From: Erin Blair Date: 3 Mar 2004 08:42:38 -0800 Subject: [all-xf] NEW: A Change is Coming 1/1 by Erin M. Blair Source: atxc TITLE: A Change is Coming AUTHOR: Erin M. Blair E-MAIL: eblair@sonic.net CLASSIFICATION/CATEGORY: SRA--Story, Romance, Angst CONTENT: Mulder/Scully UST RATING: PG DISTRIBUTION/ARCHIVE STATEMENT: OK to Gossamer, Ephemeral, After the Fact, etc. AWARD ELIGIBILITY: Spookys 2004 SPOILERS: Tooms SETTING: Season One DATE: First draft: January 30, 2004. Final draft: March 2, 2004. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Special thanks to Jen for beta reading this story for me. I really do appreciate it. DISCLAIMER: Mulder and Scully belong to Chris Carter. I wish I owned them because they would be treated better. :) SUMMARY: Scully wonders what changes that Mulder was referring to in the last scene of the episode. ------------------------------------ A Change is Coming Written by: Erin M. Blair ------------------------------------ The leaves on the trees were changing to a beautiful orange color. Mulder was watching the caterpillar cocoon on the naked branch when Scully walked up to him. He turned towards her. "It's amazing how things change, isn't it?" Confusion set into her blue eyes as she stared into his hazel eyes; her eyes darted to the trees to look at the caterpillar cocoon. "The caterpillar?" Mulder shook his head. "No, a change for us. It's coming." "How do you know?" asked Scully. She wondered why Mulder was being so cryptic all of a sudden. "How?" "A hunch." With that, Mulder walked away from the tree and headed towards the Hoover building. Scully followed him. She was still puzzled by Mulder's response. "Mulder, care to explain your hunch?" Mulder drew a sigh. "Come on, Mulder. If something's going to change for us, I would like to know what it is." "All right, Scully, I'll tell you. During the case with Tooms, I felt this overwhelming sense of foreboding, that a change for us, for the X-Files, is coming." "Mulder, why do you think that?" "I don't know. All I know is that a change is coming." "Yes, I get that. What I would like to know is -- what makes you believe that we'll lose the X-Files? That's what you're implying, right?" Mulder nodded. "I felt it in the air. I think I have given the higher ups plenty of evidence to shut us down. If not now, then sooner or later." "I don't think so, Mulder. You knew something was wrong with Tooms, and you were right as usual." "I'm glad one of us believes in my instincts," he said with a sad, wry smile. "If not you, then it'll be me," said Scully. "Do you think I'm crazy?" "You once asked me that question, Mulder. I told you at the time you were. Now I don't think so," said Scully. "You're not crazy. However, I find you the most...fascinating man I've ever known. You're brilliant. You have the most -- " "Most what?" asked Mulder. He was enjoying Scully's shower of compliments to him. His sad smile was turning into the most beautiful smile across his features. "You have a beautiful mind, Mulder. Maybe the change is...something else." "Scully, are you flirting with me?" asked Mulder in a low voice so no one would overhear their conversation. They were back inside of the Hoover building, in the elevator going down to the basement. "Wouldn't you like to know?" asked Scully. The most flirtatious smile flitted across her face. "I think the change is for the better, Mulder." Mulder's smile deepened somewhat. He truly brightened at what Scully had told him and his voice seemed a bit lighter than it was. "You gave me hope, Scully, and I hope you're right." "I hope I'm right, Mulder. It's just...that I care so much for you. It would be more than a professional loss if we're separated from each other." "Really?" Scully nodded. "Yes. I hope the change for us is positive. Something good." "I hope so, Scully." -- the end -- Feedback: Much appreciated. Send to: eblair@sonic.net Author's Notes: This story might be a bit different from what I normally write. I was intrigued by the next-to-last scene in Tooms and I was drawn by Mulder's sentence that I simply decided to run with it. I'm glad that I did! :) I had always viewed Mulder and Scully in this era as happy, flirtatious, and innocent. That's how I always viewed Season One in its entirety. Scully didn't seem to flash the 'back off' sign until after her abduction. By this time in Season One, she cared about Mulder and was willing to risk her life to save him. It's one of my favorite seasons because of the aura of innocence and the start of the Mulder/Scully romance. That is wanted to convey to the readers was the innocent quality that I loved about them at the time where everything was fresh and new. --------------------- Erin Blair eblair@sonic.net