TITLE: "Monster Marathon" AUTHOR: Angel Gaskins RATING: PG-13, yes, Angel has a naughty mouth. I worked hard to refrain from anything TOO vulgar, God knows it was hard. CATERGORY: SR KEYWORDS: MSR, Mulder POV SUMMARY: A USA marathon, Chinese chicken, and vampires. Small talk can lead to some >interesting< scenes... Hmmmmmmmmmmm... SPOILERS: Bad Blood, all 6th Season, the Flukemen, 2 Fathers, One Son, I'm sure there's more... Oh, and Biogenisis has NOT happened yet, I'm not denying it has, just postponing the thought FEEDBACK: PulledAScully@aol.com ARCHIVE: You really want to archive this?! Woohoo! Sure, just send a link my way! AUTHOR'S NOTES: I seriously love this story. I think it's the only one of mine that doesn't drag on for eternity and actually has a life. I'm proud of it. I kinda got the idea from an October preview, ya know how it is. Many thank to tabby and Kristen (who'll never see this) for singing the Monster Mash with me and watching the marathons for days... you're the best ;) DISCLAIMER: Usually, I get a kick out of these, but now I'm just sick of 'em. So, Mr. Carter, I worship you and you own Mulder and Scully, but I own this story. In yo face! Hee hee... Oh, I *never* thought of the idea for the USA Monster Marathon, so please don't sue me! I love you! Oh, and M&S belong to 1013 Productions and 20th Century Fox as well... you get it. I silently twirl in my chair as Scully packs her breifcase up for the day. I can't stand to watch her go, even for eight hours. I know I'll talk to her and see her again tonight, I always do. It's a ritual unbroken, us spending our time together. "Hey, Scully." She glances up at me as she grabs her coat. "What is it, Mulder?" "Care for a movie marathon?" I've stopped twirling and have turned my attention to the pencils lieing on the desk in front of me. Scully can't help but smile at my boyish side. Truth is, I do it mostly for that same reaction. "Uh--I think you better ask that lady in leather standing by the corner." There's bemusement in her voice and I can't help but laugh. I love Scully's jokes, essentially for their rarity. "Touche." I pull my feet off my desk and turn to face her. "The Monster- Movie Marothon, Scully. It only comes once a year." She tosses her head back, sending the hair in her face away. "One condition." "You name it." "*NO* pizza." I can't help but laugh aloud. Just a week ago she made me promise to stop eating so much junk. I remember the conversation clearly. I think I was devouring a cheeze danish and a soda. She just stood there and glared at me, giving me the 'Scully eye'. Then she said, and I quote, "If you don't stop eating grease like it's a ritual, I swear..." I think I laughed at her, but I promised no bodily harmful food for a month. That's my Scully, always watching out for my well-being. "No problem, just be at my place, seven sharp." "Deal." I watch her walk away, giving me a wink before she shuts the door. God, I love that. ***************************************************************************** Usually, I wouldn't be taking a shower because my partner was coming over. Nah, I'd *never* take a shower because anybody was coming over. But today's different. I've had a long day and frankly, I stink. Not as much as I did after the crap cases, though. Or after I fell into the sewer water chasing after that Flukeman. My God, that was nasty. Seriously, Floridians should really watch their diets. Anyway, the case we're on barely involves anything stinky at all, except for the fact that the air conditioning broke in the office and Scully and I were stuck in a broken, unventilated elevator for three hours. Figures that 1999 holds the record for the hottest DC October. I think I came out of there with my Armani suit dripping with sweat and my shoes ready to go floating away. Granted, there was a good side: Scully stripped down to a tank top. I shake all thoughts away as I step out of the shower, wrapping my lower body in a towel as I step out into the hall. I check the clock by the door. 7:16. Scully'll be here, no big deal. She probably realized the B-movie thing didn't even start 'til 7:30. I retreat into my leopard deco bedroom, once again shocking myself at the terror of it all. A water bed for God's sake! Where the hell did it even come from? Damned if I know. It proves comftorable, though. I fixed the leak that Monday when I had that weird De Ja Vous experience... Scully still doesn't believe I have that bed, that's where a number of fantasies of mine transpire from. Speaking of the goddess herself... "Hey, Mulder." I turn around to find her standing in my bedroom doorway, smiling vivaciously at me. I'm wearing only jeans, unbuttoned for that matter. I smile at her and turn to finish dressing. "Hey, yourself." Usually her line, but hey, it's fun to turn tables. Or sometimes not so fun. Like with Padget...I shudder at the thought and zip my pants. "Ready for hard-core B-movies, Scully?" "Bring it on." I laugh to myself at her. I love this woman, without a doubt. I pull her into the living room and motion for her to sit down. She watches me retreat into the kitchen and I can hear her voice over the jazz music coming from the radio. "Sorry I was late, I needed a shower." I bring her a drink and plop down next to her on the oversized couch. "Yeah, me too. My neighbors all stood in the opposite corner of the elevator." She smiles and reaches for the paper bag she's brought with her. She hands it to me and I give her a questioning glance. I open the bag and peek inside. "Ah, Scully." "I figured a week of punishment was enough." She waits for me to hand her a carton of General Tao's chicken from the bag and a pair of chopsticks. "Truth is, I've been craving this myself." I grab my own carton of sesame covered chicken and thank her. We talk a while after that, while we eat. Not about anything specific, just memories, fun times, work, everything. We never get a chance to just talk. Sure, we talk, but we never really discuss anything outside of work. I'm glad we are. "Mulder?" Her voice stirs me out of my revery. I think I was staring unconciously at her lips. It happens... "Yeah?" "It's almost nine. I think we missed most of the marathon." "Nah, just 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes'. Nothing that exciting." She grabs the remote and flips on the television, tuning it to the right station. An obviously faux vampire shows his teeth and shrills. Just my kind of movie. Scully cuddles up to me, wrapping her arms around my chest. I pull her close to me and in turn wrap my arms around her as well. She snorts as the vampire vanishes, leaving a black cape and a retreating bat. "If all vampires were that easy." "C'mon, Scully. You know that stuff's politically incorrect." "Excuse me?" I sigh lightly as she looks up at me. "Well, some vampires are pizza boys. And some are just hicks in trailers." This releases a chuckle from her. "And some are buck-toothed sherrifs." This gets me a hard punch in my side. "He did not have buch teeth!" Her tone is accusatory, which makes me laugh. It angers me as well, even though I'm not the jealous type. Leave that to Scully. "Whatever you say *DANA*" I emphasize her name and stand up to stretch. She leans over and rests her head on her hands before giving me the eye. I know what I'm headed into, but I can't help. Leave it to Fox to be an ass. "What exactly did you see in him, anyway?" "Excuse me, Mulder?" "I said what did you see in him?" I pause as her eyes grow dark with anger. Then, the dumbass that I am, I continue. "Or any one of those guys you run off with, these days." I didn't think it was possible, but I think she looks even madder than when I told her she was making it personal. I hate this side of me. It's the side that I could definitely live without. She glares at me then stands and closes the gap between us. "Screw you, Mulder. You, of all people, have the *nerve* to ask me that!" I involuntarily back away from her and she continues to stalk me, like she's pouncing her pray. I hope that analogy isn't too literal. "What about Bambi, Mulder? Huh?! Detective White?! Don't start me on Diana! You can go to hell with all of them for all I care." She stands in front of me for a few moments, her chest heaving with each breath. I hate to admit it at a time like this, but she looks so goddamn sexy. I mentally slap myself for wanting to take advantage of a situation like this, but the urge to kiss her still thrives. So I do. It's furious and hard at first, and I pull back only because she starts to whimper beneath me. Our lips still touch, I just loosen the strain on her. I almost retreat when she doesn't respond, but then she wraps her arms around my neck and I pull her up to me. All the tension, people, and problems that have come between us over the years slides away in our kiss, leaving us breathless and panting. Then, out of God knows where, she slaps me. Hard. I stumble back and clutch my jaw to find a stream of blood. Damn, she's got an arm. I look up at her to find that she's crying and gathering her things to leave. Why the hell did I have to do something so stupid? I could have just let her leave, said I'm sorry, anything but this. Never EVER follow your gut feeling, always do the opposite. I'm living proof of the reprecautions. Once again, I pull another stupid move. I spread myself against the door, blocking any way for her to leave. "Get out of my way, Mulder." I shake my head. "Damnit, Mulder! Move!" She's squaring me up, and although I'm shaking in my boots, I don't comply. "Not until you talk to me, Scully." "I have nothing more to say to you." She stares at the wall beside her as she's saying this and it breaks my heart. I did this to her, I hurt her. I move my hand to her chin and pull her face towards me. Oh God... she's crying. I move my hand to her hair and she shrugs it away. "I'm sorry, Scully." My voice is so quiet I can barely hear myself say the words. She heard me, though. At least I think she did. All I know is she leans forward and kisses me. I instantly respond and pull her up to me, even though she fits so much better beneath my chin. I mutter something incoherent into her mouth and she mutters something back, I doubt we know what we're saying. The only thing that's running through my mind is the flavour of her lips and the sensation of them. I could die now a happy man. She finally breaks the kiss and touches my cheek. I don't flinch at her touch, my whole body has gone numb. She kisses the scratch she made and wipes away the streak of blood that has dried across my jaw. I pull her hand away and plant a kiss there. We both know it's time. The moment of truth is finally here. It's been over six years and, frankly, I'm still scared shitless. I know how Scully feels about me, or at least I thought she knew. Then there was that sherriff. I know, I know, nothing happened between them. But goddamned if I still don't wanna kill the buck-toothed bastard. And then recently, what the hell was that all about with Padget? Then there was Ed Jerse and Eddie Van Blundht, two of my favorite people. They can all screw themselves for all I care. It's not just these thoughts that scare me, it's my *feelings* themselves that make me want to shrivel away. I love her, God knows I do, but then what the hell *IS* with all those women I see? Why did I even tell Diana I loved her, which was an outright lie, and say that frigid comment about making it personal to Scully, the only one I actually love? Because I'm so goddamned stupid it's scary. For having a picture-perfect memory I sure can be the dumbass of the universe. "Mulder?" I shake my head and stare at her. She must have been talking. "I'm sorry." "Don't be, Scully." I smile faintly, trying not to look like I'm worthy of pity, my true state. I kiss her cheek and back away from the door, giving her opportune to leave. God bless her, she doesn't. Instead she leans in and rakes her hand through my hair, her arm coming to rest on my shoulder. I have no idea what to do now. If I kiss her, I risk screwing up the life of the one person I trust, and if I don't, I risk screwing up her life by denying her the happiness she deserves, and although it sounds like I'm bragging and being fueled by my ego, I know I'm the only man who could give her that. Noone in the world could love her as much as I do. I'll bet my life, my soul, everything on it. "You alive in there, Mulder?" "Yeah, just thinking." "What about?" I know smart-ass remarks won't help, so I tread onto new ground. "How much I love you." I feel as if we're back in the hallway, her eyes are teary and she kisses my forehead. She even mutters an 'Oh, Mulder' like before. This time, there's no bee. Heaven help me, I think she's smiling. What have I done to deserve this woman? "I know, Mulder. I know." And then, she seals it with a kiss. I wipe away her tears, resisting the urge to kiss them away. I can't push my good fortune, I love this goddess before me too much to risk anything. She stands on her toes so we're level and looks at me with all the intensity I think she can muster, without even being conscious of it. That's my Scully. "I love you too." I just smile and kiss her as the 'Monster Mash' plays in the background. "I know, Scully, I know." And I'm not scared anymore. I've finally found the truth, what I've been searching for all my life. I've found it in her. I love you, Scully. You complete me, heart and soul. And we kiss... Like it? Hate it? I tried real hard... I'd like some help! Anybody!!!! Halloween is coming sooooon... (or already came, whatever) PulledAScully@aol.com <<<<