"Threshold: Gently Broken"
by Azar

Disclaimers: You know who owns all the folks from The X-Files, and if you think it's me, I seriously suggest you get help. Jackie St. George belongs to Sheryl Martin, and Sister Bridget Katherine Corcoran, SSJ, belongs to Erin C. Both are used lovingly *with* the permission of the writers who created them! Oh yeah, and the quote from "Much Ado About Nothing" belongs to William Shakespeare, but I really doubt he's going to sue me from beyond the grave.

Rating: PG for a little swearing and double entendre.

Category: SRH

Keywords: MSR (M/S Engaged), features Jackie St. George and Sister Bridget Katherine Corcoran

Archive: To Gossamer, yes. Anywhere else, ask me first. :-)

Notes: The date stamp on this one is a few days after the events in "Schism Epilogue: Covenant" and several months before "Sky Lights." The whole series is set in a universe that veers off from the show after "Paper Hearts," which is when I started writing it.

Spoilers: Only for my "Schism" series of stories. Maybe one or two for my novella, "Sky Lights."

Summary: Friends react to the news of Mulder and Scully's engagement...

"Threshold: Gently Broken"
by Julie L. Jekel

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"Scully?"
"Yes?"
"Marry me."
"I was hoping for something a little more helpful."
--Mulder and Scully, "Chinga"

"How dost thou, Benedick, the married man?"
--Don Pedro, "Much Ado about Nothing"

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Dana swore, then bit down hard on her tongue with a grimace. Ever since the events of the past two months had brought her back to the Church, she had been trying to clean up her language, but like most bad habits, this one was hard to lose. Especially when she was late for a dinner date with her fiancee who was leaving soon for England.

We're going to be apart for a year--I don't want to waste a second of the time we have before then.

She examined herself critically in the mirror. It wasn't as if Mulder hadn't seen her in much worse condition--her coma came immediately to mind--but she wanted the image of her that he carried to England with him to be one of her looking her best. That was why she'd chosen this simple green dress for their date--it deepened the blue-green of her eyes and emphasized the red of her hair. Casual, but nice. Just like the restaurant they were meeting at. Running her fingers one last time through her hair and giving a finishing spritz of hair spray, she dashed for the door, pausing only to grab her purse off the couch.

Ten minutes after her departure, the phone rang in the abandoned apartment. The answering machine picked up after four rings with a soft hiss.

"You've reached the apartment of Dana Scully. Please leave a message, and I'll return your call as soon as I can."

Sister Bridget Katherine Corcoran's cheerful voice filled the air. "Deeda, I'm thrilled for you, and yes, I'd love to read a Scripture at your wedding! Do you have one in mind? If not, there's a passage in Tobit that I would recommend. Give me a call when you get in."

Mulder's apartment

"Hi, you've reached Fox Mulder. Leave a message."

"Hey, Mulder, it's us." Langly's voice broke the silence of the room.

"Congratulations on winning the heart and the hand of the lovely Agent Scully." That was Frohike, of course.

"Yeah, Mulder, congratulations do seem to be in order." Langly spoke again. "And we would be honored to be in the wedding party."

"We're flattered that you thought of us, Mulder." Byers was speaking now. "I think Frohike and Langly might even agree to wear the tuxedos."

"Only for you, Mulder." Langly corroborated. "And you've got to swear you won't ever post the wedding pictures on the Internet!"

"Hey, Mulder--can I be the second person to kiss the bride?"

"Frohike!" Byers' eyes rolling could almost be heard over the phone.

"Anyway, just let us know what you need and we'll help out any way we can," Langly put in chipperly.

"We're really happy for you, Mulder," Byers added.

Frohike agreed. "Jealous as hell, but very happy for you."

Scully's apartment

"Agent Scully, I just received your message and I must say I am deeply flattered by your request. It would be my honor to escort you, if you're really sure you don't mind being given away by a Marine." There was a gruff smile in Skinner's voice. "Congratulations to both of you on your engagement; I hope he realizes what a damned lucky man he is."

The machine had no sooner turned itself off after his message when the phone rang again. This time, Bethel's voice came over the line.

"Agent Scully, I...wow. I don't know what to say. I have to admit, I don't feel like I deserve this, since I haven't really known you for very long. But yes, I'd love to be a bridesmaid. Thanks so much for thinking of me. I'm so happy for you both--you really do seem to be soulmates in the truest sense of the word. Congratulations."

Five minutes later, Randi called.

"Lion! I can't believe I was out when you called, and I *really* can't believe I missed you on this end too! What a time to play phone tag! As for being your maid of honor, you'd better believe I will! Didn't we promise each other that the year you graduated?" She laughed. "And if I ever up and decide to get married, I promise you'll be mine too. Or matron of honor in that case, I guess, since you're beating me to the altar. I'm so happy for you both! Didn't I tell you God had a happy ending planned for you? Listen to me--I'm babbling. I guess you can tell I'm excited, huh? Anyway, I suppose I should let you go--or let your machine go, rather. Call me, okay?"

Scully's Apartment
Annapolis, Maryland
July 30, 1998

Dana Scully picked up the phone, still drying her hands on a dishtowel. Reaching into the cupboard, she took out the simple diamond solitaire ring that she had placed in a bowl to make sure it didn't go down the drain with the dishwater. Considering how long she'd waited for that particular piece of jewelry, she wasn't taking any chances with it.

"Hello?"

"You know, if I hadn't been waiting so damned long for this, I'd kill you for not telling me sooner!"

Dana laughed. "Hello, Jackie."

"Why didn't you tell me?" the Canadian demanded. "Hell, Dana, you transferred to another city, halfway across the country, and didn't even mention it to me? No forwarding address, nothing! Care to explain that?"

Scully sighed. "I was afraid to, Jackie. I knew how you'd react to the situation, and I didn't want to hear it then. I was just trying to postpone the inevitable."

"All right. Fine. So why didn't you tell me when you came back?"

"Jackie, you were on assignment. Incommunicado."

"Oh. Right. That was about that time, wasn't it?"

"Besides, Bethel was having enough trouble dealing with having Randi around. I think you would have scared the hell out of her."

"Randi?"

"Amanda Randall, the novelist. She's been a friend of mine since college, and insisted on following me back here from St. Louis when we found out Mulder was missing."

"Never heard of her, though I like her name."

Dana smiled. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."

There was a moment of silence, then St. George sighed. "All right. I guess I forgive you. But keep me posted in the future, okay?"

Scully grinned. "Does that mean you will be a bridesmaid?"

The Canadian hesitated. "Will I have to wear a dress?"

"Yes."

"Damn."

"Nothing too girlie, I promise."

Jackie snorted. "Oh, what the hell. Yeah, I'll do it, if only for gloating privileges."

"Great!"

"Provided Marty keeps his trap shut about ‘easy access.'"

Dana chortled. "Jackie, I think that is entirely between the two of you." She paused, a wicked smile creeping over her face. "Besides, since when have you ever been inclined to deny him access?"

Mulder's Apartment
Alexandria, Virginia
Later that day

"Mulder."

"Mulder, you bastard."

Mulder chuckled. "Hey, St. George."

"You know, you could have saved yourself a lot of trouble if you'd just listened to me in the first place."

"You just had to get an ‘I told you so' in there, didn't you?"

"Damn right. That's what you get for neglecting to tell me about this little major life change of yours until after the fact. Way after."

"I didn't exactly tell anyone about it, St. George."

"Yeah, and look what happened. You should have called me, Mulder. Hell, if you were going to chase Dana out of your life, the least you could have done was give *someone* a chance to care about you."

Someone did, Mulder thought, but said nothing. He didn't know how Jackie would react to the news that he had ‘found religion.'

"Thanks, Jackie."

"Oh, and I'll have you know you two owe me big time for this, Mulder."

He chuckled. "Scully talked you into being a bridesmaid, huh?"

Jackie muttered something under her breath.

Mulder grinned even wider than before. "So, who's she going to get to drag you kicking and screaming down the aisle?"

His only answer was an indecipherable growl.

FIN (for now)