From: bellydancergirl7@aol.com   
      
   Title: Facciata   
   Author: sitarra   
   Email: bellydancergirl7@aol.com   
   Distribution: all okay   
   Classification: S, A, R   
   Keywords: MSR, AU, S/o kind of   
   Rating: PG-13   
   Spoilers: all things   
   Summary: `She was an engaged woman but he wanted her. He wanted to   
   break down her façade.'   
   Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Files, the X-Files characters, or the   
   song used at the beginning of every chapter. But I really wish I did.   
   A/N: I've discovered I have a weakness for AU stories.  I just had to   
   give it another shot and this time I didn't get bored with it.  The   
   exerts of the song used throughout the story at the beginning of   
   every chapter is Christina Aguilera's song `Still Dirrty.'  I knew   
   it'd be perfect for what I wanted to show with this story.  With the   
   title meaning façade, that should give you a hint as to what the   
   story's about and why I used the song.   
   Progress: Complete   
   Special thanks: much thanks to Daniel S. Bennett (he told me to put   
   that) for putting up with my endless, undecided notions. And Kathie   
   for helping me feel better about my story and writing. And Samantha   
   for helping me in general and always keeping me laughing in German   
   class.   
   0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0   
      
   `There's a woman inside of all of us   
   Who never quite seems to get enough   
   Tryin' to play by the rules is rough   
   `Cause sooner or later something's gonna erupt'   
      
   0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0   
      
   October 18, 1998   
      
   Dana Scully. Scully. She'd become quite attached to her name in her   
   thirty-five years of life. She'd grown fond and proud of it. How dare   
   Daniel suggest she take his name! After she'd made a name for herself   
   in the business. She was finally of status, people knew her name, her   
   work – there was no way she was changing her name.   
      
   She stopped her fuming long enough to switch back into work mode. So   
   far, it had been an extremely slow day. She was left with almost   
   nothing to do. The last of her week-long patients had been released   
   earlier in the morning. She was beginning to wonder if one could   
   literally die from boredom.   
      
   She was making her way past the ER doors when it happened. Paramedics   
   burst through the doors, two gurneys moving just as fast.   
      
   "Dr. Scully, gunshot wounds. It's pretty bad," one of the EMTs said   
   to her. She quickly sided up next to him.   
      
   "What happened to him?"   
      
   "FBI agent shot in the left shoulder. He's already lost consciousness   
   on us once. Bullet's still lodged in there."   
      
   "What's his name?"   
      
   "Fox Mulder."   
      
   Dana saw the man's eyes flutter in response to his name. Were they   
   green or brown? It didn't matter; she'd never seen such beautiful   
   eyes.   
      
   She took a hold of his hand, mostly for medical reasons but something   
   else pulled her to do it. He was pulling her in.   
      
   "Mr. Mulder, I need you to hang in there for me," she said to him   
   slowly. "I'm Dr. Scully. I'm going to get that bullet out, but I need   
   you to stay with me until we get there."   
      
   The haze lifted from his eyes, albeit momentarily Dana knew. His grip   
   tightened on her hand, surprising her, to gain her attention. His   
   lips moved to form words she had to strain to hear.   
      
   "You… beautiful," his voice rasped. The corners of his mouth turned   
   up with a weak smile. Despite the urgency of the situation, Dana   
   allowed a small smile to slip.   
      
   "Thank you, Mr. Mulder. Now, I want you to keep your eyes open and   
   focused on me. I need to know that you're awake," she explained to   
   him, her heart racing at the situation. Or maybe it was the man in   
   front of her. "I want you to nod your head and promise me."   
      
   It looked as if it took some effort but he managed to nod, his eyes   
   staying on hers.   
      
   "Promise… beautiful."   
      
   0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0   
      
   She saw those gorgeous green eyes every time she closed her eyes. She   
   couldn't stop thinking about him. Or what he had said. She knew there   
   was the possibility that he was simply delirious at the time but   
   there was something about the intensity of his eyes that told her he   
   was still in his right mind.   
      
   She couldn't remember the last time the sincerity of a man's comment   
   made her feel so good. She missed the way she used to feel so   
   exhilarated, so loved. His hand was so warm when she held it earlier;   
   of course he also had a fever developing at the same time but it was   
   warm and comforting nonetheless. She never wanted to stop looking   
   into his eyes either.   
      
   A sudden burst of laughter brought her back to the party at present.   
   Her arm made its way back to Daniel's, remembering again that he   
   liked her to keep up an appearance. Luckily the group around her   
   didn't notice she was the only one not laughing.   
      
   She was tired of these formal events, tired of being put on display   
   by Daniel. But she endured it. She knew how much it meant to him to   
   be there on his arm. But after what seemed like the millionth party,   
   her arm was getting pretty tired.   
      
   "Dana? Dana, what's wrong?"   
      
   She was brought back to the group by the second. She put on that   
   familiar apologetic face she'd recently added to her list of masks   
   and turned her face her fiancé.   
      
   "I'm sorry, what did you say?"   
      
   "Is something wrong, Dana? You're so far away," Daniel noticed.   
      
   Dana smiled apologetically at him. "I'm sorry, I'm just not feeling   
   like myself this evening. Would you mind terribly if I went home?"   
      
   "No, not at all. The evening's almost over anyway," he mused,   
   glancing around him. "Why don't you go on home and relax and I'll   
   call you later?"   
      
   Dana smiled gratefully. "That sounds good." She stood on her tip toes   
   to kiss his cheek. "Thank you. I'll talk to you later."   
      
   Daniel smiled widely at her and watched her until she was out the   
   door.   
      
   0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0   
      
   `God, I hate that smell.'   
      
   That was Mulder's first thought as he woke up. He was aware of the   
   dull pain coming from his shoulder but he paid no mind of it.   
      
   He opened his eyes slowly, darkness assaulting his eyes. He saw the   
   full moon shining back at him through the window, a few stars even   
   twinkling at him.   
      
   He couldn't hear much except the beep of his monitors and the clicks   
   and thuds of footsteps walking past his door.   
      
   "Mr. Mulder, so good to see you're awake."   
      
   Or maybe to his door.   
      
   The happy nurse continued, "You've been out almost twelve hours. We   
   expected you to be awake hours ago. Must have needed the sleep. How   
   do you feel?"   
      
   His throat was rough but he managed. "Thirsty."   
      
   The nurse poured him a cup of water from his bedside and handed it to   
   him. "Drink slowly," she reminded him. Reluctantly he complied.   
      
   The nurse still continued. "I'll be your nurse at night. My name's   
   Anna. Whenever you need something, just push the call button over   
   here on your right."   
      
   Handing his cup to Anna, he tested his ability to talk again. "Thank   
   you… Anna," he managed, his words broken. "Doctor?"   
      
   "Dr. Scully will be by first thing in the morning. You're currently   
   her only patient until Monday."   
      
   "Name?"   
      
   "I just told you--Dr. Scully."   
      
   Mulder shook his head. "First."   
      
   A knowing smile spread across Anna's face. "Her name is Dana. And   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)