Title: Getting To Know You Author: Waddles 52 Summary: Mulder and Scully get a chance to know each other better when Scully volunteers to look after him when he is released from the hospital following his gunshot wound. Spoilers: Post-ep for Beyond the Sea Rating: PG-13 Category: MT Disclaimer: Just for fun. Not for profit. Archives: After_the_Fact, Ephemeral, others please ask. Feedback: I'd love to hear from you. Waddles52@wmconnect.com Acknowlegement: Thanks to Lisa for the ideas and beta. Love ya! Scully had just finished meeting with her partner's doctors and caregivers. She had been given the task of presenting their suggestions to Mulder, and she dreaded it. He wasn't going to be happy with any of it and she couldn't blame him. The near-fatal gunshot wound to his left leg had left him weak and in constant pain, yet seven days later the doctors were ready to discharge him. Actually, the doctors were quite sympathetic to his condition. The insurance company, however, had a different agenda. Too soon she found herself outside of Mulder's room. Scully took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Mulder was seated in a wheelchair with his left leg elevated. He had apparently been looking out the window but now his head was bowed in sleep. She turned to leave but Mulder's voice stopped her. "How did the meeting go?" he asked in a voice that still sounded weak to her. "Well, Mulder, you are to be discharged tomorrow." "Great! I was getting tired of this place anyway. How soon can we get a flight back to DC?" "Not for at least a week, I'm afraid," Scully answered, waiting for Mulder's next question. Right on cue he asked, "Why?" "The danger of developing a blood clot is still fairly high at this stage of your recovery. The doctors have also ruled out traveling home by automobile for the time being." "That's just wonderful!" he exploded. "Why are they letting me leave then?" "Actually, your insurance company made the decision for them. Your doctors think you should stay at least another few days. They tried to get the insurance company to reconsider, but to no avail." "So, what do I do in the meantime? I can't stay here and I can't go home. I feel like a man without a country." He tried to make light of it, but the smile quickly left his face. "Mulder, you'll need to make some decisions." "What type of decisions?" he asked warily. "Your doctors would like to arrange for a week's stay in a skilled nursing facility." Scully made the announcement and waited for the explosion that was sure to follow. "A nursing home? Forget that!" he exclaimed. "What other options do I have?" "Mulder, you're going to need some care for a few days at least. Your insurance would pay for the facility. The only other option is to stay in Raleigh for another week. Since you are from out of town, your insurance has agreed to pay for a week at someplace like AmeriSuites. They also agreed to pay for a physical therapist to help with your ROM exercises and to provide nursing care as needed. I would be glad to stay with you and help in any way that I can." "Scully, I couldn't ask you to do that." "You don't have to. I've already volunteered," she pointed out. "Are those my only options?" "That's all we could come up with." "Don't you think you should be with your mother right now?" Mulder asked, a serious look on his face. Scully's face reflected his seriousness. "If she were at home, yes. She went to San Diego with my brother, Bill. She's planning on staying for several weeks." "What about work?" "My assignment is to stay with you until you are ready to return to DC." "I see," Mulder paused to think it over. "We've spent many hours together in the office and in the field, but we always had our own space at the end of the day. Do you think you can stand to be around me 24/7?" "Mulder, I don't plan to sleep with you," Scully laughed. "We'll be sharing a bathroom. That's almost as intimate," Mulder said in his defense. "I think I can handle it for a week," she assured him. Mulder began to wheel toward his bed. "So, what do we need to do to make this happen?" "You just need to lie down and rest. I'll notify the doctors of your decision and they'll take care of the insurance company. I'll get your things together and do some grocery shopping before you're released." Scully watched over her partner as he maneuvered his wheelchair beside his bed and put on the brake. He carefully lowered his injured leg then grabbed the nearby walker. After pushing himself out of the chair, a few hops took him to the bed where he slowly sat down. Scully moved the walker out of the way. "You're getting pretty good at that." "Just wait until they let me have crutches. I'll be able to move a lot faster then." "I wouldn't count on it for a few days at least. You need to regain some more of your strength." "As soon as I'm able to eat something besides hospital food my strength will return pretty quickly." "Speaking of food, I plan to cook for us while we're at the motel. Do you have any particular likes or dislikes? I'll probably go shopping in the morning so I won't have to leave you after we check in." "Are you a good cook, Scully?" Mulder asked as he tried to raise his injured leg up to get into bed. Scully moved in to hold his leg up while he brought the good one over. "I haven't had any complaints so far," she answered as she carefully lowered his leg. "I'll eat just about anything," Mulder said as he situated himself in the bed. "I'm sure whatever you cook will be wonderful." "All right, then. What would you like in the way of snacks besides sunflower seeds?" "Beer, pretzels, chips, pork rinds, beef jerky, stuff like that." "Mulder, have you ever heard of fruit, raw vegetables, juices?" Scully asked. "Sure, I've heard of them. I just don't consider them to be snack foods." Scully rolled her eyes heavenward. "Hey, I'm just teasing. Anything you get will be fine." "I'll try to get a few of the items you suggested. I'll make the arrangements then. Do you think you'll feel like watching some videos? Not he ones from the adult video list," she added quickly. "Sure, just don't go overboard on the chick flicks." "I think I can manage that, Mulder." A nurse interrupted their conversation. "Mr. Mulder, the doctor has ordered some blood work and a CT scan to be completed before you are discharged. Someone will be coming for you shortly. He has also ordered oral pain meds instead of the morphine. I'm going to be removing your IV, so why don't you get one last dose of morphine from the pump and I'll get to work." Scully pushed the button for him. "Mulder, I'm going to make the arrangements, then I'll run some of those errands we talked about. I'll see you in the morning." "Sure, Scully. I'll be here. Ow!." He exclaimed as the nurse began peeling the tape from his hand and arm. "I'd like to keep that hair on my arm!" Scully gave the nurse a sympathetic look as she exited the room. After a stop at the pharmacy and a quick trip through the closest McD's drive through, Mulder was resting in his AmeriSuites bedroom. He had the remains of a Quarter Pounder with cheese in his right hand and the TV remote in his left. After surfing the channels to see what was available, he decided on ESPN. After watching a few minutes of some obscure water polo game, he wadded up the hamburger wrapper and threw it toward the waste can. His aim was a little off and he hit Scully square in the chest as she entered the room. "Sorry," Mulder said, sheepishly. "That's okay, Mulder. It's just like the office," she replied as she bent over and threw the wrapper in the trash. "I just wanted to see of you wanted a pain pill and some water." "Thanks, but I'm fine." "Would you like for me to unpack your suitcase and hang your clothes in the closet?" "Scully, I don't want to put you to any trouble." "You won't." She lifted his suitcase up and put it on the stand. She spent the next few minutes finding a place for everything and hanging the contents of his garment bag. Next, she unpacked his carry on and put his toiletries in the bathroom. The rest of his things went into a dresser drawer. "Mulder, you didn't pack any pajamas," Scully observed as she closed the closet door. "Manly men don't wear pajamas, Scully," he answered. "What do you sleep in?" "As little as possible," Mulder grinned. Scully raised her eyebrow, a little quirk of hers that he sometimes found endearing. "I guess that's not acceptable?" Scully shook her head no. "I'll get you some. There's a K-Mart the next block down." "I'll just end up giving them to Goodwill as soon as I'm home. They're just not comfortable." "You're going to be in bed for a good part of the next week or so and you need to be comfortable. It's really too cool for shorts and you need something with loose fitting legs to go over the bandages. You only brought one pair of sweats and you're wearing them. How about some flannel sleep pants and a T- shirt?" Scully suggested, sitting down in the chair across from the bed. "You can give them away when you get home if you don't like them." "Whatever you say, Scully." "No, Mulder. It has to be whatever you're comfortable with." "Okay, I'll give them a try," he surrendered. "But, I'm not making any promises." "That's good enough. I'll just get one pair to start with and if you like them I can always go back for more." "Sounds fair." "Before I leave do you need to go to the bathroom?" "Scullee," Mulder whined. "I just want to be sure you make it there and back safely. I didn't plan on going in with you." "All right, I'll go and then I'll take you up on that offer of a pain pill." "Good decision. You can rest while I'm gone. Need any help getting up?" "I think I can manage." "Okay, but don't be shy about asking," Scully reminded him. "Just scoot the walker over a little closer and I'm on my way." When Scully returned Mulder was still sleeping off the effects of the pain pill. She put a bag down outside his door and went off to the kitchen to plan the evening meal. Mulder awakened to the smell of cooking. He looked over at the alarm clock and was surprised to see that it was 6:05 PM. "Wow, that was some nap," he thought as he began to maneuver his way to the side of the bed. When he looked up he saw Scully standing in the doorway. "I thought I heard you moving you around," she said as she came into the room. She put the bag from K- Mart on the dresser. "That was quite a nap. Are you ready for dinner?" "Yeah, I think I could eat. What's on the menu? It really smells good." "Nothing fancy, just chicken breasts, rice and salad. Why don't you wash up while I put on the finishing touches? Do you want to eat here or at the table?" "I think I'd like to eat at the table. This room will get pretty boring after a while. Maybe I can watch TV in the living room after?" he asked hopefully. "Sure, that's a good idea. Do you need any help getting up?" "I think I can manage it right now, although I won't rule it out later on. It's actually a little harder to get back into bed." "That's why they want you to do the leg raises. Well, if you don't need me I'll put the food on the table. See you in a few minutes." Although he felt hungry, Mulder found that it was difficult to eat more than a few bites. "Mulder, it's going to take some time before your appetite returns to normal," Scully reminded him. "But you went to all of this trouble," he started. "It was no trouble, Mulder. I had to eat too, you know, and we can have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Let's get you settled on the couch, shall we?" While Mulder lay on the couch and played with the remote, Scully put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and cleaned the kitchen. Mulder watched TV for about an hour and announced that he was ready for bed. Scully rounded up his nighttime medications while he was on his way to his room. When Scully arrived, Mulder had the flannels out of the bag and was staring at them intently. "What's wrong?" she asked as she breezed into his room with his medications and a glass of water. "Uh, I was just trying to figure out how to get these on," he sighed. "My left leg doesn't exactly bend right now." "I'll help you. Between the two of us I think we can manage." After some very gentle maneuvering, Mulder was wearing his new sleep pants with a colored T-shirt to match. Scully helped him move his injured leg onto the bed. "Thanks, Scully," Mulder said as he scooted back to sit against the headboard. "Wait until you get my bill," Scully teased as she placed some pillows behind his back. "Uh, will I be able to afford you?" "I think so. If not, I'm sure we can work something out." "Like what?" Mulder inquired as Scully handed him his medications and a glass of water. "Well, you could clean up the office, clean out the coffee pot, put the junk mail and old memos through a shredder, re-organize and alphabetize the files." "You don't come cheap do you?" Mulder asked. He felt he should interrupt her before she came up with anything else. "You're right. I don't, but I was really just trying to have some fun with you. I wouldn't dare ask you to change your filing system." "Good." Mulder handed her the water glass. "But I do agree that the office could stand a little cleaning. I'll work on that as soon as I'm back on my feet." "That sounds like a plan. Can I get you anything else before I leave?" "No, I'm fine. I'm just going to relax and watch a little more TV." "Okay. I'm going to unfold the couch and put some sheets on it, but I'll probably be up for a few more hours. If you need any help getting to the bathroom let me know," she ordered as she turned to leave. "Wait! Scully, you're sleeping on the couch?" "Yes," she replied. "It's a sofa bed. They wouldn't cover a two bedroom suite." "Cheapskates. Those things have a reputation for being lumpy. Why don't you let me take it?" Mulder suggested. "It won't be any worse than some of the motel beds I've slept on. Don't worry about it." "But Scully, I do worry. I don't want you to suffer because of me." "Who says I'm going to suffer? Mulder, I went through a medical residency, remember? I could sleep standing up if I had to. You just concentrate on getting a good night's sleep. Remember, if you need help getting out of bed to go to the bathroom or if you need help to move your leg be sure to call me. I'm a light sleeper so I'll hear you." "Scully, I . . ." "I mean it, Mulder. Call me," she said emphatically "All right. I can see that I'm not going to win this one." "Now, you're catching on." "Pleasant dreams, Scully." Thank you, Mulder." Mulder slept peacefully until the pain pill wore off and his bladder began to send insistent messages. "Damn, that foley. They always leave my bladder irritated for a while." He was able to see the hallway and determined that all of the lights were off. Scully had turned in for the night. He hated to wake her up. She'd been through hell the past two weeks starting with her father's death, then that bitch of a case and ending up being his nursemaid. He had promised to call her if he had to use the bathroom, but he just couldn't make himself do it. Mulder gasped as the pain hit his injured leg as he began to slowly move it to the side of the bed. He eventually was able to move it from the bed and let it hang down to the floor. "Oh, shit! That hurts!" He took a deep breath and reached for the walker. He pushed himself up and immediately wanted to sit back down. Another pain pill was definitely in his future if he didn't chew his leg off before he could find one. Slowly, he made his way into the hallway. The bathroom seemed miles away. He was panting with exertion by the time he reached his destination. Why was he feeling so weak? He wiped the perspiration from his eyes and pushed the walker to the side so he could have a clear shot at his target. He leaned his arms on the wall as he felt his weakness intensify. He finished his business, but before he could even get himself tucked back in he felt himself falling backward. Scully suddenly awakened when she heard a loud thump from the bathroom. "Mulder!" She threw back the covers and shot out of bed. In no time she reached the bathroom and pushed open the door. She found Mulder slumped against the bathroom wall across from the toilet. Her face turned bright red when she saw that he hadn't been able to complete his personal task. Ignoring that, she knelt beside him and felt his pulse as she looked him over for any sign of injury. "Scully?" Mulder asked as he blinked his eyes in an effort to rid himself of blurred vision. "What happened?" "I guess I was a little weaker than I thought and I blacked out." His face turned a deep red when he discovered that his most private parts were uncovered. "Uh, sorry. Guess he needed some air," Mulder tried to make light of it as he tucked himself back in. Scully chose to ignore it. "Did you hurt yourself when you fell?" "I think I'm okay. My leg hurts like a son of a bitch but it was killing me before I ever came in here." "Let's get you up if you think you can make it." "Yeah, I feel a little better now." Scully helped him up as he pushed off with his good leg. He was still a little wobbly as Scully positioned the walker in front of him. She flipped the lid down on the toilet and ordered him to sit. "Just rest a few minutes. You're still pretty shaky." "Mm . . .yeah," Mulder rested his head on the edge of the sink. "Sorry about this, Scully. I should have called for help." "Now, 'Macho Mulder' knows better. Right?" Mulder raised his head a few inches. "'Macho Mulder' has given up for the duration." He lowered his head back to the sink. "I'm going to get you some orange juice and a pain pill. Don't move." When Scully returned Mulder was just as she had left him. "Mulder, are you still with me?" "Just getting comfortable. Can I stay here tonight?" "Sorry, but I might need to use the facilities. Raise up. I want you to drink all of this when you take your pain pill." "Then I'll just have to go again later," he moaned as he sat up and took the glass and pill. "Then I'll help you up when you call," Scully emphasized. "Drink all of it. I think your blood sugar is a little low." Mulder complied and handed her the glass. "Feel like trying to get back to bed?" "Yes, let's do it," Mulder decided and pushed himself up. "How are you?" Scully asked cautiously. "Much better," he proclaimed as he began to hop back to his room. Scully straightened the covers for him and waited until he got situated. "No more nocturnal ramblings, right?" she asked. "I promise. I will wake you if I need to get up again," Mulder promised solemnly. He slept comfortably for almost two hours until his muscles reminded him that he needed to shift position. Damn! This was a lot easier in the hospital. At least he could pull up on that bar they had attached to his bed. Shit! Why did this have to hurt so much? "I'm not going to call Scully," he thought as he tried to ease over onto his side. "Ow! I'm not going to call Scully," he thought again as a groan involuntarily escaped. "Mulder, do you need some help?" His angel of mercy appeared at his door and it scared the crap out of him. "Scully?" he gasped as he jerked in surprise. "Sorry I startled you, but I heard you moving around and I thought I'd see if you needed anything." "Is it too early for another pain pill?" "No. You're allowed to take two at a time and you only took one." "Good. I'd like another one and some help moving to a different position." "I'll be glad to help you, Mulder. I know how difficult it is to move your leg right now. Let's get you situated then I'll bring you some more juice to drink with your pill." "Aargh," Mulder groaned. "You had to mention juice." "Want to make a quick trip to the bathroom while I'm getting that juice?" Scully inquired. "Good idea." Both agents slept a little later than usual. Mulder's senses began to jump start at the smell of coffee brewing. Since he was lying on his side it was fairly easy to roll out of bed. He made his way from his room and found Scully sitting in the small kitchen, savoring her first sip of coffee. "Did you leave any for me?" Mulder asked, sitting down carefully. Of, course. I made a whole pot." She put down the complimentary paper and made her way to the counter. Mulder rifled through the paper looking for the sports section. "So what would you like for breakfast?" Scully asked as she put a steaming mug of coffee in front of Mulder. He inhaled the aroma. "This will be fine." "Mulder, you need to eat." He made a face. "Maybe some toast? I'm really not very hungry." "All I ask is that you try." She dropped two slices of whole wheat bread into the toaster. "What would you like on it?" "Uh, what's available?" he asked, expecting some very healthy and tasteless choices. "Well, we have margarine, strawberry jam or grape jelly." "Ooh, Scully, would there happen to be any peanut butter lurking around to go with that grape jelly later?" She opened a cabinet and presented him with a jar of creamy peanut butter. "Mulder, I like to indulge in a good P, B & J every once and a while, but for now, what do you want on your toast?" "Just margarine," he grinned as the toast popped up. Scully quickly fixed his toast and margarine and put it in front of him. "Don't get crumbs all over the paper," she admonished. "You actually read the sports section?" "Mulder, I read all of the paper." "Great, I just didn't picture you as a sports fan." "I'm not particularly, but I like to keep informed. You've got a busy day ahead of you." "Oh?" "Yes. Your physical therapist will be visiting, along with a nurse to assess your condition and draw blood. She'll decide if you need daily visits from a nurse, or if I can do what needs to be done." "Peachy," he griped as he took a sip of his coffee. "So I'm going to have two extra people poking and pulling my leg around today?" "Yes, Mulder. You know, if your pain medication isn't doing the job you need to let the nurse know so she can contact your doctor." "I didn't get much relief last night and I've been getting muscle cramps from not being able to move around as much as I need," he admitted. "Then perhaps we need to add some type of relaxant to the mix." "Scully, I don't want to be comatose." "I promise you won't." "We'll see," he sighed, breaking a slice of toast in half. "Mulder, you need to bathe before they arrive. Were the flannel sleep pants comfortable?" "Yes, they were. Thank you for suggesting them, but I hate to put you to all of the trouble of going out again to purchase some more." "I have a confession to make. I purchased two outfits, so we can get you cleaned up and dressed and I can wait until this afternoon to go out again." Mulder pushed the remains of his toast aside. "Well, you managed to get most of it down, but you'll need to do better for lunch." "I'll try." "Are you ready for a sponge bath?" "Sponge bath?" he asked, surprised. "I can't take a shower?" "Now with that dressing on your leg. Come on, let's get that taken care of. I don't know when the home health people will be here." "Let's get that taken care of?" Mulder questioned. "I think I can give myself a sponge bath." "I'm sure you can take care of most of it, but can you reach your lower legs and feet? Can you get dressed afterward?" "No, but this is kind of embarrassing," he whined. "Mulder, after last night you have nothing to hide anyway," she reminded him. Mulder blushed deeply. "Scully, I'm sorry about that. It wasn't intentional." "I know that. Try to put that aside and remember that I am a doctor. I think I can help you bathe with a clinical detachment." "But can I?" Mulder thought. He'd already found himself aroused by her several times in the past few months. It was fairly easy to hide while wearing loose fitting dress pants, but if he had to bare it all . . .Shit! He was in big trouble! Mulder had to admit that Scully was very alert to his embarrassment over the situation. She kept his lap covered with a towel and encouraged him to wash as much as he could reach. The only real problem occurred when she checked his bandages and accidentally brushed against him. He was afraid the small hand towel wasn't enough to hide his enthusiastic reaction, but Scully finished her task and left him alone while she went to get his clothes. He tried to coax "Junior" to assume a less obvious position. Man, this was going to be tough. He didn't have that problem with the nurses in the hospital, but "Junior" was more than eager to stand at attention when Scully was close. He hoped he could regain some flexibility in that leg soon before he really embarrassed himself. Scully was quite aware of Mulder's physical reaction. She tried to be careful when touching him, but she noticed that the towel began to rise before she even started. Was Mulder actually physically attracted to her? If he was, the feeling was mutual she had to admit. Next time she would fold up a larger bath towel and let him cover himself. Mulder had back-to-back visits from the physical therapist and the nurse. Scully stayed to observe the exercise routine so that she could help him repeat it in the evening. She knew he had to be in tremendous pain but he didn't make a sound as he performed the movements. The nurse was somewhat concerned with the level of pain he was still experiencing. Before she left, she had secured a prescription for Tylox and Valium from Mulder's surgeon. She even volunteered to pick up the prescriptions and have the agency pharmacy fill and deliver them, thus saving Scully a trip to the hospital. By the time they were gone, Mulder was ready for some pain relief and a long nap. "Scully, how long will I be like this?" he sighed as she helped him into bed. "Mulder, I see improvement every day. You know, a week ago you were in the ICU, so weak you could barely talk. Today you're walking and talking. It's going to be a slow process, but be grateful for each small improvement you make." "Yeah, considering the alternative. Ow!" he exclaimed as Scully put a pillow under his leg. "Sorry, Mulder. I'm going to bring you two pain pills and some juice. Your new prescriptions probably won't be delivered until this afternoon," "Thank you, Scully. I can't emphasize that enough." "And I can't emphasize enough the fact that you don't have to keep saying thank you," she added. "But your family . . ." "Is spread out all over. I'm going to check in with Mom later on." "Good, and if you need to go to her . . ." "I know, Mulder." The two pain pills did a great job for two hours and then the muscle cramps returned with a vengeance. "I can't handle this," Mulder moaned to himself. "Got to get up and move around." As he maneuvered his way into the living room, he could hear Scully talking angrily to someone on the phone. Scully noticed Mulder when he entered. "Bill, I'll call and talk to Mom again in a few days. I really don't have anything else to say to you at this time!" She slammed the phone down and turned to greet Mulder. "Did you get any rest?" she inquired, pasting a smile on her face. "My usual two hours. What's the matter? Is your Mom okay?" The concern was evident on his face. "Mom is doing well. Unfortunately, my older brother, Bill, is being a royal pain in the ass as usual." "Oh?" Mulder hopped over to the couch and plopped down. "He just thinks he can boss me around like he did when we were children," she explained as she put a pillow under Mulder's leg. "But he's got another thing coming!" "What is he going on about, if it's not too personal?" "No, that's okay. He thinks I should quit the FBI and move back in with Mom." Scully sat down heavily in the armchair and crossed her arms. "He's got his nerve, doesn't he?" "Exactly." "Is this what your mother wants?" Mulder inquired, shifting to find a more comfortable position. "I seriously doubt it. She raised four children mostly by herself. I doubt she's afraid of being alone. It's just Bill's idea of what we should do. I'm sure that's probably the last I'll hear of it. Once he presents that plan to Mom she'll put him in his place and I won't hear anything until he comes up with a new scheme to control my life." "You have other siblings, right?" "An older sister, Melissa, and a younger brother, Charlie. They manage to stay out of Bill's way as much as possible," Scully explained. "Interesting." "We could analyze my family's dynamics all afternoon Mulder, and we would always reach the same conclusion. Bill is a pompous ass. How about some lunch?" "Okay." "It won't take long. Leftovers, remember?" "Fine by me," Mulder agreed. "And I expect you to eat something." "I'll give it my best effort." The two agents fell into a comfortable routine over the next few days. As Mulder grew stronger they spent time watching movies together. Scully began to enjoy it as she got used to Mulder's sense of humor. A lot of his comments were really off the wall but she came to accept that as something that was uniquely Mulder. Mulder looked forward to spending that time with Scully also. She was so easy to tease, but she could also give as good as she got. He began to get a glimpse of a more carefree, less serious side to her personality. By the time the physical therapist had Mulder up on crutches, both of them felt they had turned a corner in their partnership. A firm friendship was beginning to take hold. Two weeks later, Scully prepared to unlock the basement office. She needed to check the mail before she headed to her space upstairs. There was no sense hanging around here if Mulder wasn't there. She was surprised to find the door unlocked. She pushed it open to find Mulder sitting at his desk, his crutches propped against the side. "Hey, Scully. I talked them into letting me do some desk work during the mornings and physical therapy in the afternoons." "I didn't think you'd be back this soon." "My apartment was definitely beginning to close in on me. Besides, I have a debt to repay." Scully looked at him curiously. "Remember our deal? I clean up the office. You boss me around until it meets your approval?" "Ah, I think I do remember something to that effect." "Well, since I'm not exactly on my feet altogether yet," he said pointing to the crutches, "I can't get it all done today. However, I did put in an order for a shredder, and if you will do the honor of throwing the switch, I'll run through the first load of things we don't need any longer." "I'd be happy to turn it on," she smiled. The shredder began to whir and Mulder began feeding it old memos, some from several years back. Scully nodded her approval. "I'd also like for you to honor me with your presence at lunch today. I'm buying and I'd like to take you out someplace." "Why, thank you, Mulder. I'd be happy to accompany you." "Great! You know, there's a new version of Trivial Pursuit out. Do you think you might want to come over Friday or Saturday night and give it a try?" "Sounds interesting. I'm game." "I'll be looking forward to it," he grinned as he shoved another paper in the shredder. "This is kind of fun. By the way, there's a file on the corner of my desk. How about looking it over and letting me know what you think?" "Guess it's back to business, huh?" she asked, reaching for the file. "I'm just happy that you have become a part of my business," Mulder said. He blushed and fed another sheet of paper into the shredder. "Thank you, Mulder. I feel the same way." Scully sat in the chair in front of Mulder's desk and began to read the file. "Yep, here they were. Business as usual once again, and it felt damned good!" END