From: Scott Miller Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: REPOST: Among the Moonbeams (1/1) Date: Wed, 3 Apr 1996 18:44:16 -0600 (CST) This didn't get out last time, I think. Here it is again. Guess what? An M&S Relationship story. Very good in my opinion. I feel proud of myself on this one. Very touching. Has a plot too. Have fun! P.S. This isn't a Fox's Star series story, but another touching beginning to a beautiful relationship that was certainly meant to be. Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Agent Henderson, and The Lone Gunmen are all property of Chris Carter and Ten-Thirteen Productions. No infringment is intended. Please give me your feedback in any way shape or form to: smiller@wsp1.wspice.com And as always, thanks to those who have written me in the past. Among the Moonbeams by Scott Miller "Mulder, what are you doing here?" inquired Scully with a look of mock surprise on her face. "Reading," came the straightforward, sincere response from her partner. "I can see that Mulder, but why? There's a party going on upstairs, and what are you doing? Sitting in a stuffy basement office reading..." "The newest Lone Gunman, pretty good issue too." "You are incorrigible!" Scully exclaimed. "And you are trying to drag me to a formal dance when you know very well that I do not dance." "You can dance, don't lie to me." "Ok, you know very well I do not attend social functions at the bureau." "Ok, but why? I thought you didn't care what others thought of you." "Maybe, but that doesn't make it any less difficult." "Look, Mulder, the only one being difficult is you." Scully stood rigidly in front of Mulder's desk, hands on her hips in a confrontational posture. "And you're not?" "Come Mulder, dance, have a good time, it won't kill you." She extended her hand. Mulder paused a moment, noticing for the first time what Scully was wearing. Just past her hand and the creamy skin of her forearm started a black satin-like dress that Mulder could not help thinking fit her a little too well. He coughed imperceptibly, put down the Lone Gunman, and took her hand. Mulder balked when he saw the ballroom. Had Scully not jerked him back casually, he might have turned slowly and walked back to the elevator as if he'd simply made a wrong turn. But she had, and Mulder walked sheepishly into the lavishly decorated Ballroom, leading Scully (who's doing the leading anyway, he thought) through clumps of men dressed in tuxedos, and women dressed in evening gowns. Mulder felt under dressed, and wasted no time in getting that bit of information to Scully. "Nonsense, see that guy over there? He's wearing a sports jacket too." "A rather green one, I should say, he looks like the Riddler on Prom night. Sorry, I look like a... well, an FBI agent, not someone looking to have a good time at a formal ball." "Well I think you look great, now lets go get some punch." "Does it have alchohol?" "No such luck, Mulder, most of these people are technically on duty. Guess you'll just have to make due." He'd make due alright, the sight of Scully in a rather un-Scullylike dress was doing enough to make him feel just a little intoxicated. The punch table was even frilly, with curled ribbon trailing off its ends, and a dark blue table cloth rumpled at the edges. The table was swarming with people Mulder would rather not talk too. The kind of people that felt they were better than 'Spooky' Mulder. They never let him forget that either. He did have Scully, though, when these jerks were sitting by the punch table merely because no one had asked them to dance. Mulder slowed visibly when he realized who was pouring the punch too. Laura Henderson, from handwriting. Just his luck, she had a crush on him. He drew Scully just that much closer to him, hoping she wouldn't kill him for acting so possessive. Scully wondered what was making Mulder so nervous? He'd really tensed up when they approached the punch bowl. She realized the situation when the person serving cups of punch saw Mulder and gave him a rather personal smile. Playing along, Scully slipped her arm around Mulder's waste, a move she hoped Skinner wouldn't ever see. Seeing Mulder's partner move closer to him brought a twinge of disappointment into Laura's expression. She'd hoped Mulder was still the lonely rejected man she'd known before Agent Scully had moved in. Now it seemed they were closer than just partners. Mulder sighed when Scully moved her arm around his waste. Good, he thought, she must have figured it out. He hoped Henderson would take it well. "Hey Mulder, fancy seeing you at a social function. What brings you up to the real world?" "I just thought I might try and have a good time." "..For once," added Laura. "Well, you really can't accuse me of working in a cramped space too long." "No, I guess I can't. Seriously Mulder, did you come up here on your own, or did Agent Scully bring you?" Henderson's use of 'Agent' on Scully and not Mulder was not lost on Dana at all. Had they been a couple before? She thought not, Mulder had been very reserved when she met him, probably had been that way for his entire career in the X-files. Maybe before that then? Perhaps. Mulder gave a wry expression that said 'I give up' to Henderson. "Thats what I thought. You need to lighten up Mulder. Get out some more. What you need..." "...is some punch." interrupted Scully. "Of course, how silly of me. Here ya go." Henderson passed each of them a cup full of a very tart red liquid. Mulder recoiled when he tasted it. "Its strong stuff Fox, careful." Fox? Did she just call him Fox? That piqued her interest in the subject. She watched for a reaction from Mulder, and seeing none, was all the more puzzled. What exactly WAS their relationship. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name?" Scully asked. "Oh." Henderson responded with an air of indifference to Scully. "Laura Henderson." She extended her hand meekly, which Scully shook. Laura's whole body language indicated she wanted nothing to do with Scully. "How are you two..." started Scully. "We're just friends." replied Mulder quickly. "Oh come on Fox!" "Alright, good friends." Scully wasn't buying it. She considered herself a good friend of Mulder's, but she didn't get to call him 'Fox.' She decided to bring up the subject later. She didn't think she'd get much out of Mulder with Henderson around. After spending a few minutes of listening to idle conversation between Laura Henderson and Mulder, Scully decided she'd go sit down and wait for the two 'friends' to finish up. Mulder picked up the hint when she left, and quickly said his goodbyes to join Scully at a table near the corner of the room. "What was THAT all about?" asked Scully with a joking air of exasperation. "What? You mean Henderson? We were friends a few years back, in fact just about a year before we met." "Friends? She called you Fox, Mulder. I'd say it takes more than friends to get to your first name." "Well..." Mulder tried to end the topic quietly. "Spill it, Mulder. I won't leave you alone until you do." "Look, what do you want me to tell you? That we were involved?" Mulder paused, seeming to expect an answer. "Well we weren't. Look, why is it such a big deal? Are you jealous?" With that Mulder stood up suddenly and shuffled his way towards the door, leaving a surprised Scully sitting at the table, mouth halfway open. She quickly got up to find him, when Laura blocked her way. "Out of my way Henderson." said Scully a little more forcefully than she probably intended. "Did you just see Fox? He stormed out of the room just now?" "I saw him." "I'll go after him." "Like hell you will, he's my partner. I'll handle this." And with a quick sidestep, Scully left Laura Henderson and the Bureau Dance behind. Mulder couldn't understand what Scully's problem with Henderson was. Was it really jealousy like he'd suggested? No, he thought, Scully wouldn't be jealous of him. He honestly wished she would have dropped the subject. It was a painful one for him. Another of Fox Mulders famous relationship flops. First Anna Carolton in High School, Phoebe at Oxford, then Laura. Mulder was interupted from his remeniscings from a sharp rap on the door. "Mulder? You in there?" "He didn't answer." "Mulder, open the door, please." She sounded concerned. He decided to let her in. When Scully opened the door, it barely surprised her to see Mulder looking quite a bit more disheveled than in the ballroom. His hair was toussled, probably from running his hands through it in frustration, she thought. His tie was half undone and hanging loosely around his neck. The top two buttons had been hastely undone, and his coat was sitting against the wall in a clump as if it had simply been thrown there. "What's wrong?" Scully asked simply. "I should ask you the same thing? What was all that with Henderson? What was so god-damned important that you needed to know everything?" "I thought you trusted me enought to tell me about things like that? Was it really that much to ask, Mulder?" "Yeah, well maybe its a touch subject." "Well I'm sorry for irritating you Mulder. I shouldn't have even brought you to this dance. I'm going home. Goodnight." Scully whirled around to exit the room when Mulder suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm, restraining her firmly but gently. "Don't go." Mulder's tone had suddenly changed from angry to soothing. Scully sighed, turning slowly and lifting her eyes to meet her partners. When she looked, she instantly felt bad for what she'd said. He looked dejected and sad, not the 'puppy-dog' look, but true guilt. "I'm sorry Scully. I was being a jerk." "Its alright Mulder, I should have left you alone about Henderson." Mulder let out a dry laugh. "Henderson.. Laura, she was, well, we weren't exactly involved. We were covering an arsony case in South Fork, Nevada. Laura was doing the analysis on the notes he was mailing to the South Fork Journal. She was with us when we cornered the suspect inside a building he was planning to burn down. I got caught in the building and surrounded by the fire. It was... hell Scully. I couldn't stand it. I was smack in the center of my worst phobia. I couldn't go anywhere or do anything but sit down and wait to die. It was one of the worst feelings in my life. Finally, after a few breathfuls of smoke I passed out. "I woke up in the hospital a day and a half later with second degree burns on my legs and arms. Bad smoke inhalation, and a nasty gash from a falling beam. Henderson was sitting next to the bed. Surprised the hell out of me. She took care of me until I could take care of myself. That meant a lot of helping me dress and bathe, et cetera. I think she was taken to me, maybe she even still is. "Anyway, the bad part started once I was on my own again. I started dating someone briefly. She kinda went ballistic. Chewed me out in my office. I kind of blew her off and hoped I could move on with my life, but she didn't seem to think so. I guess she though she deserved more after all she'd done to help me out. Anyway, she started getting vindictive, sent me some nasty letters, and when that didn't work, she resorted to pushing my buttons. "I was in my office on a Monday morning when an unmarked envelope came in the mail. I opened it to find an official looking FBI case report of a girl found naked in a field outside of Des Moines. According to the report the girl kept repeating 'Fox. Why me fox? Why?' I was seriously disturbed by this, and caught the next flight out. I thought the whole time that... she might be back. I got to Des Moines and checked in with the FBI office and they told me they hadn't made any report on that. They said they had a message for me though. "It was from Laura, she'd set up the whole thing, asked me how it felt to chase shadows. I stormed out of the office, got back on the plane, and spent the one of the most miserable weeks of my life taking sick days." Mulder sighed and sat down in his chair, obviously drained of his emotional energy. Scully kneeled next to him and took his hand sympathetically. "I'm sorry Mulder. I had no idea..." "Of course not, you wouldn't. I shouldn't have made such a big deal out of it. It's totally understandable." "But that doesn't make it better. Come on, lets go back to my place and watch a movie or something. You look like you need some fun." The edges of Mulder's lips curled into a small smile as he stood up to follow her out of the office. On the way back to Scully's apartment, Mulder stared idlely out the window at nothing in particular. More than once, Scully asked what he was thinking about, but he merely shrugged it off. In all honesty, it wouldn't be good for her if he told her, he rationalized. He'd just confessed a rather painful part of his life to Scully, and she'd been totally understanding. He only wished he could confess the greatest secret he'd been keeping from her, and trying to keep from himself. He occasionally broke from watching the passing scenery to glance at Scully. She looked beautiful in the moonlight, her skin made pale by the reflected light of the moon. Just the edge of her profile was visible in the dim light, the angles of her features highlighted by the contrast between light and dark. Her face was determined, a look he found to be so endearing in her. It was her 'us against the world' look. The way her lips pursed into a determined line and her brow knitted in concentration. Although that expression paled in comparison to the compassionant smiles she so rarely let him view. She was his lifeline, the balance that kept him securely anchored in reality. Without her, he realized he would go tumbling into the abyss. If only she realized how much she meant to him. Unfortunately, he thought, that could only remain a dream for him. With a dejected sigh, Mulder resumed watching the city lights as the passed swiftly by the car window. "Penny for your thoughts." "They aren't worth that much," replied Mulder, then lapsing back into silence. Finally, the car pulled in front of Scully's apartment building. Mulder slowly opened his door, and waited courteously for Scully to lead the way to the steps of her apartment. He waited as she unlocked the door, studying the soft glow of the reflected moonlight off her hair and the soft satin dress. She unlocked the door with a click and took a step into the dark apartment. Mulder gazed at the room with interest, seeing the same luster of moonlight filling the room with a soft pale glow. A beam of the moonlight came through the window and cast a soft glow in the oblong shape of a window pane on the sofa. Scully slowly turned to see Mulder watching her. He was somewhat startled for a moment when he saw her. She held the most calm and compassionant expression he had ever seen in her. Her soft, dark eyes were looking intently at him, her soft skin no longer wrinkled in concentration but soft in relaxation. Mulder studied every angle on her face, the angle of her jaw to the slope of her eyebrows. Everything perfect and in place. Suddenly Scully blinked twice as if remembering something. "You owe me a dance." Mulder nodded, then watched as she crossed the room to put on some soft music. As the small lights from the stereo came on, creating pinpoints of light in the dark room, a soft music floated through the air, completing the atmosphere of darkness and serenity. Scully crossed the room and stood in front of Mulder, who gently slipped his arms around her waist. Slowly she wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing herself into his embrace. They started moving slowly to the soothing music, taking every step with deliberate care. Scully pulled closer to his warmth, gently laying her head on his shoulder. Mulder sighed and breathed in her scent. They moved in synchronaity with each note, Mulder gently holding her tighter until the song finally ended. Scully didn't step back, but rather stopped and looked up at her partner through heavy lids. He looked so much more calm and peaceful than earlier. The wrinkled brow was now soft. His lips were parted ever so slightly. They gazed into each others' eyes. Both seeing something they recognized but had denied themselves for so long. "Scully. I think..." She silenced him by pressing her index finger to his lips. Slowly he took her hand into his and kissed the finger tip, then moving to kiss between her thumb and forefinger. Gently she pulled her hand away, resting it on her should as she lifted herself up to him. At the same time he bent his head and they met halfway. The kiss was soft and cautious, just as each imagined it could be. They broke off soon, afraid to cross any imaginary boundaries that might destroy the closeness they already had. Mulder raised his hand to move a stray lock of Scully's hair out of the way, at the same time planting a single kiss on her forehead. "Stay with me." came the simple words from her lips. Mulder gave her a puzzled look. Instead of answering, she held out her hand, which he took, and led him to the bedroom. She sat him down on the bed and walked to her closet, changing into a nightgown inside. Mulder removed his outfit and slid under her covers, noticing that they smelled as sweetly as did Scully. She drew back her covers and slid in, moving towards Mulder. She rolled onto her back, sighing in contentment as he wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. She held his hands and yawned as he kissed the back of her neck tenderly. Together, the newfound couple slid effortlessly into a deep and peaceful sleep.