TITLE: Sleeping Beauty AUTHOR: Sagan EMAIL ADDRESS: mssaganfan@yahoo.com DISCLAIMER: If I owned them, there'd be no need for fanfic. Alas, Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen and Fox own them. DATE: April 21, 2000 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Auto archive and Gossamer, yes. Anywhere else, sure, but please keep my name/address attached and let me know so I can forward brownies for snack time. SPOILERS: None RATING: PG-13 CLASSIFICATION: V, MSR, and Mulder POV SUMMARY: As she sleeps on his chest, Mulder muses. FEEDBACK is easy like Sunday morning. Let me know what you think of my first posted fanfic. AUTHOR'S NOTES at the end. ******************* SLEEPING BEAUTY By Sagan ******************* Her light snoring brings a smile to my face as I hold her close. The feel of her warm body against my chest fills me with more emotion than I thought I would ever experience. My love for her is unconditional. So what if that sounds trite? I haven't been the same man since she came into my life. When she looks at me, when she focuses all her energy on me, I am overwhelmed. Those electric blue eyes melt my heart. I have spent many nights holding her like this, gently stroking, soothing, comforting. I find contentment as my fingers play in her naturally curly auburn hair. Tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear, I gently trace the whorls with my fingertips. With her this close to me, I can see the faint freckles across the bridge of her nose and under her eyes. Her eyelids flutter as she approaches REM sleep and I wonder what dreams fill her head. Does she dream of me? Does she dream of me as much as I dream of her? Doubtful. Her reddish-brown eyelashes are long and just brush the tops of her cheeks. I sprinkle tiny kisses on her eyelids and along her hairline, doing my best not to wake her. It was a difficult day for her, and after much resistance, she finally surrendered and allowed sleep to catch her. Her grip around my neck tightens as I shift us around on the bed. I still my movements until I can hear her breath's steady cadence. One hand on her back keeps her pressed against me as I search for the comforter with my other hand. Finally snagging the top sheet from the farthest corner of the bed between my toes, I pull it up and cover us. I really should get up and turn off the ceiling fan, but she is so peaceful that I don't want to disturb her. As I tuck the sheet around the two of us, she stirs again. She lifts her head from my chest, as if looking for a more comfortable pillow. Her eyes are closed, and I take the opportunity to press my lips to her forehead. The fever she had earlier today seems to have broken; her skin has lost some of its rosy flush. I kiss the tip of her nose. Her nose. I adore her nose. Her eyes open slowly and I am given a flash of crystal clear blue skies. Her mouth turns up at the corners, and before she can open her mouth, I guide her head to my shoulder, dropping kisses into her silky, soft hair. Humming quietly, I rub her back. Her breathing evens out and I find myself sated. Wrapping both my arms around her warm body, I can feel sleep reaching out to me. Soft-colored and comforting images flit across the backs of my eyelids as I dream... **** **** We are walking hand in hand around the Jefferson Memorial as the cherry tree blossoms blow into our faces like pink snow... sitting on our bench, feeding the ducks at the Basin... sharing hot dogs from a vendor's cart between kite flying on The Mall and walking along the river in Georgetown. Another image passes through my mind. We are sitting in a planetarium, reclined and gazing up at the superimposed night skies, our hands reaching up, pointing out constellations as we share discussions of Cassiopeia and Orion. In my dreams, I do not fear for our lives, I am not watching the shadows or sniffing the air for cigarette smoke. I have known since day One that I would give my life for her. It's a miracle she is even here and I love her completely. **** **** We are jostled awake as Scully slips into bed behind us. I glance up and am met by bleary blue eyes and damp red hair. Her body is warm and smells of soap and lilacs. She takes my hand and tugs it to her lips, kissing my fingers until I shift onto my back and wrap my arm around her shoulder. Drawing her close, I nuzzle the top of her head before guiding her mouth to mine for a kiss. The old Knicks jersey she is wearing rubs softly against my chest. She trails kisses down my unshaven face before coming to a stop. I lift my head and kiss the top of her head, smiling into her hair. "How is she?" she asks as she repeats my earlier motions of checking for a fever by putting her lips on our daughter's forehead. She looks back up at me as I scoot the three of us up in bed toward the headboard. "Her fever broke a little while ago." I alternate stroking my wife's back and my daughter's hair as Scully brings Elizabeth a little closer to her. I watch as she lifts the baby's hand to her mouth and kisses it. "When she's out, she's out. She's definitely a Mulder. How'd you do it?" "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker." The look on Scully's face is priceless. Giving her a quick wink, I confess. "I cranked up the swing. Works like a charm, did you know that?" My raised eyebrow is answered by one finely arched auburn brow in a similar position. The smile I get is enough to tell me I discovered her special mommy trick. I lean forward and steal a kiss. "I think Sleeping Beauty can sleep in her own bed tonight," I declare, sitting up with Elizabeth in my arms. "Kiss mommy goodnight, baby girl," I whisper as we lean down toward Scully. **** **** The monitor on the nightstand picks up the sweet sounds of our child's soft breathing from the next room. Scully is lying on her side, facing me. Slipping into bed, I move closer and wrap my arms around her waist. Her hands rise from under the covers to grasp my biceps as we share a passionate kiss. We pull each closer still as our kiss intensifies. My fingers tangle in the red curls around her face as she clasps my neck in the circle of her arms. Parting only for air, I am awarded an all- out Scully smile. "Love you," I say, our lips brushing gently as we lay in each other's arms. I watch as she takes a deep breath and exhales a smile of contentment. "I love you, too," she says, her voice sounding throaty and tired. We share another kiss before I roll her away from me. Spooning behind her, I bend my legs to mimic hers. She hums as my hands slide low around her waist and I snuggle against her back. She traces unseen patterns on my arm with her fingertips, lulling me to sleep. Resting my chin in the crook of her neck, I drift into repose. **** **** Her light snoring brings a smile to my face as I hold her close. The feel of this particular warm body against mine still fills me with more emotion than I thought I would ever experience once, let alone twice, in the same lifetime. END ~Sagan AUTHOR'S NOTES: Special thanks to the other half of my brain, my dear friend and collaborator Sara (rahrahlee) for your Gestapo-style editing and endless cheerleading. Your opinions saved this from a sad life on my hard drive. You have inspired me to be a better writer. *g* Thanks to Dasha, Anne Haynes, Jadzia Reyes and blueswirl (where ever you are) for your kind words of encouragement so long ago. Is 33 considered too old to be a 'rookie' fanfic writer? My cravings for feedback on this piece are overwhelming. I'm as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, awaiting the response. Drop me a line at mssaganfan@yahoo.com