Arf!
chapter 2
by Hayley McBey
Summary: Scully does Mulder a favour (yes, I'm British) but are her motives purely friendship?
Category: Well, this is MSR all the way! Maybe some time in the far off future I'd consider doing an X-File, but I'm too taxed doing folios and such at the moment. This is pure escapism on my part, so please don't hate me! If the idea of our favourite FBI agents getting it together turns your stomach, read no further!
Disclaimer: Well, they sure as Hell ain't my babies. They belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, Fox TV and, of course, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. I'm just taking them out to play and I'll return them right on curfew. Well, maybe not Mulder.....joke! I'm making absolutely no money from this, 'cause no one wants to pay me. Please don't sue me, I'm only young and I have no money anyway. Ooh, the others are mine, so you can borrow them and stuff (why would you want to?) but if you do, send me a copy of the fanfic! Kill them if you want, they're just products of my overheated imagination. Oh yeah, and anyone else you recognise isn't mine either, like Skinner and Scully's mom.
Feedback: This is my first time out, so please give me your views! E-mail me at . Don't be too mean, I'm a fragile bunny! If you detect any spelling/punctuation or any other errors, please change them!
Archive: I'm sure I'd have something to say about this, but I don't know what the Hell it means. Someone tell me, please!
Feel free to give it to anyone you like, just keep me as the author. If anyone wants to include this in web pages/home pages/whatever, feel free, but inform me and tell me how to see it! (That's if anyone feels it's worthy. I'm not taking that as a given, because my head isn't that large, well, not figuratively, anyway)
Spoilers: Well, a first season mention, a third season mention and also "Small Potatoes". Very small mentions, mind you.
Rating: Hmm, it's pretty tame, but it contains some nasty language and adult situations. Let's say a 15 (I don't know what the US equivalent is) and be done with it!
Author's notes: This is the new and completed version of the first fanfic I put out. It started out as a little piece to satisfy myself, but then it took on a life of its own and started to write itself. As you may guess when you read it, it was in no way planned, and things just happened as they happened, with very little intervention from myself! I have some bands to thank for this little effort, as their CDs are what were playing whilst I wrote. These are:
The Lemonheads - "It's a Shame About Ray"
Placebo - "Placebo"
Alanis Morrisette - "Jagged Little Pill"
The Stone Roses - "The Stone Roses"
Mansun - "Attack of the Grey Lantern"
There are also a couple of songs that nursed me through this: namely the Cocteau Twins' "Tishbite" and Moloko's "Fun For Me". Ooo, if anyone has the lyrics for Tishbite, please mail me them!
"Arf" by Hayley McBey (well, I can't think of a title!) (Part 1/2)
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"Oh no. No. Absolutely no way. No. Uh-uh. No, Mulder! I hate fund raisers. I refuse absolutely to dress up just to satisfy a bunch of guys in ill fitting suits."
Dana Scully regarded her partner with deep suspicion.
"And anyway, Mulder," she continued, "I can't see why you're so keen for me to go with you. *You're* the one who got the invite. Not me."
Mulder risked his lost puppy look on his partner.
"Aw, come on, Scully.....it'll be fun. Besides, I have to bring a date."
"Fun?? You mean like that time you told me it'd be a "nice trip to the forest"? Pardon me if I choose to be a tad sceptical."
Mulder ran a hand through his short, dark hair. Scully stood, legs slightly apart, feet firmly planted on the floor, arms crossed, eyebrow raised.
"Please, Scully?" He pleaded.
"There's something else to this, isn't there? Spill it. Tell me."
Mulder shifted uncomfortably.
"Well,......look. Y'see.....uh....well, this guy I went to Quantico with, he was really....up himself. Took a dislike to my natural charm. Bought into "Spooky" thing with gusto. Anyhow, he's organising this. Sent me the invite as a...joke, I guess. Took great delight in writing "and partner" on it in thick black marker. It's like...like he doesn't expect me to have anyone. Like I'm some sad loser."
"You're not a loser, Mulder," Scully said, echoing an earlier statement. She looked silently at her partner. His eyes had darkened with remembered pain as he had talked about this colleague, and Scully felt a flash of anger sear through her. These sort of jibes cut him deeper than he would admit. She sighed.
"All right, Mulder, I'll do it. God knows why, but I'll do it."
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Scully stared at herself in her full length mirror. Her reflection stared back at her. Her hair for once curled softly, wisps escaping from the loose French pleat to curl delicately about her nape. Her lips were a deep, dark shade, almost purple. The dress was a deep, dark blue, highlighting shades her eyes. The neckline plunged daringly, but lace converted it from sexy to alluring. It ended mid-thigh, the skirt flaring provocatively. She chewed her lip.
"Maybe I should've worn the black...." she said to herself. "The black" was a floor length, maiden-aunt type outfit that covered her completely.
"Maybe I should......"
Before she could finish her thought, the doorbell rang.
"Scully? It's me. Open up!"
"Such a drama artist. Always acting like he's on a bust.." Scully mumbled to herself as she opened the door. She stared.
< Oh, wow....> she thought, mouth suddenly dry. Her partner, the man she had placed in the "unattainable, so don't even try" section of her brain, was stood in front of her wearing a black suit. Just a normal black suit, but God, what it did for him!
< Dana, you're staring. Snap out of it!>
Giving her head a mental shake, Scully welcomed her partner, commenting on for once tasteful neckwear. He smiled sheepishly and produced a small bunch of flowers. Scully raised her eyebrow.
"Flowers, Mulder?"
"I just thought you'd like them. A thank you for doing this for me."
< I can think of a much better way for you to thank me....>
"You didn't have to, Mulder," Scully said, ignoring the traitorous voice within and sniffing the proffered flowers appreciatively.
"So," she continued whilst finding a vase,"what's the plan for tonight? Are we really in love or is this a first date? Are we staying till the end? Do we dance?"
It was Mulder's turn to raise his eyebrow.
"You don't have to *do* anything, Scully - just be there."
< Just be there. Don't you realise, Mulder? I want to do a Hell of a lot more than just *be* there.>
"Okay," she said, trying to keep the wistful tone out of her voice,"your call. You ready?"
"Sure, Scully. Let's face the squad."
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The hall was packed. Expensive looking women clung to the arms of oiled men in expensive suits. Scully could feel Mulder tense up beside her and she gave his arm a comforting squeeze.
"Uh-oh. Bogey at twelve o'clock!" He whispered out the side of his mouth.
"That him?" She whispered back, eyeing the approaching man with distaste. He was tall and heavily built. His blonde hair, slightly thinning at the temples, was slicked close to his well shaped skull. He was looking at Mulder with distaste evident in his features. He glanced at Scully and did an almost comical double-take, hand reaching up to check his hair.
"Mulder!" He greeted, eyes never leaving the vicinity of Scully's chest,"You made it!"
"Looks that way," Mulder returned.
"You going to indtroduce me to your beautiful friend?"
Mulder heaved a sigh.
"Ross Farmer, Dana Scully.
"
"That wouldn't be *DR* Dana Scully, would it? Mulder's partner? For a minute there, Mulder, I thought you'd actually got yourself a real date! Guess you're stuck with him too, huh?" The last comment was directed at Scully as he raised her hand to his lips.
Scully could feel the anger rise within her again.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr Farmer."
Scully all but yanked her hand out of his grasp, not responding to the "call me Ross" and clutching at Mulder's arm.
"Fox, honey," she sighed, batting her eyelashes, "can we dance? You promised you would."
Mulder looked at her with an expression of shock. Ross looked at her with half-narrowed eyes and looked speculatively at Mulder.
*Come on, Mulder, play the game!* she willed silently.
"Sure, uh, Dana..."
Scully virtually dragged him up onto the dancefloor, where the band were playing a slow number. The singer's voice was husky as she sang of unrequited love.
*Tell me about it* Scully thought, wrapping her arms around Mulder's neck. She could see Ross still watching from across the room and was relieved to feel Mulder's hands settle on her hips. Sighing, she let herself be absorbed into the music, hips swaying in an unconscious response to the beat. She felt Mulder whisper into her hair, but couldn't quite catch the words. Reluctantly, she raised her head from his chest and asked him to repeat it.
"Dreaming, Scully?" He asked with an amused smile.
"Just thinking, Mulder." < well, I was. Just not about what he thinks>
"I was just thanking you for that. I thought we'd been uncovered back there. I forgot that we're such celebrities in the FBI that everyone at least knows our names, even if they don't know what we look like."
"Do you resent that, Mulder?"
"Not really. I don't for myself, I'm used to it. But when it happens to you, I can't help but feel that it's my fault because I dragged you into this whole mess, that even your abduction is down to me."
"Don't think that, Mulder! I'm in this because *I* want to be. My abduction isn't something I blame you for, either. What happened is not your fault. Sure, at the beginning I felt a little resentful, but I'm your partner and I love....working with you." < Good one, Dana> she groaned inwardly, < almost let it slip, there> She glanced at her partner. He didn't seem to have noticed her slight hesitation, and was about to say something.
"Hey Mulder, mind if I cut in?" Farmer asked, eyes greedily devouring the slender length of Scully's legs. < God, this man makes my skin crawl> Scully thought with a slight shudder.
Mulder looked at Scully questioningly. She helplessly nodded her acquiescence and reluctantly stepped out of the circle of Mulder's arms. She tried to smile at Farmer, but it came out as more of a grimace. He gave her an oily smile back and gripped her close to him. She tried to distance herself, but he kept on pulling her closer. Not wishing to make a scene, she grudgingly started to dance.
"So, Dana, what's going on with you and Spooky?"
Scully bit her lip to stop herself shouting at the man. Alright, so she had encouraged the story, but he had no right to ask her those sort of questions, she'd only met him ten minutes beforehand, for God's sake!
"What do you mean, Ross? We're partners. We enjoy each other's company. End of story."
"So what was with all the "Fox, honey" business? He doesn't let anyone call him Fox. You screwing him or what?"
"That's none of your business."
He leered down at her.
"Well, your reputation would suggest that you're a bit of an ice queen. Mulder melt you? Gee, Dana, I would never have had you down for an easy lay. I'm sure the Bureau wouldn't look kindly on such a relationship between partners, but I'm sure that they'll never find out if you're *nice* to me, however." He pulled her suggestively closer and Scully couldn't mistake his meaning.
She had had enough. How dare this man insult both her and her partner? Stepping back, she threw him a stormy look.
"Look, Ross, what my partner and I do is nothing to do with you. And for your information, I'm no easy lay, and I'd certainly never even consider fucking you, *Agent* Farmer. So, if you've had enough of insulting me, your breath and your ego are making me ill, so I think I'll go and join Mulder."
Turning away from him, Scully felt a certain satisfaction from seeing the other dancers turn to stare at her and then quickly getting out of her way.
< Woops,> she thought, < must have been a bit louder than intended>
Mulder was looking at her with an expression of amazement on his face.
"You were, uh, pretty loud there, Scully. What did he say to you?"
Scully chewed her lip.
"He just....insinuated that we were more than partners, and said that if I wasn't *nice* to him that he might just bring it to the attention of Skinner."
Mulder started off towards the dancefloor, where Farmer was vainly trying to attract another partner. Seeing violence in the set of his body and the murderous look in his eye, Scully pulled him back.
"No, Mulder, just leave it."
"But Scully, the man virtually.." He raked a hand through his hair. "I can't just let him *say* those things to you."
Scully looked at him in amazement. She knew that he was protective towards her, but she had never pegged her partner down as the violent type, no matter what the provocation. < Maybe he cares for me more than I thought> Scully thought, a frisson of excitement running through her.
"It won't do any good, Mulder. He'd just love for you to hit him, it'd lend wei
ght to his arguments."
Looking at his partner's earnest face, Mulder knew that she was right. Sighing, he allowed her to lead him towards the small bar.
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Scully ordered a vodka and lime, surprising herself by knocking it back in one go. She had obviously surprised Mulder too, because he raised a questioning eyebrow.
"He get to you?"
"No. Yes. I don't like to admit it, but he really annoyed me back there. I mean, it's not as if it hasn't happened before, I was propositioned a lot when I was going through Quantico, but this is the first time someone's tried to blackmail me into sleeping with him!" She managed a feeble half smile. "I guess I should be flattered in some strange way that he considered me worth it!"
"You're too hard on yourself. You're a beautiful woman."
Scully stared at him in amazement. He looked slightly shamefaced and tried to hide it by offering her another drink. Scully accepted another vodka and lime, again knocking it back in one go. she asked herself wryly.
By the time she had managed to down another seven vodkas and several bottles of beer, she felt slightly wobbly and lightheaded. Mulder had been sipping his conservatively, and shot his partner an amused glance as she mumbled "toilet" and stumbled off. Making it to the plush interior of the cubicle, Scully just plonked herself down with an audible sigh of relief. She slumped against the door, but stiffened and quietened when she heard the door open.
"Did you see that redhead shout at Ross? Jeez, I wonder what the Hell was going on there!"
The woman's partner giggled.
"Did you see the guy she came in with? Man, he was *hot*! How could Ross hope to compete with that?"
"He knows it, honey!"
Scully, even in her inebriated state, could only just smother a laugh at that one. Mulder had to be the least self conscious man she knew. Struggling to sit up, she bashed her head off of the door. She yelped in pain and heard the women outside stop talking.
< Oh well,> she thought, < let's see if I can make them squirm>
Stepping out of the cubicle, she met the women's gazes with her own slightly blurry one. She flashed them a small smile and washed her hands, enjoying the way they turned red and shifted uncomfortably. She turned to the nearest one, a brittle looking blonde, and said softly
"You're right. He is a fox."
Smiling to herself at the looks on their faces, she tottered out of the door.