Title:  Parallels II - Kiss Me
Author:  Jenn Perry
E-mail:  jenn7747@yahoo.com
Rating:  PG-13
Spoilers:  Fight The Future
Keywords:  Mulder/Scully UST, Shmoopy MSR
Distribution:  Go For It (but let me know, K?)
Disclaimer:  "The X-Files", Dana Scully, Fox Mulder and any other 
character you recognize belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, 
and Fox Television.  The song "Kiss Me" belongs to Sixpence None 
The Richer and can be found on their self-titled CD and the 
"Dawson's Creek" soundtrack.
Summary:  An innocent curiousity leads to an unexpected result.  

*     *     *     *     *     *

Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight.
Lead me out on the moonlit floor.
Lift your open hand.
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance,
Silver moon's sparkling.
So kiss me

*     *     *     *     *     *

Wednesday
4:18 p.m.
Basement Office

Mulder looked over at Scully and found her nibbling on her pen and 
staring at the door.  And the look on her face...it was 
almost...dreamy.  After her breakdown this morning, she had been 
full of life.  It seemed as if a weight had been lifted off her 
shoulders and the dark cloud that had been following her was 
nowhere to be found, he mused.  Wow, he thought, I am full of 
cliches today.  He heard her sigh, but this time it was more 
wistful than depressed.  He was happy that she had let go of all 
her hang-ups and just cried.  It was definitely a special moment 
that they had shared.

"Scully?"

"Hmmm. . ."  She answered without looking at him.

"You ready to get out of here?"

"It's only 4:20."

"So?  Who's going to know?  No one ever comes down to the 
basement, except Skinner and we already saw him today.  C'mon, 
where's your sense of adventure?"  Mulder prodded.

"I guess so.  But I left early yesterday too.  Are you sure it's 
okay?"

"As your boss, it's fine by me."

"Okay, sure.  I've still got some errands to run. . ."

"No!"  Mulder interrupted.  "C'mon, let's go do something fun.  I 
promise to give you plenty of time to get all your stuff done."

Mulder gave her his puppy dog face.  Scully hated when he gave her 
that look--she could never say no.

"Well, okay, sure.  What do you have in mind?"  Scully was curious 
as to Mulder's intentions.  This morning he had gotten her to open
up and be vulnerable with him and now he wanted to skip out early 
from work to do something "fun".  What was up with him today?  He 
seemed so energetic, almost playful.  She knew that this was the 
best she had felt in months.  What a pair they were!

"Well, hmmm. . .I haven't thought that far ahead.  Why don't we 
just drive until we come someplace we like?"  Mulder sounded like
a teenager.

"Sounds like a plan.  So whose car are we taking and what are we 
going to do about the other one?"

Mulder smiled to himself.  Scully was so obsessed with 
details--even when it came to letting go and having fun.  "Why 
don't you follow me back to my place and we'll take it from 
there?"

"Ooo. . . are you coming onto me, Mulder?"

"Only if you want me to," Mulder wiggled his eyebrows and Scully 
blushed.  "Alright, let's go!"

Mulder and Scully grabbed their stuff and headed out the door.  
Mulder turned and locked their office, then, with his hand on the 
small of Scully's back, they proceeded up the stairs and to their 
cars.

*     *     *     *     *     *

Kiss me down by the broken tree house.
Swing me high upon its hanging tire.
Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat.
We'll take the trail marked on your father's map.

*     *     *     *     *     *

5:13 p.m.
Clara Barton Parkway

Once at Mulder's apartment, they had decided to drive away from 
the city and hopefully avoid some of Washington's murderous rush 
hour traffic.  Mulder had suggested they go to Glen Echo Park.  
Since Scully had never been there, Mulder had insisted that it be 
their destination.  Then Scully had pointed out that their work 
clothes were not exactly made for romping around a park.  They had
ended up changing clothes before heading on their way:  Mulder 
into black jeans and a white T-shirt and Scully into a small old 
shirt and a pair of navy athletic shorts of Mulder's with the 
drawstring pulled tight.

"So, Mulder, what is there to do at this park?"

"It's great!  There's a carosel, bumper cars, lots of snack
stands, and plenty of plain old open spaces, bordered by some of 
the oldest trees in DC.  I can't believe you've never been there 
before.  Haven't you ever done the "tourist-for-a-day" thing?" 
Mulder asked incredulously.

"Sure I have.  When I first to Maryland, a bunch of my friends and
I road-tripped down to DC for a couple of days.  But we didn't 
really leave the city,"  Scully explained.  "What is this?  
Twenty questions?"  She smiled to show she was kidding.

"Hey!  We should play that!  You know, kinda like truth or dare, 
but only truth.  Whaddya say?"  Mulder gave her a toothy grin.  
"I wanna go first."

"What is going on with you today?"

"I said *I* wanted to go first.  Okay, let's see, what do I want 
to ask the enigmatic Dana Scully?  Hmmmm. . . okay, I've got one.  
What's your idea of the perfect mate?"

Geez, he sounds like one of those cheezy women's magazines, 
Scully thought.  Now how do I want to answer this?  The answer is
obvious:  Mulder.  I can't just come right out and say that. . . 
he would be so embarrassed because he doesn't return the 
feelings.  I mean, he's only taking me on this little outing 
because he feels sorry for me after my outburst this morning.  
Anyway, I guess I better answer the question as vaguely as 
possible, so he won't guess I'm talking about him.  "Well, he's 
gotta be taller than me, which isn't saying much and have green 
eyes.  I'm such a sucker for green eyes!  He needs to respect me 
and who I am.  He needs to understand that I may not be able to 
share everything with him, but that's not because I don't trust 
him, just my own hang-ups,"  Scully finally responded.  "Oh!  And
he has to have a nice ass!"

"Seems like someone has put a lot of thought into this,"  Mulder 
commented.

"A girl's gotta do something on all those car trips when her 
partner falls asleep,"  Scully replied, with a twinkle in her eye.

I didn't expect her to take me seriously.  This is so absurd, 
Mulder thought, I mean, that "perfect" guy sounded a lot like me.
I guess I would try to fit myself into any profile she gave.  I 
wish I could be the one who makes her this happy all the time.  
She's so playful today, I like it.  "Okay, now it's your turn."

Two can play this game -- literally, Scully thought.  "Why haven't 
you ever kissed me?"

WHAT?!?!  Mulder's mind screamed.  I was not expecting that!  
Great, how do I answer that?!  The truth is, I've wanted to ever 
since that day lasy summer in my hallway.  Geez...Should I tell 
her that?  Does she want me to kiss her or is she just messing 
with me because of the question I asked?

Mulder's thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the turnoff for 
the park.  He easily found a parking space and turned off the 
engine.  "We're here!"

Scully smiled, but underneath she was confused.  Why hadn't he 
answered her question?  She had responded to his question and she 
was just playing along with *his* game.  She had probably just 
embarassed him because he didn't know how to tell her that he 
didn't want to.  Feeling like some of wind had been knocked out 
of her sails, Scully got out of the car, determined to have a fun
afternoon with her *best friend* no matter what.

*     *     *     *     *     *

Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand.
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance,
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me

*     *     *     *     *     *

7:27 p.m.
Glen Echo Park

Mulder and Scully had been strolling around the park for about two 
hours.  Scully's mood had definitely lightened up again.  They had 
been flirting the whole time, and she was excited about what that 
could mean.  He hadn't addressed her question from the car and she 
hadn't pressed the issue further.  They had ridden the carosel and 
eaten cotton candy.  Mulder had kept stealing bites from hers, 
eliciting giggles from Scully, a sound Mulder decided he could get 
used to.

As the sun began to set, Mulder and Scully walked side by side, 
their arms casually around each other.  It had been a fun, 
relaxing day, Scully mused, even if Mulder didn't answer THE 
QUESTION.  He probably had been surprised that she had taken him 
seriously and decided to stop the madness before things had 
gotten out of hand.

"You know, this was really fun, Mulder," Scully said, interrupting 
the silence.  "I'm glad you brought me out here.  We definitely 
should do this again sometime."

"Is that my cue to take you home?"  Mulder questioned.

"Well, as much as I would love to stay here all night, you did 
promise to give me time to get the rest of my errands done.  I've 
got a lot of things to do before my brother arrives tomorrow.  
I've had my playtime, so now it's time for me to get back to 
reality."

"I guess, all good things must come to an end.  I better get you 
home, Cinderella, before you turn into a pumpkin,"  Mulder said, 
reluctantly.

"Would you mind taking me back to my place?  I want to change back 
into my own clothes.  Yours are nice, but I'd like to have some 
clothes that fit," she said with a smile.

"As you wish, m'lady,"  Mulder responded mock-chivalrously.

*     *     *     *     *     *

Kiss me down by the bearded barley
Lightly, beside the green, green grass
Swing, swing, swing the spinning step
You wear those shoes and I'll wear that dress

*     *     *     *     *     *

8:17 p.m.
Scully's apartment building

"I'm sorry, you had to park so far away.  I forgot they were 
repaving the parking lot.  Good thing I left my car at your 
place.  You didn't have to walk me in,"  Scully protested.  "I'm a 
big girl that carries a gun.  I can take care of myself."

"I know you can,"  Mulder replied sheepishly.  "I'm doing this 
mostly for myself.  I don't want anything to happen to my girl."

"Oh, so I'm your girl, now?"  Scully observed with a smile.

"Well, you said this morning that I was your guy, so doesn't that 
mean that you're my girl?"  Mulder was glad it was dark because 
he was sure he was blushing.  He couldn't believe he let that 
slip out.

"Yeah, I guess it does,"  Scully replied, linking her arm through 
his.

*     *     *     *     *     *

8:27 p.m.
Outside Scully's Apartment

"So, we're here,"  Mulder said, stating the obvious, as they 
approached Scully's apartment door.

"Yeah," Scully agreed, but made no move to unlock the door.  She 
had enjoyed playing hooky, unlike yesterday, and was reluctant to 
have it end.  She was disappointed that Mulder had avoided her 
question, but she wasn't really surprised.  His behavior today 
was a bit confusing, but she suspected he was just being nice.

Mulder stared at Scully, willing the night not to be over.  She 
looked so beautiful, dressed in his clothes.  Even through the 
masculine apparel, he could see her curves that made her 
distinctly Scully.  Why was he being such a coward?  Why was he 
so afraid of taking a risk?  She wouldn't have asked if she didn't 
want to know.

Scully tried to dig into her pockets for her keys, but remembered 
that Mulder had her wallet and keys because his athletic shorts 
that she was wearing did not have any pockets.  She looked up to 
ask him for her belongings, but found his gaze already fixed upon 
her.  She recognized the look on his face.  It was the same look 
he had given here in his hallway before he. . .

Scully's thoughts were interrupted by the sensation of Mulder's 
lips pressed gently against hers.  The kiss was intense, but 
tender as he traced her bottom lip with his tongue.  He weaved his
hands through her hair, pulling her more closely to him.  Her 
hands traced up his chest and came to rest over his heart.  
Mulder pulled away before the kiss deepened.

Merely centimeters apart, Mulder gazed into her eyes for a minute 
and then spoke.  "I've wanted to do that since I found you in 
Antarctica." 

"Why didn't you?" Scully whispered breathlessly.

"Can we continue this inside?  This really isn't the atmosphere I 
pictured for this conversation."

Scully nodded mutely.  Mulder reached into his pocket, fished out 
her keys and unlocked the door.  Once inside, Scully walked to her 
bedroom to change into her own clothes, wondering what Mulder 
might say.  Pulling on grey sweatpants and an old Academy T-shirt,
she thought about the kiss.  It had been tender and sweet, but 
full of passion and promise of more to come.  Looking in the
mirror, she slowly ran her index finger over her lips and smiled.

Meanwhile, Mulder sat on her couch, pondering the right way to say 
how he felt.  He loved her, plain and simple, but he didn't want 
to say too much, too fast.  He knew she was still very emotionally 
taxed after the week she had been having.  He wasn't sure exactly 
how she felt about him, but she had definitely been kissing him 
back.  He nervously drummed his fingers on his leg.  Hearing a 
noise behind him, Mulder turned his head.

Scully entered the living room, carrying his clothes, neatly 
folded and a hint of a smile on her face.  "Thanks," she said as 
she handed him the small pile of clothing.

"Anything for you," was his response.

Scully sat on the couch, facing him, with one leg tucked under 
herself.  "So. . ."

"So, I guess I owe you some kind of explanation.  I'm not really 
sure why I never kissed you before.  I really wish I had.  When we 
returned for Antarctica, the only I wanted to do was kiss you and 
hold you forever.  Unfortunately, the circumstances never allowed 
me to get past the aliens, conspiracies, ghosts, sea monsters, and
other oddities that I misdirected my passion toward.  When I say 
you so full of pain and locked inside yourself this morning, I 
couldn't believe I let myself get so distracted that I didn't 
notice you were having such a hard time dealing with your 
brother's wedding.  So, I decided to direct my passion toward 
something more important than my work:  you.  If you'll have me, 
that is."

Scully was taken aback by Mulder's straightforward confession.  A 
single tear traced a crooked path down her cheek.  Mulder leaned 
forward and cupped her face with his hand.  His thumb brushed away 
the tear.  She smiled, to show him it was a tear of happiness, not 
of sorrow she shed.  Weaving her hand through his hair, she pulled 
his face close to hers and whispered seductively, "Oh, I'll 
definitely have you."  Following her innuendo, she kissed him, 
deeper this time.

Kiss by kiss, they grew closer, physically and emotionally.  
Scully leaned back against the arm of the sofa, pulling Mulder on 
top of her.  She had never felt more safe or loved in her life.

The phone rang, startling both of them.  Mulder leaned back 
slightly, but Scully shook her head and said, "Let the machine get
it."

"Hi.  You've reached Dana Scully.  Leave a message after the 
beep."  Scully's recorded voice rang out throught the room.

"Dana,"  Margaret Scully's voice filled the air, sounding as if 
she'd been crying.  "Please pick up if you're there.  I need to 
talk to you. . ."

End - Part 2