TITLE: "Taco Bell Tails" (1/2)
BY: Ten
E-MAIL ADDRESS: kristena@ocean.com.au

CATEGORY: V, MSR, a little Angst, some Humour
RATING: R (consensual adult situations not gone into in
detail)
SUMMARY: Who would have believed that Chihuahuas and a
bizarre set of circumstances could lead to romance?
TIMESPAN/SPOILER WARNING: Definitely post "Quagmire" -
set during season four, but well before the cancer arc.

Note: The Taco Bell promotion described in this story was
going on during 2000, but for plot purposes let's pretend
it also came out during 1996. This story was originally
called: "Yo Quiero Taco Bell!" but as I was getting it
ready to post, a friend told me that another story with
the same title had just been sent out <G>. It had to
happen eventually!

ARCHIVE INFO: It goes to Gossamer through xff. Can be
archived anywhere as long as my name, addy and disclaimer
stay intact.
FEEDBACK: I love to know who is out there in the ether!
THANKS TO: Mac, Gerry, Judie, Sally, Debbie and Suzanne.

My website for all my X-Files fanfiction, thanks to the
wonderful Arria, is at
http://bitter-moon.com/tenxffic/index2.html

DISCLAIMER: The X-Files, the episodes referred to, Mulder
and Scully and all other characters from the show belong
to Chris Carter and his team of writers, Ten Thirteen
Productions and Fox Broadcasting, and are used without
permission. No copyright infringement is intended, no
profit will be gained. Characters not recognised from the
show are mine.


The X-Files: "Taco Bell Tails" (1/2)
By Ten, May-June, September-October 2002

xXx

FBI Headquarters
Basement Office
Early Friday evening
1996

Mulder finished reading a psychology journal article. He
sighed and looked at his watch. Scully had spent most of
this week at Quantico. One of the pathology lecturers had
become ill at a very bad time in the student curriculum,
so Scully stepped into the breach. From what Skinner told
him, things were flat out from the moment she got there,
but his partner handled the situation admirably and it
had not gone unnoticed.

That was good news, but potentially bad news as well...
What if Scully decided a career change was welcomed?
Permanently.

Mulder told himself not to panic unduly. After the last
hectic days, his partner would probably be glad to come
back.

But was it any less hectic when they were on cases? And
this enormously busy situation at Quantico wasn't exactly
the norm. She might recall the old days with fondness...

Enough!

It had been a long, boring and lonely day for him,
catching up on some reading and research. Doing that had
probably made it even more boring and dull. Well, no
sense putting off the inevitable any longer. He would
grab some take out then do a favour for Frohike. Melvin
had phoned before Mulder left for work this morning to
ask if there was any chance of him being able to pick up
some computer equipment from one of their acquaintances.
He wanted it dropped off at the Gunmen's office that
night. It didn't really require a major detour or
interrupt any plans, so Mulder had agreed. It would also
give him a chance to catch up with the guys.

Mulder was getting ready to leave the basement office
when there was a knock at the door. "Come in."

A female agent that he recognised entered - Sue Myers.
"Hi, Agent Mulder. I thought you'd still be here. Dana
accidentally left these med journals behind at Quantico.
Since she's back with you on Monday and I had to come to
HQ anyway, I thought I'd drop them off."

"Thanks. I'll let her know that they're here."

"No need. She knows - it was just too late for her to
turn around and come back for them. It was wonderful to
have Dana fill in. She was great."

"That she is."

After a few more pleasantries, Agent Myers left. Mulder
took a look at the covers of the journals. He recognised
them - Scully had been using them for research on an
article she had to have ready by early next week. The
last time he'd spoken to her, she was going to finish it
this weekend. He doubted she would have been able to
while at Quantico, but had the journals on hand just in
case there was a chance to get something done.

She probably wouldn't want to work on the article
tonight, but if he dropped the journals in to her now, he
would be saving her a trip the next day. And he would get
to see her, however briefly.

Food first. Mulder asked his tastebuds what they felt
like and consensus took him to Taco Bell. He was so
hungry he decided to eat in the restaurant. There he saw
that the current promotions gimmick was a set of four
stuffed talking Chihuahuas.

One dog said, "Drop the Chalupa." Another one said,
"Grrrrrgh" in a way he'd kill to have Scully intone in
his ear one day. Another sung "Chances are 'cause I wear
a silly grin the moment you come into view." The fourth's
message was: "Happy New Year, Amigo!"

Mulder remembered that Scully's two nephews collected
take out toys, so on a whim he bought two sets. After he
finished eating, he called in on the Gunmen's
acquaintance, one of the guys whom he had seen playing
Dungeons and Dragons occasionally with Langly. The stop
to collect the equipment was brief, as the guy said he
was in the middle of something and hurried back to his
computer once handing over what Frohike required. Then
Mulder drove to Georgetown.

He pulled up outside Scully's apartment and grabbed all
the bags: the journals, the toys and the computer
equipment. A spate of robberies from cars had occurred
lately in this area and Mulder did not want to have to
explain to Frohike if the equipment went missing.

A very exhausted and bathrobed Scully opened the
apartment door. Even in that state, she was beautiful and
a welcome sight after being apart.

"Hi Scully. Were you just getting ready for bed?"

"I'd been in bed, actually," she answered, sounding and
looking like she wanted nothing more than to be right
back in there.

Mulder stared. She must have had a rough few days - it
was way earlier than her usual bedtime. "But your light
was on. Otherwise I wouldn't have -"

"I was in bed but then five minutes ago I had to get up
because the dog was whining. I was just about to go back
to bed when you knocked."

"Dog?"

There was a tap tap tap noise on the floorboards and a
Chihuahua ran into the sitting room.

Upon seeing Mulder it immediately barked and kept barking
- or rather 'wuffing' - and scurried towards him. Scully
hastily intercepted the dog, picking it up and telling it
to hush. It ignored her, struggling in her grasp. His
partner sighed. "I'll let her sniff you, then if you
ignore her, she should stop."

Scully let the dog sniff Mulder's hand from the safety of
her firm hold, then she took the Chihuahua into the
kitchen area. Mulder's disinterest in the dog and
Scully's repeated orders to stop barking were finally
having some effect on the canine, and then Scully gave it
a dog treat.

Mulder noticed a water dish on the floor beside the
refrigerator, and next to it was an empty food dish.
Right where Queequeg's used to be, he remembered. As the
dog chewed on the treat, Scully held the animal in one
arm while with the other she managed to lift the lid off
a clear plastic container on a nearby counter and scoop a
small amount of kibble into the food bowl. Then she put
the dog down at the bowls when it finished the treat. The
distraction worked, and the Chihuahua started crunching
on the kibble.

"I think her curiosity has been satisfied, and she's also
happy to have had 'the last word'. Hopefully," Scully
said, stretching.

A dog. She had another dog.... This did not reassure his
fears that Scully might be yearning for a more normal
life. "You got a dog? When?"

"Gracie's owner is a friend of Mom's. But she was moving
and couldn't take her pet." Scully paused, then looked at
him, as if she was gauging his reaction. "Mom asked if I
was interested. It was kind of a rushed thing. I just got
her tonight and we're getting used to each other."

"Not what you needed at the end of such a busy day. At
least you can sleep in tomorrow." She nodded heartily at
that. "Anyway, I just came to drop these journals off -
you left them at Quantico and Agent Myers dropped them in
and I thought you'd need them. I'll put them on the
coffee table."

"Thanks."

Mulder put that bag down and then the dog came scurrying
up to him, having satisfied its stomach. It wasn't moving
towards him in a 'you are an intruder and I must
therefore tear your pants leg off and bite you' way
though. It was regarding him more calmly. Mulder put his
other bags down and held his hand out to be sniffed.
Might as well make nice with the new pet, especially
after what had happened to the last one. But geez, why
another tiny rat of a dog? Why not one with more, er,
meat on it?

Now he had the chance to have a good look at the dog.
What did Scully say its name was? Gracie. What the hell
kind of moron would name a Chihuahua 'Gracie' anyway?

The dog seemed to be all ears. It was a wonder they
didn't overbalance the tiny body. It brought to mind the
old joke about Dolly Parton's legs. 'Nothing grows in the
shade.' The dog could probably hear things from Pluto,
and he wasn't thinking of the cartoon character either.

It also looked incredibly dumb. Garfield's Odie brought
to life. Queequeg had been an overgrown powderpuff with a
tongue, but this one looked like it had been put together
all wrong. For one thing, the head seemed very narrow,
not allowing for much of a brain.

Mulder saw that Scully was watching him carefully, so was
glad he had kept his opinions to himself. He said, "I
won't keep you." Then he remembered. "Oh, since you've
got what looks like the live Taco Bell dog, you might
like these miniature ones. Here." He slid the talking
toys out of the bag, onto the sofa.

Gracie immediately leapt up and began sniffing them with
great interest. That got a brief smile out of his
partner, and he hastily left before he outstayed his
welcome.

So, Scully had another dog. It would mean problems again
when they had an out of town case - though after the last
time, she might not be as opposed to kennels as she used
to be... And if she wanted a dog, then she should have
one.

But...

Enough! Mulder told himself. Look what happened last time
after you said, "Did you have to bring that thing?" Gator
food.

Deal with it.

It wasn't until he got all the way to the Gunmen's office
that he realised something important. The equipment for
Frohike was still at Scully's place. His partner had
probably gone straight to bed after he left and not
noticed the bag.

The Gunman was not amused. "Damn! I really wanted to use
that stuff tonight!"

"Are you sure? Could you make do or borrow it from
someone else?"

"No, I can't. It's specifically custom-made for the
purpose and not a store job. There's a satellite feed
scheduled for two in the morning that I want to catch.
It's important! And no, it isn't to do with porn!"

Mulder sighed. "Look, I'll go back. Scully will probably
fry me, but at least she can sleep in tomorrow and I'll
make it up to her next week..."

The matter was eased somewhat when he pulled up outside
her apartment again - her sitting room light was on.

He knocked and she opened the door.

"Scully, I'm sor-"

That was as far as he got before he was grabbed by the
lapels of his suit jacket and trenchcoat and summarily
hauled into the apartment. "Come with me!" Scully
demanded in a tone he'd never heard her use before. She
banged the door shut and dragged him through the sitting
room.

He tried to work out her mood. He realised she was
heading for the bedroom and a wild hope arose in him that
perhaps she was acting this way because she really really
wanted him... She pulled him through the bedroom doorway.

"Look!"

Mulder looked. The Chihuahua was in the middle of the
bed, curled up with what looked like all eight Taco Bell
toys. He kept staring as Scully let go of his clothes and
let loose verbally at him.

"Look what you did! She thinks they're real puppies!
She's adopted them! I took the damned talking dogs away
from Gracie and put them on a shelf. She then proceeded
to whine and bark and cry and wouldn't let up. So I got
them down again and she carried them one by one up onto
the bed and settled down with them and growled when I
went to get in the other side. So I have a live dog and
eight stuffed ones on my bed and I'm sleeping - or trying
to - out on the sofa! What is wrong with this picture?"

The dog was now in a defensive posture, shaking like a
leaf and looking decisively neurotic. Its eyes were wild
and its hackles were up as it stared at the agents.

The same could be said about Scully, to varying
degrees... Even the shaking like a leaf, from anger and
lack of sleep.

Mulder had an initial urge to laugh at the absurdity of
the situation, but quickly squashed it, knowing that both
his partner and the dog were dead serious.

Uh oh. Well, how was he to know that Gracie would mistake
them for actual puppies?

Mulder refrained from wisecracking that since these
kiddies couldn't move and could only talk back when
someone squeezed them then these would be the best kind
to have.

While he stared at Gracie, trying to work out what to do,
he noticed that she looked like she had a Mohawk. Such a
short coat combined with hackles raised meant that the
hair on the back of the dog's neck and back was standing
up straight rather than the whole coat. Quite a sight on
an already odd dog...

Gracie growled. Well, he thought it was supposed to be a
growl. It actually sounded more like singing. That made
him want to laugh all the more, but then he saw that the
critter actually had incredibly sharp teeth. So it was
not a good idea to dismiss the dog as cute and harmless.

"Well, I guess if we wean her off them or move them
elsewhere..." He wondered why Scully hadn't already tried
doing so. Perhaps she couldn't stand the resulting
whining or had been so exhausted and fed up that the sofa
seemed the path of least resistance... Or she didn't want
to risk being bitten.

Mulder knew he had to do something. He had good reflexes,
so if he was quick enough...

He picked the first thing he could find up off a nearby
dresser - a hairbrush - and moved closer to the bed,
holding it.

Scully was appalled. "Mulder, you're not going to HIT -"

"No! I'm going to throw the dog a bone, so to speak. A
distraction. Actually, another dog treat might be a
better idea. Can you get me one, please?"

He heard her mutter, "Why? You haven't been a good boy,"
but she complied, quickly coming back in and handing him
one.

Mulder waggled the treat and caught Gracie's eye. "Hi
Gracie. Good girl," he said soothingly. "Look what I've
got for you." He tried to use it to coax her off the bed,
but the dog would not budge.

"I'll try closer to 'home'." So Mulder got up close to
the bed, then tossed the treat onto the mattress, further
up the bed. The dog jumped up and hurried to gobble the
treat.

Mulder took the opportunity, making a swooping grab with
both hands at the pile of puppies. Gracie darted back,
snapping at him. Mulder pulled back quickly, holding as
many of the toys as he had been able to get and back
pedalled for the doorway. Hopefully the dog would follow
and not worry about the remaining toys on the bed for the
moment, thinking that the ones in Mulder's hands were in
more immediate 'danger'.

"Come on, Gracie. Here they are. Here's your babies." He
turned and hurried into the sitting room. Gracie leapt
off the bed and shot after him. Mulder quickly shoved
some of the toys into his trenchcoat pockets on the way,
glad the cavities were deep, then he made it the final
few yards to the sofa with Mad Midget Mommy going for his
heels.

"There they are!" Mulder dumped the final two in his
hands onto the sofa, pleased he hadn't accidentally
dropped any in the process. It had been quite a juggling
act. Gracie leapt up and hunched over them protectively,
growling at him. "Scully, shut your bedroom door!" She
did so. He took a deep breath. "I'm glad you didn't get a
Saint Bernard!"

"Did she bite you?" Scully asked in concern.

"No. I'm okay. You've got your bedroom back."

Gracie jumped off the sofa and did a circle around
Mulder, looking for the other 'puppies'. The Chihuahua
then did the same around Scully and checked out the area
between the bedroom door and the sofa. She was making a
fretful noise. When Mulder began to move, Gracie leapt
back onto the sofa, protecting the remaining toys. He and
Scully moved slowly away from them, and the dog calmed
down a bit, starting to fuss over these 'babies'.

"I think that worked," Scully said.

"Yeah, looks like she's going to give up and settle down
with those two for the night." Mulder watched as Gracie
curled herself up with them, while still eyeing the
humans distrustfully. "Hopefully you can remove them one
at a time tomorrow. I'm sorry for the trouble." He went
over and picked up the bag of computer equipment. "I came
back because I forgot this. See you on Monday, okay? Have
a good sleep in."

"Mulder, wait." Her more gentle tone made him stop. "I
was about to put popcorn on just before you showed up - I
thought since I couldn't sleep properly on the sofa I'd
watch some TV and hopefully drift off. Would you like to
stay and have some?"

"But your bed is free now and you can get some sleep."

"After all the excitement - and the yelling - I'm awake!
For the moment," she said wryly. "With the dog where she
is though, we'll have to sit at the kitchen table."

"That's fine with me. As long as you don't mind."

"I'd like the company."

His company specifically? Perhaps she had actually missed
him this week. That was a promising sign. Mulder
indicated the bag. "I have to get this equipment back to
Frohike. He's got something he wants to do at two in the
morning. But there's plenty of time."

Scully raised an eyebrow as if to say: 'And I don't want
to know what Frohike would want to do at two in the
morning...'

END PART ONE OF TWO.

TITLE: "Taco Bell Tails" (2/2)
BY: Ten
E-MAIL ADDRESS: kristena@ocean.com.au

xXx

Mulder was careful not to set off any of the talking dogs when he
removed his trenchcoat, especially since Gracie now seemed content
with just the two babies. He and Scully had their 'midnight'
snack, though there were still a few hours to go before midnight.
The dog left them alone and did not try any begging for food. The
blankets that Scully had left on the sofa when trying to sleep
there had now been commandeered by Gracie and formed sort of a
nest for the dog to snuggle in with the toys.

Scully looked at the sight on the sofa and remarked, "She might
leave me alone for the night now. Apparently this breed likes to
cuddle up between people. Mom thinks its because they're always
cold, or something." She paused, then said, "It's the weirdest
thing I've ever seen in a dog, that maternal fixation for stuffed
dogs. Hopefully once the last one is taken away she'll forget
about them quickly enough."

Mulder knew that if Scully really did love and want this dog, then
he'd try to like it, even if it did look really dumb ass... At
least Queequeg had some hair and didn't look like a large rodent.
Though perhaps this new dog might turn out to have a better
personality.

Not that it had displayed one so far...

He glanced over at the dog. She gave him a distrustful glare.

Trust no one, huh?

Scully's finger circled the rim of her mug. She was looking at the
tabletop. "Mulder...I have a confession to make."

"What?"

Scully looked at him and said, "Gracie isn't my dog."

"Huh?"

"I'm minding her for Mom for the next few days. It is true that
Gracie belonged to a friend of Mom's who can't keep the dog
anymore. Mom is actually her new owner."

"I don't get... Why didn't you say so when I first came here
tonight?"

Scully's cheeks went red. "I was going to but this sudden feeling
came over me. I wanted to see how you'd react if I said it was
mine. I wanted to see -"

"If I'd grown up?" he asked quietly, feeling a little stung, even
though he knew she had justification for that attitude.

"- if you'd altered your views on the subject," Scully finished.
"Since Queequeg... I know that neither of them are what you would
consider a 'real dog'."

Mulder knew this was his chance to try to put things right. "If
they make you happy, that's real enough. That's what matters."

"But you didn't like Queequeg," she pressed. "And I'm sure it was
more than him being a little dog. He had such a lovely
personality." Her voice was becoming accusing.

He shrugged helplessly. "I saw the way you were with him."

"What do you mean?"

"The way you talked to him, spent time playing with him and
walking him -"

She looked at him in disbelief. "You begrudged a dog some time and
effort and fun? Because I spent my few hours of downtime with him,
instead of helping you in the basement?"

"No. Because he made you happier than I could seem to manage." The
words were out before Mulder knew it, before he had time to
realise just what he was admitting to. And once they were out,
more followed. "You laughed when he did something silly or funny
or cute. You used to do that with me, to a degree, back in that
first year we were partners. I mean, when I'd crack a joke or
something. But then all those bad things happened and I don't
know, we... Things changed. My quest just took the joy out of you.
I should be grateful though that Queequeg gave it back to you.
That he gave you an outlet where you didn't think you had to be so
serious all of the time."

She was staring at him like he'd grown another head. Oh God,
Mulder thought, what have I said? What have I done? Quick, make a
joke - make it seem like it was all one big joke so that things
can go back to normal. "And when I saw you petting him or him
curled up in your lap... Well, Scully, a guy starts to pine a
little."

Mulder felt he could hear the splat as the joke fell flat. Scully
was just staring at him with an incredulous look on her face. He
hastily got up. "Anyway, thank you for the snack. I'd better drop
that equipment off to Frohike. Sorry for the eventful evening."

He put his trenchcoat on and was just reaching for Frohike's
stuff, which was hanging on the hatstand too, when he heard his
partner come up to him.

Probably more than ready to show me the door...

He turned. Scully had a serious look on her face. She reached up
and took hold of his tie. He couldn't help flinching a little,
remembering the lapel-drag... But with a gentle tug, she pulled
his head down as she raised hers up, and kissed him on the lips.
And kept kissing him.

Her hands remained on his tie. Mulder didn't move his own to try
to touch her, partly because the lipwork they were doing was
wonderful enough on its own but also because he was stunned and
letting her set the pace.

She released his lips and his tie simultaneously and smiled at
him. Not a jokey 'gotcha' smile or a shy nervous smile, but
well... A happy smile. He'd seen her smile in happiness before,
but this seemed different. More special. And he could feel his own
face broadcasting his emotions loud and clear.

"Well, if I get run over by a bus tonight, I'll die a happy man,"
he whispered.

Her smile grew. "Why die happy when you can die ecstatic?"

"Huh?"

She moved closer into his personal space. Any closer and they'd
have to be sharing the same body.

"Scully?"

"Let's put some joy back into our lives. I've wanted you for so
long... I've loved you for so long, but I've kept it locked
away... And just then when you were talking I saw that you... I
can see..."

"Yes. Yes, I do." She loves me. Oh my God, she loves me!

This next kiss was hotter and their hands were touching each
other's body, and he was pressed back against the wall and -

- a mixed chorus of Taco dog catchphrases sounded from the pocket
that was wedged between his hip and the wall.

They broke apart and Gracie growled but did not move from the sofa
- probably because she couldn't actually see any of the little
darlings - and then both Mulder and Scully started laughing.

"Let's move this to the bedroom," Scully said.

"As long as you don't fall asleep on me half way through!"

"You'd better make sure things don't get boring then! And I can
sleep in tomorrow, can't I!"

They shut the bedroom door behind them and started shedding
clothes. In the process one of them stepped on Mulder's discarded
trenchcoat, resulting in: "Drop the Chalupa!"

"Drop the pants, Mulder!"

They were soon on the bed, after having hastily swept the
remaining toys off. Then Mulder's phone rang. He groaned. "Dogs -
stuffed and otherwise - have it in for us, now electrical
equipment!"

Scully looked just as pissed off but also slightly more practical.
"It could be work."

"At this hour?" But Mulder reached down to the floor and was able
to snag his phone out of his clothes. He fell back onto the
mattress next to Scully while answering, "Mulder."

It was Frohike. "Hey G-man, about that computer equipment -"

Before Mulder could reply, Scully, who had been listening,
snatched the phone off her partner. "Get in line! He'll deliver
the damn thing when I'm finished with him!" A stunned squawk came
from the other end. She glanced over at her bedside clock. "I
promise we'll get it to you in time."

"Uh um er, that's what I'm calling about! There's been a delay. I
won't need it until tomorrow night after all..." Frohike said in a
stunned babble.

"Good!" With that, Scully summarily ended the call and discarded
the phone, then immediately returned to Mulder's arms. There came
a scratching noise at the bedroom door. Scully threw a pillow at
it, and the noise halted with a startled 'yip'. "Goodnight,
Gracie!"

Soon they were quite busy. Mulder was certainly sharing Scully's
personal space. He was having the time of his life and knew from
Scully's face and sounds that the feeling was mutual. But there
was something... Some... A growling noise? The vague thought
popped into his rather distracted head that if it was the dog, it
must be loud to carry the distance...

Then he realised. They must have missed one of the stuffed dogs.
It must be underneath Scully's back, and with every thrust it was
going, "Grrrgh".

Things speeded up even more and the 'Grrrgh' became continual.
Then Scully obliterated that noise by making one herself, though
it wasn't at all dog-like. Rather it started off as a primal growl
of satisfaction and evolved into a roar of triumph that would have
done a lion proud.

xXx

A few hours later Mulder reluctantly had to get up. He needed to
go to the bathroom and also get a drink of water. Gently and
carefully he began extricating himself from Scully's arms and
warmth. She had been sound asleep but stirred, unused to such a
disturbance at night.

"It's me; it's okay," he said softly. "Bathroom break. Back in a
minute, I promise." He kissed her on the forehead.

She blinked and made a sleepy noise of acknowledgement. When
Mulder got out of bed, she moved over a little, burrowing into the
warm hollow where his body had been lying against hers.

There was some moonlight but Mulder turned on a lamp to guide
himself properly over the minefield of their clothes. He put his
trenchcoat on as a temporary bathrobe and went to do what he had
to. He was stunned and delighted at how things had turned out.

The sitting room side of the bedroom door had scratch marks on it,
but Gracie was on the sofa with the two toys. She was actually
looking fairly contrite and made no move to get up. Mulder thought
for a moment then grinned, wondering if Scully's cumulative yell
had scared the dog into submission.

When he slid back into bed, Scully was asleep again. She spoke his
name in her sleep, hands searching for him. "I'm here," he said
quietly and gathered her close. She made a contented noise and
settled against him. Mulder lay awake for a while afterwards,
Scully's subconscious actions making him an even happier man than
he had thought possible.

xXx

The next morning Mulder woke early. The water he had consumed sent
him to the bathroom again. The dog started scratching on the
bathroom door. It gave a few whines.

Mulder stuck his head out and regarded Gracie. He had owned dogs
in his time and although not of this breed, he recognised the
universal doggy 'I gotta GO' tone and body language.

"You've got a litter tray. Look. Right there."

The dog ignored that and kept whining, more interested in
answering nature's call outside than in guarding her remaining
'puppies' on the sofa.

"Look, I have *plans*," Mulder stated. Uncaring, Gracie was now
quivering so much she looked like she was vibrating.

Mulder sighed. He decided that he might as well take the dog out.
It would shut Gracie up and make her less likely to disturb him
and Scully for the next few hours. He hoped.

"Okay, okay. Give me a minute."

As soon as possible, he returned to bed. When Scully did wake up
properly, she was refreshed and raring to go. Love, pleasure and
fun ensued. Then Gracie scratched impatiently on the door.

"I'd better go take care of the dog..." Scully said with a mix of
a sigh and a laugh. "Then we can have a lie in."

"I don't mind... She brought us together! Though if she wants to
snuggle up with you, too bad, I got in first! She'll have to wait!
But she might want some more food. I didn't know how much she's
allowed to have or when she's supposed to be fed, so I just gave
her a little... I took her out too."

"You did? When?"

"At dawn. Less chance of people seeing me with a rat on a leash."

Scully laughed. "I guess there is a slight... size imbalance." She
gave a sly look down his body. "Quite a size imbalance."

He loved hearing her laugh and joke. And not just the humour - he
loved the things that she had told him. How much he meant to
her... When she came back to bed from taking care of the dog's
needs and her own, they held each other close and continued with
their intimate talking, sharing bare feelings instead of bare
flesh. He told her of his fears that she was thinking of leaving
the X-Files and him, and she put those fears to rest.

"I admit I was a little frustrated, but that was mainly to do with
having to keep my feelings locked away. You certainly fixed that!
And I guess I was evaluating my career, reviewing what I felt
about it. Quantico was interesting to go back to, however it
doesn't have the excitement and challenge of the X-Files. And it
doesn't have you. The last week has made me see that, and I'm glad
that events led to this." She smiled and traced her fingers up and
down his chest and upper arm. "Besides, even when I'm in a bad
mood, who can resist you, ultimately?"

"You did for years," he said, enjoying the feeling of her fingers,
while tracing patterns on her skin with his own.

"Remind me to tell you about my fantasy life sometime. You're the
star feature."

"We should compare!"

"There is one thing I'm worried about though."

"What?" Mulder asked, now getting worried himself.

"Whether I'll get to finish that article this weekend, now that I
have been 'waylaid'. And wayyyyyyyy-laid is completely accurate."

"You were no slouch either."

She grinned and replied, "Yes, but the trouble is that working on
the article is now the last thing on my mind..."

"Well, at some stage I'm going to have to go give that equipment
to Frohike and get some other clothes. So, while I'm gone - type
fast!" They laughed.

After a contented silence, Mulder said, "Scully?"

"Yeah?"

"If... Well, if you do want to get a dog, go for it. I'll try to
be more understanding this time around. I promise."

She smiled and shrugged. "I'm not sure if I want another dog just
yet. And if I want to take something for a walk or have a play,
I've got you now! I know how to make you sit up and beg..."

"Not to mention drool. And howl."


THE END (PART TWO OF TWO).


Half of these events actually did happen Macspooky (though not the
half where Mulder kept turning up at the door and was hauled in
for some bedroom fun... At least not that she let on, anyway!)

After reading the story (and the above lines), Mac asked me to add
that she: "doesn't, regrettably, own a Mulder, not even so much as
an action figure". <G>

And thanks to Gerry for the suggestion that I should have Mulder
take Gracie out while wearing only his trenchcoat and nothing
else, then inadvertently flashing one of Scully's neighbours. I
was very tempted, but although I didn't end up using the
suggestion, it was a great image! <VEG>

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of their respective owners. No infringement intended.