Title: Happiness - The Secret
Author: shawntaw
Category: MSR, AU
Rating:PG
Disclaimer: Not mine. But I enjoy borrowing them and playing with 
them.
Summary: Will "the secret" complicate their lives? Oh yeaah...

Notes: This is third in the "Happiness" series after "Happiness" 
and "Happiness - The Morning After." Thank you to all those that 
encourage my sappy streak. :)

******************************

Scully twisted the ring around on her finger and considered taking it 
off for the one-hundredth time this morning.

She didn't wear it on her left ring finger, but on her right one. 
Scully figured this way she could wear her engagement ring without 
anyone being the wiser.

She couldn't wait to see Mulder's face when she strode down the halls 
of the J.Edgar Hoover Building on Monday wearing his ring for all to 
see.

They had stayed up to the early hours of the morning discussing 
their future, the secret they must keep for now, and the wedding.

Mulder had spent the night, but strangely the two had spent the time 
chastely entwined in bed, quietly talking.

They talked about the past.

They talked about work.

They talked about the future. About nothing.

And it was wonderful.

This morning, Sunday, Mulder had headed back to his apartment with 
the promise to see her the next day at work while Scully had headed 
to Mass with her mother.

**********************************************************************

Maggie greeted her daughter with open arms, "Dana! How are you this 
morning?"

"Fine, Mom," Scully said casually, trying not to beam at her 
mother, "You?"

"Good. Bill called last night. Matthew said the cutest thing.."

Her mother's voice trailed off as she stared at Scully's hand.

"What? What did Matthew say, Mom?" Scully felt the blush crawling up 
her neck to her face. *Casual...casual..remember, there's nothing 
going on..*

"That's a lovely ring," she took her daughter's hand and tilted it in 
the light, causing the ring to sparkle.

"Thank you," Scully responded, "Where do you want to have breakfast 
this morning? Our usual?"

Her mother was looking at her with a serious expression. "Dana, I've 
seen this ring before."

Scully couldn't think of a response. She swallowed. "Oh?"

Maggie tilted her daughter's hand back and forth, staring at the ring 
glinting in the light.

"Fox may not remember. He was pretty distraught at the time. I 
walked in on him sitting on my couch in the middle of the night. He 
used to do that sometimes while you were gone. Just appear in my 
living room. I think it made him feel closer to you."

Maggie sighed, reliving those dark times for a moment.

"Anyway, I walked in and he was holding this ring up to the light and 
looking at it. And he was mumbling to himself. After a minute, he 
realized I was standing there and put it in his pocket. Neither of 
us ever mentioned it."

Maggie looked into her daughter's tear-filled eyes. "You said yes."

It was a statement, not a question.

Scully nodded.

Her mother smiled. "Finally."

****************************************************

Mulder tried not to whistle with happiness as he went about his 
business at his apartment.

Everything seemed surreal.

He looked around, noting the regular housework that needed to be 
done. He really needed to do laundry or he'd be out of underwear in 
a couple of days.

*Scully loves me.*

And the dishes were starting to pile up, too. He'd had to wash a 
fork just so he could eat the leftover spaghetti he'd warmed up for 
lunch.

*Scully loves me.*

He tried to think of something really disgusting to take his mind off 
the floaty feeling in his chest.

*The bathroom. I really should scrub the toilet...Scully loves me!*

Mulder stopped his pacing and assessment of his messy apartment. He 
began to laugh. It started out as a quiet, chest-shaking man-giggle 
and grew louder until he was clutching his stomach and crying with 
laughter.

Damn, he was happy.

***************************************************

Scully checked her appearance one last time before picking up her 
keys and heading out to work.

She took off the ring and put it in her pocket.

She got stuck in a traffic jam on the freeway.

Scully put the ring back on and admired it in the morning sunlight.

The traffic began to move and she went with the flow of it until she 
pulled into the parking garage.

She took off the ring.

Scully took the elevator into the building and began to make her way 
to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee.

She stopped off at the restroom first and put on the ring. It 
glimmered at her on her right hand, suddenly entirely too auspicious 
and glitzy.

*Everyone will stare at it. Everyone will know. They'll separate 
us...am I having a panic attack?*

Her breath came in heavy gasps. Scully willed herself to breathe 
slowly...naturally. 

*Breathe in...breathe out...just going for a cup of coffee...just a 
new piece of jewelry on my RIGHT hand..no one will even suspect..*

She straightened up and pretended to start washing her hands as two 
women entered the restroom.

*breathe in...breathe out..*

"- and he wants it YESTERDAY. I'm not kidding, if the lab doesn't 
hurry with the results, he's going to pop one of those blood vessels 
that stand out on his head when he gets angry - Oh, hello, Agent 
Scully."

Kimberly smiled pleasantly at her as she headed for a stall.

"Good morning, Kimberly," Scully said to Skinner's secretary.

The other woman fiddled with her hair and spoke to Scully's 
reflection.

"Agent Scully? I'm Rhonda Mills, A.D. Smith's new secretary." The 
woman turned and offered her hand pleasantly to Scully.

She shook it and smiled back.

"Oh! What a gorgeous ring," the woman turned Scully's hand and looked 
at it briefly before releasing the handshake.

"Thank you," Scully said, trying not to hyperventilate or blush.

"Ring?" Kimberly said from where she was washing her hands, "Let me 
see."

Scully held out her hand for inspection, feeling slightly silly.

"Oh, that is nice, Agent Scully. Is it your birthday or something?"

Scully cleared her throat, "Something like that."

"Well, it's beautiful. If it wasn't on your right hand, I'd swear it 
was an engagement ring."

Scully pretended to laugh along with the other women as she excused 
herself and dashed toward the cafeteria.

She jammed her right hand into her jacket pocket.

****************************************************

Mulder strutted down the hallway toward the cafeteria. He couldn't 
help it; he was walking with a definite strut.

And he couldn't stop smiling.

People were beginning to stare. He tried to tone it down a bit.

He overheard a bit of conversation as he passed a couple of fellow 
agents, "..must have got some this weekend.." and a snicker.

Mulder eyes darkened and he turned to look at them.

They scattered like leaves to the wind and Mulder continued on his 
way.

He had to make an effort not to grin openly as he saw Scully make her 
way through the crowded cafeteria toward the coffee urns.

Then he stopped in his tracks as she reached out to fill her cup.

The ring sparkled on her right hand in the overhead florescent lights.

Mulder felt a knot in his chest.

*Is she crazy? Someone will see! They'll know! They'll..*

It suddenly hit him that Scully was wearing the ring on her RIGHT 
hand.

She turned with her coffee and spotted him across the cafeteria.

She waved with her right hand, obviously repressing a grin.

*She wants me to see her wearing it*

Mulder realized this suddenly and had to stop the completely goofy, 
proud look of ownership from fully forming on his face.

He had a sudden picture of himself standing on one of the tables and 
announcing, "See the ring? MY woman!"

Mulder choked back a laugh and met the concerned eyes of a woman 
passing by him. 

"Frog in my throat," he explained and cleared his throat for good 
measure.

*************************************************

END OF PART 3 - MORE TO COME:)

BOY HOWDY, THIS IS FUN!!!...

p