From: "Cassell" Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 16:09:38 -0700 Subject: x-files story Title: Morning Author: Molly Cassell Classification: Mulder/Scully Romance, V, MA Rating: PG Spoilers: none Summary: Mulder awakens early one morning and contemplates his life. Archive: Yes, but please keep the story intact and make sure my name is on it! Thanks. Author's note: This is the first fanfic I've ever posted, so don't be too judgmental. I was reading all the other stories and I figured it was about time to write one of my own. This story was written as a prequel to another, longer story I am writing, but have not archived yet. (I don't have a lot of free time in which to do this.) I was in the middle of writing my other story when I came up with the idea for this one, so I started working on them both simultaneously. This one just happened to get finished first. Warning! This one is pure, mushy romance. Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the characters of Mulder and Scully. They belong to Chris Carter and Fox, but I love them as if they were my own. This story was written purely for pleasure, not for profit. .................................................................... The gentle morning light spilled through the window and bathed the room in its soft orange glow. The warm radiance of the room was a sharp contrast to the frozen wintry scene outside. The soft rays of light wandered their way across the room until they fell upon the bed where a small figure was resting peacefully. Strands of copper hair that draped themselves across the downy pillows were suddenly illuminated by the encroaching sunlight. The soft tendrils burned like flames against the pale white of the pillows. She looked like some kind of mythical goddess lying here in her sheltered state of slumber, safe from anyone who might wish to harm her. A delicate hand came up and unconsciously smoothed away the stray hairs that tickled the soft milky skin of her cheek. She stirred slightly, but did not awaken. A small smile spread across her rosy lips, illuminating her face and making her appear almost childlike. A tiny sigh fell from her lips and at that moment, she looked as if she was the happiest woman in the world. He stood in the doorway, arms folded, observing the silent scene before him. He had no idea how long he had been standing like this, but he didn't really care. He often woke early and sat in silence, just watching her sleep. It warmed his heart to see her so peaceful and contented. Glancing around the room, he took in every detail so that he would never forget, so that he could freeze this moment in time permanently in his memory. He memorized the way the silky sheets hugged the curves of her body; the way the fire of her hair licked the pillows like tiny red flames; the way her nose twitched slightly every time she smiled; the way her soft delicate scent lingered in the air of the room and the way her tiny fingers slid across the bed, unconsciously searching for him. A chill ran through his body as he heard the contented sigh coming from the figure in front of him. He still couldn't figure out how in the world he had gotten so lucky. What could he ever have done to be deserving of her? He took another long look at her, his eyes beginning to fill with tears. She reminded him of an angel. He didn't deserve her. She was too good for him. Why did she stay with him? What did she see in him? His greatest fear was that one day he would wake up and she would be gone, having grown her angel wings and flown back to heaven. Perhaps that was why he always woke so early, to make sure that she was still there in his arms where she had fallen asleep. He walked closer to the bed and gently sat down on the edge, so as not to wake her. He brought his hand to her face and stroked her cheek gently, letting the tips of his fingers slide gently through her hair. Another sigh escaped her lips as she leaned into his caress. Her lips brushed the palm of his hand and he closed his eyes, feeling as though his heart would burst. He leaned over and touched his lips softly to her forehead, letting them linger for several seconds before pulling away. Looking at her face as he sat up, he noticed that she was smiling again. Seeing this made his heart ache and he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and hold her there forever, so that she might never leave him. Trying to control his emotions, he instead grasped her left hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. He laid a gentle kiss on the back of her hand and then pressed it to his heart. As he held her hand to his chest, he noticed something that made his heart melt. The delicate fingers of her right hand were gently caressing her swollen abdomen, tracing soft circles over the smooth white skin. Moving his free hand over, he covered her other tiny hand and began smoothing them together along her rounded tummy. As he did so, he felt a tiny twitch. An enormous smile spread across his face and a single tear rolled down his cheek. It kicked! His baby . . . their baby . . . had kicked and he had felt it. It was the most amazingly wonderful feeling in the world. The life they had created together was moving and he could feel it. Maybe it could feel him too and was responding to his touch. He was quickly flooded with an overwhelming sense of joy unlike anything he'd ever experience before. So this was what it felt like to be a father. He couldn't remember anything ever feeling this good. He had never in his life imagined that he would ever be this happy. It was the most incredible feeling in the world. Suddenly, he felt more connected to this woman lying in front of him and the life she carried inside of her than he ever had before, if that was possible. She had always been such a huge part of him, but now it seemed as though his love for her had reached an entirely new level. Bringing his head down, he laid it gently against her abdomen hoping to once again feel his child. The warmth of her body against his face was extremely comforting to him. If only he could stay like this forever. Another kick tapped against his face and he turned and laid a loving kiss on the smooth skin of her tummy. Before pulling away, he whispered softly against her skin, hoping that the baby could hear him. "I love you." Sitting up straight, he once again admired the face of this woman he loved so deeply and completely. Never in his entire life had he experienced happiness such as this. Bringing his face close to hers, he lingered a moment before brushing his lips softly against hers. She tasted sweet and pure and he didn't want to lose her touch, but he forced himself to end the kiss. But before he could move away, a small hand caught the side of his face and pulled him back into a passionate, but tender kiss. When it was over, he moved back, holding her delicate face in his left hand. His other hand still held hers tightly over his heart. He smiled when he saw her beautiful blue eyes staring back at him. As they sparkled in the light, he could see that they were filled with love and tenderness. He touched his thumb to the small gold band that encircled her ring finger and rubbed it gently. At that moment, he knew how silly he had been to ever think that she would leave him. She loved him just as much as he loved her and she was carrying his child. The look in her eyes at this moment told him that he made her happy. One long look into those beautiful blue eyes and he knew that she would always be with him, that she would always be a part of him. He pulled her up into his arms and held her tightly, brushing his lips along the top of her head and taking in the sweet smell of her hair. She buried her face in his neck and laid tiny kisses along his chest. Another tiny kick interrupted their embrace. Both feeling it, they looked again into each other eyes, the way they had so many times, and shared their emotions without a single word exchanged between them. The love and happiness radiating between them shamed the morning sun. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "I love you Dana," he whispered in the most tender voice she'd ever heard. She slid the tips of her fingers across his lips and as he kissed them she whispered back to him. "I love you Fox." .................................................................... Hope you liked it. Please send any comments to molly.cassell@regis.edu Thanks!