If you'd told me the truth from the start then I wouldn't have needed to question you. And in case you hadn't figured it out, I just wanted to make sure that you were all right," she bristled indignantly.

Mulder knew he was out of line. "I'm sorry for what I said. You were right; I didn't tell you the truth, but Olivia, you wouldn't believe it if you heard it."

She put in her hands on her hips and smiled. "Try me."

Mulder shrugged. "As you wish. My boss called me into his office today and yelled my head off for doing something stupid, then he followed that up with a spanking. He made me bend over his desk, then he used a paddle on my naked ass until it looked as red as I imagine my face does now. That's why I need a bigger tube of cream. Does this answer your question fully, Olivia?"

She was quiet for a few seconds, then started to chuckle. "Just you wait a moment, son. Rob, come over here, will you?"

Another employee walked across from the other side of the store. "What's up?" he asked Olivia.

"I want you to tell this man what I did to you last night after the store closed."

Rob looked uncomfortable. "Olivia, you always say--"

"This is an exception. Tell him."

Rob sighed. "She put me over her knee and gave me thirty swats on my naked butt for being rude to a customer."

"Thank you, Rob. You may go back to your work now," Olivia told him sweetly. Then she turned back to Mulder, whose mouth had dropped open with astonishment. "You and I are kindred spirits, son. I've been Rob's wife and dom for over twenty years. I'm also his boss, both in work and at home. If he fucks up, I deal with it. As your boss did today for you, right?"

Mulder decided that it was simpler not to correct Olivia's assumption that he was in a sexual relationship with Skinner. "Yeah, I guess... "

"What did ya do?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Mulder sighed. "I didn't take enough care of myself and nearly got hurt."

"Hmm. That reminds me of the time when Rob went out without a warm coat, hat or scarf one chilly day in December. It rained all that afternoon and he caught a cold. I let him recover from that before I spanked him, though..."

Mulder glanced across at Rob curiously. He looked so normal. It puzzled Mulder that anyone would willingly submit to this kind of living arrangement. "He was OK with being spanked for that?"

"Pretty much," Olivia replied casually. "He knew I only did it because I was concerned about his health."

"I'm not OK with what happened to me," Mulder found himself saying. For some reason, he wanted to confide in Olivia.

"Did you deserve to get paddled?"

"Yeah, I deserved it. And I guess that my boss was trying to help me, in his own way."

"Then what's the problem?"

Mulder sighed. Dean and Webb being there during the spanking was a large part of it, but he didn't want to talk about that. "I've never been physically punished before. Not since I was a kid, anyhow."

"Ah, so it was your first proper spanking," Olivia said with a warm smile. "Those can be a little traumatic. It'll get easier the next time, I promise you."

Mulder blanched. "Olivia, I don't intend for there to be a next time."

She laughed warmly as she fetched the largest tube of cream and rang it up on the till. "$12.99, OK? And that's just what Rob said to me after I tanned his hide for the first time, but he was still back over my knee again within the week. And a man like you... well, I don't imagine this is the only time I'll sell you some ointment!"

Mulder couldn't help smiling as he handed over the money. "I think you take the concept of customer service to new heights, Olivia. I'll make sure to come to you for all of my pharmaceutical needs from now on."

"You do that. Have a nice night, sir."

"You too, and thanks for your help," Mulder said sincerely as he headed off back to his apartment. For the first time since he returned from Lovatt, he felt good.



After he returned home, Mulder carefully removed his pants and applied the cream to his blistered butt, making many "ooh", "ow", "ahh" and "ouch" sounds as he did so. When he was sure that he'd covered every inch of reddened skin, Mulder went back to bed. He lay awake for some time, thinking about the day's events.

Mulder was conscious of the fact that his own emotions were contradictory. He acknowledged that he'd been out of line, and the paddling had been more than deserved, yet he resented Skinner for dishing it out. After thinking about it for a while, Mulder realised that it was being spanked in front of two gloating outsiders which had hurt the most of all. That had taken away his dignity, and for the life of him he couldn't see how Skinner had the right to do that.

He wondered if Scully knew about her reassignment by now. Probably not, since she had left the office quite early on Friday. Besides, she would have left a message on his machine if she'd found out about it. Mulder badly wanted to talk things over with Scully in the morning, but he reluctantly decided that it was better not to speak to her until Monday. Skinner would want to explain about the reassignment himself, and Mulder couldn't express his loathing for Skinner's plans to her without necessarily referring to that.

Mulder knew that he was going to fail with Dean and Webb if they acted towards him as they had today. Sure, he'd do his best to be a good team player, but like anyone else he only had so much tolerance in him, and those two Rugrats were enough to get anyone riled up. Which presumably meant that he'd be required to bend over and make the acquaintance of Skinner's paddle again and again. But there wasn't anything to be done about it. Being able to predict future events didn't always allow you to sidestep them. Dean and Webb were both Skinner's golden boys and his blackest cloud from now on. So he'd go back to work on Monday and try to hold it together, at least until his ass healed up.



PART 3

During the weekend, Mulder quickly developed the habit of doing most things either standing up or lying on his stomach. But the ointment he'd bought had helped to ease the swelling, and by Sunday evening he was able to sit down on the sofa without too much discomfort. He hadn't left his apartment since the trip to the store. Monday morning loomed large in his mind but he was trying to stay calm about it. Revenge planning was not going well, however. Mulder had developed some agreeable ideas, but none which could definitely not be traced back to him. He needed to find something totally anonymous, so that he didn't end up at the receiving end of another thrashing.

At about 6.30 pm the doorbell rang, and Mulder opened the door to find that Skinner was standing there. The AD was wearing casual clothes and he had a rucksack over one shoulder. His expression was grave enough to make Mulder feel worried, even though he couldn't think of anything he'd done which could warrant another punishment.

"Agent Mulder, could I come in for a little while? I think we need to talk."

Mulder was reluctant to let Skinner enter the apartment. "We're due to talk at 08.00 tomorrow, couldn't it wait until then?"

"I'd rather do it today, if you don't mind."

"Well, I do mind," Mulder replied petulantly. "To be honest sir, I don't like looking at you very much right now. This is my place, I'm on my own time and I don't have to let you in."

"I know you don't," Skinner said quietly, "but I really need to clear the air between us. You can close the door now, Mulder. If you change your mind about letting me in, then you just let me know. I'll wait outside for as long as it takes."

"You're going to stand around in the corridor all night?" Mulder said sceptically. "What could possibly be so important as to make you do that?"

"Let me in and you'll find out," Skinner told him with a small smile. "Please?"

Mulder's curiosity finally exceeded his anger. "All right. But if I ask you to leave, you do it."

"I understand."

Mulder allowed him to enter, then sat down on the sofa and gestured for Skinner to join him. "What's this all about?"

Skinner looked down at the floor. "I have a confession to make, and also an apology."

"You're going to apologise to me? When hell freezes over, maybe," Mulder said scornfully.

"Mulder, I can see that you're angry at me and I don't blame you. I didn't handle things at all well on Friday."

"Sir, why would you possibly say that? From your point of view, everything was peachy perfect. I was put through a painful and degrading punishment which the three of you seemed to delight in, and I'm going to be kept firmly "in my place", as you put it, from now on. So what's the problem?"

Skinner heard the bitterness in Mulder's voice and his feelings of guilt intensified. "The problem is that I went too far. For one thing, much of what I told you on Friday was a lie."

"You lied to me? In what way?"

"Mulder, Agents Dean and Webb don't exist. The two men that you saw on Friday are really called Josh and Joel Colton. They're both sons of Frank Colton, who is a good friend of mine. Josh is at University studying history and Joel is a personal fitness trainer. They're both really nice men; they just pretended to be unpleasant Bureau employees so that I could justify their presence in the room, and at the same time convince you that you'd be working with them from now on. I knew you'd detest that idea."

"That was all untrue?"

"Yes, Mulder. You'll still work with Scully on the X files, you won't have anyone following you around all day and nobody else in the Bureau will ever know about your being spanked. Oh, and Josh Colton, alias Agent Webb, isn't really gay - he insisted that I tell you that."

Skinner fell silent, timidly waiting for Mulder's reaction. He was astounded when the other man started to smile. Then the smile turned into a grin, which became a chuckle, which grew into a full-blown belly laugh. Before long, Mulder was shaking with mirth. Skinner just watched him, completely taken aback.

"Oh wow... that's a good one," Mulder gasped as his laughter faded. "You really did torment me with that little scheme, I must say. It worked like a charm. I felt totally useless when I left your office on Friday night. I have to hand it to you, sir; ten out of ten for innovation. If I were in your shoes, I could never have thought of something so totally, diabolically evil!"

"It was Josh's idea, as a matter of fact..." Skinner said quietly.

"It was? How did-- you told them about me?"

"Yeah... look, you know how it is when someone gets on your nerves at work, Mulder. It really helps me to rant about people who've pissed me off to friends now and again. I have dinner at the Colton house regularly, and you've been the main topic of conversation there on several occasions."

Mulder was starting to get annoyed again. "So let me get this straight. There you were one evening, complaining about me as usual, then Josh turned around and said that you should spank me?"

"No, first off it was his father Frank who said that. He thinks you're too rebellious and you need a firm hand applied to your ass regularly, to keep you from misbehaving."

"I'm just so impressed that your friend can form a character assessment of me based on no knowledge whatever," Mulder said sarcastically. "Why do we train FBI personnel to carry out suspect profiling, when we could all just use the Frank Colton method instead?"

"Mulder, he came to that conclusion after listening to me describe some of the crazy exploits that you've got up to in the past. Now, I've never took it seriously when he made comments like that. But then I was at the house for dinner a week ago and Frank went out at one point to get some beer. While he was away, I ended up talking about you with Josh and Joel. We started playing this game; 'the Fox Mulder fantasy spanking', Joel called it. We thought up all these wild ideas for how we'd like to punish you."

"Is that right?" Mulder said acidly. "Glad I made your little party go with a swing, sir."

"Yeah," Skinner replied with a reminiscent smile. "We thought up the most outrageous things that night. It was fun! And that's when Josh invented the whole scenario which we used on you last Friday. Then the boys got excited and insisted that this one could really work. All of a sudden they were pressing me to turn fantasy into reality. Well Mulder, you'd been really rude to me that day and I'd had a few drinks so I said, OK, let's do it!"

"So you're blaming all this on alcohol and the two Coltons," Mulder commented sourly.

"No, not at all - I am entirely to blame. I'm just telling you how it happened. We made all sorts of plans that evening but the next morning, I got cold feet. I told Josh and Joel that the whole thing was off and they accepted that. But a few days later you and Scully went off to Lovatt, and before long I was faced with another pathetic case report from you where you tried, as usual, to defend the indefensible. That made me so angry that I changed my mind and told the boys we should go ahead after all."

"Old Frank must be very proud of you now," Mulder said bitterly. "I assume he's heard about this? In fact, I bet you and the Coltons have all been laughing about it together."

"Not really, and Frank isn't proud of me at all," Skinner admitted. "We didn't tell him about your punishment beforehand, you see. That was because he hates deception of any kind, and I knew he wouldn't want his boys pretending to be FBI Agents. But this afternoon, Frank overheard Josh and Joel talking about it. He made them tell him the whole story, then he called me up and got me to come over. He was absolutely furious with the three of us, especially me."

"Why? He was the one who said that I deserved to be punished."

Skinner sighed. "Yes, but Frank informed me that I had been far too severe on you. In his opinion the spanking would have been enough of a penalty on it's own. He also told me that I shouldn't have lied about Scully being reassigned and so forth; like I said, he can't abide deception, whatever the reason for it. And he was livid with me for just letting you walk out of my office afterwards. Frank thought I should have made sure you got home all right. He also admonished me for failing to hug you and reassure you that it was all over and that I forgave you. He then asked me if I'd called you later that evening to check on you, and yelled at me when he heard I hadn't. Frank made it clear that there's a vital aftercare side to the spanking process which I'd completely failed to attend to."

Mulder didn't know how to respond, especially as Skinner's face didn't clue him in on whether the AD agreed with Frank Colton's views or not. "Sir..."

"Mulder, he was right about all of it. I went too far and after I thought about it for a while, I knew why. I wasn't just punishing you for the incident at Lovatt. It was for everything, all the times you'd ever disobeyed me, been rude to me or just pissed me off somehow. There was an element of revenge for things past in there, Mulder, and there shouldn't have been."

"So you're saying that it was wrong of you to spank me?" Mulder asked hopefully. If Skinner said yes then he'd be able to play on the man's guilt for months.

"Not for a minute, Mulder. You had it coming and we both know it. But I should have done a better job of it. I was too busy deceiving my own friend, by getting his kids to do something that I knew he'd disapprove of, to realise that I should have talked this through with Frank and got some advice from him first. I've never spanked anyone before but he has, many times. His kids don't know this but Frank likes to top. I've heard his tales of sub spanking sessions where safe play is a must, but I didn't draw on much of that information when I spanked you. So what I want to say is... I'm very sorry."

"You really mean that?"

"Yes. Your own words were; "I felt totally useless when I left your office on Friday night". That's not how it should have been, Mulder. A spanking, when done right, should leave a person feeling better about themselves."

"Better? Oh, come on... I could hardly walk!"

"But you should have parted from me feeling reassured that your debt was paid, I still cared for you, I was no longer angry about what you'd done and the matter was closed. None of that you had from me. My technique was shitty, and what you said before just confirmed what I already knew; I failed. You know, Frank told me today that he's never spanked Josh or Joel when other people were around, no matter how bad they'd been, because he knew they couldn't take that. I realised then how painful it must have been for you to know that the boys were watching you the whole time."

"It was fucking horrible sir," Mulder said fiercely. "I'm very glad that I'll never have to see either of those men again."

"Well, as it happens... when I left their house earlier, Frank suggested that I should bring you over with me one Sunday for lunch. It won't be for a few weeks because I'm not welcome there right now, but I know he'll forgive me in time. I'd like you to meet everyone, so you can find out how different Josh and Joel are to 'Dean' and 'Webb'. And let me tell you, when I saw the boys today, they both said how much they admired and respected you for enduring such a dreadful ordeal over a matter of principle."

"Now you're definitely bullshitting me," Mulder laughed.

"Don't you mean mooseshitting?" Skinner joked, making him grin. "Anyway, it's quite true. And I am sorry, I really am. The spanking, you deserved. Everything else was too much."

"I second that. I'm just glad the whole thing is over, and even more glad that I didn't call Scully yesterday. I wanted to talk to her but I figured she hadn't heard about her new job, so if we spoke then I wouldn't know whether to tell her or not."

"I appreciate your discretion. I also realise that you must have felt pretty lonely these last two days."

"I'm used to lonely, sir. Lonely and I are pretty good friends, as it happens."

"Mulder..."

"Sir?"

"You remember when I told you that this punishment was designed to put you in your place?" Mulder nodded, a faint look of resentment crossing his face. "That was really stupid of me. Son, your place... it's right here." And Skinner tapped his chest to indicate that he was referring to his heart. "I hope you understand why it was appropriate to discipline you. If your continued lunacy eventually led to your death, then the FBI would lose a fine Agent and I would lose someone who has become very important to me."

Mulder was embarrassed by the words. He knew that later, when he was alone, he'd joyfully rerun this scene and over and over in his head, slurping up every last drop of warmth and sentiment. But right now, with his boss looking at him so damn tenderly, it felt too much to cope with.

"Can't help thinking that I've somehow ended up in an alternate universe," he wisecracked. "First you turn into Sadistic Skinner, now you're Soppy Skinner. What's next?"

"Serious Skinner. It isn't over yet, Mulder."

"Now that sounds ominous..."

"Not for you, though. When you fucked up, I extracted payment from your ass. Now that I've fucked up, the same will apply to me." And before Mulder's astonished eyes, Skinner opened his rucksack and took out the wooden paddle.

"Sir, does this mean what I think it means?"

"Yes Mulder, it does. You get to spank me now. If you want to, which I hope you do."

"Wow... on the bare ass and everything?"

"Yeah," Skinner replied with a rueful smile. "It's only fair. I'll leave it to you to decide how many blows I should receive for my misdemeanours. Where do you want me?"

Mulder grinned. "Over the kitchen table, sir."

Skinner nodded and walked off into the kitchen. Mulder picked up the paddle and followed him. He was still thinking that this was some joke on Skinner's part, until the AD calmly took off his pants and boxer shorts, then bent over the table and waited.

"I really cannot believe that this is happening, sir," Mulder breathed.

"Well, it is. Make the most of it - I don't intend to give you this opportunity ever again!"

Mulder tiptoed over to him and gleefully lifted up the AD's shirt like a kid opening up a Christmas present. Yup, there they were, as advertised; two grade A, accept no substitutes, cute, round, pale and entirely unmarked ass cheeks. It was moments like this when his decision to work for the FBI seemed like the best one he'd ever made.

"Enjoying the view, Agent?" Skinner asked sarcastically.

Remembering his own spanking, Mulder knew exactly how to reply. "Uh-huh. Nice ass, Skinner. Gotta love those perky buns, oh yeah. By the way, did I tell you that I'm gay?"

Skinner looked up at him in alarm, then relaxed as he saw the teasing grin on Mulder's face. "I see that I should apologise to you once more, Mulder. Now I know exactly how unnerving those words are to hear when one is half naked and placed in such a vulnerable position as this."

"Even more so when one is also is being forcibly held down in that vulnerable position and locked in a room with three other men, two of them strangers and the other mad as hell," Mulder pointed out.

"Yes," Skinner agreed, his voice subdued. "I really am sorry. I didn't plan for Josh to say that, but I should have rebuked him when he did so."

"I forgive you."

"Thank you, Mulder," Skinner replied softly. "Do you think we could get the spanking over with now?"

"I'm just trying to decide how many swats with the paddle to give you," he said thoughtfully. "It's a difficult decision, requiring extensive deliberations."

"Really? You know, I thought you were just trying to make me even more nervous by prolonging the wait."

Mulder chuckled. "Wellllll.... if I was doing such a terrible thing, it would only be fair compensation for the fact that I've not invited my neighbours along to watch this. You're getting a private spanking session, which is more than I had."

"True. Take your time Mulder, but don't forget that on Monday morning I'll be your boss again and in a position to dictate your work assignments. I'm suddenly seeing a mental image of you on your knees, cleaning the floors in the men's bathroom with a scrubbing brush all day long..."

"Perhaps I should be getting started now," Mulder said quickly. He didn't think that Skinner was serious, but it was probably unwise to push his luck. "I'm not going to punish you for keeping this a secret from Mr. Colton, since that's a matter for you to sort out with him directly. And since I lie all too often myself, it would be hypocritical to lay into you for that. For the rest, I think that ten strokes would be sufficient."

"Too lenient," Skinner said immediately.

"What? Sir, I can tell that you've never had this thing do the quickstep on your ass, because if you had then no way would you describe ten swats from it as too lenient!"

Skinner turned round and gave him a smile. "I'll be guided by your experience in this matter. Ten of the best it is then, but make sure they're hard ones."

"Whatever you say... now look to the front, spread your legs wide and stick your ass right out."

Skinner did as he was told without hesitation, and Mulder felt his respect for this man steadily increase. No other boss that he knew would ever admit to fault and then take a punishment for it like this.

"I'm starting now," he warned as he lifted the paddle and brought it down hard on Skinner's ass.

The sound of paddle striking butt was even louder here than it had been in Skinner's office. The AD gasped as the implement made firm contact with his ass, which immediately started to red up. Mulder applied the other nine strokes quickly, as he didn't really want to make Skinner suffer for too long. Once he'd brought the paddle crashing down for the final time, Skinner was gasping with pain. His ass was a deep pink and he was trembling, although he had not cried.

"Your lenient spanking is ended, sir," Mulder told him ironically.

"Thank heavens for that," Skinner replied frankly. He pulled his underwear and pants back on then turned to face Mulder.

"Er... I guess we could do that hugging/reassuring/forgiving routine now if you want..." Mulder offered tentatively.

Skinner smiled brightly. "I'd like that." He wrapped his arms around Mulder and squeezed tight. "It's all over now, son. I'm sorry for my transgressions and I forgive you for yours. I'm not angry any more and I hope you feel OK about this now."

Mulder was enjoying the hug. "I'm sorry too and I forgive you also, sir. I admire you as well, you know? Doing this must have taken a lot of courage. And I'm not angry any more."

"Thanks, Mulder." They broke off the hug and there was an awkward pause, then Mulder suddenly grinned.

"I just thought of something. Be right back."

He left the room and returned almost immediately, holding out his tube of soothing cream to the AD.

"Spanking aftercare the Mulder way, sir. I've been road testing this cream for the past two days and can say with certainty that it helps reduce paddle soreness considerably. Why don't you go into the bathroom and put some on? It might help you sit still in your car during that long journey home," he said with a grin.

"It's not such a long journey."

"It will be this time, sir."

Skinner laughed. "In that case, I'll give it a try."

When his boss emerged from the bathroom, he gave Mulder an apologetic look. "Sorry, but I've used the last of this up. I hope you have another tube for yourself?"

"No, that was the last of it. I don't mind, though; gives me an excuse to go and have another chat with Olivia."

"Who's that?"

"The nice lady who sold me the first batch of cream on Friday. We had a really interesting conversation. Hey, why don't we both go and buy some more of it now? The store's not far away, we can easily walk it. Then Olivia can meet you, which I'm sure she'd love to do, and I can tell her how things have been going with me over the last two days."

Skinner didn't notice Mulder's wicked smile. "Why not? I have a feeling that this ointment is now my new best friend. I have to attend a planning meeting tomorrow which will unfortunately last for at least two hours. I have a feeling that I'll be needing a lot of comfort breaks..."

"Those are aptly named, sir. Until your ass heals up, you'll be taking a break from comfort."

"Your jokes are... bad."

"I know, but the urge to tell bad jokes is an endearing part of my personality."

"Mooseshit!"

"You're never gonna let me forget that I said that, are you?"

"Not a chance, moose boy!"

"Sir, unless you live in Alaska there is a limit to the number of times that the word moose can be used in ordinary conversation, and you're already way over it."

"I'd say you were moose-taken, Agent Mulder."

"Now that one's just dreadful."

"Yeah, I guess. Hey, while we're at the store don't let me forget to buy some razor blades. If I don't shave soon, I'll end up with a moose-tache!"

"Sir, if I buy you dinner after we get the cream, would you shut up about mooses once and for all?"

"Sure, if we can go to this great restaurant I know. The variety of dishes there is wonderful; they serve traditional meals from every almost country in Europe."

"Yeah yeah, anything you like."

"Fabulous. I think I'll order moose-aka..."

"And I think I should reconsider that ten swat limit."

"You don't seriously mean that, do you?"

"Nah, but jokes like yours are a crime against humanity. Tell one more, just one, and I'll tickle you until you wet your pants."

"I apologise, Mulder. Shall we go?"

"Uh-huh."

"Pity we're not taking my car. You could have listened to my new moose-ic CD."

"Skinner, you asked for it!"

THE END