48 days A.H.

8.07 am

FBI Headquarters DC

"Mulder, we’re in public!" she hissed at him as she slapped his hand off her waist.

Mulder groaned. "I don’t know if I can do this, Scully."

"Yes you can. You’ve been doing this for five years now, haven’t you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but spending the whole day alone in a room with you, **knowing** that you want me as badly as I want you; it would drive me insane! "

"Get a grip, Mulder. We’re adults, we can handle this." Her eyes twinkled mischievously as they approached their office door. "Besides, your table is too cluttered and I don’t have a desk."

"Scully!" He almost yelled as his body responded to her innuendo. "That’s it! I’m going to down to the lab or the morgue, whatever! I can’t be in the same room with you at this moment." He turned to head towards the stairs.

Dana frowned. "Waaa….iiit a minute, buster. Come back here!" She fixed him a glare as he turned back to face her. "Nice try. It’s your turn to do the expense reports and Skinner wants it before ten, today."

"But…"

She cut in, smiling sweetly. "If you really don’t want me around, I’ve got some reports to finish at the lab. Now, get in there!"

He groaned again and reluctantly walked into their office. "Busted…" he muttered under his breath.

"Good luck!" she wished him cheerfully and closed the door in between his third groan.

12.11 pm

‘After dipping into acid, take the outer layer off ……. Okaaay. Then the soak the remnants into pure water….’ An extra loud ringing tone made her jump, causing her to drop the sample into a bottle of ammonia instead. She growled in frustration as she almost threw the forceps into the sink. Removing her gloves, she grabbed her cell-phone from her back pocket. "What!"

"Uh, I guess it would be a bad time to ask what you’re wearing huh?" her partner’s voice trembled slightly.

She sighed. "Mulder, I just spent the last 2 hours redoing a very delicate procedure before you called and…….never mind. Did you increase my cell-phone volume?"

"No," he replied, a little too fast.

She arched her eyebrow. "I left my phone with you yesterday while you waited for me in the car."

"I really don’t know how you can hear anything with its volume at number 2," he finally muttered.

She sighed again. "Did you have a reason to call, Mulder?"

"Well, there’s a meeting in the cafeteria. I thought we might go take a look."

"A meeting in the cafeteria? What FBI meeting takes place in the cafeteria?"

"You know the FBI page I told you about? A meeting was called for all who…err…participated."

"You’re kidding."

"Nope. Are you game?"

"I’ll meet you there in five minutes."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

12.19 pm

Mulder smiled as he caught sight of her partner entering the lift. He ran towards it and slipped in between the doors before it closed. Although it was quite crowded with hungry staff members, Mulder managed to squeeze his way next to his surprised partner.

She shook her head slightly, half-amused and half-embarrassed by his need to be near her at all costs. If he weren’t careful, he would blow their secret. She frowned at him.

He ignored her and leaned to whisper in her ear. "I hear Kim is the banker."

He caught her attention immediately. "Skinner’s Kim?"

"Uh-uh."

"Are you sure?" She frowned even more as she caught several fellow lift-mates, leaning closer towards them in an attempt to eavesdrop.

"Quite positive. You think I can get my end of the profits from her?"

"Mulder, you can’t bet in your own ….bet."

He arched his eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. Forget your sixty bucks."

"No way. I just have to think of something to offer her. As long as she doesn’t say a word about it to anyone…" He was silent for a few seconds and then leaned next to her ear again. "If all else fails, I could always sleep with her."

Dana raised her eyebrows and gave him a disgusted look.

He grinned, teasing.

Voices in her demanded vengeance. She calmly stepped back, looked at the front of his trousers and spoke in her best Dr. Scully tone. "Hmmmm, I don’t know what could be the problem Mulder. But it is common for most males your age to go through periods such these. Little dry spells, it won’t last long. I shouldn’t worry about it."

His expression was priceless. She had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing. Several people in the lift were also trying really hard to control themselves as well. A snort escaped one of them. Thankfully the lift stopped at the next floor and all of them stumbled out except Mulder and Scully. They could hear their ringing laughter as the lift doors closed.

He glared at her.

She smiled back at him sweetly. "Never mess with a Scully."

"I’m feeling generous today so I’ll let that go," he growled.

"Like you could top that."

The lift stopped and they got out and headed down the corridor. He pushed the cafeteria door open. There was quite a large group in the middle of the room.

She was slightly surprised at the number that turned up. "Think that’s the meeting?"

"I guess so, we’re a little late."

"Mulder, there must be at least eighty of them here."

"Well, we do have a reputation."

They stood in the corner, nearby the group. Nobody noticed their presence. All of them were too caught up in the discussion:-

<They couldn’t have slept with each other.>

<Yeah, no way!>

<Oh come on, it was on national TV. What other proof do you need? A medical check-up?>

<Wait a minute, I thought that the end of the bet would be when they get married!>

Mulder eyes widened, he turned to Dana to catch her reaction. Her head was facing the floor, Scully was actually blushing!

Kim groaned loudly. "People, can we please settle down?" They reluctantly hushed up. "Thank you. Now, personally I feel that this bet is over."

"Sure, that’s because you won two hundred bucks!" Dana recognized Cynthia’s voice.

Kim rolled her eyes. "Look, let’s just calm down and establish the basis of the bet." She sighed. "When it started out, was it about them sleeping together, or was it about them getting together?"

<What’s the difference?>

<Yeah, both include sex.>

<Anyway, that was five years ago. What if they decide never to marry, what then? We’re just gonna wait around until they do?>

<Yeah, I’ve got another year before retirement. And I’m moving to New York. I’m not gonna come back here to get my money then. Forget it, the bet is over. I’ve got what I bet for, I’m happy!>

<Oh that’s real selfish, Mart!>

<Hey, just because you’re a bad loser…>

<What?>

<Hey, cut that out!>

<Yeah, who the hell started this pool anyway?>

All eyes turned to Kim, who was rubbing her forehead in despair.

"Don’t look at me! I only became banker when Sofia left."

<Who’s Sofia?>

<Who cares? Do you have her number? Let’s call her and find out.>

<Sofia has emigrated to Canada.>

<Oh come on already, the **moaning** in the basement last Friday? The deals over!>

Dana poked her partner in the rib at this point, rebuking him for the millionth time for his video addiction.

He hissed back at her. "Let it go. Gees woman, don’t you ever forgive and forget?"

<But are they in love?>

<Who cares?>

<That brings us back to the question – what the hell did we bet for in the first place?>

"All right everyone, shut up!" Kim yelled. "We’ll do this democratically. We’ll put it to a vote. Okay?"

The crowd reluctantly agreed, much to her relief.

"What is going on here?" Skinner suddenly appeared behind Mulder.

"Sir!" Dana and Mulder both jumped in unison.

"Nothing sir." She replied.

Skinner frowned as he studied the crowd in front of him. They were oblivious to his arrival. "Looks like a vote. What are you voting for?"

Mulder pulled at his tie uncomfortably, "Er… you really shouldn’t be here sir."

"And why not?"

Dana took over. "Well, they’re planning a surprise."

Mulder continued. "Yeah, for you."

Their superior wasn’t at all convinced. "For me?"

Kim’s voice captured his attention. "Okay, those for Fox Mulder and Dana Scully in bed, please move to my left. And those for the wedding, my right."

Skinner turned to face his favorite agents. "A surprise for me?" he growled.

Dana frowned at Mulder, willing him to say something.

Mulder sheepishly grinned. "So, what will it be sir? A picture of us in bed and or a wedding photo. Your two spookiest agents in a frame; we thought it would be great for your office wall this Christmas."

Dana rolled her eyes and kicked Mulder in the shin.

"Oww! What?" he glared at her.

Skinner frowned even harder at them. "Agent Mulder, Agent Scully, why don’t you both have lunch somewhere else."

"But sir…"

"Go!"

"Yes sir." Dana answered for her partner and they both headed out the cafeteria.

Skinner then made his way through the crowd towards Kim. Her face paled as her immediate boss stood in front of her. He gave her a fierce look and proceeded to glare at the rest. The crowd started to disperse. Skinned stopped them. "Not so fast!" They grimaced and froze in their places. "What’s going on here?"

When no one said a word, Skinner turned to Kim. "Kim?"

She took a deep breath before she spoke, "Some of us were not happy at the outcome of a small bet, so we were just voting for a solution."

"A small bet? Half the department is here!" He paused. "Honestly, I would think that the FBI has enough on its hands to keep everyone happily busy. Enough of this foolishness, the bet is over and done. If anyone has a problem with that, I am quite free this afternoon to discuss about your future in this establishment."

He glared at them for a few more seconds and then dismissed them. As they moved away quickly, Skinner walked towards Kim. Resigned to her fate, she braved herself to face him. "Sir, I’m very sorry. It won’t.."

"It better not happen again, Kim." His mouth suddenly curved into a small smile. "By the way, you owe me a hundred and fifty bucks." Kim groaned as he walked out the cafeteria door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

5.28pm

Dana shook his head as Mulder sulked at his desk. He spent the whole day grumbling about being cheated out of his sixty bucks. ‘He is such a child at times. And he complains when I mother him.’ She got up from her chair. "Mulder, I’ll meet you at the car, okay?"

"Hmmm," he replied, engrossed in an old favorite X-file, which he liked to reread whenever he was in a bad mood.

She shook her head again, ‘The things I do for him..’

She walked briskly to Skinner’s office. Kim looked up from her work and greeted her. "Agent Scully, AD Skinner is not in."

"I know, Kim. I am not here to see him."

"You’re not?" she frowned, confused.

"No Kim, I came to see you." She paused. "Has everyone collected?"

"I’m sorry?" Kim was even more confused.

Dana frowned. "The bet. Has everyone collected their winnings?"

Her head jerked a little. "You know about the bet?"

"It’s on the Bureau’s homepage, isn’t it?"

"Yeah, but there’s a password to access it. And we made sure that you and Agent Mulder weren’t informed about it."

Dana smiled. The Lone Gunmen, who else but Mulder’s Three Stooges. "Let’s just say that Agent Mulder has friends in high places."

"Well, most of the winners have collected, except the Texas office and the Quantico academy…"

"Texas? Quantico?"

"Well, both of you do have a reputation. Once word got around about the pool, we sort of opened it up to everyone."

Dana shook her head in amazement. "Erm, anyone from **this** office have not collected?"

"Three, Lensky – he will be back on Wednesday. Morten’s on sick leave. And…," she studied her notebook beside her. "A nickname, a bet made through the net."

"What’s the nick?"

"Emile, E-M-I-L-E."

Dana hesitated. ‘Emily? Must be Mulder.’ Her voice softened. "Emily is here to collect."

"Emily?" Kim face changed as she recognized the name from one of the reports Agent Mulder had handed up to her boss a few months ago. "Do you have Emily’s password?" she gently asked.

"Password? Hold on." Dana flipped open her cell phone and pressed on Speed-Dial number one.

"Mulder," her partner voice crackled clearly.

"Mulder, what’s Emily’s password?"

Silence.

"Mulder?"

"D-K-M."

Dana smiled at the mouthpiece. "You owe me lunch."

"Lunch won’t cover what I owe you, Scully."

She hung up and looked at Kim. "Try D-K-M."

Kim typed the password in the betting pool page and received an affirmative Message Box. She smiled and dug out sixty dollars from her desk drawer. "You know this is not customary," she told Dana as she handed her the cash.

"I know. Thanks." Dana smiled at her and headed towards the door.

Just as she was about to step out the door, Kim called out to her, "Agent Scully? Just curious, what does D-K-M stand for?"

"Dana Katherine Mulder," she answered and disappeared behind the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

End of DKM

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