From: jennyann@ix.netcom.com (Jennifer Lyon)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: "Fire and Ice" 1/2 PG-13
Date: 10 May 1995 00:12:46 GMT


Fire and Ice
An X-files Story
by Jennifer Lyon
Jenni10647@AOL.com

(Disclaimer: The characters of "The X-Files" and rights thereto 
belong to FOX network, Ten Thirteen Productions, and Chris 
Carter.  The remainder of this story is the property of the 
author.  The first half of this story is PG-13, the second half is 
NC-17 and contains adult sexual activity.  This is my version of 
an X-Files romance, and was written in two long sessions. I 
couldn't type it fast enough! :-)  enjoy!)

Another note: this story is dedicated for publication in the fanzine
"X-Rated X-Files" by Badkarma.1@genie.geis.com  Contact her for more
information.  This zine sounds like a winner to me! I love romance! :-)

"Fire and Ice"
Part 1

	Just as Mulder was about to close the office door, FBI 
Assistant Director Skinner looked up from the file he was 
studying, "By the way, Agent Mulder, I expect I will see you 
and Agent Scully at the Bureau dinner and dance tomorrow 
night."
	Mulder stopped at the door, not sure whether to breath 
a sigh of relief or cringe. He hated those bureau social events 
with a passion. On the other hand, after the rough session he'd 
just had with Skinner, over the last case he'd 'forgotten' to file 
the proper forms on, it could have been something much worse. 
Though a particular memory from the last Bureau function he'd 
attended reminded him that it might just BE worse.
	"Unh..." he stumbled, turning around, but not quite 
meeting Skinner's eyes. "I hadn't really thought about it."
	"Dinner at eight pm, Agent Mulder. Tomorrow," 
Skinner said with a pointed look at his wayward agent.
	"Eight pm, we'll be there, sir," Mulder replied with a 
sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Having received the 
answer he wanted, Skinner buried his head back into the file in 
his hands, silently dismissing Mulder who hurried out the door, 
almost slamming it behind him. Sometimes he just didn't 
understand what Skinner wanted from him.
	After Mulder left, Assistant Director Skinner put down 
the file he'd been pretending to read, leaned back in his chair, 
and smiled.

---------------------------

	
	Fox Mulder straightened his tie for the hundredth time 
before knocking on Scully's door. He eyed the bouquet of roses 
in his hand, part of him wanting to dump them before she 
answered the door. This felt too much like a real date, and 
somehow the fact that it was Scully - his partner, his friend - 
made him feel even more uncertain.  But before he could make a 
move, Scully opened the door. 
	"Mulder," she said with a smile. He just stood there 
and stared at her, the flowers clutched in his hand, his mouth 
slightly open, his dark hazel eyes fixated on her face.
	"Mulder, are you all right?" she asked worriedly, 
placing a hand on his arm.
	"What? Oh, I'm fine Scully. You look fantastic," he 
blurted out, thrusting the bright red roses out at her.	
	Scully nearly sighed aloud with relief. She'd thought 
she looked pretty good in her new dress, but she'd been a bit 
worried about both his response and this whole evening. It was 
too much like a date, and she just wasn't certain how it was all 
going to work out. She was very aware, both emotionally and 
physically, of the deep attraction they felt for each other. 
However, there was their working relationship to consider, as 
well as their friendship. Could they possibly hold onto to it all at 
once? Scully wasn't sure she was ready to take the risk.
	Anyway, you just never knew with Mulder. His 
reaction to her could have been anything from complete 
unawareness of how she looked to utter ridicule. The deep 
warmth in his eyes as he looked at her was better than she could 
have hoped for. It made her glow inside.
	"Thank you," she said softly, taking the flowers and 
going inside to place them in a vase. Mulder followed behind 
her, closing the door behind them. He just couldn't take his eyes 
off her. She was like living fire, her bright auburn hair 
shimmering in soft curls around her face, her long red-velvet 
dress hugging her graceful figure then falling in elegant folds to 
her ankles. Her lips were as red as the roses she tenderly placed 
into a carved Chinese vase, her blue eyes sparkled like 
sapphires. He'd seen a lot of different aspects of Dana Scully 
during their time together: the calm professional agent, the 
tough forensic pathologist, the tomboy in sweats and ponytail, 
the courageous woman coping with her own inner demons and 
sorrows. But nothing like this. He swallowed and quickly tried 
to pull himself back under control. Tonight was going to be 
difficult enough without him mooning over his partner like an 
infatuated school-boy.
	"Ready," he asked, surprising himself with how calm he 
sounded.
	"Yes," she replied, giving him another incredible smile 
as she picked up her purse and followed him out the door.
------------------------------
	Mulder weeded their way through the Friday night 
traffic with effortless control. Sitting beside him, Scully couldn't 
help studying him out of the corner of her eye. For once he had 
managed to find a tie that didn't give the viewer a sense of 
nausea. In fact this particular navy/black pattern was downright 
distinguished, as was the well-tailored black suit he was 
wearing. His dark hair had been carefully combed back, except 
for the one stubborn lock that always seemed to find its way 
onto his forehead. He looked cool, professional, handsome. Too 
handsome, she thought as he turned his head and gave her a 
bright, toothy grin. 
	"Ready to beard the lion's den?" he asked as he pulled 
the car into the underground parking lot.
	"Lead on, Daniel," she replied, returning the smile.
-------------------------------
	The Grand Hotel Ballroom was crowded with people, 
mostly men in dark suits. Even 'off duty,' federal agents 
managed to look like federal agents, Mulder thought wryly, 
again pulling at the somber tie he was wearing as a concession 
to the event. He hated it. It made him look like his father. But 
when he'd first put on the tie he preferred with this suit, he'd 
suddenly envisioned what Scully's face would look like when 
she saw it. It just wasn't worth the argument.
	Scully put her hand on his proffered arm as they 
melded their way into the crowd. Mulder used the advantage of 
his height to scan the room. "There," he pointed. "Better pay 
our respects to Skinner now. That way we can escape early." 
Before Scully could comment, he pushed ahead, literally pulling 
her after him as he forced his way through.	
	"Hey Spooky!" called a loud, jovial male voice. Scully 
felt the muscle's of Mulder's arm tense under her fingers. Mulder 
stopped abruptly as Agent Phillip Greyson stepped in his path.
	"Hello, Gray," Mulder replied politely. 
	"Haven't seen you in a while. How's life? Caught any 
little green men lately?" Gray asked, laughing.
	"Gray." Scully interrupted before Mulder could even 
open his mouth.
	"What?" Both men turned to her.
	"It's little GRAY men, Gray," Scully said sweetly. 
Mulder coughed, strangling the laugh that rose in his throat. 
	Gray stared at the lovely woman in astonishment as she 
added, "Or is it silver, Mulder?"
	"Unh...Kind of cream-colored, I think, but they do 
have a silvery tinge," Mulder replied seriously.
	"You see, Agent Greyson," Scully said in an utterly 
reasonable voice, "'Little Green Men' is a definite misnomer. 
Their blood is green, but their skin is a creamy silver color. 
Well, that's when they are in their natural form. Sometimes, they 
disguise themselves as human beings and you can only tell one 
by their green blood."
	"You have to be very careful of that, though," Mulder 
interjected. "Their blood carries virus that is deadly to human 
beings. I almost got killed by it a couple of times. If it hadn't 
been for my partner, I'd be dead." he smiled down at Scully. She 
smiled back at him, then looked calmly up at the open-mouthed 
Gray.
	"I found out that cold keeps the alien virus from 
multiplying. It stimulates a rapid increase in red blood cell 
formation, so that the victim's blood soon reaches the 
consistency of jelly, and is unable to flow properly: instant heart-
attack. So we simply kept Mulder frozen until we could replace 
his thickened blood with uninfected blood that also contained 
drugs that would cause the blood to thin out. It took a while, 
but we brought him out of it." 
	"What...?" Gray responded, looking shocked. He'd 
expected weirdness out of "Spooky," but not out of his cool 
partner. She had always had a reputation for being the cold 
professional pathologist: scientific, logical, and somewhat 
sexless. In fact he was still smarting from her rejection of him 
when they'd both been at Quantico. But that reputation was a 
far cry from the fiery, feminine woman hanging onto her 
partner's arm and smiling sweetly up at him as she spouted this 
ridiculous story. They could be making fun of him, but they both 
sounded so serious. The drunken Gray decided he needed 
another drink. Mumbling, he excused himself and staggered 
away towards the bar.
	Mulder felt tension draining from him as he watched 
Gray's retreating figure. He had no doubt the man had been 
waiting for him, ready start another fight. Scully had blind-sided 
Gray, and Mulder deeply appreciated it. 
	"Thanks!" he whispered in her ear.
	"You're welcome," she said, giving Gray's back a 
grimace. "I didn't know you knew him."
	"I wish I didn't," Mulder replied, then he looked at her 
in surprise. "I didn't know you knew him."
	"I wish I didn't," she echoed with a slight laugh. In 
response to Mulder's quizzical look, she explained.
	"We both taught classes at Quantico a couple years 
ago. He tried to pick me up. I told him to get lost." 
	"Too bad he didn't take your advice," Mulder said 
sadly. Scully smiled.
--------------------------------
	By the time they were seated for dinner, Scully was 
feeling enraged and Mulder was as tense as a coiled spring. 
Skinner had been polite, but no-one else had been. After the 
scene with Gray had been replayed for the fifth time with five 
different agents, Scully was about ready to shoot the next 
person who said "Spooky." 
	Mulder reacted by withdrawing, his sharply-defined 
features hardening into a stone mask that moved only when he 
struck an opponent with a caustic verbal barb or an outrageous 
assertion, always delivered with that intense calm composure. 
To an outsider he would have looked languid, at ease. But to 
Scully's familiar eye, the glitter in his diamond eyes, the tight 
thrust of his jaw, the controlled power in his movements, all 
betrayed his inner rage and humiliation. She felt outraged, 
furious that he would be treated this way. She knew his 
reputation, and was well aware there were elements in the 
Bureau who felt this way, but she hadn't been prepared for such 
a severe outpouring of ridicule. They had managed to work with 
other agents productively before, so she knew there were 
reasonable people in the Bureau. Those agents must have had 
the sense to stay home tonight.
	Dinner only made things worse. They were publicly 
ostracized. To Scully's surprise, Mulder didn't seem to mind. He 
even relaxed somewhat, managing to make her laugh despite the 
anger that coiled in her gut. Still, she felt like she was on stage 
in front of a hostile audience. Scully had always tried to act in a 
fully professional manner, especially around her colleagues. 
Being outrageous to play with people's heads was Mulder's 
style, not hers. In fact, her cool attitude had earned her the 
nickname of "Doctor Ice" at the Academy. She had never let on 
how much it hurt, but the experience had helped her to 
understand Mulder's intense dislike for his own nickname. Now, 
she felt like getting up on the table and screaming.
	"Scully?" Mulder's voice broke through her reverie and 
she refocused her eyes on his concerned face.
	"I'm fine, Mulder," she responded, putting down her 
fork and eyeing the barely-cooked prime rib on her plate with 
disgust. "I was just thinking."
	"Want to talk about it," Mulder asked softly, trying not 
to pry. To his surprise, he was handling the inevitable teasing 
without it getting truly annoyed. He was angry, but more for 
Scully than for himself. He hated seeing her touched by his 
reputation. And the way several of the men had looked at her...it 
made him itch to punch them hard enough to knock the leers of 
their fat faces. He didn't care what they said to him, but Scully 
deserved better.
	"Its nothing, Mulder. Really," she replied, pushing her 
plate away and looking up at him. 
	"OK," he said, leaning back in his chair. "How about 
we call it a night?"
	Scully almost said "YES!" but a sudden thought struck 
her. She wasn't quite ready to leave yet. First she wanted to 
make a couple of waves. If these fools were going to whisper 
about Mulder and her, why not give them something to 
REALLY talk about.
	"Not yet, Mulder. We haven't had a chance to dance 
yet. You promised me one, remember."
	Mulder sighed and nodded. "Guess, I did." He looked 
over at the bare end of the room where the band was setting up. 
"Looks like they're getting ready. Want to head over?"
	"Sure," she replied with a wide smile.
---------------------------------
	Mulder glanced down at Scully's bright head as they 
moved out onto the dance floor. Something was going on in that 
clever head of hers. He wondered what she was thinking.
	Scully felt a deep satisfaction as she settled into her tall 
partner's arms. She placed her arms around his shoulders and 
rested her head against the hollow of his shoulder. Mulder held 
her close, resting his chin against her hair as he guided her 
fluidly across the floor. The music swelled and flowed around 
them as they moved as one.
	Scully felt all the tension drain out of her as she relaxed 
into Mulder's embrace. He was even better dancer than she had 
expected. All grace and ease, he never missed a step. All she had 
to do was follow his movements, melding her body against the 
strong, masculine warmth of his. 
	Mulder tightened his clasp around his lovely partner, 
burying his face into the sweet-smelling silk of her hair. She felt 
vital and hot against him. He could feel her heart beat against 
him, her breath warm against his chest. His awareness of his 
surroundings faded away until he was focused solely on the 
beautiful woman in his arms. Together, they flowed across the 
dance-floor, oblivious to their surroundings.
	The gentle, lilting song lasted for an all-too short 
eternity. The change of music from the slow-paced love song 
into the quick, heart-pounding beat of a pop-rock dance tune 
brought them to a sudden halt. They disentangled quickly, 
avoiding each other's eyes, not quite sure what to say. After a 
brief moment of embarrassment, Mulder responded to the beat 
of the drums and guitar and began again to dance. He threw his 
hands up over his head, clapping them together, as he balanced 
from foot to foot, toe to heel, in a graceful, sexy gyration. 
Scully found herself laughing up at him as she, too, began to 
respond to the easy rhythmic music. "I didn't know you could 
dance, Mulder," she teased.
	"I took a class at the 'Y'," he replied with a laugh as he 
continued to move with the music. Scully gave in and joined him 
in the modern dance, matching his movements with her own. 
	Absorbed in the dance, they did not realize the picture 
they made: the tall, dark athletic man and the stunning red-
haired woman. Mulder moved like a shadow, his feet barely 
seeming to touch the floor. Scully spun and twisted around him, 
like a flame leaping up into the night. Her fiery hair flew around 
her face in a soft cloud, as she tossed her head to the side and 
grinned up at her partner. Mulder grinned back and spun on his 
toes, never missing a beat. Scully turned her back to him and felt 
him fit himself up against her, nudging her forward, then pulling 
her backwards. She went with him instinctively, somehow 
knowing, even when she closed her eyes and let the music build 
within her, that he would be right there where she needed him. 
He caught her hand and spun her out, then spiraled her back into 
his arms, tilting her down in a dip. When she came back up, they 
were both laughing with joy.
	They kept dancing through the next three songs until 
Scully collapsed against Mulder, gasping for breath. 
	"Enough," she said between gasps. "I think I'm dizzy."
	"Me, too," Mulder replied with a brilliant grin. "How 
about a drink." 
	"Sounds good," Scully suddenly was jolted back to 
awareness of her surroundings, and of the fact that they were 
still alone on the dance floor. It was now ringed by a number of 
their colleagues, all of whom were watching them with 
astonishment. "Oops," she said, nudging Mulder with her eyes.
	"Unh...Scully," he said as he guided her by the arm off 
the floor, "How about we get out of here?"
	She nodded quickly, and pushed her way through past 
two agents, one of whom reached out to grab her arm.
	"Hey, Scully, how about a dance with me?" asked the 
taller, blond one, not bothering to disguise his attempt to peer 
down the front of her dress. Scully pulled back in disgust at the 
exact same moment that Mulder struck out with his fist, 
connecting with the blond agent's chin in a loud <crunch>. The 
slightly drunk man went down with barely a muttered gasp, his 
head bouncing off his friend's stomach before hitting the floor. 
Scully's eyes widened in surprise, but she reacted quickly, 
grabbing Mulder's arm and literally hauling him away before 
anyone else had a chance to react. Luckily, by the time the other 
man came out of shock and called attention to his unconscious 
partner, Scully and Mulder were slipping out the door.
-------------------------------

	Scully was silent as Mulder parked the car in front of 
her apartment. He glanced apprehensively at her as he turned off 
the engine. He knew hitting that man had not been the brightest 
thing he'd ever done, but surely she couldn't that mad at him. 
Still, if she was angry with him over the punch, better that than 
if she was annoyed with him for getting too, well, affectionate, 
in public. They had made quite a display of themselves, and 
Mulder couldn't help worrying. He didn't mind, as long as Scully 
wasn't upset; he had long since given up caring what the rest of 
the Bureau thought. He just didn't want to let anything come 
between him and Scully.
	As Scully got out of the car and walked up to her front 
door with Mulder trailing behind her, her thoughts and feelings 
were in a turmoil. She very upset with herself - with her utterly 
unprofessional behavior. She'd let her anger over their 
colleagues' treatment of Mulder push her into making a public 
display of herself. And she was felt humiliated by the way she'd 
thrown herself at Mulder. 
	Once they got to the door, she fumbled for her keys 
and unlocked it without meeting his eyes. 
	"Scully..." he said hesitantly.
	"Mulder, I..." she started to say as she steeled herself 
to meet his eyes. Her voice broke off as she caught the worried 
vulnerability in his face. 
	"Scully, I'm sorry if I did anything to embarrass you. I 
knew better than to go tonight. You shouldn't have been 
subjected to that." He studied her anxiously.
	"You have nothing to apologize for, Mulder," she 
replied vehemently. "You're not responsible for them, and they 
have no right to treat you like that."
	Mulder shrugged. "It comes with the territory, Scully. I 
don't mind too much for me, it's when they direct it at you that I 
get angry." His eyes turned liquid with warmth as he looked 
down at her. Scully found all her worries about her behavior 
fading away as she drowned in the dark depths of his eyes. 
Without saying a word, she leaned up against him and pulled his 
face down to hers.
	"Scully?" he whispered as he bent down to brush her 
lips with his.
	She answered him with a kiss.


	<Bang> The apartment door slammed shut, as Scully 
pressed Mulder against it. With her hands tightly clasped around 
his shoulders, she stepped up onto her toes so that she could 
more easily nuzzle her face into the hollow between his shoulder 
and chin. His breath caught in his throat as she licked at the 
pulse beating wildly in his neck, his mouth buried into the hair 
on the crown of her head. His fingertips traced every inch of her 
back avidly, tracing every line, every curve, like a blind man 
reading Braille.
	He breathed in the scent of her, clean and fragrant, a 
slight flowery perfume mixing with the strawberry of her 
shampoo. She tugged hard at the back of head, lowering his face 
down closer to hers so that she could tease the length of his jaw 
with her tongue, tasting the salt of his skin, nibbling at the point 
of his jaw.
	With a muttered groan, he tilted his head down even 
further, chasing her mouth with his. A silent laugh echoing in 
her mind, she twisted her head to avoid him, instead planting 
wet kissed along every bit of skin she could find: neck, chin, 
cheekbones, nose. Finally, he caught her mouth with his, 
plunging his tongue into the moist depths. The shock of that kiss 
sent flames racing along every nerve in her body. Opening her 
mouth, she rewarded him with full access, twining her fingers 
into his hair to pull him even closer. 
	Desire ran through them both like molten lava. Neither 
was aware of anything except the other. One bruising kiss 
followed another, they explored each other's bodies with 
possessive hands and mouths. Scully tugged at his tie, tossing it 
aside with total disregard, turning her attention to the frustrating 
buttons on his shirt. After fumbling with a couple, she gave up 
and yanked at the silky fabric, ripping it open. Sighing in 
satisfaction, she finally forced his shirt and coat off his body, 
then devoured the heated flesh of his chest with her hands and 
mouth.
	Mulder unzipped her dress, lowering it off her 
shoulders until it hung loosely from her elbows, revealing the 
milky-white skin of her chest and the upper slopes of her 
rounded breasts, still encased in the strapless red-lace bra. She 
rested in his arms, the shimmering red fabric falling in soft folds 
from pale, scented skin. He bent over her to taste the hollow of 
her throat as he deftly undid the bra and dropped it to the floor. 
Scully's eyes closed in pleasure as he drifted downward to lick 
around the edge of her right breast in teasing circles, working 
inward slowly - slowly. Her head fell back, a cry escaping her 
parted lips as he finally closed his mouth upon the already-
hardened nipple, grazing it with his teeth, then caressing it with 
his tongue. After a few moments, he moved to give the other 
one the same meticulous attention, loving the way her soft flesh 
molded to his lips.
	Her legs gave way and she rested in the strength of his 
arms, rotating her hips to fit her body against the hard length of 
his. He held her tight for a precious moment, then leaving one 
arm to support her back, he used the other to strip off her dress. 
It fell around her feet in a bright shiny pile of red satin. Then he 
swung her up into his arms and weeded his way through the 
semi-darkness into her bedroom. 
	He climbed up onto the bed, then lowered her ever so 
gently onto her back. She reached up for him, crying out in 
dismay as he pulled away to sit on the edge of the bed. She 
curled up swiftly to press herself into his back, stretching her 
arms under his to close them around him from behind. He leaned 
back against her, one hand still clutching the shoe he had 
removed, turning his head to meet her mouth. They savored a 
long slow kiss, then she pulled back and brushed his ear with her 
hot moist breath.
	"Let me, please." He nodded slightly and dropped the 
shoe as she pulled away to get down on her knees in front of 
him. He watched her with desire-darkened eyes, his heart 
pounding in his chest, as she removed his other shoe, his socks, 
then reached up to undo his belt buckle. He bent down over her 
to kiss the top of her head as she undid his pants and tugged 
them down over his hips. He helped her pull them off, then sat 
back, for a brief moment, fear and uncertainty clouding his 
expression. 
	Scully saw the emotions race across his mobile 
features, and reached up to reassure him. She kissed him gently 
on the mouth, then trailed quick darting kisses down his chest 
and belly. He moaned deep in his throat as she finally closed her 
mouth around his engorged penis, slipping her hands around his 
buttocks to hold him where she wanted him. 	
	Scully loved the feeling of having his flesh tight and 
swollen in her mouth, glorying in the physical expression of his 
desire for her. She continued licking and sucking on him until he 
cried out, his body jerking against her mouth, a few salty drops 
squeezing out of him. With an almost violent effort at 
maintaining control, he grasped her shoulders and thrust her 
away. She fought him briefly, her teeth dragging along the 
length of him before, she surrendered, letting him lower her to 
the floor.
	Mulder fell forward on top of her. She wrapped her 
arms and legs around him, pulling his head towards her so that 
he could share the taste of him in her mouth. He met her 
fiercely, his hands closing upon the sensitized flesh of her breast. 
They stayed locked in that position for a few moments, then he 
reluctantly released her mouth, both gasping for breath.
	With every intention of taking it slowly, he began to 
kiss his way down the length of her body, pausing to breath in 
the warm, sweet scent of her between her breasts, to taste again 
each rosy tip, to bite at the gently-rounded skin of her belly. But 
his desire to know all of her rose sharply as he stripped away her 
remaining undergarments, and found himself staring down at the 
auburn curls at the juncture of her legs. 	
	A keening cry of ecstasy escaped Scully's swollen lips 
as Mulder assaulted her aching moist center with his lips and 
tongue. She felt her insides melt and flow, as fire curled through 
her belly and stretched outward. She spread her legs wide giving 
full access to her, her hands clutching at his hair, her eyes 
closed, her breath coming in short gasps.
	Mulder loved the taste of her, lapping at her with his 
tongue, then moving to take the soft folds of flesh between his 
teeth. He nibbled at her for a while, then used his tongue to find 
and tease the very apex of her need, riding with her as her body 
began to convulse against him. Continuing to tongue her 
vigorously, he slid his right hand under her, then slowly pressed 
a finger into her. She opened for him like a flower in the spring. 
Satisfied she was fully ready for him, Mulder pulled up away 
from her, then came down covering her, silencing her protest 
with another passionate kiss. Feeling him settle down between 
her legs, she moaned into his mouth, wrapping her legs around 
his waist.
	"Please..." she murmured against his lips, "now." In 
response, he poised himself to enter her, then froze as a sudden 
worry struck him. "Oh, Scully....?"
	She clutched at him wildly, but as her passion-filled 
eyes met the question in his, she sighed and forced herself to 
relax. Closing her eyes, trying to focus on where she had stored 
that box of condoms, was the hardest thing she'd ever done. 
"There...drawer by the bed," she said, her voice trembling. 
Reluctantly he pulled himself up off her and reached for the 
drawer. Scully watched him move through heavy eyelids; 
appreciating the slender but strong lines of his body, enjoying 
the way the muscles flowed under his skin, the way his hair 
stood on end in the back, and the way the dark swath of bangs 
dominated his forehead. Above all, she loved the way his eyes 
glittered as he turned back to her with the small plastic necessity 
in his hand.
	"Let me?" she asked him, and again he let her take 
control, rolling over to lie on his back on the floor and opening 
his hand to let her retrieve the condom. She took her time 
applying it, caressing him with gentle, but thorough, fingers, 
liking the sound of his breath as it caught in his throat, then 
expelled in a whistling rush. She lingered over him for a 
moment, until he reached down to grasp her under her arms and 
slide her up across his body until she was resting on top of him. 
"I like this position," she told him with a smile.
	"I'm sure you do," her replied, returning her smile. His 
face suddenly closed up and he looked up into her deep blue 
eyes seriously. "Scully, are you sure?"
	She didn't even pause for a second. "Yes."
	Not willing to wait for him any longer, she pressed her 
hand into the tight space between their naked bodies, and closed 
it upon him, guiding herself down onto him. He went with her 
joyfully, thrusting up deeply into the furnace of her body, then 
lifting up a foot, he rolled them both over so that he could lower 
himself even deeper into her. 
	They started with a slow, easy motion at first, moving 
rhythmically and, always, in total synchronicity. But neither 
remained in control for very long, and their movements 
quickened. Mulder thrust into her over and over, harder and 
faster. She arched her hips up against him, inviting him, 
welcoming him. 
	They flew together, higher and higher, riding each 
wave of ecstasy until they both flew wildly over the edge. 
Mulder's body shook, while Scully dug her teeth so deeply into 
his shoulder she pierced the skin. For one brief moment, their 
bodies, minds, and souls melded into one. 
-----------------------------

	Margaret Scully walked briskly up her daughter's front 
yard, unable to avoid the small trickle of remembered fear that 
always accompanied her as she faced this door. She would never 
lose the memory of the night she had raced here, guided purely 
by her intuition, only to find the apartment surrounded by the 
glittering police lights - to find that her daughter was gone, 
abducted into the night. She shivered slightly, then forced 
herself to put the fear aside, resolutely assuming a calm 
expression as she knocked perfunctorily at the door, then 
opened it and stepped inside.
	"Dana?" she called out, surprised not to hear her 
daughter's warm voice calling out to come on in. Dana was 
expecting her, they had planned this day over a week ago. 
Surely Dana would have called her if something had come up at 
work. Just as a new flood of fear began to clutch at her heart, 
her foot hit something soft and yielding on the floor. Bending 
down, she found herself standing on top of a discarded pile of 
bright red velvet. Not far from it she noticed another pile of 
clothes, this time a man's suit jacket and white shirt. 
Automatically, she gathered it all up off the floor, her eyes 
widening in a mixture of surprise and growing amusement. If 
this meant what it looked like it meant...
	A small black folder fell out of the pocket of the jacket 
to land half-open at her feet. The corners of her mouth began to 
creep slowly upward as she reached to flip it open to see the 
small grainy photograph of a familiar man, dark hazel eyes 
staring up calmly from a strong, handsome face. Her smile grew 
until it filled her entire face, and she only barely stifled a laugh. 
Oh yes! Please let mean what I think it does, she prayed, picking 
up the I.D. folder and walking as quietly as possible into the 
living room. No-one there.
	She deposited their clothes on the couch, draping the 
dress out carefully, and smoothing out some wrinkles 
absentmindedly as she considered the situation. She could just 
turn around and leave. There would almost certainly be a pay-
phone at the convenience store around the corner. It might be a 
good idea to call and remind Dana she was coming. On the 
other hand, a mischievous glint sparkled in her dark eyes, this 
was too good to miss.
	Putting her purse down on the bedside table 	she tip-
toed over to the slightly ajar bedroom door. Putting a hand on 
the doorknob she slid it open slowly, leaning around the edge to 
peer into the room. Light filtered through half-open curtains to 
illuminate the two entwined bodies on the bed. Dana was half-
covering Fox, her bright head resting against his chest,  his 
fingers buried in her auburn hair which shimmered in the 
morning light. His other arm was wrapped tightly around her 
back, his fingers splayed possessively over the small of her 
naked back while her left hand curled around his shoulder. Fox's 
face was relaxed in his slumber, the lines of worry and anguish 
so often present in his waking our smoothed out, taking years 
with them. He looked achingly young and innocent to Margaret 
Scully's approving eye. 
	She stood in the doorway for a few long moments, 
warm delight infusing her heart. Over the past year, she had 
come to love Fox Mulder as though he was one of her own 
children. His courage and rock-hard faith had supported her 
through the long weeks of Dana's abduction, and no-one had 
suffered greater anguish then this man when Dana had been so 
near to death afterwards. Margaret could not have wished for a 
better man to fill her daughter's life: he was intelligent, decent, 
kind, and strong. Above-all, his love for her daughter was real 
and true. What more could any mother ask?
	She did realize that there were problems facing the 
young couple sleeping peacefully in front of her. While she 
didn't know all of it, Dana had told her enough to know that 
there were terrors haunting Fox's past and present. And the risks 
of their chosen profession was enough to give any loving parent 
nightmares. But they were both adults, and she had to respect 
their right to make their own decisions. Besides, she felt that as 
long as they were together, there was nothing they couldn't 
overcome. Perhaps that was overly romantic of her, she 
thought, but she had learned to trust her instincts. In this case 
her instincts were singing with joy.
	The only question remaining was whether she should 
wake them or let them sleep. They made such a lovely picture 
pressed close together, clinging to each other even in their 
dreams. If only she had a camera. Wait! Her smile deepened. 
She DID have a camera. She'd wanted to get a couple up-to-
date pictures of Dana, so she'd loaded her small instant camera 
and put it in her purse before she'd left the house that very 
morning. Trying to make as little noise as possible she went 
back into the living room.

	<FLASH> Fox Mulder squinted and shielded his 
blinded eyes. "Nooo," he tried to scream, reaching out for his 
sister as she floated from the room, but no sound came out. 
	<Flash> He bolted upright in bed, his eyes jerking open 
to face a woman pointing a camera directly at his face. A very 
familiar woman, he suddenly realized as she lowered the camera 
and grinned at him  "Mrs. Scully?" he whispered in shock, the 
feel of movement against his naked -naked?!- skin suddenly 
reminding him of where he was. His eyes widened, his jaw 
dropping, as a slow blush began to creep its way across his 
cheekbones.
	"Fox..." Dana murmured, still half-asleep, reaching out 
to pull him back down towards her. Her only conscious desire 
was the need to feel his arms back around her, to regain the 
taste of his mouth on hers. With heavy-lidded eyes, she focused 
up at him, only to find his eyes were fixed, staring in horror out 
over the top of her head. "What?" she asked, slowly turning to 
look back over her shoulder, her blue eyes widening in surprise 
as she met her mother's amused gaze.
	"Mom, what are you doing here?" she blinked and 
rubbed her eyes. Sudden realization dawned, as memory struck 
her. "Oh no, Mom, I completely forgot!" She said struggling up 
to a sitting position, clutching the sheet up against her breasts.
	"That's obvious, dear," Margaret said, her voice filled 
with laughter. Almost simultaneously, an aggrieved male voice 
said into her ear, "Forgot what?"
	"Mulder!" she turned to face him. "I'm sorry, Mom and 
I had planned to go out to lunch, then shopping to buy Melissa's 
birthday present. I just completely forgot," she rambled, 
embarrassment flooding her cheeks with color. 
	"That's okay," Margaret said, lifting the camera again. 
"Just turn around and smile." The camera flashed again the 
moment Dana turned her head.
	"MOTHER!" she yelled, shielding her eyes. "Don't do 
that!" Behind her,  Mulder buried his head in his hands, sliding 
down underneath her.
	"Sorry, Dana, but you two make such a sweet picture. 
Your kids will love seeing these pictures someday."
	"Kids!?!?!? Mother!" Dana replied with annoyance. 
"We..." she started to protest, but the warmth and laughter in 
her mother's eyes was contagious, and one look at Mulder, still 
hiding his face in his arms was just too much. She started to 
giggle. Hearing her, he peeked up though his fingers at her and 
gave her such a boyish look of annoyed embarrassment, that she 
lost it and started laughing loudly. Her mother grinned again and 
joined in, both women shaking with mirth.
	"This isn't funny!" Mulder protested, his cheeks still 
burning bright red. Dana coughed and tried to halt her laughter 
as she reached out to brush tenderly at his bangs. "No of course 
not," she said, her blue eyes twinkling like sapphires. "Its not 
funny at all." But she couldn't help herself, he looked so 
incredibly cute, she started giggling again. 
	He stared at her for a moment, still stiff with irritation, 
but she was so beautiful. Her fiery hair curled in every direction, 
her eyes sparkled with light and warmth, her red, full lips were 
curved upwards in a sweet smile, her laughter made her chest 
heave appealingly. A sudden rush of emotion, desire and 
warmth, love and joy, overwhelmed him. Sighing, he gave up on 
being annoyed, and found himself starting to laugh too. 
	Actually, it really WAS rather funny.
----------------------------------------
	Whistling under his breath, Fox Mulder walked briskly 
into the busy lobby of FBI headquarters. He favored the desk 
clerk with a brilliant smile as he fastened his I.D. badge to his 
jacket. Wandering down the hallway towards the elevator, his 
mind was miles away. It had turned out to be one of the 
happiest weekends of his life. Thank goodness Mrs. Scully had 
been so approving of him and Dana. Otherwise, it could have 
been a really difficult situation. But she had seemed to be 
delighted, and the three of them had spent a wonderful day 
together. For the first time since he was twelve, he felt like he 
had a real family. That feeling made everything seem warmer 
and brighter. He knew they had a ton of problems to work out, 
but for the first time, in a very long time, he actually felt like 
they might succeed.
	There was still the question of juggling their personal 
and professional relationship. And of keeping it a necessary 
secret. He could only hope they hadn't spoiled things Friday 
night at the dance. But who could have known that miserable 
Bureau function would end the way it had. He bared his teeth in 
a grin as he wondered what Skinner would have to say if Mulder 
thanked him for getting him and Scully 'together.' He shook his 
head slightly, as he reached to press the elevator button.
	"Hey, Spooky!" called a voice behind him. His back 
stiffened automatically in response to the detested nickname, as 
he turned around to face Agent Greyson and a couple of his 
friends. Oh no, please not now, he thought, with a rush of panic. 
He kept his face composed and expressionless as he stood 
looking at them, fiercely determined not to let them ruin his 
mood.
	"I wouldn't have believed it." Gray said shaking his 
head in disbelief, and reaching out to slap Mulder on the 
shoulder. Mulder winced slightly and pulled back to stare 
quizzically at Gray. "What wouldn't you believe?" he asked 
hesitantly, not sure he really wanted to find out what this jerk 
was going on about.
	"That you would have what it takes to melt 'Doc Ice.'" 
Gray boomed, the other two men joining him in laughter. "Way 
to go, man!" Gray pummeled Mulder's shoulder, then moved 
away, his two groupies in tow, both leering at the astonished 
Mulder.
	"'Doc Ice?'" Mulder echoed, standing frozen in place, 
feeling like his jaw had just hit the floor. What on earth?
	"Agent Mulder!" an impatient female voice demanded 
his attention. "Yes," he responded, turning to see Skinner's 
assistant eyeing him with disfavor. "Assistant Director Skinner 
would like to see you in his office immediately." She pushed her 
glasses up on her nose, turned on her heel, and stalked away, 
leaving him to trail dejectedly after her. Here it comes, he 
thought, trying to brace himself.
	
	"When I agreed it would be a good idea for Mulder to 
attend the Bureau dinner, it was not meant to be permission for 
the two of you to put yourselves on public display, Agent 
Scully." Skinner said in his best Marine Sergeant's voice.
	Scully shifted in her chair, feeling like she was a 
teenager sitting in the high school principle's office. "I'm sorry, 
Sir," she replied. "We didn't mean to do anything 
unprofessional. All we did was dance. We assumed that's why 
there was a band and dance-floor available." She met his eyes 
defiantly.
	Skinner had to try hard not to start laughing, but he 
had years of experience at keeping his expression grim. 
"Dancing? Indeed." He peered at her sternly through his glasses. 
"I hope you realize, Agent Scully, that the F.B.I. frowns on 
personal 'relationships' between its agents, especially agents 
working together."
	Scully swallowed nervously, then looked her boss 
straight in the eyes. "Yes, I understand that, Sir."
	"I certainly hope so. Further, I expect you and Agent 
Mulder to behave with proprietry. I will not tolerate any further 
public displays of that sort. Do you understand?" he replied, his 
voice devoid of emotion or emphasis.
	Scully leaned forward in her seat, blue eyes widening 
slightly. Had she really seen him wink at her? Presently, he was 
gazing calmly at her, waiting for her reply.
	"Ye..yes,sir," she stuttered. "I do understand. It won't 
happen again."
	"Good. That will be all, Agent Scully," he dismissed 
her, picking up a pencil to write a quick note on the file in front 
of him. She watched him for a brief moment, then got up and 
went to the door. Opening it she ran straight into Mulder who 
gazed down at her in surprise. "Scully?"
	"Mulder, I..." she turned and looked back at Skinner 
who lifted his head to peer at them both. "That's all right, Agent 
Mulder. Agent Scully can fill you in."
	"What?" Mulder asked in confusion.
	"I'll tell you later, Mulder," Scully answered, taking 
Mulder by the arm and leading him away.
	
	As they walked down the corridor, Mulder leaned 
down to talk into her ear. "What was that all about, Scully?"
	"He just wanted to make sure we did not indulge in any 
future displays of  'unprofessional behavior.'" Scully replied, her 
shoulder brushing his arm as she smiled up at him.
	Mulder enjoyed the warmth of her smile for a moment, 
then his brow crinkled in uncertainty. Why did she seem so 
happy about it. In his experience getting reamed out by the A.D. 
was like getting a tooth pulled. No one ever enjoyed it.
	"He said no further PUBLIC displays, Mulder," she 
said, her smile widening into a bright grin.
	"You don't mean?"
	"I'm not sure, but I'd swear he winked at me."
	"Skinner?" Mulder stopped dead in his tracks and 
stared down at her. "You're kidding!"
	Scully shook her head, auburn curls sliding over blue-
clad shoulders. 
	"No, but we'd better be careful not to push our luck."
	Mulder nodded agreement. They walked over the 
elevator in silence, keeping just enough discreet space between 
them. But as soon as the elevator door closed behind them, 
Mulder seized Scully's shoulders and pulled her against him, 
kissing her hungrily. She leaned into his embrace, then pulled 
away to gaze up into his liquid, green-tinged eyes. "Getting 
caught like this is hardly going to do out reputation any good, 
Mulder," she chided, the warmth in her face belying her words.
	"It may not do your reputation any good, but I think 
this has already done wonders for mine," he replied ruefully.
	"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked eyeing him 
with concern.
	"Oh nothing....'Doc Ice,'" he said, giving her a slow, 
teasing grin.
	"What!" her eyes darkened in sudden fury. "Where did 
you hear that?"
	"Who else, but Gray," he replied.
	"That son-of-a-bitch!" she whispered furiously.
	"You never told me you had a nickname, Scully," he 
said, still giving her that incredibly annoying grin.	
	"Use it and I'll kick your butt, 'Spooky!'" She glared at 
him, her eyes spitting daggers. He tried straighten his 
expression, since he really did understand how much that 
nickname must have hurt her. The problem was that she looked 
so incredibly gorgeous, her full red mouth trembling in a slight 
pout, her blue eyes glinting, her cheeks flushed. 
	"Hmm, now that has possibilties!" he just had to say. 
Then before she could open her mouth to speak, he silenced her 
with his mouth, drawing her into a long, exquisitely sweet kiss. 
Afterwards he held her close for another fleeting moment. As 
the door began to open, he let her go, but not before he 
whispered in her ear.
	"I love you, Doc."

The End