Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, Skinner and anyone else who seems familiar to you belong to the actors, Chris Carter and 1013 Productions. Everything else I made up. Also, any glaring inaccuracies in the time line are mine, too. Good, bad, indifferent Comments may be sent to me at XPurpleCow@aol.com. This was one of my first efforts, so be kind! I wrote this in early 1996, so it's been cowering in my filing cabinet for over a year now. Thought it may appreciate some fresh air. -JeriAnn Written February, 1996/Uploaded March, 1997 Summary: UST, and allusions to some MSR. A little humor injected here and there. "distractions" 27 February, 1996 Baltimore, MD 11:24 p.m. FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder sighed and leaned back against the headrest. In the seat next to him his partner, Dana Scully was flipping through a mail order catalog. The stakeout Assistant Director Skinner had assigned them to was completely pointless. The agents in charge had all the evidence they needed to crack the case. But when they were 'asked' to help out on the stakeout, both Mulder and Scully knew it would be a bad idea to say no. "What do you think of this one?" Scully asked, pointing to a floral print sundress in her catalog. "Oh, it's darling, Scully, but I doubt it comes in my size," Mulder answered sarcastically. Dana groaned in mock frustration, and hit Mulder with the rolled up catalog. "Thanks for your help, Mulder." "Anytime, Scully. Dispensing fashion advice is my specialty." "Yeah, right," she answered. "Anything happening up at the Garcetti place?" she asked paying more attention to her shopping than to his answer. "No. I am beginning to think that they went on vacation, and nobody told us," Mulder said, stifling a yawn. "Is there any more iced tea hiding in that cooler?" Without taking her eyes from her catalog, Dana reached behind his seat and brought out a cold bottle of iced tea. He took it from her and poured it into a New York Knicks cup. "Thanks; could you hand me some-" He turned towards her and grinned. In her outstretched palm sat two wedges of lemon. "Lemon. Scully, you know me too well." "Um-hmm." He took the lemon and added it to his tea. He had the feeling that Dana had more on her mind than what clothes to order. "Should I get the brown slacks or the green ones?" she said out loud to no one in particular. "Green. Goes better with your coloring," he muttered. He couldn't keep his mind on his work. The Garcetti house wasn't exactly bustling with activity. His thoughts were lingering on Dana. He sighed quietly. He had even begun to think of her by her first name. For the past month she had been on his mind damned near constantly. He wanted to ask her if anything remotely similar was happening with her, but didn't want to make a fool of himself. Their relationship was already balancing on the edge of insanity, and the unacknowledged passion had been so intense lately that he could feel it in the air. He had to think of a way to get the conversation around to the subject of romance without making his feelings obvious. Dana's voice shattered his introspection. "I am glad we don't have to work this detail tomorrow night," she said. Suddenly, Mulder saw his opportunity. "Why? Do you have a hot date?" It was all he could do to keep the jealous edge off his voice. Luckily, Scully either didn't pick up on it, or chose to ignore it. "Just my mom and I. The Scully women paint the town red." She grinned and turned towards him. "What about you, Mulder? Any plans for your evening off?" "Nope. Just a quiet evening at home with a good movie." "Oh, yeah. I know all about your idea of a good movie." "TouchÇ, Scully. At least I'm not going on a date with my mom," he teased. "You know, you're welcome to come with us, if you want," Scully offered, her voice a tad softer. "I know mom would love to have you along." Mulder faltered. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to be a third wheel." A voice in his head was chastising him for his reluctance. "Of course not! Don't be ridiculous. It's nothing fancy, we're just going for burgers and a movie." "Oh, all right. Who could resist an invitation to spend the evening with not one, but two Scully women?" "Good. You can pick us up around 7:00 p.m. at my place," Dana said, a grin lighting up her face. "That's why you invited me! You want a chauffeur." He pretended to look hurt. "Yeah, sure Mulder. You just believe what you want to believe." she said, laughing at her partner's petulant expression. "Can it be true? Simmons and Kendrick are actually on time tonight! We're free!" She turned to Mulder with a crooked grin. "Home, James," she said in her best imitation of a British accent. Shaking his head, Mulder started the car, waved to their relief team and started off towards FBI headquarters. Neither agent spoke on the ride back to the office. They arrived back at headquarters a few minutes later and returned their Crown Victoria to the motor pool. Mulder rubbed his eyes. All he could think about was getting a good night's sleep. And Scully. He walked her to her car. "See you in the morning." "Bright and early," she answered. "Good night, Mulder," she said as he walked away. "Good night, Scully," he answered, resisting the urge to turn back and look at her one more time. 28 February, 1996 FBI Headquarters 7:24 a.m. Mulder sat at his desk, shuffling papers from one pile to another. He grabbed another handful of sunflower seeds and began munching away. He'd had trouble sleeping the night before. And when he had slept, he'd dreamt of things that he shouldn't. The dreams were, well, they were great, truth be told. In each dream, he'd been laying in bed, waiting for sleep to come when the door to his bedroom had opened and Scully was standing there, in a long silk robe, her gorgeous red hair pinned up and swept back off her face. She had walked towards him slowly, a knowing smile playing around the corners of her full lips. "Hello, Mulder. Bet you're surprised to see me here, like this," the dream-Dana whispered. Mulder sat up straighter in bed and opened his mouth to ask what was going on. "Shhhhh. Don't say a word. Just sit back and close your eyes." She placed a gentle finger over his parted lips to ensure his silence. When she was certain he wouldn't say anything, she stepped back and untied her robe. She shrugged out of it and reached up with both hands to let her hair fall free. Mulder tried to speak, but seeing her like that had left him speechless. The faint light from the window framed her and made her green chemise translucent. Her perfect figure was revealed in shadow. His pulse raced. "Mulder? Mulder!" her sweet voice rang in his ears. "Huh?" Mulder shook his head. He'd been asleep, and was reliving the dream from the previous nights. Scully was standing in front of him, but the green satin had been replaced by a smart tweed suit. "Wake up! You know, if you slept at night, you wouldn't have these problems. Dreams keeping you awake?" she asked innocently. "Something like that," Mulder answered, keeping his eyes averted from her gaze. He couldn't let her see the desire in his eyes. "I talked to my mom this morning. She is thrilled that you're tagging along tonight," Dana said with a grin. "That's good, considering you only asked me along because you pity me," Mulder teased. "What can I say, I have a soft spot in my heart for strays." Mulder looked up in surprise. "I'm just kidding! But you really do need to get out more." "Thank you. I think," Mulder said with a confused look. The phone rang, and they both reached for it. Scully had it first, but Mulder was right there. Their hands met and Scully dropped the phone as if it were on fire. They stared at each other, their eyes burning into one another's. The phone rang again, and Mulder picked it up. "Mulder," he said, his eyes still trained on Dana's flushed face. "Yeah, we'll be right there." He hung the phone up slowly and cleared his throat. "Skinner wants to see us in his office, right now." "Okay ," Scully said. She was blushing deeply and wringing her hands. They walked to Skinner's office under a blanket of silence, carefully avoiding physical contact with one another. 28 February, 1996 Mulder's apartment, Arlington, VA 6:45 p.m. Mulder wiped the steam off of the bathroom mirror. He'd forgotten to turn the heater on, and it was near freezing in his tiny apartment. He towel dried his hair and then began to dry himself off. The stubborn water droplets clung to his skin like a fresh morning dew. He wrapped the towel around his slender waist and stepped out into the hallway. When the cold air his still-damp skin, he inhaled with an audible hiss. Goosebumps rose on his skin. He would've sold his soul for a carpeted apartment. He let the towel fall from his hips as he stepped into his closet. His clothes for the evening were hanging there neatly, and even ironed for once. He pulled on a pair of silk boxers and put his socks on before his feet could freeze to the floor. He slipped on a pair of black jeans that fit him just well enough to turn heads and satisfy his ego. The black turtleneck was next, followed by the colorful sweater that Dana's mother had sent him for Christmas. Running his fingers though his hair, he checked his appearance in the mirror. His brown hair was carefully styled to look slightly unkempt. He knew women were entranced by his intense hazel gaze, but he couldn't figure out why. He didn't think he was very attractive at all. He hoped that Scully felt differently. He grabbed a bottle of cologne that some long-ago girlfriend had given him on some long-ago Christmas, applying it carefully. He didn't want to smother Dana and her mom. One last glance in the mirror and he was out the door. He whistled softly to himself as he walked the short distance from his building to his car. 28 February, 1996 Annapolis, MD 7:15 p.m. Margaret Scully smiled as she watched her daughter eye the phone warily. She had never seen her daughter so anxious for a call! Dana had taken great pains in getting ready for the evening. It had taken her almost an hour to decide on simple black slacks and a white silk blouse. She'd even curled her hair. Maggie was certain she hadn't done that since high school! Dana picked the phone up on the first ring. "Hello?" she asked, breathlessly. "Hi. Sure, I'll buzz you in." Dana asked her mom to get the door when Mulder knocked. Maggie's knowing smile made Dana blush even deeper. She made some excuse about changing her purse to get away before Mulder could see how flustered she was. "So, are you ladies ready?" Mulder asked as Maggie gave him a welcoming hug. Dana's mother grinned up at him, a twinkle in her eye. "C'mon, Dana," she called. Dana came rushing you from the back of her apartment. She flashed Mulder a dazzling smile. His breath caught in his throat. Her hair was styled in a way he'd never seen her wear it, outside of his dreams. It was curled and swept up, a few loose ringlets framing her soft features. Her creamy skin looked great against the black and white outfit she was wearing. He knew that he wanted her. Plain and simple. But he knew his feelings were wrong. She was his best friend and he didn't want to jeopardize that relationship. Or the X-Files. 28 February, 1996 Hard Rock Cafe, downtown Washington, D.C. 8:49 p.m. Mulder polished off his third glass of iced tea. Maggie was entertaining them with stories about Dana's childhood. Well, Mulder was entertained. Dana was just plain embarrassed. "Look at the time," Dana said, glancing at her watch. "We better get going if we plan to make the 9:15 show." "Mrs. Scully, you can finish the stories after the movie." The three had settled on "While You Were Sleeping." Maggie had wanted to see "Nine Months", but Dana shot that one down quickly. "It's bad enough that I have to put up with the weekly 'When are you going to make me a grandmother?' speech. I am not sitting through an hour and a half long propaganda film," she said. She could feel the wine she'd had with dinner as it warmed her and loosened her mind. Mulder offered each of them an arm as they walked into the theatre. He couldn't help but notice that men of all ages were looking at him with amusing expressions of envy. Maggie liked the movie, but she found watching Dana and Fox much more enjoyable. It was funny how the two of them avoided their feelings, just as the characters on the screen were. The did their damnedest to pretend the other wasn't right there, so close. Their concentrated efforts at avoiding physical contact were so obvious! But their hands brushed whenever they reached for the popcorn. After the second time it happened, Maggie knew it wasn't her imagination. Dana and Fox had fallen for each other. 01 March, 1996 Baltimore, MD 11:04 p.m. Dana quietly sipped coffee from her thermos. The stakeout was as boring as ever, and she had forgotten to bring along something to keep her occupied. Next to her, Mulder was reading the current issue of "The Lone Gunmen" and humming along to the song on the radio. "Less than an hour, Mulder. Thanks again for picking me up. My car should be ready by tomorrow evening." "Not a problem. What exactly is wrong with your car?" he asked. Dana shook her head. Some idiot had thrown a brick through the windshield the other night. "What? Why?" Mulder asked, alarmed. "Damned if I know why," she answered. "Why do people do anything nowadays? It seemed pretty random. Nothing was taken, and at least three other cars on the block got it." "Did you have the brick dusted?" "Took it to Jerry and the boys in the latent lab first thing. They didn't find anything. Like I said, it was probably a random thing." Mulder shrugged. He was more concerned with other things. Dana hadn't met his gaze all evening, as if she were intentionally avoiding him. "Thanks again for letting me tag along last night. It was nice to get out." "Well, I only hope mom didn't bore you to death with all her stories. I think she has a crush on you," Dana teased. "Oh, no. I loved the stories. Plenty of information that I can use against you, if the situation should ever arise..." Dana laughed and glanced at her watch. "Not another half an hour," she groaned. "I can't stand it!" She began fiddling with the tuning button on the radio, not really knowing what she was looking for, but it kept her from having to fill the uncomfortable silence by talking. She was afraid that Mulder might bring up the previous night and the feelings that had been sparking between them. She didn't feel like trying to sort all that out while they were on a stakeout. She stopped changing stations when a familiar old song floated through the speakers, squeezing Dana's heart. "A Bobby Darin fan, I see," Mulder said. "They played this at my father's funeral. It was my parents' song," she answered softly. She fought the bittersweet grip of nostalgia as it enclosed her mind. All the tears she'd never shed for her father filled her eyes, blurring her vision and dampening her cheeks. Mulder sensed the hurt that Dana was feeling. He understood her sorrow. Losing someone close to you was painful. He turned slightly towards her and placed a tentative hand on her knee. "Dana," he began. "I'm fine, Mulder. Really. I just never had the chance to grieve for him, and that song brought it all back." Moving closer, Mulder held his breath. Being this close to her was electrifying. "Dana, I know this isn't the time or place-" She didn't let him finish the sentence. Moving in towards him she whispered, "Please, just hold me." She sounded so small and so alone, that there was no way he could say no. The song ended and the d.j.'s voice broke the spell of the moment. Dana's sobs had long since been replaced by the plaintive sounds of a person in mourning and the sound of the chipper d.j. brought her back from whatever memory she had been lost in. She sat back and wiped her eyes, ashamed at her weakness. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "No, it's okay, Dana," he replied. "Dana," she echoed quietly. Gently, he cupped her chin in his hand, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. Leaning in, he brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. "Dana," he repeated huskily, his heart pounding, palms sweating. Headlights flashed at them from across the street, reminding them that they really weren't the only two people in the world. Mulder sat back and rubbed his eyes. He wore a sour expression as he watched Special Agent James Kendrick approach their car and knock lightly on the window. Scowling, Mulder rolled the window down. "Hi kids. Everything okay?" he asked, more curiosity than concern on his face. Dana rubbed at her right eye. "I had something in my eye, and Agent Mulder was trying to see if he could get it out. Well, whatever it was, it's gone now. You and Simmons ready for 12 hours of fun and frivolity?" she asked, hoping it wasn't obvious that she was trying desperately to change the subject. Oh, she could have kicked herself for rambling on like such an idiot. Mulder had to cough to cover his smile. He was pretty sure that Dana had just confirmed any suspicions Kendrick had that she was lying to him. Kendrick patted the roof of the car. "Have a good night's sleep," he said with a lascivious smile. They ignored the obvious sentiment behind the words and Mulder pulled away from the curb. He didn't say anything to Dana, just headed back towards Headquarters. Truth was, he was scared to speak. He didn't know what he might say. There was something going on that he couldn't explain. That wasn't anything unusual. The difference was that for once, Scully felt it, too. "Mulder-" she began. He raised a hand. "Dana, please, don't say anything." "I was only going to say that I had something for you from my mom. Since you're dropping me off at my place, I can bring it down to you." "Yeah, no problem," he replied, coloring when he realized she wasn't going to say what had he thought, or what he had hoped. Minutes later, they arrived at the FBI motorpool garage. Once the car was checked in, they headed to Mulder's Saab and started off for Dana's place. By the time he pulled to a stop in front of her building, the silence in the car had grown from awkward to downright oppressive. He felt he would burst if he couldn't tell her how he felt. Without even so much as a glance in his direction, Scully opened her door. "I'll be right back." Mulder waited until she was just inside the door to follow her. He was waiting outside her front door when she came back out. "Can I come in?" he asked softly. She nodded and handed him a pack of imported iced tea blends. "Tell your mom thank you for me," he whispered, moving forward to pull her into his arms. She ducked behind him to shut and lock the front door. "Mulder, we need to talk. When Dana's alarm clock sounded the next morning, she pounded the snooze button fiercely. "It can't be morning already," she mumbled. Sitting up, she realized that she was still in the clothes she'd been wearing the night before. There was a folded piece of paper on the smooth pillow beside her. D- You fell asleep while I was in the bathroom. Didn't want to wake you. We'll talk later. -M. Dana tapped the note against her pursed lips and shook her head slowly. Mulder must've put her to bed. That would explain why she was still in her clothes. "We'll talk later," she repeated quietly. So, Mulder sensed it too. She'd always felt an attraction between them, but it was getting pretty intense in the car when they were staking out the Garcetti house. She was certain that she would have kissed him had Agent Kendrick not shown up when he did. She didn't know whether to be angry or relieved. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel his hand caressing her face. She remembered the gentle light of understanding in his eyes when she talked about losing her father. And he did know how she felt. He knew what it was like to lose someone. Maybe that's why it was always so easy to turn to him for comfort. Or maybe it was another reason entirely. It was a hard decision; the hardest she'd ever made. But she was beginning to think it was time for her to request reassignment and leave the X-Files behind. Scully was pouring over an open manila folder when Mulder walked into their basement office. "Morning, Scully." "Hi," she answered shortly, keeping her eyes on the paper in front of her. "Thank you for putting up with my whining last night." "You were expressing feelings you hadn't let yourself deal with for over a year. I understand completely. I would hope that at this point in our re-, umm, our partnership, you would realize that I will always be here if you need to talk." She appreciated the sentiment, but it was her partner's Freudian slip that brought the smile to her face. Behind that smile, she was troubled. Once he walked in that morning, she began to question her decision to transfer. She couldn't imagine not being there to greet him each morning. "They bagged Garcetti this morning. Pulled him over for a traffic violation and one of the officers happened upon a half kilo of cocaine stashed under one of the seats." "No more stakeouts! Thank God," Scully said, rolling her head from side to side to stretch her sore neck a little. "Looks like I can resume my normal evening activities." "Dare I ask?" Mulder replied, tongue-in-cheek. "Ha-ha! Really, I'll probably rent a movie tonight. Make it a Blockbuster night," she joked. "Yeah, me too." "Mulder, I'm pretty sure that no Blockbuster rents anything you would be interested in. Besides," Dana continued to rib her partner, "isn't Friday when you cruise the 'Net looking for Ms. Right?" "Or Ms. Right Now." "Pig." "Oink, oink." "Can you get your mind out of the gutter long enough to explain this case to me?" Dana said, pretending to be exasperated. She held up the folder that had been waiting for her on her desk. "More crop circles in Nebraska. Strange lights. A news crew even has footage of a strange craft hovering near the site of the strange symbols in the fields." "Are you sure it wasn't a nocturnal insect swarm?" she asked him, her voice oozing sarcasm. 01 March, 1996 Avery, Nebraska 5:43 p.m. Mulder stepped out of the cramped confines of the rental car and stretched. "Welcome to lovely downtown Middle-of-Nowhere, Nebraska," Scully said, looking around the dismal little town of Avery. "Is that a joke?" Mulder asked, pointing to the sign on the building they had parked in front of. BILLY BOB'S GENERAL STORE & HOMECOOKED EATS Dana laughed out loud as she read the sign. Looking over at her partner, she rolled her eyes. Seeing how he struggled with his laughter only made her giggle harder. But two of the locals were sitting in rocking chairs on the porch outside the business and she didn't want to offend anyone. "Let's go get some lunch," Dana suggested. A large, friendly man in overalls greeted them at the door. His expression showed he was suspicious of their business-like clothing. "Can I help you folks?" the man asked. Mulder nudged Scully gently in the back. She turned her head slightly and saw him reaching for his ID badge. She did the same. "Mulder and Scully. FBI." "What can I do for you?" the man asked nervously. Dana assumed her most authoritative tone. "Sir, we are here investigating some strange events that have taken place around here..." Mulder interjected quickly, "But first, we'd like to grab a bite to eat." The man's eyes widened. He was slightly confused by the female agent. He hadn't heard of anything strange happening lately. he thought to himself. "Right this way, sir, ma'am." After having lightened the moment by giving the host a hard time, the pair sobered up as Scully began asking Mulder about the case. "So, Mulder. Are we out here on another one of your wild UFO hunts?" Scully asked, her skeptical side rearing it's ugly head. "Yes. And no," he replied, a smug grin spreading across his handsome face. "What's that supposed to mean?" Dana asked. Mulder was up to something, she could tell by the way he was acting. "Well, you and I have both brought up the changes in our relationship. In D.C., there are just too many distractions. There are no crop circles. I am, however, hoping that something equally inexplicable will occur here," he said, his softening. "But the files you showed me-" "I pieced them together from old cases and made a few new ones up." "The travel expenses-" "They came out of my own pocket. Dana, we have to get through whatever is happening between us before it brings all our hard work crashing down around us. The strain between us is more than a partnership can bear." His words were sincere. He covered her hand tenderly with his. Dana looked away quickly, so he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. He'd gone to all this trouble to remove them from the hustle of the Bureau. He'd paid for everything. And he had done it for her. "But, what about Skinner. What did you tell him?" Dana fought to keep her voice level. "He doesn't require me to file paperwork on the X-Files," Mulder explained. "Let's eat, and then go find somewhere to talk, okay?" Dana, still overwhelmed, nodded and picked up her menu. x X x Dana was far too nervous to eat, but she ordered a salad anyways. Their waitress was polite, but perhaps a bit too slow. More likely, Dana was just too anxious. Mulder didn't say much during dinner. He just sat there, smirking at her. As soon as they had finished, Mulder paid for the check, and they hurried out the door. "Where to now?" Scully asked, trying to sound casual. "Well, I'll tell you when we get there," Mulder replied mysteriously. Dana shrugged and settled into the car. After heading down a typical country road for close to ten miles, Mulder pulled the rental sedan into a poorly paved driveway marked: Avery Ranch Inn. Pulling around and stopping in front of a large building, he turned to Dana. "Wait right here." She nodded, but remained silent. He was so excited that she didn't want to spoil his mood with the caustic remark that jumped to mind. Inn? That implied they were at a hotel. She'd hoped that what she felt happening between them was more than this scenario suggested. He returned after a few moments and turned the car towards the rear of the building. As they turned the corner, Dana saw ten quaint little cottages in 2 rows. Mulder pulled the car to a halt in front of #3. Grinning at his partner, he shut off the ignition and popped the trunk release. "Mulder, why do I get the feeling that you are up to no good?" she asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her. Mulder smiled mysteriously. "Now Scully, what makes you say that?" With his eyes twinkling merrily, he opened her car door and led her by the hand into the cottage, shutting the door firmly behind them. The cabin was decorated in beautiful blues and greens. It didn't seem like the sort of place you would take someone for a sordid encounter between the sheets. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure she knew what Mulder's intentions were. Mulder waited for Dana to wander off on her own before he opened the front door and slipped back out to the car. Instead of following him, Dana decided to explore the tiny cabin. There were two bedrooms, one larger than the other. Connecting the two rooms was a large bathroom with an antique tub, not unlike the one Dana had in her bathroom at home. A hot bubble bath would be nice right about now. She heard her partner re-enter the cabin and decided it wasn't a good time to bring that option up. She went back down the hall and into the tiny kitchen. She opened the fridge and smiled when she saw the bottle of wine and the steaks waiting to be cooked. "Mulder, you sly devil," she muttered. She heard him moving around in the living room and turned to rejoin him. "So, does this seem like a good place for us to have our little talk, Scully?" She blushed like a schoolgirl when he produced a perfect red rosebud from behind his back and offered her his hand. Dana sat on the opposite end of the couch from Fox, playing the soft petals of the rose against her lips. "So, you see why I couldn't tell you before?" Fox asked. He stood and moved to sit on the edge of the low coffee table. He scooted forward until their knees were touching. "Now that I have made a complete and utter fool of myself-" "No, don't think that," Dana said, smiling and placing a hand softly on his knee. He'd been sitting with his head slightly bowed, avoiding her gaze. But her touch electrified him and he sat bolt straight up, only to be caught off guard by those beautiful, honest blue eyes. "All the cards are stacked against us, Scully." "They are indeed," she agreed. "If we were to get involved with one another, and it didn't work out, it could spell the end of all our work on the X-Files." "You're absolutely right." Mulder took the rose from her and set it on the table next to him. He gathered her tiny hands into his grasp. "They may separate us when they find out...if anything develops." She nodded. "That would be the next logical step on their part." Mulder began to get frustrated. If Dana truly felt about him as she said she did, why was she so eager to adopt his fatalistic point of view about their future together? He searched her pretty face, as if there may be some clue as to what was going on in her mind written there for him to read. The more he looked, the more he was certain that she was toying with him; playing the Devil's advocate. It was time to force her hand. "So, Scully, what do you think would be out best course of action in this case?" She stood and took his left hand in her right, leading him down the dark hallway, and into the main bedroom. Guiding him to the bed, she pushed him back, until he was seated. Standing off to his right, she placed one knee on the bed and her hands firmly on his shoulders, gently propelling him backwards. Mulder's mind reeled. Gods yes, he'd thought about this moment. But the chances of his fantasies coming true had always seemed depressingly remote to him. Even now, as her hands were pressed against his shoulders, and her full weight was balanced above him, he didn't dare hope that this was happening. "Now?" he asked, trying not to sound so surprised. She smiled down at him, as sexy, throaty laugh bubbling out from between those full, moist, maddening lips. She bent so those same lips brushed against his ear as she spoke. "Now, Mulder, you want to know what I think is the best course of action right now?" He couldn't speak; he simply nodded. "Sleep on it." He closed his eyes as her breath blew softly into his ear. 'Sleep on it', she had said. It was a full thirty-seconds until he realized that she had stood and sauntered out through the connecting bathroom to the other bedroom. The click of the door closing firmly told him that she wasn't expecting him to follow. "Sleep on it," he repeated aloud. Even through his disappointment at the stolen opportunity to realize his fantasy, he couldn't help but chuckle. As he got ready to go to sleep, he pondered his fantasy-Dana, even as the real Dana made a quiet ruckus in the bathroom as she prepared to 'sleep on it'. He lay down on the bed, imagining that she lay there beside him. The smile on his face broadened as he got more involved in his new fantasy. In fact, he wasn't even aware that the connecting door had opened, bringing on new distractions. end part 1