From: allanbaylis@sprint.ca Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 19:04:07 -0800 Subject: "Never Too Late" (1/2) By Laura Baylis TITLE: "Never Too Late" (1/2) AUTHOR: Laura Baylis DATE: Feb 28, 1999. SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully have an anniversary to celebrate. DISCLAIMER: Mulder and Scully don't belong to me. Hard to believe, eh? *I* can't get over it... they actually belong to Chris Carter, FOX and 1013 productions. CLASSIFICATION: S, H (I hope...!) RATING: PG KEYWORDS: MSR SPOILER WARNING: Nothing major, but there's little things all the way up to season 6. CONTENT WARNING: None...a little sappy maybe, but besides that you're gunna be ooh-kay ;) TIMELINE: Takes place in the future... DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Yes to Gossamer; Permission to archive anywhere and everywhere else. Just be sure to keep my name and Email attached, and send me a note letting me know where it's going, if possible :) AUTHORS NOTES: Okay, well it took me 6 months to finish this baby (yes, 6 months!!) so I think it's about time I should post it. Oh and if you think Mulder and Scully seem a bit out of character, that's because I think that they might think and act like this towards each other years in the future. Cuz everyone changes, right? :) Anyway, enough of my blabbing here ;P I live for your feedback, so send any and all comments to: allanbaylis@sprint.ca or quonochontaug@hotmail.com Thanx! =) *** There are times, when I wish that my life was normal. Even if that meant that it was boring sometimes, I could be okay with that. I fantasize every now and then about settling down. A husband, a couple kids, a little dog and a nice house with a white picket fence. I would be one of those women who's excitement of the day was going to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner. Every day would be exactly like the next, and the only things I would have to worry about were my kids getting scraped knees, or my husband leaving wet towels on the bed. It wouldn't be quite as adventurous as my life is now, but at least it would be normal. I'll miss out on a lot of those things I think. But I guess that it wasn't meant to be. God has another path chosen for me, and sometimes all I can do is grin and bare it. But of course, that's only the bad times. And although I know I've had my share, they don't stand out nearly as well in my mind as the good times do. The times when I wouldn't give up my life for anything in the world. I have considered leaving the FBI a few times in the past, but in my heart I know that I could never go through with it. It doesn't matter though because I haven't really been offered any other positions in a long time. Maybe it's because everyone just assumes that I'll be here forever; as if they know something that I don't. "Spooky" and "Mrs. Spooky": now and always. They know it. We know it. Now that I think about it, it would have killed me if I had left Mulder and the X-Files. I thrive off of what we do every bit as much as my partner does, and I have admitted that to myself. Although I don't quite eat, sleep, and breath the cases quite the way Mulder does, I still get that same adrenaline rush from what we do; how we save people. We're still catching the bad guys, and we've risen quite high in the bureau because of it. Being outcasts shoved away in the basement is now nothing more than a memory. Mulder's no longer the joke of the FBI, and although he wont admit it, I know it means a lot to him to be respected by his peers. My mother once told me that I don't know as much about life as I think I do, and that's always stuck with me. I never quite knew how to respond to that, but I knew she was right. She almost always is. She was right the first night she told me that Mulder had a good heart. She had put it so simply, and it was so true. Everything he does is out of love--for his sister, for me, for the world. His love of the truth. That's another reason I love working with him so. His passion floors me, still to this day. His blind faith. His belief in anything unexplainable. The more and more I say something doesn't exist, the more and more he tells me it does, and the more and more I start to believe him. I know that I'll always be stubborn, and I still base everything on science, but I'm a lot more willing to accept extreme possibilities now than I ever imagined I could be. After all that we've seen, it would be childish to deny that. Not to say that that's the way it's always been with my partner. There was a time when Mulder didn't believe, but that didn't last long. In the end he knew the truth, in his heart. And that faith has saved me time and time again. In more ways than I could have ever imagined, and in more ways than I can explain. It was only recently that we learned the whole truth about my abduction back in 1994, and it's changed my entire view on life, and its meaning. I have an understanding and insight into the world that I didn't have when I was in my twenty's, and fresh out of Quantico. And I have Mulder to thank for that. He really has helped make me into the strong, and whole woman I believe myself to be today. Although what I learnt about what happened to me wasn't quite what either of us suspected, I've been able to put away that chapter of my life and move on. Mulder hasn't so much as changed over the years; as he has grown. But because of what he's seen, and what I've taught him, about science and about himself, he's evolved into a much different man. We're both a lot wiser now; more cautious. Neither of us is the same naive agent we were all those years ago. But he still doesn't play by the book, and I still keep him grounded. And some things will never change. I've learned so much from Mulder, and I'm a much better person because of it. Because of us. My train of thought is suddenly broken when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I lift my head up, and turn towards my partner. His hands are on the steering wheel, and his eyes are looking straight out at the dark road ahead of us. We've been driving for hours through the middle of nowhere, and by the looks of it, it must be getting late. We were investigating a case on crop circles is Iowa, but it turned out to be an open and shut case, so we decided it would be best to just start driving home. Mulder and I make eye contact for a moment, before I lean my head against the back of the chair. "Tired?" He asks. "Yeah. Where are we anyway?" "I have no idea..." I'm too tired to even respond to that, so I sigh and close my eyes. My eye lids are heavy and it's a struggle to simply keep them open. I open my eye just a crack and watch my partner. The years have been much kinder to him than they have to me. Besides the odd gray hair, and a few wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, he still looks as good as the day I met him, which will be ten years ago this week. I wonder if he even realizes we've been partners for a decade. Or maybe the years don't matter to him as much as the cases, and journey's we've been on together. Our victories, and losses; our triumphs and tragedies. Perhaps the only thing he's sure of is that when he looks at me, I know exactly what he's thinking. He'd be surprised that it's been this long, I bet. It seems like it's been longer to me, but I don't know if that's because it feels like I've known Mulder forever, or because this has been the longest ten years of my life. But for whatever reason, I'll always cherish them. And I hope that we can do it for another ten. I still remember that first day I stepped foot into Fox Mulder's world, and knew that this was going to be different. That my life would never be the same; there was no turning back now. Dana Scully had no clue whatsoever as to what she was getting herself into, and boy did she love it. He sure has taken me on a wild ride, and I doubt that it will end anytime soon. We are still young, after all. I wonder what my life would have been like if I had taken another path. If I had chosen to pursue medicine, would my life hold more meaning? If I had gotten married and had children, would I be happier? I seriously doubt it, but sometimes I can't help but wonder. And what about Mulder? Deep down inside I wish that he had met somebody that he could have given himself to, completely. But he does have me. He always will. I hope that's enough. That's enough for me. For now anyway. We're both still so alone in the world that we cling onto each other. We've always been that way. Two lonely people holding onto each other for dear life. As if without the other to hold us up, we'd sink like rocks to the bottom of the ocean. It's not that I'm completely dependent on him, it's just that I like to know that if I fall, he'll be there to catch me. I guess I'm just used to it by now. Who knows, maybe my life is a little more routine than I may think. With that thought, my lips curved into a small smile. Mulder turned towards me quickly; catching me smiling. I let out an embarrassed laugh, and he gave me an amused smile. I turned quickly. I could feel his eyes glaring into the back of my neck. I wonder if he ever reflects on his life the way I do. I could ask him someday, but I probably won't. Why so giddy, Miss Scully?" He said as he stopped at a stop sign. "I don't know...I was just...reminiscing." He turned to me, and raised an eye brow. Just one of the many joyous little things he's picked up from me. He nodded, and after a few moments asked, "What about?" "The past ten years," I said after a second of hesitation. "Oh, right. It's our anniversary this week, you know?" I stared at him, blinking. "Wow. I'm surprised that you knew that." "Of *course* I know that," He said as he turned towards me quickly, sounding offended by my words. "I still remember the first day that feisty little red head strutted into my office like she owned the place." I tried to suppress a smile. "Of course..." He said slowly, as if trying to remember, "As I recall...your hair was brown back then, wasn't it Scully?" He teased. "Oh, shut up, Mulder." He smirked at me, and I made a face at him. "You sure were a handful back then, Scully." "Oh really?" I challenged him, "And what was it about me that was so difficult?" He laughed. "You were just....*spunky*" I lowered my eyes and smiled. "Yeah, well you weren't the easiest person in the world to work with, either you know..." "Well at least I kept you on your toes." "That you did." After a few moments, the smile faded from my lips. The car was quiet, and we watched the winding road ahead of us for a few minutes. "Have we really changed all that much, Mulder?" I asked, breaking the silence. He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. For the better though, don't you think?" I nodded slowly, and we both turned our attention back to the road. "I have to admit, Scully...I never in my wildest dreams thought you would last this long." I smiled, "In all honesty, Mulder...I still can't believe I've lasted this long." *** It was only after about five more minutes of driving when we turned into a gas station. It seemed to be the first sign of civilization for miles. Mulder told me that he was going to stop for directions, and get us something to drink. I watched him as he quickly climbed out of the car and started making his way across the road. When he returned he had two big cups of coffee in his hands. I smiled as he handed it to me, and then I took off the lid and inhaled the aroma of the rich beans. The steam felt like heaven against my face, and the hot cup in my hands made me feel warm all over. The warmth of the liquid going down my throat only made me want to curl up in bed and sleep. He climbed into the car, and turned to me. "Um, it turns out that we're more lost than I thought." "*We* are not more lost. *You* are. You wouldn't let me drive remember?" I took another sip, and shrugged. "I guess not that much has changed through out the years after all." He caught the joke and gave me a side ways grin. Maybe if this had been another time, I would have been more annoyed at him for getting us lost, but not today. "Well, at least I'm not too much of a man to ask for directions," He said proudly. "Yes, that's right, Mulder. You're not too much of a man." "Ouch, Scully..." He whined, pretending to sound hurt. "Isn't this just like you to tear apart a man's already damaged self-confidence." I laughed quietly. "Self-confidence has never been an issue for you, Mulder." "Anyway, as I was saying..." He interrupted. Of course he changes the subject. My Mulder; the big Macho man. "So we could either keep driving...all...night...long..." He said making a face, "Or we could just spend the night at a motel." "Are there even any more motel rooms around here?" I whined. He groaned and tipped his head to the side. Giving me the ol' puppy dog eyes. I never could resist that look. *** We made an agreement, right then and there, that we were stopping at the first motel we saw, and staying there. And it turned out that that motel room was a little dive right across from the gas station. I, for one, was too tired to keep driving until we found something that was perfect. Right now 'good enough' was good enough for me. We checked in quickly, and hurried to our room without saying a word. Since it was late, there was only one small motel room left, with one double bed. I dropped my bags on the floor, and threw myself onto the bed, as Mulder slumped into the couch with a loud groan. "I get dibs on the bed," I said as I rolled onto my back. "You *always* get the bed, Scully," He responded with a pout. "Well, I'd let you share the bed with me if you clipped your toe nails for once." His eyes went narrow and he glared at me. "Yeah, well, I wouldn't want to share a bed with you again. Remember *last* time? I've learned my lesson. I know better than to sleep with you," He teased, "I know that sometimes you go days without shaving your legs." I raised my eye brow and tried to suppress a laugh. "Oh, and how is it that you've come to know this information about me?" "I have my sources." "Sure, Mulder," I sighed and slipped out of my coat. I rolled onto my stomach and tried to relax. I felt tense. The last week had been extremely busy, and tiresome, and I really wanted to unwind. But now I felt way too tired to sleep. I filled my cheeks with air and slowly blew it out. "Wouldn't a massage be nice right now, Mulder?" "Are you offering? 'Cause I dunno but something about you taking off my clothes, covering my entire body with oil and rubbing your hands all over..." I rolled my eyes, and flashed him a quick smile. "Yup...a massage and a--" "...Glass of wine would be perfect right now," He finished off for me. I looked at him; surprised. "Impressed, Scully? I told you I have my sources," He smirked. "Gee if I didn't know better I'd say you were stalking me." "Naw Scully...I stopped doing that *years* ago." We exchanged smiles, and after a few moments of silence, Mulder got off the couch and headed towards the door. "Where you going?" I asked as I sat up on the bed. "It's a surprise," He said with a wry grin. "Oh. Kay." "See ya." "Oh, and, Mulder?" "Yes?" "Could this surprise be red?" "What?" "And maybe a merlot?" "Well-- "Or a Cabernet Sauvignon would be nice--" "Um, Scully--" "Oh well, it doesn't matter...just as long as it's in a *big* bottle," I laughed to myself. "Scully?" "Yeah?" "You are really killing my surprise here." "Oh...sorry..." I smiled, "Bye." He nodded and then shock his head with a laugh. I watched as he stepped out the door, and then I flopped back down on the bed. End 1/2 *** From: allanbaylis@sprint.ca Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 19:05:02 -0800 Subject: "Never Too Late" (2/2) By Laura Baylis Mulder and I clicked our glasses together and took a long sip of the cool wine. I gulped the small cup down surprisingly fast and let it fall to the carpet. "These were really the only cups you could find?" I asked, picking up the plastic cup and waving it in front of my partner. He nodded. "Sesame Street?" He gave me a side ways grin. "What, did you try to buy wine glasses at a gas station or something?" He stared back at me for a few moments, a blank expression on his face. "Oh, you did didn't you?" I said throwing my head back with laughter. I don't know if it was because I hadn't had a decent nights sleep for days, or because we'd just about finished a big bottle of whine, but I was feeling unusually giddy. "I don't know..." Mulder said, lifting his cup up to his face, and studying it carefully; turning it slowly in his hand. "I think they're kinda cool...look...it's Big Bird...Grover... and even...yes, it's Elmo!" I couldn't help but laugh. I would have thought that the wine was started to get to him, but I know he can hold his liquor better than that. The way he was smiling at that cup was a little odd though, even for Mulder. He smiled to himself as he took the bottle, and poured himself another drink. I handed him my cup and he poured the rest of the wine into my glass. "What's so funny, Agent Mulder?" I said with a small smile. He took another sip, "This." "This?" "Yeah...look at how we're celebrating our 10th, Scully. Sitting on the floor of some cheap ass motel room, drinking wine out of plastic kids cups." "Well, we'll celebrate again when we get home. In a restaurant." He smiled and nodded. I wasn't even sure if he was listening to me. "And you can pay." He nodded again. Definitely wasn't listening. I leaned my back against the end of the couch, and reached for the wine bottle. I waved the bottle between me and Mulder, showing that all that was left was a few drops at the bottom. He smiled and shifted on the carpet so that he was beside me, leaning against the end of the bed. I watched him lie his head down on it, and close his eyes. For some reason I couldn't stop smiling. My cheeks ached, and my stomach hurt from laughing, and boy did it feel wonderful. I've heard that laughing can cure cancer, and that it keeps you from growing old. I only wish that I had learned that years ago, when I needed it more than ever. "Hey...didn't I promise you a massage before?" Mulder said out of the blue. "Oh. You did?" "No. But I wanna give you one anyway," He said as he climbed onto the bed, and sat behind me. I closed my eyes and eased into his hands, as he placed them on my shoulders, and started kneading my flesh. "You're getting good at this..." I said softly, as I turned my head to the side. I could feel, rather than see, his smile burning into the back of my neck. His hands slowly worked their way down to my upper back and shoulder blades. "Are we too old for love, Scully? Mulder asked out of the blue. The question left me speechless for a few moments. I didn't even know how to begin to answer such a question, and it worried me that he would ask it. "It's a little too late and we've had a little too much wine to be asking such a deep, profound question, isn't it?" That wasn't quite what I was planning to say but hell, it was good enough for 3 o'clock in the morning. "Seriously Scully, does a few gray hairs mean that we've had our chance? That our time has come and gone and now we're doomed to live the rest of our lives alone and unloved?" I furrowed my brow and tilted my head to the left; my silent way of asking him to continue with the massage. "And by 'we' do you mean...you and me? Or just...old people...in general?" The room was dead quite for a few moments, and Mulder slowly moved his hands away from my neck. "We're not old, Mulder," I said with a soft laugh. I turned around to see him sitting on the bed, and climbed up and sat down in front of him. He was looking at me with eyes that looked bothered, and unsure; unsettled. "Well..." He began, a small smile now evident on his lips. "You sure don't look it." My mouth slowly parted into a wide smile. "And neither do you." "Oh yes. We're still the Barbie and Ken of the FBI." "And don't you forget it...." I said, as I reached out to take his hand into mine. "Really though...why the mid life crisis all of a sudden?" "I guess...it's just that...." His words drifted off and his voice became no more than a whisper. I raised my eye brow. "You can tell me, Mulder. You can tell me anything. Everything." He nodded slowly, slid closer to me on the bed, and squeezed my hand. He brought my hand up to his chest and held it there as he spoke. "Okay... but I don't want you to think this is the wine talking," His voice was low and hoarse and he smiled sincerely at me. "Well, I guess that depends on what you say." He knew I was joking, but the look on his face told me that he took part of it seriously, and he turned his face away from mine. He lowered his head and shock it slowly. "What? Mulder?" He looked up at me. "That's it, Scully," He said faking annoyance. "I guess I'll just have to show you." I gave him a confused look, but he climbed off the bed and pulled me up with him. "Show me what, Mulder," I said, more as a statement than a question, when he opened the door and peered outside. He looked both ways quickly, and then pulled me out the door with him. We walked out into the dark empty parking lot, and Mulder finally stopped when we reached an area without any cars. He took my other hand into his as well. The air was cool, but the way my partner was looking at me didn't make me feel it at all. There was a small smile tugging on the corner of my mouth but I still didn't know what to think. I had to admit, Mulder was never boring. I watched carefully as he raised his head to look up at the night sky. He smiled contentedly, and I joined him in looking. The sky was beautiful. One great thing about secluded towns; you could sure see the stars. There were more stars up there that I had ever seen in my life at any one time, and the scene literally took my breath away. They looked like billions of diamonds, all shining down brilliantly over us; as if they were stuck up there for our own private light show, just for us. "Wow. They're beautiful." He nodded; still looking up. "Did I ever tell you about the stars, Scully?" I didn't answer, but waited for him to continue. "When Samantha was taken, I couldn't handle the idea of not knowing where she was and who she was with. She had always loved the stars--even at her young age, she told me that she'd love to live on one. She said something about how beautiful Earth must look from up there." I smiled. "I said it was stupid of course, and at the time I thought it was. But when she was taken, I convinced myself that she was up there. In the stars. Believing that comforted me in some way. And it had nothing to do with thinking that she was taken by extra terrestrials...it was just, that my sister was living on her star. "And when you were taken...I kept remembering back to that...I know that was a long time ago, but still--" "Mulder," I said in barely a whisper, who was now looking right at me as he was talking. He swallowed and took a step closer to me. "I thought you were up there too, Scully -- in the stars. And whenever I needed to feel closer to you, I would just look up there, and know that you were okay. That maybe you were even looking down on me. And that you'd be back." I smiled at him and squeezed his hands. We stood there that way for a couple of minutes. "She was right, you know." I said, breaking the silence. He stared back at me with a blank expression on his face. "About how beautiful the world must look from up there. How perfect it would seem." He nodded and brushed a lose strand of hair off of my face, "They are brilliant." "But, you know, Mulder...by observing it from so far away, you'd only see the big picture," I said carefully, trying to find the right words. "And I've always thought it was the little things in this world that make life so...brilliant." He gave me a warm smile, and I returned it. "So was all this what you were trying to tell me before?" I said after looking up at the sky for a few more moments. "No, Scully. I just didn't think there was any place more perfect than right here to say this..." I nodded slowly, and Mulder looked back up. "I know what you're trying to say, Mulder," I blurted out, catching him off guard, "And you don't need to say it. I know." He began to say something, but then changed his mind. "You know?" "How could I not?" I said softly, looking up at the sky and then back at my partner. "It's been ten years. How could I not..." He smiled shyly and even in the cold night air his pink cheeks looked almost embarrassed. "But you dragged me all the way out here, so say it anyway," I said with a grin. He shock his head slowly, smiling back at me. "You're something else, Scully." "And...?" I arched a brow; still smiling. "And...." He said quietly as he pulled me against him and wrapped his arms around my back. "And...I love you." I exhaled slowly; my heart racing. "I love you too, Mulder...." "Well, thank God..." Still holding onto me, he took a step back and looked at me for a few moments. We both leaned in slowly, and kissed in right about the same way we would have if we were two love-struck teenagers. Our lips brushed each other's lightly and we both held the position as we closed our eyes. We parted our lips slightly and I pressed my mouth to his. I brought my hands to his face, and sighed softly as we kissed passionately. When we finally broke apart; out of breath and happy; we held each other for a long time after. "Happy 10th, Scully." I smiled, closed my eyes and buried my head into his chest. See, Mulder. It's never too late for love. ~THE END~ Welp, that's it folks :) Hopefully it wont take them this long to get it together on the show... ;) Please send me feedback!!! I'll respond to everyone, promise. quonochontaug@hotmail.com or allanbaylis@sprint.ca :o)