TITLE: I Never 2: Imagine Yourself Magic (1/1) AUTHOR: ArtemisX5 EMAIL ADDRESS: artemisx5@hotmail.com CATEGORY: S RATING: PG-13. Here, there be talk of naughty things. SUMMARY: After the events of 'I Never,' Moose and Squirrel are joined by an elephant in the room. TIMESPAN/SPOILER WARNING. Post FTF, maybe early season 6. KEYWORDS: Scully POV (mostly), UST to MSR DISCLAIMER: No harm, no foul. AUTHOR'S NOTES: The readers demanded a sequel and the muse complied (go figure). More notes and thanks at the end. FEEDBACK: Mmm Mmm Good. I might cry with joy. ***************************************************** Melissa had a shirt that read 'Imagine Yourself Magic' when they were kids. Scully found herself thinking of that shirt as she stood on wavering feet before the connecting door. She imagined that she had the power to will Mulder to come to her through the door to find her calmly reposed on the bed. She would smile indulgently, knowing he could not wait for her to take the next step. She would use her magic to become irresistible to him. The real world, where she did not have magic powers, found her in a state of indecision she had not previously fathomed. On one hand, she was well and truly drunk. Four margaritas were not her usual idea of dinner. Surely, she should not be making life- altering decisions in a state in which she wouldn't even consider driving. On the other hand, she was well and truly drunk. What better time for one to make life-altering decisions than when said person couldn't rationalize her way out of a paper bag, much less save herself from a mistake of epic proportions? She closed her eyes and concentrated on hearing his movements in the other room. She could hear the television on, but not the telltale skipping soundtrack of his channel surfing. Obviously, not paying attention to the TV. Leaning closer, she thought that she could hear the gentle swish of pages turning. What on earth could he be reading? The case file was thin and somniferous in its most interesting sections. *The Gideon Bible?* She stifled a giggle. *No, that can't be it.* Her inner ear was not up to the task of maintaining her equilibrium and she tottered to the side, grabbing the doorknob for support. It made a terrific rattle and she breathed out a stream of barely audible curses. "Scully?" His voice came muffled through the door. "You okay?" "Fine!" she called back in a tone resembling calm. There was a long silence. Disaster averted. Then, "What are you doing?" *What *are* you doing?* she wondered. *Oh, nothing, Mulder. Just wondering if you're worth ruining my life over. A girl can only change careers so many times, you know.* When in doubt, play dumb, she decided. "What did you say?" "Nothing. Never mind. Do you want Chinese? I think I'm gonna order some," he said. Ah, neutral territory. "Sure." "What do you want?" This conversation had a distinctly ridiculous quality through two doors. She slumped against her door as her alcohol-slowed brain tried to organize memories into a category recognizable as 'Foods She Might Want to Eat from a Chinese Restaurant'. "Umm." She let gravity pull her to a sitting position on the floor. "General Tsao's Chicken?" "Ooh, spicy, Scully. What's the occasion?" "I need a good dream," she mumbled, resting her head against the door. "What?" he called. "Nothing. I'm just in the mood for something spicy." Another long silence. "Have you ever noticed that the hottest foods come from the hottest climates?" he asked suddenly. His voice seemed nearer and she jumped. "Spicy foods fill you up faster and help you sweat. It's another way to keep cool," she offered when her heart rate had returned to a semblance of normal. "Seems counter-intuitive." He sounded distracted, and she thought could make out the sound of him dialing the phone. "Should be right up your alley, Mulder," she said in a low voice. He didn't respond. She had definitely reached the sleepy stage of drunkenness. The room continued to ebb and flow around her, but she felt a strong urge to curl up on the floor and sleep. "Scully, where the hell are we?" he called loudly, startling her out of another light doze. "The Ramada!" she replied. She listened to the rumbling tones of his voice as he placed their order for Chinese food. Her stomach growled appreciatively. *Margaritas just don't stick to the ribs,* she thought, remembering one of her grandmother's sayings with a smile. Although her grandmother wasn't usually talking about margaritas. "Fifteen minutes," Mulder announced when he hung up. "Is food that can not only be prepared but delivered across town in 15 minutes to be trusted?" she wondered aloud. "Ancient Chinese secret, Scully," he retorted. She heard the distinctive 'whump' of him collapsing on the bed. "I've changed my mind about this hotel, Mulder. These walls are even thinner than the places we usually stay in." "They don't cater to the same clientele, Scully." *Yuck.* Silence reigned once again and she imagined him sprawled across the mattress with one forearm resting over his closed eyes. Her own eyes drooped in sympathy and she stayed in a pleasant nap until the sharp rap on Mulder's door heralded dinner's arrival. She listened to the murmured exchange of money for food. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation, but the heaviness in her limbs kept her in place on the floor. Truthfully, she wasn't sure what to do if she saw Mulder face-to-face right now. Gentle thumps announced that he was sorting through the bag of loot. The margaritas formed a conga line in her stomach in celebration of forthcoming nutrition. "Scully? Don't you want your food?" His questions were filtered through a mouthful of what she assumed was his usual peanut shrimp. She imagined that she could stop time, slip into his room and steal her food back to the relative safety of her own room. Maybe she'd mess up his hair or tie his shoelaces together first. Or take his shirt off. *Whoa. Stop that right now!* "Scully, I'm not pushing your chicken under the door bite by bite, so eat now or forever hold your peace!" he hollered when she didn't respond for a few minutes. *For God's sake, be an adult and get up! You can handle this!* With a sigh she managed to rise to her feet again. It seemed her hesitancy had lost in the battle with her stomach. Turning the doorknob felt like an enormous step, but she was determined to get the best of her irrational side. When she finally did open the door, Mulder was tipped back in a chair watching television with faint attention, while extracting all the shrimp from his food with surgical precision. "Mulder, why do you order peanut shrimp and then not eat the peanuts?" she asked. He let the chair drop onto all four legs. "I like the flavor of the sauce." "But not the peanuts themselves?" "Nuts should not be served hot. There's just something wrong about it." He set his white take-out box on the desk and held out hers along with a set of chopsticks. "Thanks." She looked around the room for a place to sit that would offer a comfortable distance without the appearance of avoiding him. He pushed the other chair out from the far side of the desk with his foot and nodded to it. "I won't bite you, Scully." He grinned. She raised her eyebrow at him and perched on the edge of the chair. By mutual agreement they left the box of rice in the bag it had come in. No sense filling up on that when they certainly couldn't take any leftovers with them tomorrow. The chicken was exceptionally hot. Her eyes watered and her mouth filled with saliva at the first bite. It felt good though, and she swallowed with a contented sigh. They ate without comment or eye contact. Scully's tongue felt like a well-done steak by the time she was finished but it was somehow pleasant. And the intense sensations were clearing her hazy brain of its alcohol fog. She sucked air through her teeth trying to cool the burn and Mulder smirked at her. "Spicy enough?" "Here," she thrust a piece of chicken at his mouth. He sniffed it, then closed his lips around the chopsticks. Her mouth felt suddenly dry. *Shouldn't have looked at his lips,* she realized. *Look away, now.* She dropped her eyes with some effort and pulled her hand back. He caught her wrist and one of the chopsticks dropped to the carpet. "Oh, oops," she murmured, and tried to bend forward to pick it up. He stopped her with gentle pressure to the wrist he still held captive. "Scully." "What?" "Come here." "I'm right here, Mulder," she replied with a tone of irritation that surprised her. "No, here." He pulled her wrist and she followed the momentum, rising to her feet and standing mere inches from his knees. He stood, still clasping her wrist, and brought them nearly nose-to-nose. "I'm going to do this again so it stops being the elephant in the room." She blinked at him while her heart climbed into her throat. His eyelids dropped softly shut, but she continued to stare as he kissed her once again. Her stomach clamped down on dinner like a vice and her heart fell back into place in a dead faint. He started to pull away and she realized that she hadn't been paying enough attention to memorize this feeling. She leaned into him, keeping them locked together. He released her wrist to grasp her shoulder instead, and when she decided to touch him as well, she realized she was still holding the other chopstick. It was her idea to part her lips just a little, but it was his idea to run the tip of his tongue into the small gap she had made for him. She shivered and darted her tongue forward to taste him for a second. He tasted like peanut sauce and a spicy whisper of General Tsao. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, breathing slowly and keeping his eyes shut. She stared at his eyelashes where they lay against his cheeks and had the absurd thought that they looked good with the little lines that were gradually collecting at the corners of his eyes. He opened his eyes and leveled her with a mild version of the panic face. "Are you all right?" he whispered. "Yes," she said and was startled to learn that she meant it. "Are you?" "Yes." His eyes closed again and she felt his hand rise to the back of her neck. "I'm afraid the elephant is still here." "Shh. You'll scare him away," she advised, tipping her head to press her lips to his once more. His mouth stayed close, sharing her breath when they parted. "Scully. . ." "Mulder, we shouldn't. . . ." "No, I know." "No, I mean I've been- - we've been- - drinking and. . . this is a bad place to make. . . choices. . . ." "What? Missouri?" She smiled. "That, too." He grinned and stole another kiss. It felt almost good enough for her to throw rationalism out the window. "How about we have a one-night stand and chalk it up to the margaritas?" he whispered. She could hear the tease in his voice. "Mulder, there is nothing one-night about me. You should know that by now," she replied. He smiled at her and pulled her close for another kiss. "You taste really good." "Thank General Tsao," she sighed, and reached up to press her hand to his cheek. She found the chopstick still in her hand and couldn't help laughing. "What?" he asked. "Chopstick?" she tipped away from him and offered it. He took it from her and tossed it in the direction of the desk. It bounced off and fell to the floor with its mate. They were still sharing space and she didn't know how to back away. Nor did she really want to. He smoothed his palms over her cheeks and couldn't resist kissing her lips again. "Scully, I-I don't know what to do here." She licked her lips and looked for an answer in his eyes. All she found was a flashing neon sign that cried out *Sleep with me!* and suddenly that seemed like a very good idea. "It's too late, anyway," she told him. The panic face returned in full glory and he dropped his hands to her wrists. "For what?" "For it to not be Missouri." He stared blankly at her for a moment. "What are you saying?" Her face felt hot with embarrassment, or maybe anticipation. She couldn't tell. "I always imagined that you'd finally. . .kiss me some night at my apartment. . .or yours. . .or even in the office. And then I could look at that place and remember that was where it all started. But now that place is Missouri, and I'm going to do everything in my power to not come here again." He laughed, running his hands up and down her arms. "So it's too late for it to not be Missouri and maybe that's okay." He waited for her to continue, but she didn't know how. So she kissed him again, and let her lips part to taste him once again. He drew her in and curled his arms around her waist, tugging her up closer to his height. She imagined that they were back in Georgetown. In her apartment. And they were about to press the memory of their first time into her crisp sheets. And she would always have that to think about when she was alone and lonely in her bed. But it was Missouri, and it was hot and still in a dark hotel room, without the familiar scent of home. If she had learned anything in her time with Mulder, it was that life did not happen according to plan. And, that the two of them did not have the luxury of endless opportunity. There were no bees here and maybe that was omen enough. "Scully, maybe we *should* stop," he sighed against her lips. "No, Mulder. I think we'll just make the elephant bigger if we stop." "Won't we just exchange the elephant for a rhinoceros if we don't?" he reasoned. "Maybe. Or maybe it'll just be a housecat and we can pick it up and pet it whenever we want." "I'm losing track of this metaphor, Scully," he confessed. "Gather ye roses while ye may," she quoted. "Carpe diem?" he asked with a soft smile. "If we don't do it now, it will just hang over our heads and we'll wonder." "You know how I hate unanswered questions, Scully." "If we do, then we'll know. And. . ." "Are you saying now or never?" "I'm saying, I'd rather it be a question of when, not if." "And 'when' is 'now'?" "Otherwise it's 'if'." She watched the flurry of emotions in his eyes. "What about the margaritas?" "They'll just have to behave." "Scully, what exactly are you saying?" She felt a blush run up her neck and face. "Mulder." "I just want to make sure that we're talking about the same thing." He looked deadly serious. She felt like she was in college again for sure now. Dancing around what she wanted, trying to appear demure and without desire. Wondering if this would be 'The Guy' or just another boyfriend. Trying not to say the words that made her blush like a rose. Top Gun popped into her head, and she considered saying 'Take me to bed or lose me forever,' but she couldn't cheapen their relationship with Hollywood. She wasn't a co-ed anymore. And Mulder might be able to recite 'Plan 9 From Outer Space' from start to finish, but he wasn't much of a chick-flick guy. Her rambling thoughts had kept her silent for a few moments and Mulder was starting to look concerned. She blinked hard and tried to remember what he'd asked her specifically. Had it really only been this morning that she'd considered choking him to death with his own tie? "I'm saying. . ." she swallowed, buying time. "I'm saying 'Kiss me, Mulder.'" He still looked confused, but complied. "And I'm saying 'Take me to bed, Mulder. And make love to me, Mulder. And don't worry about taking advantage of me, because I'm asking you to, and if you want me to sign a contract that I won't regret it when I'm sober again, I will.'" "You're sure?" "Yes. I'm sure. Are you?" "Me?" he looked surprised. "Yes. Why does it have to be my decision? Why should I be the only one to agree that I won't regret this tomorrow? How do I know that you want to...that you want me?" He raised his fingers in the Boy Scout salute with a smile. "I'm sure. I will never, ever, under any circumstances, for the rest of my life regret sleeping with Dana Scully, even if I am brainwashed by aliens. I want you. I've wanted you forever, and I'll still want you in the morning. I promise." She covered his salute with her own hand and pulled his hand to her waist where her shirt had slid up just slightly. His warm fingertips danced over her skin, sending shivers down her spine. He kissed her again, tipping her head just so with his other hand. "Maybe Missouri's not so bad, Scully." "Why do you think they call it 'The Show-Me State'?" she wondered aloud. "I'll show you." ***************************************************** fin. NOTES: Major thanks go out to everyone who wrote to me after 'I Never' and especially those who stalked me for a sequel. Sorry the Sno-Cones didn't make it back into this story. Thanks and praise and all good things are also due to my Super Betas Rafferty and sallie (who also deserves a few good hours of sleep). Without them my grammar would resemble that of a sixth grader and most of my sentences would have to come equipped with a translation dictionary. Anything that still sucks I take full responsibility for, as it is most likely due to me deciding not to take one of their suggestions. And finally, thanks to the Believers who suggested Chinese food dishes that might relieve one of one's taste buds.