Title: "Dare"

Author: Riva

E-mail: [email protected]

Rating: G or PG

Catagory: V, MSR, pure and simple.

Summery: The title says it all. Post-movie story.

Disclaimer:
Hey. Well, first off.......I am not the creator of these wonderful
characters. That *person* is the MIGHTY LORD OF THE X-REALM, CC, and his
wonderfully pro-numeral company Ten Thirteen, and little me don't own any
of it. I'm just stealing them for a bit. Call it a loan. Rob from the
Rich to Poor and all that. Mulder, Scully, and anyone else I might
mention WILL BE RETURNED when I am done, and I am not making any money.
If anything, I am losing it sitting here on my backside when I could be,
as my mom says, "doing something constructive". Oh well. Constructive
cramps my style.

Authors Notes: Got the idea while vacuuming the living room, and it
wouldn't let me go. Cute, short, and completely unnecessary. Have fun!!!!

-Riva


AND ON WITH THE SHOW...........

----------------------------------------------------
------------------- THE X-FILES --------------------
"DARE"
---------------------- by Riva ---------------------
-----------------------------------------------------


Dana Scully, MD.-


It started out as a innocent game of truth or dare.
Honest!
I had no idea when it started what on earth it would lead to. If I had,
well....If I had, well, I probably would have done it anyway. But that's
in retrospect.
Anyway, you're probably wondering what I was doing playing a game of
truth or dare with my oh-so-professional partner in our office that rainy
day. To be frank, I have *no* idea.
We were bored, the work was tedious, and it was something to do other
than crack sunflower seeds and jokes while throwing pencils at the
ceiling.
I forget who started the game, but I know who first started using this
most innocent little girls game to flirt.
Mulder of course.
"Hey, Scully. Truth. What's do you notice first about a guy?"

or...

"Truth. Scully, who do you think is the best looking guy in our new
division?"

or my personal favorite....

"Truth. Do you find funky ties attractive?"

The man was driving me nuts. In more ways than one. In a desperate
attempt to slow the line of "truth" demands being thrown at me -which
were growing steadily more difficult to deal with- I stated he had used
up his "truths". He was henceforth confined to dares.
Bad idea.
"Okay Scully, I *dare* you to get out one of those balloons you have in
your desk, fill it up with water, and rig it to drop on the next person
that walks into this office."
"And that would be who?" I ask as I as I pull out the bag of balloons
that was left over from the Gunman's "Welcome Back from Certain Death"
party they had thrown us right after Antarctica.
"Let's just say I know *someone* will."
I roll my eyes, and go fill up the balloon in the bathroom down the
hall.
Antarctica.
It seemed like a million lifetimes ago, even though it had only been 3
months. Thinking of Antarctica sent a flashback of near-kiss in Mulder's
hallway through my mind. I glanced at Mulder as I reentered our new
office and drug my chair back to the door. He probably doesn't even
remember. Who could blame him after all that happened afterward? Heck, I
shouldn't remember.
But I do.
I remember all of it. Every detail. How strong his arms were around me.
How soft his hands as they touched my face. And his eyes....Oh, those
eyes...
I shook myself as I climbed up on the chair, preparing to attach the
balloon carefully to the ceiling just above the door. I couldn't afford
those thoughts now.
The chair wobbled and I nearly lost my balance. Mulder was up and
behind me in a flash. He placed his hands carefully on my hips, steadying
me. A deep chuckle rumbles from somewhere inside him.
"Try not to fall, Scully" His voice is soft and close to me.
Yeah, right. I thought. I was falling faster by the day, and no
prospects of stopping anytime soon.
Falling for him.
I suppose I'd been losing my balance for 5 years. But now it was
confirmed, even as my pulse sped up and my ears felt hot; I was
officially *falling* for Spooky Mulder.
I connected the balloon, testing it for just the right strength so it
would drop if the string I connected to the door was pulled.
Satisfied, I turned. Mulder hands stayed on my hips.
I looked down at him.
"Help you down, Scully?" A boyish glimmer danced in his eyes.
I melted. To heck with protocol, I thought.
I put my hands on his shoulders, sliding them to the back of his neck as
he lowered me to the floor. My feet hit the ground with a click, but full
attention was centered on a certain pair of hazel eyes.
Neither of us moved. Time stopped. Not a unusual occurrence in my job,
but none of the other times had Mulder's arms been around me.
Okay, one time.
The hallway.
"Mulder," I whispered slowly. "Dare. I dare you to kiss me."
His arms went stiff. He broke our gaze began to pull away from me. The
trance shattered. Real time was back.
But I wasn't ready for it yet.
"Mulder," I caught his arm before he got completely disentangled from
me. "I dared you, Mulder."
"I- I can't Scully." His eyes swung back to me, haunted.
"Why not?" My voice rose, I was angry. A thousand possible answers to
that question filled my mind, none of them I liked. I pin-pointed the
most likely and attacked it. "Is it because of her?" I demanded. We both
knew I meant Diana. "Do you feel like you're betraying her? Dammit,
Mulder she betrayed *you*!" My eyes searched his desperately.
"No, it's not that." He looked around the room, avoiding my eyes. Then
he turned back and his hazel eyes burned into mine. When he spoke, his
voice was rough and choked.
"It's because if I do, I'll lose myself in you and never find my way
out." He sighed bitterly. "And I don't think you want that."
My breath caught. This time, even the air around me seemed to freeze.
Somehow, I found my voice.
"What if I do?" I said softly.
"What?"
"I said, what if I *do* want it." My voice was a little louder this
time, as my courage grew. "What if it's all I ever wanted?"
His eyes looked down at me, their hazel depths reflecting what I could
only describe as wonder. "Then I would have to ask a truth." His words
were breathless, pleading.
"What?" Our faces inched closer.
"Truth, Scully..."
"...Do you love me?"
"Yes. Truth, Mulder. Do *you* love *me*?"
He never answered. Not in words, anyway. He just bent toward me and we
discovered how truly unnecessary and overrated words can be. I pulled him
closer, needing more of his kiss. His arms threaded through my hair,
giving me more.
Five long years....
Suddenly, my overwrought senses heard the door click open.
"Agents Mulder and Scully!?!?" The incredulous voice of AD Skinner was
rapidly followed my another sound.

**SPLAT**

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!!!THE END!!!
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I LUV FEEDBACK!!!
This is my first *submitted* fan-fic, and would like to know if I should
give you more. Also, I have Star Wars fan-fic if any one knows of a
archive for that stuff, or would like to read it.
You can e-mail me at:

[email protected]

Thanx for reading!!!

-Riva