Disclaimer:1)The characters we all know and love from the X-Files ain't mine,they belong to Chris Carter,Fox Broadcasting and 1013 productions.I'm just taking them out for a spin.They'll be returned in A-1 condition,I promise.I'm broke anyway so don't bother to sue me,it won't be worth anything. 2)Lyrics to the song "Something to Talk About" were written by Shirley Eikhart. Also used without permission.But the song did give me the idea for this story. Warning: M&S romance ahead.This story is an idea I had about how they would get together for the first time.So if you don't like the idea of them together you can delete this now. Compliments,suggestions,constructive criticisms welcomed at tthwaite@banff.net.Flames will be used to heat my hot chocolate.Although inventive ones may be kept for comic relief when I need it. :-) Summary:A rumor gets both Scully and Mulder examining their feelings for each other.When an avalanche traps them while on a case,the time alone together lets them explore their feelings and come to grips with the reality of their emotions. Rating: NC-17 (part 4) Snowed In part 1 FBI Headquarters Dana Scully buttoned her slacks and was reaching back to flush the toilet when the voices of two women entering the ladies room caught her attention. "...don't really believe they're sleeping together,do you?"said one voice. Dana froze.Eavesdropping had always been a secret vice of hers,since she was a child and discovered that was the only way to find out what was going on between her parents.And it had helped her keep tabs on her older sister.And find out what her brothers were plotting as well. Now she listened to the women gossiping. "Well,he *is* very attractive.And you were there that time she laughed at Agent Brackman when he asked her out,"the second voice replied. Scully thought disgustedly.She remembered the slick self-assurance on his face last month when he'd put a move on her.She'd laughed in his face. Scully's eyes widened as she suddenly realized the two women were talking about *her*.She peeked through the crack between the door and the stall.She recognized both women.They'd been in the cafeteria when Scully had cut Brackman off at the knees. she wondered. The two women were standing at the sinks,obviously touching up their make-up for lunch.The tall brunette smiled at her companion. "I guess the nickname I heard the other day is appropriate,then." "What nickname?"the shorter woman asked,concentrating on her mascara. "Mrs. Spooky,"the brunette chuckled. Scully was startled. she snorted. Loud enough to be heard,apparently.The two gossips immediately fell into silence.Scully suppressed a sigh,flushed the toilet and exited the stall.She watched the two women from the corner of her eye as she washed her hands.The surprise and embarrassment on their faces nearly made Scully laugh.She turned to face them. "Next time you hear that rumor,you can tell whoever it is that you heard this from me, personally.I am *not* sleeping with Agent Mulder.We're partners,even friends,but that's as far as it goes." Scully turned her back on the other women and walked out of the washroom.They heard her mutter, "And I thought Mulder came up with some weird ideas.Mulder and I,sleeping together. Ridiculous." The two women faced each other.Shrugging,they turned back to the mirrors.They had dates for lunch.Must look their best. Mulder glanced up as Scully returned to the office.She was grinning. "What's so funny?" he asked,closing the file in his hands and turning to his computer,giving her only half his attention. "I bumped into a couple of gossips," she replied,her grin widening, "They were speculating on a rumored office romance." "So who's supposed to be having an affair today?" he asked,still not really paying much attention. "We are," Scully replied,deadpan,as she sat at her own computer. "What?"Mulder choked.He turned away from his computer,giving Scully his undivided attention. "Rumor has it that you and I are sleeping together,"she replied,suppressed laughter making her eyes sparkle. Mulder's jaw dropped. "You and...But...Wha..."Mulder couldn't get a word out. Scully burst out laughing at the expression on his face. "The rumor apparently arose from an incident in the cafeteria last month," Scully continued between chuckles, "Remember when Agent Brackman hit on me and I laughed in his face?" Mulder nodded,still not quite understanding how that had anything to do with a rumor about him and Scully. "I guess someone decided that I turned him down because I was already involved with someone else,namely...you.After all,you know that some people call me 'Mrs. Spooky' behind my back since that jerk former classmate of mine,Tom Colton,coined the phrase a couple of years ago." Mulder finally put it together.His laughter joined with Scully's. "That's almost as funny as..."Mulder's voice trailed off.He didn't think Scully had heard another rumor about her that had been floating around.And he knew she wouldn't think it as funny as he did. "Almost as funny as what,Mulder?" "Well?" she demanded,a hard edge coming to her voice when he hesitated. "OK,I'll tell.Just don't shoot the messenger," he said,raising his hands in mock surrender.He was actually a little curious about how she would react to this one. "I was approached a few months ago by someone wanting to know if I knew where you liked to go after work.I think this person was thinking of *accidentally* bumping into you." Scully just raised her eyebrow,wanting Mulder to drop the other shoe. "The interested party was Vera Grant," Mulder finished,trying to keep a straight face. "Vera Grant?"she demanded,surprised.Vera Grant was an agent,attached to VCS,who made no secret of her homosexuality. Mulder nodded,a grin forming on his face despite his efforts. "Why would she be interested in *accidentally* bumping into me?" she asked,a dangerous edge in her voice. "I said I didn't know where you went.And if she was really interested,she should just ask you. Since you know nothing about this,I gather she didn't," Mulder answered,his grin widening. "I ran into her a couple of weeks ago on the pistol range.She mentioned that she recently became involved with a Secret Service agent she met during a case.From her account,I gather that the two of them are now living together.But I still don't know why she would ask you where *I* spend my off-time." "You have rather derisively shot down a few agents who've asked you out,"Mulder said,raising his hand to forestall her objection, "I know they deserved it.Especially Brackman,the guy's a weasel.But you did it before a rather large audience in a few cases.And their narrow-minded, prideful self-centered egos demand retribution for the belittling of their *manliness*.I think that someone cooked up the theory you were gay to explain why he struck out with you." "God!I thought these people had important jobs.Like catching criminals.Now it seems that the rumor mill is more important to them.You and me sleeping together.Or Vera Grant wanting to ask me out.This is almost bizarre enough to be an X-File itself!"Scully was having trouble breathing,she was laughing so hard. "Well, at least these rumors might kill the Ice Queen label Brackman has been trying to stick on your head,"Mulder commented,getting his laughter under control. "Ice Queen?"Scully asked, "I hadn't heard that one." Mulder just gave her one of his 'ain't life strange' grins. Scully snorted.Putting the rumors out of her mind,she booted up her computer.There never seemed to be an end to all the paper work.Reports to file.Expense accounts to itemize.Travel vouchers. she thought, ****************************************************************** Driving home after work,Scully was absently flipping between radio stations,trying to find the news,when one song caught her attention: "People are talking,talking 'bout people I hear them whisper,you won't believe it They think we're lovers,kept under covers I just ignore it,but they keep saying We laugh just a little too loud We stand just a little too close We stare just a little too long Maybe they're seeing something we don't,Darlin'." Scully punched the radio button to change the station with enough force to give herself a sore finger.Finally finding the news,she tried to put the lyrics out of her mind.But they kept coming back,intermingled with the rumor the two women in the ladies room had been gossiping about. ****************************************************************** Mulder sat on the couch,one hand holding a slice of pizza.The remote control held in the other as he channel surfed.He put down the remote to lift the beer bottle sitting on the table, unintentionally stopping on MTV.He almost gagged as the words Bonnie Raitt was signing in the music video registered: "...Could you be falling for me? It took a rumor to make me wonder Now I'm convinced I'm going under Thinking 'bout you every day Dreaming 'bout you every night Hoping that you feel the same way Now that we know it,let's really show it,Darlin'." Mulder set his beer down,spilling it in his haste to change the channel.Finding a hockey game on ESPN,he tried to quell a few decidedly erotic thoughts about his partner.But they refused to go away. ****************************************************************** Scully's apartment-next morning Dana Scully sat bolt upright in her bed,coated in sweat,her whole body flushed.Her dream still disturbingly vivid in her mind.She scrubbed her face with her hands,trying to calm her breathing. she thought. The phone rang. "Scully,"she answered it,still breathing a little heavy. "Hi Mom...No,I'm OK.Just had a disturbing dream,that's all...What about?...Well...It was about Mulder...Why disturbing?...It was sort of-uh-erotic...Oh!Stop laughing,I don't think it's funny...No,I'm not considering acting on it!...He's my *partner* Mom!...Attractive?...I guess so,but that doesn't mean I'm planning on sleeping with him!...Look,Mom.I have to get ready for work.I'll call you tonight.OK?...Bye." she thought as she headed for the shower.The look on her face in the mirror seemed to be saying, Trying to shake the memory of her dream from her mind,Scully stepped into the shower and turned on the water.The cold water. ****************************************************************** end part 1 No one can be quite as annoying as a potential lover. ****************************************************************** Disclaimers in part 1 Snowed In part 2 Mulder's office Mulder sat at his desk,a file open in his hands.But his mind wasn't on it.He glanced over at Scully's desk.A single red rose sat in a small crystal vase beside her computer.He still wondered why he'd stopped at a florist on his way to work this morning.Even if it was Valentine's Day,he didn't know why the urge to get her something had been been so overpowering.They'd never paid much attention to these kinds of holidays before.Simple birthday cards and practical Christmas gifts had been the norm.So why did he go out of his way this morning in order to get Scully a single red rose? he thought, He was considering getting up and hiding the rose when Scully walked in the door.Mulder quickly buried his nose in the file,pretending to read.Scully hung up her trenchcoat and poured herself a cup of coffee.Turning to her desk with her cup,she finally noticed the rose and vase.She walked over to her desk and picked up the vase.After giving the rose a brief,appreciative sniff,she turned to Mulder with raised eyebrows. Mulder grinned, "It seemed appropriate.It *is* Valentine's Day.And isn't it customary for a man to give roses to the woman he's sleeping with on Valentine's Day?" Scully stared at him.Then the irony penetrated and she started laughing. "I thought you never paid much attention to the rumors you heard around the office,Mulder?" she said. "Just the ones about me.Or you.Or,in this case,me *and* you,"he replied,grinning. She sat down.Smelling the rose once again,she replaced it beside her computer.She gave the rest of her desk a quick survey and turned back to face him. "You forgot the chocolates,Mulder," she accused. "No I didn't,I just lost my nerve,"he quipped,reaching into his desk drawer with a smile.He removed a small,heart-shaped box of chocolates and handed them to her.Scully took them,a small tremor quivering her fingers as the lyrics of the song she heard yesterday popped into her head. "Lost your nerve?"she asked,her voice uncontrollably dropping to a husky whisper.She dropped her eyes to the chocolates she held in her lap,trying to conceal the blush creeping into her face as she remembered the dream she'd had just before she woke up. "Well," he drawled,that hang-dog look she always found so annoying coming to his eyes, "I guess I was wondering about your possible reaction.I mean,chocolates and a single red rose on Valentine's Day?It would certainly add fertilizer to the grapevine,now, wouldn't it?" Scully suddenly laughed, "Why don't we do something to *really* blow up the rumor,then burst everyone's bubble?" "Such as?" he asked,intrigued.He'd never really thought of her as the type to delight in a twisted practical joke.As Scully outlined her idea,he found himself grinning.