A Fox's Den is Never Safe
by Sara Lynn
*ASK PERMISSION BEFORE ARCHIVING* I like to know where my story goes.
SUMMARY: Nothing is reality.
SPOILER: Young At Heart
RATING: PG-13 (cause questionable things keep it from a G rating)
CONTENT WARNING/CLASSIFICATION: MSR, Angst.
DISCLAIMER: Fox Mulder & Dana Scully are soon to be mine . . . as soon as 20th Century Fox decides to sell them.
He was almost asleep. Just a few more seconds. Something about where he was had him close to the edge. Fox Mulder enjoyed his curved pillow. The soft squish of his head against it's center. The satiny exposed ankles tucked slightly under his body. In his opinion, Dana Scully could not have made a better pillow. She had long ago abandon wakefulness and no longer minded the pressure Fox applied to her body.
A lazy Friday night had come around and just to be near her, Fox invited his partner to watch a movie at his apartment. They had recently decided to expand on their relationship, but they both realized that it was important to take it nice and slow, and evenings like this was just what the doctor ordered. A few disagreeing words, a popcorn fight and a final concession on both of their parts led to some of the most sensual kisses either had ever experienced. Before either really knew what was happening, Fox's mouth was nipping at her neck and his hands were fondling her breasts under her work blouse.
Finally, she had to push him away. "Fox, wait." Her breath was coming out in deep gulps and his eyes were wide as if he had done something wrong.
"What? I didn't mean . . . I thought . . ."
"Oh no. . . It's okay. I just don't want us to take it too far tonight. I . . . um, I enjoy what we're doing right now."
"You want to wait to go farther?" Mulder let out the nervous laugh at the irony of her statement. The woman had just gotten over cancer and she wanted to wait?
"Just . . . Please, Mulder?"
"Okay, but will you stay here tonight?" Dana nodded and settled back onto the sofa. She patted her chest wanting Mulder to lay his head there. He rubbed her hip as she played with his hair. Somewhere in-between then and now she drifted off and Mulder's few waking thoughts were of how happy he was to be holding and held by her.
Suddenly the telephone rang. Groaning that he had to leave his paradise, Mulder grabbed the phone mouthing an unhappy hello to whoever was waking him.
"I didn't wake you, did I Fox?" The voice was familiar but Mulder could not place it half-asleep.
"Who is this?"
"Aw, I did. You and your little lady friend sure have been busy tonight. I thought I was going to see something."
Mulder did not like the sound of that.
"Is she the one I shot?"
Mulder raced through his memory. Who shot at Scully? He only knew of one time. No, it couldn't be . . . "Barnett?"
"I thought you went by the book, agent Mulder." The dripping honeyed voice gave way to boisterous laughter and an ominous dial tone.
Looking back at the woman on his sofa, Fox decided they would be more comfortable in his bedroom. He slipped his arms under her body pulling her into his hold. "Fox?"
"Shhh. Just gonna move you somewhere more comfortable." He weaved his way into the rarely used bedroom and managed to pull back the covers so he and Dana could lay in their security. The small redhead turned so she could use his chest as a headrest. Fox just wrapped his arms around her not sure if he could go back to sleep.
Across the street, a man watched as his targets moved out of his sight.
The light reached the bedroom windows and shone right above Fox's head. It was almost like having the damned light right in your face. He squinted, trying to twist away, and only managed waking his beloved. "Fox?"
"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."
"It's okay." She shifted and stretched her muscles. With the light behind her, the light sheered throughout the white blouse and outlined her body and hidden lingerie. Mulder sighed and reached for her. She moved into his personal space and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Guess you've finally got me in bed."
"Yea." He whispered as she moved over his body nipping at his Adam's apple. He let his eyes shut imagining Dana's soft lips over his body. Dana peeling off the layers of Scully. Dana lying on the floor with a bullet in her heart from the gun in John Barnett's salamander hand. He gasped loudly, flinching at his last thought.
"Fox?" Dana had been bucked off his body and dismayed that she might have committed some transgression. "Mulder?"
"Scully, I think it's time for you to go home."
"Mulder?"
Fox moved from beneath the sheets to sit on the edge and move toward the bathroom. "I'll give you a call."
"Why are you treating me like some bad date? I'm not a one night thing."
"I just need some time." He gave quickly retreating to the bathroom. Scully followed until she reached the door.
"Fox? What did I do?" Scully caught herself tearing up. Why now? Why was she about to break down over this man? She gathered herself and few belongings on the way out.
Mulder heard the door shut and sighed. How was he going to tell her about his vision? Would she think it to be some sick perverted wish? How could he let her know he loved her and not scare her?
Dana sat in the downpour of the shower letting her tears merge with the torrent. As much as she wanted to wait until they could talk about feelings for each other to make love, she was willing to play around with Fox until then. She had let him touch and grope her the previous night. No man she had ever been with made her feel the way he did when they were together. Even last night was romantic because of the company.
Maybe a long discussion over a fancy dinner could lead to a night of passion. She wanted to think that something solid could be made of their relationship, but now he was pushing her away. He didn't want her. Oh god, What was she going to do?
All of a sudden, the telephone began to ring. Dana gathered herself up, hoping to catch the phone before the machine got it. Pulling on the oversized cotton robe, she rushed to the ringing just catching it before the answering machine did. "Hello? Fox?"
"No, not Fox."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Who is this?"
"Just an admirer. Someone that wants a 'shot'."
Dana gripped the collar of her robe closed and clicked the phone off. The last thing she wanted in her condition was a disturbing call. "Easy, Dana. Just go back to your shower and forget it."
Fox knocked on the door, but there was still no answer. He had thought through the dream and realized it was just that. He wanted to straighten up the misunderstanding. Deciding to check out the silence, Mulder unlocked the front door and walked into Scully's apartment. He hoped she was asleep or working. Gathering up the courage to say 'I'm sorry' once was hard enough. His ears picked up the sound of falling water. "Scully?"
"I'm in here, Mulder."
The voice came from the bathroom. Taking a deep breath Fox peeking his head in. He noticed a small hunched figure behind the shower's frosted glass. "Scully, I need to talk to you."
"So, talk."
"I'd like to see your face."
Dana made no move.
"You gonna make me come in there?" Mulder joked.
"If you want."
She was serious. Mulder was knocked on his ass. He didn't understand, nor did he want to. Deciding what he had to say surpassed any innuendo, he began to remove his clothes.
Dana felt the cold air hit her back as the door opened. She truly didn't care about the lack of clothes on either of them. It was probably better this way. Now they both could be naked and vulnerable.
Fox stepped into the warm shower, looking at the expanse of her back. Pale peach except for the splash of colors just above her rump. She let her hair flop down and her neck was exposed. The small spot of scar tissue caught his attention.
"Dana, I'm sorry about this morning." He said as he knelt down behind her.
"Do you realized how you hurt me? I believed . . . finally, right? Anyway, I believed that you and I had reached the natural next plateau of our relationship. I really wanted someone in my life that gives me the intellectual stimulation you do. Someone that appeals to me sexually like you do."
"But you want someone that won't fuck up things like I do."
"Fox." Dana turned so she could see Mulder's face. "You don't always 'fuck up' things."
Fox let his eyes gaze over the sight of Dana. He never really saw her naked before. Sure that first case, he saw her in bra and panties, but she was covered. Yea that nurse wanted to give Scully her sponge bath while he was waiting at her side for her to awake from the coma, but he talked her out of it. He imagined. He fantasized, but nothing compared. She was perfect. Even her imperfections were perfect.
She let the water press her velvety red locks against her skin. Her compact, firm breasts inviting him to touch the puckered pink nipples. The nether regions of her body almost as erotic as anything Fox's mind could conjure. He knew he should not look at her so longingly while he was trying to apologize, but she was a heavenly creature.
"Yes, I do." He looked up at her face wanting to let her know he mean what he was saying. "I'm trying to let you into my heart and the only thing on my mind is taking you right now."
"Really?" She moved in a bit closer. "Do you find things in me that you like? That you desire?"
"How could you ask that?" Her face fell at his question. Fox promptly took hold of her face and made her look at his eyes. "I find everything about you exquisite and arousing. Your mind and your body."
She smiled at that comment. She leaned in and kissed his lips. He kissed her back and could not believe how the idea of being completely naked hadn't arose until now, unlike Fox.
Dana felt Fox's hand over her back as she was being tipped to the floor of the shower. She laughed at the irony. "What?"
"Kinda feels like we're in the rain. Like that first case."
"Yea." He smiled as well.
"Fox, I wanted to tell you . . ." As if on cue, Dana was interrupted by the ringing telephone. Fox sighed and tried to kiss her again, but the ringing did not stop. "Let it go to the machine."
Fox waited for the machine to kick in, but the person hung up. Fox smiled returning to where he was. Their kisses were heated as ever. Their hands were all over each other. Dana stopped Fox's advance with two fingers on his lips.
"I have to say this. Fox Mulder, I . . . " The damned phone rang again and was starting to piss off Mulder.
"Hold on one second." Fox got up from the floor of the shower to answer the phone. Wrapping the towel about his waist, he stomped towards the offensive telephone. "Hello."
"Mulder, how nice to hear from you."
"Barnett." It wasn't a dream. Dana came up behind Fox wearing her robe. Her hand touched his arm to assure him she was there.
"You must have gotten a lot farther since the last time I saw you two together."
"What do you want?"
"That little partner of yours." Fox turned to Dana who just looked curious as to what was going on.
"She's not available." She? They were talking about her.
Barnett's laugh sounded in Mulder's ear. "You actually think I care? A Fox's den is never safe." The click of the telephone sent Mulder back. What was going on?
"Fox?"
Mulder turned to Scully who was still clad in only the bathrobe.
"Mulder, what is it?"
"John Barnett's alive."
"What? Barnett died four years ago. We saw him."
Mulder reached out for Scully's shoulders and directed her to sit down on the sofa.
"Mulder, what did he say to you?"
Mulder looked over Scully's delicate face. Her brilliant eyes glittering in the sunlight. Her hair curling into tiny ringlets as they dried. No, he decided, Barnett cannot have this.
"Just that I need to watch my back." She nodded in agreement. "And yours." Dana looked up at him, understanding completely.
"So you want to finish our shower?"
"Um. . . Perhaps later. " Dana's face dropped at his rejection. "No, I . . . I think I want to go into the office and get the back files on Barnett. I came here dressed . . . " Fox looked down at his lap and really noticed he was only wearing a towel.
"Fox? What do you want me to do?"
"You're coming with me."
Scully really did not enjoy the fact she was in the office on a Saturday. Weekends were her recovery period. She tapped her toe against the concrete floor waiting for Mulder to find the formal police records. Sitting in her partner's chair, Scully looked at where she was and felt like laughing. It could not have been more than a year that she complained about not having a life of her own. Before the cancer set in. . .
A year ago she had been diagnosed as having a nasal pharyngeal mass that was bound to kill her. She was living now, contrary to what everyone believed. Living and in love. She was actually in love with Fox Mulder. Now she sat, waiting for him to come back.
"I found the hospital records from when I shot Barnett. Everything looks right, but the hospital says the body disappeared later that night." Mulder placed the folder in front of Scully hoping she could see something he didn't.
"That CIA guy we saw. . . Could he have been involved?"
"You think?" Mulder caught himself speaking sarcastically. "Sorry, this Barnett thing has me worried. Dana," He leaned against the desk and took Dana's hands in his. "I don't want anything to happen to you. Not now."
"I know. We need to talk."
"How about I take you out?"
"Like a date?"
"It has been that long since you've been on a date, has it?"
Dana laughed. Even something simple like accepting a date was difficult with Mulder. "Sure. I guess something relaxing would be good."
It had been a long time Mulder realized as he waited for Scully to finish dressing. A long, long time in his case. He could not remember the last time he picked up a girl at her home and they went out for dinner. Had to be over five years.
"I'm sorry I took so long."
Mulder turned and stared at Scully as she came out of the bedroom. She was pinning her hair up to leave her neck and shoulders exposed. Her dress hung off the shoulder and dipped slightly at her bust. The straight skirt ended about mid-thigh and Mulder admire how her legs did not seem to want to stop. Even the deep green fabric seemed to do something for her complexion.
"Is something wrong?" Dana touched the tiny golden cross in the dip of her throat.
"No. You're gorgeous."
"Thank you."
Mulder stood up, feeling terrible that he just picked out a charcoal suit and rushed over.
"You look very nice yourself, Mulder."
"Um . . . Perhaps tonight we can just be Dana and Fox."
Scully jumped slightly. "Okay."
Mulder came a step closer, touching her cheek with his finger. She let out a ragged sigh at the contact.
"No, it's not. We need to talk before anything else happens."
Mulder nodded and led the way out the apartment.
Dana sipped again at her glass of white wine as Fox was finishing up his dinner. "Do you think we could have that talk now?"
Mulder looked up mid-chew and nodded.
"Well, I've had some time to think and re-think my life since everything happened. And I was wondering if maybe you have done the same thing." Mulder nodded wanting her to continue. "I thought over my life and recently I think you and I have started moving down a path that . . . well, I like."
"I like it too." Fox reached across the table and took hold of Dana's hand.
"I didn't realize it until this morning, but I think . . . I know that I'm in love with you and would like to have something more."
"Are you sure? I do love you, Dana, but I told you I am not very good at this. I might make insinuations that we are perfect for each other . . . but why me?"
"I told you. You bring out things in me that I do enjoy. I might get impatient, but I like the challenge. I don't blame you for anything that has happened to me. I want to be with you and before we go farther I wanted you to know that this is important to me."
"So you ready to go home?" He raised his eyebrows in curiosity.
"I wouldn't dream of waiting a minute longer."
They were barely in the apartment with the door shut before they were kissing fervently and ready to collapse to the floor.
"Bedroom." Dana whispered as his hand on her back began to disable the zipper. Fox just lifted her up into his arms and carried her out of the living room. Placing her down on the bed, he continued to rain kisses down her bared shoulders.
"Dana . . ."
"I'm done waiting, Fox. Please." He nodded removing his jacket and starting on his tie, their mouths remaining interlocked. He was ready to pull off her dress when the damned telephone began to ring. Fox reached for the set by the bed grumbling "What?!" at the caller.
"Did I interrupt something?"
"Barnett. What do you want, you sick fuck?"
The slight chuckle proceeded Barnett's words. "Mulder, you're in the presence of a lady. Does she let you talk that way to her face?"
Fox looked over at the window in Dana's bedroom. The blinds were slightly opened, probably enough for someone to look inside.
"She's mighty pretty, Mulder. But what would she be doing with someone like you?" Mulder looked out the window. "You got her shot once. What's going to happen to her this time?" The telephone clicked off and Mulder dropped it to the floor.
"Dana, he's watching us."
"What?"
"He can see us." Mulder turned to face her.
"What do we do?"
Time passed and found the two tired agents lying next to each other. Dana slept while Mulder rubbed her back. His brain was working overtime trying to come up with some plan of attack. Barnett was watching them. He watched them and waited. It was a foxhunt and Dana was caught in the middle of it.
Fox shifted his body closer to Dana's. It was all they had. Fervor from before had disappeared and the two had settled in to rest and wait it out.
"Dana?"
"Hmmm."
"I need to go check out something. You going to be okay?"
"Yea." She turned her head and waited for him to kiss her. He did and smiled at how natural it felt. He was surprised at how comfortable he was doing such simple, normal acts. Especially with Dana.
He stepped out of the apartment building looking around at the peaceful street. No activity at one in the morning. Even Mulder wished he was asleep. He turned back and walked up to Dana's flat. Reaching into his pocket he realized he left the keys on the nightstand. As much as he abhor waking her, Mulder knocked on the front door. "Dana?" He whispered loudly.
The creak was soundly louder than it was earlier. Dana peeked her head into the crack and looked at Mulder pointedly.
"Dana, are you going to let me in?"
"Mulder, I think you should go."
Mulder? What had happened.
"Go!"
"Dana. . . what?"
"Oh, Dana. Let's invite the fox back into his den." The door opened wider and Mulder saw that Barnett had his good hand around Scully's throat. He looked younger somehow, but the evil in his eyes had not changed.
Mulder reached behind his back and pulled out the gun. "Mulder, that didn't work the last time. And this. . . " His head brushed against Scully's, "It's much more important."
"Let her go." He moved into the apartment the gun trained on Barnett waiting for a clean shot.
"No, no, Fox. I let her go, I'm dead. Then again I can kill her right now and that would be worse than if I killed you. You can't live without her."
"LET HER GO!"
Barnett moved Scully back and his fingers tightened slightly. Dana gasped trying to cough, but it only came out as a wheeze. Fox watched and died slightly at the noise.
He couldn't follow bureau procedure. Scully was in the way. Fox raised the gun slightly and squeezed the trigger. He remembered the fired shot, the scream and the sound of broken glass as John Barnett's head lolled back into the picture.
Scully woke up with a jolt as she rolled out of the unfamiliar bed. She looked quickly around and remembered. Mulder had invited her over for dinner and a movie. Nothing happened. No make out session. No date with Mulder. No John Barnett. She did however need a glass of water.
She walked into the bathroom and filled in a glass halfway before she began gulping it down. It was so real.
"Scully?" She jumped, but it was only Mulder. "I heard . . . What happened?"
"Nothing. Just . . . a nightmare."
THE END