From: WGPD33A@prodigy.com (MR JOHN J SHENKO) Date sent: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 20:48:26, -0500 Subject: April Morning II: The Morning After Title: April Morning II: The Morning After Author: Christina Category: SH Rating: PG Spoilers: Detour, a bit Keywords: none Summary: Mulder and Scully must explain yesterday's actions to Skinner. Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully belong to Chris Carter, 10-13, Fox Television, and any other major or minor deities associated with them I've neglected to mention. No infringement intended, and I am making absolutely no money. (In life in general as well as from this, so don't sue.) Author's Note: This is a sequel to "April Morning", a short little humor/angst vignette. This will make absolutely no sense if you haven't read "April Morning" (and sense is not guaranteed even if you *have* read it) so you should probably read that first. Enjoy! Thanks to everyone who wrote and requested a sequel; otherwise, this never would have been written. *** Special Agent Fox Mulder awoke on the floor. After careful scrutiny, he discovered that it was his floor. More specifically, it was the rather narrow portion of the floor in between his sofa and coffee table. "Damn," he remarked to no one in particular. He briefly wondered why his head was pulsating with pain, then immediately wished he hadn't. The previous day's events came back in one painful rush, right up until the part were Scully had knocked him out (again), this time with a painkiller, and locked up his apartment. In the middle of all his mental wanderings, Mulder was suddenly struck by a nagging feeling that he had someone to meet with. It was eight AM, so it couldn’t be an informant...no shadows to lurk in... Oh, shit. He and Scully had to meet with Skinner in two hours. About yesterday. This was shaping up to be a very bad day. And to think, it was just the second day of the month. *** Special Agent Dana Scully also awoke on the floor. Her floor. She valiantly tried to remember exactly *why* she was lying in the middle of her living room, but her pounding hangover headache overwhelmed every -- Hangover? Since when did *she* get hung over...? Oh, yeah. Yesterday. Damn. Scully buried her face in the plush carpet, mortified that she had so completely lost control yesterday. The control that she so valued, gone in one emotional outpouring. She had even gone so far as to punch out her own partner... She had felt so badly afterwards that she had taken Mulder to his apartment and dosed him with enough painkillers to put him soundly asleep. She had then driven to her own apartment, and dosed herself with enough vodka to put her soundly asleep. Hence the floor. Scully supposed she had started out on the couch, and just rolled off somewhere during her drunken-stupor state. She wondered why she had drank so much. As embarrassing as the incident was, Mulder she could deal with... Crap. Skinner had wanted to speak to both of them today. April was definitely leaving Scully’s favorite month list. *** "So what are you going to tell him, Scully?" Mulder whispered to his partner, as they squirmed in the uncomfortable chairs of Skinner’s outer office. Kimberly frowned at them like some kind of kindergarten teacher, which made Scully even more uncomfortable. Her kindergarten teacher had been an iron-willed nun. "The truth, Mulder. Maybe. What kind of story can we make up that he'll actually believe?" Scully did *not* want Skinner to know exactly what she had told Mulder yesterday morning, but what excuse could they give for the diminutive Scully being provoked enough to deck her six foot one partner? "You hadn’t taken your Midol?" Mulder made a weak attempt at humor that fell more quickly than his long-ago one and only attempt at souffle. "I don’t think so," Scully said with a sigh. Kimberly interrupted their poor efforts at plotting. "Assistant Director Skinner will see you now." Those words had never been so frightening. *** "Agent Scully, can you explain to me why Agent Mulder is sporting a rather impressive black eye?" the AD asked after they had gotten themselves seated. "Well, sir, it was an uncalled for, if not unprovoked, display of unrestricted anger on my part which will *not* happen again. Ever. Sir." Scully shifted nervously in her seat, unconciously twisting the hem of her skirt. Mulder subtly craned his neck for a better view of Scully’s suddenly revealed upper thigh. "Agent Mulder." Mulder jumped slightly, and paid attention again. "What does Agent Scully refer to when she says 'if not unprovoked.' What were *you* doing?" "I played a rather nasty April Fool's joke on her, sir." Mulder hoped they wouldn't have to go into what Scully had said afterwards. "What was the nature of this joke?" Skinner's question was directed at Mulder, but Scully answered. "He--he was messing with my mind. Sir." Scully hoped desperately that Skinner would find that answer acceptable. "Agent Scully," Skinner said with a sigh, "Mulder had been messing with my mind ever since he was placed under my jurisdiction. Yet you don't see me punching him out, though God only knows there have been many times where I have wanted to. I’m sure whatever Agent Mulder said or did, he deserved the black eye." Mulder started to protest, but quickly decided against it. He didn't want to end up with *two* shiners. "However, I cannot condone this kind of behavior from two of my top agents. In the future, Agent Scully, please restrain your violent impulses towards your partner. It's hard, I know, but it can be done. And you." Skinner turned towards Mulder. "Be nice." The AD practically growled the words. "Dismissed!" Mulder and Scully meekly rose from their seats, trying to decide whether or not they had gotten the better part of the bargin. *** Skinner watched, stonefaced, as they filed out. As Mulder shut the door behind him, the laughter that had been threatening to surface all morning finally did. To think that Scully would punch Mulder -- and knock him out to boot -- It would one of the better "Mulder and Scully" stories that his grandkids were always begging him to tell. Skinner only wished that he had been there to see it. He wondered what Mulder had done to get Scully so riled. He would have asked, but Scully had been so uncomfortable throughout the entire thing, he had restrained his curiosity. After a stunt like that, Scully had the right to a little peace of mind. But he *really* wished he had been there to see it. *** "Did that go well?" Mulder asked Scully as they slowly made their way down to the basement. "I'm not sure," Scully said thoughtfully. "I feel like I just yelled at by my dad or something. But Skinner isn't making us go through any partner communication seminars or anything, so I think we're all right." "I *hate* those things!" Mulder exclaimed. "A fate worse than death. Do you remember when we were supposed to go to one of those, and that agent -- what was her name? -- wouldn't shut up about the office furniture tower they built? And we got stuck in the woods, with those weird invisible things running all over the place?" "Yeah, and you fell down that hole, and I sang the Jeremiah bullfrog song to you, totally off-key." They smiled at each other, then were suddenly struck by the same thought -- would their easy camaraderie change because of Scully's little revelation yesterday? They glanced at each other a bit nervously. "Hey, Scully?" Mulder started. "I'll forget it if you'll forget it," Scully said hopefully. "Done," Mulder replied with relief, and they walked into their office, friends and partners once again, no more, and no less. X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X Feedback, please!! I love it and I answer it, and I would really appreciate it. Thanks! My email address is WGPD33A@prodigy.com. ********************************************************************** ******** "It is by chance we met, but it is by choice that we are friends." --H.L. (I have no idea who H.L. is, but I like the quote.) "Truth had many faces and the truth is like the old road to Avalon; it depends on your own will, and your own thoughts, whither the road will take you. . ." --"The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley (A great book, by the way. It's long, but definitely worth the read. Bye!)