From: AudreyCats Date sent: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 22:11:59 EST Subject: All Over An Onion (1/1) by AudreyCats Title - All Over An Onion (1/1) Author - Audrey E-Mail address - AudreyCats@aol.com Rating - G Category - Story, subcategory Romance, M/S Spoilers - none Keywords - none Summary - Scully, the ever-powerful concealer of feelings finally breaks down over, of all things, an onion. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Disclaimer: You know this, I know this, CC and 1013 know this, so why even say it? It's too painful for me to say, too painful for you to read, so I'm just going to skip it. Okay? Okay! (PS- in case you didn't get *any* of that, Mulder and Scully don't belong to me.) All Over An Onion by AudreyCats@aol.com Neat and simple. Dana Scully swept the remaining pieces of chopped onion into her soup tureen. The neatly cut squares were just the way she liked them, uniform, clean, and simple. Everything in her life was expected to follow the same pattern. Her apartment's state of cleanliness, her job's countless file folders, and her relationships all had the same example to follow, now as always. It had taken a bit longer for all the relationships to fall into line with the rest of her life, but Scully reflected on everyone she knew and was pleased. Her mother was there for her, talking when she needed it, keeping quiet when she didn't. Her brother and her were at a cease-fire, neither wanting to cause anger or resentment for the other. Skinner held a quiet respect, as did she, and both kept the personal moments to a minimum. But then there was Mulder. The man sitting on her couch waiting for her to finish dinner. He, as usual, was the one standing out in the rain. For the past five years, the pair of agents had established and maintained an unspoken code of ethics, unwritten tablets of stone by which they had elected to abide. He would present a case, along with a theory or two, and she in turn would shake her head, still pretending to be surprised by his actions. Investigations would undoubtedly follow, and Scully could manage to be convinced by her partner without losing face. It was comfortable. It was simple. It worked. And most of all, no one got hurt. Private moments had been interspersed throughout the partnership, some on either side, but they were not overly talked about. As long as they were kept inside, they couldn't emerge and take over. Once feelings took over, all hell would break loose. That would be the price to pay, and neither one was willing to sign the check for the first installment. Of course, it wasn't as if the opportunity had never come up. The attraction had always been there, probably always would be. And there had been several moments when one or the other or both were thinking of acting on it. But in the end, the realization had come that admonition of feelings would only bring awkwardness, something that neither were willing to welcome. And so the thoughts and dreams remained just that. If one thing had remained constant in the friendship, it had been comfort. It could not be sacrificed, end of question. "Scully, what're you doing in-" The tall lanky figure appeared in the kitchen doorway, his question cut short by a glance at his partner's face. She laughed half-heartedly and brutally brushed aside the tears with the back of her hand. "I'm- I was- I was cutting onions and- and they- they make you cry," was what she managed to mumble out. This couldn't be happening. her worst nightmares and best dreams were coming true at the same time. She couldn't break down now. Not after all she'd- they'd- been through. The cases, the death, the loss, the depression- all that had been survived and conquered, and now, the ever-powerful mistress of emotions Dana Scully was breaking down in front of her partner over an onion. She could feel the awkward shudder run up her spine. No. Not now. Where was the comfort with which they talked to each other every day? What would happen to the secret vault of feelings she, most likely they both, had been locking up for years? The gates would flood and the barriers be broken, and who would be left to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart? She had to stop this. And quickly. Before she let her face betray any more. He would turn his tail and run. After all she'd been through to make him stay. And if he didn't run, the end result would be just as heart-wrenching. The easy-going and natural atmosphere that she had been so proud of would float away, and in would come shyness and miscommunication. With a quick flick of her wrist, she tried to explain that she would go change, collect herself, and they would sit down to soup and discuss the planned case. But the words wouldn't come out. She just stood there, like a child watching a horror movie, too scared to say anything but too transfixed to break the gaze. Both of them remained that way for quite awhile, letting the eyes do the rest. He seemed to be searching her for something, and she couldn't quite make it out. All she knew was that whatever he wanted was his. Her heart, her soul, anything she had she would give to him in a second. If only she knew it would be worth it. If only she knew she would come out unhurt and no worse for wear. But the funny thing was, the more she looked at him looking at her, the less she cared. It wasn't so much that the pain would be worth it, but that it would never come. She had this overwhelming sensation that everything might not be clean and simple and perfect, but new and exciting and even better than before. Her fear of awkward and shy feelings seemed to disappear as he stepped forward, touched her arm, and kissed her. For loving him was the most natural thing in the world. The End. Now please, please, please tell me what you thought! Even if you hated it- at least your e-mail will keep me from writing any more! You *don't* want to see me beg, now do you??