Category:Ý MSR Negotiations
Rating:Ý PG - no worse than the movie.Ý That was PG, wasn't it?
Anyway, I wouldn't have any problem letting my 13-year-old niece
read this.

Spoilers:Ý The movie, Detour, Christmas Carol/Emily, Triangle,
How The Ghosts Stole Christmas, Arcadia

Disclaimer:Ý I don't pretend to have any rights here.Ý But
they're so cute, I can't keep my hands off of them.

Archive:Ý ATXC, yes. Gossamer - you'll post it before the show is
off the air, right?ÝÝÝ I'm kidding!Ý All others let me know first
so I can visit.

Thanks to everyone for sending nice feedback on my previous
stories.Ý You guys are great!Ý This is for Marty, who will
hopefully have a kinder, gentler understanding of Ms. Scully by
the end.

Negotiations
By Beduini

"Share."

"No."

"Scully, yes."

"Mulder, no.Ý Maybe in the future, but not now."

She was relentless in her conviction, sitting with her arms crossed
in front of her and her lips pursed in strict determination.Ý He
stood in frustration, running his fingers through his spiky hair
for the hundredth time that evening.Ý He ran a hand down his face,
over his mouth, his eyes searching a spot on the wall for the
answer.Ý Deep in thought, he sucked his lower lip into his mouth.
She watched him patiently, her eyes meeting his as he turned back
to face her.

"Alright, unlimited access after ten p.m. for the first six
weeks, with a guarantee to share at the end of said period if all
is in good standing."

A low grunt escaped her throat as she let out a loud breath.
"Eleven p.m. to eight a.m., three months."

"Two."

"Done."

Mulder sat back on the sofa, stretching his long arms across the
smooth leather back and propping his feet up on the coffee table,
a smug look of satisfaction on his face.Ý They watched each other
a moment, each sizing up the competition.Ý Noting his delight at
his apparent victory, she smiled and sat back in the chair across
from him, a vicious glint in her eye.

"Holidays."

He groaned, raising his arm to glance at his wristwatch.
"Scully, it's three a.m."

Her response was a raised eyebrow - the thousandth of the
evening.Ý "You got us into this, Mulder."

"Me? All I did was give you a little peck on the cheek!Ý You're
the one who body-slammed me against the wall."Ý He rubbed the
back of his head in mock injury.

Make that eyebrow 1001.Ý "A peck?"

He nodded once.

"On the cheek?"

"On the cheek."Ý He confirmed with a smirk.

"That's the story you want to stick with?"

"That's how it happened."

She smiled knowingly.Ý "Uh huh.Ý And?Ý Think carefully before you
answer, Mulder.Ý My tailor will be sewing on every one of those
little buttons by hand."

He tried to keep his innocent mask intact, but the memory of
those little buttons flying through the air, the look on her face
and the joy of discovery were too overpowering to his senses and
his face cracked into a wide, lascivious grin.Ý "Tell him to send
me the bill."

She smiled warmly in return, forgiving him his indiscretion in a
moment of insanity.Ý She had been there herself. "So." she sat up
on the edge of the seat, "we were discussing holidays."

His smile disappeared, and he sat up as well, his back stiffening
in preparation for battle.Ý "What did you have in mind?" He asked
suspiciously.

"I spend all major holidays with my mother."

His arms crossed defensively across his chest.Ý "I see no reason
why you should change that."

"She'll expect you as well."

"I don't do holidays."

"Mulder."

"I'm Jewish."

"Mulder!Ý We've already covered religious affiliations, and I
know full well how deeply involved or uninvolved in your faith
you choose to be.Ý This is different subject, and besides, not
all holidays are about religion."

He groaned again.Ý "Ok, Christmas and Thanksgiving. The rest we
spend together.Ý ALONE."

"Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Fourth of July.Ý And we
spend Passover and Chanukah with your mother."

"Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Fourth of July UNLESS Bill
Jr. is in town.Ý My mother chooses to ignore Jewish holidays,
which is a pretty good indication why I am unschooled in addition
to choosing non-involvement in the faith."Ý He absently pulled at
the hair on his arm.

She visibly softened, clearly noticing a sore spot in his past
that hadn't surfaced during the earlier discussion of religion
and religious practice. "Fine, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter
and Fourth of July, unless Bill is in town, and we call your
mother on Passover and Chanukah."

"And we spend the rest together" he finished with a pout.

"And we spend the rest together."

"Alone."

She rolled her eyes.ÝÝ Now he was just taking advantage.
"Mulder, what if we're on a case?"

He replied with a grin and a nod.Ý "Raincheck."

"Fine, raincheck." She stood, tilting her head from side to side
with a soft pop at each motion.Ý "I'm calling a time out."

He hopped to his feet, all elbows and angles, a look of earnest
expectation on his face.Ý "Time for bed?"

She let out another loud grunt/breath, tucking her chin down
against her chest and glancing at her watch.Ý "I suppose the rest
can wait until morning."

"Hallelujah" he deadpanned, reaching for her.Ý "I came to that
conclusion hours ago."

She looked up at him, a crease forming between her eyebrows as
his hands came to rest upon her hips. "You know, Mulder, that's
exactly what I was talking about earlier.Ý You seem less than
serious about this."

He rested him chin atop her head, smiling as her arms wrapped
around his waist.Ý "I'm EXTREMELY serious about this, Scully.Ý I
just think it's a little harsh to stay up all night debating
issues that are going to change as we go along when we could be
working on achieving a higher level of intimacy."

She ran her fingers up and down the crease of his spine.Ý "Need I
remind you we spent two hours just going over blueprints of the
Hoover Building - and I'm still trying to figure out how you
managed to have those, Mulder - only to agree upon a hands-off
policy while on the job."

"You decided.Ý I still have my eye on that broom closet on the
third floor."Ý His voice was serious.

She smiled against his chest.Ý "Anyway, you know if we'd done
things your way we never would have had this discussion."

He bit his lip, smiling at the ceiling.Ý She laid her chin on his
chest and looked up at him with amusement.Ý Tilting his face
down, he cupped her cheek in his hand, caressing the soft skin
with his thumb.Ý "I can't believe we're finally here."

She continued to look at him.Ý "Why now, Mulder? After all this
time, why last night?"

"My cable went out?"

She just looked at him, waiting.

"I don't know, Scully.Ý It's not like I haven't been trying for a
very long time.Ý Last night you finally let me."

"You've been trying how, Mulder?Ý Aside from that surprising
incident in the hallway last summer, I don't remember any blatant
attempts at `pecking my cheek' as you so colorfully put it."

"In the hospital."

"When?"

"Last fall, after the boating accident."

"When you were high on morphine?"

He took a breath, pausing.Ý "Christmas eve."

She took a small step back, her hands resting loosely on his
hips.Ý "The haunted house?"

He shrugged, looking away from her.Ý "Arcadia."

She straightened, looking at a spot on his chest. "You weren't
serious."

He was silent, his eyes downcast.

"Mulder, that wasn't us.Ý Besides, we were working. You didn't
honestly expect me to take you up on your offer, did you?"

He shrugged again.Ý "No."Ý He looked into her eyes, his eyes
showing his hurt at her rejection.Ý "But I hoped you would."

She placed a hand on his chest, nearly over his heart, and took
in a deep breath.Ý Looking back up at him, she sighed, "I wanted
to."Ý Her voice lowered to a near whisper.Ý "I've waited a long
time, too."

His eyes searched her face, trying to decipher the intricate
details behind her statement.Ý Finally, he asked, "why didn't
you..."

She closed her eyes.Ý "Just after my cancer went into remission.
Florida.Ý Aborted teamwork conference.Ý Wine and cheese?"Ý Her
eyes opened and she stared at him, willing him to remember.

He caught his breath as the memory came to him. Scully standing
in his hotel room pouring wine, joking about Bureau protocol
regarding agents consorting in the same hotel room.Ý And later,
her admission about the struggle to give meaning to the cancer.
To give meaning to the fact that she had been dying.Ý His breath
came out in a rush and he closed his eyes.Ý "Oh, God."

"You knew, Mulder.Ý I saw it in your eyes."Ý Her voice was soft
and tender, without accusation.

His eyes remained closed and he nodded.Ý "I guess I did.Ý I was
scared shitless."

"So was I."

He pulled her close, hugging her tight against him as he felt
tears stinging his eyes.Ý "I'm sorry, Scully.Ý So sorry."

They held each other for a long while, neither saying anything.
Finally, Mulder whispered, "you shut me out after that.Ý After
you found Emily...and then after Dallas, you thought I didn't
need you."

She buried her face in his chest, sniffling back her own tears.
Then she laughed self-consciously. "I tried not to need you.Ý I
couldn't help wanting you.Ý You shocked the hell out of me in
that hallway, Mulder."Ý Wiping the moisture from her eyes, she
looked up.

He grinned.Ý "But here we are."

"Here we are."Ý She smiled back with her eyes, moving across his
face and settling on his mouth. Her lips parted as she lifted up
on tiptoe, his lips meeting hers halfway.Ý It was a confident
kiss, mild but promisingly erotic.

"Last night was a peck on a cheek so that qualified as a
handshake, right?"Ý She whispered against his mouth.

He kissed her again, more passionately than before, demanding and
being allowed entry as she slid her tongue against his.Ý They
pulled apart, slightly breathless, looking at one another in
silent agreement to move into the bedroom for the rest of the
night.

"So we're clear on everything, right Scully?"Ý Mulder asked as
they crossed the threshold into the other room.Ý Scully's eye
caught a shining object on the floor near the wall.

"No, we still have a few more subjects to cover." Turning, she
walked back toward the shiny object and kneeled down.

"Like what?"Ý He asked, his voice muffled by his T-shirt as he
pulled it over his head.

"My brother, for one thing."Ý She replied, picking up the object
and examining it with a scrutinizing eye.

His groan was accented by the thump of his body hitting the bed.
"Can't we discuss that in six weeks when we revisit the issue of
our living arrangements?"

"EIGHT weeks."Ý She stood, object in hand, and walked back into
the room, hitting the light switch on the wall as she passed
through the threshold once again.

"Mulder, I found another button."
Ý

Fin

beduini2@yahoo.com