From: Karen Conrardy Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 01:39:25 -0800 Subject: NEW - Autumn Terrace by Karen Conrardy TITLE: Autumn Terrace BY: Karen Conrardy DATE: March 7, 1999 RATED: G CLASSIFICATION: VR, (a little A) DISCLAIMER: I only wish they were mine. I think about them so much, sometimes I think they have taken up permanent residence in my head. No infringement of any kind is intended. SUMMARY: Mulder muses at 450 Autumn Terrace, Arcadia Falls, San Diego County, California. AUTHOR'S NOTES: I wrote this the night the episode aired. Due to troubles with my news server I couldn't post it then like I wanted. I just want to say that I loved this episode and I hope you guys are still into it. I would love to have any feedback you see fit. Be honest! Send it to xkarenc@gateway.net I'll cherish it and I promise to reply. I threw my brand new pillow down and flopped onto the overly soft beige couch. I laced my hands behind my head and stared up at the ceiling, up to where she is. Probably adjusting the toothpaste tube as I lay here. That mask she was wearing, yikes! I actually feel privileged that she even let me witness it. I knew she wouldn't sleep in the same bed with me, but my heart quickened to realize that she was getting ready for bed just a few feet from me, and with the bathroom door open to boot! I could waggle my eyebrows until the cows came home but I knew she wasn't ready to forgive me. I couldn't blame her. How could I have been such a jerk? Experience should teach me that you never really know someone, especially when that someone is a woman. It had felt easy, comfortable to trust Diana, when I should have realized that Scully has and hopefully always will be the person I remain with. It was so selfish of me to hurt her like that and it surely has knocked me down a few pegs on her trust meter. I mean look at her, dragging me out on an X-File! Can you believe it? I should be rejoicing this day, memorizing it for the record books, yet I can' t stop goading her. It feels so good to tease her, to make her squirm in front of these perfect families. I know it's for my pleasure too. Laura. I looked around the darkened room, glancing at the boxes full of books from my apartment. CD's from hers. A floor lamp in the corner, shiny and new from the rental place. That leather chair looks like it rolled out of the factory yesterday, certainly not Scully's style, but I like it. Suddenly I realized, I could do this. I could work at home, mow the lawn, play basketball after dinner, a little one on one with my partner. So this is what she was talking about when she said she wanted to live something approaching a normal life. I hold my left hand up to the light squinting through the shades and study the gold band. It looks right there. Scully's ring is elegant and sparkly; I noticed it several times today. I could slide into bed next to her, herbal mask and all, kiss her goodnight. Hey, it could happen! Now I feel very lonely. I know it's a huge house, the ceilings are high and the walls are undoubtedly thick, but I'm sure I can hear her moving around up there. Probably applying lotion to her legs, brushing her hair, removing her mask. She doesn't sleep with it on does she? God, suddenly I'm wondering if she removes it before she goes to sleep. I have to know. I wait about fifteen minutes before I sneak up the stairs. The bedroom door is ajar and I peek through the crack. Her back is to me, but I can see a little bit of her profile. The mask is gone and she's sitting on the edge of the bed filing her nails. She looks small to me, vulnerable and I'm overcome with the urge to protect her. I know she may be small in stature, but that's the extent of it. I know she's a strong, independent, fiery person, but that doesn't change the way I feel. `Stop it.' I tell myself. `Just let her have some space. Tomorrow you'll make an excuse to get close to her.' I don't get too many chances to behave this way, particularly in front of others, so I'm bound to make the most of it. I back away from the door, mindful not to alert her. `I'll make it up to you, Scully.' I promise silently. I tiptoe back down to my spot. I don't know why I feel so desolate, this is just like home, even more comfortable. This couch is a dream. Too bad we didn't hook up the TV. A distraction would be good right now. I imagine I can see her, slipping beneath the covers, her angelic face turned towards the door. I kick my shoes off and try to banish the thought from my mind. Then I do hear her. She's coming down the stairs. Maybe she'll invite me up? Yeah, right. I can't see her until she comes closer because of the back of the couch. "Mulder?" She inquires softly. "What, Hon?" I just can't help myself. "You forgot to take a blanket. Here, I brought you a couple." She offers, draping them over my prone form. "Thanks." They're soft and smell slightly of her perfume. She smiles that little smile that melts my heart when it's directed at me and turns away. "Hey, Scully?" Oh, man, what I'm I going to say? She's turning around to face me again. "Yes?" "Thanks." I repeat. Lame. She's looking at me funny now. "For what?" "For playing along." "It's our assignment, Mulder." She tells me and goes back towards the staircase. `Not for me.' I think. I listen to her shut the bedroom door and I close my eyes. This night's gonna be a long one for an insomniac like me. Act Three, starting in the morning. THE END Please, please, please, hit that reply button up there.... TITLE: Autumn Terrace 2 BY: Karen Conrardy DATE: March 29, 1999 RATED: PG-13 for one dirty word and one very dirty word CLASSIFICATION: VA, MSR ARCHIVE: Anywhere (Please, let me know) DISCLAIMER: I only wish they were mine. I think about them so much, sometimes I think they have taken up permanent residence in my head. No infringement of any kind is intended. SUMMARY: Scully does some thinking of her own at 450 Autumn Terrace, Arcadia Falls, San Diego County, California AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well, I didn't intend a sequel to "Autumn Terrace" but I got requests for it. Here ya go! You might want to read "Autumn Terrace" first to see where this is going. It should still be here on ATXC or Ephemeral. If not, I can send it to you. I'll take any and all feedback at xkarenc@gateway.net It will be cherished and I promise to reply. Scully walked back up the stairs, leaving a moping Mulder behind on the couch. She didn't know why she felt bad for leaving him down there. It's not like he never slept on a couch. Actually, she was perturbed by his constant teasing. She had put up with teasing from her older brothers all her life. She'd never been able to snap out a witty comeback, and she still couldn't. Normally, one or two innuendoes were all he would try and then he would take in her disdainful look and give up. This situation they were in made it a breeding ground for this kind of behavior and he didn't know that it was wearing her down. One more attempt at a kiss or cuddle and she might take him seriously. That's something he would never know, though, she would make sure of it. The first time they had come this close she had the better part of a bottle of red wine under her belt and a very engaging "Mulder" animatedly listening to her every word. She had been so shocked and embarrassed by that encounter that she had vowed to never let him see her that way again. And then the next time, well she had decided that that was Mulder's selfish egotistical way of getting her to stay. True, she would have let him kiss her, in fact she had wanted him to, but that didn't mean she was blind. She hated having that feeling, wanting him but knowing he didn't feel that way. Mulder was a complicated man but she didn't think he had many secrets left from her. She didn't think he was capable of giving back that kind of love. Mulder didn't have anything left to give. His parents had taken that away, not to mention Phoebe. She and Mulder had a dynamic partnership, a bond that some people might be envious of, but they didn't talk about it. They didn't really talk at all. That's just the way they were. She had the distinct feeling that if he had kissed her, and if it had progressed into something more, their communication, or lack there of, wouldn't change. And that bothered her. Sure the sex would be great, intense, wild. Everything she craved, but not emotionally deep. Never romantic, that would be going too far. She wanted him, she wanted him with all her being, but not like that. Not when it would be sex on weekends, in dark hotel rooms in the middle of nowhere, hidden from the world, never advanced or discussed. All she knew was if he didn't stop the teasing now that she would break. She was weak. It hurt even to admit that to herself. But she had wanted him so much for so long she was reaching the end of her rope. She would either give in to his flirting-or she would leave him. She remembered what it was like in the beginning. She used to smile, get embarrassed by his little pokes at her. A funny comment used to make her blush. But now she had conditioned herself to be stiff and serious. She had perfected her eyebrow quirk and the rolling of her eyes. She didn't think twice about cutting him off in front of strangers anymore. This time they had from the incident in Antarctica until the events with the Spenders and that conniving cunt, Diana had given her a lot of time to think. She had come very to close to leaving again; it was a waste of her aptitude doing background checks and investing fertilizer consumers. Though to leave him would be slinking off in the night, moving away, disconnecting her phone. She didn't have the strength to do that. He would find her. He would go to her mother. The Lone Gunmen were nothing if not resourceful. And standing before him again, with the words of quitting on her lips was something she couldn't bring herself to do. He'd probably try to kiss her again and she would melt into a puddle at his wingtips. Why did leaving him feel like a divorce? Why did dating another man make her feel like she was having an affair? What she really wanted was to have the X-Files back. They had become a part of her existence just like they had his. They were challenging and exciting. And now that they had she was hopeful things would be better between them. Maybe back to the way they used to be, before Emily, before the cancer, before Diana. He was acting like nothing had ever happened and that infuriated her. He didn't acknowledge the almost kiss. Maybe he thought she didn't remember. He never apologized for his transgressions with Diana. He obviously thought his behavior didn't warrant one. Well he was wrong. She went into the bedroom and shut the door. It was dark and peaceful up here in this beautiful house. But it was also lonely. She realized she only felt this way when he was in the same building with her, never when she was at home. She hung her robe neatly on the back of the bathroom door and slipped into bed. She wondered if he would get any sleep down there. She was beginning to think she wouldn't get any herself. She lay there listening to the silence, replaying the evening's events in her mind. This whole case was par for the course for them. Shacking up under a guise in Suburbia Hell. Would it always be this way for them? She rolled over onto her side to catch the light coming in the window. She studied the ring on her finger, turning it this way and that. It was all they had in evidence that fit her and it happened to be a beautiful piece. It wasn't actually a traditional wedding set as it was lacking an engagement ring. It was a band filled with a sparkling cluster of diamonds. It was lovely yet simple. She reached up to turn on the light so she could study it more carefully, away from the observant eyes of her partner. She turned it towards the light and noticed an inscription engraved on the inside. She squinted to make out the letters. "M to S 2-23-99" She jumped as if she had been poked with a hot metal rod. No, it couldn't possibly be. It was a coincidence, a huge coincidence, an X-File even. She would even admit to that. No way. She squinted again, reading it over and over. A birthday gift? From Mulder? Astronomically impossible. No way he could have set this up. The gears in her head started to turn. It was the only ring in evidence that fit. Jake Connors showed it to her twice while she was looking through the box. But there was no way Mulder would know her ring size. Was there? Why hadn't he given it to her? How was she supposed to know it was from him unless he told her? He was giving himself an out. Or her an out. However you looked at it she didn't know how she was supposed to proceed from here. Should she go downstairs and confront him or pretend that she never noticed it? If she pretended and he didn't say anything it would hurt. Something told her that he would let the opportunity slip by rather than risking an uncomfortable encounter between them. This was it. She was tired of the smoldering looks, the silent appraisals, the sexually laden comments. This covert gift was more than she could take. How could he be such a bastard half the time and then do something so romantic-so-.normal? She hated secrets, even more so, she couldn't keep them. She had always been a terrible liar. She got up from the bed and went downstairs. She walked to the end of the couch and stopped. She stared at him laying there covered in the blankets she had given him; his feet propped up on the arm in front of her. He opened his eyes and gave her a knowing smile. Suddenly she was touched as tears crept to the corners of her eyes. She should have been angry for him playing this trick on her-but it was such a nice trick. Her mouth opened and closed, she didn't know what to say. His smile turned tender, silently asking for forgiveness. "Happy Birthday, Scully?" He offered softly. The hot tears she was holding back sprang forth and she covered her face, her ring twinkling in the light from the streetlamp. -The End- ADDITIONAL AUTHOR'S NOTES: Okay, so now I know there has to be another part. I really never intended for there to be a sequel to the first one but I got so many wonderful requests that I couldn't resist. You guys have got me on a roll. Thank you for all the encouragement. You can hit that reply button now- TITLE: Autumn Terrace 3 BY: Karen Conrardy DATE: April 1, 1999 RATED: PG (Two dirty words, coming up) CLASSIFICATION: VR, MSR ARCHIVE: Anywhere (Please, let me know) DISCLAIMER: I only wish they were mine. I think about them so much, sometimes I think they have taken up permanent residence in my head. No infringement of any kind is intended. SUMMARY: Mulder `fesses up. AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'll take any and all feedback at xkarenc@gateway.net It will be cherished and I promise to reply. Damn it! Shit. He couldn't even give her a gift without making her cry. He felt like a total schmuck. As soon as he heard her footsteps on the stairs again, he knew she knew. She had only been gone six minutes. Her steps were shorter, clipped as she approached the end of the couch. He ran through several options in the eleven seconds it took her to arrive. He could feign ignorance but he didn't think she would buy that. He thought about yelling surprise but she might be packing. Marry me? No, that'd probably freak her out. Instead he pasted on his Be-Gentle-With-Me face and said "Happy Birthday, Scully?" Well, that one went over like a lead balloon. He knew what it took for her to cry in front of him. He could count on one hand the times he had seen her let go. Not even in the wake of Emily's death had he seen her cry so openly. Christ! He should be trained at this! With all the tears his sister went through at the hands of his teasing and then his mother after Sam was gone, he should know exactly what to say. He jumped up and wrapped his arms around her before she could move away. "Jesus, Scully, don't cry-please, I'm sorry. Please, don't cry." He whispered soothingly. He stroked her hair as she tried to get herself under control. She pushed him away and took a shaky step back. "Don't!" She said stiffly. He cocked his head at her, holding out his hands for forgiveness. "I-I-" "Shut up, Mulder." She told him. His mouth snapped shut. "Just give me a minute here." She wiped her eyes and slipped the ring off her finger. She held it up in front of his face, shaking it accusingly. "What is this supposed to mean?" "Scully?" "What does it mean, Mulder? What does it mean to you?" Well, he'd made his bed, now was the time to lie in it. He had considered this when he set it up. He wanted them to be everything to each other, the way she was to him, in his heart. But, of course, he had to make an escape route if necessary. He figured there was a small chance she might never notice the message inscribed inside. If that happened he would offer to take the ring back to evidence for her and then keep it. He had bought it after all. In fact, he'd had it for a long time. He had kept it tucked into a secret compartment of his desk drawer at home, waiting for the right moment. Last summer had become close to the right moment, but a virus-carrying insect had screwed that up. So, instead he had gone home to get it, rushed to have it engraved and then taken it down to evidence the moment he learned of this case, (which was about five hours before Skinner had assigned them to it. Hey, he was nosy, after all.). He gave it to Agent Connors with the explicit instructions to remove all the other small rings from the box and to make sure that Scully took this one. He was getting good at bartering with football tickets. X ~ X ~ X He remembered when she came into their office after her trip to evidence. He had to circle her to get a good look at the ring he hoped she was wearing. He had made some excuse about checking the new paint on the walls. Only when he saw it on her hand did he ask to see it. With a teasing smile on his face, of course. She reluctantly held her hand out for him to inspect it. He nodded approvingly and said, "Isn't the husband supposed to put the ring on his wife?" She shot him a look and took her hand back. She ignored his comment and said, "It's pretty, not traditional, but very elegant." A shiver ran through him when she voiced her liking of the ring. "It fits you well, looks nice on your hand." "Yes, it does." She replied conversationally. "I was surprised, with all the jewelry they had down there, this was the only one that fit. Even all the non-wedding rings were huge." Mulder smiled, though somewhat nervously. He thought that she might put two and two together right there. Stupid was something she definitely wasn't. Jake must have gone overboard and removed every small ring. Oh, well, his plan had worked so far. "Hmm." He hummed non-committaly. He turned back to his desk and began fidgeting with a file. "Well?" She said to his back. "What?" His head snapped up. "Well, let's see yours." "It's ah, just a plain band." He said without turning around. It had actually been his grandfather's wedding ring. "Let's see it." He turned and held out his hand in much the same way she had hers. She smiled, gently rotating the ring around his finger as if to inspect all angles. She looked up at him with amusement in her eyes. "What?" He repeated. "I don't know, it's just something I never expected to see on you." He cocked his head at her, unable to come up with a reply. "You know, it's like me listening to heavy metal or something. Just doesn't seem to fit." His eyebrows shot up. Is that what she thought of him? It saddened him to realize how little she really did know about him. He pulled his hand away without returning her smile. "I see." "Mulder-" He smiled then, trying to play it off. "Pretty unbelievable, huh?" Those witty comments were dodging his speech center. She nodded shortly, not sure if she had hurt his feelings or not. She went to her desk and set to work on making flight and mini-van reservations. He watched her from behind his desk with a lump in his throat. She knew him better than his own mother did yet she didn't get it. She didn't see that he denied himself sleep, until recently a bed in his apartment, (and damned if he could remember how that got there), common everyday comforts to find his sister, the men that hurt them, but only so he could then settle his life. All he ever wanted was a normal life, something he was denied at the young age of twelve. He wanted a wife, children, pizza and movies on Friday nights, and yes, a gold band around the third finger of his left hand. And he wanted it all with a woman he could trust, a woman that knew him, one that challenged him intellectually but he could still have a pillow fight with. He wanted a woman who would cover his back and save his ass. One that could mend him when he fell. One that he could hold in his arms and make her feel safe. She was all those women to him. She always had been. Her admission to the fact that she didn't see him that way made him realize he wasn't ready to confess this to her yet. Maybe the right moment had already passed. Maybe it would never come again. X ~ X ~ X He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. Then he took the ring from her fingers and held it up before her. He couldn't lie to her anymore. Either this was the time or it was never coming. "It means a lot of things, Scully. It means everything." Her expression told him she didn't understand. And she couldn't conjure the words to day so. "It means I want you to be in my life for good. FBI or no FBI. X-files or no x-files." Good one Agent Mulder. That's an original, demanding, proposal. Why can't you ever do anything the way a normal man would? He could see her starting to tremble, confused and red-eyed. He took her left hand and instead of swinging the ring in front of her nose, he held it out like an offering to a God, or a Goddess. He realized he'd better do this right. Scully deserved it. He dropped to one knee before her, earning him a surprised northward shoot of her eyebrows. Her mouth fell open, but still nothing came out. His voice was choked and squeaky when he spoke, squeezing her hand like a drowning man holding to a life raft. "Dana Scully, will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Spooky officially?" Perhaps if he had just asked her to marry him, in simple words, she would have stammered something that sounded like she needed to think about it. Even though she didn't. But her initial shock dissipated when that inquiry tumbled from his lips. She smiled through her reappearing tears and whispered her answer. "Yes." A grin split his face as he exhaled a long held breath. He slipped the ring back on her finger and pulled her down into his arms. "I never-I never knew-" She stammered into his shoulder. "I know." He whispered. "How did you-" She asked, gesturing to the ring. He smiled softly. "I've had that ring a long time. As soon as I learned about this case I had in engraved and in Connors' hands with a pair of Redskins tickets." She leaned back in his embrace, studying his face. "You bought this-for me?" "Mmm hmm. Back when you were returned from your abduction. But the timing was never right. First Melissa, then the cancer, then Emily, then deadly stinging insects-" He trailed off. He expected, well he didn't know what he expected except it wasn't this. "Thank you." She whispered roughly and planted her soft mouth on his. Heaven, pure unabridged heaven. His hands slid into her fiery hair and they kissed for the first time. Kneeling on the floor, their thighs pressed together, they kissed and he realized that he had come home. This was it. -THE END- AUTHOR'S NOTES: I know, I know, pure sap. I just can't seem to help myself. They're meant for each other. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Someday they'll look up and realize it too. At least, they'd better- And about that reply, I'm here 24/7. :-)