Spoilers: MAJOR "Small Potatoes" spoilers. Can we say this one just jumped WAY up on my favorite episodes list? :-)

Rating: PG maximum, as usual

Category: I think it's a V with a dash of H and a BIG dose of UST! Non-shippers, avoid this one! Although I have to admit I'm dying to know how you plan on writing off THIS episode! ;-)
 

"Hot Potato" by Julie L. Jekel

The uncomfortable silence hung between them all the way back to the car. Scully couldn't decide whether to be angry or embarrassed, even though she was more confused than anything.

What exactly HAD almost happened back there at her apartment?

She shook her head to clear it, deciding she couldn't dwell on that now. They had work to do--a *real* report to write now that Mulder was back and the case was really closed. The only problem would be how to write the objective, logical, reasonable report Skinner had come to expect from her when this whole case had been so damn frustrating!

She was furious with herself for not NOTICING that Eddie wasn't Mulder. He was her *partner* for crying out loud! Not to mention she *did* have prior experience with what her mind had irreverently dubbed Muldermorphs. She should have known the minute 'Mulder' wanted to drop the case that this wasn't her partner, but because she'd allowed her stubborness about the impossibility of Blunht's gift to override her instincts, she'd left him behind. Abandoned him. She should never have come back to Washington without him.

Not to mention she had almost KISSED Ed! The man who had trapped her partner and tried to take over his life...she had WANTED to kiss him!

And a very annoying part of her just HAD to remind her that she'd thought he *was* Mulder at the time. She glanced over at him, hesitantly. What if it had been him? Ignoring the fact that Mulder would never show up at her door with wine and ask to hear all about her trivial childhood memories, if he had...would she have let him kiss her?

Mulder seemed to feel her eyes on him and turned to look at her. A puzzled expression swept over his face, and she felt a sudden surge of anger at what that...thing...had the nerve to say to him. Could her partner honestly believe that he was a loser? Her mind called back up their brief conversation of a few minutes ago...

<"You're not a loser...">
<"Yeah, but I'm no Edward Van Blundht, Jr. either, am I?">

"Is something wrong, Scully?"

Her eyes met his evenly. "You're right, Mulder. You're no Eddie Van Blundht. You've never had to try to take over someone else's life to be worth something."

Even she was surprised at the venom in her voice. She knew she was being very harsh on a man who had already had it pretty bad in life. But that was no excuse for what he had done, for impersonating these women's husbands...for trying to replace Mulder...for calling him a loser...

Mulder's eyes widened at her harsh words, not quite sure what to make of them. He responded the only way he knew how, with a joke that hid a genuine hurt--"So why is it you've never let me kiss you?"

Scully froze, glancing back up at him with a look of absolute shock on her face. He was jealous. Her partner was jealous of the weasely little man who'd tried to move in on his life because he didn't have one of his own worth living. And he was jealous of...

"Maybe because you never tried," she replied sharply. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she shrank back inwardly. What had she done?

The look on her partner's face was one of absolute astonishment. Apparently, he'd never considered that as a possibility. He'd never dreamed that she might actually WANT to kiss him.

To tell the truth, neither had she--at least that she was aware of--until that moment when she'd thought he was leaning towards her, bringing his lips to hers...

Was it any wonder she'd recoiled in barely-concealed disgust as soon as she'd realized it wasn't him? Or that she'd known the minute he burst through her door that the man bending over her wasn't her partner?

"What would you do if I did?" was his next question, still teasing, but suddenly tentative too.

It took only a moment for her to realize her answer. But it was an answer she wouldn't give him--not in words, and not until *he* was ready to accept it.

"Mulder, instead of asking...why don't you take a chance sometime on trying to find out?"

With that, she opened the car door and seated herself, buckling her seatbelt with a firmness that left no question the conversation was over.

His mouth still hanging part-way open in hopeful surprise, Mulder circled around to the other side of the car and climbed in.

Someday...he would just have to take that chance.
 

THE END