The following is a short response to a challenge recently issued. Rating- PG Disclaimer- These charaters don't belong to me. They are property of FOX, CC, 1013, etc... Spoilers- Miniscule mention of Momento Mori SMALL POTATOES ~by GMD614@aol.com (comments greatly appreciated) "Find anything?" "Aside from the obvious signs of the gunshot wound, Mulder, this man was as healthy as the other four." "Well, the detectives on the scene found her signature." Mulder held up a plastic evidence bag containing a small potato. "Strange calling card. A potato. I don't get it, Mulder. Have any ideas?" "Don't you mean *rational* ideas," he said with a lopsided grin planted on his face. "At this point, I'll even listen to your 'extreme possibilities'." "You performed the autopsies, Doctor. What do you think? Any connections beyond the gunshot wounds?" "Thirty-ish males, found unclothed, all strangled. Crimes sexual in nature though only three of the five men had vaginal residue on their sex organs. Same woman engaged in intercourse with those men. She's a red-head, concluded from hair samples found on the men...and don't even think about commenting, Mulder." Snorting and flashing a rare full-faced smile, Mulder turned and headed for the door. "Finish up in here, Scully and we'll call it a night. I'll even buy you dinner," he said as he disappeared into the hall. Scully smiled. They'd been spending so much *off-duty* time together ever since her diagnosis. She never felt better about their partnership, or about Mulder these days. The subtlties of their relationship began turning toward a light, easy romance and Scully wasn't about to stop it. It felt good to *feel*. Her answers were so near. She was going to beat this cancer - if only for Mulder's sensitivity and determination. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX As promised, Mulder treated Scully to a wonderful meal in an off-beat little bistro. After a bottle of wine and a full stomach, Scully was feeling very relaxed, gently swaying to the soft music played by the pianist. "Power." "Excuse me, Scully?" "Power...isn't that why she's killing these men? To regain some sense of lost power?" "That's a possibility - a good possibility. Tell me more, Scully. Why this crime? What is she saying with the crime itself?" Scully giggled, a sound foreign to Mulder's ears. She was tipsy and giggling and it was beginning to get to him. Suddenly the room started to get very warm, for seeing Scully at such ease was quite enchanting. "Well, the crime is sexual, but the men all appear to have been willing. Not rape." "Go on." "She lures them...seduces them. No sign of struggle beyond normal sexual...stuff." "Define 'normal sexual stuff', Agent Scully. I'm unfamiliar with your particular use of that phrase," Mulder chuckled. "You know, fingernails raking down backs, general bumping, grinding, rubbing of various body parts, swollen and bruised lips, perhaps a bite make here and there..." "Personal experience plays heavily in this case for you, doesn't Agent Scully? Maybe I should take a hair sample to the lab for analysis. You are a true red-head, aren't you?" The sound of her laughter pulled Mulder deeper into his desire and Scully was quickly following. They had decisions to make about this leg of their journey. The inevitable conclusion to this new-found closeness was becoming painfully apparent to both agents. "Since you treated for dinner, allow me to make a pot of coffee and share my mother's brownies." "Let's go." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Scully's apartment was always an assault on Mulder's senses. The smell of her, the colors that surrounded her here, the sight of her most personal belongings each in its place defined so much of who Scully is - but not all of her. A huge part of Scully was defined in Mulder, and his contradicting ways, and that frightened him. Scully knew him so well, but would he ever know her nearly as well? "Coffee's brewing. Mulder? You okay?" She ran her hand up his back and smoothed it back down again. A definite chill ran through him and Scully felt it reverberate through her as well. "C'mon, Mulder, sit down with me." "I'm fine, Scully." "Isn't that my line, Mulder," she said with a big, warm smile spread across her face. She led him to the sofa. "Kiss me, Scully." His words were barely a whisper. Though stated, they were more questioning than any words he'd ever spoken to her. His eyes dropped to his hands, but she couldn't look away from his face. He was taking a huge leap here, and he was so afraid. Scully knew she'd never let him fall. She didn't want him to fall. Taking his face into her hands, Scully raised her lips to his and softly brushed across them. His sharp intake of breath encouraged Scully to continue. With a firmer and more deliberate motion, Scully traced the lines of his mouth with the tip of her tongue and drew his lower lip into her mouth. Releasing his lip, her hands slid into his hair and held him steady while she kissed his jawline and cheekbones, his brow and his ears. Not saying a word, Scully pulled back and looked at Mulder for any response at all. Now she was the one who was afraid. Had she been too bold? What was he thinking? Did he really expect her to comply to his request? "How about that cup of coffee, Scully," Mulder said with a twinkle in his eye and a smile playing across his mouth. Shaking her head, Scully murmered, "Mulder, Mulder, Mulder..." and crossed the living room to the kitchen. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX They had settled onto the sofa and watched "THEM", one of Mulder's favorites about giant ants. They laughed and joked through the movie about various insect encounters they had experienced. All the while, their bodies seemed to seek the most possible contact. By the end of the movie, Mulder was reclining on his back and Scully had stretched down the length of him. Her head rested on his shoulder and her hand gently stroked his chest over the sweater he wore. "Scully?" "Mmmmmmm?" "Why did you kiss me like that earlier?" "You asked me to, Mulder. Taking it back now?" "Never. Wanna try it again?" "Nope." She felt him stiffen underneath her, so she quickly added, "This time you're going to kiss me," to end his suffering. He turned himself so that they were side by side, facing each other. Mulder kissed Scully slowly and tentatively at first but quickly building the intensity. Before long, the two were lost in their passion. Scully pulled back and looked into Mulder's eyes. "I know this is the wrong time for this, but do you think *she* does this? Do you think she lures men into their own fantasies of comfort, passion, love..." "Is that where you are, Agent Scully? In my fantasy of comfort and love?" "Oh, Mulder...that's not what I meant. I'm in *my* fantasy...my fantasy of you." Their lips found each other again and the fire was far from being extinguished. Mulder swung his legs off the sofa and scooped Scully up into his arms heading for her bedroom. "Are you sure about this, Mulder? I am, but I want us both to be sure - really sure." "Yes, Scully. Yes." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX Hours later, wrapped in the warmth of each other, Scully sat up with a start causing Mulder to jump as well. "What is it, Scully? Are you OK? What's wrong?" "Oh my God, Mulder! I got it!" "What do have? Scully? Tell me what's wrong?" The anxiety on his face, coupled with his nakedness, made Scully burst into hysterical laughter. At this point Mulder didn't know if he should laugh along, or cry. She was weirding out and he was totally clueless. "Please, Scully? Tell me what this is about. I'm not sharing your moment at all." "Oh, Mulder...I'm sorry...," she managed to utter between gasps for air. "I was lying here thinking about us, about this..." "And you found it hysterical?" "No, Mulder. I found it amazing, beautiful, passionate, sexy, fulfilling, and about a hundred other things." "Then what's so funny?" "I think I've figured out our serial killer's motive. While you dozed off, I used that opportunity to, um, study...you. I was watching you sleep and memorizing the soft lines and curves of you. I guess my eyes wondered down...you know, *down*..." "Got it. By the way, you look really cute when you blush," he grinned. "Anyway, I noticed -again- how *fortunate* you are in the endowment area and it hit me." "*It* hit you?" "The motive, Mulder. The motive, or at least a part of the motive." "Please, go on...." "Well, you are so...lucky. But the men that were killed...they were very...not lucky." "Why is it that you can always wow me with your brilliant, scientific, detailed monologues?" "Mulder, the men that were murdered, all five, of them...during the autopsies, I made a mental note of a common trait. Do SMALL POTATOES mean anything to you?" THE END...It's silly and goofy...and was written in 15 minutes!