No Tell Motel

Sara B.

April 19 – 10:46 AM

Dino’s Diner – Home Cooking Never Tasted So Good

Mulder stared at his face in the men’s room mirror.  He scrubbed his unshaven visage and shook his head.  ‘You stupid schmuck!’  Scully was furious at him and he really couldn’t blame her.  This was entirely his fault.  If he’d just been paying attention he could have avoided her well deserved anger. 

The case had started out differently.  It looked so promising.  When it all fell apart he dragged Scully down with him. 

But that wasn’t why she was so mad, if he’d only just been paying attention . . .

April 18 – 8:03 AM

Mulder:

Mulder stared at the closed office door willing Scully to open it. 

He’d been given the case from one of his unnamed mysterious sources at a late night clandestine meeting in the alleyway behind O’Malley’s Pub.  The woman had been a leggy, over permed bottle blond a month over due for a touch up with too much eye liner and too red lipstick with   matching nails.  She looked to be in her mid to late forties but tried hard to look like she was still in her twenties.  Most likely she was in her thirties but a hard life had etched her face.  Her clothes belonged on a much younger woman; they were too tight and too short.  She was what you would typically picture when someone said barfly.  Mulder had taken one look at her, suffered her too obvious come-on and dismissed her.  Until she handed him the file.  There were pictures and reports of sightings in Tennent Penn.  She wouldn’t say where she had gotten the information but it looked legit. 

After parting ways with his ‘informant’ Mulder took the file to the Gunmen for analysis to determine its authenticity.  They couldn’t find any discrepancies and decided there was the possibility it may be the real deal.

Now he needed Scully to get to the office so they could get things moving. 

Scully:

She was tired, it had been a long night after a long day and now she had to face another day without rest. 

Dana Scully had to take what she could get for her scientific investigations.  This meant that if she needed to do an autopsy and the bays were busy she may have to work at two in the morning.  If she needed certain specific tests run on a specimen, tests that were outside the standard ones usually performed, she might be found at a microscope at three or over a Bunsen burner at five in the morning.  This was one of those days.  A body had come in that required her specific skills.  It didn’t matter that she was doing a favor Violent Crimes, she was still Dana Scully, still relegated to the hours no one else worked. 

The call telling her the body had arrived and being prepped came at twelve ten.  She’d been asleep for all of fifty minutes, hell she’d only been home for ninety after finishing up some tests that Mulder wanted first thing in the morning.

Scully walked into the X-Files office at eight-ten.  She had performed the extensive autopsy, written the report, presented her findings to Skinner and the investigating team and grabbed a quick shower at the gym.  The only sleep she’d had in the last twenty six hours were those fitful fifty minutes.  So when she crossed the threshold of the basement office she was completely unprepared for Mulder’s assault.

‘Scully where have you been?  You’re late’ and so on.  A quick look at the clock showed that she wasn’t late she was still twenty minutes early.  Her mind was trying to grasp Mulder’s enthusiastic rumblings.    He went on and on about sightings, pictures and reports.  Scully’s tired brain couldn’t keep up and Mulder either didn’t or refused to notice.

The next several hours were spent meeting with Skinner to okay the investigation, making the arrangements with the local authorities, packing and driving to Tennent.

April 18 8:27 PM

Mulder:

They arrived in Tennent and were met by Sheriff Dinkins, Sheriff Dawn Dinkins.  All five ten, long raven hair, smoky brown eyes and enough cleavage for three women, of her.  Here is where he made mistake number two.  Number one was ignoring Scully’s, and Skinner’s, request to wait a day to travel.  Mistake number two was his juvenile response to the Sheriff and all her physical charms. 

Mistake number three, Mulder still was unsure if it was a mistake in its own right or an extension of mistake number two (maybe two B or mistake two part two).  Who cared, he was racking them up fast.  Mistake number three was trying to impress the impressive sheriff.  He ‘ordered’ Scully to perform two autopsies immediately while he and the lovely sheriff reviewed the case. 

Ok, so he took the woman to dinner.  He was hungry.  They hadn’t stopped for anything to eat on the way.  How was he to know that the last meal Scully had was a sandwich from the vending machine at noon the day before? Not getting dinner for Scully was definitely another mistake.  Especially in view of what happened later. 

Scully:

She watched the sheriff and Mulder walking down the hall toward the sheriff’s office.  Scully was starved, having lived off of coffee and seventeen stale wheat wafers the lab assistant, Darrel, gave her.  The lone vending machine was broken so she hadn’t even been able to get any junk food. 

Scully needed food and sleep.  She was feeling nauseous and light headed.  She walked up to  Mulder and the wonder babe and told Mulder she was ready to get something to eat.  Only to have him tell her they had already eaten. 

Scully will forever look at that moment with extreme pride that she didn’t take out her weapon and shoot the bastard.  In fact she was very proud of how she reacted to the whole the situation.  She pulled him to the side and told him to hand over the damned car keys, then threw him the file containing her findings, which, by the way, proved the case was bogus; findings he would have to analyze himself because she was going to go eat.  She then went back to the sheriff and, in a voice loud enough for Mulder to hear scored her coup de grace and told the woman how she enjoyed working with her husband, Darrel, on the autopsies.  The look on Mulder’s face was priceless and Scully felt smug and somewhat better as she walked passed him.  Leaving him to examine the findings and suffer his humiliation as the sheriff and her staff sat there snickering.

April 18 9:03 PM

Mulder:

Scully’s ‘announcement’ pierced his brain.  He’d been making a fool of himself over the sheriff who was married.  The whole staff knew it and was looking at him as if they were one second away from peeing their pants giggling.  Or at least that was how it felt.

He turned and went after Scully, grabbing the keys from her hand, ignoring her protests. 

Mulder continued to ignore her as he drove.  He ignored her as she pleaded with him to stop anywhere so she could get something to eat.  He ignored her when she asked him just to stop at one of the many motels she pointed out on the way.  His brain registered her say Days Inn, Holiday Inn, Red Roof Inn, Motel 6, Hampton Inn and so on but he didn’t pay her any heed.  Mulder just wanted to get home and lick his wounded pride.  Mulder continued to ignore her pleas until she unbuckled her seat belt, opened her window and puked what little she had in her stomach out the of the moving car. 

Ignoring Scully was always a mistake. 

April 18 11:56 PM

Scully:

Scully had almost made a clean exit when Mulder grabbed the keys from her hand.  They had been riding forty minutes when she asked him to stop someplace for her to get food, at this point fast food was looking good.  Her head was pounding and her stomach roiling.  He didn’t stop, nor did he stop the five other times she asked.  She decided that maybe they could just stop at a motel for the night and she could get something from the vending machines.  Those requests also went unheeded. 

Suddenly her stomach lurched and she knew she was going to throw up.  Somehow she was able to make it out the window. 

She felt the car slowing and pulling to the shoulder as Mulder stopped.

Scully jumped from the car and ran into the brush and dry heaved herself to exhaustion.  When the spasms subsided she sat for a moment to regain her composure gulping air.  Mulder was standing there when she looked up.  Her raised hand stopped him as he was about to speak.  She didn’t want to hear anything he had to say.  He could have no excuse big enough for the lousy way he’d been acting and if he said anything then she just may tell him exactly what she thought of him. 

April 19 12:15 AM

Mulder:

Mulder followed Scully back to the car and for the first time saw how tired she was.  He watched her dry swallow two Tylenol pills and lean her head on the window.  He turned over the engine and drove.  He pulled into the next motel.  Mulder heard Scully mutter something as he got out of car to get rooms.

He had no excuse for it, he really didn’t.  He should have known when the clerk asked if they really needed two rooms.  He really should have known.  He really needed to start paying attention.

April 19 1:07 AM

Scully: 

When Mulder exited the motel’s office Scully heard herself mutter, “how did I know he’d pick this type of dump?”

Scully took her key, entered her room and looked around.  She was desperately tired but she knew she wouldn’t sleep, how could anyone?  The carpet was so stained its color was unrecognizable.  One lamp didn’t have a bulb and the other was burned out, only the overhead light worked.  Thankfully the light was dim, what she could see was scary enough.  One of the dresser drawers was open and displayed a variety of empty beer bottles next to the Gideon Bible.  The table next to the bed was bolted to the wall but the front panel had fallen to the floor.  They had stayed in some less than stellar places before but nothing like this.  The FBI was quite generous with the budget in regard to road accommodations.  But the X-Files division was small and even though there were only the two of them their travel expenses rivaled much larger organizations.  If you worked in Behavior Science you may stay at a Marriott or Hyatt but X-Filers stayed at Motel 6, Red Roof Inns or even some nice clean ‘Mom and Pop’ places.  Nothing like this nightmare.  She almost turned tail and demanded they continue on except for one thing; Scully was not going to give Mulder the satisfaction.  She was sure he picked this dump on purpose.  

Scully dropped her bag and went to the liquor store conveniently located across the parking lot to get something to eat.  Mulder’s voice vaguely registered in her ears calling after her as she walked.  She had no idea what he was saying and had no interest in hearing or seeing him.  To her he was somewhere between the sludge that stained the carpet and the dried dregs in the empty beer bottles and definitely not worth the trouble of acknowledging. 

Scully returned with her booty: Slim Jims, Twinkies, an assortment of sugary chocolate confections, a large bag of Fritos  and a six pack of cold Diet Vernors Ginger Ale.  She wasn’t going to sleep anyhow so she might as well not sleep with a sugar rush.

Scully decided to shower before eating, her hunger being assuaged by her earlier bout of nausea. Venturing into the bathroom, toiletries in hand, she was surprised to find that it was passably clean.  There was even one of those ‘Sanitized for Your Protection’ bands over the toilet seat, not that she totally believed it.  She scanned the shower stall doubtfully.  She was tempted to forestall her shower until she got home but one whiff ended that argument.  She was wearing the remnants of the long drive to Tennant, two autopsies and, the clincher, her earlier retching.  Not taking a shower wasn’t an option.

For safety sake she laid the bath mat on the shower stall floor.  Scully placed her soiled clothes in the bag she always carried and put a pair of loafers next to the stall, there was no way her feet were touching any of this flop house’s flooring.  The motel was a fifth rate dump but it had the water pressure of Niagara Falls.  Glorious.

Exiting the shower she grabbed at the first towel and noticed a solitary dark curly hair on it.  She stared at the offending hair, a pubic hair.  Could this get any worse?

She opted to put on her robe wet; being satin it didn’t do much to help her dry but considering her alternatives . . .

Scully laid out her provisions and was disturbed by a knock on the door.

‘Mulder!’

Mulder:

Mulder stood at his motel room door watching Scully enter the next room.  How had he missed the signs?  How could he have forgotten that she had had one of her ‘nocturnal slice and dice’ sessions.  Or the lab tests she’d run for him.  Had she even gotten home the night before?  It all came out after they’d returned to the car.  He was pretty sure she didn’t even know she was talking. 

Once again he’d been too wrapped up.  First in the case then in impressing that woman.  A woman that even if he had impressed her and she had been single he never would have seen again once the case was closed.  But Scully, whom he saw everyday, he just ignored.  This was becoming a habit with him as thoughts of Bambi and Angela came to mind.

Mulder got the door to his room open when Scully whisked past him toward the liquor store.  He called out to her but she didn’t even break stride to acknowledge him.  He turned and entered his room.

Oh SHIT!  If she hadn’t been ready to kill him before she was now.  This place made dumps look upscale.  His mind took him back to the car when she had repeatedly pointed out motels to him.  Nice motels with names he recognized.  She was going to kill him and he was going to hand her the weapon.

He heard her return and then her shower start moment later.  He couldn’t believe she was actually going to shower in this place.  Mulder heard the water stop, gave her a few minutes and prepared to take his punishment.

April 19 1:44 AM

Mulder and Scully:

Scully opened the door to Mulder with no intent on allowing him entrance but Mulder nudged his way past her.

Mulder looked at her.  She was in her pale blue satin travel robe that bore wet marks in some very telling places that assured him it was all she wore.  Her hair was wet but combed.  He gestured toward her.

“The towel’s cleanliness was questionable and the outlet doesn’t work so I couldn’t use my dryer.  Now Mulder why are you here?”

Mulder walked over to her stash of food and picked up a Slim Jim and opened it.  Just as he started to take a bite Scully’s hand grabbed his.

“You bite that and your nickname won’t be Spooky anymore it will be Squeaky because I will castrate you without anesthesia.  Did you forget who did and who didn’t have dinner?”  She ripped the food from his grasp and took a big bite.  “Now if I were you I would get my ass out of here before this red headed bolt of pure anger starts chewing on it.”

April 19 8:10 AM

Scully:

Scully had eaten her fill, which really wasn’t that much having passed the point of hunger, and bagged and packed the rest.  As she had suspected she hadn’t slept but she was no longer tired having gone beyond that point too.  Not to mention she was fueled with sugar and a good healthy, or unhealthy, dose of anger.  Today she was driving and they were stopping for breakfast and she didn’t give a damn what Mulder thought.

Scully gave herself the once over in the mirror.  Her hair was a mess because she couldn’t dry it the night before.  She opted for comfort over fashion.  Once they were back in D.C. she was going straight home.  Therefore she didn’t need to wear her government approved suit so she opted for comfort. 

Packed and ready to roll, she opened the door only to be greeted by half a dozen migrant workers ‘waiting their turns.’  Stunned she stood there for a moment until the first one in line started toward her.  She slammed the door and locked it. 

“Mulder!  I am going to kill you!”  She screamed.

Mulder:

Mulder had spent a miserable night listening for any sound coming from Scully’s room.  She really terrified him.  He’d pulled some boners in his time but he’d never seen her that mad; at least not at him.  When she bared her teeth before she bit into the Slim Jim he visualized a tigress and her prey.  She was ferocious, deadly, feral and unabashedly gorgeous.

He heard a slam and Scully’s none too gentle tones, “Mulder!  I am going to kill you!”     

He hadn’t even seen or spoken to her and he was in deep shit!  What could he have done?

Opening the door, his question got answered.  This was a hooker motel and the johns were lined up.  The first one in line looked upset.  He must have thought it was his lucky day when Scully opened her door.  What a let down to have that door slammed in your face.

Would he ever be able to make this trip up to Scully?

April 19 8:13 AM

Mulder and Scully:

Mulder knocked on her door,  “Scully it’s me.  You can come out now.”

She opened the door and led him to the car.  They stowed their bags and they both headed to the drivers side.  Scully needed only to look at him and Mulder handed over the keys then moved to the passenger side.

They’d been driving for an hour when Scully pulled in for gas and food.  They hadn’t uttered a word during the entire time.  Scully drove and Mulder watched Scully from the corner of his eye.  She looked amazing!  Instead of her usual woman of the 90's power suit she wore a light grey soft cotton T-shirt tucked into a well worn pair of jeans that caressed her ass.  Her hair was a wild mass of curls that framed her face and made her look like she’d just jumped out of bed after a night of passion.  ‘How long had Scully been keeping secrets from me?’  This was not the woman he spent most of his time with.  This was a sex kitten in the flesh; if only he’d seen her like this yesterday.

Scully exited the car and walked into the truck stop not waiting for Mulder.  He followed without comment.  Dana Katherine Scully was eye candy for every long hauler in the place and they didn’t try to hide their appreciation.  She was oblivious to the affect she was having on the men but Mulder was giving them his best alpha male act; he wasn’t fooling anyone. 

Scully was only interested in food; she was intent on a huge, calorie laden and artery hardening old fashioned truck stop breakfast.  Mulder just stared as she ordered.  He just adding that he would have the same.  When the food came he couldn’t take his eyes off her face.  She had worn minimal make up and that beauty mark over her lip taunted him. 

Scully was really enjoying her food and made faces that Mulder had only seen in bed and some ‘art’ movies.  A glance around the diner showed he was not the only one who appreciated the show.  When she’d finished Scully stood, raised her arms over her head and stretched her entire body.  Conversations stopped and actions ceased as hungry eyes fixated on her.   “I’ll be right back,” she said as she headed toward the restroom. Mulder, and quite a few others, watched her every step.

A driver, whose tag said Tom Winslow, approached Mulder and chucked him on the back.  “You sir are one very lucky bastard,” his voiced laced with admiration tinged with lust.  “Yessiree, lucky bastard.  Better keep her happy if you know what’s good for you.”  The man kept walking and tipped his cap as he passed Scully on her return to the table.

Scully looked at him quizzically, “what did he want Mulder?”

“Just pointing out the obvious Scully.”  She waited for something more but Mulder didn’t say anything else.  Instead he went to the restroom while she paid the bill.

Mulder found Scully waiting for him leaning on the car with her head tilted back taking in the morning sun.  He wanted to say something, to apologize but he just didn’t know how.

The ride back to D.C. started out quietly but the tension that filled the air before seemed to have dissipated.  Mulder wasn’t quite sure what caused the change and he didn’t want to chance it returning by asking.  Scully had relinquished the keys after they ate and was now settling in for a nap.  Before she dozed he heard her start to chuckle which turned into a giggle and finally into a full laugh. 

Mulder couldn’t help himself so he joined her, though he had no idea why they were laughing.

When they had composed themselves he just looked at her and she read the question in his eyes.  Between snickers she tried to answer his unasked question.  “The look on your face when,” she again broke out in giggles, “she’s married.”  More chuckles at his expense.  “Then that motel room,” Scully tried to catch her breath before gasping out, “beer bottles, soiled towels and a Jerry Lewis marathon on the one TV channel.”  She was gearing up for a full fledged belly laugh.  “Then those men outside waiting.”  By now she was laughing so hard she gasped for breath.  Scully took a few seconds to compose herself.  “It was all so surreal, so completely ridiculous, so completely us.”  She turned to him with mirth filled eyes and said, “we are ridiculous Mulder.”  Mulder’s face fell, then she added, “and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”  Mulder’s face lit up again and the giggles started anew.  “But you owe me big time partner, very big.  I see reports in your future Mulder, lots and lots of reports.”

‘Anything Scully,’ Mulder thought, ‘anything just to hear you laugh and see you like this.’

Mulder was finally paying attention.

End

Sara B.