Author's note:  This is for all those insanely wonderful people on-line who call
  themselves 'Relationshippers', and most especially for DGraml6525 for totally and utterly
  loathing Agent Tate and making me promise that I would write a story where Mulder and Scully
  actually get together.
       Insert Legal Jargon Here. You know what it is.
  
                              
                              
                         Unless...
                By Amber Kelsall (EnglshYew)
                              
       Special Agent Fox William Mulder slumped into his desk chair and began to message
  his temples.  Today had not been the best of days, he thought to himself.  Especially after the
  last hour he had spent in Assistant Director Skinner's office.  He never liked the thought of being
  yelled at, but when Skinner personified this particular dislike it usually ruined his entire week.
       He glanced across the desk that he and his partner, Special Agent Dana Katherine
  Scully, shared to find her engrossed in a file that contained information on their latest case.  He
  was looking for sympathy at that moment, but quickly realized that he wasn't supposed to look
  for it from his partner.  He respected her too much to risk her involvement in his feelings and
  personal life.  No matter how badly he wanted to include her in them.  He leaned back into the
  chair and continued rubbing his forehead.
       Scully knew that Mulder had been subjected to the rantings of their boss for the second
  time within a week.  She had heard him come into their office, but was waiting a few moments
  before she looked at him.  Sometimes her partner needed a moment to let everything settle into
  perspective.  She quietly closed the files she had been reading and removed her reading
  glasses.
       "Tough day?"  She asked.
       "You don't know the half of it."  Mulder kept his eyes closed.
       "Maybe you should go home and get some rest."  Scully suggested, her experience in
  medicine began to speak for her.  "This case can wait until tomorrow morning."
       "I suppose you're right."  He rose form his chair and headed for the coat rack.
       "Would you like a lift home?"  She offered.
       "Nah, you have better things to do than to drive me home on a Friday night."  He
  grabbed his suit jacket and continued to the door.  "Don't you?"
       "Goodnight, Mulder."  A wry smile danced across her lips.
       "Goodnight, Scully.  Don't stay up past your bedtime."  
       "I'll try not to."  She watched as he left.
       Even through his humor she sensed that something was wrong.  It was as though his
  heart was telling her something, but she couldn't quite translate the message.
       Scully turned back to the file on her desk and began taking notes over what she read.
       The next time she looked up, the clock read 11:05 pm.  The auburn-tressed agent
  rubbed the bridge of her nose after removing her glasses, then focused on Mulder's desk.  She
  caught sight of a familiar object.  His mood must have clouded his thinking for a moment,
  because in his rush to get home, his wallet had been left stranded on his desk.
       She reached across the desk to nab the wallet.  Once it was in her hands, she turned it
  over in her fingers.  The black leather almost felt like Mulder's hands, the way she remembered
  them when her fingertips would lightly brush against his while he helped her with her coat.
       Her curiosity got the better of her and she decided to see exactly what Mulder carried in
  his wallet.  Like any other human being, he had credit cards, a bank card, a phone card and his
  driver's liscence.  The DMV picture appeared as if Mulder had not been enjoying himself when it
  had been taken.  In fact, it quite resembled a mug shot.  She hardly ever saw Mulder smile. 
  Perhaps she would be able to find ways to remedy that in the future.
       She continued her search and found that he carried about fifteen dollars and a recent
  automatic teller machine reciept.
       In the plastic photo sheaths, she found a picture of Samantha, a tiny replicate of the
  photo framed on his desk.  She had once used the framed picture to meet with Mulder when
  their division had been temporarily shut down.  How she had worried about him during that time. 
  Her heart had yearned for the closeness and familiarity of her partner, but she had not been able
  to get it.  Sometimes she felt as if she couldn't feel any more pain than what she had felt when
  Mulder had passed her in the hall without acknowledging her presence.  Although he later
  explained that his actions were justified, it still hadn't made her feel any better.
       There were a few photos of women that appeared to have come with the wallet and he
  just hadn't had the heart to remove them.  
       Finally, she turned to the last sheath and found a folded photograph inside of it.  Only
  the white of the printing paper showed through the plastic.
       Scully managed to remove the photo from its home and carefully opened it.  The image
  it revealed was not one that she had been expecting to see.
       "Mulder has a photograph of me?!?"  She thought aloud.
       The image was a familiar one.  It had been taken at the Bureau Christmas party just the
  year before.  She had spent hours trying to convince Mulder to attend the party.  She had arrived
  alone, but he walked through the doors about a half an hour later.  The mingling photographer
  approached them and offered to take their picture.  Scully, elated that Mulder had actually taken
  her advice for once, gave a prize-winning smile to the camera, while he had just stood behind
  her, his face in it's usual demeaner.  She had been wearing a red sweater with a v-neck that
  showed off her cross necklace and a black skirt, while Mulder wore his usual:  a dark suit with a
  really bad tie.
       As her eyes began to mist up, she refolded the photo and returned it to its pastic home. 
  She decided that she was going to return his wallet tonight.  His apartment was on the opposite
  side of town from hers, but she wanted to make sure that he was feeling all right anyhow.
       Scully placed his wallet into her jacket pocket, never realizing that she had placed it so
  close to her heart.
       After tidying up her desk, she grabbed her overcoat from the rack by the door and
  paused for a moment.
       "Why would Mulder carry a photo of me in his wallet?"  She asked herself.  "Unless..."
       Dana shook the thought from her mind.  'Unless' was a very dangerous thought for she
  and Mulder, both professionally and personally.  If they were to get involved it might ruin the
  work rapport that they had worked so hard at building.  
       But the most frightening thought to Scully was that 'unless' had been on her mind since
  she had first met him.
  
                           X*X*X
                              
       Fox was sprawled across his livingroom couch like a beached whale.  He owned a bed,
  but hardly ever slept in it.  He found it hard to sleep in such a large bed all alone.
       The television was tuned to the Sci-Fi channel, but he hadn't been paying attention to
  the programming for the last hour or so.  Instead, he had found himself thinking about his
  partner.  She had looked impeccable this afternoon.  In fact, it was hard for him to remember a
  time when she didn't look beautiful.
       'Since when did I start thinking that?'  He thought to himself.
       A light knock on the door brought his focus back into the livingroom.  He sat up and
  looked at the door, pondering whether he should answer it or let his caller go away on their own. 
  When the knock sounded again, he knew that the person at his door was not going to give up as
  easily as he would've liked them to.
       Mulder made his way to the door, hoping that he wouldn't step on anything that might
  make his feet bleed.  He hadn't cleaned his apartment in days.
       He glanced through the door peep hole, then unlocked the door and opened it.
       "Scully."  Mulder greeted her.  "I didn't think you were allowed out this late at night."
       She stepped through the doorway, then turned to face him.  "Believe it or not, I don't turn
  into a pumpkin when the clock strikes midnight, Mulder."
       "That's good to know."  
       Scully moved into the living room and regarded the television.  She recognized the
  movie as "War of the Worlds".
       As Mulder shut the door and locked it behind them, she turned to look him over.  He
  wore a pair of tattered grey sweatpants and a navy Yale college t-shirt that had obviously been
  worn too many times.  At that moment, it was almost as if she had seen Mulder in a completely
  different light.  Her heart began to flutter as she realized that her thoughts of 'unless' were
  creeping back into her mind.
       "What?!"  Mulder asked, confused that he was being stared down by his partner.
       "Oh."  She brought her gaze back to his face.  "I--I came by to give you this."
       She reached into her jacket, then handed his wallet to him.  It almost saddened her to
  have to give it back.
       "You left it at the office.  I thought that you might want it back.  Especially since it's your
  turn to buy the doughnuts tomorrow morning."
       "Your true nature is finally revealed, Scully.  You only love me because I bring you
  maple bars and bad coffee."  Mulder took the wallet from her graciously, his fingertips brushing
  against hers.
       "Well, it's a start."  She gasped as his touch sent an unexpected warmth through her
  body.
       "Scully, are you all right?"  Mulder noticed that she was acting a bit out of place.
       Confused and disoriented, she let go of the wallet and took a seat in her usual chair. 
  She often sat here while visiting Mulder's apartment.  The black cotton welcomed her into its
  arms like a long lost friend.
       "I'm fine."  She answered.
       How he despised that answer.  She gave it often and at this particular moment he
  wished that he could eradicate it from the English language.
       "C'mon, Scully, it's more than that."  He threw the wallet onto his cluttered coffee table
  and moved closer to her.  "I'm not going to push you, but I want you to know that you can tell me
  anything."
       "I know, Mulder."  She desperately wanted to tell him what she was really feeling at that
  moment.  That she just wanted to take him into her arms and never let him go.  
       "Dana?"  Despite his promise, he needed to know what was bothering her, because it
  bothered him as well.
       "Listen to us."  She avoided the subject.  "I came to ask you how your little visit with
  Skinner was and now..."
       "You could've asked me about that tomorrow."
       She knew that he was right.  She just had wanted to be near him for some unknown
  reason.  She just wanted his soothing arms to hold her like they did when her sister had died. 
  She wanted to feel whole again, and when he held her, that was exactly how she felt.
       "Why did you save that photo of us at the Christmas party?"  She asked, avoiding eye
  contact.  She was so afraid that if he saw her face now, everything that she had ever hoped to
  achieve with him in the future would be lost.
       "You went through my wallet?"  He asked calmly.  Fox found it extremely hard to be
  angry with the woman before him.  More than anything he wanted to set her at ease.  He wanted
  to be part of the peace that she had once known before Duane Barry.  The peace that he had
  envied her for having while he lived in unrest.  It was also a reason that he had found her so
  damn attractive in the first place.  He wished on his life that he had that peace to bring back to
  her at this moment.
       "I'm sorry."  She apologised.  "I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help myself..."
       "No, that's okay.  Don't worry about it."  Mulder tried to soothe her.
       "If I let you go through my purse will we be even?"  
       When he set his hand on her knee, she finally looked up, and he realized that she had
  been crying.  He wiped away the tears with his right hand.  "Don't cry, Dana."
       "You didn't answer me."  She couldn't tear her gaze from his.
       He hadn't expected this.  It had already been an emotionally trying day, and now she
  was asking him to reveal a part of his thoughts that he was afraid to admit even to himself.  He
  became vaguely aware that his thumb was stroking her soft cheek while his other hand worked
  its way up her thigh and settled at her waist.  His movements didn't seem to bother her in the
  slightest.
       He coaxed her to stand as he did, and wrapped his left arm around her waist.  It felt so
  good to have her there, pressed against him, willing to be there.  Being like this felt like a piece
  of his puzzle of life had been correctly placed.
       "When I saw that picture, I understood why it was there."  She told him.  "I just couldn't
  acknowledge the reasons behind it.  Mulder it feels so good to know you feel the same way I
  do."
       "God, Scully."  He felt as if he was lost in her eyes.  "I love you so much, I was so afraid
  that you..."
       She brought her hands to his face and let her fingertips explore the sweetness of his
  skin.  If touching him caused such a fantastic shockwave through her body, what would it be like
  to actually kiss him?
       She could wait no longer to discover what lay ahead.  She brought her lips to his, the
  kiss gentle and teasing.  She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the moment. He tasted
  honey-sweet.  The intensity grew with every stroke of their lips.  His response to her advances
  was an ecstasy she never knew could exist.
       Scully found it was easy to get lost in the rapture they had created through their kisses. 
  It was a moment she wished they could stay in forever, but she knew it would eventually have to
  end.  She began to run her hands through his delicate hair, then let her fingers trace the arch of
  his shoulders and back.
       Mulder began to stroke her neck, never once breaking the rythm they had created.  He
  had let go of all the doubts and inhibitions that had ever plagued his mind when she had first
  kissed him.  It had finally been confirmed that she felt the same way that he had since the first
  time he had set eyes upon her.  He tightened his grip around Scully's waist and deepened the
  passion of his kiss.
       She responded to him until the kiss became almost brutal with their wanting, and Scully
  knew that they had to stop before they hurt each other.  
       "Mulder."  She gently pulled form the kiss.  "We have to breathe."
       "We can breathe later."  He tried to entice her back into the kiss.
       "Mulder, I'm serious."  She laid her palms against his chest, hoping it would prove
  forceful.  "We can't do this now, no matter how much I--WE want it.  We're not prepared."
       Mulder took in a deep breath and let it out, trying to keep himself in check.  "You're right. 
  God, why do you have to be so right?"
       "Now that we've admitted how we feel, Mulder, there is nothing to stop us."  Scully
  explained, taking his hand into hers.  "We just need to prepare a bit better than this."
       "Next Friday night, Scully.  Don't make any plans.  It's going to be OUR night."  Mulder
  smiled.
       "It's good to see you smile."  Scully told him.
       "Even though you never see it, you always make me smile."  He leaned down began to
  kiss her gently.
       "I have to go before this gets out of control."  Scully put her hands around his waist and
  led him to the door.
       "Do I get a goodnight kiss?"  The sheepish grin on his face told her that he has not
  enjoying the situation of her leaving, but he knew it was for the best.
       "Why not?"  She unlocked and opened the door.
       Mulder brought his mouth down on hers and nipped at her bottom lip.  She attempted to
  kiss him, and he finally gave in.  It grew hot and wet as Mulder's tongue moved to probe the
  depths of Scully's mouth.  She invited it eagerly for a moment, then reluctantly pulled away
  again.
       "Now that we're all hot a bothered, I have to go get some sleep."  Scully fished for the
  keys in her pocket.  "By the way, you're feeling all right aren't you?"
       "Oh, I'm more than that."  He leaned in his doorway.
       "You should be."  Scully gave him a quick peck on the lips before she trodded down the
  hall.
       As he watched her, he knew that waiting for Friday night was going to be the hardest
  thing that he had ever done in his entire life.
  
  {END}
  
  Next up:  Friday Night