By Kel
e-mail: ckelll@hotmail.com
 

Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 21:36:50 -0500
website: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Realm/9374/
Spoiler: One Breath
M/S Friendship
Rating: G
Archive: Help yourself

Disclaimer: They followed me home.  Can I keep them?

Summary:
An explanation for one of the more puzzling moments in "One Breath."
 
 
 

Plain Brown Paper Wrapper
 

When you work alone for twelve hours a day in an office in the basement,
you get careless about things like putting away your videotapes.  Bad
habits are hard to break.

When Mulder walked into his office--no, their office, he had to remind
himself--he was alarmed to find Scully searching through his tapes.  He
was going to cover his embarrassment with an outcry about her invasion
of his privacy when he realized that she was more flustered than he was.

"I was looking for... a tape.  From a case.  Evidence," she stammered
lamely.

"Oh.  Maybe I can help you," he said.  He'd assumed she was looking
through his tapes in order to berate him for being unprofessional.  He
was well aware he shouldn't be keeping them at work.

"No, I don't need it.  Never mind."  She backed away from the shelf,
flushed and jittery.

"I've got more at home," he offered.  "Hell, Scully, it's no big deal.
What are you looking for?"

"You don't have it," she said.  "Nobody has it.  And I don't want it."
But she was still looking into his eyes, waiting for a little more
encouragement.

"I've got some catalogues," Mulder said.  "You could probably order it."

"Oh my God," said Scully.  "Can you imagine the mailing lists I'd land
on?"

"Is that a bad thing?" Mulder asked with a slight smile.  "Anyway, I
could order it for you.  Protect you from all that sicko junk mail."

"It's really not pornographic," Scully explained.  "It's... explicitly
erotic. But it's got a plot, and real actors."

"Scully, I'm sure I can find it somewhere.  Who's in it?" he asked.
This would be an easy favor, since he already had accounts with the
major distributors.  And now that he thought about it, Scully had always
been a good sport about his tapes.  There were plenty of women in the
Bureau who would have filed formal complaints about him.

"I... don't know," she admitted.  "But they're very attractive.  And
it's got basketball."

"Well, maybe I'll borrow it from you.  What's it called?" he asked.

She answered him timidly, almost inflecting the title into a question.

"Red Shoe Diaries?" she said shyly.

"Someone's got to have it," Mulder said. "And don't worry, Scully.  When
I get hold of it, I'll put it in a plain package."  He took an empty
case from the shelf to show her.  "How about this one?"

She nodded.

"Superstars of the Superbowl.  Good choice, Mulder.  Thanks."

"Hey," he said archly.  "I'm there for you."
 
 

end
 
 

And now you know the rest of the story.  If you have a better
explanation,  I'd love to hear it.

Kel
ckelll@hotmail.com