Title: Happiness - Guilt by Association
Author: shawntaw
Category: MSR, Au
Rating: G

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.  I am making no profit.

Summary: You're supposed to share, right?

Feedback makes me very happy at shawntaw@hotmail.com  :)


TO DANIELA LABOD WHO HAS MADE A WEBSITE OF MY STORIES:

www.geocities.com/corran_14776/shawntaw.html

Thank you.:)
***********************************************

NOTE TO ALL READERS: I APOLOGIZE TO ALL THOSE WHO'VE BEEN READING 
THIS SERIES.  "REAL LIFE" HAS BEEN, WELL, INTERESTING LATELY..TO PUT 
IT MILDLY. *SIGH* IF I WERE TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL, I'D PROBABLY 
SOUND LIKE I'M WHINING OR FISHING FOR SYMPATHY, WHICH I'M NOT...WELL, 
NOT MUCH. *L*

ALSO, I AM FORCED TO RESPOND TO ALL THE WONDERFUL E-MAIL I'VE BEEN 
RECEIVING IN THIS MANNER AS WELL.  THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!  I GUESS 
THE ANSWER TO MY PREVIOUS QUESTION IS THAT THIS IS A SERIES, NOT A 
WIP, BECAUSE THERE IS NO END IN SIGHT.  THAT SEEMS TO BE THE 
CONSENSUS.

I ONLY HOPE THAT MIMIC IS STILL SPEAKING TO ME.  

THIS STORY IS DEDICATED TO HER IN THE HOPES THAT THE DELAY BETWEEN 
THE LAST STORY AND THIS ONE DIDN'T MAKE HER TOO CRAZY. :)

ANYWAY, HERE WE GO...

******************************************************

Bill disgustedly brushed his hand across the front of his button-down 
shirt.

"Thanks," he said to Skinner sarcastically.

Skinner said nothing, momentarily stunned.

He reached up to right his glasses, which had been jarred askew by 
his powerful sneeze.

"Great," he mumbled to himself, "Mulder's cold."

Bill paused in his self-grooming to stare at the older man muttering 
to himself.

"Are all F.B.I. employees by definition insane?  Is it a job 
requirement or something?"

Skinner looked up at Bill and frowned.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He had decided he was through 
being polite.

"You, standing over there mumbling to yourself," Bill said, "And that 
guy you have working with my sister...Mulder."

Skinner wondered what Bill's beef was with Mulder.  Heck, he wondered 
what Bill's beef was with him.

"You have some sort of over-protective thing about the females in 
your family, don't you Bill?"

Bill's frown deepened.

"You've been related to these women your whole life, and you still 
haven't figured out that the Scully women can take care of 
themselves?"

Skinner laughed harshly, "Hell, if I made her mad enough, 
Scully...Dana...could probably kick my butt."

Bill's expression softened at that, "She is tough," he conceded, "but 
she wouldn't have to be so tough if that Mulder would stop getting 
her into so many dangerous situations.  And don't even get me started 
about what happened with Missy....and the cancer-"

Skinner had held his hand up to interrupt as Bill began getting angry 
again.

"Bill, your sister is how old?  Don't you think you ought to let her 
make her own decisions?  And you know as well as I do that Melissa's 
murder was not anyone's fault.  It was one of those horrible things 
that happen in life...as was the cancer."

*Well, that's as much truth as Bill Scully needs to know anyway....*

Skinner quickly changed his line of thinking, worried it would show 
on his face.  Bill Scully didn't need to know how involved Skinner 
had been in each of the incidents he had named.

His inablility to stop Scully's sister's murder or to help Scully 
recover from cancer more quickly still gnawed at Skinner when he was 
least expecting it...

"What about her abduction?" Bill was asking when Skinner tuned back 
in, "And don't try to tell me it was aliens."

Luckily, Maggie Scully walked in to the room at that moment.

"Have I given you men enough time to hash things out?" she said 
brightly, heading for the coat rack.

"I haven't even gotten to how I feel my mother dating an F.B.I. 
agent.  I mean, it is one thing for Dana to put herself in danger.  
She's a young woman.  But, my mother-"

"Bill Scully, you mind your own business!  Besides, Walter isn't even 
in the field anymore.  He's an assistant director.  He doesn't do all 
of that dangerous running after criminals anymore.  So, calm 
yourself."

Bill scowled at Skinner for confirmation.

Skinner decided to be quiet and look agreeable.

"Uh huh," Bill said, unconvinced, still glaring at Skinner.

"We'll be back soon, Bill.  Remember to set out the stuff for the get-
together."

Maggie took Skinner by the arm and steered him out the door.

**********************************************************************

Byers stood nervously outside of Kimberly's apartment door, holding 
the bag containing the old margarine tub of soup carefully in his 
arms.

He knocked firmly.

After a moment, a stuffy voice sounded from within.

"Yes? Who is it?"

Byers cleared his throat.  "Kimberly? It's me, John Byers."

"John?"

"Yes. Mulder's friend, remember?" he felt compelled to add, "I just 
thought I'd check by to see how you were feeling.  I brought you some 
soup."

He cringed.  Man, he sounded pathetic.

The door cracked open.  A smiling, pale face appeared framed by 
unruly blond hair.

"That's so sweet.  Come on in, John.  Although, you'll be risking 
getting this bug.  I'm probably contagious."

Byers smiled, "That's o.k., it is worth the risk."

Kimberly held open the door for him.

**********************************************************************

Scully hung up the phone with her eyebrow raised.

*That's not a good sign*

Mulder sighed and waited for the bad news.

Scully simply stared at the phone.

"Well?" Mulder said impatiently.

"Well," Scully took a breath, "that was Bill."

Mulder flinched.

"And," she continued," the get-together is indeed tonight."

Mulder waited.

"So, what's wrong?"

"My mother wasn't there," she said without looking at him.  Scully 
seemed uncomfortable, like she was unsure about something.

"AAAAnd?" Mulder prompted.

"She was out on a date with Skinner."

"Oh."

Mulder couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Are you..are you o.k. with that?"

Scully had a small smile on her face.  A confused smile.

"I think so. But, Skinner better be good to her."

"I'm sure he will," Mulder said encouragingly, glad to have something 
helpful to say.

"Well, come on," he said after a moment, "let's go get ready."

He began to walk toward the closet.

"We don't want to be late and disappoint Bill."

Scully rolled her eyes at him as he swept past her.

**********************************************************************

Next: New Year's Eve.

Soon....