From: Erinstone1@aol.com

Shrink - Chapter 5
ErinStone1@AOL.com
Rated: PG-13
Spoilers: none
Category: Scully/Slash
Archive: Yes-please make me aware of any final posts to a site.
Feedback: Any/all is welcome
Disclaimer: Scully and Mulder are not mine. I make no profit from this story.

Summary:  Scully decides she needs to take responsibility for her unhappiness.





Dr. Aris came through the office door quickly peeling her coat off as she 
walked. She looked to Scully, "Dr. Scully. Good to see you. Follow me in?"

Scully was on her feet and followed Dr. Aris through the connecting door into 
her office. She risked a small smile over her shoulder to Marlene and got a 
wink in return.

Dr. Aris piled her purse and coat onto the chair across from her desk and 
Scully's seating options were suddenly very limited. She chose the chair next 
to it causing Dr. Aris to sit down at her desk.

"How was your week Dr. Scully?"

Scully couldn't help but smile as she thought of Marlene's conversation on 
the speakerphone. "It was fairly tame."

"Anything you'd like to hash out or should we start with me asking you more 
questions?"

"Let's go with the questions."

Dr. Aris appraised her for a moment and Scully felt herself flush.

Then the doctor moved from behind her desk. She picked up her coat and purse 
from the extra chair and piled them onto her desk chair. Then she came back 
around to sit next to Scully. 

Some kind of perfume wafted toward Scully as she watched the blond settle in 
next to her. It was different, not flowery; it had more of a natural smell.  
Dr. Aris crossed her legs at the knee and flipped the heel of her pump off 
her foot, dangling it. She seemed to be carefully choosing her next words. 

Scully watched her foot swing slowly back and forth thinking to herself that 
the doctor wasn't 5'7" after all. 'Without those heels on she's probably 
closer to 5'5".' She let her gaze travel upward taking in the doctor's legs, 
then farther up to the woman's face. The doctor wasn't looking at her so she 
let her glance linger. Dr. Aris had soft curls of shiny blond hair around her 
face. She'd arranged it behind her ears and it touched the collar of her 
white blouse. Her look was not unlike that of Officer White, one of Mulder's 
conquests from and earlier case. But Dr. Aris had green eyes, not blue, and 
her hair was longer. 

Scully watched as the doctor lifted her arm to pull an unruly curl back 
behind her ear. Her blouse had French cuffs. The right cuff link was a small 
silver faucet handle with a little 'H' engraved into it. Scully assumed that 
her left cuff link had a 'C'. 

"I drove around today, prior to our appointment, for nearly 2 hours."

Scully's ears burned slightly. 'Where is this going?' 

"I tried to picture you in different situations. At work, with the family you 
told me about during our last appointment, out with a friend, alone at 
home...'

Scully shifted uncomfortably in the chair. 'And you do this with all your 
clients?'

"I can tell I'm making you uncomfortable Dr. Scully..."

"Ms. Scully, please."

Dr. Aris smiled and bowed her head, "Ms. Scully...  but I think there's 
something important here."

Scully said nothing.

Dr. Aris steepled her fingers, "I think you may be lonely."

Scully's eyes filled with tears. She looked to the ceiling of Dr. Aris' 
office and then directly at her. "Are you intending to start every session 
like this?"

"Like what?"

"By making me cry."

"Seems a little ruthless doesn't it?"

"Frankly yes." Scully reached over to the doctor's desk and pulled a tissue 
from the box to wipe her eyes.

Dr. Aris watched her carefully. It took all of her will power not to say, 'I 
hate doing this to you. I'm so sorry.' Instead she sat quietly and let Ms. 
Scully pull herself together.

"Is this helpful to you?" Scully looked at her with deep hurt in her eyes.

"Unfortunately yes."  Dr. Aris felt her stomach start to burn. 

"Why is that?"

"Because your reaction lets me know I'm close to figuring out the problem." 
She took a deep breath. "Ms. Scully I hate this."

Scully's eyes widened.

Dr. Aris leaned in a little closer to her. "It's true. I really hate this 
part. But if I don't know for sure what the problem is then I do you no good 
at all."

Scully's features softened. 'Is this an apology?'

"If I had said I think you'reˇ let's sayˇ stressed; you may have agreed with 
me but I don't think you would have broken down like you just did. Does that 
make sense to you?" 

"Yes, it does."

"Good."

"I'm sorry I reacted the way I did. I don't break often and you've managed to 
make me cry twice now. I took it personally. I shouldn't question your 
methods."

"That's alright. Sometimes this job makes me feel like a bully." Dr. Aris 
smiled.

Ms. Scully's mouth came up in a half smile; one side of her mouth lifting 
softly.  The good Dr. Aris' heart skipped a beat.

The doctor stood suddenly, she swallowed and blurted out, "Excuse for a 
second, will you?" She took in Ms. Scully's startled expression as she stood 
and let herself out through Marlene's door.

Marlene looked up from her desk surprised to see Dr. Aris standing in the 
hallway. The doctor took several deep breaths as she leaned against the 
closed door behind her.

"Doctor?"

The doctor closed her eyes briefly, waved Marlene off and re-entered her 
office.

Marlene shook her head, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Sorry about that Ms. Scully." She pointed to her throat. "Not sure what 
happenedˇ some kind of throat thing."

"Are you alright?" Ms. Scully's obvious concern nearly sent the doctor back 
out in the hall. 

"Yes. Fine." She sat back down beside her, her face flushed.

"Are you sure?"

Dr. Aris forced a smile. "Yes, thanks. So, where were we?"

"You were making me cry." Again with that half smile. 

"Oh, right, the part I hate." Dr. Aris chuckled a little. 

"And for the record you're right." Tears glistened again in her eyes.  "I 
think I may be lonely."

Dr. Aris felt her heart clench in her chest. 'Unacceptable.' she thought. 
"Let's work on that problem first."

Ms. Scully nodded her head.

-end-