The music from the band filled the room. Everyone in attendance looked very snazzy in their fancy clothes, much better than the usual business suits seen roaming the halls of the FBI.
Agent Mia Decker stood watching couples take to the dance floor. Some of them were partners sharing a dance before returning to their spouse or friends. Some were husbands or wives. They danced to the music and laughter was heard throughout the room.
The decorations were beautiful this year. This was Mia's third year at one of these Christmas galas, and this year, 1996, was by far the best. The golden lights twinkled and the room smelled of Christmas trees. Mia looked around and her eyes landed on Assistant Director Skinner.
Oh my, she thought, he cleans up quite nicely. A crisp white shirt, black tuxedo, and he even had a smile on his face. Hmm, not bad. She kept looking around the room and she saw many agents she recognized. She saw Agent Pendrell constantly looking toward the door, his eyes lighting up when it opened and then his shoulders slumping when it closed. Mia smiled. She knew who he was looking for.
Everyone knew he had a crush on Agent Scully. Well, everyone except Agent Scully it seemed, Mia thought with a smile. She had been in the lab recently when Agents Mulder and Scully had been asking Agent Pendrell questions about a case they were working on. Agent Scully had asked him many questions and Agent Pendrell hung on her every word. He had smiled a big goofy grin when Agent Scully had asked for his findings. Mia watched him blush when she praised him for his work.
They had thanked him for his help and left the lab. Agent Mulder held the door for her and whispered something in her ear as she walked past. She had grinned at him, their eyes locking onto the other. Mia had never seen them interact, but had heard of their silent communication from her friend Holly. She had confided in Mia that she thought they were sleeping together, but Mia dismissed that idea. Every male/female partnership fell under that scrutiny and it was unfair.
Watching them as they left the lab though, seeing for herself the looks they gave each other, she was not so sure. They were definitely not like her and her partner, but that was not saying much as her partner was a no nonsense woman and Mia was not. They had not exactly meshed and become the best of friends.
Watching Agents Mulder and Scully though, she had been intrigued by them. They were on another level when it came to being in tune with one's partner. She had glanced back over at Agent Pendrell and he sighed as he also watched them leave. Mia smiled at Agent Pendrell, he really had no chance.
Agent Pendrell was sweet, brilliant, and endearing, but he was no Fox Mulder, who seemed to exude sexuality without even trying. He had made an appearance in a few of her own nighttime fantasies and she had woken up very happy. Mia had walked past Agent Pendrell as she left and patted his arm. He had not needed to say anything, his eyes said it all.
Mia smiled now as she watched him, again watching the door. She walked over to him to offer her moral support. Silently of course, no need to draw attention to his crush and make him uncomfortable.
"Agent Pendrell," she said, standing next to him, causing him to turn his head from the door. "You look very handsome this evening."
He smiled at her and she saw him blush. He looked down and then back to her eyes. She grinned at him and he nodded.
"Agent Decker, you look very beautiful," he said with a smile.
"This old thing?" she said, waving to the new dress she had spent days searching for, making sure it was just right for the evening.
They both chuckled and she grabbed a waiter as he walked by, snagging a glass of champagne for each of them. She handed him his and they clinked their glasses together.
The doors opened again and she looked over at the same time as Agent Pendrell, and she heard him choke on his champagne. There stood Agents Mulder and Scully, standing in the doorway, looking a bit uncomfortable, but absolutely stunning.
Agent Scully was wearing a dress the color of the champagne they were drinking. It was floor length, had short sleeves, and a plunging neckline. Mia had never had feelings for a woman before, but seeing Agent Scully in that dress, she could understand why Agent Pendrell choked on his champagne. She was absolutely breathtaking. Her breasts alone were cause for a gasp and Mia could not stop staring at them, even though she knew it was not right. She shook her head and kept looking at her whole ensemble.
Diamond earrings, hair blown out and fluffier than Mia had ever seen, her makeup done to perfection. Agent Scully was a vision and Mia was sure every woman in the room was jealous of her beauty.
It was hard to drag her eyes away from her, but Mia made an effort. She looked at Agent Mulder and noted his discomfort. He wore a black tuxedo, the white collar up instead of down flat, the bow tie more of a satin ribbon around his neck. His hair was slicked backed a bit more than usual, but looked really good. God.. really good.
Mia looked at both of them, as he placed his hand on her lower back, and his mouth close to her ear. She smiled and walked into the room, with him following right beside her. They walked past Mia and Agent Pendrell, smiling as they did, heading toward A.D. Skinner.
"Breathe, Agent Pendrell," Mia said under her breath as she looked at Agent Mulder's hand on Agent Scully's back, wondering how it would feel on her own.
Next to her she heard Agent Pendrell take a deep breath and set his drink down on the table next to them. He then took a few more before he was able to speak.
"She looks gorgeous," he said, standing close to Mia. "Well, she always does. I mean she is gorgeous, it's not the dress, she is beautiful.. oh my god.."
He turned away as Mia continued to watch them. It seemed half the room was looking their way, whispering to one another, even pointing at them at times.
How rude, Mia thought. They were all adults and fellow agents. They should not act like teenagers at a dance who just caught two people making out in a closet. She rolled her eyes before she turned to Agent Pendrell.
"Come on, Agent Pendrell, I think we should dance," she said, taking his hand without waiting for an answer, and pulling him to the dance floor.
She put his hand on her waist and the other in her own. She put her hand on his shoulder and they began to dance, or some version of it anyway. She knew he was still watching Agent Scully and she did not really care. She was trying something out, hoping it would work.
She threw her head back and laughed loudly. Agent Pendrell looked at her in astonishment, but she did not explain why she acted that way. She moved her hand from his shoulder to his chest before she laughed again.
"What are you doing?" he whispered, his expression thoroughly confused.
"Finding you a dance partner," she said quietly, hoping she was right. "Never underestimate the power of the fake laugh. It can.." Then she heard it.
"Excuse me, may I cut in?" came a voice from behind her.
"Jackpot," she said under her breath, looking in Agent Pendrell's eyes. She winked at him and stepped back, allowing Agent Scully to step closer to him. She smiled at Mia before placing her hand in his, allowing him to guide her further onto the dance floor.
Mia grinned as she watched him visibly relax the more they danced. She even heard Agent Scully laugh for real and she knew he would hold that like a treasure in his heart.
"That was kind of you," she heard Agent Mulder say quietly behind her. She turned around and his eyes were full of laughter, his mouth lifting at the corners.
"Why yes, it was kind of me, to leave you partnerless. Whatever will you do?" she asked, with a smile and a raised eyebrow.
"Touché," he said and put out his hand. She took it and he turned her to the dance floor. He put them in the correct dance stance and then led her across the floor.
"Fox Mulder knows how to dance?" she joked close to his ear. He laughed and blamed the country clubs he grew up around. She smiled back and she saw him look over at Agent Scully.
She watched him watch her and she knew. Maybe they were not sleeping together, but he loved her, she knew it without a doubt. His eyes roamed over her head to toe and then he looked back at Mia.
"You're Agent Decker, right?" he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.
"I am. But call me Mia. Agent Decker is so formal," she said rolling her eyes.
He smiled and nodded. "You just solved that big homicide case, right?"
"Yeah, that was.. a weird case. I actually almost came to you two for help, but my partner wouldn't hear of it," she said apologetically.
"Ah.. you're partners with Agent Connor right? Yeah, she and I are.. not the best of friends," he said with a goofy smile. Mia's heart flipped over and she made a mental note to enjoy this moment, knowing she would never get it again.
"Let's not talk shop anymore. It's Christmas Agent Mulder, the room is beautiful, the music is wonderful, the company is quite nice. Let's just dance," she said, keeping the tone light.
He grinned and agreed. He pulled her a little closer and she breathed in his scent.
Sexuality.. she knew it.
Hopefully being this close, she would smell him on her for days. She closed her eyes as they spun around, his hand pressed to her lower back. So that was how it felt. She shivered at the intimacy of the gesture they did almost subconsciously. How did she handle it every day, Mia wondered. He had his hand on her for one dance and she felt hot and flushed.
The music stopped and they turned toward the band and clapped. Mia looked over toward Agent Pendrell and saw Agent Scully say something to him and put her hand on his arm. He smiled at her and she headed over toward her and Agent Mulder. Her dress sparkled as she walked and Mia shook her head. She was truly beautiful.
"Agent Decker, right?" Agent Scully said, putting out her hand.
"Yes, but call me Mia," she said taking Agent Scully's hand in a firm grasp, and shaking it.
"You just had that strange homicide case, right?" she asked.
"Yes, I was just telling Agent Mulder that I had considered coming to you two for help, but.." she shrugged, shaking her head.
"Agent Connor is your partner, right? Yeah.. she and Mulder are not exactly on the best of terms," she laughed and Mia stood there stunned.
It was almost the same conversation, how did they do that? She saw her flick her eyes quickly to his and his barely perceptible answering nod. Agent Scully smiled at Mia and excused them both as they walked again toward A.D. Skinner. They stopped before reaching him, Agent Mulder's head close to hers again. She laughed as he stood back, a real laugh that came from deep within. He crooked out his arm and she took it, still laughing as they walked away.
Mia was in a state of shock. She felt frozen to the floor as the band began to play again. She shook her head to wake herself up, get out of her stupor. She moved off the dance floor, but kept an eye on them the rest of the evening. She saw A.D. Skinner and Agent Scully dancing, then she danced with Agent Pendrell once more. A couple other men had a turn dancing her around the floor, but never Agent Mulder. He watched her though, and her eyes always found him after each dance. A homing beacon always finding its way.
The party was beginning to wind down and Mia was ready to leave. She went out to the coat check and waited for her coat. She took it from the attendant and headed outside. It was freezing and smelled like it would snow tonight. She was sliding her coat on when a door opened a bit further down from her.
"You'll be cold, Mulder," she heard Agent Scully say.
"Nah, I'm fine," he replied.
She saw that Agent Scully was wearing his tuxedo jacket and he had no coat, his hands thrust in his pockets. Mia saw him shiver, but Agent Scully did not see.
"Of all the nights to forget my coat," Agent Scully said turning toward him.
"Well, you'll be in the cab in a minute, it should be fine," he answered her.
She nodded at him as he stepped closer. Cabs were pulling in and leaving with their passengers, and no one seemed to be paying attention to them, except Mia.
Mia stepped a little closer and felt something on her face. She looked up and saw that it was starting to snow. She smiled and watched it fall for a minute.
Still smiling, she looked back at them and saw that he was brushing snow from her hair and then pulling his jacket tighter around her, trying to keep her warm. Agent Scully kept her eyes on him the whole time, a smile playing on her lips. They began to sway slowly, almost dancing, if one could call it that, as they did not actually move.
Now Mia knew why they did not dance inside the gala. If they had, they would have had to be close and then everyone would have died because the ballroom would have burst into flames. What was up with these two? How did they affect others this way? They had to know their power, right?
A cab pulled up and Agent Mulder glanced at it.
"This is yours," he said in a low voice that sent a shiver down Mia's spine. A bedroom voice that she filed away for future fantasies.
"Hmm.." Mia heard her respond.
No one was around, save for the three of them, and the cab driver. It was quiet, the snow falling creating a peaceful feeling. He looked at Agent Scully and smiled. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, smiling as she stepped back.
He grinned back and Mia saw her hand reach for his. The jacket was long and covered her fingers, but Mia saw how their fingers locked together for a few seconds.
Agent Scully dropped his hand and he reached to open the car door for her. She stopped him and looked in his eyes again.
"Merry Christmas, Mulder," she said, her hand on his chest. She stood up close and kissed his cheek again. Her hand moved to his face and her thumb ran softly across his lips.
Mia felt like a voyeur looking in on a very private moment. She was close enough to see all of this, but they seemed to not see her. She wondered if they really did not know she was there, or if they simply did not care. Nothing they were doing was overly sexual and yet Mia felt like she was seeing them in the afterglow of lovemaking.
He smiled at her as he opened the door and made sure she was in, checking her dress was not hanging out of the car. He closed the door and the cab drove away. He stood watching it before he shivered again and turned around.
His eyes widened when he saw Mia standing there. They stared at one another, neither saying anything. She saw his jaw clench and then he swallowed before stepping toward her, his hands again in his pockets.
"You're heading out too?" he asked, his eyes traveling across her face, reading her expression.
"I am," she said, trying to keep her own expression neutral.
"Hmm.." he said, rocking on his heels.
They were quiet for a minute. Mia would have loved to be inside his mind, wondering what he was thinking and how to approach how much to divulge to her, as he wondered what she had seen.
"She's going away for the holidays," he said, watching her intently again. "She's stopping at her place, changing, and then heading out. She was just saying Merry Christmas."
He held her gaze and he looked sad that she was leaving, and yet he seemed to be happy from the kisses she had bestowed upon him before she left. He could not stop his smile from creeping in when he stopped talking.
"Hmm.." Mia said, teasing him a bit, enjoying her time with him. He raised his eyebrows at her and she grinned. He smiled and they both started laughing.
The snow began to fall harder and Mia knew she needed to get home before the roads became to dangerous.
"Well, I should get home. This snow is going to start piling up. You should get home too," she said to him. He nodded and looked around, watching the snow fall.
God, he really was a handsome man, she thought. She shook her head and took her keys from her clutch purse and put them in her pocket.
"You should get inside, as your coat seems to have left without you," Mia said to him, bringing his attention back from the sky.
He looked at her, his eyes and expression different. He looked worried and on the verge of saying something. She shook her head at him and smiled. She put her hand out and waited.
He took his hand out of his pocket and grasped hers gently. "Merry Christmas, Agent Mulder," she said quietly, hoping to convey to him that she would not say anything of what she saw this evening.
He searched her eyes and he seemed to understand. His shoulders relaxed and he placed his other hand on top of hers. He held her hand between his and smiled at her, his relief almost palpable.
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek and she closed her eyes at the touch, as she breathed him in one last time. Jesus..but she could do bad things to this man. He stepped back and she smiled at him.
"Merry Christmas, Agent Decker," he said with a grin, putting his hands back in his pockets. She smiled back and turned to walk away.
"Oh, Agent Mulder," Mia said, turning around, seeing him heading back to the ballroom. He turned toward her, tilting his head, shivering again. "Just want to remind you that we all saw Agent Scully in that dress."
She raised her eyebrows at him, making sure he understood her words. How the men would be seeing Agent Scully in a different light after tonight. He nodded after a second and slowly smiled. She nodded back and turned around again. She glanced back once more and he was watching her through the door he had opened. He raised a hand to her and disappeared inside.
She smiled as she walked to her car. She had, of course, heard of the office pool about whether they were sleeping together. She had never participated, finding it left her feeling uncomfortable. After tonight, she knew all those who gossiped about them would have more to whisper about. That dress alone would fuel the office fire for months and up the ante for those putting money in the pool.
She arrived at her car, opened the door, and got inside. She turned it on and shivered as she waited for the car to warm up. She touched her cheek where Agent Mulder had kissed her and she smiled. He really was a good looking man. And he was, without a doubt, one hundred percent in love with his partner.
She laughed, turned the heater on as hot as it would go, turned on the radio, and put the car in drive. She drove out of the parking lot and headed home.
She shook her head, thinking of the way they had looked at each other as they danced in their own way, while they waited for her cab. She hoped they would not wait too long to admit to each other what anyone with eyes could see. It may not be how partners are supposed to behave, but love.. it does not give a shit how it is "supposed" to do anything.
It shows up and lets itself be known, waits in silence, or gets right in your face until it is heard. She smiled as Christmas music filled the car, the snow fell steadily down, and she made a Christmas wish that they would listen, because it was definitely trying to get their attention.