Title - A Nice Relaxing Tub Story four In the Doors and Walls Universe Author - Katrinka Authors Email: Katrinka@flash.net Rating - G Classification - MSR Spoilers - Nada Timing: This story takes place three weeks after Voices of the Mind Keywords - A/U what if Archiving Gossamer, Ephemeral, and LEGACY only. Any other archiving must have authors express permission first. I will probably give it! Feedback: No feedback IS feedback. So please give this author some feedback! Even a line Stating "I like this" or "I hated this" is welcome. Warning: If you don't want to know what's beneath a cast, don't read this. Summary-After many weeks, Scully finally gets her cast off! It was a beautiful spring day in Washington DC. The kind of day that made Scully want to skip school and have a picnic beneath the cherry blossoms. The only problem was that the man she would join her on the picnic insisted they have their picnic on Saturday. Mulder had reminded her that they were both adults with a career, not kids that could simply skip school. Their work in the X-Files was too important to miss. Besides, it was too early for cherry blossoms. "If you could have a wish, what would it be?" Mulder asked Scully as he helped her do paperwork. Stacks of files sat on Mulder's desk. Because of an eye infection, Mulder was wearing his glasses. Scully decided the she liked Mulder in his glasses. "I would take a long soak in the tub." After ten weeks, Scully was more then a little fed up with paperwork. She wanted to be out there, on a case. "You already take baths." Mulder pointed out. "I don't count something as a bath unless both of my legs are in the tub." Scully smiled thinking of her dearest wish. "I would have soft music playing, bubbles and Champaign." "Quite romantic." Mulder gave her a half smile. "I would love to join you." "This is a thing I want to do alone. I want to soak for at least an hour." Scully had an itch. She grabbed a ruler, and pushed it into the small space between the cast and her leg. A few swipes and the itch disappeared. "So what's on the slate today?" "It's Friday." Mulder said quietly. He picked up a pen, and turned it over and over in his hand. "You're right, it is Friday." Scully agreed. Friday, the day had been looming on the horizon. This was the day Scully would be getting her third cast off. Then she would have tests to see if she needed surgery. Mulder was more nervous about it then Scully herself was. "How many weeks would you be out if you needed surgery?" Mulder asked. "Four to six." She told him. *Oh god. * Scully heard Mulder think. *We're supposed to go to Oklahoma on Sunday for an assignment, and she might be out for six weeks? * ************ Scully sat in the exam room, simply waiting. She could feel Mulder in the waiting room, pacing. The intern Takarada came into the room. "Good afternoon Agent Scully." "Good afternoon." "Let's get this cast off, and have some x-rays taken." Takarada pushed a thing that resembled a vacuum cleaner towards the exam table. She picked up a hose off the machine. At the end of the hose was a small rotary saw. Takarada turned on the machine, and then she grabbed Scully's ankle, and held the saw against the outside part of her leg. Scully could feel her leg vibrate as the saw cut along the outside part of her leg. The saw stopped at the ankle. Takarada lifted the saw up, moved the direction so that it would run along the outside of Scully's foot, and began to cut again. She repeated the process on the inside of Scully's leg. The Intern turned off the machine, and pushed it back to its former place. Then Takarada took a pair of scissors off the counter, and cut the bandages underneath Scully's cast. The cast opened as if it had a hinge on it. The Intern took the cast off, and threw it in the trashcan. It felt good to have the cast off, and Scully flexed her foot. "If I could only have a good soak in the tub." "You think you need a bath?" Scully looked down to the mottled, peeling skin that covered her lower leg. She had seen many gross things from her experiences at the X-Files, but her leg was in the top ten. "I want to soak in the tub for a million years." "Let's go get you x-rayed." The Intern smiled. *************** After the x-rays, Scully was returned to the exam room. About ten minutes passed before the doctor arrived, Takarada close behind. The doctor took the x-rays that Takarada had been carrying, and placed it on a light box. Then he turned it on. He circled a small abnormality. "Your legs getting better." The doctor smiled. "No more cast for you." "No cast?" Scully gasped. "You said last time I might have to have surgery." "Well, your legs healed up well these past three weeks. If you don't believe me, look at the x-rays yourself." The doctor moved so that Scully could see the film. Scully examined it. "Your right, I am healing. What now?" "I'll fit you with an aircast. You'll wear it for three weeks. Then I'll examine you again." "Oh my god." Scully murmured. "No more cast. I don't believe it." "Believe it." Takarada told her. "You will need an pair of sneakers to go with the aircast." The Doctor told her. "I have a pair in Mulder's office." Scully told the Doctor. "Should we call him?" "He's in the waiting room." "Wonderful I'll send him after them." Takarada left the exam room. ****************************** Mulder came into the exam room. He stared at the mottled flesh of Scully's ankle. He tried and did not succeed in hiding the nose wrinkle. *Yes, I know it smells.* Scully telepathed to him. Mulder looked at the doctor; he couldn't mask the curiosity in his eyes. "I brought Scully's extra shoes like you requested." "Thank you." The doctor took them from Mulder. "I guess I better go." Mulder began to move towards the door. "Why don't you stay?" Scully said, half smiling. *Running from the smell are you? * The intern brought a white thing into the room. She handed it to the doctor, who took it out of the package. An air cast. "I know you don't have socks right now, but when you get home, put a sock underneath it." the doctor ordered as he put the air cast on Scully's leg. The intern handed the doctor Scully's shoe. The doctor placed the sneaker on Scully's foot, and tied it. "How does that feel?" "Wonderful." Mulder stood there, his mouth opened and closed several times. "I thought she was going to have surgery." " Agent Scully's ankle is healing. It's time we try something new." The doctor explained. "So is it a billion or a million?" Takarada asked. "A trillion!" Scully smiled. "A trillion what?" Mulder asked. "Agent Scully said that if she ever got out of the cast, she would soak in the tub for a million years." The intern explained. *************** Mulder had taken Scully to his apartment. They had been taking turns spending a week at each other's apartment. It wasn't living together, at least on paper. They weren't lovers in the true sense. Mulder had told her he needed time. Time was one gift she could give her partner. Perhaps having her cast off would move things along. Scully eased her body into the hot water. Things that resembled clouds floated off her leg. Scully knew from experience that these were flakes of dead skin. As the seconds passed, more and more of the pieces of skin floated off. Scully grabbed a washcloth and began to scrub her lower leg hard, until the water was really horrid, gross. So disgusting that she couldn't stand a minute more in it. Scully got out of the tub, grabbed her towel, and pulled the plug. She wrapped the towel around herself. "Scully, what's wrong?" Mulder asked coming into the bathroom. "Nothing." she said sulking. She had wanted a good soak. Not *this* gross stuff in the bathtub. Mulder gave her a half smile. "But you said your going to soak for a million years." "I will, after I change the water." After the water drained, Scully moved for something to wipe the tube out with. "Let me," Mulder grabbed a towel, got down on his knees and wiped the tub out. Then he grabbed another towel and repeated the process. Then he got to his feet and smiled at Scully. Sympathy written in his eyes. "There, why don't you try it now?" "Thanks." Scully felt slightly embarrassed as she replaced the plug and began to run the water again. "If you have anything else for me to do, just holler." Mulder said as he left the bathroom. This time Scully was in the tub a full fifteen minutes before the water got too horrid for her to enjoy. She grabbed her towel, and got out of the tub. Mulder was there in an instant. "Are you standing outside the door, waiting for me to get out?" Scully asked. "There's something wrong with the pipes, I can hear the gurgling in the living room." Mulder tried to smile. "I have an idea. Let me get the bathroom ready for you." "You mean clean the tub?" "Yeah, sure." Mulder smiled grew wider. He guided her out of the bathroom, then shut the door. Mulder was up to something; there was no doubt about it. Scully decided to give in gracefully. She sat on the bed. She took the hand towel she had been carrying and began to work on her leg. A great deal of the dead skin had left her leg; there was still some remaining on her foot, thick yellow skin that refused to leave. *Perhaps if I had a good soak, it would go away. * About five minutes later, Mulder came out of the bathroom. "Your bath's ready Milady." "What did you to the bathroom?" Scully asked skeptically. "Just prepared it for your bath." "What will you be doing?" Scully asked suspiciously. "Watching a Knicks game on Classic sports." His smile widened. "I won't bother you, unless you call me." "Thanks." Scully didn't move until Mulder had left the bedroom. Scully got off the bed, and went into the bathroom. The lights where out, but the room was illuminated by candlelight. Candles where everywhere, in the sink, on the edge of the tub. The water of the tub wasn't just plain water, but a bubble bath. Beside the tub were a bucket of Champaign, and a glass. *You had all this planned for me. * Scully marveled as she sank into the bubbles, and lets herself settle into the warmth. She poured herself a glass of Champaign and decided to enjoy the bath. ***************************** Four hours later, Scully lay on top of the quilts on Mulder's bed. Her partner next to her. Scully felt comfortable relaxed after the long soak. She decided to ask Mulder something that she had wished for. "You shared my mind many times. Can I share yours?" Mulder turned the question over in his mind several times. Then he shrugged. "Sure," "How do I do it?" "Close your eyes." Scully closed her eyes. "Now what?" "Open yourself fully. Seek out my mind. When you find it, join it." Mulder told her. "How?" "You'll know." Scully opened her mind fully; she could feel Mulder's presence beside her. His angst ridden soul. She could feel the depth of Mulder's love for her. He loved her, he worried about her. Joining Mulder's mind wasn't easy. He had expected it, and his walls where up. Finally Scully said. "Your walls are too high for me to cross." "I'll lower them." Scully could feel Mulder opening himself as he walked into the next room. She could see through his eyes. The word to Fox Mulder was a much different one then she herself lived in. Gray, there was gray everywhere. The plant that she had given him was a dark gray. His computer wallpaper was a mesh of different color grays. Mulder sat down on the couch, and turned on the TV. He found a basketball game. The Oklahoma Sooners where playing. Instead of the usual Red and white colors, there was only gray and white. As Mulder changed channels, Scully could see the gray of grass and trees. The shopping channel had a model modeling things in gray. *How can you live this way? * She asked, feeling helpless. *Come, please. * In a few moments, Mulder came back into the bedroom. He stretched his long body against hers. "I can live without those colors, because I've always had to." Suddenly Scully was out of Mulder's mind. The colors had returned to her life. Mulder had cuddled up against her. "You gave me a gift. You showed me new colors." *I love you, * Scully heard Mulder whisper in her mind. *I love you too. * Mulder kissed Scully very gently. She brought her hand behind his head, pulling him closer to her. The kiss deepened, she opened her mouth to his tongue. Mulder's hand went to the edge of Scully's robe, unfastening it, slipping a hand inside. He cupped a breast with one hand, then began to pinch her nipples. Then just as suddenly Mulder was resting on her shoulder. He removed his hand from her robe. "I'm sorry, we can't. Not tonight." *Why? * "Many reasons." Mulder seemed bothered. "Name one." "First: your ankle just got out of a cast. Second: we promised to take our relationship slowly. Third: I can't risk hurting you again." "You won't hurt me." She told him. *I trust you. *. Mulder rolled his eyes. "Forth: you told me that you would *Never, ever* become involved with someone who had been divorced." "That's before I knew you had been divorced." "What about your religion?" "My religion also says that I'm not supposed to have sex outside of marriage." Scully pointed out. "Besides, in the church's eyes, you're a widower." "I didn't know that." Mulder snuggled closer. "I don't feel married." *He doesn't feel he is married? * Scully was amazed by the change in Mulder, the main reason they weren't involved was because Mulder still felt married. *No, I don't. * Mulder paused. *I'm sorry, I'm still not ready. * "Don't be. Take your time." She told him orally. *Thanks for giving me that time. * "Sleep in here tonight," Scully asked. She could feel Mulder smile against her neck. "But the couch is so *comfy" "Fine, take the couch." She teased. The smile grew wider. "I'm too lazy to get up." "I do have a first name." Scully smiled. "Dana is too much like Diana. I'd rather you be my Scully." Scully's fingers played with the soft hair on Mulder's chest. "Scully's good too." "I'm so tired." Mulder said sleepily. "Scully-wovvy." "It's okay, sleep. We have tomorrow." Scully stroked Mulder's hair. * *********************