From: CRHarmony@aol.com
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2000 17:11:42 EST
Subject: One Small Step...
Source: direct

One Small Step for Normal People, One Giant Leap for Mulder 
and Scully
By LJP - CRHarmony@aol.com
Rated PG-13, just in case.
Keywords: MSR
Spoilers: I don't really think there are any.
Summary: On February 29th, Mulder takes matters into his 
own hands. 
Author's Notes: *grin*  Well, today is my birthday, so I 
decided to write a story.  And I busted my butt off in 
order to get it done today.  That was my goal.  So, here it 
is.  Finished.  I'm not entirely sure how good it is, and 
yes, I realize how unrealistic it is, but just bear with 
me.  I do hope you enjoy it and I would appreciate any 
feedback you may have on it.  That can be sent to the 
birthday girl at CRHarmony@aol.com.  Thank you!
Archive: Already sent to Gossamer.  Anywhere else, just let 
me know!
Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully belong to the mastermind who 
created them Chris Carter.  They also belong to 1013 
Productions and 20th Century FOX.  I do not own them and I 
don't think I ever will own them.  So please don't sue me.  
It's my birthday.

***

Special Agent Fox Mulder was bored.  He was sitting behind 
his desk, twirling a pencil around in his hand.  His 
partner, agent Scully, was upstairs in a meeting with their 
superior, AD Skinner.  Mulder scanned the cramped corner 
known as his office.  It was extremely cluttered, and he 
knew he probably should be cleaning up.  But he didn't 
really feel like it.  He felt like twirling a pencil around 
in his hand.  Which was what he was doing.  In otherwords, 
Fox Mulder was bored.

Becoming even more bored with the twirling, he began to 
doodle all over his desk calendar, drawing hearts and stars 
and flowers, wondering when he had ever acted like a high 
schooler in love.  In love with Dana Scully.  Mulder made a 
face.

He wasn't in love.  Yeah, he thought about his partner and 
her short, slim body day in and day out.  And he thought 
about how wonderful it would be to be able to capture her 
full, moist lips with his own.  He also thought about how 
it would be to just hold her against him, feeling her 
warmth penetrate his flesh and cause him to feel on fire.  
But he was not in love.  

Love was different.  This was simply lust.  And it had been 
simply lust for years.  Seven years, to be exact.  It had 
started out with just a want.  A sexual urge.  It had grown 
into an all-out desire.  But it wasn't love.

Mulder and Scully had one of those relationships where 
trust was everything.  Without trust, the two of them would 
be lost.  Without each other, they would both be lost.  
They respected each other.  And cared about each other.  
And would risk their own lives for the other, something 
they had already done several times before.  He knew she 
liked him.  At least, he *hoped* she liked him.  And he 
liked her.  A lot.  But it wasn't love.  It never could be 
love.

And besides that, neither one of them had any time for a 
relationship.  They were married to their work, they could 
never be married to each other.  Or could they?

Mulder wiggled his eyebrows and started to draft possible 
names, leaving the flowers and hearts to the side.  Dana 
Katherine Mulder.  Dana Katherine Scully-Mulder.  Fox 
William Scully.  Fox William Mulder-Scully.  He laughed out 
loud.

"What's so funny Mulder?"  An all too familiar voice asked 
from the doorway.  

His head shot up and his gaze rested on his auburn haired 
partner.  She was leaning against the door frame, a very 
amused expression on her face.  She was wearing one of her 
pant suits rather than her skirts and Mulder secretly 
wished he could get a glimpse of her slender legs.  He 
shook his head to clear his mind of the thought.  
"N...nothing."  He stammered, sliding a case file on top of 
the doodlings.

She eyed him suspiciously.  "Okay."  Moving to the edge of 
his desk and sitting on the wood surface, she handed him 
another folder.  "Skinner wants you to go over the expense 
report and figure out how you managed to lose two cell 
phones, a gun and blow out two tires on your car during one 
case.  And how all that came to the total of over one 
thousand dollars.  He wants you to double check it."

He tried to look innocent.  "You know I can't help it 
Scully.  And you weren't there to remind me to keep my cell 
phone in my pocket."

She rolled her eyes.  "Yeah, yeah.  I know.  Big bad FBI 
agent Fox Mulder can't get along like a normal man unless 
his partner plays baby-sitter."

His lower lip pouted out.  "You know it's true Scully."

Scully gave him a look that could melt ice in the dead of 
winter, but she didn't reply with a witty comment.  
Instead, she backed up and into the chair on the opposite 
side of the room, seemingly intent on reading over the gag 
newsletter that she's sent every week from the pathology 
lab at Quantico.  Pathologist's humor.  At least *she* 
found it humorous.

Mulder opened up the folder and started adding the digits 
once again.

It was then that today's date caught his eye.  February 
29th.  Leap day.

"Scully, do you know what the date is today?"  He asked, 
hoping she'd at least acknowledge that he was speaking to 
her.

"February 29th, why?"  Scully answered, not looking up from 
the newsletter.

He leapt up from his chair and grabbed his coat.  "C'mon 
Scully.  We're getting married."

Scully gave him a look, grabbed her coat and started to 
follow him.  They were half-way out the door before the 
impact of his words hit her.  She stopped dead in her 
tracks.  "What?"

Mulder spun around to face her.  He could have smacked 
himself on the forehead for saying what he just said.  
"Uh...what I meant to say was...uh...will you marry me?"

Her blue eyes widened and her jaw fell to the floor.  
Mulder was asking her to marry him.  Her partner, the man 
she had secretly desired for the past seven years, was 
asking her to marry him.  To be joined together by, not 
only the law, but also by God.  To love her and to...wait.  
He never said the word love.  And he asked what the date 
was...

"What does this have to do with it being February 29th?"

He bit his lower lip.  "Well, I figure that since it's leap 
day, we could take a `leap' in our relationship."

"A leap?"  She raised an eyebrow.  "Seems more like a giant 
bound to me."  Scully was muttering to herself, still not 
entirely believing what she had just heard him say.

He shrugged.  "Well, I figure that since this day only 
comes once every four years we ought to take a chance.  And 
I also figure that we're already married to our work, we're 
best friends, and neither of us ever have any time for a 
relationship, so why not get married?  That way, we'd be 
tied not only to our work, but to each other."  He said 
this whole spiel really quickly, stumbling over all the 
words and he had to stop for a breath.  "Am I making any 
sense?"

Judging from her look of complete incredulousness and 
confusion, he guessed her answer was a no.  "Mulder..."  
She managed to get out.  "Why...how...what?"  Scully shook 
her head and gave him another look.  "We've never been out 
on a date.  We've never even *talked* about going out on a 
date.  We've never...Mulder!"  She couldn't even formulate 
an answer.  

"Scully, would you go out with me?"

"No!"  She shot back.  "Mulder..."  She stopped talking and 
drew in deep breaths.  The silence that followed was 
uncomfortable for both agents.  Finally, Scully met her 
partner's gaze again and a soft smile formed on her face.  

"You've got it all wrong."

"I've got what all wrong Scully?"  Mulder asked, panicked.

She grinned mischievously.  "Not only is February 29th leap 
day, it is also Sadie Hawkins day.  Meaning women are 
supposed to ask men out and ask men to marry them.  Not the 
other way around."  She explained.

"Scully, what are you saying?"

"It's what I'm asking Mulder.  I'm asking if *you'll* go 
out with *me*."

"Yes."  He said simply.  Then he added.  "Under one 
condition: We get married before midnight."

She rolled her eyes, but nodded her assent.  "Alright, but 
only because you seem to be so intent on taking a `leap' 
that I wouldn't want to disappoint you."

He gasped in surprise.  Mulder had caught her off guard, 
and for once, it had worked out to his benefit.  Without 
thinking, he wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her 
around in a circle, his lips meeting hers as he set her 
back on the floor.  

Their kiss was nothing like the one on New Years two months 
before.  This one was passionate, a release from every 
repressed emotion and desire they had been holding back 
from each other over the years.  His hands interlocked at 
the small of her back and hers encircled his neck, drawing 
him as near as possible to her.  Mulder's tongue traced her 
already swollen lips, begging for entrance, and she opened 
her mouth to him.  Heat traveled along their bodies, 
creeping into every inch of skin, setting them ablaze.  At 
last, a need for oxygen overcame them and their lips 
parted, but Mulder refused to let go.  He rested his head 
on her forehead and sighed, licking his lips.  

Her eyes slowly opened and she pulled away to look at her 
partner, seeing him as if in a new light.  His hazel eyes 
were filled with respect, adoration and love, something he 
had never before revealed to her.

This was going to be one day to remember.

***

Margaret Scully peered out the window at the sound of a car 
door.  She was surprised to see her daughter and partner in 
the FBI heading up to the door.  She was even more 
surprised to see Father McCue`s car pull in behind theirs.  
She let go of the curtain and hurried to the door.

Mulder raised his arm to knock when the door swung open.  
"Fox!  Dana!  It's wonderful to see you both."  Margaret 
greeted, hugging them.  Father McCue strolled up the 
walkway behind them.  "Father McCue."  She nodded, still 
bewildered as to why her daughter would show up at her 
house with her partner and a priest...

She quietly gasped.  "Dana?"  She asked, hoping for an 
explanation.

Scully smiled shyly.  "Mom, Mulder and I asked Father McCue 
to meet us here because we wanted to get married."

Margaret's eyes widened and she cautiously took a step 
backward, leaning on the door for support.  Her daughter 
was getting married?  Right now?  To her partner?  The man 
she had denied of ever having feelings for?  She couldn't 
believe her ears.

"Believe it Mrs. Scully."  Mulder urged as if reading her 
mind.  "I asked her this morning."

"Yes."  Scully confirmed.  "Well, actually we agreed on a 
date first, but half-way to the restaurant of choice, I 
decided to bypass the idea.  So, here we are!"

Margaret looked at the two agents and then looked over at 
the priest who merely shrugged.  "I'm as surprised as you 
are Margaret.  Dana called about twenty minutes ago 
practically begging for me to meet her here."

Mrs. Scully didn't know what to say, so she allowed the 
three adults entrance, closing the door behind them.  "When 
did this come about?"  She asked, leading the trio into the 
family room.

"Mulder said something about taking a leap on leap day, so 
we did it.  Well, we're *going* to do it.  It hasn't been 
done yet."

Margaret nodded and turned to Father McCue.  "I guess it's 
all you."  She grinned ridiculously.  The elder Scully 
could not, for the life of her, comprehend the fact that 
her youngest daughter was getting married.  Tying the knot.  
Getting hitched.  Whatever terminology you wanted to use, 
she could not believe it.

Father McCue cleared his throat and Mulder handed him a 
piece of paper.  Scully turned to him for an explanation.  
"Marriage license."  He murmured, his breath hot against 
her ear.

"Oh."

Father McCue scanned it over, signed it, and had Mrs. 
Scully do the same, before setting it on the end table 
nearest him and picking up the bible he had formerly set 
aside.  He began the ceremony.  "We are here today to join 
in holy matrimony Fox William Mulder and Dana Katherine 
Scully.  Please hold hands and Fox, repeat after me."  He 
commanded.  "I Fox, take you Dana, to be my wife.  To have 
and to hold.  In sickness and in health.  For richer or for 
poorer.  As long as we both shall live."

Mulder took a deep breath and squeezed her hand.  "I Fox, 
take you Dana, to be my wife.  To have and to hold.  In 
sickness and in health.  For richer or for poorer.  As long 
as we both shall live." 

Next, the priest instructed Scully to do the same, and she 
did so, extremely happy for the first time in a while.  
With her words, she felt as though she was putting 
everything behind her.  Liver-eating mutants, flukemen, 
aliens and conspiracies were no more.  This was the end of 
it all.

As the father requested Mulder to place the rings on the 
bible, Mulder fumbled through his pocket in an attempt to 
find them.  He did and set them on the book.  They were 
both simple gold bands, innocent of the trials the couple 
who would soon wear them had been through.  They were an 
endless circle, a bond which could never be broken.

After the rings had been blessed, Mulder picked up the 
smaller of the two and slipped it onto his partner's 
finger.  "With this ring, I thee wed."  He whispered.

Scully removed the other one from the book and slid it onto 
Mulder's finger.  "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Fox and Dana have pledged to each other their undying love 
and devotion.  Now, under the careful eye of our beloved 
God, I pronouce you husband and wife."  McCue announced.  
"You may kiss the bride."

Mulder sighed with relief, any ounce of nerves that had 
been present fluttering away.  He cupped Scully's cheek in 
his hand and kissed her softly, uniting them together until 
the day they died.

The End

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