TITLE: In the Closet AUTHOR:Kristyn Collins RATING: PG (for language and suggestiveness) CATEGORY: SH SPOILERS: Memento Mori KEYWORDS: none STORY SUMMARY: Scully's encounter with Trevor, a wish-granting troll who lives in her closet. He comes to talk about Mulder and her cancer. DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere, but please e-mail me first: DiLisky@ix.netcom.com. You may also use Trevor, just ask permission first, please. (Not that you would want to, but I'm fond of the little guy myself) AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you've read any of my other stuff, you know I like sappy, angsty stories. Now I depart from that and go into the (very) fantastic. This can be taken literally, or as a hallucination from the pain Dana Scully experiences from her cancer. I myself am not sure what the troll is. Tiny bit of MSR here. Very small. Non-shippers can just stop reading after the line of Xs (Sorry, but I have to fit one of those in there somewhere, I'm a shipper ?til the end) DISCLAIMER: Dana Scully and Fox Mulder do not belong to me. For once, though, I do own one of the characters- and that is Trevor (who is a troll). In the Closet By Kristyn Collins Dana Scully stared at the thing in front of her. She could not help but thinking that he was filthy and her clean carpet was absorbing his dirt. Minutes ago, he had emerged from her closet in her bedroom and calmly walked into the center of her living room and stared at her. He was short, fat, with curly blond hair and huge eyes. He looked like a midget with really pointy ears. He was also very, very dirty. She just stared at him, and jumped when he spoke. "Hello, Dana," he said, sitting next to her on the couch. She scooted over. "You know my name?" Lord, if only Mulder was here to see this. Of course, he would probably think that it was an alien. "I'm not an alien. Your partner would know what I am." "You can read my mind?" she asked, still staring. Her brow was furrowed, and her head hurt terribly. But the pain was forgotten right now as she watched the little creature reach out and touch her hand. She pulled it away quickly. His hand were scaly and wet. "I'm not a monster, Dana. I'm a telepathic troll. My name is Trevor and I come from your closet." "My closet?" she was reaching for the scissors, should this think attempt to touch her again. "It's been awhile since you cleaned, Dana. Down to business. What do you want?" "What do you mean?" she said, puzzled. "You must want something. You yourself called me last night at-" he paused, taking a note pad from his pocket, "Ah yes. Last night at twelve after three in the morning." "Impossible. I was asleep," she said, moving herself away from him more. "Well, then, Miss Smarty-Pants, you called me in you sleep. Now, what is it that you want." "Um...Trevor, right?" he nodded, so she continued, "What did I say when I...uh...called you?" "You said, ?Oh Trevor, do it to me harder!'" she looked so startled, he immediately regretted what he said, "Sorry. You know, there aren't any lady trolls, I'm a little love starved. Last night you told me, while you were dreaming, that you were dying and needed help. But you said it wasn't about death." "What was it about?" "Well," he said in an annoyed tone, "If I knew I wouldn't be here," he sighed. Then he took a deep breath and looked at her with ugly green eyes, "Let me tell you how this works. I grant you a wish. Then you have to give me something in return." he smiled and revealed a line of yellow, crooked teeth and such bad breath she was surprised her fern didn't wilt and die. "What, in return?" she asked suspiciously. "Something comparable to what I give you. For example, if you don't have a jump rope, and you wish for one, you have to give me a toy. Like a beach ball or something. Something to replace what you took." "Can I only ask for material items?" "Or people. I can transport people." "But how do I pay you back if you transport someone?" "You do me a favor. It's the way things work, toots. And don't think about me like that. I am NOT something that a dog threw up," he paused and stood again, "Aren't you going to offer me anything to drink?" "No," Dana Scully said flatly. This was too weird, she must have passed out on the couch again after eating something strange. This had to be a dream. Maybe she was in so much pain she was hallucinating. If she just played along, maybe she would wake up. The little man was genuinely startled he had been refused. "Well, if you don't get me a drink then there's no deal." "I don't want a deal. What could I possibly want from *you*?" "You want me to bring your partner here. You need to tells him something. Or maybe...no that's not for you." "What?" said Dana on cue. "Well...I can give you a cure. Of course that involves a VERY big favor." "What favor?" asked Dana, coming closer to the vile thing now standing next to her. She could smell it. Not just it's breath, but everything about it put off some hideous stench. Wow, she thought. He needs deodorant. After thinking that, Trevor shot her a dirty look. "Do not. The favor will be that since I'm giving you your life, you must give me mine." "What do you mean?" "Well, Dana, I am bound to you. I must live in your closet. I keep your life running smoothly. In fact I choose the people you meet." This cause her to raise an eyebrow. "Did you-" "Choose Mulder?" he interrupted, "You are so predictable. Yes, I chose Mulder." Her eyes burned with tears. She shoved him hard. "Bastard! Why did you do that?"If she had never met Mulder, she wouldn't be so torn and so distressed. Her whole life would be different. "He's the love of your life, Dana. Don't deny it," said the troll. She shoved him again, but stopped to wipe her hands. Then she sat on a stool in her kitchen, staying as far away from him as possible, "Now, what I was trying to tell you. Some people need help in their lives. I came to you just before you were recruited. I came because you were about to make a major life change and needed help. I chose your destiny from there. But now I want out. I give you the cure, then you release me and control your own fate." "That doesn't sound like a bad deal. I get a cure *and* I get to control my own fate." "It's not as easy as you would think. If I were to have my say, I would keep you and Mulder apart as long as possible. I'm a non-shipper." "A what ?" "Nevermind. You wouldn't understand. Online troll stuff. Anyway, if I relinquish control to you, then you and Mulder will get together. He'll at least make a pass at you." "Okay. Let me think about this," said Dana. Then she got up and began pacing. Even if she was dreaming, she had to make a decision soon. Well, what had she to lose? She should get the cure. She had wanted Mulder since the first day she saw him anyway, and while this may not be the best professional move- "Damn right. This is a crappy professional move. Oops! Did I say that out loud? It's a VERY good move, Dana, keep thinking," Scully grumbled and began thinking again. "Okay. I'll do it. Where's the cure?" she said, reaching her hand out to shake. Instead he kissed it. She was so surprised, she pulled her hand back violently, knocking him forward. "Ooof!" he regained his balance, "Okay," then he mumbled something and held out a vile of liquid to her, "Drink this." She looked at him strangely, and then drank the vile back. It tasted like lemon and cherries and vodka. She wondered if that was all it was. "Um...Trevor, what am I supposed to do now?" "Release me." "I release you," she said feeling strange. It was like suddenly there was a storm inside her. She walked over to the couch and laid down. She watched Trevor come over to her. "See ya later, toots," he said then he planted those horrible lips on her fleshy cheek. She was too dizzy and high to push him away, though. So she just went to sleep. But before she went, she saw him walk out of her house. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Dana woke up and looked at the clock. It blinked 12:00 She thought. Then she remembered Trevor. She still was not sure whether he was a dream or not. Oh, well. She had to get an MRI tomorrow anyway. She would find out then if she was cured. . She couldn't allow herself to hope that. Once again her thoughts were interrupted, though, because there was a knock at her door. "Come in," came her hoarse rasp of a voice. A man came in. A man wearing a designer suit and funny tie. He had two strands of hair falling into his eyes, "Mulder!" she exclaimed. He looked worried. "Scully! You didn't come to work this morning. What happened? Are you okay?" He ran over to her and kneeled down, placing a hand on her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. I guess my power went out last night. I overslept. Let me get dressed. Does Skinner know I'm not at work?" "No. I figured that if you had passed out or collapsed or were in an accident or something, then I'd tell him. Instead of risking your job because you overslept." A look of relief had come over his face. He was breathing hard. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," she said, her brow furrowing. He looked so sad. "It's okay. I just thought..." she got up, so he stood as well. "I was scared Scully," then he wrapped his arms around her. He was trembling. She rubbed her hand down his back as he held her. He was so warm and comfortable. It was like his chest was built only for her. "Oh, Mulder. I'm fine. I'm so sorry," she said looking into his hazel eyes. They were red and teary. She ran her hand through his hair and held onto his waist a little longer. Then she remembered what Trevor had said, that if he gave her a cure, she and Mulder would end up together and it would be bad for her career. They stood for a moment, gazing at each other, and then like all moments, it ended. He released her and she went into her bedroom to change. Then they drove to work.