From: bellydancergirl7@aol.com   
      
   All notes disclosed in chapter one. A/N: I apologize for the delay.   
   I've been so busy with classes and being sick. I'll make it up with a   
   really long story that I'll start posting as soon as I'm done with   
   this one.   
      
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   `If I want to wear lingerie outside of my clothes   
   If I want to be erotic in my own videos   
   If I want to be provocative, well that ain't a sin   
   Maybe you're not comfortable in your own skin'   
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   November 13, 1999   
      
   "My, my Dr. Scully," said Mulder's voice from behind her. "You are   
   looking very beautiful this evening."   
      
   Dana didn't bother to turn around. She just continued to sip at her   
   water.   
      
   "Then again, you look beautiful all the time," he murmured in her   
   ear. A shiver involuntarily went through her body.   
      
   Remembering herself, she said, "I can still leave, Mulder. Remember,   
   you invited me."   
      
   "I know and I sincerely hope you stay. My evening would be lost   
   without you," he told her honestly. He moved the small distance to   
   his chair, his eyes never leaving her. "Great dress by the way."   
      
   Dana blushed and looked down at the table. "Well, you said dress   
   formal and everything else I have formal is at the cleaners." *That's   
   my story and I'm sticking to it.*   
      
   "Well, I'm glad you saved this dress for me then." Dana gave him what   
   he's affectionately dubbed `the eye' before deciding to let the dress   
   matter go. She took his silence as the intuitive to start the evening.   
      
   "What did you want, Mulder?" she asked bluntly.   
      
   He didn't miss a beat. "To spend more time with the most beautiful   
   doctor in the world. And, remember. I'm still trying to win you over."   
      
   "Do you always try to be this charming?"   
      
   "Oh, I don't try. I am."   
      
   Dana pursed her lips, pretending to take offense but he knew she was   
   trying not to smile.   
      
   "You know I'm right. I can see it in your eyes."   
      
   "Yeah? Well, what else can you see?"   
      
   Mulder looked clearly in her eyes and she stared straight back.   
      
   "You're willing to give me a chance. But you're a very stubborn   
   person. That's okay; I am too. You have some things you don't want to   
   share though. You keep things hidden," he summed up.   
      
   She shielded her eyes, her guard coming up. Mulder saw it. His hand   
   immediately reached out for hers, his fingers tangling with hers.   
      
   "It's okay though. I'm really good at getting people to open up to   
   me," he assured quickly to restore the good vibe they had going.   
      
   She smiled and looked up at him. "How are you so different from every   
   other man I know?"   
      
   He opened his mouth to reply but quickly shut it. He was amazed at   
   how quickly he'd been taken under her spell. And doubly amazed to see   
   how quickly she could become a completely different person. She was   
   undoubtedly different from any other woman he'd ever met but she was   
   also a woman holding back.   
      
   "I don't know," he finally said. "But I'm hoping you'll keep me   
   around so you can figure out I'm like no one else."   
      
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   Dinner went by smoothly. They kept up the conversation, never   
   faltering once. He found out quickly it was near impossible to take   
   his eyes off of her. He found himself glancing down to her ring   
   finger on more than one occasion, noting the lack of her ring. Maybe   
   she just forgot to put it on.   
      
   "When are you going to finish telling me your stories, Mulder?" Dana   
   reminded him, sipping at her wine.   
      
   "Ah, yes, the stories," he spoke dramatically, winning a smile from   
   her. "How `bout I put a different spin on it this week?"   
      
   "Be my guest. Educate me, Mulder."   
      
   He seemed to think about what he wanted to say first, but she knew he   
   already had something clearly in mind. He opened his mouth to start…   
   but what came instead, she wasn't expecting.   
      
   "You're not gonna fall asleep on me again, are you?"   
      
   "I told you I was sorry about that," she reminded him, wondering how   
   long she'd have to apologize for it.   
      
   Mulder smiled. "It's okay. It's comforting to know that you felt   
   secure enough to sleep next to me."   
      
   Dana turned sheepish, her eyes falling down to the table. "Yeah,   
   well… you gonna tell me another story or what?"   
      
   "They're not stories," he corrected.   
      
   "Are you gonna tell me one or not?" she huffed, becoming impatient.   
      
   He smiled slyly. "You like to toy around with me, don't you?"   
      
   "Mulder!"   
      
   "Why don't we walk and talk instead?"   
      
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   "… no, I know Helios. Tell me about somebody else."   
      
   "Okay, let's go back to Hinduism. I have some really good stories   
   from there."   
      
   "But we were already there."   
      
   "We're going back.   
      
   Dana smiled. As much as she hated being told what to do or   
   controlled, she loved the way he took control. They were walking   
   along the river walk arm in arm. It was still amazing her how normal   
   it felt when she slipped her arm through his on a whim. Their steps   
   were slow, deliberate, evenly matched and in time with each other.   
   She was glad there was a nice breeze. It was keeping the blush she   
   felt threatening away.   
      
   "I think I'll begin with the river goddess, Sarasvati. She is also   
   the goddess of speech and learning."   
      
   "Oh, well I can definitely learn to like her," she interrupted.   
      
   "She's the wife of Brahma, who I'll get to later. Her beauty is so   
   great, Brahma grew five faces so that he could see her from every   
   direction."   
      
   Dana turned her head to look at him, loving the smile she saw. "I   
   think I can see where today's stories are going," she mused out loud   
   to him.   
      
   His eyes twinkled with delight. "Moving on… Shiva is a god. Don't get   
   him confused with others. He's part of the Trinity of Hinduism,   
   Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the protector, and Shiva is the   
   destroyer. But… there's an exception," his voice spoke   
   dramatically. "See, along with being the god of sexual power and the   
   god of destruction- he's also the creator of the universe."   
      
   Her brow knitted. "But I thought you said Brahma is the creator."   
      
   "That's the exception. Shiva destructs to recreate. What he does is   
   dance the world to destruction just so he can create it again."   
      
   "Well, that's kind of… stupid."   
      
   "Stupid? That's the best word you can come up with? You're a doctor."   
      
   She bumped him with her hip. "Shut up, I couldn't think of anything."   
      
   "Apparently. I thought doctors were supposed to have really good   
   educations," he teased. She gave him a mean look but it didn't look   
   so mean to him.   
      
   "Just continue."   
      
   His voice lowered to a soft tone. "Lakshmi is the goddess of good   
   fortune and beauty, light, and wisdom. She and her husband Vishnu are   
   the eternal couple. They follow each other through incarnation after   
   incarnation.   
      
   "And the last one is Brahma. He is the creator and the created;   
   invented the universe. He sprang from Purusha's mouth: his head   
   became the sky, his eye became the sun, his navel the atmosphere, and   
   his feet the earth. Brahma, as Prajapati, desired his daughter. She   
   changed into a deer to escape him, so he changed into a stag. The   
   pursuit continued, creating all the world's animals."   
      
   Dana was silent for some time after that. She'd caught what he was   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)