From: shawntaw@hotmail.com   
      
   Title: Proxy V   
   Author: shawntaw   
   Rating: PG-13   
   Category: AU, MSR implied, major SA and some S/Sk UST (this story ends   
   in MSR eventually don't worry)   
   Disclaimer: They're not mine, although I think I might've done a   
   better job exploring the depths of some of the secondary characters...   
   Spoilers: Um, Season 8, I guess.   
   Summary: The sky lightened.  He waited for the light, his eyes hungry   
   for anything but stars.   
      
   feed the author at shawntaw@hotmail.com  :)   
      
      
   ****************************************************************   
   *********************************   
      
   It was finally the weekend.   
      
   After work on Friday, Scully had returned to her apartment to collect   
   some things.  She was moving in.   
      
   Skinner stomped about his apartment, scrubbing and cleaning.  Making   
   room in the closet and in his chest of drawers.  Scooting his   
   toiletries to one side of the sink.  Wondering what sort of groceries   
   he should stock for her.  He felt faintly ridiculous; after all, as   
   much as she'd been here recently it wasn't like she hadn't seen the   
   apartment messy already.   
      
   He was on his hands and knees in the bathroom wearing elbow-length,   
   bright yellow, plastic gloves scrubbing the floor when he heard a   
   sound behind him.  He wearily rose up and grimaced down at the wet   
   knees of his tattered sweatpants and his torn t-shirt. Scully stood   
   behind him with an amused look on her face, holding a suitcase.   
      
   "Hi," she said after they stared at each other for a moment.  He heard   
   more noises coming from his living room and frowned.   
      
   "The Gunmen helped me bring over Mulder's fish and a few other things   
   so I wouldn't have to make but one trip," she explained.  Skinner   
   nodded and tried not to look nervous.  He wondered what Mulder's   
   friends made of his and Scully's "arrangement."   
      
   As if on cue, Frohike appeared in the doorway beside Scully.  "Hey Big   
   Guy," he said with a serious tone and then turned to Scully, "Byers   
   wanted you to come tell him where he and Langley should put the   
   fishtank," he told her.   
      
   "Sure," Scully smiled slightly...almost nervously..and looked from him   
   to Skinner and back again.  She nodded and walked away into the living   
   room.   
      
   *So,* Skinner thought, *Frohike's gonna defend her honor.*   
      
   The two men regarded each other for a moment,"Nice look," Frohike   
   commented, gesturing at his gloves with his chin.  Skinner hastily   
   pulled them off his hands and flustered, "Just so you know, I'm not   
   trying to..." He had no idea where he was going with the comment.   
      
   "I know," Frohike answered him anyway, understanding his intent.  The   
   two men stood in silence.   
      
   "We love her too," Frohike finally said, "She's really weak right now;   
   whether she likes it or not."   
      
   "I know," Skinner looked intensely at the smaller man, "and I would   
   never-"   
      
   "I know you wouldn't," Frohike interrupted him again, "at least not   
   intentionally."   
      
   Skinner looked at him steadily, "AT. ALL." he said in his best A.D.   
   voice, the voice that said 'I say it and so it is'.   
      
   Frohike looked away for a moment, looked down at his feet and then   
   nodded.  Skinner realized how hard all of this was for the small man.   
    Obviously, Frohike felt is was his responsibility to be Scully's   
   protector.   
      
   "Scully told us how she's been able to..um...lean on you and she says   
   you've been terrific to her," Frohike said, "We appreciate it."  He   
   looked up at the now blushing Skinner.   
      
   "Wish like hell it was me," Frohike grinned.   
      
   Skinner blushed deeper, and Frohike chuckled.   
      
   ****************************************************************   
   *********************************   
      
   Stars.   
      
   When he opened his eyes and blinked, he saw a vast starry night sky.   
   It was so dark that the stars looked like jewels dripping down toward   
   him.  He gasped.   
      
   He didn't know where he was.  He felt slightly dizzy because he wasn't   
   even sure if he was standing or lying down.  His body felt   
   inordinately heavy.  He lifted his arm slowly and looked at it.   
      
   He was suddenly aware that it hurt to move. He heard a voice cry out   
   and wondered if it was his.   
      
   *Home.* he tried the old calming mantra and felt wetness in his eyes.   
    Pictures flashed like lightning behind his eyelids and his back   
   arched with the pain.   
      
   *Light.  Sharp-fingered hands took his clothes; he was so cold.  Cold   
   tables. Voices crying...begging. Needles. Lasers. Cutting...oh   
   no..stop..stop..*   
      
   He rolled to one side and cried out in pain, this time realizing it   
   was his voice he heard.   
      
   *Home.* he thought, seeing red-hair, loving eyes, and feeling a   
   cooling touch on his forehead and not knowing why.   
      
   ****************************************************************   
   *********************************   
      
   Skinner and Scully rode the elevator up to his office.  They were arguing.   
      
   "Why are you making such a big deal about this, Walter?" Scully was   
   looking at him like he was growing horns out of the top of his head.   
      
   "I've been wearing heels for years. Pregnancy is not a reason to   
   change that!"   
      
   "I'm just saying that you wear such HIGH heels.  What if you were to   
   fall again? Get dizzy again?"   
      
   The elevator dinged.   
      
   "You could hurt yourself and the baby!" He towered over her in   
   full-A.D. mode, hands on hips.   
      
   Scully was infuriated.  She hated when men tried to control her! It   
   had taken years for her to get over her need for a father-figure and   
   she sure as hell wasn't going to be ordered around now!   
      
   "Walter Skinner, you and your macho posturing can go to-"   
      
   A loud snicker caught their attention and they both turned in mutual   
   mortification to the now open elevator doors where a small group of   
   people stood - including the Director.   
      
   Skinner took a small step back out of Scully's personal space. They   
   quickly looked at one another and silently agreed.   
      
   "We'll discuss this at a more appropriate time, Agent Scully. Now if   
   you'll excuse me.."   
      
   He pushed his way through the small clutch of F.B.I. employees,   
   acknowledging the obviously suspicious and disapproving Director with   
   a quick, "Good morning, sir," and strode toward his office.   
      
   Scully didn't even ask if anyone needed the elevator.  As everyone was   
   distracted by the retreating A.D., she pushed the button for the   
   basement and smiled sweetly at the shocked faces that turned back   
   toward her for a split second before the doors slid shut on them.   
      
   ****************************************************************   
   *********************************   
      
   The stars were fading.   
      
   The sky was pinking and somehow he knew the sun was rising soon.  He   
   looked foward to it.  It seemed like his whole life had been darkness,   
   tests, and stars...lots and lots of stars.   
      
   He suddenly remembered the last place he'd been.  The release room,   
   they all called it.  *The..the testing ones..* he thought *..they   
   watched when all the tests were done.  The strong ones got to keep   
   going or sometimes - the rumors said - sometimes they were released.   
   If you looked sick or weak, you didn't get marked.  If you didn't get   
   marked, you were killed.*   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)