Do You Want to Dance?
Rating: PG
Timeline: Season 5
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be mine. Must move on.
*Chapter 1*
Mulder looked down at the food he had ordered. He wasn't really that hungry, therefore he was just pushing it around his plate. He shouldn't have been this uncomfortable; he should have been excited. Or, at least, interested. I mean, he hadn't been on a date in...four years!!! My God, had it been that long. Sure, he had the occasional fling with a couple of women, but he hadn't been on a real date in four years. But this really wasn't a date. This was a formal dinner and dance for all Washington, DC based FBI agents, like himself. A reprieve from the stress that all of the agents felt everyday. It was an annual event. He hadn't attended the last ones, but this year he was more or less ordered to attend by his superior, Assistant Director Skinner. "Highly recommended to attend this function" were the exact words. Which meant he better go or else. He didn't care to think what the "or else" was, so he came. Oh, well. At least he could try and associate with the people higher up the ladder while he was here. Maybe even earn a little respect for his division. Yeah right. Like that would ever happen. Now if this was a different dimension...
He smiled at that thought. That idea was more believable than one might think. In fact, it went right along with his line of work. Maybe this really was a different dimension. It would make sense. OK, in his mind it would make sense. Here he was wearing a tux and on a "date." Those definitely were two things that he never did. Maybe in this dimension, Samantha was still with him.
His smile faded.
This change in emotions did not go unnoticed by the woman that was with him.
"Mulder, one moment you are grinning like a goon, and the next you are completely crestfallen. What's going on in that mind of yours?"
Mulder snapped back into reality, and his attention focused on the woman. She was the other reason this wasn't a real date. She wasn't his date. Sure, she was the one he came with, but date was a little strong of a word for her. She was more like his partner on a quest to get through the evening. Of course, she was also his partner on the job, too which made this analogy easier to accept.
"Hello?"
"Hmmm, what Scully?"
"Is there anything wrong? You seem out of it tonight. Even more than usual."
"No, I'm fine."
"You haven't eaten a thing. Are you sure you aren't sick?"
"I'm fine, Dr. Scully," Mulder said with a smile.
He was always touched when Scully was concerned about his well-being. It always made him feel loved, or at least cared about. Not many people really truly cared about him. She was one of the few.
"Guess I'm not that hungry," he said. Yeah, you're too nervous to be hungry, he thought. Why was he so nervous? He was only having dinner with his best friend. It's not like this is a date or anything. Unless he wanted this to be a date? Whoa, where did that thought come from? He better file it away.
"Well, you have to eat something, Mulder. You haven't eaten a thing all day and I don't feel like dragging you back to your apartment when you pass out," Scully said.
"Yes, mother," Mulder grumbled as he stuck a piece of steak in his mouth. "Mmmmmm, yummy."
"That's better. Don't forget your vegetables."
"Don't push it."
Scully smiled. She was just happy that she got him to eat a little something. She knew something was wrong with him when he came to pick her up. She knew tuxes and social events weren't his favorite things, but they didn't seem to be the center of his problem. He hadn't said much to her since they arrived much less looked at her. It was almost like he was uncomfortable to be around her, but that couldn't be right. Mulder was never uncomfortable in any situation so why should this one be any different? Maybe it was her. Maybe he didn't want to be here with her. Maybe he had wanted to go with someone else, be with someone else.
"Mulder, if you don't want to be here with me..."
"What would give you that idea?"
"Well, you've hardly talked to me since we got here and you continue to wander off into your own little world."
"I'm sorry, Scully. It's just that I am still thinking about that last case. I feel that we forgot something, that's all."
Scully nodded. She knew that wasn't the real reason but she also knew that he would tell her what was wrong in his own time. She just had to be patient. And when it came to Mulder, patience seemed to be her middle name.
Rating: PG
Timeline: Season 5
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be mine. Must move on.
*Chapter 1*
Mulder looked down at the food he had ordered. He wasn't really that hungry, therefore he was just pushing it around his plate. He shouldn't have been this uncomfortable; he should have been excited. Or, at least, interested. I mean, he hadn't been on a date in...four years!!! My God, had it been that long. Sure, he had the occasional fling with a couple of women, but he hadn't been on a real date in four years. But this really wasn't a date. This was a formal dinner and dance for all Washington, DC based FBI agents, like himself. A reprieve from the stress that all of the agents felt everyday. It was an annual event. He hadn't attended the last ones, but this year he was more or less ordered to attend by his superior, Assistant Director Skinner. "Highly recommended to attend this function" were the exact words. Which meant he better go or else. He didn't care to think what the "or else" was, so he came. Oh, well. At least he could try and associate with the people higher up the ladder while he was here. Maybe even earn a little respect for his division. Yeah right. Like that would ever happen. Now if this was a different dimension...
He smiled at that thought. That idea was more believable than one might think. In fact, it went right along with his line of work. Maybe this really was a different dimension. It would make sense. OK, in his mind it would make sense. Here he was wearing a tux and on a "date." Those definitely were two things that he never did. Maybe in this dimension, Samantha was still with him.
His smile faded.
This change in emotions did not go unnoticed by the woman that was with him.
"Mulder, one moment you are grinning like a goon, and the next you are completely crestfallen. What's going on in that mind of yours?"
Mulder snapped back into reality, and his attention focused on the woman. She was the other reason this wasn't a real date. She wasn't his date. Sure, she was the one he came with, but date was a little strong of a word for her. She was more like his partner on a quest to get through the evening. Of course, she was also his partner on the job, too which made this analogy easier to accept.
"Hello?"
"Hmmm, what Scully?"
"Is there anything wrong? You seem out of it tonight. Even more than usual."
"No, I'm fine."
"You haven't eaten a thing. Are you sure you aren't sick?"
"I'm fine, Dr. Scully," Mulder said with a smile.
He was always touched when Scully was concerned about his well-being. It always made him feel loved, or at least cared about. Not many people really truly cared about him. She was one of the few.
"Guess I'm not that hungry," he said. Yeah, you're too nervous to be hungry, he thought. Why was he so nervous? He was only having dinner with his best friend. It's not like this is a date or anything. Unless he wanted this to be a date? Whoa, where did that thought come from? He better file it away.
"Well, you have to eat something, Mulder. You haven't eaten a thing all day and I don't feel like dragging you back to your apartment when you pass out," Scully said.
"Yes, mother," Mulder grumbled as he stuck a piece of steak in his mouth. "Mmmmmm, yummy."
"That's better. Don't forget your vegetables."
"Don't push it."
Scully smiled. She was just happy that she got him to eat a little something. She knew something was wrong with him when he came to pick her up. She knew tuxes and social events weren't his favorite things, but they didn't seem to be the center of his problem. He hadn't said much to her since they arrived much less looked at her. It was almost like he was uncomfortable to be around her, but that couldn't be right. Mulder was never uncomfortable in any situation so why should this one be any different? Maybe it was her. Maybe he didn't want to be here with her. Maybe he had wanted to go with someone else, be with someone else.
"Mulder, if you don't want to be here with me..."
"What would give you that idea?"
"Well, you've hardly talked to me since we got here and you continue to wander off into your own little world."
"I'm sorry, Scully. It's just that I am still thinking about that last case. I feel that we forgot something, that's all."
Scully nodded. She knew that wasn't the real reason but she also knew that he would tell her what was wrong in his own time. She just had to be patient. And when it came to Mulder, patience seemed to be her middle name.