~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Archiver's note: This story was posted last summer and somehow we missed it and it was never archived. I'm adding it today and also changing the date on the sequel, Mr. June, so readers can easily find both parts. Both stories should qualify for this year's Spooky Awards because of when they were posted to the newsgroup. Sorry for the error. ;) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is a complete story and can stand alone. It might however end up with a sequel, I don't know yet. Depends on whether I can write one, and what the reaction to this one is.:) Everyone in this story with the surname Mulder or Scully is copyright 10.13, no permission granted, no infringement intended. The story belongs to me. Potential Mulder/Scully romance warning is now in operation, read on at own risk. The story, as you can tell from the title, deals with looking at soft porn pictures, but I don't think it very disturbing, and there's no violence or sex. Spoiler warning in effect for the episode "Paper Clip", if you've seen that, you're safe. Centrefold. by Michelle Hiley. fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk "Dana? How's it going?" "Fine Mom." Dana Scully straightened up and stretched wearily. Helping her mother to clear out the attic had left her tired and dusty. She needed to take a break. "Honey, I've fixed lunch. Come down and eat." Margaret Scully's head appeared. "You'll hurt your back." Dana smiled gratefully. Her mother almost seemed psychic when it came to knowing if Dana was hurt or tired. "In a minute Mom. I'll just finish this." She tried to hide what she was sorting, but Margaret saw and her expression altered. "You're sorting through that old case of Melissa's." Dana nodded. "You said you wanted me to. It's mostly old magazines, books, a few papers. One or two posters, records, that sort of thing. What do you want me to do with it all?" Maggie sighed. "I'd like the papers. You can have the rest, give what you don't want to charity. OK, if you want to finish looking through them, the sandwiches are in the kitchen when you get hungry." Smiling at her daughter she withdrew. Dana returned to her task. Judging from the contents, this was the stuff Melissa had brought home from college. The magazines were dated 1982, the papers seemed to be old lecture notes. Idly Dana sorted the stuff into piles. A copy of "Pilgrim's Progress". An old record by Thin Lizzy. A much worn poster that must have adorned her college wall. Dana smiled reading the familiar words. "Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence." Typical Melissa. Rock music and gentleness. Her sister had been wild but never cruel. Dana felt the tears beginning to spring to her eyes again, and quickly put the poster aside. She dug out the magazines. Four "New Age" ones. Two soft porn, "Playgirl" style. Dana smiled to herself. Melissa had always had a healthy interest in men. Trust her to have bought magazines with male models. Just as well Ahab hadn't found them. Tossing them aside, Dana delved deeper. A magazine on car maintenance. Melissa had been interested in cars? She shook her head. Guess you never know everything about your family. Well, she didn't want any of this, except maybe the poster as a keepsake. The charity store would accept the record, the book, and the New Age and car magazines. As for the men magazines.. well even if they did, Dana wasn't sure she could face offering. Best to throw those out perhaps. How explicit were they anyway? Curious, she started flipping through first one, then the other. Not too bad, most of the men had some clothing on at least. Dana found herself giggling like a teenager, and sternly reprimanded herself. There was nothing to giggle over, they were just pictures of naked men. But remembering back to her own college days, when a friend had been sent a male stripogram, they had all laughed together over it. That, she thought, was the major difference between men watching a female strip, and women watching a man. Both groups would lust, but with women it was lighter, more amused. Idly she continued flipping. And froze. She had reached the centrefold. There, oiled and dressed in nothing more than a leather posing pouch, was Mr June. It was Mulder. A very young Mulder, but definitely Mulder. Shocked, Dana's initial reaction was to slap her hand down on the page, covering his lower body. Her mind was whirling. The magazine was dated June 1982, which would have made Mulder nearly 21. He looked about that age in the photo. So it was probably taken during his student days. Shifting her hand to read the text she suddenly realised how ridiculous she was being. She'd seen nearly this much of him before, when he'd been hurt. Removing her hand she turned her attention to the writing. "Sexy Mr June's parents knew what they were doing when they gave him the name Fox. Fox is a student, and says he likes a girl with a fine mind. Guess it'd go with his fine body, hey ladies?" "Urrgghh" Dana said aloud. Still, at least the nauseatingly coy write up hadn't given his surname. But why had he done it? Was it a habit? Feverishly, Dana searched through the two magazines, not bothering to question her motives. But there were no further pictures. She turned her attention back to Mr June. She had to admit, he looked good. But...but it was *Mulder*. Her partner. The man she admired. The man she wanted badly, though she denied it, even to herself. She usually saw him dressed neatly in suits, with those outrageous ties. To see him in that posing pouch was really just too much..... "Dana?" Her mother's voice. She snapped the magazine shut. No way was her mother seeing this. Bad enough that her sister.... Dana gasped. Had Melissa recognised Mulder? Had she said anything to him? Dana forced herself to think rationally. This magazine had been lying up here for years. The chances of Melissa having remembered Mr June, let alone recognised Mulder, were remote. She needed to keep her head. Should she just destroy the magazine, keep quiet, never let Mulder know she knew? She'd think about it later. Right now her mother was wondering why she hadn't come down to lunch. Her expression calm, Dana hid the magazine back in the box and went to join her mother. Time enough to worry about it later. But try as she might, she couldn't stop thinking about it over lunch. Had his parents known? Surely not. That was around the time Mulder had been dating Phoebe. Had *she* known? Had he oiled himself? Dana caught herself up sharply. She would *not* think about that picture. So, she had looked through an old magazine, and seen her partner wearing very little. He hadn't been naked. She had no reason to feel jealous, or betrayed or annoyed. The thing was, it wasn't those emotions that bothered her. It was the other one. The initial shock had quickly been replaced by arousal. Worryingly her thoughts were now less about why he did it, and more about how nice he'd looked. It was erotic, rather than explicit, his genitals had been completely covered, but the muscles in his body and the playful look on his face had made him extremely desirable....Dana broke out of her reverie to find her mother staring at her. "Dana? What is it? Did you find something up there that upset you?" "No." Dana thought quickly. "I'm just a little tired, that's all. It's been a busy week." Her mother nodded understandingly. "OK. Well, we've sorted a lot for today. Why don't you go home and take a nap this afternoon? I was thinking of going out shopping anyway. Unless you'd like to join me?" Dana shook her head. She wanted time to think her feelings over. "Thanks Mom, but I'll head home. I'll drop off the stuff from the attic at the charity store on my way." Getting to her feet she retraced her steps to the attic. Putting the papers aside for her mother, she hastily stuffed the rest into a bag, hugged Margaret goodbye and left. By the time she reached the store, irrational shame had swept over her. Maybe she shouldn't have left her mother's so quickly. Maybe she shouldn't have gone through Missy's things. Maybe...maybe she shouldn't have looked at that picture. She stopped the car. She would drop off the other things here, then she would take the soft porn magazines home and destroy them. And forget all about Mr June. Forget about that playful smile, those oiled muscles, that leather pouch..... Like hell she would. In a daze she dropped off the goods, smiling acceptance of the store manager's thanks. Back home, in the privacy of her bedroom, she dropped the magazines on her bed. Picking up the first one, the one without Mulder she tore it to pieces, dropping them into the trash. Now for the other one. She picked it up. Even though she was alone, she flushed in embarrassment. It was true. She wanted to keep the picture. It might feel as if she was invading his privacy, , but she wanted that photo. Well..why not? She'd be careful. He'd never know. And maybe...maybe it would help in the lonely months, maybe years of having to work with a man she so desired. She didn't think he felt the same. This was the closest she'd ever get to heaven. Curling up on the bed, Dana took Mr June in her arms, for the first time of many. The end. Footnote. This was originally from the introduction, but I'm told it's better at the end.... This one was written on a train down to Devon. I put a CD on, and one of the tracks on it was an old friend, the J.Geils Band's hit "Centrefold" from 1982. Set me thinking. Couldn't resist. I've always loved the song, but it annoyed me that he felt betrayed in it. After all, he was the one *looking* at the magazine. It's Ok for him to look, but not her to pose? Well, I guess he does say later he understands. Still, I thought, time for a rewrite...snicker.. I didn't quote the song, but I did include one amended line from it in the text of the story. Don't think that's enough to really infringe, but just in case, the song "Centrefold" was mentioned without permission and is copyright someone called Justman, no infringement intended. Those of you who have yet to reach your prime, go raid your big sister's record collection, if you want to know what the song's about. Or e-mail me for an explanation if you wish. Those of you who know the song, altogether now, "One, two, three, four, na,na,nananana....my blood runs cold..." So...should I write a sequel? Should Mulder find out Scully knows? What excuses will he come up with? Alien mind wipe? And what's going to happen to the magazine? Will Mr June become Skinner's secretary's pin up, and the toast of graphology? Should I use the lines from the song about "I hope that when this issue's gone, I'll see you when your clothes are on. Take your car, yes we will, take your car and drive it. Take it to a motel room and take em off in private....." Or didn't you like the story? Either way thanks for reading, and if anyone wants to comment, you can find me at fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk.....