Okay you guys, I have began to write three new stories, none of them I like now that I re-read them, so I am now making a promise to myself that I will not deep-think these stories, but write as the ideas come. Um, a lot of people have asked for a re-post of KNOWING, so if any of you are interested, just e-mail me and if I get enough, I will repost it. SUMMARY OF KNOWING: Same old, same old. . . Scully transfers out when a huge fight breaks up our favorite duo, but then reuniting can be wonderful. A definite MSR. OKAY, well THIS one came to me in a dream, and if it is stupid, you all can tell me, I will feed all flames to my possesed cat. DISCLAIMERS: Characters of Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Phoebe Green, and all others belong to CC, Fox, 1013, yadda yadda. SUMMARY: Phoebe challenges Scully to a contest that she cannot refuse. CATEGORY: MSR RATING: Nah, nothing you won't see on the show, (except for the romance) DEDICATIONS: Kate, I hope you like this one! Here we go. Ahhhhhh yeaahhhhhhhh .. . .. . Sweet Almond rsidhu@psnw.com ***************************************************************** ****** Part 1/? Special Agent Dana Scully looked up from the files on her desk at the sound of the brisk knock on the door. She sighed and looked at the clock, wondering WHO would show up in the basement of the FBI headquarters, nonetheless the X-Files division, at this time of night. Pausing to wonder why SHE was there that night, she mumbled something unintelligable and opened the door slowly. When the door was wide open, she narrowed her eyes. A surprised Phoebe Green stood at the doorway, with an equal look on her face, sizing up the petite redhead as she had done once before. Noticing that they were still glaring at one another, Phoebe made the first move. " Agent Scully . . .hello."She said with a heavily accented British voice. Before responding, Scully took a moment to look at the pretty woman before her, once again envying her tall graceful figure, and sharp features. She sighed and rubbed one hand wearily across her eyes. " Hello Agent Green . .. may I ask what you are doing here at exactly 11:21 at night?" Phoebe merely smiled and pushed her way past Scully, pausing in between both desks and then gently sitting herself down on Fox Mulder's chair. "Well actually," she replied sweetly," I am here to see Fox . . do you know where he is by any chance?" She took a compact out of her purse and quickly checked her face, pausing to wipe a smudge off of her forhead, and then looked at Scully expectantly. Scully thought, trying hard to force down the intense feeling of jealousy that began to rise up in her. " Actually I do know where he is." Phoebe looked at her. Scully looked at Phoebe. "WELL?" Phoebe asked, exasperated by Scully's aloofness. " Oh, well he went out to get us some food, he'll be back in a few minutes." " Oh," Phoebe said, a dissapointed look on her face. But then her face brightened as she continued," I'll just wait here if you don't mind." Scully let that one slide as she returned to the papers on her desk, trying hard to ignore Phoebe in the other chair, as well as the emotion that was threatening to crack through her calm composure. The minutes ticked by, Phoebe clearing her throat a few times. "So Dana . . ." she ventured. "It's Scully." Scully said crisply, not taking her eyes off her papers. But her thoughts wandered. Sure, she thought, Phoebe could call him Fox and he wont say anything, but when I tried it, yeesh. Now that woman will have to call me Scully . . .that is my name now . . . Unperturbed, Phoebe continued. " Scully. So, do you and Mulder often eat together?" " Yes." Scully said shortly, still examining the papers. "Alone?" Scully slowly put the papers down and took off her glasses, staring straight into Phoebe's eyes. " What are you trying to insinuate, Agent Green?" Phoebe smiled slyly. " Oh come on Scully," she whispered harshly, "Don't tell me that there is nothing going on between you two. How can you sit across from him everyday and IGNORE the fact that he is one FINE specemin?" Scully let out a slow breath. < Jesus, don't I know it.> she thought. Out loud she said, " Agent Green, I don't know what you are trying to do but-" "I'm not trying to do anything," Phoebe interrupted, examinining a nail," I just wanted to know your guys' status." " First and foremost, it is none of your goddamned business, second of all, why do you need to know, and third, it is none of your goddamned businness." Scully retorted. " Ohhhh," Phoebe murmered softly," So there is something between you two . . .wait, lemme correct that. There is something going on with YOU." Her temper boiling, Scully stood up, her eyes turning from an icy blue to a shimmering green." Get out of here, now." Phoebe merely smirked." Scully I know you like him, stop trying to deny it." " I said get out." Scully yelled. Phoebe leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms behind her head. " Tsk, tsk, Agent Scully, please try to control your temper." It took all of Scully's control not to lunge at the woman in the chair. "Don't you want to kiss him Scully?" Phoebe continued. " Lord knows if I got the chance, I would. Have you kissed him Scully? " Taking her silence as a 'no' Phoebe smiled. " I have," she said tauntingly." In a lot of places." Horrified, Scully whispered harshly." Mulder and I are FRIENDS and unlike some people, I prefer not to screw everyone I associate with." Phoebe's smile faded a bit, but then was replaced, this time with a cold sneer. " Come on Scully, do you actually believe that you stand a chance with ME around? If you do, you are sorely mistaken." Blood boiling, Scully strode to Mulder's desk and planted her hands on the desk, leaning in so that the two women were nose to nose. Pleased to see a look of fear pass through Phoebe's eyes, Scully said quietly." I have no interest in Agent Mulder, nor will I in the future." As she said this, she was hoping that her nose wasn't growing, because she knew that from the first time she had lain eyes on her partner, she knew that she would fall on her ass in love with the tall ,dark man. Phoebe matched Scully's look with one of her own. " Scully, I just think that you don't have the guts to do anything about it. We both know that I will win. I am a better kisser, a better lover, a better everything, and the sooner that you admit it, the better. Why do you think that I am here? Agent Mulder called me over for a special reason, and I came over, and do you know why? Because I know that he wants me, and what he wants, he will find a way to get it, you know? So while you'll be sitting here under mounds of paperwork, I will be in the arms of the most passionate man that I know." Making a move to gather her things, Phoebe was able to catch a look of sadness on Scully's face, making her feel superior. But then the look on Scully's eyes changed and she grabbed Phoebe by the arm. " So you think you are better, you bitch?" Phoebe, startled at the response,said quietly," Yes, you know it, and I know it. . ." She looked for a proper cuss word but didn't get the chance before Scully spoke again. " I'll bet that I can kiss better than you and get a larger response from Mulder than he will get from you ANY day ." Scully gasped as she realized what she had just said and the consequences of what could happen. < Oh god> she thought to herself. DANA, you haven't kissed a man in how long, and what will this do to your partnership? But, oh, how she wanted to kiss him, just to feel his lips against hers, and to know what it would be like to kiss Fox Mulder. Phoebe grinned." care to wager on that?" Scully looked around wildly, trying to find a way out. But then she realized that there was no backing out of this one, and she would lose any sense of pride if she threw in the towel. And pride was the one thing that she needed as a shield. " F-Fine . ." she stuttered, wishing that she had more confidence in her voice. Phoebe smiled. " Well then. When Mulder walks in, we will briefly explain what we are going to do, and then we will. Whoever gets the best response wins. Deal?" She asked, noticing the look of fear on Dana's face disapear, as it was replaced with one of determination. "Deal." Dana said quietly. And as if on cue, Mulder walked into the office. Should I continue? E-me at rsidhu@psnw.com. Sorry if the spelling is messed up, it's been a long day. Sweet Almond Okay, you all asked for it . .here is the next installment of Wager . . I'm not sure how far I am going to take this, but as long as you guys ask for more, I will continue the story. AUTHORS NOTES: Well, a lot of you wrote to tell me that Scully would have never backed down that quick and she would have defended her self a little bit more, and I agree with you all on that one. So in this installment, I am trying to save Scully a bit of face. OH, and one more thing, I never got to see the actual episode with Phoebe Green in it, so if I have details wrong, it's because of that . . .well, I guess that's all. If you like this one and want more, e-me at rsidhu@psnw.com. All disclaimers in part one. Sweet Almond ***************************************************************** ***** Wager 2/? Special Agent Fox Mulder strode through the doorway of their office, laden with packages from the nearby chinese restaurant. Yeesh, he thought wryly. Scully's going to have my head for bringing chinese for the third time in a row. Inwardly shrugging, he strolled to Scully's desk and placed the packages messily atop of the papers. " Hey Scully, I know and I'm sorry .. . " he began, but then he stopped when he saw the stricken look on the pretty face of his partner. "Scully, you okay? I know this is the third time that we have had chinese but hey-" He broke off when he heard a throat being cleared across the room. Whipping around, his face drained of color as he saw the figure sprawled on his chair. " Phoebe . . .uh, hello." Phoebe leaped up and ran into Mulder's arms. " Fox, sweetie, is that all that you can say to a dear friend such as myself?" She put a hand over her heart and batted her eyelashes at the surprised man. " I am saddened by your lack of enthusiasm, darling." Scully snorted and Phoebe glared at her. Noticing that Mulder was also looking at her, Scully blushed and stammered," Well uh, if you two want to be alone . . ." She said this hoping that Phoebe would forget about the wager . Phoebe smiled knowingly and got up to stand beside Sculy, draping her arm across Scully's tense shoulder. Ignoring the scowl that flashed Scully's face, Phoebe continued. " Oh no, Scully, we have a few things to do, don't we dear?" She smiled and squeezed Scully's shoulders, adding a little bit more pressure than needed. At this point, Mulder knew that something was wrong. Phoebe and Scully had NEVER hit it off, and now they were chums? Actually doing something TOGETHER? Mulder gave them a weird look and slowly walked to his chair, his eyes never leaving the pair and he slowly took a seat. Silence reigned in the room until Mulder spoke. " All right, just what the hell-" Phoebe rushed over to him and looked at him deep into his eyes. "Scully and I were just talking, you know, girl stuff. Isn't that right Agent Scully?", she called over her shoulder. Scully decided that enough was enough and refused to respond. She wondered why she had reacted the way that she had in the first place. She was never intimidated, not even by men superior to her, and she was ashamed that she had broken down so easily. Realizing this, she glared defiantly at Phoebe, challenging her to make a scene. Phoebe's smile faltered as she realized that Scully 's stubborness had returned. She patted Mulder on the hand." Would you excuse us for a moment, Fox?" Confused, Mulder looked from Phoebe to Scully, his beautiful hazel eyes lingering longer on Scully's as he noded. Phoebe walked briskly to Scully and rushed her out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Checking to make sure that they were alone, Phoebe glared at Scully. "We had a deal . . " she started. Scully only stared at her. Phoebe's eyes hardened." Listen to me , you cold bitch. No one EVER breaks a wager with me, and don't you forget that you AGREED to do this. AND, we agreed that whoever lost would stay away from Mulder . . forever. " Scully's looked to the side as she realized the implications of the threat. Sensing that she was ahead, Phoebe continued. " And if you don't even TRY to get a reaction, obviously I will win, and then you will quit the X-Files, and leave Mulder to me. Is that what you want Scully?" She crossed her arms and raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. Scully realized at this point how a person's emotions could ruin one's life. If she refused to do this, she would no longer have a job, no more X-Files, and worst of all, no Mulder. And Scully knew from previous experiences that any day that goes by without knowing where Mulder is, is a day in hell. She looked at Phoebe. " No, that's not what I want." Phoebe smiled. " Good." She reached for the door and slowly swung it open. " After you ," she said sweetly, gesturing for Scully to enter. Mulder looked up as he saw Scully enter, looking as calm and as beautiful as ever, but when he looked into her eyes, he sensed that something was wrong. He then turned to Phoebe, and he inwardly groaned as he saw the mischeivous glint in her eyes. Phoebe turned to Mulder." Fox, we have a favor to ask you . . " Mulder looked from one to the other, noticing how Scully never looked at him, and how Phoebe had a slight smile on her lips. He looked ather, confused. " Wha ... .?",he said, softly shaking his head. Never to beat around the bush, Phoebe was looking forward to seeing his reaction. " Well, Scully and I got into a little bitty arguement, and suddenly, she came up with this absolutely prePOSterous idea that she was a better kisser than I was , so we have a wager in between us . . " Mulder, now understanding what was going on, slowly stood up and looked at the two women. While Pheobe was looking at him innocently, Scully had suddenly found an interest in her shoes. At this point, he was so angry, he couldn't speak. " What . . ? . .this is .. . what the hell-" He never finished because Phoebe lunged at him and grabbed him by the the tie. Startled, Mulder didn't put up any kind of a fight. Phoebe pulled him against her and gazed into his eyes. She leaned over to his ear and whispered seductively, "Come on Fox, it'll be like old times . . " Before Mulder could say a a word, Phoebe grabbed him by the back of his neck and planted her lips on his, not wasting any time in opening his mouth and letting her toungue invade his sweet depths. She sighed as she remembered the days back in England, when they would do this everyday. She pulled him closer and wrapped her leg around his body as she pushed him up against the desk. Now realizing the situation, Mulder responded in turn, not knowing what to do. He hadn't been kissed by a woman in such a long time and he had secretely been fantasizing that Scully would be the first woman that he would kiss after a long time. But now in the hands of this familiar person, he let out a small sigh and began kissing Phoebe in earnest, wanting to feel a woman. Scully stood in the corner of the room, and when she saw Phoebe first kiss Mulder, she had closed her eyes as tears threatened to fall. She also tried to ignore the sounds coming from BOTH of them as the kiss continued. She felt her heart drop into her stomach and her throat tightened up as she realized that MULDER, the only man that she wanted in the world, was now kissing a woman in front of her. She squeezed her eyes harder as the tears were now filling up to the point where she could no longer hide them. Phoebe finally tore her mouth away from Mulders and she pushed herself away, Mulder breathing hard and leaning back on the desk. Phoebe smiled as she saw that Mulder's face was flushed and that his eyes were glassy. She walked over to Scully's desk and opened her purse, fishing around for her compact, thinking, " I still got it." Scully opened her eyes when she heard Phoebe move away. She looked at Phoebe and was appalled to see that the woman did not seem to be affected in any way. Phoebe looked up and gave her an evil grin, raising one eyebrow and quirking her lips, challenging her. Slowly turning her head, Scully caught site of Mulder, who had by this time been able to compose himself a little bit, and was now blushing furiously and running his hands through his dark hair. She darted her eyes to Phoebe, who in turn, held up two fingers in the form of a 'v' and mouthed the words "victory". Scully's eyes hardened and she turned to Mulder, who was now looking at her with a look that she could not describe. She choked back a sob as she realized that Mulder probably was still thinking about Phoebe's kiss. She then realized that she was berating herself without even trying. Come on Dana, she thought to herself, just one kiss and then you'll see. If it's not good, at least you won't have to face Mulder again. And if it is good, perhaps something will happen . . . Scully shook her head and slowly lifted her eyes to look at Mulder who was staring at her from across the room. Mulder was secretely glad that Phoebe had ended the kiss when she had, because throughout the whole thing, he was aware that Scully was watching from across the room, and although he had enjoyed the kiss, he felt that it was the same old thing, a kiss that left his ears ringing, but did nothing to his heart. And as he stared at Scully he realized that he WANTED her to kiss him. Lord help him, but he was in love with this woman. Scully walked over to Mulder, her sharp blue eyes never leaving his warm hazel eyes, and she didn't stop until she was directly in front of him. And at this point she couldn't stop the lone tear from falling down her flushed cheek. Suddenly embarrased about what she was going to do, she looked at the floor. " Mulder . . . " . .swallowing her pride she looked up again. "Mulder, I'm sorry . . " she said, her voice quivering as she slowly slid her hand behind Mulder's neck and gently brought his face down to hers. Not thinking twice, she slowly brought her lips to his. ***************************************************************** ****** Hmm, should I leave this to your imaginations or continue? Seriously people, I'm not playing with you, I just think that you are able to let your imaginations run with you , while I can only write what I want to. I would enjoy to continue however . . . e- me with your thoughts at rsidhu@psnw.com Sweet Almond Subj: NEW: Wager 3/? MSR Date: 21/08/96 23:24:41 From: rsidhu@psnw.com (Sweet Almond) Sender: owner-x-files-fanfic@chaos.taylored.com To: x-files-fanfic@chaos.taylored.com WOW . .. this story has sparked a lot of reaction so now I guess I will HAVE to continue under various penalties of death . . . Ok, now probably this part is going to be the one that you all have been waiting for, Mulder's reaction to the kiss. In order to set you up, I have included the last passage of WAGER 2/? so you all remember what is going on .. . I probaby won't go any further than this unless it sparks a large response, because I'm not sure how far I can go without boring you all, so once again, e-me at rsidhu@valleynet.com with comments and suggestions. AUTHORS NOTES . .*searching for them* . . nah, forget it. Oh wait, I am going to try to get this kiss right, because I have pictured kissing Mulder various times, as I am sure a lot of you have.*wink* What's a girl to do? DISCLAIMER IN PART ONE. Strap on your seat belts because here we go! Sweet Almond ***************************************************************** ************* Wager 3/? As soon as Mulder felt Scully's lips on his, he knew right then and there that if he could die blissfully, he would want to at that moment. Surprised and shocked, he wasn't able to register that it was DANA SCULLY kissing him, all he could think about were the soft moist lips on his. Scully slowly closed her eyes, trying to savor the moment as long as she could. She did not become harsh in her kiss, as Phoebe had done, but she remained gently, only lightly sipping at his lips, wanting to feel the lips that she had dreamed about for so long. Strong firm lips, his lower lip so delightfully tasty, and she sighed, bringing her other arm to his neck and pulling herself closer, praying that he would not pull away. Mulder was in heaven. He felt a deep warmth spread through his body as the kiss continued, but not getting any deeper, as if Scully just wanted let him know how she was . . gentle yet passionate. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer and she whimpered in need. She was slowly losing her footing on the edge and finally her head cleared as she realized how far they were going with this. She thought about it while Mulder was softly nipping at her lips. < Oh forget it.> she thought and pulled him as close as she possible could and she opened her mouth, wanting Mulder more than she thought was possible. Phoebe narrowed her eyes as she saw the two agents deep in their embrace. she thought, and gasped when she saw Scully slowly let her toungue invade Mulder's mouth, not as harshly as she had, but gently coaxing his mouth open. Tearing her eyes away to look at Mulder, she reddened when she saw that he was giving no resistance, in fact he was responding in turn, probably more than he had with HER. < Well if you think that I am going to let you get away with this, you're wrong Scully.> she thought vehemently. Mulder had nearly fainted when he had felt Scully's tongue against his lips, softly prying his lips open and slowly began to stroke his own. His knees had bucked considerable, but not wanting to break the intoxicating kiss, he came to his senses as they began to kiss passionately. Their toungues dueled and Mulder ran his tongue over the top of her mouth, wanting to feel every bit of her. Once in a while one of them would break off the kiss to softly kiss the other on their eyes or slowly nuzzle one another with their nose. Mulder had dreamed about this, but had never thought that it would be like this. The scent of her hair, and the taste of her mingled with one another to create one scent that spread through his body, and a deep lassitude filled him. Scully as well was losing her mind, as if she could not get enough of him. She reveled at the taste, scent and feel of him as she continued to kiss him passionately, bringing her hand to his face, desperately wanting to feel the line of his jaw, the softness of his cheek. She smiled into his mouth as she realized that one of her greatest dreams was coming true. When Phoebe saw that this kiss was becoming the MOTHER of all kisses, she decided that it was time to get the two of them apart. She loudly cleared her throat. " Ahem." Oblivious to all that was around them, the pair continued to kiss, never wanting to move away. Phoebe glared at them and cleared her throat louder. " AHEM." Nothing. Getting up in a huff, she walked briskly to the door, grabbed the knob, and slammed the door as hard as she could. Several pictures fell from the walls, and Mulder and Scully jumped guiltily apart. Scully stepped back, her eyes wide as she covered her mouth with her hand, staring at Mulder with filled eyes. She knew now that she had gone too far. The kiss was supposed to be simple, just something gentle. But she had been too caught up in her emotion to stop herself. She looked at Mulder and her heart fell to her shoes. Mulder stood there, his face flushed as he stared at her questioningly. He wanted to ask her what the hell that was, when had she become such a damn good kisser, and why hadn't she done it to her before. He ran his hands through his hair and used two fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose. < Damn that was some kiss.> he thought to himself. What the hell are you going to do now, Mulder? Scully misinterpreted the gesture as a sign that he had not enjoyed the kiss not nearly as much as she had. But she was confused. Mulder had responded, and in the duration, he seemed to enjoy it. Then realization hit her. < Phoebe,> she thought, stricken. < Phoebe must have REALLY laid it on him.> She looked at the floor and Mulder saw a tear drop from her eye. Mulder began to reach out for her, when he was interrupted by Phoebe. " Mulder," Phoebe said sweetly, pulling him away from Scully. " Mulder, I'm sorry about all of this, I know that must have been *terrible* for you to go through. Why don't we go to your place and I'll find someway . . ." Her voice faded from Scully's ears as Scully quickly grabbed her purse and fled from the room, leaving a surprised Mulder in her midst. Phoebe laced her arms around Mulder's neck and looked at the swinging door. "Score one for you, Phoebe." she thought to herself, and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. " Au revoir, Agent Scully." **************************************************************** Ok, that's Wager 3/? . I know that it is kind of a crappy ending, I don't even *know* if Phoebe speaks French or not, it just seemed to fit. Um, I have a few ideas about continuing, nothing really definite. If you all have any ideas or comments, e- me at rsidhu@psnw.com Wager 4 Mulder watched in horror as he saw Scully flee from the room. His throat tightened as he realized that once again he had caused Scully pain. Why did he always do that? Why couldn't he be with her and for one day not cause her any type of pain or suffering? At this point he realized that Scully must have thought that he didn't enjoy the kiss and that he wanted to be with Phoebe. Mulder's eyebrows lifted as he realized that Phoebe's arms were still around him. He turned to look at her and was disgusted to see a sly smile on her lips. " . . .and maybe we can go back to your place . ." she was saying as she turned her eyes to the door, pleased that Scully had left quickly and painlessly. Finally she would have Mulder to herself, the way it should always have been. She turned to look at him, and her smile faded as she saw his hazel eyes gain flecks of green as he glared at her. " What?" she asked him playfully, making sure that she stayed in control of the situation. Mulder slowly brought his hands up to her arms and pried her hands from around his neck, wanting to shake off the feeling of repulsion. He then grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her in front of him, bringing her nose to nose.A brief look of fear flickered in her eyes. " I want you to leave . . ." he said in a low voice. Confused, Phoebe stuttered, " Fox . .what-" " I want you to leave *now*. " She just stared at him, pouting her lip and knitting her eyes together, hoping that her forlorn face would spark some sympathy. Mulder ignored it and grabbed her wrists harder, slowly pushing her to the wall, never breaking eye contact. Phoebe looked around from side to side, fear now taking a hold of her. He pushed her up against the wall and made her look at him. " You did this on purpose, " he said harshly. Her eyes widened and she took on an innocent look. " Fox, would I do a thing like that?" He laughed harshly and looked away, with a slight smile on his lips. "Well, knowing what a bitch you are, yeah, I think you would . . ." Phoebe's eyes hardened and she roughly pushed him away, straightening her jacket and looking at him. " Oh, please, you are the one that can't stay away from me-" " Um, if I recall, you are HERE. Without an invitation I might add. Just what the hell are you doing here anyways?" She smiled and leaned forward, lightly fingering the lapels of his jacket. " I wanted to see you . . I just wanted to see . .you know . .-" she trailed off, looking at him from underneath her lashes. " You disgust me." He said quietly and pushed her away. Phoebe put her hands on her hips and glared at him. " Oh, come on, are you saying that you preferred * Scully* over moi? Boy you must not have had a good long screw in a long time, eh Mulder?" He leered at her. "Talking from experience? " Her jaw dropped but she let that one slide. " So Mulder, " she said in a fierce whisper, " Does Scully kiss like the cold bitch that she is?" Mulder stood there and took time to remember the kiss. Her lips had been warm and firm, tasting like fresh strawberries. The feeling that Scully had sparked in him had been like no other. He jumped back into the present as he saw Phoebe headed towards the door. " So I guess she *does* kiss like a cold bitch." Phoebe smirked. Mulder crossed his arms and looked at her. " No, I believe that was you. Goodbye Phoebe." Phoebe looked at him with her mouth open. Trying to maintain her dignity, she turned her nose up in the air. " Goodbye Agent Mulder." She turned around with her nose still in the air, and in her haste, bumped into the wall. She ignored the soft chuckle behind her and swept out of the room. Scully walked quickly down the hallway, tears blurring her vision as she fumbled her way through the surprised crowd of agents. Ignoring all of the whispers around her, she reached the elevator and pushed the button, wanting to go home and have a good cry. She brought her hand to her mouth and felt her lips, remembering the kiss inside the office that they had worked in for nealy four years. And in her reverie, she remembered Mulder, his strong lips, and the slightly Mulderesque scent of him that she had always taken comfort in. God, she could have drowned in those lips, and she blushed as she realized at that moment, she would have done anything that he had wanted her to do. That was how much power he held over her. " Come on, come on . ." she muttered, bouncing on the balls of her feet , praying for the elevator to come before Mulder had a chance to reach her.As the doors opened, she gave a silent thank you and stepped into the elevator, thanking her lucky stars that there was no one else in the elevator. She sighed and pushed the button, rubbing her hands over her eyes as she felt a major headache coming on. She jumped as she saw a hand reach in between the doors and open them just before they closed. She closed her eyes and prayed. < Oh god, please don't let it be him, please . . >. She opened her eyes and her stomach clenched as she looked into the warm eyes of her partner. ***************************************************************** * Yes, of COURSE I am going to continue it. Stay tuned for the last installment of WAGER tomorrow. Comments are welcomed and will be answered. rsidhu@psnw.com Wow! I just finished watching the rebroadcast of QUAGMIRE and it was so chock full of relationshippy stuff, smiles, and touches between our heroes that I am so ready to finish this and let everyone know how I think this should end. *smile* . .Boy that was a really good episode. DEDICATION: To the writers of QUAGMIRE, you all really rock. RATING: . .. um, let's say PG-13, MSR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DISCLAIMER IN PART 1 AUTHOR'S NOTES: I just wanted to remind you all that I did not see the episode in which Phoebe was present, and if there are Phoebe lovers out there,(what the heck is the matter with you anyways?), I'm sorry if I am being to harsh on her. But anyone who keeps Mulder away from Scully . ...oooh. *snarl* OH, and I want to thank you ALL for the wonderful praise that you have given me, encouragement to continue, and suggestions. If you enjoyed this part or would just like to comment, e me at rsidhu@psnw.com. Ok, grab some java, and here we go . . . Sweet Almond ***************************************************************** <. She opened her eyes and her stomach clenched as she looked into the warm eyes of her partner.>> Wager 5/5 Scully backed up to the far corner of the elevator and crossed her arms around her middle, in a defensive gesture. She watched, mortified as Mulder tore his eyes away from her and pushed a button, causing the elevator to go upwards into the busy life of the FBI Headquarters. Scully quickly wiped the tears away from her eyes, not wanting Mulder to know how affected she was, how emotional she was, how she just wanted to take him in her arms and whisper the words she so longed to say. Noticing that Mulder had not said a word, she slowly lifted her eyes to see Mulder just staring at her. The tension was unbearable. She had to speak or else she would die. "Mulder, I know what you are going to say-" Mulder held up his hand, motioning her to stop, and he reached for the control panels of the elevator. After a brief scan, he slowly pushed the emergency stop button, never taking his eyes off her, and the elevator gently came to a stop. "Really, " he said in a low voice. " What am I going to say Scully,hmm? " Scully bit her lower lip and turned away, and Mulder found himself falling in love with her all over again. Those little gestures, the little raise of an eyebrow or her special smile did more to him than anything that he could remember. " Scully?" he prodded gently, not wanting to push her, yet wanting to hear her say something. Scully looked up at him and became flustered at what she saw. He didn't look angry. He looked like Mulder. Nothing different. And at that point Scully became jealous at the way he could act as if nothing had happened. She had always thought that she was the one that could hide emotions, that she could detach herself from anything that normally would affect her. But she couldn't hide anything from Mulder, she had realized that a long time ago. Rubbing her eyes wearily, she talked through her hands. "Mulder ...what . . I. . .what happened in there was totally unprofessional of me and I don't know why I did it, and I'll understand, y-you know , if you want me to leave, but I s-swear it, Phoebe provoked me, and I never meant to h-hurt you in any way . . ." She couldn't help herself from keeping that little hitch out of her voice, and she was apalled that she knew that she would start bawling at any minute. She brought her hands down and dared to look at Mulder. He was staring at her with an incredulous look on his face. "Scully . . ." " No, Mulder let me finish," she said, finding strength in her voice. She backed up as far as she could to the wall, trying to create as much space betwee herself and what probably would be her ex-partner. "Mulder, you know I would never hurt you , or cause you to hate me. But what I did today was inexcusable and I just want to apologize . . . " Her voice faded as she watched Mulder approach her. She scooted as far back into the corner and clenched her hands at her sides, turning her head away not knowing what to expect. When Mulder saw her scrunch herself up in the corner, he knew that she obviously was on the verge of breaking down, and his mind wandered, remembering that fateful Pfaster case when Scully had finally broken down and allowed him to hold her. He, for that brief moment, had taken pleasure in knowing that Scully had turned to him for comfort, and that he was able to shield her from the problems of the world, even if only for a minute. Hell, he thought, if I could save Dana Scully from feeling any pain even for a second, I would do anything. And that was why it hurt him to see her this way. He gently lifted a finger to brush a stray lock of her gleaming red hair away from her face. His hand trailed down her jaw ,wanting to feel that ivory skin that he had longed to feel ever since the first day that he had met her. He felt a warm drop fall onto his finger and lifted his hand up to inspect it, narrowing his eyes as he realized Scully was crying. Unable to stand it he cupped his hand under her chin and gently tilted her face up to him and brushed the tears off her face. Still not looking at him, Scully kept her eyes closed, wanting to concentrate on the feel of his hand against her face , wanting to remember it always. She opened her eyes, afraid of what she would see and was confused once again by the fact that his eyes were unreadable. < Damn , how does he do that?> she thought. " What do you want me to say, Scully?" Mulder whispered, not coming any closer. She looked at him and then looked away. " I don't know." He tilted his head down to where her head was. " Well, if that kiss affected you half as much as it affected me, then you must know something." Her eyes widened and she felt a little flutter in her stomach. She did not dare look at Mulder. He took advantage of his position to notice the cute little way her hair rested on her smooth neck, and her perfect little ears. He leaned down close to one of them and whispered, "Do you want me to say, ' I love you, Scully.'?" Her head snapped up and she looked into his eyes, unable to hide her emotions any longer. "More than I want to go on breathing," she answered truthfully. He leaned back and ran his hands through his hair. " Well, I'm afraid that I can't say that, Scully." Scully gaped at him, and a flush rode up her cheeks as she realized that Mulder had been toying with her from the moment that he had stepped into the elevator. Unable to force back the tears that welled up in her eyes, or the painful way that her throat was tightening up, she roughly pushed him away, realizing that now, their partnership was definitely over. Pushing past him, unable to look at him in fear that she would say something that she would regret, she moved to the control panel and reached to start the elevator again. Just as she was about to do so, she felt a strong hand grab her by the wrist and pull her back. She turned around and looked at Mulder, anger flairing up and struggled against him, trying to end this charade peacefully. Mulder gently moved his hand to the back of her head and pulled her closer, loving the way that her nifty little body fit perfectly next to his. He leaned down so that his mouth was inches from her ear. Scully shivered. "I love you . . .*Dana*" he whispered. She froze as she heard those words that she had longed to hear for four long years. She felt a ghost of a smile creep up onto her lips. " Say it again," she whispered. He grinned and leaned over to her other ear, pausing for a moment to nuzzle her lobe with his nose. " I love you Dana," he whispered again. Scully gently pushed him away and turned his head to look at her. Mulder watched as he saw the most beautiful metamorphosis right in front of him. Scully gave him that large smile that he cherished, but had never got to see enough of. She punched him on the shoulder. Bastard," she complained. Mulder grinned and Scully thought that at that moment he was the most handsome thing that she had ever seen in her life. He pulled her closer. " It took you that long to figure that out?" he questioned. Scully threw her head back and laughed, and Mulder took advantage of her position, gently leaning down and laying a soft kiss on her upturned lips. He pulled back, waiting for her reaction. He was aching to do it again but not unless she wanted to. Scully kept her eyes closed and licked her lips where Mulder's had been just a second ago. She opened her eyes and blue locked onto hazel. "More," she muttered dazedly. Mulder grinned and brought his lips to hers in the sweetest kiss that either of them had ever experienced. Wanting to get closer, Scully wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, wanting to kiss him senseless. Mulder reveled in the way she kissed and wasted no time in gently nibbling on her pouty lower lip. She gave a throaty groan and parted her lips wanting to feel Mulder's tongue against hers. Their tongues dueled and Scully felt herself being pushed up against the wall. She simply wrapped her arms tighter around him, as he did to her, as they continued to kiss passionately, neither thinking about anything else but the warm body next to them, and their realizations about one another. Scully pulled her mouth away from his, breathlessly and said softly, "I love you, Mulder." He smiled and gently traced his hand against her cheek. "Say it again." Understanding what he wanted, she pulled his head down to hers and leaned to his ear. " I love you . .*Fox*," she whispered and slowly leaned into his lips. Before her mouth consumed him, Mulder was able to mumble,"It sounds right . . ." and they were swept up in a fit of unparalleled passion. Meanwhile, Phoebe, after finally finding the elevator, stood by the doors, tapping her foot impatiently. < Where is that elevator?> she thought angrily. After 10 minutes, she gave up and headed towards the stairs, muttering," Damned americans . . .probably some teenagers necking in there or some other juvenile practice . . " She didn't know how close she was. END! ***************************************************************** Whew! I finally finished it you guys! I sincerely hope that you liked it as much as I had fun writing it . . .all comments are EXTREMELY welcomed. e-me at rsidhu@psnw.com . Take care! Sweet Almond