NEW: Joining the Ranks III [1/4] R Scully Slash
gabrielle
Joining the Ranks III: Saturday in the Park with Dana
by G. Harbowy - (g...@teatime.com)
Rating: R (Part 3 is NC-17)
Summary: Scully and Agent Fordham go on a date.
Category; S,R (Scully/Female)
Archive title: Joining the Ranks III: Saturday in the Park with Dana
[Standard disclaimer: I don't own 'em. I don't profit from 'em. I
may own Agent Fordham, but I don't profit from her, either.
Non-heterosexual content ahead: if this bothers you, turn back now.
This is the sequel to _Truth and Dare_ which is the sequel to _Maliach
Adom_ ; or in other words, part 3 of the "Joining the Ranks" series.
You should probably have read those first. This is not an X-File,
unless you consider Scully getting a life to be more mysterious and
less probable than silicon-based volcano organisms and giant sewer
worms. More X-Files will follow in future installments.]
[Content disclaimer: A season 1 spoiler, and a very small season 3
spoiler: if you blink, you'll miss it. Rated R for adult situations.
I've read stories in which Scully has a one-night-stand with a woman,
or is part of a threesome, but there's a lack of stories in which she
has a serious relationship with one, and that's what I'm trying to
develop in this series.
Part 3 is NC-17 for "icky grown-up stuff". It's not necessary to the
plot of the rest of the piece, so if you want to skip over it, you
won't miss anything. Just like a real woman-woman first date, there's
lots of talking. I'm not writing this for the sex, after all -- I'm
writing it for the plot development, and the sex is just something my
proofreader insisted on :) Please e-mail me with comments!]
Thanks to all my editors, especially Mel O. who gave me daily
feedback, months and months ago.
Saturday in the Park with Dana
-----------------
Saturday morning
Jenine hung up the living room phone and ran back to the bedroom to
survey the clothes she'd laid out. Dana Scully was officially on her
way over. Dropping the wet towel over the bedroom doorknob, the
small, black-haired woman put on her spandex, followed by her jogging
bra and t-shirt. She combed through her hair with her fingers once,
glad of the short cut and how quickly it dried. Inspecting her face
in the mirror again, she decided that the thin line of pencil on each
eyelid was enough, especially since she was planning to sweat.
It was wonderful, she thought, that women could be vulnerable and
sweaty together without being sexual, the way a man and woman
couldn't. Not that she would *mind* getting sexual with Dana Scully,
but she was sure the older woman wasn't interested in anything more
than clean, platonic friendship. Besides, it looked like her partner
had already staked out a claim on her, from the way he unconsciously
put a hand to her elbow or the small of her back whenever they walked.
Jenine grimaced at the sexist thought, but had to acknowledge its
validity. Mulder had won Jenine's hard-earned respect, and if getting
closer to his partner was one of his goals, she wasn't about to put
herself in a position to interfere.
One last survey through the apartment to make sure everything was in
order. Jenine's chronic neatness demanded that it be that way. Since
she so rarely had company, she wanted to make sure everything was
especially perfect. She had never seen Dana's home, but she assumed
that the other woman kept house as immaculately as she kept her
clothing and hair, and wanted very much to be perceived the same way.
Jenine glanced again at the digital watch she wore for exercising.
Dana wouldn't be arriving for another twenty minutes, if traffic was
good. She should have arranged to take the Metro and meet her
somewhere; but no, her proud vanity wanted to have Dana in her home,
even if it was only for a moment. Wanted an excuse to invite her in
afterwards. Wanted to get to know her better than any conversation
two people skating at high speeds could manage to maintain.
Dana pulled off the Beltway onto Route 66. Maybe not the most direct
way to get there, Jenine had said, but certainly the easiest. Her
hands were trembling slightly, but she tried to tell herself that she
just hadn't had enough for breakfast. She'd ask Jenine for some juice
or something before they got rolling.
Jenine's directions were easy enough to follow, and Scully soon found
herself in the parking lot of an attractive apartment building. She
maneuvered her car to one of the yellow-curbed visitor spaces, grabbed
her hip pouch, and jogged lightly toward the front door.
The black-haired woman had been waiting so intently for the doorbell
that the sound of it startled her. She jumped up with barely
contained excitement to admit her guest.
"Dana. Hi!" she said, opening the door. Jenine moved back from the
doorway to let the other woman in. Scully stopped just inside the
door, looking around the way everyone did in an unfamiliar place.
Jenine took the opportunity to close the door, turning the deadbolt
out of habit.
"Well?" Jenine asked. "Do you like it?"
"Yeah," Dana answered. "It's very nice. It's very you. Somehow, I
just knew you'd be a neat freak." She smiled to soften the comment,
and was rewarded with an answering grin. She looked a lot different
in exercise clothes, Jenine thought. Softer, more vulnerable, and
less the no-nonsense Agent. She'd even smiled!
"Can I get you something to drink? Did you have breakfast?"
"A glass of juice would be great," Scully said, grateful that she
didn't have to bring it up and sound like a mooch. She sat on the
beige sofa and watched Jenine through the kitchen pass-through. When
the other woman returned to the living room, Dana unconsciously
scooted over to make room for her on the ample couch, and accepted the
tall glass with a nod. Jenine had poured one for herself, as well.
"Where do you want to go?" Jenine asked. "You volunteered to drive
all the way out here; did you want to go to one of the parks on my
side of the Potomac?"
"I usually skate in either Rock Creek in D.C., or Sligo Creek in
Maryland. I'd be glad to try out a new park. I actually didn't have
one in mind." I came out here because I wanted to see where you live,
Scully added silently. Even though she didn't say the thought out
loud, she felt a flush creeping over her face. She looked down into
her juice, waiting for the embarrassment to go away. It was much
easier to feel in control while wearing a business suit than it was in
sweats.
Jenine stood suddenly and rummaged in one of her bookshelves,
returning with a spiral-bound map. She opened it and set it on Dana's
lap with a flourish. They pored over it together, both using the
excuse to sit close, and finally decided to go with Rock Creek after
all.
"If," Jenine said with uncertainty, "you don't mind driving all that
way, and then all the way back here." She could always take the
subway home, but she decided not to mention the option.
Dana brushed off the concern with a wave of her hand. "It'll be fun
to share my park with someone. You can bring a change of clothes if
you want, and we can go back to my place to shower afterwards."
Together. Maybe. Better lose that train of thought, Dana, or you'll
be blushing again.
Jenine smiled. "That sounds good. Come into the bedroom with me while
I throw some things together."
They stood, and Jenine led the way down the hall and through the open
door. There wasn't a chair, so Dana perched on the end of the bed and
looked around.
It was a larger room than the apartment seemed to be able to
accommodate. The walls were painted powder blue, and some framed
prints hung on them. The curtains on the one window were mostly
peach, but with flecks of the same blue as the walls. A small stereo
system sat on the shelf at the head of the queen-sized bed, with one
speaker on each end. Jenine followed Dana's glance and smiled shyly.
"Surround sound," she explained. "Or at least my pathetic attempt at
it. When I can't sleep, I put on some meditation music, or ocean
waves. The stereo effect is great -- very relaxing."
Scully nodded. Maybe some day she'd experience it for herself.
Clamping down on that thought, she looked over the rest of the room.
The bed and dressers were part of a set -- that kind of bed with the
wooden frame and built-in night-tables. The dressertops were draped
neatly with silk scarves, and further adorned by a picture frame here
and there. A collection of crystals spilled deliberately out of a
seashell-shaped bowl on the taller of the two dressers. It smacked
more of creativity than of disorder; a carefully arranged display.
Dana had no doubt that Jenine knew all the different stones by name.
One of the night-tables had an open cabinet that had been converted
into a low bookshelf, and housed several well-worn paperbacks. Most
were fiction or science fiction, some were research, and a couple were
unmistakably women-oriented one-handed reading.
She had to squint to make out the names of the cassette tapes in their
holder on the opposite wall, but what she did see compounded with the
books to confirm her theories about Jenine's orientation. Indigo
Girls, Sophie B. Hawkins, and other lesbian and bi musicians were
among the many artists featured on the tape rack.
Jenine caught her reading the titles. "I have eclectic tastes," she
explained with a shy smile, zipping up her purple duffel bag. "Ready
to go? You can grab a tape for the car, if you want."
Scully stood and strolled to the rack. Her selection was important:
it would be Jenine's first clue that something other than platonic
interest might be going on in Dana's mind. She perused the collection
for a moment, her fingers pausing over Suzanne Vega. Might not be
obvious enough. What the hell, she thought. I want to listen to it.
She pulled the tape out and handed it to Jenine. "Great lesbians in
rock," Dana said.
"Collect the whole set," Jenine added, and they both laughed. This
was going to be a great day.
[end part 1/4]
--
G. Harbowy -- g...@teatime.com X-PHILE: GAEB; OBSSE
Specializing in reverse psychology. Please don't visit my web page at
http://www.teatime.com/grh/