Title: Different
Author: SueBee
E-mail: SueBeePhile@aol.com
Summary:  Something finally changes for Mulder and Scully...
Classification: MSR, RST, Angst
Rating: NC-17 for consensual sexual situations  :o)
Spoilers: Strong post-ep spoilers for "En Ami" and some slight 
ones for "Redux" and "Never Again."
Archive: I would be thrilled, just let me know!
Feedback: Did I ever mention that I bake wonderful cookies?
Disclaimer: They aren't mine.  They belong to Chris Carter and 
Fox.  Please don't sue me!  All I have is my computer and I 
just paid it off!
Dedicated to: MellyB!  Thanks for the help and the 
encouragement!


**********************************************************************


The commercial lied. Calgon wasn't taking her anywhere. She 
was still in the same old apartment, reclining in the same 
clawfoot bathtub, lost in the same mundane thoughts. Okay, 
maybe she was the one lying on that one. The myriad of 
flashing images and sounds that pulsed through her mind were 
the furthest thing from ordinary. Just recalling the gore and 
paranormal drama from an average case was better than anything 
on television.

She slipped further into the liquid haven of her tub, mumbling, 
"No more monsters..."  Even as she felt the English Garden 
scented bubbles tickle her chin and heard the crackling of the 
floral foam invading the quiet, she knew nothing would take 
away the monsters, not even Calgon.

The rub of it was that no matter how many bad guys she and 
Mulder put away, the devil was still waiting outside the door,
smoldering Morley in one hand and a temptingly sweet bit of 
candy in the other. She was still kicking herself for letting 
herself be duped by that bastard. She was the sensible one, 
right? Right? 

"Wrong...," she exhaled into the humid air of her bathroom. 
It just took the right kind of bait to hook this 
fish. Cancer man, being the master fisherman, had been 
admittedly watching her for years, waiting, just waiting, for 
the right hook to reel her in. 

"Hook, line, and sinker," she whispered up at the ceiling, as 
if it would respond.

"Well, I wouldn't say that..." replied a voice behind her.

Startled, Scully whipped around to find Mulder leaning in the 
doorway. "Mulder, what the hell are you doing?" At his lack of 
response and greater lack of eye contact, she turned around 
quickly and slid deeply beneath the bubbles. "Mulder, I don't 
know how the hell you got in here, but get out!" she spat the 
words at him, hoping she would sound more angry than embarrassed. 
 
"Hey Scully, didn't I tell you? The building manager just 
loves the feds..."  Hiding her face, and what she hoped was 
most of her body, she replied in a low angry voice, "Please go 
in the other room so I can get out of the tub."

"Are you sure, Scully?  I'm great at washing backs.  I saw 
your little sponge thingy floating in the water..."

"Go, Mulder. Now!"

"Fine, have it your way."  With that she heard him move down 
the hall and into the living room.  How she didn't hear him 
approach was beyond her.  It wasn't as if he hadn't seen her 
naked before either, but this was the first time that she was 
actually conscious of it. Slipping on her white terry robe, 
Scully pulled a brush through her wet hair and padded out into 
the living room. She saw him there, perched on her couch with 
his gaze rooted to the floor.  <Sure, now he can't look up.>

"What is it, Mulder?"

"We need to talk."

"That's why they have telephones."

"In person."

"What is it?  What's so wrong that you couldn't call or knock 
on the door like a normal person?"

"Since when have we been normal, Scully?  I don't see you going 
by your normal routine lately."  As he said this, he raised his 
eyes to her and any hint of humor that was there before had 
vanished.

"That's not fair, Mulder."

"When did we start playing fair?"  With that, he leaned further 
back on the couch and let his gaze settle on her.  His 
expression wasn't exactly angry, but the intensity of his stare 
was cause to make her take a step backwards and look away.

"Why did you do it, Scully?"  The question was barely audible, 
but his words floated up and hit her with the ferocity of a 
slap.  She pursed her lips and attempted a response, but nothing 
would come.  She was half humiliated by her naivete and half 
indignant at his request to explain herself.  Still, she remained
silent.  

Instead of looking at Mulder, she focused on the window 
over his shoulder.  When had it started to rain? She watched drop 
after fat drop of rain slap the window pane, hover, and then 
slither down in a wet trail.  Hazily, she thought that they 
looked like tears. She took another step backward and averted 
her gaze to the rug. Her pulse was thudding in her ears and 
she could feel the lump building in her throat.  

Swallowing hard and attempting to look irate at the question, 
she seethed, "Why do you care?  Nothing came of it. I'm still 
here. I'm always still here!"  She felt the heat rise in her 
face and the warmth spurned her forward.  

"You could have been killed, Scully."

"Well, Mulder, if you haven't noticed, that risk is in the job
description."

"But, I am your partner, it's in my job description to save your 
ass in case that risk happens!"  He was standing now.  His hands 
were placed on his hips in indignation and his eyes were 
glittering with his fury.  "When did you stop trusting me?"

"When did you ever trust me enough to let me know when you were 
heading off on some clandestine mission to find the secret of 
the ages?"

He made a move to reply and she stepped forward, reclaiming 
footing and gathering fury.  "You never called and asked me 
to come with you or be there to cover your ass, just in case.  
You, Mulder, always take off and hope for the best later!  
So, *now* you are concerned when you are left out of the loop?"

He didn't back down or step away from her.  "That's 
different..."

"Different?  How?  How is it different?"  Her voice was at a 
level just short of screaming.  She stopped.  She took a deep 
breath and looked him in the eye, realizing that tears were 
rolling down her cheeks just as the rain was streaming down the
windows.  

"It doesn't matter, Mulder. You know why?  Because 
nothing happened. My holy grail vanished the same way yours 
always did. It was all for nothing and I have to live with my 
mistake. I should have known better, but hindsight is always 
20/20 now isn't it?"

She turned around in a dismissive gesture and went to get 
dressed. She heard Mulder following her. He stopped in the 
doorway of her bedroom and hovered there. She held her back 
to him and he tried to will her to face him with his presence.  
She mentally high-fived herself for that one and waited for 
his departure.  He did not budge.  <Fine. > He moved into the 
sanctity of her room and stood mere inches behind her. She 
could feel the heat radiate in waves from him. "Like I was 
saying, Scully..."  She refused to turn around. She held her 
shoulders straight and her head high.  "Mulder, if you don't 
mind, I would like to get dressed."  

"Go ahead. Get dressed, but you are going to hear what I have 
to say."

"Go away, Mulder. I'm not in the mood to give you another free 
show."

He needed some prodding. The idiot must have forgotten she was 
a woman already. She went for the robe of her belt and made to 
unknot it.  

"Before you do that, Scully..."  She allowed herself a victory 
smirk.  This was before she felt herself enveloped in his arms 
with his hands stilling hers. She stopped and waited, clueless 
as to how to play the next move.

"Turn around, Scully."

Her heart was thumping painfully against her ribs.  <What the 
hell is going on here?>  She could feel a droplet from her 
wet hair drip down the neck of her robe. It felt like a river of 
ice on her heated skin.  She felt like a deer trapped in 
headlights. If she stayed still, it would be disastrous. If 
she moved, she might find her way to safety. Whirling around, 
she met his gaze. < Bad move. Trapped again. > He had managed 
to keep his arms around her and she had nowhere to go.  

Her voice was shaky and she hated that.  "What is it, Mulder?  
Just say it."

His eyes were still glittering but they were no longer angry.  
She was mentally willing her pulse to slow down, when she 
realized that his heart was racing along the same path.  
Her voice was barely a whisper now, "Just say it."
His hands rose from her hips to either side of her face.  
He held her head up so she wouldn't turn away.
His mouth opened and then shut.  He cleared his throat and 
tried again.  "Like I was saying, Scully.  It's different..."

"Mulder, I don't want to argue!"

"Scully, let me just say this..."

"I don't care if it's different!"

"Scully, listen!  I care!  That's the point!  I care about 
you!"

She stopped.  "Well, I care about you too."

He looked up at the ceiling.  "Scully, you don't get it!"

"Well, Mulder, make me understand."

His mouth had descended upon hers before she could utter another 
word. Her eyes fluttered closed and her breath caught as she 
felt his lips press against hers. 

It was obvious to her that Mulder and she had spent way too 
much time talking. The passive doe ran away and the ember of 
passion that ignited in her belly flared to life as she reached 
for him.  

<I understand. Now it's time for you to understand.> Her once 
motionless hands grabbed at his shirt and pulled him against 
her.  She returned his kiss as if it were sustaining her life. 
Their lips met, released, and then came together again. She 
nipped at his bottom lip and when his lips parted, she delved 
her tongue into the glory of his mouth. She explored and 
soothed the velvety sweetness of him.  Mulder was not one to 
stand idly by during the onslaught. He slid his tongue along 
hers and pressed his body into her.

Finally, Scully broke free and turned away. Her breathing was 
ragged and her pulse was roaring in her ears. "Oh my God. What 
are we doing, Mulder?  We can't, we can't do this!"

Mulder looked at her like a man dying of thirst. "Don't you 
want me, Scully?"  He began running wet kisses down her neck 
and his fingers were clenching the fabric of her robe.  "God, 
I want you, Scully."  At this point he was nibbling on her 
collar bone and all coherent thought was quickly leaving her.

"No!  Yes! Oh, my God.  Mulder, please..."

"Mulder, please, what?" he said as his fingers began to untie 
the knot of her robe.  As he spoke, his beautiful mouth was 
exploring it's way up her earlobe and his voice sounded raspy 
soft in the shell of her ear.  All she could say was, 
"please..."  The belt came loose and the robe fell open down the
middle. 

She stood there, with her head hung down, unable to meet 
his gaze.

"Scully."

"What is it, Mulder?"

"Open your robe.  I want to see you."

She raised her head and saw his adoring smile.  This bolstered 
her courage, so she put her hands on either side of the robe 
and raised an eyebrow at him. "Keep going G-Woman."  He was 
grinning at her but his patience was wearing thin. She moved to 
the window, where the rain speckled panes were a backdrop to 
what she was about to reveal.  Mulder was rooted to the spot. 
His eyes remained locked with hers as he waited for her next 
move. 

"Ask nicely, Mulder."

"Scully, " he said as he moved in front of her and sat on the 
bed, "please."

The room was silent except for the audible intake of Mulder's 
breath as Scully removed the left flap of her robe and 
proceeded with the right. There was a swishing sound as the 
robe fell to the carpet. The staccato drum beat of her heart 
was almost getting to be too much for her.  The only visible 
sign of Scully's anxiety was when she licked the corner of her 
mouth. Mulder stared at her body as if he were watching Venus 
rise on the half shell. In his eyes, she was more beautiful 
than any goddess. He met her eyes, and then let his appraisal 
travel south. She could feel the heat of his gaze as if he were 
touching her. His eyes fell on her smooth ivory shoulders 
and lingered only momentarily before resting on her breasts.  
She unconsciously stood up straighter and they jutted out more.  
He licked his lips as he watched her soft pink nipples 
pucker to attention. She tried to tell herself it was the cool 
night air, but they both knew better. Downward his gaze went, 
memorizing her, visually caressing her, until she found it hard 
to stand still.  His eyes were level with her womanhood and she 
fought the compulsion to cover up.  He gave a tiny smile as if 
a question had finally been answered and then his perusal 
moved on. He took inventory of her firm thighs and shapely 
calves.  He chuckled a bit at her red-painted toes.  

Then he said something that unnerved her.  "Turn around, 
Scully."  

"What?" He made a twirling gesture with his finger as if to 
demonstrate his meaning.  She took a deep breath and complied.

She could again see the rain tapping and running down the 
window pane. She glanced out into the night as the heat from her 
began to make a foggy silhouette of her body against the glass.  
The pound, pound, pounding of her heart overwhelmed and consumed 
the tap, tap, tapping of the rain. She could sense when Mulder's 
eyes reached her tattoo, because she could feel a tingly warmth 
spread in her belly and suffuse through her body.

She heard the shifting sounds of the coverlet on her bed when 
Mulder got up and moved behind her.  The replay made her 
muscles hum like violin strings.  She expected to feel his mouth 
on her neck again, but was surprised and overwhelmingly aroused 
to feel him kneel behind her and trace the outline of her tattoo 
with his tongue.  She let out a sound that resembled,
"Oh my go...." but the exact words never reached fruition.  Her 
hands went up to the cool surface of the glass and she rested 
her forehead against the smoothness of it, searching for some 
relief from the heat invading her, but none was to be found.  
His hands glided up her thighs, soothing and stroking until he 
reached the curve of her behind. Then, he gently squeezed and 
coaxed the muscles making Scully arch until her breasts were 
almost touching the window.  

Mulder started to rise as he laved his tongue up the center of her 
back and between her shoulder blades.  Scully was lost in the rhythm 
of her heart and the sensation of his touch.  As he stroked his lips 
along her shoulder, he reached up and slid his fingers under her 
breasts.  He glorified and electrified her with his ministrations.  
He kneaded and squeezed while continuing to adore her with 
his mouth.  The window was the only thing keeping her from 
sliding to the floor.  Beyond the symphony of her own heart, 
she could hear the accompaniment of Mulder's rapid breathing.  
He sounded wonderful.  

"You are so beautiful, Scully," he whispered in her ear, 
"let me love you."  He turned her around and claimed her mouth. 
 She leaned into him as their movements became more feral.  
She rubbed her breasts along the cottony smoothness of his 
T-shirt and moved her hands underneath the hem, tearing it over 
his head.  He didn't seem to mind, except for when their lips 
had to part to get the garment off of him.  

<Too many damned clothes> she thought as she went to work on 
his jeans. While they both worked to undress him, they made 
their way toward the bed. As Mulder was stripped of the last 
vestiges of his clothing, he scooted back on Scully's bed and 
rested his head on the pillow. With one arm raised over his 
head, he let Scully have her turn surveying the merchandise.  
Their eyes locked, and as golden hazel met deep blue, 
a promise was made and held forever. Scully's eyes moved 
southward as Mulder's had.  She got stuck at Mulder's 
prominent pouty lower lip.  She leaned forward and 
kissed it, pulling it between her lips.  As Mulder began to 
respond, she pulled away, furthering her visual exploration.  
His chest was firm and his stomach beautifully muscular.   
She traced her fingertips down his belly until she reached 
the juncture of his thighs.  She looked up at him as she 
closed her hand around his manhood and watched his eyes 
flutter closed.  

Straddling him, she stroked and squeezed the 
length of him as she trailed kisses along the smooth expanse 
of his heated flesh.  She rose up and sealed her mouth to 
his and reveled in the taste of him.  Her tongue tasted, 
tested, and slid inside as she let her hands work on him.  
He broke the seal of their lips as he grabbed her hips and 
looked ravenously into her eyes and murmured, "Now Scully, 
please, make it now."  She reached back and held his hard 
manhood.  Leaning back, she began to guide him inside of her.  
She was poised on top of him, waiting before she impaled 
herself.  With one last love affirming kiss, she watched 
his eyes widen as she slid herself down on him.  She waited 
for her muscles to expand and accept him as she closed her eyes 
and felt the prickle of sweat move from her core to her belly.   
The only word she uttered was, "Finally."

Mulder remained patient while he waited for her to start the 
dance.  He rested his hands on her hips until she raised 
herself up and brought herself back down.  A shudder of 
bright light split through the room as lightning crashed 
outside. They obliviously thought it was the power of their 
mated union. Up Scully went and downward she crashed, while 
the thunder of the storm rumbled. The barrage of rain began 
to rage outside as the fury of their lovemaking built up inside.  
Scully put her hands on Mulder's chest to balance herself as 
she began to circle her hips in an excruciatingly erotic circle.  
Mulder rasped out, "Oh God, Scully!"  She didn't stop.  Circle, 
thrust, circle, thrust, until Mulder was chanting 
"ohgodohgodohgod" and Scully was reciting her own mantra of 
deity praising. 

Mulder reached down and coaxed his own circles 
around her sensitive flesh.  Scully held on for dear life as 
she continued the rhythm.  She faintly heard the cacophony 
outside just as she felt her thighs tremble and her body 
quiver.  Mulder continued on with his tantalizing caresses 
as she thrust down and around on him. Her climax was near as her 
body stilled and her muscles began to spasm around his 
rigidness. Mulder had no mercy for her as he continued to thrash 
into her while she came.  The sensations made her throw her head 
back and slightly hang her mouth open in a low moan. 
"Oh, Mmmmull..." was all she was capable of.  When 
the tremors subsided, Mulder flipped her on her back and  
rested between her thighs.  He kissed her frantically, delving 
his tongue into the recesses of her mouth as he pushed deeply 
into her and thrust again and again until she was clawing his 
back.  Finally, he tensed as he poured himself into her.  

The lightning and thunder continued to rage outside.  The rain 
ran down in rivulets and the sweat on their bodies followed 
suit.  Their breathing eventually slowed and became more even.  
Mulder's eyes were wet and matched the glistening of Scully's.  

"Like, I was trying to say, Scully.  Things are different now."

"Why is that, Mulder?"

"Things are different because I love you and I can't lose you.  
You are my life and everything that is good in me."

Kissing a tear off his cheek and tasting the saltiness with her 
tongue, Scully met his gaze and said, "Things are different but 
the same.  I have loved you for so long, Mulder."

He smiled and said, "Well, at least we are getting better at
communicating.  I don't think  I could handle another seven years without
being able to hold you.  Please tell me nothing will keep us apart.  Nothing."

"Nothing will keep us apart, Mulder.  I would die for you, 
 but I want to spend the rest of my life loving you."

As she closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest, 
she prayed that the devil had no more treats with which to l
ure either of them away from each other again.  Sadly, she 
knew better.

The End