There's A Way
Chapter 3
Saturday morning while Jordan and Mulder played outside and Megan slept, I finished all of the computer work. I usually split it up between the weekend days, but since I'd invited Andy over, I knew I'd be fairly busy on Sunday. Mulder would've helped me with the meal if I'd asked, but he wasn't thrilled that his new partner would be joining us, so I didn't want to rub it in.
I was surprised that my mother still wanted to come over on Saturday after being here all week.
"I don't get to see much of Jordan during the week," she explained while she helped me in the kitchen.
Mulder was busy watching a baseball game. When it was over, he did the one thing I'd asked of him to prepare for the barbecue; he went out and mowed the lawn. My mother offered to take care of the kids when they woke up, so I was in the kitchen alone when Mulder finished with the lawn.
A September afternoon in the D.C. area was still warm enough for him to have worked up a sweat. At some point he'd taken off his shirt and he came into the house carrying it. There must be something in our genetic code that makes a glistening chest appealing; some link between sweat and a good provider perhaps. For whatever reason, my genetic code responded immediately. I didn't hide the fact that I was looking at him appreciatively.
"You women are all alike," he huffed as he reached into the fridge for an iced tea. "I'm more than a sex object, you know. I have a mind."
I said nothing, instead I watched as he downed his drink without pausing for a breath. After he tossed the empty bottle into the garbage, he started to close the distance between us.
"How do you think it makes me feel when you look at me like that?" His gravelly voice made me shiver.
"Um, cheap?" He was only inches away from me.
"Not even close," he breathed before he captured my mouth with his.
As soon as Mulder pressed himself against me, I could feel his sweat soaking through my shirt. I probably should have pushed him away, but he was half-naked and plunging his tongue into my mouth. I didn't give a rat's ass about my blouse. After my fingers explored the muscles on either side of his spine, I stopped myself from squeezing his ass.
"Do you need any help in here?"
My mother's voice startled us out of our kiss. She was standing in the doorway with Megan on her hip.
"I guess not," she chuckled.
"I should grab a shower," Mulder announced and left the kitchen, but not before giving me another quick kiss.
"I guess I should change my blouse," I picked at where it was sticking to my skin.
"I'll start the potatoes," my mother winked at me as I walked by.
There was something very disconcerting about being 36 and having your mother find you cute.
By noon on Sunday I was beginning to think that Mulder may have been right about not having Andy over, although our reasons were vastly different. Only last night the house had been in reasonable order, and with the way it looked now, Andy was sure to think we were barbarians.
To his credit, Mulder was trying to help by entertaining the kids. But the Duplo that was covering the living room floor looked more like another obstacle in my way to having a clean house before our company arrived.
"Don't worry about it, Scully," Mulder tried to calm me down when I heaved a sigh at the sight of the previously tidy room. "It won't be hard to clean up and we have kids; no one expects the house to be immaculate."
Forgetting why I'd gone into the living room in the first place, I forced a little smile and returned to the kitchen where I was still cleaning up the stew that Megan had dumped onto the floor. I didn't bother telling Mulder that my mother's house had always been immaculate and she'd had four kids. I have no idea how she did it. The house was always perfect, we were always cleaned to within an inch of our lives and she always seemed to have time to listen to our tales of childhood triumphs and tragedies. I'd have to remember to ask my mother how she did it.
Once the kids were down for their naps, things started to fall into place. Mulder picked up the toys in the living room and I had the kitchen fairly clean. I'd made both green and macaroni salads, which were cooling in the fridge. The steaks were ready to throw on the grill and I was putting some peppers, onions, mushrooms along with some garlic and butter into some tin foil to throw on the barbecue while the steaks were cooking. I'd bought some crusty rolls and beer, essentials in rounding out the outdoor meal. My mother had unwittingly supplied dessert. She'd brought two pies with her on Saturday; I'd saved the cherry one deliberately.
I was upstairs changing when the doorbell rang, fifteen minutes early. When I got downstairs Mulder was showing Andy the house. He was taller than I'd expected. When Mulder had compared him to Byers, he must have thought their personalities were alike. When he saw me he introduced me immediately.
"Andy, this is my wife, Dana Scully."
"It's a pleasure," the tall young man smiled. "I've heard so much about you -- " he paused and I could tell he didn't know what he should call me.
"Dana's fine, Andy," I smiled.
"I prefer Andrew," he lowered his voice, glancing at an oblivious Mulder. "If that's all right with you."
"Of course it's all right with me, I was just assuming," I glared at Mulder.
"How about a beer, Andy?" Mulder started toward the kitchen.
"Sure -- thanks," Andrew began to trail after him.
"I'll work on him," I called after them.
The weather cooperated and we had a great afternoon outside. When the kids woke up, I covered them with sunscreen and then let them loose in the backyard. We'd barbecued enough this summer that both Megan and Jordan knew to stay clear of the barbecue. While Mulder took charge of the cooking, Andrew played catch with Jordan. Mulder had made sure that Jordan had a glove and they'd played often.
"You've got quite an eye," Andrew commented as Jordan caught yet another ball. "Are you going to be a ball player when you grow up?"
"Yes, first baseman for the Yankees," Jordan answered very seriously. "That way I can support my parents in their old age."
"Mulder!"
"What? It was just a suggestion," he shrugged and winked at me as he took a swig of his beer.
"You can do whatever you want to do, Jordan," I smiled at him.
"If I was a lefty I'd be a -- a shoo-in," Jordan continued.
All I could do was roll my eyes. I'd have to consider supervising play time from now on. Megan was sitting in her sandbox in the shade. When I'd bought it, Mulder didn't understand why I'd insisted on buying one with a cover. When I explained it, he'd wrinkled his nose.
"I don't think my sandbox had one when I was a kid."
"Mine either, and we used to find little buried treasures all the time. We never told my mom though. We were smart enough to know that would have been the end of the sandbox."
I couldn't help smiling at the memory of the look on Mulder's face. Megan was busily filling a pail with sand, dumping it out, and then filling it again, her little tongue sticking out the entire time.
"How do you like your steak, Andy?" Mulder called.
"Medium-well, please," the young agent called back.
Keeping an eye on Megan, I strolled over to join Mulder at the grill. Grinning at me, he bent and gave me a quick peck.
"This isn't as bad as I thought it would be."
"Why are you being such a pain in the ass, Mulder?" I asked after I'd kissed him back.
"What?" he looked genuinely confused.
"He doesn't like to be called Andy, Mulder. Why do you persist when you know that?"
"What's the difference?" he shrugged. "Andy -- Andrew?"
"I guess you're right," I shrugged, watching Megan dump a bucket of sand onto her leg. "It shouldn't matter what he wants to called, should it, Fox?"
"Sure, throw that in my face," he stuck out his bottom lip.
"Why are you making an issue out of it?"
"I dunno, Scully," he hung his head. "I guess I want things back the way they were."
"You mean like before we were married?" I was shocked.
"God, no," he assured me quickly. "I want the X-Files back to the way they were; just you and me."
"As long as we have children, Mulder, things will never be exactly the way they used to be," I reminded him. "I liked it the way it used to be too, but I'll gladly live with a minor change in personnel in exchange for everything we've gained." Megan was still contentedly burying her leg.
Sorrow filled his eyes immediately. "Shit, I'm sorry, Scully," he whispered, "I'd never give up what we have, never. I was being selfish." With his free arm he pulled me close to him and kissed me softly. "Is it wrong to want it all?"
"Just give him a chance, Mulder. Besides, how often do you get to work with someone who thinks you're a god?"
"You mean aside from you?" he laughed and kissed me again to quiet my protests.
"They do that all the time," I heard Jordan telling Andrew.
"How's your beer, Andrew? Would you like another?" Mulder asked after he'd released me. I chuckled and went to sit down beside Megan again.
"Uh, yes please," he looked over at me in awe.
"I'll get it, Mulder, you're busy." I scooped up Megan and took her with me. "Jordan, you come too so I can clean you up for dinner."
"Okay, mom," he threw the ball back to Andrew.
When I got back with the beer and the clean kids, Mulder announced that the steaks were done. With Andrew's help the food was soon on the picnic table. It had been a long time since I'd fed a man in his mid-twenties. I'd forgotten how much they could eat.
"Don't they pay you enough to buy groceries with?" Mulder asked as Andrew helped himself to more salad.
"Mulder!" I kicked him under the table. "You go right ahead, Andrew."
He was holding the spoon in mid-air, not sure what to do.
"I was kidding, Andy -- drew. I'm just jealous that I can't eat like that anymore," Mulder assured him with a smile.
"My dad always says it's going to catch up with me," Andrew smiled as he added more salad to his plate.
"My dad always says I have a hollow leg," Jordan piped up. "I eat more than mommy."
I flushed a little at the use of 'mommy'. It was the first time Jordan had used it.
"Maybe you'll be a linebacker with the Redskins instead of a first baseman," Andrew winked at him.
It wasn't long after we'd finished dessert that it was time to get the kids into the tub. Mulder said he'd take care of cleaning up and Andrew offered to help. By the time I got back they were sitting in the backyard again, drinking beer in the twilight.
"Mulder was just telling me how you ended up with the kids; they're really cute. How hard was it to adopt them?"
"We just became legal guardians on the 11th," I informed him. "To be honest, I haven't had time to stop and think about anything beyond that."
"What's the difference?" Mulder looked at me.
"Jordan and Megan would have our last name," I pointed out.
"What? Mulder-Scully, Scully-Mulder?" Mulder looked unconvinced.
"Mulder."
"What?"
"No, their last name would be Mulder," I chuckled.
"Why just Mulder?" he looked puzzled.
"Well, aside from the fact that it's less confusing, I consider my last name to be Mulder now. Again, since it's less confusing, I'll continue to use Scully professionally."
"So you'll be Scully Mulder at home?" Mulder grinned making Andrew almost choke on his beer.
"Something like that," I laughed.
"Well, it's getting late, I should be going," Andrew announced after he'd finished his beer.
"You don't need to rush off," I assured him. "And how are you getting home?" I asked, recalling the amount of beer he'd had. He was a good couple of inches taller than Mulder and broader at the shoulders, but I still thought he'd had too much to drive.
"The bus," he shrugged.
"The bus? I'll drive you home then," I offered quickly.
"I don't want to be any trouble," he waved me off.
After much debating, and Mulder telling Andrew he might as well give in, he agreed to let me take him home. The drive was fairly quiet. I could only get one or two word responses any time I tried to start a conversation.
"Something wrong?" I finally asked.
"Not really."
"Why are you so quiet?"
"I dunno, I guess I'm trying to figure out why Mulder doesn't like me."
"What makes you think he doesn't like you?"
"Oh, I meant to thank you for asking him to call me Andrew," he turned to smile at me.
"You don't think he didn't like you because of that, do you?"
"No, there's more than that," he shifted around uncomfortably on the seat.
"Like what?" I pressed.
"Well," he hesitated.
"If he's being a jerk, I could help," I offered.
"It's not that, I don't think he takes me seriously."
"Why?"
"He's always rolling his eyes at things I say," Andrew sighed.
"Oh Andrew," I started to laugh. "Mulder is always rolling his eyes at things I say, and I get the general impression he kind of likes me."
"Really?" he perked up.
"The way to win Mulder's respect is to be honest. Don't sell yourself out to win him over, it won't work."
"I'll remember that," he smiled.
After that he chatted a little more freely.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked when I pulled up to the curb in front of his building. We'd been talking about the fact that I was coming in to talk to Skinner the following morning.
"I'll pop down to say hello," I promised.
When I got home Mulder was lounging on the couch watching Chariots of the Gods on tape. He'd watched it so many times, I almost knew it by heart. I was surprised when he stopped the tape.
"Aren't you going to finish watching it?" I was standing beside the couch.
"I know how it ends," he grinned. "And I had other plans," he reached out and took hold of my hand.
"Oh yeah?" My stomach began to tingle immediately. It was sad how easy I was; I wondered if he could tell.
"I was thinking," he paused and pulled me closer, "about what you said the other night."
"What did I say?" My brain was having trouble remembering what I'd said two minutes ago.
"You said that I could ask you anything," he reminded me.
"You can," I was almost breathless. "What do you want?"
"Well, first I want you to put on the sheer black nightie that I like so much," his eyes had grown very dark.
"Okay," I was sure my pupils had dilated as much as his had.
"And I want to watch you change," he added, his voice low and mellow.
We hadn't done anything yet and my knees were already so weak I could barely walk up the stairs. Mulder stripped to his boxers quickly and settled onto the bed to watch me. I was wearing jeans and cotton print blouse; I wasn't sure how sexy I could be taking those off. I settled for doing it slowly; watching Mulder's face as I went. His eyes had grown even darker and his lips were slightly parted.
Once my blouse was off, I decided the most alluring way I could slip off my jeans was to turn around. When I bent to push them down, I heard a groan from the bed. Since it had worked so well, I removed my panties in the same fashion. Before I turned around, I unhooked my bra. As soon as I was facing Mulder again, I let the last scrap of material that was covering me fall to floor.
Slipping the nightie on wasn't quite as sexy, but Mulder sighed in appreciation once I had it on.
"C'mere," Mulder's smoky voice sent shivers through me.
While I was walking to the bed Mulder put a couple of pillows against the footboard.
"Sit there," he nodded towards them and I did as he asked. "After we recreated out first time the other night, Scully, it made me think."
"About what?" I had no idea what he had in mind.
"About you touching yourself and thinking about me -- did you ever do that?"
My heart started to race instantly and I could feel my face flushing. I never imagined that I might be talking to Mulder about this.
"I did," I confessed. "You almost caught me once."
"When?" he looked shocked.
"I was in the tub and you'd just come back from your run."
"You were masturbating?"
"I was," I nodded.
"Tell me about it."
As I told him about how I'd touched myself while I'd remembered how he'd kissed me and how his cock had felt in my hand his breathing became increasingly labored.
"Show me," he panted when I finished.
"I can try, Mulder, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to come, not with you watching," I was honest with him.
"That's okay," he assured me.
Spreading my legs slightly, I slid my hand between my legs. Then I dipped two fingers inside of myself and used the moisture that had been gathering there to lubricate my clit. When my fingers grazed my already pulsing bundle of nerves, my eyes slipped shut at the sensation. I heard Mulder let out a slow breath.
"I used to think about you too, Scully, all the time."
Heat surged through me at his words and I moved my fingers a little faster.
"I used to think about making love to you in my bed."
I sighed and opened my legs a little more to give myself more access.
"But I didn't just think about making love to you. I used to think about hot, sweaty sex, Scully. Sometimes right on my desk, or in a rental car. I'd dream that we'd tear off each other's clothes because we were so anxious to touch each other."
Listening to Mulder raspy narrative was working, I could feel my orgasm building.
"I'd dream about burying myself between your legs and I'd wonder how you'd sound when I kissed you there."
"Oh God," I moaned, moving my fingers frantically.
"I dreamt about how tight and hot you would feel and I dreamt how you would sound calling my name when I made you come."
His last words sent me over the edge, his name on my lips just as he'd dreamt. As soon as I opened my eyes, Mulder dived toward me and began to kiss me hungrily. As we kissed he pulled me flat onto the bed and knelt between my legs. I could feel his cock, hot and hard, pressing against my still throbbing clit. With one small wriggle, I had him inside of me.
"I'd dream that it would be just like this, Scully," he panted as he began to thrust into me. "That you'd enjoy it just as much I as did."
"I do, Mulder," I told him breathily, "maybe even more than you."
"That, Scully, is not humanly possible," he panted and thrust even harder.
I wanted to argue, but he covered my mouth with his. It was the only way he could win the argument. Mulder began to groan into my mouth and I knew he was about to come. His muscles tightened and he began to shudder. I loved the way he came; like every time was better than the last.
When we were breathing somewhat normally again, we crawled back up to the head of the bed and collapsed.
"You know the one thing I never fantasized about, Scully?" Mulder pulled the covers over us.
"What?" I mumbled sleepily.
"I never fantasized that you'd be willing to fulfill my fantasies," he slung his arm over my waist.
Before I could tell him that I'd loved being able to do that for him, he was snoring softly in my ear. While I was driving home, I'd been thinking about adopting Jordan and Megan, but Mulder had made me forget to talk to him about it. I'd have to ask him in the morning.
The hectic pace of early morning made me forget to talk to him again. My mother's arrival, Jordan's breakfast requests, Megan banging her spoon on her cereal bowl and Mulder looking for his briefcase had all combined to give me a form of amnesia I hadn't studied in medical school.
While Mulder was putting on his shoes, I found his briefcase and brought him some coffee in a travel mug.
"Thanks, Scully," he smiled at me softly and kissed me tenderly. He was almost at his car when he turned around again. "I'll call my lawyer today about adopting the kids."
I was glad he was too far away to see the tears that had sprung to my eyes; it would have made him late if I'd had to explain. "Okay, see you in a few hours," I managed to smile.
After I'd dropped Jordan off at school, I drove straight to the J. Edgar Hoover Building. I still had my pass, but going in through the main entrance was the easiest way to get to Skinner's office.
"Agent Scully!" Kimberly smiled broadly when I walked into the outer office. "How are the children?"
"They're great," I smiled and began to tell her about Jordan's first day at school. I'm not sure how long we'd been chatting, but Skinner looked a little bit perturbed when he opened his door. I suspect he was checking to see what time our appointment was, but his face changed to a smile when he saw me.
"Come in and have a seat, Agent Scully."
Once I was seated, I explained how things had settled down quite a bit, and how I'd like to return to work part-time, in the mornings. "I see," Skinner said thoughtfully and opened up a thick file that had been sitting in front of him. "Do you remember Holly from records?"
"Yes." It was hard to forget the petite brunette who'd kicked my boss's ass.
"When I asked for your file she told me something that I hadn't been aware of."
"What was that, sir?"
"Did you know that the government has software that keeps track of how much time employees spend accessing the Bureau's LAN from home?"
"I think I knew that, it's built into the software that lets you through the firewall," I had no idea why I knew that piece of information or why Skinner was mentioning it.
"Were you aware of the fact that someone has been logging a great deal of time using your password?"
"Oh," I laughed. "That was me."
"I thought you were on parental leave."
"I was, I mean, I am, but Mulder was getting behind on his paperwork. I didn't want him to have to work evenings and weekends, so I did some of the work for him."
"We aren't in the habit of accepting volunteer services, Agent Scully."
I didn't answer. I was totally confused. It seemed like Skinner was upset that I'd been helping Mulder.
"To cut to the chase here, Agent Scully, I can't agree to letting you work part-time hours."
"But sir," I was shocked, "I thought the Bureau encouraged agents to take time to raise their families."
"They do, Agent, and they also have a strict policy regarding reimbursement for hours worked."
"I'm not sure I understand what your saying, sir," I was on the verge of tears. I couldn't believe he was going to deny my request.
I watched in total amazement as a smile spread across his face. "The only way I'll agree to this is if you are paid for the hours you work, both here and at home."
I felt relief wash over me in a wave. "Sir," I protested with a laugh, "You scared me."
"You didn't really think I'd say no, did you?" he chuckled.
"Not initially, but then I didn't know what to think."
"Oh, Holly had a check cut for you," he handed me an envelope. "From now on your computer hours will be part of your regular pay, now that payroll knows to look for it."
"I didn't know it would be an issue, sir."
"Since you and Mulder are raising a young family, you should have all of the money you're entitled to."
"Thank you, sir," I smiled. I didn't tell him that with Mulder's inheritances from the Prescott's and his parents in combination with our salaries, money was not a concern.
"When did you want to start at the office again?"
"Next Monday?" Most of my work clothes were still in boxes in the basement from when Mulder and I had packed up our apartments last month. I would need to make a trip to the cleaners.
"I'll see you Monday then," he stood to shake my hand.
Things were coming together better than I'd hoped. The last thing I'd expected was to have Skinner joking with me. His whole demeanor seemed to have changed. As I walked toward the elevator I formulated my evil plan. I was going to string Mulder along exactly like our A.D. had toyed with me. It must have been the grin I was wearing that made people do double takes when they passed me. Well, they were going to have to get used to it, because I wasn't about to conceal my joy.
end of part three