Title : Well-Meant Deceptions
Author: Lark
E-mail: theagents1013@yahoo.com
Keywords: MSR
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Small references to The End, Triangle
Summary: Scully takes charge and gets her own answers.
Feedback: Always, but flames will be deleted. Feed me, baby!
Disclaimer: The X-Files and all characters belong to Chris Carter, genius god among men, and 1013 Productions. All are used without permission, but I am not making any money off of this story, much to my dismay.
Author’s Note: Yes, more ‘shipper action. So, stop reading if you don’t like it!! Good reading to you!
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Well-Meant Deceptions
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Five o’clock. Usually, she paid no mind to the common end of a workday. But it was Friday, practically the whole office had emptied out, and she was exhausted. Even Mulder was getting his things together. She sat with her head cradled in her hands, pondering the most current turn of events. No more X-Files, but that didn’t stop Mulder. After his latest escapade into the Bermuda Triangle, things had quieted down for awhile. Everything except her mind. Nothing she did could get the words out of her head: Scully…I love you… Over and over, everyday since they had been spoken. Nothing had really changed, though. They still worked together. Their relationship hadn’t changed. But she loved him. That especially hadn’t undergone any changes…for the better or for the worse. It was just as well. God, but he had been delirious. Pumped full of painkillers, bruises all over the place, and babbling about Nazis, an old ship, and how she had saved the world. Well, that part was true. She had saved *her* world. Just not in the way he seemed to think. But the rest was a combination that just screamed disorientation and delusion. But in his relief to find himself alive, his nightmare over, and the world the same, he had to have spoken out of pure confusion and happiness to see everyone. He had mistaken their acknowledged platonic friendship for something much more, and her response to that was the only thing she could manage in that split-second of hope…
“Oh brother.”
It had been a totally automated response. Hadn’t she walked right out of there and leaned against the wall outside his room to gather her thoughts? She had felt like banging her head against that wall, anyway, but she had to force herself to get a grip, to untie the knots in her stomach, and to mentally berate herself for even hoping. The hope had died the second it had risen when she remembered all the drugs he hadbeen given.
But now she wondered if it had been true. Did he really love her, or was she just getting caught up in her own feelings for him? What if she had said it back to him?
“I love you too, Mulder.”
Oh God…she couldn’t even imagine what his reaction might have been to that. She wasn’t afforded the chance, either. As if on cue, Mulder strode over to her and held up his briefcase.
“Ready to call it a day?”
“Sure,” she replied.
He could see that she had been shaken out of her thoughts. “Hey Scully, you okay?”
“Yup, I’m fine. Just doing some thinking.”
“About?”
That was the last question she had expected from him. What on earth would she say? *Gee, Mulder, wouldn’t you like to know? I’m thinking of how much I love you. And I’m starting to entertain the possibility that you love me, too.* “Oh, nothing much. Just about this ridiculous case.”
He grimaced at that. It was tough losing the X-Files, especially to Fowley and Spender, but the work they were doing now was utterly humiliating. “Oh.”
She stood up and began gathering her things together. She checked her briefcase again to make sure everything was there. Domestic terrorism…what a joke. This kind of work was usually given to Bureau newbies. But of course, they were being treated like jokes. Ever since the night they had stood in the still-smoldering office, the pungent odor of smoke still heavy on the air, they had known. It was all over. Of course, they still had each other. She had wrapped her arms around him tightly, and he eventually had held her just as tight, burying his face in her hair. They had been so uncertain of their future, but they were still partners.
Mulder glanced over at her then, knowing that she was deep in thought again. It was odd to see Scully daydreaming-she was usually so alert and focused. He gazed at her, hand clutching papers and stopped in mid-air, as she continued daydreaming. He didn’t want to tear her away from whatever it was she was thinking about, so he simply opened his own briefcase back up and checked its contents over once more. Suddenly, as if shaken awake, she stuffed the papers and files into her briefcase and snapped it shut.
“Ready, Mulder?”
“Yup. All set.” He toyed with the idea of asking her what she had been thinking about, but then decided to leave it alone. Her expression had gone from troubled to sweet happiness, and he didn’t want to risk changing her mood by overstepping his bounds. So he tried a little teasing instead.
“You looked pretty happy over there. What’s up? Hot date?”
She was shocked for moment, and then she saw her golden opportunity. “As a matter of fact, yes. What about you?”
“Well…uh, I guess just going to shoot some hoops with the guys, then just relax for the evening.” He was taken aback. Scully going on a date? Since when did she have a social life? He realized how pathetic his plans must seem to her…ah, the sad life of the bachelor in love…Where did that come from? And furthermore, who was she going on a date with? If it was that jerk from VCS who had been checking her out lately, there were going to be some issues…
She watched his face from the corner of her eye as they walked towards the parking lot. First disbelief, then something unreadable…then, could it be? Jealousy? This was getting better and better…she surreptitiously glanced up at him again, and saw that he had masked his emotions over so she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. They arrived at her car,finally, and he turned to her.
“Well, Scully…have fun.”
“Oh, I will. You, too!” The jealousy flared again for a split second. She dived into her car before she started laughing her head off, and watched as he made his way over to his own car, fists clenched and head slightly lowered. She started the car and headed home.
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There was no way he could let this happen. No way. But then his anger began to recede and he calmed himself down. Well, he could have a good time, too. So what if she had a date? The more he told himself this, the better he felt. When he finally got home, he hung up his jacket, loosened his tie, and poured himself a drink. Then he started one of his videos,and sat back.
Scully arrived home a little later and began to plan out her evening. She knew him so well that she figured she only had two hours at best. She started thinking about her outfit, and then she remembered the dress. On one of the more boring days in the office, she had brought in a catalogue and was flipping through it slowly, when he leaned over her shoulder and glanced at what she was looking at. The page happened to feature a hot black number, and she had seen how his eyes had widened when he saw it. She had come across it one day by accident while shopping with her mother, and didn’t think, just handed over the cash. Of course, she had no way of knowing that he wasn’t merely gazing at the model, but the woman in the picture hadn’t been too much to look at, in her opinion, so she figured it had to have been the dress.
Now she slid it off the hanger and over her head, happy for the opportunity to wear it for him. Perfect. She stood before the mirror, marveling at what a change it made…it accented all the right curves, was incredibly short, and fit just right. Black satin that felt decidedly sinful with nothing underneath, but it was such a good feeling that she didn’t care. Mulder would love it.
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That’s it, he thought. This is way too much. He couldn’t stand it any longer. It was still early-he’d bet she hadn’t even left yet. He switched the TV off in the middle of a particularly hot scene, grimacing at the thought that this was what he had been entertaining himself with instead of going after her in the first place. Shaking his head, he grabbed his keys and jacket and stalked out the door, determined to tell her how it was, or at least how he thought it should be.
She had just finished getting ready when she heard the sharp rap on the door. Right on time. She smiled to herself and swung the door open. Mulder stood before her, still in his suit. The look on his face was priceless. “Mulder. What are you doing here?” *As if I don’t already know.*
He just stood there, looking sheepish, but with desire clear in his eyes as they raked over her. “You look… beautiful…” He trailed off, not knowing what else to say. At first sight of her, he had promptly forgotten everything he had thought of to say during the drive over. She smiled up at him.
“Thank you. You’re still looking pretty good yourself, for a G-man.” Her eyes were laughing at him, encouraging him to untie his tongue and blurt out what he wanted to say.
“Thanks…uh,Scully…IcameheretotellyouthatIloveyou…and please don’t go out with that creep from VCS…you mean the world to me, and I can’t stand the thought of you with another man, and…” He trailed off again, gaping at her. Was this his Scully? Well, we’re being subtle, aren’t we, he thought. “Where is he, anyway?” He looked over her shoulder, further into the apartment. She was still grinning at him, and since he still wasn’t getting it, she walked up to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him in for a passionate,earth-spinning kiss.
She finally broke away, out of breath. “Mulder, didn’t you know? My date is right here.” Shock brightened his eyes for a second, and then he grinned, reached for her, and plunged her into another kiss. He sighed with relief.
“Scully…you sneaky little wench…”
“Come on, Mulder…give me some credit here,” she breathed heavily into his ear.
He locked his lips to hers once more. Things were definitely looking up.
The End.
"Oh, and in your eyes, I see what's on my mind..."
~Dave Matthews Band~
