Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 02:17:00 GMT
Subject: The Fate of Time: Part 1 of 5
Source: atxc

TITLE: The Fate of Time
AUTHOR: Kristy Anderson; fanficsofkristy@aol.com;
http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/scullyspice
CLASSIFICATION: MPOV in third person, MSR, some angst, humor (I hope), some
fluff, a X-File
SUMMARY: Kind of an "all things" paradigm for Mulder-what if he had taken a
different road? How many things in life are fated and how many are just
variables that can change? If you knew these possibilities, how would it
change your current life?
DISCLAIMER: Truth is, I own them. They are mine. No one can do anything
about it.
ARCHIVE: Yes to Gossamer.  Anywhere else, I would love it, just keep my name
and drop me a line.
RATED: R, NC-17 in parts. Just note-bad words, adult situations.
TIME LINE: Post Millennium, pre-all things, assuming that Mulder and Scully
did consummate their relationship in "all things" and the time between those
two episodes was leading up them toward a romantic relationship. Also,
post-Per Manum, in this world. Since we have no earthly clue when the events
of Per Manum happened, I'm placing them right before En Ami (and you really
don't want to hear my 100+ page theories on why I think Per Manum fell
there).
SPOILERS: Anything's fair game. Lots everywhere.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Oh yeah, I figure if Chris Carter can completely ignore a
time line and make the human gestation period over 12 months, I can do what
ever I want with this time line, since the timing around the Pilot is so
ambiguous (compared to when it aired versus the date they give us). It's my
time line now. However, be aware of key dates in this fic- they do
correspond with key dates in the show.

*****
The Fate of Time
*****
February 13, 2000
J. Edgar Hoover Building
Washington, DC
11:21 pm
"Mulder, how many times have we done this? You give the most outrageous
theory, I provide the most scientific explanation, and the answer is a cross
between the two. Don't you ever get tired of this game, this run-around we
give each other? Wouldn't our lives, our work, our partnership, hell, even
our friendship be so much easier if we just cut straight to the chase and
point?"
Dana Scully's voice was sharp and very annoyed. She and Mulder had been
sitting in the dark, dingy office for over sixteen hours, arguing over their
latest case, which, as usual, Mulder thought was the best thing since sliced
bread and Scully thought it was a complete hoax and a waste of time.
"Come on Scully!" Mulder voice was teasing and playful, completely ignoring
Scully's irritation. "It wouldn't be as fun. It's like foreplay, it makes
the end result so much more enjoyable."
Scully threw her head back in exasperation. She closed her eyes and counted
to ten before answering. Leave it to Mulder to not only ignore her feelings,
ignore the double meaning about cutting to the chase and getting straight to
the point, but find a way to intercede a sexual innuendo into their
conversation.
"Mulder, I am tired. Not just from today, or the hard week, but I'm
exhausted from always being on the go. I'm tired of just being Special Agent
Scully. I miss Dana Scully, Mulder. I feel like I lost her, lost sight of
who else I am. Don't you ever wonder about or want that other person, that
other part of you that never seems to shine under the shadow of the FBI, of
the X-Files, to emerge?"
Mulder blankly blinked twice as Scully rose. By the expression on his face,
one would have thought that she was speaking gibberish. Scully let out a
short breath, and grabbing her coat, walked out the door without a backwards
glance.
"Scully?" Mulder called to her, and he heard her heels stop clicking on the
cold floor. He didn't hear them come back, but the fact that she wasn't
moving anymore told him that she was at least listening to him.
"Everything we go through, I couldn't do it without you. Losing Fox Mulder
in sight of Special Agent Fox Mulder is fine by me, because it brought me to
you. If we hadn't gone the path that we have traveled upon, we may never
have met. And," he paused, drawing up courage. "I couldn't imagine my life
without you." There, he said it, not to try to get her to stay, but because
she deserved to hear it.
"Good night Mulder." It wasn't as angry as her tone was before, but far from
satisfied. With that, he heard her walk away, the click of her heels fading
like the precious string that held them together.
*****
Washington, DC
6:15 am
"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BE-" Mulder hit the alarm clock with force, and
muttered string of curses under his breath. Normally, he would be up and
running laps, literally and figuratively, by now, not usually having trouble
sleeping, but he had been awake all night thinking about what Scully had
said to him last night before they left the office. He knew that she had
been feeling somewhat cheated out of life lately, and he knew he wanted to
some how 'make' thinks up to her, or at least let her know that he cared
about how she felt.
He rolled over, and suddenly realized that he was not alone. Opening one
eye, he held in a horrific gasp as he saw who was lying next to him.
Phoebe Green. With a very early '90's haircut snoring contentedly.
Mulder shot up in the bed, and noticed that he was not in his bed, or even
in his apartment. Looking around, he mumble a soft, "What the hell?"
That's when he noticed the gold wedding band on his left hand.
"Oh shit!" Mulder exclaimed as he jumped from the bed, trying to distance
himself from Phoebe.
Thinking this must be some kind of hideous nightmare, he pinched himself.
Hard.
"Ouch!" he yelped, then threw a glance at Phoebe, making sure she didn't
wake. Obviously he wasn't dreaming.
Frantically, Mulder looked around, as if trying to find an escape. He ran
out of the bedroom door, having a suspicious hunch about what was happening
to him.
"Calendar, calendar, where the hell's a calendar when you need one," he
muttered to himself, furiously looking around the living room, making his
way into the kitchen. Finally, he spotted one over the sink in the kitchen,
and ran to it, dreading what he knew it might say.
"Oh God, not again," he whispered, rubbing his hands roughly over his face
as he saw the year the calendar read.
"March, 1992. Hoo-boy." Mulder turned and leaned against the sink, unsure
whether to laugh or cry at his predicament.
His thoughts were interrupted by a shrill call, one that sent a cold chill
down his spine, one he thought he had rid himself of forever.
"Fox, where did you go?"
He cringed, and walked slowly back to the bedroom, afraid to face his
current present.
"Fox, what are you doing up so early? You don't have to be at the Hoover
building until 10:00." Mulder looked at Phoebe, then quickly looked away,
fighting the bile that was rising to his throat. She was wearing skimpy
black lace thing and had propped herself up on one elbow, attempting, what
Mulder thought, to look sexy. He thought she looked ridiculous and resisted
the urge to laugh at her. He knew, as of right now, she was his only
resource to find out what the hell was going on so he also knew he had to
play his cards correctly.
"I, uh, I have a meeting at 8:00." The Hoover building? Obviously he was
still working for the FBI. According to the calendar, the X-Files should
have been opened by now.
Phoebe sighed with exasperation. "You didn't tell me about this yesterday
Fox."
Mulder thought quickly. "I, uh, I didn't know, I wasn't told about it until
before I left last night. I think. What day is it?"
Rolling her eyes, Phoebe flopped onto her pillow. "Fox, what do you mean,
you weren't told about it. You are the one who calls the bloody meetings.
And you don't know what date it is, even though you know you have a meeting?
For Christ's sake, it's March 6."
"Um, oh yeah. Just one of those days when you wake up and you think it's a
different day than what it really is." Great, intelligent, he though wryly
to himself. How was it that Phoebe always turned him into a bumbling fool?
Mulder turned and looked around the room, seeing two other sets of doors
that he hadn't tried yet, wondering which one was the bathroom. The sooner
he got out of here and showered, the sooner he'd be away from Phoebe's
claws.
"What are you looking for Fox?" She crossed her arms above her chest,
looking very upset with Mulder.
"I forgot, um, which door leads to the bathroom?"
*****
7:30 am
Hoover Parking Garage
March 6, 1992
After looking through a hideous array of early 1990's suits and managing to
escape Phoebe's whining plea for a morning quickie, Mulder was able to
escape and drive to the J. Edgar Hoover Building and arrive, early, for
once. Ironically, his "new" place was only about a block from where he was
suppose to be living.
One thing had haunted him all morning though, and that was the date. March
6, 1992. Today was the day his life was suppose to change. Today was the day
Scully was suppose to walk into his life. He wondered if he would be lucky
enough to know Scully in this life too.
In a daze, he headed straight for his basement office, oblivious to the
looks he was drawing. When he reached the door of the office for the
X-Files, he realized something was drastically wrong.
There were no X-Files. The room that was his office was still a copy room.
"Shit," he muttered to himself for the umpteenth time that morning. How the
hell was he suppose to find where he was suppose to be now?
"Sir?" came a tentative voice from behind.
Mulder turned to be staring, at all people, Tom Colton. Oh, the irony keeps
getting better, Mulder thought to himself. At least the twerp was calling
him sir.
Thinking briefly of Skinner, Mulder straightened and stared down at Colton.
"Yes, Agent?"
"Um, I was just inquiring why you're down here. If you need copies, why didn
't your secretary run for you? I mean no disrespect, but ah, we just don't
see too many Section Chiefs down here."
Section Chief, huh? At least he didn't have to face Blevins again. He had
Blevin's job.
Mulder smiled, patronizingly. He might as well use this power to it's
fullest extent, and make the twerp miserable. After all, he still blamed the
guy for Tooms almost getting Scully's liver.
"I know that. I came looking for you. Come with me." He saw Colton visibly
swallow, and Mulder gestured with his hand to have Colton lead the way. At
least he didn't have to ask like an idiot where his office was. Now he just
needed a mundane job for Colton to do.
After having Colton unknowingly leading him to his office and dismissing him
with a "I changed my mind, I don't need you anymore," Mulder met his
secretary and then locked himself in his office. He let out a low whistle at
how nice and plush it was. Thick, soundless carpet, mahogany desk, lots of
eastern exposure.
He went and sat at his desk and began ruffling through paperwork, trying to
get a clue to the identity of what his life now was.
From what he could gather, he was the VCU Section Chief, on the fast track
to the Assistant Director's seat. Star of the Bureau. Married to Phoebe for
ten years. No kids. And, no Scully.
He sighed; this was going to be one miserable life without Scully. He
resigned himself to do two things, if he were to be stuck in this life. One,
divorce Phoebe. Two, find Scully and make her a part of his life.
There was a knock on his door, and Mulder got up and unlocked it. Sitting
back down at his desk, he yelled a "Come in!" to his secretary, of whom he
still had to figure out her name.
"Sir? You're ten o'clock is here." Mulder blinked and glanced at the clock.
Quarter till ten. He wondered what this appointment was for.
His secretary must have thought his delay in response was because he forgot
who was coming to see him.
"The pathologist from Quantico you sent for to assist on the case?" She
crossed her arms and stared in annoyance.
Trying to think what case this might be, the possibilities of who the word
'pathologist' could mean was lost on Mulder. "Yeah, send him in."
Mulder sorted through the papers on his desk rapidly, trying to find the
notes for the current case. Finally, he found a memo to him dated yesterday,
glanced over it quickly, before looking up at the agent before him.
What he saw took his breath away. Though she was obviously in her shapeless,
bland suit phase as she had been when he first met her, there was no denying
it, that it was her. She looked younger, less battered and haunted. He
closed his eyes momentarily, praying his eyes weren't playing a prank on
him. When he opened them, she was still there.
Scully. His Scully. With that eyebrow arched.
He wanted to laugh and sing. Mulder thought he'd never be so happy to see
that eyebrow, that "look".
"Sir, are you okay?" He visibly cringed at the 'sir' and stood up, and
extended a hand.
"Yes, Agent Scully, I'm fine. I thought you were someone else I knew for a
minute, and I couldn't believe it. You look a lot like her; it just took me
by surprise. Have a seat, and please, call me Mulder."
"Sir, with all due respect, I don't think that would be up to protocol if
 I-"
"No. Please, I would very much feel more comfortable if we drop the
formality. We might be able to accomplish more." He knew that she would take
that as "accomplishing more" in the realm of the case, but he meant more
personally. Mulder wasn't going to let this gift slide away from him. He had
a different kind of chance with Scully, and he wanted to see how far it
could go.
Scully smiled tentatively, and Mulder remembered she did do that a lot in
the beginning. Smile, that is.
"Okay, um, Mulder."
For the first time that day, Mulder felt a genuine smile float across his
face, and he began to brief both of them.
*****
The Office of Section Chief Mulder
March 6, 1992
1:47 pm
She had loosened up during the briefing, and even had laughed at a few of
Mulder's horrible jokes, to his amusement. As she stood to leave, to go grab
lunch and then visit with the field agents on the case before performing the
latest autopsy, he walked with her to the door. He realized that he was not
her direct superior, and that he could feasibly ask her out for a date.
"So Scully, would you care to join me for dinner tonight? We could talk a
bit more about the case and maybe get to know one another better." Mulder
did his best just to sound interested and nice, not leering.
A dark cloud passed over her eyes, and he saw a fleeting glance at his
wedding band. Shit, he thought. This was probably around the time she had
broken off with Jack, who had been her superior. And he remember her briefly
telling him once about how she dated a married instructor of hers in med
school. Shit.
She lifted her chin slightly and set her jaw. Typically Scully move, when
she was hiding her feelings and trying to be the iron wall of
professionalism. "Thank you, but I don't think so, Sir. I will see you
tomorrow when I come in to update you on my findings in the autopsy of the
latest victim." With that, she coolly walked out the door.
Mulder slumped back to his desk thumped his head to the surface. He should
have known better, and now he had scared her off. With bitter resolve, he
found the phone book he saw earlier and flipped to the yellow pages, looking
under the 'lawyers' section.
*****
March 6, 1992
Washington, DC
Late Evening
Mulder walked through the door that night, feeling weary and apprehensive.
After encountering Scully and possibly screwing up his chance with her in
*this* life, he had spent the afternoon with a divorce lawyer. Now, came the
hard part of telling Phoebe. Though he didn't know what she was like now,
the scene in the bedroom earlier this morning clued him in. Spoiled,
manipulative, and easily angered. Great, he was probably going to be
sleeping in his car tonight.
As he walked in through the door, he realized that the apartment was dark.
It took him several minutes to find a light switch. The apartment flooded
with light instantly, and a piece of notebook paper caught his eye on the
hallway table.
Picking it up, it read, "Darling- Had to go to Baltimore for business again,
won't be back until tomorrow morning. Love, Phoebes."
"Yes!" Mulder exclaimed outloud, than became a little sheepish as he
realized he just spoke aloud. This was good because not only was she out of
his hair for the evening, but he could use this time to figure things out.
Wondering around, he found the phone and answering machine, whose light was
blinking incessantly. Pressing play, he skipped through a telemarketing
message, and was about to skip though the next message when the voice caught
him and he paused.
"Fox, it's me, Sam. Just calling to say hi. Call me back, you know the
number."
His eyes widened to the size of saucers, the plate kind, not the flying
kind. Sam, as in Samantha, his sister? She wasn't dead in this life?
Stumbling to the couch, Mulder let the news sink in and process, with a
small smile upon his face. If she wasn't dead, maybe that was the variable
that had changed everything. Without her missing, his obsession, his hunt
for the truth hadn't developed and surface. But some things had remained the
same in his life. He still went to Oxford, still met Phoebe, still joined
the FBI. Were these the universal invariables in his life?
What role did Scully have in this? In his other life, he believed a long
time ago that she was his soul mate, best friend by far. She completed him
in no other way that another human being could. Those months ago, when he
told her that she was his constant, his touchstone, he meant that with every
fiber of his body. With Scully, he was stronger. With Scully he was a whole
person. Where did that leave them in this life?
With a groan, Mulder fell back to lay on the couch and closed his eyes.
Whomever was playing this dirty trick on him could've at least had the
decency to let him keep his black leather couch in this life.
*****
March 7, 1992
Section Chief Mulder's Office
11:13 am
"Are you completely crazy?" Scully asked Mulder incredulously, after an hour
of deliberation.
She had come that morning to report her autopsy reports, only to be sucked
in by Mulder trying out every outlandish theory he could think of to explain
her findings. Truth was, he was just playing with her, testing her
boundaries, seeing how far he could push before she flew off the handle. He
was pretty certain if he hadn't been Section Chief that she would've gone
off much sooner than this, but he was indescribably elated to finally see
her fly off the handle.
"With all due respect, Mulder," Mulder couldn't have been happier at how she
pronounce his name with ease now. "You know what, screw that protocol crap
of trying to be polite, but you're insane. My findings do not, in any way,
prove your outrageous theories. If anything, they fit the profile one of
your agents has put together for this case. Why are you trying to debunk,
good, solid, hard evidence?"
Only to see you get like this, he thought. He suppressed a grin as she
almost stomped over to his side to point something out on the photographs
attached to her report. Leaning over, he swallowed at her oblivious
proximity to him, her breasts unknowingly near his face, and he closed his
eyes as he breathed in her wonderful Scully scent.
She jabbed at the picture. "Look here, see this! That can't possibly be-"
Both her and Mulder looked up as the door to his office flew open. There
stood Phoebe, looking as pissed off as Mulder had ever seen her.
"A divorce huh?" she screeched in her clipped, British accent. "Is that the
tramp you're leaving me for Fox? How long have you two been at it?"
Scully straightened up and eyed Phoebe carefully. "I'm sorry, you must be
mistaken. The only thing we have 'been at' is discussing pathology reports
from my autopsy. Obviously you two need some time alone to talk."
Turning her attention to Mulder, Scully said, somewhat sarcastically, "Sir,
when you are done with your personal dramas, please let me know and I can
continue to brief you on my findings."
Grabbing her jacket from the chair, she brushed past Phoebe, and Mulder
couldn't help but take in a striking difference between the two women, both
in looks and aura.
Pausing before exiting through the door, she gave Phoebe a once over before
speaking. "Next time, Mrs. Mulder, please watch who you chose to call names.
I'm sure you wouldn't like it if I verbalized what I assessed of you in just
two minutes of knowing you."
Scully slammed the door behind her, and Mulder resisted the urge to laugh
outloud. Instead, he chose to focus his energies on Phoebe, and getting her
the hell out of there.
"You know Fox, this is going to be a huge mistake." She glared at him,
crossing her arms.
"No, the only mistake was this marriage in the first place. That, and your
unprofessional rant and barging. That Agent you called so eloquently a
'tramp' in one of my key agents on this case, and I had never met her until
yesterday. I am trying to work, not only work, but solve a very high profile
serial killing case. Now, I need to spend quality time apologizing to her
for my soon to be ex-wife's lack of tact or common sense, time we could be
spending solving this case. All I can say and leave you with is that you
choose-furniture or apartment, but your not getting both. I'll leave you
with that, and you can tell your decisions and make the arrangements with my
secretary."
With that, he brushed past Phoebe in a the same similar fashion as Scully.
*****
8:02 pm
National Mall
Washington, DC
Somewhere near the Washington Monument
Mulder had spent the rest of the day on the phone with his lawyer. Phoebe
was being relentless, refusing to give up on of his stipulations-she wanted
both, and he wasn't the least surprise. Now, she was wanting alimony, which
would be ridiculous, since she made just as much as he.
He had decided to find a new place to live; even if she decided to give up
the apartment for the furniture, he knew that he could never go back there.
He had checked out and called around to a few places, but trying to find
housing in DC was atrocious. Until then, he was staying at the Holiday Inn
on the Hill. Oh, and he had permanently removed the ring.
But tonight, he needed to clear his mind. DC winters were usually mild, and
tonight the temperature was close to fifty degrees. He had decided to take
advantage and walk around in introspection, trying to figure out what the
hell was going on.
Almost blindly, he had wondered to the bench that he considered *theirs*,
his and Scully's, or at least the other Scully, at least. It wasn't until he
was within a few feet of the bench that he saw a glint of red blowing
gently, topping a purple colored coat. Smiling inwardly, he approached her.
He had forgotten about that coat. What was she thinking-purple?
He stood next to her, not at all surprised to find her here. "Is this seat
taken?"
She shook herself out of her reverie and looked up at him, surprised to see
him, and almost annoyed. Mulder knew it was because she was feeling as if
her personal, private space that she cherished so much was being invaded.
Looking around at all the other, empty benches that surrounded them, she
turned to him with that raised eyebrow he had grown to love and responded.
"If you would like to sit there, I'm not going to stop you."
Grinning inwardly, Mulder sat, being sure not to sit too close to her and
send her running again. She hadn't said no-as far as he was concerned, this
was as close as saying 'please join me' that Scully would ever get.
An awkward pause ensued, and Mulder broke the ice by clearing his throat. "I
often come here to clear my head, gather my thoughts. This bench exactly, I
guess you could call it my thinking bench. That's why I asked to join you
rather than take the other open benches."
If she was surprised at the coincidence that Mulder knew he had stirred, she
was good at not showing it. She looked out at the reflecting pool before
answering.
"Me too."
Feigning surprise, Mulder asked, "You come here to think too?"
She turned to look him in the eye. "Yeah, this is a great place for
introspection."
He gave her a slight smile, knowing exactly what kinds of things she would
be thinking about right now. Her father, the decision to enter into the FBI
rather than practicing medicine, what's his name that she just broke up
with...
"I'm sorry about how she talked to you today. That was highly uncalled for,
highly unprofessional, and I think completely untrue." The words came
tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them.
"Thank you, though you shouldn't be apologizing for her. I can see why you'd
want to divorce her though." The sarcasm was not lost on Mulder, and he
laughed freely. She gave him a little smirk back and glanced at his hands.
"Ring's off now, I see. When did you, I mean, when did you decide to get a
divorce-obviously by how you just now took off the ring and her reaction
today, it must be recent."
He couldn't help it, he had to say it, as cheesy as he knew it sounded.
"Since I met you."
"Excuse me?" Shit, he kept forgetting about that married professor in med
school.
"No, I didn't mean it like that. I had been contemplating it for a long
time, I was very unhappy. But the day I met you is the same day that I had
my appointment with my lawyer. Maybe it was fate we met that day." Why not
give her a little test?
Smirking, she looked back out at the reflecting pool again. "I don't believe
in fate."
"Neither do I-to an extent. But what if some things, some people, are
predestined to be in our lives no matter which road you choose to take or
which variables were to change, altering the ultimate outcome of your life.
What if these things or people remain our constants no matter what else
where to change-wouldn't something like that be fate of some kind?"
"What's to say these constants couldn't change by an alteration of a
variable? Ultimately, one does not know that these constants are constants
unless every alternative route is tried, all things remaining equal. It's
the scientific method. It's like saying water will always be water no matter
what variables change, but it's been proven that that is not true-water will
change if the correct elements are combined with it."
Closing his eyes, Mulder resisted doing a victory dance. Different life,
same Scully.
He opened his eyes to find Scully staring at him with a hint of amusement
and challenge dancing in her eyes.
"Hey Scully, are you sure you don't want to take me up on that offer for a
date?"
She lifted her chin as if it were a challenge, but her enigmatic smile
betrayed her. Mulder knew that smile anywhere.
"Okay, Mulder, you're on."
*****
21 Hours Later
March 8, 1992
5:05 pm
Mulder Temporary Residence
Mulder yanked at his tie, getting more and more frustrated as the blasted
thing wouldn't knot straight. It had been an eventful day, to say the least.
He had spent the morning retrieving his belongings from his old apartment.
Wanting to avoid another confrontation, he had waited until he knew that
Phoebe would be gone. Not too surprisingly, the locks had been changed since
yesterday, so Mulder had to hunt down the landlord, do some explaining, and
let the landlord let him in. Though the landlord was reluctant at first
(Phoebe had told him that Mulder had went crazy, was threatening her life,
and was not to be let in), Mulder was swift to remind him that because his
position in the FBI, he could either break the door open or go get a search
warrant, giving him legal access to the apartment. The landlord relented.
Stuffing his car with everything he considered "his", clothes, books,
videos, papers, etc., Mulder was very grateful that she had not done
something even more drastic, like cut up all his underwear into little tiny
pieces. He wouldn't put it past her.
When he arrived in the office that afternoon, he had come in to wonderful
news. The case had been solved, or at least an arrest had been made, all
because of the evidence Scully had provided with her forensic reports and
examination of the materials that the other agents on the case had gathered.
Scully was now the "it" girl of the FBI, and Mulder couldn't help but be
phenomenally proud of her. He always knew that if the X-Files and him hadn't
sucked her up like they did, that she would be one of the most brilliant and
revered agents in the Bureau. She was on the fast track indeed.
The Bureau had known the the head of the pathology unit at the Hoover
Building was going to becoming open in a few weeks. Though extremely young,
her success on this high profile case that had stumped the Bureau for months
combined with her previous work now put her in serious consideration for the
position. Mulder was just grateful that he didn't sit on that commission to
pick the new head- if he were, this date tonight wouldn't be able to happen.
Breathing a sigh of relief as he finally got the tie straight, Mulder ran
his hand through his hair and gave himself one more look over. Sure, this
was just Scully, but at the same time, it was Scully. Since he had no idea
why or how he got here, he needed to make the most out of life- especially
his relationship with Scully. The pain of the absence of Samantha was gone.
He wasn't the lonely, mournful, disillusioned man he was. He had gotten a
second lease on life, and he wanted the part of Scully that he couldn't have
in his other life.
Grabbing his jacket, he ran out the door. At this rate, he was going to be
late. They had agreed to meet at a little Italian restaurant in Adams Morgan
at 5:30, and in good traffic it was a twenty minute drive. Oh well, he
though to himself, time for this Scully to learn that I'm perpetually late
to everything.
*****
I Matti Restaurant
Adams Morgan
5:45 pm
The minute he walked through the door, he could spot her, even in the
dimness of the room. The restaurant was lit only by candlelight, and the
flickering flames accented her hair, making it radiate and bring a lovely
glow to her face. Though he was red/green color blind, he had heard her hair
described so many times over the years that he could imagine it; plus, he
could see the different highlights and texture of the color, and how it
complimented her nicely. Anyway, though he couldn't tell the color, he had
always figured that it was red- he doubted that she would have green hair.
Her eyes were upon the menu before her, and Mulder couldn't help but admire
how her dark lashes framed her light eyes in such an alluring fashion. He
had always loved her eyes, and felt that he could drown in them, which
sometimes he did.
Hair loosely piled upon her head, a few wisps had fallen, giving her
normally professional, sometimes hard (which was necessary in being a woman
in her field, Mulder knew) a soft, almost relaxed look. Taking a moment to
admire her hands, slender yet strong, nails perfect and feminine, as she
brought a glass filled with a deep red wine to her lips, Mulder's eyes fell
to those lips. Moist and stained from the recent sip, they were plump and
pouted in that wonderful alluring way. Mulder's own lips tingled at the
memory of their kiss at New Years.
They had never discussed the kiss after that night, and neither made a move
past it- it was as if it had never happened- almost. The sexual tension
between the two did increase dramatically, but neither did anything to
figure it out or fix it. Obviously, she must have liked it, because she didn
't pull away, and the kiss had gone on for some time, but Mulder had
admitted to himself that he was too chicken to bring it up or make the next
move. For another time that night, Mulder thanked his lucky stars that he
had a chance to try and change that.
His eyes moved down from her face, drinking in the curves of her body. He
knew already that it would be very firm and muscular, yet pliable and soft.
Scully had always managed to be in top shape without loosing that feminine
shape or feel.
She was wearing a deep blue, though not quite navy silk dress. The neckline
was square, with a little glimpse of cleavage, with nothing more than two
thin, delicate straps holding it up. He could see that the dress was
somewhat clingy without being obvious, and went down to her ankles. Her
shoes were the same color, some strappy things with the usual heel so high,
that they always left Mulder wondering how she walked in them.
Willing his body to calm down at the sight of her, he checked in his coat
and made his way over to the table. A wind quartet with pianist played
softly in the corner, romantic strains audible but not obtrusive. Near them
there was a small dance floor, that was empty for the moment. Mulder hoped
that he would pursued her to let him take her out there later that night.
Sliding into the chair across from her, he gave her a simple "Hi. Sorry I'm
late."
Lowing the menu, Mulder finally got to see her face. It was framed by simple
diamond studs in her ears and her necklace was the only other jewelry she
wore beside a delicate looking watch. Her make-up was simple but
complimentary, and he could see that she had left her beauty mark uncovered
for the night. His throat went dry, and for once in his live, Fox Mulder was
speechless.
She was giving him 'the look', and Mulder thought there wasn't a more
beautiful sight for his eyes to see.
"It's a good thing I don't suffer from abandonment fantasies, or I might
have thought that you had ditched me. Somehow though, I had this undeniable
feeling that you would be late." She looked at him over her glass of wine as
she took another sip.
Mulder's heart lurched at the word 'ditched', and he made a silent promise
that he would never do that to her this time around.
"A feeling, huh? How do you apply the scientific method to a 'feeling'?" He
grinned at her, and flagged the waiter down. "What are you drinking Scully?"
"Cabernet Sauvingnon. Maybe it was my deduction of the traits you tend to
display, the artifice of your personality I have already gotten to analyze."
The waiter stopped by the table, and Mulder ordered a bottle of the wine as
well as another glass for himself. Scully raised her brows at the request,
but kept silent. A bottle of Cabernet Sauvingnon easily cost forty dollars,
minimum.
"Oh, so you've analyzed me. And I thought I was the profiler here." Mulder's
heart was doing happy cartwheels as he and Scully fell into familiar and fun
bantering.
"Actually, to tell you the truth, when you were late today, I overheard your
secretary say something about you being perpetually twenty minutes late to
everything. According to that hypothesis, you're five minutes early tonight.
I'm impressed."
"I wouldn't want to keep someone as beautiful as you sitting alone too
 long." Mulder opened his menu. "I would be afraid that you might change
your mind and find someone else to keep you company tonight."
Over the top of the menu, he saw Scully smirk, but the faint blush that rose
to her cheeks told him that she was flattered by his compliment. She quickly
looked down to her menu to hide her face.
The waiter came back with the wine, and both Mulder and Scully ordered.
While waiting for their food conversation was came to them easily, briefly
talking about the case since they had missed each other that day, but mainly
talking about themselves, their families, school, the FBI. Of course,
everything she told him, he already knew, but he found her fascinating that
she would be so open to him.
A comfortable silence fell over them as their food arrived and they ate.
Soon, their plates were cleared, the bottle of wine was empty, and several
hours had passed. Through the course of the meal, Mulder had felt that the
world around them had stopped, and there was no one else left but the two of
them. He glanced at the dance floor, seeing several couples taking advantage
of soft music.
He looked across at Scully and caught her eye across the table. Standing up,
he stepped over to her and held out a gentlemanly hand.
"Scully, may I have this dance with you?"
Her eyes locked with his, and she gingerly placed her hand in his. Mulder
was still amazed at how little they were compared to his, but strong, yet
soft and gentle. At her touch, he felt a bolt of electricity shoot though
him.
He guided her to the dance floor. Holding her right hand in his left, he
gingerly placed his right hand at her waist. Her left hand came up to his
shoulder, as if it had automatically been guided there by years of practice.
Even in her heels, Mulder couldn't help but be amused by the fact that she
still only came up to his shoulder. He was also willing to bet that even
with her height, she could kick his ass easily in this life, too.
The number they came out on was halfway through, and since it was a rather
upbeat song, Mulder and Scully did their best to finish the song by dancing
a pseudo waltz. Intrinsically, they knew how to follow each other's lead,
and moved like a fluid pair they were suppose to be on the dance floor.
As the song came to an end, Mulder couldn't resist and spun Scully, only to
catch her into a dip. When he brought her back up, he could see how here
eyes sparkled and shined in the candlelight, carefree and happy. She had a
smile upon her face, not a toothy grin, but a slight one that said more than
an all out grin would have conveyed. He felt his own face light up in a
similar smile.
Suddenly the mood and tempo changed to a slow ballad, romanticism floating
up from the strings and ivory. Their smiles faded, but not to that of
sadness, but of the internal emotional explosions that the song seemed to
signify. Mulder knew that he was falling in love with her all over again,
and he thought by that look in her eyes and the expression on her face that
she might be feeling the magic a bit herself.
Without a word, he drew her into his arms. While his hand clutched hers
again, he pulled their entwined hands close to his heart. Instead of his
hand at her waist, it wrapped around to the small of her back, pulling her
close.
He felt her lay her cheek against his chest, and he felt the wonderful
tickle of her hair in the hollow of his neck as he rested his chin on top of
her head. A glance down at her face, engulfed by the soft light, showed that
her eyes were closed.
They swayed slowly; not seductively, but rather like they were old lovers
who knew each other well and had all the time in the world to enjoy and love
each other. Their movements were as if they were here to savor the memories
moment by moment, without a care in the world except for the other.
Mulder closed his eyes as well, and his heart was pounding furiously. He
could die right here, right now, and feel as though his life, the meaning of
it had been fulfilled. Going with the moment, he pulled away from her
slightly to stare down at her; memorizing and drinking her in, in case he
would wake up tomorrow and have this all taken away from him. He knew it was
a fine possibility, with how abrupt he had arrived here.
She looked up at him questionably, but not accusingly. Feet had ceased
moving, and their hands were frozen in the dance positions. Leaning in, he
watched her reaction as her eyes grew wide with acknowledgment before
fluttering shut.
His eyes closed shut in a silent prayer the moment before their lips meet.
It was a brief, fleeting kiss, yet firm and full of promise and possibility.
His lips tingled, and every cell in his body felt as though they were
singing, awake and alive.
Pulling away, he leaned his forehead against hers, seemingly their most
intimate position. Their eyes open simultaneously, and she smiled at him,
much in the way she had smiled at him after their New Year's kiss. He gave
her a lopsided smile in response, and he mentally figured he had smiled more
in this life in one night than he had smiled his entire other life.
The music trailed off, and the band members began to pack up. With a start,
Mulder and Scully reluctantly broke the wonderfully intense eye contact,
only to find that the restaurant was closing. Only a few couples remained,
and Mulder felt his heart sink at the prospect of the night ending. A quick
glance at Scully's watched showed that it was quarter till eleven.
She had saw the time simultaneously. Biting her bottom lip, she whispered,
"I've got to go Mulder. I have an interview tomorrow at eight." To Mulder's
delight, she seemed disappointed that the evening was ending.
Whispering back, since it seemed like talked would break the spell that had
fallen between them, he replied, "Okay, I'll get the check, you grab the
coats."
Still not moving from the dance floor, not wanting to loose the warmth of
each other's touch, Scully began to protest. He knew that she knew how much
this night was costing him.
"It's okay Scully. You can get next time. Tonight was on me, a thank you for
taking a chance on someone like me."
Quirking her eyebrow, she licked her lips before responding. "Okay, how
about lunch tomorrow, since I will be at Headquarters anyway? I can come
after my interview get over-my treat." Mulder knew the last part was suppose
to make it sound lighthearted, but underneath the facade, he knew that was
her way of protecting herself if he said no.
This time a full fledged grin covered his face. "Looks like you've got
yourself a date."
*****
March 9, 1992
Section Chief Mulder's Office
11:21 am
Mulder tapped his fingers on his desk impatiently. He was hungry, and he was
wondering what the hell was taking Scully so long at her interview.
Today had been very successful in several ways- one, he found out that being
Section Chief required a lot of paperwork and a lot of bossing around. It
was almost like a regular 9-5 job... certainly more flexible than being in
the field all the time.
Second, he found out that his nickname was still Spooky. However, when
people called him that, it was out of awe and respect at his skills and
abilities, rather than disrespect and jealousy. He kind of liked it.
Looking at his watch, Mulder saw that only a minute passed since the last
time he checked the time. He had to admit it- he was excited to see Scully
again, and very pleased at the way things were progressing between the two
of them. His dreams had been filled with wonderful Scully fantasies all
night.
11:22 and 30 seconds. Where was she? He wadded up a piece of paper and aimed
at the trash can. It bounced off the rim before falling to the floor on the
side of the aluminum container.
Scowling at the piece of paper, Mulder checked his watch, again. 11:23 and 4
seconds. This would mean her interview lasted over three hours. Was that a
good or a bad thing? Maybe she ditched him, or forgot, or just didn't care
any more. This dating game sure was more complicated than Mulder remembered.
Checking his e-mail for the 100th time that morning, Mulder looked around at
his immaculate office. He had no idea he could even be this neat. However,
his office was organized and clean when he first entered here a few days
ago, and Mulder decided he was going to try and turn over a new leaf, try to
be, well, more to protocol. Though he always had complete disregard for
rules and procedures, he was finding out in this life that sometimes it
could be very beneficial. It was something that could be used to one's
advantage.
His phone beeped at him, and Mulder jumped. Picking up, he tried not to
sound too excited or anxious as he answered, "Mulder."
"Sir? I have Agent Scully out here for you."
"I'll be right out." Hanging the phone down with glee, Mulder grabbed his
jacket and whisked out the door.
Her back was turned to him when he walked out his door, and he could see
that she was intently studying a photograph on his wall. It was one where he
met the Governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton. There was some speculation that
he may beat the incumbent, President Bush, for the executive office, but
Mulder didn't think he would. Although he apparently was doing fairly well
in the primaries to receive the democratic bid.
She heard him shut the door, and turned around, smiling at him. Mulder's
heart leapt, Scully smiles were still a rarity for him and he treasured each
one.
"You ready?" she asked neutrally, but the glint in her eye told him that she
had news for him.
"Oh yeah. I was born ready." Though he knew that she would interpret his
response as nothing more than ready to go to lunch, he meant so much more
than that. He was ready to let her in his life completely.
It was hard for him to make this relationship legitimate in his mind,
because while this was Scully, this wasn't their lives. Yet, it was their
lives. He was the only one who remembered the other life. He had pondered
during all his thinking on the matter if whether this was suppose to happen,
their relationship, and if it were to happen, was it suppose to happen this
way? Was he playing with fate somehow? If he hadn't *remembered* Scully,
would he have still been inclined to ask her out, befriend her, and
certainly try to recreate their wonderfully scary, yet unbreakable bond? Was
he even suppose to be in this life?
What scared him about this situation is the unknown variables that cultured
the known variables. Things had obviously been changed this time around,
creating a completely different Fox Mulder and a completely different
universe for their lives. Because of his previous knowledge, was he changing
the unknown variables and if he was, what kind of consequences was he
creating?
Still, he couldn't help but pursue this relationship with Scully. In their
other lives, it would have been virtually impossible. They were closer than
any other two people could possibly be, intellectually and emotionally.
Mulder thought beyond a doubt now that they were soul mates; a yin and yang,
completing and complimenting each other. Though their relationship in the
other life had been hinting towards crossing the line and becoming intimate
physically, he knew that a normal life could never happen for them.

PART 2 - The Fate of Time

And that is what scared him the most about this life. He had become to
ponder the normal life scenario and now he had the opportunity at one, with
Scully, the one person in the world he would give his life for. What if he
now had to find out the hard way that the normal life for them wasn't meant
to be? What if they weren't meant to be soul mates in this life? What if it
were the demons they had to fight in their other life was the necessary
element that fostered their relationship? Obviously, the demons were absent
in this life and their relationship would have to be fostered on everything
that they had never had an opportunity at in the other life.
Placing his hand on the small of her back and guiding her out the door,
Mulder pushed aside his thoughts. He was willing to gamble on fate, and
hoped that he got a lucky hand, because where Scully was concerned, he would
walk the ends of the earth to have any sort of life with her, no matter what
kind was appropriate for whatever universe or time they were in. Mulder knew
that if they were truly soul mates, than they would also be together in this
life.

*****
Two Months Later
May 16, 1992
Mulder Residence
Washington, DC
The past few months had been absolute bliss for Mulder. Not only had he
found a very good lawyer to take care of the divorce settlement with Phoebe,
so he wouldn't get screwed over by her or talk to her, but he had finally
found a place to live. He had decided that after living just outside the
city for so long, he was going to try to live in the city.
He had just moved in this week, and was excited to show Scully his new
place. However, that wasn't the only reason he was excited and happy.
After that initial interview, Scully had been called back to round two of
interviews and the final round of interviews. Two weeks ago, she had been
informed that she was the new head of the pathology department at
headquarters. Today had been her first day at her new job.
Mulder couldn't have been more ecstatic. He could now see Scully every day.
Though it bothered him that they couldn't work side by side, he had come to
terms with the fact that they weren't destined to be field partners in this
life. Having her in the same building was like Christmas for Mulder.
Things over the past few months had been progressing well for the two, in
the personal realm. There had been many more dates, and they were, by all
accounts, like a 'normal' couple. They went to movies, to restaurants, to
plays, took walks around the Mall, and even did touristy things like visit
the zoo to see the Pandas and wonder through the Smithsonian buildings.
Their favorite place to go and visit, by far, was the Air and Space Museum;
Mulder just liked to go to see the moon rocks, and Scully loved to be
surrounded by the great science that had put mankind into space.
Fingers intertwined, they were walking back to his place from a cozy little
cafe he took her out to in order to celebrate her first day as head of the
FBI's pathology department. A comfortable silence had settled over them,
sedated from the delicious dinner.
The night air was sensuously warm, with a soft, tickling breeze rustling
through the trees. The streets of DC were serene, and the atmosphere of the
historic, cozy neighborhood with it's rows of townhouses and brick lined
streets seemed was casting a spell over the evening.
A soft sigh escaped Scully's lips, and Mulder looked over to her. The moon's
light softly illuminated her face, lighting her eyes to an amazing royal
blue that matched the sky, framed by the flawless, translucent skin that
made her lips take on a strawberry quality; both in color and fullness.
He dared to break the hypnotizing aura of the night.
"What's wrong?" He stopped them, turning her to face him.
Giving him a smile that warmed his heart, she grabbed for his free hand with
hers. "Nothing's wrong. Everything's perfect. I'm just afraid everything's
too perfect, like it's going to be violently ripped away from us. Are we
suppose to be this happy Mulder?"
Pulling her close, wrapping his arms around her, but still holding her far
enough away so he could continue to drown in her eyes, Mulder replied, "I
think we deserve to be happy. We've earned it." She may not understand all
his reasons behind the statement, but she would understand his sincerity
behind it.
"Mmm. I don't know. You did almost get that ticket for jaywalking the other
day. If anything deserves punishment, it is jaywalking." A playfulness
danced in her eyes, and Mulder emitted a small chuckle.
"Yeah, I probably deserve some kind of punishment for that." His statement
was under laced with a different meaning; want and lust lined the edges.
Licking her lips, Scully nodded. "Mmm hmm. I'm sure I can think of different
ways I can teach you to stop breaking the law like that." Her pupils
dilated, Mulder felt all his blood flow to his groin at the huskiness in her
voice.
His mouth descended upon hers, moist, warm, and hungry. She tasted vaguely
of the lemon pepper chicken she had ordered that night, of which he ended up
stealing half. He felt her soft, bare arms circle his neck, pulling him
closer, wanting more of him. One of his hands tangled up in her hair, the
other found the small of her back, pressing her close to him.
Her lips were soft, pure as the dew on a petal of a rose, and he could feel
her breasts pushed up against his chest, even though their clothes. His body
responding with even more voracity; the kiss grew more intense, and the air
around them become a few degrees warmer.
Their tongues danced with exploration, and his hands roamed down her back,
over her ass, trailing back up her sides. His thumbs grazed the sides of her
breasts on the way back up to her shoulders, and he felt her shudder under
his light, barely there touch.
Finally, they broke away reluctantly, and Mulder took in the beauty of how
flushed she was. Both breathless, Mulder willed his body to calm down, and
glanced down. He was very grateful at their height difference, because right
now he got a clear view of her cleavage, making his cock twitch with
appreciation. Through her thin shirt he could see her nipples were just as
erect, and he new it wasn't because the night was cold.
Brushing her hair from her face, while her arms were still loosely linked
around his neck, he traced her collarbone with his thumbs.
"Wow." She said, finally breaking the silence after they had caught their
breaths. Looking up, they shared a smile before continuing back to his
place, this time his arm around her shoulders.

*****
"Wow." She said again, getting the grand tour of Mulder's new place. Smiling
inwardly, he knew that Scully would like his place. That was the main
reasoning behind his final decision. His home was a typical, old style DC
townhouse, with three floors, big bay windows, hardwood floors. The first
floor was a big basement off the foyer and entrance hall, with a small
laundry room. The second floor was the kitchen, dining room, half bathroom,
and living room, while the third floor contained a huge master bedroom with
its own bathroom, and two smaller rooms that had a connecting bathroom. The
architecture and design were immaculate; Mulder had paid a small fortune for
it, but he had the money in this life, and figured he might as well enjoy
it.
The furnishings were sparse for now; he hadn't had much time to go furniture
shopping. He had been spending all his free time with Scully.
And, of course, she called him on it.
"Planning on doing the minimalist look here Mulder?" He was giving her the
grand tour of the second floor and were now standing in the living room
area, which was currently empty besides some boxes of books.
She turned and faced him, a hint of amusement on her face. She had been in
the alcove of the bay window, staring into the moonlight street, entranced
by the evening's tranquility.
"Umm, actually, there was something I wanted to ask you, a favor, actually."
Hands on her slim hips, the eyebrow rose. "Which would be...?"
"Well, your place is so tastefully decorated that I was wondering if you
could help me pick out some things for my place. Otherwise, this place would
become a big dorm room. I trust your judgment better than mine." Wasn't that
last statement the truth.
Walking slowly to him, she traced a finger up his arm. Goose bumps rose on
his skin, and her eyes meet his.
"That doesn't sound very fun Mulder. It sounds very...domesticated."
He swallowed hard. Praying to god he wasn't scaring her away, he chose a
neutral response. "Yeah, maybe, but I need help. And I don't think Frohike
would be any help."
A deep chuckle came from the back of her throat. "Mulder, show me the rest
of your place."
Hand in hand, they walked to the third floor. He showed her the other rooms
before finally bringing her to the master bedroom. There, was his one real
piece of furniture he owned, the queen sized bed that sat in the middle of
the room. Mulder had to admit to himself, he was trying to seduce Scully.
They had not been intimate yet, though Mulder would wait another seven years
for her, if necessary. He just hoped he didn't.
"Nice to know you're not sleeping on the floor," she said dryly. He was
standing behind her, and crept up behind her, wrapping his arms around her
waist. Bringing his lips to her neck, he kissed it lightly, taking a slight
nip and sucking gently. He felt her inhale sharply and lean back into his
mouth. Encouraged by her reaction, he lightly traced his tongue up to her
ear, where he proceeded to trace the outer lobe with his tongue.
His hands had slipped up the front of her shirt, and through the lace of her
bra, found her breasts. Cupping them gently as his mouth continued to
assault her ear, he pulled the material down so his fingers could touch her
erect nipples, skin to skin, heat to heat.
She turned on him suddenly, so they were face to face, and brought his lips
down to hers in a deep, painfully starving kiss that left their previous one
outside a few moments ago envious. Blindly, they stumbled backwards towards
the bed.
When Mulder felt the back of his legs hit the edge of the bed, he sat down,
never breaking his connection with Scully. His jeans felt very constricted
at his engorged cock, throbbing with pleasurable pain.
Crawling up so she was kneeling, knees on either side of his legs, Scully
sat across his lap, and Mulder wrapped his arms around her to help her keep
balance. Through his jeans and her pants, he could *feel* her heat pulsating
against hers, and Mulder swallowed a groan.
Pulling away, the kiss ending but the intensity was lingering, and Mulder
stared deeply into Scully's eyes. Sure, he saw lust there, just like he was
sure was showing in his eyes, but something deeper.
Jesus, that was the look she had always had towards him. In the other life.
The look he had always thought was a fondness, a friendship of developed of
trust and admiration for each other, of devotion and their fierce bond, but
nothing more. It suddenly hit him like a freight train. That was the look of
love. A look that told him she not only trusted him with her friendship, her
mind, and her body, but with her heart.
And Mulder knew that being trusted with Scully's heart was the hardest wall
to scale. She didn't open her heart very often, if at all; she protected it
with a ferocity that scared him. How could he have missed it, missed that
she was willing to hand him her heart, wanted his to have it?
He kissed her gently, chastely, and leaned back again. Drinking in her
features, her hair softly framing her face, the strong proud nose and chin,
the high cheek bones and deliciously feminine lips, Mulder wondered how he
had kept her at bay for so long. Slowly, as if she were made of porcelain,
he removed her shirt and threw it across the room. Silently, he removed her
bra, and stared, marveling in her perfection.
Ever cell in Mulder's body was singing. They were finally crossing the line
to be lovers. Holding Scully's eyes for a moment more, he leaned forward to
collect his prizes in his mouth. Choosing a pink, hard nipple, he took it
into his mouth, sucking gently. One hand supported her back, while the other
played with the other nipple, teasing, pinching, and flicking.
He switched his mouth to the other nipple, and he felt a low groan rise from
Scully's chest. Her head was thrown back in pleasure, eyes closed, mouth
slightly opened. When he nipped and her nipple, she grinded her hips into
his, causing him to groan this time.
Suddenly, they were both on the bed, laying side by side, rolling,
feverishly kissing and touching. His hands roamed over her body, and found
the button of her pants. Lips never breaking, he unbuttoned them and slowly
pulled down the zipper. Without bothering to take the pants down, his hand
traced over her navel, down to the edge of her lacy underwear, which his
hand slipped easily into.
Her legs parted, inviting him in. Finding her folds hot and moist, ready for
him, he inserted two fingers into her center. She broke the kiss with a gasp
as he pulled his fingers back out. He ran his fingers over the length of her
curls, applying pressure to her clitoris.
"Oh my god, Mulder." Her voice was barely a whisper, heavy with arousal.
His cocked begged for a release from its confines, but Mulder decided that
he could last longer if it stayed inside for a while. His lips traced down
Scully's neck, lightly tracing her collarbone with his tongue. A flurry a
kisses followed down to her navel, where he flicked his tongue in and out.
Nudging the pants down over her hips, she obliged and lifted them slightly
so he could get them off. Realizing she was still wearing shoes, he took
those off, followed by her pants, followed by his shirt.
Returning his attention to Scully, he stared at her, laying naked on his
bed, waiting for him. He kissed her inner thigh and traced butterfly kisses
to his target.
He licked the entire length of her, tasting the sweetness that was pooling
between her legs. Bringing his hands up, he spread her folds, inserting his
tongue; licking, tasting, exploring.
Finding her clit with his tongue, he took in into his mouth, while he
roughly inserted two fingers to her center. Pushing his fingers in and out,
he sucked hard, knowing she was close to going over the edge.
Feeling her start to quiver, he simultaneously nipped at her clit while
pushing in three fingers. He felt her muscles tighten, and he wished that he
was inside her, to feel that tightness.
"Oh my god! Oh my god, Mulder, yes, oh my god, oh Mulder!" Scully screamed,
grabbing hand fulls of comforter as her orgasm hit her hard. Mulder watched
in delight as her eyes squeezed shut and her body shook, breathing erratic
and quick.
While she came down from her sexual high, Mulder moved up so he was right
next to her, to watch her face. She slowly came down, finally fluttering her
eyes open and looked directly in Mulder's pleased hazel orbs.
"Wow," she whispered, as she drew him in close for a kiss. The kiss was soft
and gentle, and then Mulder felt a strong hand graze over his crotch.
Before he knew what was happening, Mulder was pinned. Scully quickly
unbuttoned his pants, and in similar fashion, he lifted his hips so she
could take off his pants. She reached up for him for a quick, fierce kiss,
before trailing her tongue down his neck, sternum, and stomach to his navel,
all the while her fingers had found his nipples and were playing with them.
Stopping at his trail of hair, Scully looked wickedly at him. She lightly
traced her finger tips down his side, and Mulder felt his whole body shudder
with anticipation, excitement, and arousal. Bringing her lips down his
abdomen, she found her goal, and Mulder sucked in a harsh breath as she
licked the top of his penis, tracing her tongue in circles around it, barely
taking in the head with her lips.
Then quickly, she swallowed him in whole, and simultaneously took his balls
into her hands, cupping them and squeezing, not quite gently, but not quite
hard either. Mulder's breathing quickened, and she left him breathless,
wordless. Moving her mouth up and down his shaft, slowly increasing in
speed, Mulder felt his willpower slowly dwindling away. In a panic, he
pulled her up quickly. He did not want his first time with her to be him
coming in her mouth. There would be plenty of time for that later.
Mulder saw the confusion in her eyes, but when blue met hazel, she seemed to
understand. Wordlessly, he carefully rolled on top of her and was about to
enter her when a gentle hand stopped him.
"Mulder?" Oh god, he thought. She's having second thoughts.
His voice squeaked, as if he were going through puberty again. "Yeah?"
Bringing her hands up to his face, she brushed the hair out of his eyes.
"Protection?"
Mulder breathed an audible sigh of relief when he realized she didn't want
to stop. He would have, but he really didn't want to. He had forgotten in
the height of passion that she still had her ova, and that she didn't know
his medical history like the back of her hand. Thanking himself for planning
ahead when he was in the right frame of mind, he reached to the top drawer
of the filing cabinet playing nightstand, and pulled out a condom.
She grabbed it from him and ripped open the package. "Let me," she
whispered, and rolled it onto his anxiously awaiting penis.
When she was done, she kept one hand on him while she guided him into her.
In one swift motion they were intertwined in the most intimate fashion.
Their eyes never left one another's, and Mulder seriously thought he might
cry. He was finally getting to be intimate with the woman he cared about
more than any body or anything else in his life, in the world.
The couple moved slowly, hips meeting hips. They kept their eyes open,
wordlessly sharing the moment. She came quietly but intensely, nails
gripping into his shoulders. Muscles clutching around Mulder, he came
quickly after her.
When they both settled back down to earth, Mulder turned them to their
sides, not wanting to leave her quite yet. He didn't want to feel that loss.
Pushing her hair from her cheek, he stared deeply into her eyes, trying to
read her feelings. He was in awe himself. He and Scully had finally had sex,
done the naked pretzel, consummated their relationship.
He and Scully had just made love.
Her eyes were bright, lips swollen from all their kisses. Leaning in, he
gave her another sweet, loved filled kiss. Finally breaking apart, Mulder
quickly discarded the condom and engulfed her in his arms, nose in her hair,
smelling the sweet scent of Scully mixed in with the tangy smell of sex.
They laid in comfortable silence. Like so many times before, no words were
necessary to express their feelings towards each other. Their bond was
strong enough that words couldn't describe accurately what they were
feeling. An aura of content settled among them, and the new found lovers
fell asleep like that, in a tangled embrace, with the moonlight shining in
on them and their finally found happiness.

*****
May 17, 1992
9:42 am
Mulder Residence
Washington, DC
Mulder awoke with a start, heart beating rapidly as he realized the other
side of the bed was cool, empty. Rubbing his hands over his face he wondered
if last night was a dream. Flinging his legs over the side of the bed, he
searched, with his eyes, for his boxers. Finding not only the black silk,
but Scully's garments from yesterday as well, he realized, happily, that
last night wasn't a dream and she hadn't had second thoughts and left this
morning. As he put the boxers on, the smell of freshly brewing coffee hit
him, and he headed downstairs with a bounce in his step.
He found her in the kitchen, hair tousled and unbrushed, no make-up and
freckles showing, wearing his gray bathrobe. Grinning, he saw that the same
robe that would go halfway down his calves brushed the floor on her. Mulder
thought Scully looked absolutely stunning.
She hadn't heard him enter yet; she was focused on going through his sparse
cabinets, trying to find, he guessed, cups, creamer, sugar. Taking the
opportunity, he snuck up on her, and wrapped his arms around her waist,
laying his chin on her shoulder.
"Morning," he mumbled quietly in her ear, leaning in a giving her a brief
kiss on her neck right under the ear.
To his delight, he felt her lean back into him. "Morning," she replied,
voice scratchy still from sleep.
"Did you sleep okay?" He wrapped his arms tighter around her, pulling her
close, still unable to believe he truly had her in his arms.
"Mmm, never better." Scully turned around suddenly to face him, and wrapped
her arms tightly around his neck.
"Good. I think that was the best night's sleep I've ever gotten." Mulder's
voice was joking, but he was completely serious.
Leaning in, their lips touched. Mulder liked the taste of her in the
morning, sleepy, tangy yet fresh. He groaned as their kiss deepened, and his
body responded with enthusiasm. She tangled her hands through his hair, and
he brought his hands around to the front of the robe to work on untying it.
His goal was almost accomplished when a brutal, harsh knock came from the
direction the front door. Mulder groaned again, closing his eyes in
frustration as they broke apart, and he could see that Scully looked highly
disappointed as well.
Looking down at him and his obvious arousal, Scully smirked. "Would you like
me to get the door and you put on some more clothes, make yourself
presentable?"
Letting out a little chuckle while Scully tightened the front of the robe
again, he bounded upstairs while she went down the opposite flight to answer
the door.
Searching quickly, Mulder found a pair of gray sweatpants, and slipped them
on. He grabbed a t-shirt and put it on over his head as he ran down the
stairs.
"Scully, who is it?" he called out, taking the stairs two at a time. The
sooner they could get that person on his or her way, the sooner they could
go back to bed. There had to be a law protecting him if he shot a door to
door sale's person for bothering him this early on a Saturday.
He finished pulling the shirt over his head as he reached the bottom of the
stairs in the entrance way. What he saw made his blood run cold.
There stood Scully, arms wrapped around herself tightly, lips pursed
together into a fine white line. Standing in the doorway was Phoebe, looking
more pissed off than normal, hands on her hips, jaw set.
When Mulder reached the final step, Scully nodded at him, and with a look of
complete neutrality, said, "I'll leave you two alone." She brushed past him
to go up the stairs, arms still protectively around herself, and Mulder
resisted the urge to hold her back, keep her down there for strength and
protection.
Letting out a sigh of irritation, he turned to face Phoebe. "What the hell
do you want, Phoebe?" Voice dripping with irritation, Mulder folded his arms
across his chest.
"Oh come on Fox, aren't you going to invite me in to see your new place?"
Her voice was dripping with sweetness, and she stepped forward to place a
hand on his chest.
He brushed that hand off of him like she was a big, ugly bug. Giving her a
look of disinterest, he asked his question again. "What do you want?"
Phoebe eyes wondered upstairs to where Scully had disappear. "Really Fox,
how long has *this* been going on? You know, because of the prenuptial, this
is really going to hurt your case. Was she worth it, Fox? Do you really
think you can replace me that easily?"
Mulder gave her a tight smile. "This," he gestured faintly up the stairs
"happened after the divorce papers were drawn up, so I am not in violation
of the prenuptial agreement." Silently, Mulder thank his lawyer for being
smart enough to check for a prenuptial. Mulder wouldn't have guessed he
would have signed something like that.
He looked her directly in the eyes before continuing. "And she is more than
worth it. I am not worthy of her, but she is the best thing that has ever
happened to me. Ever. She completes me. Simply. Fully. She makes me a whole
person." Mulder figured that phrase sounded good once, he might as well use
it again, especially since it was the truth.
"The sex is that good, I take it."
Letting out a breath of disbelief, Mulder placed his hands on his hips
before continuing. "My sex life is none of your concern now. However, it isn
't about the physical, but the emotional. It's about how I feel when I'm
with her, how she makes me feel. It's as if our souls were destined to be
together. But you wouldn't know anything about that would you? For you, it
was always about control, both mental and physical. You wouldn't know what
it's like to love and care for someone more than you do for yourself."
Mulder pushed her towards the door, anxious to get Phoebe out and to talk
with Scully. He knew what ever steps forward they had taken last night in
their relationship, Phoebe's arrival had pushed them backwards at least
double, if not triple.
To add to the irony that Mulder sometimes laughingly called his life, Phoebe
dropped the final bomb on his semblance of happiness.
"Fox, you should know, I'm pregnant."

*****
Five Days Later
May 22, 1992
Office of Section Chief Mulder
3:32 pm
Mulder anxiously tapped his pencil against the desk. Glaring at the ceiling
for not being the kind he could throw pencils into, he turned his attention
to the phone. He had been waiting for a phone call all day, and it still
hadn't come.
After Phoebe had dropped her news on him Saturday morning, he insisted she
take a paternity test. When she refused, Mulder's suspicions had been
confirmed: she had been having an affair, and it was a possibility that the
baby was not his. Since it had been well over two months since he and Phoebe
had been together, and she was far enough along that she thought it could be
Mulder's, it meant that she had violated the prenuptial if she had the
suspicions that the paternity test could come out negative, therefore
refusing to take the test.
Sighing, Mulder spun in his chair. It's not like he didn't want kids- he
just didn't want them with her. Once this divorce was done, he wanted no
connection to Phoebe what so ever. He had thought a lot about kids lately,
after Scully, in his other life, had decided she wanted to try for children
and she had asked him to be the donor. He had gone about it in a neutral
manner, unsure of what role Scully wanted him to play- just the DNA, or a
father, or a friend. When the in vitro process failed, an awkwardness fell
slightly upon them. His questions still lingered, unanswered, and she was
heartbroken. And, in usual Mulder-Scully style, they hadn't discussed it
since.
When she had asked him, he had been honored, and frankly wanted to be more
than the second necessity for the child to be created- he wanted to be the
kid's father. Especially when he knew Scully had been barren all those
years. In all honesty, he couldn't see himself, then or now, creating a
family with anyone else but Scully. Life had just thrown him another curve
ball of irony by providing him the opportunity for a family, but with the
person he ranked as being about as pleasant as snakes.
A harsh ring broke Mulder out of his thoughts, and his eyes grew wide when
he realized it was the phone. He had finally gotten Phoebe to agree to the
test because of the legality behind the divorce settlements. He had also
gotten the doctor to promise to call him directly, rather than wait for
Phoebe; she would probably lie to him anyway.
Picking up the phone quickly, Mulder answered rather breathlessly. "Mulder."

*****
Office of Dana Scully
3:41 pm
Mulder touched the nameplate. She had gone so many years without one, and
now, here it was: Dana Scully, M.D. Head of Forensic Pathology
It would only be a matter of time before she became his boss, Mulder thought
ruefully. He hesitated before knocking- things were kind of on thin ice
between them after Saturday. They had talked briefly before Scully had left,
after she had over heard his declarations and Phoebe's ploys. Basically, she
had told him, though not in these exact words, that she was afraid they were
moving too fast, he needed to get his shit together, and she needed time to
process everything. Mulder had respected her wishes, calling her
sporadically to see how she was doing in her new position, but keeping the
conversation very neutral and short, and avoiding the rift that had
developed between them.
He was nervous to tell her the news. In one sense, he was elated that Phoebe
's child was in fact, not his. Hell- elated, ecstatic, relieved didn't
describe how he was feeling. Not only because of the obvious, but now he
could get anything he wanted out of the divorce since there was hard
evidence, proof that she had violated the prenuptial. However, he was
deathly afraid Scully would interpret everything the wrong way- his
happiness at not fathering this child, of even having a prenuptial, of this
messy divorce.
Now or never, Mulder thought to himself. He knew that Scully knew the
results came back today. Walking into her outer office with false bravery,
he nodded to her secretary, who in turn nodded and replied with a "Sir."
that indicated to Mulder that he could enter.
Knocking lightly, he didn't hear a response, so he creaked open the door
softly. Resisting the urge to laugh, he took in the scenery.
Scully was buried in paperwork- it was in several piles on her desk, a
couple feet high, and there were several stacks at her feet. Her hair was
put up, held in place by a pencil. Another pencil was behind her ear, and
she was chewing on a third one. The blazer jacket he assumed she was wearing
earlier was haphazardly hung on a coat rack, and her shoes had been kicked
in that general direction.
In all though, she may have looked frazzled, but she also looked very much
in command, in control. Mulder surmised that she had been spending at least
16 hours a day in the office this week. Taking a quick glance around the
office, Mulder realized that her office was bigger and more plush than his.
He would just have to find excuses to spend more time in here.
Clearing his throat, he let out a soft "Hey," to try not to scare her. She
was buried intently in some report, and he could see the Scully mind working
frantically behind her otherwise neutral eyes.
Looking up, she blinked a couple of times in surprise before she placed the
file on a small patch of empty desk space. She put the pencil she had been
gnawing on behind the other ear that did not have one yet.
"Hey, have a seat."
Mulder sat in one of the chairs facing her desk. He then realized that he
could not see her over the piles. She must have understood that as well,
because the next thing he knew she was sitting in the chair next to him.
Trying to keep his eyes from wandering to her shapely calves that were
exposed beyond the knee length skirt, he looked Scully directly in her eyes,
which remained in neutral.
"You have news."
Mulder nodded. He might as well get it all out in the air.
"Turned out I was right; her coming to me like that was a ploy to try to get
more out of the divorce or get me to come back. I honestly don't think she
expected me to demand a paternity test. Now, since she's in violation of the
prenuptial, this divorce will go so much quicker. So, yeah, the baby isn't
mine. And there's proof of her infidelity now." He knew he was talking in
circles, but he said everything he needed to tell, at least regarding this
afternoon's phone call.
"I see. I suppose congratulations are in order." Scully's voice was cold and
detached, and her eyes still remained well guarded.
"Don't get me wrong Scully. If that kid had been mine, I would have loved it
and would have tried to be the best father I could. However, I am glad that
it's not, because I don't want that kind of connection to Phoebe. A child
should be born of love between two people, and that would not have been the
case here. Yes, I am relieved, not because I don't want children, which I
do, eventually, but I don't want children with her. There's the distinction.
She is a mistake from my youth that I'm trying to rid myself of and start
over. And, I hope that this new turn in my life will include you. Even
though we've only known each other for a short amount of time Scully, you
mean more to me than she ever did; than anyone else will ever be. And, if I
need to wait for you, if you need more time to process all this, if you need
more time to believe me, to trust me, than I will wait a lifetime for you."
During his speech, Mulder had moved from the chair and was kneeling before
Scully, hands on top of hers which were clenched in her lap. He looked up at
her, eyes open and shining with emotion. God, he couldn't bare to loose her.
Her eyes were still neutral, she her licked her lips and looked away from
him before she spoke.
"Mulder, I'm not very good at talking about or even displaying my feelings,
my emotions. But when I'm with you, I feel like, well, how you described it,
that you complete me. Not that I wasn't or couldn't be fine on my own, but I
'm better with you, that, as you put it, that I'm a whole person. And this
scares me Mulder. It scares the shit me. What is even more frightening is
that in the short amount of time we've known each other, I feel like you
know me better than I know myself. I feel like we've known each other for
years. I can't explain it, but for some reason we have this instantaneous
connection, a bond that takes some people lifetimes to make. You have
already become my best friend. I just think, I don't know, that were on a
train that is going out of control because we're not looking where we're
going; because we're moving too fast. And I'm just so afraid that the train
is going to crash."
Mulder didn't realize he was crying until he saw the tears hit Scully's
skirt. Looking up, he saw that Scully was on the verge of tears herself, and
when they made eye contact, her tears started to flow as well.
"Scully, I promise you, that I will never intentionally crash that train. I
will do everything to keep us railed, to keep us safe. I can't promise there
won't be bumps in the way, but, these past few days have been my most
miserable."
"I know, me too." She gave him a sad smile and stroked his hair.
Mulder wrapped his arms around her, and brought his head to her stomach,
where he hugged her tightly, and vowed never to let go.

*****
Over One Year Later
Friday, November 3, 1993
6:14 am
Omaha, Nebraska
The past year had been one of the most amazing for Mulder. His divorce went
smoothly, and last April he was legally single again. Officially, he was
"taken" and everyone knew it. He and Scully had grown incredibly close over
the past twenty months. Mulder's "former" life was that of a distant memory
for him. When those memories did penetrate his thoughts, he wondered how he
could've survived that life without Scully by his side as a life partner,
rather than just a work partner.
This weekend they were at a convention where both were ironically invited to
be key note speakers. The convention was for law enforcement in the
mid-west, and the weekend was called "Forensics and Violent Crimes- How to
Increase Your Solve Rates Through Cooperation". He was thrilled that he and
Scully would be working together again. Sure, it wasn't a X-File, but it was
better than nothing. And since the convention was being hosted by the Bureau
and on the Bureau's dime, once Mulder realized both he and Scully were were
attending he pulled some strings so they could share one room.
They had flown in late last night from DC, and had effectively crashed after
unpacking. Opening one eye, Mulder peeked at Scully, pretending to be
asleep. He loved looking at her in the mornings. The winter sun's rays
peeked through the curtains, gently illuminating her face. She was sitting
up, engrossed in the morning paper. Hair all tousled, she was wearing a
simple, yet elegant silk nightgown edged with soft lace in a burgundy color
that seemed to enhance her hair and make her skin glow.
"Mulder, quit staring at me and pretending to be asleep. You know I hate it
when you do that." Scully's eyes never left the paper.
"Why don't you like it? I love it; I love looking at you." He took the paper
from her hands and threw it on the other side of the bed. Snuggling close,
he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her abdomen.
"It makes me feel like a lab rat or something of the effect. Like I'm being
studied and watched- and not in the sense that I know you will make a
comment about." Scully's hands were playing with Mulder's hair, and a sigh
of contentment fell over him.
"Hey Scully?"
"Yeah?"
"Let's get married." This wasn't a last minute whim of Mulder's; he had been
thinking long and hard about it for over a year now. But as he felt the
hands in his hair stop moving, he wondered if he made a mistake.
"What- Mulder, it sounded like you just asked me to marry you."
Untangling himself, Mulder drew himself up so he was sitting side by side
with Scully. He looked into her eyes, which were masked with both disbelief
and a bit of fear.
"Scully, you heard right. I want us to get married. I want to marry you.
And, I've learned from my mistakes, and I know that this time around will be
forever, so you can't use that as an excuse."
"What makes you think I'd give you reasons to not get married?"
"Because I know you Scully. You'll rationalize every little bit of this, of
my proposal. Why we shouldn't. Why we can't. Let's just do it; I think you
feel the same way about me that I feel about you. We've been together for
almost two years now Scully, I think this is *the* rational next step, a
step we should take care of now."
"Mulder you make it sound like you want us to get married today." Mulder
could swear she was trying to hide a smile as she spoke.
"Why couldn't we? The state of Nebraska doesn't have a waiting period, doesn
't require blood tests or that you be a citizen of the state."
"Somehow, I think you could charm an vegetarian into eating a steak. However
Mulder, we are not here on vacation. We're here to work. I'm surprised the
Bureau is even allowing us to share a room. Plus, I do not want to get
married in Nebraska with a bunch of cows. I can't just run off and get
married- I have my religion and family to think of."
Mulder's face fell, and he began to pull away from her. Somehow, he knew
that this life was too good to be true and that he would screw it up
somehow. His heart lightened though when she tightened her grip around him,
refusing to let him go.
"Mulder, look at me." He did, trying unsuccessfully to shield the hurt from
his eyes.
Scully smiled, and gave him a gentle kiss. "That's not a no, that's just a
not right now. Let's just think it through some more, so it doesn't end up
being a last minute weekend event. Let's plan it to make it special." Mulder
suppress a grin.
"So you'll marry me Scully?"
"I'll marry you Mulder."
He didn't try to suppress his grin anymore. Leaning in, Mulder kissed her
deeply and thoroughly. Breaking apart breathlessly just quick enough to
release Scully of her confining nightgown, he brought his mouth back down
upon hers, hands frantically roaming her body as he rolled over on top of
her.
Mulder pulled back and stared down at Scully, taking in her flushed cheeks
and swollen lips, breasts rising and falling rapidly with her breathing,
nipples taunt and ready. His heart beat caught in his throat, and he
swallowed the lump forming in it as he once again couldn't believe how lucky
he was. Ripping off his boxers and her panties quickly, he slipped inside
her smoothly, their eyes never leaving each other's as they wordlessly began
to make love.

*****
Civic Hall Convention Center
Downtown Omaha, Nebraska
10:57 am
"And now I'd like to turn things over to my esteemed colleague, Dr. Dana
Scully." A round of polite applause followed as Mulder stepped down from the
podium. Glancing at Scully, he resisted the urge to break out in a goofy
grin. He could count on one hand the number of women in the room, yet Scully
commanded the attention of every single person, men and women alike. Mulder
felt the smile begin to fall across his face as he took in all the
appreciative looks of the men from around the room. Sorry buddies, he
thought to himself, she's taken and she's mine.
"Thank you, Agent Mulder. As you know, forensic evidence is the key to any
criminal investigation. When there is a murder or death involved, the
forensics become even more crucial. The dead victim has left a story, and it
's your job to figure out what that story is. Many times, in smaller
communities like the ones you all represent, the pathologist conducting the
autopsy may not be as adept to criminal investigation and what kind of
criminal evidence to look for. In instances such as these, it is imperative
that you, as the investigator, not only be present for the autopsy, but have
first hand knowledge of what to look for during the autopsy, while balancing
a fair amount of discretion, allowing the pathologist to complete his or her
work without interference."
As Scully kept speaking, Mulder began to be lulled by the throaty sound of
her voice. He began to think of planning a vacation for the two of them for
the Thanksgiving holiday. They both had a fair amount of vacation time saved
up. Now to convince her...
"And if any of you are a little weak in the stomach, I suggest eating a
light lunch, because we will be performing a real autopsy when you return.
We will see you all back here at 2 pm." Light applause scattered again as
chairs scraped and folder snapped shut. Mulder didn't have a chance to even
stand up before Scully was surrounded by several attendees.
"Dr. Scully, how would you like to join me for lunch? I know the area
well..."
"Dr. Scully, I really found your lecture fascinating. Perhaps we could go
somewhere and talk a little more in depth..."
"Dr. Scully, I would love to hear more about your work in the Bureau..."
Mulder noticed that Scully look slightly amused. One eyebrow was up, and the
corners of her mouth were twitching. He decided to hang back momentarily,
knowing that Scully could well handle this herself, and was frankly finding
the whole situation entertaining as well.
"Gentlemen, I am truly flattered by your offers. However, I think my fiance
wouldn't be too happy if I accepted. Thank you though." Scully returned her
attention to packing up her briefcase, and the men started to back away.
Mulder though, couldn't resist rubbing their disappointment in a little bit
more.
"Hey Scully," he said simply as he walked up to her side, standing close and
placing his hand on the small of her back. Looking up, he gave the other men
a smug look, and reveled in the comprehension that flashed across their
faces.
Without looking up, Scully said in a dry voice, "Mulder you can quit the
alpha-male posturing. I think I already broke their hearts once." Closing
her briefcase with a snap, she looked up, a cross between amusement and
annoyance dancing in her eyes.
"Ohhh...you wanton you. Your fianc must be a lucky man." They started
heading toward the door, so absorbed in their own world and each other that
they were oblivious to the stares that followed them.
"Mmm...he's lucky I put up with him, yes." She bit her lip from laughing at
the look on Mulder's face.
Weaving his fingers through hers, he was very happy when she didn't object.
Not that they were breaking protocol, but she still liked to be discrete
when they were in a professional setting. "You called me your fianc
 Scully."
"That's what you are, isn't it?"
"I know, it just sounds so good coming from your lips."
"These lips also regularly call you a pompous ass."
"Oh, I love it when you talk dirty to me."
Rolling her eyes as they stepped out to the chilled bright sunlight, she
turned to face him. "Mulder, you're insufferable."
Cupping her face between both hands, he grazed her lips with a quick kiss. A
slight blush covered her face, and Mulder saw her eyes glance sideways,
nervous at who may have saw them. She was very uncomfortable with public
displays of affection, even little ones. Finally she looked him back in the
eyes and brought her hands up to his.
"And you dear fiance, my dear Scully, are phenomenally breathtaking."
"Keep talking like that Mulder and I just might end up marrying you after
all."
Grinning at each other, their fingers intertwined again as they took off to
find lunch.

*****
Douglas County Morgue
Omaha, Nebraska
4:47 pm
Mulder sat back in his chair on the opposite side of the room listening
intently to all the questions being asked of Scully. Technically, he didn't
have to be present for the autopsy; the majority of his presentation was
going to be tomorrow morning. But he stayed, telling himself since the
convention was teaching local law enforcement how to play nice with others,
he might as well set an example. In all honesty, he just didn't want to be
away from Scully for that long.
Plus, it was pure enjoyment to watch these burly small town law enforcement
agents who had been born and bred on corn and steak loose their tough image
as they lost their lunch during the autopsy. At least seven men had to leave
the room at one point or another while Scully was slicing and dicing, to go
pray to the porcelain god. Frankly, Mulder got a thrill out of watching
Scully be so cool and collected, analytical, searching for the facts and not
blinking at the sight of a dead person's small intestine.
He wished however, that these people would quit talking so he and Scully
could get out of there. Mulder could tell that Scully was feeling the same
way; she was always exhausted after an autopsy. Maybe she didn't remain so
detached during an autopsy after all, Mulder thought, if she leaves each one
so tired.
As if reading his thoughts, one of the attendees seemed to take the words
right out of Mulder's mind as he asked his question.
"Dr. Scully, and I mean this with all due respect, but how do you remain so
cool and detached the whole time? I know that you're trained to do so, we
all are in a way, but the whole time you were conduction the autopsy, I just
couldn't pull away from the fact that a few days ago, that man was
breathing, living, probably laughing, enjoying life. He probably has a
family missing him somewhere. He probably had things he still wanted to do,
and I guess, how do you not feel surrounded or disturbed by all his regrets
that still linger?"
For a moment, Mulder saw Scully's jaw go slightly slack as she blinked a
couple of times and inhaled a deep breath. But it was only a moment, and if
one had blinked, he or she would have missed the break in the unflappable
Dr. Scully. Mulder knew, that for whatever reasons, the question posed had
stirred something in Scully, had hit a note within Scully's internal
emotions.
She answered in a very quite voice. "I can remain like that because I know I
'm trying to give to justice to the dreams, the hopes, those regrets, that
never got to be experienced and fulfilled. I'm trying to speak for this man
who can no longer speak for himself." The room remained silent, humbled and
awed. Scully's eyes clouded over, as if deep in thought.
The moment was broken by Scully clearing her throat roughly. "I think
sessions today are dismissed. We hope to see everyone at the reception
tonight." Taking off the goggles that had been perched on the top of her
head during the question and answer period, without looking up from the man
she had just cut opened and exposed, she called out to Mulder.