From: <virtuesandvices@aol.com>
To: <XFilesNC17ff@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [XFNC17ff] The Red and the Black(1/2)by Virtie
Date: Sunday, February 24, 2002 8:10 PM

Title: The Red and the Black

Author: Virtie

E-mail: virtuesandvices@aol.com

Web site: http://www.geocities.com/fanficcorner/

Rating: NC-17. Please, if you don't like M&S smut, turn back
now.

Classification: MSR

Category: SR Story/Romance

Summary: A singles club, a black dress, and red-painted
nails.

Archive: Go right ahead, but please let me know first.

Spoilers: Probably. I'll set this story pre- 'all things'.
Obviously. So anything before then is fair game.

Disclaimer: They are not mine. CC would never let them do
this on the show, and to be honest, I don't think I'd want
to see it. But it sure is nice to fantasize. Don't worry,
Chris, you'll get them back undamaged.

Author's Note: This was my very first smut story; it's
kinda fun, if you like that sort of thing. Special thanks
to SASpooky for the use of the name 'Slap Happy's'; I
know there's no Krycek in this one, but this is for
you nonetheless, SAS!

************************************************************

THE RED AND THE BLACK

*****

Slap Happy's
Downtown D.C.
8:48 P.M. Friday

It was Friday night, and Mulder sat at the bar of the
night-club nursing the same beer he had ordered almost 45
minutes ago. He faced away from the bar, elbows back and
resting on the shiny wood surface, a small smile on his face
as he watched the activity around him. It wasn't often he
came here, but the owner was a friend of his, and the drinks
were free. Besides, today had been a helacious day. He was
wired and exhausted at the same time, as he always seemed to
be after a day of dealing with his partner when she was less
than happy. Yes, he admitted to himself. Scully was the
reason he was here, watching as man after man hit on woman
after woman, and mentally keeping score who won, who lost,
and who refused to take no for an answer.

He watched as a short, balding man in his late 40's walked
up to a tall, leggy blonde in a short leather skirt. 'Not a
chance, buddy,' he thought to himself. The woman looked down
at the little man, and smiled politely. But the head-shake
she gave him was firm. At least her apologetic look seemed
genuine. Mulder shook his head wryly and turned back to the
bar. Tony was standing there, an amused expression on his
face. He obviously had been watching the same thing Mulder
had been observing.

"You know," the burly black man said. "She'd be smiling and
nodding that pretty little head if you went over there and
asked her to dance."

Mulder glanced over his shoulder at the woman again. She
wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, but she was very pretty. And she
did have a very nice body. Long, shapely legs. High, firm
breasts with plentiful cleavage. Lovely hair. Yeah, she was
nice. He turned back to Tony. "Not my type."

Tony stared at him silently for a bit, an astounded look on
his face. "Since when?!" He folded his arms on the bar and
leaned forward. "Hey, man. I've known you for more than ten
years, and the tall leggy ones have always been your type!"

Mulder gave a soft laugh and looked down at his beer. "In
those ten years, have I ever had a lasting relationship with
a woman? Leggy or otherwise?"

Tony snorted. "How the hell should I know? I rarely ever see
you outside of this place. This place isn't for people who
are looking for 'lasting' relationships."

Mulder nodded. "I guess you're right about that." He took a
sip of his now warm drink and grimaced. He hated warm beer.

"So," Tony continued. "Go ask her."

Mulder played dumb. "Ask her what?"

Tony reached out and punched him lightly on the arm.
"Asshole. Go ask her to dance. Hell, I'll bet you could even
get her to your apartment. She's been eyeing you all night."

Again, Mulder let out a laugh. "Like I said: not my type."

"Damn, man. Every time you come in here, all you do is sit
at the bar, talk to me, and watch people. And you always go
home alone."

"This is a good place to people watch. It keeps me sharp. I
am a psychologist, after all."

Tony grimaced. "And what is that psychological mind of yours
telling you about yourself? Or have you even ever tried to
look at yourself?"

"Of course I have," Mulder started. But he didn't continue
and he couldn't look his friend in the eye.

"You putz." Tony leaned forward again. "You wanna know what
I see?"

"Not really."

"Too bad. I see a  lonely man who hasn't had real sex in
years, who wastes time at bars WATCHING people rather that
actually getting out there and enjoying those same people.
You really need to---"

"Get a life?" Mulder interrupted. He sighed. "Yeah, I know."
He shrugged. "Tony, my work has been everything to me for
years. And I know that I should add more to my life, but I
really don't know how."

"A one night stand, provided all the necessary precautions
are taken, can be a wonderful eye opener." The bartender
smiled. "I dare you."

Mulder thought about that idea for a while. It probably
would help ease the tension, both the mental and physical,
that had been plaguing him for months now. Oh, hell. Years,
really. Though he wouldn't admit it, Tony was right. He
hadn't had sex in years. Not since Kristen, and he had been
so mentally drained during that encounter, he couldn't even
count it as real. Diana had been available. She had made it
abundantly clear that she was more than willing to pick up
where they had left off before she had gone to Europe. But
something had held him back. Only in his 'dreamworld' had he
given in, a dreamworld that had been nighmarish in the end.
Without Scully's help, he might never had gotten away from
it.

Now there was a subject he didn't want to touch right now.
The reason he was here. The reason he was seriously, for the
first time in years, considering a one-night-stand with a
stranger. The reason he had spent the better part of the
last 7 years in a partial state of arousal. Scully. Would it
help if he let go and released some of his frustration with
another woman? Would it be easier to handle being around
her? Or would it just make him feel guilty?

He felt like knocking himself in the head with a bottle of
Jack Daniels. Guilty? Why? They had never made any kind of
commitment to each other. They weren't married, for Christ's
sake. Yes, she had been very obviously jealous of Diana, but
that had been professional jealously. Hadn't it?

And the way the day had gone, the way she had treated him,
he was sure she was getting tired of him and his theories.
She had been snippy and short with him all day. All week,
actually, but today had been the worst. And it wasn't even
PMS. That wasn't for another two weeks. And yes, as
embarrassing as it was to think about, he did know his
partner's cycle. It was inevitable when you worked as
closely with someone as he did her. Her moodiness during the
past week was a mystery. Unless she indeed was just getting
sick of him.

A vision of Ed Jerse popped into his head. He had met the
man once, in the hospital in Philadelphia, after he had
looked in on a sleeping Scully. They hadn't said a word to
each other; they had just stared at each other, like two
junkyard dogs over a bone. Jerse had finally looked away,
and Mulder left, content with the fact that he had won the
bone. But had the 'bone' wanted to be won? Mulder knew that
Scully had spent the night with this man. And she hadn't
seemed at all ashamed or apologetic over it. It had seemed
so self-destructive of her. So unlike her. The fact that the
incident occurred just a couple of weeks before she was
diagnosed with cancer often had Mulder wondering if she had
known. If she had believed she was going to die BEFORE her
escapade in Philadelphia. He'd probably never know.

Jerse. The thought of the  man made him burn. If Scully
could have her nocturnal adventures, why couldn't he? He
looked at Tony. "Okay, man. I'll take your dare. I promise I
won't go home alone tonight."

Tony smiled. "All right!" He stood up straight. "Hey. If you
really aren't interested in tall, blonde and leggy over
there, how 'bout her?" He nodded his head toward the
entrance.

Mulder turned on the stool and looked at the woman Tony was
indicating. His heart stopped. As did his breathing. He had
to be imagining this! No way could he be seeing what he was
seeing! It had to be because of his thoughts that he was
seeing her, here. He blinked, but when he opened his eyes,
she was still there.

Scully.

She was wearing a black halter dress made of some silky
material Mulder wasn't about to identify. It hugged her
upper body, highlighting her small, but perfectly shaped,
breasts. Her arms were bare, and her fingernails were
painted a deep, blood red. The skirt flowed about her legs,
ending just above her knees, and her feet were encased in a
pair of strappy black sandals with impossibly high heels.
She wasn't wearing any hosiery, and her toes were painted
the same deep red as her fingers. She began to walk across
the room, heading for the opposite side of the bar from him.
She passed him, but did not see him. She was wearing more
make-up than usual, and her lips were sporting bright red
lipstick. As she passed him, he realized her back was
completely bare. Well, not completely. Her tattoo was
clearly visible. She settled herself on a stool at the end
of the bar and smiled politely at Traci, the bartender
working that end.

Mulder heard a soft whistle come from Tony, and he
immediately closed his mouth, which he suddenly realized was
hanging open. "Man. You weren't kidding about Legs not being
your type, were you? I guess you got a thing for redheads,
huh?"

Mulder looked at his friend, still shocked at seeing his
prim, reserved partner dressed up in the sexiest of clothes
and apparently ready to paint the town red. "Yeah," he said
softly.

"Well, you better grab her quick, cause it looks like you're
not the only one who noticed her."

Mulder looked down the bar to see that a man had already
come up to her, most likely offering to buy her a drink. A
young, handsome man. She smiled at him and nodded. The man
told the bartender what they wanted, and the flirting began.
Tony shook his head. "I don't know, Mulder. If you want that
one, you're gonna have to work at it. I gotta get to work."
With that, he strode off. Mulder didn't even acknowledge his
departure. He simply settled in to watch his partner in
action.

The man she was talking to eventually left, but only because
another man was pestering Scully for a dance. She shook her
head, obviously not ready to hit the floor quite yet, but
she smiled and flirted easily enough. Mulder felt jealousy
pour through him, and the red-hot anger that followed was
almost a comfort. He watched as more than one 'suitor'
stopped by the sexy redhead. Some were rewarded with a
smile. Some were subjected to her glare, which quickly sent
them on their way. Some managed to get her to laugh, and
this was when Mulder's anger nearly exploded.

He was about to call his torture quits and leave when his
anger cooled enough for him to realize something; she hadn't
yet danced with any of them. What was she doing? Holding
court on her bar stool? Why hadn't she accepted any of the
many offers directed her way? He began to watch her more
closely. Her hands shook when she picked up her drink, and
she didn't really drink all that much. Her smile seemed
forced, and her laughter seemed strained. His eyes narrowed.
When she turned slightly toward him, he noticed the look in
her eye. The look that said she had bitten off more than she
could chew and was regretting it. So this wasn't some
regular game of hers, he thought. If fact, this was probably
a first for her, or at least something she hadn't done in
quite a while. She wanted out.

The man talking to her was leaning into her, and she very
obviously wanted him gone. He wasn't listening. Her eyes had
gone cold, her expression had turned to ice. The man, a tall
blonde haired fellow wearing a rumpled business suit, was
ignoring the warning signs. He must really be drunk. Without
another thought, he jumped up from his stool, ignoring
Tony's smirk, and walked over to the couple at the end of
the bar.

"And I said 'NO'!" Scully's voice was as icy as her physical
demeanor appeared to be. She was trying to stand, but the
man was leaning so far into her that he was half on top of
her and she didn't have any room to maneuver. Mulder grabbed
his shoulder and pulled him back away from her.

"I think you need to get a dictionary and look up what 'no'
means," he told the man in a quiet but deadly voice.

The man raised his hands in a placating gesture. "All right,
all right." He slowly stumbled away. With a sigh, Mulder
turned to his partner.

Her eyes were wide and her face was beet red. If he hadn't
felt for her obvious embarrassment, he would have laughed.
But it looked as if she wanted nothing more than to bury her
head in the closest sand dune and pretend she wasn't there.
Or at least that he hadn't seen her there. Mulder did not
want to embarrass her further, especially since he was sure
most eyes in the bar were now on the two of them. So, he did
the first thing that came to mind.

"Would you like to dance?"

Scully took a deep breath in, staring at his outstretched
hand, and some of the color left her face. She glanced
around her, just beginning to realize how many people were
looking at them. She looked down at the floor. "Oh, God," he
heard her whisper. Then she nodded, and without looking at
him, she took his hand and stood.

Feeling giddy as a schoolboy who had finally gotten the
baseball mitt he'd been begging his parents for, Mulder lead
her to the dance floor. When he turned into her, he realized
her eyes were still glued to the floor. He brought her right
hand up and into his chest, holding it against his heart.
Then he reached around with his right arm and placed his
hand on her bare back. He felt her shiver with the contact,
and he grinned. She brought her free hand up to his shoulder
and stared resolutely at his chest. Slowly, they began to
sway to the music. And slowly, she relaxed in his arms.

The song was one of those Eighties tunes that he barely
remembered, by a band that most likely didn't even exist
anymore. But the music was good and easy to move to. And the
words, he thought suddenly, hit a little too close to home.

*This time might be the last, I fear, unless I can make it
all too clear, I need you so.*

Mulder began to try and remember the name of the band, but
he kept getting distracted by the words. Scully's eyes had
drifted up and she was looking at him questioningly. It was
obvious she had felt him tense. She was about to say
something when he interrupted her. "My name's Fox. What's
yours?"

*Baby, I think tonight, we can take what was wrong, and make
it right.*

"Dana," she said, a slight smile on her face. Then, with a
sigh, she gently pulled her right hand from his and brought
it up to his shoulder, moving in closer to him as she did
so. Mulder tensed even more as he felt her breasts press
against his chest. He brought his now free hand down to join
the other on her back.

*So take these Broken Wings and learn to fly again, learn to
live so free.*

As the music swelled, he tightened his grip on her, pulling
her close and nosing her hair. Drinking in her scent. Scully
had never been a perfume wearer, and he had always been
grateful. Her scent, which he knew came from a body lotion
rather than a perfume bottle, was subtle and sweet. He
breathed in deeply. Every nerve in his body was aware of her
now. Her breasts, crushed against his chest. Her hips,
swaying smoothly with his, her soft belly making a wonderful
bed for his growing arousal, which he knew she must be
feeling. The occasional brush of her legs when she stepped
into him. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the euphoric
feeling that overrode his common sense. 'This must be what
heaven is like,' he thought.

*Baby, it's all I know, that you're half of the flesh and
blood that make me whole.*

All too soon, the song ended, and Mulder felt her begin to
pull away. He didn't want to let her go, and was about to
tell her so when one of the men she had turned down earlier
in the evening came up to them.

"Can I have the next dance, Dana?"

The next song, another Eighties tune, had already started,
and Mulder began to laugh. Before Scully could say a word,
Mulder turned to the man. "No way, pal! This is our song!"

He suddenly swung Scully around and moved further onto the
dance floor. Her eyes widened in utter surprise and the
smile on her lips grew. "It is?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yep."

*It's poetry in motion. She turned her tender eyes to me.
As deep as any ocean. As sweet as any harmony.
But she blinded me with science! <She blinded me with
science!>*

As she realized what song was playing, she began to laugh,
and Mulder laughed along with her. From the beginning of
their partnership, this song had always made him think of
her. Now, here he was, dancing with her to it. Will wonders
never cease? And adding her laughter to the mix only made it
that much more perfect.

*When I'm dancing close to her...*

As the music slowed a bit, he pulled her close once more,
pressing himself fully against her. Then quickly swung her
away from him again, twirling her in an elegant spin. She
followed his lead easily, moving with grace and beauty on
those heels of hers.

*It's poetry in motion. And now she's making love to me.*

'Don't I wish,' Mulder thought as he spun her in against him
again. With a move that caught him off guard, Scully swept
in and planted a firm, moist kiss on his neck, then twirled
away from him again. That was all it took for him to get
outrageously hard. The knowledge that she had most likely
branded him with that red lipstick of hers was almost more
than he could stand. He pulled her up against him, wrapping
his arms tightly about her back.

*I don't believe it! There she goes again!*

She was laughing up at him, her eyes glowing, and he knew
that he had NEVER seen her like this before. This was Dana,
not Scully. This was the woman, not the F.B.I. Agent. This
was what he had avoided and yet had longed to see for seven
long years. Without another thought, he lowered his head and
kissed her.

Her body stiffened, as she was apparently startled by his
unplanned move. But in the bat of an eye, she brought her
arms up around his neck, and opened her mouth under his. He
didn't question the acceptance. He only responded by
plunging his tongue inside. She moaned in response, and his
erection increased its size by a significant amount.

The music had changed again, and he felt his body move with
the sensuous rhythm. She followed suit, swaying against him.
But then she pulled away, her face red once again. 'Damn,'
Mulder groaned silently. He watched as her eyes, which
looked amazingly dark in the dim light of the room, as they
darted around. The dance floor still had plenty of people on
it, and, unless they had specifically been watching, no one
would have noticed the kiss. Nonetheless, they were in a
very public place, and Mulder tried his best to get his body
under control. But Scully's next glance made that nearly
impossible; she looked down, directly at his crotch. Well,
Mulder thought, it's not as if she hadn't know it was there.
She had to have felt it.

She raised her eyes to his again, and the look in them
nearly struck him to the floor.

"Let's get out of here." Her voice was soft, and the room
was loud. But he heard her. No doubt about that.

With a shy smile, she backed away from him, taking his hand
and pulling him off the floor and towards the door. He
glanced at the bar, hoping he didn't look as shocked as he
felt. Tony stood there, a huge smile on his face, giving him
the thumbs up sign with both hands. 'Don't be too happy for
me,' Mulder told him silently. 'She's only using me as an
excuse to get the hell out of here.' Wasn't she?

Silently, Mulder followed Scully out of the bar and onto the
streets of D.C.

************************************************************

Downtown D.C.
10:03 P.M. Friday

It had been a hot, humid day, and steam rose from the
streets into the cooling night air as Mulder and Scully
walked side by side down the sidewalk. Hand in hand. Scully
still hadn't said a word, but she had directed their route,
and he followed without complaint, letting the night air
cool him out as much as possible. It wasn't easy. He still
felt the heat of her body close to him. He could still smell
her seductive scent. He glanced down at her. Her expression
was that of a nervous, but happy, woman. He suddenly
realized she was up to something. He stopped suddenly,
jerking on her hand as he did so, causing her to turn
sharply and face him. Her eyes widened, and her eyebrows
rose in their characteristic arch, asking a question without
saying a word.

"Uh, Scully..." he started.

"Dana," she corrected him.

He lowered his brows. Okay, so he had started the little
'let's pretend we've never met before' game, but they
weren't in the bar anymore. "Dana. Where are we going?"

She smiled, but lowered her eyes, too. "I thought you wanted
to go someplace private. Just the two of us?" She turned her
head and looked over her shoulder. Mulder glanced up to see
what she was looking at. The downtown Super 8 sat on the
corner. She brought her eyes to his again. There was a bit
of hesitancy and fear in them, but a whole lot of bravado as
well. Her eyebrows were still up.

Mulder stood stock still, not knowing how to respond. She
couldn't be serious. Could she? "Who are you, and what have
you done with my partner?"

She smiled and stepped closer to him. "She's on vacation.
I'm here to take her place this weekend. Interested?"

Despite the touch of uncertainty still in her demeanor,
Mulder knew she was serious. He opened his mouth, but no
sound came out. "Come on, Fox," she whispered. "Isn't this
why you came to a bar tonight? To get lucky?" She stepped
back slightly. "Or am I just not what you were looking for?"
A tinge of hurt appeared in her eyes.

Mulder found his voice. "On the contrary, you are exactly
what I've been looking for." His words were soft but steady.
And he could tell she saw the truth in his eyes. Her
glorious smile was accompanied by a slight flush.

"Then what are we waiting for?" She started to drag him
toward the motel.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute." She stopped and looked at him.
"I made a promise to Tony that I was going to go HOME with
someone, not to some motel."

She furrowed her brows. "Why'd you promise him that?"

He sighed. "Because he was teasing me about always leaving
the bar alone."

Her smile this time was brighter than any she had ever
blessed him with. "Really? Always?"

He nodded, his eyes solidly on hers. "Always."

She stood there silent for a while, then began to lead him
back to the bar. "Where'd you park?"

*****

End 1/2
*****

Mulder's Apartment Building
10:36 P.M. Friday

They took separate cars. What the hell had he been thinking,
letting her take her own car? He supposed it was his way of
giving her a way out. Of pretending this night had never
happened. He would spend the weekend alone, and he would go
to work Monday as if nothing odd had occurred. The huge sigh
of relief he emitted when he saw her car park behind his on
the street in front of his apartment building was more
eloquent than any words, but he uttered, "Thank you, God,"
anyway.

As she stepped out of the car, he let his eyes drift down
the expanse of leg that was bared in the process. His body,
which had calmed down slightly on the drive over, suddenly
came to attention once more. She smiled at him as she
slammed the car door shut, but he saw the uncertainty there,
and he knew she had considered turning around and going home
on the drive over. Probably more than once. He quickly
walked up to her and took her hand, then lead her toward the
building.

No words were spoken as they stepped inside and headed for
the elevator. The tension was so incredibly thick, Mulder
finally understood the saying 'cut it with a knife.' They
stepped into the elevator and Mulder pressed the '4' on the
panel. It was a route both of them had traveled many times
before, but he realized suddenly that they had rarely
traveled it together. He shifted his grip on her hand,
hoping his palm wasn't too sweaty, and became even more
nervous when he thought about the state of his apartment.
When was the last time he had cleaned? Vacuumed? Washed the
sheets?

'Oh, come on, Mulder! It's not like she doesn't know what a
slob you are! This is Scully!' But that was the problem. This
was Scully!

The doors slipped open and they moved out of the elevator
and toward the end of the hall where his apartment was.
Mulder reached into his front jeans pocket to collect his
keys. It wasn't easy to fish them out as his jeans were much
tighter than they normally were. Scully noticed, but didn't
say a word. She looked like she was biting the inside of her
cheek, though. Most likely to keep from laughing. He sent
her a glare, then proceeded to unlock his door.

Once inside, his head started pounding. Tension headache, he
thought wryly. Scully had given him more than his share of
those, but not for these reasons! He closed and locked the
door behind her, then turned to face her. She stood in the
foyer, hands clasped loosely in front of her, watching him
expectantly. He fumbled with the keys in his hand, then
tossed them onto the table next to the door. He took a deep
breath. "Want something to drink?"

She shook her head silently.

"Something to eat?"

Another shake.

He opened his mouth to ask her some other inane question,
but she interrupted him.

"Mulder, shut up and kiss me."

He smiled slightly. "Wait. I hear a song in there!"

Trying not to smile, Scully stepped forward, shaking her
head in exasperation. With a laugh, Mulder reached down and
pulled her into his arms.

Scully wrapped her arms around his neck, opening her mouth
to meet his without hesitation. The kiss deepened, and the
room around them became noticeably warmer. The silence of
the night was filled with the soft sounds of their kisses,
the drone of the motor on the aquarium and the steady chorus
of crickets from outside Mulder's open window.

Mulder began backing Scully into the wall behind her,
pressing his body hard against her, slightly fearful of
being too forceful with her. But she responded to his
actions, grinding her hips against his arousal. He groaned.
Almost desperately, he brought his hands down to her
buttocks and grasped her firmly with his hands. She gasped
and brought her right leg up, her knee bent, to his hip. The
movement opened up her most sensitive area to him, and he
thrust against her again, feeling her incredible heat even
through his jeans. Bringing his hand up under her raised
thigh, he bent his knees slightly and picked her up. She
grabbed his shoulders, helping him to carry her slight
weight, and wrapped her other leg around his lean hips.

Mulder turned away from the wall and headed for his bedroom.
She wasn't very heavy, but the journey from his foyer to his
bedroom was still treacherous because she kept wriggling her
hips, grinding herself against his straining arousal.
"Scully, stop," he whimpered against her neck. Her only
response was a throaty laugh. And the wriggling continued.

Finally, they were there. Without thought, Mulder fell onto
the bed, landing heavily on Scully. She grunted softly, then
proceeded to thrust her hips up into him. "Now that you got
me where you want me, what'd ya gonna to do about it?" Her
voice was breathless and husky at the same time. It didn't
sound at all like Scully. This was Dana again.

Mulder pulled away from her. "Well, first I'm gonna get out
of these God damn jeans." He stood upright over her and
started to unbuckle his belt. Scully immediately rose up on
her knees on the bed in front of him.

"Here. Let me help." Her fingers tangled with his for a
moment as he tried to undo the metal button, but then one
hand slid down to stroke him through his jeans.

"Scully," he groaned again. "You're not helping!" He pulled
away from her and backed up about two steps. "Dammit! It's
been too long for me. I won't be able to last long going
like this! If you want to help, get outta that dress!" He
stopped, realizing he was practically shouting.

Scully was unfazed by his desperation. As he struggled out
of his jeans, belatedly realizing he had to get his shoes
off before the jeans could be removed completely, she
reached behind her and undid the one button at the back of
her neck. Sliding off the bed, she let go of the top of the
dress and slowly pushed it down her body. Mulder, who had
had to sit down in the room's only chair to finish his
undressing, stopped and stared in wonder. She had nothing on
under the dress but a little pair of red silk panties. She
stepped out of the dress and kicked it away, then stood
straight before him, wearing nothing but her strappy black
sandals and that tiny scrap of red silk.

With a feral growl, Mulder ripped his T-shirt over his head
and stood, completely naked, his penis jutting out of its
nest of dark hair. God, he hurt. He didn't remember ever
being this hard before. He moved toward her, but stopped
suddenly as Scully backed away from him, the backs of her
knees hitting the bed hard enough to make her falter. He
forced his gaze away from her beautiful breasts and met her
eyes. There was unmistakable fear in their depths, barely
visible under the desire.

"Scully?" He started to feel panic creeping into his soul.
What if she had changed her mind? Jesus! What if she
couldn't go through with it? Where did that leave him? He
closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He would live. He
would never make her continue if she didn't want to, whether
by force or by persuasion. He would let her go. He opened
his eyes to find her staring at him. Staring DOWN at him. He
looked down at himself. Okay, so he was a little large, but
he was far from huge! She couldn't possibly be nervous about
that, could she?

He looked at her again. She met his eyes, and the innocence
and nervousness he saw there shocked him. It had never
dawned on him that she might be inexperienced. Hell, she'd
had an affair with a married man! She'd had a
one-night-stand with a psycho from Philadelphia! She wasn't
a virgin!

She licked her lips and the movement made his body clench.
"It's been a while for me," she whispered. She looked down.
"A long while."

Slowly, he stepped close to her, grasping her shoulders
lightly. "If you don't want this to happen...?"

She shook her head. "No! I do!" She looked up. "I think I
NEED it to happen."

Without taking her eyes from his, she reached down and
grasped him. His hips instinctively thrust forward into her
soft hand. 'This isn't going to work,' he thought. 'I
won't be able to hold out long enough for her to come.'
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away. He met
her startled look with a wry smile. "I don't need any
help here, Dana." He moved over to the bed and pushed
himself into the middle of it, back against the
headboard, legs stretched out in front of him. He
reached his hand out to Scully. "Let's concentrate
on you."

She took his hand and crawled onto the bed beside him. She
started to slip off her shoes, but Mulder stopped her. "No.
Leave them on." He reached out and touched the top band of
her panties, running his finger along it. "These too. For
now." He grasped her waist and lifted her slightly.
Understanding dawned on her face and she moved her left leg
over him, straddling him. He settled her on his thighs, just
centimeters away from his throbbing erection. He looked
down, only to grimace in sensual pain as he noticed the
wetness seeping through the red silk. It wasn't long before
he began to feel it against his legs. He closed his eyes and
breathed deeply.

He moved his hands, which had settled on her hips, up,
caressing her ribcage, his thumbs brushing each other as he
slowly swept upward. Finally, he cupped her breasts. He had
always thought of himself as a breast man. Hell, weren't
most men? Scully's were absolutely exquisite. They weren't
large, but their weight was perfect in his hands. And they
had the most beautiful shape. White and round and full, with
tight, rosy colored nipples. Tight because of him, he knew.
With a deep breath, as if he was about to dive underwater,
he dipped his head down and took a nipple in his mouth. She
shuddered and gasped above him, her hands gripping his
shoulders. She rose on her knees slightly, pushing herself
further into his mouth. He suckled harder in response,
rolling his tongue around the sweet peak. Scully's breathing
became erratic. Mulder moved over to the other breast,
leaving the first nipple to stand wet and aroused in the
night air. "Mulder!" Scully groaned as he began teasing the
other breast.

He didn't lift his head, nor did his tongue stop its
torture, but he did bring one of his hands down between her
legs, cupping her through her panties. His own breathing
became strained when he felt the panties nearly dripping
with her moisture. He pulled his mouth away from her breast,
rubbing his hand over her sweet spot at the same time.
Almost unconsciously, he raised his hand to his nose and
breathed in, eyes closed. He sighed deeply, then opened his
eyes to find her watching him, her eyes so incredibly dark,
and curious as well. He brought his hand up to her nose.
"Wanna smell the most beautiful smell in the world?" he
asked huskily. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.
He smiled. Then he moved his hand back down between her
legs, this time bringing his fingers under the wet silk.
Carefully, he slipped two fingers deep inside her. He
groaned as she started rocking against his hand, riding it.

"Mulder," she breathed. "Please."

"What?" he asked, just as breathless as her. "What do you
want?"

She pulled herself off of him, sliding her panties off in
one quick motion. She lay back and looked over at him.
"You!" she demanded. "In me! Now!"

"Yes, ma'am," he responded with a grin, then swung himself
over her, positioning himself between her legs. He brought
his hand down, using his fingers to part her slick opening.
The sound he heard as he slid home made him groan. The feel
of her tight body accepting all of him without complaint or
resistance made him groan even louder. The sound of Scully's
"Ohhhhhhhhh!" as he settled inside her nearly sent him over
the edge. He lay still for a moment, taking in all the
feelings, both physical and emotional, that swarmed him.
Here he was, lying over Scully, leaning on his elbows, his
body deeply embedded in hers. He opened his eyes and looked
down at her, hoping she was as happy with this situation as
he was.

When his eyes met hers, she smiled. A glorious, full smile.
An intoxicatingly estastic smile. He couldn't help but smile
back.

Then she closed her eyes and drew her knees up alongside his
hips, bringing him in even deeper. His breath caught. He had
been sure he could get no deeper, but she had proved him
wrong. For once, he was glad Scully had proved him wrong.
Slowly, he began to slide out of her. He felt her legs
tighten around him, as if she was afraid he was going to
leave her and wasn't about to let him go. He grinned again,
then thrust hard back into her. Her shocked gasp made him
open his eyes, if only to insure it hadn't been a gasp of
pain. But there was no pain on her face. Only stunned
passion. He continued his thrusts. Slowly out. Pause. Shove
it in. Pull out slow. Wait. Pound it in. Over and over,
faster and faster. 'Can't stay slow. Gotta go faster. Harder.
No! Gotta make sure she's with me. I refuse to do this
alone. I'm not going alone!'

"More!" Was that his mind again? No. It was Scully. She was
screaming! "Mulder! Oh, my God! Harder! Oh, my God!
Ohhhhhhh!"

He felt her internal muscles contract around him, and for
a moment he didn't know what that meant. He didn't
remember ever feeling a woman's orgasm before. But
there it was, squeezing him, milking him. "Oh, God!"
Was that him or Scully? Did it matter?

One more thrust and he felt the unbearable pressure release
itself into her body. Another, and the pressure eased
further. A third, and the last of his essence was expelled
into the woman beneath him. He sank down, into her warmth,
into the sweet smell of her passion and sweat. The smell of
sex. He had never felt so exhausted in his life. Still, he
managed to pull himself over onto his side, bringing her
with him. He wrapped his arms around her and threw a leg
over her, holding her small body close to his. Not wanting
to ever let her go.

The night was silent for a while as their breathing slowed.
Mulder eased away from his lover a bit, realizing how
tightly he had been holding her. His lover. He sighed.
Finally, he could add that adjective to the woman next to
him. Partner. Friend. Lover. Perfect.

"Mulder?"

Scully's voice startled him, and he lifted his head to look
at her. Her lipstick, that bright red lipstick, was gone.
Probably all over him, he thought. And her eyeliner had
smudged, leaving streaks of dark under her eyes. Had he done
that? No, he realized. She had been crying. She was
still crying. "Scully?!" He felt panic again. If he
had hurt her...

Scully must have recognized the fear in his eyes. She placed
a hand on his chest. "I'm all right," she said. "I just..."
she stopped. "Thank you."

Mulder was thoroughly confused. "For what?"

She smiled slightly, but didn't look him in the eye. She
gestured around her, at the bed they were laying on, at
themselves. "For this." She met his gaze. "For showing me
how wonderful it can be. For proving to me how wonderful WE
could be. I never..."

Mulder lay silent for a while. How did he ask this? "How
long has it been for you, Scully?"

Scully laughed softly. "Ethan."

Mulder's brow furrowed. "Ethan? Weren't you seeing him when
you were assigned to the X Files?"

Scully nodded. "He broke up with me shortly afterward."

"Why?" It wasn't a personal question in Mulder's mind. He
truly couldn't understand why anyone would leave Scully.

"I guess he didn't like dating Mrs. Spooky." There was no
sadness in her voice, no self-pity. It was a simple fact.

"Bastard." Mulder frowned. "What about Jerse?"

Scully shook her head. "Nothing happened with Ed Jerse. He
slept on the couch."

"Was he crazy? Ah, scratch that! I already know the answer
to that."

Scully gave his shoulder a playful shove.

"Why?"

He didn't elaborate, but Scully must have known what
he meant. "He wasn't you." Another fact from the mouth
of Dana Scully. She moved up on an elbow. "You said it
had been a while for you, too. But it couldn't have been
that long." He knew she was thinking of Diana.

He lay back and looked at the ceiling. The thought that he
should never have gotten rid of that damn mirror passed
through his thoughts. Would have been handy tonight. But he
had kept waking himself up when he moved, so he had taken
it down. "Almost six years."

"What?!"

Mulder looked at her. "Don't sound so shocked. Men CAN be
celibate. If they try really, really hard."

"I know that." Scully retorted. "I'm Catholic, remember?"
She paused. "What about Diana?"

"What about Diana?" He stared at her hard, and he knew she
understood.

She smiled, then she fell back onto the bed. "Well, damn!
You certainly haven't lost any expertise in six years."

Mulder felt a chuckle rising from his chest. "Expertise? Is
that what you call it?"

"Well, yeah. After all, you made me...well, you know. And
no one else has ever---"

"What!" Mulder interrupted her, sitting up suddenly. "You've
never...?"

Scully shook her head in reply. "Not...with...someone,"
she said hesitantly.

Mulder fell back on the bed, shock coursing through him.
"Then you are a virgin."

Scully snorted. "Well, I guess you could look at it that
way." She raised herself back onto her elbow. "So, Fox, was
this just a one time phenomena, or do you think you could do
it  again? 'Cause, I kinda liked it."

He looked at her, still off balance by her admission. "Sure.
Put pressure on me now, why don't ya?"

She laughed. "Oh, come on! I have faith in you!" She rolled
over so that she was sprawled on top of him. They both
stilled and looked at each other with astonishment. "Maybe I
better take off my shoes now, huh?"

Their laughter as she did just that continued for quite a
while, until soon, it turned into passion once more.

************************************************************

Mulder's Apartment
3:29 A.M. Saturday

Mulder moved slightly in his sleep, and the movement roused
Scully. She cracked her eyes open, glad to see by the
glowing numbers on Mulder's alarm clock that she had a
couple more hours to sleep. She closed her eyes. Wait a
minute. It's Saturday. And she and Mulder had already made a
deal to spend the rest of the weekend here. In bed.

She shifted, taking note of her surroundings. The sheets
beneath her were damp, from sweat and other...things. She
and Mulder lay uncovered because it was far too warm to
sleep under even a sheet and Mulder rarely, if ever, used
his air conditioner. She felt scratchy with dried sweat, and
she was more than a little sore down below. She should have
been incredibly uncomfortable. Instead, she had never been
happier.

Mulder had made love to her three times already. Even he had
been amazed by his stamina, it seemed. And each time, he had
rewarded her faith in him. In fact, the last encounter had
resulted in three powerful orgasms for her; each one had
been stronger than the one beforehand. She didn't know if it
was simply because seven long years of sexual tension had
been eased or something else, but she hoped it continued for
a long time. Even if it didn't, if sex ended up becoming
'average' for them, she had no doubt their love would still
remain strong.

Mulder suddenly jerked awake, panic in his eyes. "Scully!?"

She quickly reached for him. "I'm here." Nightmares. Scully
knew they would never go away. But she also knew they were
easier to deal with if you didn't wake up alone. "I'm right
here." She moved into his embrace, and sighed deeply as his
arms tightened around her.

"Scully?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

She felt tears flood her eyes, and didn't try to stop them.
"I know." She took a deep breath. "I love you, too, Mulder."

Slowly, his breathing deepened until he was asleep once
again, a smile on his face. Yes, the weekend was going to be
very interesting indeed. She'd have to remember to make a
few calls in the morning, however.

She'd have to call her friends Kim and Susan, who had helped
her pick out the perfect dress to go with those high-heeled
sandals she had bought last summer and had never worn. She'd
have to call Tony to thank him for calling her and telling
her Mulder was at Slap Happy's tonight. And she'd have to
call her mother and tell her that her plan had worked.

Then, she'd settle back and enjoy the weekend. Maybe,
someday, she'd tell Mulder.

Maybe.

THE END

How do you define normal?