Touchy III

Author: PhileyX 
E-Mail: phileyxback@yahoo.com 
Web-site: https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx
Rating: G
Category: UST
Prequels: Touchy from https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Touchy.html and Touchy II from https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/TouchyII.html
Disclaimer: Here I go again... Mulder and Scully belong to Fox.

XXXXXXXXXXX
Touchy III 

I glance at the clock for the millionth time today. As anticipated, it shows exactly two minutes from the last time I looked at it. I sigh. Why is Monday always the worst of all the days? And at the worst time of the year - the department auditing season, I wonder why I'm still in the office. I should just fabricate an out-of-town meeting and disappear for the rest of the week. 

A knock on the door brings me back to reality. I yell 'Enter' and lean back into my seat for more of Kim's instructions. Although my subordinate, I seem to be under her thumb more than the other way round. My secretary walks in with a stack of documents, which she expects me to immediately read, comprehend and initial, no doubt. I repress a groan. 

"Sir, I need to you look at these and sign them. At once, if you don't mind." 

There, just as I predicted. I obey however, taking the documents and trying hard to pay attention to them while she drones on. "Auditing has rescheduled a couple of reviews, here's the list of the new dates and times." 

I lift my head. Hmm... maybe I should take a good look at that schedule and plan my escape route for the more trying subsections. 

But Kim douses my hope. "The X-files is fixed to be reviewed next Wednesday and I've penciled you down to be present. From experience, you should be around for that one."

Damn! Sometimes the woman is just too competent for her own good. 

"And finally..." The familiar tone in her voice causes my senses to perk up. "You have someone here to see you Sir."

As my brain translates the pitch in which she delivered the message, an incredulous look distorts my face. "But they're supposed to be in Miami!" 

She smiles for a moment, amused that I could always tell that she's talking about **them** without mentioning names. It's the way she over-pronounces the word 'someone'. A combination of glee and excitement, as if something huge and delightful is about to happen and she has the front row seat. Well she has. She's my secretary. Everything in the X-files passes through her desk first. And since the Miami assignment, it's the most expensive seat in the Bureau to date. 

Anyway Kim's smile soon fades, a frown replacing it. "Carter's team sent a letter last week, arranging for the training to be held here instead. They didn't want Agents Mulder and Scully to be seen unnecessarily in Miami just yet. So I made the arrangements for the course to start this morning in the Bureau's gym pool. I also left a Memo on your table telling you about it. Didn't you read it?"

Obviously I didn't and try to justify myself. "It's a Monday. That's depressing enough."

She gives me a piercing look. "I left that particular Memo on your table last Thursday." 

"Oh." See what I mean about being bullied? Grimacing, I glance at the stack of documents at the left hand corner of my table. Had it been that long since I touched that pile? Thinking back, the last time I paid any attention to it, it was half the size.

I can see that she's repressing the urge to roll her eyes, either out of respect for me or sensing my low spirits. "Anyway, Agent Scully is outside and wishes to see you, Sir."

"Agent Scully?" I asked, honestly surprised. I expected Mulder to crack first. 

"Yes Sir. Agent Scully, wet hair and all. Just after the training I suppose."

I bite my inner lip, thinking how to get out of seeing her. "Tell her I'm busy." Fine, I'll admit it. I'm still mad about the 'half-ass excuse' accusation. My excuses are always full-assed. 

"Aww... Sir, you know I can't lie to her. That woman's an X-ray machine. I'm surprised she hasn't barged in yet, the way she was pacing up and down the room." Then muttering under her breath, she added. "Can't say I blame her though. Handling Mulder in red speedos the whole day will make any woman a little testy."

Red speedos? I stare at Kim who seems to only just realize that she had voiced her thoughts aloud. As my head cocks slightly with an amused look, she quickly and sheepishly mumbles something about processing Mulder's expense claim, which had the details of his purchase. For some reason, she found it necessary to tell me of Scully's claim too. Then finally conscious that she had said too much than I care to know, she changes the subject and flees. "Umm... I'll just send Agent Scully in, Sir." 

Before my 'thank you' could reach the door, Agent Scully enters the room. And as Kim described, she looks agitated. She acknowledges me with a slight nod and walks up to my desk. As I motion her to sit, I pretend to glance behind her, innocently asking. "Where's Agent Mulder?"

"I don't know." She first says before retracting the claim. "I mean the last I saw him, he was on his way to the showers." 

The showers. Hmm... considering the two-piece Aqua-blue bikini that Kim so expressively depicted, he'd probably be there for a while. 

Scully clears her throat, interrupting me from my own visions of her in thongs. "Sir, what I'm about to say to you is rather embarrassing. I..." Her voice is now reduced to an uncomfortable stammer. "I hope we can keep this off the record." 

I nearly gape at her. Is this it? Is Agent Dana Katherine Scully finally going to admit her feelings for Agent Fox William Mulder? My heartbeat actually triples in anticipation. I was wrong before. Kim doesn't have the best seat in the house. I do. Trying hard not to show any emotion, I control my excitement. "Off the record? Sure."

"Well Sir, it's about this assignment." She is practically whispering.

"Yes?" I prod gently, wishing I had a tape recorder at hand to record the admission I had been waiting for, for seven long years. 

"I don't think Mulder and I can do this."

"Why not?" 

"Well..." She trails off and then looks at me desperately. "Sir, you won't tell Mulder about this conversation, will you?"

"If you don't want me to say anything, I won't." She looks relieved. 

"You see, I think that..." 

I shift in my seat, resisting the urge to stand up and yell 'Will you hurry up and say it already!'. 

"I think that..." Once again, she hesitates and I cheer her on silently. 

Come on Scully, spit it out. 'I am in love with Fox Mulder.' How hard can it be to say it? 

Then she takes a deep breath and finally sputters the rest of her sentence out. "I think Mulder secretly has a thing for me."

The shock on my face is not an act. Although I planned it, it turned out to be a genuine reaction. I echo dumbly. "Mulder has a thing for you?" She gives me an unpleasant look, as if insulted that the thought was inconceivable to me. I quickly amend my wrongly expressed feelings. "I mean, why do think Mulder has a thing for you?"

She is thoughtful for a moment and then explains. "Well throughout the years, he's always teased me. Sexual innuendoes at the tip of his tongue all the time. He can't get through a day without a shot at me."

"I see." I say although completely stumped. Scully never ratted on Mulder. Never. The FBI director in me took over. "Would you like to make an official complaint?"

She looks horrified. "God no! It's harmless actually. It's just something he does."

I'm still baffled. "So, why are you telling me this?"

As if trying to find the correct words, she hesitates for a second. "You see Sir, I've always been able to ignore Mulder's come-ons. And as the years went by, it... I became some sort of a challenge to him. A game. An obsession, really. To get some reaction out of me, any kind of reaction. And don't you think being his **wife** for six months would push him over the edge?"

Squelching a smirk, I ask. "Are you saying that you're afraid Mulder would try to seduce you?"

"I'm saying it's a possibility that shouldn't be ruled out."

"Ah." I nod slowly, suddenly comprehending everything. It was now clear to me. This is total BS. Scully's just here to clear the mess her partner made and get them out of the assignment. It just surprises me that Mulder would allow the reason to be his lack of self-control. It's more like him to instigate Scully to admit that she's secretly in love with him. Or... perhaps he did, only she had other ideas. The clever girl. 

"You may be right, Agent Scully." She instantly relaxes, evidently assured of her success. Unfortunately unknown to her, I am still hurting from last week's betrayal and my evil twin is in full control. "Mulder never backs down from a challenge. Luckily, he's dealing with you. And you're an expert in handling him, aren't you?"

Her triumphant countenance immediately fades. "Umm... Yes but..."

"After all, seven years practically makes you immune to anything with regards to him. The psychological tests prove it."

She opens her mouth to say something then suddenly stops. I can tell she has just comprehended that I'm still pissed. "Sir, if this is about the meeting with SAC Carter..."

I interrupt her yet again. "I don't want to talk about that now, Agent Scully. Let's get back to Agent Mulder and his obsession." I wait for her to finish squirming in her seat, locking her gaze with mine. "What I'd really like to know is, if the possible scenario previously discussed arises, would you be able to handle it?" 

"But this isn't about me, Sir." She protests.

"Answer the question, Agent Scully."

Ten seconds passes as she blinks at me dumbly. And every moment the temptation to smile grows stronger and stronger. But I endure, keeping a nonchalant look on my face. Oh yeah, I absolutely got her there.

"Of course I can, Sir." She finally answers through gritted teeth. A flash of anger darts across her eyes as she growls my earlier comment softly. "The psychological tests prove it."

"Yes it does, doesn't it? So we've got nothing to worry about." 

"Like I said, I'm more concerned about Mulder."

I finally give in to a smile. A sugary sweet smile. "Oh I wouldn't worry about him. Like you, after seven years of practice, I'm sure he's used to rejection." 

My vengeance is now complete. My point proven. And Scully looks like she's about to implode. Gathering herself the best she can, she mutters a 'Thank you for your time' and stalks for the door. 

Jumping slightly as the door slams, I sit back in my chair, feeling somewhat proud of myself. And suddenly, the Monday doesn't seem so bad anymore. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
End of Touchy III 

E-Mail: phileyxback@yahoo.com