Potato Cakes by Eddie Edora a.k.a. XFManic
Disclaimer: "The X-Files" and it's characters are not mine. They belong
to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen and Fox Television. I'm just borrowing
them for the fun of it. No copyright infringement intended.
Category: S, A
Rating: PG
Spoilers - Events from "Small Potatoes". MSR and plenty of angst in
this one. Beware!
Summary: Over a month has passed since Eddie Van Blundht and there is
still plenty of tension between our favorite duo...
*********************
J. Edgar Hoover Building
April 28
8:15 a.m.
Assistant Director Skinner was pouring through the report in
front of him. He looked over at the pile in his "in" basket. This is
going to be a long day, he thought.
He heard a knock on his door.
"Come in!"
Skinner saw Mulder's worried brow enter his office.
Oh boy, he thought. I wonder what the problem is *now*.
"Thank you for seeing me, sir," Mulder said.
"I don't remember an appointment with you today, Agent Mulder,"
Skinner replied.
"I know, sir. It's just that I needed to request some vacation time."
"Vacation?" Skinner questioned. "I believe the last time you
actually *requested* a vacation, President Bush was still in office. Is
there something I should know, Agent Mulder?"
He could see that Mulder shifted uncomfortably in front of him.
"Well...," he began. "I think that it's a good time for Scully
and I to have some time off from each other."
So that's it, Skinner thought.
"I thought you and Agent Scully cleared that whole Van Blundht
incident. Is there more to it than either of you have told me?"
Mulder hesitated.
"Agent Mulder," Skinner began. "You and Scully are two of the
best agents I have ever had the priviledge to work with. Part of it
stems from the fact that you two complement each other excellently in the
field. Another is your thorough and intuitive investigative skills. If
there is friction between you two, I suggest that you clear it up
*together*. I don't need to tell you how much I put my ass on the line
every day to ensure the X-Files remain open. Do *not* disappoint me,
Agent Mulder."
Mulder looked at him. It was obvious that he wanted to tell him
something so badly but just could not get over the hump.
"Was there anything else?" Skinner asked.
Mulder headed for the door. "No sir," he simply said and walked
out of the office.
Skinner went back to reading the file on his desk.
God, he thought, I hope Scully doesn't kill him.
**************************
Lone Gunman headquarters
10:30 a.m.
"Are you serious?" Frohike asked.
"Hey, I saw it with my own two eyes," Mulder replied.
"I just can't believe that your lovely partner couldn't tell you
and this Van Blundht character apart. After all, you would *never* try
to kiss her."
Mulder gave him a dirty look.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mulder cracked at him.
"Calm down, Mulder," Byers said.
"Sheez, Mulder," Langly chimed in. "You sound as though you're *jealous*."
Mulder glared at Langly. What the hell am I telling these geeks
for anyway, he thought. I wanted a sympathetic ear, and I end up getting
grilled for a lack of manhood.
"That has nothing to do with it," he replied. " The thing that
bothers me the most is that Scully has yet to talk to me about any of
it. Even the report she filed on the incident was vague."
"What did she write down?" Byers asked.
"...through cursory observation, many of Van Blundht's actions
appeared normal and without malice. I observed his flirtatious overtures
first-hand and understand now how the four women would have been intimate
with him and not have realized he wasn't their husband. Even I liked Van
Blundht's personality and friendly nature though I believed him to be
Agent Mulder at the time...." Mulder quoted from memory.
"Whew! She had it bad for him," Frohike commented.
"Thanks, Frohike. I really needed to hear that."
"So why don't you just tell her how you feel?" Langly asked him.
"How I feel?" Mulder replied back.
"It's obvious that you harbor some kind of romantic feelings for
Scully," Byers said.
Mulder looked at the three of them. Am I wearing a sign on my
face, he thought.
"We're partners; that's all," he defensively said.
"Mulder, what does she have to do? Take a baseball bat, hit you
on the head and shout out 'Hey, moron, I'm over here'?" Frohike said.
Mulder felt as though he was was in the middle of a "Three
Stooges" film.
"You weren't there, guys," Mulder began. "She was ready to
kiss...me..or whom she thought was me. But as soon as we got Van Blundht
into custody, she just clammed up. She gave me the customary 'I'm fine.'
and the cold shoulder after that."
The four men were silent.
"Hey, Mulder," Langley finally spoke. "Aren't you supposed to be
back at work?"
"No. I said I wasn't feeling well since Skinner didn't approve
my vacation. He let me have the rest of the day off."
"What about Scully?" Byers asked.
"She's still back in the office I assume. We really didn't
talk. Hell, we haven't really talked *period*."
"You've got to talk to her, Mulder," Frohike said. "Otherwise,
if a loser like Van Blundht has a chance with her, than I see my
prospects looking better."
Mulder looked at him. God, he thought, and I thought I was a loser.
**************************
Mrs. Scully's residence
5:30 p.m.
"Dana," Mrs. Scully began, "why did you wait so long to tell me?
This latest incident just shows to me that you have unresolved feelings
for Fox."
Scully heard her mother's words but was busy looking at the
fireplace in front of her.
"Dana?"
"I heard you, Mom," she replied.
"So what's the matter?"
Scully hesitated. "I guess I was thrown for a loop and never
fully recovered. I mean, he looked *so much* like Mulder. He even
smelled like him, Mom. I was telling him about my senior prom for God's
sake! I should have known something was wrong."
"Maybe you wanted *this* fake Mulder, because it is something
that Fox never does around you," Mrs. Scully said.
"And what's that?"
"A man that is actually interested in you, not about your job or
your profession, but *you* as a person."
Scully had to admit that she did like Mulder's attentiveness
towards her. She even told him so. Wait a minute, she thought, it
wasn't Mulder, remember?
"Oh, Mom," Scully said. "I just don't know. It's so awkward with
us right now. If I didn't know any better, I would think that Mulder was
jealous."
"Is he?"
She looked at her mother. Is he?
"I don't know," she finally answered. "It's been very stressful
between us lately. I think Mulder wants to know if I actually did
anything with Eddie. I even typed up my report with as very little
details as possible, because I knew that he would read it."
"Dana," Mrs. Scully said. "You have to talk to Fox. It's obvious
that this whole thing is bothering him, too. I've seen marriages fall
apart over something like this. What you and Fox have is very special.
Don't lose it."
Scully looked at her mother. It's true, she thought. I might
lose Mulder because of my shame.
"I've thought about nights like that with Mulder," she admitted.
"So when it looked as though it actually was happening, I just.....let
it. That's why I feel so ashamed that I was acting out my feelings
towards a complete stranger. Mulder must know that and ..."
"..it hurts?" Mrs. Scully finished for her.
"Yeah..." Scully felt a tear trickle down her cheek. "Oh, mom..."
Mrs. Scully took her youngest daughter in her arms and just let
her cry.
"It will be okay, Dana," she consoled her daughter. "I'm sure you
and Fox will be fine."
Scully lifted her head. "Will it Mom? Will it?"
Mrs. Scully looked at her daughter and couldn't answer as Dana
rested her head back on her mother's shoulder.
****************************
State Penitentiary
One Week Later
After Mulder meets Eddie Van Blundht
"I don't have to tell you this, Mulder, but you're not a loser."
The words still emanated inside his brain. How dare that bastard
think he could compare his pathetic life with mine, he thought.
"Yeah, but I'm no Eddie Van Blundht, either, am I?"
The words might as well have been a slap in the face. Scully
felt herself get hot under the collar.
"I don't want to talk about it, Mulder."
He looked over at his partner as they walked down the hall. She
had a slight smirk on her face. He started to feel hot under the collar.
"Sure. Fine. Whatever."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Scully demanded.
Mulder was taken aback by her tirade.
"Look, Scully," he started. "I've been trying to get you to talk
to me for the past month, but every time I bring up the subject of what
happened that night, you give me the silent treatment. Did something
happen that you're not willing to tell me?"
She looked at Mulder and tried to muster as much bravery as possible.
"No," she finally said. "You came before anything really had a
chance to happen."
Mulder flinched. "You mean that you and him were going to...?"
"I don't know, Mulder," she replied. "I was a bit confused of
your...I mean, his behavior. He did *look* like you. How was I supposed
to know if you just weren't trying to be sweet to me?"
"I can't believe that you would make out with him," Mulder
angrily retorted.
"Don't give me that crap, Mulder!" Scully screamed at him. "Like
I told you, I thought it was you. Do you understand? He looked like
you; dressed like you; acted like you. Hell, he even *smelled* like you.
So for all intents and purposes, I thought I was spending an intimate
evening with my partner and best friend, who just happened to find me
attractive that night. Is that so bad?"
Mulder stopped walking and looked down at the floor.
"Look, Scully," he began. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at
you. Eddie was able to fool other women, so I guess fooling you was just
part of the game to him."
"I know, Mulder. Look, you don't have to apologize. I didn't
mean to snap at you either. It's just that I thought..."
Mulder's curiosity peaked. "Thought what?"
Scully's face started to blush. "Um, I thought that you found
me...to be something more than just...your partner," she finally blurted out.
Mulder could see how difficult it was for her to openly admit
that to him. "I do, Scully. I do. It's just that I don't want us
depending on each other emotionally just because we happen to be convenient."
Scully felt dejected. "So I guess that means..." she began.
"...that you are still the only person I trust and *if* something
were to change between us in the future, I would like you to share it
with ME. Deal?" Mulder extended his hand.
And Scully took it. "Deal."
"Well then," Mulder said. "Let's get something to eat. I have a
sudden craving for potato cakes."
Scully laughed as they both walked out into the beautiful, sunny day.
THE END
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