"One Glance"

by SportJava@aol.com



This vignette was written during the second season of "The X-Files". With

respect to timeline, it takes place after the "Red Museum" episode and its

infamous barbecue shack scene (whatta look!). It's a short one, and no

file plotline. Just a relationship scene that can be rated PG. I hope

you'll like it - please e-mail me with any comments, suggestions,

constructive criticisms, etc.



Oh, and usual legal disclaimers apply with respect to characters: they are

the property of Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, Fox Broadcasting, 20th

Century Television, etc. No infringement is intended, and the characters

are just being affectionately borrowed for this little piece.

.

So, all legal niceties observed, here it is...



********************************

One Glance

by SportJava@aol.com



 Dana Scully glanced over at her partner, Fox Mulder, as he negotiated the

winding  Wisconsin country road. The composed expression on her face

didn't betray the turmoil of her thoughts as she contemplated her growing

confusion over the nature of her relationship with the man next to her.



 Fox  wasn't immune to the tension that he could feel emanating from Dana.

He knew that his feelings for her had changed since her mysterious

abduction and eventual reappearance in that Georgetown hospital a few

months ago. He also knew that he was confusing her with his touches - a

gentle wipe over her mouth to rid the smear of barbecue sauce, cupping her

check to reassure himself of her safety at the vulcanology research

facility... How could he tell her that the look in her eyes when he had

wiped her mouth had him jumping out of his skin with the sexual awareness

laden in it?



 Finally mustering up her courage, Dana broke the thickening silence.

"Mulder, I think that you and I need to talk."



 "What do you want to talk about, Scully?"



 "About you and me. I'm not sure what our...relationship is about anymore.

The boundaries have changed, and I feel different...vibes from you these

days. I mean, our working relationship is great, but it's... there's

something else mixed in...God, I can't even articulate this clearly!"

Frustrated, she lapsed into silence and stared blindly out of the window.



 With a quick look in the rearview mirror, Fox pulled the car over to the

side of the road and parked the car. Shutting off the engine, he turned in

his seat and quietly said, "Dana, look at me."



 With a startled look at the use of her first name, Dana looked at Fox.

"Dana," he repeated, "you are right. My feelings for you have changed, and

it has everything to do with your abduction." Holding up his hand to ward

off her instinctive protest, Mulder continued.



 "When I saw you lying in that hospital bed in a coma, something inside of

me snapped. I don't know if your mother  told you about it, but the staff

had to send for security to restrain me until the doctor could make me

listen. I felt so helpless, Dana.

You were dying, and there was nothing I could do. Even after you came out

of the coma and started back on duty, I still felt vulnerable. I found

that I couldn't ignore the way I felt about you anymore. You're the first

person that I've allowed myself to care deeply about in years. I know

you're confused by my touchs; not so much in a way that would've gotten me

a smack in the chops...", he broke off with a quick grin...



 "...but in a way that I know has tipped you off that my feelings for you

have changed fundamentally. I think that I'm in love with you, Dana."



 At her incredulous look, he snorted, "What, is that so unbelievable ?"



 Dana found her voice and said, "No, I believe you. I think a part of me

has known that for a while." With a tentative hand, she reached out and

cupped the side of his lean jaw. "So, what will happen with us now, Fox?"



 Reaching up, he covered her hand with his and turned her palm into his

gentle kiss. "We have some decisions to make, Dana. I've wanted you from

the moment we first met, but equally, I respect you and our partnership. I

honestly don't know what's next for us."



 Shivering slightly from the contact of his lips against her palm, Dana

gazed up at him. What are we going to do, she thought. "Fox, you know that

I feel the same way about you, and that I'm as confused as you are as to

how we are going to handle our partnership. But I know that we'll find a

way to make it work, because you and I won't settle for anything less."

Leaning over, she kissed him, and he threaded his fingers through her

fiery hair and returned the kiss passionately.



 A silence broken only by sighs and murmurs reigned as they affirmed their

feelings for one another. Finally breaking off the kiss, Fox said, "I

think we'd better get going, Dana. We'll miss our flight back to D.C., and

we still have to get this rental car back." With a slight grimace of

discomfort, he shifted back into the driver's seat and reached for the

key. He glanced over at her, and a quick grin crossed over his mouth at

the expression of dazed bemusement on her face as she leaned back against

her seat. She caught his smile out of the corner of her eye and gave him

that out-from-under glance that was rife with suggestion. Fox coughed a

little at the seductive look, and shifted again to relieve the growing

pressure in his groin before starting the ignition. "Behave, or I'll end

up driving us into a ditch. Then you can explain to Skinner why we wrecked

this car." With a wink, he pulled back onto the road, then reached over

and caught her hand in his own, content to feel the warmth of her fingers

entwined with his as they headed towards the city.



The End