TITLE:		N IS FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE
AUTHOR:		donnilee@snet.net
RATING:		NC-17 (No one under 17)
CATEGORY:	MSR/ANGST
POSTING:	Please request permission first and be sure my e-mail 
		address are on it.  Thank you.
SUMMARY:	Mulder bails Scully out of an embarrassing situation by 
		posing as her date for New Year's Eve.  
SPOILERS:	Little ones for Millenium, Fire.  You may even miss those.
DISCLAIMER:	Nope.  Not mine.  Used shamelessly and without remorse.  
		They belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and Fox Broadcasting and 
		God knows who else, but not me.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  This is a pure smut biscuit. I needed something light 
after the M story.  I know the title is a little on the lame side, but that's the 
only thing that my poor, little frazzled brain could come up with at the 
time!  Hope you enjoy.
AUTHOR'S NOTE/RESPONSE TO KIMPA CHALLENGE:  
1. Song from the Eighties - Check!
2. A slinky red dress - Check!
3. Mulder's golfish (Well his tank anyway!) - Check!
4. Scully or Mulder jealous (ooo, he even gets to defend her) - Check!
5. Champagne - Check! (twice even)
6. Scully's cross - Check!
7. Bonus points for Kimpa's name - Check!
Here it is - a day late and a dollar short - but hey, better late than never, right?

NEW LEXICON WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH 
LANGUAGE
New Year's Day - the evening before New Year's Day, given over to 
celebration.

PART 1 (PG-13)
HOOVER BUILDING
DECEMBER 30, 2000
SATURDAY EVENING 6:00 PM

I sat in front of my computer screen in the basement of the Hoover 
Building.  I was surfing the net, looking for a porn site that specialized in 
redheads.  I was having trouble finding one that I hadn't already gone 
through.  My latest habit had been combing through all the free picture 
archives looking for redheads.  There weren't many.  And most of the 
redheads I'd found were frankly, fairly homely.  Nobody could compare 
with my partner.

I'd found a few nice pictures and printed them out at home.  Most of them 
didn't show the girls' faces and I could fantasize my partner's face onto 
the girl and make up a scenario in my head where I was the one taking 
this beauty from behind, or whatever positions the couple were in.

The phone rang.  I was tempted to let it ring.  It was Saturday after all. I 
wasn't here working.  I was here because I literally had nothing better to 
do.  Pathetic.

I picked up the phone slowly, my eyes scanning the screen.  "Mulder, " I 
said absently.

<Mulder, it's me.>

I instantly straightened up and shut off the computer screen.  "Oh, hey, 
Scully.  What's up?"

<Why are you at work?>

"Just hanging out, surfing the net."

<You couldn't do that from home?>

"Could have but the walls were caving in."

<The walls were caving in?  When you start making sense, Mulder, I'll let 
you know, O.K.?>

I chuckled.  "I just didn't want to be there."

<How come?>

I sighed.  "What is this, twenty questions?"  I sounded annoyed and 
instantly regretted it.

<Sorry.>  She went silent and I could almost hear the hurt flowing out of 
her.  I'd been abrupt with her again for no good reason.  

"No Scully, I'm sorry.  I don't mean to be curt with you.  I just hate 
sounding pathetic, especially to you.  Funny, it never occurs to me to just 
fib to you.

<Pathetic?> she asked tentatively.

"I'm at the office at 6:00 PM on a Saturday night because I don't have 
anything to do.  I don't have a life, Scully.  And I didn't want to stay home 
because ... it felt lonely there.  Somehow I don't feel as lonely here at 
work, even though I'm just as alone."

<I'm sorry I pushed.  It's none of my business.>  She [paused.  <And I'm 
sorry you're lonely.>

I shrugged even though she couldn't see it.  "S'Okay.  Not your fault.  
Why did  you call here, anyway?"

<Your cell phone was turned off.>

"No, I didn't mean why did you call here at the office phone.  I meant, why 
did you call ME?"

<I wanted to ask a favor.  As it turns out, maybe I can help you with your 
problem.>

"Anything, Scully.  I'm at your beck and call.  I have no life, remember?"  I 
really had to make an effort not to sound so bitter. 

<Oh Mulder, neither do I.>

"I'm sorry.  That's because of me."

<No, Mulder.  Not everything is your fault.  It's a hole I dug for myself, just 
like you did.  It's a choice.>

I didn't know what to say to that, so I said nothing for a few seconds.  "you 
said that you needed a favor?"  I asked, trying to jump start the 
conversation.  Now that I had her to talk to, I didn't want to end our 
conversation.  I'd been resisting the urge to call her all day.

<Yeah, I may have no life, but I do have a few friends left.  More like 
contacts, really>

"Really?"  I asked in a teasing tone.  "Tell me all about them so I can live 
vicariously through you."  I was serious but she didn't have to know that.

She laughed.  I loved the sound of it.  I loved the rare occasion when I 
could make her laugh.  <O.K.  Well, my friend Darlene told this other 
person Chris to call me yesterday.>

"And where do you know her from?"

<Him.>

"Him?"

<Yeah.>  I felt a lump form in my throat.  Scully had a male friend, and it 
wasn't me.  Bummer, I thought sarcastically.  I already didn't want to hear 
this.  But what are friends for, right?

"And?" I prompted her.

<Well, I met him in medical school through my friend, Darlene.>

"Oh."  I didn't really know what to say or where this was going.  I thought, 
please Scully, do not ask me male advice on how to snag this guy.

<And he asked me out a couple of times in school and I always said, 
'No.'."

"How come?"  I didn't really want to know the rest but that was the polite 
thing to ask.

<Because he was ... very popular and good looking, an athlete.>

Great.  Probably her type too.  "Now who's not making sense?  What was 
the problem?"

<He had a new girl every week.>

"Ahhh, one of THOSE kind of guys."

<Yeah.  And I didn't want to be ... I don't know.>

"Another notch on his belt?"

<Exactly.  And good thing, too.  Because later on, my girlfriend found out 
and told me that he had been dared to ask me out and see if he could get 
me into bed.  See, I was the class nerd, very studious.  I hardly ever 
dated or joined in extra curricular activities.  I didn't play sports.  And I had 
a nickname in medical school too.>

"What was it?"  I was dying with curiosity.  I sensed that his was not a fun 
nick name though and a painful thing so I kept my voice carefully neutral.  
I didn't want to tease her, even accidentally.  I was a little surprised that 
she was sharing it with me at all.  I rarely got a glimpse of 'pre-X-File' 
Scully.

She hesitated a moment, but then said, <Frosty.>

"Ouch.  Oh God, Scully.  I'm sorry."

<Yeah.  I was considered rather frigid.  Hence the Ice Queen moniker at 
the Bureau was particularly hurtful.  It hit one of my sore spots.  
See, in the good old boy network, if you don't date, you're frigid.   And if 
you do date, you're a whore who slept your way into your position.  Its 
generally the lesser of two evils to be thought of as frigid.  But it hurts 
sometimes.>

"I always wondered why that bothered you so much.  You usually don't 
care what people think.  Anyway.  So, there's a favor somewhere in 
here?"

<He invited me to a New Year's party, kind of a medical school reunion.  
Frankly, I'm surprised he invited me at all.>

"And?"

<And then he said, maybe after the reunion we could go out to dinner 
sometime.>

I swallowed with difficulty, wondering if she was game for that idea.  
"And?"

<I said no, that I wasn't any more interested now than I was in college.  
He got nasty and made a remark that got my dander up.>

"Uh oh.  Dana Scully with her dander up.  Not a good thing.  I could have 
told him that."

<No, I know, not a pretty sight.>

"Actually, it is a pretty sight.  You're gorgeous when you're angry."  Now, 
if you ask me how in the hell that managed to be blurted out of my mouth 
in the middle of this conversation, I couldn't tell you.  I usually managed to 
keep those comments to myself, other than when I was slinging innuendo 
and teasing her.  I sat in tense silence, waiting for her reaction.  To my 
relief, she began laughing, thinking that I was joking and being my usual 
sarcastic self.  She thought that I was being facetious.

<Yeah, well, I know I'm a turn off when I'm in full Scully temper mode.>  
Yup, she definitely thought I was being sarcastic.

And if I was smarter, I would have let her go on believing that.  Who had 
control of my mouth at that moment, I have no idea.  The next thing out of 
my mouth was, "I wasn't joking."

Silence.

Oops.  Mulder, what the hell is the matter with you?  I asked myself.

<Uh, thanks.  I think.>

More silence.

"Favor?  Somebody mentioned a favor?"  Now I was teasing, trying to 
deflect us out of this tense moment that I had managed to get us into with 
my big mouth.

<Yeah, well, he said something to the effect of me being the one that 
always thought I was 'too good' to go out with the guys, or something 
ridiculous like that.  He was referring to the fact that I never went to 
parties back then and that I didn't go out with him simply because I 
thought I was too good for him.  I mean, it's been over ten years and this 
guy hasn't forgotten that I'm the one that turned him down.  That's how 
self- centered he is.  He actually thought I might give a damn.  Maybe he 
thought he could get me to go out with him by insulting me and making 
me want to prove him wrong.>

"So what did you say?"

<Well, I wasn't going to go to the reunion.  I'd heard about it and even 
sent in my money but then decided I didn't care about it.  But I didn't want 
to prove him right.  I didn't want to confirm to him that I was some sort of 
frigid killjoy.>

"Why do you care what he thinks?"

<I don't.  That's the weird thing.  I guess he just caught me in the right 
mood.  I was tired and vulnerable.  I was sick of people saying things 
about me that weren't true and I flared up.>

"And what happened?"

<I told him that I didn't go out with him because he was a self-centered 
prick and it didn't sound like he'd improved over the years.>

Yes! Can you say Hallelujah!  I was becoming more relieved by the 
second.  She'd turned him down.  Cool.  "Oh boy.  And his reaction?"

<He said that I was just bitchy because I could never fit in with that crowd 
anyway and insinuated in so many words, that I probably hadn't changed 
either.>

"Meaning?"

<I asked him what he meant by that.  And he said that he felt sorry for 
me.  That I was probably still stuck up and single.  And I was probably 
going to grow old alone because I thought I was too good for everyone."

Saying you felt sorry for Scully was the worst possible thing to do.  Even I 
knew that.  The last thing she wanted from anyone was pity.  "Oh God, 
Dana, who is this asshole?  And why was he inviting you if he dislikes you 
so much?"

<I know he only called because Darlene asked him to in order to confirm 
my reservations.  Then he probably decided if he had to call me, he'd see 
if he go out with me.  He didn't get nasty until I made it clear that I was no 
more interested in him now than I was then.  I think he after all this time, 
he wanted to go out with me just to say he had, I guess.  But when I 
turned him down, he must have decided to make me so upset and angry I 
wouldn't want to come.  Or, maybe someone dared him to try to get me 
into bed again.  Who knows?  I can't imagine grown men being that 
infantile, but ...>

"I can.  How did this lovely phone conversation end?"

<Well, here's where my temper got me in trouble.  I backed myself into a 
corner.>

"What did you say, Sparky?"

<Sparky?  Guess that's better than Frosty.>

"Well, you said your temper was flaring."

She chuckled.  <I told him that I was quite happy with my life and just 
because I didn't want to go out with him, then or now, didn't mean that I 
didn't have friends and a life.  And I said he should get over himself."

"Oh boy.  So he hit a sore spot with the pity thing and insinuating you had 
no life.  So what then?"

<Naturally, he goaded me.>

"What did he say?"

<He said, 'You mean to tell me that Ms. Frosty has actually found a man 
willing to put up with her?>

"Shit, Scully, why didn't you hang up on this guy?"

<I don't know.  That would have been the wise thing to do, wouldn't it?>

"But you didn't."  It was  a statement.

<Nope.>

"What did you say?  I assume this is where the trouble part comes in?"

<Yes.  I told him that he didn't know me at all, never did.  And yes, I had a 
boyfriend that loved me.  I said he was smart and sexy and treated me 
with respect, attributes that he was obviously unfamiliar with.>

I didn't know what to say here.  And I wasn't sure what she was going to 
ask me.  But I was beginning to get the idea.  "What did he say?"

<He said I was probably just making it up to save face and if I really was 
telling the truth, then I should bring Mr. Wonderful to the party, despite the 
fact that he didn't give a damn whether I came or not.  He went on to say 
that he only called me because he had talked to Darlene and she had 
insisted that he confirm with me.  Which confirmed my suspicions.>

"You don't have to prove anything to this asshole.  You realize that, don't 
you?"

<Yes.>

"But it bothers you that you can't prove him wrong."

<Yes.>  She paused.  < God, I feel so juvenile now, talking about it like 
this.  But at the same time, he had me so pissed off and all my buttons 
pushed, just like in medical school.  Mulder, it was like all my insecurities 
came flooding back.  Only this time, I wasn't going to take the insults 
anymore.  It was like I was 21 years old again!  Shit!  I'm such a jerk.  
You're right.  I don't have anything to prove.  I should be beyond this type 
of shit by now, don't you think?>

"But you told him you would come."  It was a statement.  I knew the 
answer already."

<Yes, said I'd be there with bells on.  He said, 'sure, believe it when I see 
it.'.  At that point, I finally did hang up on him.>

"And now what?"

<Now, if I intend to carry through with this charade, I need to produce said 
smart, sexy man who treats me with respect.>

"And who loves you."

<Well, obviously I can't fulfill that part of the description.  But I might be 
able to get the smart and sexy part.>

I nearly fell out of my chair.  Scully thinks I'm sexy?  I noticed a moment 
later that the fact that she thinks I'm smart didn't even register.  I knew 
she was talking about me.

"Are you asking ME to take you to this party?"

Silence.  Then, <Yes.>

The little gremlin on my shoulder that controls my motor mouth produced 
the next sentence I uttered, because I know that I would never have had 
the nerve.  "Then producing the guy who loves you is the only part of that 
description that you can fulfill."  I paused.  "Well, he respects you too."

Silence again.  Shit!  I'd gone too far.  Again.  Now she was going to be 
uncomfortable.  Here she was asking me for a favor and I was making it 
difficult and awkward for her.  "Scully?  Forget I said that. I'm sorry.  I 
didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

<It's O.K.  I just don't know what to say to that.  We're friends, Mulder.  
We're best friends and I know that you love me as a friend and I ... love 
you too ... but ...>

"Only as a friend."  Another statement of the obvious as I felt my heart 
break for about the thousandth time since I'd met her.

<How did this suddenly get really weird?>

"My big mouth made it weird, as usual.  Look, let's skip the last few 
sentences and fast forward to the good part.  I'd be honored to take you 
to the party."  She'd neatly side-stepped around me again and I let it go.  I 
didn't love her 'as just a friend' and she damn well knew that wasn't what 
I'd been saying.

<You don't have to do this, Mulder.  I don't want you to feel obligated.  In 
fact, the more I think about it, the more I realize how infantile it is of me to 
feed into this shit from ten years ago.  I'm not a kid anymore.  I don't even 
know what made me feel I needed to lie to this guy.>

"What time should I pick you up?" I asked, totally ignoring her little rant.

<Mulder, really, I probably shouldn't go.  I'm just asking for trouble.>

"And what, let that asshole think he's right?"  I really wanted to take her to 
this party.  "Formal or casual?"  I pressed on.

<Mulder, why don't' you just come over tomorrow night and we'll have a 
toast at midnight.>

"What time, Scully?"

<What time should you come over tomorrow?>

"What time should I pick you up for the party."

She sighed nosily.  <Are you sure?>

"Positive."

<8:00 then.  And it's not formal, but people will probably be dressed 
nicely.  Sporty, business casual would be good.>

"What are you going to wear?"

<I don't know.  Hadn't thought about it yet.>

"A dinner dress?"

<Why?>

"Don't wear a suit."

<Why?>

"Too formal, too ... professional."

<And too stuffy and frosty?>

"I didn't say that, don't put words in my mouth."

<You didn't have to.>  She paused again.

"Scully, you'd look fantastic in a burlap sack, but it's effect you want to go 
for here, right?"

<So what should I wear?>

Scully was asking me what to wear?  I hesitated then decided to go for 
broke.  I had my little fantasies.  "I've always wanted to see you in a low-
cut, red cocktail dress.  I almost bought one for you one time."

Silence.  Boy, I was really pushing the envelope tonight, wasn't I?  What 
had gotten into me?  I was actually excited about the prospect of taking 
Scully to a party.  Even if it was pretend.  Considering that I got to kiss her 
last New Year's Eve, maybe I would get lucky again this year.  "Look, 
Scully..."

She cut me off. <You have, have you?  Why is that?>  She almost 
sounded as though he were teasing me, flirting with me.  My groin stirred 
at the playful sound of her voice.

I was a bit alarmed at how low my voice sounded, "Yeah."  I cleared my 
throat.  "Whenever you wear bright colors, it brings out the color of your 
eyes ... and your hair."

<I wouldn't have thought you noticed things like that, Mulder.>  Her tone 
was mock impressed.

"I notice everything about you, Scully."

<Well ... I'll let you go.  And maybe you should come over a little early so 
that we can discuss the rules.>

"The rules?"

<Of this little charade.  How we are going to act to pull this off.>

"You mean what's allowed and what's not allowed?"

<I guess.  You make it sound silly, but we should probably have a game 
plan.  If we're going to do this, I don't want to make an ass out of myself.>

"It is silly.  Why don't I just take you out on date."

<A date?>

"Yeah.  Tomorrow I'll be your date, for real."

<For real?>

"Yeah, Scully, a real date.  Ever heard of it?"

<I don't know, Mulder.>  She sounded hesitant all over again.  I didn't 
want to blow this but I had to try.

"I want to take you out on a date, Scully.  It's your party, but it's a good a 
date as any."

<I'm afraid that would be ...>  She paused.

"What?  Do you think I'll attack you in your hallway?"

<No!  I don't know.  It would just be weird.>

"Weird is what I do best."

She laughed again finally.  <That's an understatement.>

Now we both laughed.  

"How about this.  Think about it. I'll be there at 7:30 PM, and if you still 
want to have 'rules,' we can go over them then.  How's that?"

<Sounds good to me.>

I had to give her an easy out.  If she wasn't comfortable with the whole 
'real date' thing, then she could just start giving me the rules as if it had 
never been mentioned.  We were both real good at pretending things had 
never been mentioned.  I'd told her I loved her before.  She had yet to 
take me seriously. 

I'd kissed her before, but never a real kiss.  I decided that if I got to kiss 
her this year, real date or no, it was going to be a real kiss.  None of this 
dry, peck on the lips business like last year.  That was nice and it was 
thrilling just because she let me do it, but let's face it.  The kiss was lame.

If she slapped my face, I could just claim it was a simple New Year's Eve 
kiss.  We'd had some interesting things happen since then, but the kiss 
had never been mentioned again.  We'd come close a few times to a 
repeat performance but it seemed the fates were against us.  We had, 
however, gotten closer in the last year.  We were revealing more personal 
things.  We were sharing things that friends usually share about their 
personal lives.  Tonight was proof of that.  That was something that we 
hadn't ever done before.

"Well, I see you tomorrow at 7:30 then."

<Yeah, good night, Mulder.  And, thanks.>

"No problem.  Hey Scully?"

<What?>

"Do you really think I'm sexy?"  I had to ask, didn't I?

Silence again.  Well, she hadn't hung up.  A long moment passed and 
then she said so softly I barely heard it, "Yeah, God help me, but I do."

You could have lit a room with the wattage of my smile just then.  Woo 
boy.  <Good night, Scully.>

<Later,> was all she said and she hung up the phone.

XXXXXXXXXX

DANA SCULLY'S APARTMENT
DECEMBER 31, 2000
7:30 PM, SUNDAY EVENING

O.K., so I was standing outside her door with a  bottle of Dom Perignon 
and a dozen roses, feeling like a 16 year old on their first date with the 
class prom queen.  What the hell?  I was no amateur for Christ's sake!  It 
was just a date.

Just a date.

Yeah, right!

Nothing with Scully was ever JUST anything.  And her decision tonight as 
to whether this would be a show or a real date was going to determine a 
lot of things for me.  It was going to tell me if I had a snow ball's chance in 
hell of advancing this relationship past the point it had been hovering at 
for the last five years or so.

I looked down at myself, checking out my outfit again.  I had worn dark 
brown chinos and a tan turtleneck with a tan corduroy blazer.  I wanted to 
be comfortable and be able to dance if I needed to.  Now, as I looked at 
myself, I thought I probably looked like a tree branch.  I should have worn 
something more colorful.  But I remembered Scully commenting once that 
she thought I looked great in turtlenecks.

I rang the doorbell and waited, shifting my weight from foot to foot.  I 
heard the chain slide and the door opened.  I sucked in my breath at the 
vision that stood before me.  There she was.  And she was wearing a 
red silk, cocktail dress that ended just above the knee.   It's V neck 
scooped down to show off quite a bit of cleavage.  The whole thing was snug 
and hugged her like a second skin, showing off every curve.  Her legs were encased 
in red silk and she was wearing what for her were relatively low heels, about two 
inches or so, also red.

Her hair was wound up on the back of her head in a loose Gibson and 
tiny curls were hanging loose all around her hair line.  She was gorgeous.  
I muttered, "Scully, you look stunning." 

She waved me in, smiling, and saying, "Thanks."  She saw my hands and 
I held the flowers up for her and she took the, burying her nose in the 
middle of them and inhaling deeply.  "Thank you, Mulder.  They're 
beautiful.  They always smell like fresh raspberries."

I smiled.  She looked up and there was a slight blush staining her cheeks.  
"Glad you like them.  Happy New Year, Scully."  I held up the bottle of 
champagne.

"Happy New Year, Mulder.  What's that for?"

"Just in case you chickened out," I replied.

"Chickened out?  Why, Agent Mulder, have you so little faith in me?"

I smiled at her.  "Well, if you don't chicken out, it can be for later."  I 
realized how that sounded, like I expected to be invited in later and 
quickly added, "Or for another time," as she lowered her eyes.

She nodded and took it from me and retreated into the kitchen.  I heard 
the fridge open and then the cupboards.  She said, "I'll be just a minute, I 
want to get these in water.  Make yourself comfortable."

I was way to antsy to sit down so I half sat, leaning against the arm of her 
couch while I waited. 

She emerged shortly, carrying the roses in a large crystal vase and 
placed them on the coffee table.  She leaned down to smell them again, 
giving me a wonderful view down her chest again.  I yanked my eyes 
back up to her face as she straightened, lest she catch me staring at her 
boobs.  That wouldn't do at all. 

She walked to me and stood about a foot away just looking at me.  She 
scanned me up and down and I was suddenly becoming self-conscious.  
"What?  Should I have worn something better?"

She chuckled.  "No, you look great."

I swallowed, relieved.  "You look absolutely beautiful, Scully.  I mean it."

She swallowed visibly, blushing.  "Thanks."

I reached out a hand and she took it.  I pulled her closer, between my 
legs.  I put my hands on her shoulders.  Her short sleeves whispered 
against her skin as I moved my thumbs back and forth gently over the 
silky material, wishing I could touch her skin.  But I didn't dare.

She was wearing her gold cross and it hung down above her breasts, drawing 
my eyes there.  It was symbol of her faith.  I wondered if she had as much 
faith in me as she claimed to have.  My finger was drawn to the little scrap 
of gold and I brushed my finger over her skin, just tweaking it a bit.  I felt 
a slight tremor in her and almost felt light headed at how soft her skin was.  
Like baby skin.

"So," I began.

"So," she replied. 

"Am I taking Dana Scully on a date tonight?"  She started to look away 
but I caught her chin with two fingers and turned her slowly back to look 
me in the eyes.

She swallowed again and I could sense the nervousness in her.  "It's still 
me, Scully.  You don't have to be nervous around me."

"I'm not nervous," she said automatically.

"Yes you are, "I stated gently.

"Maybe a little," she admitted.

"Scully, you know me well enough to know that I would never do anything 
you didn't want me to do."

She gave out a nervous, little laugh. "I know, but ..."

"But nothing.  I need to know.  Do I need to hear the rules?  Because if 
not, this will be a real date to me, Scully.  I'll treat you accordingly.  I won't 
be your partner tonight.  I'll just be a  man on a date with a beautiful 
woman."

She knew what I was saying.  If she gave me rules, this was a farce, 
simply as show for her classmates.  If she didn't, she was agreeing to go 
out with me on a real date.  She knew that meant more than it would 
seem on the surface.  I waited patiently.  She closed her eyes briefly as 
though gathering courage.  Courage to out on a date with me, or courage 
to let me down, I didn't know.  

She opened her eyes and looked at me.  "Scully?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper.  "No rules."

I blew air out of my pursed lips and then smiled the biggest smile I can 
ever remember smiling in recent history.  My cheeks hurt from it.  She 
flushed and looked away from me.  She went to step away from me and 
said, "Let's go, Mulder."

I tugged gently on her hand to prevent her escape and stood up, closing 
the distance between us.  She looked panicked when I bent over her.  I 
knew what she was thinking.  But I simply bent to her ear.  "You won't 
regret it, Scully.  I promise."

I actually saw her shiver and my heart starting to sing a little tune.   She 
stepped away.  "Let's go, Mulder."

I nodded, still smiling and followed her to the door.  I'd never taken my 
coat off.  I took her coat from her hands and she went to put on and I held 
it out for her.  She smiled shyly at me from over her shoulder, clearly 
surprised at my actions.

I chuckled.  "I do know how to be a gentleman, you know?"

"I know."

"I'm usually not with you though, am I?" I asked with chagrin.

"Well, yes you are, but in a professional sort of way."

She shrugged her coat onto her shoulders and whipped the belt around to 
tie it loosely at her waist.  I turned her slightly to look at me.  "I was 
always afraid you would take it as patronizing."

She held my gaze.  "On the job, I probably would have." 

I grinned. "But not tonight?"

She smiled in return and I felt butterflies doing a tap dance in my gut.  
"No, not tonight.  Come one.  You drive, I'll navigate."

"That usually works best," I quipped.

XXXXXXXXXX

Scully guided me out of Georgetown and into Falls Church, VA to the 
Sheraton Hotel.  I hadn't realized this was at a hotel.  I hadn't even asked 
where it was.  I guess a reunion of this size would require a hotel.

I parked and hopped out, opening her door for her and tugging her gently 
to her feet.  She smiled.  I put my hand on the small of her back in its 
usual position.  She surprised me when she slipped her arm around my 
waist.  She looked up at me shyly and I hoped she didn't feel the shiver 
that ran up my spine.

We went to the desk and were directed to the ballroom.  We walked arm 
and arm down the hall and found a table set up outside two double doors.  
Two women were seated there with magic markers and name tags.  One 
of them looked up and Scully beamed.  "Darlene!"

The woman stood up and scooted out from behind the table.  "Dana!  
Honey!  It so good to see you!"  She disengaged from me to hug Darlene.  
The woman stood back, holding Scully by the shoulders.  "Damn you look 
good, girl!" she exclaimed.

Scully laughed.  "You too."  Darlene turned to me.

"And this handsome thing is?"

Before Scully could say anything, I stuck out my hand.  "Thanks," 
referring to her handsome comment.  "Hi, I'm Fox, Fox Mulder."  Scully's 
eyebrows shot up but she said nothing.  I didn't want her to call me 
Mulder and then have to explain that we called each other by our last 
names because we were work partners.  I was her date tonight and I 
didn't want anyone to know that we were partners.  Otherwise, they might 
not believe that I was really Scully's boyfriend.  Boyfriend?  Getting a little 
ahead of yourself? I thought.  This was only a date.

"Mu..uh, Fox, this is Darlene Hastings, a good friend of mine when we 
were in medical school.  We roomed together part of the time."

Darlene grasped my hand in a firm grip.  "Nice to meet you."  She turned 
to Scully and gave her one of those women's 'very nice' looks and I 
grinned.  I admit it.  My ego wasn't completely gone.  Scully beamed.

"Let me get you nametags," she said.  She went back to the table and 
wrote Fox Mulder and Dana Scully on two name tags and held them up.  
We took them, affixing them to our shoulders under our coats.  "There's a 
coat check over there.  Come back when you're done.  I want to talk to 
you for a second."

We deposited our coats and I put our claim check in my wallet.  When we 
turned to head back to the table, I stopped Scully with a hand on her 
shoulder.  She looked up at me.  "What?"

I ran my hand down her arm, giving her a chance to stop me.  She didn't, 
so I carefully slid her tiny hand into mine and laced our fingers together.  I 
didn't miss her small intake of breath.  I whispered so no one would hear, 
"Is this all right?"

She nodded, smiling tentatively and biting her bottom lip.  It killed me 
when she did that. I whispered again.  "Call me Fox tonight, and I'm going 
to call you Dana, all right?"

She nodded again.  "It will be weird."

"Try."

"I will.  Thank you, Mulder, for not letting on that we work together."

"Not an issue tonight.  I'm not your partner tonight, remember?  I'm your 
date."

She took a deep breath.  'Yeah.  O.K. let's go face the music."

I tugged her gently and we returned to the table hand in hand.  I was 
surprised at how much pleasure I was getting just from holding her hand.  
I didn't intend to let go of it until I absolutely had to.  Darlene stood up 
again and motioned us off to the side, leaving the other woman to handle 
the name tags.  "Dana, I hear Christopher was a major ass to you last 
night."

Dana looked own.  "Yeah, he was, but I'm sure he didn't tell you that.  I 
don't know why he even bothered to call.  How did you know anyway?"

"Because I was furious with him.  We were planning this reunion for a 
while and I'd put your name on the list to be confirmed.  At our last 
meeting, I asked him to give me the list of people he'd called and you 
weren't on it. I blew up and told him he had to call you."

Scully's eyes darted away and then back to the woman.  "You didn't have 
to do that, Darlene."

"Yes I did!  He's an ass.  You'd think after ten years he'd get over being 
rejected by you.  But he's still an arrogant fuck.  You're the only beautiful 
woman who ever turned him down and to this day, he can't stand it."

"You've got it wrong, Darlene.  I'm not beautiful and he doesn't think so 
either.  He asked me out on a dare.  He was supposed to melt old frosty."

I muttered, "You are beautiful."

Darlene frowned.   "Maybe it was a dare.  But Fox is right.  You were and 
still are beautiful, even more so now.  Don't let anybody tell you different.  
His poor little ego can't stand it.  He told me, all righteous like that he'd 
made the damn call and you were nasty to him.  I didn't believe him of 
course and said, 'Oh, she turned you down again, huh?'  He was mortified 
that I guessed right and knew he wouldn't be able to resist asking you out 
again.  I'm just glad you gave him the brush off again."

Darlene laughed then and so did Scully.  So did I.  Then she said, "I'm 
glad you came, Dana.  That's all I have to say."

"I came to see you and everyone else, that's all," Scully replied.  I knew 
that was a lie, but she was probably happy to see some old friends.  It 
wasn't like she got much of a chance to get out these days.  I felt a little 
guilty about that but pushed the feeling down.  I didn't want anything to 
mar this night.

Darlene spoke up.  "Good.  Go knock them dead.  He didn't believe you 
had a  boyfriend, you know?  Said, yeah, Frosty said she has a man.  I 
don't believe it.  I bet she doesn't show up."

Scully hesitated.  I could tell she was uncomfortable now with this 
conversation.  I jumped in.  "Well, he was wrong.  Here I am."

Darlene beamed at me.  "Indeed, and boy, is he going to be jealous!"

I chuckled.  "Thanks.  Well, he better not be an asshole tonight."

Darlene looked at Scully.  "A little protective, eh?"

Scully murmured, "You have no idea."  Darlene laughed again.

"Well, go on in and enjoy yourself.  The hors devours buffet is set up and 
everything's ready to go.  The dancing doesn't start till after dinner a little 
later.  Most people should be here in another half hour or so."

"Ready, Dana?" I asked.

She looked up sharply, surprised to hear her first name again, in spite of 
our little chat.  Then she smiled.  "Come on ... Fox, let's go."  I smiled and 
followed her into the ballroom, still holding her hand.

XXXXXXXXXX

We looked around, threading our way through the tables, looking for two 
free seats.  The place was pretty crowded.  A woman with long, brunette 
hair waved at Scully and jumped out of her seat.  "Dana?  Dana Scully?!'

Dana led me over to her.  "Kimpa, it's good to see you."  She turned to 
me.  "Mu.. uh, Fox, this is Kimpa Jenkins."

"Kimpa Blusou now."

"Oh, sorry," Scully replied.

"And this is?"  Kimpa looked at me.

I stuck out my hand.  "Fox Mulder."

"Nice to meet you.  My husband Luc will be back in a minute.  He made a 
trip to the little boys room.  Sit with us."

We did.  Luc returned almost immediately and we were introduced.  Turns 
out they had two kids, 5 and 7 years old.  I watched Scully carefully, but 
other than a twinge of sadness that crossed her face, she didn't seem to 
have a bad reaction to talking about the kids.  She'd gotten much better 
about that in the last couple of years.  I was glad.

Kimpa was a pediatrician and Luc was a stock broker.  Power couple, I 
thought.  They seemed genuine and down to earth, to my pleasant 
surprise.  Dana told them she was an FBI agent and I told them I was a
psychologist, once again startling Scully.

We got up and went to the buffet table and picked up some hors devours 
on little plates.  We were about to make our way to the bar to get a drink 
when he struck with all subtlety of a Mac truck.  I was standing on the 
opposite side of the table peering into a chafing dish at the contents.

"Well, well, well.  You did come after all."

I saw Scully stiffen and I looked up over the table and into the face of Mr. 
Congeniality.  She didn't even have to tell me who it was.  Hew as about 
five foot, ten inches tall, square jaw, blonde hair, shot with some gray.  
His eyes were close together and blue.  He was built like a former athlete.  
The frame was still there but there were a few extra pounds around the 
middle.  He was dressed in a  blue suit and wore one of those huge, 
obnoxious class rings that look like the could be used for brass knuckles.  
He smiled a perfectly phony smile at Dana and waited for her reaction.

"Yes, I came, as I said I would."  Uh oh.  She was in full defense mode.  I 
could tell by the sound of her voice.  I casually began making my way 
around the long table, setting my plate down and making my way up 
behind her. 

"All by yourself, I see."  This guy was a real twelve year old.  I saw 
Scully's head turned to look to the other side of the table.  She hadn't seen 
me move around.  I pressed my body up against Scully's back in one smooth move, 
wrapping one hand around her waist, laying my hand on her stomach.  It might 
have been overkill, but I was in full protective mode, whether she wanted or 
needed me to be or not.  I couldn't help it.  Even though I knew she had no 
interest in this guy, he was what I had always thought of as 'her type'. He 
was president of her class, football player, blonde and blue-eyed.  I was always 
jealous of guys like him since I'd met Scully, since I knew those were the ones 
that seemed to turn her head. 

I was feeling unusually possessive, even for me.  She might kill me later but 
I was going to stake my claim.  She startled slightly as I stuck out my right 
hand around her arm.  "Hi, I'm Fox Mulder, Dana's BOYFRIEND.  And you are?"

He looked stunned for a second but recovered quickly.  "Uh, Dr. Chris 
Evans."  He reached out and gave me a quick hand shake.

"Well, Chris, looks like it's going to be a nice spread."

Scully chimed in.  "Better be for $100 a couple."

I filed that bit of information away so that I could pay her back for my half.  
He seemed to have recovered from his initial shock.  Apparently this 
allowed him to instantly show his asshole side again.  "So this is the 
smart, sexy man who puts up with you."

I knew she was glaring at him even without being able to see her face.  
Her body language said everything to me.  "Yes, this is him."

I leaned down to peer at the side of her face.  "You told him I was smart 
and sexy?" I teased the question at her.  She smiled.  I looked at him.  
"More like she puts up with me.  I can be quite a handful sometimes."  
That being a gross understatement, Scully actually laughed, relaxing into 
me and leaning a little of her weight against my chest.  It felt good, real 
good, too good.  I carefully eased my hips away from her back when I felt my groin stir.

"He can't be too smart if he's with you."

Scully sighed.  "Chris, could you be a mature adult for one night and let 
this go, please.  We're all here to have a good time and see some old 
friends.  I'm sure there are enough people in this room that you and I can 
avoid each other easily all night.  Wouldn't that make everyone happy?"

"God, you're still a prissy little bitch, aren't you?" he mumbled. 

He was determined to get a rise out of Scully.

Instead he got one out of me.

Without any thought involved, I stepped to the side and my had shot out 
and grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him toward me.  I wasn't so 
much stronger and only a little taller, but the element of surprise was on 
my side.  He stumbled and grabbed the table for balance.  I put my face 
right in his nose.  I did my best interrogation growl.  "Listen, you bloated, 
posturing peacock.  I will not listen to you insult Dana.  She's done 
absolutely nothing to you, nothing but show up at your stupid reunion 
party.  So why don't you grow the fuck up and leave us alone tonight.  
Because so help me God, if I hear one more derogatory comment out of 
your mouth directed at my girlfriend, I will rearrange your aging pretty 
face.  Do I make myself clear?"

He pulled back and I let go of his shirt, watching him smooth it back into 
place.  I was breathing hard and Scully laid her hand on my forearm.  He 
was obviously not used to being challenged. 

"Geez, guy!  Cool down!  I was just joking with her.  Take it easy."

"I only look stupid.  I'm not.  You were not joking and frankly, I don't give a 
damn what you do for the rest of the night.  Just stay the hell away from 
me and Dana."

Scully pulled me around to face her and said, "Fox, let it go now.  It's all 
right.  You were right earlier, he isn't worth it.  Stick and stones may break 
my bones ..."

I wrapped her in a  tight bear hug, noticing for the first time that a small 
crowd had formed.  Chris mumbled something incoherent regarding the 
bathroom and shuffled off into the crowd.  I looked around slowly and 
said, "Sorry folks, didn't mean to make a scene."

Darlene approached and said, "Don't worry about it.  It was nice to see 
someone put that little monster in his place."  There was a murmuring of 
agreement among the crowd as they dissipated, making their way back to 
their seats.  She looked at Dana and said, "You weren't kidding when you 
said he was protective, huh?"

We both smiled at that.  "Go sit down and relax.  I don't think he'll bother 
you again tonight.  He's way too fond of his own face to risk it."  We 
laughed then and separated, picking up our plates and making our way to 
the bar.  I lowered my head toward her and said,  "Sorry, I really didn't 
want to make a scene, but when he called  you a ... bitch .. I lost it.  That 
was crossing the line though."

"It's all right.  He was being his usual juvenile self.  Thanks for defending 
me.  For a minute there you acted like a real boyfriend."

I smiled, "Not a macho shit head?"

She grinned.  "A little, but ...no, I'm flattered actually."

"Don't be.  I should be able to control my temper, even when it comes to 
you."

"Let it go.  Let's get our drinks and get back to the table."

Scully ordered a glass of white wine and I ordered a club soda.  I wanted 
to stay clear headed tonight.  She raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask.  As 
we were walking back to the table, I couldn't resist teasing her.  "So, are 
you telling me that the ever self sufficient Dana Scully actually likes 
having a man fight over her?"

She threw her head back and laughed, "Who knew?" she quipped.

"Not me," replied.  I laughed with her then.  We arrived at the table and 
sat down to eat our cheese and crackers and veggies.  Kimpa and her 
husband graciously didn't mention the whole thing and pretended it didn't 
happen.


PART 2 (NC-17)
SHERATON HOTEL BALLROOM
FALLS CHURCH, VA

We had an enjoyable dinner.  Kimpa and Luc ate prime rib and Mulder 
and I had baked stuffed shrimp.  I had innocently asked him if he was 
sure he didn't want the prime rib.  

He'd leered at me and said he really didn't think he needed any more red 
meat tonight.  I'd almost choked on my wine and blushed furiously.  At 
first I thought he was referring to roughing up Christopher, but then I 
realized he was referring to something else.

Boy it had been a long time.  Mulder and I had been slinging innuendo for 
a long time, but tonight was different.  He was different.  Once 
Christopher was out of our face, he seemed relaxed and dare I say, 
happy?  He chatted with Luc and Kimpa.

His hand kept sneaking under the table to brush against my thigh.  He 
would run his knuckles down the outside of my thigh and I would feel his 
touch tingle all the way up my leg.  Christ, this was ridiculous.  When 
dinner was over and we all refused dessert, he stopped harassing my 
thigh and pulled his chair over closer and draped his arm over the back of 
my shoulders.  I started slightly but when I looked up at him, his look 
challenged me to make a big deal out of it.  I left it there.  

Minutes later he began making small circles on my bicep with his thumb 
and sending shivers down my spine.  Why was I reacting so much to his 
touch?  He knew it too, the smug bastard.  I would glance over at him and 
see the quirky little tilt of his lips that told me he was seeing if he could get 
a rise out of me.  I refused to lose this game.  It was time to fight back.

The D.J. had begun to play dance tunes.  The big screen TV on the wall 
was showing Dick Clarke and Times Square.  The volume was muted for 
now as the music began to pulse through the room.  Several couples 
were up and dancing already.  I'd kept my hands demurely to myself so 
far.  Feeling a spark of devilish mischief in me, I placed my hand on top of 
his thigh.  I slid it up and down a couple of times and felt him go very still.

Ahhh, ha!  I glanced out of the corner of my eye at him.  His eyes were 
closed and the muscle in his jaw was twitching slightly from clenching his 
teeth.  Oh, this was going to be fun.  I get to tease Mulder for a change.  I 
was always the one getting flustered by his comments and touches.  Now 
it was his turn.  Our laps were still hidden by the table cloth.  No one was 
talking at the moment.  

We were all watching the couples dancing on the floor.  I slowly slid my 
hand down to the inside of his thigh and squeezed gently.  He jumped 
and I heard a little gasp escape him.  I didn't look at him.  I schooled my 
expression carefully to neutral and looked out at the dance floor.  His 
hand had gone still on my arm.

I was a little ashamed at the thrill I was getting from this.  But not that 
ashamed.  Not ashamed enough to stop.  I realized quite suddenly that I 
liked affecting Mulder, in any way.  I liked it that he had been protective 
with Christopher. I liked it that the women in the room were giving him the 
eye and he was with me.  With me?  Yes, tonight, he was with me, not as 
my partner, but as my date. 

Oh God.  I was forgetting this was a real date.  And I was teasing him.  I 
couldn't just do this and claim it was all for show later on.  I'd never 
touched him this way, casually.  The inside of his thigh was definitely an 
intimate area.  He squirmed slightly in his seat and my hand slipped lower 
toward his groin.  I chanced a glance at him then and froze.  

He was looking at me intently.  His eyes were hooded and dark, his 
mouth open as he breathed shallow.  I held his gaze for a moment, not 
able to look away.  Good lord, the man was sexy.   Why had I agreed to a 
real date?  Why had I not left this as a show for my old medical school 
friends.  That would have been the safe thing to do.  Mulder would have 
behaved like the perfect gentleman as usual.  I could have saved face 
and we would have been able to leave her and go on pretending that we 
weren't attracted to each other.

Attracted to each other?  Yes, I was, I knew that but I'd never considered 
the consequences of going on a real date with Mulder.  I had no idea how 
he treated a woman he was involved with.  I knew how he treated me, 
with respect and caring.  He was involved with me.  We had a 
relationship.  But this was different.  How was he with a woman he was 
involved with romantically.  Did he want me that way?

The look on his face now said that he did.  I knew that somewhere in the 
back of my head although it had always been brunettes who turned his 
head.  But was that just a superficial thing?  We all had our type, but that 
didn't mean that it went beyond, 'oh, that's nice to look at.'  Mulder could 
seem to be shallow in many ways.  But I knew better.  There wasn't a 
shallow bone in his body.  Everything he did, he did with a single minded 
purpose that was scary.  He was tenacious when he wanted something.  
He never gave up.  And now he was looking at me like he wanted to eat 
me alive.  My whole body flushed and my eyes darted away.  

The discomfort of the situation, of our closeness that appeared 
periodically was back.  I was nervous and feeling silly for pushing the 
edge of our previous behavior with each other.  We didn't touch like this.  
What the hell was I thinking.  I began to remove my hand.  I didn't get far.  
His free hand shot between his legs under the tablecloth and pressed 
down on mine, holding my palm to his thigh.  I still wasn't looking at him, 
but I knew he was looking at me.  I could feel his look burning a hole in 
my neck.

So slowly, I might have missed it if I wasn't paying so much attention.  
Hell, I wasn't paying attention to anything else but the feel of his hot, large 
hand on top of mine.  He began to slide my hand up his leg, very slowly.  
He leaned into me and I could feel his breath on my neck.  He whispered 
into my ear so that no one else would hear.  "If you're going to play with 
me, ... Dana ..., be sure you know what you're doing.  Because what 
you're doing is veerrryyy dangerous."

I swallowed hard and nodded slightly.  "You like to play with fire, don't 
you?  I've always known that about you.  But it's never been directed at 
me."

I sucked in a couple of deep breaths.  He continued.  "So if you want to 
continue this, you better know what you're getting into."  He paused.  
"Because this isn't a game to me.  It's very real to me."

My breath hitched in my throat.  I could barely hear myself, my voice was 
so breathy, so I don't know how he heard me.  "What am I getting into?"

He heard me.  He gripped my hand lightly and slid it up to his groin.  He 
pressed my hand down and I almost swooned at the feel of the pulsing 
hardness beneath my hand.  I could feel his erection, large and hot, right 
through the material of his pants.   I gasped.  He held me there a second 
or two longer and then let go.  I snatched my hand away and began to 
pant lightly as he leaned back in his chair.  Well, he'd warned me. 

I knew what he was saying.  This wasn't a game to him and it still was to 
me even though I'd said 'no rules.'  I wasn't thinking of this in the proper 
frame of reference.  I was still thinking of him as my partner and friend.  
He was both of those things, but he was also my date.  And he was also a 
man.  A man who wanted me from the feel of the bulge in his pants.

Oh God, I'd excited him, just my touching his leg.  He didn't seem 
disturbed by the fact that I'd snatched my hand back.  He probably figured 
he'd made his point.  If I touched him after that, I was acknowledging 
much more than partnership and friendship.  I would be saying that I 
wanted him too.   I did.  But Lord, admitting it scared the shit out of me.  
What would acting on it do to me?  I already knew.  If I allowed him to 
touch me, really touch me, I would be lost.

And that scared me.  I knew how it felt to be held in his arms.  It felt safe 
and warm, and exciting at the same time.  I knew how it felt to feel his 
hands on my face and neck.  It felt like being worshipped and revered.    I 
knew what his lips felt like pressed to mine.  Last New Year's Eve, oh 
God!  They were soft and warm and pliant.  I knew he'd wanted to deepen 
that kiss.  I'd wanted him too.  But I had been frozen with surprise and 
indecision and I'd lost my chance.  I'd stood still, not encouraging but not 
pushing him away.  And he'd retreated, stating only that the world didn't 
end.  No, it hadn't, but it had been turned on its ear.  My world had tilted 
on its axis.  I thought everything would change after that. 

I'd looked in the mirror, expecting to look different and seen the same 
Dana Scully.  Still scared, still insecure, and still desperately wanting the 
approval of the man sitting next to me.  I was a grown woman for Christ's 
sake!  What was so hard about this?  Why was this decision so difficult to 
make.  I knew I wanted him.  I knew he wanted me.  What was the 
problem.

Work, that was the problem.

Friendship, that was the problem.

Would we ruin both of those things were we to give in to our physical 
desires?  Could we be any closer than we were now, emotionally?  I don't 
think so.  Could our enemies use a relationship against us?   They 
already had, before we'd ever kissed.  They seemed to know even before 
we did that we were the most important person in each others lives.   
Would we loose our jobs?  I doubt it.  Everyone at the Bureau already 
thought we had been lovers for years, and they hadn't tried to separate 
us.  Who else would want our job?

I looked at him then.  He was still looking at me, although the fire had 
gone out of his eyes.  There was no urgency there.  They were soft and 
almost ... sad.  Oh man, he thought I was doing what I always did.  I was 
coming up with all the reasons we shouldn't get too close.  And I was 
pulling away and I was going to do what I always did.  I was going to 
ignore the chemistry between us that flared up from time to time.

If I let it flare for too long, what would happen?  Would I be consumed by 
the flames and left with ashes?  Would it burn brightly and then burn out 
suddenly?  No.  I wouldn't.  What we had was based on respect and 
friendship.  And that would a foundation of solid bedrock that wouldn't 
shift, no matter what else happened to us.  We needed each other too 
much to every totally walk away from one another.

Could I see myself ever having a romantic relationship with anyone else?  
No, I couldn't.  Could I see myself now with the little white picket fence, 
the dog and 2.5 kids?  No, I couldn't.  I couldn't have kids anyway, but I 
could always adopt.  The thought had crossed my mind more than once.  
But what would I do with a child in my life?  I had no husband, no house, 
and no stable job.  I had a dangerous job, a small apartment.  And I 
certainly didn't have a boyfriend, let alone a husband.  Who would let me 
adopt?

I looked at my lap, all these thoughts swirling in my head.  I felt his fingers 
on my chin.  I turned my face to him.  He looked sad but resigned.  "Don't 
do this now, ... Dana.  We're here to have a good time, no matter what, 
date or no.  You're my best friend and it's New Year's Eve.  I didn't mean 
to make you uncomfortable.  But I'm not going to sit here and let you 
make me uncomfortable and then not be able to do anything about it." 

He smirked, his self-deprecating manner bringing a smile to my face.  
That was my Mulder, always putting himself in the wrong.  My Mulder?  
Then a startling thought hit me.  What would I do if he fell in love with 
someone else?  What would I do if I had to see him with another woman, 
hugging, touching, and kissing.  I felt sick to my stomach.  He wouldn't 
wait for me forever.  And with the clarity that comes sometimes in a 
particularly lucid emotional moment, I knew.  I couldn't live without him.  I 
wanted him.

Damn the torpedoes.  For once in my life, I'm not going to worry about the 
'rules'.  For once in my life, I'm going to go after what I want and I not 
care what anyone else thinks.  And this was a safe place to do it.  No one 
here from the Bureau.  No enemies here to witness the change.  It was 
New Year's Eve and I was going to make a resolution.

After seven years of playing mind games with his emotions and mine, it 
was over.  I was going to have this man in my bed.  I was going to have 
this man in my life as something more than a partner and a friend.

I smiled at him, feeling a surge of excitement at having made a decision.  
It was indecision that killed us every time.  Neither one of us wanted to 
make a mistake.  Well, mistakes were part of life.  You learned from them 
and then you moved on.  I was so worried about being perfect that I never 
took any chances.

Well, I was making a resolution to go after what I wanted.  I was tired of 
being lonely and unfulfilled.  I was tired of being sexually frustrated.  I was 
tired of feeling uncomfortable around the one person in the world that 
made me feel beautiful and competent and capable and ... sexy.  Yes, he 
made me feel sexy too.  He made my science and my logic and my 
temper seem like attributes rather than liabilities.  He made me feel that I 
didn't have to sacrifice my femininity for strength and competence and 
respect.  I could have both.  And he could give them to me.

I stood abruptly, surprising him, judging by the look on his face.  I held out 
my hand.  He tipped his head to the side slightly, looking so adorable.  I 
slow song was beginning to play, 'Open Arms', by Journey.  I hadn't heard this 
song in over a decade.  "Let's dance."

He smiled.  "O.K."  He took my hand and stood up, nodding to Kimpa 
and Luc and then following me out onto the dance floor.  I turned to him 
and he seemed unsure.  He placed his hands tentatively around my 
shoulders, leaving a couple inches between our bodies as he began to 
sway to the soft beat.

I stepped into him and wrapped my arms around his waist, under his 
sports coat.  I heard a low vibration come through his chest and his arms 
fell to run up and down my back.  One hand took up residence on the 
back of my neck, the other on my low back.  I laid my head sideways on 
his chest and squeezed.   He hummed again and talked to the top of my 
head.  "It feels so good to hold you."

"Mmm," was my only response, since I couldn't think of anything else to 
say at the moment.  He began to pull away as the song was winding to a close.

<So now I come to you with open arms, hoping you'll see what your love means 
to me - Open arms.>

Another slow one began and I tugged him back to me, pressing myself against 
him snugly and molding myself to his lanky frame.

His hands started to roam, playing with the wisps of hair at the base of my 
neck.  I shivered and know he felt it.  His other hand slid down to rest just 
above my butt, dangerously close to being 'inappropriate' in a crowd.  

I felt him tense a little, but when I made no move to stop him, he relaxed 
again and pushed gently on my low back until I was pressed tightly to 
him.  I felt his erection then, pressing into my belly and felt an answering 
gush of warmth between my legs.  I swallowed the moan that wanted to 
escape.  The hand on my neck coaxed my head away from his chest.  

I looked up at him as his hand brushed along my neck, my jaw, and my 
cheek.  I knew I was flushed.  I was captured by the look in his eyes.  He 
was looking at me as if I was a fragile piece of art.  The look was back.  
The hooded eyes, the dilated pupils, the slack jaw and the shallow 
breathing.  We turned slightly as we moved to the music and I saw 
Christopher out of the corner of his eye.  He was dancing with a blonde 
who had died hair.  She was tall and thin and looked like one of the 
socialite bitches you see on the cover of those magazines.  I moved my 
eyes back to Mulder as he continued to caress me.  His eyes had 
followed mine.  He'd seen him and then forgot him again, looking back at 
me.  

His voice was husky and vibrated low against my chest when he finally 
spoke.   No preliminaries, no excuses, no warning.  He looked me in the 
eye and said, "Dana, I want to kiss you, right here, right now."

I replied, "It's not midnight yet."  I was stalling and he knew it.  He smiled 
slowly.  

"Does it have to be midnight?"

"Good things come to those who wait," I quipped.

He shook his head slightly.  "O.K., but if I wait, it better be good."

"Define good, Agent Mulder," I whispered.

He swallowed harshly.  His head dipped down to brush his lips over my 
ear as he spoke.  "It better be slow, deep and wet with lots of tongue."

I squeaked slightly as his words tumbled around in my brain.  Mulder.  
Slow deep and wet with lots of tongue.  Oh Lord.  I had no idea what kind 
of kisser he was.  I'd seen him kiss Phoebe and that chick in Kroner, 
Kansas, but I'd averted my eyes, unable to watch.  Instinct told me that, 
given his oral fixation, he would be good at it.  Maybe too good at it.

Was there such a thing as too good? I wondered.  I glanced at Chris 
again.  I couldn't help it.  He was still watching us.  I was feeling brave 
and aroused.  Anticipation could be a good thing.  I moved my head to 
whisper into his ear.  "I have a New Year's resolution."

He pulled back slightly and smirked.  "Oh really, and what would that be 
Agent Scully?"  He was back to being playful and I was grateful.  It took 
the edge off the anticipation and the arousal.

I looked at him, holding his gaze.  "Before this night is over, I'm going to 
shock you speechless.  Yes, I think that it a worthy goal."

I saw his breathing quicken.  "I'm hard to shock speechless, Scu ... Dana.  
You've set a pretty high goal for yourself."

"Mmm, I know, but that's why it will be worth it."

"Worth it?"

"Anything worth having is never easy."

"And worth waiting for?" he asked teasingly.

I nodded, running my tongue over my top lip, realizing my mouth was 
suddenly dry as the Sahara.  His breath hitched and his eyes fixed on my 
lips.   So I licked the bottom one.  He mock groaned low in his throat and 
said, "You're trying to kill me, aren't you?"

I giggled.  His eyes lit up and he smiled that toothy smile at me.  My 
stomach did a flip flop in response.  "No, not kill you.  Just render you 
speechless."  

He leaned over to my ear.  "Good luck, Agent Scully.  I hope you 
succeed." 

My brain was buzzing with possibilities.  Then I felt his lips on my neck.  
He sucked lightly on that ultra sensitive spot just below and behind my 
ear.  I gasped and then felt his tongue lap at the same spot, the rough 
texture of his warm, wet tongue setting my nerve endings on fire.  I 
gasped, loudly and jerked involuntarily away from the intense sensation.  
"Hey, no fair."

He chuckled.  "Just trying to up the stakes."  Oh boy.   This was getting 
serious.  We were in a public place.  And Mulder was kissing me.  On the 
neck, but kissing me nonetheless.  He didn't seem the least bit ruffled by 
this extraordinary event.  I was ruffled.  I was downright flustered.  And so 
aroused just being this close to him that it was ridiculous.

"Are you sure were not playing a game?" I asked.  "Sure you not just 
fighting fire with fire?"

He hummed as if thinking over my question.  Then he spoke again, his lips 
brushing the shell of my ear.  "I'm playing for keeps, Agent Scully.  
Are you?"

He kissed my collar bone and raised his head to look at me.  Now I was 
the one who was speechless.  This wasn't the way it was supposed to go.  
I stuttered slightly but finally got it out.  "F..Fox, le..let's sit down now."  

He chuckled that infuriating smug chuckle and guided me back to the 
table with his hand on the small of my back, a little lower than usual.  We 
sat down.  I should have know it wouldn't slip his mind that I hadn't 
answered his question.  He allowed me to greet Kimpa and get settled.  
Then immediately, he bent over to my ear and asked, "So are you playing 
for keeps tonight, Scully, or are you just playing, period, because you 
can?"

I couldn't look at him.  Here was my chance.  I knew he expected me to 
tease the hell out of him and for it to go nowhere.  I'd teased him before 
but usually it was a lot subtler than this  I'd cranked the flirtation up to a 
dangerous level, but he still expected me to chicken out.  He still 
expected me to be the partner he'd always known.  The one that hid 
behind professionalism and science to avoid dealing with anything even 
vaguely emotionally sticky.  Here's your chance, I told myself.  I took a 
deep breath and turned to find him regarding me quietly, waiting patiently 
for my brush off remark that wouldn't really answer his question.

Another deep breath and I looked him in the eye.  I blurted it out before I 
could lose my nerves.  "You are in so much trouble, Mulder, and you don't 
even know it."

His jaw dropped slightly, but then he licked his lips.  His expression 
changed from smug to curiosity, laced with a bit of excitement.  "Is that 
so?  Good trouble?  Or bad trouble?"

I swallowed.  I leaned over, feeling especially daring after seeing how 
those simple words had lit up his face with expectation and excitement.  I 
leaned my head on his shoulder, sitting sideways in my chair.  I talked 
into his neck.  Not looking in his eyes made it a little easier to be brazen 
and bold.  "I'm not just playing.  I'm not even just playing for keeps."

I saw his Adam's apple bob gently as he swallowed.  His voice was still 
husky but teasing, afraid to believe I was flirting with him seriously.  "Oh, 
yeah.  What are you trying to accomplish woman?"

Woman?  I figured I'd let it go this one time.

"I want to see how good I am."

"How good you are?"

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I played in this arena."

"Arena?"

"Long time since I flirted and dated.  Wonder if I still have the touch?"  I 
asked lightly.  I put my hand on his thigh again and felt him stiffen.  
Kimpa and Luc got up to dance, leaving us alone at the table.  We were 
against the wall and no one was watching.  I couldn't even see Dr. Evans 
from here and didn't really care where he was anymore.  This evening 
was turning into something totally unexpected.  

For some reason, I was having trouble drudging up my usual reticence in 
regard to getting close to my partner.  Seeing him defend me against that 
asshole had done something to me.  I realized when he called me his 
girlfriend, how much I really wanted that to be true.  I realized how proud I 
was to be sitting there, watching women eye him surreptitiously, wishing 
they were me.  Sorry ladies, this one was mine.

He mumbled, "Uh, I think it's safe to say that you definitely have the 
touch, Scully."

"You were supposed to be calling me Dana, remember?"

"Only when someone can hear.  You're Scully to me."

I smiled.  "True.  O.K., Mulder.  So I haven't lost the touch?"

"No."  His answer was curt and on edge.  I loved that I was rattling his 
cage.  Not exactly speechless yet, but it was a good start.  I slid my hand 
up to within an inch of his groin.  His thigh muscle twitched and I glanced 
down to see the bulge in his pants was still there.

"No, Mulder, I'm not playing just because I can.  I'm not flirting just 
because I can and get away with it here."

He glanced at me, now looking extremely unsure and off balance.  "What 
are you doing then?"

I straightened up, stretching up to reach his ear.  "I'm trying to seduce 
you."

"Holy Shit!" he mumbled.  He began breathing hard immediately.  Then 
he mumbled, "You don't have to, you've been doing that for the last six 
years."

Now it was my turn to be surprised.  I looked up at him as he turned his 
head.  "Is that so?" I asked, sounding more breathless than I wanted to.

"Yeah."  His liquid, warm, hazel eyes were scanning my face again, and 
kept revisiting my lips.  

"Interesting to know," I replied.  "I wasn't trying to, you know?"

"I know, but you did anyway, just by being you."

Could this man say anything more 'right' than that?  He was still gazing at 
me.  "But this is much more fun.  I need to pull out all the stops once in a 
while, brush off the tools and see if they still work."

"They still work.  Trust me.  They still work."  His face became serious 
then.  "Scully, I need to ask you something."

"What?"

"Seriously, answer me truthfully."

"I will."

"Are you playing with me?  I need to know."  I stared at him.  Was I?  No, 
not really.  I admit this was lots of fun, but no, I wasn't playing.  Before I 
could answer he said, "Because if you are, please don't."

"Mulder ..."

"I mean it, Scully.  Don't tease me, please."  He was absolutely serious.  
He almost looked scared. 

"I won't.  I'm not."

He took a deep breath.  His eyes darted away but then came back to me.  
"Are you sure?  Be real sure before you answer.  Because there will be 
consequences."

I let a slow smile crawl across my face, hoping I looked seductive.  I 
watched his breath hitch and I murmured, "I'm counting on it."

"Oh God," was all he said, his eyes darting away from me again to fix on 
something across the room.  I knew he wasn't seeing anything at that 
moment.

"I don't, however, want you to get all serious on me."  He looked back at 
me and smiled.

"Sorry."

"No problem.  Let's join the others."

Everyone was beginning to gather on the dance floor to watch the big 
screen TV as the music stopped and the sound was taken off mute.   The 
camera was panning Time's Square.  We stood up, grabbed our complimentary, 
plastic champagne toast glasses and walked to the floor.  We stayed near 
the edge, out of everyone's way.  Our little corner just outside the seating 
area was dim.  We stood side by side and watched the screen.  I felt a 
creepy little feeling of déjà vu crawl over me. Here we were again, watching 
the TV on New Years Eve.  The ball was beginning to drop.  

It hit 10 and the entire room began to count down.  

TEN! NINE! EIGHT! SEVEN! SIX! FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ..... 
ONE!"

Party favors blared around the room.  Champagne corks flew across the 
room as dozens of bottles of champagne were opened by various groups 
of people.  We each slugged our shot of champagne and set the glasses down 
on the table behind us.  It was all on the periphery.  My focus narrowed 
to the man beside me, slowly turning to look down at me, just like last year.

He had the same expression on his face and I knew he was remembering 
too.  He leaned into me, but this time, he had no hurt wing in a sling.  His 
hands slid into their former positions, one on my neck and one on the 
small of my back.  He leaned over me, glancing at me quickly.  His eyes 
closed and he touched his lips to mine in a chaste kiss that was identical 
to last year.

I felt disappointment crash through me so intensely that it almost took my 
breath away.  Then it was washed away just as quickly when I felt his 
mouth open and the flat of his tongue swipe firmly over my lips, asking for 
entrance.  He was just letting me feel the difference!  Then and now.  

And now, oh boy!  My mouth opened and his tongue plunged inside, 
sweeping over the roof of my mouth and swirling around my tongue.  He 
pulled me tight to his body, angling my head to the side and deepened 
the kiss again.  The rest of the room had disappeared.  

I moaned into his mouth as tingling warmth spread through my body in 
slow hard waves.  I began fighting for control, my tongue circling his with 
urgency.  My arms went around my neck just in time to feel my knees 
buckle.  He banded his arm on my back neatly around me and held me 
up, pulling me even tighter to his body.  His tongue continued to tease 
mine.  Then he caught my tongue and sucked it gently into his mouth.

That caused a wave of dizziness to spiral in my head and I swayed in his 
arms.  He sucked in my breath, inhaling deeply until I saw spots before 
my eyes and my head swam from the lack of oxygen.  Just when I 
thought I would pass out and was feebly pulling away, he breathed back 
into my mouth, giving my breath back to me, mixed with his.

My lungs filled with exquisite relief and warmth.  My breasts were taut and 
I felt my sex throbbing, soaking my little blue silk panties.  Where did he 
learn to do that?!  Jesus Christ.  The thought of him giving me his breath 
and they way he did it was so erotic.

It was as if it pulled our bodies into sync.  I could feel his heart beating, 
strong but fast against my breasts.   It was beating in time with mine, I 
realized.  I couldn't even process what had just happened here.  

Mulder.  Mulder had happened.  He was still kissing me, only it was 
tender and soft now, a bit teasing.  He pulled back slowly and I sucked air 
into my lungs again.

I was embarrassed when my head sunk to the side on my shoulders as it 
swam with another bout of dizziness.  "Hey, hey, Scully.  Are you O.K.?"

His voice was laced with concern.  I forced my eyes up to his and smiled.  
I was still panting but managed to say, "I haven't been this O.K. in a long, 
long time."

He smiled then, that full wattage smile and my damn stomach did that 
stupid flip flop maneuver it always did when he smiled like that.  He 
turned and glanced around at the people toasting with champagne.  
"Want to get out of here?" he asked.  

He looked like a little boy, so hopeful and I laughed out loud.  I couldn't 
help it.  The absurdity of the situation suddenly struck me with a 
vengeance and I was giddy, and slightly hysterical.  I was really going to 
do this.  I was going to take him home.  I'd done that a thousand times 
before.  But tonight I planned on taking him past the living room.

I nodded and we made our way back to the table to say good bye to 
Kimpa and Luc.  Several couples greeted us on the way out and I saw 
Darlene, thanking her and telling her I had a great time.  And I meant it.

We claimed our coats and nearly trotted to the car.  "My place?" he asked.  
"It's closer."  I nodded.  We hardly looked at each other on the ride back 
to Arlington.  I think we both knew that the spell could break.  And we were 
both afraid it would. 

He said, "Scully,  I ..."

"Shhh," I said.  "Don't think, Mulder.  For once in your life, shut down that 
wonderful instrument sitting on top of your shoulders and DON'T THINK!"

He shook his head and laughed out loud.  The sound of it made me smile 
in return.  He still wasn't sure what was going to happen.  I could tell by 
the unsure looks that kept being darted in my direction.  But he had 
stopped talking.  We finally pulled up to his apartment building after what 
seemed like ten years.  I didn't wait for him, but jumped out of the car 
and left him to lock it up and then practically run to catch up with me.  

He unlocked and was slipped inside behind me.  "Hey, Scully, what's the hurry?" he asked.

PART 3 (NC-17)
FOX MULDER'S APARTMENT
12:30 AM - JANUARY 1, 2001

I threw my coat over a chair and twirled around to face him.  He shrugged 
off his jacket and placed it on top of mine.  He looked at me for a second 
and then took of his sport coat and laid it there also.  

We were suddenly tense as we looked at each other.  "Happy New Year, 
Scully."  

"Happy New Year, Mulder."

"How happy?" he asked.  I could see anticipation and excitement warring 
with disbelief and fear in his eyes.  He stood still and waited for me to set 
the tone.  

I didn't answer him.  I turned my back to him and reached behind my head 
and tugged the four or five pins out that were holding my hair in place.  
It fell in a tumble to my shoulders and curled around my face.  I never 
liked it wavy but apparently Mulder did because he gasped.  I always knew 
he did.  He always complimented my hair when I hadn't straightened it.

I looked at his fish in the tank, lazily treading water as though watching 
the room's activities.  I wondered if they were rooting for us.  I turned 
around to look at him.

"What?" I asked.  The look in his eyes now was turning predatory.  My heart 
was slamming against my ribcage as I realized what I was about to do.  But I wasn't 
changing my mind.

He whispered, "The light from my fish tank is glowing behind your head.  It 
makes you look like an angel."

I felt emotion well up in me.  "That's a sweet thing to say."

"Even my goldfish are watching you right now."  Funny that I'd had the same 
thought a moment earlier.  He paused.  "What now Scully?"

"Well, I could be coy and ask you for a drink now."

"Is that what you want?" he asked.

"No."

He swallowed.  "What do you want, Scully?"

"I want to do what no good, little Catholic girl does, especially on a first 
date."

He leered at me.  "And what might that be?"

I did my best leer back.  "I want to go to bed with my date."

The air whooshed out of his lungs and he was in front of me in two long 
strides.  He didn't touch me.  He looked down at me.  His voice was 
hesitant.  "You want to go to bed ...  with me?  Are you sure, Scully?"  He 
sounded curious and totally astounded as if he couldn't have heard me right, 
even though the entire evening had been leading up to this.

I smiled my own predatory smile and saw his jaw go slack.  He still wasn't 
speechless so I hadn't reached my objective yet.  "Yes, but it's what I 
want to do when we get there that's the good part."

"How good?"  He was breathless with anticipation now.  I could see him 
holding his breath.  I doubted if he even realized he was doing it.

"Well ..."  I put my finger on my lip, tapping gently as if considering my 
answer.  "If I haven't lost my skills ... it should be ..."

"What?  It should be what?"  He was panting slightly now.  I could see the 
tension in his body.  He was exerting enormous control not to reach out 
and grab me.  I thrilled at that realization.

I caught his eyes and in my best low bedroom voice said, "The best 
you've ever had."

His eyes closed and he swallowed a moan, just from hearing my words.  
His eyes opened again and he blinked slowly.  I put on my innocent face.

"Don't give me that look." 

"What look?"  I asked innocently.

"That innocent look, like you don't know exactly what you're doing to me."

"What am I doing to you?"

He stepped into me then and grabbed my head with his hands.  He 
brought his nose down to within a half inch of mine and growled, "You're 
driving me crazy and you know it.  And if you are teasing me, Scully, I just 
might kill someone."

He was still that unsure?  Good god.  What did I have to say?  Did he 
really think I would be so cruel as to tell him I wanted to go to bed with 
him and then back out?  I know it was our first 'real date', but Christ, we'd 
been dating, flirting and teasing for over six years now.  We gave mental 
foreplay a whole new meaning.

"You won't have to kill anyone," I answered softly.  He breathed in deep 
and lowered his head to capture my lips in a hungry kiss that left me 
breathless again.

I stepped back from him.  "And where do you think you're going?"

I smiled at him.  "I've waited too long for this to jump you on the couch."  I 
silently congratulated myself on how steady my voice was.  It had dropped an 
octave or two but was steady. 

I turned and walked into the bedroom without looking back.  I had a flash 
of panic when I realized that I had reached the bedroom and he hadn't 
followed me.  Then I heard the clink of glasses and took a deep breath.  
He appeared in the doorway to the bedroom holding the bottle of 
champagne and two glass champagne flutes.  He set them gently on the dresser.  
He'd opened the bottle and poured two glasses.  I lit a candle so we would 
have some light.  I wanted to be able to see him.  

He stood patiently, waiting.  I'm not sure which one of us moved first, but 
suddenly we were unbuttoning and unzipping and stepping out of shoes 
in a flurry of activity.  My dress was unzipped and sagging on my frame.  I 
was standing in my stocking feet.  He stood up after removing his 
trousers and stood before me in nothing but brown silk boxers.   God, 
even his underwear matched.  But then, so did mine.  No one could ever 
fault Mulder on his clothes.  Well, maybe the ties, but never the clothes.

He reached for me and I shook my head.  He stopped and settled back 
on his heels, arms hanging limply at his side.   I was clutching the dress in 
front of me.  I waited until I was sure I had his complete attention.  Not 
that I had lost it at any point up until now anyway.  He mumbled, "What?"

Then I saw a flash of panic cross his face and he muttered, "Second 
thoughts, Scully?"  His tone indicated that he thought it was inevitable all 
along.  

I shook my head in the negative.  "No, just wanted to make sure I had 
your attention."

He chuckled then, his voice growing raspy.  "You've had my undivided 
Attention all night, Scully."

I nodded and dropped the dress.  He obviously hadn't realized there was 
a built in bra in that dress.  My breast swung free and I stood there in 
nothing but my garter belt and hose.  I had removed my panties when he 
was busy extricating himself from his shoes and socks.  

He obviously hadn't realized I was wearing stockings and garters either.  
He looked like he was going to faint as he scanned me from head to toe.  
Then he did surprise me.  He groaned low in his throat and sunk to his 
knees on the carpet.  He walked over to me on his knees and reached 
over to place his hands on my hips.  "Scu...."

"Like what you see, Agent Mulder?" I asked, feeling exceptionally smug 
myself.  I'd brought Mulder to his knees.  How good was that?  

"I ..."

"Hmm?"

"You ..."

I'd done it!  He was speechless.  His trembling hands began sliding up my 
sides and over my stomach.  My muscles rippled under his touch and I 
felt my labia swell and tingle in response.  "What was that Mulder?" I 
asked, unable to help teasing him.  

"No ... words ... "He looked up at me, his eyes glazed and his mouth 
open.  He murmured, "You're too beautiful to be real."

I unexpectedly felt tears stinging the back of my eyes and my throat 
closing up.  He was breathing fast now.  "God, Scully..."  He buried his 
face in my stomach, rubbing his cheeks back and forth over my skin.  I 
shuddered and put my hands on his shoulders for balance.  He pulled 
back slightly and zoned in my apex, staring at my wiry pubic hair.  Just 
the heat of his gaze made me tremble and then he licked his lips.

I whimpered at the sight of it.  He looked up at me, losing his awe struck 
look.  It was replaced by a sly one and I wondered who was really in 
trouble here.  He looked me right in the eyes and slowly licked his lips in 
an imitation of what I'd done earlier.  I gasped and whimpered again, 
embarrassed at how needy I sounded.  The anticipation was killing me.  

"Mulder, please."

He grinned.  "Please what?"

I closed my eyes.  Since my words seemed to inflame him earlier, I tried 
to think of something creative to say, but was drawing a blank.  I knew my 
words excited him.  I didn't know if dirty talk would but I guessed that it 
probably would.  I settled for, "Put that oral fixation to use, would you?"

He laughed then, low and soft.  His hands slid to the back of my thighs, 
skimming over the silk stockings.  His hands were hot and I could feel the 
rough calluses through my stockings.  They tickled slightly and my legs 
twitched.  My head fell backwards and I gripped his shoulders, waiting.

He looked up and said two words.  "Watch me."

I forced my head up and then looked down at him.  His eyes were 
blazing.  When he knew I was looking.  He lowered his head and stuck 
his tongue between my legs.  That first swipe with the flat of his tongue 
from the bottom to the top of my lips made me yelp and my knees gave 
up the battle and buckled completely.  He caught me with his hands on 
the back of my thighs and scooted me backward onto the bed.  I 
collapsed and balled the comforter up in my hands.

He returned instantly and began sucking my nether lips into his mouth 
and lapping my opening to eat the juices that were flowing out of me at an 
embarrassing rate.  I don't ever remember being able to feel it ooze out of 
me and run down my thighs and into the crack of my ass.  

I moaned shamelessly as he slipped a couple fingers inside and began 
lightly sucking on my nub of nerves.  I bucked my hips and felt my womb 
cringe in response.  Hot floods of sensation washed through my abdomen 
as he continued teasing the front wall of my vagina.  

He pushed me back to lay me down on the bed, my hips on the edge and put 
my legs over his shoulders.  He reached up and grabbed a glass of champagne.  He 
delicately tipped it and let it fall onto my crotch.  The bubbled fizzled 
and the cold made me yelp.  It was a weird sensation.  He set the glass back 
on the table.  Then his hot mouth and tongue descended again.

He began licking my clit as it lay trapped between his lips at its base.  His 
rough stubbled tongue rasped over my pleasure center and I screamed as an orgasm 
rocked my frame unexpectedly.  I hadn't felt it coming.  I was aroused but I 
usually felt them coming.  They built gradually.

Oh well.  Another myth out the window, I thought as I shuddered to a 
stop, feeling his tongue lazily lapping my clit.  His fingers slipped out and I 
moaned.  I was sated, but still wanted to be filled.  I realized that he still 
had his boxers on.  He stood up.  I opened my eyes and said, "Lose the 
boxers, Mulder."  I was staring at the impressive tent that was being 
presented to me, front and center, but I wanted the real deal.

He hooked his thumbs into the elastic and shoved them down his legs, 
absently kicking them away.  He looked at me for several long moments 
then.  He looked down at himself and my eyes followed.

He was very erect, ... and very big!  The head of his penis was glistening 
with precum and I suddenly had an incredible urge to taste it.  I rolled up 
onto my knees and moved to the center of the bed, motioning him down.

He crawled up onto the bed like a big cat.  I feasted my eyes on his 
golden skin, his well toned muscles and his gorgeous, perfect ass.  He 
kissed me, still on all fours.  I whispered then, "On your back."

He raised one eyebrow in a lousy imitation of mine and then flopped onto 
his back.  I straddled him and slid backwards down onto his legs.  He was 
watching me intently.  He reached down and I took him hands in mine, 
pinning them to the bed.

I bent over and licked his precum off the head of his shaft and he hissed.  
I grinned, enjoying all the little sounds I could get out of him.  He didn't 
take his eyes off me and I continued to watch him as I carefully sucked 
the head into my mouth and swirled my tongue over the velvet skin on the 
head.  He moaned.  "Oh, Scully."

I lifted and asked, "Is this what you want?"

He nodded.  "Please."

He sounded desperate.  I let go of one hand and grasped him at the 
base.  He was breathing hard and groaned as I lowered myself over him, 
taking as much as I could into my mouth.  I sucked gently and swirled my 
tongue over the underside of his shaft, loving the heat and smooth feel of 
him.  I began to move up and down, slowly increasing my suction.  He 
was moaning steady now and I used his sounds to gauge if I was doing it 
right.  He seemed to really go nuts when I tongued that spot just under his 
head on the underside of his shaft. 

He stopped me by pushing gently on my shoulders.  I looked up, sucking 
hard once more and then let go, a little disappointed.  I was enjoying 
pleasing him.  He smiled at my look.  "I don't want to come yet," he said.  I 
grinned then and crawled back up to plunder his mouth with my tongue.

His hands were everywhere, brushing my back, my buttocks and scooting 
between us to pinch and roll and my nipples.  We were both pretty 
incoherent at this point and moaning with arousal.  I was losing my 
coordination and gave no resistance when he rolled until I was 
underneath him.  He immediately lowered his hips into the cradle of my 
thighs and rubbed his shaft along my groin, teasing my clit as he slid back 
and forth.

"Oh God, Mulder."  That seemed to be all I could say at the moment.

He grasped my head gently and looked into my eyes again.  He was 
breathing hard.  "Tell me you want this."

I scrunched my eyebrows in puzzlement.  Did he still have doubts?  How 
could he?  I couldn't believe someone so sexy could be so insecure, but 
then I remembered that all his past relationships had either hurt or 
abandoned him.  He murmured, "I need to hear it, Scully."

I knew how hard that confession was for him.  He didn't like to admit he 
needed reassurance, especially from me, but there it was.

I pulled him down and kissed him gently, feeling his hardness pulse 
against my inner thigh.  I whispered, "I want this, Mulder.  I want you so 
badly.  Christ, Mulder, I ache for you."

A groan shuddered out of him and his head fell to the crook of my neck as 
he pushed into me, spreading my walls to accommodate his girth.  "Ahhh, 
Mulder."

He stopped when he was fully encased inside me and lifted his head to 
look at me.  "Oh God, Scully, am I really here?"

He looked completely astounded.  I would have laughed if I wasn't 
panting so harshly trying to still my rapidly beating heart.  Finally I 
managed to gasp out, "Yes, we're really here.  Oh man, I feel so full."

He kept looking at me.  God, he looked like he was going to cry.  I cradled 
his face between my hands and urged him down to kiss me.  He came 
willingly and kissed me tenderly.  I broke the kiss and whispered, "I feel 
whole for the first time in years."

His eyes became suspiciously wet but no tears fell.  His head went back 
to my neck and he murmured as he began to move slowly.  "Oh Christ, I love 
you so much, Scully."

All the air suddenly left the room.  Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.  He'd said 
it.  He'd said those three little words that meant so much.  He'd said them 
out loud.  I knew it.  He showed it in so many little ways, but hearing the 
words was like a tonic that washed away all lingering doubts and fears.

I moaned and wrapped my legs around his hips and began meeting his 
thrusts.  He read me well and sped up slightly.  "Oh Jesus, Scully, you 
feel so good, so good."

I hummed in agreement.  That was the only sound I could make now as I 
felt another orgasm coiling at the base of my spine.  I usually didn't come 
in this position, but my head and my heart were making up for the lack of 
stimulation in this position.   But then he blew another opinion out of the 
water as he reached down and lifted one leg from behind my knee, 
raising it up almost to my chest.  

He sunk deeper into me and I started whimpering at the intense pleasure 
this new angle created.  He was hitting my sweet spot, pressing low and 
thrusting up from below my entrance.  It felt like my entire pelvis melted 
into a puddle when he hit the sweet spot.  I shouted, "Whoooaaa!"

He smiled and sped up again, battering my G spot and holding my leg up 
by slipping his arm under my knee and putting his elbow on the bed.

I felt surrounded by him, engulfed by him as he towered over me, pushing 
into me over and over, never seeming to tire.  Sweat was rolling down the 
side of his neck.  My other leg dropped to the bed and aided me in 
meeting his thrusts.  

His smell and the smell of us together wafted into my nostrils and I nearly 
swooned.  Another gush of warmth flooded my womb.  He rasped out, "Look at me, Scully."

I did and his face was so open and vulnerable at the moment I was sure I 
was looking right into his soul.  He was holding nothing back and he was 
wearing his heart on my sleeve.  He was handing it to me on a silver 
platter.  He may have dodged his feelings before, but not now.  Right now 
he was showing them all and he was afraid.  I could sense that too.

He growled and began to hit me with hard thrusts, his rhythm faltering 
slightly.  He said, "Please let go.  Come for me, Scully.  Come to me."  

It was such a heartfelt request.  It wasn't the physical thing he was asking 
for.  He was asking me to let go of my heart, to trust him with it.  His lips 
curled into a grimace as he continued to stroke harshly into me.  I whimpered 
and let the last of my tension flow out of my body.  One more stroke and felt 
the harsh contractions begin in my pelvis, spreading out from my core to rock 
my entire body as I spasmed beneath him.  "Mmuullddeerr!"

My walls gripped his cock in a rippling flutter and he shouted and spilled 
into me, chanting, "Oh my God, Scully, Oh my God, Ohohoho, yeah!  Oh 
God, Sccuuullleee!"

We both shuddered to a stop and he collapsed his weight onto me, letting 
my leg down to rest on the bed.  He repositioned himself and took his 
weight on to his elbows.  He started to roll and I gripped his bicep with my 
hand.  "No, stay."

He nodded and laid his head under my chin.  He nibbled on my collarbone and 
I shivered at the tickle that run up the side of my neck.  He chuckled, Sensitive?"

Instead of answering, I flexed my internal muscles, squeezing him as 
hard as I could.  He yelped, "Jesus!"

I chuckled this time.  "Sensitive?"

He lifted his head to look at me and lowered his head to kiss me gently.  
He pulled his lips away and I tried to follow.  He smiled again, the smile of 
an extremely sated male and hummed in the back of his throat.  I ruffled 
his hair and he leaned into my hand, rubbing against me like a big cat.

It was time to let go of the last barrier and be as brave as he had been 
tonight.  For all my forwardness, I had still held back what I knew he 
needed to hear.  He hadn't asked me to say it.  He never would.  Instead, 
he had asked me to tell him I wanted this.  I pushed on his shoulder and 
rolled him onto his back.  He looked amused but compliant, waiting to see 
what I would do.  We both winced slightly as his flaccid member slid out 
of me.  

I sprawled across his chest and levered up onto my elbows, moving up so 
I could touch his face.  My feet where dangling between his legs, our hips 
still pressed together.  I realized my feet were brushing his knees and it 
struck me how much bigger than me he really was.  I didn't think about it 
most of the time.  His head flopped to the side and his eyes closed, his 
arms wrapping around my waist and playfully squeezing my bottom.  

I cradled his face and turned it back to me.  His eyes popped open.  I 
teased, "Hey, pay attention."

He mock groaned.  "I don't know if I can.  I'm not a young buck anymore, 
you know?"

I chuckled.  "It will be worth your while."

He waggled his eyebrows at me.  "Oh yeah?  What do have in mind."  I 
couldn't help but smile at his patented leer.  

My humor drained away as I prepared to say it.  I was suddenly nervous, 
although I knew I shouldn't be.  It hit me quite suddenly that I'd never said 
it ... to anyone.  I mean, I'd said it to my family, but never to a man.  I'd 
loved people, but I truly IN LOVE for the first time.  His smile faded as he 
saw my face.  

"Oh no," he mumbled.  "Don't tell me you're going to get all nervous on 
me now, are you?  Don't even tell me that this was a mistake."  He 
swallowed hard.

I shook my head and smiled a tremulous smile to reassure him.  His 
breath rushed out and he refocused on me.

"No, I told you it would be worth your while, remember?"

He nodded.  "What then?"

I looked him in the eye.  He was so beautiful, so trusting, gazing into my 
face, waiting patiently for me to get my shit together.  I finally took a deep 
breath and blurted it out for the first time in my adult life.  "I love you, 
Mulder."

He gasped slightly and his eyes widened but he didn't look away.  Then 
he beamed me a smile and shook his head as if to clear it.  One hand 
came up to thump himself in the temple a couple times as though to clear 
his hearing.  I broke into a fit of giggles, feeling a huge weight lift off my 
shoulders.  His smile faded but he still looked amazed.  "Did I hear what I 
think I just heard?" he asked quietly.

I nodded.  

"Can I hear it again?"  He looked like a little boy.

I smiled.  "I love you, Mulder.  In fact, I'm IN LOVE with you.  I'm so far 
gone.  You have no idea."  My head flopped down on his chest and then 
bounced as he began to laugh.  

It was a laugh of delight and wonder and I marveled at how good it 
sounded and how few times I'd heard it.  He grasped me suddenly and 
rolled me over again, seizing my mouth with his and kissing me.  It went 
on for quite some time.  He finally surfaced for air and rolled so that we 
were both on our sides.  He clutched me to his chest and buried his nose 
in my hair.  "I love you so much, Scully.  I can die a happy man now."

I chuckled.  "A happy man?  Geez, Mulder, you wouldn't want to ruin your 
image."  He broke out laughing again at this and peppered my neck with 
kisses.  I giggled.  "Besides, don't die on me now, I'm not finished with 
you."

"Your not?"

"No, not by a long shot."

"Oh, that's a relief," he deadpanned.  We chuckled together again.  And 
then he said, "We don't laugh enough, Scully."

I nodded. "I was thinking the same thing.  Feels good doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does.  This is the best New Year's Eve I've ever had."

"Well, yeah, me too.  I guess we started the turn of the millenium with a 
bang, huh?"

His shoulders shook silently with more chuckles as he rolled me once 
again and spooned up behind my back.  "I guess we did."  

"This feels so good, Mulder."

He sighed contentedly.  "I almost forgot how this feels."

"What?"

"Holding a beautiful naked woman in my arms after a great orgasm."

"Oh come on!  Your not going to tell me you've been celibate all these 
years."

Silence.  Oops.  "Mulder?"

He paused and then, "For the last five."

I turned slightly in his arms so that I could look at him over my shoulder.  
"You're kidding me, right?"

"No."  He averted his eyes.

"Look at me."  He did.  "Why?"

He smiled then, mirthless smile.  "What do mean, why?"

"I can name ten women off the top of my head that would give their left 
fingers to be laying here with you."

He raised his eyebrows.  "Only their left fingers?"

I smiled.  "I'm serious, Mulder.  Women are eyeing you all the time.  You 
could be with someone anytime you wanted to."

He sighed.  "I don't necessarily agree with your assessment of my appeal 
to the opposite sex.  But even if that were true, I didn't want THEM."

We looked at each other for a moment.  "What are you really saying?"

"I'm saying ... that I didn't want them because ... I was ... in love with 
you."  He said this softly.

Now my eyes widened.  "For five years!?"

He nodded.  "Yeah, I've been waiting a long time for a sign from you."

"A sign?"

"A sign that I could get away with making a pass at you and not get 
slapped in the face."

I giggled.   I turned away again and snuggled closer to him, feeling his 
body mold around me.  "I love you, Mulder."

"Love you too, Scully, always have."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You're kidding, right?"

I snuffled a bit.  "Yeah, I guess I wasn't Ms. Receptive, was I?"

"Not really."

"I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for.  You're here now and that's all that matters to 
me.  I can't believe you've stayed with me this long, let alone believe I'm 
laying here in my bed ... naked with you.  And neither of us is sick or injured."

I sighed.  "We're going to be O.K., right?"

He tightened his hold on me again and sighed into my hair.  "You know I 
can't predict the future, Scully.  I'm not going to give you some lame 
platitude about how we are going to live happily ever after."

"I know, I don't expect you too.  I just mean ... we're not going to freak out 
about this are we?"

"I'm not."

"You think I will?"

He was silent a moment.  "I hope not.  Look, Scully, I know as well as you 
do the risk we took tonight.  I know what's at stake.  I can promise you 
that I will do everything in my power to protect what we have.  I've always 
done that anyway and now it's just that much more important.  And no 
matter what, the one thing you never have to doubt is that I love you.  I 
love you with all my heart and I'd never do anything to intentionally hurt 
you."

"I know you wouldn't."

"But I've hurt you anyway."

I sighed.  "Don't go there, Mulder.  We've hurt each other and blamed 
ourselves and each other for a lot of things that have happened.  But the 
bottom line is, we're here now and we finally both got the nerve to tell 
each other how we feel.  We need to start with a clean slate, try to flush 
away the guilt and remorse.  I don't want US to be shadowed by those 
false feelings of responsibility for things that have happened in the past.  
They are in the past and that is where they should stay."

"Just start from here and look forward to the future?" he asked.

"Exactly."

"I can do that.  I'll try anyway.  Besides, I can say this.  I've never had a 
future to look forward to before, or not in many years anyway.  Now I feel 
like I do.  As long as you stay by my side."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"That's amazing to me, you know that, don't you?"

"Do you believe it?"

"I'm starting to now."

I laid my hands over his arms and gave them a squeeze.  "Believe it."

"I'll try."

"Don't try, just do it. I love you, Mulder.  And I'm not going anywhere.  I'm 
not your mother, I'm not Phoebe and I'm not fucking Diana!"

"Whoa, whoa!" he murmured.  "I know that.  You're not even in the same 
category, Scully.  Believe me, I know that. It doesn't mean that my past 
hasn't made me gun shy."

"I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have said that."

"It's O.K.  But know that I don't compare you to those women.  I never 
have.  You were in an orbit all by yourself from the day I met you."

"Orbit?"

"Well, you sent me into orbit.  You were like this unique, pure, shining star 
in my life and I've been circling hopelessly ever since waiting for the 
opportunity to make a landing."

I laughed at that.  "The King of Metaphor," I said.

He rocked me gently.  "Is that what you call me?"

"Not out loud."

"You just did."

"We all have our slips sometimes, Mulder."

He chuckled.  "Sleep now?"

"Yeah.  This date thing worked out so well, I may take you out on another 
one tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yeah, how about lunch and a museum?"

"Hmm, sounds good.  A whole day to do something normal people do?"

"Yeah, sounds good doesn't it."

"Yes it does.  Scully, if I'd know all I had to do was ask you out on a date, 
I would have done it five years ago!  So much time we've wasted."

"It wouldn't have been as good then."

"No, probably not."

"Mulder, let's just enjoy it now, O.K.?"

"Deal."

We fell asleep wrapped around each other.  For the first time in years, I 
fell asleep feeling safe and loved.  The loneliness was gone.  What a 
relief.  It was indeed a Happy New Year.

THE END.

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