Ice Queens Have Feelings Too

Sara B. 2004

Mulder watched Scully leave the restaurant, to the casual observer she was the picture of decorum, he was not the casual observer.  Dana Scully was having snit and he didn’t understand what happened but he knew that somehow, someway he was in serious trouble.

Scully was sitting in the booth when he got to the diner and she was fine when he sat down.  The case was solved and the perpetrator dead.  It had been hell for both of them a bit more so for her.  Scully had to autopsy the bodies of four children, three girls and one boy, and she had to review the files on the seven previous victims.  Child molesters were the lowest form of monster, and this guy, Mitch Franks, was the lowest kind of that group.  Franks was the rare sexual predator who didn’t discriminate.  His victims were from all social economic background, different races and he prayed on both boys and girls.  The youngest was seven and the older seventeen.  

Her mood seemed to go down soon after they’d ordered.  Each time the waitress came by Scully’s attitude notched down.  He had to admit the woman was more than a little over attentive but it was better than being ignored.  When she came with the check Scully looked at it and threw down the money.  The last thing she said was, “you get the tip Mulder since you got all the  service!”  Then she left, leaving him with his mouth agape. 

The next thing he knew the waitress was standing in front of him.   “The little lady leave?”  She didn’t wait for a response before continuing, “I get off in an hour, would you like to go for a drink?”  He noticed that she’d opened another button of her too tight uniform and suddenly Scully’s words came back to haunt him. 

He surveyed the table and realized Scully’s dinner never came.  Her salad bowl was still sitting there but the entree was no where in sight.  He also noticed that she only had water even though she’d ordered a tea.  Conversely the remains of his dinner was complete, including a piece of pie he hadn’t ordered.  He’d been so wrapped up in flirting with the busty bottle blond waitress, Gena, that he hadn’t noticed what was going on.  Scully ate so little as it was she needed every meal he could force on her. 

He turned back to the waitress. “No I would not like to meet you for a drink but I would like my companion’s missing meal packed up for take out.  You know the one you failed to deliver but somehow charged for.  And make it fresh, not some warmed up piece of shit that has been sitting under the warming lights.”  The woman was taken aback and he couldn’t really blame her.  He’d been acting like a pig with his flirting and totally ignoring Scully.  Thirty minutes later he was walking out with Scully’s lasagna and a large iced tea, now if she would only open the door to him.

He entered his motel room and after divesting himself of his coat he went to the connecting door only to find her side closed.  He knocked, fully expecting he would have to conjole her into opening.  Once again Scully surprised him for the next thing he knew she was standing in front of him.  Not only was she standing there but her make-up was fresh, her hair rearranged and she was wearing a very sexy ‘little black dress’ with a pair of screw me shoes.  The only thing she said was, “I need the car keys, I’m going out.”

“Scully, I’m sorry about dinner”, he pulled out the lasagna to show her.

“This isn’t about dinner, at least not just this dinner.”  She looked at him for the first time and where he expected to see anger he saw only hurt.  “You don’t get it do you?”  She continued not waiting for his answer.  “This happens all the time.  We’re someplace and you flirt with every waitress, stewardess, nurse or two bit tramp with big boobs like I’m not even around.  Not only is that insulting it is so fucking hurtful that, that,” she stammered truly not able to finish the thought. Scully picked up the dinner he’d placed on the dresser and shook her head.  “I may carry the nickname ‘Ice Queen’ but I assure you I have feelings just like everyone else and I don’t appreciate having them trampled on.”

One look at his face proved he still didn’t understand, or at least he didn’t want to.  “I understand that to you I’m just good old sidekick Scully but tonight I need to find someone who wants to spend some time with Dana.  Earlier,” she took a moment to collect herself.  She started again “I thought you may like to be that person, I wanted it to be you.  But you showed me that you would rather spend your time with a certain bleached blond waitress who doesn’t know the difference between lasagna and Eggplant Parmesan.” She tossed the dinner container back in the bag.  “Now give me the damned keys or do I have to call a cab?  Either way I’m going out.”

Mulder was stunned by her revelation, Scully was going out to find someone.  “Give me a few minutes to freshen up and I’ll go with you.”

“Did you hear an invitation in anything I said?  I don’t want you with me just like you didn’t want me with you earlier.  The only difference is I’m respecting you enough to leave you here rather than ignore you while you sit next to me.”  She took a deep breath. “Besides you don’t really want to go with me or you wouldn’t have acted that way earlier.  I promise I won’t bring anyone here and I won’t go home with anyone, I’m not looking for sex I need companionship.  I just need to go someplace and maybe dance and have a few drinks with someone who wants to be with me, not someone looking around for the someone better.  Forget the keys I’m taking a cab.”  With that she pushed him back through the door and closed it in his face.

The cab driver was a large woman named Deanna of undeterminable age and ethnic origin.  She had large green eyes that sparkled with merriment.  Her nose was best described as Roman and her mouth looked just like that model Iman’s, large and expressive.  Deanna’s coloring was a light caramel and her cheeks were high much like those of the Native American’s.  Her hair was three shades of dark blond, none of which Scully could describe.  She had an accent that also defied description.  Scully detected traces of Jamaican, British and possibly Spanish but they were all muddied with a distinct Brooklyn undertone.  Scully instantly liked this woman.  Scully told the driver she needed a place to forget and ‘Deanna’ told her she knew just the place ‘Jazzy’s.’ 

The cab started to move and Scully started to talk.  Scully, never one to being open even with friends and family, couldn’t stop telling this woman the whole story, the case, Mulder’s randy flirtations, the dinner fiasco and the fight they had just before she left. 

Before she knew what happened Deanna told her they’d arrived.  Her parting words were, “when you be ready to leave call the company and ask for Deanna and I’ll make sure you get home safe ‘little bird’.  If you go home with someone else you call anyway and tell them to tell Deanna.  I don’t need to be spend’in my time worrying about no itty bitty, tiny redheaded white woman.  You promise?”  What could Scully do but agree, not that there was any chance that she wouldn’t need a ride.

Mulder stared at the slammed door until he heard Scully’s door close.  He got to the window in time to see the cab pull away.  He knew what he needed to do.  Scully would be mad but he was going to make sure she didn’t do anything stupid.  He also needed to apologize.  She was right he’d been acting like a pig lately.  He couldn’t seem to control his flirting whenever she was with him. 

Mulder followed the cab and saw it drop Scully off at some small club.  He parked the car and got out.  Mulder had almost gotten to the door when he heard someone call to him by name.  It was the cab driver who brought Scully here.

“Fox Mulder that is your name chil’, now come here and talk to Deanna.  You got the need to hear and I got the need to talk.”  Mulder approached the cab and she motioned for him to get in the front seat.

“You the one been hurtin’ that li’l redhead?  No need to answer it is written on your face.  Sweet face, but pained.  She be in need tonight friend and Deanna’s done all she could.  Now be your turn.”

“I was going in to watch her so she doesn’t get in trouble.”

“That be your problem Foxy, you watch her but with everyone else you do.  She needs you to do some doing.”

“I’m not following you and what do you know about it anyway?”

“Fox, friend, that girl is in pain.  She wanted to relax with you and what you do but make her watch you lust over some oversexed waitress.  Tain’t the first time neither is it chil’?”

Mulder shook his head.  There was something about this woman that made it impossible to deny her questions.  “I don’t know what’s been going on lately but when Scully is around I find myself flirting with every woman around.  I don’t even have to find them attractive it just happens.”

“Fox friend, you trying to make her jealous maybe?  You don’t need to try I can tell you, but if you don’t do right you will lose her.”  Suddenly the woman’s voice changed and gone was the charming mixed accent replaced by the cold voice of reason.  “In there is the only man who can take her from you.  If you don’t go in there and fix this she will meet this man and her journey’s path will change forever as will yours.  You will not only lose your Scully but the love she holds for you.” 

Mulder stood poised to open the door.  He didn’t recall walking to the door, hell he didn’t remember leaving the cab.  He turned to find the street empty.  Turning back he entered the club.

The club was small but cozy and dim.  The bar ran the length of the far side and there was a small stage area where a quartet played.  People, mostly couples, peppered the tables that surrounded the unused dance floor.  There couldn’t be more than forty or fifty patrons.

Scully sat at a table in the back, an untouched drink sitting in front of her.  She was watching the band, one finger tapping out the tune on her glass.  Mulder watched her for a moment then noticed he wasn’t the only one.  Sitting at the bar was a tall dark haired man openly looking at Scully appreciatively.  He had the look of someone who’d walked through the desert without water who’d finally come to a mountain lake.  Lake Scully.  Mulder watched the man take a large drink of liquid courage, gearing himself to go talk to her.

Mulder moved, reaching her side just before the man stood up.  The man noticed Mulder’s arrival and changed his course towards the exit.

Scully was surprised to see Mulder there but then she wasn’t surprised at all.  She couldn’t explain it but it seemed right that he should follow her here.  Their eyes locked and words were not needed.  He held his hand out, she took it and they christened the dance floor.

They danced through three songs then headed back to the table where they started to talk.  They talked about what had happened earlier.  They talked about their feelings about the case.  He told her how he’d been trying to make her jealous and she told him how it had worked.  They hurt and they healed.  Lastly they made plans, together plans.

Last call was made and Scully pulled out her phone to call the cab company as she’d promised.

The tired sounding man on the other end took great pains to tell her that they had never had a driver named Deanna and did she need a cab or not?

Scully hung up after declining and told Mulder about the exchange.  Somehow he wasn’t surprised.

Scully was checking them out and Mulder was waiting for her at the diner.  He purchased a paper from the box and he scanned the headlines.  The last story on the right side bottom of the front page made him stop.  There was a picture of the man he’d seen last night looking at Scully.  The headline read ‘Local Man Killed in Hit and Run.’  The story explained that Mike Dixon’s car was forced off the road by an unknown vehicle.  It went on to ask for anyone with leads to contact the police.  Dr. Dixon was 42, taught at the local University and recently divorced with no children.

Mulder’s eyes went skyward and he quietly whispered, “thank you Deanna.”

“Your welcome Fox friend.  Just remember chil’, love her like she deserves.”  Mulder would never know if he really heard the quiet response.

Mulder greeted Scully with a bear hug and a kiss as the staff and patrons watched.  Their paths forever entwined.  

The End of Their Beginning....

End

Sara B.