Title: The Next Step Is Love

Author: Theresa F.

Feedback: theresa@xf-mindseye.com

Rating: PG

Category: UST, Mulder POV

Summary: I was inspired by the VS8 Episode “The Man

Who Would Be King” by Jess. I’m going to steal what I

thought was a very clever idea from her and use one

of Elvis’ songs to create a little post-ep between

Mulder and Scully.

Credits: “The Next Step is Love” written by Paul

Evans, performed by Elvis Presley. (Full Song at the

end of this story)

Time Period: This post-ep takes place during the VS8,

before “Devil’s Advocate,” where our agents finally

experienced some RST. 🙂

Archiving: Written for IMTP VS10’s 200-20,000 Word

Post-Ep Special. Two weeks belong to the VS10. After

that archive anywhere. Just drop me a line so I can

come to visit!

Thanks: To Jess for writing such a great episode!

Thanks to the IMTP Virtual Season for having a great

run this year!

***

The Next Step Is Love

Monday Evening

Sunset

*****

Yesterday, I slipped away

The sun is welcoming the evening shadows

On a perfect day and the next step is love

The next step is love

*****

There was some extra sunshine coming through the

skylight in the basement today. Mulder pondered the

orange glow of the sky, streaked with red bellied

clouds sparkling with bright yellow highlights.

Scully had left a few minutes ago, but she was really

still there with him.

He closed his eyes and thought about their day at the

ballpark, the sun glinting her hair just like the

sunset kissing the sky above him. The heat of the day

made it smell like her shampoo, soapy and sweet,

until the dome closed above them to shade the

stadium.

They’d hung around after the game, using their badges

to persuade the cleanup crew. He remembered the night

he’d taught her to play. Dragging her toe over home

plate, he guessed she was remembering too.

Dusk came quickly upon them as they playfully ran the

bases. He’d loved seeing her smile. The week had been

magical; first seeing Elvis’ clone, then the

satisfaction of bringing two people who loved each

other together.

An evening with another sunset, she’d shared a plum

with him. She’d swiped the juice from his lip. The

next day she’d shared her awful bubble gum flavored

icee with him, and shyly took the straw between her

lips after he’d cursed the flavor’s existence. He

thought of her wet mouth, tongue playing with the

plastic straw.

Two more people that loved each other could be

brought together soon.

He sighed and sat back in his chair. He watched the

sky turn the blue-gray of twilight. The memory was

blissful. He didn’t want it to end. Flutters beat on

the inside of his ribcage. What if he just didn’t

care? Would he be braver?

*****

We walked barefoot through the misty meadows

Laughing at each other in the rain

Made some faces at some people in the park

Didn’t bother to explain

Fun, fun, look at us run

Going nowhere special really fast

But we’ve yet to taste the icing on the cake

That we’ve been baking with the past

*****

They had removed their shoes to walk across the

outfield, feeling the cool grass flatten against

their soles. He’d taken her hand, so small within

his own. But the strength and skill of those hands

was something an observer could never tell.

She felt like family, a safe place to be, holding her

hand on that wide open field of green.

They stopped walking. Heard a whirring sound coupled

with the creak of metal. They looked up together, and

then the skies opened up. But the rain came from the

ground, not the sky. The sprinklers had come on,

spraying them generously with icy cold jets of water.

They ran toward the dugouts, dirt clinging to their

wet feet.

Her lips were wet again. He’d wanted to touch them,

taste them; even if they tasted like bubble gum ice.

*****

And the next step is love

So what are we waiting for?

The next step is love

Girl, it’s for sure

*****

So why not? He’d done it on New Year’s Eve. Why

couldn’t he do it again?

“Blood don’t mean nothin’ if they’re gonna hurt

you,does it?” He remembered one of those tall black

girls saying. Scully felt like family, but he was

afraid she’d hurt him. She was his best friend, he

wanted more — oh how he wanted it — but he was so

afraid to lose what he had.

But looking into those deep blue eyes of hers, the

hair stuck to her cheek, rusty brown with dampness,

he couldn’t have felt any more reservations.

The next step is love.

And he was in it.

And he would act on it soon. But not that day. That

day was perfect. And he wanted to treasure it.

*****

Love will be a place to run to

From the world they’ve built to you and me

We’ll be closer than we’ve ever been

Though looking back it’s so hard to believe

Hang it all out or bring it all in

The best we’ve picked upon the way tonight

Changes are coming but together

We can make it through somehow

*****

Mulder rocked forward in his chair. It was dark out

now. He could only see his own reflection up in the

skylight window. He clicked off his computer, and

shifted some papers into a messy pile, but enough to

clear the blotter on his desk.

He turned to put on his blazer, and heard footsteps

coming from the door. He whipped around to see her,

pushing a strand of hair behind one of her ears. She

always did that when she was uncomfortable or

embarrassed.

“I forgot my book,” she said.

Mulder smiled. Then replied, “Good. This time I can

walk you out.”

And they left the office together.

*****

Yes the next step is love

*****

——————–

Here’s the whole song!

Let me know what you thought! -T 🙂

*****

The Next Step Is Love

Written by Paul Evans

Preformed by Elvis Presley

Yesterday, I slipped away

The sun is welcoming the evening shadows

On a perfect day and the next step is love

The next step is love

We walked barefoot through the misty meadows

Laughing at each other in the rain

Made some faces at some people in the park

Didn’t bother to explain

Fun, fun, look at us run

Going nowhere special really fast

But we’ve yet to taste the icing on the cake

That we’ve been baking with the past

And the next step is love

So what are we waiting for?

The next step is love

Girl, it’s for sure

Love will be a place to run to

From the world they’ve built to you and me

We’ll be closer than we’ve ever been

Though looking back it’s so hard to believe

Hang it all out or bring it all in

The best we’ve picked upon the way tonight

Changes are coming but together

We can make it through somehow

Yes the next step is love