"God Hates a Coward" 4/4 Gossamer: MSR (Romance M/S, humor) Spoilers: Small Mention of "Never Again" and "Small Potatoes" Summary: Scully and Mulder find out, under unusual circumstances, that the biggest of leaps start with one small step. Rated: R Archive: Wherever as long as my name and e-mail address stays with it. But if it's a private archive please let me know first. Disclaimer: The characters of Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, were created by Chris Carter remain his copyrighted property, as well as the copyrighted property of 1013 productions and Fox Television, a unit of 20th Century Fox. No infringement is intended. No profit is being made. Feedback will be worshiped at KSWDMM@prodigy.net __________________________________________________________ 5:30 Chesapeake Ballroom I can't believe this. I mean, I really should have anticipated something like this. After all, the evening wouldn't have been complete without being made to look like a fool in front of everyone. "Dana, you caught it!" I look up into the face of my mother who now decides to reappear. "Lucky me." I say in a flat tone. "You never know, honey, it just might be the best thing that ever happened to you." She said in a sunny tone that I haven't heard from her since she first told me of the wedding. "Mother? Is there something you're not telling me?" Please God, don't let my mother play matchmaker. Not tonight. "Dana, when did you become so paranoid?" She says with a light tone. "Sometime around 1992, I think." I mumble. "Dana, what happened to your hair?" "My hair?" "I think in the chaos some of your clips came out. Come over here and I'll fix it." Before I can say a word in protest or agreement she has her hand in mine leading me to sit down. "Once again, can we have all the single men come to the floor." "I'll hurry so you can watch who catches the garter." She says her voice still much too bright for my liking. "Mom, it's not going to matter who catches it." I say as her hands weave in and out of my hair. "Honey, you never know, fate has a way of stepping in when you least expect it to." She sounds cryptic now and I'm starting to get nervous. "Mother?" I have worked with the king of evasive for over five years now, I know the signs. "Okay, everyone, I think we are set to go." DJ boy sings out. "Okay, all done." She says and nods her head towards the floor. I don't even want to look. Somewhere deep inside I know Mark will catch it. A shudder runs through me when I picture his sweaty hands making their way up my thigh. "Okay, Charlie get ready." I close my eyes. I just can't look. "One." "Two." "Three." Reflexively my eyes pop open in time to see the garter fly over groping hands. Then there seems to be some kind of struggle. Two men are now down on the ground and the crowd is yelling like it's an episode of Jerry Springer. Suddenly the crowd moves back and I can't believe the sight I see before me. Fox Mulder -- his tie askew, jacket half off, right arm held high over his head, clutching the garter-- is looking right at me. 5:30 Chesapeake Ballroom I stayed in the background and watched for Mrs. Scully's signal. I was getting anxious though. Next thing I know Scully is sitting in a chair with her back to me while Mrs. Scully fixes her hair, which, by the way, doesn't need fixing. "Once again, can we have all the single men come to the floor." I look at Mrs. Scully again and she gives me my signal by nodding her head over to the dance floor. I take in a deep breath and make my way into the crowd sizing up my competition. God, what is that smell? Is that.nah it can't be. Is that Aqua Velva? I look over to my right to find the offending source, expecting an elderly man in a leisure suit. Instead I find a man around my age who looks he bought his suit at Pimps-R-Us. "Okay, guys, this one's mine." Pimp man says. I look at him dumbfounded. His? I think not. "Yours?" I mutter. "Oh yeah, I've been waiting for a long time for a chance like this." He says with a leer. Not as long as I have buddy. "Be a shame if my hands slipped up her leg a little to far, you know what I mean." He gives a wink for emphasis. And then you would have to die. "Okay everyone, I think we are set to go." The DJ booms. "Right here, buddy." Aqua Velva Screams. I begin my new mantra. 'I will not use my firearm . I will not use a firearm. I will not use my firearm ..' "Okay, Charlie get ready." I roll my shoulders trying to limber myself. "One!" "Two!" "Three!" I can see the flash of baby blue riding above the reaching hands. I push myself through, knocking one guy down in the process and I'm almost there.Only one obstacle standing in my way.Aqua Velva Man. So I do the only thing I can, I sweep my leg out and kick him behind the knee making him fall to the floor just as my hand makes contact with the frilly object of desire. Hey buddy, all's fair in Love and War. I am just about to breathe a sigh of relief when I look up. Scully. Right in front of me. Her eyes locked with mine. My breathing stops all together. 5:32 Chesapeake Ballroom I couldn't be more shocked if it had been one of Mulder's little Grey men who held the garter in his hand. His eyes never left mine as he lowered his arm. Truth be told he looked just as petrified as I am. How? My eyes asked. He broke our gaze and looked beyond me. I feel hands on my shoulders but my body has become as ridged as stone. Another tug and I'm turned around, facing my mother. "Dana Katherine Scully, you have two choices to make as I see it." She says softly but firmly. "Mother." It hits me, she's not shocked one bit to see him there. "Dana, listen to me and listen good." Shit. That's a tone I know well. "You can either embarrass yourself and Fox by acting like you don't want him here, when we both know you do. Or you can let him know that there isn't anyone else in this world you would rather have here with you." "But, mom you don't understand." I stammer. "I understand everything there is to understand, honey, I understand that time is short and the time we have with the people we love is even shorter. There are a thousand things I wish I told your father, but I couldn't because we ran out of time." Just as quickly as she turned me to face her, she turned me back around facing Mulder. Still torn, I avert my gaze to the floor. "I never want you to feel like you let the most important part of life pass you by, Dana." She whispered in my ear. "The best part. Dana, God hates a coward." Well then, God must really hate me, I think. Because I have been the epitome of a coward for the last five years. I raise my eyes to meet his and the look I see there almost makes me want to cry. He looks defeated like a child awaiting his punishment. For an instant I want to beat the living shit out of who ever made him feel like that until I realize it's me. Now it's time to atone for my cowardice. I look at him and smile, a real smile, teeth and all. So simple really, it's just a smile, but the effect it has on Mulder is amazing. His features change instantly, a breathtaking smile is etched upon his face now. "Okay, you guys, let's get the show on the road." DJ boy says breaking the moment. For a moment I forgot the circumstances that brought us here. Mulder raises one hand out to me, and with out hesitation I walk over to him and place my hand in his. 5:32 Chesapeake Ballroom Through all of our time together I don't think I've ever seen Scully this shocked, and that scares me. She looks at me questionably and instead of standing my ground, I look behind her to find my only ally in this whole mess. Mrs. Scully. But before Scully can even follow my gaze, Mrs. Scully has turned her around to face her. In the time that passes, which by the way feels like hours, my anxiety increases ten fold. As much as I appreciate Mrs. Scully's help, I do not want Scully to be talked into anything. I want her to want me to be here. I want her to want me to be the one holding this ridiculous garter. I want her to want me period. As fast as she was turned around she is turned back to face me, but this time she can't even look me in the eye. Shit. I should have known that this was a mistake. I have avoided situations greater than this before. Times when the need to be with her was so powerful it took my breath away. Oh, but I was strong, I held back. Because I need her in my life, even if it wasn't in the capacity I wanted it to be. Then her eyes drift from the floor to my face. Her brow crinkles and she looks as if she might cry. Fuck, I'm such an idiot. And in a blink of an eye that look is gone. Replaced with the most glorious smile I have ever seen. I have only seen a smile from here once that could rival it. When I woke up from a bad case of freezer burn. I couldn't return it then. I sure the hell can now. "Okay guys, let's get the show on the road." The DJ sings out, at this moment I want to take his microphone and shove it down his throat. I want that smile to last. I extend my arm out to her, and --Thank you, God-- she walks to me and places her hand in mine. Epilogue: October 2, 1998 8:30 a.m. Georgetown Without a doubt this weekend was one of the weirdest I've ever spent, and for me that's saying a hell of a lot. I can't help but giggle as I recall Mulder's nervous hands as he slid the garter up my leg, stopping respectfully right above my knee. I wonder if he would have gone farther if Charlie and my mother weren't right behind him. I remember the harsh light that flooded the dance floor fading to a soft glow as Mulder and I danced. What was the song? I can't believe I don't remember the song. The only thing I remember is the warmth I felt in his arms and the steady beat of his heart as I laid my head on his chest, breathing in the sweet smell that is uniquely Mulder. A sigh escapes my lips as a familiar arm encircles my naked waist. "You okay, Scully?" Okay? Yeah, I'm better than okay. I roll over to face him, letting the pads of my finger run over his jaw line and then over his full bottom lip. "I'm just fine, Mulder." A lazy smile creeps across his face. "Stupid question." he mumbles. The urge to kiss that smile is overwhelming, so I follow it. Because after all? God hates a coward. The End. Feedback of all kinds welcome at KSWDMM@prodigy.net Visit my page, Fanfic, Sounds, and X-file links http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/7147/