After Dark By Xenith xenitha@yahoo.com Disclaimer: The X-files belong to Chris Carter and 1013 Productions, not me. I’m only borrowing the characters for now. I’ll put them back when I’m done. Rating: R Category: V MSR Spoilers: None Archive: Sure, especially Spookys! Feedback: Love it! Love it! E-Mail address: xenitha@yahoo.com Website: Go here to read more of my stuff! http://members.xoom.com/merlin717/index.html Discussion List: Yes!!! Yes!!! Summary: Part of the “Chicken Soup” series, of which “Just a Cold”, “Chicken Soup”,“Misery Loves Company” and “All in a Mother’s Job Description” are part. After some meditation (and begging e-mails from readers) I’ve decided that this series takes place in the Abattoir universe, post Mustang. If you haven’t read the series, you should! But it isn’t necessary to understand these little vignettes. AFTER DARK The Scully Residence Late “Ow! Mulder, that hurts!” “What’s wrong, Scully?” “Your elbow is in my ear. Please put it somewhere else.” “Sorry. Is that better?” “No. Now it’s digging into my ribs. Whose idea was this, to sleep in *my* bed and not yours?” “Well, yeah, it was mine. But you’ve got to admit it’s cozy in here. “ “That’s one word for it. Mulder, this little twin bed was meant for a ten year old child, not two grown adults. Ow!” “Elbow?” “No, knee. Just under my right breast. Yeah...that’s better.” “Uh, Scully, could you put your foot...UH NO..not there. God you’ve got cold toes....Like I said, this is..um..romantic.” “Romantic. Right. Here in the remains of my childhood, surrounded by my doll collection, some old teenaged posters and three swimming medals.” “They’re very *nice* swimming medals. Besides, haven’t you ever dreamed of making love in your childhood bedroom, in your formerly virginal bed?” “No. Been there. Done that.” (silence) “It was a long time ago, Mulder.” “Do tell....So when did this happen and with whom?” “I was 25 years old and Mom & Dad were taking a European vacation that summer. Billy and Charlie were both in the service and Missy was somewhere in California, so I got elected house sitter while they were gone. I, uh, invited my boyfriend to come over one evening and, well, things...” “Got out of hand? So you did it here? In this bed?” “We tried to...um...the bedframe broke and we knocked a hole in the wall.” (more silence) “Mulder? Mulder, I can hear you giggling. Stop that!” “Why, Dana Katherine Scully, I never knew you liked it that rough!” “It was an *old* bed, Mulder. I’d had it since I was a toddler. Anyway, the wood split and we had to quietly replace the bedframe with another one that looked pretty close to the original. Fortunately it wasn’t hard to find another colonial bed. And then we patched the wall and I told my parents that I’d decided to repaint the room, make it look nicer.” “Your mom didn’t believe *that* did she?” “Of course she did. Anyway, Ted and I broke up soon after that.” “So, Scully, how about we test this bed to see how sturdy it is?” “Mulder, Mom’s room is directly downstairs from this one. No!” “Are you afraid she’ll know what we’re doing?” “No!...Yes! Haven’t you seen the predatory glances she’s been giving you? She’s sizing you up as a prospective son-in-law. I don’t want to encourage her!” “And why not? Don’t you think I’d score well on her son-in-law-o-meter? I wonder if the springs squeak?” (squeek--squawk, squeek-squawk...) “Mulder--stop that! She’ll hear!” (low groaning in a male voice) “Mulder--quit it! You stop that!” (laughing) “You jerk!” “Don’t you think she expects this? And you never answered my question.” “If you’ll stop bouncing I’ll answer....Yes, I think she scores you pretty highly. She made chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight. She only does that for people she likes. Besides, what’s not to approve? You’re smart, you’re cute...” “Even my nose?” “Especially your nose. At least you *have* a nose. Mine is just a little bump on my face.” “I like your nose. And some other bumps you have on your body, too.” (silence with heavy breathing) “Mulder? Can we move to the big bed now? These springs squeak too much. And I want to be able to make some noise.” “First tell me the truth. Am I as good as Ted was?” “Let’s find out. But we’ll try it in your bed. You can’t break that. It’s made of brass.” Downstairs Maggie Scully looks up from the magazine she’s reading, hearing footsteps overhead and barely muffled giggling. She smiles quietly and turns the page.