GETTING CLOSER chapter 4: A Saturday Date (1/3) by Deisy erness@indo.net.id Disclaimer: All characters involved don't belong to me. I use them without permission to express my wild imaginations. Rating : PG, nothing special Category : S - R Keyword : Mulder/Scully - romance (I can see nothing but this !) Summary : Scully made up a scene to raise Mulder's jealousy, then they spent the rest of the day in the fanfare, forgetting everything, just enjoying their being together. xxxxx It was a boring Friday afternoon. Mulder and Scully were at their office at the FBI basement, doing nothing important. After Christmas and New Year short holiday, they had been through a short case which was categorized as `piece of cake'. And now, in the middle of January, there were no case for the two special agents. No important e-mails, no phone calls, no newspaper headlines that indicateted any X-Files. It was totally boring. Mulder was running a computer game and Scully bent over an Elle magazine. The long beeping sound from Mulder's computer made her smile. < There you go, another Game Over.> "That's it. I'm out," Mulder shut down his hardware and turned at her. "Anything interesting ?" "Sorry, Elle magazine doesn't provide a Playboy supplemental," she replied without looking at Mulder. Knowing her habit to tease him about such things, Mulder took a memo leaf, squeezed it and threw it to her. It landed right on her magazine and rolled down to her lap. She glared at him but Mulder knew she wasn't angry. "I didn't know you read those things, Scully." "Beside the National Geographics and the Scientific American ? Well as a matter of fact, I do." Mulder watched her but said nothing. "What do you think if I dye my hair to dark brown ?" Scully said suddenly with eyes fixes on her magazine. Mulder raised his eyebrows. "Why ?" "Kinda bored with this red colour," she shrugged turning over a leaf. "There must be something else then," said Mulder,"I mean, how old are you now, thirty-three ? You've lived all those years redhaired, and now suddenly you want to be a brunette ?" "Well.." Scully turned over a page,"Alan said I'd be prettier with a darker colour." Mulder raised his eyebrows again. "Alan ?" Scully lifted up her face,"Alan Pendrell." There was no expression in her eyes. Mulder watched her open-mouthed. He couldn't believe what he heard. What did she have anything to do with Pendrell ? And why did she call him Alan ? "What.. How could Pendrell.. " "No, nothing. He just said so. That's it. And I start thinking that maybe he's right," Scully said innocently. "Let me make myself clear," Mulder stood up,"In what occassion did he tell you this ?" "I don't know. Why do you expect me to remember those things ? It might be just one of the small chat at the coffee corner." Scully glanced at her wristwatch and stood up. "Where are you going ? You can't just leave, it's only 2 'clock." "Well, if you'd just stay, noone would notice that I've left, right ?" She gathered all her stuffs and took her briefcase. "So you're going to leave me while you understand that I could suicide in this boredome ?" Scully turned at him. "Do you want to skip too ?" "I'd do anything to leave this room." "Okay, after all it's Friday, and we haven't skipped much recently. I think they would just forgive us." "Why didn't you say this earlier ?" Mulder stood up and tidying his desk. They took their coat and left directly for the carpark. "Where do you plan to go ?" "Shopping," answered Scully cheerfully. "That's great, I've run out a lot of things too. Don't mind if I go with you ?" "No problem. You can help me with my stuffs then," Scully laughed. They took Scully's car but Mulder took the key from her. He put the car in gear and they left the FBI Headquarters. He drove to the supermarket and parked the car smoothly. The January wind shuffled and they rushed into the building. It was a lot warmer inside. Mulder took a cart. Seeing Mulder with the cart, Scully couldn't help smiling. Weren't they look like husband and wife, doing the monthly shopping ! They began to take all their needs and dumped them in the cart. Scully paused at the hair care section and swept her sight through some colourants.. "Still want to dye your hair ?" Mulder suprised her from the back. "What do you think ?" Mulder touched her red hair gently. "I don't know, it's up to you. It's your hair." Scully saw a disapproving look in his eyes. "Come on, after five years working together, don't you get bored with my look ?" "You didn't say it as the reason." "What did I say ?" "You said it was because of what Pendrell had said." "Well.. a part of it.." "Then it's up to you, Scully, if you prefer listening to Pendrell," Mulder turned his back on her and went to the bakery. Scully watched him leave. She couldn't help smiling at his reaction. She examined the lines of hair colourants carefully and choosed a box with with a satisfied smile. After getting all their needs, Scully drove him to his apartment. "What are you doing tomorrow ?" Scully asked. "I don't know, sleeping ?" Mulder answered unexcitedly. "Mind if I stop by ?" "What for ?" "I don't know, just a little chat ? Maybe we can go out for lunch." "We date a lot recently, don't you think ?" Mulder watched her suspiciously. "If you consider them as dates," replied Scully. "So what's your answer ?" "I've got a better idea," said Mulder,"What about visiting the fanfare ? Tomorrow will be its last day, and there'll be the nocturne and laser performance in the evening." Scully smiled excitedly. "That'll be great !" "Okay then, it's a date. What time will you come here tomorrow then ?" "I'll let you know," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow." And she drove off. xxx Mulder stepped out of his bathroom. He got dressed and combed his hair. He spent the morning cleaning up his kitchen. It was almost 2 p.m. when he heard a knock on his door. Familiar way. "Come in, it's open !" he cried. The door was opened and Mulder widened his eyes as the figure stepped in and closed the door behind her. A brunette. But it was Scully. Scully had dyed her hair. Dark brown. It matched the colour of her green eyes alright and contrast to her white pale skin, but Mulder felt something was wrong. < This can't be Scully, but yet it is her.> "Hi," she said. Mulder swallowed and answered,"So you did it." "Yup. Alan said it was marvellous." "He did ?" "What do you think ?" "I don't know..," Mulder hesitated. Did he have to tell her what he truly think ? He guessed he did. "I think I prefer you redhaired," he said at last. "Really ?" she widened her eyes. "I don't know if you have anything to do with Pendrell," he burst,"but to be honest, I'm the one who saw you everyday in the last five years, and I'm the one who will see you everyday in the next years. So I'm the one who cares a lot about how you look. And I never complain about your red hair. I mean.. you are pretty with this colour, but.. for me, this is not you." He exhaled as he succeded in expressing his thoughts. The look in her eyes confused him. She looked happy and satisfied to hear all he had said. Then, adding his confusion, she walked to the bathroom. "Can I borrow your shower ?" And without waiting for his reply, she disappeared. Mulder didn't understand a bit until fifteen minutes later, Scully stepped out, and Mulder was astonished to see her head. It was covered with towel-dried RED hair. Scully smiled at him, satisfied to see him so confused. "It was only rinse. Not dye. Washed away easily." "But.." He finally got his voice back,"What is this all about ?" "Just a little testing, Mulder." "But you said, Pendrell.. ?" "It has nothing to do with Pendrell," she grinned,"He didn't even know anything about it." "But you said he said.. " "He said nothing," she interrupted and moved closer towards him, "I was just borrowing his name to make up this story." "But what for ?" "To test you, Mulder," she put her hand on his upper arm and squeezed it. "Just to test you." He looked at her disbelievingly. Just to test him ? And he fell on her trap just like that ? It was clearly shown that he couldn't accept that Scully listened to Pendrell and not to him. It was a slight clue, but it signified his jealousy a lot. He shook his head disbelievingly as she smiled wider, amused to see his reaction. "Starbuck !" He grabbed her on her slim waist and dragged her to his couch. Scully screamed in laughter as Mulder squeezed her and stroke her damp hair. They laughed as they never did before, their arms entangled around each other. "Come on, Ahab, let's go. The park would be crowded by now," she said as releasing herself from Mulder's arms. Mulder took his leather jacket and opened the door for her. It was a great start for a great day. xxx kindly ask to continue to part 2 xxxxx GETTING CLOSER chapter 4: A Saturday Date (2/3) by Deisy erness@indo.net.id Rating : PG, nothing special Category : S - R Keyword : Mulder/Scully - romance (I can see nothing but this !) Summary : (1/3) Scully made up a scene to raise Mulder's jealousy, then they spent the rest of the day in the fanfare, forgetting everything, just enjoying their being together. xxx Scully was right. They arrived at about 3:30 p.m. The sun was on its way to the west, but the sky was so clear for a day in January. It would set in a couple of hours. The park was so crowded, but yet so fun. Mulder paid the entrance tickets and they got their wrists stamped, for they paid for all the facilities in the park. "So ? What do you wanna try, now ?" asked Mulder. "I don't know, what do you suggest ?" "The haunted house ?" He nudged to the direction. "Okay.." They went to the big castle with a haunted look. Mulder took Scully's hand as they entered the gate. The castle was carefully made. Even to the fake spiderweb which sticked disgustingly on Mulder's fingers when he touched it. They walked along the corridor, dark with slight candle light in some places. It was so silent with a slow-dripping water from a distant. "They made it alright," whispered Mulder. "Let's turn over there and see what's coming towards us." Before they reached the end of the corridor, a door was suddenly opened with a loud clang and a mummi fell down. Scully squealed and gripped Mulder's hand. It wasn't at all scary, but indeed it was surprising. Mulder laughed at her reaction and she glared at him. After some shocks and surprises, they stepped out of the Haunted Castle, in perfect shapes. They blinked their eyes to readjust with the afternoon sunlight. "Not bad, isn't it ?" commented Mulder. "The cotton sugar looks nice," said Scully as they passed a kiosk. "Do you like one ?" And before Scully answered, he went to the seller and served himself one. He handed the pink soft sugar fibers amount to her. "It does look nice, matches you," he smiled at her. Scully laughed and shook her head disbelievingly. She held the cotton sugar in one hand, and held Mulder's arm in another. < Boy, I'm holding two things I love.> Mulder smiled at her attitude. She was certainly a different woman from the one he met daily at work. Woman ? He could even say that she was a girl ! That day, she wore jeans. Never he saw her with jeans. A small backpack rested on her shoulders. She looked so carefree and shiny. Just like a college student. A girl definitely, not a woman. Scully wasn't too blind to see that Mulder too was different. Off his tie, he looks more relax and cute. Different. Jeans and sweatshirt, and sneakers, who would thought he was an FBI Agent ? she thought. "Come on, let's try the JetCoaster." "No," said Scully straightly. "Oh come on, Dana !" Scully widened her eyes. Mulder had call her with her first name almost in every familiar occassion they spent together, but still she found it amusing to hear it from his mouth. But then she widened her eyes even more as she saw the JetCoaster track which seemed enormously high to her. Her heart sank to her stomach as she saw the curves. "No, Mulder, I'm not going up there." "Come on, Dana, it's fun !" "No way ! Go ahead if you want to, but I'll stay here." Mulder dragged her and pushed her to the facility, ignoring her screams of protests. He made her sit on the cart. "Fasten your seatbealt," he grinned. "Mulder !" He laughed, amused to see a frantic fright in her eyes. The machine started and the cart rolled. It was occupied with about twenty people. It was slow and deliberate as it started climbing the highest top of the track. Scully widened her eyes and tried to catch her breath. She was scared, dead scared. Mulder glanced at her and took her hand and squeezed it. < It'll be okay, Sweetie, I'm right here.> Things happened so fast afterwards. Scully couldn't remember anything except the world seemed to be turning up and down. The gravity was gone, and she couldn't see which was the sky and which was the ground. Involuntarily, her mouth made a steady repetition of "Oh my God, Fox ! Fox ! Oh God ! Oh my God ! Fox !!!". Her stomach was shaken and she thanked God she hadn't eaten so much at lunch. Everything happened so fast and finally she felt the world paced down. She opened her eyes and she saw that the cart was back on the starting line. "Are you okay, Dana ?" She glanced slowly and saw Mulder there. She couldn't feel her legs and found it difficult to stand up. Mulder put his arm around her waist and she gripped on his shoulder to get to her feet. They walked slowly to a bench and sat down as Scully recovered from the shock. "How are you feeling ?" he asked. Scully nodded, her eyes half-dreaming. "I'm okay. But that's the last time I'd ever ride a JetCoaster." Mulder smiled and caressed her back reassuringly. "I'm sorry." Scully turned at him and noticed some scratches on his lower arm. She turned at her hands and spotted some tissue and blood on her nails. "Oh my God, Mulder, I'm sorry. I must have gripped you and scratched you during the track." She undid her backpack to find some Kleenex. She pressed the tissue on the bleeding parts. "It's okay, it'll be a momento for the day." Scully looked into his eyes and smiled. Mulder squeezed her shoulder gently and pulled her up. "Come on." He was so content. In panic, Scully had cried for Fox, not for Mulder, but for Fox. They walked hand in hand through the crowd. The fanfare was at its best as it was its last day. All the clowns were among the visitors, juggling, and making pictures with the kids. All the attractions did their best to satisfy their last visitors. Mulder and Scully stopped to watch the children in the ballpool. "Wanna join them ?" teased Mulder. Scully laughed. Mulder put his arm around her shoulder and they walked by. They stopped a moment at the Merry-Go-Round and listened to the music. "The Blue Danube Waltz ?" said Scully, widening her eyes. Mulder took her hand and placed her other hand on his shoulder,"Want to waltz with me ?" Scully burst to laughter, she freed her hands from his and pushed his chest teasingly. Mulder grabbed her shoulder again to pull her close, and Scully put her arm around his waist as they continued walking. "Oh it's so cute !" "What ?" Mulder turned at her eyes direction. "The Teddy Bear, in the shooting stand," Scully pointed. "Want me to win it for you ?" he winked at her. Scully pulled his hand,"No, you deal with guns enough everyday." "So what ? It'll be piece of cake then !" He pulled her to the stand. The man handed him the `weapon'. He aimed the cans and shooted five of them. No big deal. "Wow.. What a shoot, Fellow. What are you, a cop ?" Mulder winked at Scully and turned back to the man. "Want me to show you my badge ?" The man laughed. "What's your choice ?" He nudges the toys. "She wants the Bear," replied Mulder. "Winning for your girl, hem ?" He reached out to the Bear and handed it to Mulder. Mulder smiled at him. "Thanks." He turned to Scully and handed the soft Bear to her. "Here you go." Scully hugged the Bear happily. "Thanks, Mulder." She stared at it and looked up at him. "Mind if I call him Fox ?" Mulder stared at the Bear from the corner of his eyes and then met her eyes. "Well, only if you promise to let him sleep in your arms every night." "Sure you won't get jealous ?" replied her. Mulder pulled her neck closer and stroke her hair as they both laughed freely. They continued walking from one facility to another. The sun started to set and the sky had turned pale orange. They passed the Fortune Teller tent, Mulder paused. "Come on, let's find out what she'd say about our future." Scully, as skeptical as ever, looked at him sneering. "Mulder.." But he dragged her into the tent. A middle-aged woman with a gipsy-look was behind a round table, facing a crystal ball. She eyed them carefully, and it started making Scully uncomfortable. "Put your left hands on the table, please," she said. Scully glanced at Mulder before following what he did. The woman gasped and widened her eyes as she looked into her crystal ball. She looked up at them. , thought Mulder. But he said nothing. "This is beautiful," commented the woman,"Honestly, I've never seen anything like this.." "What ?" asked Scully. She couldn't help being curious. "Do you know the Japanese legend about the Red String ?" Mulder nodded, but Scully knitted her brows. Mulder explained to her,"It's like a matchmaking. Each of us has a red string in our left little finger, and it connects to our pair. Sooner or later, you'll meet him, maybe you don't realize it at first, but he's your man alright." "And what's wrong with it ?" Scully turned back at the woman who was still fascinated in whatever she saw in the crystal ball. "I have never seen a a stronger connection of red strings than yours." She smiled at them. Mulder was speechless, his jaw fell. Scully couldn't believe what she heard. "Do you mean.. " Scully choked. "..he's my.. " She couldn't finish her sentence, her face turned bright red. The woman smiled wider. "The length of the string shrinks as a relationship goes further. Yours is still long, I can see here. But you have found each other, so don't give up. Don't let yourself fall apart." She seemed to be very happy with her tellings. "I don't have to use any Tarot cards. The results clear. But let's try it anyway." She handed a pack of old cards and told the two blushing faces to cut the cards several times. Then she put her hand on the pack and concentrated deeply. Then she smiled and open the first card. "See ? I told you I didn't have to do this." The card was The Lovers. Scully turned her face away to hide her as-red-as-Washington's Apple face. Mulder smiled and stood up. "How much is it, for such a beautiful prediction ?" The woman shook her head. "I've never seen such a beautiful one. So, it's my gift for both of you. Just live happily ever after, you two." Mulder took Scully's hand. "Thank you." They went out of the tent. The sun was setting, a beautiful scene of the west sky. Scully was quiet, and said nothing as Mulder pulled her to an open place where they could see the sunset view better. They kept silent until the sun finally faded away, leaving a slight orange violet sky. "You know, Dana.." "I don't believe her," Scully interrupted him at once. She was relieved that it got darker, so Mulder couldn't see her blushing cheeks. Beside her, she heard him giggling. "Okay, let's find something to eat. The nocturne and laser performance will begin at 6:30. We still have much time." xxx Move on to part 3 ! xxxxx GETTING CLOSER chapter 4: A Saturday Date (3/3) by Deisy erness@indo.net.id Rating : PG, nothing special Category : S - R Keyword : Mulder/Scully - romance (I can see nothing but this !) Summary : (1/3) Scully made up a scene to raise Mulder's jealousy, then they spent the rest of the day in the fanfare, forgetting everything, just enjoying their being together. xxxxx So they had a nice pizza and iced lemon tea at the restaurant. They talked about a lot of things and both tried to forget the fortune teller's telling. At 6:15 PM they set off to find a good seat around the pool where the laser performance was going to be held. The evening weather was getting colder. Fortunately they found a big flat rock to sit on, as the grass was damp. Mulder had bought a pack of dried seeds and started chewing them. "I never understand how you can be addicted to this thing," Scully took one seed and stared at it as she was staring at an identified object. "You know that it contains sixty-five percent of..." "Come on, Scully, don't give lectures about Nutrition right now, okay ?" Scully raised her brow. "Okay, I'll do it later," she grinned. Mulder rolled his eyes. The performance began with firecrackers. Then they pumped the water up to create a water screen for the laser. The classical merry tune filled the air as the laser formed a funny figure of a orchestra-dirigent. "Tchaikovsky's," muttered Mulder. "The Nutcracker, act 2. Dance of Flutes," added Scully. Mulder glanced at her,"I didn't know that you know something about ballet, Scully." "What do you know about me, Mulder ?" she replied, eyes fixed on the water screen. Mulder watched her wrapping her arms around her folded legs. Her shoulders shuddered. She reached out for Fox Bear and hugged it. "Are you okay, Dana ?" he put his arm around her shoulder. "Mmhh.. Just a little cold." Mulder pulled her closer. He changed his position and settled her small body between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her waist. Scully's heart stopped beating as he did that. But then, she leaned on his chest and laid her head on his shoulder comfortably. . The laser performance moved on, showing beautiful images. Everybody gasped everytime the image changed to a better one. "God bless Technology," whispered Mulder in her ear. Scully giggled, partly because Mulder's breath were tickling her ear. "Are you warm enough ?" Scully nodded. But she felt him envelopping her tighter. To her surprise, her heartbeat didn't pace up. She felt so relax and comfortable. she questioned herself. Her eyes were fixed on the water screen, but her mind was somewhere else. She felt Mulder planting a kiss on her hair. She took a deep breath and snuggled closer to his neck. said her heart. --Dana, what are you thinking about ?! You don't believe in such things !-- shouted her mind. "God, look at that," gasped Mulder, interrupting the quarrel in Scully's subconscious mind. On the water screen, the laser was projecting the globe. Blue diamond. It was fascinating. "The Earth viewed from the moon surface. This is how those little green men are seeing our planet, Scully." Scully smiled. Sure, little green men, Greys.. Five years working with Mulder had certainly made a great deal of changement in her science beliefs. She exhaled and her finger felt the cross in her neck. Maybe He didn't let us alone in the universe anyway.. The nocturne was ended with firecrackers, a hell lot of firecrackers. "This is their last day, so they have to finish the stock," said Mulder. Scully giggled. Mulder pulled her up. Their eyes were fixed to the sky, to the dozens of firesparks. "If a UFO comes passing by, I wonder what the crew would think about it," he wrapped her hand with his fingers. "Knock it off, Mulder. Can you just stop thinking about extraterrestrial stuffs for one moment ?" "I don't know, never tried it before." Scully shook her head. She bent down to grab Fox Bear in her arms. Mulder took the toy away and tossed it back to the rock. Scully was about to protest when Mulder put his arms around her waist. "Why don't you just hug me instead ?" he grinned, looking deeply in her eyes. Scully thought he was joking, he seemed to be. So she answered,"Well, you're too big to hug, Mulder." "Am I ? Well, in that case, Dana, you're not too big for me to hug." . Before Scully reacted, Mulder pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. That floral sweet odor. It was getting familiar recently. When she finally got her voice back, Scully whispered,"Mulder ?" No reply. She felt him breathing constantly in her hair. "F--Fox ?" His head moved and she felt his lips on her ear. "Mmm ?" "Don't you think i's getting late ?" , her heart cursed. --Shut up ! Think threee steps ahead, not just the present !-- --But I don't know what he loves me as. Maybe he just cares about me ? Maybe he considers me as his sister, Samantha's replacer.-- Mulder exhaled,"Do you ?" He stroke her hair gently. "Yes.. No.. I mean.. I don't know," She was nervous. The battle inside her kept on. said her heart, . --Of course--, snapped her mind, --but.. if he does love me too, let him make the first move.-- --I know ! But what about him ? What if he doesn't feel the same way ? Then I'd have to live the rest of my life in misery ! And what should I do everytime we meet at work ! Think three steps ahead, I said !-- Her mind won, like always. She loosened herself from his arms and met his eyes. "It's been a wonderful day, Fox, I hadn't felt that carefree since, I don't know, a long time I suppose. I know the word thank you is not enough, but that's all I can give you right now, and I do think.." "That I'd better take you home right now," he continued. "Why Dana, is your mother telling you to go home before nine ?" He was grinning. Scully frowned. Mulder's grin turned to a gentle smile and he ran a finger down her cheek, staring at her with dreamy eyes. , he said those phrases through his eyes. He didn't know if she understood it or not, but her face was suddenly blurring. Scully couldn't believe her eyes to see tears welled up in his eyes. She reached out automatically, and invited him to settle his head on her shoulder. Mulder tightened his hug. After a moment, his main had take control again, overwhelming his fears and worries. He cursed himself to act like this in front of her. . He lifted his face and met her eyes. . To his surprised, he saw a response in her eyes. . He bent down and kissed her forehead. And when they looked at each other again, the storm had ended. A smile was replied by another smile. "Come on, I'll take you home. Don't forget Fox Bear." "How could I ?!" A big firecracker burst out over them. Scully grabbed her cute teddy bear, and slipped her hand into Mulder's. That was the best for both of them. They didn't need any words to state anything. Maybe someday.. But at this moment, no word could represent the firm link of the red strings in their left little fingers... xxxxx End of Chapter 4 xxxxx