From: bhans@dmans.com
Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 19:34:37 -0600
Subject: Scully's Dragon (PG, M/S)

SCULLY'S DRAGON

By:   Shans

Disclaimers:   Mulder and Scully belong to that cruel anti-shipper Chris
Carter and his crew at 1013 and Fox. Pete's Dragon and the song lyrics
belong to Disney (as does so much of the free world). Everything is MINE,
MINE, MINE!!!! Ha ha ha ha! Unless, of course, you think it sucks. In that
case, the cat wrote it by stomping across my keyboard over and over.

This is how I picture what happened at the end of The Ghosts Who Stole
Christmas. Of course no subsequent shows let on to that, but they are FBI
agents, after all, and would not want any of this to get to their
superiors, Cigarette-Smoking Man or any other bad-uns.

6:15 AM, DECEMBER 25, 1998
MULDER'S APARTMENT 4C, WASHINGTON, DC

   They were both unwrapping the Christmas presents that neither one was
supposed to buy for the other. Scully managed to get hers opened first.
"Oh, Mulder, it's. . . it's. . . lovely," she stated. It was a nice piece
of jade, but it was carved in the shape of an alien face. "You shouldn't
have. Really," she teased.

   "Yeah, well, nothing's too good for you, Scully," Mulder replied.

   Mulder finally got his package opened. He looked at it, then at Scully.
"I know how much you enjoy staying up late watching movies Mulder and when
I saw this the other day while sitting my nephew, something about it
reminded me of you."

   At that, she got up to leave. "Thanks again, Mulder. It really is a
lovely gift," Scully said. She then quickly held a small sprig of mistletoe
and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

   Mulder looked halfway between shocked and pleased. "Merry Christmas,
Scully," he mumbled embarassedly. 

   "Really, Mulder, you shouldn't mumble. You're lucky I understand you;
most people don't," she replied and left.

10:00 AM
MULDER'S APARTMENT

   Mulder sat on his living room sofa staring puzzledly at the package on
his coffee table. Scully had not given him an X-rated movie, or even a
PG-rated movie. It was a Disney animated movie entitled Pete's Dragon.  Why
would she give him something like that. It wasn't like her to give gag
gifts, so there had to be some sort of reasoning behind it. Maybe, he
thought, it was just in a Disney package to hide what it really was. 
   
   Mulder pulled the movie out of its box and shoved it into the VCR. It
began playing, but it was definitely a Disney movie. Not knowing what else
to do, he let the tape play out for a while, seeing if he could determine a
reason for the gift.

   Fairly soon into the movie he realized only Pete could understand what
the dragon was saying, which by itself didn't necessarily mean much. A
little later, however, he sat up quickly as a song began to play and the
lyrics combined with Scully's earlier comment in head. The boy, Pete, was
singing and the dragon was singing with him in a mumbly voice which only
Pete seemed to be able to understand. 

I look in your eyes and you whisper sweetly
(Mumble)
We don't match in size but we fit so neatly.
(Mumble)
It's nice waking up when you're close beside me,
Humming in my ear.

(Mumble)
You're joking.
(Mumble)
I can't believe it.
(Mumble)
You do?
(Mumble)
I love you, too.

Remember the night when you first confided?
(Mumble)
Things went so right that we both decided.
(Mumble)
Now we're together and life is perfect.
Don't ever disappear.

(Mumble)
Oh, really?
(Mumble)
Oh, you're just saying that.
(Mumble)
Is it true?
(Mumble)
I love you, too.
(Mumble)

We're walking down a road of our own
Where rain can never find.
I'm glad I don't have to be alone.

(Mumble)
Oh, yeah?
(Mumble)

You know what to say when I want direction.
(Mumble)
Don't turn away when I need protection.
(Growl) (Mumble)
Your voice is the sound of an angel singing
Music I wait to hear.

(Mumble)
Say it again!
(Mumble)
And again!
(Mumble)
Everything seems so new!
(Mumble)
I love you too.
(Mumble)
I love you too.
(Mumble)
I love you too.
(Mumble)
I love you too.
(Mumble)

'Right, Mulder,' he thought. 'You are always the psychologist, reading more
into things than they are. Scully is not in love with you. She is not
sending you subliminal messages in cutesy movies, is she? That really isn't
Scully's style, is it? '

Mulder jumped up and turned the TV off. He began to pace the room. The
apartment was too small, he needed more room to move around. And the air
was too stifling. He needed to get out and run; needed to think.

He grabbed his sweat jacket and and hit the street running, literally. The
whole time he kept hearing the song in his head, kept picturing himself and
Scully.

I look in your eyes and you whisper sweetly
Scully's eyes had such a wonderful depth and to them and spoke to him more
than anything else in the world. They touched him to the depths of his
soul.
We don't match in size but we fit so neatly.
Mulder smiled thinking of Scully molded to his side, his hand on her back.
Scully holding him, with his chin resting on her head. Scully holding his
head to her stomach as he sat in his chair.
It's nice waking up when you're close beside me,
Humming in my ear.
Oooooh. THERE was a thought. He couldn't help but smile a little bigger at that.

(Mumble)
You're joking.
(Mumble)
I can't believe it.
(Mumble)
You do?
(Mumble)
I love you, too.
A chill passed through him. What a wonderful thought. It made his stomach
do little flip-flops.

Remember the night when you first confided?
OK, which thing had he confided in her, or was she hoping he would confide
something new to her?
Things went so right that we both decided.
OK, at this point, she had to be speaking of something she wanted to
happen, right?
Now we're together and life is perfect.
Don't ever disappear.
Ooooh. His pace slowed a bit, how many times had he disappeared on her.
Ditched her to run off on something he thought was too dangerous for her. 
That always did seem to piss her off a bit.

 (Mumble)
Oh, really?
(Mumble)
Oh, you're just saying that.
(Mumble)
Is it true?
(Mumble)
I love you, too.
(Mumble)

We're walking down a road of our own
They did seem to be on their own path.
Where rain can never find.
He suddenly remembered standing in front of a grave site in the rain in the
dark talking to Scully and feeling so right to be there at that time with
her.
I'm glad I don't have to be alone.
Was he the only reason she was alone? She had a family, but they weren't here. 

(Mumble)
Oh, yeah?
(Mumble)

You know what to say when I want direction.
It seemed hard to believe he provided her with direction, she was the one
who always seemed to give him direction.
Don't turn away when I need protection.
Just the thought of all the times he had almost gotten there too late gave
him a cold stabbing sensation in his chest.
Your voice is the sound of an angel singing
Music I wait to hear.
All he could do was laugh at the thought of being compared to an angel.

(Mumble)
Say it again!
(Mumble)
And again!
(Mumble)
Everything seems so new!
(Mumble)
I love you too.
(Mumble)
I love you too.
(Mumble)
I love you too.
(Mumble)
I love you too.
(Mumble)

"Really, Mulder, you shouldn't mumble. You're lucky I understand you; most
people don't." That was the last thing she had said to him. 

Mulder looked at his watch. It was a little after noon.  He smiled to
himself as he made up his mind and headed back to his apartment.

9:00 PM
SCULLY'S APARTMENT
Scully's keys rattled in the lock. Suddenly the door opened and shut slowly
behind her. She leaned back against the door. A small sigh had barely
escaped her lips when the television suddenly turned on and a familiar tune
began to emanate from it. 

"I look in your eyes and you whisper sweetly..."

She looked around the room quickly, her hand reaching for her gun only to
stop as she suddenly recognized Mulder sitting on her sofa looking at her
determinedly. He got up and reached her in three long strides. Mulder
placed his hands on her face, cradling it.

"Scully, I love you, too," he said, slowly saying each word crisply and
distinctly. "And I DON'T mumble." He slowly lowered his head to hers,
gently brushing her lips with his in short, light butterfly kisses.

A tremble ran through Scully as she felt his lips touch hers. He was so
close, so warm, so wonderful and . . . he LOVED her? 'Ohmigod,' she
thought, 'my partner is kissing me and professing his love for me?' 'And
I'm loving it,' part of her replied. 

Scully's hands slid up Mulder's arms to his shoulders pulling him in
deeper. Slowly, his kisses began to lengthen, become more insistent. Scully
opened her mouth slightly and licked his lips, his teeth, then entered his
mouth to explore it leisurely. His tongue began to answer hers. 

They kissed for an eternity, embracing each other tightly. Scully ran her
hands over Mulder's neck and the back of his head, twining her fingers into
his hair, enjoying the feel of it, Mulder slowly began to lower his hands
to her shoulders and down her back, stoking her, almost massaging her.

Slowly the kiss began to end itself, winding itself down. Mulder grabbed
Scully by the hand and led her to the sofa. "Thanks for the present,
Scully. It's the best gift I ever got. I didn't realize just how much you
cared for me until I heard that song. I never thought you were the type to
send such subtle clues out."

Scully looked at Mulder curiously. "Mulder, I - I don't quite know how to
tell you this, because you're never going to let me forget it, but, . . . .
. this morning my nephew opened up a gift of Debbie Does Dallas. I got the
tapes mixed up.

Nice responses appreciated at bhans@dmans.com