From: Megan Reilly Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Dares (1/1) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 1995 12:28:45 -0800 Disclaimer: these characters are not mine, they belong to Chris Carter, 10-13 and Fox TV. I don't mean to make anyone mad. OK, this story just kind of wrote itself during my film class. Advice: don't try to watch a silent movie and write at the same time. It won't work. There's no X-File in this story. That's your warning. Dares by Megan Reilly eponine@uci.edu Agent Dana Scully was no longer hungry when she saw who her partner was sitting with in the FBI cafeteria. That new girl, she thought with disgust, depositing her just-bought yogurt in the trash. She detested yogurt anyhow; she'd only bought it because, well, she wished she looked as good as that new agent did. Fox Mulder was enthralled, she noticed, disgusted. They were supposed to meet for lunch. She guessed he'd forgotten. Or didn't care. She left the cafeteria, trying to hold her head up high. Mulder noticed her as she walked by. No smile, no hello...there was something wrong. And she'd shaken her hair in front of her face. And she was studying her shoes. He watched her go, then returned his gaze to his companion. "Wanna come over tonight? I was thinking of renting some videos." Mulder asked her when he joined Scully in their office about an hour and a half later. Scully was still ticked off and feeling insanely jealous. "No." He could just ask that girl. She didn't look up so she didn't see his hurt, confused look. "Why?" he questioned. She bit her lip. He sounded like a little boy, she thought. "I have plans." she lied, trying quickly to think some up in case he asked. He nodded. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but she would tell him if she wanted him to know, he reasoned. Everyone had bad days. Scully felt very lonely that evening, knowing she could have spent the evening with Mulder, watching videos. You chose this, she reminded herself, you didn't have to be alone. She was still trying to figure out why she was so jealous because he'd had lunch with someone else. A woman. That damned new agent. She couldn't stand the confines of her silent apartment, so she went out to roam the mall. Boy, is this boring, she thought, wondering what movies Mulder had rented. And if he had invited that girl. She stopped at the beauty supply and picked up some hair dye. Might as well touch up her roots if she was spending an evening at home, she reasoned, but it depressed her more. She walked on. On an impulse and thinking again of the new agent's wardrobe, she went into a trendy store, picked some clothes up off the rack, and went into the dressing room. Oh now I feel much better, she thought, eyeing the miniskirt and her legs beneath it. There is the difference between whatsherface and me, she thought. About six inches, all in the legs. She sighed and put her baggy professional suit back on. The salesgirls looked at her funny and she went out. She felt old, unattractive and very lonely. When she found herself eyeing the cookie stand with longing, she decided it was time to go home. Mulder wasn't having fun watching the movies. He was bored, and restless, and he was missing Scully. He wondered if he should call her. He wondered what her plans had been. I need a life, he thought, not for the first time. The video store clerk greeted him by name. And he was pretty sure she'd embarrassed him with malicious intent, rattling off the suggestive title of a video he'd inquired about only so the family behind him would think he was some kind of pervert. He wondered what Bob Dole would think if he knew what government employees were renting. He turned off the video. If he was thinking about Bob Dole, he definitely needed help. Time to go, he decided, and if he just happened to end up in Scully's neighborhood...who was he to complain? No one answered when Mulder rang Scully's doorbell so he yelled and then took the liberty of letting himself in. What he saw freaked him out. Sickening red streaks were on the wall. A horrible smell filled the air. And somewhere a radio was blasting loud and fast hate and kill music. A little worried, he called her name but there was no answer. He started into the apartment, following the source of the music. A few interesting ideas of what could be going on here clouded his mind, but he tried to push them away. Scully heard the doorbell but her hands were covered with dye so she didn't go to answer it. When the bell didn't ring again, she figured whoever it was had gone away. Which was why when the shadow fell over her, she jumped and screamed. Then her eyes focused on Mulder behind her in the mirror and she felt that anger rising within her, the anger that had been receding. She switched off the radio and silence stung their ears. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Before he could answer, she noticed the amused look on his face and demanded, "What are you smirking at?" Mulder couldn't help it and didn't even try to clear the grin from his face. "What are you doing?" he asked. She looked ridiculous, with goop coating her hair and gloved hands, also smeared in various places on her skin and black tank top. Wait. His eyes focused on her tank top for a moment, his imagination running amuk before he managed to raise his eyes back up to the level of her face. "Is that hair dye?" he asked amazed. He loved the way her skin colored slightly as she answered, "Maybe." "It is!" "I don't know what's so funny." she was offended. "It's smeared all over by the door -" "-I had to get something halfway through -" "I thought someone was up here killing you." Mulder said and burst out into helpless laughter. "Get out!" she roared, lunging at him. He couldn't move, just leaned against the bathroom doorway laughing. "I'm telling you, get out!" she warned. His laughter tapered off and he looked back at her cautiously. But it was pretty obvious to him she didn't have her gun on her, so he wasn't feeling to threatened. He looked down at her, still amused as hell. The look on her face was priceless and furious. "I'm warning you," she said, wishing she could wrap her Clairol covered fingers around his smug neck. Nothing was stopping her, she realized, so she got up on her tiptoes and went for it. "Hey, that stuff burns!" Mulder cried, irritating her more by not fearing for his life. He stepped back, throwing her off balance. She ended up clinging to him. He decided he was enjoying this, so he let his knee buckle under their combined weight and they landed on the floor. He loved her frightened, outraged shriek. Before she realized he was in control of the situation, he rolled them over on the floor, pinning her beneath him. He grabbed her wrists and peeled the plastic gloves from her hands. She struggled against him, breathing hard. "This was a new shirt," he told her in a low voice as he tossed the gloves away. "Let...me...up." she ordered, incredibly angry that he was playing this game of superior strength and power with her. She squirmed, trying to get some leverage, only to find that she was powerless. She hated it. "What's the magic word?" he asked, his eyes darkening as they bored into hers. She stopped moving and just lay there. She realized suddenly he wasn't the only one getting off on this. "Go to hell!" she shouted, a battlecry, trying to catch him off guard and throw him off after a long heavy moment of staring at each other. He pinned her to the floor again, more solidly this time, his body pressing hers into the floor. She found it heard to breathe as he met her eyes and then ever so slowly his gaze drifted down to her lips. She held her breath in anticipation. The timer went off in the bathroom. They both jumped, instantly selfconscious. "Let me up," she said, but it wasn't necessary. He allowed her to move out from under him and sat up as she went into the bathroom and closed the door solidly. He heard her lock it and was embarrassed. When he heard the shower start up, his own thoughts embarrassed him further and he had to admit her concern was justified. But he had to confess, this beat watching that Roswell movie again on video. She let the warm water run over her body even after "the water ran clear". She was trying to figure out what had just happened in the hall. As well as the confusion in her own head. She reached up and reluctantly turned the water off. Maybe he'd be gone...she thought but knew there wasn't much hope of that. So much for a lonely night at home, she thought, pulling her shorts and tank top back on. She took a deep breath to collect herself and stepped out of the bathroom. Mulder was still sitting on the floor in the hall looking like the Cheshire cat. But when she appeared, he jumped up and passed her. His neck was itching and burning from where she'd gotten the hair color on his skin. He scrubbed at it, but red welts were already rising. He took a moment to browse in Scully-s medicine cabinet - nothing interesting there - and walked back out. "I think you've disfigured me for life." he said. "You ruined my carpet!" she retorted, pointing to the spot where he'd pinned her to the rug. It was now the same shade as her hair. "Then we're even." his smirk was infuriating. "Why are you here?" she realized he hadn't answered her before. "I missed you." he said simply, like he was joking. It still made her feel good. Their gazes held a moment too long and Scully pulled away and went in the bathroom again, this time to dry her hair. "Leave it." he took the appliance out of her fumbling hands she was very aware of him standing close behind her. She was trapped and she knew it and she wished she had on her nice long bathrobe. She wondered what to do. She wondered what he was going to do. His hand slid up her bare arm to her shoulder and she shivered. She turned around and stared ta his ruined shirt collar. Then she looked all the way up into his eyes, which were shining mischeviously. But she already knew he was up to something. And she was trying hard to disapprove. "Let's -" she began, but faltered. "Let's -" she tried again but her voice came out whispery. "Let's what?" he questioned suggestively. "Leave the bathroom." she finished and sidestepped him. "OK." he shrugged, following her. "What do we do now?" he asked. "Watch cable?" she regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. To him, cable probably meant pornography. "let's play a game." he suggested. "A game?" she was a little surprised. "Truth or dare." "OK." she gave in easily and flopped down on the couch. What could he possibly ask? she wondered, not worried. "OK," he echoed, joining her. "My turn." He turned his gaze to her and swept aside a damp lock of her hair. "What's your natural color?" That was supposed to be embarrassing? Now if he'd asked her why...she'd still answer. She didn't trust his dares. "Dishwater." she answered. "What color's that?" he asked, holding her eyes. Still touching her hair. "Ash blond. Dark blond. Not quite anything. Icky." she elaborated. "My turn." "I'm waiting." She tried to think of something really good. "Why do you collect pornography?" she smiled, satisfied with herself. "I like it." "That's no answer." "Ok, then, dare." he said she knew he was challenging her. Damn, she couldn't think of anything. "Umm..." "Time's up. You forfeit." he said. "What? That's not how you play!" "Yes it is." he glossed over her argument. "My turn." he turned to her wickedly. She shifted uncomfortably. If there was anything she didn't want to tell him, she was now convinced he would think of it. "What's your bra size?" She choked. "Why, are you going to buy me lingerie?" "Answer, Scully.": "I'm not answering that!" "Ok, then, dare. Strip poker." he said and there was that little smirk back again. "Oh, gee, then can we play spin the bottle?" Scully asked sarcastically. "If you've got a bottle." she couldn't tell if he was serious. "No way." she said quickly, back to the poker issue. "Afraid I'll win?" "Afraid *I'll* win." She tried to cut him down, but it didn't work because it was equal to agreeing. Reluctantly, she went to the kitchen and pulled out a pack of cards and tossed them on the table. Then she headed for her bedroom. "Where're you going?" he grabbed her wrist. "To put on more clothes." She could feel his eyes rake over her body and the flush that reddened her face. "Not fair." he said and that dark look was back in his eyes. They sat down at the table and he dealt. She felt vulnerable and out of control. "So what were your plans for tonight?" he asked as she went to discard. Being caught in the lie threw off her concentration. "He cancelled." she mumbled to her cards. "Wrong." he said and spread his cards on the table. "I win." He nodded to her. "That's one." She didn't have much to lose. He asked himself what his intentions were and he had to admit he didn't really know. But he was having fun and seeing a different side of her. A completely different side. She raised a hand to her ear, but remembered taking off her earrings after work. Not that she thought Mulder would count earring anyway. Since they were sitting at the table and the tablecloth was long, she slid off her shorts without standing. "I'm disappointed." he said mockingly. She didn't answer, that much more determined to win. He let her have the next one and removed his stained shirt. He noticed her looked at him and her eyes quickly returned to her cards. "So what was your problem today?" he asked. "Nothing," she lied and threw down a jack efore she saw she could've used it. "You did that on purpose!" "I win!" he said again. "I'm not playing anymore." She folded her arms stubbornly. "Off." he ordered, eyeing her black tank top. "No." He stood. "You agreed." "You dared me, I had no choice." she argued, adamant. He moved toward her and she was trapped in the chair, not getting up because her shorts were on the floor. "I'm warning you, Mulder." He came closer still. "I won't hold up to those girls in the magazines." Oh no, why had she said that? No, because she was real. Human. A woman with a brain, Mulder thought as he stood behind her and lay his hands on her waist. Slowly he inched the cotton shirt up. Scully closed her eyes, she told herself because she was embarrassed. But she could feel his fingers more acutely on her skin. They reached the bottom of her bra and hesitated. "Mulder, why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice husky. HE still wasn't sure. Yes, he wanted her. But did he want her like this? Once he pulled the shirt over her head, there would be no going back to how things were before. He hesitated, his fingers caressing her warm skin. She leaned her head back into his chest and he saw her eyes were closed. It was incredibly erotic. His fingers moved a fraction of an inch higher. Her eyes opened, wide and blue and looking directly into his. She wasn't warning him or encouraging him, just watching him. All the power was in his hands. He wanted nothing more than to give into those instincts and he knew she would let him, but he wanted it to be more than her letting him. He wanted it to mean something. And like this, it wouldn't be more than a dare. Slowly, agonizingly, he lifted his hands to her shoulders. They rested there heavily as she said, "I should go." He turned and walked towards the door. Scully couldn't leave things that way, him the one in charge, her the passive one. She scrambled back into her shorts and grabbed Mulder's shirt from the floor. "Not so fast." she said. He was already in the hall and he froze. Was she calling him back? For what? She rushed up to him and put his shirt around his shoulders. "Well, g'night, Scully." he said. She didn't let go of his shirt.. In fact, she yanked on it hard, pulling him down to her level. And before he knew what was happening, her open mouth was on his. Within moments, he was kissing her back, trying to move her up against the wall to gain some leverage. But Scully knew exactly what she was doing and didn't let it go that far. She put her hands on his shoulders and forced space between them. His eyes were dark, confused as she back away, looking up at him innocently and smiling like the devil. He would dream about that smile. She closed the door between them and he heard her lock it. Mulder could only stare, dazed. What the hell? He thought of using his key and rushing in there, but stopped himself. She'd done this on purpose, he realized, to pay him back. He guessed he deserved it after everything he'd done. He turned and walked away, whistling, his hands in his pockets. He'd learned something. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. They just weren't ready to act on it. Not yet. Scully leaned against the door, her heart pounding, debating about whether she should call Mulder back inside. No, she decided. This way, she'd had the last word, so to speak. The next day Mulder was aware of his coworkers laughing at him behind his back. He really couldn't figure out why and it irked him. Scully looked totally innocent, but he knew she was in on the joke. When he sat down next to Allison, the new agent, in the cafeteria, she scooted her chair farther away and he noticed she was looking at him oddly. "What?" he cried frustrated. "Agent Scully mentioned...how that psychic said you'd die...you ought to be more careful." she said, a sickly twisted grimace on her face. She gestured to her neck and got up with her tray and relocated to another table. Mulder put a hand to his neck and found the burns from Scully's hair dye. He glanced at Allison, wondering what she'd meant. She looked away. Then he remembered. Clyde Bruckman. That odd mention of "Autoerotic asphyxiation" that Mulder hadn't applied to himself. Scully had told the other agents...so they thought...so help him, he'd throttle her. Scully had been watching from a safe distance she knew when he'd figured it out. She took off. Still, it was satisfying. No one had ever seen "Spooky" Mulder blush bright crimson before. He was never going to live this down. She wondered if he would take revenge on her. And she hoped it would involve him kissing her. She couldn't get that kiss out of her mind. She heard steps behind her and hurried up. She didn't want him to catch her...not yet. -30- So that's the end. Is it any good? Did you like it? Address all comments, good or bad, to me at eponine@uci.edu -Megan From: Megan Reilly Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Dares 2/Mulder's Revenge (1/2) Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 13:35:06 -0800 Hi everyone. I wrote a sequel (actually, this is starting to become a series!) I don't think this story is as funny as the orginal Dares, but it still has some merit. I hope you like it. Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. They all belong to Chris Carter, 10-13, 20th Cent. Fox. Acknowledgements: I got a lot of ideas for this from many different places. First of all, thanks everyone who emailed me with comments on "Dares". I owe the Twister game to Knott's Scary Farm's stage show "The Hanging", the movie to my friend Sandra who dragged me to that film lecture, and the elevator to all of those "going Down" stories. And of course I owe some thanks to my Dad who got me hooked on the X Files in the first place. One episode, that's all it takes. Dares 2/ Mulder's Revenge by Megan Reilly eponine@uci.edu Scully sat in their office, trying not to be out of breath so she could pretend she'd been sitting there all along. She put on her innocent face, but it was hard to maintain. She really wanted to burst out laughing. Mulder walked into the office, sat down and started working at the computer. He didn't say anything. That wasn't unusual in itself, but...she knew he knew. She was scared. The fact that he hadn't mentioned any of it warned her he was plotting revenge. It could happen at any moment, and knowing Mulder, it could be anything. The more time that passed, the more time he had to think of something and the worse it would be. Not only that - as if worrying that her partner was out for her blood wasn't bad enough - she couldn't believe she'd kissed him. And she'd liked it. A lot. So much she wanted to do it again. Scully sighed. This was going to be a long day. Mulder knew he had to redeem himself. He had to get revenge for what Scully had done. He'd never thought of her as devious before. He was the devious one. Which was why he wanted to bang his head against the wall. His revenge would have to be perfect and public. And he couldn't think of a darned thing. Except for kissing her. But that wouldn't be revenge. That would be fun. Mulder sighed. What had he gotten himself into? Scully got home and found a notice taped to her door. She went inside and read it. "Great. Just great." It seemed her building had termites. This was her third notice that bug bombs would be set that evening and continue through the next morning. "What happened to notices one and two?" she demanded aloud. She had less than an hour. She dialled the phone as she went into her bedroom to pack. If she didn't know it was impossible, she'd think Mulder had arranged this. He answered on the first ring. "Mulder." "Mulder. It seems my building is being fumigated." she said. "And?" She could tell from the question that she was required to beg. "I can't afford a hotel right now - can I please stay with you?" Silence. She hated asking, knowing she was setting herself up. But she'd rather worry about revenge than spend the weekend at her mom's. Her mother was out of toen and Scully didn't want to stay in the big empty house alone. "Mulder?" "OK," he said at last, "But there's one condition. We play by my rules." She knew exactly what he was saying but chose not to acknowledge it. "Of course; it's your house. I'll be over in a little bit." she hung up before she could change her mind. Mulder started panicking. This was his big chance. He had to think of something fast. Scully eyed the plastic mat on the floor. "Tell me again how you talked me into this?" "The TV's broken and this is as good a way as any to decide who gets to use the bed," Mulder explained. "We could flip a coin. You could just be nice and let me use it." Scully suggested. She recognized the dark look in his eyes and felt the electricity in her stomach. "I don't feel very nice right now, Scully," he said. Finally a reference to what she had done. "Besides, if I have to clear it off, I want to be the one to use it." "At least you didn't say 'Strip-Twister'." Scully tried to make a joke, nudging the spinner with her toe so she wouldn't have to meet his eyes. "You're right." he said. Oh no, she thought. "We should raise the stakes." "To what?" Scully looked up. He was smiling. She looked away quickly. "Whoever loses has to do one thing the winner tells her to." "You're assuming you'll win?" Scully scoffed. "You said you'd never played before." Mulder pointed out. She regretted having to tell him that, but there was no way she could have won if she didn't even know the rules. He'd looked at her like she was a naive child. "Scared?" he asked and she would swear he made his tone sexual on purpose. "Of course not." She looked him straight in the eye for the first time since last night, trying to prove herself. Their eyes locked. Scully's heart started beating faster and her mind raced back to their kiss. Mulder was looking at her like he was the Big Bad Wolf, she thought, seriously thinking that if she kissed him again, he'd forget this stupid game. No, she told herself, he only looks like that because he'd waiting to get revenge. "Let's play." she said. "You first." he said and spun the spinner. "Right foot to red." he said. She put her foot on the mat and he handed her the spinner. That worked fine until they both had two hands on the mat. "I don't think you can play this with two people." Scully said. "Sure." Mulder said. "It's more interesting that way. You just say a color and I'll move what I can." "OK," Scully said, not thinking it would work. "I thought you said they called this Twister?" It was true, they were at opposite ends of the mat. Not twisted at all. Mulder smiled slowly, knowing that would change. "Just wait." he promised. He couldn't believe he was doing this when they would be sleeping under the same roof that night. But it was also because of that same reason. Her body underneath her long skirt and baggy sweater was all he could think of recently. He knew it went deeper than that, but refused to consider it. Wait. She was wearing a skirt? This could get interesting indeed. Mulder had a feeling he would just be punishing himself though. A few minutes later Scully was beginning to understand why teenagers played this game and why her parents had never allowed it in the house. She understood why Mulder owned it. And why it was called Twister. She and Mulder were facing each other. Very close. Balancing precariously. She was pretending to be fascinated by their sock feet on the spotted plastic. Actually, she found Mulder's feet in their greyish socks sexy in a way. Maybe because it was a degree of nakedness, or maybe she was just sick. Anything to avoid his eyes. "How do you win?" she asked. "The other person falls down." "Oh." "Blue," he said. She contemplated what she should move. None of the choices looked good since the only blue spot open was right between Mulder's feet. She moved her right foot. Slowly. Careful not to touch him, worrying about her skirt. She had to arch her back and twist her hand around on its green spot. She eased out a breath when she was balanced. "Green," she told him, looking up at the ceiling and not at him. His eyes met hers and held as he slowly, deliberately, dragged his arm across her leg, raising her skirt, and finally touched the green spot. He was now leaning over her. "Red," he breathed. She had to close her eyes. This was like a slow dance on the horizontal plane. Or, OK, like sex. Her eyes opened again. She couldn't see where the damned spots were. She knew she couldn't move either hand, because they were bearing most of her weight. She stretched her bent leg, edging toward the red spot on the far side on the blue on. Trying hard to ignore the fact that it placed her body more squarely beneath Mulder's. She couldn't reach. "This is physically impossible," she muttered. "Do you give up?" "Of course not...oof." In her effort to reach the dot, her foot slid and her delicate balance collapsed. She fell the rest of the way to the floor. Mulder didn't move, hovering over her, and she didn't have room to get up. "I think you just lost." he told her, his eyes amused, his body still not moving. "Two out of three?" Here she was, lying on the floor under him again. Just like last night only he wasn't touching her. He leaned closer to her for a long moment and let her wonder what he was going to do. Then he shook his head and took her arms in his hands, pulling her up from the floor and against him. She was in his arms. They were looking in each others' eyes. There was no bathroom timer waiting to go off this time. Scully knew she should try to extricate herself from this position, but her mind was telling her : kiss him. But she wouldn't do it. She watched him. Mulder knew the right thing to do, what he should do in the interest of revenge, and what he wanted to do. He wanted to lift her and position her against him so he could reach her mouth and kiss her properly. For a long time she waited and she debated. She snaked her arm up through the space between their bodies and fingered one of the rashy red welts on his neck. Her touch was a jolt through his body, telling him he was playing with fire. He pulled his hands away. She kept touching his neck, brushing her thumb over the mark. Mulder couldn't breathe. He couldn't think straight. He didn't even want revenge any more. He wanted her. A moment later she seemed to realize his arms were no longer around her and a moment after that she removed her fingers from his neck, a flash of a smile across her face before she backed away. "I guess you get the bed," she said. "I'm not adverse to sharing." It was almost an invitation. "Mulder, no." she said seriously. He realized she was right. "Want something to drink?" he offered casually, withdrawing to the kitchen. "Will I need it?" Scully asked as she sat down on the floor to fold the Twister game back up. "Maybe." "I think I'll just have some water." She'd prefer to have her sense about her, she decided, reminding herself he still wanted revenge. She walked to the window and opened it, breathing the cool night air. It cleared her head. Payback is the only reason he is doing this, she told herself. The only thing was, that didn't explain why he'd touched her last night. She closed her eyes. "Do you like gelato?" Mulder's voice came from the kitchen. Her eyes opened. That wasn't what she heard. "What?" her voice was too high. Mulder appeared, a pint container in his hand. "Gelato, it's Italian ice cream..." He saw the ferocious red of her face. "What did you think I said?" he asked, chuckling. "Nothing," she said. He was smiling. "Would you like some?" "What?" "Gelato. Ice cream." He was laughing at her and she knew it. "No thanks." "You're missing out." He returned the container to the kitchen. A moment later he came back and handed her a glass of water. "Are you ready for the rest?" "You mean, the winner tells the loser what to do?" she asked. He nodded once, his exression amused but his eyes were burning. She feigned interest in her ice water, then looked up boldly. "Go on." "I seem to remember someone suggesting Spin the Bottle -" "That was a joke." Scully told him. They sat there in silence. "Don't you know any other games?" "Don't you?" "Old Maid." Oops, why did she regret saying that? "Go Fish." "No." Mulder said as she's expected. "We could play True Confessions." "What's that?" "Umm. It's a lot like Truth or Dare. Without the dares." "Sounds safe." said Scully. "That's what you think." She shook her head, reconsidering. This was Mulder after all. "No I think I'd rather have that Dare option." "OK, then." Mulder said, sitting down on the couch. "Here we go, Truth or Dare, part two. You want to go first?" End of Part one Please feel free to send any comments to me at eponine@uci.edu =========================================================================== From: Megan Reilly Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Dares 2/Mulder's Revenge (2/2) Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 14:39:45 -0800 Disclaimed in part one. Dares 2/Mulder's Revenge, part 2 by Megan Reilly eponine@uci.edu "Here we go. Truth or Dare, part two. You want to go first?" "How chivalrous," Scully said, joining Mulder on the couch. "Just you wait." he promised. "You can go first." she offered because she couldn't think of any questions yet. Mulder only paused a moment. "How big is your hope chest and what's in it?" "Huh!" Scully cried, outraged. "I don't have a hope chest!" "The game is called *Truth* or dare, Scully." he said. "I know you have one, your mother mentioned it to me." "I don't know." she said sullenly. "Come on. Is it bigger than a breadbox?" For some reason, that cracked her up. "I've never seen a breadbox," she grinned, trying to stop laughing. "My mother had a breadbox," Mulder said huffily. "How big was it?" Scully asked and it sent her into new gales of laughter. Mulder had to crack a smile. "OK, I give, your turn." She stopped laughing and looked at him, trying unsuccessfully not to smile. "How big is your..." She raised her eyebrows in the direction of his crotch. Mulder had to restrain himself from jumping off the couch. He was shocked she would ask him that. "That's not a fair question." "It is! You asked me how big my chest is." "Your *hope* chest." "No, yesterday, my real chest." She felt really goofy and didn't know why. It was nice in a really weird way. Free. "You didn't answer." Mulder argued, trying to get himself off the hook. "I took your dare." "But you never followed through." She nailed him with her serious look. "Are you asking me to take my shirt off?" She asked, feeling wild. She didn't think she'd actually do it. "No, because if you do, I'll have to answer." He was really embarrassed. She wondered what that implied. "What are you afraid of?" she whispered in a voice he found incredibly sexy. "I'll take the dare." "OK," she smiled. "I dare you to answer me." "That's not fair." "Come on, Mulder." she leaned in close to him. "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" she started laughing again. "Scully?" Mulder looked at her again carefully. "Are you drunk?" "No. How could I be drunk on a glass of water?" she asked. That he didn't know. "I'm just getting silly." "Silly Scully. What a thought." he said and the idea amused him. He sat there, a funny half smile on his face, staring at her. He never even answered her question. The longer he kept looking at her, the more embarrassed she got thinking about what she'd said. "All right. It wasn't a fair question and you don't have to answer it." He was still looking at her. "Forget about it. Your turn." "Why were you asking?" "Mulder, I said forget about it." "No, that's my question. Truth or dare, and I warn you I have a great dare in mind." She considered her options. "I was curious," she mumbled, looking down at the carpet. "Why were you curious?" he asked, gazing at her intently. "That's two questions. It's my turn." Scully said quickly, feeling his eyes on her and refusing to look at him. "What's the kinkiest thing you've ever done?" "Why are all these questions about sex?" Mulder stalled, deciding between the truth, which he hoped would shock her but was much too personal to reveal when he thought of it, and a lie. Then he realized he didn't have to tell her anything. "Dare," he said, expecting something lame from her. She smiled and he suddenly knew he'd made a big mistake. "I dare you to show me the kinkiest thing you've ever done." "I'm not sure that's fair," he said quickly, even though he knew she would let him off the hook. "It is." Her blue gaze never wavered. "Can I take 'truth' after all?" he asked, finding he didn't much like having her in a position of power over him. "I'm not sure that's fair." she echoed his words. There was a long pause. "But OK." Mulder could breathe again. Off the hook. Now to think of a convincing lie, knowing she was looking for information she could use against him. "This year," she said. "There's a lot to sort through." "I'm sure." He toyed with the idea of telling her it was autoerotic asphyxiation, but quickly discarded it. Best to let that die. Finally he hit on something he considered a good answer. "Sleeping with..." Just enough pause..."my Nerf frisbee." She rolled her eyes. "The UFO fetish." "No, actually it made a good pillow." "This you were embarrased to show me?" She had a point. "So what's the kinkiest thing you've ever done?" he asked. "I've never done anything kinky, Mulder, I'm Catholic." That boggled his mind. Twice. Once thinking she was lying and trying to imagine what she was hiding. Then considering it was the truth..if it was, the things he could show her. Her voice brought him back to the real world. "Was that your question?" "No," he said, "What was your favorite toy as a kid?" "Well, I liked my jumprope." "I'll bet you tied all the little boys up with it." "Not till I was older." Scully returned his fire quickly. "But I think my favorite was the microscope." "Figures." "OK," Scully said and tried to think of a good question. "I'd ask you your favorite toy, but I think we established it was the frisbee. So...do you have any toys in this apt. now?" "What kind of toys?" Mulder asked in a low voice. She wouldn't let him bring sex back into it. "Not handcuffs or adult toys, Mulder. I'm sure you have lots of those. Toys like you buy at Toys R Us." "Actually, you can buy handcuffs at Toys R Us." Mulder pointed out. "And I frequently do,": Scully retorted and he though she was getting good at this game. "But that's not an answer." Mulder thought. Then he admitted, embarrassed, "I've got some Star Wars action figures. And a coloring book...but that was a gift." He thought a little more. "And the Twister." he nodded toward it. "Oh, yes, the Twister." Scully said. "Though I'm not sure that's not an adult toy." "You've played it now, you tell me." "Is that your question?" "No," Mulder said, straining his brain to think of something really good. There was only one question on his mind, though, so he had to ask it. "What would you do if I kissed you now?" he sounded like a teenager asking for permission. A wide smile broke across her face and he felt warm inside. She was pretty sure she knew what the dare would be on this question so she was confident when she said, "Dare." His eyes darkened and he smiled as though he'd won a prize. "You thought you knew what the dare would be," he said, the smile turned to a smirk. It twinged a bit of worry in her but she let it go. He could never do anything without building it up. "Yes," she said. "You're wrong." he said slowly and waited for her to react. She didn't. "We're going to watch a movie." "You don't mean -" Her eyes widened and he got up from the couch. "Have you ever seen one before?" he asked. Her eyes wide, she shook her head. "It'll be an experience." For a second, she considered bolting out the door. But she thought, that would be exactly what he wanted. That would be letting him win. She settled on the other end of the couch, determined not to show any reaction. He glanced back at her before looking through his tapes. Her sitting down was a sign of acquiesence. Mulder put a tape in the VCR and almost laughed when he saw the look on Scully's face. It was set and determined like a child waiting for a shot. "Relax," he whispered in her ear and she jumped. She couldn't help herself from reacting to the images that filled the screen. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. She knew Mulder was watching her, but she couldn't help it. She wasn't even sure what she was feeling...shock, disgust, intrigue. A thought formed. "I thought you said the TV was broken." "I lied." "Why?" He didn't anwer and she let it drop. Mulder never looked at the screen and Scully didn't take her eyes off it. He saw the color rise in her cheeks, but thought it might be embarrassment. Until he noticed she was breathing faster. He looked away from her then, uncomfortable with the fact that whether he liked it or not, Scully was getting excited by this. He looked at the screen and his own feelings went cold. The people and their actions and their body parts seemed less than real. Completely inhuman, uninteresting and uninvolving. He started to get irritated. What he didn't know what that Scully was reacting more to his presence beside her and his eyes on her than she was to the actual movie. The movie just made her think of what they could be doing. And that she kind of wanted to be doing it. Even though it was the last thing in the world they should do. Mulder didn't think he was going to be able to stand 90 minutes of this. He'd wanted her to be shocked and outraged, he realized, but he'd underestimated her. If she could handle an autopsy, there was no reason she couldn't handle watching people have sex. After all, she'd never died, but she had had sex... Don't go there, Mulder told himself. He looked back at the screen. The man was talking as he pulled the clothes off a woman in an elevator. Scully shifted restlessly beside him and his eyes went to her. Her face was even more flushed and she was enthralled. He looked quickly at the screen when she looked over at him. Now the man, still talking, was handcuffing the ecstatic woman to the rail inside the elevator. Mulder didn't think it was possible and was surprised to see a close up of how the man did it. Then he started to get an idea...he wondered if it would work. "I need a drink." he declared suddenly and Scully looked at him. "What're you drinking?" she asked. He shrugged. "Can I have one too?" A moment later he handed her the glass. She drained it quickly, liking the haze it put on her thoughts. She was about to ask for some more, but thought the better of it. She sighed heavily and rested her head on the arm of the couch, looking back at the TV. What a stupid movie, she thought, amazed that someone as bright as Mulder would be interested in this stuff. Then again, she amended, it had little to do with his brain. Her eyelids were starting to get heavy when Mulder put his arm around her shoulders. She raised her head as though to ask, what are you doing? Then put it down again, resting her cheek on his hand. Now Mulder was in the awkward position of having one arm around her and trying not to touch her in any other way. When did life get so complicated? he asked himself, sitting there uncomfortably. He finally gave in and settled in next to her. She shifted and her body pressed against his warmly. Scully lifted her head, looking from the ridiculous action on the screen to him. "That guy never stops running his mouth," she tilted her head to indicate the guy in the movie. "I noticed that too." Mulder said. Actually, he was about ready to scream "Shut up!" at the screen in frustration. Her gaze lingered on him, like she was looking for something in his face. "Would you talk all the way through sex?" she asked, her speech a little slower than usual. He wondered if she was a little drunk or just sleepy. It was getting late. "Are we still playing?" he asked, his fingers drifting closer to her skin. A corner of her mouth twisted up in a half smile. "You can't dare me to have sex with you." she said. "What would you do if I did?" he asked, the playful tone of his words not masking half of his intense desire. She smiled enigmatically, finding it the best answer. "You may never find out otherwise." he cautioned. "Are you so sure?" she asked, looking into his eyes. He felt her fingers at the nape of his neck and it sent slivers of feeling shooting through his body. She urged his head closer to hers, her eyes drifting shut as his lips neared hers. Mulder suddenly remembered the trick she'd played on him and fought for self control. He pressed his lips against hers, but didn't allow her to deepen the kiss. Even when she tried. Even when she sighed and shifted against him in protest. No matter how hard it was. He pulled away, propping himself up over her on his elbows. Her eyes opened and he could see she was about to say something. "I think it's time to go to bed." he said and her lips curled into a smile than was temptation personified. "Enjoy the couch," he whispered, brushing a final kiss against her forehead before he went to his bedroom and closed the door. "Huh." Scully was more than a little puzzled. Her eyes fell to the TV, where the couple was doing it once more, this time on top of a copy machine. She shut it off and lay back down on the couch, but she couldn't get to sleep. She wriggled out of her bra and her pantyhose, dropping them on the floor, leaving the rest of her clothes on, but it didn't help. She was too frustrated to sleep. And he'd done it on purpose. Scully did sleep a little though and when she woke the next morning, Mulder was gone. So was her suitcase, her pantyhose and her bra. She frowned. Had she actually though last night's frustration would count as revenge? What a fool. She found her bra in the freezer, reminding her of junior high slumber parties. She refused to picture Mulder putting it there. There was also no way she could wear it. For a moment she considered putting it in the microwave to thaw it out, but then she remembered it had metal in it and while a fire might be what Mulder deserved, she didn't want to have to explain it to the firemen. She could live with this, she decided, and she would have to since her building was still off limits. She wouldn't be entirely comfortable, but at least she was wearing a slip and that would help a little. She wondered what would be waiting for her when she got to work. Mulder met her in the elevator. She frowned again, wondering if he'd been riding up and down until she arrived. Her eyes flicked over him warily, expecting his revenge as the doors slid closed. He moved toward her, his eyes dark and feverish. Neither of them said a word. She stepped back. Into the corner. He stood in front of her, blocking her escape, and looked down at her. She considered begging for mercy, but remembered she'd humiliated him. Begging would do her no good. He reached over and pulled out the stop button. The elevator stopped moving. This was the moment of truth. His mouth descended on her neck and she jumped like she'd been burned. But it was only a few moments before her eyes closed and she surrendered to the sensations. She barely protested when he pulled her sweater off over her head without actually touching her skin. She's wearing a slip, he thought, but he was actually relieved. "Mulder?" she asked, unwilling to let him stop, but unwilling to ask for more. He smiled at her and tension started to build. He took her hand, caressing it, and then snapped his handcuffs around her wrist. Her eyes widened as she remembered the movie and her skin stained with a blush. He fastened the other cuff to the railing. He slowly eased her skirt to the floor, his fingers skimming her hips. Then he picked up her sweater, pushed the Stop button back in, and left the elevator. Scully's eyes closed, furious with herself. She'd been set up. There was no way she could escape. And the elevator started to go down. The doors opened on the lobby and there stood Allison, the perky new agent. Today she was wearing a white spandex miniskirt and a lime twin set. Dress code, Scully thought instantly, then had to consider how she must look. Allison's eyes widened. "Agent Scully?" "Yes." There was no way she could get out of this. No way. "You...you...you're handcuffed in the elevator." Allison leaned against the doors, holding them open. "And you're in your slip. And..." Allison was clearly shocked. "That is the biggest hickey I have ever seen." Scully thought she had gained control of her temper, but she was wrong. THAT was what Mulder was doing? She struggled against the metal restraints. "Fox Mulder you get down here and unlock me this instant!" she yelled, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. She was going to murder him. Allison gaped at her. "Agent Mulder locked you up?" she asked. Scully closed her mouth, remembering how quickly Allison had that nasty rumor about Mulder circulating. "I can explain -" "This is sick." Allison said. "You two are sick! I'm going to tell Asst. Director Skinner -" Scully's heart sank as she could see past Allison. "Here he comes." she said. "What is going on here?" asked Skinner. He was not amused. Neither was Scully when she imagined Mulder down in their office laughing about this. She didn't care that this was payback for what she'd done. This was not the end. Not by a long shot. End. That wasn't so bad, was it? Comments to : eponine@uci.edu Coming soon: Dares 3/The Final Revenge, a story that is as funny and written in the spirit of the original Dares. From: Megan Reilly Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Dares 3/the Final Revenge (1/2) R. Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 15:30:45 -0800 Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to Chris Carter and all his wonderful buddies and staff at 10-13 and 20th Cent. Fox. My comments: This story has no X File. It is Rated R for an incident of very crude language that I'm sure Mulder regrets. I wrote this after seeing "The one where Ross finds out" on Friends and I think that affected my brain. I also have to give credit to the writers of "Tooms" because I use some of their dialogue in here. Hi, how many times have I watched that Stakeout scene? WAY too many. Please enjoy and send me comments at eponine@uci.edu Dares 3/ The Final Revenge by Megan Reilly eponine@uci.edu Mulder wasn't really enjoying his revenge. Instead, he was sitting down in their office wondering what was going on. He knew Scully had been watching his humiliation and while he had greatly enjoyed the look of horrified realization on Scully's face when he picked up her sweater and left her in the elevator, it just wasn't the same. Waiting and wondering was driving him crazy. A.D. Skinner faced Scully squarely across the desk. Her bare arms were crossed over the top of her slip in deference to modesty, but handcuffs still dangled from her wrist, a reminder of what had transpired. "Agent Scully, do you realize the seriousness of your actions?" She was staring down at her lap, unable to look him in the eye, embarrassment still tinging her face and ears pink. "Yes, sir. But -" "This is not only a federal place of business, *Agent* Scully, but an office of law enforcement. Do you realize that your stunt could have endangered lives?" "Yes, sir. But -" she paused, thinking he would cut her off but he didn't. She continued. "With all due respect, sir, Agent Mulder is the one who put me there." "Can you honestly tell me you had no participation in this action?" She could feel his eyes burning the spot on her neck where only a short time earlier Mulder's lips had been. "No sir. But Agent Mulder is the one who did the handcuffing. Sir." She said. Skinner was silent. "Sir?" She sneaked a glance up and saw the look her boss was giving her. As her anger rose again, she was able to face him. "You can't possibly believe I stripped and handcuffed myself to that railing?" His silence was long enough to make his point and make her sweat. "No, Agent Scully, I don't believe that. But I heard the rumors that spread about Agent Mulder and I also know who was behind them. I was willing to let that slide, but I WILL NOT STAND FOR THESE KIND OF GAMES BETWEEN MY AGENTS! Do you understand?" "Yes sir." He hadn't thought it possible for her to lower her head any more, but she'd done it. He pressed a button on his desk and barked at his secretary, "Get Agent Mulder in here." Mulder arrived a few minutes later, steeling himself against betraying laughter. He managed to limit his response to a satisfied smirk when he saw Scully, embarrassed, with his handcuffs still attached to her wrist like a Scarlet letter A. Then he saw the look on Skinner's face. His smirk faded. Mulder's stance became uncomfortable. "Where is Agent Scully's shirt, Agent Mulder?" Skinner asked. Mulder couldn't think of a smart reply fast enough and he also suddenly couldn't pull his eyes away from Scully's downtrodden posture. She was really upset and he'd caused it and it didn't feel good. "Down in the office." he answered quietly. "I think she might like it back." "Yes sir." "After you return her clothing, the two of you are not to have any contact until the end of the week. So that the two of you may comtemplate the potentially dangerous outcomes of a game like this between federal law enforcement professionals. Is that understood?" "Yes sir." Scully replied but Skinner's eyes were on Mulder, who merely nodded. "Out of here then." Skinner ordered. Mulder waited for Scully but she walked out past him and kept going without acknowledging him. The door closed. Skinner's smile spread slowly across his face and then the laughter came. Mulder had taken his revenge, Skinner thought, but he was going to be the one to have the last laugh. Those two had it coming to them. Scully turned on Mulder as the elevator doors closed. "I hate you." she said. "You deserved it." he pointed out. "I did not deserve to be humiliated -" "You humiliated me first." "You'll pay for this Mulder." she declared. The doors opened and she stalked off to their office and started banging things around, looking for her sweater. He held it just out of her reach. "Truth or dare, one final game." "This Friday." she agreed. "After work." "I'll be there." "To the death." Scully said with a final fierce look at him, grabbed her sweater and left without even stopping to put it on. Mulder smiled after her, his thoughts an incredible cliche, but true nonetheless. She was magnificent when she was angry. She reappeared only a moment later. Without a word, she thrust her wrist out in front of him. He was still smiling as he unlocked the handcuff. The look she gave him was pure ice. He was going to pay, she thought. I'm going to love every minute of this, he thought. Scully couldn't keep her eyes off the clock. It was ten minutes till six on Friday evening. Ten minutes until Skinner's ban was lifted. Ten minutes until she made Mulder pay for the speculative looks she'd received from everyone who heard about their fiasco. She'd poured all her her frustrated energy into making up questions, knowing Mulder would do the same. Six o'clock. Mulder put aside the folder and stared at the closed door. Before the clock reached six o one, Scully entered. She looked furious but beautiful. He'd missed her. He detected a slight softening as her eyes met him. She'd missed him too. She recovered quickly. This was war. "You ready?" she asked. He rose from his desk. "Your place or mine?" he asked smoothly. "Stop enjoying this." she ordered. "To the death," he reminded her of her own words, this time with a clear sexual overtone. He placed a light hand on her back, as he so often had before, but she shook him off violently. They stood silently before the elevator, noticing that the display above it never changed. "It's not coming." Scully said, her irriation clear. "What's six floors?" said Mulder. "It was working a minute ago," but Scully headed for the stairwell. She pushed on the door. Nothing happened. She pushed again. She put her whole weight against it. Finally Mulder spoke the words. "We're trapped." It was the first day in many that Walter Skinner left the J. Edgar Hoover building wearing a private smile. He had to stop and have a word with the nightwatchman, but all in all, he was pretty pleased with himself. His smile stretched into a grin. He couldn't wait. "Look at it this way, Scully," Mulder said, trying to cheer her up. "We've got running water, facilities...and look. A whole bag of sunflower seeds." He plopped the bag down on his desk. "What more could you ask?" "Freedom." she said. "Phone service." She had of course immediately tried to contact the night watchman, but the phones and fax were down for the count. She looked pointedly at him. "Privacy." "We were going to play, so let's play." Mulder said, determined. "This isn't what I had in mind." "Chicken?" he asked, knowing it would get to her. "This couldn't be any worse," Scully lamented. All she really wanted to do was throw herself at him, except she hated his guts at the moment and all he wanted to do was play a kids' game. She suddenly wanted to go home. That was when the lights went out. "I had to say it didn't I?" Scully said, shaking her head. He heard her pull out her desk drawer. "I know there's a flashlight here somewhere." "You have an extra flashlight? I knew you were holding out on me." "You laugh now." she said and pointed it in his eyes. He squinted, then rose from his seat behind his desk. Scully began to regard the flashlight as a weapon as he came and stood very close to her. His hand closed over hers. "Maybe we should save the batteries," he whispered into her ear and she shivered at his breath on her skin. His thumb caressed hers lingeringly as he flicked the light off. "I am not playing truth or dare in the dark with you Mulder." "What would you prefer to play? In the dark. With me." She knew he was walking behind her because she could feel his presence but she wished she could see him. "That's not what I meant." she bit her lip. She didn't like this, but then she did. Too much. His hands closed around her upper arms, and she jumped. "Scared?" "Of course not." She held herself very still, wondering what he would do next. He abruptly released her and clapped his hands. OK then. Truth or dare, part 3. Who goes first?" he asked, moving away. She flicked on the light to see where he went. He sat down in his desk chair and rolled it up next to her desk, across from her. He met her eyes and she turned off the light. "You first." she said. He wanted to start out slowly, win her trust back a little. "First kiss." "That's not a question." "What was your first kiss like?" he rephrased. She hesitated only a second. "Messy but wonderful. My turn." The pause was longer this time and Mulder thought about how unsatisfying her answer had been. "Have you even gotten personally involved with a case subject?" Her question cut to the heart of something he NEVER wanted her to know about. "I get personally involved in all my cases Scully." he drawled evasively. "Personally involved with a case SUBJECT." Scully wasn't letting him off the hook. He was definitely not telling. "Dare." Damn, Scully thought. The dares were always her weak point. She hadn't had much luck thinking of any better ones these past few days. "I dare you to remove one article of clothing." "I'm always going to take the dare, Scully," Mulder joked, removing his jacket. "I'm going easy on you at first." A lie. He knew it. "I thought you were out for blood," he said, but regretted the words. His brow furrowed, remembering his indiscretion. "It's your turn," she pointed out. Go easy on her? he thought. Yeah, one more. "If I was a car, what would I be?" She laughed before she caught herself. "Volvo." she smiled. "A sturdy, safe, big green Volvo." "A Volvo?" he said and she wanted to see his face. "I'm hurt." "A quirky one though. A safe Volvo, but with a flaw."she added. "Ummm...OK." Mulder was a bit confused by her answer. A Porsche, he'd understand, some unique car like that. Even a Ford Taurus, because of all those rental cars. But a Volvo...? "My turn," Scully said. "Do you..." she stopped. "Have you ever dreamed about me?" She had all the good questions, he thought. "No," he said, a blatant lie. "That's a lie!" "It's not." he said defensively. "I never remember my dreams." "That's a lie too." "It's all your getting." "There ought to be a penalty for lying." Scully said and it irritated Mulder a little. She was working hard to be right, as she often did. "Fine then... I'll let you ask another question if you don't accept my answer." Mulder gave in to her. She smiled but he couldn't see. "If you thought of me as a car, what would I be?" She threw his question back at him since she was getting a freebie. He smirked. "Something small, red and saucy. A Geo, maybe. But American." "Red and saucy?" Scully blinked. "Mulder, I'm not a plate of spaghetti." He had to laugh and she laughed too. A comfortable moment filled the dark space between them. He had her where he wanted her. He leaned in across the desk, closer to where he imagined she would be. He let the pause stretch to significance. "When was the last time a man other than me touched you?" His question brought a temporary halt to her breathing. "Skinner unlocked me -" "Touched you, Scully." he repeated, his voice dropping. "Recently." she replied. His fingers found her arm, the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist. "When." "Not so long ago." Another vague answer, "This year?" he prompted. Silence. His fingers moved up her arm. "Last year?" He was stroking above her elbow now. She wanted to slap him, or at least slap his hand away. But she couldn't move. She had to stop this. "I don't remember," she said quickly. Mulder pulled his hand away and laughed harshly. "You don't remember? It must have been some man, Scully." he mocked her. Her anger flared again, her face flushing. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to match his cruelty. "Will you ever love a woman who is not your sister?" her voice was hard. Mulder didn't answer for a long time. Finally he managed a whisper. "Yes." "I think you're lying." He went cold all over. "You'll never know for sure." he informed her, trying to hide that she'd cut him to the heart. And Scully recognized the aloof, self-protective veneer Mulder wore with other people. The one she'd worked so hard to break through herself. "Do you hate me?" She asked, worried. "No, do you want me to?" he asked, analyzing the motives behind her question. She couldn't answer for a long moment in which she wanted to apologize but refused to. "No," she managed. "I'll admit I want to hurt you." "Hurt me how?" she asked. He didn't answer. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Do you have violent fantasies?" IT was supposed to be tempting. Or funny. He wasn't buying. "You sound like a 1-900 commercial," he reprimanded her. "I think it's my turn." "Ask away." End of part one. See that's better isn't it? Comments to eponine@uci.edu =========================================================================== From: Megan Reilly Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Dares 3/The Final Revenge (2/2) R. Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 16:20:59 -0800 Disclaimed in part one. This is the part that's rated R. Coming up. Right now. Dares 3/The Final Revenge, part 2 by Megan Reilly eponine@uci.edu "Ask away," she said, a brave front, but she was a little scared. She wanted to take back her hurtful question. She didn't want him to try to hurt her. She was afraid he could. With good reason. Mulder did want to hurt her, emotionally, for her last question which was horrible and unfair and unfeeling. HE tried to make the pain go away, to think of a different question, but had to ask the one that came from the burning in his gut. "Has a man ever made you come?" "What?" she demanded, ready to kill him. But she couldn't because she knew she deserved this for her last question. For asking a similarly intense personal question. "You. Orgasm. Yes or no." Mulder declared, disgusted with himself. "Yes," she said, glad he couldn't see her face. "You're lying." His finger closed hard around her wrist, almost hurting her. She yanked her hand away, but he held fast. "No," she said. "Describe it." he said, hating himself. He could feel her trembling, whether from fear or fury he didn't know. He brought her wrist to his mouth and slowly licked her skin. He interpreted her silence cruelly. "Scully. The Ice Queen." he said, needing a response from her, expecting the sting of her hand across his face. Instead he heard a gasp that sounded almost like a sob. He released her wrist and reached for the flashlight but she was faster. "Don't." she said. It was as though reality came crashing down on him. "Scully, I'm sorry." "No," she said, "I was spiteful and you were spiteful back. But I don't want us to say anything we'll truly regret." Too late, he thought. "Isn't that the point?" "Yes." she agreed reluctantly. "Your turn." he prompted. There was a long long silence. Scully thought of and discarded questions. She finally opted for something he would take the dare on, so she could dare him something lame and things would be back to normal. "How old were you the first time?" "The first time what?" "The first time, Mulder. No stalling." He didn't take the dare. "Twelve." he said. "Lying," she said. "How do you know?" "I've seen pictures of you, Mulder. You didn't hit puberty till 15. At least." "You don't know that," he said though he was lying. "Isn't this called *truth* or dare?" she couldn't believe he hadn't taken the dare. But things were easier between them. "What about you, Scully?" "What about me?" "The first time." "Oh, I was ten and a half," she laughed, mocking his lie with one of her own. "There definitely need to be a penalty for lying," Mulder said. "Yes," concurred Scully, "But what?" The same thought clicked into both their heads at the same time. "A kiss," they said in unison and laughed uneasily. "A kiss for lying it is." Scully said. "Your turn." "Oh. Of course." Mulder tried to think of a question she would lie about. "No, wait, it's my turn." Scully said. "Is it?" "Yes." she said. "Did you ever wet the bed?" "No!" "Lie," she accused. "How do you know?" Mulder demanded. "Prove it's not a lie," Scully challenged. Of course he couldn't, so he sat there silent. "I think you owe me something," she prompted. They leaned forward, fumbling in the darkness. Mulder's hands found Scully's chin, and he managed to kiss her cheek. She was disappointed. "How old were you when you got your first bra?" "Maybe we should have a penalty for sex related questions too." "Just answer the question." "Ten and a half," she said, echoing her earlier answer. Mulder snickered. "Lie." This time it was the truth, but she didn't contest his statement. "Believe what you want," she told him. "I think you owe me a kiss." he said. She didn't really, but didn't argue. It took her a minute to get up on her knees in the chair. "Scully -?" he prompted. She couldn't find him in the dark but the fumbling was kind of nice, too, Scully thought, and found his mouth with hers, and just as quickly pulled away. It was her turn. What else would a man lie about? she wondered. "How many women have to made love to?" "What was the penalty for sex related questions?" Mulder inquired. "There isn't one." "Are you sure?" She was suddenly warm. "Yes, I'm sure." "Made love to?" he asked and hoped she would mistake his truth for a lie. "Two." "Two?" she sputtered. "Kiss me." "Now that's what I like to hear." They were both smiling as they kissedn, this time for a much longer moment. "I think this has become lie or dare." Scully said weakly when they finished. "Without the dare." Mulder agreed. "Shall we play it properly?" she asked. "Sure," he agreed. "What do you sleep in?" "PJ's, Mulder, and I know you've seen them...what do you sleep in?" "I sleep in my bed." he evaded neatly. "My turn. Ok, what did kids make fun of you for? In school." "Trying to be tough at sixty two inches tall." Scully answered honestly. "Reaching my full height at twelve. My turn. If you were granted three wishes what would they be?" "Three?" he asked. "Three." "I'm not sure there's three things I want." he admitted. "Dream a little." "OK." This was a serious question. "One, Samantha." This was as she'd expected. "Two, the Truth." She nodded again. "Three...three... I can't think of anything." he lied, wondering if she'd call him on it and he'd have to kiss her again. "Nothing?" "Nothing." he confirmed though his real third wish was about her. She accepted his answer. "Your three wishes?" She bit her lip, thinking. It was a hard question. "In deference to you, one would be to know the Truth." "Thank you." "You're welcome." She thought a moment longer. "Two would be, no more suffering on this earth. Three would be...to know the people I love will always be safe." "It sounds like there's a four in there." Mulder leaned his chin on his hand, wishing he could see her eyes. But she had the flashlight and she wasn't using it. She shrugged. "What can I say? Three's not enough for me." She felt like they were really sharing now. She flicked on the flashlight and found her partner smiling at her. Caught and selfconscious, he smiled and tipped his head back slightly, a gesture almost like a wink. The motion and the look on his face took her suddenly back in time, so that when he said, "Your turn," she knew exactly what she wanted to ask. "Do you remember after Tooms got out of jail and you were on that one man stakeout to nail him?" Mulder nodded. "Is that your question?" "No," she said, looking away from him. The flashlight's beam was dimming, he noticed. "We were talking in the car, I brought you a sandwich, and I remember you said, 'if there's an iced tea in that bag, it could be love.'" The flashlight's beam was definitely dimming. "Do you remember that?" "I had't slept in days." Mulder said, not committing himself to yes or no. But it didn't feel like the game any more. It felt like they were talking, like friends. Or lovers. He brushed the thought away. "Mulder," she began, but the flashlight blinked off and she stopped, surprized. It was a moment before she continued, her voice very soft. "What would have happened if there was an iced tea in my bag instead of whatever it was?" He didn't answer. Couldn't. "Mulder?" she pressed., "It's getting late." he said gently. "Maybe we should get some sleep. Do you want a hand clearing off your desk?" "I'm not sleepy, Mulder." She wouldn't let this go. "I got up early," he lied. The darkness was full of tension. "Mulder, what would have happened?" she asked again, slowly, not nagging or annoying, just asking. "I don't know." he admitted. "But you do remember -" He preferred the option of not remembering. "I hadn't slept in three days," he said. "I don't want to play any more, do you?" she asked and he had the idea she didn't just mean truth or dare. "Maybe we should tell some more lies," he suggested. A joke. She smiled weakly, giving in. "Maybe we should get some sleep," she said and heard his heavy sigh. "You're right," he agreed and they both knew they were avoiding the important issues. He got up and started piling files from his desk onto the floor, though he knew the desk would be incredibly uncomfortable. He heard Scully drop her shoes onto the floor from desk height. She spoke, hesitantly. "If you won't give me the truth, will you give me a goodnight kiss?" "Are you sure that's wise?" She nodded, realized it wasn't going to work, and said,"Yes." He walked over to her desk and paused, knowing this would be the telling moment. He felt he had to try to answer her. "I was very attracted to you then," he began. "But you aren't now?" she said and instantly wished she'd stayed quiet. He bumped his hip up on the desk and she shifted on the makeshift bed so he could sit. "But I also knew I couldn't do anything about it. Certainly not lure you into the backseat on my stakeout. When I wasn't sure of your loyalties." "But now you are sure of my loyalties." she said. He put his hands down on either side of the desk top, leaning over her. "Yes." She could sit up and be in his arms, she thought. She remained prone on the desk. There was a long long silence that swallowed up whole minutes. She closed her eyes in the darkness, deciding what to say. And she knew it was up to her. "We're both here." she said finally. "Yes," he replied quickly. "We've been playing these games for a reason." "Yes." She wished he'd stop syaing that. She was doing all the work here. "Fox," she began and realized he'd been leaning in closer to her. His fingers touched her lips, halting her words, and slid away, down his jaw. He shook his head, as though to say, "It's no good," and whispered, "I even made my parents call me Mulder. Mulder." he repeated, and his lips had to be less than an inch from hers. The words from that night, she thought, her heart racing. He did remember. "Mulder -" she said, not sure what was supposed to come next. He didn't move. "I trust you." A breath escaped his lips. She could feel his body nearly touching hers. "Say it," he said. She let out a ragged breath, not sure what she was supposed to say. "I don't want it to be a game or a lie or revenge," she said quickly. "Say it," he urged her again, unable to express himself, refusing to act. She was powerless to resist. "Kiss me," she said. "No," Mulder said, not moving away. "I dare -" "No," he said harsher. "You're right." Scully said, knowing she should pull away. "No," he said, "Say it again." She closed her eyes. He couldn't be playing with her now. It made no difference. "Please kiss me." "Not that." he whispered, tortured. Her eyes opened and she could see his eyes shining. There was a sliver of light leaking underneath the door. She smiled, understanding. "Fox," she called him by name, "Dana." he breathed and she saw him smile for the briefest instant before his mouth claimed hers. Not a dare, not a game, not a lie, not revenge. The lights flooded on. They ignored it, clinging together, the kiss deepening. But then they heard the door bang open, other instincts took over and they sprang apart, ready to fight. The nightwatchman stood in the doorway. The pair relaxed as their eyes adjusted to the brightness of the light and to their hsock and horror, they saw a good crowd of people looking at them. Several agents, a maintenance crew, and Skinner, looking smug. "It must be fate," Scully murmured, more words from that long ago stakeout. "The problame with the elevator is fixed. And we didn't realize the stairwell was locked until we heard sounds from down here." Skinner said without an ounce of sincerity. "Looks like you two had no trouble keeping busy." Mulder and Scully both stared amazed at their boss. "Best clear the building now," Skinner said. "After you." he waited. Slowly Mulder raised himself off of Scully and off the desk. She followed suit. They left their office, walking ahead of the group, supremely embarrassed. One of the agents muttered audibly, "Mulder and Scully sitting in a tree..." Another voice took it up. "S-P-O-O-O-K-E." he took poetic liscense. Mulder clenched his fists. Skinner did not reprimand the agents, though he could certainly hear them. Mulder put a protective arm around Scully's shoulders, felt the look he recieved, and dropped it. The elevator ride was silent. They reached the lobby, there the few agents and maintenance crew scattered. Mulder and Scully hung back. Skinner did as well, turning to them both. "I hope you two have resolved your need for revenge and learned something from this," he said, sounding like a boss. Scully nodded, though she was again looking so far down her chin nearly touched her chest. "Yes sir." Mulder stated. "And I hope you weren't put out." Skinner swallowed a smile, "I mean, inconveinced. Good night." He turned and left the building. Skinner had sone this on purpose, they realized jointly and Mulder and Scully turned to each other with only one thought in mind. Revenge. Skinner had had his joke at their expense, his revenge on them for being his two most difficult agents. But he was their boss. "We can't." Scully said. "Are you sure?" Mulder asked. She nodded. An awkward moment passed between them and each wondered what to do next. The tension and the weirdness was almost unbearable. Mulder took the initiative. "I'll see you Monday." Scully nodded. "Good night, Mulder." she said. Not Fox. Mulder. She watched him walk away. It was how it had to be. Her mouth twisted up in a half smile. For now. End. So, now the question is: should there be a Dares 4? I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure this isn't getting old. Email all comments to me at eponine@uci.edu From: Megan Reilly Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Dares 4: Convolutions (1/1) Date: Fri, 24 Nov 1995 13:34:29 -0800 Disclaimer: These people belong to Chris Carter, 10-13, and 20th Century Fox, not me. I can't help it if they were so wonderful I was compelled to borrow them. Hi everyone, yes it's more Dares. I'm glad you've all enjoyed them so far. This one is short and fast paced. Whether it's funny, well, you'll have to tell me that. It looks like there will be one more after this, but I haven't written it yet so don't look for it today. If you need copies of Dares 1,2 or 3, email me and I'll be happy to send them to you or they are all available in the wonderful, fabulous archive at http://gossamer.eng.ohio-state.edu/x-files. Here goes nothing... Previously: Mulder and Scully played truth or dare and Scully embarrassed Mulder by spreading rumors about him and autoerotic asphyxiation. He paid her back by removing her clothes and handcuffing her in the FBI elevator. Then Skinner joined in the fun by locking them in their office for a few hours, hoping to end the game. Looks like he was wrong... Dares 4: Convolutions by Megan Reilly eponine@uci.edu "We have to get him back, Scully." Mulder said. "He's our boss." Scully reminded him. She'd hoped he'd forget all this over the weekend and things could get back to normal. "We can't let him get the last laugh. He humiliated us both," Mulder reminded her. He was not going to let this go. She faced him. "Mulder, we'll lose our jobs." "Not necessarily." She stood firm. "No. I won't do it." She crossed her arms and waited, thinking how much she already needed another cup of coffee. "Come on," Mulder pleaded. "You don't even have to be involved. I just need you to distract him." Silence. "Stand guard, that's all. Scully?" She was still ignoring him. "I dare you." That did it. She threw the file down on her desk with some violence. "All right." she agreed, "But this has to be the end of it." "Of course." Mulder promised with an angelic smile she didn't trust for one minute. Scully stood guard over Skinner's office while Mulder did his deeds at lunchtime. She checked her watch again and shifted nervously. Mulder should have been done and out of there three minutes ago. This made their chance ofbeing caught - "Agent Scully, why are you standing outside my office?" Skinner called from up the hallway. Scully jumped guiltily. "I was waiting to speak to you, sir." she said, approaching him. She had to get him away from there so Mulder could get out. Otherwise they were dead. "Yes Agent Scully I'm waiting." "Well, sir, it's about -" she seized the first thing that came into her head. "It's about Allison's blatant disregard of the dress code." Skinner's eyebrows rose in amusement. "May I remind you, Agent Scully, that just last week you were running around here in your underwear?" "That was not my fault, sir." "It still puts you in no position to criticize other agents' mode of dress. Was there anything else?" "No." Oh he made her so angry! "Good. I hope that you and Agent Mulder have learned your lessons." he said smugly and turned away. Scully hoped Mulder had escaped. She also hoped he'd gotten him good. Maybe a little revenge wasn't such a bad thing after all, she thought. Assistant Director Skinner was still pretty pleased with himself regarding Agents Scully and Mulder. Of course he had been hoping for a slightly longer lasting effect, but it was still good to show them who was boss. He smiled to see a new report from Agent Mulder waiting for him on his desk, a small stack of crisp white pages, on time. A first for the agent. Skinner felt very self-satisfied. He noticed the pages were unbound, so he reached for a paperclip. He had a hard time pulling one out of the small cube with its magnetized lip. He wrestled with it and finally withdrew a paperclip. Followed by another, and another and another. Soon he was holding a three foot string with no end in sight. Skinner could feel his blood pressure rise and threw the chain down on his desk. He reached for the stapler and positioned it over the corner of the report. He smacked it down and was instantly splattered with a thick gooey susbstance remarkably like snot. It oozed from the stapler across the page. Who would think to put rubber cement in his stapler? Skinner could think of only one man. He rose to summon his secretary. "Get me a paper towel," he demanded, his fingers sticky with the glue. He heard his secretary giggle as he turned to reenter his office. He didn't know he'd been sitting in gum. "That's all?" Scully cried in outrage. "That's all you did? I thought you were going to make him pay!" "You were the one who pointed out we could lose our jobs." Mulder struggled to defend himself. "But that was barely worth the time, let alone the effort. I expected better from you, Mulder." she said. "Oh yeah?" he challenged. He was pretty irritated by her attitude. She hadn't wanted to do this at all - and now she was saying he wasn't good enough. "I'll bet you can't do better." "What do you bet?" she asked unexpectedly, her eyes blazing. He'd expected her to back down. "I'm sure I'll think of something when you fail," he said and allowed his eyes to deliberately slide over her body, feeling a hot wave of desire crash over him. "I'll think of something better when I win," she said. "Do we have a wager?" She stuck out her hand. "We do." he shook it, his fingers lingering over hers. "You'll have to do guard duty tomorrow morning." "What are you going to do?" "I haven't thought of it yet." Maybe this would keep her mnd off Mulder's kisses in the dark last Friday night. "All ready?" Scully asked the next morning outside of Skinner's office. "All ready. What's in the bag?" "You'll see," Scully said mysteriously and went inside. "Agent Mulder, why are you standing outside A.D. Skinner's office?" a feminine voice asked. Mulder froze. Allison. The last person he wanted to run into. "I'm waiting to speak to him." She nodded, waiting. Why didn't she leave? Mulder thought. Now was not the time to renew their friendship. "It's obvious your partner doesn't think much of you," Allison said conversationally. "Oh?" asked Mulder, relaxing now, intrigued. "What makes you say that?" "Well, I'm not one to spread gossip -" Allison lowered her eyes demurely. Mulder wasn't buying this act and waited out her pause. He knew better. She raised her eyes again quickly. "But rumor has it you kiss like an adolescent." Mulder's eyes widened and his fists clenched with rage. "Scully...said that...about me?" he demanded. Allison merely smiled and innocent smile. "I can't imagine how the two of you work together. I'll be very interested in seeing your personality profiles, especially after the recent...activity." "Personality profiles?" "Yes, I've been assigned to evaluate all the agents, didn't you know?" asked Allison. "Here are the forms." She handed him two questionairres. "Be sure Agent Scully gets hers. Bye now." She sauntered off, thinking how pleased Skinner would be when she reported to him. Scully emerged from Skinner's office. "What's that?" "Oh, nothing." Mulder replied, stuffing both pages into his pocket. Adolescent indeed! he thought, steamed, he'd show her. "Let's go," Scully said. "What'd you do?" "You'll see." She grinned. She'd won the wager for sure. Neither of them saw Allison double back and let herself into Skinner's office to wait for him. "What're you working on?" Scully asked. Mulder had been scribbling furiously and chuckling to himself all morning. "Paperwork," he lied, adding the finishing touch to his version of Scully's personality profile. She didn't believe him. He'd never enjoyed paperwork that much before. A moment later he rose and left to use the mens' room. She was on his desk in seconds, quickly locating his recent work shoved haphazardly under a file. Her mouth dropped open as she saw what it was - "A Personality Profile" it proclaimed itself in a perky font that made her think of Allison. And Mulder had filled it out using her name. She grew enraged as she read. "I like country music? I'm addicted to caffeine and chocolate? Affinity for spike heels? Proclivity for mens' fashion? Unusual attraction to male authority figures!" she cried, rage eclipseing the hurt she felt. She rummaged until she found the blank form with Mulder's name on it. She slipped it into her pocket as she heard his footsteps. She didn't have time to destroy "her" questionaire, but she'd get him back for this. "I wish you'd tell me what you did." Mulder murmured to Scully on their way to lunch. "You'll see." she promised. "Lunch should be quite a show." The elevator doors slid open and they entered the cafeteria, taking a table near the door that faced the room. As usual, no other agents joined them. "Skinner looks fine to me," Mulder whispered again as Allison careened past them out the door for the second time. "Where does she keep going?" he asked, staring after her. Scully shrugged, frowning, her eyes on Skinner. "I don't understand," she said, "It should be working by now." "What did you do?" Mulder asked. She smiled a wicked smile. "I had a little fun with chemistry." Allison brushed past their table again, looking a little green but both agents were watching Skinner. "She doesn't look too good," Mulder commented as Allison returned to her chair next to Skinner. "Something she ate," Scully diagnosed off hand. They had both scrupulously avoided the mystery meat special, but perhaps Allison had not. But Scully's eyes widened in horror as Allison began squirming in her chair. "Oh no," she said. "What is it?" Mulder asked, alarmed at her tone. "I don't know how...Allison must have gone to Skinner's office before he got there." Scully's face turned pale. "What did you do?" Mulder asked again, his tone dire. She faced him, slightly embarrassed. "Nothing too bad...a stomach irritant, some itching powder in the chair..." Mulder let a small laugh escape and Scully couldn't help joining him. Soon many of the agents who had been watching the display were stifling infectious laughter as well. Allison's eyes flew to Mulder, tehn shifted to Scully. "We're in trouble now," Mulder said, recognizing the look of a dangerous woman. "Let's go." They quickly fled the cafeteria. They strove to keep a low proifle in their office that afternoon, hiding out as Mulder read a novel and Scully slaved over Mulder's personality profile. When she saw Mulder finish the novel and look through his papers, she knew there could only be one thing he was looking for and she had it. She excused herself and raced upstairs to get it into Skinner's in-box. A few minutes later Mulder likewise went upstairs to turn in his version. They passed eachother in the hall without speaking. Skinner liked to go through his in-box at the end of every day, to organize himself for the next day. All part of being an efficient leader, he thought. He was glad nothing out of the ordinary had happened to him today, though he was still avoiding his stapler. He chuckled as he found the two personality profiles among his papers./ That was why, he thought. Obviously Allison had completed her mission before she became so ill. Mulder and Scully's vengeful instincts were once again fully focussed on one another. He set the pages aside, saving the amusing read for the morning, and left for the day. "Who won the bet?" asked Scully. Mulder looked at her. "I'd say I did." "I'll admit, lunch was pretty amusing," Mulder said, "But since your revenge wasn't on Skinner, you didn't top me and I won." "It's not my fault it never reached Skinner." Scully argued. "Yours was just plain lame." "Are you saying I lose?" "Yes." "Well I say you lose." Mulder informed her. "Are you saying we both lose?" Scully asked, enjoying their sparring. Mulder nodded. "What do you suggest? Rematch?" He didn't answer, but she could see that he was thinking. And his smirk didn't ease her mind. "I think I won, Scully." Mulder said, "Because Allison's doing personality testing and I filled out your questionaire for you." She surprised him by smiling. "I know. I saw it. So I filled out yours." He gaped at her. "I just want to know why you said those awful things about me." "Because you said I kiss like an adolescent," Mulder replied. "I -? Mulder, why would I say that? I like how you kiss." Scully admitted. "You do?" Mulder asked, surprised. "Would I have asked you to kiss me so many times if I didn't?" Scully asked and Mulder couldn't fault her logic. A thought clicked into place. "Wait, Mulder, we're missing the point." "Which is?" Mulder asked smoothly, hoping she'd ask him to kiss her again. It had been a long three days... "We've been set up. We've got to get those questionaires back." Mulder reflected on his conversation with Allison. "You're right." They ran to the elevator. "They're not here," Scully declared, giving up. They'd been through Skinner's papers twice. "He's seen them." "We'll have to-" "Mulder, don't." Scully interrupted, knowing what he was going to say. "We can't keep playing these games. Someone will end up getting hurt. I don't know why it's gone on this long." she sighed. "I do." Mulder said and she looked up at him. "We're venting our sexual frustration on petty revenge schemes." He smiled sheepishly. "I am a psychologist." She smiled slowly and he could feel his heart start to beat faster. "What do you suggest, Dr. Mulder?" she asked in a low voice. "Surely you know the dangers of repressing the sexual urge, Dr. Scully?" he asked back in a low voice of his own. They looked at each other, each of them very still, resisting the urge to embrace. "Then maybe we should give up on revenge," Scully said, feeling out of breath. "And do what instead?" How he hoped to hear her say the words. "Maybe it's time for us to explore..." She broke off, unable to find a proper euphemism. They were all so goofy. "Each other?" Mulder filled in for her, still not moving, devouring her with his eyes. Scully could only nod, her throat dry. Their staring continued. "Not here," she whispered. "My place?" "Eight o'clock," Scully replied rapid-fire. Mulder raised an eyebrow - why so long? She licked her lips nervously. "I want this to be special." she said softly and Mulder let out an audible breath. It prompted a warm ache inside Scully and she longed to kiss him, but she knew if she did, they'd never make it out of Skinner's office. "Eight o'clock," Mulder agreed. He could harldy wait. Neither could she. Allison smiled as she walked down the dim hall to the little-used door. Mulder and Scully thought they were so clever, she thought edgily, all their pranks had used her, embarrassed her. She knocked softly on the door and then pushed it open. We'll see who has the last laugh, she thought. The room was dim and filled with smoke. "I have something that will be of interest to you." she said. The man was silent, but lit a fresh cigarette to show that he was interested. She smiled a twisted smile as she put the pages before him. The man waved his hand to dismiss her. This had to be good for a promotion, she thought, letting herself out. She walked quickly down the hall and so didn't hear the helpless gales of laughter as the man began to read the personality profiles. End. Hopefully that hit the spot. Not so much Sexual Tension in this part, but you still have Dares 5 too look forward to. Probably next weekend. Until then, happy reading...email me. Megan eponine@uci.edu From: Megan Reilly Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Dares 5:Truth (1/2) NC-17 Date: Sat, 9 Dec 1995 19:13:30 -0800 The long awaited Dares 5 is here! It's NC-17 for sex (although if it were really a movie, it would probably only be R). Acknowledgements: Ra Enright, J., Paul Wartenberg, and Nancy - thanks for your help with the Lone Gunmen, about whom I had no clue. They have a small role, and I think I was a little hard on them because I ended up using my thoughts from their scenes in "Paperclip" but I've got them in an upcoming tale, too. Also, the original concept for this story bears a bit of resemblance to Kevin and Lucy on "General Hospital" but over all the rewriting, the resemblance has become slight. If you missed Dares 1-4 e-mail me, or try the archive. It's rad, so you should check it out anyway! Previously, Scully and Mulder played strip poker, lots of truth or dare, and played pranks on various people. At the end of 4, they decided to stop doing all that and just have sex already! Disclaimer: These characters are not mine, they're Chris Carter's and he'd probably have a heart attack if he saw what I was doing with them! Dares 5:Truth by Megan Reilly eponine@uci.edu Scully was nervous as she came out of her building to get in her car to go to Mulder's. She couldn't believe they'd made a date to have sex. She couldn't believe half the crazy stuff they'd done lately. She stopped. The back window of her car was cracked and there were rocks all over the trunk. She looked around suspiciously. Who would be throwing rocks at her car? She sighed, thinking of their pranks. It could be anyone. Checking her watch, she saw she was already running late. Lightning flashed overhead and the first drops of rain began to fall. She could see the rain seeping through the cracked glass, so she grabbed the tape she kept in her glove compartment for emergencies and covered the perpendicular cracks. It would have to do. She got in the car and tilted the rearview mirror so she could see herself. She never did things like this, and the mirror stuck. Scully yanked on it hard and it came away in her hand. It's an omen, she thought. She didn't believe in them, but she was sure this was one. Mulder was pacing in his living room when the doorbell rang. For a split second, he considered pretending he wasn't home. Ridiculous, he told himself, it isn't like you've never had sex before. But somehow this was different. He opened the door and Scully walked in without looking at him. He stared at her as she moved around his living room, finally settling in front of the fish tank, tapping on the glass with her nails. It was bad for the fish, but he didn't say anything as he closed the door. Maybe I won't want her, he thought almost hopefully. He turned and looked at her, silhouetted against the window. He drew in a deep breath. He wanted her too much, that was the problem. It was obvious she was nervous too. He continued to watch her for a long moment and she could feel his eyes on her and the awareness seeping through her body. She stopped tormenting the fish. "I can't do this," Scully said, put her head down and hurried toward the door. Mulder took two steps sideways and blocked her path. She barrelled into him and looked up. Her blue eyes went wide as they met his. His arms closed around her, hugging her tightly to him. "I'm nervous too," he admitted, his voice rough and low. She smiled at him tentatively and he kissed her. It was incredibly awkward. Their noses bumped and collided as their mouths mashed together. Mulder went cold inside as he turned his head, trying to make this better. Scully clung to him, not letting him go. Her fingers were like iron on his neck. She was more scared than he was. She didn't release him until he felt faint from lack of oxygen. "Um," he said. "Yeah," she agreed. "Maybe we can relax if we make this a game," he suggested. "I don't want this to be a game; I want this to be serious." "Serious is scary," Mulder said frankly and she had to agree. "I suggest a little...strip truth or dare." "No," She headed for the door. "Scully." His sighed word held all the fear she felt and the reassurances she needed. Her shoulders sagged and she met his eyes. It was so ridiculous, she thought. She sat down on the couch, giving in. "What's the stupidest thing you've ever done?" They fell into the game naturally. He rolled his eyes. "Went to France with Phoebe." "Phoebe Green?" "Is there any other?" "I don't think I want to hear this." Scully started to get up. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back down, closer to him. "No, it's funny. You'll like it." "I'm waiting." Mulder was starting to feel stupid just thinking about it. "It was the first break at Oxford and Phoebe was bored. Neither of us had been to France ever, so we took a bus to the boat." "Boat? Uh-oh," intoned Scully. "Yeah. Learned something about myself on that trip," said Mulder. "She wasn't amused. So finally we got to the bus station in Paris, which is out on the edge of town, and the bureau de change is closed. Permanently." "You went to Paris without any money?" "We had pounds sterling. For all the good it did us. We started walking and all the banks had signs that they wouldn't exchange money. And neither of us could figure out where we were on the map." "Couldn't you ask someone?" Scully was trying not to be amused by this picture she had in her head of Mulder, bedraggled and ill, stranded in Paris with Phoebe Green. "Two years of high school Frnech flew out of my head like that." "What about Phoebe? I thought it was only Americans who are mono-lingual." Mulder shook his head. "So what did you do?" "Used our return tickets." Mulder said, and she nodded. "There was a bureau de change on the boat, so Phoebe wanted to go back to France." "She wanted you to cross the English channel again?" "Three times in one day." "What did you do?" Mulder chuckled. "I threw up on her shoes. And she went to France without me. Our first fight." "Huh," Scully said. At least now they were comfortable and talking. But she didn't feel particularly turned-on. "How does the 'strip' part work?" He looked even more embarrassed about that than he had about the story. "I told the truth so you - you -" "I-?" she asked. She was starting to enjoy this. "You take off one piece of my clothes." "Your clothes?" she asked. "I do like this." She slowly unbuttoned his shirt and slid it from his shoulders. He shivered. Then she stood and removed her coat, so he wouldn't have to do it for her. Already she was anticipating the feel of his hands on her skin... She stopped, surprised. This was working. "Your turn." Mulder thought a moment. "Who are the five people who've caused you the most pain in your life?" "I know you've asked me this before," Scully protested. "You never answered." "I only get five?" she stalled. "That sounds familiar." he said. She hesitated. "I think...the people I care the most about. My dad, my mom, my sister. You." she met his eyes. He could barely breathe. "That's only four." "Five is someone I don't care about. Someone I hate." she looked away. "The men who...took...me." He longed to hold her, to make it all be all right. Instead he pulled her black cotton dress off over her head, revealing the light blue slip she wore underneath. He could only stare. "My turn," she said, "Same question." "Same answer. My dad, my mom, my sister." he said. "You." Her fingers brushed lightly over the scar on his chest. She'd shot him there. He sucked in a ragged breath and caught her hand in his. "That's only four." she whispered, their eyes locked. "There is no five," he said, "I don't let anyone else get close enough to hurt me." Scully didn't believe that. She knew people hurt Mulder all the time. Phoebe Green for one, belonged on that list, and so did the first person who ever called him "Spooky". But that was pain he didn't acknowledge. Slowly her fingers worked the button fly of his jeans, and slid the pants down his long, lean legs. "Maybe it's time to go in the bedroom," she suggested. They fell onto the freshly made bed together and started kissing again in a frenzy. This time there was no awkwardness between them. He touched her through the slip. She touched him back and he groaned, shifting so that she was beneath him. Her heart stopped as his eyes met hers. The moment. Then her brain kicked into overdrive. "Protection," she said. Mulder froze. "What?" Great handling of that subject, she thought. "Protection?" she said again. Mulder's senses returned. How could he forget? He eased away from her slightly and opened the drawer of the nightstand with his left hand, hoping to seem cool and practiced. He found nothing. Desperately, he groped around in the drawer. He frowned and sat up to look in the drawer. He rummaged with both hands. "Damn it," he said, turning his eyes to her, "You didn't bring anything?" She disliked the slight accusation she heard in his tone and pulled herself upright. "I kind of assumed you'd have something." She set her mouth in that stubborn way he hated. "I do," Mulder muttered, "Somewhere." He got up from the bed and left her alone. She heard the fan go on as he looked through the bathroom, then go off again as he ransacked the kitchen. She pulled his covers over herself, cold without his body next to hers. Mulder was incredibly embarrassed. He'd planned to be smooth and cool and dashing , to sweep her off her feet like he did this every day. But it was now pretty clear that he didn't do this every day. His palms started to sweat as he dug through the overfull kitchen drawers. He wiped his hands on his shorts and realized he was wearing his Marvin the Martian underwear. Mulder wanted to die. He was trying to seduce her and he had a cartoon character on his shorts. "Why didn't I just put on the Scooby Doo sheets, too?" he muttered. He yanked the next drawer out and a shiny foil packet fluttered to the floor. "Eureka," he said and returned to the bedroom. He stopped short when he saw Scully under his comforter. She couldn't be asleep. Not now. She sat up, smiling sexily, and put her hand out. Mulder's heart beat faster in anticipation as he placed the packet in her hand. He grinned at her goofily. She started to open it, then frowned and looked at it more carefully. "What is it?" Mulder asked quickly and his voice came out thin, breathless. Nervous. Her brows drew together as she looked up at him. "This expired in 1992," she said, surprised. Mulder snatched it out of her hand. These things had expiration dates??? He threw it on the floor and grabbed his jeans. Scully got up on her knees in the bed, terrified she'd ruined this. "Where are you going?" "The drugstore," he said, "I'll be right back." Mulder yanked a shirt over his head and as an afterthought, kissed her hard before he disappeared out the door. Scully bit her lip. Now what was she supposed to do? She stared at the walls and her nerves started getting worse. This was definitely not in the plan. She leaned over the end of the bed to find a magazine to read. She picked up Victoria's Secret, only slightly disturbed that Mulder had a more recent catalog than she did. But then she had to give in to curiousity and pick up one of the other magazines. Mulder was taken aback when he returned from his unplanned jog to the drugstore and found Scully lying calmly on his bed, reading a magazine. He tried to catch his breath as he hastily pulled his clothes off. "What're you reading?" "Playboy," she replied and her voice shook a little. Mulder stopped to stare at her and she wouldn't look at him. "I told you I don't compare to these women," she said softly. Mulder groaned, wishing there was a way he could convince her she was perfect. Wishing she didn't know about his habit. Wishing he didn't have a habit. But even that wouldn't work. He lay down on the bed next to her and pointed to the girl in the slick fold-out. "That's surgery and silicone and airbrushing," he said, reassuring, as he closed the magazine and pushed it off the bed. "That's not what I want." He kissed her again slowly, regaining her trust, and began to push the straps of her slip off her shoulders. "Mulder-" she tried to say, but it came out breathy, insubstantial. She tried it again. "That's not going to -" She heard the cloth rip and had to smile. Too late. "Scully," he whispered, staring at her body. She let him and then pulled him down for a kiss. He reached for the box of condoms and knocked it to the floor. He turned and jumped as he saw the long shadows on the floor. "Don't you guys ever knock?" he demanded coolly. She opened her eyes. They widened in horror as she saw the three men standing in the doorway. She yanked the top of her slip closed and jumped away from Mulder, but it didn't ease her embarrassment. How long had they been standing there? She felt sick and couldn't meet their eyes. All three of the Lone Gunmen's mouths were hanging open, gaping. "We knocked," Langly offered. "Guess you didn't hear," Byers added. "I guess not," Mulder said, unamused, as he sat on the edge of the bed, trying to shield his partner from their view. "What do you want?" There was no answer. Scully dared to look at them again and the three men were still staring at her. Byers looked disdainful. Langly looked disappointed. And Frohike - she had been about to say something, but she had to look away - Frohike just looked crushed. How was she ever going to face them again, later, with her clothes on? They almost trusted her now, respected her. When she asked a question, sometimes they even answered it without looking to Mulder first. Now they would always see her as an unprofessional floozy. A bimbo. Which was exactly how she felt. "I think they'd like some privacy," Frohike said quietly, his eyes lingering for a long moment on Scully before he turned to go. Langly and Byers each gave Mulder a pressing look before they followed Frohike out. Mulder turned to Scully, who leaned her head against her hand and stared at the bed. "I'm so embarrassed," she said, the words not even close to expressing how she felt. He placed a light hand on her shoulder and she scrambled out of the bed. "This isn't going to work," she said, looking for her dress. "Scully," Mulder sais seriously. She didn't respond so he said her name again. She pulled her dress on and went into the living room for her coat and her shoes. He followed her. "Dana," he said and she stopped and looked at him. "No, Mulder." she said. What could he say to make this all right? Mulder wondered. Nothing. But she was standing there, looking at him, so he took her in his arms and kissed her, pulling her lower lip between his teeth and biting down gently. Scully jolted backwards, her hands covering her mouth. "What was that?" she cried. "Erotic?" he tried, knowing he'd messed up in a big way. "You bit me!" she said. She removed her hands. "Am I bleeding?" "No, but...let me get you some ice." Mulder said and quickly went to the refrigerator. Kill me now, he thought. "Here." he handed her the ice and met her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Scully, I-" "I know," she said diplomatically, "It's OK. It just means nothing will go wrong next time." "There'll be a next time?" The words were out before he could stop them. She tried to smile. "Goodnight, Mulder." She put the ice in his hands and left. Mulder sat down on the couch in his boxers, toying with the idea of seeking revenge on the Lone Gunmen. He shelved the idea quickly. It was too dangerous, and it would be no fun without Scully. Scully screamed when she reached the parking lot and saw the huge man sitting on the trunk of her car, waiting for her. He turned her way and she recognized him, but didn't feel any more at ease. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. He looked puzzled. "Are you the one who broke my window?" "I thought you called me," he said, climbing down from her car. "Are you in danger?" "Only from Mulder." "What?" "Nevermind." Scully shook her head. "But why did you think -" She stopped as she looked at the car again, seeing it clearly. The tape she'd placed over the cracked window formed an X. She started to laugh. "Are you all right?" Mr. X asked stiffly. She shook her head. "Go home," she said. "It's a misunderstanding." He frowned and walked away. Scully got into her car. "No more, please," she prayed and drove home. End of part one. =========================================================================== From: Megan Reilly Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Dares 5: Truth (2/2) NC17 Date: Sat, 9 Dec 1995 20:07:43 -0800 Disclaimed in part one. Dares 5: Truth, part two by Megan Reilly eponine@uci.edu She avoided him the next day at work, but he kept finding reasons to cross their small office and touch her. She had to close her eyes to focus on her breathing. She'd never noticed before what torture it was then he put his hand on her back, or leaned over her shoulder or... She couldn't quiet her rapid breathing and turned to look at him. He smirked, knowing he'd won. She opened her mouth to say... "Mulder!" The frowned at each other, then turned to look. Allison. Mulder removed his hand from Scully's back. "What is it?" he asked. She rushed over and shoved an open folder at him. "Look at these pictures," she said, "I saw them and I knew you'd be interested. It's an E.T.E." "E.B.E." he corrected absently, looking at the blurry photos. Scully snatched the folder from his hands and returned it to Allison. "Where did you get these?" she asked, hostile. Allison frowned at her. "Is something wrong, Agent Scully?" she asked innocously. "You look kind of...puffy." Scully self-consciously touched her swollen lip. "I had a little accident -" "Tsk, tsk," came from Allison. "You really should avoid those sugary snacks," she said, patting her own, nonexistant hips. "Bye, Fox." She gave a little wave and flounced out. Scully lunged after her. "I'll kill her!" she screamed, but Mulder grabbed her and held her tightly. "Calm down," he said though he suddenly didn't feel so calm himself. "Mulder, are you...doing that on purpose?" she asked, her voice strained. "Yes." he continued the motion. "Let's get out of here." she breathed and they raced to the door and out of the building. He waited until they'd walked a block before he started kissing her. She kissed him back and they had to stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Scully pulled away and started walked briskly. They made it another few blocks before she grabbed him and kissed him, hard. He groaned. "We're not going to get home," he warned her. "I don't care," she said brazenly, meeting his open mouth again as they sat down together on a park bench. "Exhibitionist," he whispered against her mouth. She jerked out of his arms. "I didn't mean it like that," he said, kissing her neck. "No, you're right, someone will see us." she said stubbornly. He intensified his efforts, opening his mouth to caress her skin with his tongue. She sighed and melted against him. They needed to hail a taxi. Now. "Oh my God, Mulder." said Scully, pushing him away from her. He looked at her but her eyes were focused on something in the distance. "Look." He turned his head and saw Skinner, their boss Skinner, rollerblading through the park. The hulking marine sailed along the sidewalk, carefree, his trenchcoat flapping behind him like wings. Mulder couldn't help it - he'd been under a lot of pressure lately - he started laughing. And he couldn't stop. Scully stared at him as though he'd lost his mind, and he knew it, but he couldn't stop. Uncontrollable waves of laughter kept rising up in him. "You're hysterical," she said, Mulder nodded and tried to take a deep breath to regain his senses. He leaned against the back of the bench, or at least where he thought the back of the bench should be. It wasn't there and Mulder landed flat on his back on the pavement. He stopped laughing and tears of pain filled his eyes. "Ah-" he tried to say. Scully waited for him to get up, but he didn't. "Are you OK?" she got down on her knees next to him. "Where does it hurt?" "Uh - everywhere?" he said, trying to be casual and failing. Scully could see that he was in pain and brushed his hair off his forehead with cool, gentle fingers. "Did you hit your head?" she asked, getting out her cellular phone and calmly requesting an ambulance. "Don't try to sit up," she cautioned, pressing his shoulders back down to the sidewalk. Mulder started to argue. Then he blacked out. Scully didn't have anyone to sit with in the cafeteria, what with Mulder home with a slight concussion and a strained back. She missed him. She'd also been hoping that her longing for him would fade, and it hadn't. "Agent Scully, come join us!" A.D. Skinner rose to beckon to her. Scully cringed inside but couldn't refuse. "Yes sir." she said and relocated to the seat next to her boss. Right across from Allison. "How's Agent Mulder?" asked Skinner. "Resting." replied Scully. "I haven't spoken to him." "Looks like you had a mishap yourself." Skinner said and Scully resisted the urge to put both hands over her mouth. She couldn't believe her lip was still swollen. "There've been a lot of mishaps lately," he said and Allison stifled a giggle. Scully ignored her. "I hope you and Agent Mulder are being...careful." Scully could feel herself blush. "Yes, sir." "You know, Allison is very interested in the X Files." Skinner said. Scully struggled to retain her composure. "What do you mean, sir?" "I'd love to do what you've been doing," purred Allison and they all knew she didn't mean paperwork. "I'm sure your talents lie elsewhere." Scully replied cattily. "How *are* the personality tests coming?" Skinner asked. "Yours was particularly interesting, Dana." Allison said. "Did you see it?" she asked Skinner. "Actually my copy was misplaced -" Skinner began. "If you'll excuse me." Scully seized the opportunity and rose from the table. Allison's eyebrows went up. "Is that all you're eating?" she asked. "You know, starving yourself only slowly your metabolism and makes you gain weight." "Thank you for sharing your personal experience." retorted Scully, satisfied with Allison's gasp. "Sir," she nodded to Skinner, who looked quite pleased with himself. Scully rushed over to Mulder's apartment as soon as she got off work. She knocked, but the door was already open. That made her uneasy as she went inside. She froze as she heard feminine laughter from the bedroom, but she resisted the urge to turn and run. "Mulder?" Sculyl called, and counted to five to give him fair warning, thinking of the Lone Gunmen. Then she went into the bedroom. "Scully, I'm glad you're here." Mulder said, but she didn't hear him. She walked into the bedroom and froze. As soon as Allison heard Scully's voice, she jumped on Mulder and kissed him, shoving her tongue down his throat as her hand groped under the covers. "Get out of here," Mulder ordered, shoving her off him violently and leaping out of bed, ignoring the agony from his back , but Allison was already striking another seductive pose. "Now." She didn't move, so he threw her over his shoulder and trooped past Scully, depositing Allison outside his door. "She attacked me," Mulder said to Scully, breathing hard. "she's crazy." "I know. She broke the window in my car." Scully said. "She what?" "It's not important. I'm going to pay her back." she vowed. "Scully, you said yourself -" She shook her head stubbornly. "This is personal." she said. Mulder wondered what she was going to do and realized she was jealous. She was jealous! He laughed softly and shooting pains started to wrap around his spine. He turned and went back in the bedroom. "Mulder-?" she followed him and stopped in the doorway. His skin was white and his face twisted with pain as he lay panting on the bed. "Are you all right? Is it your head? Do you feel dizzy?" "I didn't have a bad concussion, Scully." he reminded her. "It's my back. I'll be OK in a sec, I just took some -" She picked up the unopened bottle from the nightstand and rattled the pills. "Tell it to someone else." she ordered, sitting down next to him on the bed. "Have you seen a chiropractor?" "Three. It's a strained muscle, that's all." "Lay down." she ordered. "Only if you kiss me." "You're in no condition -" "Lie down with me." "The doctor said no strenous activity," Scully reminded him and instantly regretted her words. Tension sparked between them and she suddenly needed to feel his mouth on hers. "You're a doctor." he said. "Examine me." She resisted. "Looked like Allison already did." "Scully." Mulder said in a voice that sent a shiver of awareness through her. "Allison hates both of us." She didn't respond. "Did I play truth or dare with Allison? No, I played it with you. Because you're -" he couldn't find one word to describe her. "Because you're Scully." She gave him a no-nonsense look. "If that was supposed to melt my heart, Mulder -" "Ok," he sighed, resigned, "Just give me a kiss before you go." He raised his eyebrows at her. "I asked nice." She didn't move. "Do I have to dare you?" "Mulder, we can't do anything else." she told him. "You're in no condition -" He nodded. "I know." He smiled a reflexive half-smile, embarrassed. "Not everything's quite in working order." he admitted. "Not yet. The pain. You know." She placed a chaste kiss on his forehead, then smiled down at him. "Night, Mulder." she turned to go, but he caught her wrist. "Stay with me?" "Mulder -" "Please?" Scully was pretty sure that was the first time she'd ever heard him use that word. "All right." she agreed, kicking her shoes off. Mulder put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. "What now?" she asked. There was a long pause. "You could do something," he suggested. "I thought you said, um, all systems weren't at go," Scully said, a slight laugh covering her embarrassment. "I was hoping you'd -" he broke off, embarrassed himself. Why did this seem more personal than a discussion of his temporary disability? "Rub my back," he mumbled. "Oh," she said, surprised he would ask her. "Turn over." He did and she knelt over him, touching him tentatively at first, then with more force. The pain in his back melted away. "You have magic hands," he said. "That's what they all say," she quipped, then realized what it sounded like. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I think - I'd better go." "What are you afraid of?" Mulder asked and she hesitated. "Why are you afraid of me all of a sudden?" Truth was, he'd always scared her a little. His intensity. She looked away. "I don't know how you feel," she said honestly. "I don't know what I feel." She closed her eyes. This was really tough. "I keep asking myself what I'm doing with a man who only calls me by my last name." "Dana," he said and she choked out a laugh. "Dana, Dana, Dana," he repeated, stroking her hair. She settled against him again and he sighed. "Ask me a question." "Do you have a psychological theory about why this hasn't happened yet?" she asked. "Avoidance?" "I'm not avoiding you," she said in a low voice and placed her hand on his chest, caressing. He looked at her and she looked back, inviting. She wanted him. He kissed her with growing need. "Spend the night with me," he said hoarsely. "Dana." She smiled and kissed him again. "I thought you said -" she began, her hand creeping under the covers. "I did." said Mulder, "And unfortunately, it isn't. But that doesn't mean... we can't hold each other." His voice cracked as suddenly his mouth and throat went dry. He couldn't believe he was saying such a thing. "Sounds nice," Scully murmured, stretching out full length beside him on top of the covers. "Different." She couldn't believe Mulder's honesty about...everything. He trusts me, she realized for the first time. "I've never...just held a woman before." he admitted. "And I thought you were a sensitive guy." Scully smiled, closing her eyes as he threaded both his hands through her hair. She was tired, she noticed, it had been a long day. "I care a lot about you, Dana." Mulder said. His heart pounded as he waited out the long silence before her reply. "I care too Fox." she mumbled. Seconds later she was asleep in his arms. He grinned. Fox. Why didn't he mind it any more? He was watching her when she awoke in his arms. She looked at him and knew. "This is it, isn't it?" she whispered, staring fearlessly into his eyes as they darkened. Mulder swallowed. "If you want -" "I want." Scully said and pressed her lips to his, kissing him slowly, taking the time to enjoy him. He shifted so she was under him and touched her. She gasped softly, amazed at how much she felt for this man. She touched him back and found that everything was in working order. "No," said Mulder, pulling his hips back from her hand. "Not yet." Wordlessly, he handed her a condom from the package on the nightstand and she put it on him. "Now." she said again, urging him closer. Still he held off. He had to kiss her first. His mouth opened on hers, took possession of her, and then he drove into her. They gasped together. Dana Scully, you are mine, he thought, pressing deeper and deeper. Climax seized them both quickly and violently. "My god," Scully said at last. "It's nice to be worshipped." Mulder said, joking, and she punched him lightly. They lay there together, close, with no words needed for a long time. Then Scully shifted, tried to pull away gently. "I don't want to let you go," Mulder said. This was a side of him she never saw - tender, caring. She liked it. "I know," she murmured, not really wanting to leave. "I don't think I've ever shared as much as I do with you." Mulder said, scared as he talked about feelings. She looked at him. "You're not talking about sex, are you?" "No, I'm talking about the truth." he said. She smiled. As in truth or dare. End. OK, guys, that was going to be the end of all this fun, but don't you fear, there is one more part, Dares 6: epilogue, posting now. Please tell me what you think, if it worked, if it sucked (so to speak)...what you liked or didn't. I worked hard on this. Megan eponine@uci.edu From: Megan Reilly Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: Dares 6:epilogue (1/1) Date: Sat, 9 Dec 1995 20:29:31 -0800 Yes this one is safe to read, rated G. I owe thanks to Rachel Young, who made me think about Ford Tauruses. Disclaimer: Chris Carter made these people up. Not me. And he doesn't know about this. Dares 6: Epilogue by Megan Reilly eponine@uci.edu Scully held her breath as the familiar music started, the organ blaring. Dum-dum-de-dum. The satin of her full white skirt rustled as she lifted it. Her mother grinned at her and opened the door. She couldn't breathe as she faced the church full of people - her family, her friends. And Mulder, standing at the altar. She wanted to run to him, but paced herself up the aisle. Finally she stood next to him before the priest. She smiled at him, but his eyes were fixed on the floor. "What?" she whispered, her smile fading. He met her eyes. "Your shoes," he whispered. She looked down in horror. On her feet were fuzzy white slippers with cheap plastic alien heads glued to the toes. She released her skirt and they disappeared behind white satin and lace. The whole church was laughing at her. Even the priest. "No, no, no," cried Scully, a buzzing in her ears. Through the window she could see a UFO. The buzzing got louder and louder. She opened her eyes. Her bedroom. Sunlight. The alarm going off. She breathed again, relieved. It was all a dream. Mulder was already in their office when she arrived. "I had a heck of a dream last night," she said. He smiled. "Was I in it?" "Yeah, you were in it." He pulled her close. "Were we doing something?" he asked suggestively. "We were doing something, all right." He kissed her ear. "OK, I dare you to do whatever you were doing to me in the dream, right now." Scully grinned. "You may want to hear this dream first." Allison stood outside the door, her ear pressed to it. She could hear them laughing. She frowned. What was going on in there? She pressed closer, trying to hear every word. It was impossible. She was about to give up when she heard it. "Married." Her heart beat faster. There is was again. Scully definitely said, "Our wedding."!!!! Allison grinned. What a good time she was going to have with this! She walked away, planning. "Ah, another day in the cafeteria." Scully said pleasantly, sitting down across from her partner. "All alone in our quiet corner." "Not quiet for long." said Mulder. "Allison looks like she's up to something." "Oh no." Scully rolled her eyes. "Here she comes." said Mulder. "Hi, Allison." "Hi," she said, "I understand congratulations are in order." Neither of them said anything for a long time. Then Mulder asked, "Why?" "Aren't you two GETTING MARRIED?" Allison said loudly. The room fell into shocked silence. "No." Scully said calmly, aware that all eyes were on them. She had to smile, thinking: I won't have to embarrass Allison. She's doing it herself. "But - but - but-" said the younger woman. "You said - I thought - I heard -" She was starting to shake. Skinner came over to her. "I think you'd better sit down, Allison." he said, "I don't want to sit down!" "Allison, if you want to keep your job, sit down and be quiet!" Skinner hissed. Everyone watched. Scully frowned. The girl was on the edge of losing it, she thought. Allison shook harder. Skinner put his hand on her shoulder. She freaked out. "I don't want to keep my job!" she cried. "You're all sickos. Perverts. Doing kinky things. Handcuffing each other! Stripping. Cross-dressing!!!" Mulder looked at Scully. "Cross-dressing?" he mouthed. She shrugged. Allison wasn't through. "It's sick! You're sick! You're all out to get me!" One side of her face was starting to twitch. She took a deep breath and everyone wondered if she was done. She wasn't. "But you know what's worse than the stares, and the looks, and the sickos -" she looked at Mulder and Scully. "Worse than that dead green thing up on the roof even?" They all waited. "It's the Tauruses. The freaking Ford Tauruses. Everywhere we go, no matter who we get the cars from! Fords! All of them! But I found out why." she said. They waited. Finally the mystery would be solved. "You wanna know why?" she cried. "Him! It's him!" She pointed her finger at the tall, thin man sitting in the corner smoking a cigarette. "He's the President of the Ford Motor Company!" She yelled and started to laugh hysterically, sinking to the floor. A pair of security guards in blue uniforms led her away. "Well." said Mulder. "Yeah." said Scully. They were overwhelmed. "I don't feel so embarrassed about all those things we did. That...was much worse." Mulder nodded in complete agreement. "I'm just curious about one thing." "What's that?" "We're the FBI. Why do we have security guards?" he asked. Scully thought about it, then shrugged. "Must be an X File." He took her hand. "Now things can get back to normal." Skinner stopped by their table. "I'd like to see you two in my offive right after lunch." he said and it sounded like they were in trouble. He walked away. "I'd say things *are* back to normal." Scully said. The end. So, what do you think? Quite an evolution from the first one, when I think about it. I embrace all comments warmly...I am begging...please write to me!!! Coming soon: "Truth in the Face"...if the Cigarette Smoking Man isn't really the president of Ford, who is he? I have some ideas of my own. Look for it soon...it's a serious one though. Megan eponine@uci.edu