Title:  The Morning After (1/1)
Author:  Dana Audrey
E-Mail Address:  AudreyCats@aol.com
Rating:  No explicit anything, but if the title doesn't give you a clue as to
what it's about, you might be too young (or too stupid) to read this.
Spoilers: None
Category: Story, Romance
Keywords:  Mulder/Scully Romance
Summary:  It's the morning after.  You figure it out.

Disclaimer: If Chris Carter and all his cohorts over at 10/13 have nothing
better to do with their time than to sue me over this one tiny piece of fanfic
(that really is their fault, you know, by not giving me what I want on TV and
therefore reducing me to this level!) then I say what the hell, let them. 
Serves 'em right for all they've done (or not done) to these poor characters.


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The Morning After (1/1) by Dana Audrey


	For the first time in years, Mulder awoke from a deep sleep in a warm,
comfortable bed.  The fact that it was not his own made it better.  The fact
that it was Scully's made it great.  His arm reached lazily across the covers
in search of the head of glorious red hair he had grown so accustomed to.  He
used to imagine how it would feel to run his hands through it, to smell the
sweet fragrance of it and let it seep through every pore of him.  The fact that
there was nothing stopping him now from doing just that filled him with
newfound pride.  He had always thought of her as his Scully.  Now she really
was.
	"Scully?"  He sat up, suddenly worried when his hand found nothing but her
pillow.  She was sitting, hunched over near the foot of the bed, apparently
deep in thought.  "Scully?" he repeated.  Instead of responding, she simply
looked up.  Mulder had to try hard not to gasp at the pain in her eyes and
worry in her face.  Was it possible she regretted last night?  New fears and
doubts that he had forgotten existed were now creeping all over Mulder's mind.
	They didn't have long to creep, though, because without a word, Scully climbed
over and sat in his lap.  No, whatever it was that was bothering her, it wasn't
him.  She took her time before she spoke by tracing her fingers up and down his
arms, which were instinctively wrapping around her with each passing moment.
	"Mulder," she began slowly, "a lot's changed since yesterday-"
	"Scully, please don't-"
	"Let me finish."  She waited for him to comply.  Reluctantly, he did.  "A
lot's changed.  And I don't regret a bit of it."  She looked up into his
relieved face.  "I guess my question is, what happens now?"
	"I think I have an idea or two," Mulder drawled slyly.  When she caught on,
Scully blushed and frowned.
	"Come on, Mulder.  Be serious.  And don't," she put a finger on his lips for
emphasis, "interrupt me again."  At his silence he was rewarded with a rare and
precious full-fledged Scully Smile.  
	"I'm really concerned.  I know nothing has changed- or will change- for the
worse between us.  But what about everything else?  Do we hide it?  Do we use
it?  How do I know when you're basing your judgement on work or on me?  Will I
unconsciously act different with you when we're around people?  Or will there
be other problems that never even occurred to either of us before?  And even if
we do make it through all of this, how do I know it will have been worth it? 
Am I just going to end up a bitter old doctor who has to tell the neighbor's
children about what went wrong when she fell in love with her partner whom she
only vaguely remembers because she has no children of her own?"  She paused for
breath, then continued vigorously once again.  "I don't want to see you in
twenty years and hate you for this.  I can't bear the thought of ever having to
work with anyone else, or ever looking back on last night as a mistake, or as
anything but what it was."
	"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second.  And do me a favor, Scully."
	"What?"
	"Breathe."  He waited while she inhaled deeply, almost laughing at how she was
glaring at him.  "Ok, now what?"
	"I'm going to answer your questions.  I can't speak for anyone else but
myself, but I'd advise you not to give a damn about what they think anyway. 
It's been working for me for years.  As for me, it is impossible that any of
this will change anything at work."
	"But how can you be so sure?"
	"If I could get through five years of pure temptation without letting it cloud
my judgement, I don't think this will be too much of a problem.  It's actually
quite a relief, you know."  She looked skeptical.  "Do you think it was easy
looking at you every day and never doing anything?  Do you think it was easy to
resist throwing all the paperwork off my desk and kissing that skeptical grin
right off your face?  Which, consequently, is the face you're making right
now."
	"It is not."
	"You wanna bet?"  As he leaned his chin down to show her just how irresistible
he found her, she ducked.
	"Okay, okay, you made your point."
	"I'm willing to try a little harder."
	"Oh, no you don't.  Not until we've gotten back to the point at hand."  He
sighed and gave up.
	"Fine.  So do we agree the work front will be just as good, if not better than
before?"  Scully nodded.  "Okay.  As for the rest of what you said, it's
preposterous."
	"What?"
	"Of all the emotions I might feel when I look back on last night, hate will
most certainly *not* be one of them.  And unless you're a completely different
person than has been my partner for the last five years, I feel pretty
confident in saying you won't hate me either."
	"But what about after?"
	"After what?"
	"After us."  There was silence for a minute while Mulder absently stared out
the window in thought.  Finally he looked back at the woman in his lap and she
was startled by the determination in his eyes.
	"Scully, I want to ask you something, and I want you to respond as honestly as
you can."
	"Mulder, you know I always-"
	"Just say you will."
	"I will."
	"Can you find any part of your heart, soul, mind, or body that still isn't
satisfied?  That is still looking for someone else?  Because I can't.  I'm not
worried about the 'after us', Scully.  If it ever happened, I wouldn't survive
it.  I know I'm not going to convince you everything will always be perfect.  I
have my own doubts, my own concerns.  But honestly, do you see any other option
than to at least try?"
	Scully took a deep breath and realized that he was right.  They had taken the
right step- albeit a huge one- and there was no going back now.  They just had
to face whatever would come at them any way they knew how.  Together.

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The End.
Now decide if you liked it and PLEASE let me know at AudreyCats@aol.com
Don't make me beg.
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