From: ZZCF89A@prodigy.com (Megan Reilly)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: Poor Scully 1/1 [Short!]
Date: 7 May 1996 20:13:26 GMT


Disclaimer: These characters belong to Chris Carter, Darin Morgan, 10-13 
and Fox.

Spoilers: If you haven't yet seen "Quagmire", tuck this one away for 
later.

Just a bit of fun...

Poor Scully
by  Megan Reilly
May 7, 1996

	The problem with her was that she thought I needed her.  She was always 
fussing over me, making sure I ate right, slept a decent number of hours 
on my little couch-bed instead of running wild all night, bathing me and 
fluffing my hair.  But she was wrong; I didn't need her, and her 
attentions irritated me.  Because although she meant well, she didn't 
need me either.
	What she really needed, I thought, not for the first time, was a baby.  
Something that would need her in return.
	I had to make my escape.  This would be my chance, of that I was certain.
  She'd never taken me with her on her trips before - not that I was 
entirely welcome this time.  I hadn't missed the dark, sour looks he was 
giving me.  He'd just as soon have tossed me out the window as tossed me 
into the back seat, and I'd have thanked him for it.
	Truth be told, I hadn't been entirely happy since the passing of my Old 
Sweetie, the woman who'd needed me and cared for me, but in the euphoria 
of her age had also allowed me to roam, as was in my nature.  And at the 
end, when it came down to it, I'd needed her as well.  Things had been so 
good back there, at home, in St. Paul.
	But I was due for a change, and my stint in DC didn't count as far as I 
was concerned.  I didn't like cities much; too much competition for 
resources.  Georgia would do, I thought, squirming anxiously on the seat, 
thinking if he would only stop the car, I could make my getaway now.
	He didn't stop.  And when he did, I was tethered to them, the Dynamic 
Duo, as they blundered their way through an investigation.  This was 
their job? I wondered, but set myself to work chewing on the leather 
harness as soon as they were out of sight.  Humans would never make sense 
to me, as a being superior to them.
	The man was further proof that the woman didn't really need me.  Back in 
the car, I listened to them bicker about where to eat, and what to eat 
when they'd finally decided where.  She was trying to take care of him 
the same way she did me, only he needed it.  He did the same to her.  
They needed each other, but didn't seem to want to realize it.
	Humans.  How have they come so far without moving an inch?
	I was enjoying the fresh air and scent of the woods, and the freedom to 
run.  At least the leash was long.  My mistake was showing my intellect 
to the humans.  I discovered a clue for them, did them a favor by 
pointing it out, and what was my reward?
	Staying in the motel room the rest of the afternoon.  I slept fitfully, 
dreaming of the thrill of the hunt, the chase, the taste and feel of 
dinner as I caught it and sank my little teeth into it.
	When the woman returned, she fed me from an extremely small can of 
overprocessed meat substance, coated in slime and retaining the shape of 
its can even after it slid out onto a plate.  I was expected to eat this? 
 I looked up at her and she informed me of as much.  I licked it to see 
if it had perhaps changed since the last time she'd presented it to me.  
It had not.  I turned away sulkily.
	The duo was arguing again.  This time about photographs of teeth.  I 
have quite nice teeth, very sharp and useful.  I am deceptively soft and 
furry looking until I show off my lovely pointed teeth.  Grrrr.  See, 
aren't I frightening?  Thought so.  Of course, the woman never noticed 
that I needed a good hearty bone to chew on to keep my pearly whites in 
top form.  Preferably human bone, though any recently departed creature 
would do.  I knew she had access to them; why did she never bring me one?

	Women, I thought.  They never understand.
	The man, on the other hand, understood me too well.  We were almost like 
kindred spirits, him and me.  And that's why he gave me so many 
distrusting looks.  He knew exactly what I was capable of.  He knew a big,
 juicy bone, maybe with a few tidbits of flesh left on was what I dreamed 
of at night.  The woman was too blinded by love for me to see it.  Come 
to think of it, I thought, watching them together, she was blinded by 
love for the man, too.  I wondered what he dreamed of getting from her.
	No matter.  The wilderness was calling to me, I craved it.  I had to get 
out.  It was late, it was dark, I'd nibbled most of the way through my 
harness.  I had to get out there, now.  I knew I could make my escape.  I 
scratched more frantically at the door, knowing the woman wouldn't be 
able to resist me.
	She took me outside.  The woods were so close.  Freedom was only feet 
away.  I could smell it, I could taste it.  I ran.
	She screamed my name after me as I ran, the leash unfurling like a 
fishing line, the beam from her flashlight bouncing as she pursued me, 
calling me.
	For a moment I hesitated, conscience stricken.  There was a note of 
desperation in her voice.  Maybe I'd been wrong.  Maybe she really did 
need me.  The man was a sharp cookie, but that was no guarantee he'd be 
able to figure out what she denied herself, that she needed someone to 
come home to at night, someone who would always jump up on her legs and 
lick her hand when she opened the door, even if she had to keep them 
tethered.  Humans are so pathetic in their need for companionship.  Maybe 
I should stay with her, just for a little longer, until I could maneuver 
the two of them together.  They needed each other; how long could it take?

	Seven, eight, nine, ten.  She'd called my name ten times in the very 
short time I'd been away from her.  No way, I thought, she'll have to 
figure out the mess herself.  I may never get another chance.  I pulled 
hard on the harness and it snapped satisfyingly.  	Free!  I was free!  
The first thing I was going to do was have a good meal!  My entire little 
body quivered with the excitement of it.
	I heard the leash wind back to her.  This is goodbye, I thought as I 
bounded away, but then something stopped me.  I had to look back, to make 
sure she was all right.  She was only human, after all.  Even if I didn't 
need her, and she didn't need me, she didn't know she didn't need me.
	The open-mouthed look of horror and sadness on her face was too much for 
me.  I ran as fast as I could, vowing never to look back.  After all, I 
consoled myself, if she's so upset, the man's bound to comfort her.  I 
could see the scene clearly in my mind, actually.  She would look up at 
him, my harness in her trembling hands, and he'd wordlessly take her into 
a hug.  Curious habit of humans, hugging.  It intrigued me, but I had no 
desire to make a further study of it.  She would be fine.  He would take 
care of her with kind words and soft looks.  Maybe they'd even forget 
their work for the night.
	Yes, I thought, more convinced with every step, that is what is certain 
to happen.  My heart lightened as I sensed someone nearby, a human with 
that unmistakable scent clinging to him.  Dinner!
	I hesitated only one moment longer, thinking back to the man, and then 
to the woman.  She'd been kind to me.  But I was free now, and that meant 
a lot of good things.  I looked to my dinner again.  It meant the freedom 
to choose my own cuisine, for starters.
	But most of all, it meant I'd never have to answer to her again. I 
snorted. The name had just been another symbol that I was not who she 
wanted me to be.  It hurts to disappoint the humans; if only they could 
take better care of themselves.  The thought of it made me snarl and hurl 
my small body at my dinner.
	What kind of a name had it been for one of my kind anyway?  Queequeg.  
Get real, I thought, but I felt sorry for her, lost and all alone, just a 
little human in the big, bad world of nature.
	"Poor Scully," I said, a little pout in my snout.  Then I ripped into my 
dinner.

The end.