From: "Sean Spencer" Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 00:13:50 CDT Subject: Baccarat Piece: Collared Entanglements by Sean Spencer Source: direct BACCARAT PIECE: COLLARED ENTANGLEMENTS By Sean Spencer seans13@hotmail.com CATEGORY: VRA RATING: PG KEYWORDS: Mulder/Skinner Slash SUMMARY: A family member reveals more than he should. DISCLAIMER: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully and Walter Skinner are the properties of Chris Carter, Fox Television and 1013 Productions. No copyright infringement is implied in their use in this work of fiction. AUTHOR'S NOTE: Set two months after Skinner's rescue. Dedicated to all who unwittingly turned their refrigerators into giant Petrie dishes. .................................................. Mulder fumbled his right hand out of the bedcovers until he encountered Skinner's arm thrashing out. Through his own drowsy perception, Mulder sighed as he felt Skinner calm down and grow still. Skinner's brief episodes of unintelligible, guttural mumbling in sleep were echoes of nightmares he never mentioned. It would take Mulder at least another half-hour to slide back into sleep again. He lay on his back and blinked at the ceiling as he thought of the past few days. The criminal trial was one of the reasons why Skinner's nightmares were back. Today's unanimous conviction of militia members was a hollow triumph in light of the aftereffects, which would be forever with them. Mulder himself avoided the trial sessions where Skinner had to testify as the star witness. He was afraid of the blinding rage, which he barely had a hold on. The younger man couldn't guarantee having self-control when confronted with those fanatical men and women. He could feel his fists clenching each time one of them passed by in the courtroom in the few sessions he attended. His own actions might give him and Skinner away. Skinner didn't pressure him to go. It would have looked peculiar if an agent attended each and every trial that the DD testified in. Handcuffed and blindfolded the whole time he was in the militia's custody, all Skinner heard were brief snatches of unfamiliar voices in conversation. He, however, would never forget the voice that told the others to bury him underground. Mulder was with him in the courtroom when Skinner positively ID'd the militia leader through voice alone. After reliving the most harrowing moment of his ordeal, Skinner was silent in the car. Mulder made sure that it was Gutierrez on duty then, when he could ride in the car with the older man without any hassles. He rode in front with Gutierrez until the coast was clear then transferred to the back after a distance from the courthouse. With solid evidence and the perpetrators' identities without question, the justice meted out today did not come as a surprise. A major domestic concern, however, came to pass, which served to further distract them from the residual stresses of the trial. Mrs. Jackson retired two weeks ago. As of now, they didn't have a replacement for their old efficient housekeeper. On weekends, they managed fine. However, weekdays were harrowing when both of them worked long hours with their attentions divided with the court case. Take their bedroom for example. Mulder left the light on for Skinner's sake so he had a good view. From where he lay beside his lover, Mulder could see the overflowing clothes hamper in the bathroom. His side of the sink was scattered with his odds and ends. Their diet for the past few days consisted of Chinese delivered to their doorstep. Mulder swore the tiring buzz he could feel was from the MSG swirling in his veins. Taylor had been acting up lately, too. As a matter of fact, the dog just finished circling his usual spot by Skinner's side after asking for repeated pats from Mulder. His paws crunched from the strewn newspapers underfoot. The dog obviously missed Mrs. Jackson's companionship during the morning hours. Leaving him alone in a condominium was definitely tough on canine psyche. Would it be long before Taylor would require the services of a dog therapist? As he mulled over their domestic situation in the dim bedroom, Mulder realized that in all their years together, this was the first time they didn't have a housekeeper. In fact, their apartment was beginning to look like Hegal Place. Mulder couldn't believe how much of a slob he was back then. And still is. The most peculiar thing about this whole experience was the discovery that Mr. Neatnick beside him had a slob gene not far from the surface, too. It was only a matter of time before Skinner would blow up about it. Mulder estimated two days max. He was right. ............................... They both ran out of clean underwear and socks on the exact same day. On the one morning they overslept and were in a hurry to get to work. Skinner helplessly pulled open drawer after drawer, hoping by some miracle that a fresh pair of either underwear or socks would appear. He simmered as he found Mulder going through his own set of drawers in the bureau. Then both of them regretfully looked at the mountain of laundry in the bathroom. A pile they had studiously ignored for the past two weeks. "Don't look at me," Mulder pulled on a pair of running shorts, which would just have to do for today. "I was out of town, remember?" "I know, I know." Skinner sighed then followed Mulder's example and slipped on his own pair of old shorts. Erring agents and AD's better watch out for him. Chafing underpants was one way to keep him in a bad mood the whole day. .............................. Scully was in for a big surprise. She opened the door to the X-files office, preoccupied with a sheaf of papers. Once she stepped inside, she promptly tripped over something yellow and furry. She lay sprawled on the floor for a minute. "Ugh!" she moaned as she righted herself into a sitting position. She fended off the rough tongue from her face while crawling on the floor to gather up her papers. "What are you doing here, Taylor?" she scowled. The dog's tail thumped on the basement floor in response. Mulder stepped into the office at that moment and hastily helped her up. "Mulder, your dog isn't allowed in here." She tried to be indignant as she brushed herself off. Having the dog in the basement office made a welcome change for today. She found herself scratching Taylor behind the ear as Mulder tried his best to gather up and fix her papers. "Up there, maybe, but down here in the basement, no one will ever know. I smuggled him through the parking garage." "Why is he here?" "Booster shots at 11." Mulder handed back her folder. They were due to meet with their boss in five minutes. "We can always say he's being tested for paranormal abilities." "Mulder, your socks, they're white!" "Scully, as long as the desk is between us and our AD, I'm safe," Mulder explained slowly. "You should see the socks Walter has on. And don't ask about our underwear." "D'you miss Mrs. Jackson?" "Yes!" Mulder answered fervently as they closed the door behind them. .................................. Kim Cooke had a busy morning, fielding calls, keeping track of appointments, and making reservations for a large business dinner meeting. It was fortunate that the ten o'clock cancelled. It would give her boss a half-hour breather this morning. Skinner's workload was back in full swing. The DD was coping beautifully and brooked no nonsense from anyone. He had been able to keep up with his work in addition to the added pressures of the trial. He still wasn't back to his old fighting weight and occasionally he had dark circles under his eyes on some mornings. The limp he sported for a while was gone. His leaner look made him all the more intimidating. At the moment, her boss was in the midst of a budget meeting. Intense haggling was going on in the Deputy Director's conference room. So far, no raised voices could be heard beyond the walls. "Well, hello." Kim's eyebrows rose as a sleek tawny Labrador padded through. Kim stood up from her desk and checked the hallway from one side to the other. No one was about. She turned back to the dog, which was patiently waiting at Skinner's door. She bent over the friendly animal. The dog had a collar but no lead attached to it. The brass plate on his ID was neatly engraved with: TAYLOR W. Skinner 555-5783 F. Mulder 555-3304 Kim looked at the dog collar for a long minute. Then she sat down while Taylor kept his eye on the door and gave a small whine. The first telephone number was the Deputy Director's home phone. Kim sat at her desk, the wheels in her head grinding. After a few clicks of her mouse and a quick visit to the Bureau database, Kim's eyes widened as she took note of Mulder's home address. Past events suddenly obtained clarity in light of the implicating data on the collar. Kim called the basement but no one answered. She checked AD Wilson's office and was told that the X-files team was in a meeting with their boss. "Well, Taylor," Kim said, crouching down and deftly unhooked the brass ID from the dog collar. "We can't have you walking around with this." The dog waited patiently and loyally by the door the whole time. When there were sounds of chairs being pushed back and a hubbub of voices speaking at once, the Labrador stood up on all fours and wagged his tail excitedly. True enough, the door to the DD's inner office opened and people filed out of the room. Some of the people expressed surprise at having a dog in the Hoover. They gave Taylor pats as they exited past him. Once the flow of people ceased, Taylor shot through the open door. "Hey, what are you doing here?" She heard the astonished baritone from the inner office. Kim stood by the door. "He walked in." She smiled and handed Skinner the brass plate. "I took this off. No telling where he'll end up next." She went back to her desk and resumed working. She knew her boss. She'd been his secretary for years. Most likely, the DD was looking at the dog tag and contemplating on whether to confront her. True to form, Skinner came over and leaned on the doorjamb. "Thanks for removing it...the tag." "You're welcome." The DD hesitated and hovered. His brown eyes avoided hers behind his glasses. Kim was familiar with that unconscious gesture. He was that way when he was uncomfortable about something, like when he had to foist a particularly difficult but necessary task on her. Skinner abruptly closed the door between them. No surprise there. Skinner had always been a private man. Unlike other executive assistants in this executive wing of the Hoover, Kim never arranged anything along personal lines for her boss. Debbie, for AD Wilson, was tasked with reminding her own boss of anniversaries, flowers, dinners and other what not. Jennifer down the hall was absolutely essential for her own boss' life not crumbling around him. Kim, however, was concerned only with official Bureau functions and interBureau relations. The most she ever did for Skinner was order yearly Christmas presents for office personnel. Never once did a wifely anecdote pass through his lips when he was married. Today's big, no, huge, revelation wasn't going to change him in a span of minutes. No doubt, the DD had his reasons for not telling her. She'd worried about his recovery from the abduction, thinking of what she thought as his solitary life. One of the reasons why he sprang back without a hitch was the presence of a certain Special Agent in his life. Her musings were interrupted when her phone rang. "Kim...have you seen...?" "Your dog's here, Agent Mulder." "I'll be right over." Shortly thereafter, a breathless agent was in the office. "He's free, no meetings." Mulder nodded and stepped inside. Kim wondered at the silence that greeted the agent when the door opened. She smiled when she heard male voices in laughter a few minutes later. Skinner's laugh was a rare sound in the Hoover, something she'd heard only a handful of times in all the years she was his secretary. The door burst open and Mulder emerged with their dog with the most dazzling smile she'd ever seen on his face. It's been a while since she last saw him. Special Agents normally had few, if any dealings with lofty Deputy Directors. Mulder looked good, still boyishly handsome. Only now did she see the ring on his finger. Well, it should be no surprise to her. Walter's never been one to play around. "Time to smuggle him out of the building," Mulder said dryly. "To the stairs, boy! No elevators for you!" Kim waved him off, shaking her head in amusement. .............................. Skinner's residual anxiety came to good use that night. By the time Mulder returned home, still with Taylor in tow, he found the apartment sparkling clean. Dinner, albeit uninspired, was on the table. No underwear and socks crises loomed in the near future with the laundry neatly folded on the couch. "Honey, I'm home!" Mulder jokingly called out. He cheerfully gathered the fresh laundry, inhaling from it the clean scent of detergent. He found Skinner sprawled on the bed from where he watched television. "Well, she found us out." Mulder planted a kiss on his lover's forehead before dutifully depositing their clothes into their respective drawers. "She's the biggest office gossip around," Skinner moaned. "Give her some credit, Walter! She's been with you, what? Ten years? I've never heard salacious gossip about you even when you divorced Sharon. Kim knows where her bread's buttered. Salacious gossip about me, now that's another matter..." "It's not me I'm thinking of, Fox...I'm leaving in a few months. I want things to be smooth for you when I retire." "Hey, I can take care of myself," Mulder said softly, giving Skinner's arm a reassuring shake. "I'll handle the flak. With everything that's happened so far, Kim finding out is the least of our worries." "I guess..." Skinner sighed. He grimaced as the evening news again plastered his face on television. He turned off the set in disgust. Dinner conversation that night consisted mainly of straightening out their respective responsibilities around the house. A boring but necessary reality in light of their housekeeper-less status. ................................... "Okay, Walter, ten minutes. Get set, go!" Mulder switched on the kitchen timer. Both of them rushed through the house, straightening what had to be straightened and dusting table surfaces, furniture and whatnot along the way. Taylor had been trained to keep still during this ten minutes of frenetic activity, as Mulder and Skinner cleaned up their Crystal City apartment. They did this ten-minute tidying routine on a regular basis. With a prearranged plan of whose turn it was to clean which room, so far they had been successful with this aspect of housework. The timer sounded and they both stopped whatever they were doing. They looked around and grinned. The apartment was spotless. END OF BACCARAT PIECE: COLLARED ENTANGLEMENTS Feedback very much appreciated seans13@hotmail.com BFU: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dimension/1367/index.html --------------------------------------------------------- "A beacon in the night." Mulder in reference to Skinner Nisei ---------------------------------------------------------