Disclaimer: I didn't create these amazing characters, so no one's
paying me.

Summary: Mulder's view of the schmoop...

Feedback makes me very happy at shawntaw@hotmail.com  :)

TO DANIELA LABOD WHO HAS MADE A WEBSITE OF MY STORIES:

www.geocities.com/corran_14776/shawntaw.html

Thank you.:)
 
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT FEEDBACK: Life got really crazy for about a
month and my e-mail got so stacked up that there was no way in heck
that I could personally respond to everyone like I usually do.  I
just want you to know that I read your feedback if you wrote and it
brightened my day!:) And, if you write me again (hint hint) I PROMISE
to respond this time, ok? *BIG GRIN*

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**

Mulder entered Skinner's office with his shoulders hunched.

The older man greeted him standing by his desk, hands in his pockets.

"You know then, " he stated.

Mulder nodded.

"Where's Scully?"

"She took off.  I think she's a little overwhelmed and...embarrassed."

Skinner nodded, "Understandable."

He gestured at the seats in front of his desk.

"However, if you'll bear with me for a few minutes, I think I have
some good news for you and Agent Scully.  It won't negate the
embarrassment of having your private lives gawked at, but - in the
long run - I think you'll both be happy."

Mulder took the proffered seat.

Skinner sat on the corner of his desk and looked at Mulder with a
serious expression, but - to Mulder's surprise - Skinner's eyes were
twinkling.

"You're bluffing me!  You aren't just trying to soften the blow; you
really DO have good news!  They-they're not splitting us up?!"

Skinner shook his head and smiled. "No.  For some reason, the powers
that be have decided that it would be easier to keep you together and
your unorthodox work under the umbrella of the F.B.I. rather than
risk splitting the two of you up and having you run off together on
renegade investigations on your own time."

He huffed with amusement, "Like you don't do that already.  Anyway,
they didn't put it that way. They actually said that as long as the
personal relationship does not interfere with your solve rate and is
not overt in the workplace that it is not an issue.  Obviously, the
CSM and his bunch might have other ideas, but you can't plan your
life around POSSIBLE danger and-"

Skinner saw the happiness at this news dampened in Mulder's eyes by
worry.

"What is it, Mulder?"

"Sir?"

"What else is bothering you?"

Skinner had a sudden thought.  "Is it Diana?  You don't have to worry
about her anymore.  We traced the e-mail to her work station, but all
her things were cleared out and she seems to be long gone.  Probably
back working with that black-lunged son of-"

"That's not it," Mulder interrupted gloomily.

"What then?"

"Our relationship and marriage being ok'd by the OPR is all fine and
good, but I wonder if Scully isn't a little worried that she'll be
permanently stamped as 'Mrs. Spooky' after this.  Maybe that's the
real reason she's been so resistant to going public with our
relationship."

"Stop being a yutz, Mulder.  She's loved you for years; everyone
knows that."

"I know, I know, I just guess I'M worried if being completely
attached - MARRIED- to ol' 'Spooky' won't hold her back; I've screwed
up her life so much already."

"Get a grip, Mulder."

Mulder blinked at him in suprise.

"Give the woman credit.  She has choices and she chose you.  She
loves you even though you are the world's biggest idiot sometimes.
Just be grateful and be happy."

To soften his words, Skinner leaned forward and put his hand on the
younger man's shoulder.

"Be grateful and be happy," he repeated earnestly, "You've both
earned it."

Mulder looked at his boss, nodded his head once decisively, and stood.

"I-I guess I'd better go find Scully and tell her the good news."

Skinner stood and walked him to the door.

"If you two need me for anything, call me after lunch."

He opened his door and Mulder walked through.

Mulder paused and turned.

"Thank you, sir.  I'm taking your advice."

Mulder offered his hand and Skinner shook it.
**********************************************************************
***

Kim watched this exchange with a glad heart.  Once Mulder found
Scully, everything would be fine.

"Agent Mulder," she said as Skinner shut his door, "Agent Scully told
me to tell you she'd be in the cafeteria."

Kim paused, "Good Luck, Mulder," she added with an unprofessional
grin.

He grinned back, "Thanks," and dashed from the room.

**********************************************************************
****
Mulder entered the cafeteria and was momentarily thrown off by the
throng of people milling about.  He had to pause for a moment to scan
the room for Scully.

*Why would she have picked such a crowded place?  Why expose herself
to further humiliation?*

Mulder spotted her the moment she stood on the chair and was heading
toward her rapidly.

"I would like everyone's attention, please!" she announced in a loud,
authoritative voice.

*What is she doing?!!*

Mulder found himself frozen mid-step with shock.

Everyone became still and conversation filtered down to silence as
they all contemplated the barefoot, red-headed "Ice Queen" standing
on a cafeteria table making a proclamation.

"I know that a certain picture of Agent Mulder and me has been
circulating-"

At this there was a blatant whistle and some tittering.  Scully
blushed, but merely held her head high and continued.  Mulder felt
like killing someone and all the blood in his body rushed to his
head.  He felt dizzy with embarassment and protectiveness for Scully.

*Why, WHY, would she put herself through this?!*

Mulder was standing halfway between the door and where she stood,
seeming rooted to the spot, fists clenched, in shock.

"-so I guess it will be no surprise to you when I say that, yes,
Mulder and I are involved in a physical relationship.  We have been
for several months."

There were some disbelieving huffs in the crowd and some low
muttering amongst themselves.

Scully held up her hand and the crowd was once again silent.  She saw
the cafeteria doors open to admit Skinner.  He looked confused for a
moment, took a few more steps into the room, saw her and then cocked
an eyebrow in surprise.

Mulder followed her gaze, saw Skinner, and tried to catch his eye to
see if he had an idea of what Scully was up to and why.

But like everyone else, Skinner only had eyes for the woman standing
proudly on the wobbly, laminate table, presenting her heart on a
platter to the wolves surrounding her.

She cleared her throat and plowed on.

"I know it is hard for you to believe, but I am here to tell you the
whole truth to satisfy your petty gossip-mongering and your betting
pools so that it will end and we can all get back to work.  The truth
is we have only been involved for a matter of months, although I have
loved Mulder for years."

At this, several people looked Mulder's way to gauge his reaction, as
did Scully.

He was oblivious to their stares as he walked slowly forward and the
crowd parted before him.  He held up his hand to her and said
quietly, "You don't have to do this, Scully."

Mulder thought how odd it was to look up at Scully.  He was so used
to looking down to his side to get her opinions or sideways looks
that spoke volumes.

But it made sense somehow.  There were so many things about her that
he DID look up to.  Her bravery for one.

She smiled lovingly at him.

"I want to," she responded.  He said nothing, but let his hand drop
to his side.

"What you don't know is that Mulder asked me to marry him and I
accepted his proposal," she returned to addressing the throng of
agents, secretaries, and other assorted employees of the F.B.I.

There was a collective gasp of surprise.

She waited for the shocked muttering to die down.  Mulder was still
looking at her with that serious, worried look.

*That's one way for them to find out, Scully.  I don't mind, but what
are you trying to prove?*

Everyone was staring at her expectantly, wondering what revelations
were yet to come since she still stood on her 'soapbox.'

"And this ring," she said, indicating her right hand, "belongs on
this finger," she finished, removing it from the incorrect hand with
a flourish and placing it on the correct finger while looking
directly at Mulder.
 
Ok, that satisfied the possessive, chest-beating caveman in him.
His mouth quirked a little and she grinned at him openly.

"I didn't want us to say anything because I was scared for our
partnership.  But I want everyone to know now that the cat is out of
the bag, so to speak, that I am not embarrassed by my relationship
with Mulder.  You will not be able to use this to belittle our work
or snicker about us at the watercooler. This is not an 'affair', it
is a marriage and I will not tolerate any crap
from any of you."

There was a sobering silence and Mulder's small uplift of lips became
a genuine, "YOU GO GIRL!" smile.  She looked into his eyes.

"Mulder, I know that in the movies it is usually the man that makes
the grand, public confessions of love, but -"

Scully broke into song.  Horrible, off-key, warbling, song.

Collectively, the room flinched.

"Wise men say....only fools rush in..." Scully sang with all her
heart.

Mulder burst out laughing.  The forest.  She was remembering his
request in the forest.  "Sing something," he had said, and - even
though she couldn't sing to save her life - she had trusted him
enough finally to do just that.  That's what she was doing now.  She
was proving her trust in him - IN THE TWO OF THEM.

She looked directly in his eyes, cocked an eyebrow at him in
challenge, and continued to butcher the normally beautiful love song.

"..but IIIIIII caaaannn't heeeeellllpp faaaallllling in
love...with...you.."

He was laughing so hard now that tears were swelling in his eyes.
His laughter was so raucous that it almost drowned out Scully's
attempt at song.

This was great.  It was absolutely hilarious and so touching it was
making his chest hurt.

People were cringing, but looking at Mulder like he'd lost his mind.
She could almost see them thinking, "For goodness sake, she's trying
to do something sweet! Have a little tact!"

Only Skinner in the back of the room had a big smile on his face.  He
knew that this is what Scully had intended, even if he had no idea of
the joke behind it.

"Scully! Stop it before security comes swarming in here thinking
someone's being murdered!"

Almost as though they'd rehearsed it, the entire room turned to look
at Mulder in disgusted disbelief.

She just poured out her heart to him! How could he be so-

But Scully was laughing and letting Mulder pull her down from the
table.  They collapsed into each others arms, crying and laughing.

"Elvis is rolling in his grave, Scully," Mulder said, wiping the
tears from her eyes with his thumbs as he cradled her face and
thought how incredibly blessed he was for someone so messed up.

"I thought you said he faked his death, Mulder," Scully countered,
doing the same to his face with her fingertips.

They both became aware of their audience again at the same time.

"Hey, you're not the only one who can showboat, you know," Mulder
said - and dipped her as though they were dancing.

One quick grin at her surprised face and he kissed her deeply and
thoroughly in front of the lunch crowd in the cafeteria at the J.
Edgar Hoover Building.

The secretaries hooted first.  The romance of it all carried them
away.  The cafeteria workers joined them, wiping the tears from their
own cheeks and waving their dishtowels in the excitement of it all.

Agents began clapping and even the couple of A.D.s that had wandering
through for a snack had to show their approval by joining in.

Soon the whole room was shouting and clapping and caught up in the
moment.

Mulder released Scully...

*Ow, my back.  I forget how short she is without the stilts.*

...and, still in a dip, asked her under cover of the noise-

"Scully?"

"Yes, Mulder?"  Her eyes shone up at him and her hair hung back and
away from her face like a auburn waterfall.

"Answer me one thing."

"What's that?"

"If I promise never to ditch you or doubt you in the future, will you
promise never to sing Elvis again?"

"Shut up, Mulder."  Scully was done with the witty back and forth.

She grabbed him by the tie and shut him up herself...

with a kiss.

Mulder closed his eyes and the hoopla, the clamor, the greasy smell
of the cafeteria all blurred into white noise and then into nothing
until all he could sense was her.

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******
 Tada!!!

The next installment was inspired by an e-mail from Mimic who
suggested the idea of a jealous and envious secretarial pool....(hee
hee hee....)