TITLE: Just Me and You AUTHOR: Jo-Ann Lassiter EMAIL ADDRESS: Jolassi555@cs.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Two weeks exclusive on VS10. Then post anywhere. Thanks. RATING: PG-13 CLASSIFICATION: S, R SUMMARY: When another agent keeps hitting on Scully, Mulder and Scully decide to take advantage of his inability to take "No" for an answer. AUTHOR'S NOTE: Written for VS11 Valentine's Day Challenge. M&S are a couple, but only Skinner is aware of their relationship. THANKS: To Gerry, for the super-speedy beta! Los Angeles Field Office Conference Room "A" Feb 11 10:52 a.m. "Whoa!" The lust-filled exclamation came from the blond- haired, blue-eyed muscle-beach type to Mulder's left. When he looked up to see what had so captured the other agent's attention, his eyes lit up when he saw who it was. "Put your tongue back in your mouth, move down one seat, and I just might introduce you, Evans." Mulder had flown to the L.A. office two days ago as part of a ten-day terrorism task force. Scully had been invited, too, but a prior obligation at Quantico had delayed her departure. Mulder had almost laughed when Skinner informed them that their expertise in domestic terrorism had qualified them for the task force. Mulder had always referred to that period in their careers as 'shit patrol.' Who knew that investigating all those 'piles of manure' would lead to their becoming 'experts' in the field of domestic terrorism? "You know her?" Evans asked, nudging Mulder with his elbow at the exact moment Scully spotted him. The smile she gave him had the dual pleasure of cheering him up and making muscle boy's mouth drop open in astonishment. As Scully was approaching him, she frowned at the already-filled seats on both sides of him. Mulder whispered to Evans, "You gonna move, or do you want to remain in the dark about the lovely Agent Scully?" Evans leered at Scully while he answered Mulder. "I think I can find out on my own, Mulder. Given the choice between me and Agent Bulldog over there, who do you think she'll choose to converse with?" "You'd be surprised," Mulder said under his breath, none too pleased that he'd be denied the opportunity to play footsie with his partner after two whole days' absence. Mulder never wanted to hug Scully more than when she reached the two of them, took in the empty chair to Evans's left, smiled sweetly and said to the tanned hunk, "Would you mind sliding over so that I can sit next to my partner?" Grinning like a fool as Evans had no choice but to comply, Mulder pulled out the chair for her after a much-subdued Evans settled in the empty chair. "Have a good flight?" he asked her. Eyes darting to the agent still giving Scully his full attention, she answered, "It was a little boring, actually. Not even a crying baby on hand to break the monotony." Receiving her underlying message loud and clear, Mulder nodded in understanding. His flight out had been lonely, and he'd missed her, too. The clearing of a throat next to Scully disturbed their reunion; Mulder schooled his expression not to reflect the scowl he wanted to wear at the other man's interruption. "Something I can do for you, Evans?" he asked. "I believe you were going to introduce me?" the agent said. "That was if you moved when I asked you to. You didn't." Still facing Mulder, her back to the other agent, Scully raised her eyebrows before turning in her seat. She offered her right hand to Evans. "I'm Dana Scully, Mulder's partner." Evans took her hand and raised it to his lips. "Paul Evans," he said, kissing the back of her hand. Some of the agents gathered at the long conference table snickered, while others groaned. Mulder wasn't certain what to make of it, but he knew he didn't like it. The female agent to Mulder's right--Robertson, Mulder thought her name was--elbowed him. "You might want to warn your partner. Evans thinks he's Romeo, Don Juan and Casanova all rolled into one. Not that he's wrong about that, mind you, but..." The agent glanced at Evans. "He's a little short in the scruples department--at least where it comes to women. He'll ask her out even if she's married; even if she tells him flat out she's not interested, he'll keep at it until he gets his way--and he usually does." Mulder was appalled. "Married women consent to go out with him? Why?" The agent looked at Mulder as if he was a total blockhead. "Are you kidding? Look at him! He's gorgeous!" "But that shouldn't matter," Mulder sputtered. "If she loves her husband--" "They can't help themselves, Agent Mulder. There's something about him..." The agent was lost in thought for a moment before she shook herself out of it. Sighing, she met his eyes. "Trust me. I know several married women who've gone out with him." She glanced at Scully and Evans conversing in low tones. "Once Paul turns on the charm, it's like one switch gets turned off, and another gets turned on." She gazed at him pointedly. "And I do mean 'turned on.' So..." She glanced at Scully again. "If she means as much to you as I think she does, you'd better keep her away from him." Though concerned that Robertson may have guessed at his and Scully's relationship, Mulder was more concerned about her revelations. Surely no one man could have that much natural persuasive ability? Certainly not ever over his Scully. She loved him too much to ever betray him like that. "Hey," he said, tapping her hand. "The meeting's about to start. Do you want to grab some lunch afterward?" "Excuse me, Paul," Scully said to Evans, and he broke off mid-sentence with a frown marring his perfect features. When she turned to Mulder with a relieved look on her face, and rolled her eyes with no mistaking that it was intended for Evans, Mulder's spirits lifted considerably. "What did you say, Mulder?" He couldn't prevent his smile even if he'd wanted to. "I asked if you'd like to get some lunch with me after the meeting." "Well, Paul asked me to join him..." Mulder felt his face fall at her words. "...but I told him about those cases you and I needed to confer over, and we'd already planned to do it at lunch." Mulder brightened again. She was a quick thinker, she was. And then he realized that he needed to do some quick thinking of his own. "Oh. Right. Right. I'd forgotten we'd already set that up." He peered around Scully to look at the other agent who was *still* watching Scully. "Tough luck, Evans. We have quite a few cases to review. Should take us several days, at least." Evans presented him with a dazzling smile. "Not to worry, Mulder. I'm sure I'll find *some* way to steal the lovely Agent Scully away for a meal or two." Looking distinctly uncomfortable, Scully turned back around so that she was facing forward in her seat. When the moderator indicated that they should refer to the materials in front of them, Mulder, too, gave his attention over to the speaker. The matter of Evans hitting on his woman would have to be put out of his mind. At least for the moment. ** 12:37 p.m. The lights dimmed, the first slide was displayed, and Scully nearly jumped out of her skin. His back to her, his full attention on the presentation, Mulder never gave her a glance. This was a fine time for him to finally become the model agent. Turning to the rapidly-becoming-annoying man behind her, Scully bestowed upon him the full extent of her glare. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she whispered. "You looked a little tense," his smooth-as-silk voice cooed, as he continued skimming his fingertips along her back and side. "Agent Evans, unless you want to be brought up on sexual harassment charges, I suggest you remove your hands." When he didn't still his movements, she hissed, "*Now.*" Chuckling softly, appearing not the least intimidated by her words or by her withering scowl, he returned his hands to rest before him on the table, the very picture of innocence. Trying not to scrape her chair along the floor, Scully moved it as close to Mulder as she could get without sitting in his lap. When Mulder looked back quizzically, Scully shook her head and indicated that he should continue watching the slide show. Still distracted by the material being shown, Mulder nodded and faced the screen again. Scully spent her time divided between studiously ignoring the irritant behind her and concentrating on the business she was there for. She didn't have much luck at either. ** Conference Room "A" 1:45 p.m. Lunch with his partner, as it happened, had not been an option. At precisely 1:30, trays of sandwiches, salads, cookies, and beverages had been delivered to the conference room. They were given a half-hour break to gather a meal, visit the rest room, go for a smoke, etc., before they got back to business. After returning from the men's room, Mulder decided to check out the cookie tray. He returned to his seat to find Evans monopolizing his partner's attention once again. This time, however, there was a definite lapse in Scully's manners as she turned away from the still- talking Evans with not even a hint of apology. She met the question in his eyes with an uncertain smile. "Something wrong?" he asked so that only she could hear. Lips pressed tightly together, she shook her head. "Nothing I can't handle." He handed her a bakery-style chocolate chip cookie, which she accepted with a distracted smile. "Thanks," she said softly. In a hushed voice she asked, "When do we get out of here?" He shrugged. "I don't know. This is the first day they've done anything like this." She leaned in a little closer, after a quick glance at her watch. "We have a few minutes yet. Why don't we get some air?" Knowing that they didn't have enough time left to go outside and back, he nonetheless agreed. "Sure." Once they were safely away from anyone else, Scully stopped. "When we get back in there, I want to change seats with you." Mulder nodded slowly. "Hit on you again, did he?" She looked quickly at him, then turned away. "That's not what bothers me." "He hit on you after you told him you were seeing someone," Mulder said flatly. Her head snapped up. "You knew? You knew he would do that, and you let me--" "Hold on; hold on, Scully. I found out only after you were already sitting next to him. Agent Robertson told me what he would probably do. She, uh..." He took a breath, then let it out. "She, uh, said if you meant as much to me as she thought you did, I'd better keep you away from him." "Humph," she sniffed. "Well, as much as I abhor being thought of as an object in need of protection, in this case I waive my right to be offended if you tell him to back the hell off. And what do you mean she said if I meant as much to you as she thought I did? What have you been telling these people?" Mulder blinked, awed that she had been able to get all that out without pausing for so much as a breath in between thoughts. "Uh, I, uh... didn't tell anybody anything!" he finished a little irritated that she had somehow managed to make this his fault. Scully placed a calming hand on his arm, and it had the desired effect. He glanced down at her hand, then back up. "I'm sorry," he said at the same time she said it to him. They shared an easy laugh, and then he directed her into the unused office in front of which they had been talking. After closing the door, he leaned back against it. "I don't know how she guessed," he said quietly. "It's not like I *try* to wear my heart on my sleeve, but..." He shrugged. "She probably saw my reaction when I first saw you come into the conference room." Her eyes met his, and he adored the dreamy quality in them as she thought back to that moment. She smiled. "Yes, I can see where she might have reached that conclusion." Mulder returned her smile, then checked the time on his watch. "We'd better get back." Scully nodded, a bit regretfully, Mulder was happy to note. "Don't forget to run interference," she reminded him as they walked back to the meeting. "I don't want to be held responsible for putting an agent into the hospital." His hand on the doorknob to the conference room, Mulder laughed. "The only downside to that would be that you'd probably get suspended." As she moved into the room, she glanced at Evans, who shone his million kilowatt smile her way. "Might be worth it," he heard her mutter. ** Sheraton Universal Hotel Scully's Room 9:36 p.m. Emerging from the bathroom dressed in her pajamas, Scully yawned widely. When a knock came on the door to her room, she continued on and threw it open, a big smile on her face for who would be waiting on the other side. Somewhat taken aback to find Agent Evans and his perfect white teeth gleaming at her, she scrambled for her robe, pulling it on and covering up as much as she could. Damn this hotel for putting her and Mulder on separate floors. She would never have opened the door without checking if they'd been in their usual adjoining rooms. The next time she was too tired to think about who might be lurking behind her door, she'd make damned sure that Mulder didn't go anywhere so she wouldn't have to worry about having to think about who was behind the damned door! "Agent Evans," she said, not trying to disguise her displeasure at his unannounced--and unwelcome--visit. "What do you want?" His smile faltered only slightly. "I do apologize for the late hour." He took a step forward, looking deep into her eyes. "But I couldn't stop thinking of you. I know you said you're seeing someone, but I just can't help myself. You've... There's something in you that draws me like a magnet. I can't put a name to it, but I'm unable to resist the pull." Scully wanted to roll her eyes, then figured, what the hell, and did. He was a damned fine actor, she'd give him that. Apparently not used to his advances being rejected and especially not to their being ridiculed, the grin coalesced into an open- mouthed stare. Now that was more like it! Scully thought. She wondered if this man had ever had an honest emotion in his life. She may be witnessing a first! Finally gathering his wits about him, Evans held out a white paper bag. "I was passing my favorite chocolatier, and the image of your enjoying that chocolate chip cookie appeared to me." Now it was Scully's turn to stare. Chocolatier? And what the hell was he doing watching her eat? "So I thought," he continued, blithely, "'I must buy her one of Mademoiselle Francine's truffles." With what could only be described as a flair, he drew an exquisitely-wrapped box from the bag, presenting it to her. "Then I thought, no, a creature as elegant as the very lovely Dana deserves an entire box." Trying not to guffaw at Evans's syrupy-phony delivery, Scully hid her laugh behind her hand as a cough. "I'm sorry, Agent Evans--" "Paul," he interrupted, breathily. "I wish you'd call me Paul." She had to look away before she laughed in his face. Were women actually attracted to this magnificent-looking, yet empty vessel of a man? The anger she'd felt at his earlier attempts had quickly downgraded to amusement. "Paul," she started, her voice shaky with repressed laughter, "I really can't--" "But you must," he insisted, shoving the box toward her. "Even if nothing ever comes of..." He paused dramatically. "...us..." She looked up in time to see him batting his eyelashes like Rudolph Valentino, then had to look back down before she lost it. "...I want you to accept these as a token of my esteem." Desperate now to get rid of him before she laughed in his face, she grabbed the box. "Okay. Thanks," she said, giving him a push and closing the door. She stood at the door a moment, listening to his unsteady footsteps moving away, then she threw herself face down onto her bed and laughed hysterically into her pillow. Oh. My. God. After that smooth come-on, Mulder had better keep a *really* close eye on her. ** Scully's Room One minute later Mulder used the key Scully'd given him to open her door, freezing when he caught sight of her on her bed, shoulders shaking and muffled cries escaping her mouth. Recovering quickly, he pushed the door closed and hastened to her side. "What is it? What happened? Are you all right?" She shook her head, and Mulder felt tears prickling his eyes. He laid his hands gently on her shoulders. "What is it, honey?" he asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice, especially when she started shaking harder. "Mulder... Oh, God, Mulder. He..." More shaking and wailing. Catching sight of the candy box lying near her, the pieces suddenly fell into place. "Where is he?" he roared. "What did that son of a bitch do to you?" "He..." She couldn't catch her breath, she was crying so hard. Mulder felt torn between beating Evans to a pulp and comforting the woman he loved. "Scully, honey, please..." Reaching down, he hauled her up into his arms, free hand ready to dry her tears. And there were tears. Plenty of them. But the woman for whom he was about to kill a man was laughing. She was laughing so hard he feared she might give herself an aneurysm. Annoyed and relieved at the same time, he moved her out to arm's length. "Scully, what the hell..." When she met his gaze, something she saw in his eyes must have affected her, because she sobered almost immediately. "Oh, Mulder, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you." He shrugged, then smiled sheepishly. "It's my job to worry about you." His lips twitched uncertainly. "And don't I do it so well?" Suddenly, she hurled herself into his arms. "God, I love you," she said, hugging him tightly. Hugging her back, happy but confused, he asked, "Are you sure you're okay?" She laughed, then pressed her lips to his in a brief, but passion-filled kiss. "I'm just so glad you're real." Mulder wondered what the hell she was talking about. "Scully, did something happen here that I should know about?" He remembered the box on the bed. "Where did that candy come from?" At his words, Scully dissolved into giggles. "From him." He felt her tongue on his neck and almost forgot his train of thought. "Who? Evans?" "Mm hm," she hummed against his carotid. "He got them at his favorite chocolatier." Did he hear right? "Chocolatier?" Scully let loose an honest-to-God guffaw. "That's what the man said." She pulled out of his embrace and looked into his eyes; he was enthralled by the mirth dancing in hers. "Truffles." She indicated the elaborately- decorated container, smiling smugly. "He was going to buy one, but I merited a whole box." Rolling over, she snatched up the box, then unceremoniously destroyed the intricate covering as she ripped it off. "Want one?" He frowned. She was offering him something another man had given her. He wasn't altogether sure he liked that. It meant she'd accepted it. "Scully--" he started, but her finger on his lips put a stop to whatever he had thought about saying. "Mul-der," she sang. "Truf-fulls." Opening the box, she waved it under his nose. "From a choc- la-tier." She took one out and placed it on her tongue. "Mmmm..." she groaned, and Mulder thought he might have to kiss Agent Evans the next time he saw him. The man may be a nitwit, but he had good taste in aphrodisiacs. How unfortunate, Mulder thought, that Evans's evening hadn't worked out as well as Mulder's was about to. ** L.A. Field Office February 12 9:06 a.m. "Did you enjoy the truffles, Dana?" Evans asked. She thought back to her evening with Mulder, and the many variations they'd discovered for the care and feeding of truffles. "Oh, yes. They were marvelous." The agent beamed. "Then can I persuade you to have dinner with me tonight?" "Paul, I told you: I can't. I'm seeing someone." "Aw, come on, Dana." Evans shuffled his feet in what Scully was sure he thought was an endearing way. "It's just dinner. You have to eat." She nodded. "I eat dinner alone or with my partner." He pounced on that tidbit as she knew he would. "If you can eat with him, it should be no different to take a meal with me. We're both agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, after all." He followed up with dazzling smile #26. "It is *not* the same, Paul." She patted his hand. "But it was a good try anyway." She left him with what she was sure was becoming a new category of expression for him: open- mouthed awe #2. ** Feb 13 7:20 p.m. "Come on, Mulder!" She banged on the door to his bathroom until he emerged, all clean-shaven and resplendent in his recently-purchased Knicks jersey. "Hurry up, or we'll miss the kick-off, or whatever they call it in basketball." "Tipoff. It's called the tipoff." Grabbing his jacket, he followed her out the door. "Tell me again how you got Knicks/Lakers tickets?" Turning around, she wore an expression of exasperation. "I've told you three times already." He couldn't stop his grin. "Some things never get old, Scully." She sighed, but he knew it was all a sham. She loved telling it as much as he loved hearing it. "I was in the break room when you were 'persuaded' to take a look at that case..." This was the part of the story that gave Mulder a sour taste in his mouth. While it was true that Evans had been working on a case, the part about possible extraterrestrial involvement had been pure fabrication. Although wary, Mulder had followed Evans's partner, Bob Michaels, to his third-floor office to take a look. After about three minutes, Mulder realized that he'd been set up. The 'case' wasn't--it was a collection of what Evans and Michaels thought a case involving aliens should contain. When he realized that the local boys were using him to have a little fun, he'd closed the folder and walked out of the room, Michaels calling after him, asking him where he was going. No longer concerned with courtesy, Mulder had just ignored him. He'd felt like an idiot, and wondered if the entire task force was in on it, or only the two L.A. office agents. Upon returning to the break room and seeing Evans once again turning on the charm with his partner, Mulder was actually relieved. That meant it was most likely something Evans had cooked up to get rid of him, not something they'd come up with to make fun of him. He'd settled himself on a sofa near the door, got comfortable, and waited. Scully had not disappointed. When she turned on her heel and walked away, Evans had once again been wearing the slack-jawed face that Mulder was coming to know and love. She'd given Mulder the eyebrow on her way out, and he'd followed her like the trained puppy he was. Once they'd returned to the hotel and he'd gotten comfortable on her bed, she'd presented him with her prize. At first thrilled, he'd snatched them out of her hands, marveling at the great seats. Then he thought about it and wanted to know just how she'd come about them. Were there any strings he should know about? Was anything required on her part? Had she agreed to anything he didn't really want to know about, but needed to anyway? She'd shaken her head, while wearing the most perfect Cheshire cat grin he'd ever seen. And then she'd told him. "I didn't know how long you'd be, so I'd gotten a cup of coffee and a cheese danish to tide me over until we could get dinner." She looked up at him. "That's when he intercepted me." She shook her head. "You know, I should feel guilty about this, but I just can't bring myself to feel that way." She shrugged. "Anyway, he stepped right into my path. Right into my cup of hot coffee." Looking up into his eyes, she sighed. "God, I was so looking forward to that coffee." Mulder laughed. "I think he was expecting sympathy... actually, I think he stepped into that coffee intentionally just so I'd feel bad for him..." She waved her hands in front of her. "Never mind. Anyway, there he was gasping and moaning about hot coffee and a new shirt, and I stood there, pissed off because he'd made me spill my coffee... "And then it must have occurred to him that I wasn't buying into the sympathy angle because he buttoned his jacket over the stain, and gave me that billion megawatt smile." This was one of the parts Mulder made her act out. "Come on, Scully, let's see it," he prodded her. Smiling indulgently at him, she stuck out her chin and gave an exaggerated version of Evans's 'look-at-me-I'm-stunningly-handsome' full- toothed smile. Mulder couldn't help it; he chortled. She was just so damned cute when she was making fun of someone who deserved it. "Go on. Go on. Tell me what came next." Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "Honestly, Mulder. You know what happened next." He nodded emphatically. "But you tell it so well." He gave her the puppy dogs. "Please?" She gave him a look that said she knew exactly what he was doing, but she was going to give in anyway. "Out of politeness, I asked him if he was all right, and he said, 'Not to worry, my dear Dana.' Then he asked me if I liked basketball. I told him, 'It's okay,' and evidently that was good enough for him, because he told me had two tickets for tonight's game, and asked me if I'd like to go." "For one brief second, I felt that twinge of guilt, but I got over it fast enough once I remembered what a slime he was. So I said, "Sure, thanks," took the tickets and walked away." She raised an eyebrow. "That's when I saw you by the door, and you know the rest." He applauded. "That is so classic, Scully. I mean, I've seen it happen in a movie, but it's usually to some poor lovesick geek, and he's been taken by some callous way-out-of-his-league cheerleader or something. But for you to do it to that..." He searched for just the right description. "Sleazeball," she provided helpfully. He looked at her, surprised, then nodded. "Sleazeball. He is, that and more, for hitting on you, and right in front of me!" "Mulder..." "I know he doesn't know, but he knows you belong to *some*one, and it doesn't matter to him. I wish you'd let me beat him up. Just a little." She stared at him a bit incredulously. "Have you taken a close look at him, Mulder? He'd kill you!" Mulder met her stare with one of his own. "Never doubt the strength of a jealous man. Never doubt that love is stronger than..." He sputtered while trying to come up with the perfect word. "...sleazeballs!" he finished, triumphantly. She took hold of his arm with both her hands, smiling up at him. "Your Oxford education is showing," she whispered. Then she pulled them to a stop, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek. "That's for showing remarkable restraint in the face of an untenable situation." He was a little disappointed that that's all he was going to get, until he saw her wink, and then he knew. Even if his team didn't win, their number one fan was going to score tonight. ** L.A. Field Office February 14 2:23 p.m. "You know, Dana, that wasn't a very nice thing to do." Paul Evans cornered her in the break room, not five seconds after Mulder left for the men's room. Sitting in Mulder's seat, he moved it to face her. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, wondering how long he'd been watching them, waiting for this opportunity when she was alone. "What you do isn't very nice, either, Agent Evans. I've told you repeatedly that I'm seeing someone, and yet you still insist on trying to get me to go out with you." "Dana, Dana... You misunderstand me. I'm not trying to take you away from anyone. I just want to spend a little time with you. Share a dinner, take in a ball game... where's the harm in that?" "Rationalize it all you want. You're still trying to date someone who's already taken." She fixed him with a glare. "And someone who's not interested. God, Evans, can't you take a hint?" As she rose to get up, he laid a hand on her arm. "Wait!" Her head snapped up to greet him with the anger she felt reflected in her eyes. "...Please. I just want to know..." He looked down at the table, an air of genuine defeat about him. "Why don't you like me?" She sighed. "I don't even know you, Paul. You haven't given me that chance. The minute you see me, you hit on me. You don't talk *to* me, you talk *at* me. You cook up some scheme to get my partner away--that was way out of line, by the way, what you and your partner did to him. Why on earth would I want to date someone like that? Can you tell me?" Expecting to see remorse on his face, she was somewhat surprised by the smug expression he wore instead. "Yeah, ol' Spooky didn't fall for our 'case,' but we dangled that alien carrot in his face long enough to get him interested. I don't see how someone like him ever got you for a partner." "Someone like him?" she asked, icicles dripping from every syllable. "Yeah. You've gotta know what everyone thinks about that freak." "No, I don't." "Come on. You must hear it... The guy's off his rocker. Always chasing after ghosts, monsters and aliens. And look at his family... Little green men kidnapped his sister, his father murdered in his own house, his mother offing herself because he--" Whatever else Evans was going to say, Scully would never know, because it was at that point that she decked him. As she was rubbing her sore knuckles, two things happened simultaneously: the entire room broke out in applause, and she saw Mulder standing in the doorway, smile sadly, and leave. ** Corridor Outside of Break Room 2:27 p.m. Scully caught him as he knew she must. "Mulder!" she called, and he waited until she was beside him. "Are you all right?" He nodded. The thing was... he felt pretty good. Granted, what Evans said hurt--it always did, no matter how much he might say it didn't--but seeing Scully pop that blowhard in the nose was worth it. Hearing the other agents cheering about it was an added plus. "Are you sure?" Her concern for him was adorable, especially standing there sucking on her abraded knuckles. He took hold of her elbow, and guided her down the corridor, into a conveniently-located janitor's closet, flicking on the light switch before closing the door. "That was the single most erotic thing I've ever seen," he told her, taking her sore hand and bringing her knuckles to his mouth. She looked at him a moment, shocked, and then she started to laugh. "Here I was worried that you were going to get all maudlin on me, and you were turned on?" He nodded emphatically. "Very." She shook her head. "Do women hitting men always turn you on?" He shook his head. "Only you. Only you hitting other men while defending my honor." Again, she laughed, and he was more aroused by the sound of it. "I can't go back to that meeting." Her laughter stopped, and she placed a comforting hand on his arm. "You *are* upset." He looked down at the bulge in his pants. "Well, you got the 'up' part right." She followed his gaze, and the comforting hand gave him a light smack. "I can't take you anywhere." He shook his head happily. "Nope." Then he sobered. "What will we miss if we leave? What's left for today?" Reaching into her jacket pocket, Scully pulled out the agenda. "Uhmm..." She looked up quickly. "You're not going to believe this." His brows furrowed in question. "What?" She pointed at the sheet of paper. "Evans. Giving a presentation on manure." He smiled in amazement. "You're kidding!" Grinning, she shook her head. "For real. Look." She held the schedule so he could see. He read about the last presentation of the day, then looked up at her. "There's no way we can get through that with any modicum of dignity." Scully suddenly gasped. "I wonder if I broke his nose. Maybe he can't do it." Mulder shrugged. "He deserved it." Tilting her face up to him with a finger under her chin, he kissed her lightly on the lips. "Not just for what he said about me, but for the way he's been disrespecting you, the way he disrespects all women--and their significant others. He deserved that, and so much more." "I suppose," she said, looking away, sounding uncertain. Now was the time, he thought, for him to give it to her. "But your timing was a little off," he said. She met his eyes again. "What do you mean?" "Well, I was waiting for him to make us a reservation at a really nice restaurant..." His words had the desired effect, and she laughed. "One with soft music, dancing, candlelight... all those romantic cliches." "Mulder, you do know how to sweet talk a girl, don't you?" "Only you, Scully. Only you." He reached into his pocket and took out a small box. "What's that?" she asked. "Well, it's not brass knuckles..." She rubbed her sore fingers. "It's a little too late anyway; I really could have used them earlier." "I said it's *not* brass knuckles--" "Oh. Right. Sorry." She grinned. "Well, what then? What is it?" "It's Valentine's Day today." She raised an eyebrow. "I gathered that by all the hearts and flowers you bestowed upon me earlier." His head snapped up. "What? I didn't--" "It's just too easy," she laughed. "Humph. Maybe I should keep this." Turning around, he made a show of opening the box and peeking inside. "I'd look quite fetching in it, you know. I'd be the envy of all the other boys in the office." She tugged on his arm. "Mulder, come on. Quit stalling and give me my present." Now that the moment was here, he wasn't too sure about what he was about to do. Perhaps he should have followed tradition and given her chocolates or flowers or some appropriately-themed jewelry. Would she think he was trying to get out of buying her a *real* present? Maybe she'd laugh at his pathetic attempt to be romantic. He fingered the box in his pocket, looked at the excited anticipation in her eyes, and chickened out. He pulled out a half-empty box of candy conversation hearts instead. Then he realized that they were even cheesier than his 'real' gift. He tucked them back in before she could see them. "So you *did* get me candy, after all," she laughed, her words proving that the eye--at least hers--was faster than the hand. "Uhh... No. Not really," he stammered, starting to feel more than a little ridiculous for what, at the time, had seemed not only romantic, but a true representation of what he felt and where he wanted their relationship to go. "Mulder," she said gently, apparently picking up on his feelings of doubt. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll love it." He shook his head. "It's nothing like what you're expecting." She laughed. "If there's one thing I learned from all my time with you, it's that *nothing* from you is ever what I expect. You always manage to surprise me." He looked down at the floor. "Then you'll definitely be surprised by this." Taking a deep breath, he pulled out the box and thrust it at her. "Happy Valentine's Day," he mumbled nervously. Instead of taking the box, Scully closed her hand over his. "Why don't you keep this until you think I'm ready to accept it?" "Scully, it's not... Well, not exactly." Meeting her eyes, he saw love and understanding. He took another deep breath. "I want you to have it now." She watched his face a moment, then nodded. "Okay." After she let go, he held it out to her in his palm. She plucked it out carefully, then looked up at him before opening it. Swallowing apprehensively, he nodded, and she cracked the lid. She stared at it for a minute, and he knew she was wondering just what in the heck it was. "It's--" "A love token," she finished, picking up the cup-shaped coin. After examining it for a second, she gazed up at him. "A Lincoln penny? I thought these were from medieval times." He scraped a foot along the floor. "Well, the tradition is from medieval times. It was customary for a man to bend a copper coin and give it to his sweetheart as a token of his love and..." He glanced into her eyes before looking away again. "...intention of marriage." Her lips formed an 'Oh,' but the word was not vocalized. "Um... The rest of the tradition is that they were never spent and were always carried by the woman as a demonstration of her loyalty and as a constant reminder to her each time she opened her purse. Um... usually it was a coin of the period, so I thought..." He felt his face flush. Suddenly he found her lips attached to his. "Mulder, that has to be the most utterly romantic thing anyone has ever done for anyone!" Slowly, he shook his head. "Not anyone," he said quietly. "As I may have mentioned before... only you, Scully." Smiling, she cupped his cheek with her hand. "And only you, Mulder." Then she turned out the light and gave him her present. The End Feedback gratefully accepted by Jo-Ann at Jolassi555@cs.com. Thanks!