Roses and Apologies 

By Martin A. Nantus
mnantus@ryker.itech.cup.edu

Date: 22 Feb 1996

and you know who belongs to whom, right???
;-)


                            ROSES AND APOLOGIES
                            By Martin A. Nantus

     Dana Scully was enjoying herself.  She thought that some
people might say that being happy because someone else was being
embarrassed was wrong, but she couldn't help it.  She laughed as
Walter Skinner's assistant Pam received the gaudiest group of
balloons and flowers she'd ever seen.
     The fact that they were delivered by a clown didn't help her
any.
     Therefore she decided she'd better leave Pam's boyfriends
idea of a Valentine's Day surprise before she burst a vital
organ.... Or worse yet A.D. Skinner came out of his office to see
what all the noise was about.
     Excusing herself from the gathering of other female agents
and secretaries from the office, Dana strolled back down the
hallway towards the elevator to head back to the basement office
she shared with Fox Mulder.
     Scully entered the empty elevator and pushed the button for
the basement level.  She didn't particularly want to go down to
see Mulder right now.  Things between the two of them had been
odd lately.  Odd even by the standards of the X-Files...  
     She never knew exactly what mood Mulder would be in lately.
He seemed to swing from being a total jerk and insulting her in
front of people, to being supportive and protective of her.  
     Well, with any luck she'd be able to avoid getting either
side of Mulder today.  She had to leave shortly to fill in for a
friend who taught at Quantico.  Her friend was leaving with her
husband for a Valentines get-away, and she'd eagerly agreed to
fill in for her.
     Now if she just knew if she agreed to it to help her friend
or help her forget she was alone on the most romantic holiday of
the year...  
     "No time for soul searching now Dana." She muttered to
herself while she opened the office door. "You've got to hurry or
you'll be late."  Fully intending to grab her briefcase and coat
and leave, she strode purposefully towards her desk.
     And came to a dead stop when she saw the bouquet of red
roses on her desk.  Two dozen at least by her hasty glance, the
arrangement took up most of her desk.  Dana reached for the small
white card, which read "Look behind you".
     Suppressing the urge to draw her gun, Dana turned to look
behind her at the door.  Mulder stood, framed in the brighter
light from the hallway, his hands in his pockets staring at the
ground.  
     "Happy Valentine's Day, Scully." He said as he walked into
the office, closing the door behind him.
     "Mulder, what..?" She started to ask, but he cut her off
with a quick smile.
     "Listen," Mulder started, suddenly looking uncomfortable
again.  Scratching the back of his head and trying to look as
detached as he could.  Failing miserably.  "I just wanted to
say... I'm sorry."
     "Sorry?"  Scully looked at him with a questioning look.
"What for?"
     "The way I've been acting lately." He said.  "You didn't
deserve the way I acted over the past few cases we've been on,
and I know that no amount of flowers can cover up for the fact
that I've been such a jerk."
     He paused as he walked closer to her, looking directly into
her eyes. "But I do want you to know that while I have no idea
why I've been acting like this recently, you are without a doubt
the best agent I've ever worked with.  And there's no one else
I'd rather have for a partner."
     Dana looked up at him, considering what he'd said.  After a
few moments hesitation she found herself hugging him.
     "Don't worry about it Mulder." She said. "We'll just put it
down to some weird astrological alignment, ok?"
     "Apology accepted then?" He asked.
     "Apology accepted." She said.
     They stayed in each others arms for a few more moments
before Dana pulled away.  "I've got a class to teach at Quantico
in a few minutes.  Want to have dinner tonight as my way of
apologizing?"
     "What for?" He asked.
     "The bad things I've been thinking about you for being such
a jerk." She smirked.
     "Far be it from me to pass up a free meal.  I'll see you
later tonight." He returned her grin, feeling things settle back
to somewhere near normal.
     "Good, I'll see you then."  Dana quickly grabbed up her
coat, briefcase, and the vase of flowers and headed out the door.
     Mulder watched her leave, wondering why he had been acting
like he had lately.
     He didn't know if it was good or not that the only thing
that came to mind was what his mother had told him when he was 12
and was picking on his fellow classmate Jill Matola:  "You only
pull the pigtails of the one you love."
     It was a good thing, he thought, that Scully never wore her
hair like that.

--End.