From: bellydancergirl7@aol.com   
      
   Title: Flitare con L'amore   
      
   Author: sitarra   
      
   Email: bellydancergirl7@aol.com   
      
   Classification: Historical AU, Mulder/Scully romance   
      
   Keywords: MSR, R, AU   
      
   Rating: PG-13   
      
   Spoilers: Definitely not   
      
   Summary: "Is this such a good idea, Maximus? You and I?"    
      
   Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. The characters Maximus and    
   Lucilla are property of DreamWorks SKG. The characters of Mulder and    
   Scully, as well as friends and family, are property of 20th Century    
   Fox Television. I am simply borrowing and combining them for my own    
   amusement.    
      
   A/N: You know how some AU's take you back in time? Well, this one's    
   taking you *way* back in time. Thanks to Sam (Cheeto) for allowing me    
   to use her for my story. I hope everyone loves this story as much as    
   I loved writing it. I love AUs and I was inspired by watching    
   Gladiator so this story is what came of it. I had to change the    
   geography a little bit because it hurts a part of the story if I    
   don't. And I apologize for any and all spelling and grammar errors.    
   Also, if anything seems too out of character that isn't later    
   explained somehow, tell me. I have worked so hard making everything    
   try to seem just like Mulder and Scully.   
      
   Characters:    
   Lucilla (Dana Scully) – daughter of Roman Emperor   
   Maximus Decidus (Fox Mulder) – general loyal to Roman Emperor   
   Marcus Aurelius (Captain Scully) – Emperor of Rome   
   Sephora – friend of Lucilla   
   Mardious (Langley) – soldier in Maximus' army   
   Domitius (Byers) – lieutenant general loyal to Maximus   
   Mardian (Frohike) – eunuch and servant to Lucilla, somewhat    
   infatuated with her   
   Palidorus (Skinner) – attendant to Maximus   
   Melania (Maggie Scully) – wife of Marcus Aurelius   
   Camidus (Charlie Scully) – youngest son of Marcus Aurelius   
   Sophronia (my friend Sam) – cousin of Lucilla, obsessed with Maximus   
   Octavia (Diana) – cousin of Pharaoh Ptolemy XII   
      
   *** **   
      
   9 November 173   
      
   There were no trumpets, no grand parades, or adoring love from the    
   public. There was only him and his horse, Alexander, riding down the    
   crowded streets of Appian Way. He nodded to the occasional passer-by    
   that recognized him and greeted him. Off in the distance, just to the    
   north of him, his eyes were treated to the site of the grand palace.    
   It seemed the sun always hit it just right, just perfect enough to    
   make it glisten in the sun. It was his favorite site to see. Well,    
   one of them anyway.   
      
   "Look, father! It's Maximus!" a little boy said as Maximus neared the    
   palace. The boy's father looked up from his cart and smiled and waved    
   at the general. Maximus smile back at the two, albeit somewhat shyly.    
   He never knew how to respond to people's attention.   
      
   The guards at the front gate saluted him when he passed through. On    
   the palace steps, he could see his old friend, Emperor Marcus    
   Aurelius. He held up a hand in greeting. Beside Aurelius was Melania,    
   his wife, and Lucilla, his daughter. His blood warmed at the sight of    
   Lucilla. There was a mutual attraction between the two, had been for    
   years. It never went beyond flirting, though. A lot of flirting;    
   enough to create walls of sexual tension. He supposed eventually they    
   should take it further – he knew he certainly wanted to – but, while    
   Aurelius treated him like a son, Aurelius only knew him as an army    
   general.   
      
   Still, there was something about Lucilla that intrigued him, that    
   made him want to take that step. She was so… powerful and in control.    
   She had an authority about her and a mischievous gleam in her blue    
   eyes. She knew she could always get what she wanted from him.   
      
   "Maximus, so wonderful to see you again," Aurelius greeted him after    
   he swung down from his horse.   
      
   Maximus saluted the older man as he stood in front of him. "Caesar,    
   it's good to see you again. My days grow long with no wars to fight."   
      
   "It won't last long. I'm not so fond of Parthia these days."   
      
   Maximus stepped over to Melania, pressing a kiss to her hand.   
      
   "You must move here one day soon, Maximus. My husband grows bored    
   with no warfare conversations," she told him. She was a beautiful    
   woman with round brown eyes and wavy brown hair to match. She wasn't    
   very tall but next to her husband, no one could tell.   
      
   "Forgive me, Melania. Perhaps one day I might consider moving back to    
   Rome, but there is a better way of life in Alexandria without the    
   politics of Rome," he explained.   
      
   "Come, Maximus. You must see the layout of my latest front," Aurelius    
   interrupted. "I need your help making sure it's at its strongest." He    
   and his wife started to head back inside.   
      
   Maximus waited until he could no longer see them before    
   speaking. "It's been a while, Lucilla. The year has done you    
   extraordinarily well."   
      
   "And you, Maximus." She held her hand out to him, which he gladly    
   accepted.   
      
   "You become more beautiful each time I see you," he flattered before    
   kissing her hand sweetly.   
      
   "Such a flatterer, Maximus. What do you expect in return? Praise,    
   perhaps, of past battles won?"   
      
   He met her piercing blue eyes. "Nothing but your presence, Lucilla."   
      
   Her brow rose. "Only my presence?" she smiled slyly before walking    
   away. She knew he wouldn't be far behind.   
      
   "You fill my mind with pleasant but inappropriate thoughts," Maximus    
   shared as he followed. He watched the sway of her walk as she moved    
   ever so gracefully in front of him.   
      
   "The thoughts in your head now are certainly most inappropriate," she    
   wisely told him, a smug grin on her face.   
      
   `Busted.' "And how would you know that, Lucilla?"   
      
   She turned around suddenly, her long, curly red hair flowing around    
   her shoulders. "A soldier spends months at a time without seeing a    
   single woman. You have only men to look at, to talk to, to share    
   company with."   
      
   "I'll have you know I saw many women on the way here and I didn't    
   have a single inappropriate thought about any one of them," Maximus    
   defended. He stepped suspiciously closer to her but she didn't mind.    
   If he didn't know better, he'd say she moved closer as well. "And    
   yet, when I saw you, Lucilla, I could think of nothing but… naughty    
   thoughts of you and me."   
      
   "And what sort of thoughts would those be?" she murmured slowly.   
      
   He held her eyes for a few moments before breaking into a grin.   
      
   "I've kept your father waiting long enough."   
      
   He began to walk forwards but her hands shot out to stop him.   
      
   "Maximus, it is good to see you again. I wish you would visit more    
   often."   
      
   "But then I wouldn't leave you something to look forward to."   
      
   She smiled faintly. "Will I see you tonight?"   
      
   "Don't you always?"   
      
   *** **   
      
   That Night   
      
   Aurelius patted Maximus on the back as they walked together.   
      
   "Maximus, my boy, times are changing, I'm afraid. The Senate is    
   becoming increasingly unsatisfied." His white beard shook as he    
   spoke. His head was almost bare of hair and he and a penchant for    
   long robes.   
      
   "Who do they hate these days?"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)