From: colbysgurl@shaw.ca   
      
   Authors: Sassy and Jacquie   
      
      
      
   Category: MSR   
      
      
      
   Summary:  Where the end of "Closure" left off..   
      
      
      
   Rating: M   
      
      
      
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   Mulder and Scully continued to stand in amiable silence staring up at the   
   sky a long time after Harold had left.   
   Finally, Mulder touched her cheek. "Thank you...for not giving up...on my   
   sister...or me."   
      
   Scully's eyes glistened with tears as she tried to smile, unable to speak.   
   She swallowed down the lump in her throat and said softly, "Where else would   
   I be?"   
      
   Mulder smiled. "Let's go home."   
      
   Scully smiled back and silently followed Mulder back to their rental car.   
   She got into the passenger seat without being asked.   
      
   "I just wish Mom could have known."   
      
   "Me too, Mulder," she said softly.   
      
   "You think she knows?" Mulder whispered. Scully smiled as she nodded   
   reassuringly. Mulder reached over and took her hand. "Good."   
      
   "You want to stop and eat somewhere?"   
      
   "Sure."   
      
   "You can pick."   
      
   "No no...Lady's choice," Mulder insisted.   
      
   "You sure you won't gripe?" Scully teased with a small grin.   
      
   "I never gripe," Mulder said as he squeezed her hand.   
      
   Scully raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "I'll be nice and say   
   cheeseburgers."   
      
   "How original," Mulder teased.   
      
   Scully stuck out her tongue at him before turning back toward the window.   
   She unconsciously began stroking the back of Mulder's hand with her fingers.   
      
   "I'm okay, Scully. Really."   
      
   Mulder didn't take his eyes off the road. Scully let go of his hand,   
   suddenly worried she was doing something wrong."I think there's a diner up   
   the road there."   
      
   She pointed. Mulder placed the hand she'd released on the steering wheel. "I   
   didn't mean that you had to let me go."   
      
   Scully closed her eyes for a moment. Slowly she reached out and took his   
   hand again, giving it a gentle squeeze.   
      
   Mulder squeezed back. "What I mean is...don't ever let me go."   
      
   "I won't," Scully promised softly.   
      
   They turned into the diner. After turning off the ignition, Mulder turned to   
   her and caressed her cheek with his free hand.   
      
   "It's okay, Mulder," Scully reassured him softly, trying to smile through   
   the lump in her throat. Slowly, his thumb began to trace her jaw line, then   
   her lips. Her eyes closed. A tear managed to fall down her cheek.   
      
   "Hey...what's this?" Mulder wiped the tear away, making her shiver.   
      
   "Just wasn't expecting that." Her voice was barely audible. She swallowed   
   and tried to get her shivering under control. Her eyes still glistened with   
   tears as she made herself look up at Mulder.   
      
   Mulder pulled her against him and held her tight. "You know without you, I'd   
   never have found her."   
      
   Scully stroked his back softly. "I'm always here, Mulder."   
      
   "I know...but you deserved more for life than this...than me and my cause."   
   Mulder held her tighter. "But I'm glad you stayed."   
      
   "I can't leave you." Scully's voice broke.   
      
   Mulder pulled back and took her face in his hands. He kissed her lips   
   softly. "I can't lose you."   
      
   "You won't." Mulder smiled as her stomach growled. "Let's feed the beast."   
      
   Scully's cheeks tinged slightly pink as she reluctantly pulled away.   
   Mulder could tell that she was reluctant to pull away...that she wanted to   
   stay near him.   
      
   "Come on. We can share a side of a booth." Mulder kissed her lips once more.   
   Scully numbly followed him into the diner.   
      
   "What'll it be folks?" asked the waitress behind the counter.   
      
   "Two cheeseburgers, large fries, and a chocolate milkshake...two straws,"   
   Mulder said as he winked at Scully. Scully reached for her wallet to pay,   
   but Mulder wouldn't let her.   
      
   "My treat," he said pushing her wallet back and laying the money on the   
   counter.   
      
   "I get it next time...in fact I'm buying the gas and the trip munchies,"   
   said Scully, not leaving room for argument.   
      
   Mulder sighed. "My girlfriend here...she doesn't like it when I try and take   
   care of her," he told the waitress.   
      
   Girlfriend? Scully looked dumbfounded for a moment. She quickly recovered,   
   flashing the waitress a smile. "I'm just a modern girl. So shoot me."   
      
   The waitress laughed, but Mulder looked like he was taking Scully seriously.   
      
      
   "But I want to take care of you" He wrapped an arm around her waist.   
      
   I know." Scully smiled at him.   
      
   "But I know you'd kick my ass," Mulder said, taking her hand and moving them   
   to a booth.   
      
   "Mulder... we'll look after each other. Just like we always have."   
      
   "Yeah," Mulder said softly. Scully sighed to herself as she got into the   
   booth first. Mulder smiled as he sat down The waitress came by with their   
   order a few minutes later.   
   Scully smiled in thanks as she unwrapped her burger and began eating it   
   hungrily. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mulder staring at her with a   
   studious expression she had never seen before. "What? Do I have something?"   
   She wiped her mouth.   
      
   "No." He simply continued to watch her.   
      
   "What is it?"   
      
   "Seeing you in a different light...:   
      
   She blushed a deep red. "Oh." She thought it had been something else;   
   something more...well...perhaps that the way she was biting into the burger   
   symbolized how she might be in the bedroom. She dropped her gaze to her   
   plate as she added ketchup and salt to her fries.   
      
   "Scully?"   
      
   "Yeah?"   
      
   "I'm kinda tired. Mind if we stay an extra night?"   
      
   "No." She managed a small smile. Mulder put his arm around her and stole a   
   fry. Scully wrinkled her nose at him before taking a sip of milkshake. "Oh,   
   Miss Scully...that nose...do it again," Mulder said into her ear as he   
   nibbled on it. Scully whimpered softly. "I'm hungry."   
      
   "You've got lots of burger left..." Scully didn't understand what he meant   
   at first."   
      
   "For you." His hand went to her thigh and slowly moved upward. Scully tried   
   to stifle another shiver. "Ready?"   
      
   "Yeah."   
      
   Mulder took her hand. "No pressure," he reassured her.   
      
   "I want to," Scully whispered.   
      
   Mulder kissed her hand. "I love you."   
      
   "You do?" Scully was taken aback by this. She quickly recovered, smiling   
   instead.   
      
   "I've told you before..." he said softly.   
      
   "I know you have...I'm sorry...I..." Her eyes filled with tears.   
      
   Mulder slid his hand into hers and walked her outside. Pinning her between   
   the car and his body, he held her tight. "It's okay."   
   Scully closed her eyes as she rested her head against his chest.   
      
      
      
   "I've waited so long to be able to hold you like this," Mulder continued to   
   murmur into her hair.   
      
   "Why don't we go back to the hotel room so we can be alone?" Scully   
   suggested softly.   
      
   Mulder took her hand and walked her to her side of the car. He opened her   
   door and waited for her to get in before closing it. They were back at their   
   hotel fifteen minutes later.   
      
   "Need you," Mulder whispered.   
      
   Scully took Mulder's trembling hand in hers and they walked up to their   
   rooms together. "Yours or mine?" Scully asked softly.   
      
   Needing to be near all things 'Scully', Mulder said, "Yours."   
      
   Scully stuck her key in the door and opened it. She turned on her light.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)