Happiness: Phase Two Author: shawntaw Category: MSR, Au Rating: PG Disclaimer: I wish I owned them. I wish I could call CPS (Character Protective Services) on CC and have them taken away. Then I could adopt them. I guess I should thank CC for thinking them up in the first place, though. Thank you. You're a genius. Now, FIX IT! Also, I made up Carver, Kentucky. If such a place really exists, I don't know about it.:) (Murmur, murmur, murmur...this is me praying that tonight's episode is a good one....) Summary: The title says it all. What is Diana up to? 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: Yikes. I always re-read the previous part before starting on the next part to make sure I maintain continuity and I just did that with "Hell Hath No Fury." Grammar and sentence structure mistakes abound. Sorry about that. My only excuse is that I typed it really late at night. I thought I had checked it several times thoroughly, but...well, let's just say it was REALLY late at night.*L* I was much more careful this time. :) ***************************************************** Scully got to Mulder just as he came back to consciousness. "Uhhhnnn.." He sat up, holding the back of his head. Scully pulled him slowly upright and helped him arrange himself to sitting on a step. "What happened?" he said, squinting at her. "From what I saw from the window, you tripped and fell," she said, probing through his hair with her fingers, looking for a lump. "Wait a minute, I'm mad at you," he said without much enthusiasum. She nodded grimly, "Mulder, you've got quite a lump here. Maybe you should get a doctor to look at you." She leaned close to look at his eyes for uneven dilation, holding his face in her hands. He grabbed her wrists. "I would NEVER do that to you, Scully. It would never even occur to me." Scully's eyes dropped to his mouth. "I know that, Mulder. I don't what I was thinking." Mulder's lips quirked a little, "It was very...female of you, Scully. Irrational jealousy. Very cliche'. And I thought you were a feminist." She pushed at him lightly as he released her wrists. "Maybe I'll just push you the rest of the way down the stairs and be done with it," she joked and got to her feet. Scully held out her hand to help Mulder to stand. "You're not going to see a doctor, are you?" She sounded exasperated. "Nah, I'm fine. Probably knocked some sense into me." He really looked at her for the first time. "You do realize you are standing outside wearing nothing but my t-shirt." Scully looked down at herself. She was indeed standing on Mulder's apartment building's front steps in a long, gray t-shirt and bare feet. "Well, since you're going to live, I think I'll go back inside and put some clothes on before someone calls the cops on me for indecent exposure," she said flippantly and began to parade back up the steps, aware of Mulder's gaze on her. "I guess I come back up too and finish getting ready," he said with a leer and followed her in. ********************************************************************** ~~Hoover Building, later that day~~ Diana sighed with relief before she could stop herself. The two of them were on the elevator, arguing about something, looking as normal as the Spookys ever looked. Obviously, he was fine. Diana stepped off the elevator at her floor without a glance behind her. *Definitely time for phase two* She paced through the bullpen to her desk and sat wearily. *Its all about undermining their trust...* Diana tapped her manicured nail against the desktop, deep in thought. *What could Fox be manipulated to do that would betray her trust? What has he ever done that could be construed by Scully as a betrayal of tr-* A feral smile spread across Diana's features. *Of course. Perfect.* ********************************************************************** "The case in Kentucky. Come alone for important information. Bring the redhead and someone may get hurt. Tell the redhead and no deal. I'll be watching." Mulder read the e-mail for the fifth time and bit his lip in contemplation. Scully entered the basement cheerily, hanging up her coat before addressing Mulder. "Hey. Something interesting?" He jumped and hastily minimized the window on his computer screen. "Um, no, something from Frohike," he lied, "How'd the class go?" She grimaced. No wonder he had hidden what had been reading so quickly. She could only guess what it had been. "Fine. I like subbing now and then," she answered, "What are you so deep in thought about?" "You know, Scully," he said casually, "I've decided to forget the whole Kentucky thing after all. I think you're right; I mean, there's no evidence of hanky panky. They probably are running from bill collectors." She froze. "Ohhhhkaaaayyy. So, what do you plan to do this weekend then?" Mulder shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, nothing. Hang around. Laundry. Maybe call you up," he smiled at her, "The usual." She arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you ditching me, Mulder? Is there something you're not telling me?" Mulder blinked at her innocently, "Scully, for goodness' sake, can't I change my mind?" "I'm not an idiot, Mulder, and I've worked with you for how many years now?" He stood abruptly. "Damnit, Scully, I just decided not to pursue it. When did you start mistrusting everything I do?" He said, refering to their earlier argument. "Mulder, I-" "Forget it," he waved his hand in dismissal, "I'm going for lunch. Tell your Mom I said 'Hi.'" Mulder strode from the basement, shutting the door firmly behind him. *That's right. I'm supposed to meet Mom for lunch today.* Scully let this bit of retrieved information float through her consciousness and felt dazed, like she wasn't sure quite what just happened. Why did she have the distinct feeling that Mulder had picked a fight on purpose to throw her off? Like she'd said, she wasn't an idiot and she knew something was going on. She just didn't know what. ********************************************************************** That night, Thursday night, Mulder felt a small twinge of guilt as he prepared to leave his lie on her machine. *This might be something big. And I'm keeping Scully from being hurt.* He rationalized the lies in his mind as her machine picked up. He knew she wouldn't be home right now. She was having dinner with a friend she had run into when she subbed at Quantico. "Hey, Scully, its me. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not going to be coming into work tomorrow. I'm heading to Mom's for the weekend. She was going to hire someone to haul stuff from my Dad's house to storage and I volunteered to do it instead. I think she's getting ready to sell it. Anyway, if you need me, you've got my cell number. See ya Monday, Scully." He paused. Should he say it on her machine? "I love you, Scully," he added and hung up the phone. ********************************************************************** The Carver, Kentucky Police Department was nice enough to send a police car to meet Mulder at the tiny airport. He got off the small airplane and stretched his legs tiredly. It had been a long flight with a couple of long layovers. He was ready to turn in for the night and get a fresh start tomorrow, but since the police department had sent a car he knew he should check in with them first for a quick briefing. Mulder had to remind himself to be on the alert for the e-mail contact. He introduced himself to the no-nonsense police officer that had been sent to pick him up. The older, skinny man spit a wad of chewing tobacco out onto the tarmac before getting in the car to shuttle Mulder back to the station. They arrived at the modest brick building right after sundown. As Mulder mounted the steps, he could see a shadowed figure standing by the front desk through the glass doors. The figure turned as he entered the station. It was Diana. ********************************************************************** Oh boy, am I having fun with this!:)