TITLE: S. W. and the 7 D’s (aka 7 Steps to Apple Pancakes).

PART ONE: "Doc" (1/7)

AUTHOR: Triton

Email: triton-x@yahoo.com

or visit my little library at: http://geocities.datacellar.net/triton-x/Fanfic

DATE: 15th January, 2000

SUMMARY: Scully deals with an important aspect of her character, with a little help from a group of height-challenged, trouble making muses.

DISCLAIMER: X-Files, Mulder, Scully and all related characters belong to that amazing person called Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and the Fox Network. I mean no infringement. I am just borrowing the characters briefly to have a play, to see what I can do with them while CC isn’t watching. He can have them back anytime he likes (well, that depends on what happens during Season Seven!! I may have to consider a hostage situation).

CATEGORY: ST and MSR themes.

RATING: PG-13

SPOILERS: None whatsoever. I think.

ARCHIVE: Sure, Fine, Whatever!

NOTE: This is Part One of an expected Seven Part fanfic. Mainly Scully POV.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She didn’t see it coming.

No warning at all. One minute she was standing in an alleyway, gun un-holstered, watching the assailant trying hard to merge within the shadows.

Next minute there was a brief whistling sound, a shadow from above, a displacement of mass and Scully was knocked out cold.

When she opened her eyes next, she was curled up in the back seat of Mulder’s car. Mulder was standing at the car door, talking to someone she didn’t recognise.

"Mulder?" she mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut as the sunlight caused shooting pain to ricochet behind her eyes. With an "Argghhh!" she lost consciousness again.

The next time she became aware of her environment, she sensed she was in a moving vehicle and when she prised an eye open she was glad to note that it was dusk and that her head didn’t hurt as much. She very slowly surveyed the situation. She could make out a dark shape occupying the driver seat in front of her. Long fingers gripped at the steering wheel.

"Mulder?"

Mulder turned briefly to flash her a smile, then diverted his concentration back to the road.

"Hey, Scully. How are you feeling?"

Scully thought about this. She had a mild headache. As she moved to get more comfortable, she groaned as her back stiffened and her right shoulder ached. She raised her hand to touch at the few stinging areas on her face.

"Sore, I think. What happened?"

Mulder glanced back at her again and grimaced.

"You were hit by a sack of apples. Some scared hooker heard all the commotion and thought we were coming after her, so she tossed her stash out from her balcony window. The apples had been injected with some low-grade heroin. The sack landed on your head, knocked you out cold."

Scully grunted and rubbed at a thumping lump on her skull. "Just my luck!" she murmured.

"Well, Scully, look at it this way," Mulder quipped, "You got the poisoned apple, Snow White!"

Scully groaned again, but this time not due to her physical aches and pains. Mulder chuckled to himself.

Ten minutes later, Mulder was unlocking the front door to Scully’s apartment. She followed him in, gingerly holding her head and dreaming of a soft place to lay down. Mulder took her by the hand and led her into the kitchen.

"The paramedics looked you over and pronounced you alive. I persuaded them to let you come home, as opposed to admitting you into an hospital room, on the proviso that I tend to your nursing." He directed her to a chair and gently manoeuvred her into a sitting position.

Scully snorted ungracefully, and waved her hands at him to swat him away. "Yeah right!"

Mulder grabbed her flailing hands and held them within his own. "I’ve had a lot of practise, Doctor Scully, watching you patch me up. I’ll just treat you the same way you treat me!" He squatted down in front of her, and leant in close to examine the scratched skin across her cheek.

"And how’s that, ‘Doc’ Mulder?"

"Lovingly." he whispered against her ear.

END.