From: colbysgurl@shaw.ca   
      
   Authors: Sassy and Jacquie   
      
      
      
   Category: MSR Romance   
      
      
      
   Summary: where "Paper Hearts" left off.   
      
      
      
   Rating: M   
      
      
      
      
      
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   Scully walked back to her car, still tingling from holding Mulder. He slowly   
   walked to his car. He noticed her still sitting in her car as he was   
   unlocking his door. He tapped on the window. "You okay?"   
      
   Scully jumped and then she blushed. "Yeah. I'm great." She started her car   
   as she added "Go home and get some sleep, Mulder."   
      
   "Me...sleep," he said to himself as he got into his own car. Scully watched   
   him go with a sigh. She went home and kicked off her shoes, then went to get   
   changed. She took out a tub of Rocky Road ice-cream and started to watch   
   "Casablanca"   
      
   Mulder was still a little drunk when he knocked on her door later that   
   evening. "Scully? You in there?"   
      
   Scully had fallen asleep on the couch, still holding her ice cream. Her eyes   
   opened slightly and then her brain registered there was someone at the   
   door...it sounded an awful lot like Mulder. She opened the door for him,   
   sighing when she realized he was drunk.   
      
   "Can I come in?" he said, leaning against the doorframe.   
      
   Scully grabbed his elbow to keep him from losing his balance. "Come on,   
   let's get you sitting."   
      
   "I'm not drunk. Well, I was...but not anymore. I can walk just fine." Mulder   
   pulled away from her.   
      
   Scully put her hands up in a gesture of surrender. She glanced nervously at   
   the ice cream tub. "Can I get you some coffee?"   
      
   "Coffee would be good."   
      
   Scully swiped up the ice cream tub, sticking the lid on it. She put it back   
   in the fridge before making a move toward the coffee machine. She couldn't   
   explain it, but she didn't want Mulder to know she had been getting   
   depressed over him and eating ice cream.   
      
   Mulder followed her. "Do I need to leave? I'm sure you were sleeping. I   
   shouldn't have come here, Scully. Never mind on that coffee." He turned and   
   headed for the door.   
      
   "Mulder, don't be silly. Come on. Sit down." Scully caught him by the hand,   
   only holding it briefly.   
      
   He slid down on her couch. "You know...suddenly, I don't feel so good." He   
   ran in the direction of her bathroom. He was retching in her toilet when she   
   caught up with him. Scully wordlessly knelt down beside him. "I'm sorry,   
   Scully. Sometimes I just miss her."   
      
   "You never have to explain to me," she reminded him gently.   
      
   "I don't miss her as much when I'm with you." Mulder reached for her hand.   
      
   Scully gently took Mulder's hand in hers. "I'm always here."   
      
   "But I don't show you how much I appreciate what you've done for me." Mulder   
   stroked her face gently with his thumb. Scully's eyes closed as she   
   shivered. For a brief moment, she thought it was still the alcohol talking.   
      
   "I'm not drunk, Dana," Mulder said, tilting her chin up. "Promise."   
      
   "But you were," Scully said softly with a sigh.   
      
   "I don't drink much...you know that. I shouldn't have tonight." Mulder   
   looked down at his lap. "I didn't want to bother you, so I drank, thinking I   
   could stay away from you...I know you have a life and don't need to take   
   care of my sorry ass all the time."   
      
   "What life is that? Watching sappy movies, eating ice cream, occasionally   
   reading a medical journal?"   
      
   Her tone made his eyes snap up to hers. "If you need to back away from the   
   X-files, I understand." 'Let her go, Mulder. Let her live her life the way   
   she always wanted.' He moved to stand. Scully pulled him back down. He   
   landed hard on his behind. "Hey!"   
      
   "Sorry...I just...I don't want you to think I regret being with you. I   
   mean...being on the X-files with you...as your partner."   
      
   "What if I told you I don't want you as a partner anymore?" He said softly.   
   Her eyes flashed with hurt. "That didn't come out right." Milder shook his   
   head to get rid of the fuzz. "I meant what if I told you I wanted more?"   
      
   "Like what?" She didn't dare hope that he meant what she thought he meant.   
      
   If it hadn't been for his close encounter with the toilet only moments   
   before, he'd have pulled her to him and kissed her. Her mouth was begging   
   his to kiss her. He kissed his finger tips instead and pressed them to hers.   
   "I want to be with you...all of you."   
      
   Scully's eyes closed as a tear managed to escape and trickle down her cheek.   
   Mulder thought the tear meant she didn't want him that way. He did stand up   
   this time.   
      
   "I've said too much. I'm sorry, Scully. I was a fool to think..."   
      
   "Sit down, Mulder," she said gently but firmly. He sat on the edge of the   
   tub. He kept his eyes on the floor. Scully pulled Mulder against her. He   
   lightly stroked her back as he took in the scent of her.   
      
   "I don't want to lose you."   
      
   "You won't," she said softly. She hesitated for a moment. "Because I want   
   the same thing," she added.   
      
   "You wouldn't happen to have a spare toothbrush, would you?"   
      
   Scully got up and opened her medicine cabinet, handing an unwrapped brush to   
   Mulder with a smile. Must be a conspiracy." Mulder waggled his eyebrows at   
   her as he grabbed some toothpaste.   
      
   "You're welcome to stay here tonight."   
      
   Mulder looked into the mirror and caught her eyes. With a mouthful of   
   toothpaste, he said "You sure?"   
      
   "Positive."   
      
   He finished scrubbing his teeth and rinsed his mouth. Just as she was about   
   to move ahead of him out the door, he pulled her back to him. "I'm gonna   
   kiss you."   
      
   Scully waited with baited breath as Mulder's lips drew closer to hers. He   
   lightly pressed his lips to hers and pulled back. Scully pulled him to her   
   again. Her kiss was longer but still unobtrusive.   
      
   When the kiss broke, Mulder kept his eyes closed. "This won't work." He then   
   placed his lips to her once more and parted them. He dipped his tongue into   
   her mouth and caressed her tongue with his. She whimpered as her hands   
   cupped his face. He knew the stubble on his cheeks and chin were chaffing   
   her face, so he pulled away.   
      
   "I should shave."   
      
   Scully couldn't help being a little disappointed, but she nodded and got up   
   to leave the bathroom. He grabbed her hand once more.   
      
   "Forgot...this isn't my place." He put his hand on her hip. "If you don't   
   mind the stubble...I'd like to kiss you some more."   
      
   She melted into his arms. "Please..." she whispered.   
      
   Mulder scooped her up in his arms and carried her toward the bed. He   
   politely dropped her on it. He then kicked off his shoes and lay down beside   
   her. His fingers were in her hair. He was pulling her closer. "You say how   
   far," he said as his other hand moved to her stomach and trailed across the   
   exposed skin there.   
      
   "I'm not saying I don't want you...to..," Scully corrected herself..."but   
   maybe tonight you should just sleep. It's been a long few days," she said   
   softly as she touched Mulder's face.   
      
   "It has," Mulder agreed and laid his head back on the pillow. Pulling her   
   head to his chest, he sighed softly. "If sleep would come, I'd welcome it."   
      
   "Think a hot shower and a massage would help?"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)