A short story set during the 5th season episode whose title escapes
me at the moment!


                            MARRY ME


"Hey Scully?"

"Mmm?"

"Marry me."

"Okay, but that's not very helpful, Mulder."

Mulder smiled into the telephone and their light bantering
continued.  Yet he wouldn't quickly forget the answer she'd given
to his half-jest question.  It was something that would come back
to haunt them both....


Scully entered their office, very glad to be back.  Not that she
would admit it to Mulder, though.  She could never tell him how
much she'd missed him every day (during the spare moments of the
case) and been delighted every time he called.  Initially, Scully
had warred with the inner feelings, telling both herself and Mulder
that they could spend a weekend apart, at least.

Somehow, it hadn't happened that way.  Scully had missed him big
time even as she tried to deny the feelings.  And then had come
another of Mulder's flirtations.  He'd been fairly obvious lately,
making risque comments almost every day, trying in vain to get a
reaction out of her.

Scully wondered what he'd thought when she answered his "Marry me"
with an "okay".  She was still wondering even now.  In their
countless telephone conversations after the fact, neither had
thought to mention it (or neither'd had the nerve).  But now they
were face to face, with all the possibilities spread before them.

Playing up her friendship with Jack (the man had reminded her of
Mulder somewhat, and Scully had found that strangely attractive)
Scully did her best to ignore the serious issues.  She hid a smile
as several pencils dropped from the ceiling to land unceremoniously
upon Mulder's head.  So *that* was what he'd done all weekend,
sharpened pencils!

He really was lost without her.  Scully trembled, just a little, at
the realisation.  Mulder's entire weekend had been nothing more
than passing time until she got back.  Gone was the one-man-dynamo
in pursuit of the truth and nothing else, in his place was a man
quite dependent upon her company.  

Why? Scully asked herself.  He was her best friend and they had
become so close over the years until the point where they were
completely devoted to one another and practically no one else.  



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