TITLE: Grammar Lesson AUTHOR: Eleanore E-MAIL ADDRESS: bonyun@oanet.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: You are welcome to re-post or otherwise distribute this story among other X-Philes, as long as you do so for free, and my name and e-mail address go with it as author. SPOILER WARNING: Season Six: "Milagro" RATING: General CONTENT WARNINGS: S&M romance. CLASSIFICATION: V - Vignette, R - Romance S&M post episode DISCLAIMER: The characters and situations of the television program "The X Files" are the creations and property of Chris Carter, Fox Broadcasting, and Ten-Thirteen Productions, and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended. SUMMARY: My version of the way "Milagro" should have ended. GRAMMAR LESSON by Eleanore bonyun@oanet.com "You lied to me, Scully." Her death grip around his neck had loosened and the dry, wrenching sobs had softened into tears. Mulder brought his long legs around so that he was seated on the floor and gently shifted her so that she lay across his chest. Her hands clutched at him, refusing to let go even for that brief moment of transfer and she quickly burrowed her face tight against him again, soaking the other side of his sweatshirt. He stroked her back and waited until the crying had nearly stopped, then spoke quietly into her hair. "When I asked you if Padgett had gotten inside your head, you said no. You lied to me, Scully. What he wrote about you was true." "Not all of it. Not the end." Her voice was small and full of misery. "No, not the end, I know that. But it was true what he said about you being lonely and starving. Vulnerable to his attentions because he treated you as a desirable woman." Her silence was all the confirmation she needed to give. Mulder closed his eyes in pain. How could he have been so dense? Three times she had been tempted by men she hardly knew. Men who had openly shown that they found her attractive. Men who offered physical affection and validation that she was alive, sexual and beautiful in their eyes. "I'm sorry, Scully. I'm a slow learner, but I think I've finally got the message. I can't keep putting you off and expect you to stay by my side. You need more." Her body had tensed and the damp snuffles had become a waiting silence. This was it. This was where he gathered his courage and stepped over the edge or lost her completely to the next decent man who made friendly overtures. His arms tightened around her. "I don't want to lose you. What do I do?" There was none of the usual defense and denial. Her reply, though muffled by his shirt, was unmistakeable. "Love me." "You know I love you, Scully," he said in desperation. "I can't even remember a time when I didn't love you. I didn't think it needed saying." She pulled away from him to look up. Her face was streaked with tear tracks but she glowed... her wide luminous smile making her lovely beyond words. It warmed him right down to his toes to know that he could make her smile like that. Eyes of clear blue fire looked right into him. "Love is a verb, Mulder." Still he hesitated. He had always been more of an observer of life than a participant. Participants seemed to hurt each other a lot. "A transitive verb, Mulder." He felt himself blushing and smiling back as possibilities unfolded in his mind. Love was rarely fatal... and life without Scully would not be worth living anyway. He leaned forward and pressed his nose against her soft cheek. "I will love you... " She turned her head to bring her moist lush lips to his, taking him at his word, putting his thoughts into action. Blinded by hot pleasure, he fell from his safe, solitary promontory, tumbling head over heels into his uncertain future, apprehensive, but not alone. end of story comments to Eleanore bonyun@oanet.com