House of Cards - Chapter 14 By Jennifer T. Brooks E-Mail: Jenntou@excite.com ******************************************** Lasertaruim Arlington, Virginia June 11, 1999 2:30 am Dana Scully had easily taken out Melvin Frohicke and she did it in a way that he would forever remember. She slowly snuck up behind him and placed the gun to the temple of his head. "I always like my men to take me from behind," She said as she whispered breathlessly in his hear. She ran her tongue slowly down his ear lobe as she pressed her small body into his rear. She thought she heard a small groan from him as she tagged him. Frohicke joined Natasha's college roommates that Skinner and Mulder had tagged within three minutes of the game starting. Frohicke could not remember ever being so turned on in his life. He had the hard on to end all hard ons. An hour later Scully had tagged Byers and Langly, Skinner had tagged Natasha, and Mulder had tagged Wendy. Diana and Dana planned their attack. Diana agreed to go after Skinner. She was not counting on the fact that when she tagged Skinner Mulder was waiting in the wings for her. She and Walter walked slowly to the bar knowing the fates of their respective teams rested on Mulder and Scully's shoulders. Mulder covertly made his way through the maze looking for Scully. He knew that she was a much better shot than he was so he had to be careful. He couldn't believe the outfit she was wearing. He could not take his eyes off of her breasts, tiny waist or her ass. That outfit had done incredible things for her body. She looked like she had put on a little weight, which had filled out her endless curves. He was instantly aroused thinking about her. He had been giving himself this speech daily for the last two months. Ever since they rebuilt their friendship Mulder found himself thinking about Dana Scully more and more each day. He suddenly spotted Scully crouched low near a wall. What he didn't know what that Scully had planned for him to catch her the whole time. He slowly made his way up behind her and tagged her. It was much more fun to tag her than to steal her teams flag and win that way. He lowered his gun to her head and said, "Got you little woman. It's time for your team to give us a little nuddie show." "You are such a pig Mulder," Scully replied smirking. Mulder and Scully made their way back to the bar and discovered that most of the group had consumed vast quantities of alcohol while they were playing. The men, except for Walter Skinner, were elated that they won. Wendy was fuming and even accused Dana of throwing the game. "I didn't see your fat ass out there trying to help us win," Scully said to her rudely. The wedding would be in a couple of days and it didn't matter if she was polite or not. Natasha and Mulder looked at Scully in shock. "How dare you say that to me. I know that you and your lover wanted to get naked in the pond and that's why you lost," Wendy accusatorially whined. Diana heard the argument and came over to support Scully. She stood behind Scully and placed her arms around her stomach drawing her closer and she said seductively to Wendy. "How did you guess that we wanted you to join us." Wendy turned bright red as Diana let Dana go. Both women started laughing as Langly made some comment that he wouldn't mind seeing their threesome. Natasha took Wendy aside and must have told Wendy that she had to keep up her end of the bargain, because when she returned she was her fake cheerful self once again . ****************************************** Lincoln Memorial Washington, DC June 11, 1999 3:30 am Fox Mulder drove Diana, Dana and Frohicke in his car while Wendy drove Langley, Byers and Natasha. Natasha's college roommates elected to go home due to the fact that they both had to go to work that morning. Walter Skinner refused to go saying it wouldn't be appropriate for an Assistant Director with the FBI to be caught with a group of drunk and naked people in a public park. The real reason he didn't go was that he didn't want to see his daughter naked. He was still aroused by the site of her with her clothes on. He knew that he wouldn't be able to control himself if he saw her nude. He was trying to feel fatherly toward her, but he had not yet been successful. The car that Wendy drove made it to the destination before the rest of the group. Wendy quickly ran down to the reflection pool, took off her clothes and jumped in before the rest of her group could catch up with her. Byers and Langley were upset that they missed the free strip show but were anxiously awaiting Diana and Dana's arrival. Five minutes later the rest of the group arrived and made it down to the reflection pool. Dana was drunker than she had been in years and wasn't thinking clearly. She wished that Blake was here to make sure that she didn't do something really stupid. Diana couldn't believe that she was going to strip in front of this group of strangers either, but being naked in the same place and time as Dana Scully had been a long running fantasy of hers for over a year. She too had consumed a lot more alcohol than she normally did. "Take it off ladies," Frohicke yelled to them. "These are the rules," Dana started, "Mulder is in charge of my clothes. If I get out and my clothes aren't here I'm going to be really pissed off if I get arrested for indecent exposure. Okay." She finished as she kicked off her shoes and started unbuttoning her pants and lowered them over her hips. Once her pants and socks were off she quickly raised the tank top over her head and looked around. "Diana, stop staring and start stripping," Dana ordered her new friend. All the men just stared at Dana Scully's form. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine her to look like this nude. Mulder had seen her naked several times but she was unconscious and a very healthy Dana Scully was much different. He noted with surprise that she was a true redhead as she took off her underwear. He could see all of her very clearly in the moonlight as she lowered herself into the water. Diana took off her clothes and joined Dana in the water. They ran around the fountains, splashing each other and having a fun time. Mulder quickly took off his clothes, against Natasha's protests, and jumped in the water. Langley took off all this clothes except for his underwear and joined the growing group. Byers was uncomfortably aroused by the group and decided to keep watch for police. Frohicke had disappeared and gotten his camera from the car. He hid behind a tree quite a distance away and took pictures of the group with his state of the art surveillance camera. He thought about giving Mulder a couple of pictures of Scully naked as a wedding present. He was surprised with his skill, as he managed to get a close up of Scully's rear end and tattoo. Mulder never would tell him what it looked like, only that she had foolishly gotten a tattoo. Mulder figured that he had not had this much fun in a long time as he dunked Scully under water. She came up gasping for air and pulled him under with her. Diana jumped on top of them. He saw Langley trying to hit on Wendy as Wendy tried to hide her nakedness under the water. Wendy. Mulder never really cared for Wendy. There was something about her that he just didn't trust. Natasha listened to everything Wendy had to say. It was always, Wendy said this...' or Wendy said that....'. Mulder just wanted Wendy to go away and leave them alone. Wendy didn't hide her jealousy of his relationship with her best friend very well. He half expected Natasha to ask if Wendy could move in with them once they got married. He would tolerate Wendy for now, but once he was married she was out of their lives for good. "There's a policeman coming this way. Get out of the water," Byers said as he ran down the grassy hill to warn the group. Natasha immediately jumped out of the water and started pulling her clothes on. Wendy was frozen in place and couldn't move. Langly hopped out of the water and pulled his pants on quickly. Frohicke madly took pictures of the group from behind the tree careful that the police officer could not see him as he approached. Diana and Fox ran out of the water holding each others hands when they realized that Dana had not come out with them. Fox looked on in horror when he realized that Dana Scully was floating face down in the pool. Scully had passed out from all the alcohol she had consumed. They both ran back into the pool to get her. The rest of the group realized that something was wrong with Dana as Fox carried her out and placed her on the ground. Wendy used this diversion to get out of the pool. She didn't realize that Frohicke the pervert was taking pictures of her every move. "Wake up, God dammit," Fox Mulder yelled as he tried to bring some life back into Scully. Scully started choking on the water in her mouth and turned her head to the side to spit it out before she passed out again. "Two minutes and you three are arrested. Get your clothes on now," Jon Byers yelled at the group, "I'm out of here. I will meet you at your car. If you aren't there in 5 minutes I will assume that you have been arrested and will use the spare key to drive myself home," He told Mulder before he started jogging in the opposite direction on the cop that was fast approaching them. "Let's go now Natasha," Wendy yelled as she grabbed her friends arm and pulled her away. "Fox, I'll call you later," Natasha told her fiancee as she left with her friend. Langley went with them. He didn't need to be caught by the cops. His arrest would have been a parole violation. "Diana, put your clothes on quickly and then we'll take care of Scully," Mulder told his ex-wife as she quickly put her clothes on. Mulder then put his clothes on while Diana watched Dana closely. "I can't believe we left her in there. I was right next to her. I should have noticed when she went under," Diana said with tremendous guilt. "I should have seen the signs. This is exactly like what happened the last time she had too much to drink. This was a stupid idea coming out here," Mulder said as he pulled the tank top over Scully's naked form. Diana was working on putting on her underwear. They both looked up to see that the cop was roughly 500 feet from them. "Diana, grab her stuff. We don't have time to put the rest of it on. I'll carry her while we make a run for it," He said hurriedly as he hoisted Scully over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and took off running. Diana grabbed Scully's jeans, socks and shoes and ran behind him. She heard the cop yell at them to stop but they kept on running as fast as they could. When they reached his car, Mulder placed Scully in the back seat where Frohicke and Diana joined her. Fox Mulder jumped into the passenger seat as Byers drove away quickly hoping that the police officer didn't have time to jot down the plate number. ***************************************** Dana Scully's Apartment June 11, 1999 4:30 am Byers stopped in front of Scully's apartment building. "Someone needs to stay with her tonight," Mulder said while looking at all the occupants of the car. "I'll gladly take her to bed," Frohicke volunteered. "No, I'll stay with her, you little pervert," Diana countered. "Maybe, I should stay with her," Mulder said as his guilt began to set in once again. "No way man, Natasha would have a fit if she found out you stayed with Scully. You know how she gets when she finds out you spent time with Scully. You don't want to have to deal with this crap right before your wedding, do you," Byers said offering his advice. It was no secret to the gunmen that the lovely Natasha wasn't quite as lovely as Mulder liked to believe. When they found out that their friend was dating her they did a complete check on her. It seems that Natasha had a very bad temper and a hatred for Dana Scully. They had overhead several conversations between fat ass Wendy (as they liked to call her) and Natasha. They wanted to tell Mulder about Natasha but they felt that it was not their place. Besides, he would kill them if he found out that they were following his fiancee. ****************************************** Sheraton Hotel Washington, DC June 11, 1999 5:30 pm Dana entered the hotel nervously with Diana Fowley at her side. She had woken up that afternoon with the worst hangover of her entire life. She wasn't sure what had happened the evening before and was too embarrassed to ask Diana about it. She knew that it had to be bad if Diana had spent the night at her apartment. She could recall the evening up until they left the Lasertarium. After that point she could only recall bits and pieces of her being nude in some fountain. She had no idea how she got there or how she got home and into her bed. She wished that she wasn't a bridesmaid. She wished that her attendance at this damn rehearsal dinner wasn't mandatory. Unknown to her, Diana Fowley was walking besides her thinking the same thoughts. Diana genuinely loved Fox Mulder and wanted the best for him, but she could not help but feel that he was making a huge mistake marrying Natasha. She had this hunch that he was somehow settling by marrying her. She knew that he always a wife and children, but was he rushing into this marriage because he thought that it might be his last chance at happiness? She wished that Dana and Fox could get over their apprehension over telling each other what they truly felt and admit that they were attracted to and in love with each other. "Well are you ready?" Dana asked Diana breaking the silence. "No. But do we have a choice?" "We could always say we got lost," Dana suggested. "Wouldn't work. Fox escorted me to my cousins reception at this hotel three years ago. He knows that I know where it is." "Damn, well we may as well go on in and get this over with," Dana said and she placed her hand on the door knob to the room where there reception was being held. "If I didn't know better I would say that you don't want to be here, Dana," Diana teased the younger agent. "What gave it away? My slowed gait?" "No, I think it has more to do with the fake smile you plaster on your face whenever you talk about the happy couple." "It's not that apparent, is it?" Dana asked worriedly. "No, I have seen you smile enough to know when your smile is genuine." "I'm an awful person, Diana. I want to be happy for them, but I can't. All I have heard about for the last 6 months is about weddings. I hate weddings, I'm all for elopement." "I feel the same thing. At first the thought of a wedding was charming but after playing dutiful bridesmaid to a woman I barely know, I'm sick of it. I will be glad when the wedding is over and done with so that I don't have to hear about it again." "We would be so lucky. No, I'm afraid that we're in store with a full year of their constant talk of marital bliss. Hopefully, if they are going to have kids they will at least put it off for a couple years before I have to hear all about baby talk for the rest of my natural life" "Oh God, Dana, I hadn't even thought about that." "That transfer to Salt Lake City is looking pretty good right now." "I wonder if they have any supervisory positions available there?" Diana asked. "Sounds like a plan to me, we can move out there together and share an apartment to cut down expenses." "Why should we have to move? They are the ones that found happiness, they should move," Diana said. The thought of having Dana Scully as a roommate was appealing to her. "Maybe we could get Wendy to move with them." "We could never get so lucky. Maybe we should pool our money and get her liposuction," Diana said as she started giggling. "You are so cruel, Diana. Why should we do that? She would be better looking but would still have an attitude,"Dana replied. The door was suddenly opened as someone exited the room. "I was wondering where the two musketeers were," Fox Mulder said upon spying the women. "We were just out here chatting," Diana explained. "And this could not be done inside and at a table?" Fox asked questioningly. "Some things are better said outside of prying ears. Besides, we wouldn't want to bore the guests," Diana told him. Dana nodded her head in agreement. "I'm sure that anything you ladies said wouldn't bore the people sitting at your table, which happen to be the lone gunmen," Mulder said as he smiled. "No, Mulder. Absolutely not," Dana blurted out. "Sorry, I didn't make the seating chart, Wendy did," Mulder said having picked up on Scully's and Diana's hatred of her. "I'll kill her. I'm going to kill her," Dana muttered under her breath. "Scully, I don't think it is wise to be making death threats in front of federal agents. Anyway, ladies, are you ready to enter?" Mulder said as he held the door open for them. He followed them into the room as they took there seats at the table with the lone gunmen. ************************************************ Sheraton Hotel Washington, DC June 11, 1999 9:00 pm Dana Scully was bored out of her mind. She had barely touched her rubbery chicken cordon bleu. The lettuce on the salad was slightly wilted, the wine tasted stale to her, and to top it all of Frohicke snagged her stockings and caused a run when he tried to play footsies under the table with her. She still had a slight headache and wanted to do nothing more than to go home and soak in the tub. "Looks like Karoake is up next," Diana whispered in her ear. "You lie, no one does Karoake at a rehearsal dinner." "They do now, it says so in the program." Diana pointed it out to her on the program. "Speaking of programs, why do they have a program? There are only 30 people here?" Dana asked. "Wendy was in charge of the rehearsal dinner, ask her," Diana suggested. "I hate her. I swear to god I hate her." "I love it when you get all mad Agent Scully," Frohicke said as he leered at her. "Shut up Frohicke. I'm not in the mood for your teasing tonight. Look, I'm sorry I just yelled at you. I'm just a little tired and my head hurts," Scully tried to explain as she apologized to him. She knew that he meant no harm with his comments. "Apology accepted," Frohicke replied in return. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for Karoake. Anyone who wants to sing needs to come up here and sign up along with your choice of song. Fox and Natasha are going to be the judges and there will be prizes given for best performance, worst performance and best reinterpretation of a song. Hurry on up, we will be starting in 20 minutes," Wendy told the group. Diana and Dana looked at each other and burst out laughing. "I thought that this was a rehearsal dinner, not a birthday party. Karoake with prizes?" Diana said to Dana as the gunmen hung onto her every word. "Gentleman, care to Karoake?"Byers asked his friends. "Sure, shall we sing to Mulder what we call his anthem?" Langley suggested. "What would that be? Remember this is a wedding rehearsal dinner, not a topless bar, keep it clean," Diana said. "I wonder if Mulder will stop going to those fine establishments with us once he gets married," Frohicke said softly. "Naw, the man will never change. Last time he got married he didn't stop," Langley offered up. Diana gave him an evil look telling him that he had better shut his mouth and say no more. It was too late, Dana caught the slip. "Mulder was married before?" She asked. "No." All three gunmen said in unison. "That's not what Langly just said." "I didn't say that," Langley told her. "Yes, you did. You said, and I repeat, last time he got married he didn't stop'." No one said anything to her in return. The gunmen looked at each other for help in which one of them was going to get themselves out of this jam that they were in. Diana tried her best to looked as shocked as Dana was about the accusation, but unbeknownst to her Dana had caught the look she gave Langley when he first opened this can of worms. "Mulder was married before?" Dana asked Diana. "Please don't lie to me, Diana," Dana pleaded with her friend. Diana weighed her options before speaking. She thought about lying to her but knew she would lose her as a friend if the truth ever did come out. On the other hand she knew that Fox was going to be livid when he found out that she was the one to tell Dana the truth, not him. For some reason, that he was keeping to himself, he was adamant about Dana Scully not knowing that he had been married. She decided that she was going to come clean with Scully for once. "Yes, Mulder was married, but it was a long time ago," Diana said softly to her new friend. "Why wouldn't he tell me. I asked him early on in our partnership if he had ever been married and he said no. Why would he lie to me?" She asked not knowing that Fox Mulder had just approached her table. "Why would who lie to you?" He asked Dana. She looked up in horror to see Fox Mulder standing beside her. "Why did you lie to me about being married?" She asked him directly, the hurt evident in her eyes. The gunmen and Diana used Fox's presence to leave the table. "Can we got outside and talk, Scully?" He asked her as he helped her up from her chair. He didn't want to ever have to have this talk with her, lest on the eve of his pending nuptials. He escorted her in silence to a secluded alcove near the pool where he knew that they would be able to have some privacy. He guided her onto the couch and sat down beside her before he began to speak. "Scully, I'm sorry that I lied to you. I should have told you the truth about being married." "But why? Why did you lie to me?" "I don't know." "How can you not. Do you regularly go around telling lies for the sake of it?" She said as she started to raise her voice. "No, it isn't like that," He tried to explain. "Then tell me how it is. Tell me why you could never tell me in six years we were partners that you had been married?" "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't trust you." "That's your answer. You didn't trust me?" "At the time when you asked the question, no, I didn't trust you." "Why didn't you tell me the truth once you did trust me." "I couldn't Scully." "Why couldn't you." "Because you would think that I was being deceitful." "You were, you are." "You don't understand." "Then explain it to me. So far you have not given me one good reason why you never told me that you were married." Mulder and Scully sat in silence for several minutes before Mulder spoke up. "Because then I would have to tell you how I feel about you," He said as he got up from the couch and left her sitting there. Dana was dumfounded. She thought about going after him and making him explain what he meant by that last comment, but decided to let it go. He was getting married tomorrow, nothing was going to change that. ******************************************** National Cathedral Washington DC June 12, 1999 12:30 pm "As you know, you are about to enter into a union which is most sacred and most serious because it will bind you together for life in a relationship so close and intimate, that it will profoundly influence your whole future. That future, with its hopes and disappointments, its successes and its failures, its pleasures and its pains, its joys and its sorrows, is hidden from your eyes. You know that these elements are mingled in every life, and are expected in your own. And so, not knowing what is before you, you take each other for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health until death." The minister looked at both Fox and Natasha before continuing on. "Truly then, these words are most serious. It is a beautiful tribute to your undoubted faith in each other, that, recognizing their full import, you are nevertheless so willing and ready to pronounce them. Because these words involve such solemn obligations, it is most fitting that you rest the security of your wedded life upon the great principle of self sacrifice. So, you begin your married life by the voluntary and complete surrender of your individual lives in the interest of that deeper and wider life which you are to have in common. Henceforth you belong entirely to each other. You will be one in mind, one in heart and one in affections. Whatever sacrifices you may hereafter be required to make to preserve this common life, always make them generously. Sacrifice is usually difficult and irksome. Only love can make it easy; and perfect love can make it joy." "Do you Fox William Mulder take Natasha Camille Brown as your lawfully wedded wife?" "I do," Fox said as he looked over at Natasha and smiled. "Do you Natasha Camille Brown take Fox William Mulder as your lawfully wedded husband?" "I do." "Fox repeat after me: I Fox William Mulder take you Natasha Camille Brown as my lawful wife, to have an to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Fox repeated the vows after the minister while staring into Natasha's tear filled eyes. "Natasha repeat after me: I Natasha Camille Brown take you Fox William Mulder as my lawful husband, to have an to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Natasha repeated the vows after the minister. Wendy and Walter then stepped forward as the best man and matron of honor to hand them the rings. "Fox, place the ring on her finger and repeat after me: Take and wear this ring as a sign of our marriage vows and of fidelity." Fox repeated the vows as sis Natasha when she slide the slim gold band on Fox Mulder's hand. "Now by the authority vested in me by the church I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Fox lifted the veil off of Natasha's face and leaned in to kiss her as the congregation cheered. He never noticed that Dana Scully's face remained expressionless during the whole ceremony. End of chapter 14