Title : Uncaged
Author : Kelly Moreland
k_a_moreland@hotmail.com 
Rating : NC-17
Archive :Anywhere, just let me know.
Spoilers : None that I can think of..
Category : RST
Summary : Scully is dating someone, and Mulder... Well, he's
being Mulder...
Feedback : is what keeps me writing. k_a_moreland@hotmail.com
Disclaimer : In the big inning, CC created M & S, and the fans
saw that it was good. Then CC proclaimed 'Let them have any fun,
and I will sue you!' And the fans saw that this was bad, and did
it anyway! ;-)
xxxxxxxxx

Mulder chewed thoughtfully on the eraser of his pencil. His eyes
were fixed on the dozen roses sitting on the edge of his desk. A
hot ball of lead had settled into his stomach as soon as they had
been delivered. They were for Scully. It was the third time this
week roses had arrived for her.

The first time had been Monday, he'd teased her about it.

"Hot date last night, Scully?" He'd tugged at the ribbon on the
bouquet. She'd just laughed, blushed and said nothing.

The second time was Wednesday.

"Seriously hot date, huh?" He'd asked, feeling a little uneasy.
"Is that so hard to believe?" She arched an eyebrow at him.
"No." He'd replied too quickly.
Scully was keeping something from him, and he didn't like it. He
had no idea who it was she was seeing.

Today was Friday, and the pattern held true. Here was another
dozen roses. Scully happened to be out, picking up lunch for the
two of them from the deli on eighth street.

"No. I don't like this at all." He glared at the offending
flowers. For a brief second, he considered tossing them out
before she got back, but dismissed the idea. Romeo, whoever he
was, would be sure to mention the latest display of his
affection. Scully would scalp him then. He had no desire to show
up for work on Monday bald as an onion.

If looks could kill, the flowers would be dead by the time she
got back anyway.

"So, who is he?" Mulder asked, swallowing a bite of his sandwich.
Scully had seemed surprised to see the roses, when she'd returned
with lunch.
"Not any of your business." She answered calmly, picking at her
salad with her fork. She didn't even look up at him. That stung
him as much as her words did.
"Sorry." He snapped sarcastically. "Just curious." He took
another bite of his sandwich, his eyes boring holes into her
small frame.
Scully looked up at him after a few minutes of silence, and
noticed the scowl.
"Marcus Coleman." She said between bites.
"Who is he?" Mulder was relieved, and angered to hear her speak.
"He's with the Forestry Commission."
"How long have you been seeing him?" He tossed the wrapper to his
sub into the garbage, dusting his hands over the can.
"Since last Saturday." She still wasn't looking at him.
"Three dozen roses in a week. Must be a hot and heavy romance."
He muttered none too kindly.
"I think that's enough of an interrogation about my personal
life." Scully looked up now, her eyes meeting his evenly.

Mulder was suddenly furious, and had to fight hard to keep it
from showing. He knew he had no right to be, but that didn't
matter in the least.

"It's not like you to be so secretive." He shrugged in an attempt
as nonchalance.
"I'm not being secretive. You haven't asked until now, so I
didn't feel like you wanted to know." She had cleared the remains
from lunch off her desktop, and reopened the file she had been
working on.

The ball of lead in Mulder's stomach wasn't enjoying the company
of the sandwich. He felt queasy. How in the hell could she think
he didn't want to know?

"C'mon Scully. I'm asking now. Give me the low down on this guy."
He kept his voice steady, and his tone light.

"He's thirty eight, divorced, black hair, blue eyes, tall, an
outdoors kind of guy." She shrugged, seemingly at a loss for what
to tell him next.
"Where did you meet him?" Mulder asked, wondering why he did it.
"Right here in the building, last Friday. He came by to turn over
some reports about two bodies found in Seneca Creek State Park.
He's the head ranger there."
"And?" Mulder prodded her to go on.
"And what? We met in the elevator, he asked me how to find the
agent he was supposed to see. I took him there. He asked me for
my number, I gave it to him. He called, asked me out, I went."
"So you just gave him your phone number, and went out with him?"
Mulder seemed shocked.
"That's usually the way it goes." She laughed at his look of
incredulity.
He was silent, so she turned back to her file.
"How many times have you gone out with him?" Mulder asked
quietly. A full five minutes had passed. Curiosity was driving
him up the wall and torturing him at the same time.
"Twice. Saturday night, and all day Sunday."
The 'all day Sunday' part lodged in his brain like a splinter. He
could think of only one thing he'd like to spend 'all day Sunday'
doing with his partner.
"All day Sunday?" 
"He took me out to the state park and we went horseback riding.
Had a picnic, it was great."
"Sounds like you had a really nice time." He replied glumly.
"I did. He wants me to come spend the weekend with him."
"Are you going to?"
"Yeah. I think so. It'd be nice to get out of the city for a few
days." She smiled, obviously looking forward to it.

Mulder asked no more questions, he'd gotten too many answers
already.

He called Scullys apartment at eight o'clock Saturday morning,
praying she would answer, but only got the machine. Feeling alone
and bereft, he left no message.

By four that afternoon, he was physically exhausted. He'd ran,
swam and worked out at the gym. But nothing he did eased the
turmoil inside him. Nothing distracted him from the images his
own mind created. Scully with someone else. Scully making love to
someone she barely knew. Scully, Scully, Scully. He could see her
in bed with this guy. It didn't matter that he'd never seen him,
or met him, his mind provided a clear picture of them together.
In a bed. Her thighs wrapped around his hips. His mouth on hers.
Her tiny hands on his chest.

"Just stop it." He hissed to himself as he unlocked his door. He
dropped his gym bag on the floor, and carried a brown paper bag
with him. He shed his coat, flinging it angrily over the back of
the couch, before plopping down. He tore open the bag, pulling
out a half pint of Jaggermiester, and a six pack of beer. He
didn't bother with a shot glass, or even to put the beer in the
fridge. He simply drank straight from the bottle, and chased it
with the lukewarm beer.

"God that's awful." He mumbled to his empty living room, after
the first shot. But it didn't stop him from taking the next one.
Or the next. Or the next.

The more he drank, the angrier he got. Not at his partner, but at
himself. It wasn't like there were no chances. He'd had more than
his share. He'd become the artful dodger. No, not too close. No,
not too sincere. No, nothing more than friends.

He deserved what he felt. Every painful jagged stab.

"Stupid bastard." He berated himself, taking another shot from
the bottle.

His phone rang just then.

"What?" He snapped in to the receiver, he was beyond giving a
damn.
"Mulder?" Scully asked in frank surprise.
"What is it?" He barked, thinking this is too much. She's
spending the weekend with Smokey the fuckin' bear, and she takes
time out from the carnal Olympics to call me?!
"Are you ok?" Her tone was concerned, but it fell on deaf ears.
"I'm just dandy, thanks for asking."
"Are you drunk?" She asked.
"I'm getting there, but the phone interrupted my work." He
sneered.
"What's wro--"
"Did you call me for a reason?" He rudely interrupted her.
"No." Her voice hardened, reflecting his own. "Just to tell you
that I was home early, and to see if you wanted to do something.
No reason at all."
The line went dead in his hand, and Mulder stared at the receiver
with dawning horror.

"She's home." He said to himself. "She's home. And she fucking
hung up on me!" It didn't register in his clouded brain that he
deserved to be hung up on. No, he was going to have the last
word.

He grabbed for his jacket, and stood up.

It was a mistake. 

The half pint of Jaggermiester caught up with him. His head swam,
and the room grayed out for a second. He sat back down heavily.

"Fuck." He muttered. "I can't drive like this." 

He called a cab. Fifteen tense minutes later, he was on his way.
He grunted and nodded to the idle chit-chat the cabbie made,
still
stewing over the imagined offense.

Finally they reached her building.

He stormed down her hallway, and pounded on the door.

"What?" She barked, after yanking it open.
"You hung up on me." He glared down at her. The cab ride hadn't
done much to clear his thoughts.
"You deserved it!" 
The door slammed in his face. He blinked at it, then fumbled for
his keys.

He threw the door open, hard enough for it to crash into the
table that stood beside it. A glass vase tumbled to the floor and
shattered.

"What are you doing?" She yelled from the kitchen doorway, her
eyes wide in surprise.
"We aren't done yet." He yelled back, slamming the front door
shut. He crossed the distance between them in three long strides.
Oblivious to the crackling of glass under his feet.
"Oh yes we are." She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring
back at him, as he advanced.
"No, we are not!" He stood mere inches from her.
"You're drunk Mulder. Just go home."
"No. You hung up on me." His ego had latched onto that one point,
and refused to let go.
"You were being a jerk. I'm sorry I even called."
"Why did you call? I thought you were going to be gone all
weekend with whats-his-name."
Scully was fighting her own battle of control now.
"Obviously I came back." 
"Why?" He snapped, still peering down at her.
"Because I felt like it." 
"Oh, he wasn't any good in bed?"
She was too stunned by his words to even answer.
"Or maybe he sent you home because you weren't." Mulder realized
he might have gone too far.
The hard stinging slap to his face confirmed it.
He blinked, sobering instantly.
Her face showed the hurt he'd inflicted.
"I want you to leave. Now!" She hissed at him, before walking
away.

She sat down on her couch, cradling her forehead in her palms.

Mulder stood in her kitchen door, feeling like the biggest
asshole on the planet. No contest. Just announce the winner,
please.

He walked slowly over to the couch, and knelt down beside it.
Scully didn't acknowledge his presence.
"I'm sorry." He said, knowing the words weren't enough.
"Is that an apology, or a character trait?" She asked, her voice
tight and strained.
He put his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her toward him. It
was no surprise that she resisted.
"Please." He whispered earnestly.
She allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace, but turned her
face away from him, resting her cheek against his shoulder.
"I'm sorry Scully. So sorry." He mumbled, running his hand over
the back of her head, smoothing her hair.
"I don't know why I said that. I was just.. I'm sorry." He shook
his head, and tightened his arms around her.
She chuckled dryly, and straightened up. "The bad thing is you
were almost right."
He stared at her red rimmed eyes, not understanding.
"I came home because I couldn't." She looked at the floor as she
explained.
"Couldn't?"
"Sleep with him."
"Why not?"
"Because I couldn't stop thinking of someone else every time he
kissed me."
He laid his hands over hers, trying to shelter her in some small
way. Trying to heal the wounds he had caused.
"I guess I should have known I couldn't do it." She said after a
moment had passed. "I think I wanted to find out for sure."
Mulder didn't feel the least bit drunk anymore, but she wasn't
making a lot of sense to him.
He pulled her to him again, cradling her head against his neck.
"And when you come home, your partner is on a drinking binge, and
treats you like shit." He muttered bitterly.
"Why were you drinking tonight Mulder? You rarely drink." 
He shivered inwardly at the feel of her breath against his pulse
point.
"I.." He stopped and took a deep breath. For once, tell her the
truth he thought to himself.
"I couldn't stop thinking about you with him." His voice cracked
a little.
Scully looked pulled away, and looked at him, plainly baffled.
"What?"
"I kept seeing you two together, and the more I thought about it,
the madder I got. I thought I'd eventually pass out on my couch."

He couldn't meet her eyes any longer. He focused instead on her
knees, or her hands.

"You were jealous?"
He nodded his head. There was no other way to put it.
"I worked out all day, trying to take my mind off it. It didn't
help..." He stopped when each of her hands came to rest against
his cheeks. He could have resisted the gentle pressure that
turned him to look into her eyes, but he didn't.
He wasn't expecting to see the soft smile on her face.
"I understand." She whispered softly.
"Scully." His voice broke, shattered like the vase against the
floor. "I've loved you for a long time. You know that. But
somewhere over the years, I fell in love with you. I think it was
so gradual I didn't realize it. I fell in love with you an inch
at a time." The words had poured out of him in a rush, and he
didn't try to stop them. He hadn't wanted to stop them.
He couldn't stop the tears that tracked slowly down his face,
either.

She held her index finger against his lips, and softly shushed
him. She wiped the tears from his cheeks with her thumbs. Then
she leaned forward and kissed him.

Mulder's senses reeled as he felt her lips pressing softly
against his own. He felt her tongue trace along his lower lip,
and groaned deep in his chest. He opened his mouth, and wrapped
his arms around her, crushing her against him.

She kept her hands against his face, brushing her fingertips
along his jaw line, as their kiss deepened. He leaned forward,
pressing her back against the sofa. One hand hooked under her
knee and pulled her hips forward, her pelvis meeting his. She
moaned at the contact, heat blossomed and spread through
his groin in response.

Her hands slipped up to run through his hair, tugging him closer
as her tongue explored his mouth. She sucked on his lower lip,
electing a sharp gasp from him. 

His hands splayed over her rib cage before moving up to cup her
breasts through her sweater. He felt her nipples against his
palm, and squeezed them between his fingers, rolling them
slightly.

She moaned and arched her hips, stroking her body along his shaft
in the process. The low rusty growl rumbled from his chest, as
she reached down and cupped his ass, squeezing and pulling him
closer.

"This is what I want." She whispered breathlessly in his ear.

He didn't answer, just picked her up and carried her to the
bedroom.

He laid her down gently, almost reverently. He stood for a
second, simply gazing at her.

He slipped her shoes from her feet, then slid her pants slowly
down her thighs. The lacy black panties she wore contrasted
sharply against her pale skin. He knelt on the bed, and ran one
finger along her skin, just above the waist band. So soft, so
smooth.

She lay still, and let him undress her completely. When she was
naked before him, she stretched to relieve the building tension
within her.

Mulder never took his eyes off her, as he stripped off his own
clothes quickly. He lay down naked beside her. His lips covered
hers, kissing her long and deep. His hand cupped her breast,
kneading it. Her fingernails grazed lightly over his
chest, following the line of hair to his groin. When her small
hand encircled him, he shuttered in pleasure.

He broke their kiss, and her grasp, by moving over her. He spread
her thighs, and settled between them. His cock throbbed at the
moist heat he felt there.

He took her hands, and wrapped her fingers around the spindles of
her head board. She looked up at him, her eyes questioning.

"I think you better hold on." He rasped. "This is going to be a
rough ride."

He knelt, and draped her thighs over his own. His thumb brushed
over the damp red curls, as he arched his hips forward. She
moaned at his touch, and lifted her hips closer. He rubbed the
head of his cock along her folds, before pressing against her
entrance. Her eyes closed at the flood of sensation.

"Open your eyes." His voice was harsh, ragged. "I want you to see
me. To know it's me, and no one else."

She obeyed, and her gaze locked with his own.

He thrust forward suddenly, embedding himself halfway inside her.
She gasped sharply at his invasion.
The next thrust carried him home, and he had to stop for a
second. His shoulders shook under the strain of holding back. He
wanted this to last.

He stroked in and out of her slowly, reaching one hand down
between their bodies to press against her clit. She bucked
against him, and he sped up.
"Say my name." He growled, speeding up faster.
"M-Mulder." She gasped as her orgasm washed over her suddenly.
"Christ!" He swore through clenched teeth, feeling her tighten
convulsively around him. He slowed, letting himself calm down. He
moved slowly within her, building her up again.
"Mulder, cum for me." She whispered, feeling him tremble from
restraint.
"Not yet. Not yet." He shook his head fiercely.
He pulled back, rising to his knees and lifting her hips up off
the bed. He began to thrust deeply. She moaned and tightened her
grip on the headboard, as he drove into her over and over.

Scully watched as his beautiful face contorted into a grimace of
ecstasy, as the muscles in her body coiled tightly again.

"Mulder!" She cried out as the world shattered around her.
"Scuh-leee!" His back arched, as he thrust one last time,
erupting deep inside her.

When he could move, he curled tightly to her side, wrapping one
arm around her like a steel band. He nuzzled her hair, breathing
in her scent.

"I never thought you'd be the jealous type." She sighed in
contentedly.
"Let's just say that the next time you get roses. They had better
be from me."



Fini~