From: Kris Harnage Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 17:17:58 -0700 (PDT) Subject: NEW! One Enchanting Evening; SR; PG TITLE: One Enchanting Evening AUTHOR: Katwoman E-MAIL: kris_harnage@yahoo.com FEEDBACK: Comments, suggestions, constructive criticism, feedback of any kind, etc., is always welcome and deeply appreciated. Please e-mail me! I crave attention. Seriously!! It's a medical condition I have. If I don't get enough attention, I go CRAZY!!! :-) DISTRIBUTION: Sure. Fine. Wherever. Just let me know! Please send to ATXC; submitting separately to Gossamer. DATE POSTED: 11 May 1998 RATING: PG CATEGORY: SR CONTENT WARNING: Non-relationshippers beware! Or open your minds a little and read on!! :-) SPOILERS: US5 up to and including "All Souls" KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully romance SUMMARY: After an extremely trying case, Mulder decides to treat Scully to a special evening. DISCLAIMER: Mulder, Scully and Skinner belong to CC, Ten Thirteen, FOX, etc., da da da. COMMENTS/DEDICATION: Since Mulder and Scully are always on the run, chasing after some monster, alien, criminal, or all three mysteriously rolled into one, I decided to treat them to a special evening. For they are truly deserving -- as are all of us relationshippers! Chris Carter and Company may think this would make for a boring episode (or at least a boring part of an episode), but after "All Souls," I think we all could use "one enchanting evening." DEDICATION: This one's for all the "hopeful romantics" out there! "ONE ENCHANTING EVENING" By Katwoman J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building basement office Washington, D.C. April 27, 1998 5:15 p.m. Scully sat at her table in the back of the office eyeing the object intently. As soon as the water finished cascading down the slats, through the holes and past the wheels to the bottom, she turned it over and started watching again. She was seemingly mesmerized by the water puzzle Mulder had given her out of the blue the day before. "Bored?" Mulder asked, looking up from his laptop as it bleeped twice, then made a funny noise. He was playing Rodger Dodger on his screen saver and had nearly made it to Level 12, when his last player was killed. He was glad to see Scully enjoying the puzzle he gave her. After this last case, she looked as if she could use some amusement and relaxation. "Yes," Scully said, jolted back from her trance. "What is taking Skinner so long, and *why* do we have to wait for him to finish reading our reports before we can go? I'm tired and hungry." "I don't know," Mulder answered. "It's not like him to make us wait this long, but then, this unusual case was kind of hard to follow. Maybe it won't be much longer." With that, he went back to his game, and Scully turned her water puzzle over again. The blue and green liquid flowing down reminded her of a beautiful waterfall in a rain forest. Resting her chin atop her folded arms on the table, she closed her eyes as her thoughts began to drift ... "You wanna go to dinner?" Mulder asked, waking Scully with a slight shake. Embarrassed that she had fallen asleep at work, Scully blushed. Mulder thought she was blushing at his invitation. That is, until she asked him what he had just said. "I asked if you'd like to go to dinner." he said, now a little embarrassed himself. "Sure, are you treating?" she asked. "Of course," he said. "What are you hungry for? We can go any place you like." Scully wasn't quite sure why Mulder was being so nice. Maybe he was still feeling guilty about how he had treated her during the case -- not believing in her visions of Emily. She decided to enjoy it, however, and not question his motives. "How about The Olive Garden?" she said, not wanting to take advantage of his generosity by picking an overly expensive restaurant. "If that's where you want to go," he said, helping her on with her coat. "Skinner's finished with us?" she asked, allowing him to help her, even though it was highly unusual. "Yeah, he called down about 20 minutes ago or so. You seemed so comfortable, though, I didn't want to wake you," Mulder explained, kind of sheepishly. The truth is, he actually enjoyed watching Scully sleep. He didn't get to very often, and it's one of the few times his partner ever looked totally relaxed. "I appreciate that," she said. "I don't know why, but I've been extremely tired these past few days. This case really took a toll on me, I guess. I haven't been sleeping too well. Maybe I've caught your insomnia," she joked. "Believe me, Scully, that's one thing I hope *isn't* contagious," Mulder said, not wishing his erratic sleeping patterns on anyone -- especially her. "Are you still not sleeping, Mulder?" Scully asked, heading into the hall. "Three to four hours a night, give or take a few," he said, following her out the door. He locked it behind them as she stood next to him waiting. They headed toward the elevator, both yawning as they walked down the corridor. "Looks like we could both use a good night's sleep," Scully said, as they stepped inside the empty elevator car. "Maybe we should have some wine with dinner, just this once. I know tomorrow's a work day -- and that you don't generally drink -- but red wine is supposed to help you sleep, and we both need that." "Red wine with dinner it is," Mulder said, as the elevator doors opened to the parking garage. He motioned for Scully to go first. When they reached Mulder's car, he opened the passenger door for Scully. she thought. When Mulder got in and buckled up, she turned to him and said, "All right, just who are you and what did you do with Mulder?" They both laughed at that one. "It's *me*, Scully," he said, becoming serious. "Not the Alien Bounty Hunter, Eddie Van Blundht or anyone else. While I was watching you sleep this afternoon, I just thought you deserved to be treated special and should enjoy a nice dinner out once in a while. Is that OK?" "Well, sure," she said. "No woman is going to argue with that logic! So, you've been plotting this a little while, huh? How long was I asleep anyway?" she asked, glancing down at her watch. It was 7 p.m. "Oh, about an hour and a half," he said nonchalantly. "Geez, Mulder, you let me sleep that long?! What if Skinner had walked in?" she asked, sounding a little upset. She was also a little embarrassed that Mulder had watched her sleep that long. "I would have just said you had a migraine or something," Mulder responded, looking a little hurt. "Don't worry, Scully. I practically kept an ear to the door. I wouldn't let you get in trouble." "I'm sorry," Scully said quietly. "I know better than to think that." "Shall we go then?" Mulder asked, trying to change the tone back to a light one. "Yes, please, I'm famished," Scully said, clutching her stomach and grimacing, causing them both to break into laughter. ##### The Olive Garden restaurant Washington, D.C. 7:20 p.m. Mulder eased the car into the parking space and told Scully to wait where she was. He then went around to her side of the car and opened the door for her, yet again. "Better be careful," she said. "A girl could get used to this kind of treatment." Mulder thought to himself. He made no comment, however, but merely guided Scully to the restaurant with his hand at the small of her back. He not only opened the door for her at the restaurant, but pulled out her chair at the table. Scully said nothing this time but thank you. "So, what are you hungry for?" Scully asked, perusing the menu. "I'm having the Tour of Italy," Mulder said, without even looking at his menu. Scully laughed a little, not surprised at all at her partner's appetite. How he stayed so fit when he ate so much was beyond her, though. "I'm going to have the grilled chicken Caesar salad," she said, putting her menu down. "Is that all?" Mulder asked. "I thought you said you were famished?" "I am. That will fill me plenty, along with the bread," Scully said. "Remember, I'm almost a foot shorter than you. I can't eat as much as you and expect to fit into my clothes tomorrow!" "Right," Mulder said. "I forget about your petite stature sometimes, being that you're always wearing two- to three-inch heels. Or higher. How do you manage to run in those things, anyway?" "Practice, *lots* of practice," Scully said, causing them both to laugh again. she thought. The waiter finally came to take their order. "The lady would like the grilled chicken Caesar salad, with no pepper and an extra dish of dressing on the side, and I'd like the Tour of Italy," Mulder told the young man. "We'd also like a bottle of your best red wine." "Very good, sir. I'll be right back with your bread and wine," the waiter replied, then walked away. Scully looked at Mulder in amazement. She couldn't believe he had paid such close attention to how she ordered her food over the years, but then, he *did* have a photographic memory. It was more than that, though. she told herself. "So, what can we talk about?" Mulder said. "We never really do *just talk*." Scully grimaced slightly. "What?" Mulder asked, noticing her expression. "That's exactly what Eddie Van Blundht said to me, as *you.* I guess I should have noticed the clues and figured out it wasn't you, but I was just so pleasantly surprised, I brushed the thoughts away," Scully replied, before realizing the connotations of what she just said. "Can we talk about something besides past cases?" Mulder said, trying not to read too much into her last remark. "I wanted this to be a relaxing evening for you -- not one about work." "I'm sorry, Mulder," she said. "Yes, I'd like to talk about anything other than our work. That would be a nice change." "So tell me Scully, what you were like as a teenager?" Mulder asked, eyeing her skeptically. "Your mother has told me enough stories about your childhood, but not much about your teen years." "Probably because she'd like to forget them," Scully said. "Believe it or not, I was a pretty wild teen -- very rebellious." "How come?" Mulder asked, very curious about this side to Scully he never knew about. "I guess because we moved around so much, my father being in the Navy," she said. "I changed schools every year or so, which was never easy. I always seemed to make friends with the 'bad crowd' easier than the 'popular cliques.' They were never too open to the new kids, you know, because they had grown up together." "Yeah, I know the types," Mulder said, not revealing that he was a popular kid in his high school, coming from such a wealthy family. "Well, I went through different phases -- the punk phase, shaving and dying my hair, wearing nothing but black, numerous ear piercings, smoking, drinking, staying out all night, listening to music that would make my ears bleed now -- I gave my parents a terrible time," she said, shaking her head and laughing. Mulder laughed out loud, too. "I *cannot* imagine you with shaved, dyed hair," he said. "What color?" "Oh, every color imaginable," she said. "A rainbow of colors one time. I don't know *what* I was thinking!" she giggled, taking a sip of wine. "Mmmmm ... this is good wine. What kind is it?" "Red," Mulder said, making Scully giggle again. "Oh, I don't know. Let's see." He picked up the bottle from the bucket and read the label: "Berringer's Burgundy Prestige." "Never had it before," Scully said. "It's very good, though," she repeated, taking another sip. "How did you manage to keep your grades up, hanging out with the 'bad crowd?' " Mulder asked, taking a sip of wine himself and bringing the conversation back to the subject of Scully again. "I was just lucky, I guess," she said. "I never had to study much in high school. Now college and medical school, on the other hand, are entirely different stories. I guess I made up for my lack of studying for burying myself in my books. I missed out a lot of fun, but at least I graduated with a good GPA." "I know what you mean," he said. "I had my fair share of fun of Oxford, but spent a lot of time studying, too." "I know," Scully replied. "I read in your personnel file that you graduated at the top of your class." "Agent Scully, have you been nosing through my personnel file?" Mulder said, trying to keep a straight face. He finished his glass of wine and poured them both some more. "Hey, *you* were the one who knew everything about *me* first -- before I even introduced myself to you!" she said, defending herself. "I couldn't let you get the upper hand, now could I?" "No, you couldn't," he said, changing his tone to a lighter one. "I was just joking. Besides, one should know as much as possible about his or her partner -- especially when you have to place your life in their hands on a daily basis, as we do." "I agree," she said. "Now, where were we?" he said, picking up a piece of bread, buttering it and offering it to her. She smiled and took it graciously. "What made you decide to become a doctor?" he asked. "Are we going to talk about me all night?" she said, taking a bite of bread. "Isn't it your turn?" "We can get to me later," he said. "Besides, you're *far* more interesting than I am," he said, giving her a wink. "You are *so* right," she said, returning his wink. "I guess I wanted to help people -- make a difference. I know that sounds so cliched, but it's true. That's also the reason I joined the FBI. I wanted to distinguish myself ... to serve my country, like my father and brother, Bill, but the military really wasn't for me." "That's pretty noble, Scully," Mulder said. "Don't you feel like you're wasting your time then, working on the X-Files with me?" "Now, I thought we weren't going to talk about work," Scully admonished, not too happy with his last question. She was interrupted by the waiter bringing out their dinners. He placed them both on the table, asked if they needed anything else -- which they didn't at the moment -- then left. The conversation picked up right where it had left off. "I know, I know, but you brought up the FBI first," Mulder countered. "You don't have to answer my last question if you don't want to. We can change the subject. I don't want you to get all tense again. You were just starting to really relax." "Thanks, Mulder, but I think I will answer your last question, and then we can change the subject, OK?" she said. "No, of course I don't feel like I'm wasting my time working on the X-Files with you. I have to admit, I did at the very beginning, but this search for the truth you've been on has become my search as well -- I think you should know that by now, after everything we've both been through. I need to see this thing through to the end as much as you do. You *do* know that, don't you?" "Yes," Mulder said, staring intently at Scully. "I shouldn't have even asked the question. I know you are as dedicated as I am, and I appreciate that. I also know that you're not dedicated just on my behalf, but to find answers to your own questions, and I appreciate that, too, if you understand what I mean. I'm as curious as you are about finding the answers to your questions, as well as mine." "I know you are, Mulder, and I know we'll find all the answers to all of our questions someday -- together," she said. "Now, let's eat before our food gets cold." They ate in silence for a while, the air between them a little more intense than before. "So, what's your favorite color?" Mulder suddenly asked Scully, making her laugh again, much to his relief. "Green," Scully answered, thinking of Mulder's luminous hazel eyes. "What's yours?" "Blue," Mulder answered, losing himself in the pools of brilliant blue staring at him from across the table. "What's your favorite food, besides sunflower seeds?" Scully inquired, snapping Mulder back to reality. "Steak and potatoes," he said quickly, feeling his face getting a little flushed. "And yours?" "Mexican, although I also love Chinese and Italian." Mulder laughed, "You're not too hard to please, are you? If you love that kind of food so much, why are you always ordering salads?" Scully was once again embarrassed that Mulder paid so much attention to her eating habits. "Like I said before, a girl's got to watch her figure," she answered. "I would *love* to be able to eat whatever I want, but I don't have your metabolism." "You should treat yourself once in a while, though," Mulder said. "After all, you're worth it!" he added, sounding very much like a hair-color commercial. "Oh, don't worry," Scully said. "I've spent many a late night pigging out on enough Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream to make even *you* proud!" "Ben & Jerry's ... mmmmm," Mulder said. "I know where we're stopping on the way home!" "There's a nice, little grocery store right around the corner from my apartment," Scully said. "They have every flavor imaginable." "Even *Chunky Monkey*???" Mulder asked in a cartoonish-sounding voice. "Yes!" Scully said, laughing at his choice *and* his voice. "Yippee!!" Mulder cried, making her laugh even more. After the two finished their dinners, Mulder paid the bill, grabbed the wine bottle and steered Scully toward the door. "No use wasting a great bottle of wine," he said. "Besides, it goes great with Chunky Monkey!" Scully laughed again and said, "How would you know, Mulder? You don't drink, remember?" "It says right here on the label 'dessert wine.' And what's a better dessert than *Chunky Monkey*?" he said chuckling, as he opened the car door for Scully again. "I think you just like saying 'Chunky Monkey,' " she said, climbing into the car, still laughing. ##### Pop's Grocery Store Georgetown 9:54 p.m. Mulder followed Scully around the grocery store, since she obviously knew where everything was. As they had entered the front door, he returned a nod to the older gentleman behind the counter. "Guess that's Pop," he whispered affectionately into her ear. "Not so loud, Mulder," Scully said. "I'm a regular here. Please don't embarrass me." Scully picked out a pint of Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup and motioned for Mulder to pick his own. He grabbed two pints of Chunky Monkey. "Two?" she asked. "After all that dinner you just ate?" "One for now, one for breakfast," he said, sounding completely serious. "Ice cream for breakfast, Mulder? Doesn't that make you sick?" "It's a dairy product, isn't it?" he said. "I see no difference between it and cereal with milk." "No, Mulder, *you* wouldn't," Scully said shaking her head while they headed toward the cash register. "Evening, Dana," the older man said. "Good evening, Gus," she said back. "This is my partner, Fox Mulder." "Nice to meet ya," Gus said. "Nice to meet ya, too," Mulder said, mimicking Gus. He then jabbed Scully in the side playfully when Gus wasn't looking. "On a first-name basis with ole' Gus, are we?" he whispered in her ear. "Cool it," she said, giving him a slight shove backwards. Mulder paid for the ice cream and they left. Scully glared at him when they got into the car. "What's gotten into you tonight, Mulder?" she asked. "I've never seen you act this way before." "I guess the wine has gone to my head," he said, not wanting to reveal that it's really *her* who has gone to his head. "Well, maybe I should drive then," she said. "I'm used to having an occasional drink." "No, don't worry, I'm fine," he said. "Besides, I'm already over here and we're only a block from your place." ##### Dana Scully's Apartment Georgetown 10:05 p.m. As they approached Scully's door, Mulder fished his key out his pocket without thinking twice. Scully thought it was a sweet gesture, even though he had done it a million times before. Doing it on this evening seemed a little different somehow, though. she thought, even though Mulder had spent the night on her sofa plenty. She followed him inside and locked the door behind her without thinking twice. Mulder thought, noticing Scully had locked him in. He had fallen asleep on her sofa on many a late night when they'd been working on a case, but this night seemed different somehow. Scully went to the kitchen and took down two crystal wine glasses and two china bowls. She generally ate Ben & Jerry's straight out of the carton, but didn't think that would be appropriate with Mulder watching her. Mulder thought. He generally ate ice cream directly from the container. After scooping them both healthy heapings of ice cream, she handed him the bottle of wine and two glasses. She then grabbed the two bowls of ice cream and spoons and headed toward the sofa. Mulder followed. They sat on opposite ends, half-facing one another. Thoughts filled the air, but still no words passed between them. Scully got a feeling of deja' vu, save for the ice cream. she thought. she reminded herself. She took a bite of ice cream while watching him pour them both some wine. "Good ice cream?" Mulder finally asked. "Mmmmm ... very good," she said, pulling the spoon from her mouth, savoring the wonderfully smooth mixture of chocolate and peanut butter in her mouth. "Here, have a taste," she said, offering him a bite. He took it, not thinking twice about the spoon having just been in her mouth. "Mmmm, that is good," he said. "Now you have to try some Chunky Monkey," he said, offering her a bite of his. "It looks funny," she said, eyeing the walnuts and dark chocolate chunks in the yellow ice cream. "What's that smell, banana?" "Yeah, why do you think they call it *Chunky Monkey*?" he asked, saying the name of it in that funny voice again. "It's great -- come on, fair is fair. I tried yours." "Oh, OK," she said, laughing. "I guess it won't kill me." She took a bite. "Well?" he asked. "It's OK," she said, not wanting to give Mulder the satisfaction of knowing she really liked it. "OK?? You're just saying that because it's *mine*," he said, seeing right through her. "You know me *too* well," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "OK, I admit it, it's great. Can I have another bite?" Mulder moved closer to her on the sofa to ensure the ice cream didn't escape the spoon before it reached Scully's mouth. As he put it in her mouth, a little dribbled onto her chin. "Let me get a napkin," she said, starting to get up. "No, allow me ... *I* made the mess," Mulder said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back to the couch. He reached for her face and slowly wiped away the ice cream with his fingers, his hand shaking a little. His touch elicited an unusual response from Scully. He felt her pull back slightly, which seemed kind of strange after all these years together. After all, he'd been invading her personal space since day one, and she stopped pulling back a long time ago. Scully and Mulder sat closely on the couch staring at one another, not sure of what had just happened. "Sorry," Mulder finally said. "I got you all sticky. Let me go get a napkin." He quickly got up and went to the kitchen. Scully sat on the couch a little dazed. she thought. Mulder returned from the kitchen and handed her a napkin. Scully thought to herself, remembering how Mulder tenderly wiped barbecue sauce off her face with a napkin during the "Red Museum" case a few years earlier. She wiped the ice cream from her chin. "Maybe I'd better go," he finally said, still standing next to her. "If you feel that's best," she said, looking up at him, "but you don't *have* to." Mulder quickly took his seat back at the other end the sofa, not wanting to ruin this moment. Scully asked herself. Then she smiled to herself. With that, she picked up her bowl of ice cream and moved toward the middle of the sofa, right next to Mulder. "You want another bite of mine?" she asked, then realized how funny that just sounded. She didn't care anymore, though. she told herself. "Sure," was all Mulder could get out. Scully put a spoon full of Peanut Butter Cup into Mulder's mouth, then slowly and sensually pulled the spoon from his lips, watching him the entire time. "Good?" she asked. He nodded. "Let me have some, too," she said, closing in on him and putting her mouth on his. Mulder's lips parted, inviting Scully's tongue inside. The two melted into the kiss, tasting one another, as well as the Peanut Butter Cup. When they pulled apart, the ice cream was gone. "Good?" he asked her, still not quite believing what she had just done. Her head spinning, she could only nod. Mulder took the spoon from Scully's tight grip, put it into her half-empty ice cream bowl and pulled her onto his lap. They sat they way for a while, staring into one another's eyes, completely spellbound. He pulled her closer to him, kissing her again -- this time, his tongue exploring her mouth. Scully wrapped her arms around Mulder's neck and seemingly fused into him, the two becoming one. As their kiss grew more intense, their souls united and the last barrier between them dissolved. It was going one enchanting evening, indeed ... and they *still* weren't going to get any sleep! #####FINIS##### That's all folks! Shall I go on, or are you happy with this ending? I could always do a Part II. Give me feedback, please! kris_harnage@yahoo.com ******************************************************* SCULLY: "You still have nothing." MULDER TO SCULLY: "I may not have the X-Files, Scully, but I still have my work. I still have *you*, and I still have myself." -- "LITTLE GREEN MEN" ******************************************************* _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com