From: Donna Honeycutt Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 11:52:18 -0400 Subject: New Story - Always a Bridesmaid Source: direct Title - Always a Bridesmaid Author - Donna Email address - donnah@pop.uky.edu URL - www.geocities.com/Area51/Quadrant/4571/ Rating - R Category - MSR Spoilers - All Things Keywords - MSR, angst Summary - He attends a wedding as her date, bad idea? Feedback - Please Disclaimer - Mulder, Scully, the Lone Gunman and Skinner all belong to Chris Carter, 10-13 and Fox. No infringement intended Always a Bridesmaid He opened the door and tossed his keys onto the table. Another thrill-a-minute weekend to look forward to. He looked around the apartment. It could use a cleaning. He sighed. Just about everyone he knew looked forward to the weekends. Personally he couldn't get through them fast enough and get back to important things. Too bad there was no good case to work on, then he and . . . oh yeah, she was one of those people that looked forward to weekends. He sighed and headed into the bedroom. Once there, he changed into cut off sweats and t-shirt. He could probably get a run in, and put off housekeeping for a little while longer. He was moving toward the door when the phone rang. "Yeah?" Great, the management company that looked after his mother's house. Damn he hated making these kinds of decisions. If the tenants wanted to put in more flowers, fine with him. Yes, a couple of stones for a pathway through the flowers would be fine as well. He was shaking his head now; this stuff did not matter! He managed to get off the phone without losing it completely, but his desire to run was shot. He was supposedly an adult now, with adult responsibilities, cleaning the apartment was something that had been put off for too long. He trudged into the bedroom and grabbed his laundry basket. There wasn't a good reason for not putting his dirty clothes actually in the basket instead of throwing them around the room, and making the bed didn't take that long. He moved into the kitchen when the phone rang again. "Yeah." "Well hello to you too, Mulder." Just the sound of her voice lifted his spirits. "Sorry, just went a couple of rounds with the management company in Greenwich. What's up Sunshine?" Sunshine? Was he drinking? She decided to ignore the comment and move on. "Just thought I'd let you know the autopsy report came in. The tox screen confirmed our report." "Great. You want to go in tomorrow and - " "No. Mulder, stop there. I've got plans this weekend." "Plans? What, you have a date?" "Stranger things have happened." But she relented as the silence grew from his side of the call. "I'm going to Richmond. An old friend of mine is getting married." "You're a bridesmaid!" "Bite your tongue Mulder. No I am not a bridesmaid. This is her second marriage and there are no bridesmaids." "Were you one in the first wedding?" "Shut up Mulder." "Pink taffeta and ruffles?" "I'm hanging up." "Wait! I'm sorry. When are you leaving?" "Well, it'll take me at least an hour and a half. I'm supposed to be there for a lunch." Her voice kind of trailed off. "You don't sound especially thrilled, Scully." He probed gently. He could almost hear her shrug. "It'll be nice to see my friends again." "But?" "How come she's had two husbands and I can't even find one!" He sat there, stunned. She didn't usually admit things like that, at least not to him. This must be bothering her more than he realized. "Scully?" He heard her sigh. "I'm sorry, Mulder. That was a stupid comment and I apologize. I do need to hang up, pack, that kind of thing. I just thought you'd want to know about the results." "Scully, are you going alone?" He decided to ignore that part about hanging up. "Yes, why?" "I don't know, it sounds like you could use a friend." "I'm going to be with all my friends from undergraduate school." She sighed, then "Oh. You mean . . . Mulder, are you busy this weekend?" "Swamped, but I could probably fit you in." "Are you serious?" She realized she was holding her breath. It hit him what he had just offered, without much thought. "Well, yeah. I mean, if you wouldn't mind. I'd try not to embarrass you too much." "Could I pick out your tie?" "I should resent that, shouldn't I?" She chuckled at that. "Would you really do this for me?" That settled it, he'd blundered in, but he wasn't about to back out now. "Sure. You've done enough off the wall things for me." That brought about another laugh. Yes, Mulder would consider this 'off the wall', but for the first time since she had received the invitation, she didn't feel overwhelming dread. "What do I need to pack?" "A suit, bathing suit - " "Bathing suit?" He broke in. "Yes, there's a pool party at the groom's house tomorrow night. And something casual - not jeans and t-shirt." "I think I can do that. What time should I pick you up?" "I'll pick you up. Nine o'clock sharp. If you're not ready - " "You'll leave without me. I get it; I'll be ready." "Mulder, thank you." She hung up before he could respond. He wasn't sure what he'd gotten himself into, but she really did seem pleased that he was accompanying her. ***** He opened the door when she knocked the next morning. "Mulder, are you - " She stopped then and had to laugh. "I can't believe you still have that." "Why, what do you mean, Agent Scully?" "You still have the pink golf shirt?" "You don't like me in pink?" He asked innocently. "You did when we were married." "Actually, you might fit in well in that." "Great." He rolled his eyes. She moved past him and headed toward his bedroom. "Scully?" "You said I could pick your tie." "Thanks a lot." But he followed her into the bedroom, where she spotted several ties laid out on the bed. She turned to look at him, eyebrow raised. He shrugged but grinned at her. She immediately reached for a dark green tie with a geometric design. "Did you pick this one out?" "I beg your pardon?" She didn't back down, "Mulder, did you?" He looked away. "No. The salesman liked it with my suit." She didn't even try to hide the laugh. He would have been a lot more insulted if she didn't look so damn good. Yes, he was wearing the pink golf shirt, but she was wearing a short straight dress, mostly black, of course this was Scully. But it was sleeveless and had flowers around the hem. "We better get going. I'm hoping there's no traffic or construction, but . . ." "Okay, I'm ready. Let me put the tie in and we're off." He followed her to the car and let her open the trunk. "Be careful, the wedding present is back here." "Oh, what did we get them?" Her eyes narrowed, which caused his grin to widen. Instead of answering, she walked around to the driver's side and got in. He got in on his side and after buckling up, turned to her. "You can't tell me because it's too sexy?" She snorted lightly, "It's two champagne glasses in their pattern." "So we have very good taste." "Yeah, Mulder, great taste." She pulled out into traffic as he chuckled. Boy, she hoped she hadn't made a mistake here . . . After they got on the highway, he turned to her again. "Okay, tell me all about the other wedding." "Other wedding?" "The one where you wore the pink ruffles." "Oh god, Mulder, you are not going to talk about that. It was a long time ago, they've been divorced at least a couple of years. And I did not wear pink." "Scully, I promise to be good as gold." She glanced over at him. He was enjoying this, at her expense, but he seemed so light hearted, it was beginning to lift her spirits as well. She knew she had not gone into this with the best attitude. "It was yellow." She finally said. "Yellow?" "It was spring." "Yeah, but yellow?" Scully shook her head and smiled. "Yes." "Style?" "You want to know the style of the dress? What is this?" "Come on, I'm trying to visualize you. I don't suppose there will be old pictures of the first wedding hanging around." She turned and glared at him. He mock cringed. "Good as gold, I promise." "Great. What have I done?" But he could tell she was beginning to get into a weekend mode, lighter, freer. Whatever happened, this ride would be worth it. "Gone With the Wind." He almost choked. "Scully, you're kidding!" "No." She shook her head again. "Her mother planned the wedding. I still remember the tension between those two. I wouldn't be surprised if her mother's not even invited this time. We weren't in hoop skirts, but they were full and had crinolines, white gloves and those big floppy hats with ribbons." "God, Scully. Please tell me there is a picture of this somewhere back at your apartment. My imagination is just not that good." She laughed out loud then, "I may have kept one, but if you ever tell anyone . . . " She let the threat hang and watched as he crossed his finger over his heart. ***** "Mulder, I need to get to the luncheon right now." She glanced at her watch, then over at the desk. "Could you check us in? Leave my key at the desk? I'd appreciate it." "No problem. Have fun." He watched her walk away. She looked great and, for this weekend only, she was with him. And not as a partner. He turned toward the desk. "May I help you?" The woman behind the counter looked more than willing to assist him with just about anything. He shot her his most appealing smile. "Yes, I believe you have a reservation in the name Scully?" "Ah yes, Dr. Scully." She typed quickly into the computer. "Wha . . .? Oh, and I need another room too." "I'm sorry, Dr. Scully. We have several meetings going on. I'm afraid we're completely booked for tonight." "Oh. Uh, okay." He glanced in the direction Scully had taken. Well, he couldn't bother her right now, but she had the car keys. Well, in the meantime, he could wait in her room. "I'll take one key, but I need to leave one here to be picked up." "Yes sir, no problem." She smiled at him again. He nodded and picked up both suitcases and hanging bags and headed for the elevator. "Sir, would you like some help?" "I've got it. Thanks." He found the room with no trouble. It wasn't like he didn't know his way around hotels. The key card got him in and he hung up her dress and his suit, then eyed the room. It was a mini-suite, sitting room in the front and two queen size beds in the other room. Maybe she'd let him sleep on the couch, then at least he wouldn't have to find a room. In the meantime, he could hang out here at least. Lunch. He should get some lunch. He hadn't asked her when the party started tonight and he'd had to hurry to meet her deadline this morning, so he'd forgone breakfast. He headed back downstairs to the dining room. He spotted the sign on the room for the luncheon and stood just outside the door listening for just a second. He couldn't hear her voice, some other woman was talking and he moved on before someone had him arrested as a pervert. He knew she wasn't completely thrilled to be here and he hoped that he could help with that. ***** When he emerged from the bathroom, she gave him the once over. "Are you armed Mulder?" "No, why?" "We're going to be with women who have been married a while. You're going to make the husbands look a little stale." "Why Agent Scully, are you coming on to me?" She rolled her eyes, "Can't take a compliment, huh?" She grinned and took over the bathroom. When she emerged, she watched his eyes widen. "Well, I know you aren't armed." "What, is it too tight?" She twisted, trying to see herself and he was stunned to feel a stirring in his groin. "Uh, no, Scully, it's perfect. You're not much for compliments either, are you?" He'd never seen her dressed like that. It was a sundress, spaghetti straps. It was some shade of green, wasn't that called sage? He had a tinge of regret that he couldn't see the color as others did, because it was obviously perfect on her. Her legs might be short, but damn were they shapely and those little nothing shoes made them look plenty long. Enough! This was Scully, quit gawking at her. So what if you haven't had a live date in nearly a decade; maybe this was why. ***** "Scully, are you kidding? This is the address?" She checked the number again. "This is the place." She was looking at the house too. It was a mansion; there was no other word for it. It was not what she had expected. "She's marrying him for love, right?" The question caught her off guard and she laughed. "Are you going to behave, Mulder? Or should we turn around and leave right now." "Come on, Scully. Tell me you weren't thinking the same thing." She forced a bland expression on her face, though her eyes were dancing. "We'll discuss this later. Come on." Mulder pulled the car up to the curb along with the other cars and got out. He moved to open her door, but she beat him to it. He did put his hand on her back as they walked up the drive, neither thinking that much about it. The bride herself answered the door. "Dana!" She threw her arms around Scully. "I still can't believe I was able to catch you on a weekend you were free. Everyone is just thrilled that you could come. I'm sorry we didn't have more time to talk at the luncheon. It's been too long!" Scully returned the hug. "I know, I'm sorry. I should do a better job of staying in touch. Chloe, this is my friend, Fox Mulder." She turned and indicated Mulder, standing close behind her, and watched the expression change on Chloe's face. The woman actually checked him out before she found her voice. "Fox. Very nice to meet you." She held out her hand and took his. "Uh, thanks. I'm glad Dana and I were free." Scully's head came up suddenly, but she caught herself. She'd get him later. "Come on back. Everyone's at the pool. You can put your bag in the pool house and we'll change after we eat. Jason's grilling out with help from the other guys. I bet you do a great job on the grill, Fox." She had his arm, and it was as though she had forgotten Scully for an instant, then she took her arm as well and led them through to the back. "I'll give you a tour of the house later. I didn't think I was going to get the decorators out of here before the wedding, but we squeaked by!" She led them to the bar first. "You need to get a drink before everyone starts talking to you, or you'll never make it. Come over and meet Jason as soon as you're fixed up." She released Fox, finally, and moved to speak to her other guests. Mulder leaned down to Scully's ear. "Yeah, it's for love." She had to cover her mouth to keep from sputtering as she laughed out loud and Mulder relished the sight. He got her a wine and himself a beer, then began following her around, being introduced to her friends. Chloe wasn't the only woman to take special note of him and Scully began looking at him with new eyes. He did look great tonight, in gray slacks, a darker gray t-shirt and sports coat. He seemed at ease and was obviously thoroughly enjoying calling her Dana and not bothering to explain their relationship. Well, she couldn't complain exactly, she was doing the same thing. He had stayed at the grill with Jason and the other men after they had introduced themselves and she was carried off by several of her friends. Brenda had her cornered now, "Where did you meet this foxy Fox? Come on Dana, give!" "He works at the Bureau. We've known each other for a while." Chloe joined them then, "Well, Honey, it's good to know my tax money is going for something like that! Good old J. Edgar never looked like him." Scully glanced back over at him. He saw her and winked. She couldn't help the blush that came over her face and the other women noticed immediately. Comments began flying. "Wait, wait a minute, it's not like that. We're friends." "Yeah. I'd be friends with him in a minute myself." Brenda commented and the others laughed, agreeing. Scully looked back over now that he wasn't watching her. He was the best looking man standing there. Okay, maybe she was a little prejudice, but it all worked for him, tall, dark, handsome . . . She realized where her thoughts were taking her and shook her head slightly. "Yeah, join us again girlfriend. You can watch him after the lights go out." Scully just shook her head again and smiled, then remembered that she would indeed get to watch him sleep tonight. "Soup's on!" Jason called from the grill and Scully gave a little sigh of relief. It was hard being questioned, even teased, by these women on this subject, especially with Mulder, 'Fox', watching from the sidelines. He brought her a plate, with exactly what she would have chosen for herself and sat beside her. When he did, some of the husbands also joined the women - whether to protect their turf or not, Scully wasn't sure. "How about some more wine?" "I'd love it, thanks, Fox." She looked up at him challengingly. "Anytime, Dana." He rose and moved toward the bar. "Good god, Dana. The way he says your name! I've got goose bumps." Brenda leaned in and whispered. Scully made no comment. This was one hell of a strange evening. She heard the music change and several people got up to dance. Mulder returned with her wine, but instead of handing it to her, placed it on the table. "Dance?" The request caught her off guard, but she only hesitated an instant before nodding. He took her hand and led her to the dance area. It wasn't until after she was in his arms that she realized what was playing, "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge. She looked up at him, not sure if she was expecting a wink or a laugh. She was not expecting that look in his eyes. Her breath caught and he pulled her a little closer. She didn't resist, instead closing her eyes and resting her cheek against his chest. Surely it was only her imagination that his heartbeat became a little faster. It definitely was not her imagination that his lips pressed against her forehead as the song ended. She was afraid to look up; she knew she was blushing. His lips brushed her ear then, "thanks for the dance." She nodded and let him escort her back to their seats. She was aware of the looks she was receiving, but chose to ignore them. There was nothing she could say anyway. She reached for her wine, forcing some control into her hands. Shortly Jason joined their group. "The water's perfect and the hot tub is ready. The guys are going to change first, because it doesn't take us as long. Then we'll turn the pool house over to you ladies." Mulder stood to follow him and this time he did wink, then turned away. She was watching him when suddenly it hit her, had he brought the Speedo? Oh god, she'd never get through the evening if he had. "Dana? Are you okay?" "What? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." "He'll be right back." Brenda teased. "You guys are awful! I told you, we're just friends." "Dana, Sweetheart, you and I are 'friends'. The word for the two of you is lovers. Come on, can you say 'lovers'?" "We are not involved that way. Listen - " "We think thou dost protest too much, but we'll let you keep to your little fantasy for now, won't we ladies?" She couldn't stop herself from watching for him to come out of the pool house, and breathed a small sigh of relief when he did. Not the Speedo, he'd brought what looked like jogging shorts. Damn he looked good. "Dana? Breathe." Brenda said and everyone laughed. Jason came over about that time. "Ladies, the pool house is yours." "Come on, let's get those bikinis on." Brenda rose. "Oh yeah, I'm going to expose these stretch marks with a bikini." Angie spoke forlornly as she followed her. Scully refused to catch Mulder's eye; she'd blushed enough for one evening. He was watching for her when she emerged. He was not disappointed. She looked incredible. He knew she worked out, did yoga, and of course he'd seen her at the shooting range. The bathing suit was one-piece, and black, but the neckline was deep, deep enough to give the impression she could fall out of it at any moment. The legs were cut very high. He knew that was an illusion to make her legs look longer. Well, it worked. He didn't see the other women emerge, but they were watching him. In fact it was a lot more fun watching these two than the engaged couple. He approached her now, with her glass of wine. "You look great." "Thanks." She didn't quite meet his eye. "Hot tub?" "Uh, sure." He led her that way and took her hand to help her in. She sank into the warmth and smiled up at him. He joined her, setting her wine on the ledge where she could reach it easily. "We should do this more often, Scully." "Not Dana?" She questioned. "Just want to make sure you know who I'm talking to." She nodded, then turned away, unable to look at him now. Several people joined them, and one of the men, Greg, introduced himself to Dana. "I met Fox over by the grill, I'm Greg Summerlin, a school friend of the groom." "Pleased to meet you Greg." She leaned forward to shake his hand and brushed her breast against Mulder's chest when he shifted. She pulled back, hoping it didn't look as though she was jerked away from him, even if that is what she had done. "I, uh, I think I'll jump in the pool for a minute." "Mulder?" They had just gotten in the hot tub. She felt his lips at her ear again. "I need some cold water, very cold." Her mouth dropped slightly open and she watched him wrap a towel around his waist then move to the pool. He executed a shallow dive that took him to the far end of the pool in one breath. Rather than make a comment, she reached for her wine. Maybe if she got drunk she could get through this evening and . . . and the rest of the night. ***** He slipped into his bed and glanced over at her in her bed. "Scully? Did I embarrass you too much?" "No, Mulder. You didn't embarrass me at all. You were totally charming. Don't worry, I've already checked under the bed for pods." "Thanks." He grinned at her. "Well, Mulder, it was a little different. I've never seen you like that." "Maybe we should date more often." "Right." She rolled over, turning her back to him, but didn't bother to turn off the light. She knew he wouldn't be going to sleep anytime soon. "Scully?" "Mmm?" She didn't turn back toward him. "Who's Daniel?" He could see her tense immediately. "Where did you hear that name?" "A couple of your girl friends were talking. Brenda, I'm not sure who the other one was. Brenda said she hadn't seen you look at a man the way you looked at me since Daniel." She was silent and he realized he'd made a mistake. He wasn't sure what he should say now. Maybe keeping quiet himself was the right thing. Yeah, and since when did he do the right thing? "Scully, how did you look at him?" "I . . . Mulder, I can't - " "Who was Daniel?" "You don't want to hear that story." "Or do you not want to tell it?" She still hadn't turned to look at him and he finally saw just how uncomfortable she was. "I'm sorry, Scully. It's none of my business. Go on to sleep." At that she did turn to look at him. He sounded so guilty. "Mulder, I'm tired, and I've had a little too much to drink. Could we - " "It's not a problem, Scully. Sweet dreams." He reached up and switched off the light. Unfortunately, the sleepiness that had encompassed her was gone now. Daniel? Why the hell had Brenda mentioned him in the first place, and especially where Mulder could hear. Damn it. She rose from the bed and moved over to sit beside him on the bed. He turned to look at her. She was probably making a mistake here, she'd definitely had too much to drink, but he had been so sweet tonight. "Mulder." "Scully, you don't have to talk about this. We're not really dating, 'involved'." "We're involved Mulder." She sighed, "I . . . I'm not proud of my relationship with Daniel." She looked around the room while he waited. "Daniel is Dr. Daniel Waterston. He was one of my professors in Medical School. He's a brilliant cardiologist and for some reason he became attracted to me." He sat up then, pulled the sheet up over his lap and leaned against the head of the bed. He was watching her eyes. "I can understand that." She looked down. "It was a mistake." "Because he was your professor?" "Because he was married." Mulder blinked. That had never crossed his mind. "It was such a mess. He was very upset when I decided to leave medicine for the FBI. He couldn't understand it and we had harsh words." "Did you leave to get away from him?" Her head shot up then, "That's what he accused me of." "Was he right?" He didn't back down this time, but he wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. "I wanted to join the FBI. I did not want to go into cardiology; I was interested in pathology - another bone of contention. As a pathologist, I felt I could make a difference at the FBI." "What did he think?" "That I was throwing my career away, that I was being foolish, that . . . that I was running away." "Were you in love with him?" She didn't answer right away. "I suppose I thought I was. It was flattering to have such a distinguished, older man, a man with a brilliant career, interested in me." "You were lovers." It wasn't a question, so she didn't bother to answer. "How long since you've seen him?" "I haven't seen him since I went to Quantico." Mulder blinked at that, nearly eight years. "That's a long time." "It was over. It should never have begun. I'm very ashamed that I became involved with a married man, Mulder." She was also aware that she had definitely had too much to drink. This was not a topic of conversation she should have with her partner. She started to rise from the bed, but his hand shot out and took hold of her arm. "Scully, thanks." "Thanks?" "For talking to me about this. And . . . and for looking at me like you did." She blushed. "Go to sleep Scully." She nodded and did rise then. She crawled back into her own bed but didn't turn away from him. He moved back down in his bed as well and rolled to his side to look at her as well. After a moment he reached up and turned out the light, but neither turned away, falling asleep facing each other. ***** She signed the guest register for both of them, and turned back to Mulder. Greg approached them then and smiled. "I know, friend of the bride." He held out his arm to escort her. Mulder didn't look too happy about that, but trailed after them when Scully made no comment. She slid into the pew and after Greg moved away, he sat beside her. "Friend of the bride?" "Yes. The friends and relatives of the bride sit on the left and the groom's friends sit on the right facing the altar." "Well, it certainly would look meager over there at our wedding." He grinned at her before she could start any outraged comment. "And Frohike would probably want to sit on your side anyway." She elbowed him lightly and he chuckled. "You obviously haven't attended enough weddings, Mulder, or you'd know how to behave." "Can't disagree, Scully." He looked up as Brenda slipped into the seat next to him. "Hi guys. Glad to see you could make it here today." She grinned evilly at Dana, who shook her head. Mulder put his arm over the back of the pew and around her shoulders. She tried to suppress a grin and Brenda actually snickered. "Nice glow, Dana." "Will you hush?" "Come on Fox, doesn't she have a radiance about her?" Mulder grinned down at Scully, but wisely kept quiet. The need to whisper was a problem and his smile wasn't helping the situation. "She's really putting on the dog for a second wedding." Brenda remarked a little snidely. "But I guess if my mother had done to me what hers did to her . . . You ever been married Fox?" It was a throw away question, just conversation and Brenda was stunned to see the color suffuse his face as he stumbled through a non-answer. Brenda saw Dana stiffen and realized she had really stepped into it this time. "Hey, look, I'm sorry. It's none of my business." Too late, the damage was done. Obviously he had been married and even more obviously Dana hadn't known. Brenda was ready to kick herself; these two had been having such a good time. Why had she asked the question? The music changed then, swelled, and the minister motioned for everyone to rise. Mulder almost missed it, watching Scully. She wouldn't meet his eyes; she wouldn't even look in his direction, instead staring straight ahead. Even Brenda could feel the tension. It was too late to change seats, but they needed some time alone. Chloe came down the aisle alone to meet Jason and the minister. Her dress was lovely, tea length and lace overlaid. She carried orchids and wore baby's breath in her dark hair. Scully saw none of it, her shock too deep, too raw. Mulder saw this and felt his heart sink. What could he have been thinking? The ceremony was mercifully short, and as soon as possible Brenda left them after a look of sympathy to Fox. He stepped out into the aisle to let her out and his hand came up to touch her back. She shied away instantly, not allowing his touch. "Scully we have to talk." She ignored him and walked down the aisle, stiff with composure. Angie joined them at the front of the church. "Dana, Fox, could I catch a lift to the reception? Harry got a call and he has to find a fax machine." "We aren't - " "Of course you can, Angie." Mulder interrupted. "It would be my pleasure to escort two beautiful women." Angie smiled up at him. "How do you stand him, Dana?" She didn't see the fire snapping in Scully's eyes, though she held her silence. Angie and Mulder did most of the talking on the drive to the country club, and Angie didn't seem to pick up on the tension. When they arrived, Mulder pulled up to the front door. "I'll let you ladies out and then park. I'll be just a minute." The two women got out and Scully headed for the ladies room. Angie followed and pulled a lipstick from her bag. "Dana? You okay?" "I'm fine." "Are you sure? You seem a little pale." "Do I? I'm sure it's nothing." "Good, a little champagne is probably just the thing." Scully had a half-thought idea of staying in the ladies room until the reception was over, but Angie was waiting, so reluctantly she followed her out. Mulder was waiting just outside the door. "He is so incredible, Dana." Scully made no comment, but when he took her arm, she couldn't jerk away. Angie moved on ahead of them. "Scully, please." "Please what?" Now she did pull away. "Please let me explain." "Explain what? That after seven years you didn't think it was important to tell me such information about yourself? That you couldn't trust me enough to tell me? Or maybe you think married men are my type. Fine, I guess we're not as close as I thought we were. I just wish you could have let me know that was how you really felt." "Scully, you know that's not how I feel." "You can say that, but your actions . . . I have a headache. I'm going to tell Chloe goodbye and head back to D.C." "You should stay for a little while. You don't see these people very often and I want you to - " She brushed past him and moved into the large room. Brenda spotted her and immediately came over. "Dana, are you okay?" "I'm fine." "Bullshit. The last thing you are is fine Dana. Look, I don't know what happened, but - " "That's right you don't know." Scully snapped back. "Well neither do you Dana. It's damn obvious you were caught off guard. Okay, he was married before. A lot of people were. It's not a crime." "You don't know what you're talking about." "So explain it to me." "This is none of your business, Brenda." She turned then and nearly bumped into Mulder who had approached with two glasses of champagne. "No thank you." She brushed past him and moved toward the far side of the room. Mulder closed his eyes in pain for an instant and felt Brenda's hand on his arm. "Fox, I'm terribly sorry I caused this. I would never - " "Brenda, it's not your fault. I should have . . . I screwed up big time." "She's worth fixing this." "I know that. The question is, am I?" Brenda blinked at that. "The short answer, Fox, is yes. Any man who loves someone as much as you love Dana . . . Fox, fix this and quick." He glanced over at Scully, who was standing by the food table. He nodded at Brenda. "Thanks." He moved toward her. She must have felt him coming because she moved instinctively farther away, though she hadn't glanced in his direction. She snagged a glass of champagne from a passing tray and drained it in one gulp. Before he could reach her, she had drained a second one. "You better slow down Scully." "Why? It's a wedding, a party to celebrate two people who have decided to trust each other and spend the rest of their lives together. Two people who have decided not to keep secrets from each other." She plucked a third glass from the table and downed it. "Scully - " "Leave me alone." She faced him then and the look in her eyes convinced him just how serious she was with that statement. If he hadn't known her so well, he would have missed the pain she was trying so desperately to hide. "Please forgive me." "There's nothing to forgive. You've done nothing to me. There are a dozen women here who would enjoy your company a great deal more than I do at this time. Please visit with them." "Damn it Scully!" He hissed, "Give me a chance." Instead she turned away from him and joined some of her friends, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the room. He watched her take a fourth glass of champagne and begin visiting with some people he didn't recognize from last evening. Okay, he'd keep his distance for a little while. She wouldn't be able to escape him in the car on the drive home. He stayed to himself off to one side, always mindful of her location and consumption. He had never seen her drink like this and while she might look steady on her feet to others, he could see the damage it was doing. After an interminable time, Chloe and Jason finally decided to leave, signaling his own escape. Chloe called for the women to gather so that she could throw the bouquet. He was a little surprised to see Scully join the group, until he saw that Brenda was actually guiding her. Great. Well, Scully might be plastered, but her coordination and reflexes were still better than any of the other women out there on the floor, who had also been drinking obviously. Scully literally plucked the bouquet from the air, despite her height, but didn't seem to understand what she had done until the applause penetrated her fog. Then she turned bright red and thrust the flowers at Brenda, her eyes snapping with fury. Brenda didn't seem to be phased, taking Scully's arm and leading her toward Mulder. "Fox, I believe this is yours. You better make sure she gets home safely." Mulder was a little surprised that Brenda hadn't been singed by the look Scully shot her at the comment, 'I believe this is yours'. Did the woman have a death wish? Regardless, he took Scully's arm firmly in his grasp and led her to the car after a quick thank you and goodbye. No way could she drive, and fortunately she was smart enough not to even argue about it. He settled her in the car; glad they had checked out of the hotel prior to the ceremony. He turned the car toward DC and purposely didn't look at her. In a few minutes, her even breathing told him she had fallen asleep. No wonder, with that much alcohol. It wasn't like he was going to be able to have a coherent conversation with her anyway. What the hell had he done? She was still sound asleep when he pulled up in front of her apartment. Hell, it was probably the best thing for her but he knew he'd missed his opportunity for that quiet, uninterrupted talk. He parked and got out, then carefully opened her car door and knelt beside it. "Scully? We're home." She muttered something unintelligible, then his name. He wasn't sure he wanted to decipher what she had said. "Scully, wake up." She roused slightly then and opened her eyes. "Mulder?" She smiled at him, "what?" "We're home Scully. Come on." He helped her to her feet and held her as she gained her balance. When she was standing, he lifted her suitcase from the trunk and again took her arm. If she didn't remember, he wasn't going to bring it up. He used his own key to let them into her apartment and she hurried to the bathroom. He deposited her suitcase on the chair in her bedroom and waited for a minute, then turned to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She had obviously remembered by the time she returned. "Why are you still here?" "Because you slept the whole way back and we need to talk." "There's nothing to talk about." She watched as he ran her a glass of water and extended it to her along with a couple of aspirin. Though she hated to show the weakness, she knew this was a good idea so after a slight hesitation she took them. "I need to explain, Scully. Then you can throw me out, but you have to hear me first." She turned from him and he almost grabbed her to turn her back to him. Thankfully he didn't as he watched her settle on the couch. He poured them both some coffee and joined her. She took the cup from him when he held it out to her, thinking to herself, what do you get when you give a drunk coffee? A wide-awake drunk. She said nothing, waiting for him to take his seat on the couch. As soon as he was seated she looked up at him. Before he could speak, she did. "Are you still married?" Well, there was obviously still alcohol in her system to be that blunt she realized. "No." Now she looked him directly in the eye. "Was it Diana?" "Good god, no!" Well, the vehemence wasn't feigned. She didn't want to show relief, but she couldn't hide it completely. She was now able to lean back slightly and take a breath. Without preamble he spoke, "Her name was Pamela, Pam. I met her when I was at the academy. They had me profiling already." He shrugged, "I was good at it, but you know how I am when I'm profiling. And I was lonely. I kept running into her at the deli and eventually I asked her out. I hadn't been seeing anyone since Phoebe and I thought at the time Pam was nothing like Phoebe." He kind of grinned, but her face remained impassive. "She was in marketing and she was ambitious. She wanted to own her own firm by the time she was thirty. I'm not sure why I asked her, obviously I thought she meant something to me, and I guess I was less lonely when I was with her. "We didn't have a wedding, not like what we went to today. We just went down to the courthouse. I wore a sport coat, she had a flowered dress. We didn't even have a honeymoon, just a long weekend, then we both got back to work. I believe we spent more time together before we got married, but we were both so busy I'm not sure I noticed." He sighed then and looked away. She didn't speak, waiting. "They called me in on a case, my first big one. They wanted me to profile the guy, so I did, and it worked. My profile broke the case. He was a serial rapist; real bad guy and we got him. I was psyched. I got home a day early, so I dropped by the store and picked up a bottle of wine, then headed home." For some reason she felt herself tense up slightly. He sighed, "I walked in and caught her in bed with her newest client." He gave her an ironic grin. "I told you she was ambitious." Her eyes showed concern and she seemed to be leaning slightly toward him, but maybe he was imagining that. He actually laughed, "I don't think any man has ever wilted as fast. I guess I am pretty intimidating. I'm a big guy and I was armed." That surprised her. How could he smile about something like this even now? "Anyway, I retreated to the kitchen and waited. They got dressed and he hauled ass out of there. Here I am, standing in the kitchen, still holding that stupid bottle of wine and I realized, I didn't care. I had just caught the woman I was married to in bed with another man, and I didn't care." "Didn't . . ." He shrugged. "It's not like it had been you." He wouldn't meet her eyes. "She came into the kitchen and before she could try to explain, I asked if she wanted a divorce. She asked if I would mind an annulment. I told her whatever she wanted was fine. I packed a few clothes and got a room for the night. The next day I moved the rest of my stuff. She brought some papers over later and I signed them and I got the final forms in the mail a few weeks later. So technically I've never been married. Even your church says I haven't been married, but . . . but I should have told you. It wasn't that I was keeping it from you Scully, I just . . . " "Do you still see her?" "No." "When, when was the . . . the last time?" "When she brought those papers over. It's been . . . ten years, a little more." Scully was silent for a long moment, trying to take this all in. "What . . . what did you mean, 'it's not like it had been you'?" He took a deep breath, "Scully, if I found you in bed with another man, rest assured, I would shred him in front of you." He said it quietly, but she didn't doubt his sincerity. Her eyes widened and she tried to suppress the shiver that ran through her, but she didn't speak. He rose then and moved toward the door. "I'll, uh, I'll see you in the morning. Try to get some rest, maybe it'll help the hangover." Then he opened the door and left. He pulled out his cell phone and called a cab, then moved to her car to get his things. It was going to be a long night. ***** He'd been right, it had been an extremely long night and he didn't think he'd slept more than five minutes at a time. He was running late, but part of him was afraid to show up at all. She was here, he'd seen the car and the door to the office was open. Scully turned from the files. "You look terrible." "Thanks." He moved cautiously to his chair. At least she was here, and speaking to him. He glanced down at the desk and spotted the envelope. "What's this?" Oh god, please not a transfer request. She shrugged, but didn't turn away. He frowned slightly and picked it up. With a last glance at her, he opened it and pulled out a photograph. The dress was canary yellow and ruffled, it did invoke memories of Gone With The Wind. The white-gloved hands held a white basket of spring flowers. Her hair was longer and curly, but the hat was truly out of character. He couldn't quite suppress the smile. Her eyes narrowed but she didn't speak. "Scully?" She shrugged, "I guess everyone has things in their past they don't like to think about or . . . or talk about. Things that don't really matter in the big scheme of things." Mulder nodded slowly and she turned back to the files with a slight smile. He slipped the picture into his top drawer and felt his whole life seem . . . lighter.