From: colbysgurl@shaw.ca   
      
   Authors: Sassy and Jacquie   
      
   Category: MSR Romance   
      
      
   Summary: A post episode fic for "Arcadia"   
      
   Rating: M   
      
      
      
   Authors' Note:  Apologies in advance for any grammatical or continuity   
   errors. This story was not betaed.   
      
      
      
   ...................   
      
      
      
   Mulder picked up his pillow from the bed and stepped towards her." The   
   thrill is gone." He made his way downstairs to the couch. He was exhausted   
   but was looking forward to the idea of "sleeping" with Scully. However, he   
   knew better than to think she'd take her undercover assignment that far. He   
   settled on the couch and after a few minutes of tossing and turning, he   
   drifted off to sleep. To dream of her and what it would be like to be really   
   married to her.   
      
   Scully in the meantime lay awake staring at the ceiling. Finally, guilt   
   drove her into the living room again to find Mulder and tell him that it was   
   silly for him to be cold. She had her mouth open, ready to utter the words   
   but the sight of him asleep softened her.   
      
   Mulder stirred a little in his sleep. "Dana, please don't do that." His   
   voice was soft and tender. He sighed. Scully bit her lip and turned on her   
   heel to go upstairs again.   
      
   An hour later, Mulder sat upright and made a quick dash up the stairs. When   
   he pushed open the door, he saw her lying peacefully in the middle of the   
   bed, clutching her pillow tightly. He smiled when he realized that she was   
   okay. He then saw what he was wearing. She was wearing his t-shirt from   
   earlier that day. He smiled. He moved to the edge of the bed and leaned down   
   to move a strand of hair covering her face. He kissed his fingertips and   
   slowly touched her face with them. She stirred, but didn't wake. "You are so   
   beautiful."   
   Then he settled down on the floor beside the bed and fell asleep.   
      
   Scully opened her eyes almost instinctively a few moments later. Well, to be   
   more accurate she had to go to the bathroom.   
      
   "Owwwww" came the sound from the floor as she stepped in the middle of   
   Mulder's stomach.   
      
   "Mulder..." She quickly retracted her foot. "What are you doing on the   
   floor?"   
      
   "Well, I was trying to sleep." Mulder sat up.   
      
   "Get up here" Scully patted the bed. "I'm not taking no for an answer."   
   Mulder climbed up onto the bed and lay atop the covers.   
   "What? Now all of a sudden I've got cooties?"   
      
   "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Laura." Mulder smiled crookedly at   
   her.   
      
   Scully rolled her eyes. "Mulder, just get under the covers."   
      
   "Fine." Mulder climbed under the covers. "Where were you going anyway?" he   
   asked as he pulled back the covers for her.   
      
   "Bathroom. Be back in a sec." She closed the door behind her.   
      
   Mulder pulled her pillow to him for a moment and breathed in the smell that   
   he knew as well as his own. Scully's smell.   
      
   Scully did what she had to do, but then she paused with her hand on the   
   doorknob, noticing immediately the hard knots that had formed in her   
   stomach. Mulder was in bed with her.   
      
   'It's not like it means anything' she chided herself.   
      
   Mulder patted the pillow back down. He was sure he was caught. "So ready to   
   go back to sleep?"   
      
   Scully's smile let him know that he had been caught. "I guess so."   
      
   He let her settle down. "Sleep tight Scully. Don't let the bed bugs bite."   
      
   Scully turned on her side away from Mulder. A solitary tear trickled down   
   her face at the knowledge that when this case was over, that was it. No more   
   being close to him. She felt his back pressing into hers as he turned away   
   from her as well.   
      
   "Night, Scully," he yawned.   
      
   "Sleep well," she murmured back.   
      
   Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx   
      
      
      
   When Mulder woke the following morning, the sun was just peeking through the   
   clouds. He felt a warm body wrapped around him, His arm was around her waist   
   and his head was resting on her back. He smiled at how this was so much like   
   the way he always awoke in his dreams. "Mulder, you are dreaming," he said   
   aloud, sure he was still dreaming.   
      
   "And it's not even a sleeping bag," Scully murmured sleepily. She didn't   
   even realize at first that she was speaking aloud.   
      
   Mulder didn't move. "Morning, Scully." He fought the urge to kiss her neck.   
      
   "Sleep alright?" Scully stretched.   
      
   "I did. You?"   
      
   'I would have slept better in your arms' she thought even as she said,   
   "Yeah, I slept okay."   
      
   Mulder removed his arm from her waist and went to get up. "What are our   
   plans for today?"   
      
   "Last time I checked we were still looking for a suspect, Mulder." There was   
   a curious but momentary tremble in her voice as she said it.   
      
   "Okay," he said a little softer this time. "You go get those samples   
   analyzed. I'm testing out my theory."   
      
   Scully wordlessly padded into the bathroom to change, fighting tears the   
   whole way And the urge to hold Mulder and never let go.   
      
   The drive from the airport was quiet. Mulder finally couldn't stand it   
   anymore.   
      
   "Something the matter, Scully?"   
      
   "I'm fine. Why?"   
      
   "You're quiet." He looked over at her. "You're never quiet. I expected a   
   lecture on how I'd never make a good husband to anyone because I'm a slob. I   
   tell you, I'm a little disappointed." He smiled at her.   
      
   "Well, if you really wanted me to I could" She attempted to smile back.   
      
   "Just talk to me." Mulder sighed. 'I wish we hadn't had to leave so quickly.   
   I was getting used to living with you...just being close to you'   
      
   "I didn't mean to ignore you. I guess I was just thinking about suburbia   
   life in general."   
      
   "I miss the quiet," Mulder added as the noise outside their car increased   
   with a car alarm going off. He pulled onto her street.   
      
   "Yeah," Scully said pensively.   
      
   Mulder stopped the car. "Let me help you carry your stuff." He got out and   
   popped the trunk. He took her bags and headed for the door. "Get your little   
   legs a moving."   
      
   Instead of retorting or making a teasing comment, Scully couldn't' utter a   
   sound at all. Her throat was tight. She numbly got out of the car and took   
   the rest of her bags. She opened her apartment door.   
   "I can manage from here. Thanks," she said with a smile.   
      
   Mulder stepped in a puddle of water. "What the?"   
      
   Scully followed his eyes to a puddle. She groaned as she went into the   
   bathroom where she found a flood.   
      
   Just then there was a knock at the door. Mulder when to answer it. It was   
   her super. "Miss Scully?"   
      
   "Yes" She was a little distracted.   
      
   "We had a little pipe problem and the entire second floor was flooded. Is   
   there anywhere you can stay for a few days?"   
      
   "My mom's...oh damn she's out of town" Scully ran her hand through her hair.   
   "I'll figure something out."   
      
   "You can stay with me." Mulder was quiet.   
      
   Scully looked at him, not daring to hope. "Are you sure about that, Mulder?"   
      
   "I have plenty of room. You can take the bed. I'll take the couch. I promise   
   to put the toilet seat down and do the toothpaste right." He winked at her.   
      
   "What about the rest of your pad?" Scully grinned at him.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)