Summary: Walter Skinner has faced countless dangers, alien and mutant. He's dealt with conspiracies of all kinds and human treachery. But is he a match for "The Blob"?

Author's notes:
This is part six of the Skinner/Regina series. In order:

• Breaking the News
  http://tooms.gossamer.org/display.php?Breakingthenews.Drew
• Bridal Gifts
  http://tooms.gossamer.org/display.php?Bridalgifts.Drew
• O Holy Night
• Peaceful, Easy Feeling
• Father's Day
• A Quarter Past Three
• Downtime

Walter Skinner slept soundly. His wife of eight years was nestled up against his chest, one arm on his arm that wrapped protectively around her neck. His other hand rested on the curve of her hip.

Regina had told him that he never snored except when he was very tired or worried. His sleep tonight was soundless, save for the deep, regular breaths that chorused with his wife's. Perhaps he should have been worried, considering that two people who slept beneath his roof tonight were carrying very sharp swords and were adept at using them.

The door of the bedroom was closed, but not locked. The Intruder knew this and turned the brass knob without a sound. Pushing on the heavy oak was harder and hinges squeaked.

A narrow blade of light cleft the room in half, slicing across Skinner's neck. A figure stood silhouetted in the doorway, peering into the room.

The light bounced off of Skinner's closed eyelids. He winced, murmured something and buried his face deep in his wife's dark hair.

The figure scuffled forward, intent on its errand, the feet making a sound that was half scratch, half swish.

"Daddy," a little voice whispered.

Skinner stirred.

"Daddy." The whisper was more urgent this time, and thick with tears.

Walter's eyes opened and he saw his daughter's brimming eyes looking back at him. They were Regina's eyes, and his hand unconsciously tightened on his wife's hip.

"Lucy. What's wrong, baby?"

Her lower lip quivered dangerously. "Daddy."

"Shh. Don't wake your mama."

It was too late, though. Regina had heard the cry of her child.

Still not quite awake, she spoke fuzzily in her first language. "Que pasa?"

"Esta bien, querida," Skinner soothed his wife and gestured to his daughter. "What's wrong, Lucy?"

Regina sat up one elbow and reached for her little girl. "Que pasa, mija? Tuviste un sueno malo?"

Lucy nodded and sniffed. "Daddy, I had a bad dream," she explained unnecessarily.

Skinner sighed and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"About three," his wife told him and patted the mattress beside her. Lucita Diana Skinner needed no more encouragement. She clambered up onto the bed, into her mother's embrace. Regina felt Lucy's trembling though the fuzzy yellow pajamas, the ones with the feet sewn in them that Dana Scully had given her. Regina hushed the child gently, smoothing Lucy's black hair out her eyes. Her husband lay back down, but kept one long, well-muscled arm flung over his wife and daughter.

"What did you dream about, baby girl?" His voice, rough with sleep and nonuse, rumbled over Regina's head. It was the deep, authoritative baritone that often caused F.B.I. agents to scurry for cover. But Lucy knew better. She had it on excellent authority that her daddy was the kindest, gentlest man in the world. Seure in her faith, she piped up without fear and answered.

"The blob. It was gonna get me."

Walter frowned. He wasn't sure he'd heard her right. "The Blob?"

"Yeah." Lucy sniffled again and wormed her way closer to her mother's body.

Regina didn't quite understand what her youngest child was talking about, but she consoled her anyway. "Well, the Blob won't get you here, mija."

The girl snuggled closer and another silhouette yawned and stretched in the doorway. The shadow was eight feet long, and resembled a weird spider as one of its arms reached back to scratch its neck.

Skinner was not alarmed. "Come in here, Sam. Did you have a nightmare, too, son?"

Sam shook his head and gave another enormous yawn. A tuft of black hair stuck straight up against all the laws of gravity. He climbed up onto the bed without being asked.

Resigned to have his entire family in bed with him, Walter Skinner turned on his bedside lamp. Regina squinted and blinked, then sat up against the headboard, still holding Lucy firmly on her lap. He pushed his palms down and worked his torso up beside her.

"Okay. What's going on? Sam, did you have a nightmare, or are you checking up on your sister?"

Seven-year-old Sam rubbed sleepy eyes. "Just checking. I heard her go past my room. I thought she wanted a drink."

Skinner smiled despite himself. Sam adored his little sister, and was always willing to fetch and carry for her, an opportunity Lucy never failed to take him up on.

As if she wasn't spoiled enough, he thought to himself.

"Lucita," Gina was asking, "What Blob?"

"The one in the movie," Lucy's brother explained.

"You saw _The Blob_?" Skinner frowned. "When?"

"With Uncle Fox," the boy replied.

Regina's black eyes narrowed. "Uncle Fox? He let you watch _The Blob_? Where was Aunt Dana?"

Lucy answered around the finger between her lips. "a' a meeting."

"What's all the commotion?" Adam Pierson appeared at the door in his bathrobe Of all of them, he seemed the least asleep, Skinner thought.

"Is everything all right?" Bonnie Drew peered over his shoulder.

Correction. She looked the most wide-awake.

"Hi, Uncle Adam," Lucy chirped and held out her arms to him. Adam grinned, charmed.

Bonnie eyed the little girl. "This early and she's flirting? The child's a prodigy!"

Skinner glowered at the Immortal woman. "The child has had an excellent teacher."

"Walt." Regina said quietly and waved a hand. "Yes. Everything's fine. Lucita just had a nightmare. Apparently, Fox Mulder showed them a movie he shouldn't have when they babysat for us last week."

Skinner scowled and snatched up the phone.

"What are you doing, Walt?"

"I'm calling Uncle Fox.' I'd like him to explain to Lucy why she should go back to bed."

"Oh, goodie!" Bonnie clapped her hands. "This should be fun. Can I listen in?"

"No!" The three adult voices immediately sounded out the syllable.

"Nuts!" she muttered.

Skinner waited a moment and then barked into the phone. "Agent Mulder? I want you to talk to someone," he then handed the receiver to Lucy, and in a much softer tone, said, "Lucy, tell Uncle Fox all about your bad dream."

Regina swallowed a smile. Adam laughed out loud at the one-sided conversation.

"The Blob was gonna get me, Uncle Fox. . . No. . .I was scawed. . .Yes. . .Wike a cartoon? Wike Aminacs?. . .Okay. . . Okay. . .I wuv you, Uncle Fox. . . What?" Lucy stuck out her lip in a little pout and handed the phone back to her father. "He wants to talk to you, Daddy."

"I bet he does," Regina said under her breath.

Skinner merely took back the phone. "Point made, Agent Mulder?"

Then he nodded, presumably in approval at the answer. His expression unthawed a little, and Gina knew he must be talking with Dana now."Yes. It's all right. No. We'll put her back to bed, Agent Scully.

Just proving a point. . . Good night, Dana," he hung up the phone and chuckled to himsel. "I don't think Agent Mulder is going to get much sleep tonight."

Bonnie responded sunnily, "On the contrary. I think sleep is all he's gonna get tonight."

Adam nudged her with an elbow.

"Come on, Lucita. Come on, Sam. Let's get you back to bed. I'll tuck you in so the Blob can't get you."

"Oh, let us," Bonnie volunteered quickly. "We'd love to."

"Besides, I'm an expert at keeping monsters away," Adam pointed out.

Gina smiled at her Immortal guests. "Even a couple of little ones like these two?"

"Sure." Bonnie waved a hand. "Hey, I think that movie's on TNT in about twenty minutes. Since we're up, wanna watch it?"

Skinner blinked. "Uh-"

Bonnie really wasn't concerned with an answer. "Great. Meet you downstairs in twenty minutes."

Adam pulled at Sam's arm. "Come along, Sam. You, too." They shepherded the kids out.

"Nice to see Lucita hasn't lost her touch," Gina murmured with a shake of her head. "That little girl is going to be so spoiled."

Skinner swallowed a smile. Lucy was always Lucita' to Regina.

Even if everyone else had succumbed to the nickname, his wife remained immovable.

Right now though, she cuddled close to him, spoon-fashion. "Good night, Walt."

"What about the movie?"

"You told them yes, querido. Not me."

"I didn't tell them yes."

"You didn't tell them no, either," Regina pointed out.

He began to massage her neck, and then kissed the sensitive skin at her lobe.

"Walt, what are you doing?"

"Since we are awake and you don't want to watch a movie, I thought there's another way to pass the time."

"Oh?"

His hand moved beneath the blankets.

"You'll wake the kids," she whispered.

"Not a chance."

She arched her back. "What are you doing now?"

"Looking for the remote."

"It's downstairs with the TV."

"No wonder I couldn't find it."

"How hard were you looking?" she teased. His hands moved again and she yelped. "That's not it!"

He ginned at her wickedly. "You're gonna wake the kids."

Regina's Hershey-colored eyes sparked. "Here, let me help you look," he gulped as his wife touched him.

"Cut that out!"

"Cut what out?" she asked, wide-eyed. "I'm just looking for the remote."

A brief, but highly enjoyable tussle ensued from this comment.

He flipped her on her back, pinning her hands at the wrists above her head. "What about the movie?"

She arched toward him again and said, rather breathlessly, "Oh, I think they can entertain themselves."

He released her hands and they flew around his neck, pulling him down to her, deepening the kiss. He pushed the hem of her nightshirt up until he could feel the familiar silk of her skin. "You know," he murmured between kisses, "this is what the teenagers in those movies are always doing right before the monster gets them."

"Mm." She pressed against him. "But you won't let that happen, will you, Terry?"

He looked down at her and she licked her lips.

"As long as you're here with me, you've got nothing to be afraid of, Gina."

"Just what I wanted to hear. Turn out the light."

He did, and the monsters were kept at bay for another night.

The End

--"The blind leading the blind."
- Scully "Rain King"